Posterior Vitreous Detachment and the Posterior Hyaloid Membrane.

Purpose: Despite posterior vitreous detachment being a common ocular event affecting most individuals in an aging population, there is little consensus regarding its precise anatomic definition. We investigated the morphologic appearance and molecular composition of the posterior hyaloid membrane to determine whether the structure clinically observed enveloping the posterior vitreous surface after posterior vitreous detachment is a true basement membrane and to postulate its origin. Understanding the relationship between the vitreous (in both its attached and detached state) and the internal limiting membrane of the retina is essential to understanding the cause of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment and vitreoretinal interface disorders, as well as potential future prophylactic and treatment strategies.

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood: typical findings in an atypical disease.

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy of childhood (ANEC) is a disease entity seen nearly exclusively in East Asian children that is characterized by multifocal, symmetric lesions involving the thalami, brainstem, cerebellum, and white matter. We present a child who developed dramatic neurologic symptoms following a viral prodrome. Serial MRI examinations demonstrated characteristic lesions of ANEC, while laboratory analyses revealed evidence of acute infection with human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6).

Diverticular perforation masquerading as maxillary sinusitis.

Although diverticular perforation and diverticulitis is usually a straightforward diagnosis, an occasional case can be difficult. In this report, we describe a patient who initially presented with symptoms suggestive of maxillary sinusitis and hip fracture. Findings of subcutaneous craniofacial emphysema eventually led to the diagnosis of a perforated sigmoid diverticulum with abscess.

Transcatheter thrombolytic therapy for acute mesenteric and portal vein thrombosis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of transcatheter thrombolytic therapy in 20 patients with acute or subacute (symptoms <40 days) portal and/or mesenteric vein thrombosis with severe symptoms, deteriorating clinical condition, and/or persistent symptoms despite anticoagulation.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study examined 12 male patients and eight female patients seen over a period of 11 years. The average age was 37.