Less Common Causes of Acute Abdomen

In this presentation, less common causes of acute abdomen are reviewed. Emphasis is on three topics. First, the anatomy of the superior mesenteric vein and mesentery is reviewed, together with the anatomical basis and clinical/radiological presentation of midgut volvulus. Emphasis is on diagnostic clues (whirl sign, abnormal position of cecum, small bowel, and third part of duodenum) and pitfalls (positional variation of small bowel loops with pseudo-twisting of mesenteric vessels). Second, atypical presentations of acute appendicitis and appendagitis, as well as their mimics, are discussed. Finally, an overview is given of uncommon but important causes of free intraperitoneal fluid in patients with acute abdominal pain

Clinical impact of CT coronary angiography without exclusion of small coronary artery segments : a real-world and long-term study

Objectives CT coronary angiography (CTCA) has become a valuable diagnostic test in the workup of patients with possible coronary artery disease (CAD). Because of inherent limitations in spatial resolution, epicardial vessels with a small diameter, in general less than 1.5-2 mm, have so far been excluded in studies assessing clinical utility of CTCA. This study sought to assess the clinical impact of CTCA taking into account pathology in small coronary arteries. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with possible CAD who underwent dual-source CTCA and subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) between January 2010 and July 2017. Patients with an Agatston calcium score >= 1000 were reported separately. Diagnostic accuracy of CTCA on a patient, vessel and segment level was calculated. The physician's therapeutic decision was defined as conservative, medical antianginal treatment or revascularisation. Using ICA as the reference, we calculated the precision of CTCA to replicate these therapeutic recommendations. Results In total, 1209 patients underwent both CTCA and ICA. Overall diagnostic performance of CTCA showed a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI 86% to 93%) and specificity of 40% (95% CI 36% to 45%). With regard to clinical decision making, CTCA showed good performance: 91% of patients who were treated medically or by revascularisation were correctly identified. Prevalence of disease in small vessel segments was low: 16% showed significant CAD on ICA. Prevalence of significant disease was 70% in patients with an Agatston score >= 1000: the majority underwent revascularisation. Conclusions From a true patient perspective, without exclusion of smaller coronary artery segments, CTCA allows safe patient management

Clinical impact of CT coronary angiography without exclusion of small coronary artery segments: a real-world and long-term study

Objectives CT coronary angiography (CTCA) has become a valuable diagnostic test in the workup of patients with possible coronary artery disease (CAD). Because of inherent limitations in spatial resolution, epicardial vessels with a small diameter, in general less than 1.5-2 mm, have so far been excluded in studies assessing clinical utility of CTCA. This study sought to assess the clinical impact of CTCA taking into account pathology in small coronary arteries. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all patients with possible CAD who underwent dual-source CTCA and subsequent invasive coronary angiography (ICA) between January 2010 and July 2017. Patients with an Agatston calcium score >= 1000 were reported separately. Diagnostic accuracy of CTCA on a patient, vessel and segment level was calculated. The physician's therapeutic decision was defined as conservative, medical antianginal treatment or revascularisation. Using ICA as the reference, we calculated the precision of CTCA to replicate these therapeutic recommendations. Results In total, 1209 patients underwent both CTCA and ICA. Overall diagnostic performance of CTCA showed a sensitivity of 90% (95% CI 86% to 93%) and specificity of 40% (95% CI 36% to 45%). With regard to clinical decision making, CTCA showed good performance: 91% of patients who were treated medically or by revascularisation were correctly identified. Prevalence of disease in small vessel segments was low: 16% showed significant CAD on ICA. Prevalence of significant disease was 70% in patients with an Agatston score >= 1000: the majority underwent revascularisation. Conclusions From a true patient perspective, without exclusion of smaller coronary artery segments, CTCA allows safe patient management