Lymph node aspiration in the management of Hodgkin's disease.

Diagnosing recurrent Hodgkin's disease is an important oncologic problem. When relapse does not occur in peripheral nodal sites, then a major surgical exploration is often considered. Lymph node aspiration is proposed as a less invasive approach capable of establishing a diagnosis in some instances. In this retrospective study, 19 patients with Hodgkin's disease underwent 64 lymph node aspirations. Of these patients, 17 had suspected Hodgkin's disease with involvement at an inaccessible site. Two patients with a primary diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease underwent aspiration of a peripheral site. Of these 19 patients, five (26.3%) had a positive aspirate and only two (10.5%) had an unsatisfactory aspirate. No patient had a false-positive aspirate. Of 15 patients with a negative aspirate, five (33%) had a false-negative aspirate. In no case did a false-negative aspirate delay appropriate therapy. In those patients with a positive aspirate, surgical exploration was avoided. We conclude that lymph node aspiration cytology is useful as an initial step to document clinical relapse of Hodgkin's disease at a site that might require a major surgical procedure for diagnosis.

Parathyroid imaging after intraarterial injections of [75Se]selenomethionine.

Thirteen patients with persistent hyperparathyroidism after unsuccessful neck surgery were given up to 250 microCi [75Se]selenomethionine intraarterially during parathyroid arteriography, gamma-Camera images of the neck and mediastinum localized abnormal parathyroids in four of five patients receiving complete injections, despite very small glands or unsuccessful arteriograms in some of the patients. Correctly localizing images were obtained in three patients receiving incomplete injections. However, images in five of eight of the remaining patients receiving incomplete injections showed areas of false positive uptake, and there was no way preoperatively to distinguish these from the true positive studies. We conclude that intraarterial injection of radioselenomethionine is a simple supplementary procedure in patients undergoing arteriography that may, with proper technique, be useful in identifying small foci of abnormal parathyroid tissue.

Long-term follow-up of patients with hyperparathyroidism treated by transcatheter staining with contrast agent.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is generally treated by primary neck exploration. Particularly in patients with hyperparathyroidism caused by adenoma, cervical exploration is generally curative, and extensive preoperative localization studies are unnecessary. If, after thorough primary cervical exploration, no adenoma is identified or at least four parathyroid glands are not confirmed and the patient's hypercalcemia persists, radiologic localization studies are indicated prior to a repeat operation. Persistent hypercalcemia in defined as the failure of calcium levels to return to normal soon after parathyroid exploration; recurrent hyperparathyroidism is defined as hypercalcemia that follows 6 months of low or normal serum calcium levels. Persistent or recurrent hypercalcemia not controlled by a primary cervical exploration may be due to an ectopic parathyroid adenoma, either outside the usual anatomic sites in the neck or in the mediastinum. Techniques used for localization of these ectopic adenomas include sonography, computed tomography scanning, venous sampling, digital angiography, and selective arteriography. Of these techniques, selective arteriography not only has been precise but also offers the possibility of therapy. A small group of patients who underwent embolization of ectopic parathyroid adenomas through the angiographic catheter was reviewed 6 years ago with the cautious suggestion that this technique, under highly specialized indications, might offer a percutaneous treatment of hyperparathyroidism in selected patients. Since the time of the preliminary report, radiologic techniques have been modified, indications for patient selection have been refined, and experience with this method of managing persistent hyperparathyroidism has increased. It is the purpose of this report to summarize this experience with long-term follow-up of those patients treated by transcatheter staining.

Localization of an occult insulinoma by intraoperative ultrasonography.

Intraoperative ultrasonography has not been used previously to locate an insulinoma that was not surgically palpable or that could not be seen by selective arteriography. In this report we described a patient with an insulinoma localized to the pancreatic head identified by transhepatic portal venous sampling but not by selective arteriography or palpation. At operation intraoperative ultrasonography demonstrated an 8 mm tumor in the pancreatic head and guided the successful enucleation.

Intraarterial digital subtraction angiography of spinal arteriovenous malformations.

Intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in two patients with spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas demonstrated the major feeding arteries and the venous drainage of the respective malformations. However, the dural component of the malformations--which distinguishes them from intradural malformations--could not be recognized, nor was normal cord vasculature demonstrated. In a patient with an intradural arteriovenous malformation (AVM), only major arterial feeders were demonstrated. Intraarterial DSA provides essential anatomic information with an increased margin of safety in spinal AVMs, but supplemental selective arteriography, conventional or digital, also is currently required.

Gastric manifestations of North American Burkitt's lymphoma.

Stomach involvement is rare in American Burkitt's lymphoma. Three cases were noted in 66 patients, and all were associated with large left upper quadrant masses. The appearance of Burkitt's lymphoma of the stomach is similar to other lymphomas and consists of diffuse infiltration of the wall, mucosal thickening, ulcerations, and intra- and extragastric masses. Extension into the oesophagus was noted twice, and small bowel masses were associated with two cases. CT scanning and ultrasound are useful for defining extragastric extent of tumour. Rapid reversion to a more normal appearance is noted following chemotherapy.

Use of a microcomputer to store information on radiology cases.

A microcomputer program for storage of qualitative patient data has been applied to CT and special procedures case data. Different vocabularies have been established and utilised for these two case categories. Experience over two years involving more than 10,000 cases is discussed. Utility for statistical, research, and patient care purposes is demonstrated.

MR myelography using heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo pulse sequences with fat presaturation.

A new method for generating myelogramlike images of the thecal sac by MR imaging is presented. The method is based on suppressing background signal by using heavily T2-weighted fast spin-echo pulse sequences and obliterating fat signal by presaturation. The resulting slices are then projected into a composite image using a standard maximum intensity projection (MIP) algorithm. The technique is implemented with commercially available hardware and software and yields reproducible high-quality images of the lumbar thecal sac, which show excellent definition of the thecal margins, nerve roots, and nerve root sheaths. This method could replace conventional lumbar myelography and postmyelographic CT studies.

The significance of the thyroidea ima artery in arteriographic localization of parathyroid adenomas.

The thyroidea ima artery is an anomalous vessel supplying the thyroid gland; it can also supply enlarged parathyroid glands, as illustrated in three cases in this report. In one case the ima artery was the only arterial supply, and in two instances it was part of a dual arterial supply. An ima artery should be sought if routine arteriography is negative, especially if the inferior thyroid arteries are small or absent, or if a portion of the expected thyroid stain is missing.

Failure to detect a 1.5 centimeter lung nodule by chest computed tomography.

Although computed tomography (CT) of the chest is the most sensitive modality for the detection of pulmonary nodules, false negatives occur. A case is presented in which a 1.5 cm nodule in the lung confirmed by surgery and linear tomography was not detected by using a state-of-the-art CT scanner. The reason for this failure is movement of the nodule between scans due to variations in respiratory excursion. This effect can be somewhat reduced by scanning at end tidal volumes with thick overlapping or contiguous scans.

Hemobilia: computed tomographic diagnosis.

A case of postbiopsy hemobilia is presented in which computed tomographic (CT) scanning showed blood within the gallbladder appearing as high-density material measuring 67-91 HU. Residual clots were seen by CT and ultrasound 8 days after the acute episode. These findings were confirmed by serial CT scans in two monkeys in whom blood was experimentally injected into the gallbladder. When the cystic duct is patent, the diagnosis of hemobilia may be excluded if bile of normal density (0-20 HU) is demonstrated by CT scanning. However, when homogeneous or inhomogeneous material of high attenuation (50+ HU) is present in the gallbladder on CT scanning, the diagnosis of hemobilia is strongly suggested if other causes such as stone or contrast material have been eliminated. CT may show residual blood for days after the acute episode.

Basilar venous plexus of the posterior fossa: a potential source of error in petrosal sinus sampling.

Sampling of serum from the inferior petrosal sinus can provide important information about the source of elevated adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) levels. This often leads to improved results of pituitary surgery for Cushing disease. The authors describe a successful catheterization technique and illustrate the venous anatomy of the inferior petrosal sinuses and basilar plexus.

Radiographic findings in recurrent parathyroid carcinoma.

Seven cases of recurrent parathyroid carcinoma were reviewed. Subperiosteal resorption was seen in 6, pulmonary nodules in 4, renal calculi in 5, brown tumors in 5, and pancreatic calcification in 1. Angiography was performed in 5 patients, showing 1 definite and 2 probable cervical recurrences, 1 mediastinal lesion, and 1 case of possible bone metastases. Venous sampling for parathyroid hormone was carried out in 4 patients and suggested residual disease in 2; in addition, there were 1 false and 1 true negative. CT was performed in 4 patients and was useful in delineating metastatic pulmonary nodules, cervical recurrence, and hepatic metastases. The radiographic approach to recurrent parathyroid carcinoma and the use of CT and angiography are discussed.

CT of American Burkitt lymphoma.

One hundred abdominal and chest CT scans in 29 patients with American Burkitt lymphoma were reviewed. Abdominal and/or pelvic masses were the most common finding and were detected in 13 (45%) patients. Masses indicating relapse were noted in three (10%) additional patients. Ascites and retroperitoneal involvement were noted in seven and five patients, respectively. Other findings included hepatic lesions, splenomegaly, gastric wall abnormalities, renal enlargement, urate nephropathy, and bony involvement. Pleural effusions and two mediastinal masses were noted on chest scans. CT was found to be a rapid screening procedure and especially useful in delineating the size and intrathoracic extension of abdominal masses, defining deep pelvic diseases, assessing the response to therapy, and defining areas of relapse. Lack of retroperitoneal fat and inadequate opacification of bowel loops were frequent problems that limited the value of CT scans.

Failure of ablation of a mediastinal parathyroid adenoma by repeated contrast staining.

In a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism an attempt was made to ablate a middle mediastinal parathyroid gland by forceful staining with radiographic contrast material. The gland was stained on two separate occasions, two weeks apart. Both times the serum calcium level temporarily fell to the normal range but reverted to abnormal levels. The patient ultimately required surgery for correction of hypercalcemia. The mechanism of staining and possible reasons for failure as well as potential complications are discussed.

Localization of islet cell tumors by dynamic CT: comparison with plain CT, arteriography, sonography, and venous sampling.

Ten patients with suspected islet cell tumors (seven with possible gastrinomas, three with insulinomas) underwent diagnostic evaluation with dynamic CT scanning, routine CT scanning, angiography, and sonography. Venous sampling was also performed in selected instances. Nine sites of gastrinoma and three insulinomas were confirmed surgically in eight patients. Two patients had negative surgical explorations. Routine CT demonstrated five of the nine gastrinomas and one of two insulinomas. Angiography was positive in six of nine gastrinomas and all three insulinomas. Sonography showed only two of the nine gastrinomas and two of the three insulinomas. Dynamic CT scanning demonstrated three additional lesions (two gastrinomas, one insulinoma) not visible on routine CT scanning. Although most of these lesions were visible arteriographically, dynamic CT scans at the appropriate level localized the pathology in the transverse plane and greatly aided in surgical resection of these lesions. Dynamic CT scanning is a useful adjunct to routine angiographic and CT workup of patients with islet cell tumors.

Removal of gastrinomas for control of Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

There are two distinct problems in patients with Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome (ZES): peptic ulcer diathesis and malignant tumors. Antisecretory drugs have allowed us to control the ulcer symptoms and acid output in 45 patients with ZES. We report here the initial seven patients selected for surgical exploration with the goal of removing their gastrinomas. Prior to surgery, an extensive and rigorous protocol to localize the gastrinoma was carried out, including hypotonic duodenography, abdominal ultrasonography, selective arteriography, portal vein sampling for gastrin, and computerized tomography. With this protocol of radiographic localization, gastrinomas were found in two of the seven cases and the syndrome was "cured" in three of the seven patients. The results also demonstrate that preoperative localization is not a substitute for careful surgical exploration as tumors were found in two patients in whom localization failed.

Petrosal sinus sampling for Cushing syndrome: anatomical and technical considerations. Work in progress.

ACTH-producing microadenomas of the pituitary gland drain unilaterally into the adjacent cavernous sinus; therefore, petrosal sinus sampling to distinguish pituitary from ectopic-ACTH syndromes must always be performed bilaterally. A negative finding from a unilateral petrosal sinus sample does not exclude the presence of a contralateral ACTH-producing microadenoma. Hemiresection of the pituitary gland based on results of bilateral sampling can be performed if the adenoma is too small to be recognized at surgery. Large pituitary adenomas produce elevated ACTH levels in the petrosal sinuses bilaterally. However, if plain radiographs or CT scans provide unequivocally positive findings in Cushing syndrome (less than 20%), inferior petrosal sinus sampling is not indicated.