Superior scapular location: An overlooked albeit frequent finding in elastofibroma dorsi.

PURPOSE: To explore the frequency of superior scapular elastofibroma dorsi in a large patient series with elastofibroma dorsi. METHODS: 136 chest CTs from January 2016 to July 2022 reporting elastofibroma dorsi were retrospectively analyzed. Three radiologists assessed the number, size, and location of elastofibroma dorsi. Continuous variables underwent two-tailed t-tests with p < 0.05. Inter-observer agreement was assessed by using Cohen's Kappa values. RESULTS: In 136 patients (mean age, 75.9 +/- 9.8 years; 117 female), 330 elastofibroma dorsi were found. Six (4.4 %) patients had single, 87 (64 %) double, 22 (16.2 %) triple and 21 (15.4 %) quadruple lesions. All single and double lesions were in the inferior scapular regions. 43 (31.6 %) patients had superior scapular lesions in addition to inferior scapular elastofibroma dorsi. Inferior scapular elastofibroma dorsi was significantly larger than superior scapular elastofibroma dorsi. The probability of a right superior lesion was significantly higher in patients with a larger right inferior lesion. Inter-observer agreement was very good for experienced radiologist (κ = 94.1) and good for other radiologists (κ = 79.4 and κ = 78). CONCLUSION: In contrast to current belief, superior scapular elastofibroma dorsi accompanying the typical inferior scapular lesions is not uncommon and can even manifest bilaterally. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case series reporting prevalence of quadruple elastofibroma dorsi.

The Diagnostic Utility of Artificial Intelligence-Guided Computed Tomography-Based Severity Scores for Predicting Short-Term Clinical Outcomes in Adults with COVID-19 Pneumonia.

Chest computed tomography (CT) imaging with the use of an artificial intelligence (AI) analysis program has been helpful for the rapid evaluation of large numbers of patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have previously demonstrated that adults with COVID-19 infection with high-risk obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have poorer clinical outcomes than COVID-19 patients with low-risk OSA. In the current secondary analysis, we evaluated the association of AI-guided CT-based severity scores (SSs) with short-term outcomes in the same cohort. In total, 221 patients (mean age of 52.6 ± 15.6 years, 59% men) with eligible chest CT images from March to May 2020 were included. The AI program scanned the CT images in 3D, and the algorithm measured volumes of lobes and lungs as well as high-opacity areas, including ground glass and consolidation. An SS was defined as the ratio of the volume of high-opacity areas to that of the total lung volume. The primary outcome was the need for supplemental oxygen and hospitalization over 28 days. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the association between an SS and the need for supplemental oxygen revealed a cut-off score of 2.65 on the CT images, with a sensitivity of 81% and a specificity of 56%. In a multivariate logistic regression model, an SS > 2.65 predicted the need for supplemental oxygen, with an odds ratio (OR) of 3.98 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.80-8.79; p < 0.001), and hospitalization, with an OR of 2.40 (95% CI 1.23-4.71; p = 0.011), adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, and coronary artery disease. We conclude that AI-guided CT-based SSs can be used for predicting the need for supplemental oxygen and hospitalization in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia.

Scrape cytology and radiological solid size correlation can be used in the intraoperative management of subsolid lung nodules.

BACKGROUND: The term radiologic subsolid lung nodule (SLN) represents a heterogeneous group of non-neoplastic and neoplastic lesions. Intraoperative evaluation (IO) is often required to differentiate and diagnose. The current study aims to investigate the feasibility and reliability of scrape cytology (SC) and radiologic solid size correlation for the IO diagnosis of SLNs. METHODS: Sixty-eight patients with SLN signs were eligible to take part in the study due to intraoperatively prepared SC slides. We managed to complete the blind radiologic solid size measurement and cytologic evaluation retrospectively. Cases were grouped into three categories based on their cytological features: Group-0 (Benign), Group-1 (mild atypical features), and Group-2 (severe atypical features/unequivocally carcinoma). IO diagnoses were given by combining the radiologic solid size and cytological findings. RESULTS: Cytological features of Group-1 were observed in 100%, 93%, 32.5%, and 17% of the AIS, MIA, IA, and benign lesions, respectively. Cytological features of Group-2 were observed in 67.5%, and 7% of the IA and MIA, respectively. By combining cytology with radiologic solid size, 100%, 85%, 71%, and 83% of the AIS, IA, MIA, and benign lesions respectively were diagnosed correctly. Fifteen (15%) percent of the IA cases were underdiagnosed as MIA since their radiological solid sizes were less than 0.5 cm with cytological features of Group-1. Conversely, 29% of the MIA cases were overdiagnosed as IA since their radiological solid sizes were greater than 0.5 cm. CONCLUSION: SLNs should be handled with caution in terms of IO management. SC and radiologic solid size correlation both provide a practical and tissue-protecting approach for the IO evaluation of SLNs, ensuring a high consistency between IO and definitive diagnosis.

Hypersensitivity reactions to contrast media: prevalence, risk factors and the role of skin tests in diagnosis--a cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity to contrast media (CMs) may be common and serious. AIM: To evaluate the prevalence of CM hypersensitivity, risk factors associated with it and the role of skin testing in its diagnosis. METHODS: A structured questionnaire was administered to patients who underwent computed tomography during a 1-year period. Skin tests with CMs, including skin prick tests (SPTs), intradermal tests (IDTs) and patch tests (PTs), were conducted on CM reactors (n = 24). Volunteers who tolerated CM exposure or had never been exposed to any CMs served as controls (n = 37). RESULTS: A total of 1,131 patients (630 females and 501 males; mean age 55 ± 14.2 years) were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of historical and current CM reactors was 33/1,131 (2.92%) and 8/1,105 (0.72%), respectively. The skin was the most affected site, with mild to moderate reactions. Female gender, a history of doctor-diagnosed asthma, drug allergy, food allergy and psychiatric diseases were significant risk factors. The sensitivities of SPTs and early readings of IDTs in the diagnosis of immediate reactions were 0 and 20%, respectively, and the specificities were 94.6 and 91.4%, respectively. For early readings of IDTs, the positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 40 and 80%, respectively. For nonimmediate reactions, the sensitivities of delayed readings of IDTs and PTs were 14.3 and 25%, respectively; specificity was 100% for both tests. The PPV was 100% for both of these tests, and the NPVs were 85.4 and 82.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings are comparable with the incidence, profile and risk factors associated with CM hypersensitivity reported previously. Skin testing with CMs has a high specificity, but its role in diagnosis is limited due to low sensitivity.

Effect of High-Risk Obstructive Sleep Apnea on Clinical Outcomes in Adults with Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Multicenter, Prospective, Observational Clinical Trial.

Rationale: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an ongoing pandemic, in which obesity, hypertension, and diabetes have been linked to poor outcomes. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with these conditions and may influence the prognosis of adults with COVID-19. Objectives: To determine the effect of OSA on clinical outcomes in patients with COVID-19. Methods: The current prospective observational study was conducted in three hospitals in Istanbul, Turkey from March 10 to June 22, 2020. The participants were categorized as high-risk or low-risk OSA according to the Berlin questionnaire that was administered in the out-patient clinic, in hospital, or shortly after discharge from hospital blinded to the clinical outcomes. A modified high-risk (mHR)-OSA score based on the snoring patterns (intensity and/or frequency), breathing pauses, and morning/daytime sleepiness, without taking obesity and hypertension into account, were used in the regression models. Results: The primary outcome was the clinical improvement defined as a decline of two categories from admission on a 7-category ordinal scale that ranges from 1 (discharged with normal activity) to 7 (death) on Days 7, 14, 21, and 28, respectively. Secondary outcomes included clinical worsening (an increase of 1 category), need for hospitalization, supplemental oxygen, and intensive care. In total, 320 eligible patients (median [interquartile range] age, 53.2 [41.3-63.0] yr; 45.9% female) were enrolled. In all, 121 (37.8%) were categorized as known (n = 3) or high-risk OSA (n = 118). According to the modified scoring, 70 (21.9%) had mHR-OSA. Among 242 patients requiring hospitalization, clinical improvement within 2 weeks occurred in 75.4% of the mHR-OSA group compared with 88.4% of the modified low-risk-OSA group (P = 0.014). In multivariate regression analyses, mHR-OSA (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.19-0.92) and male sex (OR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.17-0.86) predicted the delayed clinical improvement. In the entire study population (n = 320), including the nonhospitalized patients, mHR-OSA was associated with clinical worsening (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 1.00-2.39) and with the need for supplemental oxygen (OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.06-3.59). Snoring patterns, especially louder snoring, significantly predicted delayed clinical improvement, worsening, need for hospitalization, supplemental oxygen, and intensive care. Conclusions: Adults with mHR-OSA in our COVID-19 cohort had poorer clinical outcomes than those with modified low-risk OSA independent of age, sex, and comorbidities. Clinical trial registered with www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04363333).

Deep COVID DeteCT: an international experience on COVID-19 lung detection and prognosis using chest CT.

The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) presents open questions in how we clinically diagnose and assess disease course. Recently, chest computed tomography (CT) has shown utility for COVID-19 diagnosis. In this study, we developed Deep COVID DeteCT (DCD), a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) that uses the entire chest CT volume to automatically predict COVID-19 (COVID+) from non-COVID-19 (COVID-) pneumonia and normal controls. We discuss training strategies and differences in performance across 13 international institutions and 8 countries. The inclusion of non-China sites in training significantly improved classification performance with area under the curve (AUCs) and accuracies above 0.8 on most test sites. Furthermore, using available follow-up scans, we investigate methods to track patient disease course and predict prognosis.

Is it possible to discriminate pulmonary carcinoids from hamartomas based on CT features?

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the computed tomography (CT) features might be used in distinguishing pulmonary carcinoids from hamartomas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ninety solid pulmonary nodules (43 carcinoids and 47 hamartomas) in 90 patients were evaluated. The following CT scan features were evaluated: size, location (peripheral/central), contour (lobulated/nodular), number of lobulation, attenuation, calcification, endobronchial status, bronchial extension and involvement, parenchymal abnormalities distal to the lesion e.g. hyperlucency, atelectasis, and nodularity. The final pathologic diagnosis of the lesions and bronchial extension were confirmed by review of histopathological specimens. RESULTS: Out of 43 carcinoids, 37 (86%) were typical. Twenty-three carcinoids and four hamartomas were central (p < 0.001). Ten carcinoids and one hamartoma were endobronchial. The majority of tumors had lobulated contours (65% of carcinoids, 44% of hamartomas) and carcinoids tended to have more lobulations (p = 0.052). Distal nodularity (p = 0.001), distal hyperlucency (p < 0.001), and atelectasis (p = 0.005) were significantly more common in carcinoids. Carcinoids had significantly more bronchial extension and involvement (p < 0.001; respectively). In addition, a new sign that we call "bronchial triangle sign" differentiated carcinoids with a sensitivity and specificity of 84.9% (95% CI: 69,1%-93.4%) and 91% (95% CI: 79.7%-96.6%). CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge this is the first study on discrimination of carcinoids and hamartomas. A new CT sign called "bronchial triangle sign" might be used to differentiate carcinoids from hamartomas. Distal parenchymal abnormalities are more common in carcinoids than in hamartomas.

[Clinical and radiological findings in patients diagnosed pulmonary thromboembolism by pulmonary computerized tomography angiography]. / Pulmoner bilgisayarli tomografi anjiyografi ile pulmoner tromboemboli tanisi konulan hastalarda klinik ve radyolojik bulgular.

Pulmonary computed tomography angiography (PCTA) is the initial imaging test for the diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE). In the study, it was aimed to determine the clinical, radiological findings in patients diagnosed PTE by PCTA, to investigate the relationship between the thrombus localisation and the clinical, laboratory parameters. 172 patients diagnosed PTE by PCTA between 2004 and 2007 were included in the study. The clinical, laboratory parameters, thrombus localisation were evaluated. Mean age (female/male: 99/73) was 58.27 +/- 15.11, mean Wells score was 2.99 +/- 2.40. 39.5% (n= 68) of patients had low risk, 50.6% (n= 87) intermediate, 9.9% (n= 17) high risk. The most common comorbidities were cardiovascular diseases (n= 46, 26.7%), COPD (n= 26,15%). Recent operation history (n= 47, 27.3%), immobilisation (n= 37, 21.5%) were the most frequent risk factors. Dyspnea (89%), chest pain (59.9%) were the most common complaints. Deep venous thrombosis was detected by Doppler USG in 56.4% of patients. The most common site of thrombus was the right lower lobe artery (44.2%). In 30% of patients, the most proximal level of thrombus was the main pulmonary arteries (MPA). Mean age of patients with MPA thrombus (61.96 +/- 14.47), was higher than patients with distal thrombus (56.62 +/- 15.16, p= 0.03). Patients with the recent operation history (41% vs. 21%, p= 0.009), cancer (24% vs. 2.5%, p< 0.001) had higher rates of MPA thrombus. In patients presented with syncope,16.9% of them had a MPA thrombus compared to others having 3.3% rate of other thrombus localisations (p= 0.004). Mean Wells score in patients with MPA thrombus was higher compared to others (3.59 +/- 2.38/2.72 +/- 2.37, p= 0.02), however it didn't differ the extent of proximal thrombus between low, intermediate and high risk patients. The mean level of D-dimer was not different between patients with MPA thrombus and the others. D-dimer level was significantly higher in patients with thrombus localized at truncus pulmonalis (1357 microg/mL vs. 724 microg/mL). There was no significant difference between Doppler USG positive and negative patients for DVT. In conclusion, it was determined that the thrombus was at MPA in one third of the patients, a significant relationship between the presence of the recent operation, cancer history and syncope with MPA thrombus. In patients with a thrombus at truncus pulmonalis, D-dimer levels were higher.

Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema: How does cohabitation affect respiratory functions?

PURPOSE: Combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) has emerged as a new syndrome with characteristics of both fibrosis and emphysema. We determined the impacts of radiologic emphysema severity on pulmonary function tests (PFTs), exercise capacity and mortality. PATIENTS AND METHODS: IPF patients (n = 110) diagnosed at the Chest Diseases Clinic between September 2013 and January 2016 were enrolled in the study and followed up until June 2017. Visual and digital emphysema scores, PFTs, pulmonary artery pressure (sPAP), 6-minute walking test, composite physiologic index (CPI), and survival status were recorded. Patients with emphysema and those with pure IPF were compared. RESULTS: The CPFE-group had a significantly greater ratio of men(p < 0.001), lower BMI (p < 0.001), lower mean PaO2 (p = 0.005), higher mean sPAP (p = 0.014), and higher exercise desaturation (p < 0.001). The CPFE group had a significantly higher FVC(L)(p = 0.016), and lower FEV1/FVC ratio (p = 0.002), DLCO, and DLCO/VA ratio(p = 0.03 and p = 0.005, respectively). Lung volumes of the CPFE group had significantly higher VC(p = 0.017), FRC (p < 0.001), RV(p < 0.001), RV/TLC(p < 0.001), and TLC(p < 0.001). There were significant correlations between emphysema scores and FVC (L)(p = 0.01), FEV1/FVC(p = 0.001), DLCO (p = 0.003), VC(p = 0.014), FRC (L)(p < 0.001), RV(p < 0.001), TLC(p < 0.001), and RV/TLC (p < 0.001). Mortality rates were comparable between the two groups. CPI (p = 0.02) and sPAP (p = 0.01) were independent predictors of mortality in patients with CPFE. CONCLUSIONS: The presence and severity of emphysema affects pulmonary function in IPF. Patients with CPFE have reduced diffusion capacity, more severe air trapping, worse muscle weakness, more severe exercise desaturation, and pulmonary hypertension. CPI and pulmonary hypertension are two independent risk factors for mortality in subjects with CPFE.

Coexistence of left-sided inferior vena cava, deep vein thrombosis of the upper and lower extremities and prothrombotic polymorphisms in a young patient: a case report.

A literature review suggests an interaction between an anomaly of the inferior vena cava and thrombophilia in the pathogenesis of deep vein thrombosis. Genetic thrombotic abnormalities have been found in some of the subjects having venous thromboembolic diseases. We report a case of a young man presenting with venous thrombosis of the upper and lower extremities, left-sided vena cava inferior and with combination of heterozygosity of the mutation of the genes Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase 677 and Factor V 1691.

Flexible bronchoscopy and mechanical ventilation in managing Mounier-Kuhn syndrome: a case report.

CONTEXT: Mounier-Kuhn syndrome is a rare congenital condition with distinct dilatation and diverticulation of the tracheal wall. The symptoms may vary and the treatment usually consists of support. CASE REPORT: The patient was a 60-year-old male with recurrent hospital admission. He was admitted in this case due to dyspnea, cough and sputum production. An arterial blood sample revealed decompensated respiratory acidosis with moderate hypoxemia. A chest computed tomography (CT) scan showed dilatation of the trachea and bronchi, tracheal diverticula and bronchiectasis. Flexible bronchoscopy was performed, which revealed enlarged airways with expiratory collapse. Furthermore, orifices of tracheal diverticulosis were also detected. Non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) was added, along with long-term oxygen therapy. At control visits, the patient's clinical and laboratory findings were found to have improved. CONCLUSION: Flexible bronchoscopy can be advocated for establishing the diagnosis and non-invasive mechanical ventilation can be used with a high success rate, for clinical wellbeing in Mounier-Kuhn syndrome.

A new non-invasive diagnostic method for lung lobe torsion: pulmonary CT angiography.

Torsion of the remaining lung lobe after lobectomy is an uncommon event which is difficult to diagnose and may result in hemorrhagic infarction and fatal gangrene. We report a case of right upper lobe torsion after middle lobe resection for bronchiectasis, diagnosed with noninvasive pulmonary computerized tomography (CT) angiography. Rethoracotomy with an upper lobectomy was performed. She was asymptomatic at the two-year follow-up. Although the bronchoscopy has a great value in the diagnosis, CT angiography is an effective noninvasive method for confirming the correct diagnosis. A high index of clinical suspicion, early diagnosis and aggressive management may improve survival.

Prevalence and types of main and right portal vein branching variations on MDCT.

OBJECTIVE: Our objective was to investigate the prevalence of variant main and right portal vein ramification in a large group of patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 200 patients who underwent consecutive contrast-enhanced abdominal CT examinations performed with an 8-MDCT scanner. Two observers evaluated both thin axial sections and 3D maximum-intensity-projection and volume-rendered images for branching patterns of the main and right portal veins. RESULTS: Conventional main portal vein anatomy was present in 64.5% of the patients. In 9.5% of the patients, the main portal vein trifurcated into the left portal and right anterior and posterior portal veins. In 23.5% of the patients, the main portal vein divided into a common left portal vein-right anterior portal vein trunk and the right posterior portal vein. Three patients (1.5%) had miscellaneous variations. Twenty-two (16.8%) of 131 patients with conventional main portal vein branching had variant right portal vein branching, most of which was a trifurcation, followed by an abnormally proximal origin of the segment VII vein from the right portal vein. CONCLUSION: Variant main portal vein branching seems to be very frequent. Common right anterior portal vein-left portal vein trunk is far more common than trifurcation. Although less frequent, variations also occur in right portal vein branching.

Testicular adrenal rests in a patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia: US and MRI features.

We present ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of intratesticular adrenal rests in a 16-year-old patient with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Scrotal ultrasonography showed bilateral well-delineated homogenous hypoechoic lesions located around the mediastinum testis, which were highly vascularized on power Doppler ultrasonography. Relative to normal testicular parenchyma the lesions were iso- or hyperintense on T1-weighted and hypointense on T2-weighted images. T2-weighted images also showed a target-like appearance caused by a more hypointense peripheral halo around the lesions. The lesions enhanced remarkably on post-contrast images. This case suggests that radiological evaluation of testes, even in the presence of normal physical examination findings, should be included in periodical follow-up of patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is useful in demonstrating the lesions, because the contrast resolution better than with ultrasonography.

Multislice CT angiography in the evaluation of hepatic vascular anatomy in potential right lobe donors.

PURPOSE: To assess the role of multislice CT angiography in the evaluation of arterial, hepatic and portal venous variations in potential right lobe donors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-two potential liver donors (28 females, 24 males), underwent CT angiography in the arterial and portal venous phases with an eight-row CT scanner. Two- and three-dimensional images were obtained from 1.25-mm-thick axial images with multiplanar reformatting, maximum intensity projection and volume rendering techniques. Both axial and two- and threedimensional images were evaluated for possible variants of hepatic vasculature. In twelve operated patients, CT angiography results were compared with the results of surgery. RESULTS: Of 52 patients, 40 had type I, five type III, two type II, three type IX, and two type V hepatic arterial anatomy. In 13 patients (25%), segment IV artery originated from the right hepatic artery. In 26 patients (50%), veins that drained segment V and/or VIII to the middle hepatic vein were larger than 5 mm. Twenty-five patients (48%) had 28 accessory hepatic veins larger than 3 mm; 23 of these drained to the inferior vena cava more than 4 cm caudal to the right hepatic vein-vena cava junction. Three patients (6%) had trifurcation and one patient (2%) had quadrifurcation of the main portal vein. In two patients (4%), the right posterior portal vein arose directly from the main portal vein before its bifurcation. CT angiography findings showed one-to-one correlation with surgery in the 12 operated patients. CONCLUSION: Multislice CT angiography can successfully show the relevant hepatic vascular variations in potential liver donors.

A Case of Amyopathic Dermatomyositis with Pneumomediastinum and Subcutaneous Emphysema.

A 34-year-old man was admitted with dyspnea, cough, and fever. Thorax computed tomography revealed ground glass opacities and pneumomediastinum. The patient was diagnosed as amyopathic dermatomyositis due to skin lesions and radiological findings. Despite immunosuppressive treatment clinical deterioration and radiological progression were observed and the patient died because of severe hypoxemic respiratory failure. The patient presented with extremely rare occurrence of pneumomediastinum and subcutaneous emphysema in amyopathic dermatomyositis with a poor prognosis.

Electromagnetic navigation-guided TBNA vs conventional TBNA in the diagnosis of mediastinal lymphadenopathy.

OBJECTIVES: Conventional transbronchial needle aspiration (C-TBNA) is a safe method for the diagnosis of hilar and mediastinal lymphadenopathy (MLN). However, diagnostic yield of this technique varies considerably. Electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy (ENB) is a new technology to increase the diagnostic yield of flexible bronchoscopy for the peripheral lung lesions and MLN. The aim of this prospective study was to compare the diagnostic and sampling success of ENB-guided TBNA (ENB-TBNA) in comparison with C-TBNA while dealing with MLN. METHODS: Consecutive patients with MLN were randomized into two groups - C-TBNA and ENB-TBNA - using a computer-based number shuffling system to avoid recruitment bias. Procedures were performed in usual fashion, published previously. RESULTS: Ninety-four cases (M/F: 45/49) with a total of 145 stations of MLN were enrolled in the study. In 44 patients, 81 stations were sampled by ENB-TBNA, and in 50 patients 64 stations by C-TBNA. The mean size of MLN in study subjects was 17.56 ± 6.25 mm. The sampling success was significantly higher in ENB-TBNA group (82.7%) compared with C-TBNA group (51.6%) (P < 0.005). Defined by histopathological result, the diagnostic yield in ENB-TBNA was 72.8%, and 42.2% with C-TBNA (P < 0.005). For subcarinal localization, sampling or diagnostic success was higher in ENB-TBNA than that of C-TBNA (P < 0.05). Based on the size of the MLN ≤15 mm or >15 mm, the sampling success of ENB-TBNA was also significantly higher than C-TBNA in both subgroups (P < 0.005 and P < 0.005, respectively). No serious complication was observed. CONCLUSION: In this study comparing ENB-TBNA and C-TBNA, the sampling and diagnostic success of ENB-TBNA was found to be superior while dealing with MLN, in all categories studied.

An Unusual Manifestation of Renal Angiomyolipoma: Pulmonary Fat Embolism.

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is the most common benign renal mesenchymal tumors. AMLs are usually asymptomatic and frequently affect women. Only epithelioid variant has malignant potential. Although life-threatening complications related to retroperitoneal bleeding and massive hematuria are possible, it is often detected incidentally. Pulmonary embolism as the first symptom is extremely rare. Herein, we present a case of renal AML who admitted with pulmonary embolism symptoms.

Churg-Strauss syndrome: a new endotype of severe asthma? Results of 14 Turkish patients.

INTRODUCTION: Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS) is a rare multisystem vasculitis. Considering the variation of autoimmune diseases in different races, it is of interest to determine whether any outstanding features exist for Turkish patients with CSS. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and serological features of the disease, the treatment, and long-term follow-up details, and to investigate possible etiological factors of Turkish CSS patients. METHODS: The study included 14 patients who were diagnosed with CSS, and followed by our department between 2004 and 2012. Possible etiological factors, initial symptoms, clinical presentations, treatment, as well as outcomes were documented. The study was approved by the local ethics. RESULTS: All patients fulfilled the American College of Rheumatology criteria. Initial symptoms were worsening asthma (n = 14; 100%) and skin lesions (n = 6; 43%). All patients had a diagnosis of asthma and nasal polyps, whereas 57.1% had aspirin hypersensitivity at the time of diagnosis. The lungs (100%) and skin (43%) were most commonly involved. Peripheral eosinophilia dominated on initial presentations of all patients. Initial treatments included oral methyl prednisolone in all cases, whereas cyclophosphamide and azathioprine were used in three cases. Relapses were detected in five cases. None of the cases were able to stop the oral corticosteroid treatment. No fatalities were observed. CONCLUSION: We herein describe a new severe asthma endotype in connection with CSS. We suggest that physicians who deal with uncontrolled severe asthma cases should consider CSS in the presence of nasal polyps, aspirin hypersensitivity, and especially peripheral blood eosinophilia over 10%.

Multidetector CT: contributions in liver imaging.

Multidetector CT has had great impact in the evaluation of the liver. Increased speed combined with thin slice collimation improved the spatial and temporal resolution, which in turn provided a higher sensitivity in the detection of focal lesions, particularly for the hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. There is no consensus as to whether the so-called "double arterial phase scanning" improves the detection rate of hepatocellular cancers, and the majority of the more recent studies suggest acquiring only the late arterial phase images along with the portal venous phase images. However, if the patient is a surgical candidate, the early arterial phase images must also be obtained, because they provide better pre-surgical mapping of the hepatic arteries. In primary and metastatic liver tumors, arterial and portal venous phase images should be acquired with thin collimation and overlapping reconstruction. Maximum intensity projection and volume rendering methods demonstrate the three-dimensional anatomy of the hepatic arteries, portal and hepatic veins successfully, which provide useful information before hepatic resection or intraarterial chemotherapy. In living donor candidates, early arterial and portal venous phase images obtained with thin collimation and overlapping reconstruction are used to reconstruct three-dimensional images with maximum intensity and volume rendering methods. These have a high sensitivity to detect hepatic artery, portal and hepatic vein variations, which could render the surgery difficult or even impossible. Portal venous phase images can also be used to measure total and lobar liver volumes. A virtual hepatectomy plane can be simulated on the three-dimensional model of the liver and hepatic veins, and when necessary, its location can be modified according to the metabolic needs of the recipient and donor. Thin collimation and better temporal resolution may also have beneficial effects in the characterization of liver lesions.