ABSTRACT
The descending branch of the lateral femoral circumflex artery (LFCA) has found recent use as a new arterial graft for coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Anatomical variants of the LFCA were assessed on femoral arteriograms obtained before CABG in 131 adult patients. The most common pattern, found in 78.6% of extremities, consisted of the LFCA arising from the deep femoral artery, and the arterial graft was selected from this pattern in 92.3% of patients in whom the descending branch of the LFCA was used for CABG.
Subject(s)
Femoral Artery/anatomy & histology , Femoral Artery/diagnostic imaging , Adult , Aged , Angiography , Coronary Artery Bypass/methods , Female , Humans , Male , Middle AgedABSTRACT
We evaluated the value of CT-guided transthoracic core biopsy for the diagnosis of mycobacterial pulmonary nodules. The 30 subjects in this study had pulmonary nodules that had been either diagnosed histopathologically as tuberculosis or were suspected as tuberculosis based on a specimen obtained by CT-guided transthoracic core biopsy. The histopathological findings, the existence of acid-fast bacilli in the biopsy specimens, and the clinical course of the patients after the biopsy were reviewed retrospectively. Two of the three histological findings for tuberculosis that included epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells and caseous necrosis were observed in 21 of the nodules which were therefore diagnosed as histological tuberculosis. Six of these 21 nodules were positive for acid-fast bacilli, confirming the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Thirteen of the 21 nodules did not contain acid-fast bacilli but decreased in size in response to antituberculous treatment and were therefore diagnosed as clinical tuberculosis. Seven nodules with only caseous necrosis were diagnosed as suspected tuberculosis, with a final diagnosis of tuberculosis being made in 4 of the nodules and a diagnosis of old tuberculosis in 2 nodules. Two nodules with only multinucleated giant cells were diagnosed as suspected tuberculosis with 1 of these nodules being diagnosed finally as tuberculosis and the other nodule as a nonspecific granuloma. When any two of the three following histopathological findings--epithelioid cells, multinucleated giant cells or caseous necrosis--are observed in a specimen obtained by CT-guided transthoracic core biopsy, the diagnosis of tuberculosis can be established without the detection of acid-fast bacilli or Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Subject(s)
Biopsy, Needle/methods , Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/pathology , Adult , Aged , Biopsy, Needle/adverse effects , Cohort Studies , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Japan , Male , Middle Aged , Radiology, Interventional/methods , Retrospective Studies , Risk Assessment , Sensitivity and Specificity , Severity of Illness Index , Specimen Handling , Tuberculosis, Pulmonary/diagnosisABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to describe the radiologic findings of the collateral venous pathways in the transverse mesocolon and the greater omentum associated with pancreatic diseases and to correlate these venous pathways and the accompanying arterial anatomy. CONCLUSION: The collateral pathway in the transverse mesocolon consists of the inferior mesenteric vein, left transverse colic vein, marginal vein of the transverse colon, and middle colic vein. The pathway in the greater omentum consists of anastomosis of the left and right epiploic veins deriving from the gastroepiploic vein. The former pathway is the vena comitans of Riolan's arch and the latter is the vena comitans of the arch of Barkow.
