57-year-old man with left iliac fossa pain:
What do you see?
* Infiltration/haziness around colon descendens with central fat density
* No or only moderate (secondary) inflammation of colonic wall
Epiploic appendagitis
* Diverticulitis mimic, but self-limiting
* No-touch-lesion!
Dear Friends,
Today I am showing the PA radiograph of an 82-year-old woman. Preoperatory for cataracts.
What do you think about the right hilum?
1. Calcified TB nodes
2. Sarcoidosis
3. Amyloid
4. None of the above
More images will be shown on Wednesday.
Dear friends, showing today PA and lateral radiographs taken two years earlier. Hope they help.
Findings: Initial PA radiograph shows opacities in the right hilum (A, circle), unchanged in comparison with a previous film taken two years earlier (B, circle).
The clue to the diagnosis lies in the density and appearance of the opacities. They are denser than the typical lymph node calcifications, suggesting that they are metallic. In addition, some of them look tubular or branching (C, red arrows). A lateral view taken two years earlier confirms dense lineal and branching opacities in right lung (D, arrows).
The combination of linear and branching metallic opacities suggests that they are either in the bronchi (previous bronchography) or within the pulmonary vessels (embolism after vertebroplasty o treatment of AV malformation). See Diploma # 44.
Lateral view of the lumbar spine shows surgical changes with vertebroplasty of L3 to L5 and leakage of the cement into the epidural veins (E, arrows), better seen in the sagittal CT (F, arrows).
Unenhanced CT confirms multiple cement emboli in the pulmonary arteries (G-J, circles)
Final diagnosis: cement embolization of the lung after vertebroplasty
I must mention Olena and Ayudi who suggested amyloid and broncholithiasis but failed to notice the metallic opacity of the findings.
Teaching point: Consider previous vertebroplasty when you see metallic opacities in the lungs. It is a common complication.
Dear Friends,
This week’s case follows the pattern of a “Meet the Examiner” presentation, with questions and answers similar to a real examination. Take your time before scrolling down for the answer.
The images belong to a 60-year-old man with moderate cough and dyspnea
What would you recommend?
1. Compare with previous films
2. Chest CT
3. PET-CT
4. None of the above
Findings: PA radiograph shows large bullae in both upper lobes. There is a nodule in the RUL projected over one bulla (A, arrow). Two small calcified granulomas are visible in the periphery of the LUL (A, circle). PA film taken five years earlier (B) does not show any nodule in the RUL. The granulomas in the LUL are unchanged.
Report of the chest : bullous emphysema with a nodule not visible in 2014. Given the relationship between bullous disease and carcinoma, it is imperative to do a chest CT.
Enhanced CT was done the next day. What would you suggest?
1. Antibiotic treatment and CXR in one month
2. PET-CT
3. Antibiotic treatment and CT in one month
4. None of the above
Findings: aside form large bullae in both upper lobes, an irregular nodule is evident in the RUL (A-B, arrows). In my opinion, given the appearance of the nodule I would suspect malignancy and request a PET-CT. However CT was reported as: Pseudonodular opacity in RUL that could be related to an infectious/inflammatory process. A neoplasm cannot be excluded. Recommend control after treatment
A chest radiograph was taken one month later.
What would you do?
1. PET-CT
2. CXR in three months
3. CT in three months
4. Control in one year
The chest radiograph one month later was reported as unchanged and no further suggestions were made by the radiologist. The clinician took no further action.
The patient came back ten months later, and a new radiograph showed an obvious increase in size of the nodule (B, arrow) when compared to the initial film (A, arrow)
Enhanced CT confirms the increase in size of the nodule (A-B, arrows). Surgery discovered a carcinoma in the wall of a bulla.
Final diagnosis: adenocarcinoma of the lung associated to bullous disease.
Lung carcinoma seems to occur more often in bullous disease, although there is not enough evidence compiled at the present time. Despite the lack of evidence, knowing
this association may prevent misdiagnosis.
A lesser known fact is that the cystic space may disappear after the carcinoma develops, as occurred in a second case (see below). Spontaneous regression of a bulla may be due to non-malignant causes, but carcinoma should be excluded with CT because it may take years for the lesion to be visible in the chest radiograph.
I am showing this case because the opinion given in the chest radiograph was unequivocal, whereas the CT report was vapid, giving the impression that the nodule was infectious, and that malignancy was less likely. The follow-up radiograph was disregarded by the radiologist and clinician and this caused a delay in diagnosis of almost one year.
To complete the information, I am showing a second case of carcinoma developing in the wall of a cystic space
Images of the second case were obtained during routine CT screening in a 72-year-old man, heavy smoker.
Apical axial CT image shows a small nodule in the LUL (A, arrow), with increased uptake on PET-CT (C, arrow). There is a cystic airspace in the LLL (B, arrow) with no PET-CT uptake, interpreted as a non-specific cystic airspace lesion.
At surgery a carcinoma of the LUL was found.
It was decided to continue with yearly follow-up studies. The cystic air space (A, arrow) increased in size in 2008 but still had a thin wall (B, arrow). In 2009 it has decreased slightly in size and the wall is thicker than the previous year (C, arrow). A new PET-CT shows increased uptake in the posterior wall (D, arrow).
Malignancy was suspected. The patient refused further surgery or percutaneous biopsy and it was decided to do a follow up study three months later.
Axial CT shows that the cystic airspace has disappeared and in its place, a solid mass has developed (A and B, arrows) with increased overall uptake on PET-CT (C, arrow). At surgery, an adenocarcinoma was found.
Final diagnosis: adenocarcinoma arising in the wall of a cystic airspace, which disappeared as the tumour progressed.
Follow Dr. Pepe’s advice:
1. Bullous emphysema and isolated cystic spaces may be associated with an increased incidence of carcinomas
2. A poorly worded report may cause an unnecessary delay in diagnosis
This is the third and last case of the musculoskeletal series. Check the first one and second one on this blog.
What do you see on the following images?
Osteoblastoma: Osteoblastoma is histologically similar to osteoid osteoma but they are larger (usually accepted more than 1 cm), often involving the posterior column
We are continuing the same topic we started 3 weeks ago. You can check the first part also in this blog.
What do you see on this images?
Vertebral osteoid-osteoma case in the articular facet of lumbar vertebrae with less cortical reaction but with almost pathognomonic nidus
Dear friends, Dr Pepe has eloped with Miss Piggy (again) and has let me alone, holding the fort. Hope he will be back in time to give the next webinar.
Today’s radiographs belong to a 60-year-old male with cough and moderate dyspnea.
Diagnosis:
1. Hilar lymphadenopathy
2. Right pulmonary artery aneurysm
3. Mediastinal tumor
4. None of the above
Findings: PA and lateral chest radiographs show a right hilar mass (A-B, arrows). In my opinion, the appearance of the mass and its location in the right hilum in the lateral view rules out a mediastinal mass.
There is a small nodule in the RUL (A, red arrow) that can be overlooked unless we look for it
The nodule is better seen in the cone down view and the axial CT (C-D, red arrows), with high SUV in the PET-CT (E, arrow), accompanied by a metastatic node in the mediastinum (E, circle).
Caudal slices of enhanced CT show multiple lymph nodes in right hilum (F, arrow) and mediastinum (G, circle).
Biopsy of a lymph node returned as metastatic carcinoma.
Final diagnosis: carcinoma of the lung with mediastinal metastases
Congratulations to archanareddyt who was the only one to discover the RUL nodule
Teaching point: this is an interesting case for educational purposes.
1. Knowing the most common causes of unilateral hilar enlargement (lymph nodes vs. enlarged artery) helps the differential diagnosis.
2. We should think of common processes rather than unusual ones (lymph nodes vs. aneurysm).
3. Suspecting unilateral hilar lymph nodes leads to search for the two more common etiologies (TB or carcinoma) leading to the discovery of the RUL nodule.
Hope the case was useful!
89-year-old female patient with aplastic anemia. Showing CT images without contrast media. What do you see?
CT images without contrast media: Subacute isodense right subdural hematoma, revealed with narrowing of right cerebral hemispheric sulci and right lateral ventricle and minimal midline shift (red arrows), acute left subdural hematoma (blue arrow)
Dear friends I am presenting today the pre-op PA chest radiograph of a 40-year-old man.
What do you see?
More images will be shown on Wednesday.
Dear friends, showing today images of the barium swallow. What do you think?
The answer will be published on Friday 🙂
Findings: PA radiograph shows convexity of the middle aspect of the right mediastinal border (A, arrow). There is a double contour in the opposite side (A, red arrow). These two lines conform the limits of a rounded mass which is better seen in the penetrated AP radiograph (B, arrows).
An outside CT (not available) confirmed a middle mediastinal mass. Esophageal diverticulum was included in the differential diagnoses (??) and for this reason a barium swallow was done.
AP view of the esophagogram shows a large mass deforming the esophagus (C, circle). Oblique view demonstrates the typical appearance of a submucosal mass of the esophageal wall (D, circle). Endoscopy confirmed an intact mucosa.
A large intramural esophageal tumor that looks like an alien was resected (E, insert)
Final diagnosis: leiomyoma of esophagus.
Congratulations to Traidor who made the diagnosis before the barium study and to Genchi Bari, after.
Teaching point: I am showing this case to review basic concepts of paleo-radiology (before CT), when we used to classify GI tumors according to the appearance of the filling defect in the barium column.
A represents an intraluminal mass (polyps and carcinomas, usually)
B is the typical appearance of a submucosal intramural mass (looks like an extrapulmonary lesion in the chest radiograph). Usually due to benign spindle-cell tumors or duplication cyst. Rarely metastasis.
C represents the deformity secondary to an extrinsic mass
Situated at the left common carotid artery bifurcation.
Enhancing soft tissue tumor splaying the internal and external carotid arteries.
Hyperintense on the STIR with dark foci giving salt and pepper appearance. Hypointense on T1.
Carotid body tumor: glomus tumor or paraganglioma of the carotid body. It characteristically splays the internal and external carotid arteries.
Vagal schwannoma: tends to displace both arteries together to one side.
Glomus vagale: paraganglioma with the same signal characteristics as the carotid body paraganglioma but is located more superiorly at the skull base and may extend into the jugular foramen.
Diagnosis: Carotid body tumor.
Dear friends, I am starting a new webinar series entitled “Things that we already know, but are important to remember”. The objective is to refresh basic concepts that often are forgotten.
This week’s webinar title is “Who is afraid of the bad, big lateral chest”. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, September 30 at 12:00 CEST. You can register here.
The initial case is a PA chest radiograph of a 61-year-old man with hemoptysis.
Do you see any abnormality?
1. Yes
2. No
3. I want a lateral chest
Register for the webinar and lear more about this case and others!
Findings: PA radiograph (A) does not show any significant findings. The lateral view shows a posterior pulmonary nodule with irregular contour (B, arrow). A typical donut sign is visible (B, circle), indicative of enlarged subcarinal lymph nodes.
Enhanced axial CT and PET-CT show confirm the pulmonary nodule (C-D, arrows) and the subcarinal lymphadenopathies (C-D, red arrows).
Carcinoma hidden in the PA view behind the right hilum with metastases to subcarinal lymph nodes.
Congratulations to drpeca who was the first to want a lateral view.
Teaching point: remember that about 26% of the lung is hidden in the PA view. A lateral chest radiograph is indispensable to study the chest.
