830 likes | 840 Views
This case discusses a 13-year-old patient with a history of recurrent nasal obstruction and intermittent epistaxis. The CT scan reveals a mass within the nasopharynx, causing splaying of the pterygoid plates and extending into various cranial fossae. Differential diagnoses, clinical findings, and imaging findings are discussed.
E N D
CASES DR Prashanth G R2 Radiodiagnosis SSG Hospital Baroda 25-01-08
Case 1 • A 13yr old patient with a H/O recurrent nasal obstruction & intermittent epistaxis.
CT • Mass within the nasopharynx causing splaying of the pterygoid plates thus extending into the pterygopalatine fossa, anterior bowing of the posterior wall of maxillary sinus & extending in the infratemporal fossa & the sphenoid sinus.
D/D Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma Angiomatous polyp Anterocoanal polyp ~posterior choanal tissue ~Widening of pterygopalatine fossa ~Widening of superior orbital fissure ~extends into the anterior inferior cranial fossa ~Enhancing mass ~Angio – major feeding vessels ~MRI – Multiple flow voids ~Origin in Maxillary sinus ~minimally enhancing ~Not extend intracranially ~located in nasal fossa ~not extend into pterygopalatine fossa ~not extend intracranially ~on angio – only a few feeding vessels ~not very well enhancing ~no flow voids on MRI
Widening of pterygopalatine fossa • Lymphoma • Lymphoepitheliomas • Schwannomas • Fibrous Histiocytomas • Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma • But vast majority of antral bowing is caused by Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma .
Discussion • Nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is an uncommon highly vascular, non-encapsulated, polypoid tumor which is histologically benign but is locally aggressive. • Occurs almost exclusively in males. • Age :- 10 – 18yrs • C/F :- Nasal obst., epistaxis, deformity, proptosis, nasal discharge, sinusitis.
Origin :- Almost all originate in posterior coanal tissue near pterygopalatine fossa & sphenopalalatine foramen & fill up the nasopharynx. • Extension in pterygopalatine fossa is seen in 89% of cases & results in widening of the fossa with anterior bowing of the posterior ipsilateral antral wall. • Sphenoid sinus is involved in 61% of cases through extension through roof of nasopharynx. • Spread occurs to maxillary & ethmoid sinuses. • Intracranial extension is also seen (20%) & it primarily involves the middle cranial fossa. [Biopsy from the lesion should not be attempted in an OPD because of tumor vascularity.]
X – Rays :- • Since lesions arise in pterygopalatile fossa there is widening of the fossa & destruction of posterior wall of maxillary sinus. • Anterior bowing of ipsilateral antral wall. • Mass filling the nasal & nasopharyngeal airways. • Opacification of sphenoids. • Widening of superior orbital fissure – If seen suggest intracranial extension.
CT – Scan :- • Enhancing mass • Widening of pterygopalatine fossa with filling of posterior nasal cavity & naopharynx. • Extension into superior orbital fissure, cavernous sinus & Meckel’s Cave is common. • Tumor also extends into the anterior inferior cranial fossa, & also erodes the greater wing of sphenoid. • Erosion of skull base. MRI :- • T1 WI :- Intermediate SI • T2 WI :- Multiple flow voids (Tumor Vessels)
Importance of imaging :- • Mapping the lesion for the surgeon & documenting intracranial spread. • Angiography :- Demonstrates major feeding vessels – internal maxillary & ascending pharyngeal artery.
Case 2 • A 37 year old male presented clinically with - Headache - Ataxia - Vomiting - Vertigo • Blood investigations: raised RBC count.
Diagnosis • Cerebellar Hemangioblastoma
Discussion • Benign autosomal dominant tumor of vascular origin. • 80% found in cerebellum>spinal cord>medulla>cerebrum. • 10% of posterior cranial fossa tumors. • Most often occurs in ages 30 to 40. • M > F
Relationship to von Hippel-Lindau disease. • 20% occur in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (multiple lesions). • Von Hippel-Lindau disease consists of • Retinal, spinal, cerebellar and medullary hemangioblastomas • Renal cysts and carcinomas • Pancreatic cysts • Pheochromocytomas • Papillary cystadenoma of the epididymis
Clinical findings - Headache - Ataxia - Nausea - Vomiting - Vertigo - Polycythemia caused by increased erythropoietin found in 40%. • Spinal lesions may present with subarachnoid hemorrhage.
CT and MRI Findings • Cystic lesion in the cerebellum with an avidly enhancing mural nodule (75%). • Purely solid enhancing lesion (10%). • Enhancing lesion with multiple cystic areas (15%). • Calcification is uncommon.
On angiography: • Vascular nodule within an avascular mass. • Serpentine vessels.
Differential Diagnosis • Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma - But that is typically found in patients 5 to 15 years of age. • Metastases. • Cystic astrocytoma. - > 5cm - calcifications - no contrast enhancement of mural nodule. - no polycythemia.
CASE 4 • 60 Years old male smoker, who was working in the paint industry. • c/o dypnoea, dry cough, left sided vague chest pain. • Pt was subjected to CXR.
The provisional radiographic diagnosis was asbestosis: * nodular pleural thickening. * possible left pleural effusion. * reticular opacities in the lungs. • Then the patient was advised a CT scan, to determine the nature of the pleural disease, & the HRCT for parenchymal status.
DIAGNOSIS Asbestosis.
WHERE DOES THE ASBESTOSE EXPOSURE OCCUR ? • Mining industry. • Thermal insulators. • Brake & clutch wires. • Building industry. • Electric insulators. • Floor tiles • Paints • cement
There are two types of asbestos fibers: * chrysolite: commoner type long, serpentine white fibers. * amphibole: short fibers. (a) amosite. (b) crocidolite.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO CLASSIFY THE ASBESTOS FIBRES THIS WAY ? • the shorter amphibole fibers are more likely to be inhaled; as well as to be deposited within the distal airways of the lung. • The chrysolite fibers are long; hence fewer fibers are inhaled, and the body eliminates them more easily via the mucociliary elevator or lymphatic vessels. Chrysotile also fragments and is more soluble .
HOW TO CONFIRM THAT THE LUNG OR PLEURAL CHANGES ARE DUE TO THE ASBESTOSIS EXPOSURE ? • By the presence of the asbestos bodies in the sputum.
RADIOLOGICAL MENIFESTATIONS PULMONARY PARENCHYMAL DISEASE: * Fibrosis. * bronchial carcinoma. * round atelectasis (pseudotumour) EXTRA THORACIC DISEASE: * peritoneal mesothelioma PLEURAL DISEASE: * PLAQUES * THICKENING * MESOTHELIOMA * PLEURAL EFFUSION.
1)PLEURAL PLAQUE: • There is a latent period of approximately 10 years between the exposure & the development of the pleural plaque. • Furthermore, the development of calcification within the plaque may take upto 20 years.
The lesion is bilateral. • Located in the middle & lower zones; & at the diaphragmatic surface of the pleura. • The lesion has sharp, well defined margins. • They will be best picked up when they are tangential to the x ray beam.
This problem is nicely alleviated by CT SCAN, which is: * more sensitive, because it picks up the plaque more easily, without the problem of tangentiality. * more specific, because prominent subpleural fat pad & intercostal muscles can be confused with plaque on an X ray.
The classic distribution of pleural plaques seen on chest radiographs is: * the posterolateral chest wall between the seventh and tenth ribs, * lateral chest wall between the sixth and ninth ribs, * the dome of the diaphragm, (pathognomonic) * and the mediastinal pleura.
2) DIFFUSE PLEURAL THICKENING • This is less common, but more significant; because it causes pulmonary restriction. • Unlike the plaque, the margins of the thickening are ill defined, less commonly calcified. • Rather, if calcification is seen within the diffuse pleural thickening, we should first consider organised empyema or organised hemothorax; & not the asbestosis.
CT CRITERIA OF A DIFFUSE PLEURAL THICKENING: • continuous sheet of pleural thickening more than 5 cm wide, more than 8 cm in craniocaudal extent, and more than 3 mm thick.
3)MESOTHELIOMA • 90% of the mesotheliomas are due to the asbestos exposure, especially crocidolite. • There may be a latent period of upto 40 years after the exposure. • Constant local pain is a good clinical indicator of the mesothelioma. • It has a poor prognosis, with most patients dying within 1 year of diagnosis
There is frequent presence of pleural effusion. HOW TO SAY THAT IT IS A MALIGNANT PLEURAL THICKENING? * Circumferential thickening. * irregular, nodular thickening. * > 1cm thickness. * mediastinal pleural thickening.
The tumour leads to ipsilateral lung volume-loss, & crowding of the ribs. • Despite the large tumour, there is no rib destruction. • In advanced stages, the tumour may extend through the diaphragm. • Lymph node spread occurs, as do blood-borne metastases to the lungs, liver, kidneys, and adrenal glands. • Percutaneous biopsy may lead to spread of the tumour, along the biopsy track, through the chest wall.
Transdiaphragmatic extension and hepatic invasion by a malignant pleural mesothelioma.
4) PLEURAL EFFUSION • Isolated pleural effusion is rare in asbestosis. • When pleural effusion is present, associated with pleural thickening; we are dealing with malignancy of the pleura or lung. • Pleural effusions are typically hemorrhagic exudates of mixed cellularity but do not typically contain asbestos bodies.