Wegener's granulomatosis in children: chest radiographic manifestations

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to review the findings on chest radiographs in children with Wegener's granulomatosis.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The chest radiographs in 11 children with histologically proved Wegener's granulomatosis were retrospectively reviewed. The radiographs were evaluated for the presence of focal opacities, diffuse interstitial or alveolar opacities, nodular densities, cavitary lesions, hilar or mediastinal enlargement suggesting adenopathy, pleural fluid, and calcifications.

RESULTS

Two children had normal findings on chest radiographs. One child had a focal opacity that developed into a large, thick-walled cavitary lesion, and one child had small bilateral nodules, several of which cavitated. Seven children had diffuse interstitial or alveolar opacities, five of whom had pathologically proved pulmonary hemorrhages. In one of these seven children, a thin-walled cavity subsequently developed. Pleural effusions were present in two children, one with pulmonary hemorrhage and one with pulmonary edema. No lymph node enlargement or calcifications were observed in any of our cases.

CONCLUSIONS

Diffuse interstitial and alveolar opacities are the most common pulmonary findings in children with Wegener's granulomatosis, often secondary to pulmonary hemorrhage. Pulmonary nodules, with or without cavities, are less common findings in children.

Scrotal ultrasound for evaluation of subacute testicular torsion: sonographic findings and adverse clinical implications

There is an increased use of scrotal ultrasound in the clinician's office and emergency room for the investigation of scrotal pain. The use of real-time scrotal ultrasound for the diagnosis of testicular torsion has been described in the literature. A false-negative ultrasound examination can postpone the diagnosis of torsion and result in testicular loss. We examined 6 patients 1 day to 18 years old who had subacute testicular torsion with scrotal symptomatology (pain and/or swelling) for longer than 8 hours (range 12 hours to 6 days). Scrotal ultrasound was performed as 1 of the initial tests. A common sonographic pattern was an inhomogeneous testicle with hypoechoic areas alternating with hyperechoic areas and thickening of adjacent scrotal tissue. Another common finding was an edematous hyperechoic epididymis and a small hydrocele. In 4 of the 6 cases these nonspecific findings suggested a misleading diagnosis of tumor or epididymitis and resulted in delay of surgery and testicular loss. Treatment was not delayed in only 2 patients in whom the diagnosis of torsion was made initially by history and physical examination, and ultrasound was done for interest only. Misdiagnosis of intratesticular blood flow and some potential pitfalls of scrotal imaging by color Doppler ultrasound are discussed. We conclude that real-time scrotal sonography can be misleading in cases of subacute testicular torsion and, therefore, it should not be used in this clinical setting.

Abdominal complications in pediatric bone marrow transplant recipients

Abdominal problems and catastrophes often complicate the clinical course after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in children. These complications can be grouped into categories of infection, chemotherapy and radiation toxicity, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), recurrent or de novo malignancy, and miscellaneous complications and can involve the hepatobiliary system, pancreas, spleen, gastrointestinal tract, and urinary tract. Infection is common after BMT: the causative organism depends on the changing immunologic state of the recipient and even on environmental factors such as recent construction, humidity, and antibiotic use. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause hepatic veno-occlusive disease, pancreatitis, nephritis, and hemorrhagic cystitis. GVHD is a process in which donor lymphoid cells produce damage to recipient target organs, especially skin, liver, and intestinal mucosa. Recurrent or de novo disease or malignancies, particularly B-cell lymphomas, may develop in chronically immunocompromised children. Other problems include stone disease, splenic and renal infarction, and complications of hyperalimentation therapy. Abdominal imaging, including plain radiography, contrast material-enhanced studies of the bowel, real-time and duplex sonography, and computed tomography, is essential in diagnosing these problems and evaluating response to therapy.

Shifting pneumothorax after heart-lung transplantation

Heart-lung transplantation involves the total replacement of two of the most complex organs of the thoracic cavity. This procedure is usually reserved for patients with failure of both systems, such as in primary pulmonary hypertension or chronic Eisenmenger physiology. The en bloc replacement of the heart and lungs leaves an open communication between the two sides of the thorax that may allow air or fluid to shift from one side to the other. To evaluate this possibility, the authors reviewed the chest radiographs of 25 heart-lung transplant recipients for signs of rapidly changing pneumothoraces that could not be explained by the conventional dynamics of pleural physiology. A series of postoperative radiographs showed unusual shifting or apparently rapid disappearance of pneumothoraces in eight patients. Decompression of a pneumothorax with a contralateral chest tube was a phenomenon observed in six of these patients.

Renal atrophy or infarction in children with neuroblastoma

Twelve children with adrenal or upper abdominal paraaortic neuroblastoma developed unilateral or bilateral renal atrophy or infarction. At presentation, the children ranged in age from 2 weeks to 9.7 years. Neuroblastomas were stage II (n = 1), III (n = 2), IV-S (n = 2), and IV (n = 7). Treatment varied but included surgery, chemotherapy, localized abdominal irradiation, and/or bone marrow transplantation. Six children developed ipsilateral renal atrophy, five experienced ipsilateral or bilateral acute perioperative renal infarction, and one developed contralateral renal infarction unrelated to surgery. During treatment, two patients required hemodialysis; both subsequently died. Creatinine concentrations in eight patients have been in the normal range. Two patients have had mildly but persistently elevated creatinine levels. Renal damage from primary effects of the tumor can develop in children with adrenal or upper abdominal neuroblastoma. Treatment, especially surgical resection of the primary tumor, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, can compound such damage.

Doppler evaluation of renal transplants in children: a prospective analysis with histopathologic correlation

Duplex Doppler sonography recently has been used to evaluate renal transplants. Some authors have stated that high resistive indexes (RIs) occur in the presence of acute renal transplant rejection. RIs less than 0.7 are considered as probably excluding acute transplant rejection. We performed a prospective study of duplex sonographic examinations of pediatric patients (mean age, 8 years; 13 boys, two girls) with renal allografts and clinically suspected transplant disease. The results of 22 duplex studies were correlated with histopathologic data obtained between July 1987 and June 1988. RIs of the arcuate arteries in patients with acute rejection (n = 14) averaged 0.62 (range, 0.50-0.80). The RI in patients with chronic rejection (n = 1) was 0.59. RIs in patients with acute tubular necrosis (n = 3) averaged 0.66 (range, 0.59-0.72). RIs in patients with cyclosporine A toxicity (n = 4) averaged 0.66 (range, 0.58-0.79). Tubulointerstitial rejection was predominant, with only two patients showing minimal acute vascular rejection. Thirteen of 14 pediatric patients with histologically proved renal transplant rejection had a resistive index of less than 0.70. This study refutes the concept that resistive indexes of less than 0.7 exclude acute rejection.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation in children

To evaluate the role of interventional radiologic procedures in the diagnosis and treatment of biliary complications in children after liver transplantation, the authors reviewed the cases of 58 pediatric patients who underwent transplantation over a 4-year period. In 21 patients suspected of having biliary complications, 31 diagnostic percutaneous transhepatic cholangiographic studies, 19 transhepatic biliary drainages, eight pressure-flow studies, five percutaneous drainages of abdominal fluid collections, 11 balloon dilations, and one basketing procedure were performed. Biliary complications were seen in 38% of allografts, with obstruction being more common than leakage. Complications were most frequent in patients with cholecystojejunostomy reconstructions. Only two children had biliary complications that were thought to be related to arterial compromise. No significant intervention was required in 17% of complications. Percutaneous techniques were associated with a low frequency of significant complications (6%). The authors conclude that interventional radiologic techniques can be used effectively in the evaluation and management of biliary complications in pediatric hepatic transplant recipients.

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (chronic form): pathologic findings in the liver

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I presents with either acute hepatic failure in the neonatal period or later in infancy with progressive liver dysfunction secondary to cirrhosis. The inevitably fatal outcome in those children with the chronic form has been transformed with the advent of liver transplantation. Native livers from five children who received allografts were studied pathologically and compared with earlier hepatic biopsies in two of these patients that had been performed several years before transplantation. Our findings support the conclusion that a sequence of morphologic changes from the initial micronodular cirrhosis through an intermediate mixed cirrhotic pattern to macronodular cirrhosis occurs. The micronodular phase is transitory, over a period of only a few months, since mixed micronodular macronodular cirrhosis was already present in the livers of children who received transplants by 11 months of age. Focal hepatocellular dysplasia was present in one of the livers with mixed cirrhosis but was not identified in the other two cases. Macronodular cirrhosis accompanied two cases of hepatocellular carcinoma in this study. In order to preclude the latter complication, liver replacement is necessary before the age of 2 years.

Post-operative abdominal CT scanning in extrahepatic biliary atresia

A retrospective review of the abdominal CT scans of 26 children with extrahepatic biliary atresia was performed, and the results were correlated with available surgical and pathologic data. Associated congenital anomalies or acquired abnormalities were identified in these patients. Congenital anomalies included polysplenia, venous anomalies and bowel stenosis. Acquired abnormalities developed secondary to cirrhosis, portal hypertension, intrahepatic biliary duct dilatation, and hepatic ischemia. Despite frequent episodes of ascending cholangitis in these children, no hepatic abscesses were identified by CT or by pathologic examination. In conclusion, abdominal CT scanning of children with extrahepatic biliary atresia can define congenital and acquired abnormalities and provide important anatomic data for the surgeons before liver transplantation.

Correlation of clinical and pathologic findings in early onset neonatal group B streptococcal infection with disease severity and prediction of outcome

This study analyzed the clinical characteristics of 69 neonates who were admitted to the University of Minnesota Hospital between January, 1972, and June, 1984, with early onset Group B streptococcal infection (EOGBS) and determined those features associated with fatal infection. The incidence of EOGBS was 1.6 cases/1000 live births among 7960 inborn infants; the mortality rate for inborn and outborn infants was 28%. Multivariate analysis identified five features adequately predicting fatal outcome: birth weight less than 2500 g, absolute neutrophil count less than 1500 cells/mm3, hypotension, apnea and a pleural effusion on the initial chest radiographs. With these five variables and an initial blood pH less than 7.25, a clinical score was constructed that correctly predicted outcome in 93% of patients in this study (87% sensitivity, 95% specificity). Autopsy findings in 16 of 19 infants with fatal EOGBS suggested that surfactant deficiency respiratory distress syndrome was common in preterm infants with EOGBS and contributed to their higher mortality compared with term infants.

CT findings in left paraduodenal herniae

Computed tomography (CT) was used to evaluate mass effect on the greater curvature of the stomach in two children with histories of intermittent, recurrent vomiting. The paraduodenal herniae were identified on CT in both of these patients as small bowel interposed between the stomach and the body of the pancreas.

Pneumatosis intestinalis after bone marrow transplantation

The clinical and pathologic data in 18 patients in whom pneumatosis intestinalis developed after bone marrow transplantation were reviewed to determine the significance of this finding. The colon, predominantly the right side, was involved in 17 of the 18 cases. Pneumatosis intestinalis developed earlier in the 14 symptomatic patients than in the four asymptomatic patients. Symptoms included diarrhea (12 patients), abdominal pain (six patients), rectal bleeding (two patients), and abdominal distension (two patients). Factors contributing to the development of pneumatosis intestinalis included pretransplantation chemotherapy and radiotherapy, steroid therapy, infectious colitis, graft-versus-host disease, and septic shock. Intestinal disease contributed to the deaths of seven patients with pneumatosis intestinalis, necessitated right hemicolectomy in another patient, and resolved with conservative treatment in 10 patients. In summary, bone marrow transplant recipients with pneumatosis intestinalis may follow either a benign or fatal course, depending on the underlying condition of the patient. Clinical correlation is important in determining the significance of this finding.

Imaging of vascular complications after hepatic transplantation

Vascular complications after hepatic transplantation can compromise graft and patient survival. Angiography defines the need for revascularization or retransplantation, but the value of noninvasive imaging in this setting is not clear. To assess the relative merit of noninvasive imaging techniques (sonography, scintigraphy, CT, and MR), we retrospectively reviewed 19 major vascular complications that occurred in 15 of 98 hepatic recipients over a 3 1/2-year period. Portal venous thrombosis was seen in seven patients, donor aortic or hepatic arterial thrombosis in seven, and inferior vena caval thrombosis in five. Sonography provided the initial diagnosis of portal venous thrombosis in three, arterial compromise in five, and caval obstruction in four. CT was the first diagnostic examination to identify portal occlusion in two, donor aortic thrombosis in one, and inferior vena caval thrombosis in one. Scintigraphy and MR imaging provided complementary data. Both sonography and CT are useful in the evaluation of vascular complications that occur after hepatic transplantation; however, neither is sufficiently sensitive to obviate angiographic assessment.

Biliary complications after liver transplantation in patients with preexisting sclerosing cholangitis

To determine if biliary complications after liver transplantation are more frequent in patients with preexisting sclerosing cholangitis and to clarify the role of interventional procedures in this setting, the authors reviewed all 40 adult cases in which liver transplantation was performed at their institution over a 3 1/2-year period. Biliary complications, particularly strictures at the choledochojejunostomy and debris in the intrahepatic and common ducts, were seen in six of ten liver transplant patients (60%) with preexisting sclerosing cholangitis; this is six times the frequency of biliary complications seen in other adult recipients (10%). Biliary complications were definitively diagnosed and managed with interventional radiologic procedures. Obstruction due to anastomotic strictures required treatment with balloon dilation in all six of the affected patients. Obstructive biliary complications occur in many liver recipients with preexisting sclerosing cholangitis. These complications require aggressive radiologic assessment and intervention but to date have not adversely affected survival.

Upper abdomen: CT findings following partial hepatectomy

The appearance on computed tomographic (CT) scans of the upper abdomen after partial hepatectomy is complex. The findings expected at CT should not be confused with those of surgical complications, such as abscess, biloma, or hematoma. The findings on CT scans and the records of 17 patients who had undergone partial hepatectomy for malignancy were reviewed. Operations included wedge resection, left medial and lateral segmentectomies, left lobectomy, right subsegmentectomy, right lobectomy, and extended right lobectomy (trisegmentectomy). When partial hepatectomy had been performed with no complications, findings at CT included a small region of low attenuation at the surgical margin, probably due to transient accumulation of blood and bile; a right pleural effusion; extraluminal gas; shift of abdominal organs; hepatic regeneration; and fat attenuation at the resection margin representing the omental patch placed at surgery. Findings associated with surgical complications--such as abscess, biloma, and hematoma--included large or high-attenuation perihepatic and subphrenic fluid collections that did not conform to the resection margin.

Kidney size at diagnosis of childhood acute lymphocytic leukemia: lack of prognostic significance for outcome

The prognostic significance of kidney size at diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) was assessed in a population of 142 children. Kidney size was determined using three different methodologies, and its significance was determined by univariate and multivariate life-table methods. Enlarged kidney size (as determined by any of the three methods used) was not associated with an overall poorer survival. These findings were consistent when kidney size at diagnosis was analyzed as a singled variable and when it was considered after adjustment for the known prognostic factors of age, sex, and initial WBC count. Assessment of renal size at the time of diagnosis of childhood ALL is not indicated for the purpose of predicting subsequent prognosis.

Pulmonary fungal infections after bone marrow transplantation

Of 319 pediatric patients treated with bone marrow transplantation (BMT) during a 10-year period, 27 developed pulmonary fungal infections (PFI). Only 2 patients (7%) survived. Twenty-three patients (85%) had been treated with systemic antifungal therapy immediately before or at the time of diagnosis. Nineteen patients (70%) were neutropenic, and 4 of the 8 patients who were not neutropenic were being treated with systemic steroids for graft vs. host disease (GVHD). Seven patients (26%) died within 7 days of diagnosis. The diagnosis was made ante-mortem in 9 patients (33%). Radiographic abnormalities were variable. At the onset of chest X-ray (CXR) change, the pulmonary infiltrates were unilateral in 14 patients (52%) and, at diagnosis, bilateral in 18 (66%). At diagnosis the infiltrates were interstitial in 3 patients (11%), alveolar in 20 (74%) and mixed in 4 (15%). Six patients (22%) developed cavitary lesions. The infecting agents were Aspergillus in 21 patients (78%), Candida in 7 (26%), Mucormycosis in 3 (11%), and Fusarium in 1 (4%). Five patients (19%) had mixed fungal infections and 7 (26%) had concurrent cytomegalovirus (CMV) pulmonary infections. Although the radiographic changes are often nonspecific in PFI, alveolar or nodular infiltrates in neutropenic patients or in those being treated for GVHD should strongly suggest a fungal etiology.

CT appearance of antibiotic-induced colitis

Eleven abdominal computed tomographic (CT) examinations were performed in 10 patients with antibiotic-induced colitis. The clinical, endoscopic, and CT findings are presented. The most common CT findings were colonic dilatation and bowel wall thickening. However, small bowel dilation was commonly seen. Intramural gas and ascites were less frequent findings. The diagnosis of antibiotic-induced colitis was rarely made before CT examination. Consequently, attentiveness to these CT abnormalities can expedite specific treatment. When these findings are noted on CT they represent the equivalent of toxic megacolon and administration of rectal contrast is contraindicated.

Hepatic regenerating nodules in hereditary tyrosinemia

Hereditary tyrosinemia is an autosomal recessive, enzymatic disorder that results in micro- and macronodular cirrhosis in early childhood. Hepatocellular carcinoma occurs in approximately one-third of affected children. We evaluated the imaging studies performed in five children with this disorder. Pathologic examination of all five of the livers revealed cirrhosis and multiple regenerating nodules; hepatocellular carcinoma was present in two of the five livers. All five patients had high-attenuation or high- and low-attenuation foci within the liver. These high-attenuation foci were not apparent as focal lesions in three of four hepatic sonograms or in one of two hepatic nuclear scans. Angiography showed tumor vascularity in one patient with a focal hepatocellular carcinoma, but was indeterminate in a second patient with severe cirrhosis and multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma. Children with cirrhosis due to tyrosinemia may develop regenerating nodules that appear as high-attenuation hepatic foci on CT scans. It is difficult to differentiate regenerating nodules from multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma in these patients.

Abdominal sonography after hepatic transplantation: results in 36 patients

Hepatic transplantation was performed in 46 patients over a 2-year period at the University of Minnesota. Thirty-six of these patients subsequently underwent 166 sonographic examinations of the upper abdomen. Forty-three examinations were performed within 2 weeks of transplantation, 47 between 2 and 8 weeks after transplantation, and 76 more than 8 weeks after transplantation. The sonograms were reviewed retrospectively and correlated with the available clinical and histopathologic data. Diffuse, nonspecific parenchymal abnormalities were seen in 27 patients. Focal regions of parenchymal abnormality seen in four patients were associated with abscess and infarction. Moderate to severe biliary dilatation was seen in seven patients with biliary obstruction diagnosed by percutaneous or T-tube cholangiography. Obstruction was seen most commonly in children who had undergone cholecystojejunostomy biliary reconstruction, and it required radiologic or surgical intervention. Routine sonographic assessment of the upper abdominal vasculature showed thrombosis of the portal vein in two cases, thrombosis of the inferior vena cava in one case, thrombosis of the donor aorta in three cases. Focal intraabdominal fluid collections were identified in 14 patients and represented hematomas in all but one. Free peritoneal fluid was detected in 19 patients. Sonography was used to guide percutaneous aspiration of abdominal fluid and to guide fine-needle puncture for percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography. Upper abdominal sonography provides a noninvasive means of evaluating and confirming a wide spectrum of complications that can follow hepatic transplantation. Because clinical and laboratory findings often are nonspecific in these patients, sonographic detection of focal parenchymal abnormalities, biliary dilatation, and vascular compromise is especially valuable.

Phenotypes of HeLa S3 variant cell lines resistant to growth inhibition by sodium butyrate

HeLa cell variants capable of multiplying in the presence of sodium butyrate were used to study the relationship of cell cycle position to human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) production and regulation of the genes encoding hCG alpha- and beta-subunits. The butyrate-resistant variants exhibit several different stable phenotypes. In wild-type HeLa cells, butyrate arrests cell division and modulates synthesis of alpha- and beta-subunits of glycoprotein hormones by coordinately regulating steady-state levels of their respective mRNAs. Because the variant cell lines replicate, in addition to producing hCG subunits in the presence of butyrate, cell cycle arrest does not seem to be a requirement for expression of glycoprotein hormone genes. Studies of histone modification suggest that neither hyperacetylation of histones H3 and H4 nor dephosphorylation of histones H1 and H2A mediates inhibition of cell replication. In the variants, alpha-subunit and hCG beta levels are independently regulated, as a consequence of independent regulation of alpha- and beta-hCG mRNA levels. Long-term effects of butyrate include derepression of some genes (hCG beta in the variant AO) and repression of others (hCG alpha in variant AO). Moreover, hormone production correlates with the steady-state levels of mRNA for each of the subunits, suggesting that regulation occurs before translation. These findings indicate that the butyrate-resistant variant cell lines are valuable for studies of the molecular mechanisms involved in regulation of expression of ectopic hormones.

Liver allograft transplantation: postoperative CT findings

The CT findings in the abdomen after liver transplantation as seen on 72 examinations in 23 allograft recipients are described. CT was most useful in the evaluation of the gross structural integrity of the allograft and in the detection of extrahepatic fluid collections. Low-density foci within the allograft parenchyma were seen in 10 patients (43%) and were associated with infarction and necrosis, infection, malignancy, and rejection. Localized extrahepatic fluid collections (hematomas, bilomas, and seromas) were present in 16 patients (70%); four of the focal fluid collections detected by CT were infected. Since the nature of these fluid collections could not always be determined by CT characteristics, fine-needle aspiration was sometimes required for a specific diagnosis. Prominence of the portal structures was associated with previous or ongoing episodes of rejection in eight of nine patients, likely reflecting increased resistance to portal flow. CT occasionally showed low, dense, and calcified thrombi in the donor aorta and inferior vena cava. CT also showed biliary obstruction in four patients (17%) without identifying its cause. CT is a noninvasive means of imaging the hepatic allograft recipient; providing data on the hepatic parenchyma, vasculature, and biliary system; and identifying the presence of intraabdominal fluid.

Ultrasound and computed tomographic evaluation in hepatic transplantation

Ultrasound and CT are valuable in the non-invasive evaluation of complications of hepatic transplantation. Ultrasound is particularly helpful in detecting biliary obstruction and in documenting vascular patency. As with renal transplantation, the value of US in the assessment of rejection will likely increase with time. Computed tomography is most valuable in identifying large parenchymal abnormalities and abdominal fluid. Both US and CT can be used to guide diagnostic and therapeutic percutaneous procedures in hepatic transplant recipients.

Primary pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma of the lung in children. Report of two cases presenting with spontaneous pneumothorax

This report describes two cases of pulmonary rhabdomyosarcoma occurring in children, ages 21 and 30 months at diagnosis. Both patients presented with spontaneous pneumothorax and had cystic changes in the affected lung by chest x-ray. Ultrastructural and immunohistochemical studies supported the myogenic phenotype of these neoplasms. The authors were unable to confirm that either of these tumors had unequivocally originated in a congenital cyst although previous authors have reported this association. An apparent morphologic spectrum of embryonic appearing neoplasms including pulmonary blastoma and a malignant mesenchymoma have been observed in the lungs of children.

Ultrasound and computed tomographic evaluation of renal transplantation

Ultrasound and computed tomography are very useful in the diagnosis of parenchymal and urologic abnormalities after renal transplantation. The increased use of Doppler duplex sonography will further enhance the role of ultrasound in the evaluation of patients with kidney transplants. Computed tomography is of particular value in the setting of suspected posttransplant malignancy. Both imaging techniques can be used to guide diagnostic and therapeutic interventional radiologic procedures.

MRI in organ transplantation

Experience with MRI in transplant patients is limited. The normal transplant kidney is characterized by a sharply defined corticomedullary border on T1 weighted images. Loss of CMC is seen in transplant rejection and in some patients with ATN. Presence of CMC does not rule out rejection, however. The spectrum of changes in cyclosporine toxicity is unclear, as only a few patients have been reported. For heart, liver, and pancreas transplantation magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging may prove useful in the evaluation of organ viability preoperatively and in early detection of rejection. Carefully designed prospective studies are needed to better define the role of MRI in organ transplantation.

B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders in children after bone marrow transplantation: radiologic manifestations

The radiographic findings in five pediatric patients in whom unregulated B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders developed following bone marrow transplantation are described. Four patients received T-cell-depleted bone marrow from mismatched donors and one received nondepleted marrow from a matched sibling donor. These disorders are similar to B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders that have been described in other immunosuppressed hosts. They are associated with Epstein-Barr virus and range from polyclonal proliferation without cytogenetic abnormalities to monoclonal lymphoma with clonal cytogenetic changes. Unlike other postallograft lymphoproliferative processes, B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders in these patients have not responded to antiviral therapy, immunologic therapy, or chemotherapy. The radiographic patterns of disease include diffuse or focal hepatic involvement; gallbladder wall thickening; and pulmonary, soft-tissue, and basal-ganglion masses. These radiologic findings are not specific and evaluation of tissue histology is required for diagnosis.

Grading of reflux by radionuclide cystography

Over a three-year period, radionuclide cystography (RC) was performed on 145 patients. Of these, 31 nephroureteral units in 25 patients demonstrated vesicoureteral reflux by RC and also by radiographic cystography (XC). The RC and XC studies were performed within three months of one another. The grading of reflux was determined by RC and then compared with that of XC using the criteria for grading as established by the International Reflux Study Committee (IRSC). Of 18 nephroureteral units in 14 patients with grade II reflux by XC, 14 were similarly graded by RC (78%). Of five nephroureteral units in five patients with grade III reflux by XC, the correlation by RC was 100%. However, when grades II and III were combined into a single category of low-grade reflux, the correlation achieved between the two cystographic techniques was 100%. Of five nephroureteral units in four patients with grade IV reflux by XC, the correlation was 60%, and in three units in two patients with grade V reflux the correlation was 100%. When grades IV and V are combined into a category of high-grade reflux, a correlation of 100% is achieved. When the reflux is graded into the five IRSC categories, the overall unequivocal correlation between the two studies is 80%. However, when only two categories are used (low grade = grades II and III, and high grade = grades IV and V), a correlation of 100% is obtained.

Metastasizing chordoma in early childhood: a pathological and immunohistochemical study with review of the literature

A 2 1/2-year-old female with a sphenooccipital-vertebral chordoma presented with neck pain, torticollis, fever, a lytic lesion of C2 vertebra, and bilateral nodular infiltrates in the lung. The lung biopsy revealed multiple tumor emboli by an enigmatic epithelioid-appearing neoplasm with immunohistochemical staining for vimentin, cytokeratin, and epithelial membrane antigen. A thorough roentgenographic evaluation disclosed a destructive, prepontine mass in the region of the clivus, erosion of the odontoid process, and compression of the cervical spinal cord. The patient died after a clinical course of 3 months. We identified 16 additional cases of metastasizing chordomas in the pediatric-age population; this case is the first to our knowledge with pathologically documented pulmonary metastasis at presentation.

CT demonstration of asymptomatic pulmonary emboli after bone marrow transplantation: case report

Asymptomatic pulmonary emboli producing microcalcifications were observed 200 days after bone marrow transplantation on a routine surveillance CT in a child. The findings consisted of peripheral hazy, nodular infiltrates in the lower lung fields. To our knowledge this has not been recorded in the radiologic literature.

MR evaluation of the portal vein in pediatric liver transplant candidates

Nine pediatric liver transplant candidates underwent preoperative MR evaluation of the portal vein and the inferior vena cava. Sonographic correlation was available in all patients and angiographic correlation was available in five. Pathologic correlation was obtained in seven cases either at liver transplantation or autopsy. MR demonstrated portal vein patency in three cases when it was not seen by angiography and confirmed portal vein patency in one patient when it was questionably identified on sonography. The portal vein was not seen on MR imaging in two cases when it was seen on sonography and angiography: in one case, it was small and to-and-fro flow was demonstrated angiographically; in the second case, the portal vein was occluded by tumor thrombus. Two vessels in two patients were misidentified by sonography and identified correctly by MR. These were an azygous continuation of the inferior vena cava and a large collateral vein in the portal region. Knowledge of the anatomy and documentation of vascular patency are essential in evaluation of patients before liver transplantation. In patients with complex anatomy or hemodynamics, it may be necessary to obtain this information from several imaging techniques (sonography, angiography, and MR).

Using a nursing-workload index to validate hospital pharmacy productivity

The use of a nursing-workload-index indicator generated by the Medicus patient classification system was explored as a means of simplifying and validating a manual pharmacy-workload-reporting system. The pharmacy department of this 290-bed hospital monitors 14 activities in its productivity-measurement process. In an effort to validate this process, a 20-week study was conducted to evaluate the relationship between the nursing-workload-index data and the number of hours required to provide pharmaceutical services. Number of patient days and the nursing index were compared with respect to their reliability in predicting pharmacy workload. A significant correlation was found between the nursing index and the number of hours earned for pharmacy activities (with or without hours earned for processing admissions and discharges). Significant correlations were also found when the patient-days indicator was used, but those relationships were not as strong. The nursing-workload-index indicator studied was useful in validating the workload data generated by the pharmacy department.

Radiological aspects of primary hyperoxaluria

Primary hyperoxaluria is a rare metabolic disorder characterized by excessive synthesis and urinary excretion of oxalate. Nephrocalcinosis with or without calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis leads to renal failure in infancy through young adulthood. Oxalosis is the condition in which the highly insoluble calcium oxalate crystals are deposited in extrarenal tissues including bone, blood vessels, heart, and the male urogenital system. The radiographic abnormalities in 14 patients with primary hyperoxaluria are described. These abnormalities include nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, dense vascular calcifications, abnormal bone density, and characteristic metaphyseal abnormalities. Changes of renal osteodystrophy and pathologic fractures are common. Radiographic bone abnormalities are dependent on the age of the patient when renal failure occurred and the degree of success of renal transplantation. Characteristic skeletal changes are present in six of seven patients who developed renal failure when less than 7 years of age.

Pulmonary emphysema in a neonate with Marfan syndrome

A premature infant with arachnodactyly and congenital cyanotic heart disease had severe pulmonary emphysema, a little-known manifestation of Marfan syndrome. The possible etiologies of emphysema in this syndrome are discussed.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the mesentery and small intestine

Three cases of abdominal inflammatory pseudotumor or inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the small intestinal mesentery are presented with additional examples from the literature. An abdominal mass was detected in three preadolescent children who presented with fever, growth failure, hypochromic anemia, thrombocytosis and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. The radiographic findings confirmed the presence of a mass. Following surgical resection, the systemic manifestations dramatically resolved. The solid mesenteric mass was composed of spindle cells with the features of myofibroblasts and mature plasma cells and small lymphocytes. Clinical follow-up confirmed the benign nature of this lesion with no signs of recurrence in any patient from 3 to 6 years after the initial surgery.

Aortic arch in neonates with esophageal atresia: preoperative assessment using CT

Preoperative localization of the aortic arch is important in infants with esophageal atresia to prevent morbidity and death from an ipsilateral surgical approach. Computed tomography is an accurate, noninvasive technique for determining the position of the aortic arch.