Infección pulmonar por micobacterias no tuberculosas / Lung infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria

Objetivo: Describir la epidemiología y hallazgos en tomografía computarizada (TC) de las infecciones pulmonares por micobacterias no tuberculosas (IPMNT) y su evolución según el tratamiento. Material y métodos: Estudio retrospectivo de 131 pacientes consecutivos con cultivos positivos para micobacterias no tuberculosas (MNT) entre 2005 y 2016. Se seleccionaron los que cumplían con los criterios diagnósticos de IPMNT. Se analizaron los datos epidemiológicos, clínicos, microbiológicos, radiológicos, el tratamiento recibido y la evolución en función de este. Resultados: Se incluyeron 34 pacientes con una edad media de 55 años, el 67,6% hombres. El 50% estaba inmunodeprimido (VIH positivos, el 58,8%); el 20,6% tenía EPOC; el 5,9%, neoplasias conocidas; el 5,9%, fibrosis quística; y el 29,4% no presentaba comorbilidades. El 20,6% presentaba antecedentes de tuberculosis y el 20,6% estaba infectado por otros microorganismos. Mycobacterium avium complex fue el germen más frecuentemente aislado (52,9%). Siete pacientes (20,6%) presentaron además infecciones por otros microorganismos. En la TC, los hallazgos más frecuentes fueron: nódulos (64,7%), patrón en árbol en brote (61,8%), nódulos centrolobulillares (44,1%), consolidaciones (41,2%), bronquiectasias (35,3%) y cavidades (32,4%). Se realizó un estudio comparativo de los hallazgos entre hombres y mujeres y entre pacientes inmunodeprimidos e inmunocompetentes. El 67,6% recibió antituberculostáticos (el 72% mostró mejoría) y el 20,6%, antibióticos convencionales (todos con mejoría radiológica). Conclusión: El diagnóstico de la IPMNT es complejo. Los hallazgos clínicos y radiológicos son inespecíficos y un porcentaje importante de pacientes puede presentar otras infecciones concomitantes.(AU)

Objective: To describe the epidemiology and CT findings for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections and outcomes depending on the treatment. Material and methods: We retrospectively studied 131 consecutive patients with positive cultures for nontuberculous mycobacteria between 2005 and 2016. We selected those who met the criteria for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infection. We analyzed the epidemiologic data; clinical, microbiological, and radiological findings; treatment; and outcome according to treatment. Results: We included 34 patients (mean age, 55 y; 67.6% men); 50% were immunodepressed (58.8% of these were HIV+), 20.6% had COPD, 5.9% had known tumors, 5.9% had cystic fibrosis, and 29.4% had no comorbidities. We found that 20.6% had a history of tuberculosis and 20.6% were also infected with other microorganisms. Mycobacterium avium complex was the most frequently isolated germ (52.9%); 7 (20.6%) were also infected with other organisms. The most common CT findings were nodules (64.7%), tree-in-bud pattern (61.8%), centrilobular nodules (44.1%), consolidations (41.2%), bronchiectasis (35.3%), and cavities (32.4%). We compared findings between men and women and between immunodepressed and immunocompetent patients. Treatment was antituberculosis drugs in 67.6% of patients (72% of whom showed improvement) and conventional antibiotics in 20.6% (all of whom showed radiologic improvement). Conclusion: The diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections is complex. The clinical and radiologic findings are nonspecific and a significant percentage of pateints can have other, concomitant infections.(AU)

Lung infection with nontuberculous mycobacteria.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and CT findings for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections and outcomes depending on the treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively studied 131 consecutive patients with positive cultures for nontuberculous mycobacteria between 2005 and 2016. We selected those who met the criteria for nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infection. We analysed the epidemiologic data; clinical, microbiological, and radiological findings; treatment; and outcome according to treatment. RESULTS: We included 34 patients (mean age, 55 y; 67.6% men); 50% were immunodepressed (58.8% of these were HIV+), 20.6% had COPD, 5.9% had known tumors, 5.9% had cystic fibrosis, and 29.4% had no comorbidities. We found that 20.6% had a history of tuberculosis and 20.6% were also infected with other microorganisms. Mycobacterium avium complex was the most frequently isolated germ (52.9%); 7 (20.6%) were also infected with other organisms. The most common CT findings were nodules (64.7%), tree-in-bud pattern (61.8%), centrilobular nodules (44.1 %), consolidations (41.2%), bronchiectasis (35.3%), and cavities (32.4%). We compared findings between men and women and between immunodepressed and immunocompetent patients. Treatment was antituberculosis drugs in 67.6% of patients (72% of whom showed improvement) and conventional antibiotics in 20.6% (all of whom showed radiologic improvement). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of nontuberculous mycobacterial lung infections is complex. The clinical and radiologic findings are nonspecific and a significant percentage of pateints can have other, concomitant infections.

Patología aórtica no urgente: diagnóstico clínico-radiológico de la aortitis / Nonurgent aortic disease: clinical-radiological diagnosis of aortitis

Aortitis es un término patológico que designa la inflamación de la pared aórtica, independientemente de su causa. Su presentación clínica es inespecífica y variable, con síntomas como dolor abdominal, fiebre y pérdida de peso. También pueden estar elevados los reactantes de fase aguda. Un amplio espectro de entidades puede ocasionar aortitis, desde procesos infecciosos hasta enfermedades autoinmunes (de las que las más frecuentes son la arteritis de Takayasu y la arteritis de células gigantes), cuyo pronóstico y tratamiento son muy variables. Son varias las técnicas de imagen que permiten evaluar tanto la luz como la pared vascular (como la tomografía computarizada multidetector, la resonancia magnética, la angiografía o la PET-TC). Esta revisión se centra en las enfermedades más frecuentes que provocan aortitis y en los hallazgos clínicos y radiológicos más relevantes que ayudan a diagnosticar y tratar adecuadamente esta entidad (AU)

Aortitis is a pathological term designating inflammation of the aortic wall, regardless of its cause. The clinical presentation of aortitis is nonspecific and variable. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss; acute phase reactants may also be elevated. Aortitis can be caused by a wide spectrum of entities, including from infectious processes to autoimmune diseases (Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis are among the most common of these causing aortitis), and the prognosis and treatment of these entities vary widely. Various imaging techniques can be used to evaluate the lumen and wall of the aorta (such as multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, or PET-CT). This review focuses on the most common diseases that cause aortitis and on the clinical and radiological findings that are most useful for diagnosing and treating this condition appropriately (AU)

Nonurgent aortic disease: clinical-radiological diagnosis of aortitis.

Aortitis is a pathological term designating inflammation of the aortic wall, regardless of its cause. The clinical presentation of aortitis is nonspecific and variable. Symptoms include abdominal pain, fever, and weight loss; acute phase reactants may also be elevated. Aortitis can be caused by a wide spectrum of entities, including from infectious processes to autoimmune diseases (Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis are among the most common of these causing aortitis), and the prognosis and treatment of these entities vary widely. Various imaging techniques can be used to evaluate the lumen and wall of the aorta (such as multidetector computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, angiography, or PET-CT). This review focuses on the most common diseases that cause aortitis and on the clinical and radiological findings that are most useful for diagnosing and treating this condition appropriately.

Abordaje radiológico del taponamiento cardiaco / Radiological approach to cardiac tamponade

El taponamiento cardiaco es una urgencia médica que puede comprometer la vida del paciente. Como radiólogos habitualmente tenemos una participación menor en el manejo clínico de esta enfermedad, casi exclusivamente limitada al proceso diagnóstico, mientras que el tratamiento lo realizan otros especialistas. Con esta revisión pretendemos dar las nociones básicas imprescindibles para realizar un abordaje radiológico completo tanto diagnóstico como terapéutico. Hacemos especial hincapié en la técnica de drenaje pericárdico percutáneo guiado por ecografía, que realizada correctamente proporciona al paciente una mejora sintomática instantánea con mínimas molestias y con muy baja tasa de complicaciones (AU)

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening medical emergency. The radiologist's role in the clinical management of patients with cardiac tamponade is usually minor and nearly always limited to the diagnostic process, and the condition is normally treated by other specialists. In this review, we aim to provide readers with the essential information to enable a complete diagnostic and therapeutic radiological approach. We emphasize US-guided percutaneous pericardial drainage; when performed correctly, this technique improves patients’ symptoms immediately with minimal discomfort and a very low rate of complications (AU)

[Radiological approach to cardiac tamponade]. / Abordaje radiológico del taponamiento cardiaco.

Cardiac tamponade is a life-threatening medical emergency. The radiologist's role in the clinical management of patients with cardiac tamponade is usually minor and nearly always limited to the diagnostic process, and the condition is normally treated by other specialists. In this review, we aim to provide readers with the essential information to enable a complete diagnostic and therapeutic radiological approach. We emphasize US-guided percutaneous pericardial drainage; when performed correctly, this technique improves patients' symptoms immediately with minimal discomfort and a very low rate of complications.

[Update on lung cancer staging]. / Actualización en la estadificación del cáncer de pulmón.

Clinical staging is fundamental in lung cancer, as this descriptive system facilitates the transmission of the extension of the disease, provides prognostic information, helps in choosing the most appropriate treatment program, and provides a standardized system that enables the treatment outcomes of different series of patients to be compared. The most important technique for defining local, regional, and remote extension of the disease continues to be chest and abdominal CT. Functional imaging techniques play a complementary role that is becoming increasingly important in the noninvasive characterization of mediastinal lymph-node involvement.

Actualización en la estadificación del cáncer de pulmón / Update on lung cancer staging

La estadificación clínica del cáncer de pulmón es fundamental, ya que se trata de un sistema descriptivo que facilita la transmisión de la extensión de la enfermedad, aporta información pronóstica, ayuda a elegir el programa terapéutico más apropiado y proporciona un sistema estandarizado que permite la comparación de resultados terapéuticos entre series de pacientes. La técnica más importante para definir la extensión loco-regional y a distancia de la enfermedad, continúa siendo la tomografía computarizada torácica y abdominal. Las técnicas de imagen funcional tienen un carácter complementario que va ganando progresivamente protagonismo, principalmente en la caracterización no invasora de la afectación ganglionar mediastínica

Clinical staging is fundamental in lung cancer, as this descriptive system facilitates the transmission of the extension of the disease, provides prognostic information, helps in choosing the most appropriate treatment program, and provides a standardized system that enables the treatment outcomes of different series of patients to be compared. The most important technique for defining local, regional, and remote extension of the disease continues to be chest and abdominal CT. Functional imaging techniques play a complementary role that is becoming increasingly important in the noninvasive characterization of mediastinal lymph-node involvement