Roentgenographical detection of cocaine smuggling in the alimentary tract.

We report five cases of cocaine smuggling, by hiding multiple drug-filled foreign bodies in the colon, either after oral ingestion or by placing them in the colon per rectum. Several smuggling methods in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and their radiological findings on abdominal plain film are presented. Computed tomography (CT) is found to be a more accurate method in the detection of the drug-filled bags, because of its improved contrast resolution and the absence of projections of overlapping structures on the transversal sections. Subsequently, CT is highly recommended in cases of negative or doubtful findings on conventional abdominal radiographs. In all cases conservative management was used and the drug-filled capsules and condoms passed spontaneously. No complications, such as intestinal obstruction by the bags of cocaine or intoxication by rupture of their wall were observed.

Intracranial tumors examined by intraarterial DSA: a comparative angiography study.

We compared intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) studies with those of conventional angiography, performed for 24 patients who had intracranial tumors. Intraarterial DSA is more effective in evaluating tumoral blush and venous phase, but neovascularization can be judged better by conventional angiography. In most cases, intraarterial DSA can replace conventional angiography for the diagnostic and preoperative evaluation of intracranial tumors. However, conventional angiography remains the technique of choice for the evaluation of neovascularization or if the patient is not cooperative.

Juvenile papillomatosis of the breast: sonographic appearance.

Three patients with juvenile papillomatosis of the breast are described. The lesions were apparent clinically as a palpable mass. At mammography, juvenile papillomatosis was not depicted in two patients and was seen as a poorly defined mass in one case. In all patients, high-frequency ultrasound examination showed an ill-defined, inhomogeneous mass with one or several small (up to 0.4 cm), rounded, relatively echo-free areas, which were seen mainly or exclusively near the borders of the lesion.

Paranasal sinus pathology in allergic and non-allergic respiratory tract diseases.

Two hundred and seventy patients with asthma and/or rhinitis (162 or 60% allergic, 108 or 40% non-allergic) were studied for sinus pathology by means of standard X-rays and tomograms. Sinus pathology was defined as abnormal sinus X-rays, either on standard or tomography. Fifty-four percent of the X-rays were classified as abnormal based on mucosal thickening, loss of translucency of the cavities of polyps. Asthma was significantly more often associated with sinus X-ray abnormalities (65.1%) than rhinitis and/or chronic cough (44.4%). Loss of translucency of the cavities is more frequent in children, whereas mucosa thickening becomes more frequent with progressing age. Since in this prospective study the taking of X-rays of the sinuses was not dependent on or related to temporarily occurring symptoms which could be attributed to acute sinusitis, the presence of sinus abnormalities on X-rays can be considered as an indicator of the chronicity of airways diseases and might provide an indication for prophylactic therapy of the associated airway disease in a continuous way. The importance of sinus tomograms is stressed, since only 32.5% of the patients with mucosa thickening could be detected on standard X-rays.