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Background & Objective: Radiology has played a significant role in the diagnosis and quantifying the severity of COVID 19 pulmonary disease. This study was conducted to assess patterns and severity of COVID-19 pulmonary disease based on radiological imaging. Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a large tertiary care public sector teaching hospital of Karachi, Pakistan from June 2020 till August 2020. All confirmed and suspected COVID-19 patients referred for chest X-rays and computed tomography (CT) scans were evaluated along with RT-PCR results. Suspected patients were followed for RT-PCR. Radiological features and severity of imaging studies were determined. Results: Of 533 patients in whom X-rays were performed, majority had severe/critical findings, i.e., 304 (57.03%). Of 97 patients in whom CT scan was performed, mild/moderate findings were observed in 63 (64.94%) patients. Of 472 patients with abnormal X-rays, majority presented with alveolar pattern 459 (97.2%), bilateral lung involvement 453 (89.6%), and consolidation 356 (75.4%). Moreover, lobar predominance showed lower zone preponderance in 446 (94.5%) patients. Of 88 patients with abnormal CT findings, ground-glass opacity (GGO) 87 (98.9%) and crazy paving 69 (78.4%) were the most common findings. An insignificantly higher association of PCR positive cases was observed with severe/critical X-rays (p-value 0.076) and CT scan findings (p-value 0.431). Conclusion: Most common patterns on CT scans were GGO and crazy paving. While on chest radiographs, bilateral lung involvement with alveolar pattern and consolidation were most common findings. On X-rays, majority had severe/critical whereas CT scan had mild/moderate findings. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4290 How to cite this:Khan SA, Manohar M, Khan M, Asad S, Adil SO. Radiological profile of patients undergoing Chest X-ray and computed tomography scans during COVID-19 outbreak. Pak J Med Sci. 2021;37(5):1288-1294. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.5.4290 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), being an asymptomatic condition, is generally discovered incidentally on imaging and it has not received much attention for research on clinical grounds. We assessed the prevalence of DISH, its associated factors, and interobserver agreement for computed tomography (CT)-based diagnosis of DISH. CT scans of chest, abdomen, and pelvis performed for various clinical indications were retrospectively reviewed. Resnick criteria were used for the diagnosis of DISH. Moreover, enthesopathy along with comorbidities was assessed. CT scans were observed by 3 observers having different experience levels. Out of total 416 patients, the prevalence of DISH was 30.8%. Strong positive agreement was observed between observer 1 and 2 (k = 0.89), observer 1 and 3 (k = 0.91), and observer 2 and 3 (k = 0.94). Reporting rate of DISH was 59.3%. Regression analyses showed that enthesopathy was 2.45 times (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 2.45, 95% confidence intervals [CI]: 1.48–4.05), diabetic patients were 4.74 times (AOR: 4.74, 95% CI: 2.89–7.78) while hypertensive patients were 2.17 times (AOR: 2.17, 95% CI: 1.30–3.62) more likely to have DISH in comparison to those who do not have DISH. A high prevalence of DISH was observed in our cohort. Enthesopathy and comorbidities like diabetes and hypertension were significant factors associated with DISH. Moreover, excellent agreement was observed in defining DISH on CT according to Resnick criteria.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in obstructive jaundice taking MRCP as gold standard. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Dow Institute of Radiology (DIR), Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), Karachi from 2nd May 2018 till 2nd November 2018. Both male and female patients aged 30 to 80 years with suspected obstructive jaundice were included. Patients already diagnosed with obstructive jaundice were excluded. MRCP and ultrasound were performed in suspected patients. Diagnostic accuracy including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of obstructive jaundice were calculated using contingency tables using MRCP findings as gold standard. Results: Mean age of the patients was 54.73 ± 12.65 years. In causes of obstruction, choledocholothiasis was responsible for 85 (35.1%), stricture 61 (25.2%), carcinoma of head of pancreas 39 (16.1%), periampullary carcinoma 21 (8.7%), cholangiocarcinoma 10 (4.1%) and gallbladder carcinoma 26 (10.7%) of the cases. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in obstructive jaundice taking MRCP findings as gold standard showed sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value (PPV), negative predicted value (NPV) and overall diagnostic accuracy as 84.57%, 79.10%, 91.36%, 66.25% and 83.06%. Conclusion: Ultrasound has a high sensitivity, moderate specificity, and high diagnostic accuracy in diagnosis of obstructive jaundice. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1665 How to cite this:Hanif H, Khan SA, Muneer S, Adil SO. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in evaluation of obstructive jaundice with MRCP as gold standard. Pak J Med Sci. 2020;36(4):652-656. doi: https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.36.4.1665 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This study was conducted to determine the diagnostic accuracy of CT-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) using coaxial technique of pulmonary lesions, its complications and factors affecting them. A total of 122 patients with suspected lung malignancy underwent CT-guided CNB. Final diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology. There were 84 (89.4%) true positive while 26 (92.9%) true negative cases. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and overall diagnostic accuracy were 97.67%, 72.22%, 89.36%, 92.86% and 90.16% respectively. Pneumothorax was the only complication observed in 10 (8.2%) patients. The odds of pneumothorax was found to be 10.72 times higher among patients with 2.5cm of size of lesions (AOR 10.72, 95% CI 1.49-76.77) while 86% lower among patients having prone position (AOR 0.14, 95% CI 0.021-0.96). Results indicate that percutaneous CT guided biopsy of pulmonary lesions using coaxial technique is a safe procedure with a high diagnostic accuracy and lesser risk of major complications.

Study DesignDescriptive cross-sectional study.PurposeTo determine the prevalence of lumbar spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis in a general adult population unrelated to lower back pain as evaluated by multidetector computed tomography.Overview of LiteratureThere is a significant paucity of information related to the prevalence of spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis and its degenerative changes in a general adult population unrelated to lower back pain in developing countries.MethodsA retrospective study was conducted on abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scans performed between January 1st 2015 and December 31st 2015 for various clinical indications. Patients with lower back pain, with a history of trauma or road traffic accident, or referred from orthopedic or neurosurgery departments were excluded to avoid any bias. CT scans were reviewed in axial, sagittal, and coronal planes using bone window settings for evaluating spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis.ResultsOf 4,348 patients recruited, spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis were identified in 266 (6.1%) and 142 (3.3%) patients, respectively. Age was significantly higher in both spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis patients than in those without spondylolysis and spondylolisthesis (47.19±15.45 vs. 42.5±15.96, ppp=0.029) but not spondylolysis. Of patients who were >60 years old, both spondylolysis (p=0.018) and spondylolisthesis (p=0.025) were significantly more prevalent in females.ConclusionsThe prevalence of pars interarticularis fracture observed higher with gradual increase in the prevalence with advancing age. In particular, preponderance was significantly higher among older females.

Purpose: In patients with erectile dysfunction, it is important to differentiate psychogenic from organic causes. Penile Doppler ultrasonography is a relatively inexpensive and minimally invasive tool for this purpose. This study was conducted to evaluate the causes of erectile dysfunction in an adult male population, using penile Doppler ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in a single center. All patients who presented with complaints of erectile dysfunction and underwent penile Doppler ultrasonography between July 2014 and June 2016 were included in this study. All examinations were performed using GE Voluson S6 and GE Logiq P5 devices. Following baseline scans, an intracavernosal injection of 20 μg of prostaglandin E1 was given. Peak systolic and end diastolic velocities were measured in each cavernosal artery. Patients with a peak systolic velocity of ＜25 cm/s were considered to have arterial insufficiency, while an end diastolic velocity of ＞5 cm/s was considered to indicate venous incompetence. Results: Out of 97 patients (mean age, 37.09±11.59 years; range, 19∼69 years), 50 patients (51.5%) had normal findings, 24 patients (24.7%) had arterial insufficiency, 15 patients (15.5%) had a venous leak, and 8 patients (8.2%) patients had arterial insufficiency with a venous leak. Psychogenic erectile dysfunction was significantly higher among patients aged ≤40 years, while arterial insufficiency with or without a venous leak was significantly higher among patients aged ＞40 years (p=0.022). Conclusions: A majority of the studied individuals demonstrated no organic cause of erectile dysfunction, thus confirming a high prevalence of the psychogenic etiology, particularly in relatively young individuals.

OBJECTIVE To determine the normal liver, spleen, and renal parameters in adult patients with no comorbidities. STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. PLACE AND DURATION OF STUDY Dow Institute of Radiology, Ojha Campus, LEJ Campus, and Al-Mustafa Hospital Karachi, from October 2016 to March 2017. METHODOLOGY A total of 3,136 study participants with more than 16 years of age of either gender underwent ultrasound examination. All individuals with morbid conditions like hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), liver cirrhosis, hydronephrosis, renal cyst, and liver mass were excluded. Ultrasound scan was performed and longitudinal and transverse sections were obtained of both kidneys (in full inspiration), spleen and liver. RESULTS A significant positive correlation was observed between age and spleen size of the individuals (r=0.053, p=0.012). The correlation of BMI and liver size was also found significantly positive (r=0.237, p

Chest computed tomography (CT), including high-resolution CT (HRCT), has become an integral part of modern healthcare. It enables the physician to arrive at a diagnosis using a noninvasive approach. Our practice has shown that various chest CT scans without intravenous (IV) contrast, including HRCT, have no proper clinical indication. For the same reason, we have assessed the appropriateness of chest CT without IV contrast based on the evidence-based American College of Radiology (ACR) appropriateness criteria.Chest CT scans without IV contrast were reviewed to evaluate if the examination was based upon the evidence-based ACR appropriateness criteria. All clinical indications, positive physical examination findings, laboratory test findings, and radiological records submitted at the time of chest CT were reviewed.Of 1205 CT scans, 538 (44.6%) were considered "inappropriate," 367 (30.4%) were considered "appropriate," and 300 (24.8%) were considered "may be appropriate." CT scans were performed on 241 (20.0%) patients with no clinical history, whereas 148 (12.3%) examinations in patients aged40 years were performed with no positive physical finding. Positive results that affected the management were 4.43 times more likely to be considered appropriate than inappropriate (adjusted odds ratio, 4.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.81-10.87).This study showed a high percentage of chest CT scans without IV contrast examinations not meeting the ACR appropriateness criteria. Chest CT is a valuable tool for evaluation of chest diseases only in the presence of adequate detailed history and physical examination.

Objective: To determine the relationship of tumor thickness of oral lesions with metastasis in neck based on CT scan. Methods: A total of 58 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients having the median age of 46 (39-55) years. with either gender presented with malignant tumor of buccal mucosa and tongue were prospectively enrolled. A CT Scan with contrast was performed on all patients. Correlation of tumor thickness level with metastasis in neck was calculated using spearman’s rank correlation coefficient test. Results: Median age of the patients was 46 (39-55) years with preponderance of male gender, i.e. 48 (82.8%). Strong positive significant correlation was observed in between transverse dimension (TS) tumor size and stages of tumor (rho 0.673, p-value

Gorham-Stout disease is a rare disease characterised by endothelial proliferation of lymphatics and vessels. It is also known as vanishing bone disease. Increased vascularity and proliferation lead to progressive bony osteolysis. We report a case of a 17-year female diagnosed as having post traumatic Gorham-Stout disease. Being reported for the first time from our population, this will be an informative addition to the already available literature. On X-rays, initially there is osteopenia with patchy distribution followed by coalescence of osteopenic patches, erosion of cortex with soft tissue involvement, and finally bone resorption. MRI shows increased T2 signal with heterogeneous enhancement.

Introduction: Bilateral orbital meningocele is a rare congenital abnormality. In our review, no case was reported from Southeast Asia which has reported bilateral orbital meningocele with frontoethmoidal meningocephalocele. Frontoethmoidal meningocephalocele has many extracranial manifestations out of which orbital meningocele are one of them. In this study, we are reporting a case of a 4 years old male child presenting with bilateral exophthalmos and gradual loss of vision bilaterally. He underwent CT and MRI that showed bilateral intraorbital, extraconal mass lesions displacing the orbit. Cribriform plate was low lying with herniation of brain parenchyma in frontal region anteriorly. These findings were later proved to be similar post operatively.Keywords: Orbital meningoencephalocele, cephalocele, meningocele.