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S Rickes

Publications and source records attributed to S Rickes.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Sonographic diagnosis of a liver abscess caused by an enterohepatic fistula in a patient with Crohn's disease].

Liver abscesses in patients with Crohn's disease are rare. We report on a patient with Crohn's disease and a liver abscess of the left lobe caused by an enterohepatic fistula. With treatment of antibiotics and Infliximab the abscess showed complete regression. Percutaneous drainage of the liver abscess was not performed because the abscess was shown not to be completely liquefied at echo-enhanced ultrasound. This case report demonstrates the usefulness of percutaneous conventional and echo-enhanced ultrasound for the diagnosis of liver abscesses. Furthermore, this case also shows that enterohepatic fistulas can be diagnosed precisely with percutaneous ultrasound.

Adult↗

Echo enhanced ultrasound: a new valid initial imaging approach for severe acute pancreatitis.

AIM: This prospective study aimed to compare the accuracy of echo enhanced ultrasound with spiral computed tomography (CT) in assessing acute pancreatitis and to explore the correlation between ultrasound findings and clinical outcome. METHODS: Thirty one patients (24 men and 7 women, median age 39 years, range 19-67 years) with acute pancreatitis were investigated by contrast enhanced CT and echo enhanced ultrasound within 72 hours after admission. Echo enhanced ultrasound (with intravenous injection of 2.4 ml SonoVue, pulse inversion technique, mechanical index 0.1 to 0.2, Siemens Elegra) was performed following conventional ultrasound. Balthazar's grading system was used to measure CT and ultrasound severity indices (CTSI and USSI). Correlations between CTSI and USSI and between USSI and clinical parameters were tested by Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. RESULTS: A strong correlation was demonstrated between CTSI and USSI (r = 0.807, p<0.01). Ultrasound correlated with the following: the Ranson score (r = 0.401, p<0.05), C-reactive protein levels 48 hours after admission (r = 0.536, p<0.01), duration of hospitalisation (r = 0.422, p<0.05), and clinical outcome regarding morbidity, including local and systemic complications (r = 0.363, p<0.05). Based on CT findings as the gold standard, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of ultrasound for detecting severe acute pancreatitis based on imaging criteria (Balthazar score D or E and/or presence of hypoperfusion compatible with necrosis and/or SI>/=3) were, respectively, 82% (95% CI 61 to 93), 89% (95% CI 57 to 98), 95% (95% CI 75 to 99), and 67% (95% CI 39 to 86). CONCLUSION: Echo enhanced ultrasound produces excellent results in the staging of acute pancreatitis severity. The procedure is cheaper and has fewer contraindications than CT. Further multicentre studies need to be performed before including the method in the diagnostic algorithm of patients with acute pancreatitis.

Acute Disease↗

[Ptosis and ophthalmoplegia as predominant signs of multiple myeloma].

HISTORY AND ADMISSION FINDINGS: A 59-year-old woman was diagnosed as having solitary bone plasmacytoma of the sternum which was resected. Five month later she presented with a pathological fracture of the clavicle. On examination she had a ptosis and an ophthalmoplegia. INVESTIGATIONS: A mass in the clivus extending into the left sphenoid sinus as well as multiple osteolytic lesions in the skull were shown by cranial MRI. Skeletal survey showed multiple osteolytic lesions. Laboratory test did not show any specific abnormalities. DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENT AND COURSE: The biopsy taken from the mass at the sphenoid sinus demonstrated plasmacytoma. The diagnosis of multiple myeloma was based on the histological evidence of plasmacytoma and the occurrence of multiple lytic bone lesions although no infiltration of bone marrow and none of the specific laboratory findings were present. The patient underwent local radiotherapy with 30 Gy followed by systemic chemotherapy. The symptoms regressed completely under this therapy. CONCLUSION: Various cranial nerve syndromes such as the superior orbital fissure syndrome are most often caused by tumors at the skull base. Knowledge of the histological entity is essential for the correct diagnosis and the appropriate therapy because rare tumors like multiple myeloma may also cause such syndromes.

Blepharoptosis↗

Differentiation of cystic pancreatic lesions by echo-enhanced sonography with pulse inversion imaging - presentation of case reports.

UNLABELLED: Echo-enhanced sonography is useful for differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours. We present several criteria for the differentiation of cystic pancreatic lesions with this procedure using three selected patients. Cystadenomas frequently show many vessels along the fibrotic strands. On the other hand, cystadenocarcinomas are poorly and chaotically vascularised. "Young pseudocysts" frequently show a highly vascularised wall. However, the wall of "old pseudocysts" is poorly vascularised. CONCLUSION: Cystic pancreatic masses have a different vascularisation pattern when examined by echo-enhanced sonography. These characteristics can be useful for their differential diagnosis, but histology is still the "gold standard."

Cystadenocarcinoma↗

Sonographic findings in hepatic involvement of hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.

AIM: Hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, or Rendu-Osler-Weber disease, is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterised by angiodysplastic lesions (telangiectases and arteriovenous malformations) which affect many organs including the skin, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, and brain. A broad spectrum of vascular and structural changes have been reported. Our objective was to systematically examine the prevalence of sonographic findings in hepatic involvement in patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). METHODS: We studied 22 consecutive patients with hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia by ultrasonography in combination with colour-Doppler and pulsed wave-Doppler for liver involvement. The clinical diagnosis of HHT was based on the Curaçon criteria. RESULTS: Sixteen of the 22 patients had signs of hepatic involvement including prominent common hepatic artery (14 of 16), dilatation of the intrahepatic part of the hepatic arteries (15 of 16) and intrahepatic AV-shunts (16 of 16). Ectasia of the hepatic vein, fibrotic parenchymal changes, left accessory hepatic artery and focal hepatic lesions were found less frequently. CONCLUSION: Diagnosis of liver involvement in HHT can be made by sonography with colour-Doppler. The main features of this involvement include prominent common hepatic artery, dilatation of the intrahepatic part of the hepatic arteries and intrahepatic AV-shunts.

Adult↗

[Benign or malignant thrombosis of the jugular vein? - Differentiation with colour-Doppler sonography].

Thrombosis can lead to physical impairment and cost-intensive investigations. In some cases, a thrombosis is caused by infiltration of an adjacent tumour. It is therefore important to differentiate between a benign or malignant thrombosis. We report the case of a woman with a malignant thrombosis of the jugular vein. She was hospitalised for suspected malignant disease of unknown origin. Her family doctor had made the diagnosis of a "partially organised thrombosis". At sonography, vessels with an arterial blood flow were detected in the thrombus. A carcinoma of the thyroid gland was therefore suspected and confirmed by histology. This case report demonstrates that the differentiation between a benign and malignant thrombosis is possible with colour-Doppler sonography.

Aged↗

High-resolution ultrasound in combination with colour-Doppler sonography for preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Experienced surgeons have the highest sensitivity in the localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Correct preoperative localization, however, allows unilateral neck exploration with subsequently reduced operative time and complication rate. In this prospective study, we investigated the accuracy of preoperative high-resolution ultrasound in combination with colour-Doppler sonography for the detection of parathyroid lesions. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Ninety-eight patients (mean age 59.1 years, range 15-86) who referred to our department with symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism were included in the study from January 1998 to June 2002. Sonography was performed by experienced examiners. The exact diagnosis was based on surgical findings and histology in all patients. RESULTS: The overall sensitivity for the sonographical localization of the adenomas on the correct side of the neck was 86 %. Twenty-three percent of the adenomas located on the cranial margin of the thyroid gland were diagnosed correctly, as were 92 % of the lesions located caudally (p = 0.0001). The detection of feeding vessels was possible by colour-Doppler sonography in 60 % of the cases. The diagnosis was correct for 93 % of these suspected adenomas. No vessels were detected in the remaining lesions, and only 39 % of these tumours were diagnosed correctly (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: High-resolution ultrasonography by experienced examiners is a highly sensitive procedure for the preoperative diagnosis of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. With this method, a unilateral neck exploration is sufficient in about 90 % of the patients. Additionally, detection of feeding vessels by colour-Doppler sonography is an important indication of a parathyroid lesion. Nonetheless, the experienced surgeon remains the standard of reference.

Adenoma↗

Differentiation of neuroendocrine tumors from other pancreatic lesions by echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography is a noninvasive procedure that has been increasingly used for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. However, to our knowledge, the diagnostic accuracy of this procedure in comparison with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for the differentiation of neuroendocrine lesions from other pancreatic tumors has never been investigated in a prospective, controlled study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: One hundred thirty-seven patients were included in the study; the patients were selected from 190 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.8 years; range, 16-85 years) who presented to our department from January 1998 through June 2001 with suspicion of a pancreatic tumor. An experienced examiner who was unaware of the patients' clinical diagnoses performed sonography. Twenty-nine patients with sonographically and/or clinically suspected neuroendocrine tumors were investigated additionally by somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. The exact diagnosis was based upon histologic evidence from biopsy examination (surgical and transabdominal fine-needle biopsy) or a follow-up of at least 18 months. RESULTS: The sensitivity of echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography for diagnosing a neuroendocrine pancreatic tumor was 94%, and its specificity was 96%. The corresponding values for somatostatin receptor scintigraphy were 54% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography has high sensitivity and high specificity for the differentiation of neuroendocrine lesions from other pancreatic tumors. However, histologic evidence is the standard of reference for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumors.

Adolescent↗

Development of a flow cytometric method to determine DNA ploidy of oesophageal cancer cells obtained by forceps biopsy samples during oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy.

BACKGROUND: The DNA content of oesophageal tumour cells is a prognostic factor in untreated patients. To investigate whether DNA ploidy is useful to select patients for neoadjuvant therapy it is of interest to develop a method allowing reliable flow cytometric analysis of the DNA content of tumour cells obtained by forceps biopsy during endoscopy before start of therapy. METHODS: Freshly frozen forceps biopsy samples from 30 patients with oesophageal cancer were disaggregated. DNA was stained with propidium iodide and ploidy was determined by flow cytometry. To enhance sensitivity epithelial cells were simultaneously labelled with anti-cytokeratin antibodies. Results were compared with image analysis. To evaluate the sampling error, parallel measurements were done in 10 patients by image analysis on forceps biopsies obtained during endoscopy before surgery and on the resected tumour. RESULTS: The sensitivity to detect aneuploidy was lower for standard flow cytometry than for image analysis (13 versus 33%). The overall sensitivities were identical using a double labelling technique with additional cytokeratin-staining of the epithelial cells, but divergent results were obtained in 2 cases, where detection of aneuploidy was either possible with image analysis or with double labelling flow cytometry only. DNA content of samples gained by forceps biopsies and surgically resected tumours was concordant in 8 of 10 cases. In 2 patients, aneuploidy was detected only in the surgically resected tumour but not in the pre-operatively obtained forceps biopsies. CONCLUSIONS: A flow cytometric method for routine determination of the DNA ploidy of cells obtained by forceps biopsies from patients with oesophageal cancer was developed and evaluated against image analysis. The technique allows the prediction of DNA content before tumour resection, and might be used for optimising therapy and the patient's quality of live.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Differentiation of a pancreatic metastasis of a renal cell carcinoma from a primary pancreatic carcinoma by echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography.

In a 70-year-old patient who had been treated for a renal cell carcinoma, a pancreatic mass was detected on CT scan. To differentiate a pancreatic metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma from a pancreatic carcinoma, an echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography was performed. The pancreatic mass demonstrated a strong echo enhancement, proving its hypervascularization. This behaviour favoured the diagnosis of a pancreatic metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma which was confirmed by histology. The principles and the role of echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography in the differential diagnosis between a primary pancreatic carcinoma and a metastasis of a renal carcinoma in the pancreas are discussed. We conclude that this technique can provide an important contribution to the diagnosis in this special instance. However, histology is the standard in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours.

Aged↗