RESUMO
Objective In this study, we aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of carotid Doppler ultrasound (CDU) in detecting anechoic carotid artery thrombus when compared to CT angiography (CTA) as the gold standard. Materials and methods This prospective comparative study was conducted at the Radiology Department of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad from January 2022 to May 2022. The study enrolled 32 patients who met the inclusion criteria. We evaluated patients admitted to the neurology ward/OPD who were referred to radiology as part of a stroke workup based on their clinical examination and medical history. In all patients, CDU was used to detect free-floating thrombus (FFT)/anechoic thrombus. CTA was used as the gold standard to assess the diagnostic accuracy of CDU. Results The mean age of the study participants was 45.63 ± 7.05 years (range: 33-59 years). Out of 32 patients, 19 (59.4%) were male and 13 (40.6%) were female. The results of CDU were confirmed by CTA in all patients. The diagnostic accuracy of CDU was 53.12% for detecting FFT. The values for sensitivity (54.55%), specificity (50%), positive predictive value (PPV, 70.59%), and negative predictive value (NPV, 33.33%) were also calculated. Conclusion Despite the limited sample size, the study concludes that CDU has a diagnostic accuracy of 53%. CTA still remains the gold standard imaging modality for anechoic thrombus if strong clinical suspicion is present.
RESUMO
Objective The goal of this research was to define the diagnostic precision of CT signs to distinguish malignant ascites from cirrhotic ascites. Ascitic fluid cytology was kept as the gold standard. Study design This research was a prospective cross-sectional study. Place and duration of the study Participants' recruitment started on July 15, 2021, and the whole study lasted about three months till October 15, 2021, at the Radiology Department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad. Patients and methods A total of 80 patients were included in the research and divided into two groups grounded on the cirrhotic or malignant etiology of the ascites based on their fluid cytology. Ascites volume, relative spread between the lesser sac and greater peritoneal cavity, the wall thickness of gallbladder, density of ascites, parietal peritoneum thickness and degree of its enhancement, and presence of septa and loculations were some of the major CT signs studied. Results The average age of patients included in this study was 36.2 ± 6.67 years (range 29-49 years). Of the 80 patients, 50 (62.5 %) were men, and 30 (37.5 %) were women. CT signs associated with the malignant ascites reported in this study were fluid present in the lesser sac (p = 0.03), peritoneal thickening and degree of its enhancement (p = 0.05), increased ascites density (p= 0.001), and presence of septa and loculations (63.6 % of malignant ascites). However, gallbladder wall thickness did not show any variation between both groups. Conclusion We conclude that in the diagnosis of malignant ascites, CT scan imaging can play a vital role. This research approves and testifies the benefits of indirect signs such as the spread of ascites, increased density of ascites, thickening and enhancement of parietal peritoneum, and ascitic fluid complexity in pointing out malignancy as a cause of ascites.
