The air bronchogram: sonographic demonstration.

A new sonographic pattern of pulmonary consolidation associated with air-filled bronchi in children is presented. The consolidated area of the lung is usually hypoechoic, poorly defined, and wedge-shaped. The air-filled bronchi produce linear, high-amplitude branching echoes that converge toward the lung root. Posterior acoustic shadowing and reverberation artifacts are seen accompanying the proximal large bronchi. A comparative study is presented in which 30 pediatric patients with clinical and radiographic evidence of pneumonia were sonographically evaluated. Twenty-eight patients were successfully examined with sonography. The cases were divided into three groups: (1) consolidated lung without pleural effusion (19 patients); (2) consolidated lung with small pleural effusion (five patients); and (3) consolidated lung with partial compression atelectasis due to large pleural effusion (four patients).

Varied sonographic patterns in Echinococcus liver disease.

Echinococcus granulosus has been an uncommon disease in the United States. Cases may appear unexpectedly because of increased immigration from endemic areas. Over the past 3 years, 10 cases of hydatid liver disease were diagnosed by sonography in our institution. Sonography is a simple noninvasive method of early diagnosis even when clinical signs are nonspecific. The sonographic patterns of this condition are described.

Leiomyosarcoma in jejunal diverticulum.

Malignancy arising in a jejunal diverticulum is extremely rare. We report a leiomyosarcoma arising from a jejunal diverticulum. This is the second reported case of smooth muscle tumor arising from this site. Despite general belief that small bowel diverticula are devoid of muscle coat, there is presence of a thin muscle coat which can give rise to a neoplasm. We report such a case.