Rupture of the posterior tibial tendon: CT and surgical findings

Computed tomography (CT) was performed in 42 patients with 49 clinically suspected tears of the posterior tibial tendon. Twenty-eight of the 49 suspected tears were subsequently surgically explored and repaired. Three patterns of tendon abnormalities were recognized on CT scans: type I-intact, hypertrophied, heterogeneous tendon; type II-attenuated tendon; and type III-absence of a portion of a tendon. Types I and II correlated with partial rupture seen during surgery, and type III correlated with complete rupture of the tendon. CT findings were accurate in 96% of the patients who underwent surgery. In four cases (14%), tendon rupture was seen on CT scans, but the extent of the injury was underestimated and the rupture was misclassified. Reactive periostitis of the distal tibia was seen in 71% of diseased tendons and may represent an important factor in the diagnosis of tendon rupture.     

Pharmacological specificity of the increase in neurotensin concentrations after antipsychotic drug treatment.

Neurotensin is an endogenous neuropeptide that produces many CNS effects that are similar to the behavioral and physiological alterations seen after administration of antipsychotic drugs to laboratory animals. As previously reported, sub-chronic (3 week) and acute (single injection) treatment with haloperidol (1 mg/kg), a clinically effective antipsychotic drug increases neurotensin concentrations in the nucleus accumbens and the caudate nucleus. In contrast, a tricyclic antidepressant (desipramine, 10 mg/kg), an anxiolytic (chlordiazepoxide, 25 mg/kg) and a histamine H1 receptor antagonist (diphenhydramine, 20 mg/kg) did not alter neurotensin concentrations in these brain regions after sub-chronic or acute treatment. These data demonstrate pharmacologic specificity to the antipsychotic drug-induced increases in regional brain neurotensin concentrations, and support the hypothesis that these changes may contribute to the clinical efficacy of these drugs.     

Optometry research. Part 2: Grants received.

Part 1 showed that the dominant provider of ophthalmic research funding (85%) was the National Eye Institute (NEI) and that on the average optometry faculty members had received about 3% of that funding over the years. Part 2 shows how this 3% of NEI funding has been distributed among the 16 U.S. schools in existence during the period studied and why 3% is a rational result under current conditions.     

Artifacts due to stimulus correlated motion in functional imaging of the brain

To assess the effect of stimulus correlated motion on the appearance of functional magnetic resonance images, conventional visual and motor protocols were each performed by four normal volunteers and an image co-registration technique was used to retrospectively monitor subject motion. In three studies synthetic data sets were constructed from single baseline images using the positional information obtained from the co-registration procedure. Cumulative difference images were then created from both the synthetic and functional image sets. Stimulus correlated motion was detected in all eight studies and the synthetic cumulative difference images showed striking similarities to the equivalent functional images in each case.     

Molecular cloning and functional expression of two monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 receptors reveals alternative splicing of the carboxyl-terminal tails.

Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) is a member of the chemokine family of cytokines that mediate leukocyte chemotaxis. The potent and specific activation of monocytes by MCP-1 may mediate the monocytic infiltration of tissues in atherosclerosis and other inflammatory diseases. We have isolated cDNAs that encode two MCP-1-specific receptors with alternatively spliced carboxyl tails. Expression of the receptors in Xenopus oocytes conferred robust mobilization of intracellular calcium in response to nanomolar concentrations of MCP-1 but not to related chemokines. The MCP-1 receptors are most closely related to the receptor for the chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein 1 alpha and RANTES (regulated on activation, normal T expressed and secreted). The identification of the MCP-1 receptor and cloning of two distinct isoforms provide powerful tools for understanding the specificity and signaling mechanisms of this important chemokine.     

Non-obstructive colonic dilatation in the trauma patient: an analysis of six patients.

Non-obstructive colonic dilatation was diagnosed in six of 13,641 patients admitted to a Level I trauma centre over a 70-month period (incidence, less than 0.05 per cent). Four were older than 60 years, and five required long-term support on a ventilator. Successful treatment depends on expeditious decompression of the dilated colon. Fibreoptic colonoscopy is the recommended method.     

Periocular involvement in cutaneous leishmaniasis

OBJECTIVE: Although cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) occurs mostly in the facial area, periocular involvement accounts for 2-5% of the facial lesions. CL lesions localized in the periocular region can easily be confused with various other diseases. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of periocular involvement in CL in the Cukurova region of Turkey, as well as the clinical characteristics, diagnosis and methods of treatment of this disease. METHODS: Between December 1998 and December 2004, patients who were diagnosed with CL were evaluated prospectively with respect to periocular involvement. RESULTS: From the 2066 patients evaluated with CL, 2622 lesions were identified. In 59 (2.9%) of these patients, a total of 66 (2.5%) lesions were located in the periocular area. Thirty-two (48.5%) of these lesions were of the papular type, 15 (22.7%) the nodulo-ulcerative type, 10 (15.2%) the plaque type, and nine (13.6%) the nodular type. Dacryocystitis was identified in four patients with periocular involvement. Over the follow-up period, no ocular or periocular deformities or complications developed in these patients. CONCLUSION: Patients suspected of CL should be evaluated and treated early in the course of their disease to prevent any permanent ocular or periocular deformities.