There is a high rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescription for acute URTIs in the private health care sector in the State of Qatar. Further studies are needed to determine the population-based rates across the country. Interventions to decrease inappropriate use in such settings are urgently needed.

Assessment of collateral circulation with CTA can be a useful predictor of 3-month outcome in patients with symptomatic cervical ICA occlusion.

SummaryGossypiboma or textiloma is the result of a foreign-body reaction to extraneous material, usually a surgical sponge that was accidentally retained within the body.The diagnosis of a retained surgical sponge is often delayed due to its infrequent occurrence and protean appearances.The purpose of this pictorial review is to define the common sonographic and CT features of gossypiboma. A retrospective review of sonographic and CT images of 6 surgically proven cases of retained surgical sponges was undertaken.

A stent graft was deployed to treat a postcarotid endarterectomy pseudoaneurysm in a 52-year-old man. One and a half years later, he developed asymptomatic extrusion of the stent graft. CT angiography showed stent extrusion with occlusion of the right carotid artery (figure). The stent was explanted uneventfully. Stent extrusion is very rare.1 Reasons for stent extrusion include stent undersizing, ongoing pseudoaneurysm expansion, or carotid blowout at the time of stent deployment.

A 52-year-old woman developed headache, throat foreign body sensation, neck pain, and fever of 3 days duration 3 months after choking on a Pearl Spot fish bone (FB). CSF contained 2,200 cells, neutrophils (90%) with normal sugar and protein. Brain MRI showed possible occipital cerebritis (figure). CT neck revealed a retropharyngeal foreign body, abscess and emphysema, and a pharyngeal fistula. Spine MRI dem-