Lymphadenopathy was common, but only 46 patients had lymph nodes greater than 1 cm. Enhancement characteristics of tuberculous adenopathy differ from that described previously. Typical enhancement was 'ghost-like' rather than discreet ring enhancing with a low-density centre. The site most frequently involved by nodes also differs from previous studies. The subcarinal region should be the site receiving most attention for the identification of lymphadenopathy, as this is most frequently involved and is also the site of the largest lymph-node masses. The presence of lymph-node groups at other recognised sites adds confidence when there is doubt, as multifocal involvement is common. Approximately one-quarter of patients with hilar adenopathy may have bronchial compression in childhood.
Airway compression was more severe in infants and most commonly involved the bronchus intermedius. Numerous parenchymal complications were documented, all showing right-side predominance.
BackgroundStroke presents commonly to the emergency department (ED), and is a common cause of morbidity and mortality in South Africa. Early ED presentation and early neuroimaging are required in order for thrombolysis to be a potential therapeutic modality.ObjectivesTo determine the time to ED presentation, time to computed tomography (CT) scan and the potential influencing factors for patients with stroke.MethodsA retrospective record review of all patients who presented with clinical features of stroke to a tertiary academic ED in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 01 January to 31 December 2014.ResultsData from 232 eligible stroke patients were analysed. The median time to presentation to the ED was 33 h with the majority of patients (81.3%) presenting after the 4.5 h window for thrombolysis. The median time to CT was 8 h. Only 3.9% of patients had a CT scan within one hour of arrival. Patients with loss of consciousness were associated with earlier hospital presentation (p = 0.001). None of the patients were thrombolysed.ConclusionPatients with stroke commonly present late to hospital. If we are to make a difference in this group of vulnerable patients, further education and training needs to be emphasised regarding ‘time is brain’. Communication and commitment is also required by the emergency medical services, ED and radiology staff in order to prioritise stroke patients and to reduce delays.
Bronchus intermedius and left main bronchus were the commonest sites of airway obstruction. The MTB culture yield from BAL was higher in children with pneumonia when compared to those with airway involvement alone. HIV positive or children with drug resistant TB did not have more severe airway obstruction.
Imaging techniques that are considered the gold standard for particular diseases must be validated pathologically, and if this is not possible, interobserver variability should be evaluated. CT is considered the gold standard for detecting lymphadenopathy, but we have shown only moderate agreement between readers. Readers had difficulty in distinguishing lymphadenopathy from normal thymus and were unable to distinguish normal from pathological nodes without a predetermined size threshold for abnormality. The right hilum and the sites around the carina are the most reliable for the reported presence of lymphadenopathy.
PurposeBreast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, with high mortality in low- and middle-income countries because of a lack of detection, diagnosis, and treatment. With mammography unavailable, ultrasound offers an alternative for downstaging. The literature reports successful training in various domains, but a focus on the breast is novel. We assessed the feasibility (knowledge acquisition, perceived usefulness, and self-efficacy) of breast ultrasound training for nonphysician providers.MethodsTraining was implemented for 12 providers at Hlokomela Clinic in Hoedspruit, South Africa, over 3 weeks. Didactic presentations and example cases were followed by a presurvey and test (n = 12). All providers received hands-on training with nurses as models; five providers trained with patients. A post-test (n = 12) assessed knowledge acquisition and a postsurvey (n = 10) assessed perceived program usefulness and provider self-efficacy.ResultsThe pre- to post-test averages improved by 68% in total and in four competencies (foundational knowledge, descriptive categories, benign v malignant, and lesion identification). On the postsurvey, providers expressed that ultrasound could significantly influence breast cancer detection (9.1 out of 10), treatment (7.9 out of 10), and survival (8.7 out of 10) in their community and endorsed moderate confidence in their scanning (6.3 out of 10) and interpreting abilities (5.6 out of 10).ConclusionOur research supports the feasibility of breast ultrasound training as part of a breast education program in low- and middle-income countries. Pre- and post-test results and observed proficiency indicate that training nonphysician providers is achievable; postsurvey responses indicate program acceptance, community-based ownership, and provider self-efficacy with ultrasound. Future work may show that breast ultrasound is viable for early detection where mammography is unavailable.
Lymphobronchial tuberculosis (LBTB) is tuberculous lymphadenopathy affecting the airways, which is particularly common in children with primary TB. Airway compression by lymphadenopathy causes downstream parenchymal pathology, which may ultimately result in irreversible lung destruction, if not treated timeously.Computed tomography (CT) is considered the "gold standard" for detecting mediastinal lymph nodes in children with TB. CT is also the best way of imaging the
This study provides encouraging results suggesting that skin-sparing mastectomy is a safe and reliable option for the management of selected cases of women with invasive or in situ breast cancer.
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