Intrathoracic kidney with left-sided Bochdalek hernia in a woman with bacteremic acute pyelonephritis due to Escherichia coli

No abstract available.

CT Evaluation of Vocal Cord Paralysis due to Thoracic Diseases: A 10-Year Retrospective Study

PURPOSE: To discuss computed tomography (CT) evaluation of the etiology of vocal cord paralysis (VCP) due to thoracic diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From records from the past 10 years at our hospital, we retrospectively reviewed 115 cases of VCP that were evaluated with CT. Of these 115 cases, 36 patients (23 M, 13 F) had VCP due to a condition within the thoracic cavity. From these cases, we collected the following information: sex, age distribution, side of paralysis, symptom onset date, date of diagnosis, imaging, and primary disease. The etiology of VCP was determined using both historical information and diagnostic imaging. Imaging procedures included chest radiograph, CT of neck or chest, and esophagography or esophagoscopy. RESULTS: Thirty-three of the 36 patients with thoracic disease had unilateral VCP (21 left, 12 right). Of the primary thoracic diseases, malignancy was the most common (19, 52.8%), with 18 of the 19 malignancies presenting with unilateral VCP. The detected malignant tumors in the chest consisted of thirteen lung cancers, three esophageal cancers, two metastatic tumors, and one mediastinal tumor. We also found other underlying etiologies of VCP, including one aortic arch aneurysm, five iatrogenic, six tuberculosis, one neurofibromatosis, three benign nodes, and one lung collapse. A chest radiograph failed to detect eight of the 19 primary malignancies detected on the CT. Nine patients with lung cancer developed VCP between follow-ups and four of them were diagnosed with a progression of malignancy upon CT evaluation of VCP. CONCLUSION: CT is helpful for the early detection of primary malignancy or progression of malignancy between follow-ups. Moreover, it can reveal various non-malignant causes of VCP.

Displasia torácica asfixiante: síndrome de Jeune / Asphyxiating thoracic dysplasia: Jeune syndrome

Se describe el caso de un recién nacido con síndrome de Jeune, un trastorno genético cuya principal característica es la insuficiencia respiratoria por hipoplasia pulmonar secundaria a tórax estrecho.

Calcification of the thoracic ligamentum flavum: a rare cause of myelopathy.

Compressive myelopathy secondary to ossification or calcification of the ligamentum flavum is a rare entity. Clinical features and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a patient of dorsal cord compression who improved remarkably with surgery are reported.

Routine preoperative chest roentgenogram and its impact on intraoperative complications.

Routine preoperative chest X-rays and operative complications were studied in the patients at Songklanagarind Hospital from January 1990 to December 1991. Preoperative chest X-rays was performed in 9583 patients (87.5%). Only patients over 15 years old are included in our studies. Patients undergoing Caesarean section, cardiothoracic surgery and emergency patients were excluded. The studied population were 6347. Chest X-rays abnormalities were found in 9.8 percent of the investigated patients (625 from 6347). The percentage of patients with chest X-rays abnormalities increase 4 folds in patients in those with age group greater than 45 years when compared to the other young groups. The prevalence of tuberculosis in our patients was 1.2 per cent (76 over 6347). Age could be one of the important factors associated with the risk of intraoperative respiratory and cardiovascular complications. Chest X-rays abnormalities did not associated with respiratory complication. The risk of intraoperative cardiovascular complications (arrhythmia, hypertension and/or hypotension) increased in group with chest film abnormalities and age over 45 years. Chest X-rays investigation is not necessary for routine preoperative investigations in patients under 45 years except those with previous history of heart and lung diseases or clinical indications.