Knee injuries: high-resolution MR imaging

Recent technologic advances have made high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the knee a clinical reality. Ten healthy volunteers and 30 patients with suspected knee injuries were imaged using receive-only surface coils and two-dimensional multisection or three-dimensional selective acquisition techniques. Arthroscopic and/or surgical correlation was available in 15 patients. Tears of the cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, and meniscus are illustrated. Nonorthogonal views of the anterior cruciate ligament are useful for demonstrating both femoral and tibial attachments in the same section. The posterior cruciate ligament is usually well seen on sagittal views. T2-weighted images are helpful for demonstrating collateral ligament tears and meniscal tears when joint effusion is present. Thin sections (1-5 mm) are necessary to define many meniscal and cruciate tears. High-resolution, thin-section MR imaging can be used to diagnose soft-tissue injuries of the knee and has the potential to become a major imaging method in the evaluation of knee injuries.     

In situ saphenous vein bypass grafts: angiographic evaluation and interventional repair of complications

In situ saphenous vein grafts are being used with increasing frequency for bypass procedures involving the femoral and popliteal arteries. Complications of these procedures include anastomotic stenoses and persistent arteriovenous fistulae that may result in failure of the graft. Balloon angioplasty and embolotherapy with detachable balloons were employed successfully in three or four recent cases of patients with complications from in situ grafts. Tailored angiography is essential for evaluating in situ grafts, and interventional techniques are extremely useful for managing complications.     

The chemotherapy of lymphoblastic lymphoma

Thirty-two patients treated on consecutive Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) protocols for malignant lymphoma were subsequently diagnosed as having lymphoblastic lymphoma. Combination chemistry, usually adriamycin-based, produced complete responses (CR) in 17 patients (53%). Median survival was 15 mo. Patients achieving a CR survival significantly longer than patients with partial or no response (p < 0.01). Ten of 24 patients not receiving central nervous system (CNS) prophylaxis developed leptomeningeal lymphoma while none of the seven patients who received prophylactic intrathecal cytosine arabinoside or methotrexate developed CNS lymphoma (p = 0.04). Implications of these results for planning future treatment programs of lymphoblastic lymphoma are discussed.     

Implant stability and peri-implant parameters in free vascularized iliac graft transplantation patients: report of three ameloblastoma cases

Background: Ameloblastoma, a benign but locally aggressive tumor, accounts for 9% to 11% of all odontogenic tumors. Radical procedures, including resection, are performed. To restore functions after resection, free vascularized iliac grafts followed by a dental implant–supported prosthesis are used as a successful treatment option. The aim of this case report is to evaluate the peri‐implant clinical status and stability of dental implants placed in patients with advanced‐stage mandibular ameloblastomas. Methods: Examinations of three patients revealed extensive ameloblastomas, and hemimandibulectomies were performed. Six months after surgeries, two to four dental implants were placed. After 6 months of healing, one fixed prosthesis and two removable prostheses were delivered. The stability of implants was evaluated at the surgical baseline and 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after surgery by resonance‐frequency (RF) analysis. Peri‐implant clinical parameters (i.e., plaque index [PI], gingival index [GI], gingival bleeding time index [GBTI], and peri‐implant probing depth [PD]) were recorded at the delivery of the prosthesis and at follow‐ups at 1, 3, and 6 months. Results: Nine implants that supported one removable prosthesis and two fixed prostheses were placed. RF analysis revealed no significant changes in implant stability during 12 months of follow‐up. Peri‐implant clinical parameters (PI, GI, and GBTI) showed slight improvements during follow‐up. Although advancements were observed in 6 months, PDs were found to be deeper than optimal measurements for the whole observation time. Conclusion: The implant‐supported prosthetic rehabilitation of patients with ameloblastomas reconstructed with free vascularized iliac crest grafts can be a predictive alternative for improving the quality of life of patients in which a high implant stability and acceptable peri‐implant health may be achieved.     

Peyronie's disease:a silent consequence of diabetes mellitus

Aim:To investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with Peyronie's disease(PD)and diabetes mellitus(DM).Methods:During an 8-year period,a total of 307 men seen at our outpatient clinic were diagnosed with PD.Clinicalcharacteristics,penile deformities and the erectile status of patients with PD and DM together(n=102)were retro-spectively analyzed and compared to patients with PD alone with no risk factors for systemic vascular diseases(n=97).Results:The prevalence of PD among men with DM and sexual dysfunction was 10.7%.The mean ageof diabetic patients with PD was(55.9±8.9)years;in the no risk factor group it was(48.5±9.0)years(P<0.05).The median duration of DM was 5 years.The majority of diabetic patients with PD(56.0%)presented in the chronicphase(P<0.05),and they were more likely to have a severe penile deformity(>60°)than the no risk factor group(P<0.05).In the diabetic group,the most common presenting symptom was penile curvature(81.4 %),followedby a palpable nodule on the shaft of the penis(22.5%)and penile pain with erection(14.7 %).A total of 19.6 % ofpatients were not aware of their penile deformities in the diabetic group.Erectile function,provided by history and inresponse to intracavernosal injection and a stimulation test,was significantly diminished in patients with PD and DM(P<0.05).Conclusion:DM probably exaggerates the fibrotic process in PD.Diabetic patients with PD have ahigher risk of severe deformity and erectile dysfunction(ED).PD seems to be a silent consequence of DM andshould be actively sought in diabetic men.(Asian J Androl 2006 Jan;8:75-79)     

Patterns of cell proliferation and cell migration in the Sezary syndrome

The patterns of cell proliferation and cell migration were studied in three patients with the Sezary syndrome using autoradiographic techniques. Cell labeling patterns following pulse labeling with tritiated thymidine in vivo indicated that Sezary cells proliferate actively in skin and in lymph nodes but that few if any Sezary cells proliferate in the peripheral blood. In two of the patients serial samples were obtained. Label dilution patterns in skin and blood over time suggested that circulating Sezary cells originated in extracutaneous sites where cells were proliferating more rapidly than in the skin. Cells labeled in extracutaneous sites of proliferation appear rapidly in the blood, and their transit time through the peripheral blood compartment is short. Circulating Sezary cells may then be deposited in the skin where they resume proliferation at a low rate. Thus, while Sezary cells proliferate in both cutaneous and extracutaneous sites, proliferation appears to be more rapid in extracutaneous sites such as lymph nodes. This suggests that trials of systemic therapeutic approaches should be undertaken.     

Port-Site Pyoderma Gangrenosum – A Rare Complication of Surgical Trauma

We report a case of pyoderma gangrenosum occurring at the site of a laparoscopic port insertion following laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair.