Clinical and Imaging Features of Tumors in the Scapula.

BACKGROUND: The scapula is a small irregular-shaped flat bone, which may suffer from a variety of tumors or tumor-like lesions. As the imaging manifestations are complex and changeable, correct imaging diagnosis is difficult. INTRODUCTION: At present, there are few related radiology literatures, and it is necessary to fully analyze the imaging signs of different types of benign and malignant tumors in scapula to guide clinical treatment. This study was to investigate clinical and imaging presentations of tumors and tumor- like lesions in the scapula so as to increase the diagnostic accuracy of diseases in the scapula. METHODS: Patients with scapular tumors confirmed by pathology were enrolled. The imaging and clinical data were analyzed. RESULTS: Among 108 patients, benign tumors were in 53 (49.1%) cases, intermediate in seven (6.5%), and malignant in 48 (44.4%) involving 16 diseases. Osteochondroma was the first benign tumors in 45 cases accounting for 84.9% of all benign scapular tumors, followed by chondroma in four cases (7.5%). The intermediate tumors were mainly eosinophilic granuloma in four cases. Metastatic tumors were the commonest malignant tumor (27 cases or 56.2% of all malignant tumors), followed by chondrosarcoma (in 13 cases). Except for the one case of chondroblastoma in which the lesion involved the glenoid cavity, all the other cartilaginous tumors were located in the scapular body and processes. The type of lesions in the bony processes is the same as in the scapular body, the common lesions in the central area of the body were malignant tumors, and the commonest lesions in the glenoid area were metastasis. Common imaging features of malignant scapular tumors were ill-defined margins, cortical destruction and soft tissue involvement. The imaging features of chondrosarcoma lack specificity except for calcification. Benign lesions usually had a clear boundary and marginal sclerosis. CONCLUSION: A wide variety of benign and malignant tumors may occur in the scapula with mostly cartilaginous and metastatic tumors, and the location and distribution of lesions are similar in the scapula to those in the long bones.

Dynamic changes of facial skeletal fractures with time.

To investigate the characteristics of imaging changes with time of facial fractures, patients with facial fractures who had computed tomographic scan were enrolled including 500 patients who were divided into six groups based on the time of scanning: super early (<3 d), early (4-7 d), early-to-medium (8-14 d), medium (15-21d), medium-to-late (22d-2 months) and late stage (>2 months). The data were compared and analyzed. Forty two patients with frontal bone fractures had high-energy impact as the reason of fractures. The fracture line was clear and sharp within one week but blunt and sclerotic due to bone absorption at 2-3 weeks, and might exist for a long time. All patients had soft tissue swelling and paranasal sinus effusion at 1-2 weeks after injury. Air might gather in the adjacent soft tissues and/or intracranially within 3 days of injury if the fracture involved the frontal or other sinuses. Twelve of the 42 patients (28.6%) had intracranial hematoma, and five (11.9%) had epidural effusion. Subarachnoid hemorrhage was mostly absorbed within one week while epidural hematoma was completely absorbed over 3 weeks. Significant changes (P < 0.05) in the fracture lines, effusion of paranasal sinuses, soft tissue swelling and pneumocephalus were observed during the study period. For patients with medial orbital wall fractures, the fracture line was sharp and clear at early stages with concurrent sphenoid sinus effusion, and the fracture line became depressed 3 weeks later with disappearance of sphenoid sinus effusion. Significant changes (P < 0.05) were observed in the sharp fracture line, soft tissue swelling, sphenoid sinus effusion and smooth depression at fracture sites. For nasal fractures, the fracture line was sharp and clear at early stages with concurrent soft tissue swelling which disappeared one week later. The fracture line became smooth three weeks later. A significant (P < 0.05) difference was demonstrated in the changes of fracture line and soft tissue swelling with time. In conclusion, facial fractures have some dynamic alterations with time and identification of these characteristics may help reaching a correct clinical diagnosis with regard to fracture severity and time.