Preliminary Diagnosis: Bronchogenic/Enteric/Pleuropericardial Cyst
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis?
-
Chest radiographs: PA and lateral views and a dedicated abdominal series of radiographs
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of bronchogenic/enteric/pleuropericardial cyst.
Advantages
-
Highly portable
-
Inexpensive relative to other modalities
-
Exposes patients to minimal ionizing radiation
Disadvantages
-
Less sensitive and specific in evaluating for bronchopulmonary foregut malformations in the chest or abdomen compared with cross-sectional imaging (e.g., CT)
-
Less adept in directing treatment compared with cross-sectional imaging
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
No specific contraindications to plain radiography exist.
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
-
CT of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
-
MRI of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis of bronchogenic/enteric/pleuropericardial cyst.
CT of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
Advantages
-
May help guide treatment
-
Much more sensitive and specific in diagnosing any underlying primary process or any potential secondary complication than plain radiography
Disadvantages
-
Exposes patients to more ionizing radiation than plain radiography
-
Less portable than plain radiography
-
More expensive compared with plain radiography
MRI of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
Advantages
-
Does not expose the patient to any ionizing radiation
-
May further help characterize the lesion and generate a more specific and comprehensive differential diagnosis
Disadvantages
-
May be subject to motion artifact due to length of the exam, which degrades image quality
-
Less adept at detailing osseous structures
VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?
CT of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
May be contraindicated in pregnant patients
MRI of the chest and/or abdomen and pelvis with contrast
Contraindicated in patients with non-MR-compatible hardware
Copyright © 2017, 2013 Decision Support in Medicine, LLC. All rights reserved.
No sponsor or advertiser has participated in, approved or paid for the content provided by Decision Support in Medicine LLC. The Licensed Content is the property of and copyrighted by DSM.