Critical reviews in diagnostic imaging
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Crit Rev Diagn Imaging · Dec 1996
ReviewThe leaking esophagus: CT patterns of esophageal rupture, perforation, and fistulization.
Esophageal perforation can be a catastrophic event for a patient regardless of the etiology of the perforation. Contrast esophagrams can typically diagnose an esophageal perforation if the clinical symptoms or history suggest the diagnosis. Often, however, the clinical features are atypical and a CT scan is performed early in the patient's workup. ⋯ The various etiologies and CT findings of esophageal perforation are reviewed in this article. The CT abnormalities include extraluminal air, periesophageal fluid, esophageal thickening, and extraluminal contrast. These CT findings may be the first clue to the correct diagnosis of esophageal perforation.
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Crit Rev Diagn Imaging · Sep 1996
ReviewMagnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee: a pattern approach for evaluating bone marrow edema.
The applications of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have become numerous for the assessment of disorders involving the knee. Once a technique used nearly exclusively in the evaluation of internal derangement of this joint, it now plays an important role in the diagnosis of processes that affect the bone marrow, including those that occur as a result of trauma, infection, tumor, and rheumatologic disorders. Signal alterations in the bone marrow frequently are present in association with these pathological processes. ⋯ In many situations, the area of altered signal intensity is radiographically occult. The distribution of marrow edema often reflects the mechanism of injury in trauma and may correlate with additional injuries to the surrounding soft tissues. Reactive marrow edema occurs either in response to an inflammatory focus in the bone and/or joint or a neoplastic process in or adjacent to the bone.
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The demographics of cystic fibrosis (CF) are continuously changing, with adults representing a growing percentage of the patient population, which is expected to reach 50% by the year 2000. Pulmonary complications are primarily responsible for the high morbidity and mortality in this disease. ⋯ The role of imaging, including chest radiography and HRCT, is discussed. Issues that remain controversial include imaging in the acute pulmonary exacerbation, and the routine use of imaging as part of clinical scoring and in monitoring responses to new treatment modalities.
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Crit Rev Diagn Imaging · Jan 1994
ReviewHigh-resolution ultrasound in assessment of the gastrointestinal tract.
Ultrasound (US) is frequently the first investigation performed in patients presenting with a variety of abdominal symptoms, and there is a growing appreciation of its value in a wide range of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. The advantages of US are that it is quick, safe, readily available, noninvasive, and avoids ionizing radiation. ⋯ Its real time capabilities are of particular usefulness in abdominal conditions; clinical correlation is instant and features such as peristalsis and bowel compressibility can be readily assessed. This review describes and illustrates the current role of high-resolution transabdominal US in the detection of GI pathology with discussion on some of the applications of endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) as they relate to this topic.