A case of concomitant intralobar bronchopulmonary sequestration and situs inversus totalis.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Situs inversus is a rare congenital abnormality involving partial or complete transposition of the thoracic or abdominal viscera. In situs inversus totalis, both the thoracic and abdominal viscera are transposed. The incidence of this condition is 0.01% to 0.02%. Bronchopulmonary sequestration (BPS) is a rare congenital abnormality of the respiratory tract with an incidence of 0.15% to 1.80%. Intralobar sequestration is uncommonly associated with congenital anomalies. METHODS: A routine chest X-ray of a 41-year-old asymptomatic man showed dextrocardia, a left-sided liver, right-sided stomach, and left paracardiac opacity. RESULTS: Computed tomography (CT) and CT pulmonary angiography revealed dextrocardia with situs inversus totalis and left paracardiac intralobar BPS in the lingular segment of the left upper lobe. CONCLUSION: We present a rare case of combined situs inversus totalis and intralobar BPS with an atypical location and feeder artery.

Radiological Findings of Michel Aplasia.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital abnormalities of the inner ear is the most common cause of neurosensory hearing loss. Michel inner ear deformity is a rare developmental anomaly refers to the total aplasia of the inner ear. It is caused by developmental arrest of otic placode early during the third week of gestational age. CASE REPORT: We have discussed here that three year old girl diagnosed Michel aplasia with temporal bone computed tomography (CT) and temporal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Unenhanced 3D turbo spin echo MR angiography of lower extremity arteries: comparison with 128-MDCT angiography.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the feasibility and diagnostic power of unenhanced 3D turbo spin echo MR angiography sequence (a technique based on subtraction of corresponding images acquired in diastole and systole, Syngo Native Space-Siemens healthcare) to identify peripheral artery disease (PAD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty patients (619 arterial segments in total) suspected with PAD and who were assessed with lower extremity MDCT angiography were examined starting from the level of aortic bifurcation for both lower extremities by 3D native space MR angiography. Two readers assessed the image quality of native space MR angiography and number of lesions, their degrees of stenosis and localizations. The differences and compliance between the readers in the parameters assessed were investigated. RESULTS: Out of 619 segments; Reader 1 considered 187 segments (30.2 %) and Reader 2 considered 177 segments (28.6 %) to have poor and inadequate MR image quality. When compared to CTA, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of native space MR angiography were calculated as 81.0, 83.1, 82.6 %, respectively, by Reader 1, while the same parameters were calculated as 69.9, 92.6, 84.9 %, respectively, by Reader 2. When the two readers were examined together, sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy were found to be 76.3, 88.1, 83.7 %, respectively, and the positive predictive value and negative predictive value was 70.3 and 89.9 %, respectively. A significantly better image quality was acquired with the age group below 50 years (p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Native space MR angiography technique can be used as the first-step imaging technique before contrast-enhanced examinations in young and middle age patients with suspected PAD and for patients with the risk of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in chronic renal failure.

Role of mass effect, tumor volume and peritumoral edema volume in the differential diagnosis of primary brain tumor and metastasis.

INTRODUCTION: The differentiation of metastatic and primary brain tumors with certainty is important since clinical management and treatment of these two types of tumors are radically different. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effect of peritumoral edema volume, tumor volume and mass effect of tumor on differential diagnosis of metastatic and primary brain tumors. Also we have planned to investigate if the relationship between edema volume and mass affect can contribute to the differential diagnosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed MR images of patients with primary (n=40) and metastatic (n=40) intra-axial supratentorial brain tumor. Supratentorial primary solitary brain tumor group was also subdivided as GBM subgroup (n=24) and other than GBM subgroup (n=16) for statistical analysis. Metastasis at suitable localization which can lead to midline shift (due to mass effect) were selected. Tumor volume, peritumoral edema volume and mass-edema index (peritumoral edema volume/tumor volume) were calculated. Displacement of the midline structures (subfalcian herniation) was measured. Metastasis, GBM and other than GBM groups were evaluated for subfalcian shift, shift grade, tumor volume, peritumoral edema volume and mass-edema index by using Kruskal-Wallis test after Bonferroni correction. Mann-Whitney U test was used to analise subfalcian shift, tumor volume, peritumoral edema volume and mass-edema index of primary tumor and methastasis groups since the data was not normally distributed. Shift grade of the two groups was analised with chi-square test. RESULTS: Midline shift, tumor volume and mass-edema index were significantly different between metastasis and primary tumor groups (p=0.001, p<0.001, p=0.001 respectively). Midline shift and tumor volume of the primary tumor group were greater than metastasis group while mass-edema index was less. Shift grade of metastasis and primary tumor groups was also significant (p=0.041). A midline shift more than 5mm (grade 2) was more common in primary tumors. There was no significant difference between GBM and other than GBM groups. CONCLUSION: Measurement of midline shift, tumor volume and mass-edema index may contribute to the differential diagnosis of brain metastasis from primary brain tumors. Also mass-edema index can be a useful tool for differential diagnosis in the future. But further studies with larger series are needed.

Eagle Syndrome Causing Vascular Compression with Cervical Rotation: Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Eagle syndrome is a condition caused by an elongated styloid process. Unilateral face, neck and ear pain, stinging pain, foreign body sensation and dysphagia can be observed with this syndrome. Rarely, the elongated styloid process may cause pain by compressing the cervical segment of the internal carotid and the surrounding sympathetic plexus, and that pain spreading along the artery can cause neurological symptoms such as vertigo and syncope. CASE REPORT: In this case report we presented a very rare eagle syndrome with neurological symptoms that occurred suddenly with cervical rotation. The symptoms disappeared as suddenly as they occurred, with the release of pressure in neutral position. We also discussed CT angiographic findings of this case. CONCLUSIONS: Radiological diagnosis of the Eagle syndrome that is manifested with a wide variety of symptoms and causes diagnostic difficulties when it is not considered in the differential diagnosis is easy in patients with specific findings. CT angiography is a fast and effective examination in terms of showing compression in patients with the Eagle syndrome that is considered to be atypical and causes vascular compression.

Aspergilloma Mimicking Metastasis in a Case with Laryngeal Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Aspergilloma is a fungal ball which is composed of hyphal structure fungus, fibrin, mucus and cellular debris and settled in a pre-existing pulmonary cavity or an ectatic bronchial. It may cause colonization in patients with an immunosuppressive and underlying lung disease. Although chest radiography provides valuable information, it can be scanned more effectively by computed tomography (CT). Monitoring fungal ball within the cavity in CT provides establishing the diagnosis. CASE REPORT: However, in this case report, we presented a case with operated laryngeal carcinoma whom we first had considered to have metastasis and who had received a diagnosis of aspergilloma in CT and Positron emission tomography (PET). CONCLUSION: Imaging findings may remain limited in definitive diagnosis of aspergilloma. Therefore, surgical resection will allow for both pathological diagnosis and treatment.

Unusual case of spinal epidermoid cyst and a concomitant spinal arachnoid cyst.

A 38-year-old woman presented with a 12-month history of subjective weakness and pain in her legs. Thoracolumbar MRI revealed two spinal intradural cystic lesions at T5-6 and T11 levels, respectively. The lesion located at the T5-6 level was heterogeneously hyperintense on T2-weighted images and heterogeneously hypointense on T1-weighted images. This lesion showed high signal intensity on diffusion weighted MRI (DWI) and low signal intensity on apparent diffusion coefficient images (ADC). According to the MRI findings, we reported this tumour as a spinal epidermoid cyst. The pathology result suggested that the lesion was an epidermoid cyst. The second intradural lesion, at the T11 level, showed a hypointense signal on T1 and hyperintense signal on T2 images. However, in contrast to the superior lesion, this lesion was hypointense on DWI and hyperintense on ADC. We evaluated the second lesion as an arachnoid cyst according to the MRI findings.

A novel approach for manual de-torsion of an atypical (outward) testicular torsion with bedside Doppler ultrasonography guidance.

A 17-year-old boy presented with right testicular torsion to the lateral side. Torsion was diagnosed by physical examination; the colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) confirmed right testicular torsion with minimal peripheral hydrocele. Transverse and longitudinal examination of the spermatic cord with ultrasound and CDU revealed a counter-clockwise testicular torsion. Manual de-torsion was performed in a clockwise direction (720o) and testicular blood flow and the neutral position of the spermatic cord were confirmed by CDU. We did not encounter a residual twist of the spermatic cord upon surgical exploration. In our experience, ultrasound and CDU may predict the direction of testicular torsion and may allow appropriate management of cases prior to surgery.

Dual-phase F-18 FDG PET-CT in staging and lymphoscintigraphy for detection of sentinel lymph nodes in oral cavity cancers.

AIM: Our objective was to evaluate the diagnostic role of dual-phase fluor-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-18 FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and planar lymphoscintigraphy in patients with oral cavity cancer (OCC). We also investigated the combined impact of F-18 FDG PET-CT and sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in decision making for patients with OCC. METHODS: Sixteen patients (4 female, 12 male; age range, 29-81 years) were included in this prospective study. F-18 FDG PET-CT [1 (early) and 2 h (delayed) after injection] and planar lymphoscintigraphy (2h before the surgery) were performed for all the patients before surgery. The sensitivity, specificity, and negative and positive predictive values in F-18 FDG PET-CT for the early and the delayed scans and tumor/liver uptake (T/L) in the lymph nodes were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic curves were obtained for standardized uptake value (SUV)max and T/L. RESULTS: Histopathological evaluations revealed that 5 patients had metastatic lymph nodes (pN+) whereas 11 patients had benign lymph nodes (pN-). Out of 43 lymph nodes visualized as cN(+) in F-18 FDG PET-CT, 14 were pathologically positive for malignancy, whereas 29 were pathologically benign. There was no statistical difference between the N(+) and N(-) patients in terms of age, depth of primary tumor, and the number of mitoses. However, there was a significant difference between the N(+) and N(-) patients (P=.011) in terms of early and delayed F-18 FDG uptake of primary tumors. There was a statistically significant difference in the value of SUVmax between the early and the delayed scans for the malignant lymph nodes (P=.00). CONCLUSION: This study indicates that F-18 FDG PET-CT is a reliable method for the correct evaluation of primary tumor and N staging in OCCs. Delayed phase of F-18 FDG imaging may increase primary lesion detectability due to higher FDG uptake in primary tumors compared to the early phase of imaging. F-18 FDG PET-CT might demonstrate skip metastasis in lymph nodes which can be missed with SLNB. Although SUV values increased in the delayed phase of F-18 PET-CT imaging in detecting lymph node metastases, the specificity and positive predictive value did not increase.

The effect of radioiodine on the intima media thickness of the carotid artery.

AIM: The radiation can induce vessel injury. The result of this injury can be severe and life-threatening. There are a few studies demonstrating an increase in intima-media thickness (IMT) of the common carotid artery (CCA) after radiotherapy, especially in head and neck cancers. We evaluated the effect of I-131 to the IMT of the CCA in the patients who were treated for hyperthyroidism. METHODS: 38 patients (25M, 13W) referred to our department for radioiodine treatment with the diagnosis of nodular goitre (25 patients) and diffuse hyperplasia (Graves disease (GD), 13 patients) were included to the prospective study. An USG was performed for all the patients before therapy, 3, 6 and 12 months after radioiodine therapy in order to measure IMT of CCA and the femoral artery (FA). The IMT was measured at the level of proximal part of bulbus anteriorly on the left and right side. The IMT of FA was measured just before the bifurcation. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in IMT of both CCA and FA bilaterally in nodular hyperthyroid patients. However, in the patients with Graves disease, there was only statistically significant increase in the left IMT of CCA at 0-3rd, 0-6th month measurements and in the right IMT of FA at 0-3rd month measurements. CONCLUSION: Though the limitation of the study is the interobserver and intraobserver variability, it was seen that I-131 therapy might affect the IMT of CCA in the patients with NG. I-131 effect on the IMT of CCA in patients with nodular goitre was higher than the IMT of CCA in patients with GD. I-131 effect on the IMT of CCA might be due to administered dose and adjacency. The interesting point of our study was the increased thickness of IMT in FA. We think that the increase in IMT is due to the systemic effect of radioactivity circulating in the blood vessel. I-131 effect on the IMT of FA in patients with nodular goitre was higher than the IMT of FA in the patients with GD due to I-131 uptake of thyroid gland. Because I-131 uptake was lower in patients with nodular goitre, I-131 in systemic circulation was higher. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None declared.