Emergency radiology
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Emergency radiology · Jul 2007
Outcomes in 74 patients with an appendicolith who did not undergo surgery: is follow-up imaging necessary?
The objective of this study was to report the clinical outcome of patients with an appendicolith on computed tomography (CT) who did not undergo appendectomy on initial presentation. Reports from 45,901 abdominal CT examinations performed between March 2000-March 2004 containing the words "appendicolith" or "fecalith" were identified. Patients with appendicoliths not initially undergoing appendectomy were followed to assess re-presentation with abdominal pain ultimately requiring appendectomy. ⋯ Twenty-two of 74 (30%) patients were discharged without acute appendicitis but with possible appendiceal symptoms. Five of these 22 (23%) patients returned with pathologically proven acute appendicitis, and all had possible appendiceal symptoms at initial presentation. An appendicolith may be a marker of increased risk for appendicitis but is not an indication for appendectomy.
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Spontaneous hemoperitoneum may be a life-threatening occurrence. It most frequently presents with acute abdominal pain. ⋯ The etiology is varied, yet may be broadly classified into gynecologic, hepatic, splenic, vascular, and coagulopathic causes. This review will describe the common imaging findings of spontaneous hemoperitoneum, as it presents through the emergency room, and will detail the underlying causes and significance of spontaneous hemoperitoneum.
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Emergency radiology · Jun 2007
ReviewMR imaging findings of pyogenic bacterial myositis (pyomyositis) in patients with local muscle trauma: illustrative cases.
Pyogenic myositis (pyomyositis) represents a bacterial infection of muscle, usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus that is endemic in tropical regions. Pyomyositis commonly affects patients who are immunocompromised or who have underlying chronic disorders. Lower extremity localization of infection is typical. ⋯ In view of the high associated morbidity, early imaging to detect, localize, and define disease extent is important. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a key role in the definitive diagnosis of pyomyositis. This article provides a pictorial illustration of the spectrum of MRI findings associated with pyogenic myositis.
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Emergency radiology · Jun 2007
Case ReportsMulti-detector computed tomography demonstrates smoke inhalation injury at early stage.
A multitrauma victim was transported to our trauma centre. Smoke inhalation injury was suspected based on trauma history and clinical examination. The first trauma computer tomography (CT) obtained 2.8 h after the injury revealed subtle ground-glass opacifications with mainly peribronchial distribution and patchy peribronchial consolidations centrally in the left lung. ⋯ This paper shows that lesions typical to smoke inhalation injury appear much earlier than previously reported. Whether assessment of smoke inhalation injury severity using CT could clinically benefit patients is controversial and still requires further research. Multi-detector computed tomography is readily available in trauma centres and to simply neglect its potential as a diagnostic tool in some inhalation injury would be unwise.
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A wide variety of imaging findings can be seen in the setting of acute head trauma. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the major computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings of various types of traumatic head injuries with the intent of providing the reader with a means to diagnose these lesions quickly and accurately.