Appendicitis in children. Accuracy of the barium enema.

The barium enema (BE) may be useful in the diagnosis of atypical appendicitis in children. We analyzed our experience with 18 children in whom appendicitis was suspected and BE was performed. All of the children underwent surgical exploration.

A calmodulin dependent protein kinase in parietal cells.

An enriched population of isolated rabbit gastric parietal cells, from the fundic mucosa of New Zealand White rabbit, contained an active cytosolic calmodulin-dependent protein kinase activity with a prominent 100 kDa substrate (pp100). The latter focused as a doublet with isoelectric point of 6.8-7.

Aortic dissection with concurrent abdominal aortic aneurysm: computed tomography diagnosis.

Thoracic aortic dissection in association with preexisting abdominal aortic aneurysm is rare. An illustrative case is presented in which an additional complication of contained aortic rupture and renal infarction occurred. Computed tomography was the primary diagnostic modality.

Acute dissection originating in the abdominal aorta.

A primary abdominal aortic dissection was encountered in a 53-year-old hypertensive man who was admitted with a 2-week history of back pain. Treatment with an infrarenal aortic bifurcation graft complemented by reconstruction of the proximal aortic cuff was curative.

Discrimination of normal and atherosclerotic aorta by laser-induced fluorescence.

Precise targeting of laser energy to atherosclerotic plaque is crucial for the safe performance of laser angioplasty. The present study was designed to evaluate whether laser-induced fluorescence could distinguish atherosclerotic from normal aorta. Segments of human aorta obtained at necropsy were classified grossly and histologically as normal aorta (n = 7), thin yellow fatty plaque (n = 5), and thick white atheromatous plaque (n = 9), and analyzed by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy using a pulsed nitrogen laser.