Radiology Commons^™

Rational And Practical Use Of Imaging In Covid-19 Pneumonia, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

The severe form of the COVID-19 pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has largely manifested as a predominant respiratory illness causing severe pneumonia characterized by bilateral, subpleural ground glass haze, progressing to consolidation, and fibrosis on imaging. There is some discrepancy between the governmental guidelines, professional Societies and Radiology and Respiratory Medicine specialists with divided opinions between the use of the chest X-rays and CT scan, and whether the use be screening or diagnostic. So far, the most balanced recommendations have been proposed by the Fleischner Society, which are endorsed by the Radiological Society of Pakistan as well. This writeup …

Brain Injury And Dementia In Pakistan: Current Perspectives, Maheen M. Adamson, Sadia Shakil, Tajwar Sultana, Muhammad Abul Hasan, Fatima Mubarak, Ather Enam, Muhammad A. Parvaz, Adeel Razi

Department of Radiology

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia, accounting for 50-75% of all cases, with a greater proportion of individuals affected at older age range. A single moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with accelerated aging and increased risk for dementia. The fastest growth in the elderly population is taking place in China, Pakistan, and their south Asian neighbors. Current clinical assessments are based on data collected from Caucasian populations from wealthy backgrounds giving rise to a "diversity" crisis in brain research. Pakistan is a lower-middle income country (LMIC) with an estimated one million people …

Evaluation Of Computer Aided Detection Of Tuberculosis On Chest Radiography Among People With Diabetes In Karachi Pakistan, Shifa Salman Habib, Sana Rafiq, Syed Mohammad Asad Zaidi, Rashida Abbas Ferrand, Jacob Creswell, Bram Van Ginneken, Wafa Zehra Jamal, Kiran Sohail Azeemi, Saira Khowaja, Aamir Khan

Community Health Sciences

Pakistan ranks fifth among high tuberculosis (TB) burden countries and also has seventh highest burden for diabetes mellitus (DM). DM increases the risk of developing TB and contributes to adverse TB treatment outcomes hence screening and integrated management for both diseases in high burden countries is suggested. Computer-Aided Detection for TB (CAD4TB) can potentially be used as triage tool in low resource settings to pre-screen individuals for Xpert MTB/RIF testing. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy and performance of CAD4TB software in people with diabetes (PWD) enrolled in a TB screening program in Karachi, Pakistan. …

Computer Aided Detection Of Tuberculosis On Chest Radiographs: An Evaluation Of The Cad4tb V6 System, Keelin Murphy, Shifa Salman Habib, Syed Mohammad Asad Zaidi, Saira Khowaja, Aamir Khan, Jaime Melendez, Ernst T. Scholten, Farhan Amad, Steven Schalekamp, Maurits Verhagen

Community Health Sciences

There is a growing interest in the automated analysis of chest X-Ray (CXR) as a sensitive and inexpensive means of screening susceptible populations for pulmonary tuberculosis. In this work we evaluate the latest version of CAD4TB, a commercial software platform designed for this purpose. Version 6 of CAD4TB was released in 2018 and is here tested on a fully independent dataset of 5565 CXR images with GeneXpert (Xpert) sputum test results available (854 Xpert positive subjects). A subset of 500 subjects (50% Xpert positive) was reviewed and annotated by 5 expert observers independently to obtain a radiological reference standard. The …

Spontaneous Uterine Rupture Secondary To Morbidly Adherent Placenta In An Unscarred Uterus, Nida Sajjad, Kumail Khandwala, Wasim Memon, Jehanzeb Shahid, Burhan Zafar

Department of Radiology

We report a case of spontaneous uterine rupture in a primigravida with an unscarred uterus, which was secondary to morbidly adherent placenta proven on surgery and histology. Although rare, uterine rupture should be considered as a differential diagnosis of acute abdominal pain in pregnancies, especially when associated with free fluid, even with the absence of vaginal bleeding. Abnormal placentation is associated with spontaneous antepartum uterine rupture even in early pregnancy. Most cases in the literature have advocated emergency hysterectomy to arrest life-threatening hemorrhage.

Labrad : Vol 46, Issue 1 - March 2020, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Role of Immunofluorescence Studies in the Diagnosis of Autoimmune Disorders
• Cystathionine Beta-Synthase Deficiency
• Treatment of Factor VIII Inhibitor
• Effective Internal Communication in Laboratories
• Digital Breast Tomosynthesis
• Overview of Common Myeloproliferative Neoplasms
• Clinical Significance of free Androgen Index (FAI)
• Radiology Quiz
• The Best of the Past
• Section Of Histopathology: Newer Horizons
• A Webinar Series ‘Rare Links’
• A Look into the Eye can Unleash Vital Diagnostic Pearls for 32 Rare Disorders
• Lab & Rad Mesh up for the Early Recognition of Rare Disorders
• Polaroid

Urinary Bladder Metastasis From Breast Cancer: A Rare Cause Of Hematuria, Samuel Gitau, Allan Njau, Sitna Mwanzi

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women globally as well as in Kenya. The most common sites of metastases reported include the bones, liver and lung. Metastasis to the urinary bladder is relatively uncommon with only a few case reports in literature. It can therefore be easily overlooked as a cause of hematuria in these patients. We describe a rare case of a patient with breast cancer who presented with urinary bladder metastasis as a late complication of her illness.

Utility Of Ultrasound And Mammography In Detection Of Negative Axillary Nodal Metastasis In Breast Cancer, Anam Khan, Imrana Masroor, Kumail Khandwala, Summar Un-Nisa Abbasi, Muhammad Usman Tariq

Department of Radiology

Objective: The status of axillary lymph nodes is one of the most important prognostic factors in patients with breast cancer. A precise noninvasive evaluation of axillary lymph node status preoperatively, although challenging, is vital for optimization of the treatment plan for patients. The objective of our study was to assess the utility of ultrasound and mammography in detecting the absence of axillary lymph nodal metastasis in patients of breast cancer, taking histopathology as gold standard.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi. All female patients between 20 and 95 years of …

Discordance Between Breast Imaging And Histopathology Findings After Ultrasound Guided Core Needle Biopsy, Margaret Mutinda Mwania

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer among women worldwide with an estimated global incidence of 11.6%. According to the GLOBOCAN factsheet, in 2018 breast cancer incidence in Kenya was 40.3 per 100,000. Early detection and diagnosis of breast cancer has been shown to reduce mortality and increase years of life gained. Breast lesion diagnosis is heavily based on imaging and pathology and typically findings are reported independent of one another. Correlation of imaging findings and pathology after biopsy is found to be of critical importance in detecting possible sampling error, concordance versus discordance, recommend appropriate management and thus …

Challenges In Medical Journalism: Reflections From The Year Past, Saba Sohail

Department of Radiology

No abstract provided.

Prior Mammographic Screening: What Is Its Effect On The Clinical Stage In Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients At Akuhn., Jillo Bika

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Introduction: Breast cancer is now the leading cancer amongst women in Kenya according to GLOBOCAN 2018. It is also a leading cause of cancer deaths in Kenya, after esophageal and cervical cancer. Mammography is the gold standard in the screening of breast cancer. For screening to be effective, however, it has to be offered to the right patients at the appropriate time and intervals. Up until February of 2019, there were no local guidelines to guide the screening of breast cancer in Kenya. The objective of this study is to assess if prior mammographic screening had an effect on the …

Mr Perfusion Imaging, Techniques And Role In Differentiating Radiation Necrosis And Tumor Recurrence, Raima Zakaria, Fatima Mubarak, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim

Department of Radiology

High grade brain tumours are treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy and despite such aggressive treatment, can recur in a short span of time. MRI scan has been the conventional diagnostic modality to diagnose recurrence, although at times it becomes difficult for the neuroradiologists to differentiate between tumour recurrence and radiation necrosis. Herein lies the emergent need to explore the efficacy of functional imaging to assist in this diagnostic challenge. Recent studies have sought to do so with promising implications, which we have attempted to summarize in this review.

Percutaneous Venoplasty For Central Venous Stenosis: Effect On Patient's Symptoms And Patency Of Arteriovenous Accesses, Zia Ur Rehman, Abdul Hakeem Memon, Raza Sayani, Nida Zahid

Department of Surgery Docs

Objective: To determine symptomatic relief and patency rate of arteriovenous (AV) fistulae and grafts after venoplasty in patients with central venous stenosis (CVS) on hemodialysis.
Study Design: Case series.
Place and Duration of Study: The Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from January 2012 to December 2017.
Methodology: The data of patients who had one session of successful venoplasty for CVS were reviewed. The outcomes measured were symptomatic recovery and improvement in the patency of AV accesses. Symptomatic recovery was termed 'complete', when there was complete symptomatic relief after venoplasty; and 'partial' when the procedure was technically successful, but symptoms were …

Changes In Ventricular Depolarisation Vectors During Exercise Caused By Regional Myocardial Ischaemia, Cameruddin Vellani, Satwat Hashmi, Sadia Mahmud, Mohammad Yusuf, Safia Awan, Khawar Kazmi

Section of Cardiology

Research at the Aga Khan University for several years has been directed to find a reliable, low-cost, portable, non-invasive method for identification of coronary artery disease, its location and extent. A new method has been devised to measure the magnitude and direction of cardiac electrical vectors in three perpendicular planes during physical exercise to identify reduction in myocardial excitability as the electrophysiological marker of hypoxia. This report shows that changes in electrical forces due to exercise-induced regional hypoxia serve as indicators of reversible myocardial ischaemia. Changes in the magnitude and direction of vectors at stages of the Bruce protocol were …

Value Of Elastography In Differentiating Benign From Malignant Breast Lesions Keeping Histopathology As Gold Standard, Faryal Farooq, Syed Mubarak, Shaista Shaukat, Noman Khan, Kahkashan Jafar, Tariq Mahmood, Muhammad Arif Saeed

Department of Radiology

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females, both in developed and developing countries. Pakistan has the highest breast cancer incidence rate in Asia. Guidelines recommend screening for detecting breast cancer with mammography and ultrasonography (US). Shear-wave elastography (SWE) is a newer technique that can aid additional characterization of breast lesions.
Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of breast ultrasound elastography in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions using histology diagnosis as the gold standard.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted at the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Jinnah Post Graduate Medical …

It’S Not Always Occam's Razor – The Case Of A Young Man With Subaortic Membrane With Superimposed Pulmonary Thromboembolism And Left Main Coronary Artery Disease, Hunaina Shahab, Abdul Baqi, Yusra Askari, Qurrat Ul Ain Aqeel, Kumail Khandwala

Section of Cardiology

Subaortic membrane (SAM) is a discrete fibromuscular structure which causes left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and leads to the symptomatology of valvular aortic stenosis. It is known to be associated with other congenital cardiac defects in around 30% of cases. However, it has not been associated with chronic pulmonary thromboembolism in the past. We present a case of a middle-aged Pakistani man who presented with dyspnea and hemoptysis. He was found to have a SAM and severe pulmonary hypertension on transthoracic echocardiogram. A coronary angiogram revealed non-obstructive left main coronary artery disease. A computed tomography (CT) scan chest was done …

Labrad : Vol 45, Issue 3 - October 2019, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Therapeutic Drug Monitoring for Antibiotics in Infections
• Biomarkers of Sepsis
• Serum Procalcitonin Level - Marker of Bacterial Infection
• Bone Marrow Findings in Malaria
• Antibiogram: A Clinicians’ Reference for Antibiotic Selection
• Laboratory Diagnosis of Meningitis
• Detection of Pneumocystis Jirovecii by PCR
• Microbiology Quiz
• Radiology Pathology Correlation- Orthopedic Pathology
• Role of Imaging in the Diagnosis and Management of Hepatic Abscess
• The Best of the Past
• Microbiology Quiz’s Answer
• Polaroid

Complications Of Ultrasound-Guided Liver Biopsy At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Pakistan: An Audit, Basit Salam, Fatima Mubarak, Yusra Waheed, Noman Khan

Department of Radiology

Introduction: Liver diseases account for two million deaths per year worldwide, half of which are attributed to complications of cirrhosis. Liver conditions have wide-ranging serological findings and imaging appearances and may require biopsy for a definitive diagnosis. Despite ultrasound (US) guidance, liver biopsy is an invasive procedure and the expected benefit must outweigh risks involved.
Objective: The purpose of the audit was to calculate complication rates of US-guided liver biopsy and summarize institutional data pertaining to the procedure.
Materials and Methods: The audit was performed at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan. All consecutive patients undergoing liver biopsy from February …

A Case Of Retroperitoneal Fibrosis Secondary To Chronic Periaortitis, Mariam Omar, Naushad Karim, Saeed Samnakay

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare inflammatory disorder causing increased fibrotic deposition in the retroperitoneum, often leading to ureteral obstruction. We present a case report of a 33-year-old male with 2-month history of back pain. Initial imaging showed thickening around the infrarenal aorta. Six months later the patient presented with renal failure; a CT abdomen revealed extensive soft tissue mass around the aorta resulting in ureteral obstruction. Histology results of biopsy of the soft tissue mass revealed retroperitoneal fibrosis. It is important for clinicians to treat periaortitis early as this can prevent progression to retroperitoneal fibrosis which can cause severe secondary …

Bone Scintigraphy Imaging Of Cardiac Amyloidosis, Issa Menge Kuria, Samuel Gitau, Khalid Makhdomi

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Transthyretin-related cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) amyloidosis is an aggressive, rapidly progressive, and fatal disease, for which several promising therapies are in development. This condition is frequently underdiagnosed because of the limited specificity of echocardiography and the traditional requirement for histological diagnosis. It is well known that 99mtechnetium-labeled bone scan radiotracers can localize in the myocardial amyloid deposits, but the use of this imaging modality to differentiate between the two subtypes has only lately been revisited. We report a case of a 76-year-old man with a clinical diagnosis of amyloidosis who underwent a bone scan that had features of ATTR amyloidosis. To …

The Characteristics Of Appendicoliths Associated With Acute Appendicitis, Mohammad Shoaib Khan, Mustafa Belal Hafeez Chaudhry, Noman Shahzad, Muhammad S. Khan, Maryam Wajid, Wasim Memon, Abdul Rehman Alvi

Section of General Surgery

Introduction: Differences between appendicoliths associated with appendicitis and those found incidentally have not been studied. The objective of this study was to determine the characteristics of appendicoliths that are associated with acute appendicitis.
Methods: A cross-sectional study of patients with appendicoliths identified on computed tomographic (CT) scan from January 2008 till December 2014 was conducted. Patients were divided into two group: appendicitis and appendicoliths (AA) and incidentally discovered appendicoliths (IA).
Results: Overall, 321 patients were included in the study. Of these, 103 (32%) patients were in the AA group while 218 (68%) patients were in the IA group. Both groups …

Timing Of Postoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Mri) Following Glioma Resection: Shattering The 72 Hour Window, Syed Sarmad Bukhari, Muhammad Shahzad Shamim, Fatima Mubarak

Section of Neurosurgery

Extent of enhancing tumour resection is correlated with progression free survival following glioma surgery. Historically, a contrast enhanced MRI has been recommended within 72 hours following surgery to evaluate for residual disease. This theoretical window was established amidst conflicting evidence to avoid reactive enhancement. Recent studies with better designs and better imaging quality have sought to challenge this window with a more pragmatic method of evaluating residual disease.

Including Ultrasound Scans In Antenatal Care In Low-Resource Settings: Considering The Complementarity Of Obstetric Ultrasound Screening And Maternity Waiting Homes In Strengthening Referral Systems In Low-Resource, Rural Settings, David L. Swanson, Holly L. Franklin, Jonathan O. Swanson, Robert L. Goldenberg, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Waseem Mirza, David Muyodi, Lester Figueroa, Farnaz Naqvi, Sarah Saleem

Department of Radiology

Recent World Health Organization (WHO) antenatal care recommendations include an ultrasound scan as a part of routine antenatal care. The First Look Study, referenced in the WHO recommendation, subsequently shows that the routine use of ultrasound during antenatal care in rural, low-income settings did not improve maternal, fetal or neonatal mortality, nor did it increase women's use of antenatal care or the rate of hospital births. This article reviews the First Look Study, reconsidering the assumptions upon which it was built in light of these results, a supplemental descriptive study of interviews with patients and sonographers that participated in the …

Polyhydramnios Among Women In A Cluster-Randomized Trial Of Ultrasound During Prenatal Care Within Five Low And Low-Middle Income Countries: A Secondary Analysis Of The First Look Study, Melissa Bauserman, Robert Nathan, Adrien Lokangaka, Elizabeth M. Mcclure, Janet Moore, Daniel Ishoso, Antoinette Tshefu, Lester Figueroa, Sarah Saleem, Waseem Mirza

Community Health Sciences

Background: In many low and low-middle income countries, the incidence of polyhydramnios is unknown, in part because ultrasound technology is not routinely used. Our objective was to report the incidence of polyhydramnios in five low and low-middle income countries, to determine maternal characteristics associated with polyhydramnios, and report pregnancy and neonatal outcomes.
Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of the First Look Study, a multi-national, cluster-randomized trial of ultrasound during prenatal care. We evaluated all women enrolled from Guatemala, Pakistan, Zambia, Kenya and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who received an examination by prenatal ultrasound. We used pairwise site …

Labrad : Vol 45, Issue 2 - July 2019, Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi

LABRAD - Departments of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Radiology Archives

• Novel Molecular Technique for Identifying Respiratory Tract Pathogens
• Role of Serum Galactomannan (GM) Assay in Diagnosing Invasive Aspergillosis (IA)
• Factor VIII Inhibitor – A Diagnostic Approach
• PET/CT Hybrid Imaging Technology at Aga Khan University Hospital
• Diagnostic Tests for Von Willebrand Disease
• Iron Deficiency Anemia
• Sweat Testing for Diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis
• Flow Cytometric Identification of Abnormal B-Cells
• Direct Immunofluorescence in Bullous Skin Disorders
• Radiology-Pathology Correlation; Orthopedic Pathology
• Fecal Elastase: A Marker For Exocrine Pancreatic Function
• Edward Syndrome: Rare Autosomal Aneuploidy
• Sirolimus in Renal Transplant
• Latest Trends in Clinical Laboratory Science Technology
• Radiology-Neuropathology Correlation
• Nuchal Translucency Scan
• Bio-risk Management System in …

A Neonate With Upper Gi Bleeding, Suneeta Khemani, Huma Ghulam Qadir, Mumtaz Malik, Faiqa Hassan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Bleeding in the newborn is often a serious problem because of cardiovascular effects associated with a loss of blood and/or the damaging effects of bleeding on neonatal tissues, especially the brain. Gastric polyps are described as abnormal lesions that originate in the gastric epithelium or submucosa and protrude into the stomach lumen. Clinical presentation of gastric polyps in children varies widely, from incidental endoscopic finding to massive gastrointestinal bleeding. However, acute gastrointestinal bleeding in association with hyperplastic gastric polyps has been reported very rarely. We report a case of unusual upper gastrointestinal bleeding in newborn baby on 2nd day of …

First Africa Non-Communicable Disease Research Conference 2017: Sharing Evidence And Identifying Research Priorities, Kenneth Juma, Pamela A. Juma, Shukri F. Mohamed, Jared Owuor, Ann Wanyoike, David Mulabi, George Odinya, Maureen Njeru, Gerald Yonga

Imaging & Diagnostic Radiology, East Africa

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) prevalence is rising fastest in lower income settings, and with more devastating outcomes compared to High Income Countries (HICs). While evidence is consistent on the growing health and economic consequences of NCDs in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), specific efforts aimed at addressing NCD prevention and control remain less than optimum and country level progress of implementing evidence backed cost-effective NCD prevention approaches such as tobacco taxation and restrictions on marketing of unhealthy food and drinks is slow. Similarly, increasing interest to employ multi-sectoral approaches (MSA) in NCD prevention and policy is impeded by scarce knowledge on the mechanisms …

Prevalence Of Suspicious Mammographic Calcification In Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer Patients At The Aga Khan University Hospital, Nairobi., Mariam Abdullahi Omar

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Introduction: The most common cancer affecting women in Kenya is breast cancer with an incidence of 40.3 per 100 000 at risk population in 2018(1) while Nairobi has a higher incidence of (ASR 51.7 per 100,000) (2).This constitutes a major public health problem so early diagnosis plays a major role in mortality reduction and improving prognosis of breast cancer(3). Mammography is the most sensitive technique for detecting non palpable lesions. Over the decades it has been shown that in the USA there has been significant reduction in breast cancer mortality by 40% due to screening mammogram (4). On mammography the …

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Multi-Parametric Mri In Diagnosis Of Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer, Mariah Obino

Master of Medicine in Imaging and Diagnostic Radiology

Background: Traditionally, the diagnosis of prostate cancer has been based on an elevated prostate specific antigen or an abnormal digital rectal examination and confirmed histologically following prostate biopsy. This has led to a number of men without cancer or with clinically insignificant disease undergoing unwarranted prostate biopsies and suffering consequent complications. Pre-biopsy multi-parametric MRI plays a vital role in determining men with clinically significant cancer who need biopsy and those with a negative MRI who can safely avoid an unwarranted biopsy. Whereas studies on the value of multi-parametric MRI have been done elsewhere, there is variation in prevalence of prostate …

Quality Initiative To Reduce Cardiac Ct Angiography Radiation Exposure In Patients With Congenital Heart Disease, Fatima Ali, Arjumand Rizvi, Huzaifa Ahmad, Phillip Mcgonagill, Muneeb Khan, Rajesh Krishnamurthy, Zafar Jamil, Naila Nadeem, Mohammad Yousuf, Babar Hasan

Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Background: The use of cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA) as a complementary diagnostic modality to echocardiography in patients with congenital heart diseases (CHDs) is expanding in low- and middle-income countries. The adoption of As Low As Reasonably Achievable techniques is not widespread, resulting in significant unintended radiation exposure, especially in children. Simple quality improvement measures geared toward reducing radiation dose can have a impact on patient safety in resource-limited centers in low- and middle-income countries.
Objectives: To determine how a quality improvement initiative can reduce radiation exposure during CCTA in patients with CHD.
Methods: We designed a key driver -based …