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Hydatid disease can occur anywhere in the body and can demonstrate different imaging features that vary according to growth stage, associated complications, and affected tissue. Cardiovascular system involvement of hydatid disease is very rare. In this article, we present the cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) and thorax computed tomography (CT), MR angiography (MRA) findings of hydatid cysts located in the right ventricle and pulmonary arteries after surgical removal of hepatic hydatid cysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considerable advances have been achieved in cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, and MRI has become an important noninvasive imaging tool in the management of coronary artery disease. Cardiac MRI can provide information about myocardial perfusion, viability and contractile reserve. The information obtained not only provides diagnostic information but also has an important prognostic value. This article reviews the recent advances in cardiac MRI for evaluation of coronary artery disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome (MIS-C) is a new entity that emerges 2-4 weeks after the SARS-CoV-2 infection in children. MIS-C can affect all systems, the most severe of which is cardiac involvement. The duration of the cardiac symptoms is still uncertain and may be persistent or prolonged. The American College of Rheumatology Clinical Guidelines recommends cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 2-6 months after the diagnosis of MIS-C in patients presenting with significant transient left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the acute phase of illness (LV ejection fraction 50%) or persistent LV dysfunction. There are a few studies investigating cardiac MRI findings in MIS-C patients. In this study, we aimed to evaluate cardiac MRI findings, at the earliest 3 months after diagnosis, and compare these findings with the echocardiograms in children with MIS-C. A retrospective study including 34 MIS-C patients was conducted at a tertiary-level University Hospital between June 2020 and July 2021. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria were used in the diagnosis of MIS-C. Cardiac MRI was performed at least 3 months after MIS-C diagnosis. The study included 17 (50%) boys and 17 (50%) girls with a mean age of 9.31 ± 4.72 years. Initial echocardiographic evaluation revealed cardiac abnormality in 13 (38.2) patients; 4 (11.8%) pericardial effusion, 4 (11.8%) left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) < 55%, and 5 (14.7%) coronary artery dilatation. Echocardiography showed normal LV systolic function in all patients during follow-up; coronary dilatation persisted in 2 of 5 (40%) patients at the 6th-month visit. Cardiac MRI was performed in 31 (91.2%) patients, and myocardial hyperemia was not detected in any patients (T1 relaxation time was < 1044 ms in all children). However, 9 (29%) patients' MRI showed isolated elevated T2 levels, and 19 (61.3%) revealed at least one of the following findings: pericardial effusion, right ventricular dysfunction, or LVEF abnormality. In patients with MIS-C, a high rate of cardiac involvement, particularly pericardial effusion was determined by cardiac MRI performed at the earliest 2-6 months after diagnosis. Even if echocardiography does not reveal any abnormality in the initial phase, cardiac MRI should be suggested in MIS-C patients in the late period. This is the first study reporting cardiac MRI findings in the late period of MIS-C patients., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Monitoring liver and cardiac iron stores by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enables identifying patients at risk of organ-specific morbidity and better tailoring of iron chelation therapy in thalassemia. Nevertheless, serum ferritin (SF) remains the only tool for monitoring iron status in most resource-poor regions. In this study, we assessed the impact of using MRI techniques to guide iron chelation therapy on iron overload outcomes in a cohort of 99 patients with thalassemia major (TM, mean age at baselines 20.7 ± 6.9 years) followed from 2006 to 2019. We also assessed the ability of SF trends to predict changes in consecutive liver iron concentration (LIC) and cardiac T2* (cT2*) measurements. The most commonly used chelator was deferasirox at baseline (65%) and final (72%) assessments. Overall, patients with safe LIC values (< 7 mg/g dw) increased from 57 to 77%, and safe cT2* values (> 20 ms) increased from 72 to 86%. We obtained the most significant improvement in patients with severe and moderate liver (p = 0.006 and p < 0.001) and cardiac (p < 0.0013 and p < 0.0001) iron overload at baseline. SF trends were in the same direction in 64% of changes in LIC, but only 42% of changes were proportional. Most of the changes in SF (64%) and LIC (61%) could not predict changes in cT2*. Moreover, downward trends in SF and LIC were associated with worsening cardiac iron in 29% and 23.5% of consecutive cT2* measurements. Liver and cardiac MRI-driven oral iron chelation improved the iron status of subjects with TM and demonstrated the importance of using validated MRI techniques in critical clinical decisions., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Aims: Patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) receiving antifibrotic medication and patients with non-IPF fibrosing lung disease often demonstrate rates of annualised forced vital capacity (FVC) decline within the range of measurement variation (5.0%-9.9%). We examined whether change in visual CT variables could help confirm whether marginal FVC declines represented genuine clinical deterioration rather than measurement noise., Methods: In two IPF cohorts (cohort 1: n=103, cohort 2: n=108), separate pairs of radiologists scored paired volumetric CTs (acquired between 6 and 24 months from baseline). Change in interstitial lung disease, honeycombing, reticulation, ground-glass opacity extents and traction bronchiectasis severity was evaluated using a 5-point scale, with mortality prediction analysed using univariable and multivariable Cox regression analyses. Both IPF populations were then combined to determine whether change in CT variables could predict mortality in patients with marginal FVC declines., Results: On univariate analysis, change in all CT variables except ground-glass opacity predicted mortality in both cohorts. On multivariate analysis adjusted for patient age, gender, antifibrotic use and baseline disease severity (diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide), change in traction bronchiectasis severity predicted mortality independent of FVC decline. Change in traction bronchiectasis severity demonstrated good interobserver agreement among both scorer pairs. Across all study patients with marginal FVC declines, change in traction bronchiectasis severity independently predicted mortality and identified more patients with deterioration than change in honeycombing extent., Conclusions: Change in traction bronchiectasis severity is a measure of disease progression that could be used to help resolve the clinical importance of marginal FVC declines., Competing Interests: Competing interests: JJ reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the current work. AUW reports personal fees from Intermune, Boehringer Ingelheim, Gilead, MSD, Roche, Bayer and Chiesi outside the submitted work. SRD reports personal fees from Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work. Work by CHMM, HWE, FTB and MV was supported by ZonMW TopZorg Care (grant number 842002001)., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY. Published by BMJ.)

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of insulin secretion-sensitivity index-2 (ISSI-2) in the identification of the role of pancreatic iron deposition on beta-cell function in thalassemia major. Tissue iron stores were measured with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the liver (R2), pancreas (R2*), and heart (T2*). ISSI-2 was assessed as a novel oral glucose tolerance test-based measure of beta-cell function. Also, the Stumvoll index showing the insulin sensitivity and Stumvoll index estimating first and second phase insulin secretion were calculated. Fourteen of the 51 Thalassemia Major patients, aged 8-34 (mean 21.1 ± 7.2) years-old, had either an impaired glucose tolerance test (n = 9, 17.6%) or diabetes mellitus (n = 5, 9.8%)-referred to as the glucose dysregulation (GD) group. The median serum ferritin and the mean liver R2 and cardiac T2* values were not significantly different between the GD and normal glucose tolerance (NGT, n = 37) groups whereas pancreas R2* was significantly higher in the GD group compared to the NGT group (p = 0.004). Patients with GD showed significantly lower ISSI-2 index (p < 0.001) as well as the Stumvoll index and Stumvoll first and second phase indices compared to those with NGT (p < 0.001). All patients with GD displayed a pancreas R2* >50 Hz and ISSI-2 <2. In conclusion, Pancreas R2* MRI combined with ISSI-2 index may be valuable parameters to identify patients at the highest risk for developing glucose dysregulation.

Background: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA, formerly Wegener's granulomatosis), in which pulmonary involvement often predominates, is a multisystem granulomatous, necrotizing vasculitis that affects small and medium-sized vessels. In this study we evaluated various radiological findings of pulmonary GPA and focused on spiculated pulmonary lesions invading the pulmonary fissure, pleura or diaphragm mimicking malignancy., Methods: This retrospective study included 48 patients, aged 28-73 (mean, 47.3) years, who showed either histopathological diagnosis of GPA (n = 39) or elevated levels of the cytoplasmic anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic antibody serum marker (n = 9) between January 2003 and December 2013. All patients received a chest computed tomography (CT), and the types of pulmonary lesions were defined and evaluated., Results: Among the 48 patients, 33 had abnormal pulmonary findings on CT. The most commonly detected pulmonary lesion types were nodules and masses (n = 126) observed in 24 patients. Cavitation, necrosis, spiculation and invasion of the fissure, pleura or diaphragm were observed in 14, 9, 10 and 6 patients, respectively. Consolidation was found in 14 patients and thickening of bronchial wall in 8 patients., Conclusions: Pulmonary lesion types of GPA have a wide spectrum, potentially mimicking a high number of diseases including malignancy, infection and noninfectious inflammatory diseases. A spiculated lung lesion invading the fissure, pleura or diaphragm is mostly present in malignancy, but it can be also seen in GPA.

Background: Knowledge of the normal size of the thoracic aorta and pulmonary arteries is important regarding the detection of the abnormal and valuable in the treatment of patients with congenital and acquired cardiovascular diseases., Purpose: To determine the normal diameters of the thoracic vascular structures of pediatric participants on contrast-enhanced multidetector computer tomography (MDCT) scans., Material and Methods: Between July 2010 and July 2014, the MDCT examinations obtained from 520 participants (age range, 0-18 years; mean age, 8.49 years ± 5.54 [standard deviation]; male:female ratio, 1.6:1) with normal cardiovascular examinations were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were divided into six groups according to their age. Diameters of the ascending aorta (AA), descending aorta (DA), main pulmonary artery (MPA), right pulmonary artery (RPA), and left pulmonary artery (LPA) were measured., Results: The diameters of the thoracic vascular structures increased with age and the statistical difference among the age groups and genders were significant. The vascular structures in male patients tended to have higher dimensions than female patients. The LPA demonstrated higher mean values than the RPA in each age group. The mean ratio PA (MPA/AA) is 0.93 ± 0.08 for pediatric participants and it is slightly higher in girls compared to boys (0.93 ± 0.07 and 0.92 ± 0.07, respectively). The level of pulmonary artery bifurcation moves caudally with increasing age with thoracal 6 vertebra being the most common for all age groups (53.3%)., Conclusion: We believe that the results of our study can serve as a potential reference in differentiating the normal from the abnormal size of the aorta and pulmonary arteries on chest MDCT studies in the pediatric population., (© The Foundation Acta Radiologica 2015.)

Exposure to high Ca concentrations may influence the development of low-turnover bone disease and coronary artery calcification (CAC) in patients on hemodialysis (HD). In this randomized, controlled study, we investigated the effects of lowering dialysate Ca level on progression of CAC and histologic bone abnormalities in patients on HD. Patients on HD with intact parathyroid hormone levels ≤300 pg/ml receiving dialysate containing 1.75 or 1.50 mmol/L Ca (n=425) were randomized to the 1.25-mmol/L Ca (1.25 Ca; n=212) or the 1.75-mmol/L Ca (1.75 Ca; n=213) dialysate arm. Primary outcome was a change in CAC score measured by multislice computerized tomography; main secondary outcome was a change in bone histomorphometric parameters determined by analysis of bone biopsy specimens. CAC scores increased from 452±869 (mean±SD) in the 1.25 Ca group and 500±909 in the 1.75 Ca group (P=0.68) at baseline to 616±1086 and 803±1412, respectively, at 24 months (P=0.25). Progression rate was significantly lower in the 1.25 Ca group than in the 1.75 Ca group (P=0.03). The prevalence of histologically diagnosed low bone turnover decreased from 85.0% to 41.8% in the 1.25 Ca group (P=0.001) and did not change in the 1.75 Ca group. At 24 months, bone formation rate, trabecular thickness, and bone volume were higher in the 1.25 Ca group than in the 1.75 Ca group. Thus, lowering dialysate Ca levels slowed the progression of CAC and improved bone turnover in patients on HD with baseline intact parathyroid hormone levels ≤300 pg/ml., (Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Nephrology.)

Purpose: High fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) levels are associated with mortality and cardiovascular events in patients with chronic kidney disease. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the relationship between plasma FGF-23 levels and coronary artery calcification and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) in hemodialysis (HD) patients., Methods: In this cross-sectional study, plasma intact FGF-23 levels were measured in 229 patients who underwent coronary artery calcification scores (CACs) determined by multi-slice computerized tomography and CA-IMT assessed by using high-resolution color Doppler ultrasonography., Results: Median FGF-23 was 53.5 pg/ml (IQR 30.8-249.5). Median CACs was 98 (IQR 0-531), and the frequency of patients with severe calcification (CACs > 400) was 28.8%; 27.5% of cases had no calcification. Mean CA-IMT was 0.78 ± 0.20 mm, and the presence of carotid plaques was 51% with a mean length 2.1 mm. FGF-23 level was positively correlated with serum calcium (r = 0.337, p < 0.001), phosphate (r = 0.397, p < 0.001) and CACs (r = 0.218, p = 0.001). Neither CA-IMT nor the presence of carotid artery plaques correlated with FGF-23 levels. In adjusted ordinal regression analysis, FGF-23 level was an independent predictor for severe CACs together with age, gender, presence of diabetes, time on dialysis and CA-IMT (model r(2) = 0.44, p < 0.001). As a novel finding, the mean CACs was markedly higher in patients with FGF-23 level above median regardless of phosphate levels (p = 0.03)., Conclusions: In HD patients, plasma FGF-23 level is superior to phosphate in the prediction of coronary artery calcification. However, FGF-23 is not associated with carotid artery atherosclerosis in HD patients.

The diseases affecting the trachea and main bronchi can be categorized into congenital or acquired abnormalities and also into focal or diffuse diseases. Major congenital bronchial abnormalities cover accessory cardiac bronchus and tracheal bronchus. Tracheobronchial strictures, such as post-intubation and post-infectious stenosis and tracheobronchial neoplasms are regarded as focal diseases, whereas tracheobronchomegaly, relapsing polychondritis, tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica, amyloidosis, granulomatosis with polyangiitis, tracheobronchomalacia, saber-sheath trachea and tracheobronchitis associated with ulcerative colitis are examples of diffuse diseases. Computed tomography (CT) is the best non-invasive method for evaluation of tracheobronchial lesions. In this pictorial review we aimed to demonstrate CT features of central airway diseases.

Aim: Intrasutural bones are often found within sutures and fontanelles of the skull. It is important that the anatomy of these bones in the field of non-accidental injury with respect to medicolegal complications. Skull fracture lines are critical in their differential diagnosis, and the features of bone formations, their appearance and position give us a more definitive diagnosis., Material and Methods: Intrasutural bone location, its number and symmetry were investigated in totally 300 adult skulls., Results: 27 intrasutural bones were identified as interparietal (2%), preinterparietal (3%) and sutural bones (4%) were in the lambdoid sutures. It was detected that the interparietal and preparietal bones were single, and the sutural ones were in a multiple number. The sutural bones were superposed in significant structures such as sagittal sinus and sinus sigmoideus., Conclusion: The ones that should be paid attention to in the differential diagnosis of the skull fracture lines are preinterparietal and interparietal bones in larger sizes. These findings prompted us to report these cases as their presence can lead to confusion in diagnosis in cases of skull fractures.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effect of human hemochromatosis protein (HFE) polymorphisms on cardiac iron overload in patients with beta-thalassemia major., Methods: Our study included 33 patients diagnosed with beta-thalassemia major who were treated with regular transfusions and chelation therapy. M-mode, tissue Doppler, and pulsed wave Doppler echocardiography were performed on all patients. T2* magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were also performed. The HFE polymorphisms (H63D, C282Y, S65C, Q283P, E168Q, E168X, W169X, P160delC, Q127H, H63H, V59M, and V53M) were studied using polymerase chain reaction., Results: The H63D polymorphism was detected in six patients with beta-thalassemia major. Five patients were heterozygous for the H63D polymorphism, while one was homozygous. There were no other polymorphisms. There was no relationship between the HFE polymorphisms and either the serum ferritin levels or the T2-weighted MRI values (P > .05). Moreover, conventional echo and tissue Doppler echo findings were not correlated with the HFE polymorphisms. Pulmonary vein atrial reversal flow velocity, which is a manifestation of diastolic dysfunction measured with pulse wave echo, was higher in the patients with HFE polymorphisms (P = .036)., Conclusions: The HFE polymorphisms had no effect on cardiac iron overload. However, pulmonary vein atrial reversal flow velocity measurements can provide important information for detecting diastolic dysfunction during cardiac follow-up of patients with HFE polymorphisms. Studies with more patients are needed to provide more information regarding this matter.

Purpose: Our aim was to investigate the role of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in the diagnosis of right ventricular dysfunction (RVD) and massive pulmonary thromboembolism (PTE)., Materials and Methods: We retrospectively involved a total of 61 patients. In CTPAs, pulmonary arterial obstruction index (PAOI), right ventricular/left ventricular diameter ratio (RV/LV), and superior vena cava (SVC) diameters were calculated, followed by echocardiography (ECHO), and clinical results were evaluated based on the reports available., Results: CTPA findings that included PAOI, RV/LV ratio, and SVC diameter were, respectively, 54.9 ± 22.7 %, 1.58 ± 0.51, and 20.3 ± 0.2 mm in patients with RVD on ECHO, whereas corresponding values were, respectively, 37.8 ± 24.2 %, 1.32 ± 0.47, and 18.4 ± 3.3 mm in those without RVD (respectively, p = 0.006, p = 0.038, and p = 0.026). PAOI was 63.3 ± 22.0 % in patients among whom massive PTE was detected and 43.1 ± 23.9 % in the group without massive PTE (p = 0.01). As for mortality; given an RV/LV ratio >1.0, this ratio had 100 % sensitivity and 35.6 % specificity, whereas given a PAOI of ≥50 %, sensitivity and specificity were 83.3 % and 57.8 %, respectively., Conclusion: We concluded that in the patients with PTE, PAOI ≥50 % and RV/LV >1.0 in CTPA could be helpful to demonstrate RVD.

Objective: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is proposed as a cardiovascular risk marker in non-uremic subjects. However, little is known about its role in patients with higher cardiovascular risk profile such as chronic kidney disease. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between EAT and several cardiovascular surrogate markers (coronary artery calcification (CAC), arterial stiffness and atherosclerosis) in patients on maintenance hemodialysis., Methods: A total of 191 prevalent hemodialysis patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. EAT and CAC scores (CACs) were determined by multi-slice computerized tomography, arterial stiffness by carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), and carotid artery intima-media thickness (CA-IMT) by B-mode doppler ultrasonography., Results: Mean age was 59 ± 13 years and time on hemodialysis 75 ± 44 months. Twenty percent of the patients had diabetes. Mean EAT volume was 62.6 ± 26.8 cm(3)/m(2). Mean CA-IMT and PWV values increased across the EAT tertiles. EAT was correlated with age, female gender, body mass index, albumin and lipid parameters. Additionally, CA-IMT and PWV values were positively correlated with EAT. EAT volume was significantly higher in patients with CACs >10 compared to the patients with CACs ≤10. Despite the univariate associations between EAT and cardiovascular surrogate markers, only age, body mass index and total cholesterol levels were associated with EAT in adjusted models., Conclusions: In prevalent hemodialysis patients, EAT is correlated with atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness and the presence of CAC. However, this correlation is not independent of other risk factors., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

A 45-year-old man presented with dyspnea on exertion, fatigue, and cough. Transthoracic echocardiography showed a large apical thrombus in the left ventricle. The laboratory results showed prominent eosinophilia on blood smear, elevated acute phase reactants and D-dimer serum levels. Bone marrow examination showed a Fip1-like platelet-derived growth factor receptor alfa fusion gene mutation. The case was diagnosed as myeloproliferative variant hypereosinophilic syndrome. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography demonstrated thrombi not only in left ventricle but also in multiple segmental pulmonary arteries. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging showed left ventricular apical thrombus without subendocardial fibrosis. Cardiopulmonary manifestations of hypereosinophilic syndrome completely resolved after treatment., (© 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Iron-induced cardiac disease is the leading cause of death in thalassemia major (TM). Splenectomy is performed in TM to reduce transfusion requirements and iron intake. Prevalence of myocardial siderosis and its relationship with splenectomy in 146 patients with TM were investigated. The patients with myocardial siderosis (T2*<20 ms) accounted for 42% of the cohort. Splenectomized patients had a higher incidence of myocardial siderosis (48%) compared with those having intact spleen (28%) and significantly higher myocardial iron content. Higher myocardial iron content in splenectomized patients may deserve special attention for the role of spleen in iron regulation.

The effects of reducing the pulse repetition time from 2500 ms to 1000 ms when using spin-density-projection-assisted R2-magnetic resonance imaging for the purpose of measuring liver iron concentration were evaluated. Repeated liver R2 measurements were made using both protocols on 60 subjects with liver iron concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 48.6 mg Fe (g dry tissue)(-1). The mean total scan time at repetition time 1000 ms was 42% of that at repetition time 2500 ms. The repeatability coefficients for the two protocols were not significantly different from each other. A systematic difference in the measured R2 using each protocol was found indicating that an adjustment factor is required when one protocol is used to replace the other. The 95% limits of agreement between the two protocols were not significantly different from their repeatability coefficients indicating that the protocols can be interchanged without any significant change in accuracy or precision of liver iron concentration measurement., (Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

Rationale and Objectives: The aims of this study were to retrospectively evaluate whether computed tomographic (CT) parameters were predictors of in-hospital mortality within 30 days of CT imaging and to compare CT parameters with clinical, echocardiographic, and laboratory findings in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE)., Materials and Methods: A total of 122 patients (61 women, 61 men; mean age, 64 ± 15 years) with CT scans positive for acute PE were reviewed. Two independent readers who were blinded to clinical outcomes scored pulmonary artery obstructions, evaluated cardiovascular measurements, and assessed qualitative findings. Reports of echocardiographic, clinical, and laboratory findings and clinical outcome were reviewed. Results were correlated with patient outcomes using Wilcoxon's rank-sum, χ², and Student's t tests. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of patient outcomes., Results: Thirteen patients (11%) died related to PE within 30 days in the hospital. There were significant differences in the ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to inspired fraction of oxygen and in heart rate between survivors and nonsurvivors (P < .05). No CT or echocardiographic predictor was associated with mortality., Conclusions: The ratio of arterial partial pressure of oxygen to inspired fraction of oxygen and heart rate strongly predicted mortality due to PE. Neither CT pulmonary angiographic variables nor echocardiography could successfully predict in-hospital mortality in patients with acute PE., (Copyright © 2011 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We describe a 44 year-old woman who presented with dyspnea and cough 5 years after initial diagnosis of ulcerative colitis. The evaluation of patient showed findings of large airway inflammation with tracheal wall thickening and mucosal irregularities. The etiology was investigated and was diagnosed as tracheobronchitis that is a rare extraintestinal manifestation of ulcerative colitis. She was treated with systemic corticosteroids and rapid clinical improvement was detected., (Copyright © 2010 European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Conclusion: Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) syndrome may present with various symptoms. CT scans previously interpreted as normal may show SSCD, especially if special reconstructions tailored for superior canal evaluation are added., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate prevalence of SSCD, its length and its correlation with symptoms in patients who had previously undergone temporal bone CT examination that was reported normal and to demonstrate the importance of reformatted images in the diagnosis of SSCD., Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 108 patients who had undergone temporal bone CT examination for various symptoms and were reported as normal. High-resolution temporal bone CT imaging was performed with 1 mm slice thickness in the transverse plane. Each of the superior semicircular canals was evaluated in the plane of Pöschl and Stenver reformatted images together with axial images., Results: Ninety-three patients were included in the study. Nineteen patients with semicircular canal dehiscence were detected. The mean age of the study group was 45 years. Radiologic evidence of SSCD occurred in 23 of 186 temporal bones with a radiologic prevalence of 12%. The most common symptoms in dehiscent patients were vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus. Defect lengths varied between 1 mm and 6.5 mm.

OBJECTIVES: To review the computed tomography (CT) findings of common and uncommon high-attenuation pulmonary lesions and to present a classification scheme of the various entities that can result in high-attenuation pulmonary abnormalities based on the pattern and distribution of findings on CT. BACKGROUND: High-attenuation pulmonary abnormalities can result from the deposition of calcium or, less commonly, other high-attenuation material such as talc, amiodarone, iron, tin, mercury and barium sulphate. CT is highly sensitive in the detection of areas of abnormally high attenuation in the lung parenchyma, airways, mediastinum and pleura. The cause of the calcifications and other high-attenuation conditions may be determined based on the location and pattern of the abnormalities within the lung parenchyma and knowledge of the associated clinical features. RESULTS: We have presented a diagnostic approach based on the presence and distribution of five main patterns of high-attenuation conditions on CT: (1) small hyperdense nodules, (2) large calcified nodules or masses, (3) high-attenuation linear or reticular pattern, (4) high-attenuation consolidation and (5) high attenuation extraparenchymal lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Some high-attenuation pulmonary abnormalities have characteristic CT findings suggesting the correct diagnosis. In other diseases, a combination of clinical features and radiological findings can significantly improve diagnostic accuracy.