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A case report can foster one’s career by acting as a segue into more advanced scientific writing and provide an avenue for mentorship. However, before a case report can be added to the literature, its authors and contributors must be decided. While organizations such as the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors have determined authorship rules for manuscripts, there is a relative paucity of information in the literature regarding the proprietary rules and protocol for generating a case report. Therefore, we ask, ‘Whose case is it, anyway’? In this editorial, we aim to describe the complex milieu in which case reports often originate and propose some ground rules for determining their authorship.

Case reports remain an invaluable resource in the literature, and they continue to serve an equally important role in scientific advancement. They record discoveries, report the unexpected, and spark further research. Preparation of a case report can be a great learning experience, especially for medical students, residents, and young physicians. It serves as an excellent introduction to academic writing, familiarizing them with all aspects of publishing, from a structured case presentation and literature review to submitting and revising a manuscript. It can also stimulate an interest in a specific topic and gradually lead to more involved and complex academic endeavors.

We report two adult patients with varied urologic symptoms who were found to have inflammatory pseudotumor on histopathology. The first patient had a large, solid, enhancing retroperitoneal mass lesion and presented with increased frequency of urination and recurrent urinary tract infections. The second patient had an obstructing left distal ureteric stricture and presented with painless hematuria. Though preoperative radiological diagnosis of this entity is not feasible, the present article illustrates the imaging findings in this unusual disease entity with review of the relevant literature.

A 63-year-old man presented with a long-standing history of sinusitis and 3 weeks of frontal headache. The physical examination was unremarkable. The alkaline phosphatase level was elevated at 434 IU per liter (upper limit of the normal range, 129). The serum calcium level was within normal limits. Radiography of the skull (Panel A) showed thickening of the outer and inner tables of the cranial bones, widening of the diploe, and a “cotton wool” appearance caused by irregular areas of sclerosis (arrows). Computed tomography of the skull (Panel B) confirmed bony expansion, cortical bone thickening, and irregular areas of sclerosis (arrows). . . .

mass (arrow) inferior to the hyoid bone and anterior to the normal thyroid gland. Thyroglossal duct cysts are the most common cause of midline neck masses. These can be found at any level from the base of the tongue to the isthmus of the thyroid gland. Most (65%) are infrahyoid in location [1]. Initial treatment consists of antibiotics. Following control of the underlying infection, elective surgery (Sistrunk operation) is usually performed to remove the cyst to prevent recurrence [2].

Accessory spleens are common, usually asymptomatic, incidentally discovered congenital foci of splenic tissue. They occur most commonly near the splenic hilum, with almost 20% in or near the pancreatic tail. On contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), differentiation of an intrapancreatic accessory splenule (IPAS) from other pancreatic tail lesions such as islet cell tumors and metastatic disease can present a diagnostic challenge. A high index of suspicion on the part of the radiologist, based on the classic location with typical imaging features and a combination of cross-sectional imaging studies such as ultrasound, computed tomograph (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with nuclear medicine examinations, can confirm the diagnosis of intrapancreatic accessory splenule and prevent unnecessary biopsy and/or surgery.

Pseudolesions in the liver are caused by unusual/altered hemodynamics of the liver and can be confused with a true hepatic mass. In superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction. there is recruitment of the cavo-mammary-phrenic-hepatic-capsule-portal pathway. and the venous blood follows the internal mammary vein, the inferior phrenic vein, the hepatic capsule veins, and the intrahepatic portal system. causing a hypervascular pseudolesion in segment IV A of the liver. Recognizing the classic appearances of this hypervascular pseudolesion from the vein of Sappey in a CT study of the abdomen has prognostic implications in directing further evaluation of the chest for SVC obstruction. We present a case of a 54-year-old HIV-positive male smoker in whom identification of the hypervascular pseudolesion from the vein of Sappey on the abdominal CT led to the diagnosis of SVC syndrome.

A 32-year-old woman, gravida 1, para 0, was referred for third-trimester sonography at 34 weeks’ gestation to evaluate fetal growth. Sonography revealed a female fetus with an echogenic, midline, nonvascular pelvic mass (Fig. 1, arrow) and no associated genitourinary abnormality. Differential diagnoses included an ovarian mass, distended rectum, hydrocolpos, vaginal atresia and urogenital sinus. Postnatal US revealed an echogenic, fluid-containing midline pelvic mass (Fig. 2, black arrow) in the setting of an imperforate hymen. The cervix is marked (double white arrows). The

Several techniques for the surgical management of obesity are available to bariatric surgeons. These interventions are performed more frequently with worsening of the obesity epidemic. Radiologists should be familiar with the surgical techniques, normal postoperative appearances, and potential complications for which imaging may be employed to establish a diagnosis to optimize patient care.

Clear-cell chondrosarcoma is a rare, low-grade variant of chondrosarcoma characterized by slow growth, low metastatic potential, and a predilection for local recurrence long after treatment. We report an unusually aggressive case of clear-cell chondrosarcoma of the humerus with early metastasis to multiple bony sites including femur, thoracic and lumbar spine, sacrum, and iliac bone. Our purpose is to alert physicians to the sarcoma's potential for aggressive behavior, necessitating closer and more frequent followups for early detection and treatment of tumor recurrence and metastasis. We also review the reported imaging and histological features, which may help identify aggressive cases.

Before the advent of ultrasound, percutaneous pericardiocentesis was associated with relatively high mortality and complication rates (6% and 20–50%, respectively) [1–3]. Ultrasound (US)-guided pericardiocentesis has dramatically decreased the incidence of complications by direct visualization of the heart and other adjacent vital structures. US helps localize the size and location of the pericardial effusion, measure the distance from the chest wall, localize adjacent, vital organs, and determine the optimal access site to the effusion. We report a case of posttraumatic internal mammary artery pseudoaneurysm, a rare complication of pericardiocentesis.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) predicted a resurgence of Swine-origin Influenza A (novel 2009 H1N1) pneumonia, hospitalizations and deaths during the 2009-2010 flu season. Immunocompromised patients are at higher risk to contract it and may present (atypically) with greater morbidity and mortality. We report the first radiographic description of CDC-confirmed swine-origin influenza A (novel 2009 H1N1) in a 32-year-old immunocompromised man. At presentation, chest radiographs demonstrated bilateral, ill-defined nodular airspace opacities. Chest CT showed upper-lobe-predominant, patchy ground-glass opacities with areas of consolidation and a thick-walled cavity.