The role of interventional radiology in trauma

Introduction Interventional Radiology has evolved into a specialty having enormous input into the care of the traumatized patient.In all hospitals,regardless of size,the Interventional Radiologist must consider their relationships with the trauma service in order to     

Diagnóstico ecográfico del neumotórax

The ultrasonographic diagnosis of pneumothorax is based on the analysis of artifacts. It is possible to confirm or rule out pneumothorax by combining the following signs: lung sliding, the A and B lines, and the lung point. One fundamental advantage of lung ultrasonography is its easy access in any critical situation, especially in patients in the intensive care unit. For this reason, chest ultrasonography can be used as an alternative to plain-film X-rays and computed tomography in critical patients and in patients with normal plain films in whom pneumothorax is strongly suspected, as well as to evaluate the extent of the pneumothorax and monitor its evolution.     

Carbohydrate Supplementation during Exercise: Does It Help? How Much is Too Much?

KEY POINTS· Carbohydrate intake during exercise can delay the onset of fatigue and improve performance of prolonged exercise as well as exercise of shorter duration and greater intensity (e.g., continuous exercise lasting about 1h and intermittent high-intensity exercise), but the mechanisms by which performance is improved are different.     

磁共振DWI和动态增强鉴别颅底脊索瘤和侵袭性垂体瘤的应用

目的 探讨磁共振扩散加权成像(DWI)和动态增强在颅底脊索瘤和侵袭性垂体瘤(IPA)鉴别诊断中的应用价值.方法 搜集经手术病理证实且影像学有鞍区破坏的颅底脊索瘤患者15例、向鼻咽部侵犯的IPA患者20例.测量二者的表观扩散系数(ADC)值,绘制受试者工作特征曲线(ROC),分析动态增强曲线的类型,统计达峰时间(TTP)、增强峰值(EP)和最大对比增强率(MCER),分析各个参数在鉴别诊断中的价值.结果 颅底脊索瘤的ADC值为(1.274±0.07)×10-3mm2/s,高于IPA ADC值(0.672±0.03) ×10-3 mm2/s(P ＜0.001),ADC阈值为0.964×10-3mm2/s时,ROC曲线下面积为0.997,敏感度为93.3％,特异度为100％.颅底脊索瘤时间-信号强度曲线(TIC)Ⅰ型14例,TICⅢ型1例,此例TICⅢ型者TTP约40 s;IPA TIC Ⅰ型7例,TICⅢ型13例.颅底脊索瘤和IPA的EP、MCER差异均有统计学意义(P ＜0.001).结论 ADC值和TIC的类型及其相关参数(EP,MCER)有助于颅底脊索瘤和IPA之间的鉴别.     

Treatment of intrahepatic arteriovenous fistula in hepatocellular carcinoma with N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate

Primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) continues to be one of the most common malignancies with an incidence of approximately one million cases per year and a dismal prognosis; some authors have reported a median survival of 1 ～ 2 months after diagnosis. Although surgery remains the only hope for cure, few patients are candidates[1,2].     

U50,488H对正常及缺氧心肌细胞L型钙电流的作用

目的 探讨心脏阿片受体和β-受体相互作用的机制。方法 采用全细胞膜片钳技术，观察U50，488H(β-阿片受体选择性激动剂)对正常和缺氧心肌细胞L型钙电流的作用。结果 U50，488H剂量依赖性(0．1～100μmol／L)抑制正常心肌细胞的L型钙电流及异丙肾上腺素(0．1μmol／L)激动的钙电流，而细胞缺氧后，这一抑制作用减弱；U50，488H对Forskolin(10μmol／L)激动的L型钙电流无明显影响。结论 β-阿片受体对β-受体信号的负性调节作用在细胞缺氧后减弱，其作用位点可能发生于β-受体与腺苷酸环化酶环节之间。     

Overtraining syndrome : la piste de la suractivité ?

Introduction

Overtraining is clearly a multifactorial disturbance. We aimed at evaluating the relative importance of overactivity and nutritional imbalances.

Methods

A comparison of 17 footballers with seven subjects with a diagnosis of overtraining evidenced that the two groups differ by energy expenditure resulting from physical activity (1573 ± 378.6 kcal/d from 804.7 ± 184.7 kcal/d) while food intake does not exhibit significant differences.

Conclusion

In this sample of subjects, inadequate food intake is found in both groups, so that overtraining appears rather characterized by a higher level of physical activity. Therefore, a relative energy deficit resulting from overactivity rather than dietary mistakes appears to explain the syndrome in these athletes, who are thus truly “overtrained”.     

Prenatal detection of brain anomalies with ultrasonography

Ultrasound is the first-line imaging study of the fetal brain performed at 12, 22 and 32 weeks of gestation. The very structured evaluation of biometric and morphological data, facilitated by the use of a checklist, ensures a high quality examination. All patients where an anomaly of any key element is suspected should be referred to a center dedicated to prenatal diagnosis for confirmation irrespective of the gestational age. Prenatal diagnosis plays a significant role in France since medical interruption of pregnancy until term is authorized.     

Sexual homicide: Brief review of the literature and case report involving rape,genital mutilation and human arson

The objective of the current paper is to report a new case of sexual murder involving human arson and summarize the literature on the phenomenon of sexual homicide. The present case study is unprecedented in Greece and a rarity in international literature due to the fact that the victim suffered genital mutilation and incineration while still alive. The evaluation consisted of 176 articles; 53 were reviewed by the authors. The results revealed sparse, but significant, research findings. The authors discuss the limitations regarding research, incidence of the phenomenon, crime-scene patterns, offender characteristics (killing methods, motive inferences, sociodemographic data, classifications, psychopathology, modus operandi), and victim selection. The incidence of the phenomenon is unclear (1–4%) due to non-standardized criteria. It is an expression of displaced anger or sexual sadism and/or a way to elude detection (ancillary benefit). Most offenders (in their first kill) and victims were in their late 20s to early 30s and belong to Caucasian populations. Personal weapons were commonly used against women, strangulation is the prevalent killing method against children, and firearms against men. Most of the sexual homicide perpetrators are non-psychotic at the time of the attack, but experience personality pathology, primitive defenses, pathological object relations, and withdrawal into fantasy in order to deal with social isolation.     

Extension du modèle puissance–temps limite pour estimer la production d’énergie aérobie et anaérobie lors de l’exercice intense

Aim

Examine how the modelling of the relation between power and time to exhaustion can provide an estimation of the production of aerobic and anaerobic energy during intense exercise.

Current knowledge

The hyperbolic model made it possible to define the critical power corresponding to the maximal rate of energy renewed by aerobic metabolism. A new model distinguishing the critical power from the maximal aerobic power has been built to estimate more precisely the anaerobic contribution. Data from middle distance runners and subjects tested on cycle ergometer showed a relative contribution of anaerobic metabolism arising from critical power and increasing until around 10 % of total power when aerobic energy production reaches its maximum.

Prospects

Considering the slow component of oxygen uptake would provide a more precise analysis of energy production and transformation during exercise at high intensity.     

Beziehungen zwischen Aufprallgeschwindigkeit,Fahrzeugbeschädigungen,Frakturen und „Wurfweite” bei 50 tödlichen Fußgänger-PKW-Unfällen

Zusammenfassung Aus 160 Obduktionen von Fußgängern, die durch PKW getötet worden waren, sind 50 nach folgenden Gesichtspunkten ausgewählt worden:Auffahrunfälle Erwachsener mit gesicherten Angaben in den Gerichtsakten über Fahrzeugbeschädigungen, Zusammenstoßstellen, Endlage der Fußgänger und Bremsspuren. Aus diesen Daten wurden Ausgangs- und Aufprallgeschwindigkeiten berechnet sowie die Wurfweite der Fußgänger gemessen.Die Ausgangsgeschwindigkeiten, nach der Berechnung zwischen 32 und 95 km/h, lagen meistens etwas höher als die angegebenen Geschwindigkeiten. Zwischen Ausgangs- und Aufprallgeschwindigkeiten waren die Differenzen größer. Ab 12 km/h Aufprallgeschwindigkeit kam es bereits zu tödlichen Verletzungen. Auffallend ist die zweigipfelige Verteilung der Häufigkeit sowohl bei der Einteilung nach den Aufprallgeschwindigkeiten als auch nach den Deformationsarbeiten (Aufprallgeschwindigkeit: 26% bei 51–60 km/h und 22% bei 21 bis 30 km/h; Deformationsarbeit: 34% bei 39–200 kpm und 30% bei 701–1000 kpm).Bei Aufprallgeschwindigkeiten über 50 km/h wurden doppelt so viel Knochenbrüche an der Wirbelsäule und am Becken als bei Aufprallgeschwindigkeiten unter 50 km/h festgestellt.Bei 44 Fußgängerunfällen lag ein Drittel innerhalb der Erwartungsgrenze der Wurfweite nach Fiala, je ein Drittel aber darüber bzw, darunter.Das Beschädigungsbild und die Anstoßverletzungen geben Hinweise zur Ermittlung der Aufprallgeschwindigkeit, vor allem wenn weitere Berechnungsgrundlagen fehlen.

---

Summary Fifty cases were selected from 160 autopsies performed on pedestrians who were accidentally killed by private motorcars; the cases were selected according to the following criteria:The cases were confined to impact accidents involving adults in which reliable evidence could be gathered from the Court records in relation to damage to the car, the place of collision, the final position of the injured pedestrian and the extent of skidmarks. The initial and collision speeds of the cars were calculated from these facts and the distance of projection of the pedestrians were measured.The initial speeds, calculated between 32 and 95 km/h, were, in most cases, higher than the declared speeds. The differences between initial and collision speeds were larger. Fatal injuries could arise from a collision velocity of only 12 km/h. A striking feature of the analysis was the distribution of two peaks of frequency whether these were classified according to the collision speeds or according to the deformation of the vehicle (collision speed: 26% at the speed of 51 to 60 km/h and 22% at the speed of 21 to 30 km/h; deformation work: 34% at the deformation work of 39 to 200 kpm and 30% at the deformation work of 701 to 1,000 kpm).Twice as many fractures of the vertebral column and pelvis were sustained at collision speeds over 50 km/h as were sustained under 50 km/h.In one third of 44 pedestrian accidents, the distance of projection was within the expected range described by Fiala; in one third the distance was above and in one third below the expected range.If additional data for calculation were lacking, the patterns in injury arising from the impacts gave indications from which it was possible to estimate the collision speed.

Stipendiat der Alexander v. Humboldt-Stiftung, Dozent Dr. med. S. Kamiyama, Dept. of Legal Medicine, School of Medicine, Chiba University, 313 Inohanacho, Chiba, Japan.     

Medición del T2* hepático y cardíaco en la hemocromatosis secundaria

Objective

To determine whether there is iron overload by calculating the T2* value in the liver and myocardium in patients with secondary haemochromatosis. To analyse the correlation of the values obtained with the iron levels in blood, with the liver iron concentration (LIC) calculated using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and the correlation between them.

Material and methods

A total of 16 patients (13 males, 3 females), with a mean age of 61 years, were included and evaluated in the years 2008 and 2009. Fifteen of them had received multiple transfusions, and one was diagnosed with hereditary sideroblastic anaemia.The measurements included, blood ferritin, LIC by MRI, cardiac function using MRI and the T2* value by means of multi-echo sequences in the liver (TR/TE1/ΔTE/No of echos/α: 21/1,18/1.0/20/35°) and myocardium (26/1.04/0.8/30/60°). A correlation-regression analysis was performed by comparing the cardiac and liver T2* values with the ferritin, LIC and between each of them.

Results

A total of 13 patients had ferritin values greater than 1000 ng/ml (median/minimum/maximum: 1762/294/3785 ng/ml). An increased LIC greater than 80 μmol/g (median/minimum/maximum: 125.4/41.2/241.5 μmol/g) was observed in 13 patients. In all cases cardiac function was conserved, and in 15 cases the liver T2* value was less than 6.3 ms. The myocardium T2* value was less than 20 ms. in only one case. A high correlation was observed between the liver T2* values and the LIC (r: -0.912). The correlation was statistically significant between the liver T2* value and ferritin (r: -0.541). The correlations between myocardium T2* and ferritin, myocardium T2* and LIC, and myocardium T2* and liver T2* were not statistically significant.

Conclusions

The liver T2* showed a high correlation with LIC and a statistically significant correlation with ferritin. No association was observed between the myocardium T2* values and ferritin in blood, the LIC or the liver T2* value.     

Comparison of irradiation for tomosynthesis and CT of the wrist

Purpose

Tomosynthesis is a novel imaging modality based on the use of flat-panel detector technology. Its impact in the evaluation of the post-traumatic wrist has yet to be defined. The low associated radiation dose is one of its main advantages. Comparison of radiation doses between tomosynthesis, radiographs and CT is thus necessary.

Materials and methods

The delivered doses for a five-view wrist radiographic examination, frontal and lateral tomosynthesis and CT were measured using radiothermoluminescent dosimeters.

Results

Biplane tomosynthesis has the lowest delivered dose with 25% less radiation than a standard five-view radiographic examination (0.72 versus 0.96 mGy), and a 28-fold radiation reduction compared to CT (19.8 mGy).

Conclusion

Tomosynthesis delivers less radiation than a standard radiographic examination. For the wrist, it results in a 28-fold reduction in radiation compared to CT.     

Advanced imaging of melorheostosis with emphasis on MRI

Objective: To describe the CT and MR imaging appearance of both osseous and extraosseous manifestations of melorheostosis. Design and patients: We retrospectively reviewed the CT (n=7) and/or MR imaging findings (n=12) of 17 patients with characteristic radiographic findings of melorheostosis (undulating cortical hyperostosis with marked uptake on radionuclide bone scintigraphy). Results: CT and MR imaging revealed cortical hyperostosis as high attenuation and low signal intensity on all MR pulse sequences, respectively. Encroachment on the marrow space was seen in all cases resulting from endosteal involvement. Thirteen patients demonstrated 14 soft tissue masses with infiltrative margins in 80% of cases and seven showed extensive mineralization on CT or MR imaging (low intensity on all pulse sequences). Seven soft tissue masses were predominantly nonmineralized with intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted and intermediate to high signal on T2-weighted MR images corresponding to vascularized fibrous tissue with variable collagen content pathologically. Enhancement after intravenous gadolinium was seen in all patients imaged with soft tissue masses (n=2). Two patients demonstrated muscle atrophy resulting from nerve involvement. Conclusions: The osseous abnormalities in melorheostosis are identical on advanced imaging and radiographs. Mineralized or nonmineralized soft tissue masses should be recognized as another manifestation of this disease as opposed to a more ominous finding, making biopsy unwarrranted. Received: 16 January 2001 Accepted: 21 February 2001     

Hip and pelvic injuries in the elderly

Fractures of the hip and pelvis are frequent and serious injuries in elderly patients. Due to the aging population, their incidence should double by 2050. Therefore, the social and economical implications of these fractures are significant. Delay in diagnosis increases the associated morbidity and mortality. The purpose is to review the imaging features of these fractures, the imaging techniques (projections, CT) to depict them and their classification based on severity.