Metabolic and degenerative diseases of childhood.

The metabolic and degenerative diseases of childhood are a diverse group of disorders with varied imaging features. Some of the disease processes have characteristic findings and some have no findings at all, but most present with nonspecific abnormalities in white matter. These patchy lesions, seen best on magnetic resonance scanning with T2 weighting, require a good history and a dialogue with the referring physicians to help in narrowing the differential possibilities.

Imaging of metabolic diseases of the brain.

Increasing interest in metabolic diseases of the brain has revealed more specific patterns of disease, permitting us to make more accurate diagnoses or to suggest a more limited differential list of considerations. MR imaging is also useful in monitoring the course of the disease in processes for which treatment is available.

Chronic asthma due to toluene diisocyanate.

Twelve subjects were studied with inhalation challenge testing to toluene diisocyanate (TDI) because of suspected TDI asthma based on a consistent clinical and occupational history. In seven cases, TDI asthma was documented by a positive inhalation challenge to low levels of TDI. Six of the seven TDI reactors had persistent respiratory symptoms and required daily treatment even though they had been removed from isocyanate exposure for intervals as long as 12 years (mean 4.

Delayed anaphylactoid reaction in a worker exposed to chromium.

A 29-year-old male welder reported systemic reactions after exposure to chromium. Inhalation challenge testing to 29 micrograms/m3 of sodium chromate aerosol resulted in late appearing systemic urticaria, angioedema, and severe bronchospasm that occurred at the same time as a threefold rise in plasma histamine. A direct leukocyte inhibitory factor test to 5.