Complementary comments on metastatic liver lesions with exceptional and rare cases

Liver metastases can appear in different forms in magnetic resonance imaging.Contrary to popular belief,while radiologists report hypovascular or hypervascular metastatic lesions,exceptional examples may be detected in various tumors.The aim of this article is to improve this review by presenting rare and atypical examples of liver metastasis,as well as cases that might potentially be misdiagnosed as metastases during the process of differential diagnosis.

A Pooling Method Developed for Use in Convolutional Neural Networks

In convolutional neural networks,pooling methods are used to reduce both the size of the data and the number of parameters after the convolution of the models.These methods reduce the computational amount of convolutional neural networks,making the neural network more efficient.Maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods are generally used in convolutional neural networks.However,these pooling methods are not suitable for all datasets used in neural network applications.In this study,a new pooling approach to the literature is proposed to increase the efficiency and success rates of convolutional neural networks.This method,which we call MAM(Maximum Average Minimum)pooling,is more interactive than other traditional maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods and reduces data loss by calculating the more appropriate pixel value.The proposed MAM pooling method increases the performance of the neural network by calculating the optimal value during the training of convolutional neural networks.To determine the success accuracy of the proposed MAM pooling method and compare it with other traditional pooling methods,training was carried out on the LeNet-5 model using CIFAR-10,CIFAR-100,and MNIST datasets.According to the results obtained,the proposed MAM pooling method performed better than the maximum pooling,average pooling,and minimum pooling methods in all pool sizes on three different datasets.

Role of natural products and intestinal flora on type 2 diabetes mellitus treatment

Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a complicated,globally expanding disease that is influenced by hereditary and environmental variables.Changes in modern society’s food choices,physical inactivity,and obesity are significant factors in the development of type 2 DM(T2DM).The association between changes in intestinal flora and numerous disorders,including obesity,diabetes,and cardiovascular diseases,has been studied in recent years.The purpose of this review is to analyze the mechanisms underlying the alteration of the diabetic patients’intestinal flora,as well as their therapeutic choices.Also included is a summary of the antidiabetic benefits of natural compounds demonstrated by studies.The short-chain fatty acids theory,the bile acid theory,and the endotoxin theory are all potential methods by which intestinal flora contributes to the establishment and progression of T2DM.Due to an intestinal flora imbalance,abnormalities in shortchain fatty acids and secondary bile acids have been found in diabetic patients.Additionally,metabolic endotoxemia with altering flora induces a systemic inflammatory response by stimulating the immune system via bacterial translocation.The agenda for diabetes treatment includes the use of short-chain fatty acids,probiotics,prebiotics in the diet,fecal bacteria transplantation,and antibiotics.Animal studies have proven the antidiabetic benefits of numerous bioactive substances,including Flavonoids,Alkaloids,Saponin,and Allicin.However,further research is required to contribute to the treatment of diabetes.

Assessment of the potential interactions between favipiravir and radiocontrast agents

BACKGROUND In cases of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),favipiravir is commonly included to the therapy regimen.Drug interactions between favipiravir and other COVID-19 therapy drugs are frequently researched.However,no research on possible drug interactions between Favipiravir and radiocontrast agents,which have become almost crucial in diagnostic processes while not being part of the treatment,has been found.AIM To determine potential medication interactions between Favipiravir and radiocontrast agents.METHODS The study comprised patients who were taking Favipiravir for COVID-19 therapy and underwent a contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CT)or magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)test while taking the medicine.The computerized patient files of the cases included in the study,as well as the pharmacovigilance forms in the designated hospital,were evaluated for this purpose.RESULTS The study included the evaluation of data from 1046 patients.The study sample's mean age was 47.23±9.48 years.The mean age of cases with drug interactions was statistically significant greater than that of cases with no drug interactions(P=0.003).When evaluated with logistic regression analysis,a 1-year raises in age increases the risk of developing drug interactions by 1.63 times(P=0.023).There was no statistically significant difference in the occurrence of medication interactions between the sexes(P=0.090).Possible medication interactions were discovered in 42 cases(4%).CONCLUSION The findings of this study revealed that the most notable findings as a result of the combined use of contrast agents and favipiravir were increased creatinine and transaminase values,as well as an increase in the frequency of nausea and vomiting.The majority of drug interactions discovered were modest enough that they were not reflected in the clinic.Drug interactions become more common as people get older.

Mediastinal lesions in children

The mediastinum is where thoracic lesions most frequently occur in young patients.The histological spectrum of diseases caused by the presence of several organs in the mediastinum is broad.Congenital lesions,infections,benign and malignant lesions,and vascular diseases are examples of lesions.Care should be taken to make the proper diagnosis at the time of diagnosis in order to initiate therapy promptly.Our task is currently made simpler by radiological imaging techniques.

A Novel Hybrid Model Based on Machine and Deep Learning Techniques for the Classification of Microalgae

Classification and monitoring of microalgae species in aquatic ecosystems are important for understanding population dynamics.However,manual classification of algae is a time-consuming method and requires a lot of effort with expertise due to the large number of families and genera in its classification.The recognition of microalgae species has become an increasingly important research area in image recognition in recent years.In this study,machine learning and deep learning methods were proposed to classify images of 12 different microalgae species in order to successfully classify algae cells.8 Different novel models(MobileNetV3Small-Lr,MobileNetV3Small-Rf,MobileNetV3Small-Xg,MobileNetV3Large-Lr,MobileNetV3Large-Rf,MobileNetV3Large-Xg,Mobile-NetV3Small-Improved and MobileNetV3Large-Improved)have been proposed to classify these microalgae species.Among these proposed model structures,the best classification accuracy rate was 92.22%and the loss rate was 0.72,obtained from the MobileNetV3Large-Improved model structure.In addition,as a result of the experimental results obtained,metrics such as the confusion matrix,which can meet the experts in the correct diagnosis of microalgae species,were also evaluated.This research may in the future open a new avenue for the development of a cost-effective,highly sensitive computer-based system for the use of image analysis and deep learning techniques for the identification and classification of different microalgae.

Diabetic neuropathy results in vasomotor dysfunction of medium sized peripheral arteries

BACKGROUND The effect of the sympathetic nervous system on peripheral arteries causes vasoconstriction when smooth muscle cells in the walls of blood vessels contract,which leads to narrowing of arteries and reduction of the blood flow.AIM To compare sympathetic vasomotor activation of the brachial arteries in healthy subjects and patients with painful diabetic neuropathy;and therefore,to assess whether there is significant vasomotor dysfunction of medium sized arteries in diabetic neuropathy.METHODS The study included 41 diabetic neuropathy patients and 41 healthy controls.Baseline diameter and flow rate of the brachial arteries were measured.Then,using a bipolar stimulus electrode,a 10 mA,1 Hz electrical stimulus was administered to the median nerve at the wrist level for 5 s.The brachial artery diameter and blood flow rate were re-measured after stimulation.RESULTS In the control group,the median flow rate was 70.0 mL/min prior to stimulation and 35.0 mL/min after stimulation,with a statistically significant decrease(P<0.001),which is consistent with sympathetic nervous system functioning(vasoconstriction).In the diabetic neuropathy group,median flow rate before the stimulation was 35.0 mL/min.After stimulation,the median flow rate was 77.0 mL/min;thus,no significant decrease in the flow rate was detected.In the control group,the median brachial artery diameter,which was 3.6 mm prior to stimulation,decreased to 3.4 mm after stimulation,and this decrease was also statistically significant(P=0.046).In the diabetic neuropathy group,the median brachial artery diameter increased from 3.4 mm to 3.6 mm following nerve stimulation.Once again,no narrowing was observed.CONCLUSION Our research suggests that diabetic neuropathy results in significant vasomotor dysfunction of medium sized peripheral arteries.Physiological vasoconstriction in response to sympathetic activation is impaired in diabetic neuropathy.

Detection of tracheal branching with computerized tomography:The relationship between the angles and age-gender

BACKGROUND The data obtained on the anatomical knowledge of the tracheobronchial system can be used for diagnosis,treatment and interventional interventions in areas such as anesthesia,thoracic surgery,pulmonary physiology.AIM To determine the tracheobronchial branching angles in pediatric and adult populations by using the multislice computed tomography(CT)and minimum intensity projection(MinIP)technique,which is a non-invasive method.METHODS Our study was carried out retrospectively.Patients who underwent contrast and non-contrast CT examination,whose anatomically and pathophysiologically good tracheobronchial system and lung parenchyma images were obtained,were included in the study.Measurements were made in the coronal plane of the lung parenchyma.In the coronal plane,right main bronchus-left main bronchus angle,right upper lobe bronchus-intermedius bronchus angle,right middle lobe bronchus-right lower lobe bronchus angle,left upper lobe bronchus-left lower lobe bronchus angle were measured.RESULTS The study population consisted of 1511 patients,753 pediatric(mean age:13.4±4.3;range:1-18 years)and 758 adults(mean age:54.3±17.3;range:19-94 years).In our study,tracheal bifurcation angle was found to be 73.3°±13.7°(59.6°-87°)in the whole population.In the pediatric group,the right-left main coronal level was found to be higher in boys compared to girls(74.6°±12.9°vs 71.2°±13.9°,P=0.001).In the adult group,the right-left main coronal level was found to be lower in males compared to females(71.9°±12.9°vs 75.8°±14.7°,P<0.001).CONCLUSIONS Our study,with the number of 1511 patients,is the first study in the literature with the largest number of patient populations including pediatric and adult demographic data,measuring the angle values of the tracheobronchial system using multislice CT and MinIP technique.Study data will not only be a guide during invasive procedures,but it can also guide studies to be done with imaging methods.

Does the use of computed tomography scenogram alone enable diagnosis in cases of bowel obstruction?

BACKGROUND Ileus is a pathological condition of the abdomen that presents as a medical emergency.It is characterized by potential complications such as perforation and ischemia,which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality if not promptly addressed.The successful management of ileus relies heavily on the timely and precise identification of the condition.While conventional radiography(CR)is commonly used as the primary diagnostic tool,its accuracy in identifying obstructions ranges from 46%to 80%.Furthermore,the diagnostic accuracy of identifying the location and etiology of intestinal obstruction by CR is limited,therefore making computed tomography(CT)the ideal imaging modality in this regard.AIM To determine the presence of acute bowel obstruction(BO)on abdominal CT scenogram images and the accuracy of determining its possible location,taking into account the experience of the observers.METHODS A retrospective screening was conducted on an ensemble of 46 individuals who presented to the emergency department between January 2021 and January 2022 with severe abdominal pain and were subsequently monitored for suspected ileus.The abdominal CT scans of these patients were assessed by three radiologists with varying levels of experience(1,3,and 10 years)at different intervals(1 mo apart).The evaluation focused on determining the presence or absence of BO,as well as identifying the potential location of the obstruction(small bowel or large bowel).The study employed Kappa statistics to assess inter observer variances,while the McNamer test was used to evaluate obstruction and segmentation discrepancies between observations.A significance level of P<0.05 was determined to indicate statistical significance.RESULTS Out of the total sample size of 46 patients,15 individuals(32.6%)were identified as female,while the remaining 31 individuals(67.4%)were identified as male.The ultimate diagnosis of 42 instances(91.3%)indicated ileus resulting from mechanical obstruction(MO).Among these patients,14(33%)experienced obstruction in the large bowel(LB),while 28(66%)experienced obstruction in the small bowel(SB).The initial evaluation yielded sensitivity rates of 76.19%,83.31%,and 83.33%,and diagnostic accuracy rates of 69.56%,76.08%,and 80.43%for the detection of BO among the three observers.The initial study revealed that the average sensitivity of three observers in detecting the presence of ileus caused by MO was 80.94%,while the diagnostic accuracy was 75.35%.Based on the first evaluation,the senior observer demonstrated the highest sensitivity(85.71%),negative predictive value(92.60%),and diagnostic accuracy(80.43%)when accurately estimating the thick and thin segmentation,as per the final diagnosis.There was no statistically significant disparity observed in the sensitivities pertaining to the identification of ileus during the second assessment,as well as the precise determination of the segment level inside the LB or SB,when comparing the second and third observers.Nevertheless,although there was no statistically significant alteration in the detection rate of ileus by the first observer,there was a notable rise in the accuracy rate of segment estimating(73.91%).The senior assessor had a higher level of accuracy in assessing the existence of ileus and segmentation compared to the other evaluators in both evaluations.CONCLUSION The findings of our study indicate that the sensitivity and accuracy rates of abdominal CT scenogram scans in diagnosing acute MOs are similar to or greater than those of CR.Additionally,the study revealed that radiologists with more experience demonstrated a higher likelihood of accurately predicting the existence and potential localization of MO compared to their less experienced counterparts.

Effect of vaccination status on CORADS and computed tomography severity score in hospitalized COVID-19 patients:A retrospective study

BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic is continuing.The disease most commonly affects the lungs.Since the beginning of the pandemic thorax computed tomography(CT)has been an indispensable imaging method for diagnosis and follow-up.The disease is tried to be controlled with vaccines.Vaccination reduces the possibility of a severe course of the disease.AIM The aim of this study is to investigate whether the vaccination status of patients hospitalized due to COVID-19 has an effect on the CT severity score(CT-SS)and CORADS score obtained during hospitalization.METHODS The files of patients hospitalized between April 1,2021 and April 1,2022 due to COVID-19 were retrospectively reviewed.A total of 224 patients who were older than 18 years of age,whose vaccination status was accessible,whose severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 polymerase chain reaction result was positive,and who had a Thorax CT scan during hospitalization were included in the study.RESULTS Among the patients included in the study,52.2%were female and the mean age was 61.85 years.The patients applied to the hospital on the average 7th day of their complaints.While 63 patients were unvaccinated(Group 1),20 were vaccinated with a single dose of CoronaVac(Group 2),24 with a single dose of BioNTech(Group 3),38 with 2 doses of CoronaVac(Group 4),40 with 2 doses of BioNTech(Group 5),and 39 with 3 doses of vaccine(2 doses of CoronaVac followed by a single dose of BioNTech,Group 6).CT-SS ranged from 5 to 23,with a mean of 12.17.RESULTS CT-SS mean of the groups were determined as 14.17,13.35,11.58,10.87,11.28,10.85,respectively.Accordingly,as a result of the comparisons between the groups,the CT-SS levels of the unvaccinated patients found to be significantly higher than the other groups.As the vaccination rates increased,the rate of typical COVID-19 findings on CT was found to be significantly lower.CONCLUSION Increased vaccination rates in COVID-19 patients reduce the probability of typical COVID-19 symptoms in the lungs.It also reduces the risk of severe disease and decreases CT Severity Scores.This may lead to a loss of importance of Thorax CT in the diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia as the end of the pandemic approaches.

EU Grant Employment Projects, Employment and Erzincan Case

European Union Council Regulation(1085/2006 dated),the Financial Instrument for Pre-Accession(IPA)as well as the other candidate and potential candidate countries constitute the basis for Turkey.The main objective of the IPA is to assist the participating countries in confronting the problems of European integration and in carrying out the necessary reforms to comply with the Copenhagen criteria for EU membership.The Youth Employment Support Operation in Sectoral Investment Areas financed under IPA is carried out for employment,the number one priority objective of its program.PYE-II Operation implemented byİŞKUR and its overall objective is to attract and to retain more people in employment by promoting youth employment and decreasing unemployment rate of young people.Within this framework,the purpose of the Operation is to increase the employability of the young people while promoting their integration into the labour market.Within the scope of the Grant Scheme for Supporting Youth Employment in Sectoral Investment Areas(PYE II),projects for motor vehicle repair and maintenance training were carried out.In this study,the contributions and effects of these projects to employment in automotive repair sector were explained.

Percutaneous management in hepatic alveolar echinococcosis:A sum of single center experiences and a brief overview of the literature

BACKGROUND Hepatic alveolar echinococcosis(HAE)is a serious zoonotic infection that affects humans.It may have a tumor-like appearance at times.Percutaneous treatment of HAE patients is extremely relaxing for them.HAE is a significant human zoonotic infection caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus Multilocularis larvae.It possesses the characteristics of an invasive tumor-like lesion due to its infiltrative growth pattern and protracted incubation period.The disease is endemic over central Europe,Asia,and North America.AIM To characterize HAE patients who were treated percutaneously,their outcomes,and the major technical features of percutaneous treatment in HAE.METHODS Patients who were treated with percutaneous cyst drainage and/or percutaneous biliary drainage were included in the study.Uncorrected abnormal coagulation values and solid or non-infected HAE with minor necrotic change were excluded.RESULTS Thirty-two patients underwent percutaneous cyst drainage,two patients underwent percutaneous biliary drainage,and four patients underwent percutaneous biliary drainage alone.Interventional radiology is utilized to drain echinococcal necrosis and abscesses within/without the liver,as well as diseased and clogged bile ducts.CONCLUSION Percutaneous drainage of cyst contents and/or biliary channels using a minimally invasive technique is a very beneficial.Percutaneous cyst drainage with albendazole therapy improves quality of life in patients who are unable to undergo surgery,even when the mass resolves with long-term treatment.

Notes on Curves at a Constant Distance from the Edge of Regression on a Curve in Galilean 3-Space G_(3)

In this paper,we define the curve rλ=r+λd at a constant distance from the edge of regression on a curve r(s)with arc length parameter s in Galilean 3-space.Here,d is a non-isotropic or isotropic vector defined as a vector tightly fastened to Frenet trihedron of the curve r(s)in 3-dimensional Galilean space.We build the Frenet frame{Tλ,Nλ,Bλ}of the constructed curve rλwith respect to two types of the vector d and we indicate the properties related to the curvatures of the curve rλ.Also,for the curve rλ,we give the conditions to be a circular helix.Furthermore,we discuss ruled surfaces of type A generated via the curve rλand the vector D which is defined as tangent of the curve rλin 3-dimensional Galilean space.The constructed ruled surfaces also appear in two ways.The first is constructed with the curve rλ(s)=r(s)+λT(s)and the non-isotropic vector D.The second is formed by the curve rλ=r(s)+λ2N+λ3B and the non-isotropic vector D.We calculate the distribution parameters of the constructed ruled surfaces and we show that the ruled surfaces are developable.Finally,we provide examples and visuals to back up our research.

Iatrogenic bladder neck rupture due to traumatic urethral catheterization: A case report

BACKGROUND In this article,we present a case of iatrogenic bladder neck rupture due to catheter insertion in a 94-year-old comorbid male patient.CASE SUMMARY The patient,who had a urethral catheter inserted in the palliative service 3 d ago,was consulted because the catheter did not work.Because the fluid given to the bladder could not be recovered,computed tomography was performed,which revealed that the catheter had passed the bladder neck first into the retrovesical area then into the intraabdominal area.The appearance of the anterior urethra and verumontanum was normal at cystoscopy.However,extremely severe stenosis of the bladder neck,and perforated posterior wall of the urethral segment between the prostatic urethra and the bladder neck were observed.Internal urethrotomy was applied to the bladder neck with a urethrotome.An urethral catheter was sent over the guide wire into the bladder.The patient was followed in the palliative care service and the catheter was removed 7 d later.No extravasation was observed in the control urethrography.CONCLUSION Although catheter insertion is a simple and frequently performed procedure in hospitalized patients,it is necessary to avoid unnecessary extra-indication catheter insertion.

Bladder stone due to late clip migration after prostatic urethral lift procedure: A case report

BACKGROUND Prostatic urethral lift(PUL)therapy is an alternative to minimally invasive and other surgeries in younger patients who want to preserve their sexual and ejaculatory functions,and in elderly male patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia who cannot be anesthetized because of the risk of anesthesia.The procedure can be performed as an outpatient and without anesthesia,and complications are few and temporary.In long-term follow-up,encrustations that require retreatment are rarely seen.CASE SUMMARY In our case,a 62-year-old prostate patient who had a PUL operation 8 years ago and had a stone on the PUL material near the bladder neck was treated.The patient’s stone was removed by endoscopic cystolithotripsy using pneumatic fragmentation.Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate was applied to the patient in the same session.After the patient’s 7-year follow-up,the patient’s complaints relapsed,and cystoscopy was performed again.In cystoscopy,stone formation adjacent to the wall was observed at the junction of the bladder neck to the left lateral wall.The stone was fragmented with a pneumatic lithotripter.CONCLUSION Placing clips too close to bladder neck in the PUL procedure may result in clip migration.

Protein adsorption, cell viability and corrosion properties of Ti6Al4V alloy treated by plasma oxidation and anodic oxidation

The hardness,wettability,and electrochemical properties of Ti6Al4V alloy surfaces treated with anodic oxidation and plasma oxidation as well as the viabilities of the different cell lines on the obtained surfaces were investigated.The anodic oxidation was performed for 10 min under 100 V potential,and it resulted in a 0.95μm thick nanoporous anatase-TiO2 structure.On the other hand,plasma oxidation was carried out at 650℃ for 1 h and resulted in a dense rutile-TiO2 structure with a thickness of 1.2μm.While a hardness of HV0.025823 and roughness of^220 nm were obtained by plasma oxidation,those obtained by anodic oxidation were HV0.025512 and^130 nm,respectively.The anodic oxidation process created a more hydrophilic surface with a contact angle of 87.2°.Both oxidation processes produced similar properties in terms of corrosion behavior and showed better resistance than the as-received state in a certain range of potential.Moreover,the surface treatments led to no significant change in the protein adsorption levels,which indicates that the difference in viability between the osteoblast and fibroblast cells was not due to the difference in surface protein adsorption.Given all the factors,the surfaces obtained by anodic oxidation treatment revealed higher cell viability than those obtained by plasma oxidation(p=0.05).

Triple rule-out computed tomography angiography:Evaluation of acute chest pain in COVID-19 patients in the emergency department

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to define clinical evidence supporting that triple ruleout computed tomography angiography(TRO CTA)is a comprehensive and feasible diagnostic tool in patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)who were admitted to the emergency department(ED)for acute chest pain.Optimizing diagnostic imaging strategies in COVID-19 related thromboembolic events,will help for rapid and noninvasive diagnoses and results will be effective for patients and healthcare systems in all aspects.AIM To define clinical evidence supporting that TRO CTA is a comprehensive and feasible diagnostic tool in COVID-19 patients who were admitted to the ED for acute chest pain,and to assess outcomes of optimizing diagnostic imaging strategies,particularly TRO CTA use,in COVID-19 related thromboembolic events.METHODS TRO CTA images were evaluated for the presence of coronary artery disease,pulmonary thromboembolism(PTE),or acute aortic syndromes.Statistical analyses were used for evaluation of significant association between the variables.A two tailed P-value<0.05 was considered statistically significant.RESULTS Fifty-three patients were included into the study.In 31 patients(65.9%),there was not any pathology,while PTE was diagnosed in 11 patients.There was no significant relationship between the rates of pathology on CTA and history of hypertension.On the other hand,the diabetes mellitus rate was much higher in the acute coronary syndrome group,particularly in the PTE group(8/31=25.8%vs 6/16=37.5%,P=0.001).The rate of dyslipidemia was significantly higher in the group with pathology on CTA while compared to those without pathology apart from imaging findings of the pneumonia group(62.5%vs 38.7%,P<0.001).Smoking history rates were similar in the groups.Platelets,D-dimer,fibrinogen,C-reactive protein,and erythrocyte sedimentation rate values were higher in COVID-19 cases with additional pathologies.CONCLUSION TRO CTA is an effective imaging method in evaluation of all thoracic vascular systems at once and gives accurate results in COVID-19 patients.

Effect of age on computed tomography findings:Specificity and sensitivity in coronavirus disease 2019 infection

BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)is a pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus in 2019.Although the real-time reverse transcription PCR test for viral nucleic acids is the gold standard for COVID-19 diagnosis,computed tomography(CT)has grown in importance.AIM To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of thoracic CT findings of COVID-19 pneumonia according to age groups.METHODS PCR and CT results from 411 patients were reviewed.The diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia was made by three radiologists.Lymphadenopathy,pericardial effusion,pleurisy,pleural thickening,pleural effusion,location features of the lesions,ground glass,consolidation,air bronchogram,vascular enlargement,bronchial dilatation,halo finding,inverted halo sign,nodularity,air bubble,subpleural band(curvilinear density),reticular density,crazy paving pattern,and fibrosis findings were recorded.The patients were divided into nine groups by decades while calculating the sensitivity,specificity,and diagnostic efficacy for CT positivity.RESULTS The mean age of the cases was 48.1±22.7 years.The CT finding with the highest diagnostic power was ground glass.Vascular enlargement and bronchial dilatation followed ground glass.Pericardial effusion was the finding with the lowest diagnostic accuracy.The incidence of lymphadenopathy,pleurisy,pleural thickening,peripheral localization,bilateral,ground glass,vascular enlargement,bronchial dilatation,subpleural band,reticular density,crazy paving appearance,and fibrosis all increased increase significantly with age in patients with positive real-time reverse transcription PCR test.CONCLUSION There are few publications comparing sensitivity and specificity of thoracic CT findings according to age.In cases of COVID-19 pneumonia,there is an increase in the variety and frequency of CT findings with age,and parallel to this the sensitivity and specificity of the findings increase.COVID-19 cases in the pediatric age group have fewer lung findings than adults,and this situation decreases the diagnostic value of CT in pediatric patients.

Imaging of acute appendicitis: Advances

We read with interest the review by Teng et al,who summarized the current approach to the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis(AA).Also,the article summarizes the clinical scoring systems very effectively.In one of the previous studies conducted by our research group,we showed that the use of the Alvarado score,ultrasound and C-reactive protein values in combination provides a safe confirmation or exclusion of the diagnosis of AA.Computed tomography is particularly sensitive in detecting periappendiceal abscess,peritonitis and gangrenous changes.Computed tomography is not a good diagnostic tool in pediatric patients because of the ionizing radiation it produces.Ultrasound is a valuable diagnostic tool to differentiate AA from lymphoid hyperplasia.Presence of fluid collection in the periappendiceal and lamina propria thickness less than 1 mm are the most effective parameters in differentiating appendicitis from lymphoid hyperplasia.Although AA is the most common cause of surgical acute abdomen,it remains an important diagnostic and clinical challenge.By combining clinical scoring systems,laboratory data and appropriate imaging methods,diagnostic accuracy and adherence to treatment can be increased.Lymphoid hyperplasia and perforated appendicitis present significant diagnostic challenges in children.Additional ultrasound findings are increasingly defined to differentiate AA from these conditions.

Characteristics of the imaging diagnosis of alveolar echinococcosis

Alveolar echinococcosis(AE)primarily manifests in the liver and exhibits charac-teristics resembling those of slow-growing malignant tumours.Untreated Echino-coccus multilocularis infection can be lethal.By infiltrating the vascular systems,biliary tracts,and the hilum of the liver,it might lead to various problems.Due to its ability to infiltrate neighbouring tissues or metastasize to distant organs,AE can often be mistaken for malignancies.We present a concise overview of the epi-demiological and pathophysiological characteristics of AE,as well as the clinical manifestations of the disease.This article primarily examines the imaging charac-teristics of AE using various imaging techniques such as ultrasonography,com-puted tomography(CT),magnetic resonance imaging,diffusion-weighted ima-ging,and virtual non-enhanced dual-energy CT.We additionally examined the contribution of radiography in the diagnosis,treatment,and monitoring of the condition.