Combined assessment of pulmonary arterial enlargement and coronary calcification predicts the prognosis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

INTRODUCTION: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chest computed tomography (CT) provides clinically important cardiovascular findings, which include diameter of pulmonary artery (PA), its ratio to the diameter of the aorta (PA:A ratio), and coronary artery calcium score (CACS). The clinical importance of these cardiovascular findings has not been fully assessed in Japan, where cardiovascular morbidity and/or mortality is reported to be much less compared with Western counterparts. METHODS: PA diameter and PA:A ratio were measured in 172 and 130 patients with COPD who enrolled in the Hokkaido COPD cohort study and the Kyoto University cohort, respectively. CACS was measured in 131 and 128 patients in each cohort. RESULTS: While the highest quartile group in PA diameter was associated with higher all-cause mortality compared to the lowest quartile group in both cohorts, individual assessments of PA:A ratio and CACS were not associated with the long-term clinical outcomes. When PA diameter and CACS were combined, patients with PA enlargement (diameter >29.5 mm) and/or coronary calcification (score >440.8) were associated with higher all-cause mortality in both cohorts. CONCLUSION: Combined assessment of PA enlargement and CACS was associated with poor prognosis, which provides a clinical advantage in management of patients with COPD even in geographical regions with lower risk of cardiovascular diseases.

A Novel Assessment Method With Ultrasound for Obstructive Tonsillar Hypertrophy in Children.

OBJECTIVES: To develop a new method for the objective evaluation of airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy using ultrasound (US) in children. METHODS: The oropharynx was examined in patients, and tonsil grades were evaluated according to the staging system of Brodsky et al (Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 1987; 13:149-156). The narrowest intertonsillar distance (ITD) and widest transverse length of the tongue base (TLTB) were then measured by US, and their ratio was calculated. The clinical value of US was investigated for the classification of tonsillar hypertrophies as nonobstructive or obstructive by matching the patients' clinical grades with the US data. RESULTS: A total of 102 patients (age range, 2-12 years) were included in the study. According to the Brodsky staging system, 44.1% and 55.9% of the patients were in nonobstructive (stages I and II) and obstructive (stages III and IV) tonsillar hypertrophy groups, respectively. The area under the curve was 0.991 (95% confidence interval, 0.977-0.999) according to a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis between the Brodsky staging and the ITD/TLTB ratio. The optimal cutoff value for the ITD/TLTB ratio for the diagnosis of obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy was found to be 0.3 or less, which had 96.5% sensitivity and 95.6% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: The degree of airway obstruction due to tonsillar hypertrophy can be objectively determined by US in children. An ITD/TLTB ratio of 0.3 or less was found to be compatible with obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy. This new and easily applicable evaluation method may provide considerable value and guidance for tonsillectomy decisions.

Assessment of changes in masseter muscle by three-dimensional close-range photogrammetry after Botulinum toxin type-A injection: A case report with review of literature.

Masseter muscle hypertrophy (MMH) is a benign, unilateral or bilateral, painless enlargement. Treatment protocols include surgical excision or a non-invasive option, using botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A). There is no study in the literature that measures this dimensional change in the masseter muscle (MM). The aim of this case report is to present changes in volume and surface area in MM with three-dimensional closer an gestereophotogrammetry (3DCS). For treatment 30 units of BTX-A was injected into the three points hypertrophic muscle and patient records were taken to compare with 3DCS with a non-metric Canon EOS 550 D camera before and after injection. The changes in the surface area and volume of this muscle were mapped and the objective data were obtained. This technique is useful for predicting the results of BTX-A application, and can be a useful tool for better physicianpatient communication.

Renal shear wave elastography for the assessment of nephron hypertrophy: a cross-sectional study in chronic kidney disease.

PURPOSE: To investigate the association of renal elasticity to microscopic findings of nephron hypertrophy and nephrosclerosis. METHODS: Patients who underwent renal biopsy were enrolled. Renal elasticity was measured by acoustic radiation force impulse, and nephron size (glomerular volume, non-sclerotic glomerular density, and mean profile tubular area) and nephrosclerosis (globally sclerotic glomeruli and interstitial fibrosis) were estimated. Nephron hypertrophy was indicated by larger glomerular volume, larger tubular area, and lower non-sclerotic glomerular density. Nephrosclerosis was indicated by a higher percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli and higher severity of fibrosis. RESULTS: Renal elasticity was negatively correlated with glomerular volume (r = - 0.480, P = 0.024) and mean tubular area (r = - 0.469, P = 0.028), but it was not correlated with non-sclerotic glomerular density (r = 0.205, P = 0.359), percentage of globally sclerotic glomeruli (r = 0.057, P = 0.800), and severity of fibrosis (r = 0.014, P = 0.950). In a multiple linear regression analysis, glomerular volume and mean tubular area were independently associated with renal elasticity (std ß = - 0.454, P = 0.015 and std ß = - 0.577, P = 0.007, respectively). CONCLUSION: Renal elasticity was correlated with microstructural findings of nephron hypertrophy. Measuring renal elasticity could help in detecting kidney disease.

Accuracy and reliability of orthodontists using cone-beam computerized tomography for assessment of adenoid hypertrophy.

INTRODUCTION: Our objectives were to evaluate the reliability of agreement between orthodontists, with various degrees of cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) imaging manipulation comfort, in classifying adenoid hypertrophy through CBCT generated images and also to determine how accurate orthodontists are compared with the gold standard diagnosis, nasopharyngoscopy. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study in which a randomized list of board-certified orthodontists evaluated different degrees of adenoid hypertrophy of a stratified sampling of 10 scans. The available pool of CBCT images was from a multidisciplinary airway clinic in which children and adolescents had a CBCT scan and a nasopharyngoscopy (reference standard) by an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) on the same day. The participating orthodontists used the same viewer software and computer, and had access to a previously published visual guideline for evaluating adenoid size. RESULTS: Fourteen orthodontists evaluated 10 CBCT reconstructions. Interoperator reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.941; 95% confidence interval, 0.882-0.984). However, the orthodontists' evaluations against the reference standard demonstrated poor accuracy, (ICC mean, 0.39; ICC range, 0.0-0.74). Dichotomous data representing healthy and unhealthy patients were analyzed individually, and the orthodontists' evaluations and the nasopharyngoscopy results (accuracy) showed, on average, poor kappa values (mean, 0.44; range, 0.20-0.80). CONCLUSIONS: Different levels of CBCT expertise impacted the assessment accuracy. The participating orthodontists showed excellent consistency among themselves; however, poor agreement between their CBCT assessments compared with nasopharyngoscopy demonstrated that this sample of clinical orthodontists had poor diagnostic accuracy. Together, these findings suggest that orthodontists may make consistent and systematic errors in this type of evaluations.

Assessment of the correlation between nasal septal deviation and compensatory hypertrophy of the middle turbinate.

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between nasal septal deviation and the middle turbinate hypertrophy using computed tomography. In this retrospective analysis, we examined 77 patients with nasal septal deviation. The mucosal and bone structures of the middle turbinate and the angle of the septum were measured using radiological analysis. Measurements of the middle turbinate on the convex side were compared to those on the concave side. Measurements of the bony and mucosal structure area of the middle turbinate were significantly greater than those on the concave side. The dimensions of medial mucosa thickness and bone thickness were not significantly different between the convex and concave sides. No significant correlation was found between the angle of deviation and other parameters. The present findings suggest that compensatory middle turbinate hypertrophy was caused both by conchal bone growth and mucosal hypertrophy in patients with nasal septal deviation.

Cephalometric evaluation of adenoids: an analysis of current methods and a proposal of a new assessment tool.

INTRODUCTION: Although the scientific literature recognizes that lateral cephalometric radiographs might be clinically useful, there is no consensus in relation to the best parameter available. Therefore, this research was aimed at evaluating current radiographic assessment methods designed to investigate adenoid hypertrophy and nasopharyngeal obstruction. METHODS: Children from 4 to 14 years old with nasal obstruction or oral breathing complaints, suspected to be caused by adenoid hypertrophy, received cephalometric examinations. One hundred twenty radiographic records were evaluated according to several current methods, and data were compared with respective gold-standard videonasopharyngoscopic examinations, in relation to the percentage of choanal obstruction. RESULTS: Groups derived from a grading system had significantly different percentages of choanal obstruction. However, this parameter showed low sensitivity. Significant but moderate correlations were observed between most of the quantitative radiographic parameters and the percentage of choanal obstruction. Alternatively, a regression model was introduced; it demonstrated satisfactory ability to predict choanal obstruction percentage. Despite limitations, this model could also distinguish patients who might benefit from referral to otolaryngologic care. CONCLUSIONS: Current adenoid assessment methods have significant limitations. A novel assessment method introduced here might be clinically useful.

Ultrasound assessment of asymmetric hypertrophy of the rectus abdominis muscle and prevalence of associated injury in professional tennis players.

OBJECTIVE: To assess rectus abdominis (RA) thickness and injury prevalence using ultrasound in a group of professional tennis players. Observations with regard to muscle fiber repair is described. We likewise studied the potential link between RA volume asymmetry and the risk of muscle strain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The degree of asymmetry between the different RA slices was assessed using ultrasound in 61 professional tennis players. The history of RA injury in these tennis players was likewise studied, taking into account the following factors: dominant vs non-dominant arm, history of RA strains, duration thereof and number of recurrences. Ultrasound examination was performed with an 8- to 12-MHz linear multi-frequency transducer. RESULTS: Ultrasound revealed the presence of fibrous scar tissue in the RA muscle in 18 cases (29.5%). In all instances, the lesion was located in the RA on the side of the nondominant arm. In 16 of the cases, the lesion was infra-umbilical and L2 was affected in two cases. The mean maximum width of the fibrous repair tissue was 9 mm (range 5-16). The mean distance between the umbilicus and the scar was 5.8 cm (range 2.9-11.4). Statistical study of the ultrasound measurements obtained for the different slices revealed statistically significant differences between the different depths and according to arm dominance. CONCLUSIONS: In the series studied, the prevalence of RA muscle lesion in professional tennis players was 29.5%. Asymmetric hypertrophy of the RA muscle appears to constitute a risk factor for suffering an injury in this location.

Accuracy of non-ECG-gated computed tomography angiography of the chest in assessment of left-sided cardiac chamber enlargement.

PURPOSE: To determine whether measurement of left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) diameters on nongated computed tomography angiography (CTA) can detect left atrial and left ventricular enlargement (LAE and LVE) with high specificity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety-nine patients who had undergone both nongated CTA of the chest and echocardiography within 1 week constituted the pilot group. On CTA, LA and LV diameters were measured in the axial plane and on a 3-chamber-view multiplanar reconstruction. These measurements were compared with echocardiography results. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were then generated to determine optimal cutoff values for diagnosis of LAE and LVE. These thresholds were applied to a validation group (n = 203), and sensitivities and specificities for cutoff values were determined. Simple κ-coefficients were calculated for interobserver agreement. RESULTS: In the pilot group, axial measurements of the LA and LV diameters were superior to multiplanar reconstruction measurements based on areas under the ROC (LV: 0.82 vs. 0.76, LA: 0.87 vs. 0.82). Using the ROC results, cutoff values of 5.5 and 4.5 cm were chosen for LVE and LAE, respectively. These thresholds were applied to the validation group, achieving an average sensitivity and specificity for LAE of 53% [confidence interval (CI): 37%-71% and 94% (89%-97%)], respectively. Average sensitivity and specificity for LVE were 41% (CI: 23%-59%) and 99% (CI: 96%-100%), respectively. Kappa coefficients for diagnosis of LAE and LVE were 0.70 and 0.81, respectively. CONCLUSION: Thresholds for LA and LV diameter on nongated CTA can be chosen to provide specific, but not sensitive, detection of LAE and LVE.

Ultrasound imaging for the rheumatologist XXXIII. Sonographic assessment of the foot in early arthritis patients.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the ability of ultrasonography (US) to detect synovitis in metatarsophalangeal joints (MTP) in patients with suspicion of early arthritis, and to discriminate between diagnoses. METHODS: Patients referred to early arthritis clinics for differential diagnosis were enrolled, and clinical and laboratory measures were recorded. Ultrasonography of MTPs was performed searching for synovial hypertrophy (SH), joint effusion (JE) and power Doppler (PD), graded from 0 to 3 on a semi-quantitative scale. Patients were classified according to definite classification criteria, or as undifferentiated arthritis or non-inflammatory pathology. US findings were compared across different diagnoses and diagnostic accuracy was calculated taking clinical diagnosis as reference. RESULTS: Out of 427 patients (71% rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 20% undifferentiated arthritis (UA), 15% spondyloarthritides (SpA), 13% non-inflammatory), 307 (71.9%) showed SH, 120 (25.5%) JE, 77 (18.0%) PD. RA patients had median JE, SH and PD scores significantly higher than non-inflammatory and other diseases. Patient with UA and SpA had higher scores of SH and JE compared to non-inflammatory, no significant differences were present among different diagnosis. In RA, SH and JE were more frequently detected in the second MTP, and PD in the fifth. Crystal-related arthritis showed a tendency towards a more frequent involvement of the first MTP. The diagnostic accuracy of single US measures was moderate, but the detection of a PD of 2 or more provided a high specificity for the diagnosis of RA. CONCLUSIONS: US can be used as additional information in patients evaluated in an early arthritis setting. High scores of JE, SH and PD, together with the pattern of involvement are suggestive of RA.

Diagnostic efficacy of different methods in the assessment of adenoid hypertrophy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed for better understanding of the role of different methods of nasal endoscopy in the assessment of adenoid hypertrophy and comparing them with lateral neck radiography and patients' symptoms. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: From August 2007 until January 2009, in the otolaryngology ward of a tertiary referral center, 89 patients who had symptoms related to chronic mouth breathing participated in this study. History of the symptoms related to adenoid hypertrophy was obtained from them. In addition, all patients underwent nasal endoscopy and lateral nasopharynx x-ray. The clinician who did nasal endoscopy was blinded to information about clinical data and x-ray and vice versa. Afterward, the relationship between symptoms and each diagnostic procedure was evaluated. RESULTS: Patients had a mean age of 9.47 ± 4.68 years. In the evaluation of the relationship between symptoms grading and grading in lateral neck radiography, this relationship was significant about snoring. Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between the endoscopic size of adenoid and number of the episodes of acute otitis media. The sum of symptoms grading had a significant relationship with the size of adenoid in lateral neck x-ray, but not in nasal endoscopy. CONCLUSION: The results of the present study indicated that both radiography and nasal endoscopy could define the relationship between adenoid hypertrophy and associated symptoms and therefore are complementary. Between them, despite the popularity of nasal endoscopy, radiography can serve as a better planning tool.

Comparison between radiological and nasopharyngolaryngoscopic assessment of adenoid tissue volume in mouth breathing children.

The pharyngeal tonsil (adenoid) constitutes the upper portion of the Waldeyer's ring and is located at the top of the nasopharynx, next to the auditory tube and choana. It plays an important role in recurrent otitis of the middle ear and many times its enlargement is responsible for upper airway obstruction. Tonsillectomy is often the treatment of choice for tonsillar diseases. So far, it is the most frequent and one of the oldest surgical procedures performed in children and young adults. The criteria for tonsillectomy, its effect on patient's immunological integrity and the surgical risks are widely controversial. Image study using paranasal sinuses x-ray is a very simple, easy and comfortable method to evaluate the sizes of adenoids and the grade of upper airway obstruction. Cohen et al. supported that paranasal sinuses x-ray is the best way to determine pharyngeal tonsil hypertrophy. On the other hand, nasopharyngolaryngoscopy can provide more accurate data on the nasopharynx, as it can dynamically reveal its structures and the obstruction status of the upper airway. This study compared the grade of adenoid hypertrophy, as well as upper airway obstruction, using the above-mentioned approaches in children ranging from 3 to 10 years old. The study came to the conclusion that nasopharyngolaryngoscopy is a much more accurate diagnostic procedure than radiological evaluation of the nasopharynx.

Long-term follow-up assessment of vascularized rib pedicle graft for tuberculosis kyphosis.

This article reports a long-term follow-up assessment (10-15 years) of eight children treated with a vascularized rib pedicle graft after an anterior spinal decompression for paralysis resulting from tuberculosis. Neurologic recovery, fusion, and hypertrophy of the rib grafts were noted in all patients. The vascularized rib pedicle grafts were superior to autologous rib grafts in supporting and promoting early fusion of the anterior column in children with kyphosis resulting from tuberculosis.

The value of soft tissue radiography in the assessment and treatment of lingual tonsillar hypertrophy.

When surgery is indicated for benign lingual tonsillar hypertrophy, the surgical procedure varies with the degree of hypertrophy. Lateral soft-tissue radiography of the neck provides an excellent adjunct to clinical examination as a means of assessing the degree of hypertrophy. Pre-operative radiography is therefore recommended when difficulty or uncertainty arises in assessing the extent of hypertrophy clinically.