Patients with severe polytrauma: management and imaging protocols.

Traumatic injuries can be severe and complex, requiring the coordinated efforts of a multidisciplinary team. Imaging tests play a fundamental role in rapid and accurate diagnosis. In particular, whole-body computed tomography (CT) has become a key tool. There are different CT protocols depending on the patient's condition; whereas dose-optimized protocols can be used in stable patients, time/precision protocols prioritizing speed at the cost of delivering higher doses of radiation should be used in more severe patients. In unstable patients who cannot be examined by CT, X-rays of the chest and pelvis and FAST or e-FAST ultrasound studies, although less sensitive than CT, enable the detection of situations that require immediate treatment. This article reviews the imaging techniques and CT protocols for the initial hospital workup for patients with multiple trauma.

Update on acute appendicitis: Typical and untypical findings.

Acute appendicitis is the most common indication for emergency abdominal surgery throughout the world and a common reason for consultation in emergency departments. In recent decades, diagnostic imaging has played a fundamental role in identifying acute appendicitis, helping to reduce the rate of blind laparotomies and hospital costs. Given the results of clinical trials supporting the use of antibiotic therapy over surgical treatment, radiologists need to know the diagnostic criteria for complicated acute appendicitis to be able to recommend the best treatment option. This review aims not only to define the diagnostic criteria for appendicitis in different imaging modalities (ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging), but also to explain the diagnostic protocols, atypical presentations, and other conditions that can mimic appendicitis.

The usefulness and positive predictive value of ultrasonography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in adults: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the evolution of the use of imaging tests (ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT)) in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. To determine the positive predictive value of these tests and the percentage of negative and complicated appendectomies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study compared adults who underwent appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis at our tertiary hospital during 2015 versus similar patients at our center during 2007. RESULTS: A total of 278patients were included. The rate of negative appendectomies descended to 5%. The positive predictive value of ultrasonography increased to 97.4% in 2015, and the positive predictive value of CT and combined CT and ultrasonography was 100%. The rate of complicated appendicitis increased (23% in 2015). CONCLUSIONS: The use of imaging tests increased, and the rate of "blind" laparotomies decreased. Nevertheless, the rate of complicated appendicitis increased.

Estudio retrospectivo y comparativo de la utilidad y del valor predictivo positivo de la ecografía y la tomografía computarizada en el diagnóstico de apendicitis aguda en adultos / The usefulness and positive predictive value of ultrasonography vs. computed tomography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in adults: a retrospective study

Objetivo: Analizar la evolución del uso de pruebas de imagen (ecografía y tomografía computarizada [TC]) en el diagnóstico de apendicitis aguda, el valor predictivo positivo (VPP) y determinar el porcentaje de apendicectomías negativas y complicadas. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo que incluye a los pacientes adultos con apendicectomía por sospecha de apendicitis aguda en 2015 en un hospital terciario. Se compara con los del 2007 publicados previamente. Resultados: La muestra incluye 278 pacientes. La tasa de apendicectomías negativas descendió a un 5%. El VPP de la ecografía aumentó a 97,4% en 2015 y el VPP de la TC y del uso combinado de la ecografía y la TC fue del 100%. El porcentaje de apendicitis complicadas se incrementó (23% en 2015). Conclusiones: Se observó un aumento en el empleo de pruebas de imagen y una disminución de laparotomías en blanco. No obstante, las apendicitis complicadas se han incrementado.(AU)

Objective: To analyze the evolution of the use of imaging tests (ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT)) in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. To determine the positive predictive value of these tests and the percentage of negative and complicated appendectomies. Material and methods: This retrospective study compared adults who underwent appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis at our tertiary hospital during 2015 versus similar patients at our center during 2007. Results: A total of 278 patients were included. The rate of negative appendectomies descended to 5%. The positive predictive value of ultrasonography increased to 97.4% in 2015, and the positive predictive value of CT and combined CT and ultrasonography was 100%. The rate of complicated appendicitis increased (23% in 2015). Conclusions: The use of imaging tests increased, and the rate of “blind” laparotomies decreased. Nevertheless, the rate of complicated appendicitis increased.(AU)

Radiologic diagnosis of patients with COVID-19. / Diagnóstico radiológico del paciente con COVID-19.

The pandemia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has triggered an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Although the diagnosis of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is microbiological, imaging techniques play an important role in supporting the diagnosis, grading the severity of disease, guiding treatment, detecting complications, and evaluating the response to treatment. The lungs are the main organ involved, and chest X-rays, whether obtained in conventional X-ray suites or with portable units, are the first-line imaging test because they are widely available and economical. Chest CT is more sensitive than plain chest X-rays, and CT studies make it possible to identify complications in addition to pulmonary involvement, as well as to suggestive alternative diagnoses. The most common radiologic findings in COVID-19 are airspace opacities (consolidations and/or ground-glass opacities), which are typically bilateral, peripheral, and located primarily in the lower fields.

Pulmonary embolisms in patients with COVID-19: a prevalence study in a tertiary hospital. / Tromboembolismo pulmonar en pacientes con COVID-19: estudio de prevalencia en un hospital terciario.

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current pandemic, predominantly affects the respiratory tract, and a growing number of publications report the predisposition of patients with COVID-19 to develop thrombotic phenomena. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary embolism in patients with COVID-19; to determine the possible relationship between the severity of pulmonary involvement and D-dimer levels; to analyze the location of pulmonary embolisms in patients with COVID-19 and to compare it with the location in patients without COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed all CT angiograms of the pulmonary arteries done in patients with suspected pulmonary embolisms between March 15 and April 30, 2020 and compared them with studies done in the same period one year earlier. RESULTS: We included 492 pulmonary CT angiograms (342 (69.9%) in patients with COVID-19 and 147 (30.1%) in patients without COVID-19). The prevalence of pulmonary embolisms was higher in patients with COVID-19 (26% vs. 16.3% in patients without COVID-19, p=0.0197; relative risk=1.6). The prevalence of pulmonary embolisms in the same period in 2019 was 13.2%, similar to that of the group of COVID-19-negative patients in 2020 (p=0.43). There were no significant differences in D-dimer levels or the location of pulmonary embolisms between the two groups. CT showed moderate or severe pulmonary involvement in 78.7% of the patients with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 have an increased prevalence of pulmonary embolisms (26%), and most (78.7%) have moderate or severe lung involvement on CT studies. The location of pulmonary embolisms and the degree of elevation of D-dimer levels does not differ between patients with COVID-19 and those without.

Puerperal complications: pathophysiological mechanisms and main imaging findings. / Complicaciones del puerperio: mecanismos fisiopatológicos y principales hallazgos radiológicos asociados.

OBJECTIVE: Puerperium is the period during which the physiological changes that have taken place during pregnancy revert and the uterus involutes until it reaches its normal size. This is a period of intense systemic changes, and diagnosing complications in this period is a challenge for both gynecologists and radiologists. This paper reviews the complications that can occur during puerperium, classifying them according to the pathophysiological mechanisms involved: the prothrombotic state, hemodynamic and hormonal changes, rapid uterine growth, changes associated with endothelial damage (preeclampsia, eclampsia, and HELLP syndrome), and postoperative complications in patients undergoing cesarean sections. CONCLUSION: Puerperal complications represent a diagnostic challenge. Understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these complications is fundamental for choosing the most appropriate imaging technique to ensure the correct diagnosis in each case.

Diagnóstico radiológico del paciente con COVID-19 / Radiologic diagnosis of patients with COVID-19

La pandemia por el virus SARS-CoV-2ha desencadenado una crisis económica y sanitaria sin precedentes. Aunque el diagnóstico es microbiológico, las técnicas de imagen tienen un papel importante para apoyar el diagnóstico, graduar la gravedad de la enfermedad, guiar el tratamiento, detectar posibles complicaciones y valorar la respuesta terapéutica. La afectación es principalmente pulmonar. La radiografía de tórax en sala convencional o portátil es el primer método de imagen por su amplia disponibilidad y bajo coste. La tomografía computarizada torácica tiene una mayor sensibilidad que la radiografía de tórax y permite valorar tanto la afectación pulmonar como posibles complicaciones, además de proporcionar diagnósticos alternativos. Los hallazgos radiológicos más frecuentes son las opacidades del espacio aéreo en forma de consolidaciones y/u opacidades en vidrio deslustrado, con distribución típicamente bilateral, periférica y de predominio en los campos inferiores

The pandemia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has triggered an unprecedented health and economic crisis. Although the diagnosis of infection with SARS-CoV-2 is microbiological, imaging techniques play an important role in supporting the diagnosis, grading the severity of disease, guiding treatment, detecting complications, and evaluating the response to treatment. The lungs are the main organ involved, and chest X-rays, whether obtained in conventional X-ray suites or with portable units, are the first-line imaging test because they are widely available and economical. Chest CT is more sensitive than plain chest X-rays, and CT studies make it possible to identify complications in addition to pulmonary involvement, as well as to suggestive alternative diagnoses. The most common radiologic findings in COVID-19 are airspace opacities (consolidations and/or ground-glass opacities), which are typically bilateral, peripheral, and located primarily in the lower fields

The usefulness and positive predictive value of ultrasonography and computed tomography in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in adults: a retrospective study. / Estudio retrospectivo y comparativo de la utilidad y del valor predictivo positivo de la ecografía y la tomografía computarizada en el diagnóstico de apendicitis aguda en adultos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the evolution of the use of imaging tests (ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT)) in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. To determine the positive predictive value of these tests and the percentage of negative and complicated appendectomies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This retrospective study compared adults who underwent appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis at our tertiary hospital during 2015 versus similar patients at our center during 2007. RESULTS: A total of 278 patients were included. The rate of negative appendectomies descended to 5%. The positive predictive value of ultrasonography increased to 97.4% in 2015, and the positive predictive value of CT and combined CT and ultrasonography was 100%. The rate of complicated appendicitis increased (23% in 2015). CONCLUSIONS: The use of imaging tests increased, and the rate of "blind" laparotomies decreased. Nevertheless, the rate of complicated appendicitis increased.

Fístula aortoentérica: espectro de hallazgos en tomografía computarizada multidetector / Aortoenteric fistulas: spectrum of MDCT findings

Una fístula aortoentérica (FAE) es una comunicación aberrante entre la aorta y la pared del tubo digestivo. Se trata de una entidad rara pero con alta mortalidad que requiere, por tanto, un diagnóstico certero y precoz. Se clasifica como primaria si se desarrolla sobre una aorta nativa no intervenida previamente o como secundaria cuando ocurre en un contexto de complicación posquirúrgica de reparación vascular. Todo radiólogo debería saber reconocer los signos directos e indirectos que pudieran sugerir la existencia de una FAE. En este artículo se revisan los tipos de FAE y su correlación clínico-fisiopatológica, así como el algoritmo diagnóstico exponiendo los hallazgos radiológicos típicos en tomografía computarizada

An aortoenteric fistula is an abnormal communication between the aorta and the gastrointestinal tract wall. The high mortality associated with this rare entity means it requires early accurate diagnosis. Aortoenteric fistulas are classified as primary when they develop on a native aorta that has not undergone an intervention and as secondary when they develop after vascular repair surgery. All radiologists need to be able to recognize the direct and indirect signs that might suggest the presence of an aortoenteric fistula. This article reviews the types of aortoenteric fistulas and their clinical and pathophysiological correlation, as well as the diagnostic algorithm, illustrating the most characteristic findings on multidetector computed tomography

Aortoenteric fistulas: spectrum of MDCT findings. / Fístula aortoentérica: Espectro de hallazgos en tomografía computarizada multidetector.

An aortoenteric fistula is an abnormal communication between the aorta and the gastrointestinal tract wall. The high mortality associated with this rare entity means it requires early accurate diagnosis. Aortoenteric fistulas are classified as primary when they develop on a native aorta that has not undergone an intervention and as secondary when they develop after vascular repair surgery. All radiologists need to be able to recognize the direct and indirect signs that might suggest the presence of an aortoenteric fistula. This article reviews the types of aortoenteric fistulas and their clinical and pathophysiological correlation, as well as the diagnostic algorithm, illustrating the most characteristic findings on multidetector computed tomography.

Tromboembolismo pulmonar en pacientes con COVID-19: estudio de prevalencia en un hospital terciario / Pulmonary embolisms in patients with COVID-19: a prevalence study in a tertiary hospital

INTRODUCCIÓN: El coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, responsable de la pandemia actual, afecta preferentemente al tracto respiratorio, con un número creciente de publicaciones sobre su predisposición a fenómenos trombóticos. OBJETIVO: Conocer la prevalencia de tromboembolismo pulmonar (TEP) en pacientes con COVID-19; determinar su posible relación con la gravedad de la enfermedad pulmonar y los niveles de dímeros D, y analizar la localización del TEP en pacientes con COVID-19 comparándolos con los pacientes sin COVID-19. MÉTODO: Estudio retrospectivo de todas las angio-TC de arterias pulmonares realizadas por sospecha de TEP del 15 de marzo al 30 de abril de 2020. Se compara con las angio-TC realizadas durante el mismo periodo en 2019. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 492 angio-TC pulmonares, 342 (69,9%) de pacientes con COVID-19 y 147 (30,1%) de pacientes sin infección. La prevalencia de TEP fue del 26% en el grupo COVID-19 positivo y del 16,3% en el negativo (p = 0,0197), con un riesgo relativo de 1,6 veces. La prevalencia de TEP en el mismo período del año 2019 fue del 13,2%, similar a la del grupo COVID-19 negativo del año 2020 (p = 0,43). No hubo diferencias significativas en el nivel de dímeros D ni en la localización del TEP entre ambos grupos. El 78,7% de los pacientes con COVID-19 con TEP mostraron una extensión de la afectación pulmonar moderada o grave en la tomografía computarizada. CONCLUSIONES: Los pacientes con COVID-19 tienen una prevalencia aumentada de TEP (26%) y la mayoría (78,7%) presentan una extensión moderada o grave de afectación pulmonar en la tomografía computarizada. No hay diferencias significativas en la localización del material embólico ni en el grado de elevación de dímero-D respecto a los pacientes sin COVID-19

INTRODUCTION: SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current pandemic, predominantly affects the respiratory tract, and a growing number of publications report the predisposition of patients with COVID-19 to develop thrombotic phenomena. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pulmonary embolism in patients with COVID-19; to determine the possible relationship between the severity of pulmonary involvement and D-dimer levels; to analyze the location of pulmonary embolisms in patients with COVID-19 and to compare it with the location in patients without COVID-19. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed all CT angiograms of the pulmonary arteries done in patients with suspected pulmonary embolisms between March 15 and April 30, 2020 and compared them with studies done in the same period one year earlier. RESULTS: We included 492 pulmonary CT angiograms (342 (69.9%) in patients with COVID-19 and 147 (30.1%) in patients without COVID-19). The prevalence of pulmonary embolisms was higher in patients with COVID-19 (26% vs. 16.3% in patients without COVID-19, p = 0.0197; relative risk=1.6). The prevalence of pulmonary embolisms in the same period in 2019 was 13.2%, similar to that of the group of COVID-19-negative patients in 2020 (p = 0.43). There were no significant differences in D-dimer levels or the location of pulmonary embolisms between the two groups. CT showed moderate or severe pulmonary involvement in 78.7% of the patients with COVID-19. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with COVID-19 have an increased prevalence of pulmonary embolisms (26%), and most (78.7%) have moderate or severe lung involvement on CT studies. The location of pulmonary embolisms and the degree of elevation of D-dimer levels does not differ between patients with COVID-19 and those without

Fiebre de origen desconocido en varón de 71 años en hemodiálisis intervenido de aneurisma de aorta abdominal / Fever of unknown origin in 71 year old male in hemodialysis, operated on for aneurysm of the abdominal aorta

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Manejo de la lipodistrofia y las alteraciones metabólicas secundarias al tratamiento antirretroviral

Coincidiendo con una disminución sin precedentes en la morbilidad y la mortalidad asociadas a la infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana tipo 1 (VIH-1) como consecuencia de la prescripción generalizada del tratamiento antirretroviral intensivo, ha aparecido de forma inesperada un síndrome consistente en alteraciones metabólicas (hiperlipemia y resistencia a la insulina) y redistribución de la grasa corporal (obesidad central y pérdida de la grasa periférica). Esta revisión aborda las características clínicas y analíticas, la patogenia y el tratamiento de este síndrome (AU)

Cuándo puede retirarse la profilaxis de las infecciones oportunistas en pacientes infectados por el VIH

El tratamiento antirretroviral de gran actividad (TARGA) es capaz de suprimir la actividad del VIH en el plasma y el tejido linfático y de introducir una recuperación inmune que puede posibilitar la retirada de la profilaxis primaria y secundaria de las infecciones oportunistas en el sida. Sin embargo, antes de una eventual retirada de profilaxis frente a cualquier proceso oportunista se debe valorar el grado y duración de la respuesta inmune obtenida y los eventuales riesgos y beneficios de dicha actuación.Publicaciones recientes han demostrado que la retirada de profilaxis tanto primaria como secundaria frente a la neumonía por Pneumocystis carinii (PCP) y la infección o enfermedad por Toxoplasma gondii es segura en los pacientes con TARGA que tienen una recuperación de linfocitos CD4+ superior a 200 células/ µl y un control virológico del VIH (< 5.000 copias/ml) de forma estable durante como mínimo 3-6 meses de duración. En relación con la profilaxis secundaria frente a citomegalovirus (CMV), se considerará la retirada de tratamiento anti-CMV supresor en aquellos pacientes con TARGA que tengan más de 100-150 linfocitos CD4 por µl durante más de 3-6 meses y con buen control virológico. La profilaxis frente a estos patógenos deberá reiniciarse en todos los pacientes que tengan un descenso de linfocitos CD4 por debajo del 'umbral' de seguridad reseñados anteriormente. Existen datos preliminares que demuestran que es segura la retirada de profilaxis secundaria frente a Mycobacterium avium-complex (MAC) en pacientes con TARGA y recuperación de CD4 superior a 100-150/ µl durante un mínimo de 6-12 meses. Con respecto a la criptococosis, la leishmaniasis y otras infecciones oportunistas, no pueden darse recomendaciones sobre la seguridad de la retirada del tratamiento supresivo, dada la falta de estudios existentes (AU)

Necrotizing external otitis caused by Aspergillus fumigatus: computed tomography and high resolution magnetic resonance imaging in an AIDS patient.

Most necrotizing (malignant) external otitis (NEO) occurs in diabetic patients and is commonly caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We report an acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) patient with NEO caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in which computed tomography (CT) showed destructive petrous bone involvement and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the ear discovered extensive soft tissue and facial nerve involvement. Dedicated MRI studies of the ear in this type of pathology provide new insights relating to nerve dysfunction, that cannot be obtained with CT.