Treatment of hydatid liver disease.

Background: Echinococcal disease is still a serious problem in certain parts of the world. The liver is the organ affected most frequently. Over recent decades, various reports have been published comparing standard surgical and more conservative modalities for the treatment of the disease.

Cystic tumors of the pancreas: preoperative imaging, diagnosis, and treatment.

The objective of this retrospective study was to explore the accuracy of preoperative diagnostic methods and the efficacy of treatment for cystic pancreatic tumors. From 1989 to 1999, 18 patients underwent surgery for cystic tumor of the pancreas, classified as follows: one serous cystadenoma, eight mucinous cystadenomas, six mucinous cystadenocarcinomas, and three nonfunctioning islet cell tumors. Computed tomography (CT), endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and fine needle aspiration were performed and subsequently reviewed retrospectively by two radiologists.

Primary non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the gall bladder.

Primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the gallbladder is a very rare location of extranodal non-Hodgkin lymphomas. A patient with a primary non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the gallbladder is reported and in addition, the English literature is reviewed. Clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, histopathologic findings, treatment modalities and prognosis of primary gallbladder lymphomas reported up to date are reviewed and discussed.

Primary lung involvement in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Pulmonary involvement in Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) occurs in 3-5% of cases, but lung involvement without bone marrow infiltration is extremely rare. We report 2 patients who presented with bilateral consolidations on chest X-ray and non-specific symptoms and were treated for a long period of time for pulmonary infections until the diagnosis was made by open lung biopsy. Both patients presented high monoclonal IgM in the serum and one also had blood lymphoplasmacytosis.

MR imaging of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis: pictorial review.

Vertebral osteomyelitis is one of the most common manifestations of tuberculosis. Magnetic resonance imaging is considered the main imaging modality for the diagnosis, the demonstration of the extent of the disease, and follow-up studies. Vertebral destruction involving two consecutive levels with sparing of the intervertebral disc, disc herniation into the vertebral body, epidural involvement, and paraspinal abscess are the most common MRI findings suggestive of tuberculous vertebral osteomyelitis.

Bone resorption is increased in young adults with thalassaemia major.

Bone disease in patients with thalassaemia major is a multifactorial and still poorly understood process. The present study evaluated 45 thalassaemic patients using dual X-ray absorptiometry at three sites (lumbar spine, head of femur and forearm) to assess bone mineral density, in parallel with a series of biochemical markers to measure bone formation and bone resorption. To identify possible interfering factors, our patients were grouped according to whether or not they needed transfusion therapy; the presence of hypogonadism was also considered.

Bone mineral density in women with idiopathic hirsutism.

Idiopathic hirsutism is relatively uncommon, affecting approximately 6% of hirsute women. In the present study we compared the bone mineral density (BMD) of women with idiopathic hirsutism with controls. A group of 20 women diagnosed with idiopathic hirsutism was evaluated with respect to BMD and the findings were compared to those of a control group consisting of 10 normal women.

Graft-dependent recurrence of hyperparathyroidism: imaging with frequency amplitude and encoded Doppler sonography.

A 48-year-old woman underwent total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation into the left forearm due to secondary hyperparathyroidism. Recurrence of hyperparathyroidism was observed 5 years later. B-mode high-resolution ultrasonography of the left forearm demonstrated an ill-defined hypoechoic lesion.

The real incidence of extracapsular (satellite) cysts of liver echinococcus.

Background: The presence of extracapsular (Satellite) cysts in liver echinococcus granulosus is known for many years. In one of our previous studies of radiological (CT) material they were found to be present in 16% of cases.

Methods: In the present study the operative findings, in cases of total capsectomy (cystopericystectomy) or partial lobectomy are presented.

Abdominal retained surgical sponges: CT appearance.

Retention of surgical sponges is rare. They cause either an aseptic reaction without significant symptoms or an exudative reaction which results in early but nonspecific symptoms. Computed tomography is very useful for recognition of retained sponges.

Pilot study on the treatment of cyclical mastodynia with Quinagolide.

In a pilot clinical trial on 52 patients, 75 microg Quinagolide given once per day was administered for the treatment of cyclical mastodynia. Linear analogue charts were used for the assessment of response. Decrease in breast pain, heaviness, tenderness and serum prolactin level on the one hand, and increases in the serum estradiol and progesterone levels on the other hand were noted after 3 and 6 months administration, and were statistically significant.

Clinical, serologic, and immunogenetic features of familial idiopathic inflammatory myopathy.

Objective: To describe the clinical, serologic, and immunogenetic features of familial idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) and to compare these with the features of sporadic IIM.

Methods: Clinical signs and symptoms, autoantibodies, HLA-DRB1 and DQA1 alleles, and GM/KM phenotypes were compared among 36 affected and 28 unaffected members of 16 unrelated families in which 2 or more blood relatives developed an IIM. In addition, findings in patients with familial IIM were compared with those in 181 patients with sporadic IIM.

Percutaneous drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses using large lumen tubes under computed tomographic control.

Objective: To describe our experience of percutaneous drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses with large-bore catheters under computed tomographic control.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Teaching hospital, Greece.

MRI of nasopharyngeal carcinoma metastatic to the cerebellopontine angle.

In patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, intracranial spread may occur via direct extension from the base of the skull or via perineural spread. Perineural spread usually affects branches of the trigeminal nerve. We describe two patients with recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, who presented with a solitary mass in the cerebellopontine angle without associated bony destruction.

Evaluation of hydatid disease of the heart with magnetic resonance imaging.

Two patients with cardiac involvement of hydatid disease are presented: one with hydatid cyst of the interventricular septum and pulmonary arteries and the other with multiple pulmonary cysts associated with intracardiac and pericardial cysts. The ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide a global view of cardiac anatomy in any plane with high contrast between flowing blood and soft tissue ensures it an important role in the diagnosis and preoperative assessment of hydatid disease of the heart.

Power Doppler ultrasound: a potentially useful alternative in diagnosing pelvic pathologic conditions.

Introduction: To evaluate the efficacy of power Doppler sonography in depicting soft-tissue hyperemia in endometriosis and other pelvic inflammatory conditions thirty-one patients with predominantly pelvic inflammatory symptoms were evaluated.

Materials And Methods: Power Doppler sonography at 5 MHz and a pulse repetition frequency of 800 Hz was used. All the women underwent laparoscopy after 10 days.

Synergistic cytotoxic effect of interferon-gamma and tumor necrosis factor-alpha on cultured human muscle cells.

Objective: To investigate the effects of human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), either alone or in combination, on the viability of human muscle cells in culture.

Methods: Cultures of human muscle cells were treated with various concentrations of recombinant IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha alone and in combination, and the cytotoxic effects of the cytokines on muscle cells were assessed by measuring lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) release in supernatants and by observation of the cells for morphologic changes under phase microscopy.

Results: Exposure of muscle cells to 100 U/ml of either IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha for 9 days caused no cytotoxic effects, as assessed by LDH release in supernatants of muscle cell cultures and by microscopic observation of the cell cultures.

MRI in the investigation of patients with myelopathy thought to be due to multiple sclerosis.

The role of cerebral and spinal cord MRI was investigated in 65 patients with myelopathy suspected of having demyelinating disease. Cerebral MRI demonstrated lesions compatible with demyelination in 80% and spinal cord MRI in 68.6%.

Assessment of liver iron overload by T2-quantitative magnetic resonance imaging: correlation of T2-QMRI measurements with serum ferritin concentration and histologic grading of siderosis.

Purpose: To correlate hepatic 1/T2 values obtained by means of a T2-Quantitative MRI (T2-QMRI) technique with three widely applied methods for the evaluation of hemosiderosis, i.e., (a) liver iron concentrations (LFeC) (b) serum ferritin (SF), and (c) histologic grading of siderosis.

Mechanisms of inflammation and histopathology in inflammatory myopathy.

The term inflammatory myopathy describes a group of disorders characterized by mononuclear cell infiltration of muscle tissue. Abnormalities of cell-mediated immunity have been implicated repeatedly in the pathogenesis of these disorders. In recent years, considerable evidence supporting this view has been obtained, strongly suggesting a central role to T cells in the pathogenetic process.

MRI of abdominal hydatid disease.

Seventy hydatid cysts in 30 patients were studied with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT); all cases were confirmed surgically. MRI detected all cysts when confined to solid organs, whereas small-sized cysts (< or = 2 cm) may be missed when located in the peritoneal cavity. Hydatid cysts of less than 3 cm (noncomplicated) present no specific findings of hydatid disease.

The role of cytokines in polymyositis. III. Recombinant human interferon-gamma enhances T cell adhesion to cultured human muscle cells.

Objective: To investigate the effect of interferon-gamma (IFN gamma) on the adhesive interactions between human peripheral blood T cells and human skeletal muscle cells at various stages of muscle cell differentiation and maturation in vitro.

Methods: Human muscle cell cultures were established from normal muscle biopsy material, using the explant technique. T cells were studied for their capacity to adhere to IFN gamma-treated and untreated myoblasts and myotubes.