1/43. Arterial imaging.angioscopy, magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography, and nuclear medicine are assuming an increasingly important role in arterial imaging. This review discusses recent advances in these modalities. angioscopy has proven valuable in monitoring intraoperative surgical procedures as well as percutaneous interventions. Carotid artery magnetic resonance angiography is gaining increasing acceptance in clinical practice. magnetic resonance angiography of the peripheral arteries is limited by spatial resolution and signal loss distal to the stenosis. The role of computed tomography in limiting the number of aortograms performed in evaluating aortic laceration remains controversial; however, several recent papers indicate its usefulness in evaluating clinically stable patients with abnormal chest radiographs. Computed tomography of abdominal aortic aneurysms may obviate the need for preoperative aortography in the majority of cases. Nuclear imaging for deep venous thrombosis using 111In-labeled antifibrin monoclonal antibodies was shown highly sensitive in its initial report.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/43. Respiratory distress due to tracheal compression by the dilated innominate artery.The case reported is of an 88 yr old female with hypertension and respiratory distress. A chest radiograph revealed a widening of the upper mediastinum. Computed tomographic scanning revealed tracheal compression by the innominate artery, which was elongated and curved. After intubation, she was treated with antihypertensive drugs. This resulted in the remarkable recovery of the patient from respiratory distress. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first reported case of respiratory distress owing to tracheal compression by elongation and curvature of the innominate artery.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/43. Crushed stents in benign left brachiocephalic vein stenoses.Two hemodialysis patients presenting with left venous arm congestion due to benign catheter-induced stenosis of the left brachiocephalic vein were treated by angioplasty and stent placement. External compression of the stents was responsible for rapid recurrence of the symptoms. No osseous or vascular malformation could be identified. Mechanical constraints induced by respiratory chest wall motion and aortic arch flow-related pulsation are proposed to explain this observation. This potential hazard should be considered when stent placement into the left brachiocephalic vein is advocated.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/43. Intermittent brachiocephalic vein obstruction secondary to a thymic cyst.Mediastinal thymic cysts are usually asymptomatic and found incidentally on a routine chest roentgenogram. Rarely, they may cause symptoms of vascular obstruction. A 55-year-old woman presented with intermittent swelling in her left neck. The swelling was positional and was worse while supine and disappeared while upright. Evaluation revealed a thymic cyst causing extrinsic compression of the left brachiocephalic vein. The cyst was resected with complete resolution of the left neck swelling.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/43. Portal venous calcifications 20 years after portosystemic shunting: demonstration by spiral CT with CT angiography and 3D reconstructions.BACKGROUND: Evaluation of the value of spiral computed tomography (SCT), and postprocessing procedures in patients with extensive portal venous calcifications 20 years after portosystemic shunting was performed. methods: In two patients spiral CT (SCT) examinations of the abdomen (slice thickness 3 mm, table feed 6 mm/s) were performed prior and after application of 150 ml of contrast material administered at a flow rate of 4 ml/s. Axial images were reconstructed at 2 mm increments for postprocessing procedures and 6 mm increments for axial source images. Postprocessing was performed with a maximum intensity projection (MIP) and shaded surface display (SSD) imaging program. RESULTS: In both cases preoperative plain film radiography of the chest and abdomen showed large curvilinear calcifications located at the upper quadrant of the abdomen. The calcifications were directed along the expected axis and position of the portal vein and the portosystemic venous anastomosis. Axial CT slices and CTA showed that the calcifications were located in the vessel wall and that the portal vein lumen as well as the portosystemic venous anastomosis were patent. CONCLUSION: Long-standing portal hypertension is capable of causing portal venous calcifications due to mechanical stress to the vessel wall even years after performing portosystemic shunting. Typically, the calcifications are directed along the expected axis and position of the portal vein. SCT of the portal venous system is a reliable method to differentiate between calcifications in a thrombus or in the vessel wall, which may have therapeutic significance.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/43. Recurrent deep venous thrombosis caused by congenital interruption of the inferior vena cava and heterozygous factor v Leiden mutation.A case of a 44-year-old patient with recurrent deep venous thrombosis (DVT) caused by congenital dysgenesis of the inferior vena cava (IVC) in coincidence with heterozygous factor v Leiden mutation is presented. The IVC malformation was a fortuitous finding because the vascular malformation of the collateral draining thoracic veins were suspected to be a malignant mass in chest X-ray. This vascular abnormality is a rare finding but recent epidemiological research suggests that there may be an association between the congenital absence of the IVC and DVT. In our case, the patient is even at higher risk combining the malformation probably affecting venous blood flow and the hypercoagulabilic state by heterozygous presence of the factor v Leidenmutation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/43. Localized venous plexi in the spine simulating prolapse of an intervertebral disc: a report of six cases.STUDY DESIGN: Six cases are reported in which the clinical presentation of a prolapsed intervertebral disc was found to be caused by a localized venous plexus. OBJECTIVES: To emphasize the fact that the clinical presentation of a localized plexus of epidural veins in the lumbar spine can resemble that of an acute disc prolapse. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The finding of enlarged epidural veins during lumbar disc decompression is relatively common, but it is only recently that they have been implicated as the cause of the presenting symptoms. methods AND RESULTS: Six individuals presented with severe pain in the lower back accompanied by sciatica, which had begun acutely. physical examination in most of these patients showed the presence of neurologic signs in the affected leg. The initial clinical assessment was that of an acute prolapse of a lumbar disc. This diagnosis appeared to be borne out by the MRI scans, which demonstrated a "prolapsed disc" at the relevant level of the spine. However, at surgery, the intervertebral disc appeared to be relatively normal, but at the spine was found a large, localized plexus of epidural veins whose configuration matched the MRI image. The symptoms were relieved by decompression of the spine and ablation of the veins. CONCLUSIONS: Any pathologic process in the lumbar spine compressing a nerve root can cause localized pain in the back accompanied by sciatica. Most of these conditions can be differentiated by means of an MRI scan. The MRI image of a localized plexus of epidural veins, however, closely resembles that of a prolapsed intervertebral disc, which may be diagnostically misleading.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.2596047282508keywords = plexus (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/43. Reconstruction of bilateral branch pulmonary artery stenosis caused by Takayasu's aortitis.A 63 year-old female presented with dyspnea on exertion. Her chest X-ray showed cardiomegaly, and right ventricular overload and tricuspid regurgitation were detected. Her pulmonary ventilation and blood flow scintigraphy findings were suspicious of pulmonary vascular disease; the diagnosis was pulmonary hypertension and bilateral branch pulmonary artery stenosis. After the inflammation settled, the stenotic bilateral branch pulmonary artery was reconstructed with a prosthetic vessel and the pulmonary pressure normalized immediately. A resected specimen revealed that the stenotic changes were from Takayasu's disease. The patient's postoperative course was uneventful, and pulmonary ventilation and blood scintigraphy returned to an almost normal range. At follow-up 5 years and 6 months after the operation, there was no evidence of pulmonary artery disease (eg, stenosis and/or ischemia) or of any change in the central vessels of the retina, the so-called Takayasu's retinopathy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/43. leiomyosarcoma of the pulmonary hilar vessels.Leiomyosarcomas are uncommon tumors. They have a predilection for deep soft tissues, with a rare group arising in medium-sized or large veins, far less frequently in arteries. We report a case of a 63-year-old man, with an enlarging mass located in the left pulmonary hilar region which was discovered on a routine chest radiograph. Cytology of the sputum and bronchoscopic biopsies did not reveal any malignant cells. Over 5 months observation, there was a clear progression of the mass, and the patient finally underwent a left pneumonectomy which allowed the diagnosis of an intravascular leiomyosarcoma partially destroying major arteries and veins in the hilar region. A review of the literature reveals 67 cases of leiomyosarcoma involving the pulmonary artery. None of these cases had an associated venous pathology. The disease is found mainly in adult women. Clinical diagnosis is very difficult because most of the cases have no specific clinical signs; the major differential diagnosis is that of pulmonary thrombo-embolism. prognosis depends on histological degree of the tumor and extent of the disease, metastases occur mainly in the liver, lung, and brain and less frequently in regional lymph nodes. Treatment is always surgical, chemotherapy is ineffective and the effectiveness of radiotherapy depends on the total dose of irradiation. Sarcomas of hilar blood vessels have a very poor prognosis with a one year survival estimated, from the onset of symptoms, at 20%.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/43. radiation-induced malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the pulmonary artery.We describe a malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of the pulmonary artery. The patient received, 25 years ago, at the age of 43 years, radiation therapy to the chest for squamous-cell carcinoma of the lung. We believe the patient's second tumor was induced by radiation and, to our knowledge, this case represents the first report of radiation-induced MFH of the pulmonary artery. The diagnosis was confirmed by findings from electron microscopy and extensive studies with immunohistochemical stains. We discuss the value of studies with immunohistochemical stains in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of MFH. The presentation of this case underlines that MFH can occur in the pulmonary artery and may be--as is the MFH in other locations--induced by radiation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = chest (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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