Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Eur Stroke J 2017 Jun 4;2(2):116-125. Epub 2017 Apr 4.

Department of Neurology, Helsinki University Hospital, Finland.

Background: Worldwide, about 1.3 million annual ischaemic strokes (IS) occur in adults aged <50 years. Of these early-onset strokes, up to 50% can be regarded as cryptogenic or associated with conditions with poorly documented causality like patent foramen ovale and coagulopathies. Read More

Am J Emerg Med 2019 Apr 12. Epub 2019 Apr 12.

Department of Emergency Medicine, Baylor Scott and White Health, 2401 S 31(st) Street, Temple, TX 76508, United States of America.

Typically, the left anterior descending artery (LAD) and left circumflex artery (LCX) arise from the left main coronary artery. However, uncommon coronary anomalies may be found in clinical practice. This case presents with a rare finding where the LAD originates from the right coronary artery (RCA) separately from the LCX and takes an interarterial pathway to reach its perfusion territory. Read More

Am J Case Rep 2019 Apr 20;20:557-561. Epub 2019 Apr 20.

Department of Cardiology, Providence Hospital, Michigan State University, Detroit, MI, USA.

BACKGROUND Atrial fibrillation is considered the most common cardiac arrhythmias in the United States with rate and rhythm control strategies traditionally used for management. If patients are intolerant to class I or class III anti-arrhythmic medications, catheter ablation may be used as a rhythm control strategy. As catheter ablation becomes more commonplace, so too do the procedure-related complications, which include tamponade, total arterio-venous fistula, pulmonary vein stenosis, and atrial-esophageal fistula. Read More

Eur Respir Rev 2019 Jun 17;28(152). Epub 2019 Apr 17.

Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Northern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Asthma remains an important disease worldwide, causing high burden to patients and healthcare systems and presenting a need for better management and ultimately prevention and cure. Asthma is a very heterogeneous condition, with many different pathophysiological processes. Better measurement of those pathophysiological processes are needed to better phenotype disease, and to go beyond the current, highly limited measurements that are currently used: spirometry and symptoms. Read More

Sultan Qaboos Univ Med J 2018 Nov 28;18(4):e541-e544. Epub 2019 Mar 28.

Department of Radiology, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah, Klang, Malaysia.

A congenital pulmonary airway malformation (CPAM) is a rare cystic anomaly that may occur during development of the fetal airways. The vast majority of CPAMs are detected in neonates; as such, it is unusual for diagnosis to occur in adulthood. We report a 21-year-old male patient who presented to the emergency department of the Hospital Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2015 with chest pain, breathlessness and tachypnoea. Read More

Radiol Case Rep 2019 Jun 3;14(6):729-733. Epub 2019 Apr 3.

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Diagnostic Radiology, 1542 Tulane Avenue, Room 343, New Orleans, LA 70112-2784 USA.

We present a case of a urinothorax resulting from treatment of genitourinary pathology. The presentation, diagnosis, and management of a 46-year-old female with an urinothorax are discussed. Urinothorax is a rare cause of a pleural effusion, most commonly arising from a traumatic etiology. Read More

Eur J Radiol Open 2019 29;6:128-131. Epub 2019 Mar 29.

Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, 73 Francis St., Boston, MA, 02115 USA.

Purpose: The presence of interstitial lung abnormality (ILA) at diagnosis of stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has previously shown to be associated with shorter overall survival (OS). The present study aimed to validate the association between ILA and shorter OS in a larger cohort of treatment-naïve stage IV NSCLC patients.

Materials And Methods: This study includes 484 patients (205 men and 279 women) with a pathological diagnosis of stage IV NSCLC with pretreatment baseline CT available for review. Read More

Chest 2019 Apr 11. Epub 2019 Apr 11.

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is an end result of a diverse array of complex clinical conditions, which invoke hemodynamic and pathophysiological changes in the pulmonary vasculature. Many patients' symptoms begin with dyspnea on exertion for which screening tests like chest roentgenograms and more definitive non-invasive tests like CT scans are ordered initially. It is imperative that clinicians are cognizant of subtle clues on these imaging modalities that alert them to the possibility of PH. Read More

Hawaii J Med Public Health 2019 Apr;78(4):137-140

Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Honolulu, HI.

A 24-year-old female with a history of Swyer-James-MacLeod syndrome presented with acute onset of pleuritic chest pain and was initially diagnosed with acute pericarditis. The 12-lead electrocardiogram demonstrated typical diffuse ST-segment elevation and PR-segment depression. Symptoms resolved rapidly with anti-inflammatory therapy consisting of ibuprofen and colchicine. Read More

Radiography (Lond) 2019 May 10;25(2):114-120. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Clinical and Medical Sciences Research Hub, School of Allied Health Professions, Canterbury Christ Church University, Kent, UK.

Introduction: The study aimed to analyse the results of radiographer's image interpretation of nuclear medicine (NM) examinations following a nine-month postgraduate module.

Methods: Twenty participants completed 60 summative image commentaries each at the end of the module from prospective NM worklists in England. Each submitted a mixed selection of examinations in bone, lung, renal, and thyroid scans. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr;12(4):652-664

Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Sciences, University of Padua School of Medicine, Padua, Italy; IRCCS, Instituto Auxologico Italiano, S. Luca Hospital, University of Milano-Biococca, Milan, Italy.

Current guidelines recommend transthoracic echocardiography to assess patients with functional tricuspid regurgitation (FTR) because it provides information regarding the presence of structural abnormalities of the tricuspid valve (TV), allows measurement of tricuspid annulus diameter, and evaluates severity of FTR by integrating data obtained from 2D and Doppler echocardiography. Critical components of the noninvasive evaluation include information regarding TV anatomy, tricuspid regurgitation severity, right ventricular size and systolic function, and associated findings such as estimated pulmonary artery pressure. However, most of the parameters included in the current recommendations to assess FTR are derived from the experience and knowledge developed about the mitral valve and have been transferred from the left to the right side of the heart without accounting for differences in anatomy of the tricuspid and mitral apparatus or for differences in hemodynamic environment in which the TV operates compared to its left counterpart. Read More

JACC Cardiovasc Imaging 2019 Apr;12(4):637-651

Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota; Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota. Electronic address:

Tricuspid valve abnormalities in congenital heart disease comprise a wide spectrum, with the most common being Ebstein anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia. Tricuspid valve dysfunction may also be secondary to other types of congenital heart disease, including functional tricuspid regurgitation seen in right heart volume overload conditions, such as atrial septal defect and repaired tetralogy of Fallot with severe pulmonary valve regurgitation. Congenitally corrected transposition and Mustard and Senning procedures maintain the right ventricle as the systemic ventricle, and the tricuspid valve is subject to unique hemodynamic stress not typically seen in normal circulation. Read More

Eur Radiol 2019 Mar 27. Epub 2019 Mar 27.

Department of Pulmonology, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, 100029, China.

Objectives: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is a common extra-muscular manifestation of anti-synthetase syndrome (ASS) and the main cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with ASS. Data on prognostic factors in these patients are lacking.

Methods: A total of 69 patients with ILD and positivity for at least one of the following autoantibodies were included: anti-Jo-1, anti-PL7, anti-PL12, and anti-EJ. Read More

Zhongguo Fei Ai Za Zhi 2019 Mar;22(3):132-136

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Beijing 100730, China.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical features of paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and improve clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Methods: The clinical data of 15 patients with SCLC combined with PLE from January 1980 to May 2017 were collected from Beijing Union Hospital. Their symptoms and laboratory data were analyzed and the prognosis of the patients was followed. Read More

Acta Radiol 2019 Mar 21:284185119836232. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

1 Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH), a complication of acute pulmonary embolism, is a potentially curable form of pulmonary hypertension (PH). CTEPH is under-diagnosed for a number of reasons leading to delayed referral or missed diagnosis; however, the frequency of misdiagnosis of CTEPH findings on computed tomography (CT) is currently unknown.

Purpose: To evaluate the extent of misdiagnosis of CTEPH on CT. Read More

Pediatr Pulmonol 2019 Mar 21. Epub 2019 Mar 21.

Departments of Paediatrics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Centre, Jerusalem, Israel.

Rationale: Necrotizing pneumonia is characterized by destruction and liquefaction of the lung tissue and loss of the normal pulmonary parenchymal architecture. During the course of resolution areas of hyperlucency are formed, sometimes with the development of giant lung cysts that can be a field with fluid resembling lung abscess. There is no consensus on the management of these abnormalities. Read More

Fa Yi Xue Za Zhi 2019 Feb 25;35(1):1-4. Epub 2019 Feb 25.

Shanghai Key Laboratory of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Forensic Service Platform, Academy of Forensic Science, Shanghai 200063, China.

Objectives: To use virtual anatomy technique in the analysis of post-mortem characteristic changes of CT images in the experimental drowning rabbit model and the related parameters in 3D virtual model, so as to explore its application value in the diagnosis of drowning in forensic pathology.

Methods: A model of drowning rabbits was established, with animal models of hemorrhagic shock and mechanical asphyxia as the controls. CT scan was performed on the experimental animals, and the differences in imaging features between the groups were compared by morphological reading of the tomographic images. Read More

Abdom Radiol (NY) 2019 Mar 19. Epub 2019 Mar 19.

Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

Purpose: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant multi-organ vascular disorder that commonly affects the gastrointestinal tract and the liver resulting in telangiectasias and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Previous studies looking at the prevalence of liver and abdominal organ involvement in HHT have been limited by differing imaging techniques and sample size limitations. We sought to define the prevalence of HHT related abdominal vascular abnormalities using optimized multiphasic contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) exams in a large cohort of HHT patients. Read More

J Multidiscip Healthc 2019 6;12:183-189. Epub 2019 Mar 6.

Department of Cardiology, Local Health Unit Lecce, Lecce, Italy.

Cardiac auscultation - even with its limitations - is still a valid and economical technique for the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases, and despite the growing demand for sophisticated imaging techniques, clinical use of the stethoscope in medical practice has not yet been abandoned. In 1816, René-Théophile-Hyacinthe Laënnec invented the stethoscope, while examining a young woman with suspected heart disease, giving rise to mediated auscultation. He described in detail several heart and lung sounds, correlating them with postmortem pathology. Read More

Int J Infect Dis 2019 Mar 12;82:138-146. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Department of Radiology, The People's Hospital of Longhua, Shenzhen, Southern Medical University, Guangdong, China; Graduate School, Medical College of Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Electronic address:

Objective: To evaluate the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with an advanced motion correction technique in characterizing lung tissue changes and lesions induced by pulmonary tuberculosis (TB).

Methods: Sixty-three subjects with computed tomography (CT) features of pulmonary TB underwent lung MRI. All subjects with pulmonary TB were confirmed by acid-fast bacillus (AFB) testing or the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Read More

Malar J 2019 Mar 12;18(1):74. Epub 2019 Mar 12.

Divisions of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, I. Department of Internal Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Background: Previous studies have documented a spectrum of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in patients with cerebral malaria, but little is known about the prevalence of such abnormalities in patients with non-cerebral malaria. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of brain MRI findings in returning travellers with non-cerebral malaria.

Methods: A total of 17 inpatients with microscopically confirmed Plasmodium falciparum non-cerebral malaria underwent structural brain MRI at 3. Read More

J Surg Res 2019 Mar 8;239:242-252. Epub 2019 Mar 8.

Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado. Electronic address:

Background: Understanding inconsistent clinical outcomes in infants with severe congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) after tracheal occlusion (TO) is a crucial step for advancing neonatal care. The objective of this study is to explore the heterogeneous airspace morphometry and the metabolic landscape changes in fetal lungs after TO.

Methods: Fetal lungs on days 1 and 4 after TO were examined using mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM), the number of airspaces, and tissue-to-airspace ratio (TAR). Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2019 Mar 7;12(3). Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Hematology/Oncology, University of Southern California-Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center and Hospital, Los Angeles, California, USA.

We describe the clinical course of a 64-year-old woman with stage IVa lung adenocarcinoma who presented with over 1 month of fatigue, unintentional weight loss and emesis. She initiated treatment with nivolumab immunotherapy 1 year prior and had been tolerating the treatment well. A comprehensive workup revealed multiple endocrinological abnormalities consistent with hypophysitis leading to hypopituitarism in the form of central adrenal insufficiency and hypogonadism as well as a partially empty sella on imaging. Read More

Heart Lung Circ 2019 Feb 2. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Liverpool Heart and Chest, Liverpool, UK. Electronic address:

Sternal wound infection (SWI) is one of the potential complications post cardiac surgery, and despite refined surgical techniques such as smaller incisions, antibiotic therapy, and optimised glycaemic control, the incidence rate is between <1% in elective cases with low risk factors and as high as 25% in patients with extensive risk factors. The presence of SWI will increase the perioperative morbidity and mortality rates and prolong the patient's hospital stay, therefore the prevention and diagnosis with appropriate management of such adverse outcomes at an early stage is important to prevent further progression as it can be fatal when the mediastinal structures are affected. Currently, the diagnosis typically consists of three main stages: clinical, biochemical including microbiology studies and imaging studies. Read More

Eur Respir J 2019 Mar 7. Epub 2019 Mar 7.

Center for Pulmonary Imaging Research, Division of Pulmonary Medicine and Department of Radiology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH.

Background: Early detection of pulmonary morbidity following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) remains an important challenge for intervention, primarily due to the insensitivity of spirometry to early change, and in pediatrics, patient compliance provides additional challenges. Regional lung ventilation abnormalities in pediatric HSCT patients were quantified using hyperpolarized Xe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and compared to spirometry.

Methods: Medically-stable, pediatric allogeneic HSCT patients (n=23, ages 6-16) underwent an outpatient MRI where regional ventilation was quantified with a breath-hold of hyperpolarized Xe gas. Read More

J Biomed Nanotechnol 2019 Apr;15(4):633-646

In this study, extractive electrospray ionization and mass spectrometry (EESI-MS) was used to evaluate whether volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in exhaled gases can serve as specific diagnostic markers of lung cancer. The patients with lung cancer were diagnosed by chest CT or chest X-ray exam and confirmed by histopathology and cytology. Patients with pulmonary infections were identified by imaging, pathological diagnosis, or improvement of symptoms after antiinflammatory treatment. Read More

Heart Fail Clin 2019 Apr 2;15(2):229-239. Epub 2019 Feb 2.

Department of Cardiology, The Alfred, 55 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia; Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute, 75 Commercial Road, Melbourne, Victoria 3004, Australia.

Exercise intolerance is the clinical hallmark of the failing heart. Evidence of hemodynamic derangement is not always present at rest, often necessitating dynamic challenges to accentuate abnormalities. Although cardiac catheterization, particularly with exercise, remains the gold standard method for hemodynamic assessment, it is limited by practicality, access, risk, and its invasive nature; consequently, there is a need to better understand noninvasive measures. Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2019 Mar 1;14(1):49. Epub 2019 Mar 1.

Department of Thoracic Surgery, Choray Hospital, Nguyen Chi Thanh street, District No. 5, Hochiminh City, Vietnam.

Background: Congenital tracheal malformations are less common than congenital cardiac diseases and surgical repair of these anomalies is complex. We sought to examine the surgical treatment and outcomes in cases of tracheal anomalies presenting with or without associated congenital malformations.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the demographic, clinical, and imaging data of 49 children who underwent surgery for congenital tracheal malformations between August 2013 and September 2017. Read More

Eur Respir J 2019 Feb 28. Epub 2019 Feb 28.

Dipartimento di Elettronica, Informazione e Bioingegneria, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy.

Objectives: The present cross-sectional study aims to verify the relationship between quantitative multivolume magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical indicators of ventilatory abnormalities in cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease.

Methods: 28 patients (10-27 years) with CF lung disease performed non-enhanced chest MRI, spirometry and multiple breath washout (MBW). Images acquired at end-inspiration and end-expiration were registered by optical flow to estimate expiratory-inspiratory proton density change (ΔH-MRI) as a measure of regional ventilation. Read More

Top Magn Reson Imaging 2019 Feb;28(1):29-33

Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.

In the present case series, the cause of death of infants diagnosed with congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) was lung disease (pneumonia and sepsis with massive pulmonary aspiration), probably secondary to dysphagia and reflux. The main findings in infants with a confirmed diagnosis of CZS who died were as follows: (1) calcification and hypoplasia of the lentiform nuclei, hypoplasia of the caudate nuclei, and calcification at the cortical-subcortical junction was noted in all cases (100%) and calcification of the caudate nuclei was noted in 66.7% of cases; (2) calcification in the brainstem and along the lateral wall of the lateral ventricles was noted in only the case with arthrogryposis (33. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Feb 26:1-8. Epub 2019 Feb 26.

2 Department of Medicine, Division of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Objective: We aimed to explore proportion, involved organisms, and serial CT features of nodular bronchiectatic (NB) Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) pulmonary diseases that manifested as unilateral lung disease.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively identified 674 patients with NB MAC pulmonary disease (PD) who underwent serial CT studies from January 2005 through December 2012. We selected patients with unilateral lung involvement as its initial manifestation. Read More

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep 2019 Feb 22;2019. Epub 2019 Feb 22.

Departments of Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

Ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) production leading to ectopic ACTH syndrome accounts for a small proportion of all Cushing's syndrome (CS) cases. Thymic neuroendocrine tumors are rare neoplasms that may secrete ACTH leading to rapid development of hypercortisolism causing electrolyte and metabolic abnormalities, uncontrolled hypertension and an increased risk for opportunistic infections. We present a unique case of a patient who presented with a mediastinal mass, revealed to be an ACTH-secreting thymic neuroendocrine tumor (NET) causing ectopic CS. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2019 01;10(1):20-27

4 Sibley Heart Center, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Objectives: Current technology advances in virtual surgery modeling and computational flow dynamics allow preoperative individualized computer-based design of Fontan operation. To determine potential role of those innovations in patients undergoing hepatic vein incorporation (HVI) following Kawashima operation, we retrospectively examined historic cohort of patients who underwent HVI following Kawashima with focus on regression of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs).

Methods: Twenty-two children with single ventricle and interrupted inferior vena cava underwent Kawashima operation (2002-12). Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2019 01;10(1):11-17

1 Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, Suita, Osaka, Japan.

Objective: Surgical outcomes of biventricular repair for hearts with hypoplastic left ventricle with congenital mitral valve stenosis are described. Serial changes of left ventricular geometry and clinical features after biventricular repair were reviewed.

Methods: Eight patients with hypoplastic left ventricle and congenital mitral valve stenosis who underwent first surgical intervention for biventricular circulation in neonatal or infantile period between 2001 and 2014 comprise the study population. Read More

World J Pediatr Congenit Heart Surg 2019 01;10(1):111-115

1 Division of Cardiovascular-Thoracic Surgery, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.

Left mainstem bronchial compression by a midline descending thoracic aorta is a rare anatomic variant. Translocation of the descending thoracic aorta to the ascending aorta has recently been described to treat this condition. We performed an aortic translocation and right pulmonary artery reimplantation in a 4-month-old infant with severe pulmonary hypertension secondary to right pulmonary artery stenosis and left bronchial compression by a midline descending thoracic aorta. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2019 Feb 11;21:28-33. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Department of Medical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA.

A two-month-old Red Angus heifer calf presented to the University of Wisconsin Veterinary Care for evaluation of suspected severe bronchopneumonia. Pertinent physical exam findings included tachycardia, tachypnea, dyspnea with a significant abdominal component, and cyanotic mucous membranes. On thoracic auscultation, wheezes were present bilaterally, as well as a grade 2/6 right apical systolic murmur. Read More

J Vet Cardiol 2019 Feb 6;21:10-17. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, University of Edinburgh, Roslin, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, UK.

A 2-year 10-month, male neutered, crossbreed dog presented for evaluation of cyanosis and exercise intolerance. Doppler echocardiography revealed severe dilation of the right atrium and right ventricle with moderate pulmonary hypertension. Right-to-left shunting across a large ostium secundum atrial septal defect was confirmed by contrast echocardiography. Read More

Hepatology 2019 Feb 21. Epub 2019 Feb 21.

Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD.

Loss-of-function mutations in genes that encode for components of the telomere repair complex cause accelerated telomere shortening. Hepatic involvement has been recognized as a cause of morbidity in telomere diseases, but very few studies have characterized the nature and extent of liver involvement in affected patients. We report the prevalence and characteristics of liver involvement in a large cohort of patients with telomere disease evaluated serially at the National Institutes of Health. Read More

Clin Physiol Funct Imaging 2019 Feb 20. Epub 2019 Feb 20.

Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Clinical Physiology, Skåne University Hospital, and Lund University, Lund, Sweden.

Limited visualization of the fetal heart and vessels by fetal ultrasound due to suboptimal fetal position, patient habitus and skeletal calcification may lead to missed diagnosis, overdiagnosis and parental uncertainty. Counselling and delivery planning may in those cases also be tentative. The recent fetal cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) reconstruction method utilizing tiny golden-angle iGRASP (iterative Golden-angle RAdial Sparse Parallel MRI) allows for cine imaging of the fetal heart for use in clinical practice. Read More

Kyobu Geka 2019 Feb;72(2):153-155

Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Yokohama Medical Center, Yokohama, Japan.

Anomalous retroaortic left brachiocephalic vein( ARLBV) is a rare vascular abnormaly, usually asossiated with congenital heart diseases. We present a very rare case of Stanford type A acute aortic dissection associated with ARLBV. A 70-year-old man was referred to our hospital complaining of worsening back pain and chest pain. Read More

Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2019 Jan 5. Epub 2019 Jan 5.

Academic Department of Development and Regeneration, Cluster Woman and Child, Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, UK; European Reference Network on Rare and Inherited Congenital Anomalies "ERNICA". Electronic address:

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia is characterized by failed closure of the diaphragm, thereby allowing abdominal viscera to herniate into the thoracic cavity and subsequently interfering with normal lung development. At birth, pulmonary hypoplasia leads to respiratory insufficiency and persistent pulmonary hypertension (PHT), that is lethal in up to 32% of patients. In isolated cases, the outcome may be predicted prenatally by medical imaging and advanced genetic testing. Read More

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2019 Apr 24;157(4):1711-1718.e1. Epub 2018 Nov 24.

Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Miss. Electronic address:

Objective: Chest computed tomography (CT) imaging is being increasingly used for potential lung donor assessment. However, the efficacy of CT imaging in this setting remains unknown. We hypothesize that chest CT imaging independently affects the decision-making process in donor lung utilization. Read More

Ann Am Thorac Soc 2018 Dec;15(Supplement_4):S243-S248

Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Despite being a major cause of morbidity and mortality, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is frequently undiagnosed. Yet the burden of disease among the undiagnosed is significant, as these individuals experience symptoms, exacerbations, and excess mortality compared to those without COPD. The U. Read More

J Cardiothorac Surg 2019 Feb 11;14(1):35. Epub 2019 Feb 11.

Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, 325, Section 2, Cheng-Kung Road, Taipei, 114, Taiwan, Republic of China.

Background: Congenital arterial abnormalities are unusual causes of hemoptysis in elder patients. Appropriate image examination and recognition of the variant vessels are crucial in achieving precise diagnosis and successful treatment.

Case Presentation: We report a case of 70-year-old female presenting with hemoptysis. Read More

BMC Pulm Med 2019 Feb 8;19(1):34. Epub 2019 Feb 8.

Section of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.

Background: Hyperimmunoglobulin E syndrome (HIES) is a rare primary immunodeficiency disorder defined by high serum immunoglobulin E titers that is associated with recurrent respiratory infections, formation of pneumoatoceles, recurrent skin abscesses, and characteristic dental and skeletal abnormalities.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 56-year-old male with a history of HIES, cavitary mycetomas, and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis who presented with recurrent massive hemoptysis. Bronchial artery angiography and bronchoscopy failed to identify active hemorrhage, and two embolizations of the bronchial artery did not resolve the bleeding. Read More

Int J Comput Assist Radiol Surg 2019 Apr 7;14(4):563-576. Epub 2019 Feb 7.

Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, Communications Engineering Branch, National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA.

Purpose: Chest radiography is the most common imaging modality for pulmonary diseases. Due to its wide usage, there is a rich literature addressing automated detection of cardiopulmonary diseases in digital chest X-rays (CXRs). One of the essential steps for automated analysis of CXRs is localizing the relevant region of interest, i. Read More

Thorax 2019 May 5;74(5):506-511. Epub 2019 Feb 5.

Interstitial lung abnormalities, when present in members of undiagnosed family members recruited on the basis of familial interstitial pneumonia, or in undiagnosed research participants, have been associated with a syndrome that includes distinct sets of imaging abnormalities, restrictive physiological and exercise impairments, and an increased prevalence of histopathological findings, and genetic predictors, that have been noted in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Recent longitudinal studies have demonstrated that qualitative and quantitative assessments of interstitial abnormalities are associated with accelerated lung function decline, an increased rate of clinical diagnoses of interstitial lung disease and an increased rate of mortality. In this perspective, in addition to reviewing the prior information, four major efforts that could help the field of early pulmonary fibrosis detection move forward are discussed. Read More

J Thorac Imaging 2019 Mar;34(2):126-135

Departments of Radiology.

The purpose of this review article is to acquaint the reader with the current state of the art for the noncardiovascular imaging biomarkers of metabolic syndrome found on noncontrast computed tomography (NCCT) of the chest and their prognostic significance. Routine chest NCCT includes quantitative information with regard to tissue density and organ volumes in the neck, chest, and upper abdomen. The specific imaging biomarkers that may be seen in association with metabolic syndrome include low thyroid iodine organification, hepatic steatosis, sarcopenia (muscle volume and density), demineralization of the thoracic and upper lumbar vertebral bodies, loss of axial skeletal muscle mass, premature lung inflammation, and an increased deposition of subcutaneous and visceral fat. Read More

Endocrinol Diabetes Metab Case Rep 2019 Jan 31;2019. Epub 2019 Jan 31.

Centre for Endocrine and Diabetes Sciences, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

Thymic enlargement (TE) in Graves' disease (GD) is often diagnosed incidentally when chest imaging is done for unrelated reasons. This is becoming more common as the frequency of chest imaging increases. There are currently no clear guidelines for managing TE in GD. Read More