La Radiologia medica
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La Radiologia medica · Oct 2009
Comparative StudyContrast-enhanced ultrasonography in blunt abdominal trauma: considerations after 5 years of experience.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic capability of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in a large series of patients with blunt abdominal trauma. ⋯ Our study showed that CEUS is an accurate technique for evaluating traumatic lesions of solid abdominal organs. The technique is able to detect active bleeding and vascular lesions, avoids exposure to ionising radiation and is useful for monitoring patients undergoing conservative treatment.
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La Radiologia medica · Oct 2009
ReviewClinical application of lung ultrasound in patients with acute dyspnea: differential diagnosis between cardiogenic and pulmonary causes.
This review discusses the usefulness of bedside lung ultrasound in the diagnostic distinction between the various causes of acute dyspnoea in the emergency department, with special attention to the differential diagnosis of pulmonary oedema and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This is made possible by using mid- to low-end scanners and simple acquisition techniques accessible to both radiologists and clinicians. Major advantages include ready availability at the bedside, the absence of ionising radiation, high reproducibility and cost efficiency. ⋯ These artefacts are caused by the interaction of water-rich structures and air, called comet tails or B-lines. When such artefacts are widely detected on anterolateral transthoracic lung scans, diffuse alveolar-interstitial syndrome can be diagnosed, which is often a sign of acute pulmonary oedema. This condition rules out exacerbation of COPD as the main cause of acute dyspnoea.