Areas of increased echogenicity in the fetal abdomen: diagnosis and significance.

Areas of increased echogenicity in the fetal abdomen are defined as abnormally bright areas with an echogenicity similar to that of surrounding bones. Such areas are encountered in various normal and abnormal processes. When increased echogenicity is discovered in the fetal abdomen, a careful search should be made for a potential cause. The causes to be considered depend on the location of the areas of increased echogenicity, which can be classified as intestinal, peritoneal, hepatic, retroperitoneal, and parietal. In each case, vascular, ischemic, infectious, tumoral, metabolic, and chromosomal abnormalities should be included in the differential diagnosis before considering the finding a normal variant. Therefore, in utero detection of fetal abdominal areas of increased echogenicity requires a complete sonographic survey of the fetus and placenta along with close sonographic follow-up, evaluation of familial factors, and testing for possible associated cystic fibrosis, infection, or a chromosomal anomaly. The prognosis depends more on the underlying disease than on the extent of the increased echogenicity.

Wallstent misplacement into the paraumbilical vein during TIPS from the left hepatic vein: correction by placing a second stent through the mesh of the first stent.

During a TIPS procedure using the left hepatic vein approach, a Wallstent was misplaced into a dilated paraumbilical vein instead of the left portal vein. The correct shunt direction from the left portal vein to the left hepatic vein was restored by coaxially inserting a second Wallstent through the stretched mesh of the misplaced stent. To prevent such stent misplacement, it seems useful to emphasize the importance of maintaining the exchange guidewire within the distal portion of the splenic or mesenteric vein throughout dilatation and stenting of the liver parenchyma.

Computed management of a radiology department.

A management system for a University Department of Radiology was developed for scheduling, registration, file room managing, reporting and billing. The system is usefully used for clinical research. This radiological information system (RIS) is interconnected with the hospital information system (HIS). The system was developed on a Data General MV/2000 CD using a modified commercially available software (Meditech Inc.).

Cavernosography and cavernosometry in the evaluation of impotence.

Vascular problems represent the most frequent cause of organic impotence. Abnormal venous drainage from the corpora cavernosa is now widely accepted as the major cause of vasculogenic impotence. Based on our experience with more than 450 radiologic procedures, we describe the technique of cavernosography and cavernosometry, the effect of papaverine injection, and we review the literature.