scholarly journals COVID-19 pneumonia: current evidence of chest imaging features, evolution and prognosis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Rita Larici ◽  
Giuseppe Cicchetti ◽  
Riccardo Marano ◽  
Lorenzo Bonomo ◽  
Maria Luigia Storto
Keyword(s):  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Imaging Features ◽  
Chest Imaging ◽  
High Resolution Computed Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Prognostic Assessment ◽  
Patient’S Outcome

AbstractCOVID-19 pneumonia represents a global threatening disease, especially in severe cases. Chest imaging, with X-ray and high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT), plays an important role in the initial evaluation and follow-up of patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. Chest imaging can also help in assessing disease severity and in predicting patient’s outcome, either as an independent factor or in combination with clinical and laboratory features. This review highlights the current knowledge of imaging features of COVID-19 pneumonia and their temporal evolution over time, and provides recent evidences on the role of chest imaging in the prognostic assessment of the disease.

scholarly journals Chest CT as a Complement to RT-PCR to Confirm and Follow-up COVID-19 Patients

Medicinus ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 31
Author(s):  
Aziza Ghanie Icksan ◽  
Muhammad Hafiz ◽  
Annisa Dian Harlivasari
Keyword(s):  
Chest Ct ◽  
Rt Pcr ◽  
High Resolution Computed Tomography ◽  
X Ray ◽  
First Case ◽  
Chest X Ray ◽  
Polymerase Chain

<p><strong>Background : </strong>The first case of COVID-19 in Indonesia was recorded in March 2020. Limitation of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) has put chest CT as an essential complementary tool in the diagnosis and follow up treatment for COVID-19. Literatures strongly suggested that High-Resolution Computed Tomography (HRCT) is essential in diagnosing typical symptoms of COVID-19 at the early phase of disease due to its superior sensitivity  (97%) compared to chest x-ray (CXR).</p><p>The two cases presented in this case study showed the crucial role of chest CT with HRCT to establish the working diagnosis and follow up COVID-19 patients as a complement to RT-PCR, currently deemed a gold standard.<strong></strong></p>

scholarly journals Cystic and alveolar echinococcosis of the hepatobiliary tract – the role of new imaging techniques for improved diagnosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 75 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christoph F Dietrich ◽  
Wiem Douira-Khomsi ◽  
Hassen Gharbi ◽  
Malay Sharma ◽  
Xin Wu Cui ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alveolar Echinococcosis ◽  
Wide Spectrum ◽  
Imaging Techniques ◽  
Imaging Features ◽  
Hydatid Cysts ◽  
Fatal Disease ◽  
Symptomatic Infection ◽  
Hepatobiliary Tract

Cystic echinococcosis (CE) or hydatidosis (hydatid cysts) is an infection with a wide spectrum of manifestations, from symptomatic infection to fatal disease. Ultrasound (US) allows screening, diagnosis, differential diagnosis, treatment guidance and follow-up of CE under many circumstances. Hydatid cysts are predominantly observed in the liver. Herewith we present a review to demonstrate established and innovative imaging features of CE of the hepatobiliary tract.

scholarly journals The Fascinating Paradox of Osteoporosis in Axial Spondyloarthropathy

2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (12) ◽  
pp. 1767-1776 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian E. Fitzgerald ◽  
Finbar D. O’Shea
Keyword(s):  
Vertebral Fractures ◽  
Advanced Disease ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Measurement Techniques ◽  
Dual Energy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Axial Spondyloarthropathy

Low bone mineral density (BMD) is a recognized feature of axial spondyloarthropathy (axSpA). However, the osteoproliferation inherent in axSpA can make traditional dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry assessment inaccurate, particularly in structurally advanced disease. As a result, much about osteoporosis in axSpA is unknown. There is a wide variation in prevalence figures for low BMD in the literature. There is also no consensus regarding risk factors for developing low BMD in axSpA. It is accepted that there is an excess of vertebral fractures in patients with axSpA, but the role of low BMD in contributing to this risk is virtually unknown. This article provides a comprehensive review of the current knowledge regarding low BMD in axSpA. It highlights our current BMD measurement techniques along with their potential pitfalls, and discusses the significance of BMD in vertebral fractures. It also identifies gaps in our knowledge and makes recommendations for future research.

scholarly journals Vitamin C to Improve Organ Dysfunction in Cardiac Surgery Patients—Review and Pragmatic Approach

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aileen Hill ◽  
Sebastian Wendt ◽  
Carina Benstoem ◽  
Christina Neubauer ◽  
Patrick Meybohm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Surgery ◽  
Vitamin C ◽  
Acute Stress ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion Injury ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Ischemia Reperfusion ◽  
Organ Damage ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Organ Systems

The pleiotropic biochemical and antioxidant functions of vitamin C have sparked recent interest in its application in intensive care. Vitamin C protects important organ systems (cardiovascular, neurologic and renal systems) during inflammation and oxidative stress. It also influences coagulation and inflammation; its application might prevent organ damage. The current evidence of vitamin C’s effect on pathophysiological reactions during various acute stress events (such as sepsis, shock, trauma, burn and ischemia-reperfusion injury) questions whether the application of vitamin C might be especially beneficial for cardiac surgery patients who are routinely exposed to ischemia/reperfusion and subsequent inflammation, systematically affecting different organ systems. This review covers current knowledge about the role of vitamin C in cardiac surgery patients with focus on its influence on organ dysfunctions. The relationships between vitamin C and clinical health outcomes are reviewed with special emphasis on its application in cardiac surgery. Additionally, this review pragmatically discusses evidence on the administration of vitamin C in every day clinical practice, tackling the issues of safety, monitoring, dosage, and appropriate application strategy.

scholarly journals Strain Echocardiography Is a Promising Tool for the Prognostic Assessment of Sarcoidosis

Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 1065
Author(s):  
Paolo Cameli ◽  
Maria Concetta Pastore ◽  
Giulia Elena Mandoli ◽  
Mariangela Vigna ◽  
Giuseppe De Carli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Longitudinal Strain ◽  
Pulmonary Function Tests ◽  
Global Longitudinal Strain ◽  
Left Ventricular ◽  
Cardiac Events ◽  
Prognostic Assessment ◽  
Promising Tool ◽  
Adverse Cardiac Events

Sarcoidosis is a systemic chronic granulomatous disease with significant morbidity and mortality. Although basic transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) is not recommended for the assessment of sarcoidosis, speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) has emerged as more sensitive for the early detection of cardiac sarcoidosis and its outcome. The aim of the study was to assess the utility of left atrial and left ventricular longitudinal STE for the prediction of major adverse cardiac events (MACE) and sarcoidosis relapses. We enrolled 172 consecutive patients with sarcoidosis who underwent TTE and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). All patients were followed for a sarcoidosis relapse and MACE. During a median follow-up of 2217 days, 8 deaths, 23 MACE and 36 sarcoidosis relapses were observed. LV global longitudinal strain (GLS) was significantly lower in patients with MACE (p = 0.025). LV-GLS < 17.13% (absolute value) was identified as a fair predictor of MACE. Concerning the sarcoidosis control, TTE revealed a reduction of the LV ejection fraction (p = 0.0432), tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (p = 0.0272) and global peak atrial longitudinal strain (PALS, p = 0.0012) in patients with relapses. PALS < 28.5% was the best predictor of a sarcoidosis relapse. Our results highlight a potential role of LV-GLS and PALS as prognostic markers in sarcoidosis, supporting the use of STE in the clinical management of these patients.

scholarly journals Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Current Evidence and the Feasibility of Radiomics-based Predictive Models

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang-Hong Dai ◽  
Po-Chien Shen ◽  
Wei-Chou Chang ◽  
Chen-Hsiang Lo ◽  
Jen-Fu Yang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hepatocellular Carcinoma ◽  
Local Control ◽  
Predictive Models ◽  
Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Support Vector ◽  
Svm Classifier

Abstract Background : Stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) is an effective but less focused alternative for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). To date, a personalized model for predicting therapeutic response is lacking. This study aimed to review current knowledge and to propose a radiomics-based machine-learning (ML) strategy for local response (LR) prediction. Methods : We searched the literature for studies conducted between January 1993 and August 2019 that used > 100 patients. Additionally, 172 HCC patients in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed between January 2007 and December 2016. In the radiomic analysis, 41 treated tumors were contoured and 46 radiomic features were extracted. Results : The 1-year local control was 85.4% in our patient cohort, comparable with current results (87-99%). The Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, based on computed tomography (CT) scans in the A phase processed by equal probability (Ep) quantization with 8 gray levels, showed the highest mean F1 score (0.7995) for favorable LR within 1 year (W1R), at the end of follow-up (EndR), and condition of in-field failure-free (IFFF). The area under the curve (AUC) for this model was 92.1%, 96.3%, and 99.2% for W1R, EndR, and IFFF, respectively. Conclusions : SBRT has high 1-year local control and our study sets the basis for constructing predictive models for HCC patients receiving SBRT.

scholarly journals HRCT imaging features in representative imported cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaiyue Diao ◽  
Peilun Han ◽  
Tong Pang ◽  
Yuan Li ◽  
Zhigang Yang
Keyword(s):  
Ground Glass Opacity ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Imaging Features ◽  
High Resolution Computed Tomography ◽  
West China Hospital ◽  
West China ◽  
Imported Cases ◽  
Novel Coronavirus

Abstract With the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pneumonia, chest high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) has been one of the key diagnostic tools. To achieve early and accurate diagnostics, determining the radiological characteristics of the disease is of great importance. In this small scale research we retrospectively reviewed and selected six cases confirmed with 2019-nCoV infection in West China Hospital and investigated their initial and follow-up HRCT features, along with the clinical characteristics. The 2019-nCoV pneumonia basically showed a multifocal or unifocal involvement of ground-glass opacity (GGO), sometimes with consolidation and fibrosis. No pleural effusion or lymphadenopathy was identified in our presented cases. The follow-up CT generally demonstrated mild to moderate progression of the lesion, with only one case showing remission by the reducing extent and density of the airspace opacification.

scholarly journals COVID-19 pandemic: current knowledge about the role of pets and other animals in disease transmission

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulugeta Kiros ◽  
Henok Andualem ◽  
Teklehaimanot Kiros ◽  
Wasihun Hailemichael ◽  
Sisay Getu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Disease Transmission ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Virus Disease ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
World Health ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Intermediate Hosts ◽  
Effective Prevention ◽  
Health Organization

Abstract On 11 March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), a disease caused by a pathogen called Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a pandemic. This ongoing pandemic has now been reported in 215 countries with more than 23 million confirmed cases and more than 803 thousand deaths worldwide as of August 22, 2020. Although efforts are undergoing, there is no approved vaccine or any specific antiretroviral drug to treat COVID-19 so far. It is now known that SARS-CoV-2 can affect not only humans but also pets and other domestic and wild animals, making it a one health global problem. Several published scientific evidence has shown that bats are the initial reservoir hosts of SARS-CoV-2, and pangolins are suggested as an intermediate hosts. So far, little is known concerning the role of pets and other animals in the transmission of COVID-19. Therefore, updated knowledge about the potential role of pets in the current outbreak will be of paramount importance for effective prevention and control of the disease. This review summarized the current evidence about the role of pets and other animals in the transmission of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Evaluation and Management of Skeletal Health in Celiac Disease: Position Statement

2012 ◽  
Vol 26 (11) ◽  
pp. 819-829 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona A Fouda ◽  
Aliya A Khan ◽  
Muhammad Sultan ◽  
Lorena P Rios ◽  
Karen McAssey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Celiac Disease ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Mineral Density ◽  
High Fracture ◽  
Skeletal Health ◽  
X Ray ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
One Year

OBJECTIVE: To review the evaluation and management of skeletal health in patients with celiac disease (CD), and to make recommendations on screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of low bone mineral density (BMD) in CD patients.METHODS: A multidisciplinary team developed clinically relevant questions for review. An electronic search of the literature was conducted using the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from 1996 to 2010. All original studies, reviews and guidelines, both pediatric and adult, were included. A document summarizing the results of the review and proposed recommendations was prepared and underwent multiple revisions until consensus was reached.RESULTS: At diagnosis, approximately one-third of adult CD patients have osteoporosis, one-third have osteopenia and one-third have normal BMD. Children with CD have low bone mass at diagnosis. Adult and pediatric CD patients are at increased risk of fractures.DISCUSSION: For adults, serum calcium, albumin, 25(OH) vitamin D3, parathyroid hormone and 24 h urine calcium testing should be performed at diagnosis; patients with ‘classic’ CD and those at risk for osteoporosis should undergo a dual x-ray absorptiometry scan. An abnormal baseline dual x-ray absorptiometry scan should be repeated one to two years after initiation of a gluten-free diet (GFD). For children, BMD should be assessed one year after diagnosis if GFD adherence is not strict. A GFD is the most important treatment for bone loss. Supplemental antiresorptives may be justified in those who remain at high fracture risk (eg, postmenopausal women, older men) after implementation of a GFD.CONCLUSION: Current evidence does not support the screening of all CD patients for low BMD at diagnosis. Follow-up BMD assessment should be performed one to two years after initiation of a GFD.

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