Sarcoidosis: abdominal manifestations at CT

Article Abstract:

Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease characterized by widespread lesions on organs and tissues of the body. It most commonly affects the organs and tissues in the chest. Computed tomography (CT) has not been used to diagnose sarcoidosis, but indications of the disease have been noted in CT scans. This study examined the CT scans of patients diagnosed with sarcoidosis or non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) to see if there were consistent findings on the scans for each disease and to compare the findings. Abdominal or pelvic lymph nodes were found to be diseased in 11 of 16 patients with sarcoidosis. All patients with NHL were found to have lymphadenopathy using CT. Diseased lymph nodes were significantly less frequent on scans of the thigh and pelvic areas of patients with sarcoidosis than the patients with NHL. The lymph nodes examined by CT were significantly larger in the NHL patients than in the patients with sarcoidosis. CT could not reliably detect lesions on the livers of patients with sarcoidosis. These results indicate that sarcoidosis should be considered when CT scans show lymphadenopathy in the abdomen or lesions on the liver or spleen. Many of the CT scan indications of sarcoidosis are shared with NHL. One possible distinguishing factor is that CT scans showing enlarged lymph nodes in the pelvic and thigh regions are common for NHL and uncommon for sarcoidosis. However, the overlap between NHL and sarcoidosis characteristics limits the use of CT in diagnosing disease. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

CT imaging, CAT scans, Lymphomas

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Pulmonary sarcoidosis: evaluation with high-resolution CT

Article Abstract:

Researchers used high-resolution computed tomography (CT) to study pulmonary sarcoidosis, or granulated lesions that affect the lung. Results of the high-resolution CT images were compared with chest x-rays. Forty-four patients with confirmed sarcoidosis and suspected pulmonary abnormalities were studied with high-resolution CT in the first large study of the use of high-resolution CT to evaluate pulmonary involvement in sarcoidosis. High-resolution CT demonstrated clear superiority to standard x- ray techniques in detecting signs of lung distortion. High-resolution CT is superior to chest x-rays in the detailed analysis of pulmonary nodules and opaque areas in the lung caused by sarcoidosis. High-resolution CT has a greater sensitivity than chest x-ray imaging, as confirmed by a case in which the high-resolution CT scans were positive when x-rays were normal. High- resolution CT, however, remains less sensitive than examination of the tissue. High-resolution CT is a necessary complement to other radiologic modalities, which lack sensitivity, and to transbronchial biopsy, which enables examination of only a minute portion of the functional elements of an organ. One important potential use of high-resolution CT might be to help determine proper biopsy sites.

Evaluation, Lung diseases, X-rays

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Cholesterol granulomas of the middle ear cavities: MR imaging

Article Abstract:

Cholesterol tumor or growths are considered by most otologists to be a relatively harmless disease in the middle ear cavity. Magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging were compared in their abilities to diagnose cholesterol granulomas, or tumors. The researchers concluded that MR imaging was far superior to CT in its ability to characterize tumors in the middle ear. This finding is a crucial benefit in surgical planning. MR is a capable tool for depicting lesions and can be used to accurately determine their extension by outlining soft-tissue structures, such as the cochlea and vestibule, the sigmoid sinus, and the brain in anticipation of surgery. However, it was discovered that MR lacks the ability to depict subtle bone abnormalities.

Case studies, Pathological histology, Granuloma, Temporal bone, Cholesteatoma

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