McComb, Barbara L.

Medical simulation training can be used to improve clinician performance, teach communication and professionalism skills, and enhance team training. Radiology residents can benefit from simulation training in diagnostic ultrasound, procedural ultrasound, and communication skills prior to direct patient care experiences. This paper details a weeklong ultrasound simulation training curriculum for radiology residents during the PGY‐1 clinical internship. The organization of established teaching methods into a dedicated course early in radiology residency training with the benefit of a multi‐disciplinary approach makes this method unique. This framework can be adapted to fit learners at different skill levels or with specific procedural needs.

This is the first report, to our knowledge, of widespread, histologically confirmed trisacryl gelatin pulmonary microembolism after renal artery embolization (RAE). In addition, this is the first report of lung involvement by both metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and an embolic agent used for RAE. The patient was a 63-year-old woman who recently presented with both dyspnea on exertion and productive cough. Her past medical history included clear cell RCC, which was treated with preoperative trisacryl gelatin microsphere RAE and right nephrectomy 9 years earlier. Computed tomography of the chest showed multiple lung nodules, a mass-like density in the left lower lobe, and mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathy. Wedge resections of the lung showed multiple foci of metastatic RCC and extensive involvement of the muscular pulmonary arteries by trisacryl gelatin microspheres.

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma (PHG) is a rare, benign lung disease of unknown etiology. It manifests as discrete, rounded nodules within the lung parenchyma. A 39-year-old woman presented for investigation after pulmonary nodules were found incidentally. Chest computed tomography showed multiple, discrete, non-enhancing pulmonary nodules bilaterally. Positron emission tomography (PET) was negative. Biopsy demonstrated a non-specific lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate. Open resection yielded two nodules consistent with hyalinizing granulomas. The differential for multiple pulmonary nodules is broad. PET scan can help rule out metastatic disease, although some cancers are not hypermetabolic on PET. Furthermore, some non-malignant conditions, including hyalinizing granuloma, can show increased activity on PET. PHG should be included in the differential of multiple pulmonary nodules, especially if nodule stability can be demonstrated and/or needle biopsies are non-diagnostic. Associated immune-mediated conditions, such as idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) in our patient, may also favor HG. In this case report we find an association between PHG and ITP.