Interstitial lung disease (ILD) complicates connective tissue disease (CTD) with variable incidence and is a leading cause of death in these patients. To improve CTD-ILD outcomes, early recognition and management of ILD is critical. Blood-based and radiologic biomarkers that assist in the diagnosis CTD-ILD have long been studied. Recent studies, including -omic investigations, have also begun to identify biomarkers that may help prognosticate such patients. This review provides an overview of clinically relevant biomarkers in patients with CTD-ILD, highlighting recent advances to assist in the diagnosis and prognostication of CTD-ILD.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of visual and quantitative chest CT parameters in assessing treatment response in patients with severe asthma.
METHODS: Korean participants enrolled in a prospective multicenter study, named the Precision Medicine Intervention in Severe Asthma study, from May 2020 to August 2021, underwent baseline and follow-up chest CT scans (inspiration/expiration) 10-12 months apart, before and after biologic treatment. Two radiologists scored bronchiectasis severity and mucus plugging extent. Quantitative parameters were obtained from each CT scan as follows: normal lung area (normal), air trapping without emphysema (AT without emph), air trapping with emphysema (AT with emph), and airway (total branch count, Pi10). Clinical parameters, including pulmonary function tests (forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1] and FEV1/forced vital capacity [FVC]), sputum and blood eosinophil count, were assessed at initial and follow-up stages. Changes in CT parameters were correlated with changes in clinical parameters using Pearson or Spearman correlation.
RESULTS: Thirty-four participants (female:male, 20:14; median age, 50.5 years) diagnosed with severe asthma from three centers were included. Changes in the bronchiectasis and mucus plugging extent scores were negatively correlated with changes in FEV1 and FEV1/FVC (ρ = from -0.544 to -0.368, all P < 0.05). Changes in quantitative CT parameters were correlated with changes in FEV1 (normal, r = 0.373 [P = 0.030], AT without emph, r = -0.351 [P = 0.042]), FEV1/FVC (normal, r = 0.390 [P = 0.022], AT without emph, r = -0.370 [P = 0.031]). Changes in total branch count were positively correlated with changes in FEV1 (r = 0.349 [P = 0.043]). There was no correlation between changes in Pi10 and the clinical parameters (P > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: Visual and quantitative CT parameters of normal, AT without emph, and total branch count may be effective for evaluating treatment response in patients with severe asthma.

Traumatic upper extremity injuries are a common cause of emergency department visits, comprising between 10-30% of traumatic injury visits. Timely and accurate evaluation is important to prevent severe complications such as permanent deformities, ischemia, or even death. Computed tomography (CT) and CT angiography (CTA) are the favored non-invasive imaging techniques for assessing upper extremity trauma, playing a crucial role in both the treatment planning and decision-making processes for such injuries. In CT postprocessing, a novel 3D rendering method, cinematic rendering (CR), employs sophisticated lighting models that simulate the interaction of multiple photons with the volumetric dataset. This technique produces images with realistic shadows and improved surface detail, surpassing the capabilities of volume rendering (VR) or maximal intensity projection (MIP). Considering the benefits of CR, we demonstrate its use and ability to achieve photorealistic anatomic visualization in a series of 11 cases where patients presented with traumatic upper extremity injuries, including bone, vascular, and skin/soft tissue injuries, adding to diagnostic confidence and intervention planning.

Cranial vault thickness (CVT) and its variations provide valuable insights into an individual\'s biological attributes such as age and sex. This paper aimed to assess the correlations of CVT with age and sex and develop a regression model for age estimation in Malaysian subadults using computed tomography (CT) images. A total of 521 CT images (male/female: 279/242; age range: 0-20 years; Malay/Chinese/Indian: 221/145/155) were included in the study. Correlations of CVT measurements with age and sex, including frontal bone thickness (FBT), occipital bone thickness (OBT), left parietal bone thickness (LPBT), and right parietal bone thickness (RPBT) were assessed and regression formulae were developed for age estimation in subadults. A significant correlation between CVT measurements and age was demonstrated (p < 0.001). Age estimation was most accurate in the younger age group (< 2 years) at frontal and occipital, and accuracy decreases in the older age groups. Additionally, sexual dimorphism was evident in the frontal and parietal bone thickness within the age range of 3-6 years and 16-20 years, respectively. In conclusion, the findings suggested CVT measurements could be used to corroborate other age estimation methods for subadults.

BACKGROUND: Cervical spine computed tomography (CSCT) scans are frequently performed in older emergency department (ED) trauma patients based on the 65-year-old high-risk criterion of the Canadian Cervical Spine Rule (CCR). We sought to determine the positivity rate of CSCT scans in symptomatic and asymptomatic patients to assess the current applicability of age in the CCR.
METHODS: We reviewed CSCT ED reports from two institutional hospitals from 2018 to 2023. The primary variable was age; however, we also recorded fracture types and sites and type of treatments. Patients were separated into symptomatic and asymptomatic cohorts. We used a Fisher\'s exact test to compare variables between the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups and chi-square tests for comparison between age groups.
RESULTS: Of 9455 CSCTs performed in patients ≥ 65 years, 192 (2.0%) fractures were identified (113 females); 28 (0.30%) were in asymptomatic patients. The rates of fractures (1.6%) and asymptomatic fractures (0.18%) were lowest in the 65- to 70-year age group. There were no distinguishing features as to the level or part of the vertebra fractured or surgical treatment rate between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients.
CONCLUSIONS: Cervical spine fractures in posttrauma patients ≥ 65 years are uncommon, with the lowest incidence in those 65 to 70 years old. Excluding asymptomatic individuals aged 65-70 from routine CSCT presents a minimal risk of missed fractures (0.18%). This prompts consideration for refining age-based screening and integrating shared decision making into the clinical protocol for this demographic, reflecting the low incidence of fractures and the changing health profile of the aging population.

UNASSIGNED: Idiopathic scrotal calcinosis is a rare and benign disease of the scrotal skin that presents as solitary or multiple painless calcified nodules or papules in the absence of systemic disorders of calcium or phosphorus metabolism. Although some theories have been proposed as to the cause of this rare disease, the exact cause remains unknown. In a resource-poor medical setting like Nigeria, a confident diagnosis of this condition can be made with ultrasonography.
UNASSIGNED: The objective of this report is to emphasize the role of ultrasound in the imaging diagnosis of idiopathic scrotal calcinosis.
UNASSIGNED: This is a case report of a 38-year-old man who presented with recently discharging but longstanding multiple painless scrotal nodules of 22-years duration.
UNASSIGNED: This case illustrates the prompt and accurate diagnosis of idiopathic scrotal calcinosis using an ultrasound, a readily available imaging modality in a low-resource setting.Although histology remains the gold-standard for diagnosing idiopathic scrotal calcinosis following surgical excision, this benign disorder has unique sonographic characteristics that could aid the radiologist in making a confident diagnosis.

Blunt chest trauma caused ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Diagnosis of intramural hematoma (IMH) using computed tomography was confirmed using electrocardiography, cardiac marker tests, and subsequent coronary angiography. After conservative treatment, the hematoma was completely resolved 1 year later. Differentiating IMH from other arterial injuries is critical for appropriate management.

UNASSIGNED: Late diagnosis is associated with high mortality rates in acute pulmonary embolism (PE), so early diagnosis and risk assessment are crucial. We aim to evaluate computed tomography pulmonary angiography measurements to identify relationships with 30-day mortality in patients with pulmonary embolism. This study investigated the utility of computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) measures in determining 30-day PE-related mortality and identified various echocardiographic, demographic, and clinical variables that were independently associated with short-term mortality in patients with acute PE.
UNASSIGNED: This retrospective study examined data from July 2018 to April 2023. A total of 118 patients were included in the study. Clinical and demographic characteristics, laboratory findings, echocardiographic data, and CTPA images were retrieved from the electronic database and patient charts.
UNASSIGNED: The rate of 30-day mortality was 14.41%. Deceased patients were significantly older than survivors (73.53 ± 14.17 vs. 60.23 ± 17.49 years; p = 0.004), but the sex distribution was similar. In multivariable logistic regression, having received radiotherapy for malignancy, high pulmonary artery obstruction index % (> 46.2), high left pulmonary artery diameter (> 23.9 mm), and high coronary artery calcification score (> 5.5) were independently associated with mortality.
UNASSIGNED: These results reveal specific parameters that can assist acute PE management by enabling the identification of critical events. Despite promising results in predicting short-term mortality in acute PE, further prospective cohort studies are needed to confirm the results of the present study.

Elbow arthroplasty is increasing in popularity and can be used to treat many conditions, such as trauma, primary and secondary osteoarthritis, inflammatory arthritis, and osteonecrosis. Total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) is reserved for patients with severe symptoms refractory to more conservative management. In addition to TEA, hemi-arthroplasty, interposition arthroplasty, and resection arthroplasty also play roles in the management of elbow pain. There are specific indications for each type of arthroplasty. Postoperative complications may occur with elbow arthroplasties and may be surgery or hardware related. Imaging is important in both pre-operative planning as well as in post-surgical follow-up. This article reviews the different types of elbow arthroplasties, their indications, their normal postoperative imaging appearances, and imaging findings of potential complications.

UNASSIGNED: Computed tomography (CT) is the gold standard for diagnosing canine nasal diseases. However, it cannot easily detect minor abnormalities in inflammatory diseases because they are not accompanied by obvious morphological changes.
UNASSIGNED: The present study aimed to compare the differences in normal CT findings of turbinate structure and mucosa between breeds to establish criteria for CT diagnosis of inflammatory diseases of the nasal cavity.
UNASSIGNED: CT data from 77 dogs of 5 breeds without nasal diseases were retrospectively studied. The nasal air percentage, which reflects the volume of the nasal turbinate structure and mucosa, was measured. The nasal turbinate mucosa was measured for contrast enhancement reflecting blood flow. Measurements were performed in the ventral and ethmoid turbinate (ET) regions. Comparisons were made between breeds and sections.
UNASSIGNED: The air percentage in the ventral and ET regions was significantly different between breeds. Contrast enhancement was significantly different between breeds only in the ET. Moreover, different breeds had different correlations between body weight, age, nose length, and air percentage.
UNASSIGNED: In this study, reference values for normal CT findings of the nasal structure and mucosa were obtained, taking into account the breed, measurement section, and patient factors. The results showed that the volume of the turbinate structure and contrast enhancement of nasal mucosa differed depending on the breed. The measured values also differed depending on the cross-sections and patient factors.