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Biomedical subjects

F C Laing

Publications and source records attributed to F C Laing.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Cervical ectopic pregnancy: results of conservative treatment.

PURPOSE: To review experience with early sonographic diagnosis and fertility-preserving treatment of cervical ectopic pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The authors evaluated 12 consecutive cases of cervical ectopic pregnancy diagnosed with ultrasound (US) and treated with methods that successfully preserved the uterus. Gestational age, sonographic findings, means of conception, and method of treatment were recorded. RESULTS: Gestational age at diagnosis ranged from 5.0 to 7.9 weeks. Cardiac activity was documented in nine cases. Patients were treated as follows: transvaginal US-guided injection of potassium chloride into the embryo or gestational sac (n = 6), uterine artery embolization followed by dilation and evacuation (n = 4), dilation and evacuation after ligation of uterine artery branches (n = 1), and uterine artery embolization followed by administration of systemic methotrexate (n = 1). The cervical pregnancy was successfully ablated with one treatment in all cases. No patient required hysterectomy, and only one patient required transfusion. Two patients subsequently delivered healthy babies; three other patients have been able to conceive successfully. CONCLUSION: When cervical ectopic pregnancy is diagnosed early, US-guided termination or other conservative procedures allow preservation of the uterus, thus maintaining potential fertility.

Cervix Uteri↗
PubMed1994

Sonography of the fetal posterior fossa: false appearance of mega-cisterna magna and Dandy-Walker variant.

PURPOSE: To establish that incorrect scanning of the fetal posterior fossa may falsely create the appearance of a mega-cisterna magna (MCM) or Dandy-Walker variant (DWV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: After routine sonography, 100 consecutive fetuses (gestational age range, 25-40 weeks) without abnormality underwent additional posterior fossa scanning in an attempt to create the appearance of an MCM (anteroposterior diameter larger than 10 mm) or DWV. Sonograms were obtained in a plane inferior to or angled more coronally than the routine axial plane. RESULTS: The posterior fossa was depicted in 93 fetuses. Pseudo-MCM occurred in 35 (38%) of 93 fetuses: 12 (30%) of 40 fetuses aged 25.0-29.9 weeks, 11 (50%) of 22 fetuses aged 30.0-34.9 weeks, and 12 (39%) of 31 fetuses aged 35.0-40.0 weeks. Pseudo-DWV occurred in 40 (43%) of 93 fetuses: 20 (50%) of 40 fetuses aged 25.0-29.9 weeks, 12 (55%) of 22 fetuses aged 30.0-34.9 weeks, and eight (26%) of 31 fetuses aged 35.0-40.0 weeks. CONCLUSION: Sonography of the posterior fossa in an angled semi-coronal plane should be avoided because it may create an appearance that mimics an abnormality.

Artifacts↗
PubMed1994

Distal ureteral calculi: detection with vaginal US.

PURPOSE: To describe the use of vaginal ultrasonography to identify distal ureteral calculi and hydroureter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Abdominal and vaginal sonography were performed in 13 women with distal ureteral calculi. Indications for sonography included flank pain, hematuria, and suspected appendicitis. Six patients were pregnant. RESULTS: In each patient, vaginal sonograms demonstrated a distal ureteral calculus; in only two cases was the calculus detected with transabdominal sonography. Distal hydroureter was identified with vaginal scanning in each patient but with abdominal scanning in only two. Hydronephrosis was absent in three patients, mild in six, and moderate in four. Symmetric ureteral jets were noted at transabdominal sonography in two of nine patients. Follow-up transvaginal scans obtained shortly after passage of stones in two patients revealed swelling of the trigone but normal ureteral jets. CONCLUSION: In symptomatic female patients, use of vaginal sonography should be considered to evaluate the distal ureter for calculi, particularly if the results of transabdominal examination are normal or inconclusive.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Sonography of the fetal heart: normal variants and pitfalls.

Sonographic evaluation of the fetal heart is an important part of obstetric sonography. The sonographer and sonologist should be familiar with the sonographic appearance of the normal fetal heart and with common structural abnormalities. Occasionally, normal structures in or adjacent to the fetal heart may simulate an abnormality. Although one should seek consultative sonography in instances of uncertain or questionable findings, unnecessary referral and concern may be avoided in some cases if the sonologist is familiar with normal variants and pitfalls. In this pictorial essay, we present several such pitfalls that we and others have observed in the four-chamber view (Fig. 1) and in views of the ventricular outflow tracts (Figs. 2 and 3).

Female↗
PubMed1992

Ultrasonography of the acute abdomen.

During the past decade, noninvasive imaging has assumed an increasingly prominent role in the evaluation of patients who have acute abdominal conditions. Ultrasonography is often the initial diagnostic imaging modality used to examine patients who are clinically suspected of having acute cholecystitis, choledocholithiasis, and acute appendicitis. This article focuses on the clinical considerations and the ultrasonographic findings that relate to each of these conditions. In addition to describing the ultrasonographic appearances for each of these entities, this article also emphasizes useful scanning techniques that will provide optimal images.

Abdomen, Acute↗
PubMed1992

Ultrasound of gynecologic pathologies.

Since the introduction of vaginal transducers and color Doppler ultrasound, there has been renewed interest in evaluating the female pelvis. Several recently published manuscripts presented convincing material that suggests benign and malignant ovarian and uterine pathologies can be distinguished from each other on the basis of their vascularity. Duplex Doppler signals obtained from malignant tumors tend to demonstrate a low resistance pattern with continuous blood flow throughout the cardiac cycle. Benign lesions, in contrast, tend to display a more resistive pattern. The role of ultrasound in pediatric gynecologic conditions has also been nicely summarized in several recent papers. These are also discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Sonographic diagnosis of perforation in patients with acute appendicitis.

The sonographic diagnosis of appendicitis can be challenging in patients with perforation. In order to detect the accuracy of specific sonographic features of appendiceal perforation, graded compression sonograms in 100 patients with surgically confirmed acute appendicitis were reviewed retrospectively. Twenty-two of these patients had perforation. A statistically significant association was found between three sonographic findings and perforation: loculated pericecal fluid, prominent pericecal fat, and circumferential loss of the submucosal layer of the appendix. No single finding had a specificity greater than 59%. By using a combination of one or more findings, the overall sensitivity of sonography for the diagnosis of perforation was 86%. The specificity, however, was only 60%. Our results suggest that in patients without a sonographically visible appendix, recognition of loculated pericecal fluid and prominent pericecal fat may be a useful indirect clue to the diagnosis of perforating appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Abdominal lymphoma in AIDS: evaluation with US.

The sonographic findings in 38 patients with abdominal lymphomas related to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) were reviewed. Thirty-three patients had non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and five had Hodgkin disease. Abnormal masses were detected with sonography in 33 patients (87%). Focal hypoechoic liver lesions up to 10 cm in diameter were visible in 17 patients. Several lesions were anechoic and septated, mimicking fluid. Adenopathy (at the retroperitoneum, mesentery, or porta hepatis) was seen in 15 patients. Other involved areas included bowel, omentum, spleen, kidney, and adrenal gland. AIDS-related abdominal lymphomas frequently cause extranodal masses that can be readily imaged with ultrasound. Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy allows a specific diagnosis to be made in many cases.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1989

Sonography in patients with suspected acute appendicitis: value in establishing alternative diagnoses.

We reviewed the clinical and sonographic findings in 297 patients who had graded compression sonography for suspected acute appendicitis. The purpose of the study was to determine the accuracy of sonography in detecting other diseases in the 174 patients in this group who proved not to have acute appendicitis. Of the 174 patients without acute appendicitis, 93 patients (53%) were ultimately discharged with a diagnosis of abdominal pain of unknown origin. Of the 81 patients in whom specific diagnoses were established, sonography suggested the correct diagnosis in 57 patients (70%). A broad spectrum of diseases was detected, including: gynecologic diseases (35); visceral diseases, including hollow viscera and diseases of liver, pancreas, or spleen (18); and urinary tract abnormalities (four). This study suggests that sonography is useful in establishing alternative diagnoses in patients undergoing sonography for suspected acute appendicitis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1989

Scrotal ultrasonography and the management of testicular trauma.

The early surgical repair of testicular injuries has reduced morbidity and increased testicular salvage. Orchiectomy can be avoided in about 90 per cent of cases. Ultrasound has increased our ability to diagnose parenchymal injury preoperatively and thus to advise the frightened patient more authoritatively and assure ourselves of the necessity of surgical exploration. In most cases, the patient can expect a short convalescence and preservation of his injured gonad.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1989

Sonourethrography in the evaluation of urethral stricture disease.

Ultrasonography of the anterior urethra offers a dynamic three-dimensional study that can easily be repeated. It holds the promise of defining accurately, not only the exact length and severity of the strictured urethral segment, but also the extent of urethral fibrosis and the anatomy of the periurethral structures. A significant reduction in the incidence of recurrent stricture may be obtained by selecting patients for treatment on the basis of the findings of sonourethrography. Moreover, the potential exists for the use of this imaging method during internal urethrotomy to ensure a more accurate and aggressive incision of the stricture.

Humans↗