Primary extramedullary plasmacytoma in the atria of the heart.

A rare case of primary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the heart is described. The large space-occupying tumor in the atrial wall and its associated significant pericardial effusion caused marked impairment of cardiovascular function. The diagnosis was made via intravenous biopsy. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated CD45 and kappa light chain expression. Other B-cell- and T-cell-specific lymphoid markers were negative. Elevated kappa light chain was detected in serum by immunofixation electrophoresis. The differential diagnosis of plasmacytoma should be considered in cardiac tumors when routine screening is negative with lymphoid (CD20, CD3) and soft tissue immunohistochemical markers.

Aortic prosthetic graft infections: radiologic manifestations and implications for management.

Prosthetic graft infections are an uncommon complication of aortic bypass. These infections may have serious sequelae such as limb loss and can be lethal. They are hard to eradicate and, under certain circumstances, difficult to diagnose. Usually, computed tomography (CT) is the most efficacious imaging method for diagnosis of graft infections due to its quick availability. The sensitivity of magnetic resonance imaging in detection of perigraft infection has not been thoroughly investigated but is probably similar to that of CT. After the early postoperative period, persistent or expanding perigraft soft tissue, fluid, and gas are the CT findings of graft infection. Aortoenteric fistula should be considered a subset of aortic graft infection; however, perigraft air is more likely to be seen with an aortoenteric fistula. Other conditions associated with graft infection include pseudoaneurysm, hydronephrosis, and osteomyelitis. Adjunctive studies such as sinography, ultrasonography, gallium scanning, and labeled white blood cell scanning can be quite useful in diagnosis, determination of the extent of disease, and selection of the treatment modality. White blood cell scanning is an important complementary test to CT in ambiguous cases, such as in the early postoperative period, and may be more sensitive in detection of early graft infection.

Spontaneous reduction in size of bullae (autobullectomy).

The authors describe three patients with apical bullous disease that showed partial to near complete spontaneous regression over time. This phenomenon, termed autobullectomy, is a heretofore little known or recognized manifestation of a common pulmonary disease.

CT of Hodgkin's lymphoma limited to the gallbladder.

A complex mass confined to the gallbladder found on CT is unusual, but nor rare, with causes including benign inflammatory disease, early primary carcinoma and metastases. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is rare and Hodgkin's disease, prior to the current case, unheard of involving just the gallbladder. Thus, this should be considered part of the differential diagnosis of a complex gallbladder mass.

Osteoporosis with vertebral compression fractures, retropulsed fragments, and neurologic compromise.

Osteoporosis frequently affects the vertebral column and causes compression fractures, biconcave ("fish-mouth") vertebrae, kyphosis, and pain. The cases are reported of three postmenopausal osteoporotic women who had neurologic symptoms of the lower extremities because of vertebral body fractures with a retropulsed fragment narrowing the spinal canal. None of the women had experienced trauma. The fractures resembled burst-type fractures that result from axial loading with major trauma. The retropulsed fragments could be seen best on computed tomographic or magnetic resonance images and were very subtle on conventional radiographs, on which an abnormal posterior vertebral body line was the only abnormality detected. This complication of osteoporosis of the spine is important to recognize so that appropriate treatment can be instituted.