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Biomedical subjects

T K Burkhard

Publications and source records attributed to T K Burkhard.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Management of testicular masses incidentally discovered by ultrasound.

Incidental nonpalpable testicular masses were discovered in 9 patients during approximately 1,600 scrotal ultrasound examinations done for other indications. Of the 9 lesions 7 (78%) were benign (4 Leydig cell tumors, 2 Sertoli cell tumors and 1 interstitial fibrosis) and 2 (22%) were malignant (1 teratocarcinoma and 1 seminoma). Five lesions (55%) were less than 1 cm (4 benign and 1 malignant), while 4 (45%) were 1 to 2 cm (3 benign and 1 malignant). Seven lesions (78%) were hypoechoic, 1 (11%) was hyperechoic and 1 (11%) was cystic. We conclude that incidentally discovered nonpalpable lesions are usually benign. Management should include inguinal exploration with frozen section diagnosis. The testis can be spared if the lesion is benign. Ultrasound followup should be used only if there is a strong clinical suspicion of a nonneoplastic lesion, such as recent trauma or infection. It is suggested that nonpalpable tumors discovered in patients with metastatic germ cell tumor should be treated as malignant.

Adult↗

Accuracy of ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis compared with the surgeon's clinical impression.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy of the surgeon's clinical diagnosis of acute appendicitis with that of an ultrasonographic examination of the abdomen. DESIGN: Prospective trial. SETTING: US Navel Hospital, San Diego, Calif. PATIENTS: One hundred ten patients admitted to the hospital with suspected appendicitis from May 1990 to June 1992. INTERVENTION: Symptoms and signs for each patient were recorded, along with the surgeon's clinical impression of immediate surgery or observation. The patient then underwent an ultrasound examination performed by a staff radiologist. On the basis of the ultrasound findings the patient was placed into one of three categories: appendicitis, normal examination results, or other conditions. Patients with an ultrasound-based diagnosis of appendicitis proceeded to the operation, regardless of the surgeon's clinical impression. Those with other conditions diagnosed with ultrasonography were treated as was appropriate for the condition. RESULTS: The ultrasound-derived diagnosis of appendicitis had a sensitivity of 85.5%, a specificity of 84.4%, a positive predictive value of 88.3%, a negative predictive value of 80.1%, and an overall accuracy of 85.0%. The surgeon's clinical impression at the time of admission had a sensitivity of 62.9%, a specificity of 82.2%, a positive predictive value of 82.9%, a negative predictive value of 61.7%, and an overall accuracy of 71.2%. CONCLUSION: The overall accuracy of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of appendicitis was statistically superior to that of the surgeon's clinical impression (P < .0001). However, 24% of the patients with normal ultrasound findings were ultimately found to have appendicitis at operation, emphasizing the point that ultrasonography cannot be relied on to the exclusion of the surgeon's careful and repeated evaluation.

Acute Disease↗

Self-localization in US of appendicitis: an addition to graded compression.

Graded-compression ultrasound (US) of the right lower quadrant (RLQ) has been a valuable addition to the diagnostic evaluation of acute appendicitis. In an effort to expedite the sonographic evaluation and improve diagnostic accuracy, a method of self-localization was added to the standard graded-compression examination. A total of 236 patients with signs of appendicitis were studied. Eighty-five percent (121 of 142) of the patients with proved appendicitis were able to decisively self-localize their pain. Of the patients without appendicitis who still had significant disease in the RLQ, 88% (29 of 33) were able to self-localize their pain, with an accuracy rate of 86% for significant disease. Among patients without significant disease, only 15% (nine of 61) self-localized their pain. This "sonographic self-localization sign" reduced the time of the examination and was a valuable addition to standard graded-compression US of the appendix.

Acute Disease↗

Hill-Sachs lesion: comparison of detection with MR imaging, radiography, and arthroscopy.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has proved to be a valuable method for documenting Hill-Sachs lesions. The authors retrospectively analyzed the diagnostic interpretations at plain film radiography, arthroscopy, and MR imaging in 76 patients. The analysis revealed that neither radiography nor arthroscopy displayed the lesion with sufficient accuracy to represent a true standard of reference for the evaluation of MR imaging in the diagnosis of the Hill-Sachs lesion. The data from the diagnostic interpretations were analyzed in three ways, each of which revealed that findings at MR imaging were more helpful than findings at radiography and/or arthroscopy in the diagnosis of the Hill-Sachs lesion. When the agreement of findings in two or three methods was used to assign a final diagnosis, MR imaging resulted in sensitivity of 97%, specificity of 91%, and accuracy of 94% in the detection of Hill-Sachs lesions.

Adolescent↗

Aortic dissection in acute pancreatitis.

Extrapancreatic fluid collections are frequently seen in acute pancreatitis. Vascular damage with life-threatening hemorrhage is also a known complication. In the case report presented, we include documentation by computed tomography of an apparent abdominal aortic wall dissection by fluid in a patient with acute pancreatitis. Conservative therapy resulted in complete resolution without hemorrhage or aneurysm formation.

Acute Disease↗

Tears of the glenoid labrum: MR imaging of 88 arthroscopically confirmed cases.

Two hundred eighty-one patients underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the shoulder over a 2-year period. Eighty-eight patients underwent arthroscopic surgery, and their surgical results were correlated with the findings at MR imaging. MR imaging enabled accurate prediction of anterior labral tears, with a sensitivity of 95%, a specificity of 86%, and an accuracy of 92%. MR imaging was less effective in the prediction of tears of the superior labrum, with a sensitivity of 75%, a specificity of 99%, and an accuracy of 95%. These two categories accounted for the majority of the surgically correctable disease. MR imaging was found to be unreliable in the prediction of posterior (sensitivity, 7.7%) or inferior (sensitivity, 40%) labral tears, isolated cases of which occurred in only two (2%) of those undergoing surgery. MR imaging proved to be a highly accurate, noninvasive technique for the clinical evaluation of shoulder instability.

Adolescent↗

Uterine inner myometrial echogenic foci. Relationship to prior dilatation and curettage and endocervical biopsy.

The frequent presence of small echogenic foci within the inner myometrium in women who have had prior uterine instrumentation is reported. Bright foci were observed in 35 of 80 patients who had had prior dilatation and curettage or endocervical biopsy and in only 2 of 174 patients who gave no history of either procedure (P less than 0.005). These foci tend to be small (3 to 6 mm), linear, usually nonshadowing, single or multiple, and located immediately adjacent to the endometrium anywhere along the length of the endometrial cavity; they can be seen many years after the procedure was performed. The histopathologic features of these foci are unconfirmed, but we suspect they represent calcification or fibrosis at sites of mechanical injury to myometrium. The presence of these foci serves as a marker of prior instrumentation and probably has no clinical significance. However, sonographers who are aware of their possible occurrence, can avoid mistaking them for leiomyoma calcifications or for air in the endometrium or myometrium in patients with suspected endometritis.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Suspected testicular torsion and ischemia: evaluation with color Doppler sonography.

Color Doppler sonography was performed in 32 patients with a painful scrotum in whom testicular ischemia from torsion or postherniorrhaphy was clinically suspected. Surgical correlation was available in 15 patients, and scintigraphic correlation was available in 17 patients. Seven of the 32 patients were diagnosed as having testicular ischemia from torsion. Color Doppler flow imaging demonstrated a lack of intratesticular flow in six of the seven testes with torsion and relatively normal intratesticular flow in one of the patients with acute torsion. Normal or increased intratesticular flow was demonstrated by color Doppler in all 57 of the nonischemic testes. Using the single criterion of presence or absence of identifiable intratesticular flow, the authors found that color Doppler was 86% sensitive, 100% specific, and 97% accurate in the diagnosis of torsion and ischemia in the painful scrotum. Color Doppler sonography is an accurate, noninvasive means of rapidly assessing perfusion of the testis in the painful scrotum.

Acute Disease↗

Gerota versus Zuckerkandl: the renal fascia revisited.

In the medical literature, Gerota fascia is frequently used as a general term to describe both the anterior and posterior pararenal fascia. However, Zuckerkandl's name is also often used to describe either the anterior or posterior fascia. To resolve this confusion, the authors reviewed the original works by Gerota and Zuckerkandl. In 1883, Zuckerkandl described the posterior renal fascia but did not recognize the presence of the anterior renal fascia. In 1895, Gerota documented the presence of the anterior renal fascia and clearly assigned Zuckerkandl's name to the posterior renal fascia. Thus, the terms Zuckerkandl fascia and posterior renal fascia are synonymous, as are Gerota fascia and anterior renal fascia.

Eponyms↗

MR imaging of the scrotum: normal anatomy.

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with a surface coil was utilized to evaluate the normal scrotum. Scrotal contents, spermatic canal, and inguinal regions were visualized within the same field of view. Differences in signal intensity in the testis, epididymis, tunica albuginea, fluid, fat, and spermatic cord allowed for clear delineation of these structures in detail. The high contrast and spatial resolution of MR imaging, coupled with the wide field of view and absence of ionizing radiation, make MR imaging well suited for evaluation of the scrotum.

Adult↗

MR imaging of the scrotum: pathologic conditions.

The utility of high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in studying a variety of intratesticular and extratesticular pathologic conditions was assessed. The high magnetic signal intensity of the testis provided an excellent background for visualization of intratesticular abnormalities. Except for old blood, all intratesticular processes were less intense than testis, especially on T2-weighted images. The visualization of the tunica albuginea is a distinct advantage, allowing its assessment in cases of trauma or testicular tumors. Epididymal and spermatic cord abnormalities were easily recognized. All pathologic conditions were best seen on T2-weighted images acquired in the coronal plane. Balanced images allowed for tissue characterization.

Genital Diseases, Male↗

CT of the normal appendix.

We conducted a prospective evaluation of the normal vermiform appendix in 203 patients. Conventional CT techniques were utilized with an 8 mm slice thickness and 10 mm slice interval. The normal appendix was definitely identified in 51% of the patients studied. Computed tomographic appearance of the normal appendix is demonstrated, and potential pitfalls are described.

Adolescent↗