Brain growth in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To perform a volumetric evaluation of the brain in fetuses with right or left congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), and to compare brain growth trajectories to normal fetuses. METHODS: We identified fetal MRIs performed between 2015 and 2020 in fetuses with a diagnosis of CDH. Gestational age (GA) range was 19-40 weeks. Control subjects consisted of normally developing fetuses between 19 and 40 weeks recruited for a separate prospective study. All images were acquired at 3 Tesla and were processed with retrospective motion correction and slice-to-volume reconstruction to generate super-resolution 3-dimensional volumes. These volumes were registered to a common atlas space and segmented in 29 anatomic parcellations. RESULTS: A total of 174 fetal MRIs in 149 fetuses were analyzed (99 controls [mean GA: 29.2 ± 5.2 weeks], 34 fetuses left-sided CDH [mean GA: 28.4 ± 5.3 weeks], and 16 fetuses right-sided CDH [mean GA: 27 ± 5.4 weeks]). In fetuses with left-sided CDH, brain parenchymal volume was -8.0% (95% confidence interval [CI] [-13.1, -2.5]; p = .005) lower than normal controls. Differences ranged from -11.4% (95% CI [-18, -4.3]; p < .001) in the corpus callosum to -4.6% (95% CI [-8.9, -0.1]; p = .044) in the hippocampus. In fetuses with right-sided CDH, brain parenchymal volume was -10.1% (95% CI [-16.8, -2.7]; p = .008) lower than controls. Differences ranged from -14.1% (95% CI [-21, -6.5]; p < .001) in the ventricular zone to -5.6% (95% CI [-9.3, -1.8]; p = .025) in the brainstem. CONCLUSION: Left and right CDH are associated with lower fetal brain volumes.

Detailed anatomic segmentations of a fetal brain diffusion tensor imaging atlas between 23 and 30 weeks of gestation.

This work presents detailed anatomic labels for a spatiotemporal atlas of fetal brain Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) between 23 and 30 weeks of post-conceptional age. Additionally, we examined developmental trajectories in fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) across gestational ages (GA). We performed manual segmentations on a fetal brain DTI atlas. We labeled 14 regions of interest (ROIs): cortical plate (CP), subplate (SP), Intermediate zone-subventricular zone-ventricular zone (IZ/SVZ/VZ), Ganglionic Eminence (GE), anterior and posterior limbs of the internal capsule (ALIC, PLIC), genu (GCC), body (BCC), and splenium (SCC) of the corpus callosum (CC), hippocampus, lentiform Nucleus, thalamus, brainstem, and cerebellum. A series of linear regressions were used to assess GA as a predictor of FA and MD for each ROI. The combination of MD and FA allowed the identification of all ROIs. Increasing GA was significantly associated with decreasing FA in the CP, SP, IZ/SVZ/IZ, GE, ALIC, hippocampus, and BCC (p < .03, for all), and with increasing FA in the PLIC and SCC (p < .002, for both). Increasing GA was significantly associated with increasing MD in the CP, SP, IZ/SVZ/IZ, GE, ALIC, and CC (p < .03, for all). We developed a set of expert-annotated labels for a DTI spatiotemporal atlas of the fetal brain and presented a pilot analysis of developmental changes in cerebral microstructure between 23 and 30 weeks of GA.

Autoimmune pancreatitis diagnosis based on immunoglobulin G4 levels: Case report / Diagnóstico de pancreatitis autoinmune basado en niveles de inmunoglobulina G4: reporte de caso

Abstract Introduction: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a rare form of chronic pancreatitis, with an estimated prevalence of 1 case per 100 000 inhabitants in the general population. It is characterized by the presence of painless obstructive jaundice and imaging findings of a diffusely enlarged pancreas and loss of its lobularity. Depending on its features, it can be classified as subtype 1 or 2, and its diagnosis is reached based on imaging, serological, and histological findings, as well as the patient's response to corticosteroid therapy, which in turn is the indicated treatment for this disease. Case presentation: A 62-year-old man was admitted to the emergency department of a quaternary care hospital in Bogotá D.C. due to generalized jaundice associated with choluria and acholia. Upon admission, the patient was assessed by the general surgery and gastroenterology services and diagnosed with autoimmune pancreatitis based on immunoglobulin G4 levels and imaging and laboratory findings compatible with this disease. He was successfully treated with corticosteroids, obtaining satisfactory clinical outcomes and a complete resolution of symptoms. Conclusions: Autoimmune pancreatitis is a disease that should be suspected in patients with symptoms of painless obstructive jaundice, thus avoiding misdiagnoses and providing timely treatment that allows the resolution of symptoms and proper management of the disease.

Resumen Introducción. La pancreatitis autoinmune es una forma de pancreatitis crónica poco frecuente, con una prevalencia estimada de 1 caso por cada 100 000 habitantes en la población general. Se caracteriza por la presencia de ictericia obstructiva indolora y hallazgos imagenológicos de un páncreas aumentado de tamaño con forma difusa y pérdida de su lobularidad. Se clasifica en subtipo 1 o 2, dependiendo de sus características, y el diagnóstico se realiza de acuerdo con los hallazgos imagenológicos, serológicos, histológicos y la respuesta a la corticoterapia, que a su vez es el tratamiento indicado para esta enfermedad. Presentación del caso. Hombre de 62 años quien ingresó al servicio de urgencias de un hospital de cuarto nivel de atención en Bogotá D.C., Colombia, por cuadro clínico de ictericia generalizada acompañada de coluria y episodios de acolia. Fue valorado por el servicio de cirugía general en conjunto con gastroenterologia y diagnosticado con pancreatitis autoinmune basándose en los niveles de inmunoglobulina G4 y los hallazgos imagenológicos y de laboratorio compatibles con esta enfermedad. El paciente fue tratado de manera exitosa con terapia corticoide, logrando resultados clínicos satisfactorios y resolución de la sintomatologia. Conclusiones. La pancreatitis autoinmune es una enfermedad que debe sospecharse en pacientes con sintomatologia de ictericia obstructiva indolora, evitando de esta forma diagnósticos erróneos y brindando un tratamiento oportuno que permita la resolución de los síntomas y un manejo adecuado de la enfermedad.

Giant Intrapericardial bronchogenic cyst associated with congestive heart failure and atrial fibrillation: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Large intracardiac bronchogenic cysts are rare mediastinal masses. However, they must always be considered in the differential diagnosis of heart failure with abnormal chest X-ray. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a 60-year-old female patient with de novo atrial fibrillation, heart failure and a very large intrapericardial mass. The patient underwent successful surgical resection, with pathological findings confirming a bronchogenic cyst. CONCLUSIONS: Large bronchogenic cysts located intrapericardially are very rare. However, they should be included in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with atrial fibrillation and heart failure with abnormal radiologic studies.