Background Since June 2020, an explosion in number of new COVID-19 patients has been reported in Iraq with a steady increment in new daily reported cases over the next 3 months. The limited number of PCR kits in the country and the increment in the number of new COVID-19 cases makes the role of CT scan examinations rising and becoming essential in aiding the health institutions in diagnosing and isolating infected patients and those in close contacts. This study will review the spectrum of CT pulmonary changes due to COVID-19 infection and estimate the CT severity score index and its relation to age, sex, and PCR test results. Results The ground glass opacities were the most common encountered pattern of pulmonary changes and were seen in (79%). There was strong positive correlation between higher CT severity score and male gender (p value = 0.0002, R2 = 0.9). Also, there was significant correlation of CT severity score and increasing age (p value less than 0.00018). Significant correlation was seen between CT scan percentage of lung involvement and positive PCR test results (p value = 0.001917), as the CT severity index is increasing, the PCR test is more likely to be positive. Conclusions Chest CT is an important and fast imaging tool for the diagnosis of COVID-19-infected patients especially in developing countries. In addition, chest CT can predict the disease severity by showing the percentage of lung involvement and hence give an idea about the prognosis of the disease. Higher CT severity score is significantly correlated with male gender, older age group patients and likely positive PCR test.

Abstract Background: Early detection of many thyroid disorders is essential in the management. Ultrasound elastography is beneficial in the assessment of diffuse thyroid diseases.      Aim of study: To assess the role of ultrasound strain elastography in the diagnosis of diffuse non nodular thyroid disease in comparison to healthy controls and in the characterization and differentiation of the types of diffuse thyroid diseases. Patients and methods: It is a prospective analytic study performed in the Radiology Department of Oncology Teaching Hospital/Medical city Complex in Baghdad during the period from 1st of December 2019 to 30th of June, 2020 on convenient sample of 25 patients with diffuse thyroid disease, in addition to a sample of 25 healthy control persons. The diagnosis of diffuse thyroid diseases was made by combination of clinical symptoms, laboratory investigations and thyroid ultrasound. Results: The mean elastography strain ratio (1.36) of patients with diffuse thyroid disease was significantly higher than (0.82) mean of elastography strain ratio for healthy control persons (p<0.001). The acceptable cutoff elastography strain ratio in the diagnosis of diffuse thyroid disease was 0.89 with validity results (80% sensitivity, 70% specificity and 75% accuracy). The mean elastography strain ratio for patients with Hashimotos thyroiditis was significantly higher than the strain ratio of patients with Graves disease (p=0.002). Conclusions: The ultrasound elastography is useful in the assessment and characterization of diffuse thyroid disease. The ultrasound elastography strain ratio value is helpful in differentiation between different diffuse thyroid diseases especially between Hashimotos thyroiditis and Graves's disease

Objectives: is to evaluate the mammographic focal asymmetric breast densities FABD in order to highlight which FABD might need further workup through detailed ultrasonographic characterization and comparison with the pathological results in indicated cases. Methods: A cross sectional analytic study was performed in the Oncology Teaching Hospital/Medical City from March 2018 to November 2018. The study included 70 women who attended the Main Referral Center for Early Detection of Breast Tumors with focal asymmetric breast densities FABD were detected by mammography. The focal asymmetry was analyzed and the other associated findings were assessed and registered. While breast ultrasound was performed for all patients, fine needle aspiration (FNA) was carried out for cases with suspicious findings on ultrasound and any FNA suspicious or malignant lesion was subsequently biopsied and the results were recorded. Results: mammographic FABD was found in the right breast in 37 cases (52.9%) and in the left in 33 cases (47.1%). The upper outer quadrant (UOQ) was the most common location of FABD (43 cases). In 25 cases (34.2%) with FABD, there was no abnormality found on ultrasound, but normal looking breast parenchymal tissue. Ultrasound had shown benign findings in 30 cases (44.2%). On the other hand, suspicious and/or malignant features were observed in 15 cases (22.4%) which subsequently proved to be malignant by FNA and biopsy. Architectural distortion or grouped microcalcifications and a clinically palpable FABD were associated with malignant FABD; no benign FABD revealed to be associated with these findings. Conclusion: The finding of FABD is common on mammography and mostly represents a benign entity of normal breast parenchymal tissue. However; it may indicate an underlying hidden malignancy especially in the presence of superadded mammographic findings as ill-defined mass, architectural distortion or grouped microcalcification.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer reported in women worldwide . In Iraq, it is the  most common registered malignancy. Mammography plays a major role in  the early detection of breast cancers. Dense breast parenchyma has been reported to be the most important inherent factor that limits  depiction of breast cancer on mammogram, and often needs supplementary breast ultrasound for complete assessment.  Objectives: To evaluate and compare the diagnostic performance of mammography and ultrasound in the detection of breast cancer in dense breast tissue. Patients and methods: A record review study was performed in the Oncology Teaching Hospital/ Medical City from April 2018 to December 2018. The study included forty five females, who attended the Main Referral Center for Early Detection of Breast Tumors during 2017 and 2018 were diagnosed with breast  cancer histopathologically . They had dense breast tissues on mammography (either heterogeneously dense breast tissue i.e . category C or extremely dense breast tissue i.e. category D). All patients underwent  subsequent breast ultrasound . Their information including the mammogram findings, breast ultrasound, fine needle aspiration (FNA) and biopsy results were reviewed analyzed and compared. Results:Twenty four patients (53.3%) had heterogeneously dense breast tissue (ACR category C) and 21 patients (46.6%) had extremely dense breast tissue (ACR category D). The mammogram detected 36 from 45 breast cancers (80%) while 9 (20%) were not detected by mammogram, so the mammogram had a detection rate of breast cancer of 80% in mammographically dense breast, while breast ultrasound had higher  detection rate of about 97.7% .The sensitivity of mammography in extremely dense breast tissue was about 71% and in heterogeneously dense breast was about 87% while ultrasound had shown a higher sensitivity with increasing tissue density (98% vs. 100%). Conclusion: Breast cancer can be easily obscured and missed in mammographically dense breast tissue due to overlapping surrounding fibroglandular tissue and additional complementary breast ultrasound is highly recommended for a thorough evaluation and to depict mammographically occult breast carcinoma.