Peripheral washout sign on contrast-enhanced MR images of the breast.

Purpose: To assess the value of the peripheral washout sign on delayed contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) images in differentiation of benign from malignant breast masses.

Materials And Methods: In 49 women with 79 breast lesions (55 malignant and 24 benign), dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging was performed every 90 seconds during the first 7 minutes and repeated at 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, and 60 minutes after injection of contrast material. Qualitative analysis of the images was performed to evaluate the presence of the peripheral washout sign (a hypointense zone in the periphery of the lesion relative to the center).

Refined mapping of the epilepsy susceptibility locus EJM1 on chromosome 6.

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is a genetically determined common subtype of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Linkage to the HLA complex on chromosome 6p21.3 and an allelic association with HLA-DR13 and -DQB1 alleles suggest that a susceptibility locus for JME, designated as "EJM1," is located within or near the HLA region.

Magnetic resonance imaging--guided abdominal interventional radiology: laser-induced thermotherapy of liver metastases.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical benefit of magnetic resonance imaging--guided laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) for the minimally invasive treatment of liver metastases, with regard to survival rates and local tumor control. Magnetic resonance--guided LITT under local anesthesia was carried out in 134 consecutive patients aged 28-84 (mean age 69), with a total of 383 liver metastases. The major groups were liver metastases from colorectal cancer (88 patients) and liver metastases from breast cancer (20 patients), as well as metastases of miscellaneous primary tumors (26 patients).

Retinoic acid attenuates phospholipase C-mediated signaling in HaCaT keratinocytes.

Release of inositol(1,4,5)trisphosphate (Ins(1,4,5)P3) generated by phospholipase C (PLC) upon receptor stimulation plays an important role in the regulation of cell growth and differentiation. A second, completely different, signal transduction system involves retinoic acid (RA) and related derivatives. Binding to intracellular receptor sites can modulate keratinocyte growth and inhibits differentiation.

Transvaginal color Doppler sonography and conventional sonography in the preoperative assessment of adnexal masses.

Objective: This investigation was undertaken to evaluate the predictive value of the blood flow velocity as measured by transvaginal color Doppler sonography (CDS) and conventional sonographic criteria in the preoperative assessment of ovarian tumors.

Methods: 98 patients who were admitted for surgery with a suspicion of an adnexal mass (69 benign tumors, 4 borderline tumors, and 25 malignant tumors) were prospectively studied with transvaginal sonography (TVS) and CDS. Pulsatility index of blood flow velocity waveforms was evaluated by CDS and compared with established sonographic criteria for discriminating between benign and malignant ovarian tumors.

Accuracy of staging rectal tumors with contrast-enhanced transrectal MR imaging.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the accuracy of contrast-enhanced transrectal MR imaging in staging rectal adenoma and carcinoma by correlating with histopathologic findings.

Subjects And Methods: Thirty-five patients underwent transrectal MR imaging on a 1.5-T superconducting unit using unenhanced T1-weighted and T2-weighted spin-echo and turbo spin-echo sequences, a dynamic gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced turbo fast low-angle shot sequence, and enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo sequences.

Boeck sarcoidosis of the breast: mammographic, ultrasound, and MR findings.

The rare case of sarcoidosis of the breast is presented. The mammographic, ultrasound, and MR appearances are described.

Phospholipase C-mediated signaling is altered during HaCaT cell proliferation and differentiation.

To elucidate the signaling mechanisms associated with keratinocyte differentiation, we studied in vitro phospholipase C-mediated signal transduction, which results in the generation of inositol phosphates, comparing proliferating versus differentiated HaCaT cells, a human keratinocyte line. Bradykinin- or A23187-induced formation of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate, inositol 1,4-bisphosphate, and inositol monophosphates, as determined by anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography, were found to be highest in the early logarithmic growth phase of the cells. In more highly differentiated HaCaT cells, which expressed maximal amounts of the differentiation marker involucrin, inositol phosphate formation was reduced to about one third of that in proliferating cells.

Three-dimensional endosonography for staging of rectal cancer.

Objective: This prospective study was conducted to investigate the value of three-dimensional (3D) endosonography for staging of rectal cancer.

Summary Background Data: Transrectal ultrasound is the most sensitive technique for peroperative staging and follow-up of rectal cancer. Major limitations of this technique include the complexity of image interpretation and the inability to examine stenotic tumors or to identify recurrent rectal cancer.

In an epidemiological sample the apolipoprotein E4 allele is associated to dementia and loss of memory function only in the very old.

The apolipoprotein E4 allele has been reported to be associated with late onset Alzheimer's disease. Here we report the relation of several neuropsychological test parameters and the diagnosis of dementia to the apolipoprotein E polymorphism in an epidemiological sample of 477 subjects aged 70-103 years. The apolipoprotein E4 allele was found to be associated with reduced performance in several sensitive neuropsychological memory tests and with diagnosis of dementia only in the oldest subjects (> 84 years).

Amyloid beta-peptide and its relationship with dementia in Lewy body disease.

Cerebral cortical Lewy bodies occur in a spectrum of clinical syndromes including Parkinson's disease (PD) with and without dementia, and dementing conditions clinically resembling Alzheimer's disease with few or without parkinsonian features. It is unclear whether these conditions are variants of one disease process or represent pathogenetically distinct entities. Here we compared the cortical pathology in post mortem brains of three groups representing the predominant clinical phenotypes of Lewy body disease, including 27 non-demented cases of PD, 23 demented PD cases, and 11 cases of Lewy body disease who initially presented with dementia and showed only limited features of parkinsonism during the course of their illness.

Contrast-enhanced lymphography. CT or MR imaging?

Lymphography is the radiological visualization of the lymph vessels and lymph nodes with contrast material. History and different modes of visualization are compared.

Glutathione S-transferase and cytochrome-P-450 polymorphism as risk factors for squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

Purpose: While cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption are recognized covariates for laryngeal carcinoma, the role of genetic factors in determining individual susceptibility is unknown. We describe the influence of polymorphism in carcinogen-metabolizing enzymes on susceptibility to squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx.

Material And Methods: We investigated 269 patients with T1-T4 laryngeal carcinoma and 216 controls.

Evaluation and biopsy of recurrent rectal cancer using three-dimensional endosonography.

Purpose: The value of endorectal ultrasonography for postoperative follow-up of rectal cancer is limited by the inability to distinguish recurrent malignancy from benign lesions, e.g., fibrotic tissue.

Endosonography and endosonography-guided biopsy of upper-GI-tract tumors using a curved-array echoendoscope.

Background: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the accuracy of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) with a curved-array transducer and to determine the value of endosonography-guided biopsy.

Methods: EUS was performed in 162 consecutive patients for preoperative staging of gastric or esophageal cancer (n = 122) or for EUS-guided biopsy (n = 40). All patients were examined using a flexible echoendoscope (Pentax FG32-UA) equipped with a 7.

Specular microscopy: from speculative to spectacular microscopy.

The evolution of confocal microscopy for in vivo qualitative analysis of the cornea seems to follow a path similar to that followed by specular microscopy after its reintroduction almost 20 years ago. The purpose of this report is to present the evolution of our own research data, starting with speculation concerning the attribution of morphological features and finishing with cell-to-cell correlation with special techniques. We present representative clinical but mainly experimental data from relocation studies using flat preparation, especially developed sequential vital staining techniques, and scanning electron microscopy as compared with specular microscopy.

Magnetic resonance imaging of focal liver lesions. Comparison of the superparamagnetic iron oxide resovist versus gadolinium-DTPA in the same patient.

Rationale And Objectives: The authors assess the efficacy of static and dynamic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using the superparamagnetic iron oxide SHU-555A (Resovist) versus standard dose of gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA in patients with focal liver lesions.

Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30 patients suffering from histopathologically verified malignant (n = 22) and benign (n = 8) liver lesions. T2-weighted conventional and fat-suppressed as well as T1-weighted sequences were used before, during, and after fast intravenous administration of Resovist (1 mL/minute) at three doses of 4, 8, and 16 mumol/kg body weight.

Primary extraskeletal mesenchymal chondrosarcoma in fossa poplitea of a 93-year-old woman.

We report the case of a 93-year-old female who had developed a primary extraskeletal chondrosarcoma in Fossa poplitea for many years. This rare, highly malignant tumor occurred in unusual location and at unusual age. Histologically, it presented with sheets of primitive mesenchymal cells and islets of well-differentiated cartilaginous tissue.

Topical calcitriol enhances normal hair regrowth but does not prevent chemotherapy-induced alopecia in mice.

Using a murine model that mimics chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) in humans particularly well, we show here that in contrast to previously reported CIA-protective effects in neonatal rats, topical calcitriol does not prevent CIA in adolescent mice but enhances the regrowth of normally pigmented hair shafts. When, prior to injecting 1 X 120 mg/kg cyclophosphamide i.p.

Partial trisomy/monosomy 6q in fetal cells and CVS long-term culture not present in CVS short-term culture.

A cytogenetic discrepancy in chorionic villi with implications for prenatal diagnosis is described. Chromosome analysis revealed a normal karyotype in banded metaphases from short-term culture and a chromosome count of 46 in cells of the long-term culture. After the birth of a malformed infant, a structurally aberrant chromosome 6 was found in lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts.