Spectrum and Frequency of Imaging Findings in Dengue Fever
DURR-E-SHAHWAR HAYAT, ANUM SULTAN, ZEBA ADEEL, SAHAR FATIMA, MUHAMMAD ALI, BHESHAM KUMAR
1749
ABSTRACTObjective:
The
dengue fever is the infectious disease that is caused by the bite of species
Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. The dengue outbreak is a periodic major
health issue in Pakistan with the recurrence of the disease reported every
year. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the spectrum and frequency of
radiological findings in dengue fever with a positive serological test.
Materials
and Methods: A
retrospective analysis of all patients showing positive findings on different
imaging modalities was included. Of the total 390 patients, 171 underwent
different radiological imaging. The male to female ratio was 2.1:1, with a mean
age of 35.9 years. Frequency of radiological findings was evaluated using chest
and abdominal sonography as the initial diagnostic modalities. Cerebral
haemorrhage and encephalitis were evaluated using CT and MRI contrast studies.
Age distribution and frequency of radiological findings were evaluated.
Results:
The
most common finding was mild ascites recorded in 72 patients followed by mild
right-sided pleural effusion and edematous gall bladder wall thickening.
Splenomegaly was a more frequent finding compared to hepatomegaly. The newly
encountered finding of renal parenchymal changes was recorded in 7 patients.
Only two patients had cerebral encephalitis and haemorrhage. Liver abscess was
recorded in 1 patient.
Conclusion:
In
a nutshell, the patients with the clinical presentation of dengue infection and
radiological findings of ascites, pleural effusion, and gall bladder wall oedema
during an epidemic should imply the diagnosis of dengue fever until proven
otherwise. The economic and timely available modality of ultrasound helps in
the early commencement of medical treatment before the availability of
serology. The commonly encountered findings of mild ascites, pleural effusion,
liver changes, and renal parenchymal disease attribute to the different
antigenic factors and demographic variation. However, more studies are required
with targeted evaluation of these visceral changes in disease.
Key Words: Dengue, Ultrasound, Computed
Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
Objective:
The
dengue fever is the infectious disease that is caused by the bite of species
Aedes aegypti or Aedes albopictus. The dengue outbreak is a periodic major
health issue in Pakistan with the recurrence of the disease reported every
year. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the spectrum and frequency of
radiological findings in dengue fever with a positive serological test.
Materials
and Methods: A
retrospective analysis of all patients showing positive findings on different
imaging modalities was included. Of the total 390 patients, 171 underwent
different radiological imaging. The male to female ratio was 2.1:1, with a mean
age of 35.9 years. Frequency of radiological findings was evaluated using chest
and abdominal sonography as the initial diagnostic modalities. Cerebral
haemorrhage and encephalitis were evaluated using CT and MRI contrast studies.
Age distribution and frequency of radiological findings were evaluated.
Results:
The
most common finding was mild ascites recorded in 72 patients followed by mild
right-sided pleural effusion and edematous gall bladder wall thickening.
Splenomegaly was a more frequent finding compared to hepatomegaly. The newly
encountered finding of renal parenchymal changes was recorded in 7 patients.
Only two patients had cerebral encephalitis and haemorrhage. Liver abscess was
recorded in 1 patient.
Conclusion:
In
a nutshell, the patients with the clinical presentation of dengue infection and
radiological findings of ascites, pleural effusion, and gall bladder wall oedema
during an epidemic should imply the diagnosis of dengue fever until proven
otherwise. The economic and timely available modality of ultrasound helps in
the early commencement of medical treatment before the availability of
serology. The commonly encountered findings of mild ascites, pleural effusion,
liver changes, and renal parenchymal disease attribute to the different
antigenic factors and demographic variation. However, more studies are required
with targeted evaluation of these visceral changes in disease.
Key Words: Dengue, Ultrasound, Computed
Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging.