Critical issues in radiology requests and reports.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the appropriateness and accuracy of 500 radiology requests and their matched reports in order to identify recurring errors in both areas. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomly chosen sample consisting of 167 computed tomography (CT), 166 ultrasonography (US) and 167 radiographic examinations were collected and analysed according to national referral guidelines and to the principles of justification and optimisation (Law no. 187/2000). RESULTS: We identified a high rate of inappropriate requests (27.6%) and requests lacking a clinical question (22%). There was good precision in the anamnestic data (80.6%) and in the formulation of the diagnostic question (76.8%). Almost all requests were handwritten, and 12.5% lacked the referring physician's stamp and/or signature. No report mentioned the clinical information received or the equipment used. The use of contrast medium was always reported. Conclusions were reported in 9.8% of these reports. When further investigation would have been necessary, the radiologist omitted to report this in 60% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Some important weaknesses emerged, especially regarding requests for radiological examinations (22% lacked the clinical question, 27.6% were inappropriate), potentially limiting the effectiveness of the diagnostic process and leading to negative effects on the correct risk management process. There emerges a need for better collaboration between clinicians and radiologists.

[Lipoma of the small intestine as a rare cause of intestinal occlusion]. / Lipoma del tenue come rara causa di occlusione intestinale.

Lipoma is a benign tumour of mesenchymal origin which is not frequently localized in the gastroenteric tract; in anatomopathological statistics it is less rare: this is due to the fact that it rarely reaches dimensions which warrant surgical treatment. It is usually either an occasional finding during the course of laparotomy due to other motives or is the cause of complications, as in the present case of intestinal occlusion due to ileocolic invagination, resulting in emergency surgery. As a cause of occlusion tumours of the small bowel are second in terms of incidence to adhesive factors, volvuli and hernias. Invaginations account for 2/3 of small bowel occlusions caused by up to 80% of tumours: the lipoma is the most frequent benign tumour to cause invagination in its submucous polypoid and more or less scissile form. Symptoms are not specific and this causes a delay in diagnosis. Patients are often young subjects with a history of recurrent abdominal colic and sensitivity to anti-spastic drugs so much so that in the past they were diagnosed as "chronic colic" sufferers. Sometimes the only symptom is dyspepsia, or nausea and vomiting, or occasionally abdominal distension with constipation or attacks of diarrhoea. Radiology is not of great value in the diagnosis except for indicating the possible need for emergency surgery. There are no radiological tests, with or without contrast mediums, echography, CAT or MNR which can diagnose this pathology. The decision to operate is usually triggered by the presence of a complication, but perioperative extemporary histological tests are advisable for a correct surgical approach: if the form is scissile, segmentary resection of the small bowel is necessary.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Splenic rupture in chronic pancreatitis. A clinical case. Observations]. / Rottura di milza in corso di pancreatite cronica. Caso clinico. Considerazioni.

The paper reports a case of splenic rupture during the course of chronic pancreatitis, an event rarely reported in the literature. The anatomical arrangement of organs and peripancreatic vessels is a predisposing factor for this complication. There are essentially three different but correlated pathogenetic hypotheses. The first refers to thrombosis of the splenic vein with portal hypertension documented by some researchers even in angiographical terms: during the course of chronic pancreatitis the spleen is sometimes palpable. Thrombosis and/or vascular compression make the spleen more fragile and its rupture more likely: this is particularly true during the course of calcific chronic pancreatitis and cases involving the tail. An enzymatic factor may also be responsible and this appears more clearly in pancreatitis with pseudocysts. In this case it is the direct action of pancreatic enzymes on the ileum or splenic parenchyma, which may also affect all organs surrounding the pancreas, which leads to hemorrhage or hematoma. Sometimes the cause of bleeding is a pseudoaneurysm of the splenic artery which is eroded by the contents of the pseudocysts themselves. There is also a mechanical hypothesis which some authors consider the sole possibility: in chronic pancreatitis the splenic compartment presents severe perisplenitis which fixes the spleen making it more vulnerable and even a mini-trauma will cause rupture. The patient is almost always an emaciated young alcoholic suffering from chronic pancreatic pathology.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A case of retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma. Considerations]. / Su un caso di leiomiosarcoma retroperitoneale. Considerazioni.

A case of retroperitoneal leiomyosarcoma is reported. The retroperitoneal localization is quite unusual and early diagnosis is really difficult. Only operation can offer any chance for cure of this neoplasm and radiotherapy and chemotherapy can be very useful. Tumor size and location are the major prognostic factors.