Computed tomography-based validation of abdominal adiposity measurements from ultrasonography, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and anthropometry.

Large-scale aetiological studies of obesity and its pathological consequences require accurate measurements of adipose mass, distribution and subtype. Here, we compared the validity of three abdominal obesity assessment methods (dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), ultrasound and anthropometry) against the gold-standard method of computed tomography (CT) in twenty-nine non-diseased middle-aged men (BMI 26.5 (sd 3.

A novel mutation in the LIM homeobox 3 gene is responsible for combined pituitary hormone deficiency, hearing impairment, and vertebral malformations.

Context: The LIM homeobox 3 (LHX3) LIM-homeodomain transcription factor gene, found in both man and mouse, is required for development of the pituitary and motor neurons, and is also expressed in the auditory system.

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the cause of, and further explore, the phenotype in six patients (aged 6 months to 22 yr) with combined pituitary hormone deficiency (CPHD), restricted neck rotation, scoliosis, and congenital hearing impairment. Three of the patients also have mild autistic-like behavior.

Gastric emptying before and after liver transplantation for familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy, Portuguese type (Val30Met).

Liver transplantation is an accepted treatment of familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP), Portuguese type (Val30Met), and the outcome so far seems promising. Gastric retention with nausea and vomiting are common complications of the disease, and may interfere with immuno-suppression therapy and prolong recovery after liver transplantation. The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of gastric retention in FAP patients and to evaluate the impact liver transplantation has on gastric emptying.

MRI of the skeleton in prostate cancer staging.

Objective: To explore the value of MRI in the detection of bone metastases in newly diagnosed prostate cancer.

Material And Methods: MRI examinations of the axial skeleton in 76 patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer were reviewed, and the relation of these findings to the serum level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) was examined.

Results: MRI indicated bone metastases in 26/76 patients (34%) in the entire study group, in 4/24 (17%) with serum PSA <20 ng/ml and in 22/52 (42%) with serum PSA >20 ng/ml.