Comparison of conventional diffusion-weighted imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging and intravoxel incoherent motion in characterization of sonographically indeterminate adnexal masses.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of conventional diffusion weighted imaging, diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI), and intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) in distinguishing benign from malignant adnexal masses. METHODS: 38 patients with 45 adnexal masses were enrolled in this prospective study and assessed with multiparametric MRI, including the IVIM-DKI sequence, on a 3 T MRI system. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from conventional DWI, the apparent diffusion coefficient derived from DKI (Dapp), the apparent kurtosis coefficient (Kapp), true diffusion coefficient (Dt), perfusion fraction (f) and pseudo-diffusion coefficient (Dp) were measured. RESULTS: The mean ADC, Dapp, and Dt were significantly higher in benign adnexal masses than in malignant adnexal masses (p < 0.001). f and Dp were also significantly higher in benign adnexal masses, with p values of 0.026 and 0.002, respectively. Kapp was higher in malignant masses (p < 0.001). Among mean ADC, Dapp, and Dt, mean ADC had the highest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.885. However, no statistically significant differences were observed between the ROCs of various diffusion parameters. CONCLUSION: The mean ADC, Dapp, and Kapp are useful parameters in discriminating between benign and malignant adnexal masses. Dt derived from IVIM also helps in distinguishing benign and malignant adnexal masses; however, no incremental role of IVIM and DKI over ADC could be identified in our study.

Effect of volume of instillate on the diagnostic utility of bronchoalveolar lavage galactomannan in patients with suspected chronic pulmonary aspergillosis-A pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) galactomannan (GM) is commonly used to diagnose Aspergillus-related lung diseases. However, unlike serum GM, which is measured in undiluted blood, BAL-GM is estimated using variable aliquots and cumulative volume of instillates during bronchoscopy. OBJECTIVE: Since different studies have reported varying diagnostic accuracy and cut-offs for BAL-GM in CPA, we hypothesized that the total volume of instillate and 'order/label' of aliquots significantly affects the BAL-GM values, which was evaluated as part of this study. PATIENTS & METHODS: We obtained 250 BAL samples from 50 patients (five from each) with suspected chronic pulmonary aspergillosis. BAL fluid was collected after instilling sequential volumes of 40 mL of normal saline each for the first four labels and a fifth label was prepared by mixing 1 mL from each of the previous labels. The GM level of each label was measured by PLATELIA™ ASPERGILLUS Ag enzyme immunoassay. This study measured the discordance, level of agreement, diagnostic characteristics (sensitivity, specificity and AUROC) and best cut-offs for BAL-GM in the different aliquots of lavage fluid. RESULTS: The study population, classified into CPA (28%) and non-CPA (72%) groups, based on ERS/ESCMID criteria (excluding BAL-GM) were not different with respect to clinico-radiological characteristics. The discordance of BAL-GM positivity (using a cut-off of >1) between the serial labels for the same patient ranged between 10% and 22%, while the discordance between classification using BAL-GM positivity (using a cut-off of ≥1) and clinic-radio-microbiological classification ranged between 18% and 30%. The level of agreement for serial labels was at best fair (<0.6 for all except one 'label'). The AUROC for the serial samples ranged between 0.595 and 0.702, with the '40 mL and the 'mix' samples performing the best. The best BAL-GM cut-off also showed significant variation between serial labels of varying dilutions (Range:1.01 - 4.26). INTERPRETATION: This study highlights the variation in BAL-GM measured and the 'positivity' between different 'labels' of aliquots of BAL, with the first aliquot and the mixed sample showing the best performances for diagnosis of CPA. Future studies should attempt to 'standardise' the instilled volume for BAL-GM estimation to standardise the diagnostic yield.

Incidence of Barrett's Esophagus Following Sleeve Gastrectomy in Southeast Asian Population.

Background: Variable incidences (up to 18.8%) of Barrett's esophagus (BE) have been reported following sleeve gastrectomy (SG), however, there is no published data from the Southeast Asian population. Objective: To determine the incidence of BE following SG in Southeast Asians. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study from a tertiary-care center, all patients who had undergone SG from 2008 to 2021 and completed a minimum of 1-year follow-up were contacted to participate. Preoperative data were retrieved from a prospectively maintained database. On recruitment, all patients underwent barium swallow and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, and weight parameters and reflux symptoms were recorded. Results: One hundred fourteen patients with no preoperative evidence of BE were included. The mean follow-up duration was 5.4 ± 3.1 years. On follow-up endoscopy, Barrett's was suspected in 4 patients. However, 3 patients had columnar-lined epithelium and only 1 patient (0.87%) had evidence of intestinal metaplasia without dysplasia on histology. Reflux esophagitis (grade LA-A) resolved in 9 out of 11 patients, while the rate of de novo esophagitis was reported in 22.3%. The mean reflux Symptom Severity score increased from 0.6 ± 1.8 to 2.6 ± 5.4 (P = .002). The mean body mass index reduced from 44.1 ± 7.1 to 33.6 ± 6.9 kg/m2 (P < .0001), however, 23.7% of the patients experienced significant weight recidivism. Conclusions: Southeast Asians might have a low incidence of BE following SG. Hence, endoscopic surveillance for the sole purpose of diagnosing BE may not be advisable for these patients.

Decoding the Guidelines of Invasive Pulmonary Aspergillosis in Critical Care Setting: Imaging Perspective.

Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is a common, life-threatening opportunistic fungal infection seen in susceptible individuals especially those admitted in critical care units. Multiple guidelines have been promulgated for the diagnosis of IPA, some of which are all inclusive, while others cater to specific patient groups. Microbiology forms the crux of the majority of the diagnostic tests/criteria; however, results take a considerable amount of time. Radiology can play an important role by bridging the gap to reach at an early diagnosis. Thus, the role of a radiologist cannot be overemphasized to recognize the typical and atypical imaging manifestations of invasive aspergillosis and aid in the swift management of these cases. This review decodes the terminology and various diagnostic criteria for IPA relevant to imaging studies. Further, the differences in imaging manifestations of IPA in neutropenic and non-neutropenic patients are also discussed.

Cardiopulmonary Outcomes in Covid-19 Patients Discharged From a Tertiary Care Center: A Prospective Study.

To determine the cardiopulmonary changes in the survivors of acute COVID-19 infection at 3-6 month and 6-12 month. We followed up 53 patients out of which 28 (52%) had mild COVID-19 and 25 (48%) had severe COVID-19. The first follow-up was between 3 month after diagnosis up to 6 month and second follow-up between 6 and 12 month from the date of diagnosis of acute COVID-19. They were monitored using vital parameters, pulmonary function tests, echocardiography and a chest computed tomography (CT) scan. We found improvement in diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) with a median of 52% of predicted and 80% of predicted at the first and second follow-up, respectively. There was improvement in the CTSS in severe group from 22 (18-24) to 12 (10-18; p-0.001). Multivariable logistic regression revealed increased odds of past severe disease with higher CTSS at follow-up (OR-1.7 [CI 1.14-2.77]; P = 0.01). Correlation was found between CTSS and DLCO at second follow-up (r2 = 0.36; p < 0.01). Most of patients recovered from COVID-19 but a subgroup of patients continued to have persistent radiological and pulmonary function abnormalities necessitating a structured follow-up.

An unusual association of type II Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuster-Hauser syndrome, turner mosaic syndrome and tubo-ovarian inguinal hernia- case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Herniation of ovaries and Mullerian structures into inguinal canal is usually reported in infants and is rare among adults. We are presenting a rare case of Mullerian agenesis and Turner mosaic syndrome with tubo-ovarian inguinal hernia. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old girl presented with complaints of primary amenorrhea, phenotypical features of Turner syndrome with left inguinal hernia and severe hypertension. Baseline hormonal analysis was normal. Karyotype revealed Turner mosaic with 46XX (85%); 45XO (15%). MRI showed Mullerian agenesis with normally located right ovary in pelvis and left ovary prolapsed through deep inguinal ring into the canal of Nuck. Anti-hypertensives were started and patient optimized for surgery. Laparoscopic hernia repair and repositioning of left ovary into the pelvis was done. Patient had uneventful post-operative course and was discharged in stable condition on anti-hypertensive medication. Future reproductive issues and need of passive vaginal dilatation or vaginoplasty before marriage were explained to the patient and family. CONCLUSION: This is the first ever reported case with unusual association of atypical MRKH, Turner mosaic syndrome and tubo-ovarian hernia into the inguinal canal. The case emphasizes the need and importance of complete work up of these atypical cases as patients may have more than one cause of primary amenorrhea and complete evaluation is must before any medical or surgical intervention.

Imaging features of accessory cavitated uterine mass (ACUM): a peculiar yet correctable cause of dysmenorrhea.

Accessory cavitated uterine mass (ACUM) is a rare form of developmental mullerian anomaly which causes chronic pelvic pain, dysmenorrhea and infertility in young females. It is a non-communicating, accessory cavity within an otherwise normal uterus, lined by functional endometrium and surrounded by myometrium-like smooth muscle cells which imparts it uterus-like appearance. USG and MRI are the imaging modalities which help in reaching the diagnosis. Knowledge of this entity and awareness of its imaging features can help diagnose this often underdiagnosed and surgically correctable cause of dysmenorrhea.

Hypersensitivity Reactions and the Respiratory System: Imaging Based Review.

Hypersensitivity reactions are characterized by inappropriate response of the immune system to an inciting antigen, which results in damage to various body tissues. Respiratory system can be involved as a part of hypersensitivity reaction by a myriad of conditions ranging from infective pathologies like tuberculosis to non-infective processes such as asthma, graft- versus host disease, sarcoidosis and vasculitic disorders. Recognition of specific imaging features in appropriate clinical setting helps in diagnosing these conditions. We present a review of mechanism of different types of hypersensitivity reactions; and imaging features of various such pathological conditions affecting the respiratory system.

Ultrasonography of the neck in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

INTRODUCTION: In resource-limited settings, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often goes undiagnosed as polysomnography (PSG) is expensive, time-consuming, and not readily available. Imaging studies of upper airway have been tried as alternatives to PSG to screen for OSA. However, racial differences in upper airway anatomy preclude generalizability of such studies. We sought to test the hypothesis that ultrasonography (USG), an inexpensive, readily available tool to study soft tissue structures of the upper airway, would have predictive value for OSA in South Asian people. METHODS: Adult patients with sleep-related complaints suspicious for OSA were taken for overnight PSG. After the PSG, consecutive patients with and without OSA were studied with submental ultrasonography to measure tongue base thickness (TBT) and lateral pharyngeal wall thickness (LPWT). RESULTS: Among 50 patients with OSA and 25 controls, mean age was 43.9 ± 11.4 years, and 39 were men. Patients with OSA had higher TBT (6.77 ± 0.63 cm vs 6.34 ± 0.54 cm, P value = 0.004) and higher LPWT (2.47 ± 0.60 cm vs 2.12 ± 0.26 cm, P value = 0.006) compared to patients without OSA. On multivariate analysis, TBT, LPWT, and neck circumference were identified as independent factors associated with OSA. These variables could identify patients with severe OSA with a sensitivity of 72% and a specificity of 76%. CONCLUSION: Patients with OSA have higher tongue base thickness and lateral pharyngeal wall thickness proportionate to the severity of the disease, independent of BMI and neck circumference. These findings suggest that sub-mental ultrasonography may be useful to identify patients with severe OSA in resource-limited settings.

Comparison of Modified Rose Method of Thyroid Palpation Versus Other Methods for the Detection of Retrosternal and Nodular Goitre.

Objectives: This is a diagnostic test research study to evaluate the various existing methods of thyroid examination and their comparison with the novel modified Rose method. It also aims to measure inter-examiner variation in clinical findings based on the level of education and training, as compared to ultrasonography. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital with 83 patients presenting to surgery OPD with neck swelling. Each patient was examined by one trained Junior Resident and a Surgery Consultant with all the four methods and with ultrasonography. Data was analysed by Stata-14, agreement between the two categorical variables was assessed by Kappa. In case of continuous variable agreement was assessed by Intra class correlation and Bland-Altman plot. Results: Modified Rose method by the consultant has the highest sensitivity (98%) and diagnostic odds (210) as compared to others but its specificity ranges from 46.7-91.1% to diagnose retro-sternal extension of a goiter. It has 93.98% agreement for identification of nodules. It has a high specificity (Consultant - 100%, Resident - 95.5%) with relatively lower sensitivity (Consultant - 94%, Resident - 86.8%) to diagnose solitary thyroid nodule (STN) but the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing a multinodular goitre (MNG) was high. However, the highest sensitivity to diagnose STN was highest with Crile's method, but specificity was low. Lahey's method was a better clinical method to palpate lymph nodes compared to the other three. Conclusion: Examination in modified Rose's position is a better method of clinical examination of thyroid especially in patients with occult substernal extension. Lahey's method is a better method to examine cervical lymph nodes.

Retrospective analysis of IgG4-related disease cases at a tertiary care centre in India.

Objectives: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with prominent fibrosis. This retrospective analysis was undertaken to study the clinical, laboratory, and radiological characteristics of patients with extra-pancreatic IgG4-RD and their response to treatment at a tertiary care centre located in northern India. Material and methods: Patient data from our centre between January 2017 and January 2021 were reviewed. Probable/definite IgG4-RD cases were included in the analysis. Results: A total of 14 cases were identified with a median age of 39 years (range 19-56 years). There were 10 males and 4 females. All patients presented with slowly progressive soft tissue swellings with pain/discomfort related to local mass effect. The median delay in diagnosis was 9.5 months (range 2-72 months). Cross-sectional imaging showed soft tissue masses in all cases. All contrast-enhanced studies (n = 7) showed enhancement on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scan. F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose-avidity was observed in 8 of 9 (88.9%) cases. Biopsies performed in 12 of these were classified as definite in 8 and possible IgG4-RD in 4 cases. Patients were treated with a median dose of 1 mg/kg/day (range 0.5-1 mg/kg/day) prednisolone. Steroids were successfully tapered in all 12 cases with 41.6% (5 of 12) being off corticosteroids at a median follow-up of 10 months (range 0-18 months). Two patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusions: IgG4-related disease is a chronic illness with a wide spectrum of manifestations, in which the diagnosis is often delayed, but it shows an excellent response to treatment. Efforts must be made to increase awareness among physicians about this disease to institute appropriate treatment as early as possible.

Efficacy of LD Bio Aspergillus ICT Lateral Flow Assay for Serodiagnosis of Chronic Pulmonary Aspergillosis.

Background: The diagnosis of CPA relies on the detection of the IgG Aspergillus antibody, which is not freely available, especially in resource-poor settings. Point-of-care tests like LDBio Aspergillus ICT lateral flow assay, evaluated in only a few studies, have shown promising results for the diagnosis of CPA. However, no study has compared the diagnostic performances of LDBio LFA in setting of tuberculosis endemic countries and have compared it with that of IgG Aspergillus. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performances of LDBio LFA in CPA and compare it with existing the diagnostic algorithm utilising ImmunoCAP IgG Aspergillus. Methods: Serial patients presenting with respiratory symptoms (cough, haemoptysis, fever, etc.) for >4 weeks were screened for eligibility. Relevant investigations, including direct microscopy and culture of respiratory secretions, IgG Aspergillus, chest imaging, etc., were done according to existing algorithm. Serums of all patients were tested by LDBio LFA and IgG Aspergillus (ImmunoCAP Asp IgG) and their diagnostic performances were compared. Results: A total of 174 patients were included in the study with ~66.7% patients having past history of tuberculosis. A diagnosis of CPA was made in 74 (42.5%) of patients. The estimated sensitivity and specificity of LDBio LFA was 67.6% (95% CI: 55.7−78%) and 81% (95% CI: 71.9−88.2%), respectively, which increased to 73.3% (95% CI: 60.3−83.9%) and 83.9% (95% CI: 71.7−92.4%), respectively, in patients with a past history of tuberculosis. The sensitivity and specificity of IgG Aspergillus was 82.4% (95% CI: 71.8−90.3%) and 82% (95% CI: 73.1−89%); 86.7% (95% CI: 75.4−94.1%) and 80.4% (95% CI: 67.6−89.8%), in the whole group and those with past history of tuberculosis, respectively. Conclusions: LDBio LFA is a point-of-care test with reasonable sensitivity and specificity. However, further tests may have to be done to rule-in or rule-out the diagnosis of CPA in the appropriate setting.

Ingestion poisoning related lung injury- a pictorial review.

Poison ingestion is a medical emergency requiring immediate care in the emergency department. Respiratory symptoms with ingested poisons can occur due to aspiration, cardiopulmonary effects, or direct lung toxicity due to injury of the alveolar epithelium. Chest imaging (chest radiographs/CT) is usually performed in the emergency setting to evaluate such symptoms. It is often impossible to elicit the nature of the poison ingested by the patients due to their unconscious state. Identification of the culprit poison can expedite the patient's management towards a specific antidote or help understand the underlying mechanism causing the pulmonary symptoms. The imaging manifestations depend on the underlying mechanisms, varying for each ingested poison, forming an imaging signature which has not been adequately discussed in existing literature. Poisons like paraquat and organophosphate are important to differentiate as indiscriminate use of oxygen therapy in the former can exacerbate the lung injury caused by redox cycling. In this pictorial assay, we present the chest imaging spectrum of commonly ingested poisons, and further suggest algorithmic approach towards identification of common poisons based on their chest imaging.

Diagnostic utility of chest computerized tomography in the diagnosis of recurrence among sputum scarce and sputum negative previously treated pulmonary tuberculosis suspects.

Objective: The objective was to study the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of various computed tomography (CT) chest findings in diagnosing recurrence among pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) suspects. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital in New Delhi. A total of 130 suspects with a past history of treatment for PTB, who presented with any of the symptoms suggestive of recurrence were included. Sputum-positive, HIV-positive patients, pregnant females, and patients aged <18 years were excluded. Patients underwent CT chest followed by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Results: A total of 62 patients were there in the final analysis. The median age of the patients with recurrent PTB was 27.5 years. Cough was the universal symptom in all these patients (>90%). Hemoptysis was the predominant symptom among patients with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (66.6%). Necrotic mediastinal lymph nodes had good diagnostic accuracy of 88.71% with area under the curve of 0.806, P < 0.001 in diagnosing recurrent TB. BAL GeneXpert and mycobacteria growth indicator tube had good sensitivity (83.33% and 84.62%, respectively), specificity (100% for both), and excellent diagnostic accuracy (95.16% and 96.36%, respectively) for diagnosing recurrence in sputum negative and sputum scarce patient, (P < 0.001) when compared with composite reference standard. For culture-positive cases, BAL GeneXpert MTB/RIF had 100% sensitivity and 97.73% specificity in diagnosing recurrent PTB patients. Conclusion: The presence of mediastinal necrotic lymph node is the most accurate CT finding that can differentiate recurrent TB from post-TB sequelae. No other single chest CT scan finding had reliable diagnostic accuracy in comparison to microbiological tools in diagnosing recurrence among sputum negative or scarce previously treated PTB suspects.

COVID-19-associated subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis.

BACKGROUND: Though invasive pulmonary aspergillosis is a well known complication of COVID-19 pneumonia, indolent forms of aspergillosis have been rarely described. METHODS: We prospectively collected the clinico-radio-microbiological data of 10 patients of subacute invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (SAIA), who presented to our hospital with recent history of COVID-19 pneumonia along with cavitary lung disease, positive IgG (against Aspergillus) with or without positive respiratory samples for Aspergillus spp. RESULT: The mean age of presentation of SAIA was 50.7 ± 11.8 years. All the patients had recently recovered from severe COVID-19 illness with a mean duration of 29.2 ± 12 days from COVID-19 positivity. Cough was the predominant symptom seen in 8/10 (80%) patients followed by haemoptysis. 7/10 (70%) patients were known diabetic. While serum galactomannan was positive in 5/9 patients (55.5%), fungal culture was positive in 2/7 patients (28.5%) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for Aspergillus was positive in three patients. Eight (80%) patients presented with a single cavitary lesion; pseudoaneurysm of pulmonary artery was seen in two patients and post-COVID-19 changes were seen in all patients. All patients were treated with voriconazole, out of which four (40%) patients died during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: SAIA should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cavitating lung lesions in patients with recent history of COVID-19 in the background of steroid use with or without pre-existing diabetes.

An unusual case of acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) complicating dengue fever.

Neurological complications are increasingly being reported in dengue fever, and the dengue virus is now recognized as a neurotrophic virus. The damage caused by inflammatory cytokines in the febrile phase and molecular mimicry in the recovery phase is responsible for these neurological manifestations. We report such an unusual neurological complication occurring in a 27-year-old female in the recovery phase of dengue fever, who developed an acute onset of ascending symmetric weakness of all four limbs without any sensory, autonomic, cerebellar, or cranial nerve involvement. She was diagnosed as having an acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) variant of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) based on a nerve conduction study (NCS) showing axonal neuropathy and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) showing root enhancement at the region of the cauda equina. She was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and showed full recovery from symptoms with treatment. Our case highlights the importance of being aware of such rare neurological complications in dengue fever. Early detection and rapid initiation of treatment can lead to the complete reversal of neurological deficits.

Unusual case of chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis presenting as spontaneous pneumothorax in an immunocompromised man.

Chronic cavitary pulmonary aspergillosis (CCPA) is a slow destructive type of chronic pulmonary aspergillosis, characterised by multiple pulmonary cavities that develop and expand over several months or years. Pleural involvement in the form of pneumothorax has been rarely reported in CCPA. We report such an unusual case of an immunocompromised male, with a history of chronic cough and fever, presenting with acute onset of shortness of breath. Chest imaging showed bilateral multiple cavitating nodules, ground glass opacities and dense right middle lobe consolidations and right-sided pneumothorax. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) showed septate hyaline hyphae on KOH (potassium hydroxide) staining and fungal culture grew Aspergillus fumigatus BAL and serum galactomanan were positive and serum IgG for A. fumigatus was 58 MgA/L (0-40MgA/L) confirming the cause of spontaneous secondary pneumothorax in our patient as CCPA.