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J B C M Puylaert

Publications and source records attributed to J B C M Puylaert.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

[Diagnostic policy in patients with a suspected ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm].

The clinical diagnosis of a ruptured aortic aneurysm is unreliable, and in haemodynamically stable patients both ultrasound and CT are used to improve diagnostic accuracy. In any patient with a suspected ruptured aneurysm, ultrasound is done upon arrival of the patient in the hospital to confirm or exclude the presence of an aortic aneurysm. If facilities for endovascular reconstruction are available at the hospital, an immediate CT scan with intravenous contrast follows, to find out if and how endovascular treatment should be performed. If endovascular reconstruction is not available, a CT scan without using contrast is carried out. If the CT scan shows a ruptured aneurysm, the patient is transported to the Operating Department without further delay. If the CT scan does not show any signs of rupture, there is time for further investigation. If no alternative condition to explain the patient's symptoms is found, further diagnostic tests such as repeat ultrasound, CT with contrast material and laboratory tests can be performed. If no other serious condition emerges, the aortic aneurysm should be considered symptomatic. In this case, the patient should undergo a rapid, but thorough pre-operative work-up, and go for operation as soon as possible by a rested and experienced operating team as part of the regular day programme.

Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal↗

[Acute abdominal and back pain in a patient with an aortic aneurysm and a duodenum perforation on CT-scan].

An 82-year old man with a known aneurysm of the abdominal aorta (AAA) presented with a history of acute onset abdominal and back pain of a few hours. He was haemodynamically stable and had pain on pressure over the aneurysm. Ultrasound confirmed the AAA, but could not demonstrate or exclude rupture. Subsequent CT-scan confirmed a non-ruptured AAA and demonstrated a small, curvilinear, hyperdense structure thought to be a fish bone or chicken bone which had perforated the duodenum. On gastroduodenoscopy, a fish bone was found and removed. The patient's symptoms resolved completely within two days. In patients with a possible ruptured AAA, echographic or CT-scan investigations can confirm or exclude the condition thus avoiding unnecessary surgery. These investigations also gather preoperative data for potential endovascular reconstruction. Before the introduction of new visualization techniques a duodenum perforation resulting from the unnoticed swallowing of a sharp object could only be diagnosed by explorative laparotomy. Delay in diagnosis leads to high mortality.

Abdominal Pain↗

Mesenteric panniculitis: US and CT features.

Mesenteric panniculitis is an aseptic inflammation of mesenteric fat. Before the age of ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT), mesenteric panniculitis was rarely diagnosed, but today the disorder is more commonly encountered, often as an incidental imaging finding. Its exact cause remains unknown. This review illustrates the characteristic US and CT features of mesenteric panniculitis and discusses its differential diagnosis.

Acute Disease↗

Detection of ileocecal Crohn's disease using ultrasound as the primary imaging modality.

At our hospital ultrasound (US) is used as an initial screening procedure in all patients with abdominal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of this policy on the detection of ileocecal Crohn's disease. We retrospectively studied all patients with a new diagnosis of ileocecal Crohn's disease from our institute over the period 1990-2001. The final diagnosis was based on clinical follow-up and pathological, surgical, US, and other radiological findings. We noted who referred the patient to the radiology department, what the initial clinical presumption was, and what the first imaging study was. US diagnoses were determined from the initial US report and US findings were registered from the images. There were a total of 47 patients (20 men, 27 women) with a mean age of 30 years and a median age of 27 years (range 14-75 years). In all patients the initial imaging study was an abdominal US. Using US, a confident diagnosis of ileocecal Crohn's disease was made in 35 of the 47 patients, Crohn's disease was suggested among the differential diagnosis in 10, and an incorrect diagnosis was made in 2 patients. In 28 of 47 patients, the referring physician did not consider Crohn's disease when requesting the initial US examination. In eight patients with appendicitis-like symptoms, the US findings strongly influenced the decision to refrain from operation at that point in time. US, when used as a low-threshold diagnostic procedure, is a reliable and noninvasive means for making an early diagnosis of ileocecal Crohn's disease in patients who present with atypical symptoms. It may prevent both unnecessary therapeutic delay as well as unnecessary surgery.

Adolescent↗

Effect of ultrasonography and optional computed tomography on the outcome of appendectomy.

The aim of this study was to investigate the value of US and complementary CT in patients with suspected appendicitis, and to detect adverse outcomes of preoperative imaging. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 233 consecutive patients who underwent an appendectomy as an emergency procedure in our hospital, within a 2-year period. Our hospital policy is to perform diagnostic imaging in all patients with clinical suspicion of appendicitis. The US was performed in 227 patients, followed by additional unenhanced helical focused appendiceal CT in 30 patients with equivocal US results. We evaluated the negative appendectomy rate, occurrence of perforation, and our in-hospital delay. Acute appendicitis was pathologically proven in 219 patients, corresponding to a negative appendectomy rate of 6%. The US with optional CT diagnosed appendicitis with a sensitivity of 96.7%. Forty-eight appendices (21.9%) were perforated. The median overall in-hospital delay was 5 h (range 0.5-123.5 h). For the perforated appendices this was 4.5 h (range 0.5-64.5 h), for the non-perforated appendices 6.0 h (range 0.5-123.5 h). In patients with suspected acute appendicitis, US examination with the option of additional CT significantly lowers the negative appendectomy rate as compared with the clinical acumen alone, without adverse effects on the perforation rate or the in-hospital delay.

Adolescent↗

Epiploic appendagitis and omental infarction: pitfalls and look-alikes.

Epiploic appendagitis and omental infarction are benign self-limiting conditions that are more frequent than generally assumed. Both disorders frequently mimic symptoms of an abdominal surgical emergency, often leading to clinical misdiagnosis of appendicitis or diverticulitis. Because a misdiagnosis can result in an unnecessary laparotomy, a correct diagnosis is of great importance. Ultrasound and computed tomography can be used to make a reliable diagnosis. This pictorial essay illustrates the various ultrasonographic and computed tomographic appearances of epiploic appendagitis and omental infarction and focuses on their radiologic differential diagnoses and pitfalls.

Appendicitis↗

Right colonic diverticulitis: MR appearance.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the magnetic resonance (MR) features of right colonic diverticulitis. METHODS: This prospective study was based on five patients selected from a group of 156 patients admitted to the radiology department for further evaluation because of clinically suspected appendicitis. All five patients had ultrasound (US) and MR studies, and four patients also had computed tomography (CT). RESULTS: In all five patients, right-side diverticulitis was seen as an outpouching of the right colon with associated circumferential wall thickening of the colon and surrounding inflammatory changes. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that MR imaging can be useful in the diagnosis of right colonic diverticulitis. An inflamed diverticulum with adjacent colonic wall thickening and surrounding inflamed fat are characteristic MR signs. MR imaging can be a valuable alternative to CT in young or pregnant patients who have suspected appendicitis and an equivocal US result.

Adult↗

Endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum: endovaginal US and MRI findings in two cases.

We report two patients with endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum in whom endovaginal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) played crucial roles in the diagnosis, staging, and follow-up of the disease. The specific features of endometriosis of the rectovaginal septum on MRI and transvaginal US enable a noninvasive diagnosis, thereby reducing diagnostic delay and avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.

Adult↗