Penetrating stab wounds to the abdomen: use of serial US and contrast-enhanced CT in stable patients.

Purpose: To evaluate the usefulness of computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (US) for the initial assessment of penetrating abdominal stab wounds in patients who presented to the emergency department without indication for immediate laparotomy.

Materials And Methods: During 36 months, 32 patients with a penetrating stab wound to the abdomen were examined with serial US (at admission and 12 hours later) and helical CT, with contrast material administered orally, intravenously, and rectally. Presence of hemoperitoneum and integrity of solid and hollow viscera were evaluated with both methods.

Malignant hilar and perihilar biliary obstruction: use of MR cholangiography to define the extent of biliary ductal involvement and plan percutaneous interventions.

Purpose: To determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiography in defining the extent of biliary ductal involvement in patients with malignant hilar and perihilar biliary obstruction and to evaluate whether findings at MR cholangiography alone are sufficient to plan percutaneous interventions in these patients.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-nine patients with malignant hilar and perihilar biliary obstruction were examined with MR cholangiography. Two radiologists evaluated MR images and determined the extent of biliary ductal involvement.

Focal arterial injuries of the proximal extremities: helical CT arteriography as the initial method of diagnosis.

Purpose: To present our experience with helical computed tomographic (CT) arteriography as the initial diagnostic examination in patients suspected to have focal arterial injuries of the proximal extremities.

Materials And Methods: During 19 months, 142 arterial segments in the proximal portions of the extremities of 139 patients with trauma were evaluated with helical CT arteriography. CT arteriograms were interpreted on site by the radiologist in charge of emergency procedures and retrospectively with consensus interpretation between two radiologists.

Traumatic disruption of the pancreatic duct: diagnosis with MR pancreatography.

OBJECTIVE. We evaluated the ability of MR pancreatography to reveal traumatic disruptions of the pancreatic duct compared with retrograde pancreatography. CONCLUSION.

Diagnosing bile duct stones: comparison of unenhanced helical CT, oral contrast-enhanced CT cholangiography, and MR cholangiography.

Objective: In this investigation we compared the diagnostic performance of unenhanced helical CT, oral contrast-enhanced CT cholangiography, and MR cholangiography for the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

Subjects And Methods: Fifty-one patients referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiography of suspected biliary stones were studied with unenhanced helical CT, MR cholangiography, and helical CT performed after oral administration of a cholangiographic contrast agent (iopodic acid). The studies were randomized for interpretation.

Diagnosis of arterial injuries caused by penetrating trauma to the neck: comparison of helical CT angiography and conventional angiography.

Purpose: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of helical computed tomographic (CT) angiography in the diagnosis of carotid and vertebral arterial injuries caused by penetrating neck trauma.

Materials And Methods: A prospective study was conducted during 24 months in 60 patients with penetrating neck trauma who were referred for conventional angiography owing to clinical suspicion of arterial injury. In the patient population, 146 arteries (77 carotid, 69 vertebral) were studied by means of conventional angiography.

[Epidemiology of leptospirosis in a livestock production area of the Andes].

A cross-sectional study was conducted to estimate the prevalence of Leptospira infection in populations of workers, cattle, and pigs in livestock operations and to explore some environmental and production system variables associated with seropositivity. The research was done between November 1997 and February 1998 in the municipality of Don Matías, in the northern part of the department of Antioquia, Colombia. The area has a cold climate, and there is a "pigs-grasses-milk" production system that utilizes pig dung to fertilize grazing pastures.

Detection of choledocholithiasis with MR cholangiography: comparison of three-dimensional fast spin-echo and single- and multisection half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement sequences.

Purpose: To compare the performance of three pulse sequences commonly used at magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiography in the diagnosis of choledocholithiasis.

Materials And Methods: MR cholangiography was performed in 57 patients who were suspected of having choledocholithiasis and referred for endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Non-breath-hold three-dimensional fast spin-echo, breath-hold single-section half-Fourier rapid acquisition with relaxation enhancement (RARE), and breath-hold multisection half-Fourier RARE sequences were compared.

Biliary obstruction: findings at MR cholangiography and cross-sectional MR imaging.

Twenty-two patients with malignant biliary obstruction and 21 patients with suspected obstruction of biliary-enteric anastomoses were evaluated over a 12-month period with magnetic resonance (MR) cholangiography and cross-sectional MR imaging. In patients with malignant obstruction, MR cholangiography helped accurately determine the status of the biliary ductal system by identifying the exact location and extent of the obstruction and the severity of duct dilatation. In so doing, MR cholangiography helped determine whether percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography with antegrade stent placement or retrograde cholangiography with stent placement constituted the more suitable treatment.

[Neuropathological findings in early-onset Alzheimer's disease (E280a-PS1 mutation)].

Introduction And Material: Nine brains belonging to early onset Alzheimer disease (E280A-PS1 mutation) affected individuals from Antioquia, Colombia, were analyzed by neuropathological standard techniques. All individuals were ascertained from genealogies descendents from a common ancestor that shows a dominant autosomical pattern of inheritance.

Results: All cases analyzed were carriers to the E280A-PS1 mutation.

Bile duct stones: diagnosis with MR cholangiography and helical CT.

MR cholangiography (MRC) is a highly accurate, noninvasive method for diagnosing bile duct stones. Various breath-hold and non-breath-hold techniques for MRC have been used successfully to depict stones in the intrahepatic and extrahepatic biliary tree. Although detection of stones with MRC is usually straightforward, attention to technical details is important to avoid false-negative and false-positive interpretations.

Diagnostic performance of helical CT angiography in trauma to large arteries of the extremities.

Purpose: The purpose of this work was to assess the performance of helical CT angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis of injuries to large arteries of the extremities.

Method: We performed helical CTA on 45 consecutive patients referred for conventional angiography for evaluation of suspected arterial injuries after sustaining trauma to the extremities (13 upper, 32 lower). Two radiologists interpreted the helical CTA studies independently.