Computed tomography in Crohn's disease.

Computed tomography, barium examinations, and endoscopy play complementary roles in documenting the extent of disease in patients with Crohn's disease. Computed tomography is most often requested for patients with suspected or known intraabdominal or pelvic abscesses. In addition to documenting the presence and extent of abscess formation, other pathological processes in patients with Crohn's disease, may be demonstrated on computed tomography scans. These include thickening and/or contrast enhancement of inflamed bowel wall, inflammatory changes in the mesenteric and perirectal fat, and fistulous tract formation.

Efeitos da bupivacaina e da associacao bupivacaina - bicarbonato de sodio no bloqueio peridural. / Effects of bupivacaine and the association bupivacaine - sodium bicarbonate in the epidural block

Os autores estudaram em 32 pacientes os efeitos da bupivacaina a 0,5% e da associacao bupivacaina a 0,5% com bicarbonato de sodio (solucoes de bupivacaina com adrenalina l:200.000) no bloqueio raquideo peridural. Os parametros estudados foram: inicio do bloqueio analgesico. Os valores da frequencia de pulso e da pressao arterial complementaram o estudo. Os bloqueios realizados com a associacao bupivacaina-bicarbonato mostraram uma diminuicao significante dos tempos de inicio do bloqueio sensitivo e do bloqueio analgesico completo, em relacao aos bloqueios realizados somente com bupivacaina. Quanto ao inicio da regressao do bloqueio analgesico, intensidade do bloqueio motor, frequencia de pulso e pressao arterial nao houve diferenca significativa nos dois grupos estudados

Myxedema megacolon.

The radiological findings on barium enema examination of 239 patients with thyroid deficiency (192 hypothyroid and 47 myxedematous) were reviewed. A new radiologic finding of transverse ridging superimposed on megacolon is described in myxedema and an explanation for this finding is postulated. The colonic findings associated with thyroid deficiency are presented.