Clinical imaging
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We present the case of a 31-year-old man who presented with acute chest pain. Computed tomography scan showed a mediastinal mass engulfing right main-stem bronchus and another mass surrounding descending aorta. ⋯ He was diagnosed with idiopathic fibrosing mediastinitis, started on prednisone and tamoxifen treatment, and monitored with serial PET scans. Nine months after treatment initiation, paraaortic abnormality had resolved and mediastinal mass had regressed.
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Comparative Study
Diagnostic value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: differentiation of benign and malignant lymph nodes in different regions of the body.
To evaluate the value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging compared with conventional magnetic resonance imaging (C-MRI) for the differentiation of benign from malignant lymph nodes in different regions of the body. ⋯ C-MRI alone remained superior to diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and combination C-MRI and DWI for differentiating malignant from benign lymph nodes; however, DWI and ADC calculation may play a role in lymph node characterization.
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The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of incidental focal uptake of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) on positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the parotid glands of cancer patients. A retrospective review of 7,252 oncologic PET/CT studies was done. FDG positive parotid incidentalomas occurred in 0.4% of PET/CT scans, of which only 4% were malignant. PET/CT was unable to differentiate benign from malignant parotid lesions based on SUVmax alone. (18)F-FDG positive parotid incidentalomas can be managed conservatively, however patients with a prior history of lymphoma had a much higher risk of parotid malignancy and require further investigation.
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Abdominal pain is a common complaint in the emergency department and accurate diagnosis of its etiology may affect the patient's outcome. ⋯ Bedside ultrasound can accurately identify the etiology of acute nontraumatic abdominal pain in the hands of emergency physicians.