Two cases of acquired tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF) diagnosed by CT are presented. In one case TEF was clinically suspected; in the other it was incidentally discovered. Because of its noninvasive nature and because it can be performed without discomfort to the patient, CT should be a preferred diagnostic method for demonstration of TEF.

Esophageal Neoplasms↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Detection of bronchial abnormalities: comparison of CT and bronchoscopy.

We evaluated the usefulness of CT as compared with both visual and pathologic findings from fiberoptic bronchoscopy (FOB) in detecting bronchial lesions in 100 consecutive patients undergoing both procedures. There was agreement between CT and visual FOB in 83% of cases and CT and pathologic FOB in 68%. In the malignant disease category CT detected bronchial abnormalities in 59% (27 of 46) as compared with 57% (26 of 46) by visual FOB; both agreed in 81% of the cases (37 of 46). On the basis of CT findings alone, we retrospectively divided the cases into those for which we expected FOB to have high diagnostic yield (peribronchial abnormalities, n = 49) and a low diagnostic yield (i.e., no bronchial abnormality, n = 51). For the malignant disease category, selection by CT findings resulted in successful diagnosis by FOB in 69% for the high yield group as compared with 29% for the low yield group. We conclude that CT has excellent correlation with visual and pathologic results of FOB in detecting bronchial abnormalities and that CT, when used as an initial screening test, can enhance the yield by allowing appropriate selection of patients.

Bronchial Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Pulmonary artery sarcoma: evaluation using Gd-DTPA.

Primary malignant tumors of the pulmonary arteries occur infrequently and diagnosis is often delayed since symptoms are nonspecific. We present a case of pulmonary artery sarcoma and its interesting magnetic resonance findings.

Contrast Media↗