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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Isodense and hypodense acute subdural hematomas have been reported in the literature in anemic patients. The purpose of this study is to see if there is a statistically significant difference between the Hounsfield unit measurements of acute subdural hematomas in anemic and nonanemic patients. METHODS: A total of 109 patients were analyzed. We measured the most hyperdense component of the subdural hematoma and compared these measurements for both anemic and nonanemic patients. RESULTS:All patients with anemia had a hyperdense component to their subdural hematomas during the acute period. No statistically significant difference was found in the density of the subdural hematomas between the two groups. More heterogeneous subdural hematomas were found in the anemic group than the nonanemic group, which suggests that anemia alone is not a sufficient explanation for acute homogenous isodense and hypodense subdural hematomas. CONCLUSION: A hyperdense subdural component was present in all acute subdural hematomas in anemic patients. Therefore, anemia alone is not a sufficient explanation for a homogenous low-density acute subdural hematoma.Acknowledgments: This project received no funding. The study had an institutional IRB approval. Conflicts of Interest:The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

A 19-year-old male patient presented to the emergency department (ED) with pain in the right iliac fossa. Computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed signs of acute appendicitis, as a result of a metallic foreign body beyond the appendiceal orifice. Upon further questioning, the patient gave a history of ball bearing (BB) gun bullet ingestion in the past. Although rare, foreign body appendicitis occurs. A radiologist should be mindful to reporting such cases especially bizarre foreign bodies for example bullets as it may warrant psychiatric consultation or alter surgical management.

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The usefulness of splenic x-irradiation in the palliative treatment of chronic leukemia is illustrated by the results obtained in the treatment of 18 patients. This form of therapy was generally followed by reduction in organ size, improvement in blood levels, and control of associated anemia. Abnormalities of iron kinetics were defined in nearly all patients prior to therapy. A second ferrokinetic study was performed after remissions were induced by splenic irradiation. In the majority of patients, some evidence of increased red cell sequestration in the spleen could be demonstrated before therapy. The reaction of the erythropoietic tissue to this hemolytic process varied. In a number of patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia, there was an absolute hypoactivity. In the chronic myeloid group, erythropoiesis was either normal or slightly increased. In three cases of CLL with marked hemolytic activity, the erythropoietic activity was increased approximately twofold. However, in none of the anemic cases was erythropoiesis adequate to maintain a normal red cell mass. Extramedullary erythropoiesis was demonstrated in all patients of the myeloid group.