F-19 MR imaging of glucose metabolism in the rabbit

Noninvasive metabolic magnetic resonance (MR) imaging reflecting glucose metabolism in the aldose-reductase-sorbitol (ARS) pathway was performed in the rabbit head; after administration of the fluorinated glucose analogue 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-glucose (3FD-glucose), fluorine-19 images were generated. Images of 3FD-glucose showed significant 3FD-glucose uptake by adipose tissue, indicating its buffering effects in case of excess loads of glucose. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-sorbitol (3FD-sorbitol) demonstrated the spatial distribution of aldose reductase activities and significant sorbitol accumulation in the lens. Images of 3-fluoro-3-deoxy-D-fructose (3FD-fructose) showed preferential uptake of fructose by muscle tissue. The extremely low toxicity of 3FD-glucose indicates promise for its clinical application in metabolic imaging.     

Medulloepithelioma: a case report

Histological, immunohistochemical, and CT morphological features of medulloepithelioma, a rare embryonal tumor of primitive neuroepithelium, are described.     

Factors linked to bacterial vaginosis in nonpregnant women

OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to test the hypothesis that vaginal douching is linked to bacterial vaginosis in both symptomatic and asymptomatic women and to identify other demographic, reproductive, and lifestyle factors associated with bacterial vaginosis. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study involving 3 clinic sites, 496 nonpregnant women completed a self-administered questionnaire. Their vaginal smears were assessed and cross-validated for bacterial vaginosis. RESULTS: The prevalence of bacterial vaginosis across clinics ranged from 15% to 30%. In analyses restricted to site 1, adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for bacterial vaginosis remained significant for African American women with 13 or fewer years of education (OR = 5.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1, 14.5), hormone use within the past 6 months (OR = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.2, 0.8), and vaginal douching within the past 2 months (OR = 2.9, 95% CI = 1.5, 5.6). CONCLUSIONS: Two lifestyle factors emerge as strongly associated with bacterial vaginosis: systemic contraceptives appear protective, whereas douching is linked to an increase in prevalence. The temporal relationship between douching and bacterial vaginosis needs further clarification.     

Digital beam attenuator technique for compensated chest radiography

The feasibility of producing patient-specific beam attenuators for chest radiography has been investigated using an anthropomorphic phantom and a human volunteer. A low-dose test exposure is digitized, processed, and used to print a small cerium filter, which is placed in the x-ray beam near the collimator. The final radiograph is recorded on film. The technique results in relatively uniform film exposure, so that structures in all regions of the chest are simultaneously displayed with optimal film contrast. The equalized exposure improves image quality in the normally underpenetrated regions and reduces the role of cross-scatter from the lungs. The image is analogous to optical or computer-processed unsharp masking techniques, but the processing is accomplished in the x-ray beam and results in an improved exposure distribution, giving advantages that cannot be achieved with image processing techniques alone.     

Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis: a case report

Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis (JHF) is a rare, autosomal recessively inherited disorder characterized histologically by deposition of hyaline, collagen like substance aberrantly synthesized by the cells of the connective tissue and deposited within many organs, typically within the skin, gingiva, joints and bones. We report this rare case of Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis in a young boy who presented clinically with multiple papulonodular skin lesions, non tender soft tissue masses over the scalp, face, anterior chest wall, back, periarticular regions of the extremities with restricted mobility of joints and gingival hypertrophy. Calcifications were seen within the tumor shadows in the skull X-Rays. Histopathological study revealed characteristic features consistent with Juvenile hyaline fibromatosis. We report this case in view of its rarity.     

Utility of dystrophin and utrophin staining in childhood muscular dystrophy

To determine the utility of dystrophin and utrophin staining in the differential diagnosis of childhood muscular dystrophy. Fifty muscle biopsies of histologically confirmed cases of childhood muscular dystrophy, below 16 years of age, were stained immunohistochemically for dystrophin and utrophin. All the 30 muscle biopsies of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) showed all or majority of muscle fibers deficient for dystrophin and positive for utrophin. In the 4 female DMD carriers there was mosaic pattern of staining for dystrophin and reciprocal positivity for utrophin. All the muscle biopsies of patients with other childhood onset muscular dystrophies were positive for dystrophin and negative for utrophin. This study shows that dystrophin staining differentiates DMD and DMD carriers from other childhood muscular dystrophies and utrophin staining is of no added value. Utrophin up-regulation may compensate for structural deficiency in dystrophic muscle.     

Simulated ABO and Rh blood typing

BACKGROUND: Blood typing historically has been used to introduce students to the concepts of immunohematology. Risk of disease transmission has compelled school districts to prohibit the use of human blood in student laboratories. A method is needed that will safely simulate ABO and Rh typing. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: A method that uses inorganic salt solutions to simulate ABO and Rh antigens and antibodies was studied. Additional salt solutions and diluents were tested to investigate the feasibility of simulating both ABO and Rh typing in a more realistic medium. RESULTS: Cobalt nitrate and sodium hydroxide were found to successfully simulate D and anti-D, respectively. The addition of these solutions did not produce cross- reactions in ABO tests. Use of simulated blood as a diluent improved the appearance of the samples. CONCLUSION: This method can safely and inexpensively simulate ABO and Rh blood typing procedures and provide students with hands-on blood-typing experience.     

Current autologous transfusion practices. Implications for the future

A questionnaire was distributed to 509 AABB institutional members to evaluate current autologous transfusion practices. Results were returned from 47 blood centers, 108 transfusion services and 64 hospital blood banks (response rate 43%). Results indicate that not all eligible patients are allowed to donate due to unnecessarily strict eligibility criteria. Thirty percent of autologous units are not tested for infectious disease markers. Of those units tested and found positive for anti-HIV or HBsAg, 53 and 72% respectively, of the institutions provide the units to the intended recipient. Forty-seven percent of institutions perform an AHG crossmatch for autologous recipients. Sixty five percent of institutions permit "crossing-over" of autologous units for homologous use. Implications of these findings for the development of standards for autologous transfusion programs are discussed.