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Year : 2013
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: 16 | Issue : 3 | Page
: 223 |
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Necklace shadow in the neck after surgery |
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Rajinder Singh Rawat, Yatin Mehta, Naresh Trehan
Medanta Institute of Critical Care and Anesthesiology, Medanta the Medicity, Gurgaon, Haryana, India
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Date of Web Publication | 29-Jun-2013 |
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How to cite this article: Rawat RS, Mehta Y, Trehan N. Necklace shadow in the neck after surgery. Ann Card Anaesth 2013;16:223 |
We describe the finding of a necklace shadow around the neck of a 72-year-old female coronary artery bypass graft patient when her post-operative chest radiograph (anterior-posterior view) was performed [Figure 1]. Arterial blood gas showed PaO 2 135 mmHg. Pulmonary artery pressure and wedge pressure were normal. We looked for necklace around the neck, but we could not find any foreign body. The shadow appeared in continuity with pulmonary artery catheter, which was inserted through right internal jugular vein after induction of anesthesia and before start of the surgery. A slight withdrawal of the catheter was carried out, but this shadow persisted. We compared this X-ray with pre-operative film and a similar shadow was seen in the trachea. The Radiologist's opinion was taken, who described this shadow as calcification of tracheal rings and a finding in old age especially in the female population. It is a normal variant, but the appearance of necklace like shadow is rare. Calcification of tracheal rings was collectively looking as beads of a necklace.

Correspondence Address: Yatin Mehta Medanta Institute of Critical Care and Anesthesiology, Medanta the Medicity, Sector 38, Gurgaon - 122 001, Haryana India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0971-9784.114259

[Figure 1] |
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