[Nasopharyngeal tonsillolith: a report of 31 cases]. / Les tonsillolithes nasopharyngés au scanner: à propos de 31 cas.

OBJECTIVE: Nasopharyngeal tonsilloliths are less well known to radiologists than palatine tonsil lithiases. The possibility of routinely available fine slices during CT scans of the head and neck prompted a retrospective study on the causes and radiological signs and patterns of nasopharyngeal tonsilloliths. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 515 CT scans were retrospectively re-examined looking for calcifications of the posterior wall of the nasopharynx. One patient with this type of calcification underwent a cerebral MRI as part of the etiological workup of his faintness, which also provided a study of the nasopharyngeal wall. The size, density, and position of these calcium concretions were analyzed with CT in all cases. RESULTS: In 31 patients (18 men, 13 women), we discovered one or several calcifications in the pharyngeal mucous area, between 2 and 5.5 mm in size, with a median density of 202 HU. In two cases, we observed that these calcifications adhered to an adenoid cyst, whereas in three cases, the patients had both palatine tonsil and nasopharyngeal calcifications. None of the 31 patients had previously had an adenoidectomy. Sagittal CT and MRI images clearly localized all these calcifications before the pharyngobasilar fascia. DISCUSSION: The position of these nasopharyngeal calcifications in front of the pharyngobasilar fascia means that a calcified vestige of the notochord can be ruled out. Moreover, the simultaneous presence of nasopharyngeal tonsil and palatine tonsil calcifications in three patients is an additional argument for considering these calcifications of the posterior wall of the nasopharynx as tonsilloliths, all of which, representing 6% of the CTs in our series, were asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: The nasopharyngeal tonsilloliths are stones less than 1 cm in size lodged in the pharyngeal tonsils that are frequently detected on CT when there are no clinical symptoms.

[Pyogenic psoas abscess: six cases and review of the literature]. / Les abcès pyogènes secondaires du psoas: à propos de six cas et revue de la littérature.

PURPOSE: Psoas abscess is a rare disease in developed countries. Its diagnosis is difficult and any delay could lead to a worsen prognosis. The aim of this study is to determine the best diagnostic and therapeutic practices. METHODS: A retrospective study of psoas abscess that occurred during six months was performed. RESULTS: Six cases of secondary psoas abscess are reported. They were associated with spondylodiscitis in three cases, arthritis and gynaecologic infection in the three remaining cases. Anatomic diagnosis was performed by tomodensitometry. Microbiologic diagnosis was obtained by blood culture or direct puncture of the abscess. Antibiotics were associated with percutaneous drainage in two cases, with simple puncture in one case, and with surgery in one case. A local improvement w observed in all cases. The oldest patients presented the worst complications which were not directly caused by the abscess. CONCLUSION: Physicians must be aware of psoas abscess because of their increasing incidence. Despite the fact that digestive pathologies are the main cause of secondary psoas abscess, bone infections, particularly spine infections, should be taken into consideration. Tomodensitometry guided puncture or percutaneous drainage are of diagnostic and therapeutic interest. Infectious samples must be taken before starting antibiotics, which have to be efficient against Gram negative bacillus, anaerobes and Staphylococcus aureus. Surgery must be quickly performed when the primary infection localisation need it, in case of voluminous abscess or when antibiotics and drainage are inefficient.

[Neuroradiologic emergencies in infectious pathology]. / Urgences neuroradiologiques en pathologie infectieuse.

The main goal of urgent imaging evaluation of patients with suspected CNS infection is to differentiate infectious from tumoral or vascular lesions in order to provide appropriate management. MR imaging, including diffusion weighted imaging and spectroscopy, is superior to CT imaging to characterize lesion location and etiology. The CT and MRI features of the more frequent bacterial, viral and parasitic CNS infections will be described.

Role of early diagnosis and aggressive surgery in the management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) occurs mostly in immunocompromised hosts and especially in neutropenic patients. Improved prognosis for IPA requires early diagnosis. We report our experience in the management of IPA in patients with hematological malignancies. In prolonged neutropenia (> 10 days), thoracic CT scanning seems to be the best choice for the diagnosis of IPA (with CT halo or air-crescent signs). Its systematic use allows a dramatic reduction in the time to achieve the diagnosis, if there is evidence of a halo sign. The systematic screening for the detection of Aspergillus antigenemia with an ELISA test is helpful for early diagnosis. The detection of Aspergillus antigen (with the less sensitive latex agglutination test) on bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid may also be as useful. The treatment of IPA relies on amphotericin B (or its lipid formulations) or on azole antifungal agents. Pulmonary surgical resection should be considered either as an emergency procedure (despite persistent neutropenia) to avoid massive hemoptysis, or as an elective or diagnostic procedure. This global strategy for the management of IPA is associated with a 75-80% success rate in hematological patients. Nevertheless, the control of underlying malignancy remains a major prognostic factor.

Increasing volume and changing characteristics of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis on sequential thoracic computed tomography scans in patients with neutropenia.

PURPOSE: In patients with neutropenia, thoracic computed tomography (CT) halo and air-crescent signs are recognized as major indicators of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA). Nevertheless, the exact timing of CT images is not well known. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Seventy-one thoracic CT scans were analyzed in 25 patients with neutropenia with surgically proven IPA. RESULTS: On the first day of IPA diagnosis with early CT scan (d0), a typical CT halo sign was observed in 24 of 25 patients. At that time, the median number of thoracic lesions was two (range, one to six), and pulmonary involvement was bilateral in 12 cases. The halo sign was present in 68%, 22%, and 19% of cases on d3, d7, and d14, respectively. Similarly, the air-crescent sign was seen in 8%, 28%, and 63% of cases on the same days. Otherwise, a nonspecific air-space consolidation aspect was seen in 31%, 50%, and 18% of cases on the same days. The analysis of calculated aspergillary volumes on CT showed that, despite antifungal treatment, the median volume of lesions increased four-fold from d0 to d7, whereas it remained stable from d7 to d14. Overall, 21 patients (84%) were cured by the medical-surgical approach. CONCLUSION: In patients with neutropenia, CT halo sign is a highly effective modality for IPA diagnosis. The duration of the halo sign is short, and it demonstrates the value of early CT. The increase of the aspergillosis size on CT in the first days after IPA diagnosis is not correlated with a pejorative immediate outcome when using a combined medical-surgical approach.

[Subcutaneous trochanteric bursitis: an unrecognized cause of peritrochanteric pain revealed by imaging]. / La bursite sous-cutanée trochantérique. Cause méconnue de douleur péritrochantérienne révélée par l'imagerie.

We present four cases of subcutanea trochanterica bursitis (one involving both sides). The bursitis was acute and inflammatory in two cases, chronic and microtraumatic in one, asymptomatic in one and septic in the last case. The acutely inflamed bursa may contain a blood effusion increasing the pain. CT and MRI provide distinctive images for the diagnosis of these particular types of periarticular diseases.

[The value of surgery in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients]. / Intérêt de la chirurgie dans le traitement de l'aspergillose pulmonaire invasive chez les patients neutropéniques.

The aim of the study is to specify the indication for surgery in the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (API). From January 1991 to October 1996 nineteen patients who had been treated with chemotherapy and associated marrow aplasia and suffering from API were operated on. At the time of the surgical intervention all of the patients were treated with antifungal drugs. The delay between the start of their symptoms and the start of treatment was 2.6 days (range: 0-17 days). 1. The risk of a massive haemoptysis by contact between the fungal infection and the pulmonary artery led to eight urgent surgical operations: six lobectomies and two lobectomies associated with segmentectomy. The mean level of polymorphonuclear neutrophils was 296 cell/mm3 (0-1,000). Plastic surgery on the pulmonary artery was carried out in three patients. One patient died after the operation with progression of the API. The duration of postoperative stay was 13 days (6-18). 2. Planned surgery consisted of a resection of the residual mass after antifungal treatment and a diagnostic approach to the intraparenchymatous mass of indeterminate aetiology. A resection of the residual masses (in spite of antifungal treatment) was carried out in seven patients: before further haematological therapy in six cases and in one case for a superinfected lesion. The type of resection was: a lobectomy (n = 4), a lingulectomy (n = 1) and an atypical resection (n = 2). No postoperative deaths were reported. The patients left the surgical service between the seventh and twentieth day postoperatively. The surgery was used in four patients as the diagnostic approach in view of intraparenchymal masses of unknown aetiology and had enabled a fungal mycelium to be isolated at the centre of persisting inflammation. Antifungal treatment sometimes associated with surgery allowed for a better prognosis in patients suffering from invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

Surgical management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to clarify the indications for operation in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis. METHODS: Nineteen patients with hematologic malignancy, in whom invasive pulmonary aspergillosis developed during the course of neutropenia, had operations. Neutropenia lasted 28 days (range, 15 to 45 days). The preoperative diagnosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis was based on computed tomographic scan findings (halo or air crescent signs). RESULTS: Eight patients underwent emergency operations, before marrow recovery, for prevention of massive hemoptysis. The criterion for operation was an aspergillosis lesion that contacted the pulmonary artery on computed tomography. A lobectomy was performed in all cases. A sleeve resection of the pulmonary artery was necessary on two occasions. There was one postoperative death due to extensive aspergillosis. The length of hospitalization after operation was 13 days (range, 6 to 18 days). Seven patients were treated by elective resection of a residual mass (before hematologic therapy in 6 cases). The types of resection performed were lobectomy (n = 4), lingulectomy (n = 1), and wedge resection (n = 2). There were no postoperative deaths. The average length of stay before discharge from the hospital was 11 days (range, 7 to 20 days). The surgical resection was performed as a diagnostic procedure in the 4 remaining patients after an allotted time of 14 days (range, 4 to 24 days) from initiation of antifungal therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of antifungal agents and surgical resection is an efficient strategy for the treatment of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in patients with hematologic malignancy.

Improved management of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients using early thoracic computed tomographic scan and surgery.

PURPOSE: The prognosis of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) occurring in neutropenic patients remains poor. We studied whether new strategies for early diagnosis could improve outcome in these patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three histologically proven and 14 highly probable IPAs in 37 hematologic patients (neutropenic in 36) were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: The most frequent clinical signs associated with IPA were cough (92%), chest pain (76%), and hemoptysis (54%). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was positive in 22 of 32 cases. Aspergillus antigen test was positive in 83% of cases when tested on BAL fluid. Since October 1991, early thoracic computed tomographic (CT) scans were systematically performed in febrile neutropenic patients with pulmonary x-ray infiltrates. This approach allowed us to recognize suggestive CT halo signs in 92% of patients, compared with 13% before this date, and the mean time to IPA diagnosis was reduced dramatically from 7 to 1.9 days. Among 36 assessable patients, 10 failed to respond (amphotericin B [AmB] plus fluorocytosyne, n = 2; itraconazole + AmB, n = 8) and died of aspergillosis. Twenty-six patients were cured or improved by antifungal treatment (itraconazole with or without AmB, n = 22; voriconazole, n = 4). In 15 of 16 cases, surgical resection was combined successfully with medical treatment. Achievement of hematologic response, early diagnosis, unilateral pulmonary involvement, and highest level of fibrinogen value < 9 g/L were associated with better outcome. CONCLUSION: In febrile neutropenic patients, systematic CT scan allows earlier diagnosis of IPA. Early antifungal treatment, combined with surgical resection if necessary, improves IPA prognosis dramatically in these patients.

[Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in neutropenic patients. Analysis of a series of 36 cases: contribution of thoracic scanners and itraconazole]. / Aspergillose pulmonaire invasive des patients neutropéniques. Analyse d'une série de 36 cas: apport du scanner thoracique et de l'itraconazole.

In neutropenic patients, one way of improving invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) prognosis is an earlier initiation of the antifungal treatment. We report our experience with 36 cases of IPA in 35 patients with haematological malignancies. When aspergillosis was diagnosed, all but 2 patients were neutropenic (PMN < 500; median duration = 20 days). The most frequent clinical signs were cough (100%), chest pain (78%) and haemoptysis (58%). Before the diagnosis of IPA, Aspergillus antibody test was positive in 60% of cases. A thoracic CT-scan was performed in 23 patients and demonstrated highly suggestive images in 22 cases (96%) with presence of CT halo sign (n = 13) or CT air-crescent sign (n = 9). Moreover, Aspergillus antigen test was positive in 13 of 28 tested patients. IPA diagnosis was determined to be definite in 23 cases and probable or possible in 13 cases. Thirty-five patients were treated: in 3 cases with amphotericin B (2 failures) and in 32 cases with itraconazole (7 failures and 25 successes or improvements). In 7 cases (including 5 emergencies) surgical resection was successfully combined with the medical treatment. In neutropenic patients with fever, we consider that thoracic CT-scan and repeated biological tests (Aspergillus antibody and antigen tests) can be used to establish the diagnosis of aspergillosis. Early treatment with itraconazole and surgical resection appears to improve prognosis.

[Lissencephaly. Clinical, electroencephalographic and radiological aspects]. / La lissencéphalie. Aspects cliniques, électroencéphalographiques et radiologiques.

We report 2 cases of lissencephaly and review the cardinal symptoms: microcephalia, mental retardation, pyramidal syndrome and generalized epilepsy. CT-Scan and MRI show the anatomical abnormalities of this malformation: microcephalia, smooth cortex reducing the surface of white matter and lack of sulci and gyri. The fact that the myelin is normal on MRI suggests that this major disorder of neuronal migration does not come from radial glial fibers.

[Spontaneous hematoma of the intra-orbital optic nerve]. / Hématome spontané du nerf optique intra-orbitaire.

A young male was observed with papilledema and optic nerve enlargement on CT scanning. Visual acuity and field were not affected. A microsurgical procedure, through a para-latero-nasal approach, revealed a blue domed cyst around the neural structure. Incision of the cyst released old hemorrhagic fluid and biopsies of the cyst wall were collected. Microscopy showed granuloma and hemosiderin pigments. The post-operative course was uneventful, and the papilledema resolved in six weeks. The clinical presentation and surgical findings, the histopathology and the post-operative course lead us to conclude that this is a case of spontaneous hematoma of the optic nerve. Although intracranial and chiasmal optic nerve hematomas have been described since 1966, this is the first report to our knowledge of a hematoma involving the intraorbital portion of the optic nerve. The para-latero-nasal approach seems to be a easy way of acquiring good visualization without any osteotomy, when an operating microscope is available. This report may alert ophthalmologists to consider a cyst as a rare cause of papilledema.

[Moya-moya disease. Raynaud's phenomenon. IgA deficiency]. / Maladie de moya-moya. Phénomène de Raynaud. Déficit en IgA.

The authors report one case of Moya-Moya disease in a 3 month-old infant, who developed microcephaly, mental retardation and tetraparesis. The appearance in the following months of a Raynaud's phenomenon in the upper limbs and of IgA deficiency may be of interest for the understanding of the disease.

[Scanography in head injuries. Critical study of 500 cases]. / La scanographie en traumatologie crânienne. Etude critique de 500 cas.

In 22 months, about 2 000 patients were hospitalized for head injury and 410 of these had computerized tomography to determine the presence and extent of intracranial pathology. 165 patients had normal C.T. scan, and in 245 cases the scan showed an intracranial pathology: 132 brain contusions, 45 epidural hematomas, 36 subdural hygromas, 32 chronic subdural hematomas, 8 intracerebral hematomas, 2 pneumocephalus. The C.T. scan is a very useful technique for evaluation of the head injured patient in emergency. For epidural hematomas, mortality rate which was 16% before C.T. scan period decreased to 8% after C.T. scan period. The C.T. scan has a definite advantage over angiography in brain contusions. Instead of seeing only mass effect, one can tell on C.T. scans whether the abnormality is a small hematoma, an area of contused swollen brain, an hemorrhagic contusion, or a brain oedema. The surgical decisions are more precise with this information. In the management of head injury, we think that C.T. scan must be repeat because many patients developed new lesions and delayed hematomas: intracerebral, subdural, epidural.

[Bipartite atlas]. / Atlas bipartites.

A case is described of a child aged twelve with rib abnormalities, a Klippel-Feil syndrome and a complete fusion between C2 and C7. The atlas showed abnormal ossification of the anterior and posterior arches. No similar description has been found in the literature. A posterior spine fusion between C1 and C2 was performed.

[Anaesthesia for computerised axial tomography in children (author's transl)]. / Attitude anesthésique pour examens tomodensitométriques céphaliques chez l'enfant.

Computerised axial tomography requires total immobility, which must be obtained by a simple and safe technique of anaesthesia. Three anaesthesia techniques were used and analysed in 54 children aged less than 5 years: the technique of the feeding bottle, sedation with pentobarbital or diazepam and general anaesthesia with ketamine hydrochloride. The technique of the feeding bottle can be proposed in selected patients. Sedation can be also used but judiciously, not to deep. The systematic use of an depression immobilizing mattress with these two techniques gives better results. Intramuscular ketamine hydrochloride, when not contrindicate (intracranial hypertension or acute hydrocephaly), has been used always successfully.