[Cardiac computed tomography: new applications of an evolving technique].

During the last years we have witnessed an increasing development of imaging techniques applied in Cardiology. Among them, cardiac computed tomography is an emerging and evolving technique. With the current possibility of very low radiation studies, the applications have expanded and go further coronariography In the present article we review the technical developments of cardiac computed tomography and its new applications.

[Single coronary artery originated in the right Valsalva sinus. Usefulness of multislice coronary angiotomography].

Single coronary artery arising from the right sinus of Valsalva is a rare congenital coronary anomaly. We report the case of a 77- year- old man who was referred for invasive coronary angiography with a diagnosis of a non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome of inferior-lateral location. Significant lesion was detected in the proximal segment of the right coronary artery (RCA).

Indolent evolution of an episode of acute gastroenteritis complicated with portal pneumatosis.

The discovery of gas in the portal system related to indolent clinical settings has increased in recent years due to a growth in the performance of imaging tests. We report the first case of spontaneous resolution of portal pneumatosis due to acute gastroenteritis described in the literature.

Pulmonary infundibular stenosis and ventricular septum defect: usefulness of cardiac CT.

A 35-year-old man with a history of syncope and echocardiographic diagnosis of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and ventricular septum defect was submitted to complete evaluation with an Aquilion Toshiba 64-multislice CT in order to confirm diagnosis and to complete information prior to surgery.

Myocardial bridging: light in the tunnel.

Myocardial bridging is a congenital anomaly in which a segment of a coronary artery runs intramuscularly. Although traditionally considered as a benign condition, myocardial bridging may be associated with clinically important complications such as myocardial ischemia, acute coronary syndromes and sudden death. We report the case of a highly symptomatic 36 years old patient with a myocardial bridge in left anterior descending coronary artery in which surgical treatment was proposed.

Inspiratory vs. expiratory pressure-volume curves to set end-expiratory pressure in acute lung injury.

Objective: To study the effects of two levels of positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), 2 cm H(2)O above the lower inflection point of the inspiratory limb and equal to the point of maximum curvature on the expiratory limb of the pressure-volume curve, in gas exchange, respiratory mechanics, and lung aeration.

Design And Setting: Prospective clinical study in the intensive care unit and computed tomography ward of a university hospital.

Patients: Eight patients with early acute lung injury.

Tomographic study of the inflection points of the pressure-volume curve in acute lung injury.

The inflection points of the pressure-volume curve have been used for setting mechanical ventilation in patients with acute lung injury. However, the lung status at these points has never been specifically addressed. In 12 patients with early lung injury we traced both limbs of the pressure-volume curve by means of a stepwise change in airway pressure, and a computed tomography (CT) scan slice was obtained for every pressure level.

Liposarcoma of the stomach.

We present a case of gastric liposarcoma, a very uncommon pathology; only nine cases have been reported in the literature. We describe the radiologic findings of this neoplasm and emphasize the correlation between computed tomography (CT) and the macroscopic morphology of the tumor, which is conditioned by its histology. In our case, CT demonstration of fatty areas within the gastric mass facilitated the diagnosis.