Tasleem Kosar

Giant adrenal myelolipoma: Incidentaloma with a rare incidental association

Adrenal myelolipoma is an unusual, benign and biochemically inactive tumor that is composed of mature adipose and hematopoietic tissue. It is usually diagnosed accidentally and nowadays much more frequently because of widespread use of ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging. Adrenal myelolipoma is usually unilateral and asymptomatic, though known to be associated with obesity, hypertension, endocrinological disorders and some malignancies. We report herein two cases of right-sided giant adrenal myelolipoma diagnosed by multidetector-row CT. One patient was symptomatic because of a large mass in the right upper abdomen, which on imaging with CT was seen to be right adrenal myelolipoma. Another patient had a large left side Bochdalek hernia and right adrenal myelolipoma was incidentally discovered on CT.

MRI of oriental cholangiohepatitis

Oriental cholangiohepatitis (OCH) also called recurrent pyogenic cholangitis is characterized by intrahepatic duct calculi, strictures, and recurrent infections. In turn cholangitis can result in multiple hepatic abscesses, further biliary strictures, and in severe cases, progressive hepatic parenchymal destruction, cirrhosis, and portal hypertension. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) and conventional T1-weighted (T1W) and T2-weighted (T2W) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings have been described in patients with OCH. MRCP findings include duct dilation, strictures, and calculi. MRCP can help to localize the diseased ducts and determine the severity of involvement. T1 and T2W sequences reveal the parenchymal changes of atrophy, abscess formation, and portal hypertension in addition to calculi. Post-treatment changes are also well depicted using MRI. Comprehensive, non-invasive assessment is achieved by using conventional MRI and MRCP in OCH providing a roadmap for endoscopic or surgical management.

Sagittal sinus thrombosis due to L-asparaginase.

Cerebral Sinovenous Thrombosis (CSVT) is a serious complication of L-asparaginase chemotherapy for leukemia in children. Clinical features of headache, altered consciousness, focal neurological deficit, and seizures developing during or immediately after treatment with L-asparaginase should alert the treating physician to the possibility of CSVT. Immediate imaging of the brain should be done using CT and MRI and the veins should be visualized noninvasively by CT and MR venography. We report two children on induction therapy for acute leukemia who presented with seizures, headache, and altered consciousness. Venous infarcts with and without hemorrhage were seen on CT in one patient and the empty delta sign was seen after contrast injection; however, the early changes were missed by CT. MRI detected dural sinus thrombosis relatively earlier in another patient, while the CT findings were equivocal; in this patient, contrast-enhanced MRI showed the empty delta sign and MR venography confirmed absent flow in the superior sagittal sinus, which was diagnostic of sinus thrombosis. Rapid anticoagulation was started with heparin and maintained with warfarin. The child with a unilateral small nonhemorrhagic infarct made a complete recovery while the other, with bilateral hemorrhagic infarcts, did not survive. We stress the importance of early diagnosis of CSVT using CT and MRI in children with leukemia being treated with L-asparaginase; this will permit timely treatment.

Perinephric abscess caused by ruptured retrocecal appendix: MDCT demonstration.

Acute appendicitis may occasionally become extraordinarily complicated and life threatening yet difficult to diagnose. One such presentation is described in a 60-year-old man who was brought to the hospital due to right lumbar pain and fever for the last 15 days. Ultrasonography showed a right perinephric gas and fluid collection. Abdominal computed tomography with multidetector-row CT (MDCT) revealed gas-containing abscess in the right retroperitoneal region involving the perinephric space, extending from the lower pole of the right kidney up to the bare area of the liver. Inflamed retrocecal appendix was seen on thick multiplanar reformat images with its tip at the lower extent of the abscess. Laparotomy and retroperitoneal exploration were performed immediately and a large volume of foul smelling pus was drained. A ruptured retrocecal appendix was confirmed as the cause of the abscess.

Hemobilia in a child due to right hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm: multidetector-row computed tomography demonstration.

We present a case of a 12-year-old boy who developed upper gastrointestinal bleeding in the form of hematemesis and melena 1 month after blunt trauma to liver. Computed tomography (CT) angiography with multidetector-row CT demonstrated pseudoaneurysm of right hepatic artery related to old liver laceration to be the cause of the bleeding. Pseudoaneurysm was resected using the roadmap provided by CT angiography findings.

Klebsiella brain abscess in a neonate

Klebsiella pneumoniae is rarely associated with neonatal cerebral abscess. A case of Klebsiella brain abscess in a neonate is described. Diagnosis of abscess was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound-guided aspiration.

Subcutaneous emphysema due to bronchial foreign body demonstrated by multidetector-row computed tomography

Foreign body aspiration is an important cause of emergency hospital admissions in young children less than 3 years of age. It may manifest with acute respiratory difficulty, choking and wheeze acutely or may be asymptomatic. Surgical emphysema is an unusual presentation of bronchial foreign body aspiration in young children. We describe an infant with bronchial foreign body aspiration that manifested with subcutaneous emphysema and pneumomediastinum. Multidetector-row CT with virtual bronchoscopy helped in the diagnosis by detecting and localizing the intraluminal foreign body in the right main bronchus that was removed with rigid bronchoscopy.

Perinephric Fluid Collections Due to Renal Lymphangiectasia

Fluid collections around the kidneys on cross-sectional imaging may be caused by urine, blood, pus, lymph, or plasma. Ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can not only show and characterize the fluid, but also may help determine the underlying cause of the perinephric fluid collection, such as ureteric obstruction, kidney injury, infection, or renal lymphangiectasia. Renal lymphangiectasia is characterized by abnormal and ectatic lymphatic vessels within and around the kidneys. Dilated lymphatics may result in peripelvic cysts (intrarenal lymphangiectasia) and perinephric fluid collections (extrarenal lymphangiectasia), which can be visualized using US, CT, and MRI. Proper diagnosis on imaging helps in planning a conservative management approach to this benign condition, which requires intervention for only significant symptoms or complications. We describe a 60-year-old man with normal kidney function and bilateral perinephric fluid collections in whom renal lymphangiectasia was diagnosed noninvasively on the basis of characteristic findings on US, CT, and MRI.

Pseudoaneurysm of internal mammary artery caused by pulmonary actinomycosis.

Although internal mammary artery pseudoaneurysms are a rare vascular abnormality, they are sometimes seen after sternotomy, diagnostic and therapeutic vascular access or penetrating chest trauma. To our knowledge, internal mammary artery pseudoaneurysm caused by pulmonary actinomycosis has not been reported previously. We report a case of pseudoaneurysm of the left internal mammary artery caused by pulmonary actinomycosis. A 50-year-old woman initially presented with clinical and radiological features of pneumonia, for which she was treated empirically with antibiotics. Later, she developed haemoptysis along with pain and swelling in the left upper chest wall. Multidetector CT (MDCT) with CT angiography showed a cavitating mass in the left upper lobe of the lung that infiltrated into the chest wall and a pseudoaneurysm of the left internal mammary artery. Imaging suggested that the lung mass resulted from pulmonary actinomycosis, which was confirmed by the histopathology of a fine-needle aspiration specimen.

Optochiasmatic tuberculomas: a vision-threatening paradoxical response in tuberculous meningitis.

The single main cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide is tuberculosis, which is more prevalent in developing countries. Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is a severe form of TB in which morbidity and mortality depend upon the stage of presentation. Intracranial brain parenchymal tuberculomas may form paradoxically, days to months after starting antituberculous drug therapy. Tuberculomas may develop in and around he optic chiasm and optic nerves after institution of antituberculous treatment as a quite rare occurrence in TBM; this may lead to severe visual loss if not treated properly. We describe a 56-year-old man with documented TBM being treated with first line antituberculous drugs who developed visual impairment 2 months after starting the treatment. MRI after gadolinium administration revealed multiple perichiasmatic and a few parenchymal ring enhancing lesions due to tuberculomas. The patient was treated with corticosteroids and antituberculous therapy was continued after which he recovered his vision gradually. Visual impairment developing in a patient on treatment with antituberculous drugs should give rise to a suspicion of rare optochiasmatic tuberculomas; this necessitates urgent contrast-enhanced MRI of the brain and prompt treatment with steroids.