Preliminary Diagnosis: Osler-Weber-Rendu Disease
I. What imaging technique is first-line for this diagnosis
-
Plain radiography.
II. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of this technique for diagnosis of Osler-Weber-Rendu disease.
Advantages
-
Quick and relatively inexpensive imaging modality
-
Exposes patients to minimal ionizing radiation
Continue Reading
Disadvantages
-
Poorly sensitive and specific in detailing and characterizing any potential hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectatic lesions
-
Does not offer exquisite visualization and evaluation of the surrounding soft tissues and osseous structures
-
Unable to guide treatment and therapy
III. What are the contraindications for the first-line imaging technique?
-
No specific contraindications to plain radiography exist. Some institutions may require consent for pregnant women.
IV. What alternative imaging techniques are available?
-
CT of the area of interest
-
Catheter angiography
V. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of the alternative techniques for diagnosis Osler-Weber-Rendu disease.
CT of the area of interest
Advantages
-
Offers exquisite visualization of the surrounding soft tissues, vascular structures, and osseous structures
-
May guide treatment
-
Relatively quick imaging modality
-
Highly sensitive and specific in detecting, diagnosing, and characterizing potential lesions
Disadvantages
-
Exposes patients to ionizing radiation.
Catheter angiography
Advantages
-
Gold standard in diagnosing and treating patients with Osler-Weber-Rendu disease
-
Highly sensitive and specific in detecting and characterizing telangiectatic lesions
Disadvantages
-
Invasive procedure and exposes patients to the risks of an invasive procedure
-
May expose patients to large amounts of ionizing radiation
VI. What are the contraindications for the alternative imaging techniques?
CT of the area of interest
-
May be contraindicated in pregnant patients
Catheter angiography
-
May be contraindicated in pregnant patients and those in a hypocoagulable state
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.
