Ayse Murat

Neurofibroma of the breast in a boy with neurofibromatosis type 1

Neurofibromas occurring in the breast are very rare. A 10-year-old boy with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) presented with a palpable mass on his left breast. US showed a well-defined and hypoechoic solid mass within the subcutaneous fat tissue in the areolar area. Mass was isointense compared to muscle and hypointense compared to fat tissue on TIW and T2W MR images. Excisional biopsy was applied to the mass. The diagnosis of gynecomastia and neurofibroma was made on the basis of histopathological and immunohistochemical findings.

Isolated congenital absence of the pericardium.

Absence of the pericardium can vary from partial to complete absence. Patients with complete absence of the pericardium are either asymptomatic or have nonspecific chest pain, and no treatment is needed. Patients with partial absence of the pericardium are at risk for possible symptomatic herniation of the left atrial appendage or left ventricle, leading to fatal myocardial strangulation. Therefore, it is very important to differentiate partial from complete absence of the pericardium. A 7-year-old girl presented with isolated congenital absence of the pericardium, which generally has a good prognosis. It is a relatively asymptomatic anomaly that usually requires no treatment. Some cases involve complications that require operative treatment. Absence of the pericardium can be precisely defined by computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Bronchial atresia of the right lower lobe

Bronchial atresia (BA) is a rare congenital anomaly that is found incidentally in approximately 50% of cases. It predominantly affects young men and generally produces no symptoms. The other 50% of cases have pulmonary symptoms such as fever, cough, or shortness of breath due to recurrent pulmonary infection or overinflation of the involved lung parenchyma. The most common site is the left upper lobe, particularly of the apical-posterior segment. The right lower and middle lobes are affected in only 8% of cases. The radiographic features may be highly suggestive of the diagnosis. The mucus-filled bronchus is seen as a rounded, branching opacity emanating from the hilum and is surrounded by an area of increased hyper-translucency. We report an unusual presentation of BA in a 43-year-old woman with a history of recurrent pulmonary infection and dyspnea. The patient was found to have BA in all the basal segments of the lower lobe of the right lung.

Re‐expansion pulmonary edema:

Re‐expansion pulmonary edema (REPE) is an uncommon complication following re‐expansion of the lung as treatment of conditions such as hemopneumothorax, large pleural effusion, and after lobectomy, pneumothorax, or even during single‐lung ventilation. The majority of REPE complications are associated with treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. The etiology of REPE remains speculative, although it is thought to be caused by increased pulmonary capillary permeability. Risk factors, including young age, a large pneumothorax, and long duration of collapse, may help predict the patients that might encounter this complication.

Meningoencephalitis due to anthrax: CT and MR findings.

Anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivores, but it also causes cutaneous, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections in humans. Bacillus anthracis is an uncommon cause of meningitis and generally produces a haemorrhagic meningoencephalitis. We present the CT and MR findings of anthrax meningoencephalitis due to the cutaneous form of anthrax in a 12-year-old boy. They showed focal intracerebral haemorrhage with leptomeningeal enhancement.