Diagnostic Yield of Computed Tomography-Guided Procedures for Spondylodiscitis.

PURPOSE: To identify the diagnostic yield and predictive factors for microbiological diagnosis in patients with spondylodiscitis through computed tomography (CT)-guided biopsy or aspiration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of 102 patients with suspected spondylodiscitis who underwent CT-guided procedures in an 8-year period was conducted. Analyzed variables were demographic data, C-reactive protein, pre-biopsy MRI findings, prior antibiotic use, site of biopsy/aspiration, histopathological findings, culture results and radiation dose. RESULTS: The culture yield among all sites was 56%, 85.6% for paravertebral/discal fluid aspiration, 66.7% for disk-only biopsy, 52.9% for paravertebral soft tissue biopsy, and 39.6% for endplate bone-disk unit. Patients with paravertebral/disk collection on MRI had better yields when submitted to fluid aspiration instead of biopsy of other sites (78.9% vs. 36.6%; p = 0,006). Pyogenic etiology corresponded to 68.3% of cases and Staphylococcus aureus was the most common agent. Prior antibiotics exposure was associated with a lower yield (66.2% vs. 40.9%, p = 0,016). CONCLUSIONS: CT-guided procedures are safe and well-tolerated in patients with suspected spondylodiscitis, with good microbiologic yield particularly in the presence of paravertebral/discal abscess.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation on a Xp11.2 Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma: A case report.

Xp11.2 Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma is a very rare subtype of renal neoplasm. The present report describes the first confirmed reported case of percutaneous ablation of this subtype of tumor. The patient presented an aggressive local recurrence 12 months after the procedure, with an infiltrative large mass occupying almost the whole kidney. The patient was submitted to radical nephrectomy. As the use of ablative methods expands, the treatment of rare renal tumor subtypes, which can present unusual clinical outcomes, may become more frequent. It is essential that these uncommon outcomes are promptly recognized, allowing early therapeutic salvage approaches.

Whole-Body Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Oncology Setting: An Overview and Update on Recent Advances.

Whole-body magnetic resonance imaging is becoming an important tool in oncology as a nonirradiating imaging technique since recent technological advances allowed the incorporation of high-quality imaging in an adequate time. Moreover, the noninjection of radioisotope/intravenous contrast, low cost compared with traditional nuclear medicine techniques, and fast acquisition times are another distinct feature. Thus, the purpose of this article is to review the whole-body magnetic resonance imaging protocol and its main applications in the oncology setting.

Abdominal manifestations of fishbone perforation: a pictorial essay.

PURPOSE: The present article provides an overview of the spectrum of abdominal presentations of fishbone (FB) ingestion and its complications. METHODS: In image data from 9 patients, FB perforations were found in different levels of the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), including duodenal, jejunal, and sigmoid perforations; in 4 asymptomatic patients, FBs were observed in the mesentery, falciform ligament, and intestinal bowel. RESULTS: The main imaging features of FB perforation were focal gastric or intestinal wall thickening, fat stranding, bowel obstruction, ascites, localized pneumoperitoneum, intra-abdominal abscess, liver abscess, and a linear hyperdense structure in the abdominal cavity in the GIT or within a parenchymal organ often surrounded by inflammatory changes. Free pneumoperitoneum was rare. CONCLUSION: Although in most cases, a FB does not cause any serious complications, an inflammatory process and complications may occur when it perforates the stomach or bowel loops. Radiologists need to be aware of the possibility of FB perforation, especially in high-risk patients, because it is not always considered in the differential diagnosis by referring physicians and can mimic other inflammatory conditions and tumoral lesions.

Systemic Air Embolism after Percutaneous Lung Biopsy: A Manageable Complication.

CT-guided percutaneous biopsy is a resourceful and widely used tool to evaluate pulmonary nodules that frequently avoids costly and unnecessary surgeries. Severe complications occur in less than 1% of cases and include gas embolism, which is rarely documented. We report a case of gas embolism after transthoracic biopsies and discuss the pathophysiology and the benefits of early diagnosis and proper management.

18F-FDG PET/CT Osteometabolic Activity in Metastatic Parathyroid Carcinoma.

Parathyroid cancer is an uncommon type of malignancy, which is frequently associated with poor prognosis. Clinical manifestations are caused by elevated serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH). Diagnostic imaging studies as neck ultrasonography, technetium Tc Tc-sestamibi whole body scintigraphy, CT, and MR are already established tools for this malignancy. Nevertheless, the role of F-FDG PET/CT remains unknown in this scenario, with few published studies in literature. Hence, in this article, we aimed to report an illustrative case of increased skeletal FDG uptake associated with high calcium and PTH levels.

Percutaneous CT-Guided Cryoablation as an Alternative Treatment for an Extensive Pelvic Bone Giant Cell Tumor.

A giant cell tumor (GCT) is an intermediate grade, locally aggressive neoplasia. Despite advances in surgical and clinical treatments, cases located on the spine and pelvic bones remain a significant challenge. Failure of clinical treatment with denosumab and patient refusal of surgical procedures (hemipelvectomy) led to the use of cryoablation. We report the use of percutaneous CT-guided cryoablation as an alternative treatment, shown to be a minimally invasive, safe, and effective option for a GCT with extensive involvement of the pelvic bones and allowed structural and functional preservation of the involved bones.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the vagina: an overview for radiologists with emphasis on clinical decision making.

Magnetic resonance imaging is a method with high contrast resolution widely used in the assessment of pelvic gynecological diseases. However, the potential of such method to diagnose vaginal lesions is still underestimated, probably due to the scarce literature approaching the theme, the poor familiarity of radiologists with vaginal diseases, some of them relatively rare, and to the many peculiarities involved in the assessment of the vagina. Thus, the authors illustrate the role of magnetic resonance imaging in the evaluation of vaginal diseases and the main relevant findings to be considered in the clinical decision making process.

A ressonância magnética é um método com alta resolução de contraste e por isso muito utilizada na avaliação de doenças ginecológicas pélvicas. No entanto, seu potencial para diagnóstico de lesões vaginais ainda é subestimado, provavelmente em razão da escassa literatura referente ao tema, da pouca familiaridade dos radiologistas com doenças vaginais, algumas delas relativamente raras, e das muitas peculiaridades em um exame para avaliação desta víscera oca. Desta forma, ilustraremos neste estudo o papel da ressonância magnética na avaliação das doenças vaginais e os principais achados relevantes para a conduta clínica.

Abdominal gunshot wounds: multi-detector-row CT findings compared with laparotomy: a prospective study.

The purpose of this study was to access the accuracy of multi-detector-row computed tomography (MDCT) in diagnosing injuries in hemodynamically stable abdominal gunshot wound victims (AGWV). Triple-contrast MDCT was performed in hemodynamically stable AGWV during a 20-month prospective diagnostic accuracy study. Thirty-one patients (30 males, 1 female; mean age, 24.3 years) were evaluated by two radiologists for evidence of injury to solid and hollow organs, vascular structures, urinary bladder, diaphragm, fractures, and general findings (free fluid, pneumoperitoneum, and mesentery lesions). All of the patients underwent laparotomy, and prevalence, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. No statistically significant differences between radiologists were found. All of the solid and hollow organ lesions, vascular lesions, and general findings were detected. One of the four urinary bladder lesions was missed by MDCT, leading in this case to a sensitivity of 75%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value of 100%, negative predictive value of 96.4%, and accuracy of 96.8% (p = 0.001). One of the eight diaphragm lesions was missed by MDCT, and its sensitivity was 87.5%, specificity was 100%, positive predictive value was 100%, negative predictive value was 95.8%, and accuracy was 96.8% (p < 0.001). Fractures were diagnosed in 74.4% of the patients (24 of 31). Fourteen (43.2%) patients demonstrated non-therapeutic laparotomy, in which minor lesions could have been managed conservatively. We concluded that MDCT is an accurate imaging method in evaluating selected AGWV, providing trusted information for emergency room physicians.

Sclerotic vertebral metastases: pain palliation using percutaneous image-guided cryoablation.

Cryoablative therapies have been proposed to palliate pain from soft-tissue or osteolytic bone tumors. A case of a patient with painful thoracic and sacral spine sclerotic metastases successfully treated by image-guided percutaneous cryoablation with the aid of insulation techniques and thermosensors is reported in this case report.