Klaus Loureiro Irion

Clinical course of postinfectious bronchiolitis obliterans.

We performed a prospective observational study to define the clinical course and the prognostic factors of 31 patients with postinfectious bronchiolitis obliterans. All patients presented with an episode of acute bronchiolitis in the first 2 years of life, and respiratory symptoms and signs persisted since then. Other diseases which may cause chronic airflow obstruction were excluded. The patients were followed after their inclusion in the study and the clinical findings were recorded in a standardized questionnaire and form. Repeated chest radiographs and lung perfusion scans were obtained in all 31 patients and semiannual spirometry was performed in 8 older patients. Eight patients had lung biospies.

Mounier-Kuhn syndrome

Mounier-Kuhn syndrome, or tracheobronchomegaly, is a rare clinical entity characterized by abnormal dilation of the trachea and main bronchi. The diagnosis can usually be made by measuring the tracheal diameter. We report the case of a 40-year-old black man with refractory lower respiratory tract infection. Tracheobronchomegaly was confirmed through computed tomography.

Consenso Brasileiro sobre a Terminologia dos Descritores de Tomografia Computadorizada do Tórax

JORGE L PEREIRA-SILVA PRESIDENTE Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia. JORGE KAVAKAMA VICE-PRESIDENTE Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. MÁRIO TERRA FILHO SECRETÁRIO Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. NELSON DA S. PORTO PRESIDENTE DE HONRA Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. ARTHUR SOARES SOUZA JÚNIOR Faculdade de Medicina de São José do Rio Preto. EDSON MARCHIORI Universidade Federal Fluminense. CÉSAR DE ARAÚJO NETO Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal da Bahia. MARCELO CHAVES Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. KLAUS L. IRION Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. DANY JASINOVODOLINSK Universidade Federal de São Paulo. PEDRO DALTRO Clínica de Diagnóstico por Imagem do Centro Médico Barrashopping. LUIZ FELIPE NOBRE Faculdade de Medicina de Santa Catarina. MARCELO FUNARI Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo. DANTE L. ESCUISSATO Universidade Federal do Paraná.

Edema pulmonar hidrostático: aspectos na tomografia computadorizada de alta resolução

Objective: This study aimed to use high-resolution computed tomography scans of the chest to characterize the principal alterations occurring in cases of hydrostatic pulmonary edema. Methods: A retrospective analysis was made of the tomography scans of 15 patients presenting clinical profiles of hydrostatic pulmonary edema. The cases were divided into five groups by etiology: congestive heart failure (n = 7); acute mitral valve disease (n = 2); acute myocardial infarction (n = 2); myocarditis (n = 2); and fibrosing mediastinitis (n = 2). Results: The principal findings in the cases of hydrostatic pulmonary edema were ground-glass opacities (in 100%), interlobular septal thickening (in 100%), pleural effusion (in 87%) and peribronchovascular interstitial thickening (in 80%). Other, less common, findings were increased blood vessel diameter, consolidations and air-space nodules. Conclusion: The predominant pattern found in the patients studied was that of ground-glass opacities accompanied by interlobular septal thickening (mosaic attenuation pattern) and bilateral (predominantly right-sided) pleural effusion.

Clubbed fingers: radiological evaluation of the nail bed thickness.

It is established that there is an increase in soft tissue of the clubbed digits as demonstrated on previous histopathological examinations. In the present study, the nail bed thickness was assessed and measured on plain radiographs of index fingers in two groups of patients: one group with lung disease and fingers clubbing and one group of normal controls. A vertical x‐ray beam was used with a focus‐film distance of 1.0 m, with the index finger placed in lateral view directly over the film, without anti‐diffusion grid. Three investigators, blinded to prevent bias measured the thickness of soft tissues between the nail root and the terminal phalanx on the radiographs. This method was used to evaluate a group of 85 clinically clubbed (hyponychial angle > 192.0°) adult patients with lung disease and a control group of a 100 normal adult individuals with no clubbing (hyponychial angle < 188.0°). The mean nail bed thickness in the patients with clubbing (n = 85) was 3.88 ± 0.55 mm (3.00–5.50 mm). In comparison, in the normal subjects (n = 100), the mean was 2.38 ± 0.27 mm (1.75–3.10 mm), revealing a significant difference (P < 0.001). Only two normal individuals presented nail bed thickness ≥3.0 mm. A good interobserver agreement on the measurements was found (P > 0.900). The radiographic evaluation of the nail bed thickness was easily performed, with good interobserver concordance. It is possible to distinguish between clubbed from nonclubbed fingers, in vivo, using plain radiograph. Clin. Anat. 21:314–318, 2008.

Fibrose pulmonar idiopática: características clínicas e sobrevida em 132 pacientes com comprovação histológica *

In order to evaluate the clinical findings and survival of pulmonary idiopathic fibrosis patients, 132 cases with histologically-proven biopsy were studied, coming from Pavilhao Pereira Filho Hospital, from 1970 to 1996. The diagnosis was made in 120 patients by open lung biopsy and in 12 cases by transbronchial lung biopsy. The average age was 56 years; 78 were male and only 6 were black. Smoking was observed in 61 cases. Mean duration of symptoms before diagnosis was 22.7 months. Digital clubbing was present in 75 patients and teleinspiratory crackles in 100. Dyspnea was observed in all but two patients and cough was present in 89 cases. Lung function test values were: FVC, 62%; FEV1, 70%; DLCO, 43.4%; TLC, 76.7%; PaO2, 67.3 mmHg; PaCO2, 39.1 mmHg and SaO2, 92.3%. Bronchoalveolar cellularity values were: macrophages, 83.8%; neutrophils, 9.1%; lymphocytes, 6.1% and eosinophils, 0.6%. In X-ray, honeycombing was present in 79 cases, reduced total lung capacity in 107 and intrathoracic tracheal widening in 50. In CT, the mean reticular pattern profusion was 42.3% and the mean granular pattern profusion was 43.6%. The usual histologic pattern was found in 128 cases, and the descamative pattern in only 4. Information about survival was found in 121 cases until December 1997. The mean survival rate of all patients was 28 months and for dead patients was 24 months. Patient characteristics in this study were associated with advanced stage of disease, which was confirmed by small survival rates of those cases. The strong predominance of usual pattern and better patient selection may have contributed to these results.

Coloduodenal Fistula: The Role of MDCT on Diagnosing a Rare Entity

Coloduodenal fistula is a very infrequent complication, which can arise from both benign and malignant diseases. It consists in a pathological communication between the lumen of the colon and duodenum. The onset of signs and symptoms is generally sub-acute, and the majority of the patients will present with a non-specific abdominal pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting [1]. Nevertheless, the clinical presentation may vary significantly - depending on the site of fistulisation - and some cases may never be diagnosed.

Alça da artéria pulmonar: relato de dois casos e revisão da literatura

The authors report two cases of pulmonary artery sling diagnosed by three-dimensional reconstruction of images of the tracheobronchial tree and the esophagus acquired using magnetic resonance imaging or helical computer tomography. The typical clinical findings of this congenital abnormality, which may not be as rare as previously believed, include those related to severe tracheobronchial obstruction, although asymptomatic or mild symptomatic cases have been reported. Early diagnosis of this anomaly is extremely important, since in most cases immediate surgical correction is indicated due to its high lethality. The use of three-dimensional reconstruction allows simultaneous identification of the associated tracheobronchial and cardiovascular malformations, in addition to a clear visualization of the anomaly. Thus, the diagnosis can usually be established non-invasively, avoiding the use of the selective angiocardiography, considered the gold-standard.

Linfangioliomiomatose pulmonar: aspectos na tomografia computadorizada de alta resolução

We reviewed 17 cases of pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis diagnosed by open lung biopsy. All patients were women with a mean age of 39.6 years. Tuberous sclerosis was diagnosed in two cases. The patients were submitted to high-resolution computed tomography that showed diffuse thin walled cystic lesions of less than 60 mm in diameter. Associated pneumothorax was seen in two cases. The main high-resolution computed tomography findings were diffuse, rounded, cystic lesions, generally of less than 20 mm in diameter.