Dario Picone

Role of virtopsy in the post-mortem diagnosis of drowning

PurposeDue to admitted limits of autopsy-based studies in the diagnosis of drowning, virtopsy is considered the new imaging horizon in these post-mortem studies. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of virtopsy performed through computed tomography (CT) in the forensic diagnosis of drowning.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively examined the CT data of four cadavers recovered from sea water and suspected to have died by drowning. Each patient underwent a full-body post-mortem CT scan, and then a traditional autopsy.ResultsAll the cadavers showed fluid in the airways and patchy ground-glass opacities in the lung. Only one patient had no fluid in the digestive tract; this patient had a left parietal bone fracture with a large gap and other multiple bone fractures (nose, clavicle, first rib and patella). One of the three patients who had fluid in the digestive tract had no fluid in the paranasal sinuses. This latter patient showed cerebral oedema with subarachnoid and intraventricular haemorrhage, multiple bone fractures (orbital floor, ribs, sacrum and acetabular edge) and air in the heart, in the aorta and in bowel loops.ConclusionTo date, there are no autopsy findings pathognomonic of drowning. This study proves that virtopsy is a useful tool in the diagnosis of drowning in that it allows us to understand if the victim was alive or dead when he entered the water and if the cause of death was drowning.

Corrigendum to “Radiological Features of Gastrointestinal Lymphoma”

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2016/2498143.].

Detection of liver metastases in cancer patients with geographic fatty infiltration of the liver: the added value of contrast-enhanced sonography

Purpose The aim of this study is to assess the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in the detection of liver metastases in cancer patients with geographic liver fatty deposition on greyscale ultrasonography (US). Methods Thirty-seven consecutive cancer patients (24 women and 13 men; age, 33 to 80 years; mean, 58.1 years) with geographic liver fatty deposition, but without any detectable focal liver lesion on greyscale US, underwent sulphur hexafluoride-enhanced US. Two readers reported by consensus the presence, size, and location of any detected lesion. All patients underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a confirmatory study. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and accuracy were calculated. Results Seven focal liver lesions (size, 4 to 10 mm; mean, 6.1 mm) were detected in 4/37 patients (10.8%): four metastases (size, 5 to 10 mm; mean, 6.7 mm) were detected both by CEUS and MRI, with one hemangioma and two cysts (size range, 4 to 6 mm; mean, 5.3 mm) detected by MRI only. In 1/37 patients (2.7%), CEUS misdiagnosed geographic fatty change as three metastases. In 32/37 patients (86.5%), no lesions were detected. Sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of CEUS were 100% (95% confidence Interval [CI], 1.000 to 1.000), 97.1% (95% CI, 0.914 to 1.027), 75%, 100%, and 97.3%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found between CEUS and MRI in the detection of focal liver lesions (P=0.480), whereas both of them performed better than baseline US (P<0.001). Conclusion CEUS improves the detection of liver metastases in cancer patients with geographic liver fatty deposition on greyscale US.

Radiological Features of Gastrointestinal Lymphoma

Gastrointestinal lymphomas represent 5–20% of extranodal lymphomas and mainly occur in the stomach and small intestine. Clinical findings are not specific, thus often determining a delay in the diagnosis. Imaging features at conventional and cross-sectional imaging must be known by the radiologist since he/she plays a pivotal role in the diagnosis and disease assessment, thus assisting in the choice of the optimal treatment to patients. This review focuses on the wide variety of imaging presentation of esophageal, gastric, and small and large bowel lymphoma presenting their main imaging appearances at conventional and cross-sectional imaging, mainly focusing on computed tomography and magnetic resonance, helping in the choice of the best imaging technique for the disease characterization and assessment and the recognition of potential complications.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the cirrhotic liver in the era of gadoxetic acid

Gadoxetic acid improves detection and characterization of focal liver lesions in cirrhotic patients and can estimate liver function in patients undergoing liver resection. The purpose of this article is to describe the optimal gadoxetic acid study protocol for the liver, the unique characteristics of gadoxetic acid, the differences between gadoxetic acid and extra-cellular gadolium chelates, and the differences in phases of enhancement between cirrhotic and normal liver using gadoxetic acid. We also discuss how to obtain and recognize an adequate hepatobiliary phase.

Imaging Assessment of Gastroduodenal Perforations

Gastroduodenal perforation is an emergency situation that usually requires early recognition and well-timed surgical treatment. It can arise from different natural, iatrogenic, or traumatic causes, and it can present with various symptoms especially in the early phase. This article reviews the role of the different imaging techniques in the diagnosis of gastroduodenal perforation, focusing on the direct and indirect signs that are encountered in conventional radiography and computed tomography; our personal experience is also provided.

Swallowing disorders after thyroidectomy: What we know and where we are. A systematic review

INTRODUCTION Dysphagia and hoarseness are possible complications that can be observed in patients undergoing thyroidectomy or other neck surgery procedures. These complaints are usually related to superior and inferior laryngeal nerves dysfunction, but these can appear even after uncomplicated surgical procedure. METHODS We reviewed the current literature available on MEDLINE database, concerning the swallowing disorders appearing after the thyroidectomy. The articles included in the review reported pathophysiology and diagnostic concerns. RESULTS Twenty articles were selected for inclusion in the review. Depends on the possible causes of the difficulty swallowing (related to nerve damage or appearing after uncomplicated thyroidectomy), different types of diagnostic procedures could be used to study patient discomfort, as well as intraoperative nerve monitoring, fiber optic laryngoscopy, endoscopy, pH monitoring, esophageal manometry and videofluorography. Among all these procedures, videofluorography is considered the gold standard to evaluate the entire swallowing process, since that allows a real-time study of all the three phases of swallowing: oral phase, pharyngeal phase and esophageal phase. CONCLUSION The diagnostic procedures described can help to identify the mechanisms involved in swallowing disorders, with the aim to choose the best therapeutic option. More studies are needed for understanding the causes of the dysphagia appearing after thyroidectomy.

Comparison of US Strain Elastography and Entero-MRI to Typify the Mesenteric and Bowel Wall Changes during Crohn’s Disease: A Pilot Study

Purpose To evaluate and compare the mesenteric and bowel wall changes during Crohns disease (CD) on ultrasonography (US) Strain Elastography (SE) and Enterography Magnetic Resonance Imaging (E-MRI). Methods From July 2014 to September 2016, 35 patients with ileocolonoscopy diagnosis of CD were prospectively examined with E-MRI and in the same time with US and SE. Results A total of 41 affected bowel segments and 35 unaffected bowel segments in 35 patients were evaluated. US-SE color-scale coding showed a blue color pattern in the fibrotic mesentery and bowel wall in 15 patients and a green color pattern in the edematous ones in 20 patients. The signal of the bowel wall and mesenteric fat was iso/hypointense on T2-weighted sequence in the fibrotic pattern (23/35 and 12/35 patients) and hyperintense in the edematous pattern (12/35 and 23/35 patients). Mean ADC values were, respectively, 2,58 ± 0,33 × 10−3 for the fibrotic mesentery and 2,14 ± 0,28 × 10−3 for edematous one. There was a statistical correlation between US-SE color-scale and T2 signal intensity and between the US-SE color-scale and ADC maps. Conclusions US-SE, ADC, and signal intensity on T2-weighted sequences on MR prove to be useful tools for the evaluation of CD pattern.

Small Bowel Perforations: What the Radiologist Needs to Know

The incidence of small bowel perforation is low but can develop from a variety of causes including Crohn disease, ischemic or bacterial enteritis, diverticulitis, bowel obstruction, volvulus, intussusception, trauma, and ingested foreign bodies. In contrast to gastroduodenal perforation, the amount of extraluminal air in small bowel perforation is small or absent in most cases. This article will illustrate the main aspects of small bowel perforation, focusing on anatomical reasons of radiological findings and in the evaluation of the site of perforation using plain film, ultrasound, and multidetector computed tomography equipments. In particular, the authors highlight the anatomic key notes and the different direct and indirect imaging signs of small bowel perforation.

Extrabiliary and extrapancreatic incidental findings on magnetic resonance cholangio-pancreatography: A single centre experience in 1000 patients

Other anomalies GI tract (9): duodenal pseudonodular lesion (2), colon neoplasm (1), parietal thickness or parietal irregularities of the GI tract (6). Kidney (20): abnormal morphology (3), suspected angiomyolipoma (1), calico-pyelic and ureteral dilation (2), hydronephrosis (7), thickening of the renal fascia (5), cortical thinning (2). Adrenal Gland (6): adenomas (3), adenomatous adrenal hyperplasia (2), undefined lesion (1). Vessels (11): anatomic anomalies (2), venous thrombosis (2), dilatation of arterial or venous blood vessels (6), revascularization of the umbilical vein (1). Bone (1): metastasis (1). Abdomen (22): situs inversus (1), lymphadenopathies (18), thickening of the peritoneal and peripancreatic fat (3).