Calcinosis cutis / Calcinosis cutis

Caso clínico: presentamos el caso de una mujer de 48 años con dolor en senos maxilares y zonas temporales, en la que se apreciaron placas cálcicas subcutáneas faciales al realizar una tomografía axial computarizada (TC). La exploración física y los datos del laboratorio fueron normales. Reinterrogando a la paciente, comentó que un año antes se le había administrado un producto de relleno facial que contiene hidroxiapatita cálcica (CaHA) (Radiesse®). Discusión: las microesferas de CaHA son radiopacas por lo que pueden observarse en las radiografías convencionales, y sobre todo en la TC. Las características de las imágenes, habitualmente bilaterales, separadas del hueso, junto con el antecedente de inyección previa de este material, debe orientar al clínico para reconocer este hallazgo y diferenciarlo de otras condiciones patológicas. Dada la popularidad que ha adquirido esta técnica de rejuvenecimiento facial, conviene que los clínicos conozcamos las características de las imágenes producidas por el depósito de esta sustancia. (AU)

Case report: we report the case of a 48-year-old woman with pain in the maxillary sinuses and temporal areas. The presence of subcutaneous facial calcific plaques was confirmed in computed tomography (CT). Both the physical examination and the lab test results were within normal limits. Upon further questioning, the patient mentioned that she had been administered a facial filler product containing calcium hydroxyapatite (CaHA) (Radiesse®) the year before. Discussion: CaHA microspheres are radiopaque, making them visible through conventional x-rays, especially CT scans. The characteristic imaging features, typically bilateral and separate from the bone, along with the history of previous injection of this material, should help the clinician recognize this finding and isolate it from other conditions and diseases. Because of the popularity of this facial rejuvenation technique, clinicians should be familiar with the imaging characteristics associated with the deposition of this substance. (AU)

Diagnostic Reliability of Plain Radiography in Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head: General Radiological Features Revised.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is an incapacitating disease that frequently results in the collapse of the femoral head and secondary osteoarthritis. The diagnosis and staging of this pathology, which usually rely on imaging studies, are challenging. Currently, conventional radiography is the basis of the initial diagnostic assessment. In recent decades, however, radiographs have been considered insensitive to early changes in ONFH and thus, a suboptimal diagnostic tool. Paradoxically, the imaging features of radiographs are often profuse, substantial, and characteristic. This study aimed to elucidate the real limitations of this radiologic tool by assessing the diagnostic reliability of the key radiologic features and staging. METHODS: This was a retrospective study in which radiographs from 28 idiopathic ONFH confirmed cases who underwent hip arthroplasty were analyzed by eight observers who were asked to identify the presence or absence of ONFH universally reported imaging features in AP hip radiographs. RESULTS: Concordance analysis revealed a poor agreement between observers for most of the assessed imaging features. Only the identification of femoral head flattening and osteoarthritis signs exhibited moderate agreement with statistical significance. In contrast, the detection of radiological osteoporosis and the loss of trabeculation showed the lowest reliability, with negative kappa coefficients. CONCLUSION: There is a lack of agreement between qualified observers, even for the identification of the most characteristic ONFH radiographic feature. The reliability of plain radiography for the detection of basic radiological elements is even weaker in the early stages of the disease.

Imaging findings of neurologic complications in lung transplantation: Review of a 9-year cohort.

BACKGROUND: Lung transplantation (LT) requires complex multidisciplinary organization and constitutes a therapeutic option and a life-saving procedure. Although the number of lung recipients continues to increase, neurological complications and death rates following lung transplantation are still higher than desirable. PURPOSE: This study aims to analyse the neuroimaging findings in a cohort of adult patients with LT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of all lung transplant recipients (344 patients: 205 men and 139 women) at a single institution from January 2011 to January 2020. The collected data included demographic features, clinical data and evaluation of the imaging findings. We also recorded the date of neurological complication(s) and the underlying disease motivating lung transplantation. RESULTS: We found an elevated rate of neuroimaging findings in patients following LT with 32.6% of positive studies. In our cohort, the average time after LT to a neurological complication was 4.9 months post-transplant. Encephalopathy, critical illness polyneuropathy and stroke, in that order, were the most frequent neurological complications. Structural abnormalities in brain imaging were more often detected using MRI than CT for indications of encephalopathy and seizures. CONCLUSIONS: LT recipients constitute an especially vulnerable group that needs close surveillance, mainly during the early post-transplant period.

Surfing the waves of the tide model of T cell co-stimulation

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