Varicosities as an etiology of tarsal tunnel syndrome and the significance of tinel's sign: report of two cases in young men and a review of the literature.

Two cases of tarsal tunnel syndrome in two young men with surgical and radiologic details are reported. The role of varicosities as a cause of tarsal tunnel syndrome and the significance of Tinel's sign are discussed through a large review of the literature.

Ectopic internal carotid artery presenting as an oropharyngeal mass.

Ectopic internal carotid artery (ICA) is a very rare variation. The major congenital abnormalities of the ICA can be classified as agenesis, aplasia and hypoplasia, and they can be unilateral or bilateral. Anomalies of the neck artery may be vascular neoplasms or ectopic position.

Patients with horizontal gaze palsy and progressive scoliosis due to ROBO3 E319K mutation have both uncrossed and crossed central nervous system pathways and perform normally on neuropsychological testing.

Background: Horizontal gaze palsy and progressive scoliosis (HGPPS) is caused by mutations of the ROBO3 gene, which encodes a receptor associated with axonal guidance during development. Although there is evidence for uncrossed cuneatal and corticospinal tracts in HGPPS, it is unclear whether other central nervous system pathways are involved.

Objective: To study two patients with HGPPS homozygotic for the ROBO3 E319K mutation using a variety of neurophysiological and neuropsychological tests.

Dosimetric characteristics of a 16-slice computed tomography scanner.

Standard CT dose measurements were performed on a Siemens Sensation 16 scanner. CT dose indices, free-in-air (CTDI(F)) and weighted (CTDI(W)), were measured in all available axial and helical beam collimations of the head and body scanning modes. The effect of tube current, high voltage, rotation time, beam collimation and pitch on the CT doses was investigated.

Canal wall down mastoidectomy for cholesteatoma: experience at the University of Crete.

Objective: To evaluate clinical and audiologic data as well as operative findings and postoperative follow-up in the management of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis media with canal wall down mastoidectomy (CWDM).

Study Design: A retrospective review of cases followed up between 1990 and 2002.

Setting: Tertiary referral centre.

Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity measurements on normal human brain: comparison between low-and high-resolution diffusion tensor imaging sequences.

Non-invasive in vivo visualization of white matter fiber tracts is currently feasible by means of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques. DTI-derived metrics, like fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), have the potential to improve tissue characterization. Technical optimization of diffusion tensor sequences, including signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution, was performed for 20 normal subjects.

Quantification of magnetization transfer rate and native T1 relaxation time of the brain: correlation with magnetization transfer ratio measurements in patients with multiple sclerosis.

The purpose of this paper is to perform quantitative measurements of the magnetization transfer rate (Kfor) and native T1 relaxation time (T1free) in the brain tissue of normal individuals and patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by means of multiple gradient echo acquisitions, and to correlate these measurements with the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR). Quantitative magnetization transfer imaging was performed in five normal volunteers and 12 patients with relapsing-remitting MS on a 1.5 T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner.

Scleredema adultorum of Buschke presenting as periorbital edema: a diagnostic challenge.

Scleredema adultorum is a rare sclerotic disorder characterized by diffuse swelling and nonpitting induration of the skin. Its occurrence has been documented in association with infections, diabetes mellitus, paraproteinemia, multiple myeloma, and monoclonal gammopathy. We report an unusual case of a 48-year-old man with an asymptomatic bilateral eyelid edema of sudden onset.

Cerebral infections.

Despite the development of many effective antibiotic therapies and the general improvement in hygiene and health care systems all over the world, the incidence of central nervous system (CNS) infection has increased significantly in the past 15 years. This can be attributed primarily to the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic and its devastating effect on the immune system and secondarily to various immunosuppressive agents that are being used in aggressive cancer treatment and in organ transplantations. The brain particularly is protected from infection by the calvarium, meninges and blood brain barrier.

Surgical decompression for cervical spondylotic myelopathy: correlation between operative outcomes and MRI of the spinal cord.

Forty-two patients who underwent decompressive surgery for cervical spondylotic myelopathy were studied. The pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and the Japanese Orthopedic Association score were analyzed to evaluate whether the different appearances of intramedullary high-signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI are related to the surgical prognosis. Magnetic resonance imaging signal intensities were classified as type 0 if no intramedullary high-signal intensity on T2-weighted images was noted, type 1 if high-signal intensity involved only one segment, and type 2 if high-signal intensity extended over two segments.

Stereological estimation of total intracranial volume on CT images.

This study aims to investigate the possibility of generating stereological estimations of total intracranial volume (TIV) on CT scans. The study group included 16 consecutive patients referred for a cranial CT examination. The TIV was estimated using the stereological point counting technique.

T2 relaxation time analysis in patients with multiple sclerosis: correlation with magnetization transfer ratio.

The aim of the current study was to perform T2 relaxation time measurements in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients and correlate them with magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) measurements, in order to investigate in more detail the various histopathological changes that occur in lesions and normal-appearing white matter (NAWM). A total number of 291 measurements of MTR and T2 relaxation times were performed in 13 MS patients and 10 age-matched healthy volunteers. Measurements concerned MS plaques (105), NAWM (80), and "dirty" white matter (DWM; 30), evenly divided between the MS patients, and normal white matter (NWM; 76) in the healthy volunteers.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the temporal bone with distant metastases.

Malignant tumors of the temporal bone are rare neoplasms. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is the most common malignant tumor of minor salivary glands, while a quite rare tumor of the major. It is considered a slow-growing tumor with a course that is characterized by local recurrences and late distant metastases to lungs (80-90%), bone and liver.

Retroperitoneal fibrosis during the course of ulcerative colitis. A simple coincidence?

Retroperitoneal fibrosis has been described as a rare occurrence during the course of inflammatory bowel disease, mainly Crohn's disease. This is the third report on retroperitoneal fibrosis occurring during the course of ulcerative colitis. A 62-year-old male patient with a 5-year history of ulcerative colitis developed stenosis of the left ureter due to retroperitoneal fibrosis.

Transverse myelitis associated with herpes simplex virus infection.

The case of an otherwise healthy 6-year-old boy with symptoms and signs of acute transverse myelitis is presented. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. An episode of gingivostomatitis had preceded, and serology indicated herpes simplex virus type 1 infection.

[Bilateral paraganglioma of the vagus nerve].

Paragangliomas are rare, usually benign tumours of the head and neck region, located along the cranial nerves and the big vessels. Vagus paraganglioma represents less than 3% of all cases of paragangliomas of the head and neck. Approximately 10% of vagus paragangliomas are presented as bilateral masses.

X-linked deafness with stapes gusher in females.

A 22-year-old woman presented with severe mixed hearing loss and a flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the middle ear during stapes surgery (stapes gusher). HRCT of the temporal bones showed characteristic abnormalities of the inner ear (bulbous dilatation of the lateral portion of the internal acoustic meatus with incomplete separation from the cochlea, and widening of the first part of the facial nerve canal) described in X-linked progressive mixed deafness with stapes gusher. The evaluation of the patient's family revealed a sister with the same clinical history and identical HRCT findings, and 11 normal male relatives.

The silent epidural abscess as a complication of acute otitis media in children.

Acute otitis media with complications is a persistent problem in the modern antibiotic era with a relatively high mortality rate. Acute mastoiditis is a serious complication of acute otitis media with potentially grave consequences and the epidural abscess constitutes the commonest of all intracranial complications, arising from middle ear infections. We report two cases of children with acute mastoiditis without evidence of intracranial complication or subperiosteal abscess, in whom the early evaluation with computed tomography (CT) disclosed an unsuspected epidural abscess.

Artificial paravertebral widening for percutaneous CT-guided adrenal biopsy.

A percutaneous adrenal biopsy under CT guidance is described. The biopsy was performed after injection of physiologic saline solution into the paravertebral space, creating a wider pathway for needle insertion. This technique has been previously reported for biopsy of thoracic lesions, but in our case it was used for biopsy of a relatively inaccessible adrenal lesion.

Maturation of the tract after percutaneous cholecystostomy with regard to the access route.

Purpose: To assess the shortest time for catheter removal with regard to the transhepatic or transperitoneal approach in patients undergoing percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC).

Methods: In this prospective study, 40 consecutive high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis (calculous, n = 22; acalculous, n = 18) underwent PC by means of a transhepatic (n = 20) or transperitoneal (n = 20) access route. In 28 patients (70%) computed tomography was used for puncture guidance, while in the remaining 12 (30%) the procedures were formed under ultrasound control.

Maturation of the Tract After Percutaneous Cholecystostomy with Regard to the Access Route.

Purpose: To assess the shortest time for catheter removal with regard to the transhepatic or transperitoneal approach in patients undergoing percutaneous cholecystostomy (PC).Methods: In this prospective study, 40 consecutive high-risk patients with acute cholecystitis (calculous, n = 22; acalculous, n = 18) underwent PC by means of a transhepatic (n = 20) or transperitoneal (n = 20) access route. In 28 patients (70%) computed tomography was used for puncture guidance, while in the remaining 12 (30%) the procedures were performed under ultrasound control.

Osteoblastoma of the nasal cavity arising from the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone.

The presence of a benign osteoblastoma in the ethmoid sinus is rare and only a few cases have been reported. This is a case of a benign osteoblastoma arising from the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone with extension to the nasal cavity. The diagnosis and management of this unusual lesion, as well as the histopathology and the imaging characteristics are reviewed.