For percutaneous image-guided biopsies of spinal tumorous lesions, diagnostic yield was 80%. Size, bone matrix, and final diagnosis of lesions affected diagnostic yield of percutaneous image-guided biopsies.

Background Indications for computed tomography (CT) in preoperative patients with thyroid cancer are still controversial. Purpose To determine the value of CT and ultrasonography (US) in preoperative lymph node assessment of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) according to primary tumor size. Material and Methods A total 453 patients with surgically proven PTC who underwent US and CT for preoperative evaluation in 2010 at our tertiary referral center were included. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of US, CT, and the combination of US and CT (US/CT) in the preoperative nodal assessment were compared. We performed subgroup analysis to compare the findings according to primary tumor size. Results In overall tumors, adding CT to US had greater sensitivity, lower specificity, and greater accuracy in predicting central lymph node metastasis (LNM) but lower accuracy in prediction of lateral LNM. In smaller cancers (≤1 cm), US alone had greater specificity and accuracy than CT alone or US/CT in predicting lateral LNM. In larger cancers (>1 cm), CT had greater sensitivity and accuracy than US in predicting central LNM, while US had greater specificity and accuracy than CT in predicting lateral LNM. There were no patients with smaller tumors who showed retropharyngeal and superior mediastinal LNM diagnosed by CT alone. Conclusion CT is superior to US for detecting central LNM in preoperative patients with PTCs > 1 cm. However, there are no benefits to adding CT to US to predict lateral LNM in small cancers (≤1 cm).

ObjectiveCystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare congenital disease in Korea, and its clinical and imaging findings are unclear. The objective of our study was to describe the clinical and CT features of CF in Korea and compare its features with those of other diseases mimicking CF.Materials and MethodsFrom November 1994 to December 2014, a presumptive diagnosis of CF was made in 23 patients based on clinical or radiological examination. After the exclusion of 10 patients without diagnostic confirmation, 13 patients were included in the study. A diagnosis of CF was made with the CF gene study. CT findings were evaluated for the presence and distribution of parenchymal abnormalities including bronchiectasis, tree-in-bud (TIB) pattern, mucus plugging, consolidation, and mosaic attenuation.ResultsOf the 13 patients, 7 (median age, 15 years) were confirmed as CF, 4 (median age, 19 years) had primary ciliary dyskinesia, 1 had bronchiectasis of unknown cause, and 1 had chronic asthma. CT of patients with CF showed bilateral bronchiectasis, TIB pattern, mosaic attenuation, and mucus plugging in all patients, with upper lung predominance (57%). In CT of the non-CF patients, bilateral bronchiectasis, TIB pattern, mosaic attenuation, and mucus plugging were also predominant features, with lower lung predominance (50%).ConclusionKorean patients with CF showed bilateral bronchiectasis, cellular bronchiolitis, mucus plugging, and mosaic attenuation, which overlapped with those of non-CF patients. CF gene study is recommended for the definitive diagnosis of CF in patients with these clinical and imaging features.