Background To emphasize the importance of CT in the diagnosis of COVID-19 disease by comparing the thoracic CT findings of COVID-19 patients with positive RT-PCR results and patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 but with negative RT-PCR results. Results In our study, COVID-19 patients with positive RT-PCR results (RT-PCR (+) group) and patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 but negative RT-PCR results (RT-PCR (−) group) were compared in terms of CT findings. In CT images, ground-glass opacity and ground-glass opacity + patchy consolidation were the most common lesion patterns in both groups. No statistically significant differences in the rates and types of lesion patterns were observed between the two groups. In both groups, lesion distributions and distribution patterns were similarly frequent in the bilateral, peripheral, and lower lobe distributions. Among the 39 patients who underwent follow-up CT imaging in the first or second month, a regression in lesion number and density was detected in 18 patients from both groups. Consolidations were completely resorbed in 16 of these patients, and five patients had newly developed fibrotic changes. The follow-up CT examination of 16 patients was normal. Conclusions Due to the false-negative rate of RT-PCR tests caused by various reasons, clinically suspected COVID-19 patients with a contact history should be examined with CT scans, even if RT-PCR tests are negative. If the CT findings are positive, these patients should not be removed from isolation.

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the frequency of typical and atypical thoracic CT findings in patient groups diagnosed during different periods of the pandemic, examine disease severity using radiological scoring methods, and determine the relationship between atypical CT findings and disease severity.Materials and methods: One hundred fifty-one patients with positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test and thoracic CT scan were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups as group 1 (March to August 2020) diagnosed in the first six months of the pandemic and group 2 (September 2020 to February 2021) diagnosed in the second six months. CT images of the patients were analyzed for the frequency of typical and atypical findings. Evaluation was made in terms of disease suspicion and severity by scoring methods, and the relationship between atypical findings and disease severity was examined.Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the frequency and distribution patterns of typical CT findings observed in both groups. The most common atypical finding in both groups was nodular lesions. Central distribution, one of the atypical findings, was not seen in group 1, whereas it was present in nine patients in group 2 (p=0.001). The mean CT severity score was higher in group 2, and there was a statistically significant difference between the mean CT scores of both groups (p<0.001). In addition, six (7.2%) patients in group 1 and 34 (50%) patients in group 2 had CT scores above the cut-off value (p<0.001). There was no statistically significant relationship between atypical findings and severity score.Conclusion: Other diseases and atypical findings that may accompany COVID-19 pneumonia may increase the rate of misdiagnosis. In the diagnosis of the disease, clinical signs and symptoms and radiological findings should be evaluated together, and it should be kept in mind that lung findings in thorax CT change over time.

Objectives: Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) results in changes in anatomical structures. The aim of this study was to examine the morphological changes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment methods in patients with TMD. Methods: 34 TMD patients (18–62 years of age) were randomly divided into two treatment groups. Group A (n=18) was subjected to dry needling (DN) and mobilization for 10 sessions, Group B (n=16) was instructed to use occlusal splint with home exercises for one month. The control group included MRIs of 17 healthy adults that were randomly selected from the archives of Radiology Department of Mustafa Kemal University. The length and width of the masseter, lateral and medial pterygoid muscles and the depth of the mandibular fossa were measured and mandibular condyle types were recorded. Range of motion of each temporomandibular joint was evaluated in pre- and post-treatment periods to test the effectiveness of the treatment methods. Results: The size of the masticatory muscles in TMD group was significantly smaller than the control group (p<0.05). The depth of the mandibular fossa was significantly shallower in the TMD group (p<0.05). The most commonly encountered condylar shape was convex in the TMD group (63.6%), but flat (58.8%) in the control group. No statistically significant relationship was observed between condyle type and fossa depth (p>0.05). However, the fossa depth showed a significant correlation with muscle size (p<0.05) and this correlation decreased with dysfunction. Dry needling and mobilization significantly decreased pain and increased mandibular movements (p<0.05); however, there was no significant change for Group B. Conclusion: The anatomical structures associated with the temporomandibular joint seems to be affected in patients with TMD. We suggest that the limited movement of the temporomandibular joint may cause atrophy of the masticatory muscles, affecting the range of motion of the joint. Dry needling and mobilization techniques might be a more effective alternative than occlusal splint in the treatment of TMD.

Bu çalışmada çok kesitli bilgisayarlı tomografi (ÇKBT) ile torakal aortik varyasyonları ve görülme sıklığını değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Hastanemiz Radyoloji Ünitesinde Ocak 2016-Mart 2019 tarihleri arasında çekilen 2978 kontrastlı toraks bilgisayarlı tomografi tetkiki torakal aortik varyasyon varlığı, varyasyonların cinsiyet farklılığı yönünden retrospektif olarak değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Çalışmamızda torakal aortik varyasyonu görülme oranı %22.5 olup bu oran kadınlarda %25.76, erkeklerde %20.63 idi. En sık görülen torakal aortik varyasyon trunkus brakiosefalikus ile sol ana karotis arter aortadan ortak kökten orjin almasıdır (Bovine arkı). Görülme oranı %13.76 idi. Diğer görülen varyasyonlar izole sol vertebral arterin aortadan çıkması, arkus aorta aberran sağ subklavyen arter (ARSA) varyasyonu, sağ arkus aorta ve aort koarktasyonudur. Bu varyasyonlara eşlik eden ikincil varyasyon ise sol vertebral arterin arkus aortadan orjin almasıdır. Kadın-erkek oranı açısından bakıldığında bovine arkı ve sağ arkus aorta varyasyonunda istatiksel olarak anlamlı fark izlenmiş olup diğer varyasyonlarda anlamlı fark izlenmedi. Sonuç: Torakal aortik varyasyonlar çoğunlukla asemptomatik olup bazı tipleri semptomatiktir. Bu varyasyonların görüntüleme özelliklerine aşina olmak, doğru tanı ve sınıflandırma ve cerrahi tedaviye rehberlik etme açısından önemlidir. Kontrastlı ÇKBT noninvaziv bir görüntüleme yöntemi olup, bu varyasyonların kapsamlı bir değerlendirmesini sağlamaktadır.

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