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Biomedical subjects

P L Abbitt

Publications and source records attributed to P L Abbitt.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Ultrasonography. Update on liver technique.

Sonography is very useful in the evaluation of the patient with severe liver disease before and after the placement of a TIPS, and before and after organ transplantation. Efforts to use ultrasound to evaluate for primary and metastatic lesions to the liver have been reviewed. With its Doppler and color flow capabilities, ultrasound remains an important modality for hepatic imaging, especially in the evaluation of portal vein patency and hepatic artery thrombosis.

Hepatic Veno-Occlusive Disease↗
PubMed1995

Color Doppler US of the orbit.

Color Doppler imaging of the orbit shows promise in evaluation of several types of orbital abnormalities. The most promising use is for evaluation of vascular disorders. Screening for orbital varices and cavernous-carotid fistulas is easily accomplished. Color Doppler imaging can also be useful in diagnosis of ocular ischemia, central retinal vessel occlusion, and anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. In cases of inflammatory disease, it may be helpful in searching for complications of infection and in monitoring the size of fluid collections. In cases of tumors, color Doppler imaging can be used to monitor lesion size and in surgical planning. More work needs to be done to determine the role of color Doppler imaging in evaluation of trauma and congenital abnormalities. An understanding of the basic anatomy of the orbit, examination techniques, and common disease processes in the orbit will allow the radiologist to offer this potentially valuable modality to referring clinicians.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Iliopsoas compartment: normal anatomy and pathologic processes.

The iliopsoas compartment is an extraperitoneal space that contains the greater psoas, smaller psoas, and iliac muscles. Many pathologic processes may involve the iliopsoas compartment, including inflammatory, hemorrhagic, and neoplastic conditions. Psoas muscle infection is usually due to direct extension from contiguous structures. With the decreasing incidence of tuberculosis, the majority of psoas abscesses now encountered have a pyogenic origin. Hemorrhage into the psoas muscle can be spontaneous or secondary to various conditions. Neoplastic involvement of the psoas muscle is usually due to contiguous spread and is rarely primary. With the refinement of imaging modalities, there has been increased recognition of diseases that involve the iliopsoas compartment. Although these conditions may look similar radiologically, they can be correctly diagnosed by combining the radiologic findings with the clinical history. Biopsy is effective in diagnosis of such conditions; aspiration and drainage are effective in both diagnosis and therapy.

Abscess↗
PubMed1994

Scrotal ultrasound for evaluation of subacute testicular torsion: sonographic findings and adverse clinical implications.

There is an increased use of scrotal ultrasound in the clinician's office and emergency room for the investigation of scrotal pain. The use of real-time scrotal ultrasound for the diagnosis of testicular torsion has been described in the literature. A false-negative ultrasound examination can postpone the diagnosis of torsion and result in testicular loss. We examined 6 patients 1 day to 18 years old who had subacute testicular torsion with scrotal symptomatology (pain and/or swelling) for longer than 8 hours (range 12 hours to 6 days). Scrotal ultrasound was performed as 1 of the initial tests. A common sonographic pattern was an inhomogeneous testicle with hypoechoic areas alternating with hyperechoic areas and thickening of adjacent scrotal tissue. Another common finding was an edematous hyperechoic epididymis and a small hydrocele. In 4 of the 6 cases these nonspecific findings suggested a misleading diagnosis of tumor or epididymitis and resulted in delay of surgery and testicular loss. Treatment was not delayed in only 2 patients in whom the diagnosis of torsion was made initially by history and physical examination, and ultrasound was done for interest only. Misdiagnosis of intratesticular blood flow and some potential pitfalls of scrotal imaging by color Doppler ultrasound are discussed. We conclude that real-time scrotal sonography can be misleading in cases of subacute testicular torsion and, therefore, it should not be used in this clinical setting.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1994

Bubbles in the belly: imaging of cystic mesenteric or omental masses.

The purpose of this article is to familiarize radiologists with the spectrum of "bubbles in the belly," including the current histologic classification of mesenteric or omental cysts. Although mesenteric and omental cystic masses are uncommon lesions, radiologists should be familiar with them as well as with other anomalies that can manifest as these cysts. The first step in diagnosing a cystic abdominal mass is to determine the organ from which the mass originates. The most common type of mesenteric or omental cyst is lymphangioma, but other types encountered include the enteric duplication cyst, the enteric cyst, the mesothelial cyst, and the nonpancreatic pseudocyst. Other cystic lesions that may be located in the mesentery or omentum include cystic mesothelioma, cystic spindle cell tumor, and cystic teratoma. Because of the overlap in imaging features of mesenteric or omental cysts and other cystic masses, histologic analysis is usually necessary to establish a diagnosis. The major role of the radiologist is to document the cystic nature of these abdominal masses and their mesenteric or omental origin.

Cysts↗
PubMed1993

Breast implants, common complications, and concurrent breast disease.

Recent concern regarding breast implants has emphasized the special imaging needs of the approximately 2 million American women who currently have prosthetic breast implants, including silicone gel, silicone gel with a textured silicone coating, saline, biocompatible gel, polyurethane-coated, double-lumen, and tissue expanders. Both palpable and nonpalpable breast lesions can occur in patients with implants, and these lesions must be evaluated in the same manner as in patients without implants, which presents a challenge for the mammographer. Not only is the breast tissue of a patient with implants more difficult to image, but the patient may have complications from the implants. The major complications of their use involve hematoma in the early postoperative period, infection, capsule contracture, rupture, and silicone granulomas. Familiarity with the more common types of implants, the possible complications of their use, and concurrent breast disease may help improve diagnosis in these patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Hepatic infarction complicating a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

Transjugular intrahepatic portocaval shunt (TIPS) is being used with increasing frequency to treat variceal bleeding and portal hypertension. Like any other invasive vascular procedure, it has the potential for serious complications. We report a case of a woman who underwent a TIPS procedure for variceal bleeding due to hepatitis C and sustained a hepatic infarction as a complication of the procedure. We caution about the potential for catastrophic complications with this procedure, and recommend that it be performed only in centers with a liver transplant program nearby.

Female↗
PubMed1992

Ultrasound guidance for biopsy of omental abnormalities.

We review our two-year experience with ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy of omental pathology. Eleven patients were referred for biopsy of omental abnormalities. Biopsy was performed without complication in all cases and the aspirates were positive for malignancy in 9. The discharge diagnosis was ovarian carcinoma in 6 patients, adenocarcinoma of unknown origin in 1, lymphoma in 1, and carcinoma of the colon in 1. The technique requires the use of a linear array transducer for biopsy guidance, and is safe, rapid, and easy to perform.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Gastric herniation and volvulus: CT and MR appearance.

Organo-axial volvulus of the stomach, a potentially catastrophic situation, may be recognized as an incidental finding on computed tomography (CT). We present the CT features of organo-axial volvulus of the stomach in two cases. In one case, a correlative magnetic resonance (MR) image is presented.

Aged↗
PubMed1992

Neoplastic and inflammatory processes of the peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery: diagnosis with CT.

Disease processes in the peritoneum, omentum, and mesentery occasionally are not recognized at radiologic examination. The authors have used computed tomography (CT) to categorize the radiologic appearances of the more common abnormalities into three basic patterns: (a) solid but relatively well-defined masses, (b) cystic-appearing masses, and (c) ill-defined or infiltrative processes. The most common solid masses to affect these anatomic regions are secondary neoplasms, which are associated with enhancement of the peritoneum on contrast material-enhanced CT scans and, typically, ascites. The various cystic-appearing masses (including cystic lymphangioma, cystic mesothelioma, teratoma, and loculated ascites) and infiltrating masses (such as peritoneal mesothelioma, retractile mesenteritis, desmoid, and carcinoid) must be differentiated on the basis of clinical findings and additional imaging findings (eg, CT depiction of fat and calcium in teratomas and the radiating appearance of carcinoids). Although the CT appearances of some of the abnormalities overlap, classifying them by pattern is helpful in narrowing the range of the differential diagnosis.

Humans↗
PubMed1991

Diagnosis of endometriosis by fine-needle aspiration cytology.

Endometriosis is a fairly common disease found in a variety of extrauterine locations. It primarily affects reproductive age women and has symptoms varying from occult to more specific complaints. Occasionally the lesions produce solid nodules and/or cysts that are clinically palpable and easily evaluated by fine needle aspiration (FNA). We describe three cases of endometriosis diagnosed by FNA. The patients ranged in age from 32 to 38 and reported cyclic symptoms of pain, bleeding, or change in mass size. Two patients presented with subcutaneous masses (one along the upper pubic ramus, the other in the lower abdomen) and had ultrasonically guided FNA. The third patient had a vaginal cuff mass sampled by transvaginal FNA. All cytologic smears contained characteristic sheets of epithelial cells and fragments of loosely arranged spindled stroma. One case also showed mild epithelial atypia and plump stromal cells. Hemosiderin-laden macrophages were found in only one case. The cytologic diagnoses were confirmed by tissue in all patients. Endometriotic nodules must be evaluated for possible malignant transformation and differentiated from other benign and malignant masses, especially when clinical symptoms are vague. FNA offers a safe and effective tool for identification of endometriosis and obviates the need for diagnostic surgical procedures in some patients.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗