Thoracic sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a multisystemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology. It mainly affects the thoracic lymph nodes and the lungs. The staging of sarcoidosis, which classifies patients according to their probability of spontaneous remission, is based on the plain chest film findings. Plain chest films are not as sensitive as high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) at detecting involvement of the lymph nodes, lungs, or bronchi. The high resolution CT findings can be typical, practically pathognomic, or atypical. High resolution CT provides information about the activity of the disease and detects incipient signs of fibrosis and other complications. To reach the diagnosis, it is necessary to correlate the clinical and radiological findings (and often the histological findings). Cardiac involvement can cause sudden death. The diagnosis of cardiac involvement is difficult; it is based on various imaging tests, like magnetic resonance imaging, which is more specific, and positron emission tomography. Diagnostic confirmation by endomyocardial biopsy is obtained in few patients.     

艾滋病合并卡氏肺孢子虫肺炎的影像分析

目的分析艾滋病（AIDS）合并卡氏肺孢子虫肺炎（PCP）的X线和CT表现特点。方法本组6例经证实的AIDS合并PCP,胸部X线检查6例,CT扫描4例。结果典型表现为双侧肺门周旁及中、下肺野呈弥漫性网状影,部分渗出性病变可相互融合成斑片状阴影或呈磨玻璃样改变。少见表现有胸腔积液、气胸等。结论临床症状明显并且HIV抗体检测阳性者,结合胸部典型影像表现并排除其他免疫低下或缺陷疾病,可以考虑AIDS合并PCP诊断成立。     

爱滋病人卡氏肺囊虫肺炎的影像学诊断

目的 分析爱滋病人（ＡＩＤＳ）患者卡氏肺囊虫肺炎（ｐｎｅｕｍｏｃｙｓｔｉｓ ｃａｒｉｎｉｉ ｐｎｅｕｍｏｎｉａ,ＰＣＰ）的影像学表现特点。材料与方法 搜集３３例经病理证实的ＰＣＰ患者,全部病例均行胸部Ｘ线检查,１０例进行ＣＴ扫描检查。血液ＨＩＶ抗体检查均为阳性。结果 双肺弥漫性渗出性病变可分布于胸门周围,而肺尖及周围肺野清晰,病灶由肺门向周围肺野发展且呈明显的融合趋势,为典型的影像学表现,少见的表     

Malignant primary chest wall neoplasms: a pictorial review of imaging findings

Malignant primary chest wall neoplasms (MCWN) are uncommon. Although benign chest wall neoplasms are most commonly asymptomatic, MCWN typically manifest as painful, fast growing masses. While the imaging features of malignant masses can be nonspecific, knowledge of the typical radiologic manifestations of MCWN may suggest a specific diagnosis. We review imaging features of the most common MCWN with images collected at an outpatient academic oncologic center.ObjectiveWhile the imaging features of patients with malignant masses can be nonspecific, knowledge of the typical radiologic manifestations of MCWN may suggest a specific diagnosis. We review distinguishing imaging features of the most common MCWN, including epithelial and mesenchymal malignancies, with images collected at an outpatient oncologic center.ConclusionChest wall neoplasms encompass 5% of all thoracic tumors, with nearly half of chest wall neoplasms being malignant. Out of these malignant neoplasms, 50% are primary and the commonest one is chondrosarcoma. Although distinguishing imaging features may suggest a specific diagnosis in the majority of MCWN, most affected patients undergo biopsy for a definitive diagnosis.     

新生儿支气管肺发育不良的影像学表现(附21例分析)

目的：探讨新生儿支气管肺发育不良的影像学特征，提高对该病的认识。方法：搜集新生儿支气管肺发育不良21例，全部病例均摄胸片，其中18例行螺旋CT扫描，对所有病例的影像学表现进行回顾性分析。结果：21例中，胸片显示两肺野模糊，肺透光度减低．类似肺透明膜样病改变j例，局限性肺气肿4例，弥漫性间质纤维化病变4例。胸片无异常8例。18例CT检查，表现为毛玻璃样病变和实变影5例，多发囊泡状阴影11例，肺间质纤维化改变5例。结论：新生儿支气管肺发育不良的诊断主要根据临床病史及影像学资料。胸片、CT表现虽无特征性，但具有诊断意义，尤其是高分辨率CT能提供更多有价值的征象，有助于本病的诊断。     

胸内瘤样髓外造血组织影像分析(附2例报告)

目的提高对胸内瘤样髓外造血组织影像诊断的准确性。方法回顾性分析2例地中海贫血患者的胸部瘤样髓外造血组织平片和CT表现。结果2例患者胸部正位片表现为由纵隔向肺野突出呈圆形肿块,其CT表现为后下纵隔两侧脊柱旁沟内呈圆形或分叶状软组织肿块影,边缘光滑,密度均匀,增强后轻度均一强化。结论胸内瘤样髓外造血组织的影像学表现虽然缺乏特征性,但结合临床、实验室检查和影像分析,可以正确诊断本病。     

Imaging of chest trauma: radiological patterns of injury and diagnostic algorithms

In patients after chest trauma, imaging plays a key role for both, the primary diagnostic work-up, and the secondary assessment of potential treatment. Despite its well-known limitations, the anteroposterior chest radiograph remains the starting point of the imaging work-up. Adjunctive imaging with computed tomography, that recently is increasingly often performed on multidetector computed tomography units, adds essential information not readily available on the conventional radiograph. This allows better definition of trauma-associated thoracic injuries not only in acute traumatic aortic injury, but also in pulmonary, tracheobronchial, cardiac, diaphragmal, and thoracic skeletal injuries. This article reviews common radiographic findings in patients after chest trauma, shows typical imaging features resulting from thoracic injury, presents imaging algorithms, and recalls to the reader less common but clinically relevant entities encountered in patients after thoracic trauma.     

少见部位肺结核的影像表现及其误诊原因分析

目的分析少见部位肺结核的影像学表现及误诊原因。方法回顾性分析临床确诊的83例少见部位肺结核的影像学表现。结果初诊正确48例,误诊29例,漏诊6例。影像学表现为斑点状、斑片状、大片状、空洞、肿块、条索状、钙化影或纵隔肿块。结论大部分少见部位的肺结核具有典型的影像学表现,但确诊需依靠X线、CT检查结合临床表现及实验室检查。     

肺真菌病临床影像学分析

目的：分析肺真菌病的临床影像表现,提高诊断水平。方法：回顾分析21例肺真菌病（穿刺/手术/支纤镜病理证实16例,痰培养及临床证实5例）的X线、CT表现。20例行胸部X线及CT检查,1例仅行胸片检查。结果：肺曲霉菌6例,肺隐球菌8例,肺念珠菌2例,肺毛霉菌3例,肺放线菌2例。左肺6例,右肺6例,双肺多发9例。多发病灶常位于胸膜下,且以两肺中下叶受侵最常见。呈单/多发结节或肿块/空洞10例;呈单/多发斑片影者4例;斑片与结节/空洞影混合者7例。晕征、新月征、洞中球征/滚珠征/悬球征/洞中丝征为本病较为特征性表现。结论：影像学表现典型者可做出诊断,疑似者应及时进一步检查,以免延误诊治。     

Anterior chest pain: musculoskeletal considerations

The clinical symptom of anterior chest pain generally elicits a long list of diagnoses. When cardiac and pleural conditions are excluded, conditions that affect the musculoskeletal system become important considerations. Many of these conditions have characteristic imaging features that allow accurate diagnosis. In others, the imaging findings can be instrumental in directing the appropriate course of action. This article reviews the imaging features of a number of musculoskeletal entities that present with anterior chest pain including traumatic, rheumatologic, inflammatory, infectious, and neoplastic conditions.     

Dynamic chest radiography: flat-panel detector (FPD) based functional X-ray imaging

Dynamic chest radiography is a flat-panel detector (FPD)-based functional X-ray imaging, which is performed as an additional examination in chest radiography. The large field of view (FOV) of FPDs permits real-time observation of the entire lungs and simultaneous right-and-left evaluation of diaphragm kinetics. Most importantly, dynamic chest radiography provides pulmonary ventilation and circulation findings as slight changes in pixel value even without the use of contrast media; the interpretation is challenging and crucial for a better understanding of pulmonary function. The basic concept was proposed in the 1980s; however, it was not realized until the 2010s because of technical limitations. Dynamic FPDs and advanced digital image processing played a key role for clinical application of dynamic chest radiography. Pulmonary ventilation and circulation can be quantified and visualized for the diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Dynamic chest radiography can be deployed as a simple and rapid means of functional imaging in both routine and emergency medicine. Here, we focus on the evaluation of pulmonary ventilation and circulation. This review article describes the basic mechanism of imaging findings according to pulmonary/circulation physiology, followed by imaging procedures, analysis method, and diagnostic performance of dynamic chest radiography.     

Use of myocardial perfusion imaging to predict the effectiveness of coronary revascularisation in patients with stable angina pectoris

Purpose Coronary revascularisation is the treatment of choice in patients with stable angina who have significant stenoses. From a pathophysiological point of view, however, mitigation of angina is to be expected only in the presence of reversible ischaemia. Therefore it was the aim of this study to examine the effect of revascularisation on stable angina in relation to the myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) pattern prior to intervention.Methods Three hundred and eighty-four patients (58.0±8.8 years) referred for angiography underwent MPI. Prior to MPI and at 2-year follow-up, patients were classified as having typical angina, atypical angina, non-cardiac chest pain or no pain, and the severity of chest pain was graded according to the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (CCS) criteria. The patients themselves estimated their pain on a visual analogue scale. Management was based on symptoms and angiographic findings, since the results of MPI were not communicated.Results Among the 240 patients who were not revascularised, 79% had typical or atypical angina at study entrance versus 40% at follow-up. In comparison, 93% of the 144 revascularised patients had typical or atypical angina before intervention versus only 36% at follow-up. This additional advantage of invasive therapy was present only in patients with reversible defects; revascularisation had no additional effect in patients with normal perfusion or irreversible defects. Similarly, additional, significant reductions in CCS class and visual analogue score were observed exclusively in patients with reversible defects.Conclusion In patients referred for coronary angiography owing to known or suspected stable angina, revascularisation was significantly more effective than medical treatment exclusively in patients with reversible ischaemia.This paper was presented in part (as a poster and an oral presentation) at the International Meeting: Nuclear Cardiology Today 2004, Cesena, Italy     

Association between anxiety disorder and the extent of ischemia observed in cardiac syndrome X

Background  A possible link between the heart and brain has been reported for cardiac syndrome X. Anxiety disorder could be a pathophysiological mechanism for this cardiac chest pain. To the authors’ knowledge, a quantitative analysis correlating anxiety with the extent of ischemia has not been done. Methods and Results  In this pilot study, we evaluated 20 patients with typical chest pain and completely normal coronary angiograms. These patients were screened with the State Scale and Trait Scale of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). All patients underwent myocardial perfusion scintigraphic imaging. The scintigrams were scored by three experienced readers having no knowledge of the STAI screening results. Patients with a low trait anxiety had significantly less ischemic segments on the myocardial perfusion imaging than patients with a high trait anxiety (1.8 ± 1.9 vs 3.5 ± 0.6, P < .05). For state anxiety, no significant differences could be found. Conclusion  Cardiac syndrome X patients with high trait anxiety are at risk of having more ischemia.     

Trauma of the chest

Trauma to the chest may cause a wide range of injuries including fractures of the thoracic skeleton, contusion or laceration of pulmonary parenchyma, damage to the tracheobronchial tree, diaphragmatic rupture or cardiac contusion. Conditions affecting primarily extrathoracic sites may have indirect effects on the lungs causing adult respiratory distress syndrome or fat embolism. Laceration of the aorta is the typical and likewise most life threatening complication of massive blunt chest trauma necessitating immediate diagnosis and repair.Conventional radiography rather than cross-sectional imaging is the mainstay in diagnosing thoracic trauma. During the critical phase with often concomitant shock, pelvic and spinal injuries tailored radiographic views or even upright chest radiographs are impractical. The severely traumatized patient is usually radiographed in the supine position and suboptimal roentgenograms may have to be accepted for several reasons. It is well documented that many abnormalities detected on CT were not apparent on conventional radiographs, but CT is reserved for hemodynamical stable patients. Nevertheless certain situations like aortic rupture require further evaluation by CT and aortography.The value of conventional radiography, CT, MRI and aortography in chest trauma is reviewed and typical radiographic findings are presented.     

Chest trauma in children: current imaging guidelines and techniques

Given the heterogeneous nature of pediatric chest trauma, the optimal imaging approach is tailored to the specific patient. Chest radiography remains the most important imaging modality for initial triage. The decision to perform a chest computed tomography scan should be based on the nature of the trauma, the child's clinical condition, and the initial radiographic findings, taking the age-related pretest probabilities of serious injury into account. The principles of as low as reasonably achievable and Image Gently should be followed. The epidemiology and pathophysiology, imaging techniques, characteristic findings, and evidence-based algorithms for pediatric chest trauma are discussed.     

Chronic airspace disease: Review of the causes and key computed tomography findings

Chronic airspace diseases are commonly encountered by chest, body or general radiologists in everyday practice. Even though there is significant overlap in the imaging findings of different causes of chronic airspace disease, some key clinical, laboratory and imaging findings can be used to guide the radiologist to the correct diagnosis. The goal of this article is to review and compare these features.     

儿童重症甲型H1N1流感病毒性肺炎的胸部X线及CT表现

目的 初步探讨儿童重症甲型H1N1流感病毒性肺炎的胸部X线及CT表现特点.方法 回顾性分析6例经病毒核酸检测确诊的重症甲型H1N1流感病毒性肺炎的胸部影像资料,病初6例摄胸部X线片,其中4例复查,1例行胸部CT检查.结果 6例病初胸部X线表现为肺纹理增多、增粗,均有不同程度的肺实质浸润和间质改变,其中实质浸润累及双肺3例,左肺3例;肺门增大3例.病程中复查4例,影像表现变化较快,与临床表现一致.CT检查表现为双肺中内带实变和磨玻璃密度影、胸膜下小结节影,肺门和纵隔淋巴结增大,右侧胸腔积液.结论 儿童重症甲型H1N1流感病毒性肺炎的胸部X线及CT表现有一定特点.最终诊断需结合流行病学和实验室检查.     

Imaging aspects of the diagnosis of sarcoidosis

Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown aetiology with a wide spectrum of radiological appearances and almost invariably pulmonary involvement. Lung involvement accounts for most of the morbidity and much of the mortality associated with sarcoidosis. Imaging contributes significantly to the diagnosis and management of patients with sarcoidosis. In typical cases, chest radiography may be sufficient to establish the diagnosis with little margin of error and CT is not necessary. However, CT can play a critical role in several clinical settings: atypical clinical and/or radiographic findings; normal or near-normal chest radiograph but clinical suspicion of sarcoidosis; and detection of complications. Moreover, in many patients, CT findings are atypical and unfamiliar to most radiologists (e.g. sarcoidosis mimicking other lung diseases and vice versa), and in these cases histological confirmation of the diagnosis is recommended. CT is also useful in assessing disease extent and may help to discriminate between reversible and irreversible lung disease, thus providing critical prognostic information. This review concentrates on the more difficult imaging aspects of sarcoidosis, in particular differential diagnosis and disease complications. Key points ?Sarcoidosis is characterized by a wide spectrum of radiological appearances. ?In typical cases, imaging substantially contributes to the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. ?CT plays a critical role in atypical and complicated cases. ?CT may discriminate between reversible and irreversible lung disease.     

肺泡蛋白沉积症影像学诊断

目的:探讨肺泡蛋白沉积症的影像学表现及诊断价值。方法:回顾性分析经病理证实的29例PAP患者的临床和X线胸片、常规CT和HRCT资料。结果:X线表现:双肺云絮状密度增高阴影(29例);以下同常规CT表现:弥漫性、地图样、片状磨玻璃影(29例);HRCT表现:"碎石路征"(21例),"地图样"病变(29例),"空气支气管征"(18例)。结论:①X线胸片能发现PAP病变,但缺乏特征性。②常规胸部CT扫描对于诊断PAP有帮助,是胸片的重要补充检查方法。③"碎石路征"、实变区细小而少的"空气支气管征"和"地图样"病变,是PAP在HRCT上的典型表现。④肺泡灌洗:是最关键的诊断和治疗手段。     

CT of parenchymal and bronchial tuberculosis

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a common disease in the World. Its incidence has risen steadily since 1985, despite a preexisting continuous decreasing of its frequency due to an effective chemotherapy. Nonwhite people, socioeconomically disadvantaged, chronically debilitated groups and AIDS patients are the most concerned. Chest radiography remains the first imaging modality to evaluate TB. Widely radiographic appearances can be encountered, including normal chest X-ray. CT can be useful in all stages of the disease, particularly when clinical and radiological findings are in disagreement and/or when imaging findings are equivocal. CT should be proposed at the end of an effective antituberculous treatment to better subsequently detect fine lesions suggestive of reactivation TB.