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Query: UMLS:C0085693 (acute appendicitis)
 3,606 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The retrocaval ureter is a rare malformation and may simulate acute appendicitis. Diagnosis shoud be made by a lateral X-ray view of the inferior vena cava and the ureter simultaneously. Surgical treatment is mandatory in the case of flank pain and consists of nephrectomy or dismembered pyeloplasty in front of the vena cava inferior or finally, dismembered angioplasty of the vena cava inferior behind the ureter.
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PMID:[Retrocaval ureter: a rare differential diagnostic possibility in a suspicion of appendicitis]. 52 3

The authors report two cases of puerperal right ovarian vein thrombophlebitis (POVT) with floating thrombus in the inferior vena cava (IVC). The originality of this report lies in the first line surgical treatment approach. POVT is recognized as presenting usually within the first week post-partum after about 0.05% of deliveries. The syndrome consists of lower abdominal or flank pain, unexplained fever and a tender abdominal mass. Abdominal or pelvic findings are often scanty. In some cases, the thrombus may extend to the inferior vena cava, leading to the risk of pulmonary embolism or low grade renal insufficiency. Diagnosis has been difficult in the past. Since acute appendicitis is the commonest differential diagnosis, laparotomy is frequent. CT scan provides a readily available, accurate, non invasive technique for the diagnosis of POVT. Criteria are: enlargement of the vein, a low density lumen within the vessel wall and a sharply defined vessel wall enhanced by contrast media. The treatment of POVT is initially medical. Antibiotics should be given to cover the commonest infecting organisms. Heparin should also be prescribed at therapeutic IV doses to be followed by oral anticoagulants for at least six weeks. Surgery is usually only recommended when the patient remains symptomatic despite proper medical management, develops clinical, scan or arteriographic evidence of pulmonary embolism, or cannot be anticoagulated. The recommended surgical technique is to clamp the anastomosis of the ovarian vein with the vena cava.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:[Thrombophlebitis of the ovarian vein. New therapeutic approach]. 824 95

In the past decade alternatives to urography have been proposed for the study of patients with renal colic. In 1992 it was suggested to replace urography with KUB and ultrasonography. In 1993 the combination of KUB and ultrasonography followed by urography in unresolved cases was proposed and, in 1995, it was suggested to replace urography with unenhanced helical CT (UHCT). This article illustrates the contribution of UHCT to the study of patients with renal colic and analyses advantages and shortcomings of the technique compared with other diagnostic approaches. Diagnostics of the patient with renal colic is based on the detection of direct and indirect signs which allow identification of not only the calculus, with a sensitivity of 94-100% and accuracy of 93-98% according different authors, but also other signs that can serve to guide patient management and evaluate long-term prognosis. Unenhanced helical CT has the capability to detect extraurinary abnormalities which present with flank pain and mimic renal colic. The examination technique affects the quality of the images and therefore diagnostic accuracy as well as the dose to the patient. With regard to setting parameters, the choice of thickness and table feed should be guided by numerous factors. Multiplanar reconstruction is indicated in the study of the entire ureter course to identify the exact site of the calcification for the urologist to perform an evaluation similar to that obtained by urography. Many authors consider UHCT to be a valuable tool for suggesting the best therapeutic approach. Among these there are also urologists. The evaluation is based on the stone detection, its size and level in the urinary tract. Cost analysis shows that the cost of UHCT is equal to or inferior to the cost of urography. With regard to the dose, different data are reported in the literature. A high pitch (more than 1.5) and a thin collimation (3-mm thickness) are good compromise between quality and dose which can be compared to the dose of normal urography. What is to be done if helical CT is not available? If helical CT is not available, plain film plus ultrasonography should be considered. This approach does not solve all the cases; in unresolved cases urography is indicated. It should also be noted that US has a good sensitivity in detecting other conditions such as biliary lithiasis, acute pancreatitis, acute appendicitis and abdomino-pelvic masses which are responsible for pain that mimics renal colic. In conclusion, IVU should not have any more the priority in investigating the patients with renal colic. Helical CT should be the first choice in imaging a patient with renal colic. If this technique is not available, plain film and ultrasonography should be considered adding urography in unresolved cases.
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PMID:Present-day imaging of patients with renal colic. 1186 8

A 55-yr-old male presented with flank pain and nausea minutes after intensive aerobatic flight maneuvers. An initial diagnosis of acute appendicitis was made. Computed axial tomography and renal arteriography showed a right kidney with two renal arteries, a right upper pole infarction, and a dissection in the upper renal artery which had a more vertical trajectory than the usual main renal artery. No signs of diseases known to be associated with renal artery dissection were present. The patient recovered without residual hypertension. Heavy positive G loads may have potential to cause renal arterial injury, particularly when renal vascular anatomical variations exist. The postulated mechanism is similar to fall injuries in which the subjects landed on their feet, with inertia causing caudal renal dislodgement and stretch of the renal vessels.
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PMID:Renal artery dissection associated with Gz acceleration. 1501

Several conditions can clinically mimic renal colic. We assessed the accuracy of non-contrast-enhanced helical CT and of ultrasonography (US) in offering an alternative explanation for flank pain. In a 3-year period, 181 patients with acute flank pain underwent US and non-contrast-enhanced helical CT in a blinded sequence. Their efficacy in detecting both alternative causes of pain and additional findings unrelated to the pain was assessed in 160 cases with a confirmed diagnosis. An alternative cause was found in 23 cases (14%). US gave 4 false-negative results (1 acute appendicitis, 1 ovarian cyst torsion, 1 diverticulitis, and 1 papillary necrosis) and 2 false-positive results (1 acute pyelonephritis and 1 diverticulitis), with a 78% sensitivity and a 98% specificity for nonlithiasic causes. CT gave 5 false-negative results (1 complicated ovarian cyst, 1 pleuritis, 1 epididymitis, 1 acute pyelonephritis, and 1 papillary necrosis) and 1 false-positive (1 simple ovarian cyst described as a complicated lesion), resulting in a 74% sensitivity and a 99% specificity for diagnosing alternative causes. There were 130 additional US findings in 68 patients and 151 additional CT findings in 77 patients. A wide spectrum of findings can be identified in subjects imaged for flank pain. Non-contrast-enhanced helical CT and US have comparable accuracy in diagnosing causes other than stone disease.
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PMID:Acute flank pain: comparison of unenhanced helical CT and ultrasonography in detecting causes other than ureterolithiasis. 1529 May 74

In our emergency department (ED), patients with flank pain often undergo non-enhanced computed tomography (NECT) to assess for nephroureteral (NU) stone. After immediate image review, decision is made regarding need for subsequent contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) to help assess for other causes of pain. This study aimed to review the experience of a single institution with this protocol and to assess the utility of CECT. Over a 6 month period, we performed a retrospective analysis on ED patients presenting with flank pain undergoing CT for a clinical diagnosis of nephroureterolithiasis. Patients initially underwent abdominopelvic NECT. The interpreting radiologist immediately decided whether to obtain a CECT to evaluate for another etiology of pain. Medical records, CT reports and images, and 7-day ED return were reviewed. CT diagnoses on NECT and CECT were compared. Additional information from CECT and changes in management as documented in the patient's medical record were noted. Three hundred twenty-two patients underwent NECT for obstructing NU stones during the study period. Renal or ureteral calculi were detected in 143/322 (44.4 %). One hundred fifty-four patients (47.8 %) underwent CECT. CECT added information in 17/322 cases (5.3 %) but only changed management in 6/322 patients (1.9 %). In four of these patients with final diagnosis of renal infarct, splenic infarct, pyelonephritis and early acute appendicitis in a thin patient, there was no abnormality on the NECT (4/322 patients, 1.2 %). In the remaining 2 patients, an abnormality was visible on the NECT. In patients presenting with flank pain with a clinical suspicion of nephroureterolithiasis, CECT may not be indicated. While CECT provided better delineation of an abnormality in 5.3 % of cases, changes in management after CECT occurred only in 2 %. This included 1 % of patients in whom a diagnosis of organ infarct, pyelonephritis or acute appendicitis in a thin patient could only be made on CECT.
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PMID:Limited added utility of performing follow-up contrast-enhanced CT in patients undergoing initial non-enhanced CT for evaluation of flank pain in the emergency department. 2508 39