BackgroundThoracic actinomycosis is an uncommon, chronic suppurative bacterial infection caused by actinomyces species, especially Actinomyces israelii.MethodsIt is usually seen in immunocompetent patients with respiratory disorders, poor oral hygiene, alcoholism and chronic debilitating diseases.ResultsWe illustrate the radiological manifestations of thoracic actinomycoses in various involved areas in the thorax.ConclusionThoracic actinomycosis can be radiologically divided into the parenchymal type, the airway type including bronchiectasis, the endobronchial form, and the mediastinum or chest wall involvement type.Teaching PointsImportant risk factors for thoracic actinomycosis are underlying respiratory disorders such as emphysema and chronic bronchitis.Different CT patterns can be distinguished in thoracic actinomycosis: parenchymal, bronchiectatic, endobronchial and extrapulmonary.Typical CT findings in the parenchymal pattern are a central low density within the parenchymal consolidation and adjacent pleural thickening.

• Limited data exist regarding the efficacy of CCTA in detecting vasospastic angina. • We propose a double-acquisition CCTA protocol with and without IV nitrate injections. • This protocol provides 100% specificity and moderate sensitivity (73%) in spasm detection.

Hypereosinophilic syndrome may cause eosinophil-related tissue damage to various organs. The purpose of this paper is to describe sonographic findings in 13 patients with hypereosinophilia in whom the liver was involved. The diagnosis in these 13 patients was based on liver biopsy in seven patients with bone marrow biopsy in six patients. Eight patients had hypereosinophilic syndrome and five patients had clonorchiasis. All 13 patients had mild to marked hepatomegaly. Seven of 13 patients showed multiple round or oval hypoechoic (n = 6) or variably echogenic (n = 1) lesions measuring 1 to 2 cm with poorly defined margins in both lobes of the liver. Four patients had one or two hypoechoic lesions 3 to 4 cm in size, with geographic pattern and poorly defined margins. Two patients showed diffuse hepatomegaly with increased parenchymal echogenicity. The number of lesions and the extent of diffuse lesions seem to be proportional to the degree of eosinophilia. Hypereosinophilia may produce multiple small focal hepatic lesions or diffuse segmental or lobar echogenic lesions simulating primary or metastatic tumor of the liver.

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• Cardiac CT is becoming widely used and some patients are inevitably breathless. • Multidetector CT (e.g. 320) offers new opportunities for the breathless patient. • Free breathing images yielded similar image quality to those obtained using breath-holding. • However, a possibility of higher radiation dose precludes its routine application.