Mondor's Disease of Chest Wall: A Case Report

Background: Mondor's disease (MD) is a rare benign and self-limited entity characterized by superficial thrombophlebitis of a vein in special regions. It may be secondary to trauma, malignancy, surgery, excessive physical activity or hyperviscosity. Diagnosis of MD is often based on history and physical examination. Case presentation: Here we present a rare case of Mondor's disease of chest wall with a pain and subcutaneous cord-like induration of right lateral chest. Ultrasonography revealed a superficial venous thrombosis of right thoracoepigastric vein. After treatment of aspirin for 2 weeks, chest pain was obviously relieved, and the lesion completely resolved approximately 6 weeks after presentation. Conclusions: Mondor’s disease could spontaneously resolved after several weeks and excessive medical intervention should be avoided.

Is chest ultrasonography a reliable tool for the emergency diagnosis of traumatic pneumothorax. An Updated Meta-Analysis

Aims: A commonly encountered problem in emergency care is pneumothorax, identified by air present in pleural space, occurring spontaneously, principally because of trauma or pathogenic factors like a central venous catheter, mechanical ventilation, and biopsy. Employing Chest ultrasound for diagnosing pneumothorax in an emergency is currently investigated by many researchers. The present meta-analysis aimed to assess Chest ultrasound’s diagnostic accuracy in diagnosing the pneumothorax during emergencies. Material and Methods: Literature search of published articles in MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid, Scopus, and Journal on web databases from 2000 up to November 2020 were reviewed for the pre-described outcomes. Results: 12 articles were finally chosen for quantitative analysis. The overall sensitivity of ultrasound scan in pneumothorax diagnosis was 89% (95 % CI – 86 – 91%). Specificity was 96% (CI – 95% – 97%). The diagnostic odds ratio was 193.94 (59.009 – 637.40) at 95% CI, thus demonstrating greater chest ultrasound accuracy in diagnosing pneumothorax. Conclusion: A definite evidence of chest ultrasound accuracy was noted in pneumothorax.

Clinical Presentations and Usefulness of 99mTchnetium-Ethylene-Dicysteine (99mTc-EC) Renal Scintigraphy in Estimation of Thoracic Kidney Function in Children

: Thoracic kidney is a rare congenital abnormality with the lowest frequency of all renal ectopias. Most cases are discovered incidentally via routine imaging and have a benign clinical course. Here, we report three pediatric cases of thoracic kidney among 156 children with renal ectopy (1.9%). Thoracic kidney was asymptomatic in two children; in one child, it was associated with a recurrent diaphragmatic hernia. All diagnoses were made by chest ultrasonography (USG) and/or radiography in children and confirmed by computed tomography (CT) scan. Moreover, 99mtechnetium-ethylene-dicysteine (99mTc-EC) renal scintigraphy was carried out to visualize and assess the function of ectopic kidneys. All thoracic kidneys were left-sided, and their functions were comparable to their normally located counterparts. During an observation period of 5 - 10 years, two children with thoracic kidneys presented with unstable proteinuria/microalbuminuria and hypertension, respectively. The 99mTc-EC renal scintigraphy is an uncomplicated and safe method for imaging the thoracic kidneys and can be used for detecting the thoracic kidney function in children. Thoracic ectopic kidneys are associated with complications, such as hypertension and proteinuria. Children with thoracic kidneys need long-term follow-ups.

The Diagnostic Performance of Chest Ultrasonography in the Up-to-date Workup in Patients with Chest Diseases

Background: Application of chest radiography for all patients with chest diseases is associated with a significant increase in total costs, exposure to radiation, and overcrowding of the emergency department in case of emergency. Ultrasound has been introduced as an alternative diagnostic tool in this regard. The aim of the work is to determine sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of chest ultrasonography as an easy and fast form of imagery for different thoracic conditions. Results: This prospective study was carried out on sixty patients. The majority of patients presented with lung masses (20%) and pleural effusion (16.7%). Chest US findings showed great concordance or agreement with the chest CT findings. The only lower concordance is noted in the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules or mass, where chest US reported pulmonary nodules or mass in 33.3% of patients compared to 46.7%% by chest CT. US showed a highly comparable diagnostic performance in chest-related pathological entities, compared to chest CT. Chest US had 100% sensitivity in detecting all pathological chest entities except for lung collapse (83.3%) and pulmonary nodules (71.4%). However, chest US was more specific than sensitive. It had 100% specificity in all pathological entities except for lung collapse consolidation. Chest US had 100% diagnostic accuracy in all chest-related pathological entities except for lung collapse consolidation and pulmonary nodules or masses. However, when presenting these findings among male and female patients, Chest US had better overall diagnostic accuracy among female patients than male patients. Conclusion: US examination of the chest is a noninvasive and promising bedside tool for the examination of respiratory problems patients. Consequently, chest ultrasonography can be adjoined in the up-to-date work-up of the outpatients as an ancillary tool aiding in disease diagnosis.

Lung Ultrasonography in the Monitoring of Intraoperative Recruitment Maneuvers

Introduction: Postoperative respiratory failure is a serious problem in patients who undergo general anesthesia. Approximately 90% of mechanically ventilated patients during the surgery may develop atelectasis that leads to perioperative complications. Aim: The aim of this study is to determine whether it is possible to optimize recruitment maneuvers with the use of chest ultrasonography, thus limiting the risk of respiratory complications in patients who undergo general anesthesia. Methodology: The method of incremental increases in positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) values with simultaneous continuous ultrasound assessments was employed in mechanically ventilated patients. Results: The study group comprised 100 patients. The employed method allowed for atelectasis reduction in 91.9% of patients. The PEEP necessary to reverse areas of atelectasis averaged 17cmH2O, with an average peak pressure of 29cmH2O. The average PEEP that prevented repeat atelectasis was 9cmH2O. A significant improvement in lung compliance and saturation was obtained. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided recruitment maneuvers facilitate the patient-based adjustment of the process. Consequently, the reduction in ventilation pressures necessary to aerate intraoperative atelectasis is possible, with the simultaneous reduction in the risk of procedure-related complications.

Diaphragmatic motion recorded by M-mode ultrasonography: limits of normality

BackgroundChest ultrasonography has proven to be useful in the diagnosis of diaphragm dysfunction. The aim of the present study was to determine the normal values of the motion of both hemidiaphragms recorded by M-mode ultrasonography.MethodsHealthy volunteers were studied while in a seated position. Diaphragmatic excursions and diaphragm profiles were measured during quiet breathing, voluntary sniffing, and deep breathing. Diaphragmatic excursions were assessed by M-mode ultrasonography, using an approach perpendicular to the posterior part of the diaphragm. Anatomical M-mode was used for the recording of the complete excursion during deep breathing.ResultsThe study included 270 men and 140 women. The diaphragmatic motions during quiet breathing and voluntary sniffing were successfully recorded in all of the participants. The use of anatomical M-mode was particularly suitable for measurement of the entire diaphragmatic excursion during deep breathing. The statistical analysis showed that the diaphragmatic excursions were larger in men compared to women, supporting the determination of normal values based on gender. The lower and upper limits of normal excursion were determined for men and women for both hemidiaphragms during the three maneuvers that were investigated. The lower limits of normal diaphragmatic excursions during deep breathing should be used to detect diaphragmatic hypokinesia, i.e., 3.3 and 3.2 cm in women and 4.1 and 4.2 cm in men for the right and the left sides, respectively.ConclusionThe normal values of the diaphragmatic motion and the lower and upper limits of normal excursion can be used by clinicians to detect diaphragmatic dysfunction.

The use of chest ultrasonography in suspected cases of COVID-19 in the emergency department

Aim: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus-specific reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) represents the diagnostic gold standard. We explored the value of chest ultrasonography to predict positivity to SARS-CoV-2 on RT-PCR in suspected COVID-19 cases. Patients & methods: Consecutive patients with suspect COVID-19 were included if they had fever and/or history of cough and/or dyspnea. Lung ultrasound score (LUSS) was computed according to published methods. Results: A total of 76 patients were included. A 3-variable model based on aspartate transaminase (AST) > upper limit of normal, LUSS >12 and body temperature >37.5°C yielded an overall accuracy of 91%. Conclusion: A simple LUSS-based model may represent a powerful tool for initial assessment in suspected cases of COVID-19.