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Introduction: In severe cases of pectus excavatum (PE) the sternal depression may cause distortion of the cardiac chambers and great vessels. The aim of our study was to determine if the sternal impingement causes significant inferior vena cava (IVC) compression., Methods: Retrospective study of patients with severe PE assessed between 2015-2017. The antero-posterior (AP) and transverse diameters of the suprahepatic IVC were measured on a cardiac-MRI at the level of the diaphragmatic hiatus. Results were compared with patients that had a thoracic image study performed for other causes, adjusting for age and sex., Results: Among the 81 patients, 28 cases and 53 controls, 63% were males and had a mean age of 12.9±0.5 yrs. Significant differences were found between groups in both AP and transverse diameter of the IVC: 13.3±0.75 mm vs. 15.8±0.76 mm (p=0.001) and 28.8±1.34 mm vs. 27.1±0.89mm (p=0.045) respectively. After adjusting for age and sex, these differences were only statistically significant for AP IVC diameter in males 12.7±0.5 mm (95% CI 11.66-13.79 mm) vs. 16.6±0.5 mm (95% CI 15.69-17.56 mm) (p=0.000). The Pearson correlation coefficient for the Haller index was r=0.471 (p=0.01)., Conclusion: Male patients with severe sternal depression show changes in the IVC diameter that may correspond to compression. These changes are correlated with the severity of the deformity and can justify certain clinical symptoms and cardiac function abnormalities in patients with severe PE.

Introduction/aim of the Study: In patients with PE, cardiovascular alterations ensue as a result of the mediastinum compression caused by sternum impingement and is responsible of many of the symptoms. Anatomical and functional assessment is of the utmost importance for a comprehensive understanding of the disease and an adequate treatment plan. Our aim was to describe the use of magnetic resonance image (MRI) in the study of PE and whether it is comparable to imaging techniques., Patients and Methods: A retrospective study of the first 10 patients in which an MRI was performed as part of PE assessment within august 2015-2016. PE indexes were evaluated: Haller, correction, asymmetry, as well as sternal rotation. An analysis of right ventricular function was carried out comparing echocardiogram and MRI., Results: MRI scan on 10 patients showed the following findings: Haller index: inspiration: 3.75 (3.5-7.3) and expiration 4,9 (3.9-10.8), correction index of 24% (5-37%) and a sternal rotation of 12º (0-31º). The cardiovascular study showed a median ejection fraction of the right ventricle (EFRV) of 50% (38-64%), with 9 of the 10 patients under the normal value of 61% (54-71%). Echocardiographic findings underestimated functional alterations in all of the patients., Conclusion: This initial study suggests that the use of MRI as a test of choice in the evaluation of PE subject to surgical correction is feasible. Absence of radiation offers the capacity of a complete and dynamic anatomical as well as cardiovascular study.

Organizing pneumonia is an uncommon lung disease with a wide variety of radiologic findings, few of which have been discussed in the literature. We performed high resolution computed tomography on 34 patients with a histological diagnosis of organizing pneumonia and studied the images they presented. Twenty-five of the cases were idiopathic and 9 secondary. The findings observed were parenchymal consolidation (76%), ground glass opacity (59%), bronchial dilatation (53%), centrilobular nodules (35%), septal thickening (23%), halo sign (15%), and reversed halo sign (12%). Secondary cases presented more findings of septal thickening and fewer complete remissions.