Analysis of 39 cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis with emphasis on CT findings.

Objective: In this retrospective study a review of the clinical, laboratory and radiologic features of 39 cases of xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) is presented. CT characteristics of XGP are analyzed in detail and the relevant literature is reviewed in order to determine the most typical among them.

Material And Methods: Pathologic material from 39 patients suffering from XGP was reviewed in order to confirm the initial diagnosis.

Acute appendicitis: effect of increased use of CT on selecting patients earlier.

Purpose: To explore the possibility of a relationship between increased use of computed tomography (CT) for diagnosis of appendicitis and increased occurrence of minimal or subtle CT and surgical findings.

Materials And Methods: Two groups, each with 50 consecutive patients who underwent CT before appendectomy in 1997 and 2000, were compared. CT scans and surgery-pathology reports were evaluated on a six-grade scale from normal to abscess or inflammatory mass.

Xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis--the "great imitator" justifies its name.

A case of focal xanthogranulomatous pyelonephritis (XGP) clearly imitating renal tumour is presented. The authors underline the need to include focal XGP in the preoperative differential diagnosis of a renal mass even in the absence of typical characteristics.

Ulcerative colitis and acute stroke: two rare complications after Mason's vertical banded gastroplasty for treatment of morbid obesity.

The authors present a very rare case of ulcerative colitis and acute stroke appearing as complications after Mason's vertical banded gastroplasty for treatment of morbid obesity in a 46-year-old man. On the basis of recent studies, the authors attempt to find the correlation of these three diseases and the possible effect of each disease on the appearance of the others. The dilemmas in the treatment of this patient are also described.

Inhomogeneous lung attenuation at thin-section CT: diagnostic value of expiratory scans.

Purpose: To determine the utility of expiratory scans for diagnosis of inhomogeneous attenuation on thin-section computed tomographic (CT) scans.

Materials And Methods: On the basis of clinical information and pulmonary function test results, disease in 53 patients with inhomogeneous attenuation on inspiratory scans was classified into four groups--infiltrative, airway, vascular, or mixed. Without knowledge of the diagnosis, inhomogeneous attenuation was classified as (a) ground-glass opacity due to infiltrative disease, (b) mosaic perfusion due to airway disease, or (c) mosaic perfusion due to vascular disease, and the degree of confidence was indicated.