Glenoid labrum: preliminary work with use of radial-sequence MR imaging

The authors describe a magnetic resonance imaging method for examination of the glenoid labrum of the shoulder joint that utilizes a radial fast-imaging sequence. Seven shoulders were examined: a total of five in three healthy asymptomatic volunteers, one in a symptomatic patient not suspected of having a lesion of the glenoid labrum, and one in a patient with recurrent shoulder dislocation and surgical proof of an extensive tear of the labrum. The preliminary results suggest that this technique may advantageously demonstrate pathologic changes in the glenoid labrum and may contribute to the evaluation of the unstable and painful shoulder.     

Proton spectroscopic imaging (Dixon method) of the liver: clinical utility

The contribution of proton spectroscopic (PS) imaging to magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the liver was assessed at 0.5 T in 55 patients with known or suspected hepatic malignancy. PS images were compared subjectively with T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) images for hepatic lesion detection and conspicuity. For hepatic metastases (n = 27), PS images were equal to T1-weighted images in lesion detection in 17 patients but showed fewer lesions in five patients and false-negative results in two. When compared with T2-weighted images, PS images depicted more lesions in six patients, an equal number of lesions in 18, and fewer lesions in two. Hepatomas (n = 8) were detected with each sequence in all patients. Hepatomas were often more conspicuous on PS images than on T2-weighted images; they were of equal conspicuity on PS and T1-weighted images in most cases. Whereas fatty infiltration (n = 16) appeared on PS images as areas of low signal intensity similar to that of paraspinal muscle, it produced no detectable abnormality on either T1- or T2-weighted images. PS imaging is inferior to T1-weighted SE imaging in the detection of hepatic metastases. The major role of PS imaging at intermediate field strength is to differentiate focal fatty infiltration from hepatic metastases.     

The effect of ticlopidine on human endothelial cells in culture

The effect of ticlopidine at various concentrations (150, 30, 6 microM), has been studied on cultured endothelial cells derived from human umbilical cord vein. Ticlopidine affects the initial attachment of endothelial cells to artificial substrata and has an inhibitory effect on endothelial cell growth rate which correlates to the concentration of the chemical in the culture medium. These effects are related to a marked reduction of intra- and extracellular fibronectin as evidentiated by immunofluorescence. The drug seems to interfere with the formation of fibronectin filaments from intracellular granules. The reduction of fibronectin availability could affect platelet adhesion to subendothelium as well as endothelial cell repair, and subsequently influence the bleeding time. The inhibition of cell proliferation and its possible effect on the thickness of the vessel wall should be considered as additional mechanisms of action for this substance.