Josep M. Mata

Idiopathic azygos vein aneurysm: a rare cause of mediastinal mass

Venous aneurysm of the azygos arch is a very rare cause of mediastinal mass and is usually an incidental finding on chest radiography. Nowadays the diagnosis is made by non-invasive tests such as thoracic CT scanning and/or magnetic resonance imaging. The case is described of an asymptomatic woman in whom a mediastinal mass due to an azygos vein aneurysm was diagnosed by non-invasive procedures, the aetiology of which, in all probability, was idiopathic.

Nodular pattern at lung computed tomography in fat embolism syndrome: a helpful finding.

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to describe the computed tomography (CT) findings in pulmonary fat embolism syndrome (FES). The chest radiographs and CT scans of 5 patients with the diagnosis of FES as determined by the presence of at least 1 major and 4 minor criteria were reviewed. The radiologic features included ground-glass opacities, with different patterns of presentation seen in all patients. Three patients presented with alveolar opacities, and small (<1 cm) ill-defined nodules were seen in 4 of 5 patients. In the context of a patient with previous trauma and the clinical suspicion of FES, the presence of nodules at CT examination may be a helpful finding in the diagnosis of this entity. The chest radiographs and CT scans of 5 patients with the diagnosis of FES as determined by the presence of at least 1 major and 4 minor criteria as defined by Gurd and Wilson were reviewed.

Endobronchial lipoma: CT diagnosis.

Computed tomography was performed in two patients with endobronchial lipomas. Bronchoscopy was inconclusive, but CT provided the definitive diagnosis by demonstrating fat within the endobronchial tumor.

Benign pleural diseases

The pleural space is a potential space under normal physiologic circumstances. It envelops the lung, the mediastinum, the diaphragm and the chest wall. A thin film of pleural fluid provides lubrication for the two pleural layers; only 2-10 ml of pleural fluid is present in healthy people. For the purposes of this review, pleural abnormalities will be divided into pleural effusion, pneumothorax, and pleural calcification.

Imaging findings in pulmonary vasculitis.

Vasculitis is a destructive inflammatory process affecting blood vessels. Pulmonary vasculitis may develop secondary to other conditions or constitute a primary idiopathic disorder. Thoracic involvement is most common in primary idiopathic large-vessel vasculitides (Takayasu arteritis, giant cell arteritis, Behçet disease) and primary antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated small-vessel vasculitides (Wegener granulomatosis, microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome). Primary pulmonary vasculitides are rare, and their signs and symptoms are nonspecific, overlapping with those of infections, connective tissue diseases, and malignancies. The radiologic findings in primary pulmonary vasculitis vary widely and can include vessel wall thickening, nodular or cavitary lesions, ground-glass opacities, and consolidations, among others. Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage usually results from primary small-vessel vasculitis in the lungs. To diagnose vasculitis, medical teams must recognize characteristic combinations of clinical, radiologic, laboratory, and histopathologic features.

Azygos continuation of inferior vena cava associated with an azygos lobe: computed tomography findings.

We describe a rare association of an azygos lobe and azygos continuation of the inferior vena cava, demonstrated by computed tomography (CT) scan.

CT demonstration of intrapulmonary right brachiocephalic vein associated with an azygos lobe

We describe a rare anomaly demonstrated by CT in which the right brachiocephalic vein follows an extramediastinal course in the anterior portion of the azygos fissure.

CT Recognition of Traumatic Herniation of the Stomach: The “Sandwich” Sign

We describe a new sign of traumatic herniation of the stomach. Computed tomography (CT) shows the herniated stomach as two semicircular loops separated by a band of soft-tissue attenuation somewhat resembling a sandwich. This appearance is the axial representation of the herniated stomach.