Chest roentgenographic abnormalities in IL-2 recipients. Incidence and correlation with clinical parameters

The chest roentgenograms of 54 patients receiving high dose interleukin-2 with or without lymphokine-activated killer cell therapy for advanced cancer were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty-nine patients (72 percent) developed chest roentgenographic abnormalities consisting of pleural effusions, 28 (52 percent); diffuse infiltrates (pulmonary edema), 22 (41 percent); and focal infiltrates, 12 (22 percent). These abnormalities resolved in 30 of 39 (77 percent) patients by four weeks after therapy. Simple pleural effusions were the only residual roentgenographic abnormalities seen and were present primarily in patients receiving IL-2 by bolus intravenous injection (8 of 28) (29 percent) as compared to continuous intravenous infusion (1 of 24) (4 percent) (p = 0.03). Only roentgenographic evidence of pulmonary edema appeared to correlate with the degree of clinical pulmonary toxicity (p = 0.001). The development of chest roentgenographic abnormalities correlated with the administration of IL-2 solely by bolus intravenous injection (p = 0.04), a pretreatment FEV1 of less than 3 L (p = 0.04), and treatment associated bacteremia (p = 0.09), but not with prior therapy, the presence of pulmonary metastases or the degree of systemic capillary leak as measured by percentage of weight gain during therapy. Although the roentgenographic abnormalities did not relate to the number of LAK cells received, two patients developed sudden onset of dyspnea and chest roentgenographic evidence of pulmonary edema shortly after the first LAK cell administration, implying that a direct cause-and-effect relationship exists in some patients. Possible mechanisms for these IL-2 related chest roentgenographic abnormalities and pulmonary toxicity in general are discussed.

The nose and nasal vault

In this article we have reviewed the anatomy of the nose and nasal vault, with emphasis on specific features that are imaged with the SSCT. Important areas of the lateral wall anatomy include the OMU and SER, areas that are key to understanding the obstructive patterns of inflammatory sinonasal disease. Lesions that result in these specific obstructive patterns include anatomic variants and other focal pathological lesions, such as polyps. Other types of sinonasal inflammatory disease include sinonasal polyposis and granulomatous and fungal disease. Congenital lesions of the nose may be understood through a knowledge of the relevant developmental anatomy. These lesions include nasal dermoids and epidermoids, cephaloceles, gliomas, and choanal atresia. Important benign masses include antrochoanal polyps, inverting papillomas, angiomatous polyps, JNAs, and osteomas. Benign nasal masses have characteristic features that distinguish them from malignant lesions. Malignant nasal tumors, such as SSCa, esthesioneuroblastoma, and others, are characterized by their more aggressive and destructive behavior.

Parathyroid adenoma associated with neurofibromatosis: correlative scintigraphic and magnetic resonance imaging

Correlative imaging by dual-isotope thallium/technetium subtraction scintigraphy, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a pathologically proven parathyroid adenoma in a 62-year-old man with known neurofibromatosis, who presented with hypercalcemia and an elevated parathormone level. The association between neurofibromatosis and primary hyperparathyroidism is discussed.