Sternocleidomastoid pseudotumor of infancy: a report of thirteen cases.

UNLABELLED: Stemocleidomastoid tumor of infancy (SCMTI) is a rare cause of benign neck masses in neonates and infants. It has to be differentiated from other congenital space-occupying lesions in the cervical region. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The files of 13 infants with a mean age of 6 weeks, presenting with a lateral neck mass at Sahloul University Hospital in Sousse (Tunisia) between 2007 and 2009 were retrospectively studied. All of them underwent physical and ultrasonographic examination. MRI was performed in only one case. RESULTS: Ultrasonography (US) showed a soft tissue mass of sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCMM), or a homogenously enlarged muscle without any focal mass. MRI revealed a fusiform enlarged muscle. Diagnosis of SCMTI was established in all cases. Conservative treatment was recommended in all cases with physiotherapy in 2 cases. CONCLUSION: US is the best imaging modality for the diagnosis of SCMTI and the first one to be performed. Additional diagnostic imaging modalities are unnecessary in most of the cases.

[Discoid menisci in children: ultrasonographic features]. / Le ménisque discoïde chez l'enfant: aspects échographiques.

OBJECTIVE: Discoid meniscus is a rare congenital pathology affecting mainly the lateral meniscus. Radiological diagnosis, initially based on arthrographic findings, is now established on well defined MRI criteria. In this study, ultrasonography (US) was the modality proposed for diagnosing discoid meniscus and compared to the normal sonographic meniscal pattern. Subjects and methods. 8 children aged from 6 to 11 years, with a symptomatology highly suggestive of meniscal pathology, were investigated by US of both knees, followed by MRI in 3 and arthroscopy in all cases. RESULTS: In all 8 cases, a meniscus was diagnosed as discoid when it no longer had its normal triangular shape, was abnormally elongated and thick and demonstrated a heterogeneous central pattern. Associated lesions (fracture, cystic degeneration) were well demonstrated on US. The lateral meniscus was involved in all 8 cases, the pathology was bilateral in 5 cases and MRI/US correlation was good in 3 cases. Arthroscopy confirmed US findings in all cases. CONCLUSION: US, a more widely available imaging modality, is a reliable technique for the diagnosis of discoid meniscus in children.

[Computed tomography features in aorto-digestive fistula after abdominal aortic surgery. Report of two cases]. / Apport de la tomodensitométrie dans les fistules aorto-digestives compliquant la chirurgie de l'aorte abdominale. A propos de deux cas.

Aorto-enteric fistula is an uncommon late complication of aortic reconstructive surgery. Morbidity and mortality remain high despite progress in diagnosis and therapeutic procedures. We report two cases of complications of aortic interventions and present the diagnosis contribution of the CT scans. Our patients were two men aged 62 and 68 years. Both presented with abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding. Endoscopy and CT scan with contrast enhancement were performed providing the diagnosis of aorto-enteric fistula before surgery. Both patients died after surgery. The fundamental principle in the management of late complications of abdominal aortic surgery is early and aggressive surgery. Cross sectional imaging and particularly CT scan plays an important role in diagnosis and in determining the extent of these complications. CT must be performed for life-long follow-up of these patients to allow assessment of early diagnosis of aortic reconstruction surgery complications.