Endovascular stenting for nutcracker syndrome

Nutcracker syndrome (NCS) is a rare pathology manifested by pain or hematuria in males and females alike. It can be easily overlooked, and should be considered in young men or women with symptoms of extended duration. We present a case of a 54-year-old female with chronic lower abdominal pain radiating to the left thigh of 4 years in duration. Computed tomography (CT) eventually revealed engorged left renal, gonadal, and uterine veins due to compression between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and the abdominal aorta, consistent with NCS. After a successful endovascular stenting and a 6-month period of antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, the patient returned to stable health. NCS, while rare, should be suspected in patients of both sexes with persistent pain or hematuria.     

Waist-to-thigh ratio is a predictor of internal organ cancers in humans: findings from a cohort study

ObjectiveStudies have shown that some specific body measures are associated with the occurrence of cancers. Few studies have demonstrated the relationship with more comprehensive approaches. This study aims to explore body measures and the combinations associated with internal organ cancers.MethodsThree-dimensional anthropometric body surface scanning data collected 10,215 participants from the health examination department in a medical center of Taiwan during 2000–2010. Follow-up was conducted for an average of 8 years, and 244 internal organ cancer cases were identified.ResultsAn increased risk of internal organ cancers was observed among the subjects with larger waist circumference/smaller thigh circumference, in which waist-to-thigh ratio (WTR) was constructed. Comparing the subjects in the fourth quartile for WTR to the subjects in the first quartile with multiple Cox regression analysis yielded a hazard ratio of 1.842 (95% confidence interval, 1.131～2.999). The association between WTR quartile and internal organ cancers was stronger among male participants, older participants, and participants with chronic conditions.ConclusionsThe study has revealed that WTR is the most significant predictor for the occurrence of cancer in Asian populations. Because it is easy to measure and open to modification, WTR may be more useful in clinical and preventive medicine in the future.     

Central nervous system effects in acute thallium poisoning

We report the central nervous system manifestations, neuropsychological studies and brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings of two patients with acute thallium intoxication. Neurologically the patients suffered from confusion, disorientation, and hallucination in the acute stage, followed by anxiety, depression, lack of attention, and memory impairment, in addition to peripheral neuropathy. Neuropsychological tests revealed an impairment of memory function, including reversed digital span, memory registration, memory recall, memory recognition, similarity, proverb reasoning, and verbal fluency. High concentrations of thallium were found in the urine, blood, and drinking water of these two patients. Brain MRI showed lesions in the corpus striatum in one patient. During the follow-up periods, the clinical manifestations and neuropsychological studies showed a slowly progressive improvement, and a follow-up brain MRI 1.5 months later demonstrated a resolution of the lesions. We conclude that thallium intoxication might induce encephalopathy, and brain MRI studies demonstrated the acute-stage brain lesions in a severe intoxicated patient. In addition, neuropsychological tests also confirmed memory deficits, although the brain lesions in the corpus striatum might resolve.     

Papillary tubal hyperplasia: the putative precursor of ovarian atypical proliferative (borderline) serous tumors, noninvasive implants, and endosalpingiosis

In contrast to the controversy regarding the terminology and behavior of ovarian noninvasive low-grade serous tumors [atypical proliferative serous tumor (APST) and serous borderline tumor], little attention has been directed to their origin. Similarly, until recently, proliferative lesions in the fallopian tube had not been extensively studied. The recent proposal that ovarian high-grade serous carcinomas are derived from intraepithelial carcinoma in the fallopian tube prompted us to evaluate the possible role of fallopian tube in the genesis of low-grade serous tumors. We have identified a lesion, designated "papillary tubal hyperplasia (PTH)," characterized by small rounded clusters of tubal epithelial cells and small papillae, with or without associated psammoma bodies, that are present within the tubal lumen and which are frequently associated with APSTs. Twenty-two cases in this study were selected from a population-based study in Denmark of approximately 1000 patients with low-grade ovarian serous tumors in whom implants were identified on the fallopian tube. Seven additional cases were seen recently in consultation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH). These 7 cases were not associated with an ovarian tumor. PTH was found in 20 (91%) of the 22 cases in the Danish study. On the basis of this association of PTH with APSTs with implants and the close morphologic resemblance of PTH, not only to primary ovarian APSTs but also to noninvasive epithelial implants and endosalpingiosis, we speculate that the small papillae and clusters of cells from the fallopian tube implant on ovarian and peritoneal surfaces to produce these lesions. The 7 JHH cases of PTH that were not associated with an ovarian tumor support the view that PTH is the likely precursor lesion. We propose a model for the development of ovarian and extraovarian low-grade serous proliferations (APST, noninvasive epithelial implants, and endosalpingiosis) that postulates that all of these lesions are derived from PTH, which appears to be induced by chronic inflammation. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it can be concluded that low-grade and high-grade ovarian tumors develop from tubal epithelium and involve the ovary secondarily.     

The role of reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes in the development of septic loosening after total hip replacement

In this study of 41 patients, we used proteomic, Western blot and immunohistochemical analyses to show that several reactive oxygen species scavenging enzymes are expressed differentially in patients with primary osteoarthritis and those with non-loosening and aseptic loosening after total hip replacement (THR). The patients were grouped as A (n = 16, primary THR), B (n = 10, fixed THR but requiring revision for polyethylene wear) and C (n = 15, requiring revision due to aseptic loosening) to verify the involvement of the identified targets in aseptic loosening. When compared with Groups A and B, Group C patients exhibited significant up-regulation of transthyretin and superoxide dismutase 3, but down-regulation of glutathione peroxidase 2 in their hip synovial fluids. Also, higher levels of superoxide dismutase 2 and peroxiredoxin 2, but not superoxide dismutase 1, catalase and glutathione perioxidase 1, were consistently detected in the hip capsules of Group C patients. We propose that dysregulated reactive oxygen species-related enzymes may play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of aseptic loosening after THR.     

Testicular lymphoma with bone/bone marrow metastases illustrated by scrotal sonography, spinal MRI, and total body Tc-99m HMDP and Tc-99m MIBI imagines

An 83-year-old man with testicular lymphoma demonstrated progressive scrotal enlargement with non-homogeneity sonographically and abnormally increased uptake in the scrotum of Tc-99m HMDP and Tc-99m MIBI scintigraphically. Extensive bone/bone marrow metastases were exhibited by Tc-99m MIBI and Tc-99m HMDP scintigraphies and MRI of the spine. In addition, focal/tubular activity of the femoral bone marrow on Tc-99m MIBI imaging was consistent with skeletal scintigraphic findings. It is emphasized that Tc-99m MIBI total body imaging enabled the demonstration of testicular lymphoma as increased uptake and the illustration of skeletal/bone marrow metastases as diffuse and/or focal increased uptake, especially focal/tubular MIBI activity of the femoral marrow.     

Solitary vertebral collapse: distinction between benign and malignant causes using MR patterns.

Differentiation of benign from malignant causes of vertebral compression fracture can be difficult at a single location. We studied 37 patients with solitary vertebral collapse (SVC) in the spine using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sixteen of them were found to have a benign cause of SVC, while the remaining 21 were found to have malignancy. The following four MRI characteristics were investigated: ill- or well-defined margin of the intravertebral lesion (P < 0.005); pedicle involvement (P < 0.05); MR enhancement pattern (P < 0.005); and paravertebral soft tissue lesion (PSL) (P < 0.025). It was found that cases of malignant SVC tended to have an ill-defined margin, abnormal signal involvement of the pedicle, a marked and heterogenous MR enhancement pattern, and irregular nodular-type PSL. Pedicle change with expansile lesion totally excluded a benign cause. By using these criteria, we were able to differentiate benign or malignant causes of SVC accurately.