title: Application of computed tomography in differential diagnosis of radiographic opacities in the lower thorax and upper abdomen.
abstract: The differential diagnosis of radiographic homogeneous opacities in the lower thorax and upper abdomen is very often a dilemma for radiologists. Recently we have encountered the following 8 cases in which the correct radiologic diagnoses (confirmed pathologically) were made only by computed tomography: pyogenic liver abscesses (2 cases), subphrenic hematoma, pancreatitis with pseudocyst, adrenal cortical carcinoma, ovarian carcinoma with liver metastasis, lower lobe pulmonary infarction, and metastatic breast cancer in the peri-esophageal region. The CT findings displayed not only the anatomic location and extent of these lesions but also the unique characteristics of many of the pathologic processes that produce these otherwise nonspecific radiographic opacities. It is our purpose here to demonstrate the CT findings in such patients and to advocate CT study as a very effective diagnostic modality in those patients who present with radiographic homogeneous opacities in the lower thorax and upper abdomen.
mesh_terms: D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010182:Pancreatic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010997:Pleural Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011860:Radiography, Abdominal; D013896:Thoracic Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed