Carotid-cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are vascular shunts between the carotid arterial system with direct drainage into the cerebral venous system, mainly to the cavernous sinus. Direct CCF is a well-recognised complication following head trauma. Classically in direct or traumatic CCF, vessel wall tear occurs at the cavernous segment of the internal carotid artery, between the fixed and free segment. Tears at the supraclinoid segment are rare. We report a case of an internal carotid artery supraclinoid segment pseudoaneurysm, with a direct communication with the cavernous sinus, draining into the superior ophthalmic vein.
Lipomas of the larynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx are rare, accounting for approximately 1% of benign laryngeal neoplasms. We present a rare case of a simple lipoma arising from the right vallecula. A 55-year-old male presented with worsening dysphagia for 1 week. CT scan revealed a lesion of fat attenuation in the right vallecula. The patient underwent surgical excision and recovered uneventfully. To our knowledge, there are only two cases of vallecular lipoma that have been reported and they are both of spindle cell subtype and located on the left side. This is the first reported case of a simple lipoma arising from the right vallecula and causing obstructive symptoms. CT scan or MRI is essential in confirming the diagnosis and assessing the extent, thus allowing prompt excision, especially when the patient is symptomatic.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of a hepatic tumour is an established treatment option with an acceptable complication rate. Formation of a pseudoaneurysm after RFA of liver metastasis is an uncommon complication. We report the case of a 69-year-old female patient developing a hepatic pseudoaneurysm after RFA of liver metastasis. On a follow-up CT scan 6 weeks later, there was spontaneous resolution of the pseudoaneurysm. Hepatic pseudoaneurysms are usually treated owing to the risk of rupture. Invasive procedures or conservative management of an asymptomatic hepatic pseudoaneurysm is still the subject of debate. The spontaneous resolution of a hepatic pseudoaneurysm in our patient suggests that an asymptomatic pseudoaneurysm maybe observed for resolution instead of being treated at presentation.
Emphysematous aortitis is a rare condition that manifests through the presence of air within or surrounding the inflamed aorta. Aortic inflammation may result from either an infective or a non-infective cause. Recognition of this rare condition is important as the resultant clinical deterioration may be rapid and lead to inevitable death. Cross-sectional imaging, with its relatively wide availability, proves an important tool in the diagnosis and subsequent management of this condition. We report two such cases encountered in our centre, with particular focus on the imaging findings on CT.
Barium enema investigation is regarded as a safe investigative procedure. Rarely, it may cause complications such as colonic perforation and barium intravasation. Barium intravasation may be caused by the inadvertent introduction of the catheter into the vagina, thereby into the vaginal venous plexus. It may also occur through mechanical colonic perforation with the catheter, or via diseased bowel conditions. This may lead to complications such as liver microabscesses, massive pulmonary embolism, hypovolemic shock, disseminated intravascular coagulopathy and even sudden death. With that in mind, we would like to report an interesting case of barium intravasation into the portal venous system via the vagina venous plexus. The patient experienced abdominal discomfort with mild per vaginal bleed and went into disseminated intravascular coagulopathy. She received supportive management and she made a full recovery.