Rare complication of a type IV paraoesophageal hiatal hernia in a Marfan syndrome patient.

A 77-year-old female patient with Marfan syndrome presented with a 1-week history of worsening malaise and poor appetite. This was associated with a dramatic unintentional loss of weight as well as shortness of breath worsened by exertion. She has significant medical histories of a hiatal hernia and chronic type B aortic dissection. CT scan of the chest was able to confirm a type IV paraoesophageal hiatal hernia compressing on the lower lobe of her left lung without any progression of her aortic dissection. As surgical intervention was contraindicated in light of her advanced age and comorbidities, she was managed conservatively with a clinically satisfied outcome in the short term. Her long-term prognosis, however, is still poor with a high mortality of 1 and 5 years.

CT features in surgically proven cases of ovarian torsion-a pictorial review.

Ovarian torsion is a surgical emergency characterized by a partial or complete rotation of the ovarian vascular pedicle, causing obstruction to venous outflow followed by arterial inflow. Clinically, ovarian torsion frequently mimics other causes of acute pelvic pain such as appendicitis, diverticulitis, renal colic etc. Ultrasonography is the first-line imaging modality of choice for evaluation of ovarian torsion. MRI is useful as a problem-solving tool in patients with equivocal or non-diagnostic ultrasonography studies. CT is ordinarily not utilized in a young female with suspected ovarian torsion due to the radiation dose. However, the significant expansion in use of CT imaging in emergency departments for female patients presenting with acute abdominal pain has increased the likelihood that ovarian torsion may be first seen on CT. In addition, a non-specific clinical presentation may lead to an initial imaging with CT rather than ultrasonography. Ultrasound features of the ovarian torsion are well known and sufficiently described across literature as compared with the CT scan findings. In view of the increasing usage of CT as the modality of choice in emergency settings, it is imperative for the radiologist to familiarize with the CT features of ovarian torsion. An early correct diagnosis by the radiologist in clinically unsuspected cases, facilitating a prompt surgery to restore the ovarian blood flow can prevent permanent irreversible damage. There is limited published data available on the CT features of ovarian torsion. This pictorial essay illustrates CT findings with histological correlation of surgically proven ovarian torsion in our institution. These patients were primarily investigated with CT scan for acute pelvic pain ascribed to non-gynaecological causes such as bowel or urinary tract lesions.

Atypical giant chondroblastoma mimicking a chondrosarcoma.

Chondroblastoma is a rare, benign tumor derived from chondroblasts, commonly presenting in the second decade of life. It is usually found in the epiphysis or apophysis of long bones; however, it may rarely affect flat bones like scapula. Occasionally a histologically typical chondroblastoma may exhibit an aggressive behavior that is not normally associated with benign tumors such as a large size, pulmonary metastases, joint and soft-tissue infiltration and local recurrence. We present a case report of a patient with chondroblastoma showing atypical radiological presentation and non-concordance with age.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of gynecologic tumors: diagnostic pearls and potential pitfalls.

Conventional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has an established role in gynecologic imaging. However, increasing clinical demand for improved lesion characterization and disease mapping to optimize patient management has resulted in the incorporation of newer sequences, such as diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging, into routine protocols for pelvic MR imaging. DW imaging provides functional information about the microenvironment of water in tissues, hence augmenting the morphologic information derived from conventional MR images. It can depict shifts of water from extracellular to intracellular compartments, altered cell membrane permeability, disruption of cell membrane depolarization, and increased cellular density. Such changes may be associated with tumors. DW imaging has emerged as an important cancer biomarker and takes the role of the radiologist from the level of mere macroscopic diagnosis to more active participation in determining patient prognosis and management through a better understanding of the tumor microenvironment. With the growing acknowledgment of DW imaging as a pivotal tool in the radiologist's armamentarium, radiologists must be familiar with the appearances of various gynecologic tumors at DW imaging and understand the implications of this sequence for improving diagnostic accuracy and predicting and monitoring treatment response. Although positron emission tomography/computed tomography is extremely useful for detecting tumor recurrence in cervical and ovarian carcinomas, it has a limited specificity in the immediate posttreatment setting. DW imaging may aid in detection of residual or recurrent tumors in such situations. DW imaging is a potentially useful adjunct to conventional MR imaging for evaluation of gynecologic tumors, thus improving overall diagnostic accuracy, tumor staging, prediction of response to therapy, and treatment follow-up.

Gestational trophoblastic disease: a multimodality imaging approach with impact on diagnosis and management.

Gestational trophoblastic disease is a condition of uncertain etiology, comprised of hydatiform mole (complete and partial), invasive mole, choriocarcinoma, and placental site trophoblastic tumor. It arises from abnormal proliferation of trophoblastic tissue. Early diagnosis of gestational trophoblastic disease and its potential complications is important for timely and successful management of the condition with preservation of fertility. Initial diagnosis is based on a multimodality approach: encompassing clinical features, serial quantitative ß-hCG titers, and pelvic ultrasonography. Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is sometimes used as a problem-solving tool to assess the depth of myometrial invasion and extrauterine disease spread in equivocal and complicated cases. Chest radiography, body computed tomography (CT), and brain MRI have been recommended as investigative tools for overall disease staging. Angiography has a role in management of disease complications and metastases. Efficacy of PET (positron emission tomography) and PET/CT in the evaluation of recurrent or metastatic disease has not been adequately investigated yet. This paper discusses the imaging features of gestational trophoblastic disease on various imaging modalities and the role of different imaging techniques in the diagnosis and management of this entity.

Intra-articular and Peri-articular Tumours and Tumour Mimics- What a Clinician and Onco-imaging Radiologist Should Know.

Definitive determination of the cause of articular swelling may be difficult based on just the clinical symptoms, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Joint disorders fall under the realms of rheumatology and general orthopaedics; however, patients with joint conditions manifesting primarily as intra-articular and peri-articular soft tissue swelling may at times be referred to an orthopaedic oncology department with suspicion of a tumour. In such a situation, an onco-radiologist needs to think beyond the usual neoplastic lesions and consider the diagnoses of various non-neoplastic arthritic conditions that may be clinically masquerading as masses. Differential diagnoses of articular lesions include infectious and non-infectious synovial proliferative processes, degenerative lesions, deposition diseases, vascular malformations, benign and malignant neoplasms and additional miscellaneous conditions. Many of these diseases have specific imaging findings. Knowledge of these radiological characteristics in an appropriate clinical context will allow for a more confident diagnosis.

Metastatic paraganglioma presenting as a primary shoulder mass.

Paragangliomas uncommonly metastasize, including to the bones, wherein these tumors are designated as malignant paragangliomas. A 56-year-old man presented with pain and immobility in his right arm for 1 year. He had a history of controlled hypertension and diabetes mellitus for 2 years. He had also been taking anti-anxiety medications for 25 years. His shoulder imaging revealed an expansile, lytic, destructive lesion in the glenoid cavity, measuring 4.6 × 3.9 × 3.2 cm, involving the adjacent bones and soft tissues. A whole-body PET-CT scan revealed a hypermetabolic destructive mass in the right glenoid cavity and another lesion in his abdomen in the aortocaval region. Initial biopsy and subsequent scapular resection microscopically revealed a multinodular tumor with polygonal cells arranged in a nesting and diffuse pattern, in a vascularized and sclerotic stroma. Tumor cells displayed moderate to abundant, eosinophilic to clear cytoplasm, fine nuclear chromatin, focal intranuclear inclusions, and scattered mitotic figures. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells were positive for vimentin, synaptophysin, chromogranin, and CD56 and negative for AE1/AE3, CK, EMA, CD10, SMA, Melan A, HMB-45, desmin, and S100-P. Biopsy of the abdominal mass revealed foci of tumor cells resembling the scapular tumor. Diagnosis of a malignant paraganglioma was finally offered. The patient's post-operative blood pressure is controlled. Currently, his urinary vanillylmandelic acid and metanephrine levels are normal. He is asymptomatic 11 months post-surgery and is on follow-up. This unusual case is presented to increase a diagnostic index of suspicion for a malignant paraganglioma, including at unconventional musculoskeletal sites. The diagnostic challenge and therapeutic implications are discussed herewith.

Pictorial essay: Complications of a swallowed fish bone.

Unintentional ingestion of a fishbone (FB) is common, especially in populations with a high consumption of seafood. In most instances, the ingested FB passes uneventfully through the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, usually within a week. However, in certain cases, the FB may become impacted and lead to complications. Awareness of these complications is important as patients usually present with nonspecific symptoms and could be unaware of having ingested an FB.

Chondrosarcoma of the bone with nodal metastasis: the first case report with review of literature.

Primary bone sarcomas are rarely known to metastasize to lymph nodes. This is attributed to paucity of lymphatic channels in the bone. Even though some bone sarcomas like osteosarcoma are known to have nodal metastasis, such affections have not been reported with primary osseous chondrosarcoma. We describe a case of primary chondrosarcoma of proximal humerus with axillary nodal metastasis. The patient underwent a forequarter amputation with axillary nodal clearance. The histopathological examination revealed metastasis of chondrosarcoma in lymph nodes. We also have reviewed the related literature and discussed the possible mechanism of this nodal metastasis.

Case Series: Cyclops lesion - extension loss after ACL reconstruction.

Localized anterior arthrofibrosis (cyclops lesion) is the second most common cause of extension loss after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. We present and discuss two patients with prior ACL reconstructions, who presented with pain and loss of extension following surgery. MRI and arthroscopy of the knee revealed typical features of a cyclops lesion. The patients showed significant symptomatic improvement following arthroscopic resection of these lesions.