Assessing the accuracy of pleural puncture sites in patients with pleural effusion as determined by clinical examination versus ultrasound-A single-centre prospective study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to ascertain the accuracy of clinical examination for the determination of pleural puncture sites as compared to the use of ultrasonography in patients with pleural effusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A single-centre, prospective, observational study was carried out amongst 115 patients with pleural effusion in a tertiary care hospital in western India. Patients were subjected to clinical assessment for determination of pleural puncture sites and the same were confirmed with ultrasonography. All physicians were blinded to the marking of the previous physician to prevent any influence on their assessment. RESULTS: The study had 345 physician observations. The overall accuracy of the clinical examination was 94.8%. Multivariate logistic regression of the factors responsible for the accuracy of clinical examination demonstrated a significant role of higher body mass index (BMI) (OR-1.19) and lower zone pleural effusions (OR-4.99) when adjusted for age, gender, side of effusion, and experience of examining doctors. When the effusions were classified according to their location, lower zone pleural effusions and loculated pleural effusions had an error rate of 15.9% and 8.33%, respectively. CONCLUSION: An ultrasound is the standard of care to assess all pleural effusions and guide the best point for aspiration.

Chyluria: clearing the 'muddiness' with lipiodol lymphangiography.

Chyluria is a rare entity characterised by the presence of chyle/lymphatic fluid within the urine. It develops following an abnormal communication between the perirenal lymphatics and pelvicalyceal lymphatics. There are multiple causes of chyluria including infective (filariasis), post-traumatic, post-surgical, pregnancy and malignancy. We present a case of a 15-year-old male who presented with a complaint of the intermittent passage of milky urine for the preceding 1 year. Conventional lipiodol lymphangiography followed by cone beam computed tomography was done to look for abnormal fistulous channels. Subsequently, the patient was successfully treated with cystoscopy-guided renal pelvic instillation sclerotherapy of povidone-iodine.

Is Hypoglycemia Secondary to Metastatic Retroperitoneal Sarcoma - A Therapeutic Challenge? Case Report and Review of Literature.

Most soft tissue sarcomas afflict the extremities; however, the retro peritoneum can also be affected rarely. Retroperitoneal sarcomas are relatively asymptomatic. Although tumor-induced hypoglycemia is rare in tumors other than insulinomas, extrapancreatic tumors are a subset that displays this phenomenon. The occurrence of hypo-insulinemic hypoglycemia with low GH and IGF-1 should prompt consideration of the secretion of a hypoglycemic substance impeding the secretion of insulin and GH, such as IGF-2 or one of its related substances. The present case report is of a 38-year-old male with retroperitoneal round cell sarcoma with liver metastasis with severe symptomatic hypoglycemia who was managed with multipronged symptomatic therapy and oncological management after which he had shown significant improvement in hypoglycemic episodes and symptom profile. A literature review revealed our case report to be the first reported case of a young male (preponderance in the older population) with hypoglycemia associated with retroperitoneal sarcoma which presented with liver metastasis and the only one treated with Gemcitabine /Docetaxel. The presence of these features might point toward a poorer prognosis in a disease with an already dismal course. All these points towards the need for further research regarding intensified oncological treatment after evidence-based prognostication of high-risk groups and modalities for the management of symptomatic hypoglycemia such as Somatostatin analogs and glucagon which aid in symptom control.

Society of Chest Imaging and Interventions Consensus Guidelines for the Interventional Radiology Management of Hemoptysis.

The recommendations from the Society of Chest Imaging and Interventions expert group comprehensively cover all the aspects of management of hemoptysis, highlighting the role of diagnostic and interventional radiology. The diversity existing in etiopathology, imaging findings, and management of hemoptysis has been addressed. The management algorithm recommends the options for effective treatment while minimizing the chances of recurrence, based on the best evidence available and opinion from the experts.

Multiphase computed tomography angiography (mCTA) derived source images in acute ischemic stroke: Beyond collaterals. Can it obviate the need for computed tomography perfusion (CTP)?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To compare Multiphase CT Angiography derived source images (mCTA-SI) in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) with CT Perfusion (CTP) derived automated color maps of cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) and to assess the comparability of mCTA-SI with CTP in the prediction of final radiological and clinical outcome. METHODS: This prospective single-centre observational study comprised of patients with AIS of the anterior circulation, presenting within 24 h and undergoing neuroimaging under stroke protocol with follow-up. Non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT), mCTA, and CTP were acquired with follow-up NCCT at 24 h and modified Rankin score (mRS) at 3 months. mCTA-SI and CTP color maps were scored by the ASPECTS (Alberta Stroke program early CT score) method and compared amongst each other and with the outcome. ROC (Receiver operating characteristic) curves were plotted considering mRS 0-2 and FIV≤ 28 ml as favourable clinical and radiological outcomes respectively. RESULTS: The study included 55 patients. The 1st and 2nd phase of mCTA-SI correlated significantly with CBF maps (r = 0.845, p < 0.01, r = 0.842, p < 0.01 respectively). 3rd phase of mCTA-SI correlated significantly with CBV maps (r = 0.904, p < 0.01). A favourable functional and radiological outcome was best predicted by the 1st (AUC 0.8, 95%CI 0.671-0.896) and 2nd ( AUC 0.895, 95% CI 0.783-0.962) phase of mCTA-SI respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The 1st and 2nd phases of mCTA-SI produces results congruent to CBF color maps and the 3rd phase of mCTA-SI simulate CBV color maps. In addition to predicting radiological and functional outcomes, mCTA can predict the salvageable and non-salvageable tissue in AIS and is non-inferior to CTP.

Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) in primary lung cancer: Results from a tertiary care centre.

Context: Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Computed tomography perfusion (CTP) parameters can be used to evaluate the vascular flow dynamics of lung tumours. We set out to evaluate the CTP parameters in lung cancer and correlate them with histopathological subtype and other characteristics of patients with Lung Cancer. Settings and Design: This prospective study was conducted at a tertiary care referral hospital in western India. Methods: Between January 2019 and July 2020, CTP was performed in 46 patients of lung cancer with histopathological confirmation. The CTP parameters were evaluated in detail and correlated with histopathological subtypes, staging and immunohistochemistry (IHC) markers. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) test, receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve, Box and whiskers plot graph and Pearson correlation tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: The most common subtype was adenocarcinoma (AC) in 21 patients, followed by squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in 15 patients and others in 10 patients. Statistically significant difference in blood flow (BF) (f = 5.563, P = 0.007), blood volume (BV) (f = 3.548, P = 0.038) and permeability/flow extraction (FE) (f = 3.617, P = 0.036) were seen in different histopathological subtypes of lung cancer. BF is the main perfusion parameter for differentiation of AC from SCC. P63 positive lesions showed statistically significant lower BF, BV and FE parameters compared to P63 negative lesions (P = 0.013, 0.016 and 0.014, respectively). Different T stages showed statistically significant differences in BF (f = 3.573, P = 0.037), BV (f = 5.145, P = 0.010) and in FE (f = 4.849, P = 0.013). Conclusion: CTP is a non-invasive imaging method to assess the vascular flow dynamics of the tumours that may predict the histopathological subtypes in lung cancer. It can be used to target large-sized lesions during biopsy and to predict the chemotherapy response.

Fibro Adipose Vascular Anomaly: A Rare and Often Misdiagnosed Entity.

Fibro adipose vascular anomaly (FAVA) is a rare type of vascular malformation with distinct clinical features. The authors here discussed the clinical, imaging, differential diagnosis, histopathological features, and treatment options of FAVA along with an illustrative case. It is important to know about this uncommon entity as this can be misdiagnosed due to the overlapping clinical features with other common entities. It is a benign condition with no proven malignant potential. There are no guidelines regarding the best treatment option.

Cascade of Complications Following Carotid Body Tumor Excision.

Carotid body tumor excision can lead to various complications including vascular injury and pseudoaneurysm formation. Here we describe a case of carotid body tumor excision followed by series of complications including pseudoaneurysm formation, failure of primary surgical repair, carotid stump syndrome following parent artery occlusion, and persistent hypotension.

Arterio-Duodenal Fistula: A Rare Complication of Laparoscopic Choledochal Cyst Excision.

Choledochal cysts (CDC) are rare biliary tract anomalies characterized by congenital dilatation of the extrahepatic and/or intrahepatic bile ducts. CDC excision with hepatico-enterostomy is the preferred surgery in modern era. Perioperative blood loss in a case of laparoscopic choledochal cyst excision (LCCE) is usually minimal and managed by conservative treatment such as blood transfusion and correction of coagulation factors. Massive hemorrhage in LCCE is rare and reported intraoperatively or within the first 3 postoperative days. Hereby, we present an unusual case of arterio-duodenal fistula, post LCCE presenting as delayed massive upper gastrointestinal bleeding in a male child and its successful endovascular management.

Chest-X-ray-Based Scoring, Total Leukocyte Count, and Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio for Prediction of COVID-19 in Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Illness.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to use chest-X-ray (CXR)-based scores along with total leukocyte count (TLC) and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in the prediction of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in patients presenting with clinical features of severe acute respiratory illness (SARI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study involving all patients who presented with clinical features of SARI and who had undergone bedside chest X-ray (CXR), hemograms with TLC, NLR, and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) at our institute from May 1 to June 30, 2020. RESULTS: Of 204 patients, 115 tested RT-PCR-positive and 89 tested negative. The patients who presented with SARI, using CXR-based score of 4 or more, TLC of less than 8,700 cells/µL, and NLR of <7 had a statistically significant area under the curve (p<0.001) for diagnosing COVID-19. The sensitivity and specificity of the CXR score was 80.8% and 73.0%, of TLC was 70.1% and 74.7%, and of NLR was 70.1% and 59.0%, respectively, in diagnosing COVID-19 alone. The specificity further increased to 90.4% when we used the CXR score with NLR and to 92.8% when we used the CXR score with TLC. The post-test odds ("rule in" disease) of a positive test for having the disease were 3, 2.77, and 1.71 times with the use of either CXR score, TLC, or NLR criteria, respectively; whereas, combined use of CXR score and NLR increased the post-test odds by 5.53 times, and combination of CXR score with TLC increased the post-test odds by 7.5 times. CONCLUSION: CXR score with TLC and NLR can predict COVID-19 infection among those who presented with features of SARI. This may help in the early isolation of the patient until the RT-PCR report becomes available.

Leukoencephalopathy with Calcifications and Cysts in a Child with Progressive Hemiparesis-A Case Report.

With the advent of modern neuroimaging, the imaging features of various leukoencephalopathies have been unraveled in the past two decades. Leukoencephalopathy with calcifications and cysts (LCC) is one such rare autosomal recessive disorder with marked clinical heterogeneity and a striking but characteristic imaging appearance-diffuse white matter changes, intraparenchymal cysts, and calcifications. The calcifications in LCC are characteristically nodular, dense, bulky, and predominantly located in gray nuclei of the central brain (basal ganglia, thalami) and cerebellum (dentate nuclei). We describe a case of a 9-year-old boy with progressive left hemiparesis and seizures, which on imaging showed characteristic features of LCC. We further review the neuroimaging features of LCC and its differential diagnoses.

Large sternal exostoses presenting as stridor: A surgical and anesthetic challenge.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Large osteochondroma arising from chest wall and sternum is uncommon and presentation with airway compression is further uncommon. METHODS: Here we present a case of large chest wall osteochondroma as a part of hereditary multiple exostoses in a 9-year-old boy presented with a history of stridor and shortness of breath. The bony mass of the right chest wall was extending up to a suprasternal notch and compressing the trachea. RESULTS: The case was successfully managed by initial femoro-femoral cardiopulmonary bypass under local anesthesia before the induction of anesthesia to prevent respiratory collapse, followed by debulking surgery was done.

Combined hyperdense gallbladder wall-lumen sign: new computed tomography sign in acute gangrenous cholecystitis.

PURPOSE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the combined hyperdense gallbladder wall-lumen sign on computed tomography (CT) in diagnosing gangrenous cholecystitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the unenhanced CT scans of surgically proven cases of acute gangrenous (GCh) and non-gangrenous cholecystitis (nonGCh). Eleven cases of pathologically proven acute gangrenous cholecystitis and 12 consecutive cases of surgically proven acute non-gangrenous cholecystitis that underwent CT at our institute were included in the study so as to have 1 : 1 control. The Hounsfield unit (HU) value of the gallbladder wall and intraluminal bile was measured. Interobserver variability for individual CT findings was also assessed. RESULTS: The gangrenous cholecystitis group had significantly higher HU values of wall and bile (median value of 33 HU vs. 21 HU and median value of 21 HU vs. 8.5 HU, respectively, p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operator characteristic curve for HU lumen was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.62-0.98, p = 0.014) with an ideal cut-off at 31.5 HU, where the sensitivity was 54.5% and specificity was 91.7%. HU lumen has an even better assessment for gangrenous cholecystitis with AUC of its ROC as 0.92 (95% CI: 0.80-1.00, p = 0.001) with an ideal cut-off at 12.5 HU, where the sensitivity was 81.8% and specificity was 91.7%. The combined wall-lumen cut-off is 35 HU with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 75%. CONCLUSION: A cut-off CT density value of the gallbladder wall of more than 31.5 HU, intraluminal bile more than 12.5 HU, and combined wall-lumen HU of more than 35 can predict GCh.

Quantitative diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for prediction of early infection in pancreatic collections: Results of a pilot study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The development of infection in pancreatitis increases the mortality rate up to 32%. Therefore, it is important to identify patients who are at high risk of developing infection, at an early stage. The objectives of the study were (a) to analyze the quantitative parameters of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in infected as well as sterile pancreatic collections (b) to establish "cut-off" values for ADC that can identify infected pancreatic collections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study of pancreatitis cases who underwent DW-MRI from August 2018 to July 2019 were enrolled in the study. The collections were analyzed for diffusion restriction. The average of the three ADC values from the wall and center of collection was noted. RESULTS: Infected collections were seen in 7 and sterile collections observed in 11 cases. The optimal cut-off ADC value to differentiate sterile and infected collection in our study was 1.651 × 10-3 mm2/s (sensitivity of 81.8%; specificity of 100.0%). ROC curve for mean ADC from the wall showed a significant diagnostic accuracy with AUC: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.77-1.0 (P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: DW-MRI is a reliable noninvasive technique to differentiate sterile and infected pancreatic collections. ADC values from the periphery of the collection can predict infected pancreatic collections at an early stage. DW-MRI should not be considered as a substitute for aspiration cytology in patients with septic symptoms and absent diffusion restriction on MRI.

Sertoli-Leydig Cell Tumor of Ovary: A Rare Case Report with Heterologous Elements and Focal Marked Anaplasia.

Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor (SLCT) of the ovary is an extremely uncommon neoplasm accounting for <0.5% of all primary ovarian neoplasms. These tumors belong to the category of sex cord-stromal tumors. The tumor has variable clinical and histopathological presentations complicating the diagnosis and therefore the treatment. The presence of heterologous elements is seen in one-fifth of these already rare neoplasms. Herein, we report a case of a 28-year-old female presenting with irregular menses, features of virilization, and abdominal pain. Histopathological examination revealed marked focal anaplasia in this tumor of, otherwise, intermediate differentiation along with the presence of heterologous elements. Reporting of such elements is imperative for adequate treatment and deciding follow-up.