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MRI is useful in detecting RLRV and circumaortic left renal vein. If a left renal vein variation is detected, an additional BTFE-BH SENSE sequence is suggested to confirm whether it is retroaortic or circumaortic.

BACKGROUND.: Our purpose was to evaluate the effectiveness of bedside sonography (US) in the detection of pneumothorax secondary to blunt thoracic trauma. METHODS.: In this prospective study, 240 hemithoraces of 120 consecutive patients with multiple trauma were evaluated with chest radiographs (CXR) and bedside thoracic US for the diagnosis of pneumothorax. CT examinations were performed in 68 patients. Fifty-two patients who did not undergo CT examinations were excluded from the study. US examinations were performed independently at bedside by two radiologists who were not informed about CXR and CT findings. CXRs were interpreted by two radiologists who were unaware of the US and CT results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CXR and US were calculated. RESULTS.: One hundred thirty-six hemithoraces were assessed in 68 patients. A total of 35 pneumothoraces were detected in 33 patients. On US, the diagnosis of pneumothorax was correct in 32 hemithoraces. In 98 hemithoraces without pneumothorax, US was normal. With US examination, there were three false-positive and three false-negative results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and overall accuracy of US were 91.4%, 97%, 91.4%, 97%, and 97%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of CXR were 82.7%, 89.7%, 68.5%, 95%, and 89.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS.: Bedside thoracic US is an accurate method that can be used in trauma patients instead of CXR for the detection of pneumothorax.

IntroductionWe aimed to evaluate pathological extraspinal findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations that were incidentally detected on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of intervertebral discs, to find the frequencies of these incidental findings, and to emphasise the clinical importance of them.Material and methodsA retrospective study including 1031 consecutive patients (730 females and 301 males, with a median age of 46 years) was conducted by evaluating a total of 1106 MRI examinations of intervertebral discs. Examinations were performed with a 1.5 T MRI unit. Incidental findings were classified as pathological findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations.ResultsThe percentages of incidental extraspinal pathological findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations were 16.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 14.4–18.8) and 3.7% (95% CI: 2.6–4.3), respectively. The percentage of incidental extraspinal pathological findings on cervical spinal MRI was 25.7% (95% CI: 20.1–31.7), thyroid nodules being the most common incidental findings. On thoracic spinal MRI (n = 19), inferior pole thyroid nodules were demonstrated as incidental extraspinal pathological findings, with a percentage of 10.5% (95% CI: 9.6–11.5). On lumbar spinal MRI, incidental pathological findings were detected with a percentage of 14.2% (95% CI: 11.9–16.6), while the percentage of congenital anomalies/anatomical variations was 4.8% (95% CI: 3.4–6.3). Eventually, 6.5% (95% CI: 2.6–9.4) of all cases with incidental extraspinal pathological findings underwent surgery.ConclusionsOn MRI examination of intervertebral discs, paying attention to incidentally detected pathological extraspinal findings and congenital anomalies/anatomical variations is very important due to the fact that they can alter the treatment of the patient or affect the patient's life.

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Aims: We aimed to obtain pyloric measurements of our patients with infantile hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (IHPS) using ultrasonography (US) and to evaluate the correlations between age, weight and pyloric size, pyloric ratio (PR). Material and methods: We designed a retrospective study including 20 term infants with surgically proven IHPS and studied the ultrasonographically obtained pyloric muscle thickness (PMT), pyloric diameter (width) (PD), pyloric length (PL) and PR (PMT/PD) to determine if there were statistically significant associations between patient age/weight and pyloric measurements. Results: The mean age of the infants was 38.7±17.3 days (range, 9-76 days) and their mean weight was 3688.5±772.7 g (range, 2810-6000 g), at referral. Mean PMT was 4.98±1.04 mm (range, 3.5-6.8 mm). Mean PD was 14.04±2.39 mm (range, 10-18 mm). Mean PL was 22.16±4.02 mm (range, 16-31.5 mm) and mean PR was 0.35±0.04 (range, 0.29-0.42). The correlation between age and PMT (r=0.654, p<0.05) and the correlation between age and PD (r=0.747, p <0.05) were significant. Age and weight were not significantly correlated with PR (p>0.05). Conclusions: The PMT and PD are age dependent parameters. The PR is age and weight independent and therefore, when combined with PMT, PD and PL, it can be useful in the diagnosis of IHPS in infants with early onset disease and/or in those with a lower weight.

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