The congenital absence of the major salivary glands is a very infrequent disorder, in which several glands are usually involved at the same time. Sometimes this disorder can be associated with other developmental anomalies. The unilateral aplasia of the submandibular gland is an extremely rare finding with only 14 cases reported in the literature. Clinically, this kind of patients may complain ...

sialolithiasis, neoplasms and developmental disorders may be encountered in the pediatric parotid gland. These lesions may present with swelling of the parotid region, which makes diagnosis problematic. The use of imaging plays an important role in defining the location and extent of lesions and for evaluating involvement of the facial nerve, including the mastoid portion. Finally, imaging can ...

OBJECTIVE Developmental defects of the thyroid gland are the most frequent causes of permanent congenital hypothyroidism. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiological features of patients with thyroid dysgenesis (TD). METHODS Medical records of 234 patients with TD followed between the years 2008 and 2010 were evaluated retrospectively. Diagnosis was made by ultrasonography. RESULTS ...

Hemangiomas are developmental vascular abnormalities and more than 50% of these lesions occur in the head and neck region, with the lips, tongue, buccal mucosa, and palate most commonly involved. They are considered as hamartomas rather than true neoplasms. Here we report a case of hemangioma of the body of the tongue, discussing the diagnostic aspects and treatment modalities of such lesion an...

Th e article by Bataille et al 1 in CHEST (December 2014) represents a signifi cant advancement in the fi eld, not least because it demonstrates that lung ultrasonography (LUS) has serious limitations in patients with acute respiratory failure and that thoracic ultrasonography (TUS), which includes echocardiography, is preferable. Nevertheless, even if we consider Descartes’ observation that pe...

Th e article by Bataille et al 1 in CHEST (December 2014) represents a signifi cant advancement in the fi eld, not least because it demonstrates that lung ultrasonography (LUS) has serious limitations in patients with acute respiratory failure and that thoracic ultrasonography (TUS), which includes echocardiography, is preferable. Nevertheless, even if we consider Descartes’ observation that pe...

Pleural pathology is frequently found in patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). Ultrasonography provides prompt, accurate, and safe diagnosis of pleural diseases at the bedside and guides intervention when necessary. Ultrasonography is an indispensable tool for any intensivist. This article reviews the basic concepts of pleural ultrasonography and its clinical applications in the ICU.

OBJECTIVE To describe a prenatal diagnostic method for evaluating spina bifida by three-dimensional ultrasonography. METHODS Two- and three-dimensional ultrasonography were used to determine the extent of vertebral defects among fetuses with spina bifida. Spinal levels were independently counted from the most caudal thoracic vertebra with a rib (e.g., 12th thoracic rib). A virtual cutting pla...