Gowthaman Gunabushanam

Small-bowel obstruction after laparoscopic roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to review the etiology and computed tomography (CT) findings of small-bowel obstruction (SBO) in patients who have undergone bariatric laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (LGBP) surgery. Materials and Methods: Prospectively entered data from a surgical database of 835 consecutive patients who underwent antecolic-antegastric LGBP for morbid obesity from June 1999 to April 2005 in a single institution were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 42 cases of bowel obstruction were observed in 41 patients. Surgical proof was available in 38 cases, and 4 cases had characteristic imaging features and/or clinical follow-up. Seventeen CT scans were reviewed to determine cause and level of obstruction, and this was correlated with surgical findings and clinical follow-up. Results: Internal hernia was the most common (13 cases) and also the most frequently missed etiology of SBO on CT scans, with the diagnosis being made prospectively in only 2 of 6 cases, in which CT was done. Adhesions, ventral hernia, postoperative ileus, and jejunojejunal (JJ) anastomotic strictures, in that order, were the other commonly observed etiologies for SBO, with 11, 7, 5, and 4 cases, respectively. Some causes of SBO post-LGBP (JJ anastomotic stricture and postoperative ileus) developed relatively early, whereas others (internal hernia) tended to develop later or had a bimodal distribution (adhesions and ventral hernia). Fifteen (36%) of 42 cases had SBO at or near the level of jejunojejunostomy site; causes included internal hernia (5 cases), adhesions/kinking of small bowel (5 cases), JJ anastomotic stricture (4 cases), and JJ intussusception (1 case). Conclusion: The time interval between LGBP and development of SBO might provide a useful clinical clue to its etiology. The JJ level is an important location for SBO post-LGBP because of a variety of causes, and special attention must be paid to this site at imaging of post-LGBP patients.

Accuracy of Reduced-Dose Computed Tomography for Ureteral Stones in Emergency Department Patients

STUDY OBJECTIVE Reduced-dose computed tomography (CT) scans have been recommended for diagnosis of kidney stone but are rarely used in the emergency department (ED) setting. Test characteristics are incompletely characterized, particularly in obese patients. Our primary outcome is to determine the sensitivity and specificity of a reduced-dose CT protocol for symptomatic ureteral stones, particularly those large enough to require intervention, using a protocol stratified by patient size. METHODS This was a prospective, blinded observational study of 201 patients at an academic medical center. Consenting subjects underwent both regular- and reduced-dose CT, stratified into a high and low body mass index (BMI) protocol based on effective abdominal diameter. Reduced-dose CT scans were interpreted by radiologists blinded to regular-dose interpretations. Follow-up for outcome and intervention was performed at 90 days. RESULTS CT scans with both regular and reduced doses were conducted for 201 patients, with 63% receiving the high BMI reduced-dose protocol. Ureteral stone was identified in 102 patients (50.7%) of those receiving regular-dose CT, with a ureteral stone greater than 5 mm identified in 26 subjects (12.9%). Sensitivity of the reduced-dose CT for any ureteral stone was 90.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 82.3% to 95.0%), with a specificity of 99.0% (95% CI 93.7% to 100.0%). For stones greater than 5 mm, sensitivity was 100% (95% CI 85.0% to 100.0%). Reduced-dose CT identified 96% of patients who required intervention for ureteral stone within 90 days. Mean reduction in size-specific dose estimate was 18.6 milligray (mGy), from 21.7 mGy (SD 9.7) to 3.4 mGy (SD 0.9). CONCLUSION CT with substantial dose reduction was 90.2% (95% CI 82.3% to 95.0%) sensitive and 98.9% (95% CI 85.0% to 100.0%) specific for ureteral stones in ED patients with a wide range of BMIs. Reduced-dose CT was 96.0% (95% CI 80.5% to 99.3%) sensitive for ureteral stones requiring intervention within 90 days.

Mesenteric gastrointestinal stromal tumour presenting as intracranial space occupying lesion

BackgroundGastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) usually present with non-specific gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal mass, pain, anorexia and bowel obstruction.MethodsWe report a case of a 42 year old male who presented with a solitary intracranial space occupying lesion which was established as a metastasis from a mesenteric tumour.ResultsThe patient was initially treated as a metastatic sarcoma, but a lack of response to chemotherapy prompted testing for CD117 which returned positive. A diagnosis of mesenteric GIST presenting as solitary brain metastasis was made, and the patient was treated with imatinib.ConclusionWe recommend that all sarcomas with either an intraabdominal or unknown origin be routinely tested for CD117 to rule out GIST.

Ureteral Stones: Implementation of a Reduced-Dose CT Protocol in Patients in the Emergency Department with Moderate to High Likelihood of Calculi on the Basis of STONE Score

Purpose To determine if a reduced-dose computed tomography (CT) protocol could effectively help to identify patients in the emergency department (ED) with moderate to high likelihood of calculi who would require urologic intervention within 90 days. Materials and Methods The study was approved by the institutional review board and written informed consent with HIPAA authorization was obtained. This was a prospective, single-center study of patients in the ED with moderate to high likelihood of ureteral stone undergoing CT imaging. Objective likelihood of ureteral stone was determined by using the previously derived and validated STONE clinical prediction rule, which includes five elements: sex, timing, origin, nausea, and erythrocytes. All patients with high STONE score (STONE score, 10-13) underwent reduced-dose CT, while those with moderate likelihood of ureteral stone (moderate STONE score, 6-9) underwent reduced-dose CT or standard CT based on clinician discretion. Patients were followed to 90 days after initial imaging for clinical course and for the primary outcome of any intervention. Statistics are primarily descriptive and are reported as percentages, sensitivities, and specificities with 95% confidence intervals. Results There were 264 participants enrolled and 165 reduced-dose CTs performed; of these participants, 108 underwent reduced-dose CT alone with complete follow-up. Overall, 46 of 264 (17.4%) of patients underwent urologic intervention, and 25 of 108 (23.1%) patients who underwent reduced-dose CT underwent a urologic intervention; all were correctly diagnosed on the clinical report of the reduced-dose CT (sensitivity, 100%; 95% confidence interval: 86.7%, 100%). The average dose-length product for all standard-dose CTs was 857 mGy · cm ± 395 compared with 101 mGy · cm ± 39 for all reduced-dose CTs (average dose reduction, 88.2%). There were five interventions for nonurologic causes, three of which were urgent and none of which were missed when reduced-dose CT was performed. Conclusion A CT protocol with over 85% dose reduction can be used in patients with moderate to high likelihood of ureteral stone to safely and effectively identify patients in the ED who will require urologic intervention. (©) RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Imaging of Tuberculosis of the Abdominal Viscera: Beyond the Intestines

There is an increasing incidence of both intra- and extra-thoracic manifestations of tuberculosis, in part due to the AIDS epidemic. Isolated tubercular involvement of the solid abdominal viscera is relatively unusual. Cross-sectional imaging with ultrasound, multidetector computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in the diagnosis and post treatment follow-up of tuberculosis. Specific imaging features of tuberculosis are frequently related to caseous necrosis, which is the hallmark of this disease. However, depending on the type of solid organ involvement, tubercular lesions can mimic a variety of neoplastic and nonneoplastic conditions. Often, cross-sectional imaging alone is insufficient in reaching a conclusive diagnosis, and image-guided tissue sampling is needed. In this article, we review the pathology and cross-sectional imaging features of tubercular involvement of solid abdominopelvic organs with a special emphasis on appropriate differential diagnoses.

Adenocarcinoma of the gall bladder presenting with a cutaneous metastasis

1. O’Brien SG, Guilhot F, Larson RA, Gathmann I, Baccarani M, Cervantes F, et al. Imatinib compared with interferon and lowdose cytarabine for newly diagnosed chronic phase chronic myeloid leukemia. N Engl J Med 2003;348:994–1004. 2. Valeyrie L, Bastuji-Garin S, Revuz J, Bachot N, Wechsler J, Berthaud P, et al. Adverse cutaneous reactions to imatinib (STI-571) in Philadelphia chromosome positive leukemias: a prospective study of 54 patients. J Am Acad Dermatol 2003;48:201–6. 3. Arora B, Kumar L, Sharma, Wadhwa J, Kochupillai V. Pigmentary changes in chronic myeloid leukemia patients treated with imatinib mesylate. Ann Oncol 2004;15:358-9. 4. Schaich M, Schakel K, Illmer T, Ehninger G, Bornhauser M. Severe epidermal necrolysis after treatment with imatinib and consecutive allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Ann Hematol 2003;82:303-4. 5. Schwarz M, Kreuzer KA, Baskaynak G, Dorken B, le Coutre P. Imatinib induces acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis in two patients with chronic myeloid leukemia. Eur J Hematol 2002;69:254–6. 6. Tsao AS, Kantarjian H, Cortes J, O ’ Brien S, Talpaz M. Imatinib mesylate causes hypopigmentation in the skin. Cancer 2003;98:2483–7.

Gliofibroma: a report of three cases and review of literature.

To the EditorGliofibromas are rare central nervous system (CNS)tumors with a mixture of glial and fibroblasticelements. Only 27 cases have been reported(12-supratentorial, 7-infratentorial, 8-spinal cord)[1 5]. Complete excision was curative for mostwhile some progressed despite adjuvant treatment.These tumors do not figure in the World HealthOrganization (WHO) classification of CNS tumors[6]. We report our experience with three casesshowing varied clinical presentation and behavior,thus attempting to extend the spectrum of existingknowledge about these tumors.Case 1An 8-year old male presented with a 2-month historyof headache, vomiting and complete blindness. Hehad earlier undergone gross total excision (GTE) fora right frontotemporal pilocytic astrocytoma and hadbeen asymptomatic for 1 year. Examination revealedno light perception and papilledema. CT headshowed a large temporoparietooccipital tumor withmass effect and midline shift (Figure 1). Adjuvantradiotherapy (RT) (60 Gy over 6 weeks) and che-motherapy (6 cycles of Temozolomide (TMZ)175 mg/m

Complications following vascular procedures in the upper extremities: a sonographic pictorial review.

Abstract The arteries of the upper extremities are increasingly utilized to gain access for angiography, percutaneous coronary interventions, endovascular therapy, and continuous hemodynamic monitoring. Hence, complications after upper-extremity arterial interventions are increasing in incidence. Similarly, the incidence of upper-extremity deep venous thrombosis is increasing as venous access is increasingly achieved with upper-extremity central line placement. Knowledge of the sonographic appearance of these complications is essential as ultrasound is often the only imaging modality used in the evaluation of suspected vascular injury. This pictorial review demonstrates the spectrum of complications observed following vascular procedures in the upper extremities, including thrombosis, hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, and arterial dissection. Gray-scale, color, and pulsed Doppler imaging findings are described, and pertinent management issues, including endovascular and surgical therapies, are briefly discussed.

Abdominal Hemangiomas: A Pictorial Review of Unusual, Atypical, and Rare Types

Hemangiomas are a radiologists dream lesions because they allow a confident diagnosis most of the time. However, within the abdomen, hemangiomas may occur in such atypical locations and can have such unusual features that they cause significant diagnostic dilemma and may end up being excised surgically. The literature is replete with isolated case reports of atypical hemangiomas in the abdominal cavity, and, to our knowledge, so far, there is no comprehensive review. We present, in this article, a pictorial review of a gamut of uncommon hemangiomas and hemangiomatosis syndromes. Knowledge of these rare types can help in limiting diagnostic errors and increase the confidence of radiologists, thus avoiding unnecessary surgeries.

MDCT of abdominopelvic oncologic emergencies

Abstract Acute complications arising in abdominopelvic malignancies represent a unique subset of patients presenting to the emergency room. The acute presentation can be due to complications occurring in the tumor itself or visceral or vascular structures harboring the tumor. Multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is the investigation of choice in the workup of these patients and enables appropriate and timely management. Management of the complication depends primarily on the extent of the underlying malignancy and the involvement of other viscera. The purpose of this article is to depict the imaging features of these complications on MDCT.