Diagnostic Yield of Routine Skull Radiographs in Infants with Deformational Plagiocephaly

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 497-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Jeong Cho ◽  
Loa L. Borchert ◽  
Alex A. Kane

Objective Differentiating synostotic and nonsynostotic plagiocephaly can be challenging, and many providers routinely obtain screening skull radiographs when evaluating an infant with plagiocephaly. However, the diagnostic yield of radiographs has not been studied in this clinical setting. Design This study was a retrospective chart review. Setting The study took place in a tertiary care center. Patients We retrospectively reviewed the records of all patients referred to Children's Medical Center (Dallas, TX) between the years 2010 to 2012 with a diagnosis of plagiocephaly. After an initial evaluation, skull radiographs were obtained to rule out craniosynostosis. We reviewed clinical and demographic data and radiographic findings to determine the diagnostic yield of routine screening radiographs in infants presenting with plagiocephaly. Results There were 1219 patients in total, and 1213 of these patients received screening four-view conventional skull radiographs. Six had computed tomography without prior radiographs. Of the patients in the skull radiograph group, 24% (289 of 1213) had abnormal radiographic findings, and 7.6% of this group (22 of 289) had findings that were indicative of craniosynostosis. Of these 22 patients, 12 obtained follow-up studies, and only three patients (0.2% of skull group) had true craniosynostosis. In comparison, 50% (three of six) in the group of patients who underwent computed tomography without prior conventional screening radiographs had true craniosynostosis. Conclusions Routine screening skull radiographs have a low diagnostic yield in differentiating between synostotic and nonsynostotic plagiocephaly in patients presenting to a tertiary care deformational plagiocephaly clinic. Considering the costs and radiation exposure, the benefit of the routine use of skull radiographs in patients with deformational plagiocephaly is questionable.

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 74
Author(s):  
Prashant Nagpal ◽  
Sarv Priya ◽  
Ali Eskandari ◽  
Aidan Mullan ◽  
Tanya Aggarwal ◽  
...  

Objectives: Computed tomography pulmonary angiogram (CTPA) is one of the most commonly ordered and frequently overused tests. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mean radiation dose to patients getting CTPA and to identify factors that are associated with higher dose. Material and Methods: This institutionally approved retrospective study included all patients who had a CTPA to rule out acute pulmonary embolism between 2016 and 2018 in a tertiary care center. Patient data (age, sex, body mass index [BMI], and patient location), CT scanner type, image reconstruction methodology, and radiation dose parameters (dose-length product [DLP]) were recorded. Effective dose estimates were obtained by multiplying DLP by conversion coefficient (0.014 mSv•mGy−1•cm−1). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors affecting the radiation dose. Results: There were 2342 patients (1099 men and 1243 women) with a mean age of 58.1 years (range 0.2–104.4 years) and BMI of 31.3 kg/m2 (range 12–91.5 kg/m2). The mean effective radiation dose was 5.512 mSv (median – 4.27 mSv; range 0.1–43.0 mSv). Patient factors, including BMI >25 kg/m2, male sex, age >18 years, and intensive care unit (ICU) location, were associated with significantly higher dose (P < 0.05). CT scanning using third generation dual-source scanner with model-based iterative reconstruction (IR) had significantly lower dose (mean: 4.90 mSv) versus single-source (64-slice) scanner with filtered back projection (mean: 9.29 mSv, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Patients with high BMI and ICU referrals are associated with high CT radiation dose. They are most likely to benefit by scanning on newer generation scanner using advance model-based IR techniques.


Author(s):  
Hind M. Alkatan ◽  
Khalid M. Alshomar ◽  
Hala A. Helmi ◽  
Wajda M. Alhothali ◽  
Abdulaziz M. Alshalan

Abstract Background Conjunctival lesions are common with a wide spectrum of benign, premalignant, and malignant lesions. Few histopathological studies have been conducted on conjunctival lesions with variable designs and results. Our aim in this study is to provide information on common conjunctival lesions seen in an ophthalmology tertiary care center in Saudi Arabia. Methods A retrospective, observational study of all consecutive conjunctival tissue specimens sent for histopathological assessment to the pathology department from 2015 to 2019 were analyzed. Clinical data were collected from medical records, and the histopathological slides were reviewed by a single pathologist. Results A total of 110 conjunctival specimens from 108 patients were included (mean age: 53 years, 67 males and 43 females). Bilateral involvement was mostly found in inflammatory lesions (40%). Most lesions were benign (91%), with a significantly longer duration of symptoms in malignant lesions (p = 0.036*). The clinical diagnosis matched the final histopathological diagnosis in 75.5% of the total specimens. The most frequent category of benign lesions was fibrodegenerative and proliferative lesions (53.6%), with a significantly higher prevalence among adult males (p < 0.001). Melanocytic lesions were more common in children (33.3%) than adults (9.8%), and the mean age of children was significantly lower (p = 0.013). The most frequent malignant lesion was ocular surface squamous neoplasia (50%), with equal prevalence among males and females. The overall outcome was favorable in 89.4% and unfavorable in 10.6%, mostly due to surgical complications, further progression of the lesion, or recurrence. Conclusion This study shows variability in the frequency of conjunctival lesions based on gender, age, geographical, racial, and environmental factors. There has been a shift in the gender-based prevalence of ocular squamous neoplasia over the last three decades, probably due to a change in lifestyle.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 195
Author(s):  
SunilKumar Raina ◽  
NarvirSingh Chauhan ◽  
Lokesh Thakur ◽  
Surjeet Singh ◽  
Bhanu Awasthi

CJEM ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S31-S32
Author(s):  
J. McCallum ◽  
R. Yip ◽  
S. Dhanani ◽  
I. Stiell

Introduction: A significant gap exists between the number of people waiting for an organ and donors. There are currently 1,628 people awaiting organ donation in Ontario alone. In 2018 to date, 310 donors have donated 858 organs. The purpose of this study was to determine whether there were missed donors in the Emergency Department (ED) and by what percent those missed donors would increase organ donation overall. Methods: This was a health records and organ donation database review of all patients who died in the ED at a large academic tertiary care center with 2 campuses and 160,000 visits per year. Patients were included from November 1, 2014 – October 31, 2017. We collected data on demographics, cause of death, and suitability for organ donation. Data was cross-referenced between hospital records and the provincial organ procurement organization called Trillium Gift of Life Network (TGLN) to determine whether patients were appropriately referred for consideration of donation in a timely manner. Potential missed donors were manually screened for suitability according to TGLN criteria. We calculated simple descriptive statistics for demographic data and the primary outcome. The primary outcome was percentage of potential organ donors missed in the Emergency Department (ED). Results: There were 606 deaths in the ED from November 1, 2014 – October 31, 2017. Patients were an average of 71 years old, 353 (58%) were male, and 75 (12%) died of a traumatic cause. TGLN was not contacted in 12 (2%) of cases. During this period there were two donors from the ED and 92 from the ICU. There were ten missed potential donors. They were an average of 67 years, 7 (70%) were male, and 2 (20%) died of a traumatic cause. In all ten cases, patients had withdrawal of life sustaining measures for medical futility prior to TGLN being contacted for consideration of donation. There could have been an addition seven liver, six pancreatic islet, four small bowel, and seven kidney donors. The ten missed ED donors could have increased total donors by 11%. Conclusion: The ED is a significant source of missed organ donors. In all cases of missed organ donation, patients had withdrawal of life sustaining measures prior to TGLN being called. In the future, it is essential that all patients have an organ procurement organization such as TGLN called prior to withdrawal of life sustaining measures to ensure that no opportunity for consideration of organ donation is missed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 247412642095396
Author(s):  
Cason B. Robbins ◽  
Henry L. Feng ◽  
Divakar Gupta ◽  
Sharon Fekrat

Purpose: Clinical presentation, treatment choices, and outcomes in cases of bleb-related endophthalmitis (BRE) at a tertiary care center over a 9-year period are described. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of patients diagnosed with BRE at Duke Eye Center (Durham, North Carolina) from January 1, 2009 to January 1, 2018, with at least 6 months of follow-up, assessing demographic data, initial management, and visual acuity (VA). Results: Twenty eyes of 20 patients with BRE were identified. Median time from surgery to presentation was 6.53 years. Presenting VA of light perception only was significantly associated with the decision to pursue pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) as initial treatment (odds ratio 59.4, 95% CI, 2.1-1670.8, P = .016). Twelve eyes (60%) had culture-proven infectious endophthalmitis. Eleven eyes (55%) underwent PPV during treatment; 5 eyes underwent PPV on presentation, and 6 eyes underwent PPV after initial presentation. Compared with pre-endophthalmitis VA, 6 eyes that underwent subsequent PPV had greater VA loss at 6 months than cases not undergoing subsequent PPV (Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study line loss of 14 vs 4 lines, respectively; P = .044). Conclusions: BRE eyes presenting with light-perception VA were more likely to undergo initial PPV; yet many eyes in this study required PPV during treatment. Visual outcomes are often poor in BRE despite intensive management. There was greater VA loss from pre-endophthalmitis VA levels at 6 months in eyes undergoing PPV after initial treatment. Prospective studies are needed to assess the optimal role of PPV in patients with BRE.


2020 ◽  
pp. 014556131990039
Author(s):  
Yousef Aljathlany ◽  
Abdullah Aljasser ◽  
Abdullah Alhelali ◽  
Manal Bukhari ◽  
Mohammed Almohizea ◽  
...  

Objectives: We aimed to comprehensively investigate different upper airway segments in adults, determine the predictors of the size of each segment, and identify an appropriate endotracheal tube (ETT) size chart. Study Design: Retrospective chart review. Setting: Tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: The data for patients aged >18 years who underwent neck computed tomography were screened. Patients with existing tumors, trauma, or any pathology that can alter the normal airway anatomy and those with intubation, tracheostomy, or nasogastric tubes were excluded. Computed tomography software was used to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD), transverse diameter (TD), and cross-sectional area (CSA) at the glottic, proximal subglottic, distal subglottic, and tracheal levels. Multiple regression analysis was used to identify the predictors of the airway size. Results: One hundred patients were reviewed. The TD was consistently smaller than or equal to the APD at each level in all but 3 patients. The mean CSA and TD (170 mm2 and 11.3 mm, respectively) of the glottis indicated that the glottis was most often the narrowest level, followed by the proximal subglottis where the mean CSA and TD were 192.1 mm2 and 12.7 mm, respectively. Moreover, the mean APD was the smallest at the level of the trachea (20.1 mm). Multiple regression analysis confirmed that height and sex were the predominant predictors of measurements for the 4 airway segments. In addition, age was associated with the TD and CSA of the distal subglottic and tracheal segments, respectively. Conclusion: One-third of our participants exhibited a proximal subglottic diameter that was equal to or smaller than the glottic diameter. Our findings also suggested that the height and sex of the patients are important variables for the selection of an appropriate ETT size.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (03) ◽  
pp. 489-493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Hasan Siddiqui ◽  
Raheel Ahmed ◽  
Safia Awan ◽  
Ambreen Zain ◽  
Sara Khan

Abstract Background The evaluation of neuromuscular diseases includes detailed clinical assessment, blood testing, electrodiagnostic studies (EDS), biopsy, and genetic tests. EDS alone cannot provide a specific diagnosis. Further testing in the form of genetic tests or muscle biopsy (MB) is required. Objective The objective of the study is to evaluate the yield of MB in patients with findings of myopathy on electrodiagnostic testing and assess the factors affecting an abnormal biopsy outcome. Methods Electromyography (EMG)/nerve conduction studies (NCS) performed for suspected myopathy over 5 years from 2011 to 2016, at the neurophysiology department of a tertiary care center in Pakistan, were reviewed. Based on inclusion criteria, records of 58 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Results After an EMG/NCS diagnosis of myopathy, the frequency of MB testing was only 10.1%. The median age of patients was 26.5 years. The clinically suspected diagnosis was categorized into hereditary myopathy (n = 15, 25.9%) and acquired myopathy (n = 18, 31%). The positive predictive value of EMG is 77.2%. Twenty-eight (48.2%) patients had abnormal MB whereas 20 (34.4%) revealed normal findings. Factors significantly influencing an abnormal outcome of biopsy included moderate-to-severe elevation of creatine kinase (>2,000 U/L),presence of denervation changes, and severe myopathy on EMG. Conclusion Even though the overall yield of MB testing may not be very high in our setting due to the unavailability of special techniques and expertise, certain factors can help to improve the diagnostic yield. Clinicians should encourage MB testing, especially in cases with strong clinical, laboratory and electrodiagnostic suspicion, and absence of genetic testing for suspected myopathy.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document