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Pulmonary hypertension (PH) continues to present significant challenges to the medical community, both in terms of diagnosis and treatment. The advent of the updated 2022 European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Respiratory Society (ERS) guidelines has introduced pivotal changes that reflect the rapidly advancing understanding of this complex disease. These changes include a revised definition of PH, updates to the classification system, and treatment algorithm. While these guidelines offer a critical framework for the management of PH, they have also sparked new discussions and questions. The 5th French Pulmonary Hypertension Network Meeting (Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France, 2023), addressed these emergent questions and fostering a deeper understanding of the disease's multifaceted nature. These discussions were not limited to theoretical advancements but extended into the practical realms of patient management, highlighting the challenges and opportunities in applying the latest guidelines to clinical practice.
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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Although many symptoms of post-COVID syndrome have been described, a comprehensive evaluation of their prevalence is lacking. We aimed to describe symptoms at 16 months from hospitalization for COVID-19. METHODS: A telephone assessment was performed one year later in a cohort of COVID-19 survivors hospitalized between March and May 2020 and already evaluated four months after discharge. Patients with relevant symptoms at 16 months, patients who presented symptoms at four months, and all intensive care unit patients were invited for assessment at an outpatient facility. At telephone consultation, respiratory, cognitive, and functional symptoms were assessed. Patients underwent pulmonary function tests, lung CT scans, and psychometric and cognitive tests at the outpatient facility. RESULTS: Among 478 patients evaluated four months after discharge, 317 (67 %) were assessed at telephone consultation and 124 at ambulatory assessment. At telephone assessment, ≥1 new symptom was reported by 216 patients (68 %), mainly fatigue (53 %), dyspnea (37 %), and memory difficulties (24 %). Seventy-nine patients (25 %) were asymptomatic at four months but declared ≥1 symptom one year later. In patients evaluated twice, the prevalence of cognitive impairment was 45 % at four months and 40 % at 16 months. Depression and post-traumatic symptoms prevalence remained stable, and the prevalence of anxiety significantly decreased. Dysfunctional breathing was detected in 32 % of patients. At 16 months after discharge, lung CT-scan exhibited abnormalities in 30/80 patients (38 %), compared to 52/85 patients (61 %) at four months. CONCLUSION: At 16 months after hospitalization for COVID-19, 68 % of patients declared symptoms, including patients whose symptoms appeared between 4 and 16 months. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04704388.
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This review highlights recent advances in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) imaging. It begins with dual-energy computed tomography (DECT), which has demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of renal masses. Several studies have suggested the potential benefits of iodine quantification, particularly for distinguishing low-attenuation, true enhancing solid masses from hyperdense cysts. By determining whether or not a renal mass is present, DECT could avoid the need for additional imaging studies, thereby reducing healthcare costs. DECT can also provide virtual unenhanced images, helping to reduce radiation exposure. The review then provides an update focusing on the advantages of multiparametric magnetic resonance (MR) imaging performance in the histological subtyping of RCC and in the differentiation of benign from malignant renal masses. A proposed standardized stepwise reading of images helps to identify clear cell RCC and papillary RCC with a high accuracy. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound may represent a promising diagnostic tool for the characterization of solid and cystic renal masses. Several combined pharmaceutical imaging strategies using both sestamibi and PSMA offer new opportunities in the diagnosis and staging of RCC, but their role in risk stratification needs to be evaluated. Although radiomics and tumor texture analysis are hampered by poor reproducibility and need standardization, they show promise in identifying new biomarkers for predicting tumor histology, clinical outcomes, overall survival, and the response to therapy. They have a wide range of potential applications but are still in the research phase. Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown encouraging results in tumor classification, grade, and prognosis. It is expected to play an important role in assessing the treatment response and advancing personalized medicine. The review then focuses on recently updated algorithms and guidelines. The Bosniak classification version 2019 incorporates MRI, precisely defines previously vague imaging terms, and allows a greater proportion of masses to be placed in lower-risk classes. Recent studies have reported an improved specificity of the higher-risk categories and better inter-reader agreement. The clear cell likelihood score, which adds standardization to the characterization of solid renal masses on MRI, has been validated in recent studies with high interobserver agreement. Finally, the review discusses the key imaging implications of the 2017 AUA guidelines for renal masses and localized renal cancer.
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BACKGROUND: Bone morphogenetic proteins 9 and 10 (BMP9 and BMP10), encoded by GDF2 and BMP10, respectively, play a pivotal role in pulmonary vascular regulation. GDF2 variants have been reported in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). However, the phenotype of GDF2 and BMP10 carriers remains largely unexplored. METHODS: We report the characteristics and outcomes of PAH patients in GDF2 and BMP10 carriers from the French and Dutch pulmonary hypertension registries. A literature review explored the phenotypic spectrum of these patients. RESULTS: 26 PAH patients were identified: 20 harbouring heterozygous GDF2 variants, one homozygous GDF2 variant, four heterozygous BMP10 variants, and one with both GDF2 and BMP10 variants. The prevalence of GDF2 and BMP10 variants was 1.3% and 0.4%, respectively. Median age at PAH diagnosis was 30â years, with a female/male ratio of 1.9. Congenital heart disease (CHD) was present in 15.4% of the patients. At diagnosis, most of the patients (61.5%) were in New York Heart Association Functional Class III or IV with severe haemodynamic compromise (median (range) pulmonary vascular resistance 9.0 (3.3-40.6)â WU). Haemoptysis was reported in four patients; none met the HHT criteria. Two patients carrying BMP10 variants underwent lung transplantation, revealing typical PAH histopathology. The literature analysis showed that 7.6% of GDF2 carriers developed isolated HHT, and identified cardiomyopathy and developmental disorders in BMP10 carriers. CONCLUSIONS: GDF2 and BMP10 pathogenic variants are rare among PAH patients, and occasionally associated with CHD. HHT cases among GDF2 carriers are limited according to the literature. BMP10 full phenotypic ramifications warrant further investigation.
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Hypertension, Pulmonary , Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension , Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic , Humans , Male , Female , Adult , Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/genetics , Bone Morphogenetic Proteins/metabolism , Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnosis , Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/genetics , Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension/complications , Familial Primary Pulmonary Hypertension , Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic/complications , Telangiectasia, Hereditary Hemorrhagic/genetics , Phenotype , Growth Differentiation Factor 2/genetics , Multicenter Studies as TopicABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Low-dose thoracic protocols were developed massively during the COVID-19 outbreak. PURPOSE: To study the impact on image quality (IQ) and the diagnosis reliability of COVID-19 low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) protocols. MATERIAL AND METHODS: COVID-19 low-dose protocols were implemented on third- and second-generation CT scanners considering two body mass index (BMI) subgroups (<25 kg/m2 and >25 kg/m2). Contrast-to-noise ratios (CNR) were compared with a Catphan phantom. Next, two radiologists retrospectively assessed IQ for 243 CT patients using a 5-point Linkert scale for general IQ and diagnostic criteria. Kappa score and Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to compare IQ score and CTDIvol between radiologists, protocols, and scanner models. RESULTS: In vitro analysis of Catphan inserts showed in majority significantly decreased CNR for the low dose versus standard acquisition protocols on both CT scanners. However, in vivo, there was no impact on the diagnosis: sensitivity and specificity were ≥0.8 for all protocols and CT scanners. The third-generation scanner involved a significantly lower dose compared to the second-generation scanner (CTDIvol of 1.8 vs. 2.6 mGy for BMI <25 kg/m2 and 3.3 vs. 4.6 mGy for BMI >25 kg/m2). Still, the third-generation scanner showed a significantly higher IQ with the low-dose protocol compared to the second-generation scanner (30.9 vs. 28.1 for BMI <25 kg/m2 and 29.9 vs. 27.8 for BMI >25 kg/m2). Finally, the two radiologists had good global inter-reader agreement (kappa ≥0.6) for general IQ. CONCLUSION: Low-dose protocols provided sufficient IQ independently of BMI subgroups and CT models without any impact on diagnosis reliability.
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COVID-19 , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Retrospective Studies , Radiation Dosage , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methodsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Whether COVID-19 leads to long-term pulmonary sequelae or not remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of persisting radiological pulmonary fibrotic lesions in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a prospective single-center study among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 between March and May 2020. Patients with residual symptoms or admitted into intensive care units were investigated 4 months after discharge by a chest CT (CCT) and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). The primary endpoint was the rate of persistent radiological fibrotic lesions after 4 months. Secondary endpoints included further CCT evaluation at 9 and 16 months, correlation of fibrotic lesions with clinical and PFT evaluation, and assessment of predictive factors. RESULTS: Among the 1151 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, 169 patients performed a CCT at 4 months. CCTs showed pulmonary fibrotic lesions in 19% of the patients (32/169). These lesions were persistent at 9 months and 16 months in 97% (29/30) and 95% of patients (18/19) respectively. There was no significant clinical difference based on dyspnea scale in patients with pulmonary fibrosis. However, PFT evaluation showed significantly decreased diffusing lung capacity for carbon monoxide (p < 0.001) and total lung capacity (p < 0.001) in patients with radiological lesions. In multivariate analysis, the predictive factors of radiological pulmonary fibrotic lesions were pulmonary embolism (OR = 9.0), high-flow oxygen (OR = 6.37), and mechanical ventilation (OR = 3.49). CONCLUSION: At 4 months, 19% of patients investigated after hospitalization for COVID-19 had radiological pulmonary fibrotic lesions; they persisted up to 16 months. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: Whether COVID-19 leads to long-term pulmonary sequelae or not remains unknown. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of persisting radiological pulmonary fibrotic lesions in patients hospitalized for COVID-19. The prevalence of persisting lesions after COVID-19 remains unclear. We assessed this prevalence and predictive factors leading to fibrotic lesions in a large cohort. The respiratory clinical impact of these lesions was also assessed. KEY POINTS: ⢠Nineteen percent of patients hospitalized for COVID-19 had radiological fibrotic lesions at 4 months, remaining stable at 16 months. ⢠COVID-19 fibrotic lesions did not match any infiltrative lung disease pattern. ⢠COVID-19 fibrotic lesions were associated with pulmonary function test abnormalities but did not lead to clinical respiratory manifestation.
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COVID-19 , Pulmonary Fibrosis , Radiology , Humans , Prospective Studies , Radiography , Pulmonary Fibrosis/complications , Pulmonary Fibrosis/diagnostic imaging , Pulmonary Fibrosis/epidemiology , Disease Progression , Lung/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
The paraspinal region encompasses all tissues around the spine. The regional anatomy is complex and includes the paraspinal muscles, spinal nerves, sympathetic chains, Batson's venous plexus and a rich arterial network. A wide variety of pathologies can occur in the paraspinal region, originating either from paraspinal soft tissues or the vertebral column. The most common paraspinal benign neoplasms include lipomas, fibroblastic tumours and benign peripheral nerve sheath tumours. Tumour-like masses such as haematomas, extramedullary haematopoiesis or abscesses should be considered in patients with suggestive medical histories. Malignant neoplasms are less frequent than benign processes and include liposarcomas and undifferentiated sarcomas. Secondary and primary spinal tumours may present as midline expansile soft tissue masses invading the adjacent paraspinal region. Knowledge of the anatomy of the paraspinal region is of major importance since it allows understanding of the complex locoregional tumour spread that can occur via many adipose corridors, haematogenous pathways and direct contact. Paraspinal tumours can extend into other anatomical regions, such as the retroperitoneum, pleura, posterior mediastinum, intercostal space or extradural neural axis compartment. Imaging plays a crucial role in formulating a hypothesis regarding the aetiology of the mass and tumour staging, which informs preoperative planning. Understanding the complex relationship between the different elements and the imaging features of common paraspinal masses is fundamental to achieving a correct diagnosis and adequate patient management. This review gives an overview of the anatomy of the paraspinal region and describes imaging features of the main tumours and tumour-like lesions that occur in the region.
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In the aftermath of acute infection with the severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a large number of symptoms persist or appear, constituting a real syndrome called "long COVID-19" or "post-COVID- 19" or "post-acute COVID-19 syndrome". Its incidence is very high, half of patients showing at least one symptom at 4-6 months after Coronarovirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). They can affect many organs. The most common symptom is persistent fatigue, similar to that seen after other viral infections. Radiological pulmonary sequelae are relatively rare and not extensive. On the other hand, functional respiratory symptoms, primarily dyspnoea, are much more frequent. Dysfunctional breathing is a significant cause of dyspnoea. Cognitive disorders and psychological symptoms are also very common, with anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress symptoms being widely described. On the other hand, cardiac, endocrine, cutaneous, digestive or renal sequelae are rarer. The symptoms generally improve after several months, even if their prevalence at two years remains significant. Most of the symptoms are favored by the severity of the initial illness, and the psychic symptoms by the female sex. The pathophysiology of most symptoms is poorly understood. The influence of the treatments used in the acute phase is also important. Vaccination, on the other hand, seems to reduce their incidence. The sheer number of affected patients makes long-term COVID-19 syndrome a public health challenge.
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Background: Dyspnoea is a common persistent symptom after COVID-19. Whether it is associated with functional respiratory disorders remains unclear. Methods: We assessed the proportion and characteristics of patients with "functional respiratory complaints" (FRCs) (as defined by Nijmegen Questionnaire >22) among 177 post-COVID-19 individuals who benefited from outclinic evaluation in the COMEBAC study (i.e., symptomatic and/or intensive care unit (ICU) survivors at 4â months). In a distinct explanatory cohort of 21 consecutive individuals with unexplained post-COVID-19 dyspnoea after routine tests, we also analysed the physiological responses to incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). Findings: In the COMEBAC cohort, 37 patients had significant FRCs (20.9%, IC95: 14.9-26.9). The prevalence of FRCs ranged from 7.2% (ICU patients) to 37.5% (non-ICU patients). The presence of FRCs was significantly associated with more severe dyspnoea, lower 6-min walk distance, more frequent psychological and neurological symptoms (cognitive complaint, anxiety, depression, insomnia and post-traumatic stress disorders) and poorer quality of life (all p<0.01). In the explanatory cohort, seven out of 21 patients had significant FRCs. Based on CPET, dysfunctional breathing was identified in 12 out of 21 patients, five out of 21 had normal CPET, three out of 21 had deconditioning and one out of 21 had evidence of uncontrolled cardiovascular disease. Interpretation: FRCs are common during post-COVID-19 follow-up, especially among patients with unexplained dyspnoea. Diagnosis of dysfunctional breathing should be considered in those cases.
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OBJECTIVES: To study the impact of COVID-19 on chest CT practice during the different waves using Dose Archiving and Communication System (DACS). METHODS: Retrospective study including data from 86,136 chest CT acquisitions from 27 radiology centers (15 private; 12 public) between January 1, 2020, and October 13, 2021, using a centralized DACS. Daily chest CT activity and dosimetry information such as dose length product (DLP), computed tomography dose index (CTDI), and acquisition parameters were collected. Pandemic indicators (daily tests performed, incidence, and hospital admissions) and vaccination rates were collected from a governmental open-data platform. Descriptive statistics and correlation analysis were performed. RESULTS: For the first two waves, strong positive and significant correlations were found between all pandemic indicators and total chest CT activity, as high as R = 0.7984 between daily chest CT activity and hospital admissions during the second wave (p < 0.0001). We found differences between public hospitals and private imaging centers during the first wave, with private centers demonstrating a negative correlation between daily chest CT activity and hospital admissions (-0.2819, p = 0.0019). Throughout the third wave, simultaneously with the rise of vaccination rates, total chest CT activity decreased with significant negative correlations with pandemic indicators, such as R = -0.7939 between daily chest CTs and daily incidence (p < 0.0001). Finally, less than 5% of all analyzed chest CTs could be considered as low dose. CONCLUSIONS: During the first waves, COVID-19 had a strong impact on chest CT practice which was lost with the arrival of vaccination. Low-dose protocols remained marginal. KEY POINTS: ⢠There was a significant correlation between the number of daily chest CTs and pandemic indicators throughout the first two waves. It was lost during the third wave due to vaccination arrival. ⢠Differences were observed between public and private centers, especially during the first wave, less during the second, and were lost during the third. ⢠During the first three waves of COVID-19 pandemic, few CT helical acquisitions could be considered as low dose with only 3.8% of the acquisitions according to CTDIvol and 4.3% according to DLP.
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COVID-19 , Radiology , Humans , Radiation Dosage , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Retrospective Studies , Pandemics/prevention & control , CommunicationABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Long COVID is a major public health issue. Whether long COVID is comorbid with psychiatric disorders remains unclear. Here, we investigate the association between long COVID, psychiatric symptoms and psychiatric disorders. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTINGS: Bicêtre Hospital, France, secondary care. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred seventy-seven patients admitted in intensive care unit during acute phase and/or reporting long COVID complaints were assessed 4 months after hospitalisation for an acute COVID. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Eight long COVID complaints were investigated: fatigue, respiratory and cognitive complaints, muscle weakness, pain, headache, paraesthesia and anosmia. The number of complaints, the presence/absence of each COVID-19 complaint as well as lung CT scan abnormalities and objective cognitive impairment) were considered. Self-reported psychiatric symptoms were assessed with questionnaires. Experienced psychiatrists assessed Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition-based diagnoses of psychiatric disorders. RESULTS: One hundred and fifteen (65%) patients had at least one long COVID complaint. The number of long COVID complaints was associated with psychiatric symptoms. The number of long COVID complaints was higher in patients with psychiatric disorders (mean (m) (SD)=2.47 (1.30), p<0.05), new-onset psychiatric disorders (m (SD)=2.41 (1.32), p<0.05) and significant suicide risk (m (SD)=2.67 (1.32), p<0.05) than in patients without any psychiatric disorder (m (SD)=1.43 (1.48)). Respiratory complaints were associated with a higher risk of psychiatric disorder and new-onset psychiatric disorder, and cognitive complaints were associated with a higher risk of psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Long COVID is associated with psychiatric disorders, new-onset psychiatric disorders and suicide risk. Psychiatric disorders and suicide risk should be systematically assessed in patients with long COVID.
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Background and study aims In pancreatic cancer, the antitumor effect can only be assessed by means of a computed tomography (CT) scan using RECIST (Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours) criteria. The aim of this study was to assess the intra-observer and interobserver agreement of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) imaging in assessing tumor volume in primary pancreatic cancer. Patients and methods During a Phase 1 gene therapy trial, 21 patients had EUS before the first and second EUS-guided in situ gene therapy injections. All anonymized EUS files were then randomly distributed to three gastroenterologists/endosonographers and three radiologists (blind status). The largest tumor diameter was measured and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was determined. Results Intra-observer and interobserver agreements were good to excellent, regardless of operator experience (junior versus senior member of staff) (ICC: 0.65 to 0.84). A comparison of pretreatment and post-treatment measurements by the investigators highlighted a significant antitumor effect (-11â%; P â=â0.0098), similar to that obtained during the generic protocol (-10â%; P â=â0.0045). Conclusions Interobserver agreement regarding primary pancreatic adenocarcinoma measurements appears good to excellent, thus paving the way for the future inclusion of EUS assessments, particularly in trials assessing local therapies for pancreatic tumors.
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Recent advances in deep learning led to several algorithms for the accurate diagnosis of pneumonia from chest X-rays. However, these models require large training medical datasets, which are sparse, isolated, and generally private. Furthermore, these models in medical imaging are known to over-fit to a particular data domain source, i.e., these algorithms do not conserve the same accuracy when tested on a dataset from another medical center, mainly due to image distribution discrepancies. In this work, a domain adaptation and classification technique is proposed to overcome the over-fit challenges on a small dataset. This method uses a private-small dataset (target domain), a public-large labeled dataset from another medical center (source domain), and consists of three steps. First, it performs a data selection of the source domain's most representative images based on similarity constraints through principal component analysis subspaces. Second, the selected samples from the source domain are fit to the target distribution through an image to image translation based on a cycle-generative adversarial network. Finally, the target train dataset and the adapted images from the source dataset are used within a convolutional neural network to explore different settings to adjust the layers and perform the classification of the target test dataset. It is shown that fine-tuning a few specific layers together with the selected-adapted images increases the sorting accuracy while reducing the trainable parameters. The proposed approach achieved a notable increase in the target dataset's overall classification accuracy, reaching up to 97.78 % compared to 90.03 % by standard transfer learning.
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Deep Learning , Pneumonia , Humans , Nicardipine , X-Rays , Neural Networks, Computer , Pneumonia/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Rationale: The characteristics of patients with respiratory complaints and/or lung radiologic abnormalities after hospitalisation for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are unknown. The objectives were to determine their characteristics and the relationships between dyspnoea, radiologic abnormalities and functional impairment. Methods: In the COMEBAC (Consultation Multi-Expertise de Bicêtre Après COVID-19) cohort study, 478 hospital survivors were evaluated by telephone 4â months after hospital discharge, and 177 who had been hospitalised in an intensive care unit (ICU) or presented relevant symptoms underwent an ambulatory evaluation. New-onset dyspnoea and cough were evaluated, and the results of pulmonary function tests and high-resolution computed tomography of the chest were collected. Results: Among the 478 patients, 78 (16.3%) reported new-onset dyspnoea, and 23 (4.8%) new-onset cough. The patients with new-onset dyspnoea were younger (56.1±12.3 versus 61.9±16.6â years), had more severe COVID-19 (ICU admission 56.4% versus 24.5%) and more frequent pulmonary embolism (18.0% versus 6.8%) (all p≤0.001) than patients without dyspnoea. Among the patients reassessed at the ambulatory care visit, the prevalence of fibrotic lung lesions was 19.3%, with extent <25% in 97% of the patients. The patients with fibrotic lesions were older (61±11 versus 56±14â years, p=0.03), more frequently managed in an ICU (87.9 versus 47.4%, p<0.001), had lower total lung capacity (74.1±13.7 versus 84.9±14.8% pred, p<0.001) and diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (D LCO) (73.3±17.9 versus 89.7±22.8% pred, p<0.001). The combination of new-onset dyspnoea, fibrotic lesions and D LCO <70% pred was observed in eight out of 478 patients. Conclusions: New-onset dyspnoea and mild fibrotic lesions were frequent at 4â months, but the association of new-onset dyspnoea, fibrotic lesions and low D LCO was rare.
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Infection with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has resulted in millions of deaths and a major strain on health systems worldwide. Medical treatments for COVID-19 (anticoagulants, corticosteroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, oxygenation therapy and ventilation) and vaccination have improved patient outcomes. The majority of patients will recover spontaneously or after acute-phase management, but clinicians are now faced with long-term complications of COVID-19 including a large variety of symptoms, defined as "post-acute COVID-19 syndrome". Most studies have focused on patients hospitalised for severe COVID-19, but acute COVID-19 syndrome is not restricted to these patients and exists in outpatients. Given the diversity of symptoms and the high prevalence of persistent symptoms, the management of these patients requires a multidisciplinary team approach, which will result in the consumption of large amounts of health resources in the coming months. In this review, we discuss the presentation, prevalence, pathophysiology and evolution of respiratory complications and other organ-related injuries associated with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome.
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COVID-19 , COVID-19/complications , Humans , Lung , Pandemics , SARS-CoV-2 , Post-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeABSTRACT
Pellet embolism to the heart following gunshot injuries is an unusual event that requires a fast diagnosis. Imaging assessment is necessary to locate the projectiles and look for associated injuries. We present a case of a 41-year-old woman admitted after sustaining 2 gunshot wounds in the abdomen and left thigh, with the initial computed tomography (CT) scan showing a metallic object next to the right ventricle. Further radiological evaluation included transthoracic echocardiography and electrocardiogram-gated cardiac CT scan which confirmed the diagnosis of a migrating pellet to the right ventricle, entrapped within the trabeculations. Electrocardiogram-gated cardiac CT has a major role in detailed evaluation of bullet embolism to the heart cavities and guides the management.
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Internship and Residency , Radiology , Cadaver , Humans , Radiography , Radiology/education , TeachingABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is known to cause infectious, inflammatory, and autoimmune manifestations. Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an unusual complication of CVID with largely unknown characteristics and mechanisms. METHODS: We report the clinical, functional, hemodynamics, radiologic and histologic characteristics, and outcomes of CVID-associated PH patients from the French PH Network. RESULTS: Ten patients were identified. The median (range) age at CVID diagnosis was 36.5 (4-49) years and the median delay between CVID and PH diagnosis was 12 (0-30) years. CVID-associated PH affected predominantly women (female-to-male ratio 9:1). Most patients were New York Heart Association functional class III with a severe hemodynamic profile and frequent portal hypertension (n = 6). Pulmonary function tests were almost normal in 70% of patients and showed a mild restrictive syndrome in 30% of patients while the diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide was decreased in all but one patient. High-resolution computed tomography found enlarged mediastinal nodes, mild interstitial infiltration with reticulations and nodules. Two patients had a CIVD-interstitial lung disease, and one presented with bronchiectasis. Pathologic assessment of lymph nodes performed in 5 patients revealed the presence of granulomas (n = 5) and follicular lymphoid hyperplasia (n = 3). At last follow-up (median 24.5 months), 9 patients were alive, and one patient died of Hodgkin disease. CONCLUSION: PH is a possible complication of CVID whose pathophysiological mechanisms, while still unclear, would be due to the inflammatory nature of CVID. CVID-associated PH presents as precapillary PH with multiple possible causes, acting in concert in some patients: a portal hypertension, a pulmonary vascular remodeling, sometimes a pulmonary parenchymal involvement and occasionally an extrinsic compression by mediastinal lymphadenopathies, which would be consistent with its classification in group 5 of the current PH classification.
Subject(s)
Common Variable Immunodeficiency/complications , Hypertension, Pulmonary/etiology , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Child , Child, Preschool , Common Variable Immunodeficiency/diagnostic imaging , Common Variable Immunodeficiency/pathology , Common Variable Immunodeficiency/therapy , Female , France , Humans , Hypertension, Pulmonary/diagnostic imaging , Hypertension, Pulmonary/pathology , Hypertension, Pulmonary/therapy , Lymph Nodes/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Positron-Emission Tomography , Thorax/diagnostic imaging , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Young AdultABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: There are no recommendations for screening for thoracic aortic aneurysms (TAAs), even in patients with infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). The aims of this study were to determine the prevalence of TAAs in patients with AAAs and to analyse the risk factors for this association. METHODS: This was a multicentre prospective study. The Aortic Concomitant Thoracic and Abdominal Aneurysm (ACTA) study included 331 patients with infrarenal AAAs > 40 mm between September 2012 and May 2016. These patients were prospectively enrolled in three French academic hospitals. RESULTS: Patients were classified as having a normal, aneurysmal, or ectatic (non-normal, non-aneurysmal) thoracic aorta according to their maximum aortic diameter indexed by sex, age, and body surface area. Thoracic aortic ectasia (TAE) was defined as above or equal to the 90th percentile of normal aortic diameters according to gender and body surface area. Descending TAA was defined as ≥ 150% of the mean normal value, and ascending TAA as > 47 mm in men and 42 mm in women; 7.6% (n = 25) had either an ascending (seven cases; 2.2%) or descending aortic TAA (18 cases; 5.4%), and 54.6% (n = 181) had a TAE. Among the 25 patients with TAAs, five required surgery; two patients had TAAs related to penetrating aortic ulcers < 60 mm in diameter, and three had a TAA > 60 mm. In the multinomial regression analysis, atrial fibrillation (AF) (odds ratio [OR] 11.36, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.18 - 59.13; p = .004) and mild aortic valvulopathy (OR 2.89, 1.04-8.05; p = .042) were independent factors associated with TAAs. Age (OR 1.06, CI 1.02 - 1.09; p = .003) and AF (OR 4.36, 1.21 - 15.61; p = .024) were independently associated with ectasia. CONCLUSION: This study confirmed that TAAs coexisting with AAAs are not rare, and one fifth of these TAAs are treated surgically. Systematic screening by imaging the whole aorta in patients with AAAs is clinically relevant and should lead to an effective prevention policy.