What is prominent ostia to the left renal artery?

(I tried to share it with the doctor here but I don’t have his name right.)

Sent it to a nurse who may be around.

The ostium (plural: ostia) of a vessel is where it branches off a larger vessel. So the point where the renal artery branches off the aorta is prominent. This isn’t necessarily significant, but to tell you more I’d have to read the rest of the report to put it in context. Feel free to PM if you’d like me to speak to a radiologist at work, or expand on your clinical history.

@janbb Osorareo

I sent a pm to @FireMadeFlesh with more info. Thanks for the help everyone!

Well, let us know what it is!

So far I’ve learned that ostia is plural for ostium, and spell check does not like either word.

LOL! That’s very informative @jonsblond!

Osorara has left the building.

@osoraro is still here. Check those vowels, ladies. Rare bear in Latin.

I’m still here. I’m not sure what it is Jon is talking about actually. If you type our the whole impression of the ct scan I can help more.

Thank you @osoraro. I’ll type it out as soon as I get my daughter on her school bus. (This is Janet, btw)

I spoke to the radiologist I was working with tonight, and he agrees that it is most likely an incidental finding – meaning it is something worth noting in the report, but unlikely to have any clinical significance. I also work with one of the world’s best vascular interventional radiologists, so I’ll mention it to him when I see him next also.

Knew it meant rarebear but not how to spell it.

Thank you @FireMadeFlesh.

@osoraro I’ve had several chest scans over the past two years as a follow up after I was diagnosed with histoplasmosis. Over the past several months I’ve have ongoing shortness of breath and now chest pains behind my sternum. The recent scan was taken when I went to the ER for shortness of breath.

“There again are fibronodular changes. There is no consolidation or pleural fluid. There again are mildly enlarged central nodes.”

“There is no pericardial fluid. There again is mild enlargement of the heart. There are no definite changes for PE. There is no axillary adenopathy. There are mild bony degenerative changes with areas of mild thoracic bony spinal stenosis. The ascending aorta is borderline enlarged at 33 mm. There is a small gastroesophageal hernia. The upper abdomen is stable. There is a partially imaged prominent ostia to the left renal artery which is unchanged.”

I’m asking the collective for insight because my doctor glanced at the report and did not look at it thoroughly. She was about to let me go when I asked her to explain some of the findings. That’s when she noticed the part about the mildly enlarged heart and hernia. She would not have noticed if I hadn’t said anything. She also had to look up the definition of ostia.

The fibronodular changes and mildly enlarged central nodes are consistent with histoplasmosis (I assume you had a tissue diagnosis via a lymph node biopsy or a biomarker based diagnosis via a urine antigen test or serologies, though the later is not definitive). The prominent ostia is just a fancy way of saying a “big opening”. I doubt it has any physiologic meaning which is why your doctor wasn’t worried about it.

I did have a lung biopsy @Quakwatch. You’ve put my mind at ease. Thank you so much for answering.

I will be seeing my pulmonolgist in two weeks and I’ll be able to talk to him about the recent scan. I’ve had to put off the appointment for two months because I’ve been without insurance. Not feeling well and not knowing what exactly is wrong with me has been stressful. I really appreciate the help I’ve received here.

Incidental findings are very frequently seen on CT scans. Most are of limited significance. Radiologists HAVE TO mention them however because the film never lies. That is, if, by some chance there is a bad outcome associated with an incidental finding and it was mentioned, then they aren’t liable. The clinical decision is left to the clinician that ordered the test in the first place. In essence, the radiologist is a recorder of data, but not necessarily an interpreter, most of the time.

Agree completely with @Quakwatch. I don’t have anything further to add.

From my scan- There again is mild enlargement of the heart. The ascending aorta is borderline enlarged at 33 mm.

Can someone tell me if this is something that shouldn’t be ignored, or is it not that significant? Should I follow through with a cardiologist? My recent EKG was normal. Would an echocardiogram find a problem that wasn’t found with the EKG?

I was supposed to see my pulmonologist today but they canceled. I have to wait until Dec. 31st now before I can ask him questions.

thanks

A definitive answer is a challenge without knowing the reason for the repeat testing. Are you short of breath? Having pain? Ongoing fevers? Etc. That said, a CT cannot tell you about how your heart is functioning, whereas an echocardiogram can. An EKG is a snapshot of heart electrical activity that can tell you what is happening both in real time and show evidence of past issues (i.e. if a person had a heart attack in the past, there will be evidence on an EKG.) However, to really understand heart function, studies such as exercise treadmill testing, echocardiography (with or without a stress) and/or catheterization are needed.

Your CT scan doesn’t say very much, and I think it is safe to wait until you see the pulmonologist to follow up.

The repeat scans were to follow up on my histoplasmosis diagnosis. I’ve had occasional shortness of breath since my diagnosis and most recently some chest pains behind my sternum. The most recent scan was done when I went to the ER because I couldn’t catch my breath. I had the classic symptoms of an anxiety attack. No one really knows the exact cause of the pains and shortness of breath. That’s why I’m having all of these tests done.

I think I will wait and see what my pulmonologist suggests. You have put my mind at ease a bit, @Quakwatch. Thanks again. I appreciate the help.