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Abstract Background Studies in the United States have shown a genetic predisposition to hypertension in individuals of African descent. However, studies on the associations between ethnic groups and hypertension in Latin America are lacking and the limited results have been inconsistent. The objective of this study is to determine whether Afro-Colombian ethnicity increases the risk of hypertension. Methods This study is a secondary data analysis of a cross sectional study from five provinces in Northern Colombia. Randomly selected individuals (N = 2613; age-range 18–74 years) enrolled in a health care insurance company underwent physical examinations and completed questionnaires regarding ethnicity, lifestyle, and other risk factors. Hypertension in these patients was determined. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analysis were calculated to determine the association between ethnicity and hypertension. Results No association between Afro-Colombian ethnicity and hypertension was found (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.66–1.09). As expected, people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher were at a greater risk of having hypertension (OR, 3.12; 95% CI, 2.35–4.16) compared with those with a normal BMI. Conclusions Findings from this study suggest no independent association between Afro-Colombian ethnicity and hypertension. Further research should focus on genotyping or socioeconomic factors such as income level. more...

Hypercalcemia is a relatively common metabolic abnormality; however, it is frequently undiagnosed. It often manifests with neuropsychiatric, gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal symptoms. We report the case of a 75-year-old woman with a history of syncope, anorexia, asthenia, weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, visual hallucinations, confusion, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and depression. Laboratory workup revealed severe hypercalcemia (ionized calcium: 1.81 mmol/L) with normal renal function and significantly elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was made, and the patient was treated with fluid therapy and zoledronic acid, resulting in the resolution of the symptoms., Competing Interests: Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2025, Silva et al.) more...

Rhabdomyolysis is a pathological condition presenting with symptoms of localized or generalized myalgia and weakness, associated with an increase in serum creatine kinase level and, often leading to myoglobinuria and acute kidney injury. It has a wide range of etiologies. Immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) is a rare type of inflammatory myopathy, that leads to rhabdomyolysis, and it is divided into three different subtypes: anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coA reductase (anti-HMGCR, anti-signal recognition particle (anti-SRP), and seronegative. There are slight differences in incidence, age of onset, clinical course, and prognosis between these subtypes. We describe the case of a 67-year-old female with myalgias and weakness of the thighs for six weeks. Laboratory findings showed marked rhabdomyolysis and severe acute kidney injury. The workup led to the diagnosis of seronegative immune-mediated necrotizing myopathy (IMNM) and treatment with corticosteroid and methotrexate was introduced, which led to marked clinical improvement., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Pombo et al.) more...

Dysgeusia is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. Still, there is little information given to patients and limited knowledge about its diagnosis and management. We report the case of a patient under a standard regimen of adjuvant chemotherapy treatment (cisplatin and vinorelbine) who developed a life-threatening case of diabetes mellitus decompensation (hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state) resulting from extreme dietary intake due to severe dysgeusia and polydipsia. Dysgeusia is associated with a wide range of chemotherapy drugs. It is a frequent side effect but often overlooked. Self-care strategies and pharmacological agents can be implemented to help ensure better compliance to cancer treatment and improve quality of life., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2022, Pombo et al.) more...

Although tuberculosis manifests mostly as a pulmonary disease, extrapulmonary presentations can occur and must be taken into consideration depending on the clinical setting., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. Clinical Case Reports published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.) more...

Hypoparathyroidism is a rare endocrine disorder and its main cause is cervical surgery such as thyroidectomy. The incidence of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy varies, and is reported to be between 0.3 and 6.3%. In terms of brain imaging, hypoparathyroidism can cause calcification mainly of the basal ganglia, with other areas rarely affected. Concerning extracerebral calcification, few studies have investigated the prevalence of visceral calcifications. We describe a case of a woman with secondary hypocalcaemia who presented with a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) and the investigation revealed an extensive calcinosis of the brain and the vascular structures responsible for the event., Learning Points: Iatrogenic hypoparathyroidism with hypocalcaemia is an important complication of total thyroidectomy. Hypocalcaemia manifestations can vary from asymptomatic to life-threatening conditions.Hypoparathyroidism (with hypocalcaemia) can cause cerebral calcification mainly of basal ganglia, with other areas of the brain rarely affected.Extracerebral calcifications are under-studied., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interests: The authors disclose no conflicts of interest., (© EFIM 2021.) more...

Introduction: A condition called multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), related to past SARS-CoV-2 infection, has been described in a series of cases. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting a similar entity in adults (MIS-A). We report a case of a young adult with a hyperinflammatory systemic syndrome with end-organ lesions and a recent SARS-CoV-2 infection., Methods and Procedures: The patient developed end-organ lesions in the respiratory, cardiovascular, digestive, haematological and mucocutaneous systems. A wide diagnostic work-up did not find any specific aetiology (autoimmunity, neoplastic or infectious). There was evidence of past SARS-CoV-2 infection with positive autoimmune titres (positive IgG). A presumptive diagnosis of MIS-A was made and treatment with corticosteroids was introduced with improvement., Discussion: COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults is still an unknown entity with no diagnostic criteria or treatment guidelines. Much of what is known is inferred from what we already know about MIS-C. There have been several reported cases with severity ranging from mild to severe. The mechanisms behind this condition are still largely unknown. More evidence is needed to establish diagnosis and treatment., Learning Points: COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome in adults is a new entity with few case reports.Awareness is important for early diagnosis and treatment., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interests: The Authors declare that there are no competing interests., (© EFIM 2021.) more...

Introduction and Objectives: This study aimed to compare stress echocardiography (SE) and multidetector computed tomography (MCT) in patients admitted to a chest pain unit to detect acute coronary syndrome (ACS)., Methods: A total of 203 patients with ≥ 1 cardiovascular risk factor, no ischemic electrocardiogram changes and negative biomarkers were randomized to SE (n=103) or MTC (n=100). The primary endpoint was a combination of hard events (death and nonfatal myocardial infarction), revascularizations, and readmissions during follow-up. The secondary endpoint was the cost of the 2 strategies., Results: Invasive angiography was performed in 61 patients (34 [33%] in the SE group and in 27 [27%] in the MCT group, P=.15). A final diagnosis of ACS was made in 53 patients (88% vs 85%, P=.35). There were no significant differences between groups in the primary endpoint (42% vs 41%, P=.91), or in hard events (5% vs 7%, P=.42). There were no significant differences in overall cost, but costs were lower in patients with negative SE than in those with negative MCT (€557 vs €706, P <.02)., Conclusions: No significant differences were found in efficacy and safety for the stratification of patients with a low to moderate probability of ACS admitted to a chest pain unit. The cost of the 2 strategies was similar, but cost was significantly lower for SE on comparison of negative studies., (Copyright © 2020 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.) more...

Acute eosinophilic pneumonia (AEP) is a rare disease characterized by its acute onset and a clinical presentation simulating a bacterial pneumonia. Although it can be idiopathic, it has been described related to drugs, toxic agents and infections, mostly parasitic. We describe the case of influenza A (H1N1) severe pneumonia complicated by an acute eosinophilic pneumonia. Patient presented with respiratory failure and diffuse ground-glass opacities at chest-computed tomography. Clinical suspicion for this complication and bronchoalveolar lavage with cellular count analysis is crucial. more...

Objective: Aortoesophageal and aortobronchial fistulas are uncommon but life-threatening conditions. The present study aimed to identify potential differences in outcomes, depending on the etiology, type, and management of the fistulas, and to determine mortality predictors., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a series of 26 consecutive patients with thoracic aorta fistulas admitted to our institution from 1998 to 2013 (18 aortobronchial, 7 aortoesophageal, and 1 combined fistula)., Results: The mean age was 61.5 ± 13.4 years, with 22 men. Management was thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) in 8, open repair in 7, and conservative in 11. The TEVAR and nonoperative patients were significantly older and presented with more comorbidities. Shock developed in 15 patients and sepsis in 9. The most common radiologic findings were intramural hematoma (65.4%), pseudoaneurysm (53.8%), and bronchial compression (46.20%). Active contrast extravasation (23.1%) and ectopic gas (19.2%) were associated with a worse prognosis. In-hospital mortality was 100% in the conservative group, 37.5% in the TEVAR group, and 14.3% in the open repair group (P = .04). Septic shock was the most common cause of death. The risk factors for in-hospital mortality were hemodynamic instability on admission (P = .02), sepsis (P = .04), and conservative management (P < .001). The overall long-term survival in surgical patients at 1 and 5 years was 66% and 58.7%, respectively. Infectious and malignant etiologies resulted in the worst prognosis., Conclusions: The outcomes are ultimately conditioned by the etiology of the fistula. Both open and endovascular management of aortic fistulas can prevent death by exsanguination; however, patients remain at high risk of infectious complications. Failure to treat the underlying cause will result in poor midterm outcomes., (Copyright © 2014 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) more...

We report on a case of an congenital orbital tumor of impressive size, occurring in a newborn. The patient underwent orbital exenteration with a histopathologic diagnosis of cystic teratoma. The clinicopathological aspects of such a rare disease are commented. more...

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare disease characterized by hepatic outflow obstruction due to different causes. Hepatic nodules in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome are rare and can be due to hepatocellular carcinoma and benign regenerative nodules. Imaging descriptions of regenerative nodules in cirrhotic livers are numerous, but the imaging findings of benign regenerative nodules associated with Budd-Chiari syndrome have only recently been reported. We present the computed tomographic and magnetic resonance features of benign regenerative hepatic nodules with copper accumulation in a patient with chronic Budd-Chiari syndrome. more...

Clinically evident colonic metastasis from renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rare. In the present study a hypervascular sigmoid mass was demonstrated on arterial-phase helical CT using a water enema in a patient who had suffered left nephrectomy 8 years previously for RCC. The intense and early enhancement of the lesion suggested the possibility of a solitary colonic metastasis from RCC, a diagnosis which was pathologically confirmed. more...

Amyloidosis is a uncommon disease which affect respiratory system with well defined patterns. We describe a case of multiple nodular pulmonary amyloidosis in a 81 year old man mimicking other entities: metastatic disease, tuberculosis and other granulomatose diseases. In our patient amyloide substance was type AA, being type AL the most frequent one in nodular pulmonary amyloidosis. more...

Colonic amyloidosis is frequent, although rarely radiographically evident. The radiological findings are varied and unspecific. We report a case of perforated giant colonic diverticulum (GCD) diagnosed by helical CT in which amyloid deposition was pathologically demonstrated. The patient was a renal transplant recipient who previously had undergone hemodialysis for 10 years. A possible role of amyloidosis in the pathogenesis of this case is discussed. Giant colonic diverticulum must be included in the spectrum of gastrointestinal manifestations of amyloidosis. more...

The aim of this study is to present the computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) findings in three cases of fibrosing mediastinitis, probably secondary to tuberculosis. Two patients had diffuse involvement of the mediastinum and one patient presented with a posterior mediastinal mass. On CT, the patients with diffuse involvement showed infiltrating soft-tissue masses with multiple foci of dense calcifications. One of these lesions enhanced mildly with contrast and one did not enhance. On MR examination, diffuse masses were of heterogeneous, intermediate and low signal on T1-weighted images (n = 2) and were of homogeneous low signal (n = 1) or heterogeneous (n = 1) signal intensity on T2-weighted images. After administration of Gd-DTPA, these mediastinal masses showed heterogeneous enhancement. The posterior mediastinal mass showed homogeneous pronounced enhancement on CT and was homogeneous with intermediate T1 signal intensity and hypointense T2 signal intensity. The CT findings of an infiltrative or well-defined mediastinal mass with scattered calcifications should suggest the diagnosis of fibrosing mediastinitis in the appropriate clinical setting. Although the appearance of calcification on MR are not specific, this technique provides further information than CT especially in those cases in which the lesions appear noncalcified, because MR imaging revealed areas of low signal intensity characteristic of fibrous tissue. more...

Elastofibroma dorsi is a benign, pseudotumoral soft tissue lesion of the periscapular area. The characteristical findings in magnetic resonance images and computed tomography usually allow the diagnosis and prevent radical surgery. We report the MR and CT findings of elastofibroma dorsi in four women presenting as an elongated soft tissue mass intermingled with fat, between the ribs and the serratus muscle, deep to the inferior angle of the scapula. more...

Background: The purpose of this study was to describe the computed tomography (CT) findings in pancreatic tuberculosis (PT)., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the CT features in six patients with PT, three of whom had AIDS., Results: Pancreatic lesion masses were found in four patients, small (< 1 cm) low-attenuation pancreatic nodules in one, and diffuse enlargement of the pancreas in one. The pancreatic lesion masses were found in all the non-AIDS patients and in one patient with AIDS and were located in the head of the pancreas in two cases and involved the body, neck, and head of the gland in the other two. The masses showed low attenuation in two cases, soft-tissue attenuation in one, and appeared as an infiltrating inhomogeneous lesion with retropancreatic spread, encasing the celiac trunk and superior mesenteric artery in one. Low-attenuation peripancreatic and/or periportal adenopathies with peripheral rim enhancement were found in three cases, and slight bile duct dilatation was evident in four. Four patients had disseminated tuberculosis, whereas pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis were the sole manifestation of tuberculosis in the other two., Conclusion: The present data suggest that PT usually appears as a nonspecific focal lesion mass in HIV-seronegative patients, whereas there is a variable spectrum of CT findings including focal lesion mass, multiple small low-attenuation pancreatic nodules, or diffuse enlargement of the gland in AIDS patients. Low-attenuation peripancreatic and periportal adenopathies with peripheral rim enhancement and other data of disseminated tuberculosis are ancillary findings that should support a diagnosis of PT. more...

The coincidence of an urachal adenocarcinoma with another similar tumour in other location makes necessary to separate a true primary from a metastatic adenocarcinoma. We report the case of a 66-years-old-man with an urachal mucinous adenocarcinoma and two colonic adenocarcinoma excised in the same surgical act, showing both macro and microscopic studies together with immunohistochemical techniques, that were useful to differentiate the origin of both neoplasms. Among them, the antibody to keratin 7, a cytoplasmic epithelial protein, was positive in the urachal and negative in the colonic tumour. more...

A case of bilateral renal lymphangiomatosis in an asymptomatic 50-year-old female is presented. Ultrasound and CT studies were performed. A finely septated fluid collection surrounding both kidneys and traversing the midline was found. Surgical biopsy was obtained and revealed findings compatible with lymphangiomatosis. A review of the literature of renal lymphangiomatosis is given. more...

Purpose: To assess the accuracy and clinical usefulness of CT-guided core-needle biopsy in the diagnosis of omental pathology., Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the results of CT-guided percutaneous core biopsies in 25 patients with focal (n = 2) or diffuse (n = 23) omental pathology. These results were compared to the final diagnoses as determined by laparotomy (n = 15), laparoscopic biopsy (n = 3), endoscopic biopsy (n = 1), or by the results of percutaneous biopsy and clinical-radiological and bacteriological modalities (n = 6). The final diagnoses showed 4 patients with isolated omental pathology and 21 with widespread peritoneal involvement. The CT-guided biopsies were performed with 1.0-1.8-mm Surecut core-needles., Results: In 16 patients, the final diagnosis was metastatic adenocarcinoma--with the primary tumor sites in the ovary (n = 3), stomach (n = 1), appendix (n = 2), and unknown (n = 10). In the remaining 9 patients, the final diagnosis was hepatocellular carcinoma, lymphoma, and mesothelioma in 1 patient each; tuberculosis in 5; and actinomycosis in 1. Sufficient histological (n = 16) or cytological (n = 8) material was obtained by CT biopsy in 24/25 (96%) cases; the specimen was insufficient for diagnosis in 1 case. In differentiating benign from malignant disease, CT-guided biopsy showed a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of respectively 89.5%, 100% and 92%. It gave a specific diagnosis in 78.9% (15/19) of patients with malignant conditions and in 50% (3/6) of patients with benign disorders. There were no biopsy-related complications., Conclusion: CT-guided percutaneous core-needle biopsy of the omentum is a safe, useful and highly accurate procedure for diagnosing malignant omental pathology. more...

Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is a rare malignancy which spreads frequently to cervical lymph nodes. We report the CT findings of MTC metastatic cervical adenopathies in two patients with previously resected MTC. The CT scans showed calcifications (one patient) and massive homogeneous postcontrast nodal enhancement. Medullary thyroid carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of entities showing calcifications and intense homogeneous adenopathic enhancement on CT studies. more...

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of CT in distinguishing peritoneal tuberculosis (PT) from peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC)., Materials and Methods: CT scans were retrospectively reviewed in 19 patients known to have PT and compared with scans in 19 patients known to have PC. CT images were evaluated for thickening (smooth versus irregular), enhancement, presence of nodules, and site of involvement on the parietal peritoneum. The existence of omental caking, nodules, and smudged patterns in the omentum, mesentery, and gastrocolic ligament was noted. The presence, distribution, and loculation of ascites were also evaluated., Results: Ascites was present in all cases of PT and PC, loculated in 10 cases (PT = 4, PC = 6), and located in the greater peritoneal sac (PT = 15, PC = 10) or in the greater and lesser sacs (PT = 4, PC = 9). Slight smooth thickening and pronounced enhancement of the parietal peritoneum were seen in 15 of 19 PT patients and in 5 of 19 PC patients (p<0.001), whereas irregular thickening was found in only 9 of 19 PC patients (p <0.001). Peritoneal nodules were present exclusively in PC (7/19) (p <0.01). The sites of the parietal peritoneum involvement were the pelvic (PT = 9, PC = 3) (p <0.05), paracolic gutters (PT = 5, PC = 6), juxtadiaphragmatic (PT = 0, PC = 9) (p <0.001), and perihepatic (PT = 6, PC = 8) regions. Omental cakes were found in 4 of 19 PT and in 7 of 19 PC patients. The smudged pattern was the most common abnormality in the omentum (PT = 9/19, PC = 11/19), gastrocolic ligament (PT = 5/19, PC = 11/19) (p <0.01), and mesentery (PT = 7/19, PC = 11/19). Isolated and discrete well defined nodules were exclusively found in the mesentery (PT = 5/19, PC = 3/19)., Conclusion: The most useful CT findings for distinguishing PT from PC were observed in the parietal peritoneum. The presence of a smooth peritoneum with minimal thickening and pronounced enhancement suggests PT, whereas nodular implants and irregular peritoneal thickening suggest PC. more...

Alveolar lipoproteinosis is a rare disease, a review of the Spanish Medical Index for 1971 to June 1994 showing only 9 reported cases. The intra-alveolar deposit of lipoprotein-type matter produces severe hypoxemia and favors infection by opportunistic germs. Treatment with massive bronchial lavage (MBL) removes the matter from the alveolar space, improves gas exchange and decreases the risk of infection. We report a case of primary alveolar lipoproteinosis treated with MBL in which the patient developed infections by Aspergillus fumigatus before lavage and after starting steroid treatment. The procedure was performed without complications, with significant clinical and gasometric improvement. The natural evolution of this disease is poorly understood. Spontaneous remissions have been observed, and as MBL is not a risk-free procedures, its use in treatment is controversial. We believe that when severe hypoxemia is present, MBL should be used early, when the risk is slight; MBL improves gas exchange and probably reduces the risk of opportunistic infection. more...

Since the introduction of effective antituberculous chemotherapy, upper respiratory tract tuberculosis is infrequent; nasal involvement is a very rare form of this disease. In this localization, tuberculosis is usually unilateral and typically discloses a definite granular mass or an ulcer. We report a case manifested by an intranasal mass on computerized tomography scans that evolved as chronic rhinitis. more...

We report a case of pseudocoarctation of the thoracic aorta diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging. Morphological spin-echo findings and cine-MRI performed by gradient-echo multiphase images are reported. No other more invasive examinations were needed to establish the diagnosis of pseudocoarctation and to differentiate from other aortic abnormalities. more...

The magnetic resonance findings of intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis associated with bone marrow reconversion, and reticuloendothelial hemosiderosis in a 50-years-old are reported. Radiologic finding of extramedullary hematopoiesis was the first step to the diagnosis of previously unknown hereditary spherocytosis. more...

Alagille syndrome, or arteriohepatic dysplasia, is a disorder characterized by paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts, peculiar facies and skeletal anomalies. We report a typical case of this syndrome in an 18-year-old girl, in whom abdominal CT showed bilateral renal cysts and aortic wall calcification, findings unreported in the radiological literature. more...

We describe a 41-year-old patient with adult-onset dermatomyositis who developed persistent pneumomediastinum and severe subcutaneous emphysema due to end-stage interstitial lung disease. The diagnosis of dermatomyositis was based on proximal muscle weakness, electromyographic findings of inflammatory myopathy, and positive findings on muscle biopsy. Low levels of creatine kinase elevation were found at the time of diagnosis (a form of dermatomyositis which has been associated with a poor prognosis). The patient had no signs of cutaneous vasculitis. Despite treatment with prednisone and azathioprine, she died of intercurrent gram-negative sepsis 15 months after the diagnosis of dermatomyositis. more...

A pancreatic oncocytoma in a 77 year old man is described. A CT scan showed liver metastases three years earlier. The patient died from complications after surgery for a perforated duodenal ulcer, and at autopsy a primary tumor in the tail of the pancreas and several liver metastases were found. The morphologic and biologic features of this unusual tumor are discussed. more...

Metastatic vesical tumours caused by blood- or lymph-borne neoplasias from any part of the body are extremely uncommon (less than 1% of vesical tumours), and even within this group lung tumours are the origin in a very small number of cases. Diagnosis usually happens in advanced stages due to the limited symptomatology exhibited. This paper refers two cases of vesical metastatic neoplasias from lung tumours, one an oat-cell anaplastic carcinoma and one epidermoid. Also, in the first one there was the peculiarity of haematuria being the early manifestation which lead to the diagnosis of lung neoplasia. more...

We report on an HIV positive patient with bilateral primary renal non-Hodgkin lymphoma that remitted with chemotherapy. The clinical and radiological features, which are initially not distinct from those of other tumors in the same site, and the therapeutic possibilities are discussed. more...

Objective: Thoracoabdominal lymphomatous adenopathies have been described as homogeneous and typically showing little enhancement on postcontrast CT. After observing pronounced adenopathic contrast enhancement in one patient with lymphoma, we prospectively investigated the CT enhancing characteristics and attenuation values of pathologic thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes in 25 patients with lymphoma., Materials and Methods: Unenhanced CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis was performed in all cases. The enhancing characteristics and attenuation values of the largest node or group of nodes were evaluated at 1, 2, 5, and 10 min after a 100 ml intravenous bolus injection of contrast medium., Results: On unenhanced CT the nodes were of soft-tissue attenuation (42 +/- 5 HU) in 23 cases and of low attenuation (31 and 28 HU) in 2 cases. The maximum enhancement was achieved at 1 or 2 min postinjection and was low (16 +/- 6 HU) or moderate (31 +/- 6 HU) in 21 cases and pronounced (61 +/- 5 HU) in 4. The patterns of enhancement were classified as homogeneous (no. = 23) inhomogeneous (no. = 1), and peripheral (no. = 1)., Conclusion: Thoracic and abdominal lymphomatous adenopathies are usually of soft-tissue attenuation on unenhanced CT and can show slight, moderate, or even pronounced enhancement on postcontrast CT. more...

Six patients with 7 tuberculous psoas or ilio-psoas abscesses were treated by CT-guided catheter drainage and chemotherapy. The abscesses (5 unilateral and 1 bilateral) were completely drained using a posterior or lateral approach. The abscess volume was 70 to 700 ml (mean 300 ml) and the duration of drainage 5 to 11 days (mean 7 days). Immediate local symptomatic improvement was achieved in all patients, and there were no procedural complications. CT follow-up at 3 to 9 months showed normalization in 5 patients, 2 of whom are still on medical therapy. One patient, who did not take the medication regularly, had a recurrent abscess requiring new catheter drainage after which the fluid collection disappeared. Percutaneous drainage represents an efficient and attractive alternative to surgical drainage as a supplement to medical therapy in the management of patients with large tuberculous psoas abscesses. more...