Testicular torsion: Evaluation of contralateral testicular histology

Infertility may occur in patients with unilateral testicular torsion whose contralateral testis is intact. Depending on this observation, the physicians have begun to examine the contralateral testis. In the present prospective study we aimed to examine the histopathologic alterations occurring in the contralateral testicle with time. Sixty adult male albino rats were included in the programme, and following experimental torsion the histopathologic findings, especially those in the contralateral testis, were evaluated after 4–12 weeks. Long-term and high degree torsion of the testicle led to varying degrees of deterioration in the germinal epithelium and interstitial cells of the contralateral testicle. Histopathologic alterations were reversed in 12 weeks. Tubular diameter and testicular volume also decreased in accordance with the histopathologic alteration. In our opinion, orchiectomy following torsion of one testicle will limit potential histopathologic alterations in the contralateral testicle.     

Long-term expression of the c-fos protein during the in vitro differentiation of cerebellar granule cells induced by potassium or NMDA.

Levels of the c-fos protein were assayed in mouse cerebellar granule cells during their in vitro development under different culture conditions. When grown in media favoring both their survival and differentiation, i.e. in the presence of 30 mM K+ or 12.5 mM K+ plus 100 microM N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA), the c-fos protein becomes detectable in the nucleus of granule cells on and after 6 days and persists to high levels until the culture begins to decline. The protein c-fos appears therefore after the critical period described for the survival effect of K+ depolarization or NMDA receptor stimulation which corresponds to days 2-5 after plating. The c-fos protein remains however scarcely detectable or undetectable throughout the life-span of cells cultured under conditions providing poor survival and differentiation, i.e. in the presence of low K+ (5 or 12.5 mM) alone or when the effect of NMDA is blocked by the NMDA receptor antagonist MK-801. Interestingly, in cortical and striatal neurons, the survival and differentiation of which being not affected by depolarizing media, no c-fos protein is detected whatever the culture conditions tested at least during the first 18 days in vitro. This suggests that long-term expression of the c-fos gene might be related to some aspect of the late in vitro differentiation process of cerebellar granule cells.     

Esthesioneuroblastoma in a young child. Case report

Esthesioneuroblastoma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm that arises from olfactory mucosa, often with intracranial extension.A case report of the youngest victim in the literature (2-year-old boy) is presented.     

Sclerosed liver hemangioma mimicking malignant tumor at MR imaging: Pathologic correlation

This case report illustrates atypical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings in a liver hemangioma mimicking a malignant lesion—lower signal intensity than cerebrospinal fluid on T2-weighted spin-echo images and lack of early enhancement on dynamic contrast material—enhanced gradient-echo images. Pathologic analysis demonstrated nearly total replacement of the vascular cavities by dense fibrous tissue. In this rare, sclerosed form, this lesion could not be defined as a hemangioma with MR imaging.     

Monocular contribution to the peak time of the binocular pattern visual evoked potential

The contribution of each monocular pathway to the timing of the binocular pattern visual evoked potential was assessed in situations where a significant interocular timing discrepancy was observed. Monocular and binocular pattern visual evoked potentials to 0.5° checks were recorded from normal subjects, normal subjects in whom one eye was blurred, patients with monocular amblyopia, and patients with resolved unilateral optic neuritis. Normal subjects showed facilitation, while suppression was evidenced in subjects with monocular blurring. In patients with amblyopia, the affected pathway had no effect on binocular pattern visual evoked potential latency, suggesting that the amblyopic eye was suppressed. In contrast, all patients with optic neuritis showed binocular averaging. Our results show that different forms of binocular interaction are evidenced in normal subjects, in amblyopia and in optic neuritis, and suggest that a comparative analysis of monocular and binocular pattern visual evoked potential peak times brings valuable information to the clinical evaluation that could be used to distinguish disease processes further.Abbreviation BPVEP binocular pattern visual evoked potential     

Structural and ultrastructural characteristics of human pineal gland,and pineal parenchymal tumors

We have studied 20 pineal parenchymal tumors (PPT) and 4 normal or cystic pineal glands both by light and electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry with antibodies against glial markers [glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and protein S-100] or neural/neuroendocrine markers [neurofilaments (NF), synaptophysin and chromogranin A]. Light microscopy revealed the cellular organization of pinealocytes in the normal gland and in different morphological types of pineal tumors (typical pineocytomas, PPT with intermediate differentiation, mixed PPT exhibiting elements of both pineocytoma and pineoblastoma and pineoblastomas). Immunohistochemistry showed the presence of GFAP and protein S-100 in interstitial cells in nonneoplastic pineal gland. Cell processes were labeled with anti-synaptophysin and anti-NF antibodies. No immunoreactivity was found for chromogranin A in non-neoplastic pineal gland. In pineocytomas, GFAP and protein S-100 were observed in interstitial cells. Synaptophysin and NF were present in the large rosettes of pineocytomas. Synaptophysin, NF and chromogranin A were present in pineocytomas with a lobular arrangement of cells. Anti-chromogranin A immuno-reactivity was also seen in lobular areas of some PPT with intermediate differentiation. Analysis of normal human pineal gland by electron microscopy showed the presence of vesicle-crowned rodlets (VCR or synaptic ribbons), fibrous filaments (F), paired twisted filaments but few dense-core vesicles (DCV) in normal pinealocytes. Tumoral pineal cells appeared to differentiate either towards a neurosensory pathway characterized by the presence of sensory cells elements (VCR and F), or towards a neuroendocrine pathway, with the occurrence of many DCV. Immunogold labeling demonstrated the presence of chromogranin A in neurosecretory granules.Supported by grants from the Région Rhône Alpes and from INSERM (CJF 90-10)     

再生医学技术在烧伤传统治疗无效病人中的应用(附38例报告)

目的：总结重度烧伤传统疗法无效改为再生医学(MEBT/MEB0)技术治疗变化规律和临床验．方法：将我科l995年5月至2002年5月收治的院外采用传统疗法无效改用MEBT/MEBO技术治疗的38例重度烧伤病人临床资料进行回顾性总结，病人一旦入院创面均改用MEBT/MEBO治疗，初始予以彻底清创，规范用药、规范操作，规范认识；全身实行系统综合治疗措施．以临床观察和病人感觉评价治疗效果。结果：本组38例全部治愈，末植皮自行愈合者21例．占55.26％．深Ⅲ度创面自愿要求植皮者17例，占44.74％。经随访多数无增生性瘢痕，部分愈后有局限性瘢癌，质软无残废。结论：重度烧伤经传统疗法久治不愈或疗效欠佳病人．病情复杂，并发症较多治疗难度也较大，再生医学可有效改善以上缺陷和病症．是重度烧伤病人传统治疗无效时的理想疗法。     

Multiple occult vascular malformations of the brain and spinal cord: MRI diagnosis

Summary We report a patient with multiple angiographically occult vascular malformations in the brain and spine. Magnetic resonance imaging showed multiple lesions in brain and spine with hypointense areas on both T1 and T2-weighted images. These hypointense areas are usually secondary to hemosiderin deposits consistent with remote bleeding in the lesions. We conclude that when magnetic resonance reveals an intraspinal lesion with signal intensity characteristics consistent with a vascular malformation, an examination of the brain should be performed to rule out associated intracranial lesions. The finding of multiple lesions in the brain with identical signal intensity characteristics reinforces the diagnosis of vascular malformation.     

MRI in the diagnosis of lissencephaly. Apropos of a case

In a patient with clinical manifestations suggestive of brain malformation, CT showed lissencephaly with absent opercularization. The child had seizures but not a typical EEG of hypsarhythmia. MRI confirmed the diagnosis and showed heterotopic grey matter and abnormal basal ganglia. High grey-white matter contrast and the possibility of imaging the brain in sagittal, coronal and transverse planes make MRI the methode of choice for the evaluation of lissencephaly and other brain malformations.