Journal of the Canadian Association of Radiologists最新文献

The radiographic changes in 200 patients with known or suspected asbestos exposure were reviewed. Pleural plaques or thickening, with or without calcification, occurred solely or predominantly on the left side in 90, on the right side in 32, and equally bilaterally in 44. Asymmetry is common in asbestos-related disease, and apparently unilateral findings should prompt a search for more subtle changes elsewhere.

Anomalies of the inferior vena cava, azygous venous system and renal veins may take many forms. We report a patient with azygous continuation of a left-sided inferior vena cava with an associated retroaortic right renal vein. To our knowledge, this is the first such report.

We describe the radiographic, gross morphologic and microscopic appearance of a pleural collagenous nodule presenting as a "solitary nodule." We believe that this lesion is within the spectrum of "pleural plaques," an associated condition present in our patient who had a history of potential asbestos exposure. Awareness of this probably rare variant of a common abnormality may obviate the need for a diagnostic thoracotomy in certain circumstances.

The diagnosis of hepatic rupture in patients with pregnancy-induced hypertension (preeclampsia and eclampsia) is rarely made preoperatively. Diagnostic imaging can be utilized in some patients to confirm the preoperative diagnosis. Since hematoma formation precedes hepatic rupture, then, when diagnostic modalities such as sonography and computed tomography identify patients with hematomas, these patients are at risk of rupture, and should be hospitalized until the hematomas resolve.

We evaluated the plain films of the abdomen and chest in 24 patients with documented extraperitoneal gas collections. Compartmental localization of the extraperitoneal ectopic gas in these patients was as follows: the anterior pararenal space in 10 patients, the perirenal space in five and the posterior pararenal space in 15. In six of these 24 patients, the extraperitoneal gas was present in two compartments. The extraperitoneal gas collection resulted from perforation of the retroperitoneally located alimentary tract in 11, necrotizing pancreatitis in five, gas-producing infection in four and from extension of extra-alveolar air in three patients. Air insufflation of the scrotum was the cause of the extraperitoneal gas in another patient.

Respiratory symptoms are a known complication of esophageal replacement by a gastric tube, and are usually due to aspiration secondary to a stricture. We report here a patient who developed a long standing broncho-gastric tube fistula as the underlying cause of severe respiratory symptoms and an unusual complication of this kind of surgery. This fistula was unsuspected for many years as it could not be demonstrated by the usual barium examinations.

Little has been written about pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma as a cause of nodules in the lungs. In a patient with a past history of carcinoma of the breast, the diagnosis made a significant difference in the prognosis.

Chest radiographs of 11 patients with supero-inferior ventricles proven by echocardiography and angiocardiography are presented. The main feature is the modified configuration of the left heart contour. Even if not specific, this sign is encountered frequently (72%) and may suggest the diagnosis.

Extraosseous osteogenic sarcomas are unusual tumors that are seldom diagnosed. Although primary renal osteogenic sarcoma has been reported, and is described in the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology fascicle, most clinicians are unaware of its existence. We describe a patient with this disease to remind clinicians of this tumor, its presentation and rapid evolution.