A study of the chest imaging findings of adult patients with COVID-19 on admission to a tertiary hospital in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Background: South Africa has experienced multiple waves of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) with little research documenting chest imaging features in an human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and tuberculosis (TB) endemic region. Objectives: Describe the chest imaging features, demographics and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 in an urban population. Method: Retrospective, cross-sectional, review of chest radiographs and computed tomographies (CTs) of adults admitted to a tertiary hospital with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, between 01 May 2020 and 30 June 2020. Imaging was reviewed by three radiologists. Clinical parameters and laboratory data were analysed. Results: A total of 113 adult patients with a mean age of 46 years and 10 months were included. A total of 113 chest radiographs and six CTs were read. Nineteen patients were HIV-positive (16.8%), 40 were hypertensive and diabetic (35.4%), respectively, and one had TB (0.9%). Common symptoms included cough (n = 69; 61.6%), dyspnoea (n = 60; 53.1%) and fever (n = 46; 40.7%). Lower zone predominant ground glass opacities (58.4%) and consolidation (29.2%) were most frequent on chest radiographs. The right lower lobe was most involved (46.9% ground glass opacities and 17.7% consolidation), with relative sparing of the left upper lobe. Bilateral ground glass opacities (66.7%) were most common on CT. Among the HIV-positive, ground glass opacities and consolidation were less common than in HIV-negative or unknown patients (p = 0.037 and p = 0.05, respectively). Conclusion: COVID-19 in South Africa has similar chest imaging findings to those documented globally, with some differences between HIV-positive and HIV-negative or unknown patients. The authors corroborate relative sparing of the left upper lobe; however, further research is required to validate this currently unique local finding.

Myosteatosis, the More Significant Predictor of Outcome: An Analysis of the Impact of Myosteatosis, Sarcopenia, and Sarcopenic Obesity on Liver Transplant Outcomes in Johannesburg, South Africa.

OBJECTIVES: In high-income countries, myosteatosis, sarcopenia, and obesity with sarcopenia (sarcopenic obesity) are associated with adverse outcomes after liver transplantation. In South Africa, an upper-middleincome country, we investigated the prevalence and impact of these muscle abnormalities on posttransplant outcomes in adult liver transplant recipients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed 106 liver transplant recipients and measured muscle abnormalities on computed tomography using segmentation software. The parameters evaluated were myosteatosis by mean muscle attenuation, sarcopenia by skeletal muscle index at the third lumbar vertebra using validated cutoffs, and sarcopenic obesity as sarcopenia and a body mass index of ≥25 kg/m². The effects of these abnormalities on 1-year patient and graft survival (primary endpoint) and length of hospital and intensive care unit stay, costs, and 90-day and overall postoperative complications (secondary endpoints) were assessed. RESULTS: Most liver transplant recipients were male (n = 64, 60%). Alcoholic and/or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were the most frequent indications for transplant (n = 38, 36%). Myosteatosis occurred in 76 patients (72%), 69 patients (65%) had sarcopenia, and 36 patients (34%) had sarcopenic obesity. One year after transplant, myosteatosis was associated with higher mortality (hazard ratio of 3.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.00-11.13; P = .049), greater risk of allograft failure (hazard ratio of 4.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.2-13.5; P = .021), and longer hospital and intensive care unit stays compared with those without myosteatosis. All patients with no body composition abnormalities were alive at 1 year compared with 69% with coexisting myosteatosis and sarcopenia. CONCLUSIONS: In our setting, liver transplant recipients with myosteatosis had a higher risk of death and allograft failure at 1 year compared with patients without body composition abnormalities.

Rectal Perforation following High-Pressure Distal Colostogram.

In patients with anorectal malformations and a colostomy, the high-pressure distal colostogram is the technique of choice to determine the type of malformation and thus to plan the surgical repair. Perforations associated with high-pressure distal colostograms are very rare. The aim of our study was to identify pitfalls to prevent perforation secondary to high-pressure distal colostogram. The study included two male patients and was complicated with rectal perforations secondary to high-pressure distal colostogram. Both patients had an imperforate anus without a fistula. One patient had extraperitoneal rectal perforation with progressive contrast spillage into the peritoneum and demised. The other patient developed an extraperitoneal perforation and an associated necrotizing fasciitis of his perineum and scrotum, but he recovered well after debridement. Two further cases of rectal perforation have been described in the literature. Rectal perforation, although rare, is a described life-threatening complication secondary to high-pressure distal colostogram. The cause is excessive contrast pressure. Injection of contrast should be stopped once the distal end of the colon has a convex shape. Intraperitoneal perforation may cause hypovolemic/septic shock, and patients need to be appropriately resuscitated and should undergo laparotomy. Extraperitoneal perforation requires close monitoring for possible local complications, which may necessitate early debridement.

A Case of Intraparenchymal Pseudoaneurysms in Kidney Allograft.

BACKGROUND Percutaneous needle biopsy is routinely performed for renal allograft management. Vascular complications of the procedure include pseudoaneurysm and arterio-venous fistulae formation. Delayed diagnosis of these complications is due to their mostly asymptomatic and indolent nature. CASE REPORT We present a case of extensive intraparenchymal pseudoaneurysm formation within the inferior pole of the allograft, diagnosed two years following the most recent biopsy procedure. CONCLUSIONS Renal pseudoaneurysms may only be diagnosed years after their formation as they are typically asymptomatic.