Post-thyroidectomy neck ultrasonography in patients with thyroid cancer and a review of the literature.

The importance of routine neck ultrasonography for the detection of unsuspected local or nodal recurrence of thyroid cancer following thyroidectomy (with or without neck dissection) is well documented in many journal articles and international guidelines. Herein, we present a pictorial summary of the sonographic features of benign and malignant central neck compartment nodules and cervical lymph nodes via a series of high-quality ultrasonographic images, with a review of the literature.

Stress myocardial perfusion imaging for the evaluation and triage of chest pain in the emergency department: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) often present atypically. In a randomized controlled trial, we studied whether adding stress myocardial perfusion imaging (SMPI) to an evaluation strategy for emergency department (ED) patients presenting with chest pain more effectively identifies patients with ACS. METHODS: Participants were randomized to standard ED chest pain protocol (clinical assessment) or standard protocol supplemented with SMPI results. During 6 hours of electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring and serial cardiac markers (creatine kinase-MB isoenzyme, troponin), participants developing ST segment changes or elevated cardiac markers were admitted. Those with a negative observation period underwent SMPI (N = 1,004) or clinical assessment (N = 504) based on randomization, and admitted if their SMPI scan was abnormal or senior clinicians found a high or intermediate risk for ACS. RESULTS: SMPI participants had a significantly lower admission rate than clinical assessment participants (10.16% vs 18.45%), with no significant between-group differences in risk of cardiac events (CEs) after 30 days (0.40% vs 0.79%) or 1 year (0.70% vs 0.99%). CONCLUSIONS: When added to a standard triage strategy incorporating clinical evaluation, serial ECGs, and cardiac markers, SMPI improved clinical decision making for chest pain patients, significantly reducing the need for hospitalization without an increase in adverse CE rates at 30 days or 1 year.

MR renography using a dynamic gradient-echo sequence and low-dose gadopentetate dimeglumine as an alternative to radionuclide renography.

OBJECTIVE: Our aim was to evaluate the feasibility of acquiring an MR signal intensity-time renographic curve and dynamic serial images in a way similar to that of acquiring radionuclide renograms, with a dynamic gradient-echo sequence and a low-dose gadopentetate dimeglumine technique, using a commonly available 1.5-T MR scanner. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Patients who underwent both radionuclide and MR renographic studies within a 3-month period were included in the analysis. This yielded 21 studies from 19 patients. Nineteen of the 21 studies were available for analysis. Two studies were excluded because of technical errors during MR renographic acquisition. Serial MR renograms were obtained using a dynamic two-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo fast low-angle shot T1-weighted sequence. Low-dose IV furosemide and gadopentetate dimeglumine (0.025 mmol/kg of body weight) were administered. Intensity-time curves were obtained from the manually selected regions of interest over the renal parenchyma and whole kidney for calculation of split renal function and assessment of urinary excretion, respectively. Results were compared with those obtained with radionuclide renography. RESULTS: Good correlation (Pearson's correlation coefficient, r = 0.97, p < 0.001) was observed when the volume-corrected split renal function acquired with MR renography was compared with that obtained with radionuclide renography. There was also good agreement in the excretory curve patterns (weighted kappa(observer 1) = 0.77 and kappa(observer 2) = 0.81) between the two techniques. CONCLUSION: Dynamic MR gradient-echo imaging with a low-dose gadopentetate dimeglumine technique can produce an intensity-time curve and serial dynamic images of the urinary system, in a way similar to that of radionuclide renography. This technique allows assessment of split renal function and urinary excretory status and is a feasible alternative to radionuclide renography.

Small colonic J-pouch improves colonic retention of liquids--randomized, controlled trial with scintigraphy.

PURPOSE: A small 6-cm colonic J-pouch improves stool frequency and continence, without stool evacuation problems. However, the reservoir function is not improved on physiologic studies. Hence, a scintigraphy technique was devised to study the transit of solid and liquid colonic contents in these patients. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to straight or colonic J-pouch anal anastomoses after ultralow anterior resection. At 1 year after surgery, they were studied by bowel questionnaire, anorectal manometry, and technetium TC 99m tin-colloid liquid test meal/I-131 microcapsule scintigraphy. In the latter, technetium TC 99m tin-colloid was ingested orally to image the colonic liquids. I-131 microcapsules taken simultaneously imaged the solid stools. After ingestion of the radioisotopes, imaging was performed at intervals of 7 to 8, 24, and 56 hours later. Two independent observers noted the presence of technetium TC 99m tin-colloid liquid and I-131 microcapsules in various areas of interest drawn over the colon. RESULTS: There were six patients (5 males, mean age, 61.5 (SE mean, 1.9) years) in the straight, and six patients (5 males, mean age, 63.2 (4.5) years) in the colonic J-pouch group. Stool frequency was more in the straight group (4.8 (0.4) vs. 3 (0.2) stools/day; P <.001). Continence, evacuation problems, and anorectal physiologic findings were not different. Technetium TC 99m tin-colloid (imaging liquids) transited significantly faster than I-131 microcapsules (imaging solids), at various areas of interest in the colon. In the colonic J-pouch patients, technetium TC 99m tin-colloid liquid was retained significantly longer in the descending colon at 24 hours (P <.05). Stool frequency was higher when technetium TC 99m tin-colloid was not retained in the descending colon at 56 hours (3.3 (0.5) vs. 4.3 (0.4) stools/day) but this did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant differences in the distribution of the ingested I-131 microcapsules between colonic J-pouch and straight groups. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced stool frequency after colonic J-pouch may be related to factors causing better retention of liquid stools in the distal colon. No difference in solid stool transit could possibly account for minimal evacuation problems in small pouches.