Eui Yong Jeon

Diagnostic Performance of CT in the Detection of Intestinal Ischemia Associated With Small-Bowel Obstruction Using Maximal Attenuation of Region of Interest

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of CT in the detection of intestinal ischemia associated with small-bowel obstruction using the maximal attenuation of a region of interest (ROI). MATERIALS AND METHODS Abdominal CT scans of 60 patients with small-bowel obstruction were retrospectively reviewed. The reference standard of the clinicopathologic groups was classified into four categories: no bowel necrosis, mucosal-submucosal necrosis, superficial muscle necrosis, and transmural necrosis. The viability of the small bowel on CT was evaluated by visual assessment using five categories (i.e., definitely intestinal ischemia, probably intestinal ischemia, possibly intestinal ischemia, equivocal CT results, and no intestinal ischemia) and by measurement of the maximal attenuation of an ROI at selected obstructed small-bowel loops on contrast-enhanced and unenhanced CT scans. Diagnostic performances were evaluated by one-way analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy of visual assessment for intestinal ischemia were 91.7% (33/36), 66.7% (16/24), 80.5% (33/41), 84.2% (16/19), and 81.7% (49/60), respectively. The maximal attenuation of the ROIs on contrast-enhanced CT and the subtraction value between the maximal attenuation on contrast-enhanced CT and that on unenhanced CT scans at selected bowel were significantly different according to clinicopathologic group (p < 0.001). The area under the ROC curve of the maximal attenuation subtraction values between contrast-enhanced and unenhanced CT scans (0.995) was higher than that of visual assessment (0.908) for the detection of intestinal ischemia. CONCLUSION The quantification of bowel wall enhancement using the maximal attenuation of an ROI was a reliable and useful method for the diagnosis of intestinal ischemia and showed good correlation with pathology results.

CT evaluation of local leakage of bone cement after percutaneous kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty

Background: Percutaneous injection of bone cement (acrylic cement) during percutaneous kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty can cause symptomatic or asymptomatic complications due to leakage, extravasation or vascular migration of cement. Purpose: To investigate and to compare the incidence and site of local leakage or complications of bone cement after percutaneous kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty using bone cement. Material and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 473 cases of percutaneous kyphoplasty or vertebroplasty performed under fluoroscopic guidance. Of the 473 cases, follow-up CT scans that covered the treated bones were available for 83 cases (59 kyphoplasty and 24 vertebroplasty). Results: The rate of local leakage of bone cement was 87.5% (21/24) for percutaneous vertebroplasty and 49.2% (29/59) for kyphoplasty. The most common site of local leakage was perivertebral soft tissue (n=8, 38.1%) for vertebroplasty. The most common site of local leakage was a perivertebral vein (n=7, 24.1%) for kyphoplasty. Two cases of pulmonary cement embolism developed: one case after kyphoplasty and one case after vertebroplasty. Conclusion: Local leakage of bone cement was more common for percutaneous vertebroplasty compared with kyphoplasty (P<0.005). The most common sites of local leakage were perivertebral soft tissue and perivertebral vein.

Coronary to Bronchial Artery Fistula Causing Massive Hemoptysis in Patients with Longstanding Pulmonary Tuberculosis

We report on three cases of longstanding pulmonary tuberculosis patients with coronary to bronchial artery fistula (CBF) who presented with recurrent massive hemoptysis. The first and second patients died because of decreased functional pulmonary volume plus massive hemoptysis and cannulation failure of CBF due to hypovolemic vasospasm, respectively. When recurrent hemoptysis occurs despite successful embolization treatment, CBF should be considered as a potential bleeding source. Moreover, a coronary angiography should be performed, especially in patients with longstanding cardiopulmonary disease such as pulmonary tuberculosis.

Lymphoma Involving the Ulnar Nerve Sonographic Findings

We report a case of a 70-year-old man with lymphoma of the ulnar nerve that presented as a palpable mass on his left forearm and wrist. He had a history of oral lymphoma with complete remission after chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The lesion appeared sonographically as a hypoechoic mass mimicking a cyst encasing the ulnar nerve. However, the mass showed vascularity on color Doppler sonography. Lymphoma involving the peripheral nervous system is very rare. 1 To the best of our knowledge, there has been no report of sonographic findings that describe lymphoma involving the peripheral nerves. In this report, we describe the sonographic features of a case involving lymphoma of the ulnar nerve and correlate sonography with magnetic resonance image, positron emission tomography/computed tomography, and histopathologic examination.

Cavo-caval intervention stent insertion after deceased-donor liver transplantation using side-to-side piggyback technique: report of a case

Liver transplantation with preservation of the recipient vena cava (piggyback technique) has been performed as an alternative to the conventional method. Outflow disturbance or obstruction of the vena cava in the early period after liver transplantation is associated with high morbidity and mortality. We used side-to-side cavo-caval anastomosis (modified piggyback technique) in a deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT) for venous outflow reconstruction. On postoperative day 9, the patient developed abdominal discomfort, and abnormal liver function showing serum total bilirubin of 6.2 mg/dl and serum AST/ALT of 297/597 IU/L. Doppler ultrasound showed mono-phasic wave forms of the hepatic vein. Computed tomography showed focal narrowing of 9.5 mm×12 mm in diameter at the cavo-caval anastomosis site. Liver biopsy was showed that there was no evidence of acute allograft rejection. Direct venogram showed stenosis of the cavo-caval anastomosis with a pressure gradient of 12 mmHg. An interventional stent was inserted in the stenotic site of the inferior vena cava, and the pressure gradient decreased to 2 mmHg. He was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 23 without any other complications. Herein we report a case of deceased-donor liver transplantation using the modified piggyback technique, who received an inferior vena cava stent due to stricture of the reconstructed orifice of the vena cava.