Calcifying epithelioma of malherbe (Pilomatrixoma): Clinical and sonographic features.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe the clinical and sonographic features of calcifying epitheliomas (pilomatrixomas). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical data and sonographic appearances of 59 cases of calcifying epitheliomas in 58 patients that were confirmed pathologically. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 26 years (range, 5-69 years) and the female-to-male ratio was 1.2. All masses were located in subcutaneous soft tissues. Overall, 76.3% of the cases were located in the head and neck; the mean tumor size was 13 mm, and 72.9% of the cases were between 10 and 20 mm in size. Of the lesions, 62.7% were hypoechoic masses with internal calcifications, and 74.6% of them showed low or moderate internal vascularity on Doppler imaging. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of calcifying epithelioma should be considered in a patient with a painless, circumscribed, oval-shaped hypoechoic mass with internal calcifications and internal vascularity in the subcutaneous soft tissues of the head or neck. The mass may be small and have well-defined margins, with hypoechogenicity. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 46:3-7, 2018.

Solitary splenic tuberculosis: a case report and review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis remains one of the most prevalent and fatal infectious diseases in spite of considerable improvements in medical science. Tuberculosis is an important health problem in developing countries. There are few cases of solitary splenic tuberculosis reported in the literature internationally. Solitary splenic tuberculosis is extremely rare and is mostly seen in individuals with immunosuppression. Patients susceptible to acquiring splenic tuberculosis usually have some risk factors such as immunosuppression, pyogenic infections, splenic abnormalities, spleen trauma, sickle cell disease, and so on (Basa JV, Singh L, Jaoude WA, Sugiyama G, Int J Surg 8C:117-119,2015). CASE PRESENTATION: Here we report a case of surgically confirmed mass-forming solitary splenic tuberculosis in a 64-year-old woman who presented with abdominal discomfort for two months, but with no other symptoms. Laboratory data provided no specific information for diagnosis. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a large hypoechoic lesion within the spleen. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen showed a solitary hypodense lesion. A diagnosis of solitary splenic tuberculosis was confirmed after a splenectomy was performed and histopathological examination revealed splenic tuberculosis. CONCLUSIONS: Solitary splenic tuberculosis is rare and associated with an immunocompetent patient is extremely rare. It is hard to correctly diagnose it by US or CT scan.