Sonographic Appearance of Plasmacytoma of the Testis

A case of solitary extramedullary plasmacytoma of the testis is presented demonstrating the appearances on ultrasound. The clinical implications of this diagnosis are discussed.     

超声引导下注射皮质类固醇治疗狭窄性腱鞘炎

目的 探讨超声引导下注射皮质类固醇治疗狭窄性腱鞘炎的方法及效果。方法 38例狭窄性腱鞘炎患者,按药物注射方法的不同随机分成2组。治疗组(21例)在10-MHz超声引导下向腱鞘内腱周间隙内穿刺注射醋酸强的松龙0.6 ml,对照组(17例)采用闭合穿刺法注射等量药物。注射前及随访时(注射后3周)测定疼痛强度视觉类比评分(Visual analogue score,VAS)。结果 随访时疼痛消失率治疗组为81％、对照组为53％,VAS下降值治疗组为[(6.8±1.9)x±s,下同]对照组为(5.1±3.0)。结论超声引导下将针尖穿刺于腱鞘内腱周间隙的操作简单、准确并可实时观察药物的分布,是治疗狭窄性腱鞘炎的较好方法。     

Mesenteric cyst with milk of calcium

A mesenteric cyst with milk of calcium in an adult patient is presented. Preoperative evaluation included plain film, ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To our knowledge, the presence of milk of calcium in a mesenteric cyst has not been previously described.     

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in the Human Gene for Osteoprotegerin are Not Related to Bone Mineral Density or Fracture in Elderly Women

Osteoprotegerin (OPG), a secreted member of the tumor necrosis factor receptor family, is a potent inhibitor of osteoclast activation and differentiation. In animal models OPG prevents bone loss, and in humans bone resorption can be reduced by injections of OPG. OPG may also play a role in cardiovascular disease since mice lacking the OPG gene display arterial calcification. In a screening effort of the OPG gene, we recently discovered a single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region of OPG (T950C), and reported an association with vascular morphology and function in 59 healthy individuals. Due to the pronounced effect of OPG on bone turnover, the present study was conducted to investigate whether OPG polymorphisms are also associated with bone mineral density or with fracture. The relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the promoter region of OPG (T950C) and the first intron (C1217T), and bone mineral density, measured by DXA in the hip or spine or ultrasound of the heel, was investigated in the Malmö OPRA-study of 1044 women, all 75 years old. The possible relation to fracture incidence was also analyzed. Among the 858 and 864 individuals respectively, genotyped, no significant associations between the investigated single nucleotide polymorphisms and bone mineral density measurements (T950C P = 0.50–0.64, C1217T P = 0.51–1.00), quantitative ultrasound measurements of the calcaneus, or fractures (T950C P = 0.61–0.66, C1217T P = 0.14–0.33) were found. Thus, our results show that polymorphisms in the OPG gene, one of which has previously been found to be associated with cardiovascular morphology and function, are not associated with bone mineral density in elderly Swedish women.     

Appendizitissonographie durch chirurgen — Erfahrungssache? Eine prospektive studie

A number of studies have shown that ultrasound has an advantage over physical examination in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Most of these studies were conducted by experts in the field of ultrasonography. In this study the influence of experience on the results of the sonography of actue appendicitis were evaluated. All 203 patients admitted to our unit between December 1990 and December 1992 were examined physically and sonographically by a team of surgeons consisting of one experienced sonographer and six inexperienced surgical trainees. Laparotomy was performed in 136 patients (46%). Appendicitis was demonstrated histologically in 119 cases (39.4%). Initial clinical findings were positive in 87 (28.8%). Sonography was positive in 119 patients (39.4%). The 163 patients not operated on demonstrated other pathology on ultrasound in 60 cases (19.9%). The rate of negative laparotomies amounted to 7.2% in our study. Sensitivity and specificity for the sonographic diagnosis were 92% and 95%, respectively. They were only 81% and 80% for physical examination. Overall accuracy was 92% for sonography. Sensitivity and specificity for the inexperienced surgeons were 87% and 93%, respectively, while the experienced surgeon reached values of 97% and 98%, respectively. The results of both groups are comparable with values in the literature, suggesting that ultrasound evaluation of appendicitis is not a diagnostic tool limited to a few experienced sonographers.     

Ultrasonography in the detection of cervical incompetency

In 80 pregnancies with clinical and ultrasonic signs of cervical incompetency, the length of the cervix and the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment have been evaluated ultrasonically. We have also measured the width of the endocervical canal and studied the prolapse of fetal membranes (with fetal parts) into the endocervical canal. We evaluated these same parameters in 80 healthy pregnancies. The length of the cervix, the thickness of the anterior wall of a lower uterine segment, and the width of the endocervical canal were followed longitudinally in the patients from the 10th to the 36th gestation week. No statistically significant differences between age groups were found. In four age groups at risk for cervical incompetency, cervical lengths and wall thickness were significantly different (p less than 0.001) from those in comparable controls. Forty-five percent of the patients in the at-risk group, with cervical cerclage, delivered at 37.3 (range: 32 to 41) weeks and 6.25% of pregnancies ended in abortion when the amniotic membrane herniated into the cervical canal, with or without some part of the fetus.     

类风湿性关节炎的肺部表现

本文对30例类风湿性关节炎患者中合并肺部损害的6例患者进行报道。其肺部的主要临床表现为胸痛、咳嗽、气短、长期低热及呼吸困难。体征主要为肺部干湿性罗音及胸膜摩擦音。胸部X线检查可见胸腔积液、胸膜肥厚粘连，弥漫性间质性肺纤维化、间质性肺炎。实验室检查可有嗜酸性粒细胞增高、类风湿因子阳性、血沉增快、免疫球蛋白增高等。本文并对类风湿性关节炎合并肺部病变的发生机理进行了初步探讨。     

86例异位妊娠的超声诊断价值

目的：探讨B超对异位妊娠的诊断价值。方法：对2004年1月～2009年1月的86例异位妊娠患者，采用超声诊断仪进行检查、分析。结果：超声检查的86例异位妊娠患者，诊断符合84例，确诊率为97．6％，误诊2例，误诊率为2．4％。结论：超声检查有着无创性、可重复性等不可比拟的优越性，为异位妊娠患者的诊断及治疗提供了可靠的依据。     

急性病毒性心肌炎的发病机制和临床特征

急性病毒性心肌炎是由病毒侵犯引起心肌本身的病变,包括病毒感染对心肌的损害、细胞免疫以及多种细胞因子等介导的心肌损害和微血管损伤。这些变化损害心脏功能和结构,而危及生命。且近年发病呈逐年上升趋势,其发病症状隐匿突然,加重了其危害性。本文就急性病毒性心肌炎发病机制和临床特征进行总结。     

高血压病血管内皮功能障碍及治疗

内皮细胞功能障碍是近年来的热门研究课题,从基础到临床受到广泛重视。高血压是发病率最高的心血管疾病,其发病环节与内皮细胞功能关系密切,二者均是心脑血管事件链中的重要环节。本文回顾了多种内皮因子的功能及其与高血压的关系,高血压病内皮功能障碍的可能机制,肱动脉超声检查方法以及内皮功能障碍的治疗对策。