Correction of frequency and phase variations induced by eddy currents in localized spectroscopy with multiple echo times.

As a consequence of the time-varying magnetic field induced by eddy currents, frequency drifting occurs when the sampling window of localized spectroscopy continuously shifts. The frequency drifting and the concomitant phase variations can severely affect spectroscopy results when data are acquired with multiple echo times (TEs), such as in the measurement of glutamate (Glu) concentration using the TE-averaged method. Specifically, the averaged spectra are further broadened and distorted in the presence of residual eddy currents, and editing of the coupled spins of Glu C4 protons is affected, resulting in errors in the measured relative intensity ratio. Postacquisition correction using unsuppressed water as reference can effectively minimize this detrimental effect, as manifested by the significantly enhanced signal intensity. Also, it is demonstrated that the methyl signals of creatine (Cr) at 3.0 ppm and choline (Cho) at 3.2 ppm can be used as internal references in finding frequency and phase disparities between different TEs.     

Localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of a cerebellar tumor in a two-year-old child

Noninvasive localized proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was used for differential diagnosis of a focal brain lesion in a 2.5-year-old girl. The clinical signs were a mild head tilt and neck pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a lesion in the right hemisphere of the cerebellum, but its nature remained obscure. In this lesion quantitative determinations of cerebral metabolites by fully relaxed, short-echo-time proton MRS revealed markedly lowered N-acetylaspartate (NAA) and pronounced elevations of choline-containing compounds (Cho) and myo-inositol (Ins), whereas metabolite concentrations in cortical gray matter and white matter were within normal ranges. The metabolite pattern of the lesion indicated loss of vital neuroaxonal tissue (low NAA) and enhanced glial proliferation (high Cho and Ins), which, together with the MRI morphology, suggested a brain tumor. The diagnosis was established by neurosurgical exploration and total extirpation of the tumor. Histology confirmed an astrocytoma (WHO II). After 2 weeks' recovery the child was discharged with no neurological signs.     

Age-related Changes in Bovine α-crystallin and High-molecular-weight Protein

The high-molecular-weight (HMW) protein from the lens is composed mostly of α-crystallin in a highly aggregated state. Bovine HMW protein was carefully separated from α-crystallin by size-exclusion chromatography. α-Crystallin has chaperone-like ability whereby it stabilizes other proteins under conditions of stress (e.g. heat). Comparison of bovine HMW protein and α-crystallin shows that the HMW protein has a markedly reduced chaperone ability compared to α-crystallin. However, in contrast to the results of other workers, we observe no alteration with age in the ability of α-crystallin to act as a chaperone. Using electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, changes in the phosphorylation of the α-crystallin subunits with age have been quantified. Phosphorylation of α-crystallin occurs early in life but does not alter in proportion after about three years of age. In addition, phosphorylation of the A subunit of α-crystallin has little effect on its chaperone ability. As is found in the artificially prepared HMW complex of α- and γ-crystallin, NMR spectroscopy shows that in the naturally occurring HMW protein, the short C-terminal extension of the α_Bsubunit has lost its flexibility whereas the α_Asubunit extension is still flexible. Post-translational modifications therefore seem to have little effect on the chaperone action of α-crystallin, but alterations in the quaternary structure of α-crystallin via incorporation into the HMW aggregate, lead to major changes in the chaperone ability of the protein. The results are consistent with the notion that one of the contributing factors to cataract formation in the lens is the depletion of α-crystallin with age as it is converted into the HMW protein.     

头颈部良性神经源性肿瘤1H MRS的表现特点

目的：探讨头颈部良性神经源性肿瘤在单体素^1H MRS上的表现特点。材料和方法：共收集经单体素。HMRS检查，并经手术病理证实的头颈部神经源性肿瘤14例（神经鞘瘤11例，神经纤维瘤2例，颈动脉体瘤1例）。采用点分析波谱法（PRESS：TE=144ms，14例）和激励回波法（STEAM：TE=30ms，11例）进行。HMRS空间定位，以胆碱和脂质代谢物为标准评价所有肿瘤。波谱图上，胆碱和脂质分别在3．2ppm和0．9—1．4ppm区域识别。结果：采用PRESS后，14例神经源性肿瘤中检测出胆碱代谢物者11例，检出脂质代谢物者6例。胆碱和脂质代谢物同时检出者5例，仅检出胆碱者6例，仅检出脂质者1例，胆碱和脂质均未检出者2例。采用STEAM后，11例肿瘤中检出胆碱代谢物和脂质者分别为3例和8例。结论：头颈部良性神经源性肿瘤的单体素。HMRS表现具有多样性，多数肿瘤以长TEPRESS上胆碱峰的显示为特点，长TEPRESS能较STEAM更好地检出良性神经源性肿瘤内的胆碱代谢物。     

Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in childhood brainstem lesions

Background Diagnosis of brainstem lesions in children based on magnetic resonance imaging alone is a challenging problem. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive technique for spatial characterization of biochemical markers in tissues and gives information regarding cell membrane proliferation, neuronal damage, and energy metabolism. Methods We measured the concentrations of biochemical markers in five children with brainstem lesions and evaluated their potential diagnostic significance. Images and spectra were acquired on a 1.5-T imager. The concentrations of N-acetylaspartate, tetramethylamines (e.g., choline), creatine, phosphocreatine, lactate, and lipids were measured within lesions located at the brainstem using Point-resolved spectroscopy sequences. Results Diagnosis based on localized proton spectroscopy included brainstem glioma, brainstem encephalitis, demyelination, dysmyelination secondary to neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF 1), and possible infection or radiation necrosis. In all but one patient, diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy or by clinical follow-up. Conclusions This small sample of patients suggests that MRS is important in the differential diagnosis between proliferative and nonproliferative lesions in patients without neurofibromatosis. Unfortunately, in cases of NF 1, MRS can have a rather misdiagnosis role.     

非右房肥大的P波高电压(附39例临床分析)

本文报告39例临床上除外右房肥大的P波高电压,此种P波高电压主要见于冠心病及急性颅脑疾患,二者之和占76.9%。其形态64%与肺性P波相同。产生的机制可能与结间束传导阻滞、中枢调节机能受累、交感神经兴奋性增高等有关。     

Carbonate apatite crystals in primary normophosphatemic tumoral calcinosis

A 66‐year‐old woman developed firm, painless, slowly growing nodular masses over her elbows, fingers, toes, and left hip over four years. Aspiration of the elbow mass revealed a white chalky material that was shown to be carbonate apatite on infrared spectroscopy and energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy. We discuss the classification of tumoral calcinosis and the nature of the calcium deposits. Tumoral calcinosis should be differentiated from tophaceous gout and calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease. Polarizing light microscopy and crystal analysis by X‐ray and infrared spectroscopy, electron or X‐ray diffraction will confirm the diagnosis. Secondary causes of tumoral calcinosis should also be excluded.     

Laser induced autofluorescence studies of animal skin used in modeling of human cutaneous tissue spectroscopic measurements

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Laser-induced autofluorescence spectroscopy provides excellent possibilities for medical diagnostics of different tissue pathologies including cancer. However, to create the whole picture of pathological changes, investigators collect spectral information from patients in vivo or they study different tumor models to obtain objective information for fluorescent properties of every kind of healthy and diseased tissue. Therefore, it is very important to find the most appropriate, and close to the human skin, animal samples from the fluorescence point of view, which will allow the extrapolation of the animal data to human spectroscopic diagnostics. METHODS: In the present work, we examined the autofluorescence properties of different animal skin tissues, which are considered as the most common skin models. A nitrogen laser was used as an excitation source. Samples of healthy mouse, chicken and pig skin in vivo and/or ex vivo were studied and were compared with results obtained from investigations of healthy human skin in vivo. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Specific features of the recorded spectra are discussed and the possible origin of the obtained fluorescence signals is proposed. Quantitative evaluation of data extrapolation for each skin type is also depicted.     

MR频谱检测乳酸的脉冲序列优化研究

目的通过改变一系列脉冲序列参数，以利于乳酸的最佳检测与定量分析。方法制作含乳酸玻璃模型。改变一系列的MR脉冲序列参数，应用点解析频谱序列(point resolved spectroscopy，PRESS)和激励回波序列(stimulated echo acquisition，STEAM)获得乳酸模型的相应频谱。另外，对12例脑病变患者和2例健康志愿者进行磁共振频谱检查，测量出每个波峰的峰高，并绘出序列变化曲线图。结果STEAM各波峰的峰向与PRESS序列一致，但STEAM各峰高均低于同等条件的PRESS峰。随着TE时间的延长，用乳酸模型测出的乳酸峰的峰高一序列曲线图呈波浪状变化，正向双峰在TE=26、270ms时共振波幅达到最大绝对值，负向双峰在TE=135～160ms之间达到最大绝对值。脑病变患者和健康志愿者的扫描结果表明，乳酸峰在优化的序列高于非优化的序列。结论优化的脉冲序列更有利于乳酸的检测与定量分析。     

Extacorporeal shock wave therapy unsuccessful for chronic medial epicondylitis

Medial epicondylitis is a chronic noninflammatory condition resulting from mechanical injury. Despite many treatment options, including rest, medications, physiotherapy and operative interventions, the results are too often poor; thus new treatment options are sought. We treated 4 men with chronic epicondylitis (5 affected joints) with extracorporeal shock wave therapy after failed attempts of other treatments. The patients’ complaints were graded with the Nirschl scoring system prior to and six months after therapy. The treatment consisted of three sessions, at 20-day intervals, of 3000 pulses of ultrasonic shock waves from a Piezolith 3000 unit (energy dosage was gradually increased to reach step 10 equaling 0.9 mJ/mm²). At the 6-month follow-up, no patient was pain free. Three cases had slightly lower Nirschl scores than prior to the procedure but the patients rated this difference as insignificant; two cases were unchanged. No complications were observed but all patients rated the procedure as very unpleasant. The well recognized biologic effects of ultrasonographic waves (heat generation, oscillations, cavitation, etc.) that result in functional and structural changes of cellular membranes with sonochemical reactions (acceleration of normal metabolism, oxygenation and reduction in water solutions, polymer degradation, etc.), even if present in our cases, did not result in a noticeable decrease of symptoms, even though we used high energy and more impulses per session. Significant variations in methodology make inconclusive the results of numerous reports on the use of extracorporeal shock waves in epicondylar degenerative problems, although ineffectiveness of such therapy is the conclusion of a review by Haake and colleagues.