Search

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the effectiveness of thoracic ultrasonography (USG) in a single session in the evaluation of the severity of pulmonary involvement in systemic sclerosis. Patients and methods: A total of 48 consecutive systemic sclerosis patients (2 males, 46 females; mean age 50.8±11.9 years; range 21 to 76 years) followed-up in our center were included. A thoracic USG using a linear probe was performed for each patient to evaluate the parenchymal involvement by two pulmonary disease specialists. The number of B-lines (B-lines described USG sign of interstitial lung fibrosis) was recorded. Systolic pulmonary artery pressure was measured by means of using a phase probe to evaluate pulmonary hypertension in the same sequence. The same day, pulmonary function tests were conducted. Warrick score was calculated according high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) images which were evaluated independently from each other by a radiologist and a pulmonary disease specialist. Medsger severity scale was calculated for each patient according to the results of HRCT findings, pulmonary function test, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure. Results: The number of B-lines detected on thoracic USG was correlated with the Warrick score (r=0.89; p=0.0001) and Medsger disease scale (r=0.55; p=0.0001) and negatively correlated with diffusing capacity of carbon monoxide (r= -0.56; p=0.0001) and forced vital capacity (r= -0.46; p=0.001). When HRCT was accepted as the gold standard; the sensitivity, specificity, positive predicted value, and negative predicted value for thoracic USG were 100%, 84.2%, 90.6%, and 100%, respectively. If thoracic USG was used instead of HRCT for the evaluation of Medsger scale, the results changed in only one of the 48 patients. Conclusion: Thoracic USG showed good correlation with HRCT findings for the evaluation of pulmonary parenchymal involvement in systemic sclerosis. Therefore, USG might be a noninvasive and useful tool for the long-term follow-up of systemic sclerosis patients after initial examination with USG and HRCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a disease with uncertain etiology. It is not caused by an intracranial mass lesion or hydrocephalus and is characterized by abnormal elevation of intracranial pressure and normal composition of the cerebrospinal fluid. The orbita and intracranial area are closely related anatomically. Elevated intracranial pressure can be transmitted to the orbita through the cerebrospinal fluid around the optic nerve sheath changes at the vitreous humor on diffusion-weighted imaging have not been systemically studied in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Purpose - The purpose of this study was to investigate diffusion changes in the vitreous humor in patients with intracranial hypertension., Methods: In this retrospective study, 25 patients with papilledema and who had been definitively diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and 20 control participants were evaluated. Control subjects and patients were scanned with a 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging. Apparent diffusion coefficient maps were obtained from diffusion-weighted imaging with a b value of 1000 s/mm2 and apparent diffusion coefficient values were automatically calculated. These images were obtained by a radiologist who was blinded to the details of the study for center of each vitreous humor and the body of lateral ventricle. The mean apparent diffusion coefficient values of each vitreous humor and the body of the lateral ventricle were calculated for each group (control group and patients) and quantitative comparisons were performed., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in mean apparent diffusion coefficient values of the right vitreous humor, left vitreous humor and the body of the lateral ventricle between the patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and the control group (p=0.766, p=0.864, p=0.576, respectively)., Conclusion: Vitreous humor is a closed system and has no direct relationship with the cerebrospinal fluid or cerebral tissue and although morphological changes occur in the orbital structures, including the optic disk and optic nerve in idiopathic intracranial hypertension, the indirect effects of these changes on the vitreous humor may be too subtle to measure. Conclusion - We did not find a significant difference in the mean apparent diffusion coefficient value of the vitreous humor between the patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension and the control group. However, future studies will be necessary to determine if changes in the vitreous humor can be used to diagnose intracranial hypertension.