I am a co-presenter of cases at the weekly Society of Thoracic Radiology Cardiothoracic Case Webinar. In this page I present an up-to-date list of the cases (with brief descriptions) I’ve presented and links to them. Contact me for personal login credentials you’ll need to view (in your browser) or download the cases.
Here are the cases listed by date. Click on a date to reveal and hide the cases for that day.
August 22nd, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Fatal thoracic mucormycosis soon after heart transplantation. | The early occurrence and severity of this infection were very unusual. Extensive mucor was present with pulmonary vessels (pathology slides included). |
| Mediastinal paraganglioma. | The location in the pretracheal mediastinum is a bit unusual. Otherwise, the findings are typical: an intensely enhancing mass associated with large feeding bronchial arteries. |
August 15th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Vaping-associated acute lung injury. | This is the fourth case of vaping-associated acute lung injury we’ve encountered in recent months. As with the others, the presence of lipid-laden macrophages in bronchial lavage fluid was present. |
| Infectious mediastinal lymphadenitis as a consequence of transbronchial node biopsy for suspected sarcoidosis. | The patient was admitted about four weeks after the procedure. The rapid, progressive enlargement of the node was a very important clue to the presence of infection rather than, for example, tumor growth. |
| Second case of infectious mediastinal lymphadenitis as a consequence of transbronchial node biopsy. | In this instance, pericarditis (pericardial effusion) and pleuritis also subsequently developed. Strep. Anginosis was cultured from a blood specimen. This complication occurs in less than 1% of biopsies (in published surveys of biopsy-related complications), but is perhaps underestimated because it is under-diagnosed or not reported. |
August 8th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Vaping-associated lung injury with lipid-laden macrophages in bronchial lavage fluid. | Yet another case of vaping-associated lung injury to complement the two cases I presented last time. Lavage fluid eosinophilia is not present. The severity of the injury was mild. |
| Supra-cristal ventricular septal defect. | There is excellent correspondence between the imaging findings and those observed at the time of surgical correction (provided in the Case Summary). |
| NuPulseVC intravascular assist device in chronic left ventricular failure. | This investigational counterpulsation device (akin to that of a conventional IABP) permits the patient to ambulate. It may be an alternative to LVADs in this circumstance. |
| The use of a left ventricular vent to decompress the distended LV in the context of AV ECMO. | The rationale for the use of this strategy is described in this article: PMID—PMC6531683. The small metallic tip in the left ventricle is visible on chest radiography. |
| Idiopathic plastic bronchitis. | Expectorating these large casts (picture included) must be very disturbing! |
July 11th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Vaping-associated lung injury with bronchial lavage fluid eosinophilia. | The patient required a period of veno-venous ECMO for acute respiratory failure. He was discharged after 16 days. |
| Vaping- associated acute lung injury. | Another case of this entity, less severe. Like the other, an Oil Red-O stain of the lavage fluid showed lipid material (not glycerin, which is not an oil) in macrophages. |
| Subpulmonic left pleural fluid. | A clue to the presence of this is the abnormal distance between air in stomach and the opacity-lung interface in the basal hemithorax. |
June 27th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Spontaneous waning of opacities of granulomatous-lymphocytic ILD (presumed) in CVID. | This phenomenon is known to occur in CVID in the absence of specific treatment. |
| An anatomic interface between the lateral margin of the ascending aorta and right lung. | This is unusual because other structures (SVC; right atrial appendage; mediastinal fat) typically preclude contact of right lung with the ascending aorta. |
| Expansion of intra-pulmonary lymphoid tissue in relation to bronchovascular bundles in (presumed) sarcoidosis. | In this instance, this may simulate filling defects in pulmonary arteries. |
| Inappropriate use of a reconstruction kernel that is excessively “sharp” during evaluation of ILD | This was an “80” kernel on a Siemens scanner. This clearly impedes proper evaluation of the parenchymal abnormalities. |
| Evolution of opacity of primary coccidioidomycosis during treatment. | The opacity is diminished in size and contains a central focus of cavitation. Sometimes, a thin-walled cystic lesion is all that remains. |
| Pneumothorax ex vacuo in tumor-obstructive right upper lobe atelectasis. | Of course, this does not necessitate intervention. |
June 13th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| ILD with cystic disease in SLE and anti-synthetase antibody. | The images show progression of the pulmonary disease over many years. We do not have pathologic correlation. This is likely non-honeycombing (not UIP-like) cystic disease. |
| Ascending-to-descending aortic bypass in aortic coarctation. | I’ve not seen this before. Aortic luminal stents are also present. |
| Restrictive ventilatory impairment in ankylosing spondylitis with extensive ankylosis of costovertebral and costotransverse joints. | Sometimes it’s particularly important to evaluate the bones when a CT for ILD is performed! |
June 6th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Pneumomediastinum and pneumopericardium in severe blunt chest trauma. | The mediastinal and pericardial space communicate (at least in some patients) via the so-called Aperture of Marchand. Marchand described the relevant anatomy and embryologic connection in a classic 1951 article. I’ve included the article and a great educational exhibit from the 2019 meeting of the Society of Thoracic Radiology by Holbert & Oliphant that explicates the relevant anatomy. |
| Passage of a central venous catheter (left brachiocephalic vein) into the right upper lobe via partial RUL anomalous venous drainage to the SVC. | The appearance is disturbing but no harm occurred!. |
| Appearance of Calypso Beacon Transponders on chest radiography. | These transponders are used to facilitate stereotactic ablative radiation therapy of lung cancer. They are placed close to the lesion via electromagnetic navigational bronchoscopy. The Case Summary contains more information about this. |
| A second case demonstrating these Transponders. | Zoom the image to appreciate the structure of these devices. |
May 23rd, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Unexpected discovery of tracheo-esophageal fistula in an adult. | The patient underwent a right upper lobectomy in infancy for unclear resons. At that time a tracheal bronchus was noted. She has experienced respiratory “symptoms” since then, without an explanation. The fistula was repaired. |
| Irregularly-shaped calcifications within a primary lung adenocarcinoma. | A contralateral synchronous tumor (presumed) is also present. |
| Primary myocardial capillary hemangioma. | This unexpected cardiac tumor was likely responsible for the treated arrhythmia. It was diagnosed by CT-guided biopsy. |
| Benign intercostal nerve sheath tumor. | This was an unexpected imaging finding on a CT performed in the context of blunt chest trauma. It was excised. |
| Typical imaging presentation of acute pneumocystis pneumonia in a solid organ recipient. | I don’t think the chest CT was necessary. The radiographic findings — and context — are typical. |
May 16th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Use of a Gore Cardioform interatrial septal occluder device to diminish aortic valve insufficiency that developed after placement of a left ventricular assist device. | Aortic valve incompetence develops in a proportion of patients after implantation of a LVAD. When severe, one means of addressing this is to occlude the valve, in this case with the off-label use of a septal occluder device. It was partly successful. |
| Negative pressure lung edema consequent on a hanging suicide attempt. | Diminished pleural pressure is transmitted to the peri-capillary interstitium. The reduced peri-capillary hydrostatic pressure increases fluid filtration according to the Starling equation. |
| Progressive fibrotic NSIP in the context of scleroderma. | The imaging findings are typical, with severe and progressive traction bronchiectasis in the lower lungs – in particular. |
May 9th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Amiodarone accumulation in the liver. | This is the highest-attenuating liver I’ve seen. |
| AVMs in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. | I’d bet that a flow murmur would be audible on chest auscultation! |
| Mobile aortic thrombi with emboli to mesenteric arteries. | Pulmonary emboli are also present. A coagulopathy is not present. |
| Another case of mobile aortic thrombi with mesenteric ischemia from emboli. | The findings are very similar to the previous case. |
| Squamous cell carcinoma of the thymus. | The imaging findings are indistinguishable from a thymoma. |
May 2nd, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Large pericardial cyst in an unusual location in basal left hemithorax. | The mesothelial cyst lining is typical of a coelomic cyst. |
| Dislodged right atrial pacemaker lead. | Two clues are present: the vertical orientation of the lead and excessive motion on the lateral projection. |
| Pneumomediastinum due to the Macklin phenomenon in a patient with asthma. | Subpleural interstitial emphysema is present. Substantial bronchial wall thickening and intraluminal mucus is also present. |
| Anaplastic large cell lymphoma with SVC obstruction. | An interesting collateral pathway involves communications between liver surface veins and branches of a portal vein in segment 7 (unusual hot spot location). |
April 11th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Migratory thoracolith. | This looks quite a bit like a piece of bone, and presumably comprises a core of fat with peripheral calcium. |
| Bronchiolitis obliterans and pneumatosis intestinalis after stem cell transplantation. | The patient reported mild abdominal pain. She was observed and the pneumatosis resolved over several days. The presence of associated pneumoperitoneum and pneumoretroperitoneum is impressive. |
| Acute IMH of the ascending aorta (treated surgically) with the subsequent appearance of communicating descending aortic dissection. | These forms of acute aortic syndrome may co-exist or appear sequentially. This is not rare. |
March 21st, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Fistula between renal collecting system and pleural space late after RF ablation of a renal lesion. | Now this is a rare cause of a persistent, “idiopathic” pleural effusion. A smart person measured the creatinine concentration in the pleural fluid: 52 mg/dl. |
| Iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. | The first indication of this complication was on chest radiography: air-containing stomach appeared in the lower chest. |
| Iatrogenic diaphragmatic hernia after transhiatal esophagectomy. | Similar to the previous case, air-containing colon appeared in the lower chest after surgery. |
March 14th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Capno-retroperitoneum and -mediastinum after robot-assisted, minimally-invasive renal tumor removal. | The carbon dioxide is quickly reabsorbed. The patient was asymptomatic. |
| Imaging findings of CTEPH with an image showing the material removed during pulmonary surgical endarterectomy. | The pre-operative imaging included a perfusion scan and dual-energy CT with pulmonary blood volume maps. |
| Diffuse pulmonary dendriform ossifications (idiopathic). | This is a classic case (CXR and CT) provided by Tan Mohammed, M.D. |
| Nice teaching case of inversion of pulmonary blood flow in mitral stenosis. | Inversion is a consequence of chronic, not acute, pulmonary venous hypertension. An explanatory article is included. |
| Marginal zone lymphoma discovered as an incidental pulmonary opacity on chest radiography in an elderly female. | I’ve included the pathology report of the CT-guided lung biopsy. |
| Good teaching case of pectus excavatum deformity of sternum. | Typical findings are present on frontal chest radiography. |
| A small endobronchial carcinoid producing subsegmental atelectasis. | The slowly growing pulmonary nodule is a subtle finding on chest radiography. |
March 7th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Myeloid leukemia (strong presumptive diagnosis), pleural effusion, lymphadenopathy, and findings consistent with lymphangitic tumor spread. | The findings are akin to those we see in lymphangitic carcinomatosis with epithelial tumors. Bone marrow biopsy reveals abnormal myeloid cells. I’ve included an article of direct pulmonary manifestations of leukemias. |
| Imaging findings of severe constrictive bronchiolitis. | I’ve included the results of spirometry. Images from the Expiration Series show corresponding absence of lung deflation because of the severe airflow limitation. |
February 28th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Evolution of pulmonary marginal zone lymphoma in Sjogren syndrome. | This evolved over several years. Two previous biopsies revealed LIP only. The diagnostic pathology of lymphoproliferations can be hard, too ! |
February 21st, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Air in pleural space, pericardial recesses & mediastinum after lung transplantation. | The pleural and pericardial membranes may be “disrupted” during lung transplantation, permitting passage of air between these compartments. |
| Bicuspid aortic valve and bicuspid aortopathy. | With a left-right cusp fusion pattern, the blood jet impinges particularly on the anterior-lateral aspect of the ascending aorta, promoting dilatation. |
| Unexpected, asymptomatic communications between right coronary artery and main pulmonary artery. | Coronary artery-to-main pulmonary artery fistulas may involve both left and right coronary arteries. |
February 14th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Obstructive LUL atelectasis with classic radiographic findings. | The collapsed LUL is in the anterior and medial upper left hemithorax. |
| Obstructive LUL atelectasis with a drowned lobe. | The volume associated with the airless lobe produces substantial opacity on the frontal and lateral projections. |
| Obstructive LUL atelectasis with peripheral collapse. | This pattern is very unusual. Pleural adhesions presumably keep a portion of the atelectatic lobe in this location. |
| Incidental finding of strange splenic calcifications on chest radiography. | I’ve just learned that this pattern is distinctive for SLE!. |
February 7th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Follicular bronchiolitis found on surgical biopsy. | This patient does not have a connective tissue disorder or an immunodeficiency state — the usual associations. It’s a great example of centrilobular, ground-glass opacities. |
| Intercostal tissue disruption, a rib fracture, and transcostal lung herniation. | This is ostensibly from one episode of coughing!. |
| Rice grain calcifications of cysticercosis as an incidental finding. | These are nicely demonstrated in muscle on CT of the abdomen. |
January 31st, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Fibrosing lung disease with findings of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis on open lung biopsy. | Detailed descriptions of the pathology findings by two pathologists are included in the Case Summary. |
| Fibrosing lung disease with findings of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis on open lung biopsy. | Excerpts of the pathology report are included. |
| Chronic fibrosing lung disorder with imaging findings consistent with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis. | I would present the findings as such at a multidisciplinary case conference. |
January 24th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Type B aortic dissection attributed to blunt chest trauma. | I’ve not personally encountered this before. Is it possible that the aortic dissection caused the cyclist to lose control and veer into the path of the vehicle that struck him ? We’ll never know. |
| Penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer in aortic arch with substantial intramural hematoma in ascending aorta. | I’m a bit surprised there isn’t more mural hematoma in immediate proximity to the ulcer. Surgical management consisted of ascending aortic and hemiarch replacement and frozen elephant trunk stent graft placement in distal aortic arch. |
| Fenestration-related endoleak after surgical management of complications of prior acute aortic syndrome. | This is an unusual form of endoleak after complex surgical procedures. It’s worthwhile to read the Case Summary which includes detailed excerpts of operative and endovascular procedures. |
January 17th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple patterns of pulmonary metastases, including cystic lesions, in rectal adenocarcinoma. | These were present at the time of initial diagnosis. The occurrence of cavitated and cystic metastases from GI tract, pancreatic, and biliary tract malignancies is often underestimated. |
| Lung cysts in monoclonal lambda multiple myeloma. | The cysts are a consequence of the parenchymal deposition of the immunoglobulin-associated light chains. |
| Iatrogenic perforation of the trachea during out-of-hospital resuscitation with intubation. | It’s surprising that more pneumomediastinum is not present. |
| Exuberant dystrophic calcifications in mediastinal lymphoma from radiation therapy. | Subtle findings of symmetric paramediastinal radiation fibrosis — reticulation and volume loss— are also present. |
January 10th, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Intravascular metastases in esophageal cancer. | Intravascular tumor expands lobular and a few segmental arteries. The former results in many subpleural vascular tree-in-bud opacities. The use of thin MIP reconstructions enables easier recognition of their morphology. |
| Nocardia paucivorans opportunistic pneumonia in a patient with CLL on Ibrutinib therapy. | The findings are identical to those often seen with other nocardial and invasive fungal infections. This is a relatively recently declared “new” species of Nocardia. |
| Sternal fracture with partial sterno-manubrial dissociation. | This is a nice complement to the case of complete sterno-manubrial dissociation I showed on November 15th last year. |
| The use of an Ovesco clip to seal an esophageal peroration. | This is the first time I’ve encountered the device which has a distinctive appearance. |
January 3rd, 2019.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Subtle lobulated pleural thickening and fluid as initial presentation of breast cancer. | It is often the case that careful examination of coronal and sagittal MPRs more-readily reveals pleural thickening. In this case the primary breast tumor is also visible. |
| Extranodal B-cell marginal zone lymphoma. | The diagnosis was delayed when the focal opacity was first presumed to represent community-acquired pneumonia. |
| Multiple recurrences of marginal zone lymphoma (in many locations) over many years. | The most recent recurrence is in the form of substantial mediastinal tumor in the middle and posterior mediastinum, directly behind the heart, lifting the aorta off the spine. |
December 27th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Episodes of hemoptysis from dilated bronchial submucosal vessels after thrombotic occlusion of pulmonary veins as a complication of ablation procedures for atrial fibrillation. | The explanation relates to extensive communications between bronchial and pulmonary veins. I’ve included pertinent articles about such communications with the case, as well as images from bronchoscopy. |
| Unexpected occurrence of parenchymal and nodal sarcoidosis during surveillance of a rib lesion . | The size of the pulmonary lesions, containing air bronchograms is rather impressive. Some would, I think, describe this as “alveolar sarcoid.” Some hint at the so-called sarcoid “galaxy sign.” |
| Lung involvement (presumed) in a patient with longstanding systemic mastocytosis. | The imaging pattern is concordant with that in published Case Reports with pathological confirmation. |
December 20th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax from cystic cutaneous angiosarcoma metastases. | Some of the metastases have ground glass-attenuating halos, perhaps from hemorrhage. |
| Chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis on open lung biopsy. | Imaging-pathology concordance is present. Foci of non-subpleural traction bronchiectasis are present. |
| IgG4-related pulmonary disease. | The pathologic diagnosis was initially made on biopsy of a neck lymph node. The imaging findings, waxing and waning, are consistent with a lymphoplasmacytic proliferative process. Pathology images are included in the Case Summary. |
| Evolution (over years) of MGUS to marginal zone lymphoma with cystic lung lesions. | Dramatic cavitation (dissolution of parenchyma) and bronchiectasis develops with the lung opacities. |
| Cystic lung disease and a solitary nodule of plasmacytoma (kappa light chain-restricted) with amyloid on CT-guided biopsy. | The nodule was unexpectedly discovered on abdominal CT. |
| Cystic lung disease with nodules of amyloid, some associated with calcification or ossification. | CT-guided biopsy of a nodule yielded the presence of amyloid. I usually consider the possibility of Sjogren syndrome as an association. |
December 13th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Left SVC with absent right SVC. | This is an uncommon occurrence. The hemiazygos vein takes the place of the azygos. |
| Severe constrictive bronchiolitis in rheumatoid arthritis. | This case nicely demonstrates the dilatation of proximal segmental bronchi that may occur in this condition. |
| Tumoral calcinosis in chronic renal failure. | Calcium deposits about the hip joints is also present. |
| Nocardia cyriacigeorgica opportunistic infection several months after stem cell transplantation for lymphoid leukemia. | Extensive, multifocal nodular disease is present. |
December 6th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Untreated Type 3 acute aortic mural injury, being followed. | I don’t know why this was not managed with a stent at the time of the injury, but it hasn’t changed in quite a while. The chest radiograph is nice for teaching mediastinal-lung interfaces. |
| Mural left atrial and pulmonary vein calcifications developing in the context of chronic renal failure. | The patient has Alport syndrome and has been on dialysis for many years. The case is also an excellent one for teaching findings of renal osteodystrophy. |
| A persistent drug abuser with pulmonary septic embolism and embolized vegetation fragments from a prosthetic tricuspid valve. . | An interesting finding is a small focus of gas (presumably air) within an embolized vegetation in a left lower lobe pulmonary artery. |
November 29th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Rapid progression of gastric cancer metastases with extensive intra-vascular and intra-airway tumor growth. | An extensive vascular tree-in-bud pattern is present. Bronchoscopy confirmed extensive endoluminal tumors in the trachea and proximal bronchi. |
| Rapid growth of intra-vascular (arterial and venous) metastases, lymphangitic tumor spread, and lung edema in metastatic colon cancer. | Tumor cells constituted 3% of cells in a bronchial lavage fluid sample. |
| Cystic metastases from a gluteal pleomorphic liposarcoma resulting in a pneumothorax . | Fluid levels are present in the larger, coalescent pulmonary metastases. |
November 15th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Renal osteodystrophy. | This case has all the findings — in multiple locations — that you’re likely to show in a teaching conference: subperiosteal bone resorption in multiple locations, Brown Tumors in ribs, and the Rugger Jersey spine. |
| Sternomanubrial dissociation from blunt chest trauma. | This is the first instance I’ve personally seen of this exceedingly uncommon occurrence. The bones usually fracture. It’s a subtle finding on the lateral projection. |
| Inflammatory pseudotumor of lung — lymphoplasmacytic type. | The presence of the nodule was an unexpected finding on a CT performed in a patient with scleroderma. |
November 8th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Spontaneous waxing-and-waning of opacities over many months in granulomatous-lymphocytic interstitial lung disease (presumed) of CVID. | It is likely that this is a manifestation of a lymphoproliferative pulmonary process. Such proliferations vary from follicular bronchiolitis to areas of lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis (LIP) |
| Lobar interstitial lung edema in small cell lung cancer. | It’s not possible to separate lymphangitic tumor spread from pulmonary venous hypertension in this instance — the right SPV is encased and narrowed by tumor. Both may be present. Patchy foci of FDG-avidity are present in the involved lobe. |
| Difficult diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. | A VATS procedure was eventually required to secure a pathologic diagnosis. View pleural thickening— even if limited in extent — when it involves mediastinal pleural surfaces with considerable concern. |
| High-grade pleomorphic spindle cell tumor of the basal left hemothorax traversing the left hemidiaphragm. | The presence of substantial rib destruction is also an indication of a very bad actor. |
| Pulmonary arterial hypertension attributed to methamphetamine abuse. | One cannot otherwise distinguish this from many other etiologies encompassed in Group I pulmonary hypertension — on imaging findings alone. |
November 1st, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Acute Type B aortic dissection with retrograde extension of intramural hematoma into ascending aorta. | This is a variation on a pathologic spectrum and our usual classification scheme. This patient was treated with endovascular stent grafts to exclude tears demonstrated in the descending aorta. |
| Visibility of pulmonary emboli on a CTPA in which the degree of contrast-opacification of blood is ostensibly insufficient. | This refutes oft-expressed dogma: when the attenuation measurement of blood in the pulmonary artery is less than 200 H.U., the examination is “non-diagnostic.” The origin of this erroneous assertion is elusive. The presence of noise (quantum mottle) and the resultant contrast-noise ratio is also relevant to this determination. |
| The evolution of pulmonary infarcts and non-resolution of embolus in a case of pulmonary embolism. | Serial imaging in this patient nicely demonstrates these phenomena. The affected vessel never recanalizes and will forever remain occluded. |
October 25th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Mycobacterial spindle cell pseudotumor as endobronchial mass. | This is definitely a new one for me! I’ve included pictures from the bronchoscopy procedure and an article about the entity. |
| Hypersensitivity pneumonitis with classic bronchial lavage and pathology features. | This case shows the value of a proper ILD imaging protocol instead of trying to diagnose an ILD-related disorder on a CTPA examination. |
| Primary chest wall mesenchymal chondrosarcoma. | This is a very bad actor as the extent of rib and vertebral involvement attest. |
October 18th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Early sternal incision dehiscence after cardiac surgery. | The sternal wires remained intact as they tore through the left half of the sternum. |
| Hemidiaphragmatic eventration with fluoroscopy images. | It’s important to examine the hemidiaphragms in the lateral projection. With a sniff, the anterior hemidiaphragm moved upward (paradoxical motion); the posterior portion moved downward. |
| Fibrosing interstitial lung disease with imaging findings of pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis in the upper lobes. | The included pathology report of the open lung biopsy revealed findings consistent with chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis as well. |
| Lymphomatoid granulomatosis (EBV-positive) with nodular parenchymal disease and skin involvement. | The diagnosis was made on a skin biopsy. Because the patient had been treated with azathioprine for many years (for inflammatory bowel disease), this may be a case of Immunodeficiency-Associated Lymphoproliferative Disease. |
October 11th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Subtle findings of subcarinal lymph node enlargement on lateral chest radiography. | The presence of lymphadenopathy was confirmed on CT. Subsequent biopsy revealed metastatic melanoma. |
| CT halo sign in pulmonary melanoma metastases. | Both the solid, central and peripheral, ground-glass components enlarge on tumor progression. Is this really surrounding hemorrhage ? |
| Acute, very large chest wall hematoma, ostensibly spontaneous. | The heterogenous attenuation of the hematoma is pretty typical. |
| A second companion case of apparently spontaneous chest wall hematoma. | The patient was on anti-coagulant therapy. |
| Discovery of right upper lobe PAPVR and an associated sinus-venosus atrial septal defect on a CTPA for acute pulmonary embolism. | Note the dilated pulmonary arteries and enlarged right cardiac chambers from the resultant shunt and pulmonary hypertension. |
October 4th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Acute Type A aortic dissection in Marfan syndrome. | Not surprisingly, dilatation of the aortic root is not visible on chest radiography. |
| Septic embolism with large tricuspid valve vegetations. | The vegetations are visible on the relatively delayed images from the concurrent abdominal CT examination. A few embolized fragments are visible in some small pulmonary arteries. |
| Iatrogenic diaphragm hernia from injury during a tumor-debulking procedure for ovarian cancer. | One clue is the absence of the (removed) spleen. Otherwise, one has to know the history and surgical details. |
| Infected thrombosis of jugular vein and septic embolism as a catheter-related complication. | The extent of thrombus progressed over several days. Culture-postive Staph. infection. |
September 27th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Interrupted bolus phenomenon in computed tomography pulmonary angiography. | The patient must have inspired at just the most inauspicious moment! The non-opacified IVC-derived bolus is being “chased” by a SVC bolus. The examination was repeated with success. |
| Primary coccidioidomycosis as a hidden lesion. | The left lower lobe opacity is invisible on chest radiography. It was discovered on a CTPA performed for chest pain. |
| Septal lakes of interstitial (hydrostatic) lung edema. | This is a particularly nice example of this phenomenon. |
September 13th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Invasive mucinous adenocarcinoma presenting as bilateral, multilobar nodular and cavitary nodular opacities. | Is this the so-called field cancerization phenomenon or a manifestation of common clonal origin of multifocal lung cancers ? |
| Subglottic tracheal narrowing by granulation tissue soon after an episode (6 days) of endotracheal intubation. | I’ve included a description of the endoscopic appearance of the tracheal lumen prior to balloon dilatation. |
| Subtle radiographic findings in tuberculosis as an AIDS-presenting illness. | This is sometimes described as an atypical presentation of TB in an adult. One cannot determine whether this is a primary infection or re-activation of latent (prior) infection. |
September 6th, 2018.
This week's cases represent complex findings associated with surgical management of aortic dissection and complications thereof. I've included detailed notes of the Operative Procedures for each case. It's really important to know the details of the surgical procedures performed (or being planned) when interpreting and reporting the CT-angiography examinations. In particular, the state of the false lumen should be reported in detail, including the presence, nature, and locations of residual blood flow into it.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Elephant trunk procedure and subsequent TEVAR. | This case involved three different staged procedures in the situation of a dilating aortic root and false lumen following a prior ascending aorta replacement for aortic dissection. |
| Frozen elephant trunk technique in management of Type A aortic dissection. | The term frozen refers to the notion that this newer stent graft technique may have “frozen” — supplanted — the conventional elephant trunk surgical procedure; a silly description! |
August 30th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Obstructive lingular atelectasis from small cell cancer. | The remaining left upper lobe is aerated. This is a great companion case to that presented by Jeff Kanne: lingula-sparing left upper lobe atelectasis. |
| Westermark and Palla signs in acute pulmonary embolism. | It’s not common to see these classic radiographic signs! |
| Stenosis at the origin of the innominate artery by calcified atheromatous plaque. | I showed this case primarily to demonstrate the location and appearance of the plaque on the lateral projection of the chest. Bovine-arch anatomy is shown on angiography. |
August 23rd, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Inter-atrial septal aneurysm. | This is an incidentaloma and, typically, a leave-alone finding. |
| The appearance of inadvertently-injected air in pulmonary arteries. | This occurred during the performance of CTA in a trauma victim. In some locations, it is clear that an air-block phenomenon is present, with variable contrast-opacification of blood just behind the air. |
| Evolution of sub-lobular infarcts in pulmonary embolism. | The two lower lobe infarcts are quite small and irregular in shape. The notion of “wedge-shaped” opacities in pulmonary embolism is unsubstantiated dogma. I’ve included an image of infarcts of different shapes and sizes from the classic article by Hampton & Castleman, in which the notion is also refuted. |
| Caseous calcification in mitral valve annulus. | It’s rather florid, but otherwise typical. View it with a bone WW/WL display setting |
August 16, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Evolution of ulcer-like projection and intra-mural blood pools in acute intramural hematoma (acute aortic syndrome). | The blood pools represent a sequel of transected origins of intercostal arteries - hence, pseudoaneurysms. These are nicely shown on the coronal MPR where the associated intercostals are opacified. These developed in four days. |
| Rocks of bone in the chest. | This is an incidental finding in a patient imaged for prostate cancer. The etiology is not apparent. It’s clearly benign. If you’ve seen this before, let me know! |
| Pneumomediastinum from the Macklin phenomenon in a tackled football player. | This, of course, is analogous to that seen in trauma patients involved in car crashes and the like. His chest was presumably compressed while his glottis was closed with alveolar rupture from momentary alveolar overdistention. |
| Extensive pleural and extrapleural (subtle extrapleural fat sign) lymphoma. | Nodal disease is also present. It’s easy to overlook the pleural membrane tumor adjacent to pleural fluid. |
| High-altitude pulmonary edema. | This young person was descending from 13,000 feet when he began to experience shortness of breath. |
August 9, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Recurrent bronchopulmonary aspiration in a patient with a Lap Band. | Chest radiographs from 2011 onward reveal esophageal dilatation with air and/or ingested food and fluid, not perceived and reported. The last CT performed in 2018 reveal opacities very consistent with substantial aspiration (subtle bronchiolar opacities are also present). Clinic notes over many years provide strong hints towards the diagnosis. I don’t know why it took so long to make it. |
| Obstructive atelectasis from an endobronchial polypoid lesion. | This case demonstrates three substantive findings: obstructive left upper lobe atelectasis on radiography; pneumothorax ex vacuo (article included); and the causative lesion — including bronchoscopic management and pathology images. |
| Intimo-intimal intussusception in acute aortic dissection. | This case from Seth Kligerman nicely shows back-and-forth prolapse of an intimomedial flap through the aortic valve, particularly on the included cardiac ultrasound. Formation of this involves a circumferential tear. A relevant and distinctive observation is an “empty” ascending aortic lumen between the proximal and distal flaps. |
| A primary cardiac lymphoma. | This second case from Seth shows subtle, initial myocardial thickening from the tumor. |
July 26, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Vascular metastases in bladder cancer. | Tree-in-bud-type opacities are conspicuous. The margins of some of the involved vessels are “shaggy.” These developed in a short period of time. |
| Spinal disc injury and lacerated esophagus in a motorbike rider hit by a vehicle. | The transmural esophageal laceration anterior to the disc space was confirmed with a contrast esophagram and then surgically repaired. Amazingly, the spinal cord was spared. |
| Extensive lepidic growth in pulmonary metastases from a biliary tract adenocarcinoma. | Many of the lesions have a central solid tumor “core” with a halo of ground glass-attenuating opacity. |
July 19, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Necrotizing sarcoidosis with pituitary and lung involvement. | The case includes an article in which the pathologist author asserts that necrosis in sarcoidosis is not rare and that we should not make a rigid distinction between “ordinary” sarcoidosis and the necrotizing granulomatous variety. The patient responded well to steroid. |
| Acute pulmonary embolism with classic opacity of focal hemorrhage in posterior lung adjacent to costophrenic recess. | The opacity is difficult to perceive on the lateral projection— not visible on the PA projection. |
| Smoker’s lung with all the findings you might want to see. | I’m sure there’s massive parenchymal and alveolar accumulation of smoker’s macrophages - a nice teaching case of DIP. |
July 12, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Rapid lung destruction in CNS and pulmonary coccidioidomycosis. | The patient had been in Arizona in December. The neck CTs (performed in the evaluation of “stroke” that was subsequently considered a manifestation of small vessel vasculitis) show the development of apical parenchymal cavitations over three days. Cocci was cultured from bronchial lavage fluid. High serum titers of cocci-specific antibodies was simultaneously demonstrated. |
| Slow development of a small mediastinal thymoma. | This occurred during periodic surveillance imaging in a patient with treated colon cancer. |
| Right superior accessory fissure. | Note the fissure projecting over the spine on the lateral projection. It’s nicely demonstrated on sagittal CT |
July 5, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Diffuse pulmonary disease in systemic AL amyloidosis. | The distribution of the calcified (or ? ossified) reticulo-nodular opacities is very sarcoid-like, with protein deposition in interlobular septa and the subpleural interstitium. The morphology of many opacities is also akin to that seen with dendriform ossifications. There is also pleural involvement with an instance of spontaneous pneumothorax during the patient’s disease course. |
| Evolution of infarcts after pulmonary embolism. | This case demonstrates two phenomena: large, acute opacities that diminish over time (melting sign) to result in irregularly-shaped (not wedge-shaped — a common misconception about these lesions) subpleural opacities; non-resolution of a large central embolus with occlusive, fibrotic organization in the involved vessel. |
| Occurrence of a pulmonary artery pseudo-aneurysm within a primary lung cancer after treatment with chemoradiation. | The patient presented with hemoptysis. The pseudoaneurysm was occluded with coils. |
| Primary germ cell tumor of mediastinum. | I’ve included graphic summaries of immunohistochemical characterization of these tumors. |
June 28th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Acute eosinophilic pneumonia attributed to a preparation of naltrexone. | Serum and bronchial lavage eosinophilia suggested the diagnosis. FDA labelling describes the occurrence of this in clinical trials preceding marketing approval. The patient responded promptly to steroid therapy. |
| Hyperattenuating lymph nodes in a welder. | The attribution of the phenomenon to nodal metal accumulation is compelling. |
| Retained wood as a consequence of remote penetrating trauma involving a tree. | The “mass” was resected revealing residual chips of wood in the lesion. Nice pathology pics are included. A webinar co-presenter suggested ligneothorax for this — I like it! |
| A nice example of the so-called “tipped-up” variant of right middle lobe collapse. | I’ve included a description of the wedge-in-wedge phenomenon and an article describing the tipped-up morphology. |
June 14th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Diffuse pulmonary hyperattenuation in hypersensitivity pneumonitis. | View the first CT at the standard lung display setting: WW 1500; WL -500. Note the diffuse “grey lungs,” with a so-called black bronchus sign intimating the substantial difference between the blackness of air in the airways compared to the lungs. If one increases the WL or narrows the WW, the finding will “disappear.” The follow-up CT shows resolution of the abnormality. The patient apparently had several pet birds in his house. |
| Extension of left thyroid lobe into the chest displacing the trachea rightward. | A goiter usually displaces the trachea more superiorly . |
June 7th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Multiple malpositioned pacemaker leads. | This is quite a collection for one patient: Extravascular location of a right atrial lead; malpositioned atrial lead in the SVC; trans-apical passage of right ventricular lead (on CT). |
| Organizing pneumonia (presumed) from transtuzumab (Herceptin). | Classic consolidative and ground glass-attenuating opacities with several reverse-halos. |
| Sputum-postive TB in an AIDS patient. | The lung findings on CT are very sparse— in the upper lobes. |
| Subaortic left brachiocephalic vein. | A nice teaching example of this unusual anomaly. |
May 31st, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Brachiocephalic artery and aortic mural injuries from multiple, unsuccessful attempts at jugular vein catheterization (presumed). | This was an unanticipated finding on the CT obtained for other reasons. An examination of the medical record revealed a description of the five catheterization attempts a few hours before the scan. The actual mechanism of injury is elusive. |
| Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (presumed) attributed to avian protein. | This is a dramatic example of a mosaic attenuation pattern from obstructive small airways disease/air trapping. |
| Interstitial edema (asymmetric) with septal lakes from mitral valve regurgitation. | Images from the transesophageal ultrasound examination are included. |
| Lateral displacement of the mediastinal-lung interface in the azygo-esophageal recess from esophageal dilatation. | The esophagus is distended with ingested food (turkey and mash potato!) as detailed in the endoscopy report in the Case Summary. |
May 24th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Chronic granulomatous disease. | The diagnosis is not potentially possible without having a substantial history of repeated bronchopulmonary (and other organs, such as skin) infections. |
| Mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. | Substantial internal necrosis is present in the mass. The FDG-avid lung lesions are presumably lymphoma, too. |
| Malignant breast phyllodes tumor invading all four pulmonary veins with extension into the left atrium. | A very aggressive tumor, with a lethal course — in this instance. |
| Severe pericarditis after removal of an interatrial septal occluder device (for ostensible nickel allergy). | Substantial pericardial T1-hyperintensity on delayed gadolinium MRI imaging. A total pericardiectomy eventually had to be performed when trials of various anti-inflammatory medications did not successfully suppress the inflammation. |
| An intercostal-bronchial trunk in the proximal descending aorta potentially simulating aortic mural injury in a trauma victim. | Note the “conical” shape of the origin of the vessel, which gives rise to bronchial and intercostal arteries. |
May 17th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Aortic pseudothrombus from black smoke phenomenon. | An excellent example of this phenomenon (a mixing of opacified and incompletely opacified blood), which is due to a combination of a short scan time (less than a second), with a distinct contrast-attenuation difference in the opacified distal aortic arch compared to the distal descending aorta (leading contrast edge phenomenon), and relatively slow flow on the inner aspect of the lumen. The area of relatively low attenuation still has attenuation values much higher than thrombus, the latter usually around 30-40 H.U. |
| Appearing heart sign of pneumomediastinum. | I’ve given the observation this inelegant name. Let me know of a better one. The expected convex heart-lung interface (particularly that related to the apical left ventricle) has suddenly “appeared” because of the accumulation of air in the contiguous mediastinal fat, which previously effaced the interface. This complements other, usual signs of pneumomediastinum. |
| Behcet’s disease with RV clot and pulmonary emboli. | Pulmonary artery aneurysms are not present in this case, kindly submitted by Julie Takasugi. |
| Incidental discovery of a PDA during evaluation of acute aortic syndrome. | Note the nice jet of contrast (the white spotlight) entering the left pulmonary artery. |
| Pulmonary extramedullary hematopoiesis in myelofibrosis (very strong presumption). | Note the diffuse FDG-avidity in the lungs on the PET scan. |
May 3rd, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Diffuse lymphangitic tumor spread (presumed) from a gastric cancer. | This previously healthy patient presented with extensive osseous, nodal, and pulmonary metastases. A tumor was discovered at the gastro-esophageal junction. Diffuse interstitial edema and pleural effusions are present. Diffuse pulmonary FDG-avidity is present on PET-CT. |
April 19th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Familial pulmonary fibrosis. | The patient’s mother and two siblings are also affected. Genetic studies (e.g., for telomerase-associated mutations) have not been done. A biopsy has not been performed, but I wouldn’t be surprised if findings of pleuroparenchymal fibroelastosis were present. |
| Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. | I was concerned that a more-dire diagnosis— such as midline NUT carcinoma— was present. |
| Smoking-related fibrosis, enlarged airspaces, and massive accumulation of smoker’s macrophages. | A correlative lung biopsy report is included. I wish that a multi-disciplinary discussion had occurred. I think that a confident diagnosis of “smoker’s lung” may be made on the basis of the imaging findings. |
| Incidental finding of a thrombosed systemic artery to the RLL. | Leif Jensen made a great observation: a bronchus in the adjacent lobe does not have a companion artery. We’ll call this the lonely bronchus sign. Let me know if you’ve ever seen this phenomenon. |
April 6th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Parenchymal cysts in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia. | The (larger) cysts have features typical of those that are consequent on protein (light chains) deposition, seen in a variety of lymphoplasmacytic proliferative disorders. |
| Incidental discovery of CTEPH-like vascular morphologic findings in the left lower lobe. | Substantial luminal narrowing is present with slow flow through the lobe and a “black smoke” phenomenon in the pulmonary veins and left atrium. Careful evaluation of a chest radiograph obtained two years before shows the same vascular attenuation in the left lower lobe. |
| Hydrostatic lung edema from cardiomyopathy. | This is a great teaching case to show: very thick interlobular septa; edematous inter-segmental septum in the LLL; subpleural interstitial edema in relation to interlobar fissures; peri-bronchial fluid cuffs, substantially narrowing bronchial lumens (think cardiac asthma); mediastinal fat edema; nodal edema. |
| Human metapneumovirus infection in a breast cancer patient on chemotherapy. | A nice companion case to that shown by Travis last week! The findings of substantial bronchitis are great for teaching. |
March 29th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| Recurrent pyogenic abscesses ascribed to recurrent aspiration episodes. | Large, recurrent foci of necrotizing pneumonia occur. Subtle airway findings— intraluminal material in the lumens of small bronchi and bronchioles— are present on some examinations. An organism(s) has never grown in culture. |
| An interstitial fibrosing disorder. | I would describe the pattern as indeterminate for UIP. Classification criteria are here. Areas of fibrosis, with traction bronchiectasis, are present away from the lung periphery and a basal-predominant disease distribution is not present. Sparse foci of air-trapping are present. Pathologic findings on open-lung biopsy revealed findings consistent with UIP. |
| Another left atrial appendage occluder device. | This one is an Amplatzer Amulet device. |
March 22th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| An unusual course of a central venous catheter on bedside radiography, causing some consternation. | The catheter jogs slightly into a large azygos vein. Additional imaging demonstrates: absence of the intra-hepatic IVC; a small persistent left SVC; and bilobed lungs (Kanne’s Rule : look for concurrent airway and lobation anomalies.) |
| Left cervico-thoracic sign (of Felson). | As expected, a goiter is the cause. The structure that contacts the left upper lobe is the displaced left subclavian artery. The presence of the goiter is also visible on the lateral projection. |
| Substantial increase in extrapleural fat with evolving adjacent, extensive pleural thickening. | I don’t think we know why this happens, but it’s a well-described phenomenon in the context of chronic pleural fluid/thickening. |
March 15th, 2018.
Today’s cases are two examples of smoking-related lung disease, particularly Langerhan’s Cell Histiocytosis. The chest radiographs demonstrate the often-very- subtle upper lung-zone reticulation and cystic changes that substantially “under-represent” the extent of disease that is present. Examine the PA projections carefully for an Aunt-Minnie perceptual pattern.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| First case | Florid cystic disease with small solid and cavitated nodules in a 29-year-old smoker. The extent of disease is diminished after smoking cessation. |
| Second case | In addition to the upper lobe cysts, florid parenchymal hyperattenuation is present, undoubtedly representing massive parenchymal accumulation of smoker’s macrophages. Several small, circumscribed cysts are present in the lower lungs. If a lung biopsy were performed, I’d bet that DIP would be described. Of course, DIP is a misnomer. |
March 8th, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| An accessory hyparterial left upper lobe bronchus | An additional small bronchus arises from the distal left main bronchus just before the origin of the LUL bronchus. A graphic demonstrating such accessory bronchi is included. (Case from Julie Takasugi) |
| Hepatocellular carcinoma with direct extension into IVC and extensive intravascular metastases | Numerous intravascular (large) tumor emboli are present. (Case from Julie Takasugi) |
| Systemic arterial supply to RLL, drainage of pulmonary veins into the azygos, and bilobed right lung | A rather strange variation of intralobar sequestration with venous drainage into a systemic vein. Not unexpectedly, lobation anomaly is also present— the Kanne Rule. (Case from Julie Takasugi) |
| Necrotizing Staph. aureus pneumonia with several small cavitary lesions — Cheerios with halos. | The case also demonstrates pneumomediastinum from the Macklin phenomenon (ventilated patient)— septal emphysema; subpleural emphysema; and air in axial connective tissue sheaths are present |
March 1st, 2018.
| Case | Description |
|---|---|
| CTPA. Scanning too early after contrast administration with incomplete opacification of the pulmonary arteries in a patient with CHF. | With our new Siemens Force scanner (0.5-1s scan time) we’ve had to increase the default scan delay (9-10s) on our bolus tracking protocol to achieve proper opacification of the arteries and left heart. |
| Enlargement of all four parathyroid glands in secondary hyperparathyroidism in CRF. | The glands are situated more inferiorly than usual. |
| Transpleural connections between chest wall veins and pulmonary veins in central venous obstruction | A patient with sickle cell disease and venous obstruction attributed to a complication of chronic vein catheterizations. A SVC stent is present, covering the junction of brachiocephalic veins. The veins traverse the pleural space through pleural fluid to enter the lung. Other more-usual collaterals are present as well. |
| Mounier-Kuhn syndrome | A classic case. Embolization procedures (presumably for hemoptysis) were performed previously. |