Asymptomatic Bartholin Cyst: Evaluation With Multidetector Row Computed Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the frequency, morphology, and attenuation characteristics of Bartholin cysts on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in asymptomatic women. METHODS: A total of 3280 consecutive MDCT examinations were assessed for Bartholin cysts. The diagnosis was based on shape, contrast enhancement, and anatomical location. Age, laterality, size, and attenuation patterns were recorded. Scans from patients with paravaginal-related symptoms were excluded, and any available follow-up MDCT scans or magnetic resonance images were evaluated. RESULTS: Asymptomatic Bartholin cysts were seen in 17 patients (0.52%) (mean age, 56 years). The mean maximum cyst diameter was 21.8 mm. High-attenuation cysts comprised 47% of cases, all in older (≥50 years) patients. Follow-up MDCT scans showed minimal changes over time. CONCLUSIONS: High-attenuation Bartholin cysts are more common than previously thought and are usually seen in older women. The size and attenuation of Bartholin cysts show only minimal changes over time.

Anomalous isolated segmental pulmonary vein dilatation detected by computerized tomography of the chest.

This report presents findings detected on computerized tomography of the chest in three patients with dilatation of a segmental pulmonary vein and its branches. Each patient had dilatation of an isolated segmental pulmonary vein and its branches with a normal distribution, and no associated cardiovascular anomalies; in two patients, ground glass opacity corresponding to the distribution of the dilated pulmonary veins was observed. The CT features are consistent with a rare subtype of congenital pulmonary varix.

The augmented expression of the cytidine deaminase gene by 5-azacytidine predicts therapeutic efficacy in myelodysplastic syndromes.

5-Azacytidine (5AC), a hypomethylating agent, is clinically used for the treatment of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Cytidine deaminase (CDA) is a key enzyme in the detoxification of 5AC. We investigated whether the CDA expression could predict response to 5AC in MDS. Among leukemia-derived cell lines, MDS-L, an MDS-derived cell line with a relatively low CDA expression level, was found to be the most sensitive to 5AC. Combination with tetrahydrouridine, an inhibitor of CDA, synergistically potentiated the cytotoxic effect of 5AC. Treatment with 5AC markedly enhanced the expression level of CDA mRNA and showed demethylation at CpG sites in the 5'-flanking region of the CDA gene. We further compared the protein expression levels of CDA in matched clinical samples before and after treatment with 5AC in bone marrow cells from 8 MDS patients by an immunohistochemical analysis. The CDA expression level showed an approximately 2- to 3-fold increase after 5AC treatment in 3 of these cases, and these three patients with relatively higher CDA expression levels after 5AC treatment all showed better clinical responses to 5AC. In contrast, the 5 remaining patients, whose CDA expression showed no augmentation, observed no clinical benefit. Taken together, the optimized determination of the CDA expression levels before and after 5AC treatment, and the methylation status at CpG sites of 5'-flanking region of the CDA gene, may contribute to the development of precise 5AC therapy for MDS.

Contour variations of the body and tail of the pancreas: evaluation with MDCT.

PURPOSE: To analyze morphology/contour variations of the pancreatic body and tail in subjects free of pancreatic disease. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed triple-phase, contrast-enhanced multi-detector row computed tomography (3P-CE-MDCT) examinations of 449 patients who had no clinical or CT evidence of pancreatic diseases. These patients were evaluated for morphologic/contour variations of the pancreatic body and tail, which were classified into two types. In Type I, a portion of normal pancreatic parenchyma protrudes >1 cm in maximum diameter from the body or tail (Ia-anteriorly; Ib-posteriorly). Type II was defined as a morphologic anomaly of the pancreatic tail (IIa-globular; IIb-lobulated; IIc-tapered; IId-bifid). RESULTS: Thirty-eight (8.5%) out of 449 patients had body or tail variations. Of those, 23 patients showed Type I variant: Ia in 21 and Ib in two. Type II variant was identified in 15 patients: IIa in eight, IIb in two, IIc in two and IId in three. Protrusion of the anterior surface of the normal pancreas, especially in the tail, was the most frequently occurring variant. CONCLUSIONS: Recognizing the types and subtypes of morphology/contour variations of the pancreatic body and tail could help prevent misinterpretation of normal variants as pancreatic tumors on unenhanced MDCT.

CT and MR imaging of desmoplastic fibroblastoma.

Desmoplastic fibroblastoma (collagenous fibroma) developing as a slowly enlarging lower abdominal mass is described. The lesion had inhomogeneous low signal intensity (SI) on T1-weighted images, and mixed SI as low SI within high SI on T2-weighted images. On post-contrast T1-weighted images, the mass showed inhomogeneous enhancement. Histologically, the areas showing low SI on both post-contrast T1- and T2-weighted images consisted of dense collagenous components and reduced cellularity compared with the areas showing high SI on them.

Mucin-producing carcinoma of the gallbladder: imaging demonstration in four cases.

We report four cases of mucin-producing carcinoma of the gallbladder (three papillary adenocarcinomas and one mucinous carcinoma), with an emphasis on imaging features. Our findings suggest that when a papillary protrusion or thickened wall, including cystic areas and/or calcifications, is seen radiologically in the enlarged gallbladder, mucin-producing carcinoma of the gallbladder should be included in the differential diagnosis.