Authors:
Francesca Di Vece Section of Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, Italy

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Paola Tombesi Section of Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, Italy

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Francesca Ermili Section of Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, Italy

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Sergio Sartori Section of Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anna Hospital, Ferrara, Italy
Section of Interventional Ultrasound, Department of Internal Medicine, St. Anna Hospital, corso Giovecca 203, I-44100, Ferrara, Italy

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Abstract

Primary achalasia is a rare disorder of unknown aetiology characterized by dysfunction of esophageal motility secondary to degeneration of esophageal neurons. Some diseases, in particular neoplastic diseases, can cause symptoms similar to achalasia, and this condition is called pseudoachalasia. Pseudoachalasia can be indistinguishable from primary achalasia, and many investigations are often necessary to detect or exclude an underlying neoplasia. We report a case in which thoracic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and percutaneous CEUS-guided lung biopsy played a central role in differentiating aspiration pneumonia secondary to achalasia and complicated by lung abscess from pseudoachalasia secondary to lung carcinoma, after computed tomography (CT) yielded inconclusive findings. US contrast agent SonoVue® has an exclusively intravascular distribution, and its ability to discriminate between contrast vascular signal and tissue signal is greater than that of CT, making CEUS superior to CT in distinguishing perfused, viable tissues from avascular necrotic tissues. Although its use in pleuropulmonary pathology is still off-label, CEUS can play a useful role in characterizing peripheral pulmonary masses in selected cases.

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2019  
Scimago
H-index
11
Scimago
Journal Rank
0,220
Scimago
Quartile Score
Medicine (miscellaneous) Q3
Scopus
Cite Score
155/133=1,2
Scopus
Cite Score Rank
General Medicine 199/529 (Q2)
Scopus
SNIP
0,343
Scopus
Cites
206
Scopus
Documents
23

 

Interventional Medicine and Applied Science
Language English
Size  
Year of
Foundation
2009
Publication
Programme
changed title
Volumes
per Year
 
Issues
per Year
 
Founder Akadémiai Kiadó
Founder's
Address
H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Publisher Akadémiai Kiadó
Publisher's
Address
H-1117 Budapest, Hungary 1516 Budapest, PO Box 245.
Responsible
Publisher
Chief Executive Officer, Akadémiai Kiadó
ISSN 2061-1617 (Print)
ISSN 2061-5094 (Online)

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