The Use of the Transfemoral Transcaval Liver Biopsy Technique for Biopsies of Hepatic Masses.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the safety and effectiveness of the transfemoral transcaval (TFTC) liver biopsy technique in patients with hepatic masses with relative contraindications to percutaneous biopsy and/or mass location abutting the inferior vena cava. The medical records of 16 patients (56% men; age range, 21-88 years) who underwent TFTC biopsy of hepatic masses (ranging in diameter from 2.1 to 13.

Superior Ophthalmic Vein Access for Embolization of an Indirect Carotid Cavernous Fistula.

Carotid cavernous fistulae (CCF) are defined as abnormal connections between the carotid circulation and cavernous sinus. CCFs can be categorized as being direct or indirect. Direct CCFs are usually associated with trauma, whereas indirect CCFs are associated with revascularization following cavernous sinus thrombosis.

To Stent or Not to Stent: A Tale of Two Occlusions.

Stenting and balloon angioplasty, along with mechanical thrombectomy, have gained notability as adjunctive treatment options to intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (IV-tPA) for tandem internal carotid artery (ICA) and middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions (TIM occlusions). Acute ischemic strokes (AISs) secondary to TIM occlusions are associated with poor patient outcomes primarily due to low recanalization rates following intravenous thrombolysis, consequently prompting the need for more invasive recanalization efforts. Often, the treatment algorithm is based on the success of the initial angioplasty, suspected volume of completed infarction, and whether or not thrombolytics are utilized.

Large Transcalvarial Meningioma: Surgical Resection Aided by Preoperative Embolization.

Meningiomas are the most common type of primary brain tumors, accounting for about 30% of all brain tumors. Meningiomas originate from the meninges and can be associated with any part of the skull. Classification of meningiomas is based upon the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system and prognosis of meningiomas can be determined via histologic grading.

What Do People Like to "Share" About Obesity? A Content Analysis of Frequent Retweets About Obesity on Twitter.

Twitter has been recognized as a useful channel for the sharing and dissemination of health information, owing in part to its "retweet" function. This study reports findings from a content analysis of frequently retweeted obesity-related tweets to identify the prevalent beliefs and attitudes about obesity on Twitter, as well as key message features that prompt retweeting behavior conducive to maximizing the reach of health messages on Twitter. The findings show that tweets that are emotionally evocative, humorous, and concern individual-level causes for obesity were more frequently retweeted than their counterparts.

Subcutaneous and periorbital emphysema following dental procedure.

Subcutaneous emphysema following a dental procedure is a relatively uncommon phenomenon that may produce a dramatic clinical presentation. The advent of high-powered dental equipment that uses directed and highly pressurized air has increased the risk of this complication, but few cases have been described in the ophthalmic literature. The authors present a case of subcutaneous periorbital emphysema in a young woman following a dental procedure.

Chorioretinal folds: associated disorders and a related maculopathy.

Purpose: To describe a series of chorioretinal folds (CRFs) representing a clinical sign that may be associated with multiple systemic, orbital, and ophthalmologic disorders. We report the associations with systemic disease and describe 3 stages of a CRF-related maculopathy.

Design: Observational, retrospective case series.

Chronic, recurrent dacryocystitis from a BB in the lacrimal sac.

Metallic foreign bodies in the lacrimal outflow tract are a rarely reported cause of nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Among the few cases in the literature, 1 consisted of a BB in the nasolacrimal duct. This case report presents a second case of chronic, recurrent dacryocystitis in a child, which occurred secondary to a BB that had become lodged in the lacrimal sac.

Candida species lens abscesses in infants with a history of neonatal Candida sepsis.

We report 3 patients who were delivered prematurely and who developed a lens opacity with signs of ocular inflammation at a postgestational age of 10-52 weeks. All patients had been treated for Candida sepsis as neonates. Each patient underwent lensectomy and anterior vitrectomy.

Logarithmic transformation of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography data in uveitis-associated macular edema.

Purpose: To determine the utility of logarithmic transformation of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (logSD-OCT) retinal thickness data for assessment of clinically meaningful changes in uveitis-associated macular edema.

Methods: Patients with noninfectious uveitis-associated macular edema at our institution between August 2010 and March 2011 were identified. Only those with SD-OCT imaging were included.

Intraoperative spectral-domain optical coherence tomography during complex retinal detachment repair.

Spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a non-invasive imaging modality that generates detailed images of retinal microstructure. In this study, this technology was employed to investigate changes that occur intraoperatively during repair of complex rhegmatogenous retinal detachment using perfluorocarbon liquids. Intraoperative SD-OCT images were obtained for two patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy, perfluoro-n-octane instillation, and silicone oil fill for rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

The role of botanic gardens in the science and practice of ecological restoration.

Many of the skills and resources associated with botanic gardens and arboreta, including plant taxonomy, horticulture, and seed bank management, are fundamental to ecological restoration efforts, yet few of the world's botanic gardens are involved in the science or practice of restoration. Thus, we examined the potential role of botanic gardens in these emerging fields. We believe a reorientation of certain existing institutional strengths, such as plant-based research and knowledge transfer, would enable many more botanic gardens worldwide to provide effective science-based support to restoration efforts.

Optimized expression and refolding of human keratoepithelin in BL21 (DE3).

Keratoepithelin (KE) is an extracellular protein participating in cell adhesion and differentiation. Mutations of the KE gene (on 5q31 in humans) cause deposition of abnormal proteins (amyloid and non-amyloid) in corneal stroma and lead to several corneal dystrophies in humans. However, further studies on the KE protein have been limited by the intrinsic difficulty of purifying this protein.