Apendicitis epiploica primaria: diagnóstico clínico y radiológico / Primary epiploic appendagitis: clinical and radiological diagnosis

Background: Torsion of appendices epiplocae leads to an ischemic infarct of surrounding adipose tissue, causing a syndrome, called Òprimary epiploic appendagitisÓ characterized by acute abdominal pain that can simulate a surgical clinical picture. Aim: To describe the clinical picture, ultrasonographic and computed tomographic features of primary epiploic appendagitis. Material and methods: A report of patients with acute abdominal pain whose diagnosis was a primary epiploic appendagitis, diagnosed and treated in a period of 48 months. Results: fifty five patients (45 males) aged 16 to 76 years old are reported. Their clinical presentation was acute abdominal pain in the left abdominal quadrant in 48, pain in the right lower quadrant in 4 and epigastric pain in two. Two had mild fever and 12 had nausea. Ten perform physical activities prior to the onset of pain. Imaging examinations showed a 1.5 to 5 cm diameter, uncompressible small mass of adipose origin, located anteriorly and anterolaterally, between the colon and the abdominal wall. There were inflammatory phenomena surrounding the lesion and thickening of the neighboring parietal peritoneum. In all cases, the mass gradually subsided with medical treatment. Conclusions: Primary epiploic appendagitis is a relatively frequent cause of spontaneously resolving abdominal pain. It is diagnosed by ultrasound or CT scanning

Detección y caracterización por ultrasonido de cuerpos extraños de partes blandas / Detection and characterization of soft tissue foreign bodies by ultrasonography

Background: Soft tissue foreign bodies are a frequent cause of consultation in emergency rooms. It is difficult to verify their existence since conventional radiology only detects radio opaque objects. Ultrasound can be a useful diagnostic procedure. Aim: To report our experience in the detection of soft tissue foreign bodies by ultrasound examination. Patients and methods: The ultrasonographic appearance of vegetables, glass and plastic, metal, bone and stones was studied in gelatin preparations. In a second stage, 52 patients (27 male, aged 3 to 88 years old) were studied, in whom the presence of a soft tissue foreign body was confirmed surgically. Results: The mean error of the procedure for the assessment of foreign body size was 0.2 mm in vitro and 0.5 mm in vivo. The deepness and involved planes were correctly diagnosed in 96 percent, the number of fragments were diagnosed correctly in 94 percent of cases. The type of foreign body was identified correctly in 77 percent of cases and complications were detected in 100 percent of cases. Conclusions: Ultrasound is a sensitive and accurate method for the detection of soft tissue foreign bodies