ABSTRACT
Background: pericardial diseases are important causes of morbidity and mortality in cardiovascular diseases. CT and MRI are more than adjuncts to echocardiography in pericardial diseases assessment, as they provide an excellent pericardial anatomy delineation and precise pericardial lesions evaluation including; effusion, constrictive pericarditis, thickening, masses and congenital anomalies. Ideal management needs the proper imaging modality choosing ability
Aim of the Study: this study aimed to evaluate the role of CT and MRI versus echocardiography in the diagnosis of pericardial diseases and to show the limitations of each modality
Conclusion: tissue characterization with CMR is superior to cardiac CT and echocardiography. CMR can differentiate tumor from thrombus and is often helpful to assess the perfusion of a pericardial mass with the use of gadolinium contrast. The final diagnosis depends on typical pathologic features
ABSTRACT
Background: pulmonary embolism patients with contraindication to radiation exposure and contrast injection
Objective: comparative study between the non -contrast Magnetic Resonance Pulmonary Angiography [MR PA] and the Computed Tomography Angiography [CTA] in diagnosis of pulmonary embolism [PE]
Patients and methods: twenty-one patients were included in our study. All patients were admitted and/or referred to Ain Shams University Hospital Departments, Kasr El Ainy Hospital and private centers confirmed to have pulmonary embolism [PE] by CTA. All patients underwent CTA and non-contrast MR-PA in the same day or within three consecutive days. The radiological examinations were interpreted by two different radiologists. The results were compared and statistically analyzed
Results: the mean age of the selected patients was about 49.43years old. 16 cases showed positive PE in both MR-PA and CTA. The 5 cases showed negative results in both
Conclusion: the non-contrast MR-PA has a reasonable sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of PE especially in major branches. So, it can be used as an alternative to the CTA especially when the CTA and the use of gadolinium are contraindicated
ABSTRACT
Background: Alveolar and airway injury represent one of the most common features of rheumatological diseases and is believed to have a significant impact on the course of these diseases
Objective: This work aimed at evaluating airway and alveolar involvement in children with systemic lupus erythematosus [SLE] and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis [JRA]
Methods: Thirty four children [21 with SLE and 13 with JRA] were assessed by pulmonary function tests [PFTs] namely spirometry and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity [DLCO] in comparison to 10 healthy controls, as well as by plain roentgenography and high resolution computed tomography [HRCT] of the chest
Results: The studied patients had significantly lower mean PFT values as compared to controls. A restrictive pattern of PFTs was more common as it was detected in 62% of patients with SLE and 23% of those with JRA whereas an obstructive pattern was detected in 14% and 8% respectively. Significantly lower FEF 25-75% values were detected in symptomatic patients. Low values of DLCO [less than 80% of predicted] were recorded in 60% of the studied patients. Chest HRCT was abnormal in 68% of studied patients. In SLE, ground glass appearance and pleural irregularity were the most common findings whereas in JRA, bronchial wall thickening, mosaic appearance and air trapping were prominent. Abnormal findings were detected in 5/9 of asymptomatic patients
Conclusion: airway and alveolar abnormalities are frequently encountered in children with SLE [95%] and JRA [85%] even if they are asymptomatic. HRCT and pulmonary function tests including diffusion studies are recommended as useful tools for the diagnosis and early detection of pulmonary involvement in these patients