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Biomedical subjects

J Wittenberg

Publications and source records attributed to J Wittenberg.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1985

Magnetic resonance imaging of cavernous hemangioma of the liver: tissue-specific characterization.

Twenty-one patients with hepatic hemangioma, five with hepatic cysts, and 25 with primary or metastatic cancer involving the liver were studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Benign lesions (hemangiomas, cysts) were diagnosed noninvasively by CT, radionuclide studies, and/or sonography and confirmed by follow-up examinations more than 1 year later. Malignant lesions were confirmed by liver biopsy in every case. Identical multisection/multiecho techniques were used in all patients to obtain T1-and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) and inversion-recovery (IR) images. MRI detected more hemangiomas than any other imaging technique. Of 30 hemangiomas, 25 were spherical or ovoid with a homogeneous appearance and smooth, well defined margins. Cancer tended to have a heterogeneous appearance and poorly defined margins. On T2-weighted SE images obtained with 2000 msec TR and 60, 120, or 180 msec TE, hemangiomas had significantly greater contrast-to-noise ratios (C/N) than liver cancer (p less than 0.001). The SE 2000/120 sequence provided the single most useful image for distinguishing hemangiomas from cancers. When morphologic criteria are used in conjunction with measured C/N, MRI correctly distinguished cavernous hemangiomas from liver cancer with 90% sensitivity, 92% specificity, and an overall accuracy of 90%. Cysts had a low signal intensity on SE 500/30 images and could often be distinguished from hemangiomas and cancers that were nearly isointense relative to liver. IR images were sensitive for lesion detection but provided no tissue-specific information. The data indicate that T2-weighted SE imaging may become the procedure of choice for distinguishing cavernous hemangioma from liver cancer.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗
PubMed1985

Inadvertent percutaneous catheter gastroenterostomy during abscess drainage: significance and management.

Eleven cases of inadvertent catheter insertion into the small bowel or stomach during percutaneous abdominal abscess drainage are reviewed. Recognition of the intraluminal catheter position was made by contrast-enhanced fluoroscopy in all patients 1-6 days after catheter insertion. No evidence of leakage of intestinal contents into the peritoneal cavity was noted either clinically or radiologically. All cases occurred after drainage of a centrally located midabdominal collection, but the ultimate outcome was not compromised. In nine of 11 cases, catheter drainage alone was sufficient; two cases required additional surgical drainage. Considerations for management include a prolonged period of catheter drainage to allow evolution of a fibrous tract and gradual catheter withdrawal. These data confirm the growing experience with purposeful percutaneous gastrostomy that percutaneous catheterization of the gastrointestinal tract can occur without major sequelae.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1984

Inflammatory pancreatic masses. Problems in differentiating focal pancreatitis from carcinoma.

The authors studied 19 patients with focal inflammatory masses of the pancreas over an 18-month period. In 13 cases, transhepatic cholangiography and/or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography were unsuccessful in differentiating pancreatitis from carcinoma. Eighteen patients had a history of alcohol abuse, and 12 had had pancreatitis previously. Pre-existing glandular injury appears to be a prerequisite to formation of focal inflammatory pancreatic masses.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Serious complications following transgression of the pleural space in drainage procedures.

Transgression of the parietal pleura may occur during placement of interventional drainage catheters into the liver and upper abdomen, and occasionally results in lethal complications. In a review of nearly 2,000 such procedures, four deaths were found to be related directly to pleural transgression from biliary drainage. Therefore, the anatomy of the pleura pertinent to abdominal needle or catheter insertion was analyzed. In 14 cadavers examined after intercostal needle insertion into the liver, needles inserted through the 9th intercostal space or higher punctured the pleura in all but one cadaver. Radiologic studies of 15 clinical cases revealed that elderly patients rarely depressed the diaphragm below the 9th intercostal space, which increases the risk of unsuspected puncture of the pleura. Review of clinical material revealed that diagnostic needle puncture through the parietal pleura carries far less risk than placement of a long-term drainage catheter. Methods to avoid puncture of the pleura, as well as the technical problems involved in such maneuvers, are given.

Catheterization↗
PubMed1984

Iliopsoas abscess: treatment by CT-guided percutaneous catheter drainage.

Eight cases of iliopsoas abscess were diagnosed and treated by computed tomographic (CT)-guided needle aspiration and percutaneous catheter drainage. The etiology varied but was definitely established in only four of eight cases. Seven of eight were successfully drained and surgery avoided. The eighth patient defervesced satisfactorily but ultimately required surgical debridement of a sacral osteomyelitis. Clinical, anatomic, and technical considerations for percutaneous drainage of iliopsoas abscesses are discussed. CT was essential both in early diagnosis and in guiding diagnostic needle aspiration and catheter placement. Image-guided percutaneous drainage appears to be the treatment of choice for iliopsoas abscess.

Abscess↗
PubMed1984

Abscess-fistula association: radiologic recognition and percutaneous management.

Thirty-five patients with postoperative enteric and/or biliary fistulae were diagnosed and treated by percutaneous catheter drainage. All were initially considered to have postoperative abdominal abscesses, and the enteric or biliary communications were unrecognized before radiologic intervention. In addition, at the time of initial catheter insertion, only six of the 35 abscesses were recognized as being associated with an underlying fistula. In the other 29 patients the fistulae were found either by clinical follow-up or contrast sinogram after 24-72 hr of catheter drainage. Percutaneous catheter drainage was the definitive treatment in 28 (80%) of the 35 patients. The seven failures were either from inadequate catheter positioning or inability to treat the primary cause of the fistula (e.g., radiation enteritis, perforated cancer). These data suggest that even abscesses with underlying fistulae, traditionally an indication for surgical intervention, may be successfully managed by percutaneous methods.

Abscess↗
PubMed1983

Air within a pancreatic inflammatory mass: not necessarily a sign of abscess.

Intrapancreatic air is considered to be a reliable if not a diagnostic sign of pancreatic abscess. The presence of extraluminal air within the pancreatic bed may also result from perforation of a pseudocyst into adjacent bowel. We describe a patient believed to have a pancreatic phlegmon both clinically and radiographically, in whom intrapancreatic air could be demonstrated on multiple abdominal CT scans over several months. The relatively unremarkable clinical course of this patient during an 11-month interval is incompatible with the usual rapid deterioration and high mortality rate of untreated pancreatic abscess.

Abscess↗
PubMed1983

The occurrence of fluid collections following routine abdominal surgical procedures: sonographic survey in asymptomatic postoperative patients.

To investigate the frequency and appearance of reactive effusions following abdominal surgery, a prospective real-time sonographic survey of 80 asymptomatic postoperative patients was conducted. Serial scans on the 4th, 8th, and 12th postoperative days disclosed localized abdominal fluid collections in 19% (15/80), 6% (5/80), and 2.5% (2/80) of cases, respectively. The only collection that enlarged was an abscess. Knowledge of the natural history of reactive postoperative effusions should help the ultrasonographer to detect pathologic fluid collections and abscesses in postsurgical patients.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1983

Prospective diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

Choledocholithiasis was detected by ultrasound in 11 of 87 patients (13%) overall, including 11 of 56 patients (20%) who had dilated ducts. Choledocholithiasis occurred with a normal caliber common bile duct in 31 of 87 patients (36%), and choledocholithiasis occurred without stones in the gallbladder in seven of 66 patients (11%). Biliary ultrasound plays a limited role in the exclusion of choledocholithiasis.

Cholelithiasis↗
PubMed1983

Sonographic appearance of hematoma in liver, spleen, and kidney: a clinical, pathologic, and animal study.

Following the observation of several cases of localized echogenic foci in abdominal parenchymal organs in patients with acute bleeding due to trauma, an experimental study was designed to define the sonographic appearance of fresh, nonhemolyzed blood. Ultrasound scanning performed before and after the injection of blood or air into the parenchyma of cadaveric organs (liver, spleen, and kidney) resulted in consistent ultrasonic patterns. Linear echogenic foci resulted from the injection of 0.5 to 2.0 ml of blood, rounded echogenic foci were seen with air or 3- to 10-ml injections of blood, and the injection of contrast material (into the liver only) caused poorly defined hypoechoic areas. To determine if the ultrasound appearance of the cadaveric organs could have been caused mainly by air, an in vivo experiment was performed in which computed tomograms of the liver of a dog that had been injected with autologous blood were obtained. It is concluded that CT confirmed the ultrasound findings, and that ultrasound is useful for the investigation of hematoma following blunt, and possibly penetrating, trauma.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Ultrasound in obstructive jaundice: prospective evaluation of site and cause.

A prospective study of the ability of ultrasound to accurately determine the site and etiology of biliary obstruction in 62 patients is reported. The site of obstruction was predicted in 27% of the patients, but was indeterminate in 73% because of the inability to visualize the complete biliary tract. The cause of obstruction was correctly predicted in 23% of the patients and was indeterminate in 76%. While sonography is an excellent screening method for distinguishing dilated ducts from nondilated ducts, the authors believe that direct cholangiography, or possibly computed tomography, is necessary if stringent criteria are applied to the determination of the site and cause of biliary obstruction.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

Biliary pressure: manometric and perfusion studies at percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography and percutaneous biliary drainage.

Manometric pressure recordings were attempted during percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography (PTC) and after percutaneous biliary drainage (PBD) in 203 cases. Successful readings were achieved at PTC in 85% (104/122) of patients. Pressure measurements were also obtained through 56 biliary drainage catheters, and controlled perfusion challenges were performed in 12 patients (on 18 occasions). Documentation of the occasionally poor correlation between the caliber of ducts and the degree of obstruction (i.e., pressure) was shown, and it was suggested that very high pressures may be predictive of a bile leak after PTC. Adequacy of percutaneous drainage and stricture dilatation were further assessed with these manometric techniques. Pressure and perfusion data aided in detecting and determining the significance of the nondilated obstructed duct, the dilated nonobstructed ductal system, and subtle distal ductal strictures. The knowledge obtained from percutaneous pressure recordings may help to determine appropriate therapy.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1983

Detection and drainage of bilomas: special considerations.

Localized collections of bile within the peritoneal cavity, "biloma," may occur after surgery or trauma and are readily detected by sonography and computed tomography. Eleven cases in which the diagnosis was confirmed by percutaneous needle aspiration and treatment carried out by radiologic catheter drainage are reported. Specific identification of bile was made by visual inspection, initial rapid dip-stick (Multistix) technique, and formal chemical analysis. Evidence of continued free bile leak included a positive technetium HIDA scintigram and copious amounts of bilious catheter drainage over a prolonged period. Unexpected clinical features of biloma included presentation as a pyogenic subhepatic abscess in four (36%) of 11 cases, localization of the biloma collection in the left upper abdomen despite surgery on the right side in four (36%) cases, and the presence of an active bile fistula in five (45%) cases. Percutaneous radiologic catheter drainage provided adequate therapeutic drainage in all but two patients in whom a continuing active bile leak eventually required surgical correction.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Percutaneous aspiration of hepatic cysts does not provide definitive therapy.

Follow-up of 13 patients who underwent radiologically guided percutaneous needle aspiration of simple liver cysts revealed cyst recurrence in all patients within 2 years. While still effective as a primary diagnostic maneuver, percutaneous aspiration seems to lack permanent therapeutic benefit. However, it may be used as a therapeutic trial to confirm the origin of the patient's symptoms. The possible role of intracystic instillation of sclerosing agents was not studied in this series.

Adult↗
PubMed1983

The clinical value of body computed tomography over time and technologic change.

A clinical study of body computed tomography (CT) at Massachusetts General Hospital evaluated 2,619 patients who were prospectively assigned to one of 12 examination protocols. Data obtained from referring physicians and patient records just before CT examination and later in the course of care served as a basis for judging the contribution of CT to diagnostic understanding, use of other tests, and choice of therapy. Fifty-three percent of examinations produced a substantial or unique contribution to diagnostic understanding, and 15% contributed to a change in treatment. Performance in different protocols varied greatly: lymphoma, pancreas, retroperitoneum, lung, and liver ranked in the top half for both diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy; pelvis, urology, and colon fell in the bottom third. Overall, CT reduced surgery by an estimated 14% and angiography by an estimated 11% in the study population. Availability of CT was also associated over time with significant declines in the frequency of sonographic examinations and of lymphangiography, though not of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Compared with an 18-sec scanner, examinations on a 3-sec unit more frequently contributed to improved diagnostic understanding (p less than 0.05) and to increased physician confidence in previously chosen treatment (p less than 0.001). Studies of the diagnostic and therapeutic efficacy of devices like CT can guide clinical expectations and provide a basis for evaluating new imaging methods.

Evaluation Studies as Topic↗