Purpose Ceftriaxone is a widely used third‐generation cephalosporin. In this prospective study, we used sonography to investigate the incidence and outcome of biliary complications in children receiving ceftriaxone therapy. Methods Ceftriaxone was administered intravenously at a dosage of 100 mg/kg/day for 1–3 weeks to 118 children hospitalized for severe infection. Serial gallbladder sonograms were obtained on days 1, 5–7, and 10–14 of therapy and the day after therapy ended if it had lasted more than 2 weeks. When sonographic abnormalities were found, additional sonograms were obtained every 3 days until the abnormalities had completely resolved. Results Twenty patients (17%), all asymptomatic, demonstrated sonographic abnormalities: 8 had gallbladder sludge, defined as echogenic material without associated acoustic shadowing, and 12 had pseudolithiasis, defined as echogenic material with acoustic shadowing. These abnormalities spontaneously resolved within 2 weeks of stopping the ceftriaxone (mean time to disappearance, 8.2 ± 3.4 days). No significant differences were found between patients with normal versus abnormal sonographic findings in sex, age, duration of treatment, or other risk factors for drug precipitation. Conclusions Ceftriaxone‐associated biliary pseudolithiasis is usually asymptomatic and was rapidly reversible after cessation of therapy in this group of Turkish children. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 28:166–168, 2000.

The technique of superselective embolization using a coaxial catheter is an effective and safe method in the treatment of post-biopsy AVFs and pseudoaneurysm.

The primary disorders of 50 children with increased renal medullary echogenicity on renal ultrasound were studied; 28 girls and 22 boys aged from 1 month to 16 years were classified into four groups based on underlying disease and ultrasound findings. Group 1 was composed of 17 patients with distal renal tubular acidosis (34%); intense echoes throughout the pyramid were predominant. Group 2 consisted of 14 patients with vitamin D toxicity (28%) and an intense echogenic rim around the pyramids. Group 3 included 10 patients with different types of tubulopathies. A slight hyperechogenic rim around the sides and tip of the medullary pyramids was detected. Group 4 was made up of 9 patients with rare underlying conditions. Abdominal X-rays detected medullary calcinosis in only 12 (24%) of the total 50 patients. Ultrasonography appears to be an important tool in the early diagnosis of increased renal medullary echogenicity and medullary nephrocalcinosis.

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