Faculty Bibliography

The combination of computed tomographic (CT) venography and pulmonary angiography (CTVPA) was initially described in 1998 as a single comprehensive noninvasive imaging examination for suspected thromboembolic disease. It allowed the identification of pulmonary embolism as well as deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in the abdomen, pelvis, thighs, and calves. The venographic portion of CTVPA has now been studied by multiple researchers and has been shown to be an accurate imaging study for the thigh veins in comparison with lower extremity sonography. In contrast to sonography, however, CTVPA readily and rapidly permits evaluation of the inferior vena cava, the pelvic veins, the calf veins, and all of the superficial venous system. Complex venous anatomy can be surveyed, an additional sonographic study is not required, and only a few extra minutes and images are required over and above CT pulmonary angiography. A review of 957 recent cases of suspected pulmonary embolism examined with CTVPA revealed an overall 10.5% frequency of DVT, with a nearly equal distribution of thrombosis at the common femoral, superficial femoral, popliteal, and deep calf veins. Although a variety of protocols for CTVPA may be implemented, including a contiguous helical acquisition, obtaining 5- or 10-mm-thick images every 4 cm provides a high degree of accuracy and decreases overall radiation dose.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a simple rapid blood test can obviate computed tomography (CT) in a sizable percentage of patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism, based on the hypothesis that negative D-dimer results could eliminate any further search for pulmonary embolism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: At the authors' institution, 2,121 sequential patients underwent a whole-blood antibody agglutination test for cross-linked fibrin degradation products (D-dimer). Of these patients, 844 had positive test results and were not further considered. A retrospective review included reports of all multisection combined CT venographic and pulmonary angiographic studies obtained within 48 hours of the D-dimer assay for the 1,277 patients with negative D-dimer results; 229 (18%) of these 1,277 patients underwent combined CT venography and pulmonary angiography, usually within 24 hours. RESULTS: Retrospective review of the imaging examinations that were discrepant with the D-dimer results revealed only three false-negative D-dimer results. Of the 229 patients in whom combined CT venography and pulmonary angiography was performed for suspected pulmonary embolism, 226 (98.7%) had no evidence of acute pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis. The negative predictive value of a negative D-dimer result was therefore 98.7% (confidence interval, 96.2%-99.7%). CONCLUSION: The D-dimer assay is a simple rapid blood test that is sensitive to the presence of acute thrombosis. Very few patients with negative results have acute deep venous thrombosis or pulmonary embolism, with combined CT venography and pulmonary angiography used as the reference standard.

Jackstone calculi are urinary tract stones that have a specific appearance resembling toy jacks. They are almost always composed of calcium oxalate dihydrate and may be found in the urinary bladder or rarely in the upper urinary tract. Their appearance on plain radiographs and computed tomography (CT) in human patients has been well described. They have also been imaged in several species of animals. However, our review of the English medical literature revealed no previous report in which a jackstone calculus had been identified on the sonographic examination of a human patient. We report a case in which a large jackstone calculus was incidentally detected during abdominal sonography in a 75-year-old man.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the utility of hematuria testing in a large series of patients with suspected renal colic using unenhanced helical computed tomography (CT) as the reference standard. METHODS: A retrospective review of the CT reports of all patients who underwent unenhanced helical CT for suspected renal colic at one institution during a 3.5-year period and who also underwent a formal microscopic urinalysis within 24 hours of the CT study was conducted. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the presence of any blood on the urinalysis for renal colic were calculated. RESULTS: Urolithiasis was present in 587 (62%) of the 950 patients, and 363 patients had negative examinations for renal colic, including 69 with significant alternative diagnoses in the latter group. Of the urinalyses, 492 were true-positive, 174 were true-negative, 189 were false-positive, and 95 were false-negative, yielding a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of 84%, 48%, 72%, and 65%, respectively. Forty-six percent of the urinalysis results were negative for blood in the subset of patients with significant alternative diagnoses. CONCLUSIONS: The sensitivity of hematuria on microscopic urinalysis for renal colic using unenhanced CT as the reference standard was 84%, and the specificity and negative predictive value was low. The presence or absence of blood on urinalysis cannot be used to reliably determine which patients actually have ureteral stones

The CT findings of a congenital portacaval shunt are presented, and the literature on this unusual anomaly is reviewed.