Diagnostic role of multi-slice computerized tomography in laryngeal lesions

Diagnostic evaluation of the larynx and hypopharynx is primarily done with endoscopy as almost all malignancies of the larynx arise from the mucosal surface and thus are accessible to direct visualization and biopsy. The radiologist is seldom the first to diagnose malignancy and indeed cannot completely exclude laryngeal malignancy. However, the radiologist evaluates areas that the clinician cannot see: Areas deep to the mucosa or blocked from direct visualization by the bulk of the tumour. CT, the standard imaging modality for larynx assessment for more than a decade, has recently become further enhanced by the introduction of multislice computerized tomography which enables much faster image acquisition and multiplanar or three-dimensional image reconstruction, and virtual endoscopic study. Virtual endoscopy is a computer-generated simulation of endoscopic perspective obtained by processing digital data sets. The simulation can be obtained by dedicated software that reconstructs in three dimensions data obtained from computed tomography. The main advantage of virtual endoscopy is the unrestricted positioning of virtual endoscope within the air spaces of the larynx. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of multislice CT in the diagnosis of laryngeal lesions. This study involved 37 patients [24 males, 13 females], with age range of 18-80 years [mean age 45.5 years]. They were all referred from the ENT department in Kasr Al-Aini hospitals presenting with a known or suspected laryngeal lesion. Multislice CT was done to all patients with reconstruction of the images in different planes, and performing 3-D reconstruction and virtual laryngoscopic study. The lesion exact site, size, extent and effects were detected in all cases

Pulmonary aspergillosis - CT features: a study of 25 cases

Aspergillosis is a world wide disease caused by the fungus Aspergillus, the most important of which is Aspergillus fumigatus. The pulmonary disease caused by Aspergillus species can be manifested in three ways: [1] Saprophytic infestation, [2] Allergic disease, and [3] Invasive disease. Each show a distinctive clinical, pathologic, radiologic and computed tomography findings. This study was performed on 25 patients [14 females and 11 males; with age range 17-63 years, mean age 42.416 years]. Computed tomography [CT] of the chest was done to all patients. All were proved to have aspergillosis. The study was conducted aiming to assign CT findings that are highly suggestive or rather diagnostic for the different types of pulmonary aspergillosis

Assessment of possible pulmonary involvement in patients with rheumatoid arthritis [RA] under methotrexate [MTX] therapy: comparison of clinical, functional, histopathological, high resolution computed tomography [HRCT] and laboratory features capability to detect pulmonary changes

Lung involvement in systemic disease may be a manifestation of the underlying pathological process, may be complication of the underlying disease or may be related to the treatment. Methotrexate [MTX], a folic acid antagonist is widely used in rheumatoid arthritis treatment; however, methotrexate-induced pulmonary drug toxicity occurs in 27% of patients. Difficulty in diagnosing these lesions had led-many researchers to assess the capability of every possible investigation [radiologic, functional, histopathologic, even 99mTc-DTPA scan] in reaching early diagnosis and differentiating it from those led by the original disease or that caused by infection, as early diagnosis and management carries good prognosis to an apparently fatal disease. Thus we compared in this study different diagnostic methods for detection of lung involvement due to MTX. We were able to detect pulmonary affection in some studies cases radiological and histopathologically, however, clinical and functional investigations lagged behind in their capabilieate the lung involvement.