A review of the radiological imaging modalities of non-traumatic small bowel obstruction

Small bowel obstruction is a common clinical presentation that presents a diagnostic conundrum. Over the last 2 decades, there has been a paradigm shift in the radiological investigation of small bowel obstruction (SBO) and in the indication for and timing of surgical intervention. Cross-sectional imaging (predominantly computed tomography) has largely replaced the widespread use of radiographic small bowel follow-through studies as the imaging modality of choice for SBO. This article illustrates the current imaging modalities available for diagnosis of small bowel obstruction

Gastric trichobezoar: Food for thought

A bezoar is an agglomeration of food or indigestible foreign material in the gastro-intestinal tract. It is an uncommon cause of abdominal symptomatology and can result in intestinal obstruction. This report is of an adolescent girl with a history of abdominal distension and trichophagia

Torus palatinus

Kupffer and Bessel-Hagen coined the term torus palatinus in 1879 for a benign osseous protuberance arising from the midline of the hard palate. Tori are present in approximately 20% of the population and are occult until adulthood. Recent advances in modern radiology have led to improved evaluation and diagnosis of tori

An unusual case of intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt

Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts are rare vascular anomalies that may be detected in asymptomatic patients, given the recent advances in radiological imaging techniques. Accurate shunt evaluation and classification can be performed with ultrasound and multi-detector computed tomography. We report an unusual case of an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt with an incidental finding of neurofibroma

Urachal remnant carcinoma - a rare entity

Primary malignancy of the urachal remnant is a rare neoplasm that accounts for less than 0.01% of all adult cancers, with an estimated annual incidence of 1:5 million. The tumour carries a grave prognosis that attests to its highly aggressive nature. Owing to its extra-peritoneal location, the tumour runs a relatively silent clinical course until late presentation, when most patients display extensive local invasion and metastatic spread. In this report, we highlight a case of primary malignancy of the urachus that on initial clinical evaluation masqueraded as a Sister Mary Joseph’s nodule. Characteristic imaging features, however, proved decisive in establishing the diagnosis of a urachal carcinoma