Post caesarean section complications conundrum: Role of imaging

Although caesarean delivery is a safe procedure, however, with rising numbers being performed every year globally, increasing number of complications are being encountered by clinicians and radiologists. These complications can be early, occurring over first few days to weeks, or late, which can present months to years later. Also, it must be kept in mind that the normal variations of physiological involution occurring in early postpartum period can mimic pathology in many cases. Clinical history, laboratory parameters, and radiological investigations go hand in hand in identifying acute complications at the earliest, enabling early initiation of treatment. Among radiological investigations, ultrasound is the first line investigation of choice, followed by computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in certain conditions which will be described and illustrated further in this article.

Diagnostic dilemma in an infant with stridor: ultrasound to the rescue!

Stridor is one of the most important signs of partial or complete upper airway obstruction. Subglottic hemangioma (SGH) is a well-recognized however infrequent cause of infantile stridor. It is a potentially life-threatening condition. Thus, early diagnosis and management are crucial. Diagnostic evaluation includes ultrasound, cross-sectional imaging such as contrast-enhanced CT/MRI, and tracheobronchoscopy. Ultrasound (US), although not a widely used modality for the diagnosis, provides good assessment of its presence, extent, and degree of subglottic airway narrowing. Moreover, color Doppler helps to establish the vascular nature of the lesion. There are many advantages of US over tracheobronchoscopy and CT in an emergency setting which include its easy availability, non-invasive nature, and can be done quickly as a bedside procedure, enabling early initiation of treatment. However, there are some disadvantages as well, which include limited field of view and operator dependency. Also, extension into the thoracic cavity and more deeply located soft tissue locations can be missed. We present a case of subglottic hemangioma in which US solved the diagnostic dilemma and provided a definite diagnosis when CT and tracheobronchoscopy failed to do so in a 6-month-old infant presenting with stridor to the ER.

Imaging of Pulmonary Superinfections and Co-Infections in COVID-19

New challenges in imaging and management of COVID-19 pneumonia emerge as the pandemic continues across the globe. These arise not only due to the COVID-19 pneumonia but also related to various superinfections and co-infections. Limited use of bronchoscopic and other aerosol generating procedures to obtain representative lower respiratory samples from these patient groups for accurate identification of organism, increases the responsibility of radiologists in suggesting the most likely cause of secondary infection. Imaging features of many of these infections overlap with features of COVID-19 pneumonia. In this review, we highlight imaging findings that can aid in the diagnosis of superinfections and co-infections in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia, and also help in predicting the likely causative organism.