Radiation dose reduction during hysterosalpingography: an application of scanning-beam digital radiography

Hysterosalpingography was performed in 31 patients by means of a low-dose scanning-beam digital radiographic system. The technique permits adequate evaluation of gynecologic abnormalities while allowing significant reduction in radiation: 2.4-mR (6.1 X 10(-7) C/kg) exposure to the skin and 0.7-mrad (7 X 10(-6) Gy) mean dose to the ovaries per image obtained. Sixteen patients demonstrated readily recognizable and documented abnormalities, corroborated by laparoscopy, laparotomy, or other supportive evidence.     

Nodular Hidradenocarcinoma on the Scalp of a Young Woman: Case Report and Review of Literature

BACKGROUND: Nodular hidradenocarcinoma was first reported as clear-cell eccrine carcinoma by Keasby and Hadley in 1954 (Cancer 1954;7:934-52) and rare malignant tumor. Several synonyms and related terms for nodular hidradenocarcinoma have appeared in the literature. OBJECTIVE: They have potential for uncontrollable local recurrence, tend to metastasize, and often cause death. Most cases have been reported in the pathology literature with limited clinical information. METHODS: We report a 27-year-old woman with nodular hidradenocarcinoma on the scalp. RESULT: The management of rare cases is not well defined. In our case, she was only treated with a wide local excision, and no recurrence was observed 2 years after excision. CONCLUSION: Most authors have concluded that early wide surgical excision of the tumor is the treatment of choice. The efficiency of adjuvant therapy generally has not established.     

Pre-hepatectomy prognostic staging to determine treatment strategy for colorectal cancer metastases to the liver

Background Attempts at identifying prognostic factors after hepatectomy in patients with colorectal liver metastases have not achieved consensus. We investigated prognostic factors ascertainable before hepatectomy for colorectal metastasis.Method Clinicopathological data for 149 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer who underwent curative resection of primary lesions and metastatic liver disease at one institution were subjected to multivariate analysis concerning metastatic status and the primary lesion.Results Poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma or mucinous carcinoma as the primary tumor (Poor/muc; P=0.026), marked vascular invasion by the primary tumor (V; P=0.002), bi-lobar liver metastases (P=0.048), and short doubling time (DT) of the liver tumor (P=0.028) were characteristics assessable before hepatectomy that independently indicated poorer survival. A four-stage classification based on these factors was related to overall (P<0.01) and disease-free (P<0.01) survival rates. No pattern of recurrence site was evident in stage I (patients with no risk factor). Recurrence was usually extrahepatic in stage IV (patients with Poor/muc) but favored the remnant liver in stage II (patients with bi-lobar metastases or short DT) or III (patients with V; P=0.037). Stage III showed more multiple and early hepatic recurrences than stage II, and repeat hepatectomy was less frequent (P<0.05).Conclusion Pre-hepatectomy prognostic staging should help to guide treatment of liver metastases.     

Solitary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma: CT criteria

The computed tomographic (CT) scans of 30 patients with solitary bronchioloalveolar carcinoma were reviewed. Common features at CT included the peripheral or subpleural location of a pulmonary mass (25 cases), pseudocavitation (18 cases), heterogeneous attenuation (17 cases), irregular margins forming a star pattern (22 cases), and pleural tags (21 cases). Using these CT criteria, four independent observers attempted to identify cases of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma from a larger sample of lung cancers and benign lesions by categorizing a series of test cases into four probability categories. Although the bronchioloalveolar carcinomas were correctly ranked in the two highest probability categories 75% of the time (in 45 of 60 cases), there was considerable overlap with other lung lesions, particularly with adenocarcinoma and large cell undifferentiated carcinoma. However, even though the typical features of bronchioloalveolar carcinoma are not invariable or highly specific, they are characteristic enough to suggest the diagnosis.     

Perioperative complications after hepatectomy with or without intra-arterial chemotherapy for bilobar colorectal cancer liver metastases

BACKGROUND: We investigated perioperative complications of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy preceding major hepatectomy for multiple bilobar colorectal cancer metastases. No consensus exists concerning operative feasibility or perioperative course in patients undergoing major liver resection with neoadjuvant chemotherapy--partly because such chemotherapy is considered hepatotoxic, increasing the risk of postoperative liver failure. METHODS: Clinicopathologic data were available for 41 consecutive patients with 5 or more bilobar liver metastases from colorectal cancer who underwent major liver resection with or without prior hepatic arterial chemotherapy. Data concerning operative feasibility, postoperative liver function, complication rates, and histologic findings in the non-neoplastic liver were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Prehepatectomy and postoperative day 1 platelet counts were lower (P < .01 and P < .05), alkaline phosphatase on postoperative day 3 was higher (P < .01), and prothrombin time on day 1 was more prolonged (P < .01) in the chemotherapy group. No significant difference was seen between groups in intraoperative data, morbidity, or duration of hospitalization. Histologic examination of adjacent non-neoplastic liver confirmed mild to severe fatty degeneration in 91% of the patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy, compared with 53% in those without neoadjuvant chemotherapy (P = .023). Although the number of neoplasms in chemotherapy patients was greater than that of the other group, overall and disease-free survival rates were comparable between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Despite mild postoperative liver dysfunction, pre-resection hepatic arterial chemotherapy did not increase morbidity.     

Inhibitory effect of icariin on Ti-induced inflammatory osteoclastogenesis

Background

Wear particle-induced periprosthetic osteolysis that results in aseptic loosening is the most common cause of long-term failure after total joint replacement.

Materials and methods

Icariin (ICA), a flavonoid isolated from Epimedium pubescens, inhibits osteoclast formation, but its effects on wear particle-induced inflammatory osteoclastogenesis remains unclear. We investigated the role of ICA in the regulation of osteoclast differentiation in a murine macrophage cell line (RAW264.7), which is stimulated by titanium (Ti) particles and the receptor activator of NF-κB ligand.

Results

ICA effectively inhibited osteoclast formation and bone resorption in the differentiation medium. ICA (10⁻⁷ mol/L) significantly reduced the number of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive cells compared with the control, and significantly reduced the percentage of the surface covered by resorption lacunae. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that ICA inhibited messenger RNA expression for the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB, cathepsin K, tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase-positive, and matrix metalloproteinase-9 in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by Ti particles and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand. ICA also reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression of interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α in RAW264.7 cells cultured with Ti particles. In addition, incubation with cholecystokinin-8 showed that ICA had no toxic effects on RAW264.7 cells.

Conclusions

ICA possibly elicited inhibitory effects on inflammatory osteoclastogenesis induced by Ti particles, indicating that ICA may be useful for the prevention and treatment of wear particle-induced osteolysis.     

Aging aggravates long-term renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in a rat model

Aim

Ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) has been considered as the major cause of acute kidney injury and can result in poor long-term graft function. Functional recovery after IRI is impaired in the elderly. In the present study, we aimed to compare kidney morphology, function, oxidative stress, inflammation, and development of renal fibrosis in young and aged rats after renal IRI.

Materials and methods

Rat models of warm renal IRI were established by clamping left pedicles for 45 min after right nephrectomy, then the clamp was removed, and kidneys were reperfused for up to 12 wk. Biochemical and histologic renal damage were assessed at 12 wk after reperfusion. The immunohistochemical staining of monocyte macrophage antigen-1 (ED-1) and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1) and messenger RNA level of TGF-β1 in the kidney were analyzed.

Results

Renal IRI caused significant increases of malondialdehyde and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels and a decrease of superoxide dismutase activity in young and aged IRI rats; however, these changes were more obvious in the aged rats. IRI resulted in severe inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis with decreased creatinine (Cr) clearance and increased histologic damage in aged rats compared with young rats. Moreover, we measured the ratio of Cr clearance between young and aged IRI rats. It demonstrated that aged IRI rats did have poor Cr clearance compared with the young IRI rats. ED-1 and TGF-β1 expression levels in the kidney were significantly higher in aged rats than in young rats after IRI.

Conclusion

Aged rats are more susceptible to IRI-induced renal failure, which may associate with the increased oxidative stress, increased histologic damage, and increased inflammation and tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Targeting oxidative stress and inflammatory response should improve the kidney recovery after IRI.     

Biological and Biomechanical Evaluation of Autologous Tendon Combined with Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System Artificial Ligament in a Rabbit Model of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Objective

To compare the biomechanical and histological changes in a rabbit model after reconstructing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) with solely autologous tendon and with autologous tendon combined with the ligament advanced reinforcement system (LARS) artificial ligament.

Methods

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction was performed in 72 knees from 36 healthy New Zealand white rabbits (bodyweight, 2500–3000 g). The Achilles tendons were harvested bilaterally. The left ACL were reconstructed solely with autografts (autologous tendon group), while the right ACL were reconstructed with autografts combined with LARS ligaments (combined ligaments group). The gross observation, histological determination, and the tension failure loads in both groups were evaluated at 12 weeks (n = 18) and 24 weeks (n = 18) postoperatively.

Results

Gross examination of the knee joints showed that all combined ligaments were obviously covered by a connective tissue layer at 12 weeks, and were completely covered at 24 weeks. Fibrous tissue ingrowth was observed between fascicles and individual fibers in the bone–artificial ligament interface at both time points; this fibrovascular tissue layer localized at the bone–artificial ligament interface tended to be denser in specimens obtained at 24 weeks compared with those obtained at 12 weeks. The tension failure loads of the knees were similar in the autologous tendon group and the combined ligaments group at 12 weeks (144.15 ± 3.92 N vs. 140.88 ± 2.75 N; P > 0.05), and at 24 weeks (184.15 ± 1.96 N vs. 180.88 ± 3.21 N; P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Reconstructing the ACL in rabbits using autologous tendon combined with the LARS artificial ligament results in satisfactory biointegration, with no obvious immunological rejection between the autologous tendon and the artificial ligament, and is, therefore, a promising ACL reconstruction method.