Imaging Features of Fibrolamellar Hepatocellular Carcinoma with Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

Purpose:  Fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (f-HCC) is a rare primary liver tumor. Imaging plays an important role in diagnosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to analyze contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features of histologically proven f-HCC in comparison to benign focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH).

Iron deficiency anaemia over the last decades - Osler's disease diagnosed by Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Case Report: A 72-year-old woman with a 30-year history of iron deficiency anaemia was admitted for fatigue and increasing weakness. On physical examination, the patient appeared dyspneic and pallor. The tongue showed angiodysplasias.

The impact of high-resolution ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of non-hemolytic jaundice.

Because jaundice is a common reason for hospital admission. A fast and correct differential diagnosis is very important to increase treatment efficacy. The aim of our study was to evaluate the impact of the high-resolution ultrasound in this kind of clinical setting.

Impact of high-resolution transabdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of complications of Crohn's disease.

Objective: Crohn's disease is associated with intestinal complications such as strictures, fistulas and abscesses. As the management of the patients is influenced by the presence or absence of complication, sensitive diagnostic modalities to detect these complications are needed. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of high-resolution transabdominal ultrasound in the diagnosis of complications of Crohn's disease.

[Ultrasonographic diagnosis of a biliary-digestive fistula with gallstone ileus].

History And Clinical Findings: A 72-year-old woman was admitted to the hospital with upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and obstipation.

Investigations: Percutaneous ultrasound found aerobilia, a biliary-digestive fistula, and an ileus with gallstones within the small bowel. The findings were confirmed at computed tomography.

The FK506 binding protein 13 kDa (FKBP13) interacts with the C-chain of complement C1q.

Background: The pharmacological action of specific immunosuppressants is mediated by immunophilins. While cyclosporin A binds to cyclophilins, FK506/tacrolimus, rapamycin, and others bind to FK506 binding proteins (FKBPs). Different physiological actions of immunophilins were described but their genuine function, however, remains elusive and is still under investigation.

Evaluation of diagnostic criteria for liver metastases of adenocarcinomas and neuroendocrine tumours at conventional ultrasound, unenhanced power Doppler sonography and echo-enhanced ultrasound.

Purpose: In order to improve the differential diagnosis between liver metastases of neuroendocrine tumours and adenocarcinomas, criteria for the masses at conventional ultrasound, unenhanced power Doppler sonography and echo-enhanced ultrasound were evaluated.

Methods: Seventy-three patients with histologically proven liver metastases of a neuroendocrine tumour (n = 26) or an adenocarcinoma (n = 47) were investigated by conventional ultrasound as well as unenhanced power Doppler sonography and echo-enhanced ultrasound focusing on specific properties of the lesions.

Results: Liver metastases of neuroendocrine tumours and adenocarcinomas showed a different contrast behaviour with echo-enhanced sonography.

Evaluation of criteria for the activity of Crohn's disease by power Doppler sonography.

Background/aim: In recent years, power Doppler sonography has been proposed as a method to assess disease activity in patients with Crohn's disease. The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate diagnostic criteria for power Doppler sonography by blinded comparison with ileocolonoscopy.

Methods: Twenty-two patients with confirmed Crohn's disease were prospectively investigated with B-mode and power Doppler sonography (HDI 5000, Philips Ultrasound) as well as ileocolonoscopy.

The serpins alpha-1-antitrypsin and alpha-1-antichymotrypsin specifically interact with immunophilins.

In a yeast two-hybrid screen FKBP13, a member of the FK506 Binding Protein (FKBP) family, was detected to interact with the serpin alpha-1-antichymotrypsin (ACT). The specificity of the interaction was confirmed in vitro and by the lack of interaction of ACT with FKBP25 and FKBP52. Mutational analysis of ACT revealed that the entire protein is necessary to interact with FKBP13.

Improved diagnosing of small hepatocellular carcinomas by echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography in patients with cirrhosis.

Background And Aims: Echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography is an increasingly used procedure for the differentiation of liver tumours. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate the accuracy of echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography in comparison with conventional ultrasound and fundamental power Doppler sonography in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinomas and regenerative nodules in patients with cirrhosis.

Subjects And Methods: Eighty-seven patients with cirrhosis and 90 liver tumours at conventional ultrasound were included in the study, selected from 103 consecutive patients with a mean age of 60 years (range 23-87 years) who presented to our department from January 1998 through January 2002.

High-resolution ultrasound in combination with colour-Doppler sonography for preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Background And Aims: Experienced surgeons have the highest sensitivity in the localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Correct preoperative localization, however, allows unilateral neck exploration with subsequently reduced operative time and complication rate. In this prospective study, we investigated the accuracy of preoperative high-resolution ultrasound in combination with colour-Doppler sonography for the detection of parathyroid lesions.

Differentiation of neuroendocrine tumors from other pancreatic lesions by echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography and somatostatin receptor scintigraphy.

Background And Aims: Echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography is a noninvasive procedure that has been increasingly used for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumors. However, to our knowledge, the diagnostic accuracy of this procedure in comparison with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy for the differentiation of neuroendocrine lesions from other pancreatic tumors has never been investigated in a prospective, controlled study.

Subjects And Methods: One hundred thirty-seven patients were included in the study; the patients were selected from 190 consecutive patients (mean age, 59.

Differentiation of pancreatic tumours by conventional ultrasound, unenhanced and echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography.

Background: Echo-enhanced power Doppler sonography (power Doppler sonography after injection of a contrast agent) is a non-invasive and increasingly used procedure for differentiating between pancreatic tumours. However, the diagnostic accuracy of this method compared to conventional ultrasound or unenhanced power Doppler sonography has never been investigated in a large prospective controlled study.

Methods: 137 patients were included in the study, selected from 190 consecutive patients with a mean age of 60 years (range 16-85) who presented at our department in the period January 1998 through June 2001 with clinical suspicion of a pancreatic tumour.

Effect of purinergic agonists and antagonists on insulin secretion from INS-1 cells (insulinoma cell line) and rat pancreatic islets.

The effects of purinergic agonists on insulin release are controversial in the literature. In our studies (mainly using INS-1 cells, but also using rat pancreatic islets), ATP had a dual effect on insulin release depending on the ATP concentration: increasing insulin release (EC50 approximately/= 0.0032 microM) and inhibiting insulin release (EC50 approximately/= 0.

[Differential diagnosis of frequent pancreatic tumours with echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography - presentation of case reports].

Unlabelled: The echo-enhanced Power-Doppler sonography is useful for the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours. Tumour criteria for the differentiation of pancreatic tumours with this procedure are explained using selected cases in the present publication. Ductal carcinomas are often hypovascularised compared with the surrounding tissue.

[Pancreatic metastases of renal cell carcinomas - evaluation of the contrast behavior at echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography in comparison to primary pancreatic tumors].

Background: Renal cell carcinomas are the most common primary tumors leading to pancreatic metastases. The differentiation of metastases from primary pancreatic tumors is important for the prognosis. Echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography may be used for the differential diagnosis of tumors.

Effects of retinoids and thiazolidinediones on proliferation, insulin release, insulin mRNA, GLUT 2 transporter protein and mRNA of INS-1 cells.

Both 9-cis-retinoic acid (9cRA) and all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) are active metabolites of vitamin A (retinol). There exists an interaction between retinoid receptors and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARgamma). To define their functions in an insulin secreting system the effects of ATRA, 9cRA and the PPARgamma agonist rosiglitazone on cell proliferation, insulin release and glucose transporter (GLUT) 2 of INS-1 cells were tested.