Benign oesophageal diseases: a review of the CT findings.

A variety of benign conditions can affect the oesophagus, both primarily and secondarily. Traditionally fluoroscopic oesophagography and endoscopy have formed the mainstay for investigating oesophageal diseases. Increasing use of cross-sectional imaging means that many such diseases and their thoracic complications are now detected at computed tomography (CT), which is very often the first imaging tool. This review describes the CT manifestations of a range of benign oesophageal conditions and discusses the role of CT in their evaluation.

A re-look at an old disease: a multimodality review on gout.

Gout, the most common form of microcrystalline arthropathy has always interested radiologists. The diagnosis of gout is primarily based on clinical and laboratory findings; however, it has well known and characteristic radiographic manifestations. Radiographs remain the examination of choice in the diagnosis of joint involvement. Plain radiographs are less sensitive to early changes in gout than other imaging techniques. Recently, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound (US), and computed tomography (CT) have demonstrated an increasing role in early diagnosis of gouty arthritis, for assessing the extent of soft-tissue involvement and as problem-solving tools for diagnostically difficult cases. Cross-sectional imaging can also be used for guiding needle aspirations in patients with an acute attack of gout, which may simulate an infective process clinically. This pictorial review illustrates the main imaging features of gout on radiographs, MRI, CT, and ultrasound with the aim of helping the radiologist to make a confident diagnosis in radiographically typical cases and to serve as a problem-solving tool in cases that present a diagnostic dilemma.

Congenital infiltrating lipomatosis of the face and neck.

Congenital infiltrating lipomatosis is a rare clinicopathologic entity characterized by infiltrating lipomatous tumors which, although of benign nature, have a tendency to recur after surgery. This has a predilection for the extremities and the trunk and is seen as overgrowth of soft tissue and bone. It rarely affects the face and neck. We describe two cases of congenital infiltrating lipomatosis of face and neck depicting the bone and soft tissue changes seen on computed tomography, along with a review of the literature on the subject.