Computed tomography guided percutaneous transthoracic fine needle aspiration cytology in chest masses.

A retrospective, hospital based descriptive study was done to know the pathological spectrum of thoracic lesions and to correlate the radiological findings with cytological findings obtained from computed tomography guided percutaneous transthoracic fine needle aspiration of chest mass. The clinical, radiological and cytological data of 100 patients were studied who underwent CT guided FNAC from May, 2004 to May, 2007. Diagnostic accuracy of FNAC is 82%. Cytological examination showed that 51 cases were malignant and 31 cases were benign. Provisional diagnosis based on radiological findings were 50 and 32 cases of malignant and benign lesions respectively. Sensitivity and specificity, positive and negative predictive value of radiological findings in this study was 88%, 84%, 90% and 81% respectively. Post procedure complication were (a) pneumothorax in two cases and both the cases had to be hospitalized for active management (b) minimal perilesional hemorrhage and hemoptysis in three cases and (c) chest pain in six cases. CT guided FNAC is a simple and safe procedure with high diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of focal chest lesions. Pneumothorax, perilesional hemorrhage, hemoptysis and chest pain are the usually encountered complications. Very few cases of complication require active management.

Mitral annular calcification in untreated chronic renal failure.

Clinical, biochemical, radiological and echo-cardiographic (echo) evaluation was done prospectively in 50 patients of untreated end stage chronic renal failure (CRF). While clinically congestive cardiac failure (CCF) was diagnosed in 24%, low ejection fraction on echo was found in only 16%. Echo in these cases showed evidence of cardiac chamber dilatation in most (mean LVID (D) 54.1 +/- 6.51 and (S) 36.4 +/- 6.9 mm, but parameters of cardiac functions were normal in most. Mitral annular calcification (MAC) was detected on echo in 26%. On comparing patients with MAC (Group I) and those without MAC (Group II), the aetiological factor found more frequently in Group I was diabetes (61.5% vs 35.1%, P less than 0.05). Clinical features such as older age (mean age 54 years vs 45.5 years), severe hypertension, and grade IV and above murmur (15.2% vs none) were more common among group I patients. However, the difference was not statistically significant. Parameters of calcium metabolism were similar in the two groups. Conduction disturbances (30.7% vs 5.4%) were significantly more common in Group I (P = 0.05). The mitral regurgitation due to MAC was of no haemodynamic significance. Complications of MAC syndrome were rare.