Ultrasonography of a Helical Left Common Carotid Artery.

CASE PRESENTATION: An 83-year-old woman was admitted to the intensive care unit for septic shock at which point an internal jugular central venous line was placed. The patient's common carotid artery was visualized in an atypical location, lateral to the internal jugular vein. Further inspection revealed the common carotid artery travelling in a rotational trajectory around the internal jugular vein. DISCUSSION: For at least two decades, point-of-care ultrasound has become the standard of care for placing central venous lines. This surprising anatomical orientation is rare and cautions physicians to fully explore a patient's anatomy prior to placing central lines.

Facing the danger zone: the use of ultrasound to distinguish cellulitis from abscess in facial infections.

Physical exam alone is often insufficient to determine whether or not cellulitis is accompanied by an abscess. Bedside ultrasound can be a valuable tool in ruling out suspected abscess by allowing direct visualization of a fluid collection. The proximity of the infection to adjacent structures can also be determined, thus aiding clinical decision making. Patients with cellulitis near the eye and nose are of particular concern due to the adjacent facial structures and the anatomy of the venous drainage. Accurately determining the presence or absence of an associated abscess in these patients is a crucial step in treatment planning. The purpose of this report is to (1) emphasize the benefits of bedside ultrasound when used in conjunction with the physical exam to rule out abscess; (2) demonstrate the utility of bedside ultrasound in planning a treatment strategy for soft tissue infection; (3) depict an instance where ultrasound detected an abscess when computed tomography (CT) scan did not.

Pneumoscrotum after jejunal perforation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Pneumoscrotum is a rare disease entity in which gas is present in the scrotum. It has been described after diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, as well as with disease states. The entity itself is a benign condition, but is associated with both incidental and life-threatening conditions. OBJECTIVES: We discuss the pathophysiology and associated conditions of pneumoscrotum. CASE REPORT: We report a case of pneumoscrotum after jejunum perforation. CONCLUSION: Even though pneumoscrotum is a benign, rare condition, its mere presence should signal the possibility of a severe, life-threatening disease process within the peritoneum or retroperitoneum.