Impact of a radiological protection campaign in emergency paediatric radiology: a multicentric observational study in Brazil

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of a paediatric radiological protection campaign, implemented in the emergency units of a healthcare provider network in Brazil. This campaign aimed to promote awareness among emergency department physicians, regarding justifcation of paediatric X-ray referrals for paranasal sinus, chest and CT exams, as a strategy to reduce exposure to ionising radiation. Method: Frequency analysis of common paediatric imaging referrals from 19 emergency departments was performed for a 3-year period (2015–2018) to coincide with before, during and after the implementation of the radiation protection campaign. The campaign was multifaceted and involved dissemination of educational materials and imaging referral guidelines along with quarterly meetings with participating centres’ leaderships. Additionally, patient dose cards were distributed to patients/carers. The Chi-Square test was used to examine the association between the type of examination and the patient’s age group. Exact-Fisher test was performed to check for an association between participant engagement and the existence of the radiation protection committee. Results: Referrals reduced by 25% following the campaign with no reports of misdiagnosis. Many referrals in the youngest age groups. In 15 units, a radiological protection committee was created to raise awareness and to create a multi professional team to communicate the risks and benefits of radiological procedure in children. Conclusion: The campaign resulted in a substantial reduction in radiological referrals while promoting a radiation protection culture. Simple education initiatives can contribute to savings in both finances and radiation doses, particularly important in radiosensitive cohorts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pulmonary metastases from primary hepatocellular carcinoma in a 26-year-old patient: a case report

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a primary tumor of the liver, which usually develops in the setting of chronic liver disease, particularly viral hepatitis. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma can be difficult, and often requires the use of serum markers, one or more imaging modalities, and histological confirmation. The authors describe a case of a 26-year-old woman with hepatocellular carcinoma and multiple pulmonary metastases. She presented with hepatomegaly and sporadic fever, and had negative hepatitis serology, normal alkaline phosphatase, and a rising serum alpha-fetoprotein level. The diagnosis was confirmed by histopathology, after percutaneous liver biopsy. Although the patient was in good health condition and had few symptoms, there was no possibility of treatment due to the extension of the liver tumor and the number of pulmonary metastases

Computed tomographic findings of tuberous sclerosis with pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and renal angiomyolipomas: a case report

The authors describe a case of a 31-year-old female with tuberous sclerosis, a genetic, rare, variably expressed disease. Clinical symptoms were chest pain, and progressive dyspnea. Computed tomography scan of the chest showed bilateral, diffuse, small thin-walled cysts scattered throughout the lungs characteristic for pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis. Computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed enlarged, heterogeneous kidneys, with low density tumors corresponding to angiomyolipomas. Pulmonary lymphangioleiomyomatosis and bilateral renal angiomyolipomas are some presentations of tuberous sclerosis and the coexistence of both conditions may cause devastating morbidity and mortality

Primary pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma computed tomography findings: a case report

Primary pulmonary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is a very rare neoplasm. It is most frequently represented by the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type. We describe a case of a 67-year-old woman who presented with fatigue, mild dyspnea, and consolidation on chest radiograph. The diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was established by transbronchial biopsy, and chemotherapy was then started. The patient was treated with 6 cycles of chemotherapy. She had good response to therapy and no progression of the disease was observed during a 4-year follow-up period. The clinical, radiological and histopathological features are described. This entity has an indolent course, good response to therapy and favorable prognosis. However, despite being an incidental radiological finding in a third of cases, this disease remains highly underdiagnosed

Paravertebral Mass in a Patient with Hemolytic Anemia: Computed Tomographic Findings

Extramedullary hematopoiesis is characterized by the presence of hematopoietic tissue outside of the bone marrow and is typically associated with chronic hemolytic anemias. Intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis is a rare and usually asymptomatic condition. The authors report a case of a 57-year-old man with intrathoracic extramedullary hematopoiesis and hereditary spherocytosis. Clinical and laboratory evaluation, together with radiological findings, are described. The diagnosis of the disease was confirmed by tissue biopsy