Soft tissue involvement, mediastinal pseudotumor, and venous thrombosis in pustulotic arthro-osteitis

A syndrome of hyperostosis of the thoracic wall, nonspecific signs of inflammatory disease, and palmar and plantar pustulosis is described in eight patients (Table 1). Seven had intersternocostoclavicular ossification [12], and one had chromic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis [2]. This complex of findings has been called “pustulotic arthro-osteitis” [5, 12]. This report emphasizes the periosseous soft tissue inflammation and the unexplained subclavian and mediastinal vein thrombosis seen in two patients [8]. Inflammatory periosseous and mediastinal lesions were seen on plain films in all eight patients and on computed tomographic (CT) scans in seven. Radiographs of the spine showed a spondyloarthropathy in three patients. This was characterized by ossification of the vertebral ligaments and sclerosis of the vertebral bodies. Awareness of the radiologic features of pustulotic arthro-osteitis is important because the clinical, biochemical and pathologic findings are often nonspecific and misleading [5, 8, 12].Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46791/1/256_2004_Article_BF00366761.pd

Regional 2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose uptake varies in normal lung

2-[ 18 F]fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a promising imaging procedure for detecting primary and metastatic cancer in the lungs. We have, however, failed to detect some small tumors in the lower lobes of the lungs. This study aimed to determine whether increase 18 F background activity in the dependent lower lungs is present, which could make lesion detection more difficult. We measured the standardized uptake values (SUVs) for FDG of normal lung remote from the nodular lesion in 16 patients with newly diagnosed untreated lung lesions stronlgy suspected to represent non-small cell lung cancers. In addition, 15 patients with known or suspected primary breast cancers without pulmonary lesions were included as control subjects. After PET transmission images of the thorax were obtained, approximately 370 MBq of FDG was injected intravenously and imaging was immediately begun. Patients were supine throughout the study. SUVs were determined with images obtained 50–70 min after FDG injection. Regions of interest (ROls) of 6×6 pixels were positioned over normal lung in anterior, mid, and posterior portions of upper, middle, and lower lung fields. Thus, as many as 18 ROls were positioned in each patient. The SUVs of the posterior portion were significantly higher than those of the anterior and mid portions in the population of 31 cases ( P <0.001). Also, the mean SUV of the lower lung field was significantly higher than the SUVs of the upper and middle lung fields in this population ( P <0.01). This pattern was seen among the two groups of 16 patients suspected of having lung cancer and 15 control subjects. Background 18 F activity was highest in posterior and lower lung in these patients. The maximum value of mean SUV observed in normal posterior lower lung was 0.804±0.230 (41% greater than the mean SUV in the anterior upper lung), which is in the range of the apparent SUV for a 5-mm lung lesion, with higher SUV, due to recovery coefficient issues. Thus this phenomenon could contribute to occasional false-negative lesions in those areas. Increased blood flow and FDG delivery and also scatter from heart and liver may contribute to the increased lower lung background activity. Regional differences in normal lung FDG uptake are significant and should be considered when interpreting pulmonary PET studies in patients with suspected primary or metastatic lung cancer.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46841/1/259_2004_Article_BF00833385.pd

The Value of Ex Situ CT Imaging of Donor Lungs Prior to Transplantation.

PURPOSE: Donor shortage remains a major obstacle associated with considerable mortality in patients waiting for lung transplantation (LTx). Objective donor lung assessment is crucial to obtain sufficient grafts of acceptable quality. We hypothesized that out of body chest CT may be an innovative way to assess grafts prior to LTx. Therefore, this study prospectively investigated the value of CT scan of donor lungs prior to LTx. METHODS: Between 12/2016 and 01/2018, all potential donor lungs were inspected in-situ, recovered and ex situ CT scanned during standard cold preservation. The transplant team and radiologist were blinded for the CT scan, which thus did not change the decision to transplant. CTs were scored for CT abnormalities and were compared between transplanted (Tx) and non-Tx grafts. In addition, CT of Tx grafts were compared between recipients developing PGD3 within 72 h ('PGD3') and recipients who did not ('No PGD3'). RESULTS: In total, 75 lungs were transplanted and 25 were not transplanted, of which 19 were declined for poor graft quality and 6 for extrapulmonary malignancies or logistics. CT abnormalities (CSL, GGO, EMPHY) differed between Tx and non-Tx grafts (Figure 1A). In lungs declined for poor graft quality (n=19), the reason for decline was confirmed in 13 lungs, however 4 lungs had only limited CT abnormalities present. In 2 out of 7 lungs declined at retrieval for clinical suspicion of emphysema, no emphysema was present on CT. In addition, CT abnormalities (CSL, RET/IST) of Tx grafts also significantly differed between recipients with PGD 3 and without PGD 3 (Fig 1B). CONCLUSION: Ex situ CT imaging of donor grafts during preservation is feasible and demonstrated significant differences between Tx and non-Tx grafts. Also grafts of patients with or without PGD3 differed in CT parameters. CT imaging could not confirm the reason for decline in 6 lungs, which might indicate an undisclosed graft potential and a role of CT imaging in donor assessment. The prognostic value of CT parameters on long-term outcomes remains elusive.status: publishe