MRI of hydatid disease of the liver: a variety of sequences.

Hydatid disease is a parasitic manifestation that is most commonly seen in the liver. Diagnosis of this condition in the liver is usually straightforward and achieved through US and CT. Complicated cases and the often bizarre appearance of the disease can frequently create problems for the diagnostician, however.

Osmotic demyelination syndrome with a dysequilibrium syndrome: reversible MRI findings.

Neurological disorders may be seen in end-stage renal disease patients due to uraemia or to complications of dialysis. A dysequilibrium syndrome may be seen, usually soon after or towards the end of haemodialysis. This group of patients has no particular findings on MRI.

HLA antigens and linkage disequilibrium patterns in Turkish Behçet's patients.

Behçet's disease (BD) is a multisystem disorder featuring mucocutaneous, ocular, articular, vascular, intestinal, pulmonary, and neurologic involvement. Although the pathogenesis of the disease is still unknown, most studies have proposed that immunologic factors may play a major role in its development in genetically predisposed individuals. Seventy-one Turkish patients with BD, diagnosed according to the International Study Group for Behçet's Disease criteria, were studied and compared with 600 healthy controls to determine not only frequencies of HLA-A, B, and DR antigens but also whether BD shows any distinct linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns.

Granulocyte and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factors, their receptors and interleukin-3 levels in newborns.

Serum levels of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and interleukin-3 (IL-3) as well as neutrophil counts were studied on the first, second and fifth days after birth, in order to elucidate the relations between neutrophil kinetics and these hematopoietic factors. The G-CSF and GM-CSF receptors on neutrophils were also investigated in 16 healthy newborns. G-CSF and GM-CSF receptor-positive neutrophil percentages were not different from those in the peripheral blood of adult controls.

Cytokines in acute rheumatic fever.

Unlabelled: Plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF alpha) were determined by ELISA in 27 patients with acute rheumatic fever (RF), 12 with only arthritis (RFA) and 15 with rheumatic heart disease (RHD), before, during and after treatment. Altogether, significant increases in TNF alpha, IL-8 and IL-6 levels were observed in the acute phase as compared to the data found during and after treatment. No significant differences were observed for the other cytokines.

Immunologic evaluation of a neonate born to an immunosuppressed kidney transplant recipient.

There are only a few reports about immunologic evaluation of neonates who have been exposed to immunosuppressive drugs during fetal life. We followed up immunoglobulins, T, B and natural killer (NK) cell levels in an infant of a kidney transplant recipient who has been exposed to cyclosporine, azathioprine, and prednisolone during his fetal life. B-cell percentage, absolute counts, and immunoglobulin levels were normal at birth, but IgG value was lower than our normal controls at 3 months and low normal at 6 months of age.

Cutaneous histoplasmosis in a child with hyper-IgM.

Immunodeficiency with hyperimmunoglobulinemia M is a rare disease characterized by very low levels of IgG and IgA and normal or high levels of serum IgM and IgD. Recurrent and severe systemic infections with pathogenic bacteria are frequent if immunoglobulin replacement therapy is not given. Histoplasmosis is a systemic granulomatous mycosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum and characterized by a particular affinity for the reticuloendothelial system.

CT and MR imaging of splenic leiomyoma in a child with ataxia telangiectasia.

Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a splenic leiomyoma in an 8-year-old boy with ataxia telangiectasia are presented. This is the first reported case of a splenic leiomyoma in the literature.

MR findings in peliosis hepatis.

Peliosis is an uncommon condition characterized by multiple-blood-filled cavities mostly involving the liver. Although the etiology is unknown the condition may be associated with several disease states and medications. We report the MR findings of peliosis hepatis in a patient with Fanconi anemia who had been treated with anabolic androgenic steroids for 3 years.

Systemic oxalosis: pathognomonic renal and specific extrarenal findings on US and CT.

Hyperoxaluria is characterized by nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis on radiological examination and may also result in diffuse deposition of calcium oxalate crystals in multiple extrarenal organs (oxalosis). In two cases, the renal findings of primary hyperoxaluria were diagnosed by ultrasound and computed tomography scans. In addition to renal involvement, both patients had liver involvement, and one patient had cardiac involvement.

Neonatal tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6 response to infection.

Various studies have shown that in vitro production of cytokines by leukocytes from the newborn are normal, decreased, or increased. We investigated the blood levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) interleukin-1 alpha, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and interleukin-6 (IL-6) simultaneously to assess the cytokine response to systemic infection during the neonatal period. One or more cytokine levels were elevated in all of the newborns with sepsis.

Late hemodynamic changes in percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty.

Percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV) was performed in 57 patients with mitral stenosis. Twenty-three women and 34 men (mean age 28 +/- 10 mean +/- SD) were included in the study. A single-balloon (trefoil or bifoil) technique was used in 49 patients and a double-balloon (trefoil + monofoil) technique in eight.