[A review of the scientific evidence concerning the clinical application of digital mammography]. / Revisión de la evidencia científica sobre la aplicación clínica de la mamografía digital.

OBJECTIVE: To review the scientific evidence with respect to the use of digital mammography and compare it with analogical mammography in the clinical context. MATERIAL AND METHOD: We searched Medline and EMbase for studies published between 1989 and 2005 that compared the results of digital and analogical mammography in the same group of patients or in two different groups of patients to evaluate their respective diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, area under the ROC curve), recall rate, biopsy rate, and exposure to radiation. We reviewed and compared the different methodologies of the studies published. RESULTS: Eight articles and eight presentations at congresses were found. No statistically significant differences were observed between digital and analogical mammography for the detection of breast cancer. Until the publication of the Oslo II (2004) and Digital Mammographic Imaging Screening Trial (2005) studies, the series presented were small and used a variety of methodologies. This made it impossible to appreciate small differences in diagnostic accuracy between the two techniques and to group the, sometimes, contradictory results. Furthermore, these first series did not include follow-up. CONCLUSION: There are no statistically significant differences between the two techniques for diagnostic accuracy, except in women with dense or heterogeneously dense breasts, in those under 50 years of age, and in peri- or pre-menopausal women, in which cases digital mammography is significantly better. These data should be confirmed in longer term studies to enable the effects on the breast cancer mortality rate to be specifically evaluated. Cost-effectiveness studies are important when considering changing techniques.

[Helical CT and perfusion scintigraphy: diagnosis of pulmonary embolus in the clinical practice]. / TAC helicoidal y gammagrafía de perfusión pulmonar: diagnóstico de tromboembolismo pulmonar en la práctica clínica.

UNLABELLED: The purpose of this study was to compare helical CT with lung perfusion scintigraphy (LPS) as the initial investigations of patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). PATIENTS AND METHOD: A total of 54 patients with clinically suspected acute PE were studied retrospectively. Each patient was assigned a pretest clinical probability of acute PE (very likely, 90%; possible, 50%; unlikely, 10%). Within 72 hours of presentation, patients underwent LPS and contrast material-enhanced helical CT. Perfusion LS was classified following the PISAPED criteria as normal or near normal; abnormal consistent with PE or abnormal not consistent with PE. Helical CT studies were categorized as positive for PE, negative for PE or non-diagnostic. The standard reference was a consensus based on LS, helical CT and clinical outcome. RESULTS: In 38 of the 54 patients, the results of LS a hCT were concordant, 13 with PE and 25 without. There were 4 indeterminate hCT. In 12 patients LS and hCT were discordant. There were 4 LS false negative; 2 with parenchyma damage and 2 chronic PE. There were 5 LS false negative; 3 extrinsic vascular compressions and one low clinical probability. There was 1 hCT false positive because of breathing artifact and 2 false negatives because of subsegmental emboli. CONCLUSION: Accurate diagnosis of acute PE is possible combining perfusion scanning and clinical probability. Helical CT has added information in patients with discordant clinical probability and perfusion lung scan results. Helical CT demonstrated lesions other than PE considered responsible for the patient's symptoms, but it was insensitive to embolism of subsegmental branches.

[Lipoid pneumonia related to workplace exposure to paint]. / Neumonía lipoidea en relación con exposición laboral a pinturas.

A 49-year-old man with no known history of pulmonary disease was treated at our hospital after observation of an interstitial pattern on a chest film. The patient was a smoker and professional painter. Computed tomography of the chest showed a diffuse bilateral ground-glass pattern. The lung biopsy showed intra-alveolar lipid accumulation in the form of vacuoles of varying sizes surrounded by numerous focally multinucleated macrophages, establishing a definitive diagnosis of exogenous lipoid pneumonia. Given the patient's profession, he was recommended to avoid workplace exposure to paraffins and oily sprays. The clinical course was favorable after exposure was stopped, with improved lung function and symptoms.

[Diagnosis and treatment of pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas]. / Diagnóstico y tratamiento de las fístulas arteriovenosas pulmonares.

Pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas are rare malformations often associated with Rendu-Osler-Weber (ROW) disease. Morbidity and mortality are significant and arise from hemorrhagic and neurological complications.We report the cases of two patients, mother and son, with earlier diagnoses of ROW disease, who suffered, respectively, a stroke and a brain abscess with massive pulmonary thromboembolism. Helicoid computed axial tomographic scans demonstrated pulmonary arteriovenous fistulas in both. Given these findings, we performed embolotherapy.

[Round atelectasis]. / Atelectasias redondas.

The objective of this study was to analyse the epidemiologic, clinical, radiological and functional characteristics as well as the evolutive pattern of a group of patients diagnosed of round atelectasis (RA). Patients with a radiological diagnosis of RA were retrospectively identified from January 1993 to January 1998. Cases with diagnosis not confirmed by high resolution computerized axial tomography (HRCAT) were excluded. A total of 29 patients were identified, with a mean age of 65 +/- 13 years (27 men and 2 women). At diagnosis 14 patients (34%) were smokers and 14 (49%) ex-smokers. Regarding occupation, 11 individuals (38%) had history of occupational exposure to asbestos. Regarding symptomatology, round atelectasis was a radiological finding in 15 patients (52%) and the most common symptom was chest pain (34%). The most common findings detected in the chest X-ray included pleural thickening (45%), pleural effusion (38%), nodular lesion (34%) and loss of volume (24%). The most common changes detected by HRCAT were pleural thickening (45%) and bronchovascular arch (55%). In two cases magnetic resonance (MR) was performed and in no case did this examination provided additional information for the diagnosis of RA. Functional respiratory examination did not identify and predominant pattern. During the follow-up period (2.2 years) 24 patients (83%) remained radiologically stabilized, one improved and the other four worsened (two due to enlargement and two due to increase in number). Chest X-ray is a good method for the presumptive diagnosis of RA. HRCAT is an excellent technique to confirm the diagnosis and rule out the presence of malignancy. MR provides no additional information in the study of RA. There is a frequent association between RA and asbestos exposure.

Fire eater's pneumonia: radiographic and CT findings.

Acute aspiration of petroleum by fire eaters can cause a distinct type of chemical pneumonitis known as fire eater's pneumonia that manifests on radiologic studies with unilateral or bilateral lung consolidations, well defined nodules, and pneumatoceles. We report three cases of fire eater's pneumonia that manifested with well-defined cavitary nodules (pneumatoceles) on radiographs and CT. One patient developed a bronchopleural fistula and spontaneous pyopneumothorax. CT is valuable for identifying and localizing complications to guide therapy.

[Association of lung adenocarcinoma and human immunodeficiency virus infection]. / Asociación de adenocarcinoma pulmonar e infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana.

In the past decade, few studies have reported the occurrence of lung cancer in HIV-infected patients. The true frequency of this association is known. The major features of these patients include: male gender, young age, a history of intravenous drug abuse, preponderance of adenocarcinoma cell type and advanced clinical stage at diagnosis. We describe a case of a lung cancer in a man with evidence of advanced HIV-infection and a history of intravenous drug abuse. Subsequently, we review the data reported in the literature about this association. Our patient provides further evidence that lung cancer should be included in the differential diagnosis of intrathoracic diseases in HIV-infected patients.

[Multiple pulmonary nodules and posterior uveitis as unusual manifestation of pulmonary tuberculosis]. / Nódulos pulmonares múltiples y uveítis posterior como manifestación inusual de la tuberculosis pulmonar.

Pulmonar tuberculosis still being one of the diseases more frequent in our area, this producing different clinical and radiological presentation. A case with posterior uveitis and bilateral lungs nodules which required a thoracotomy to perform a diagnosis, is presented.