TIE Fighter Sign: Decoding an Unusual Culprit Beyond Pelvic Ascites


In a previous discussion, we delved into the TIE fighter sign in the context of pelvic ascites, where the automated bladder scanner misinterpreted ascites as a full urinary bladder. Here is another example of the TIE fighter sign, but with a different underlying pathology – this time, it’s due to a large ovarian cyst. It’s essential to recognize that these ‘named signs’ merely reflect our pareidolias or imaginative perceptions and should not be exclusively linked to specific pathologies. Always approach the interpretation of findings within the appropriate clinical context. For instance, the patient in this case exhibited no ascites in the upper quadrants and had no conditions predisposing to ascites, such as cirrhosis or heart failure. Additionally, it would also be interesting to rescan after the patient voids (where the bladder is decompressed). CT images and formal transvaginal ultrasound (bladder is emptied for TV scan) images demonstrating the cyst are shown below.



