OBJECTIVE: To evaluate an alternative brachytherapy technique for uterine cervix cancer involving the distal vagina, without increasing the risk of toxicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Theoretical study comparing three different high-dose rate intracavitary brachytherapy applicators: intrauterine tandem and vaginal cylinder (TC); tandem/ring applicator combined with vaginal cylinder (TR+C); and a virtual applicator combining both the tandem/ring and vaginal cylinder in a single device (TRC). Prescribed doses were 7 Gy at point A, and 5 Gy on the surface or at a 5 mm depth of the vaginal mucosa. Doses delivered to the rectum, bladder and sigmoid colon were kept below the tolerance limits. Volumes covered by the isodoses, respectively, 50% (V50), 100% (V100), 150% (V150) and 200% (V200) were compared. RESULTS: Both the combined TR+C and TRC presented a better dose distribution as compared with the TC applicator. The TR+C dose distribution was similar to the TRC dose, with V150 and V200 being about 50% higher for TR+C (within the cylinder). CONCLUSION: Combined TR+C in a two-time single application may represent an alternative therapy technique for patients affected by uterine cervix cancer involving the distal vagina.

Keywords: Cervical cancer, Radiotherapy, Intracavitary brachytherapy, Dosimetry

OBJECTIVE: To measure the uterine cervical length by using transvaginal ultrasonography in patients with clinical signs compatible with preterm labor threat, and correlating each individual measurement with spontaneous pregnancy interruption within seven days. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sonographic examinations were performed in 72 patients with clinical signs compatible with preterm labor threat. RESULTS: Sensitivity was 90.5%, specificity, 98%, positive predictive value, 95%, and negative predictive value, 96%. A standard uterine cervix length of 15 mm was considered as a predictive value for preterm labor. CONCLUSION: It seems to be possible to foresee preterm delivery in patients whose cervical length is < 15 mm. Such observation could contribute to a timely corticosteroid administration to accelerate fetal lung maturity.

Keywords: Transvaginal ultrasonography, Preterm labor, Uterine cervical length, Preterm labor diagnosis

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, by means of ultrasonography, the spatial parameters of the hyolaryngeal complex in the deglutition dynamics as well the correlation between age and effects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present prospective and quantitative study included 39 healthy men and women in the age range between 20 and 70 years (mean, 45.56; standard deviation, 14.53). The swallowing biomechanics corresponding to the measurement of the distance between the upper portion of the hyoid bone and the upper rim of the thyroid cartilage at the moment of maximum laryngeal elevation was evaluated. Measurements were performed with the ingestion of pasty or liquid food. RESULTS: The variation of the distance between the hyoid bone and the larynx presented a positive association with aging only in the swallowing of pasty food that requires a higher lingual propulsive activity than liquid food does. CONCLUSION: An increase in the distance between the hyoid bone and the larynx, corresponding to a poorer laryngeal elevation, may occur during the deglutition of pasty food as a result of aging, a process where a decrease in functional reserves is observed even in healthy individuals. Ultrasonography can detect the swallowing behavior related to foods consistency, demonstrating the diagnostic potentiality of this method in the evaluation of the deglutition.

Keywords: Ultrasonography, Swallowing, Cervical, Dysphagia, Biomechanics, Larynx

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate radiographically the effect of manual traction on the length of the cervical spine in healthy individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The sample of the present study included 55 individuals - 12 men (22%) and 43 women (78%) - with no previous history of cervical disorders, submitted to two radiological procedures previously and during manual traction sustained for 120 seconds. Distances between the anterior and posterior edges from the second to the seventh cervical vertebrae were measured and compared before and during manual traction. RESULTS: The median of pre-traction anterior length was 8.40 cm, increasing to 8.50 cm during the traction (p=0.002); and the median of pre-traction posterior length was 8.35 cm, increasing to 8.50 cm during traction (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Application of manual traction resulted in a statistically significant increase in the length the cervical spine in healthy individuals.

Keywords: Radiography, Cervical spine manipulation, Muscle stretching exercise

Cervical cancer is the worldwide leading cause of cancer-related death of women, especially in developing countries. The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics recommends staging during surgery, however, surgical-pathologic staging would not be feasible in cases of more advanced cancers. Generally, in these cases, the staging is performed by means of clinical and gynecological examination and basic imaging studies. However, such an approach fails to demonstrate the actual extent of the disease, and does not include significant prognostic factors such as tumor volume, stromal invasion and lymph node involvement. Magnetic resonance imaging has increasingly been utilized in cervical cancer staging, since at early stages of the disease its performance may be compared to intraoperative findings and, at advanced stages, it shows to be superior to the clinical evaluation. Additionally, magnetic resonance imaging presents an excellent imaging resolution for the different densities of pelvic structures, does not require ionizing radiation, is comfortable for the patient, improves de staging, allowing the early detection of recurrence and the identification of reliable prognostic factors which contribute to the therapeutic decision making process and results prediction with an excellent cost-effectiveness. The present article is aimed at reviewing the most significant aspects of magnetic resonance imaging in the cervical cancer staging.

Keywords: Cervical cancer, Staging, Magnetic resonance imaging

Laryngoceles are fairly unusual diseases defined as anomalous saccular dilatation of the laryngeal ventricles. The usual classification divides laryngoceles into internal, external and mixed types. Internal laryngoceles are those located medially to the thyrohyoid membrane and usually compress the false vocal cords causing hoarseness or airway obstructive symptoms. External laryngoceles extend through the thyrohyoid membrane, presenting as cervical masses; and mixed laryngoceles present both the internal and external components with their respective symptoms. Diagnosis is usually defined by computed tomography and/or laryngoscopy. This is a report of a case of mixed laryngocele diagnosed by ultrasonography in a patient referred for investigation with a history of palpable cervical mass.

Keywords: Laryngocele, Cervical mass, Ultrasonography, Laryngoscopy

OBJECTIVE: To verify if different morphological ultrasonographic markers such as the funneling sign and the cervical gland area can be predictors of spontaneous premature delivery in pregnant women between 21 and 24 weeks of gestation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study in which 361 women with 21 to 24 weeks of gestation were examined by transvaginal ultrasonography. The gestational age at delivery was later checked by telephone or mail. RESULTS: Spontaneous preterm delivery (SPD) occurred in 5% of the patients. Cervical funneling occurred in 4.2% of the women and in 22.2% of those who had SPD. This finding was correlated to preterm delivery (p < 0.001; relative risk of 6.68). Absence of a hypoechoic area peripheral to the cervical canal consistent with endocervical epithelium glands, namely endocervical glandular echo (EGE) feature, was detected in 2.8% of all patients and in 44.4% of those who developed spontaneous preterm labor. There was a statistically significant association of this feature to SPD (p < 0.001; relative risk of 28.57). Multivariance logistic regression analysis showed that this was the feature with strongest correlation with SPD, when compared to cervical funneling. CONCLUSION: Prediction of SPD through ultrasound features should observe biometrical and morphological signs such as absence of EGE. This is a new and important ultrasound finding that can be considered a predictor of risk for SPD, and should be confirmed in future multicentric trials.

Keywords: Cervical gland area, Pregnancy, Preterm delivery, Transvaginal ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the response and potential toxicity of fractionated interstitial high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for post-radiation pelvic recurrence in cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 1998 to 2001, 11 patients aged 41 to 71 years with cervical carcinoma stages II to IV who presented pelvic recurrence after radiation therapy were treated wit interstitial HDR. Nine of these patients (82%) had squamous cell carcinoma and two had adenocarcinoma. Radiation consisted of 20 Gy to 30 Gy delivered in fractions of 4 Gy to 5 Gy over three days. The median follow-up was 22.5 months (2 to 54 months), with periodic physical examinations (three months interval). One patient died without evaluation of the response. RESULTS: Ten patients (91%) presented complete clinical response, three patients (27%) were disease free, two were alive with disease, three (27%) died of cancer and three (27%) were lost in the follow-up after the second recurrence. Urinary tract toxicity grade III was 9% (one patient). CONCLUSION: Interstitial HDR brachytherapy is an alternative approach to selected patients with recurrent cervical carcinoma after radiation therapy. High response rates were achieved with low toxicity taking into account the studied group, time of follow-up and re-irradiation.

Keywords: Recurrent cervical carcinoma, Radiation therapy, High-dose rate brachytherapy, Gynecological cancer

The authors report two cases of patients with Madelung's disease, a symmetric fat deposit in the neck and superior mediastinum that involves nerves and vessels. Computed tomography can reveal the fat contents of these masses and guide preoperative staging and post-surgical follow-up.

Keywords: Madelung's disease, Cervical lipomatosis, Computed tomography

The authors report a case of a 24 year-old female patient with a three-month history of pain and enlargement of the left halux. Ultrasound showed a heterogeneous, hypoechoic solid soft tissue mass with cystic areas and calcification in the dorsum of the left halux. A tendinous structure was identified within the lesion but no evidence of involvement of adjacent osseous structures was found. Doppler ultrasound revealed central and peripheral hypervascularization of the lesion. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a solid soft tissue mass containing a tendinous structure. The lesion appeared as an intermediate signal intensity structure on T1 images, high signal intensity on T2 images, and showed marked enhancement after intravenous administration of gadolinium. No osseous lesions were identified. The patient was submitted to surgical resection of the lesion in the dorsum of the left halux and the pathology results revealed a monophasic fibrous synovial sarcoma.

Keywords: Synovial sarcomas, Soft-tissue tumors, Ultra-sonography, Magnetic resonance imaging

Objective: To evaluate the cervical length by means of transvaginal ultrasonography in a population of healthy pregnant women, developing a normality curve in the period between the 20th and 34th gestational weeks. Materials and methods: Cross sectional study involving 145 healthy singleton pregnancies with healthy fetuses between 20 and 34 weeks of gestation, evaluated at the units of ultrasonography of Hospital Universitário Júlio Müller and of a private center. Each pregnant woman underwent a single transvaginal ultrasonography study, with measurement and recording of the cervical length. Exclusion criteria were: preterm labor, preterm premature rupture of membranes, placenta previa, use of tocolytics and/or progesterone, cerclage or any surgical intervention prior to pregnancy. The association between cervical length and gestational age was evaluated by linear regression analysis. Results: The cervical length presented a progressive decrease (0.8 mm/week) as the gestational age progressed (r = –0.351; p < 0.001). The women with cervical funneling presented shorter cervix (p = 0.001). Interpolation of the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles provides a graph to be used as a reference. Conclusion: The mean cervical length decreases about 0.8 mm per week in the period between the 20th and 34th gestational weeks.

Keywords: Cervical length measurement; Ultrasonography; Cervix uteri; Preterm labor.

Objetivo: A principal utilidade da tomografia por emissão de pósitrons com 18-fluordeoxiglicose (FDG-PET) está no estadiamento do câncer de pulmão. Porém, ela também pode ser utilizada para diferenciar lesões pulmonares indeterminadas, mas seu impacto na ressecção cirúrgica de lesões benignas é desconhecido. O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar a prevalência de lesões benignas em toracotomias feitas por suspeição de câncer de pulmão, antes e após a introdução do FDG-PET, em um centro de referência de cirurgia torácica. Materiais e Métodos: Os autores analisaram, prospectivamente, uma base de dados cirúrgicos de todos os pacientes consecutivos submetidos a toracotomia por câncer de pulmão suspeito ou comprovado e compararam a prevalência de lesões benignas em dois grupos ao longo de dois anos consecutivos, respectivamente antes (grupo I) e depois (grupo II) da introdução da FDG-PET. Resultados: Ressecção cirúrgica foi feita em 1.233 pacientes durante o período do estudo. A prevalência de lesões benignas na cirurgia nos grupos I e II foi similar (44/626 e 41/607, ambas correspondendo a 7%), e também no grupo II, entre aqueles submetidos a FDG-PET e os restantes (21/301 e 20/306 respectivamente, ambos correspondendo a 7%). No grupo II, dos 21 pacientes com lesões benignas submetidos a FDG-PET, 19 tiveram um estudo falso-positivo (valor médio padrão de captação 5.3 [faixa 2.6–12.7]). Desses, respectivamente 13 e 4 pacientes tiveram broncoscopia não diagnóstica e biópsia transtorácica percutânea de pulmão antes da toracotomia. Não houve diferença na proporção de lesões benignas diferentes ressecadas entre o grupo I e aqueles submetidos a FDG-PET no grupo II. Conclusão: A introdução da FDG-PET não alterou a proporção de pacientes submetidos a toracotomia por lesões benignas, principalmente devido à avidez pelo isótopo de algumas lesões não malignas. Tais resultados falsos-positivos devem ser considerados nos casos em que se contempla a possibilidade de ressecção cirúrgica em pacientes com câncer de pulmão não confirmado.

Keywords: Tomografia por emissão de pósitrons; Tomografia computadorizada; Pulmão – lesões benignas ou congênitas; Câncer de pulmão – diagnóstico e estadiamento; Câncer de pulmão – cirurgia.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a completude das fissuras, resposta radiológica ao tratamento e análise quantitativa por TC (AQTC) em população de pacientes com enfisema grave submetidos ao implante de valvas endobrônquicas (VEB). MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram estudados exames de TC multidetectores de 29 pacientes, realizados com protocolo de baixo dose, cortes finos, sem contraste. Dois radiologistas revisaram, retrospectivamente, os exames em consenso. A completude das fissuras foi estimada em escala de 5% e a resposta radiológica (atelectasia/perda volumétrica do lobo alvo) foi avaliada. AQTC foi realizada nos exames pré e pós-tratamento utilizando programa completamente automático. RESULTADOS: Resposta radiológica positiva foi vista em 16/29 pacientes. Os 13 pacientes sem resposta à TC apresentavam fissuras incompletas e completude média das fissuras obliquas de 72,8%, contra 88,3% no outro grupo. Os resultados mais significativos da AQTC mostraram redução do volume pulmonar (VP) total (média de 542 ml), VP tratado (700 ml) e volume de enfisema (331,4 ml) no grupo com resposta positiva, que também apresentou melhora nos testes funcionais. CONCLUSÃO: O benefício das VEB é maior em pacientes com fissuras completas e que desenvolvem atelectasia lobar. Nos pacientes sem resposta radiológica encontramos maior prevalência de fissuras incompletas e grau de incompletude das fissuras. Nossa AQTC automática detectou as alterações pós-tratamento, principalmente considerado a análise do pulmão tratado.

Keywords: Enfisema; Terapia de colapso pulmonar; Tomografia computadorizada.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the frequency and types of upper cervical spine injuries in asymptomatic elderly patients undergoing computed tomography (CT) for the investigation of minor head trauma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study of 2613 asymptomatic elderly patients with minor head trauma seen between January 2015 and December 2016. We adopted a dedicated head CT protocol that included the C1–C2 region. RESULTS: Of the 2613 patients analyzed, 33 (1.26%) had upper cervical spine injuries, corresponding to 8.37% of the 394 patients with trauma-related findings. Of those 33 patients, 6 had C1 fractures and 27 had C2 fractures. The use of 16- and 128-slice scanners increased the CT dose by 25.0% and 23.7%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Inclusion of the C1–C2 region in head CT scans allowed us to identify upper cervical spine injuries in 1.26% of asymptomatic elderly patients with minor head trauma. The protocol evaluated helps detect potentially life-threatening injuries and could be adopted for routine use in elderly individuals with minor head trauma.

Keywords: Craniocerebral trauma; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Spinal injuries/diagnosis; Cervical vertebrae/injuries; Tomography, X-ray computed.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar os padrões tomográficos relacionados aos agentes etiológicos da pneumonia em pacientes durante o primeiro ano após transplante renal. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS: Foram analisados dados de prontuários de 956 pacientes submetidos a transplante renal, no período de 2013 a 2018, em um centro transplantador renal do nordeste do Brasil. Nos pacientes que desenvolveram pneumonia, os agentes etiológicos foram classificados em bactérias piogênicas, micobactérias, fungos, vírus e pneumonia polimicrobiana, enquanto os padrões tomográficos foram classificados em consolidação, broncopneumonia, pneumonia intersticial e nódulos e massas. Para verificar associação estatística entre micro-organismos e padrões tomográficos, foi utilizado o teste exato de Fisher, com p < 0,001. RESULTADOS: Foram encontrados 101 casos de pneumonia, dos quais 60 (59,4%) tiveram agente etiológico identificado, sendo as bactérias piogênicas as mais frequentes, detectadas em 22 (36,7%) dos casos. Entre os pacientes com agente causal identificado, o padrão tomográfico predominante foi o de nódulos e massas, identificado em 25 (41,7%) casos. Foi observada associação entre bactérias piogênicas e o padrão de consolidação, fungos com nódulos e massas, bem como entre agentes virais e padrão intersticial. CONCLUSÃO: Foi demonstrada associação estatística entre micro-organismos causadores de pneumonia e padrões tomográficos, informação que pode contribuir para o planejamento da terapia de pacientes transplantados renais.

Keywords: Pneumonia; Transplante de rim; Tomografia computadorizada.