Evaluation of Radiology Request Forms in a Tertiary Care Hospital: An Audit With a Focus on the Impact of Technological Intervention.

Radiology request forms are the basis of communication between referring physicians and radiologists. These are the sole documents on the basis of which a justification to carry out a radiological procedure is carried out. However, across the globe, there is a problem of inadequately filled radiology request forms. Several interventions like standardization and the use of technology have been proposed worldwide to overcome the shortcomings of inadequately filled radiology request forms. We carried out a two-phase audit assessing the impact of a technological intervention on the quality of radiology requests with the results showing marked improvement in key parameters. A subset analysis was also done to highlight the importance of radiology request forms by following the patients' treatment course. The remaining shortcomings highlight the importance of training sessions and refresher courses for junior doctors in order to familiarize them with the importance of adequately filled radiology request forms.

A Rare Case of Melanotic Schwannoma: Utility of Susceptibility Weighted Sequences in Preoperative Imaging.

Intracranial schwannomas account for 8% of all intracranial tumors, out of which 90% are acoustic schwannomas. Other rare varieties include trigeminal melanotic schwannomas that account for 0.2% of all intracranial tumors. Melanotic schwannomas are intracranial tumors that are heavily pigmented due to the presence of melanin. The most common origination of the tumor involves being confined to Meckel's cave, presenting with features of trigeminal neuralgia, neurasthenia, and numbness. We report a case of a 48-year-old male presenting with dysarthria, left-sided hemiparesis, dysphagia, and headache for the past six months. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed a mass in the right cerebellopontine (CP) angle, which extended into the middle cranial fossa. Our case is interesting because it is the fourth case reported worldwide.

Ruptured mycotic aneurysms: Report and outcomes of two surgically managed patients.

BACKGROUND: Mycotic aneurysm is a rare potentially life-threatening complication of infective endocarditis (IE). Little data is available on the management and outcomes of ruptured mycotic aneurysms with large intracerebral hematoma. Few cases have been described on the management of mycotic aneurysm in the presence of life-threatening hematoma and mass effect. CASE DESCRIPTION: We are presenting two cases of ruptured mycotic aneurysm with intracerebral hematoma and impending brain herniation. Both patients had signs of high intracranial pressure and required urgent surgical evacuation of clot. One patient survived while the other patient expired soon after surgery. CONCLUSION: Mycotic aneurysm of middle cerebral artery (MCA) in IE with intracranial hemorrhage is rare and urgent surgical decompression, and aneurysmal clipping can be lifesaving.