Prevalence and etiology of low bone mineral density in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

Objective: Studies of adults with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have frequently demonstrated the presence of decreased bone mineral density (BMD). However, there have been few investigations in pediatric patients to date. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of low BMD in patients with juvenile SLE and to identify associated risk factors.

Improved lesion detection from spatially adaptive, minimally complex, Pixon reconstruction of planar scintigraphic images.

Pixon noise reduction was applied to 18 planar images, six each from 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate (99mTc-MDP), 67Ga citrate (67Ga), and (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine ((123)I-MIBG) studies. Pixon processing increased patient signal-to-noise ratio, 6.8-11.

Intracranial involvement in extramedullary hematopoiesis: case report and review of the literature.

Intracranial involvement in extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH) is rare, but it should be suspected in patients with myelofibrosis presenting with chronic severe headache. We present a 9-year-old girl with known myelofibrosis whose headaches were unresponsive to routine treatment. CT and MRI studies of the brain showed diffuse pachymeningeal thickening.

Comparative imaging of differential pulmonary blood flow in patients with congenital heart disease: magnetic resonance imaging versus lung perfusion scintigraphy.

Background: Lung perfusion scintigraphy is considered the gold standard to assess differential pulmonary blood flow while magnetic resonance (MR) has been shown to be an accurate alternative in some studies.

Objective: The purpose of the study was to assess the accuracy of phase contrast magnetic resonance (PC-MR) in measuring pulmonary blood flow ratio compared with lung perfusion scintigraphy in patients with complex pulmonary artery anatomy or pulmonary hypertension and to document reasons for discrepant results.

Materials And Methods: We identified 25 cases of congenital heart disease between January 2000 and 2003, in whom both techniques of assessing pulmonary blood flow were performed within a 6-month period without an interim surgical or transcatheter intervention.

Initial experience with FSE STIR whole-body MR imaging for staging lymphoma in children.

Our objective was to compare fast spin-echo (FSE) short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) whole-body MR imaging with standard procedures in staging children with lymphoma. Eight children (age range, 2-16 years) underwent multi-station FSE STIR whole-body MR at initial staging (n=5) or for restaging following completion of therapy (n=5). Whole-body MR and conventional staging procedures, including CT (n=10), gallium-67 scintigraphy (n=9), bone scintigraphy (n=3) and bone marrow biopsy (n=7) were retrospectively compared for detection of sites involved by lymphoma and for the assigned stage.

Long-term evaluation of metabolic profile and bone mineral density after ileocystoplasty in children.

Purpose: We evaluated the long-term effects of ileocystoplasty on linear growth, serum electrolytes, acid-base profile and bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of neurologically intact children with a mean followup of 8.9 years.

Materials And Methods: Between 1988 and 1997, 9 girls and 16 boys with a mean age of 6 years (range 1 month to 14 years) underwent ileocystoplasty for etiologies other than myelomeningocele and neuropathic bladder.

Relative accuracy of renal scan in estimation of renal function during partial ureteral obstruction.

This study is designed to evaluate the relative ability of DMSA and DTPA renal scans to accurately reflect differential renal function (DRF) compared with inulin clearance in the presence of partial unilateral ureteral obstruction. DRF was determined in 29 young rabbits by both renal scans. In the experimental group (n=21), left partial ureteral obstruction was created.