OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe the main radiological aspects of postoperative intestinal obstruction in patients submitted to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass by means of the Higa's technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 patients presenting with postoperative intestinal obstruction following a gastric reduction procedure were evaluated in the period between November 2001 and April 2006, in seven different medical centers. RESULTS: In the ten patients, the obstruction occurred in the small bowel, five of them because of internal hernias, three because of adhesions, one because of an umbilical hernia and one because of intussusception. Four patients presented obstruction early in the postoperative period (by the seventh post-op day), and six, late in the postoperative period (between the third month and the fifth year). CONCLUSION: All of the cases of intestinal obstruction were found in the small bowel. Internal hernia was the most frequent cause, followed by adhesion. Other causes included umbilical hernia and intussusception.

Keywords: Morbid obesity, Bariatric surgery, Intestinal obstruction, Complication, Radiology, Computed tomography

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with Parkinson's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In the period from October 1999 to October 2002, 42 patients with parkinsonism were investigated using a 1.5 T MR equipment. Patients were divided into two groups: patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 26) and patients with atypical Parkinsonian syndrome (n = 16). The results were compared with a control group (n = 18). The following variables were evaluated: thickness of the mesencephalon compact pars, hypointense signal in the putamen, degree of brain atrophy, lesions in the mesencephalon, lesions in the white matter, and the presence of lesions in the posterior-lateral edge of the putamen. Statistical data analysis was carried out using the SPSS program. RESULTS: The mean age was 58.2 years for the Parkinson's disease and control groups, and 60.5 years for the atypical Parkinsonian syndrome group. Patients with Parkinson's disease and atypical Parkinsonian syndromes presented decreased thickness of the compact pars and a higher degree of signal hypointensity in the putamen. Cerebral atrophy was more prominent in the patients with atypical Parkinsonian syndrome. Lesions in mesencephalon and white matter were similar in both groups. The frequency of hyperintense signal in the posterior-lateral edge of the putamen was low within the studied population, although that could suggest multiple-system atrophy. CONCLUSION: Magnetic resonance imaging allows the detection of brain morphological changes that may help in the diagnosis of Parkinsonian syndromes.

Keywords: Parkinson's disease, Magnetic resonance imaging, Neuroradiology

We carried out 30 comparison studies to establish the relationship between mammography and pathology findings in 29 patients with malignant breast tumors that presented calcifications associated with the lesion on the mammograms. The main purpose of this work was to verify whether the shapes of the calcifications correspond to specific types of tumor, and could be related to the location they originate from. Two objective features of the calcifications observed on the mammograms were studied: shape and distribution. This study showed that carcinomas of the comedo type presented a high frequency of pleomorphic calcifications (95.5%) and a ductal distribution pattern in 66.5% of the cases. Cribriform carcinomas that were not associated to the comedo type presented only round calcifications in 66.5% of the cases, prevailing an undefined distribution pattern (78.5%). Micropapillary tumors that were not associated to the comedo type presented only round calcifications in 66.5% of the cases, prevailing an undefined distribution pattern (66.5%). None of the tumors showed a lobular distribution pattern. Shapeless calcifications in the absence of a tumoral nodule may be suggestive of infiltrative ductal carcinoma. Considering the histological architectural pattern of the 30 tumors, 24 (80%) showed the expected calcification shapes.

Keywords: Mammography, Breast calcifications, Pathologic anatomy

We conducted a retrospective analysis of 71 selected pediatric patients, aged 1 to 7 years, which were submitted to helical computed tomography examination of the paranasal sinuses in the period between March, 1997 and April, 1998 due to recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic sinusitis. Clinical and helical computed tomography findings were compared by evaluating the pneumatization of the paranasal sinuses, ostiomeatal complexes, anatomic variants, the status of mucosal surface and lesion extension. The most common CT findings were total or partial opacification of one or more paranasal cavities (92.9%), followed by mucosal thickening (67.6%). In the majority of cases there was association between sinusitis and ostiomeatal obstruction. Anatomic variants were identified from the age of one year. The most common anatomic variant was septonasal deviation (14.1%) that was associated to sinusitis in about 71% of the patients.

Keywords: Helical computed tomography, Paranasal sinuses, Radiology

The authors analyzed the patterns observed on the high-resolution computed tomography scans of the chest of 20 patients with silicosis and correlated them with the anatomopathological findings of five patients. The most common findings were randomly distributed nodules that were confluent in most cases, and at times formed conglomerate masses, predominantly in the upper and posterior lung regions. Emphysema was also another important finding.

Keywords: Silicosis, High-resolution computed tomography, Anatomopathology

Closed loop obstruction of the bowel is an extremely grave condition that may lead to serious consequences and even be fatal. The authors describe a case of a patient with intestinal obstruction secondary to cancer of the sigmoid and highlight the importance of computed tomography in the analysis of the pathological changes in routine management of patients with acute abdomen.

Keywords: Computed tomography. Small bowel obstruction. Rupture of the cecum. Cancer of the sigmoid.