Spinal arachnoid cysts in children

Five cases of benign spinal arachnoid cysts in children are described with their clinical, neuroradiological, surgical and pathological findings. Intraspinal benign arachnoid cysts may be confidently diagnosed myelographically when there is complete or partial obstruction with multiple oily contrast/cerebrospinal fluid levels as in 3 cases in this series. The multiple fluid levels are probably produced by multiple cysts or a cyst loculated due to partial compression by arachnoid bands either related to the normal septum posticum, congenital or acquired adhesion rather than to trabeculations within the cyst. In this series, the origin of the cysts is considered to be congenital.     

Characterization and quantification of dynamic eccentric regurgitation of the left atrioventricular valve after atrioventricular septal defect correction with 4D Flow cardiovascular magnetic resonance and retrospective valve tracking

Background

To characterize and directly quantify regurgitant jets of left atrioventricular valve (LAVV) in patients with corrected atrioventricular septal defect (AVSD) by four-dimensional (4D)Flow Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR), streamline visualization and retrospective valve tracking.

Methods

Medical ethical committee approval and informed consent from all patients or their parents were obtained. In 32 corrected AVSD patients (age 26 ± 12 years), echocardiography and whole-heart 4DFlow CMR were performed. Using streamline visualization on 2- and 4-chamber views, the angle between regurgitation and annulus was followed throughout systole. On through-plane velocity-encoded images reformatted perpendicular to the regurgitation jet the cross-sectional jet circularity index was assessed and regurgitant volume and fraction were calculated. Correlation and agreement between different techniques was performed with Pearson’s r and Spearman’s rho correlation and Bland-Altman analysis.

Results

In 8 patients, multiple regurgitant jets over the LAVV were identified. Median variation in regurgitant jet angle within patients was 36°(IQR 18–64°) on the 2-chamber and 30°(IQR 20–40°) on the 4-chamber. Regurgitant jets had a circularity index of 0.61 ± 0.16. Quantification of the regurgitation volume was feasible with 4DFlow CMR with excellent correlation between LAVV effective forward flow and aortic flow (r = 0.97, p < 0.001) for internal validation and moderate correlation with planimetry derived regurgitant volume (r = 0.65, p < 0.001) and echocardiographic grading (rho = 0.51, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

4DFlow CMR with streamline visualization revealed multiple, dynamic and eccentric regurgitant jets with non-circular cross-sectional shape in patients after AVSD correction. 4DFlow with retrospective valve tracking allows direct and accurate quantification of the regurgitation of these complex jets.     

影像学技术、计算机技术在血管性认知障碍诊断及康复治疗中的应用

目的:综述血管性认知障碍的研究进展,以便预防和治疗血管性认知障碍,提高血管性认知障碍患者的生活质量。资料来源:应用计算检索万方数据库2002-01/2007-01与血管性认知障碍相关的文章,检索词“血管性认知障碍、轻度认知障碍、血管性痴呆、虚拟现实技术、无错性学习、远程康复”,限定语种为中文;同时应用计算机检索Pubmed 1998-01/2007-01的相关文章,检索词为vascular cognitive impairment,virtual reality,errorless learning,telerehabilitation,并限定文章语言种类为English。资料选择:就检索到的100余篇文献进行筛选,选取与血管性认知障碍相关的文章。资料提炼:共收集到相关文章34篇,将筛选到的文献分类,其中认知障碍诊断进展的22篇,康复治疗的12篇。资料综合:血管性认知障碍患者通过磁共振血流灌注加权成像、磁共振波谱成像、弥散加权成像、放射性核素功能显像等影像学检查都会呈现不同程度的异常。神经心理学测验、虚拟现实技术以及计算机辅助技术的应用能够探测到非常细微的认知功能损害,使这部分患者得到早期的诊断,加以治疗,可阻止或延缓痴呆的发生。无错性学习的应用和远程认知康复治疗可使患者的认知功能障碍和功能性活动得到良好的改善。结论:血管性认知障碍对日常生活活动能力影响很大,应对其进行早期的预防、诊断和相应的康复治疗以提高患者的生活质量。     

Effect of phototherapy on thyroid stimulatory hormone and free thyroxine levels

Objective : To study the effect of phototherapy for neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia on thyroid function as neonatal thyroid screening is sometimes performed during exposure to phototherapy. Methodology : Infants with non-haemolytic hyperbilirubinaemia were sequentially allocated to fibre-optic phototherapy, conventional daylight phototherapy, or a combination of both. Bilirubin concentration was monitored 12 hourly by capillary blood sampling; venous blood was sampled for thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT₄) determinations, at start of exposure, at 24 h, end of exposure and 1 day later. Comparable unexposed infants served as controls. Results : All 123 study infants and 25 controls remained well during the study. Bilirubin levels declined during phototherapy, being most rapid in the combination group. The TSH and fT₄ values at start of exposure were 3.86 ± 0.41 mU/L (mean ± SEM) and 33.20 ± 1.16 pmol/L, respectively, in the fibre-optic group, 3.62 ± 0.38 mU/L and 37.22 ± 1.76 pmol/L in the daylight group, and 4.40 ± 0.48 mU/L and 29.91 ± 1.13 pmol/L in the combined group, compared with 5.77 ± 0.40 mU/L and 34.46 ± 1.68 pmol/L in the control group. The TSH and fT₄ values declined with increasing age in the phototherapy and control groups with end of exposure values of 2.90 ± 0.28mU/L and 27.71 ± 0.71 pmol/L, 2.77 ± 0.31 mU/L and 33.52 ± 1.22pmol/L, and 3.44 ± 0.30 mU/L and 27.54 ± 0.88 pmol/L, respectively, compared with 4.21 ± 0.61 mU/L and 27.19 ± 2.33 pmol/L (at 72 h) in the control group. The pattern of TSH and fT₄ decline in the exposed and control groups was similar, being related to increasing age. Conclusions : The validity of neonatal thyroid screening is not affected by fibre-optic or conventional phototherapy or by both combined.