Subject(s)
Echinococcosis/diagnostic imaging , Pancreatic Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Pancreatitis/etiology , Abdomen/diagnostic imaging , Acute Disease , Adult , Echinococcosis/complications , Echinococcosis/diagnosis , Female , Humans , Pancreatic Diseases/complications , Pancreatic Diseases/diagnosis , Pancreatitis/diagnosis , Radiography, Abdominal , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
Takayasu's arteritis is the most frequent inflammatory arteritis in young patients. It is characterized by the presence of giant cells and typically involves specific vascular sites: aorta and its main branches and pulmonary arteries. Inflammatory arterial involvements leads to stenosis, aneurysm, occlusion and arterial wall thickening. Diagnosis relies mainly on imaging, namely Doppler US, CT, and MRI. The imaging features of this disease are reviewed based on a retrospective review of 36 patients imaged over a 13 year period.
Subject(s)
Takayasu Arteritis/diagnosis , Angiography , Aortography , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Angiography , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Positron-Emission Tomography , Radiography, Abdominal , Radiography, Thoracic , Retrospective Studies , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ultrasonography, DopplerABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: The aim of our study is to expose a practical screening and diagnosis strategy of HCC occuring in cirrhosis liver, which is nowadays a health public matter in Tunisia. METHODS: HCC routine screening in cirrhosis liver has been conducted every 6 months using a combination of abdominal sonography and serum alpha-foetoprotein levels. PCUS, CT scan or MRI have been performed each time a focal liver lesion was discovered in US, or in case of elevated serum alpha-foetoprotein levels. 30 cases of HCC were identified. RESULTS: US has shown a unique nodule in 46% of the cases, multiple nodules in 50% of them. No lesion has been discovered in 4% of the cases. Nodule size ranged from 8 to 140 mm. Heterogenous hyperechoic pattern was the most frequent one (41%). Hypervascular doppler feature was authentified in 20% of the cases. Serum alpha-foetoprotein levels had respectively a sensitivity and a specificity of 14% and 44% in lesions inferior to 3 cm, 62% and 80% in lesions superior to 3 cm. Typical arterial enhancement of HCC was depicted in 1 case for PCUS, in 76% for CT scan and 60% for MRI. CONCLUSION: Combination of abdominal sonography and serum alpha-foetoprotein levels practiced every 6 months represent a good compromise between cost and effectiveness. Second intention imaging is based on CT scan in Tunisia because of its availability compared to MRI. PCUS is becoming in the near future the best modality for lesion caracterization thanks to its safety and relative inexpensiveness.