眼球孤立性脉络膜血管瘤的HR-MRI表现

目的　探讨眼球孤立性脉络膜血管瘤的高分辨率磁共振 (HR MRI)影像学特征 ,进一步提高诊断水平。资料与方法　回顾性分析诊断明确的孤立性脉络膜血管瘤 16例共计 17个病灶的位置、数目、形态、大小、MRI信号、强化情况、有无合并视网膜脱离及有无视神经和眼外侵犯等。所有病例均行HR MRI及增强扫描 ,部分病例行脂肪抑制。结果　 17个病灶中的 16个呈扁丘状位于眼球内壁的后极。 15个病灶厚度 <5mm ,平均厚度为2 .9mm。病灶边缘清晰 ,T1WI上呈轻度高信号者 16个 ,T2 WI上呈等信号者 15个 ,增强扫描显著强化者有 12个。 3例合并视网膜脱离 ,在T2 WI上多呈等信号 ,T1WI上呈轻度高信号者 ,均无强化。无视神经及眼外侵犯病例。结论　 94 %孤立性脉络膜血管瘤的HR MRI表现具有特征性 ,表现为位于眼球内壁后极的较小、基底较宽、边缘清晰的扁丘状病灶。其T1WI信号高于玻璃体 ,T2 WI信号等于玻璃体 ,增强扫描瘤体显著强化。明确其HR MRI影像学特征有助于临床与恶性葡萄膜黑色素瘤相鉴别 ,避免不必要的眼球摘除     

板股韧带的MRI研究及临床意义

目的　明确板股韧带正常MRI表现 ,建立由它所致假撕裂与外侧半月板后角真撕裂的鉴别方法。资料与方法　采用 6 0侧正常膝进行矢状和冠状位MR扫描 ,观察板股韧带的MRI表现。结果　板股韧带显示率为88.3% (5 3侧 ) ,其中板股前韧带为 2 6 .7% (16侧 )、板股后韧带为 86 .7% (5 2侧 )和两条韧带同时存在为 2 3.3% (14侧 )。板股韧带在矢状像上表现为位于后交叉韧带前或后方的类圆形或短棒状低信号结构 ,而在冠状像上表现为自外侧半月板后角至股骨内侧髁外侧面的条带样低信号结构。在矢状像上 ,5 2 .8% (2 8/5 3)板股韧带与外侧半月板后角之间显示出一线样高信号 ,被称为假撕裂 ,易与外侧半月板后角撕裂混淆。但假撕裂仅有两种走行方向即后下斜行 (2 1/2 8)或垂直方向 (7/2 8)。结论　根据假撕裂位置、方向以及冠状像和连续矢状面的观察 ,可正确区分外侧半月板后角真假撕裂     

Functional differences among those high and low on a trait measure of psychopathy.

BACKGROUND: It has been established that individuals who score high on measures of psychopathy demonstrate difficulty when performing tasks requiring the interpretation of other's emotional states. The aim of this study was to elucidate the relation of emotion and cognition to individual differences on a standard psychopathy personality inventory (PPI) among a nonpsychiatric population. METHODS: Twenty participants completed the PPI. Following survey completion, a mean split of their scores on the emotional-interpersonal factor was performed, and participants were placed into a high or low group. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected while participants performed a recognition task that required attention be given to either the affect or identity of target stimuli. RESULTS: No significant behavioral differences were found. In response to the affect recognition task, significant differences between high- and low-scoring subjects were observed in several subregions of the frontal cortex, as well as the amygdala. No significant differences were found between the groups in response to the identity recognition condition. CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that participants scoring high on the PPI, although not behaviorally distinct, demonstrate a significantly different pattern of neural activity (as measured by blood oxygen level-dependent contrast)in response to tasks that require affective processing. The results suggest a unique neural signature associated with personality differences in a nonpsychiatric population.     

Intercostal hemangioma

This paper presents a case of intercostal hemangioma, in which a complete surgical resection was accomplished based upon a tentative diagnosis provided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 27-year-old man visited our hospital for the evaluation of chest pain and shortness of breath after exertion. Computed tomography showed a soft tissue mass, 5.5×3.5 cm in size, arising from the right lateral 7th intercostal space. Dynamic MRI showed that the mass was enhanced rapidly in the early phase and that this early enhancement was maintained during the delayed phase, which was compatible with a diagnosis of intercostal hemangioma. The patient underwent surgery, and a complete resection of the tumor with the right 7th and 8th ribs and their intercostal muscles was accomplished. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of intramuscular hemangioma of the large-vessel type. Presently, 6 months after the operation, the patient is doing well, without any evidence of local recurrence.     

Steady state of gradient echo sequences with radiofrequency phase cycling: Analytical solution,contrast enhancement with partial spoiling

Spoiled gradient echo sequences can only reach a homogeneous steady state if sufficiently strong crusher gradients are used in combination with RF phase cycling (RF spoiling). However, the signal depends quite sensitively on the chosen phase increment ? and—lacking analytical solutions—numerical simulations must be used to study the transient and steady‐state magnetization. For the steady state an exact analytical solution is derived, which holds for arbitrary sequence and tissue parameters. Besides a considerably improved computation performance, the analytical approach enables a better understanding of the complicated dependence on ?. For short repetition times (TR) the regime of small ? turns out to be particularly interesting: It is shown that the typical ?_c, where RF spoiling starts to become effective, is essentially inversely proportional to T₂. This tissue dependence implies that contrasts can be considerably larger with partial spoiling (? ≈ ?_c) than with conventional RF spoiling (? ? ?_c). As an example, the uptake of contrast agents in tissues is investigated. For typical parameters a considerably improved contrast enhancement can be obtained, both theoretically and experimentally. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2005 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Restricted field of view magnetic resonance imaging of a dynamic time series.

A restricted field of view (rFOV) approach for imaging a dynamic time series of volumes of limited spatial extent within a larger subject is described. The shorter readout with rFOV-MRI can be exploited to either limit image artifacts or increase spatial resolution. To accomplish rFOV imaging of a multislice volume for a dynamic series, an outer volume suppression (OVS) preparation that saturates signal external to a cylinder through the subject is followed by slice-selective excitation and a spiral readout. The pass- and stopband efficiencies of the OVS in an agar gel phantom were 97% (+/-1.5%) and 3% (+/-1%), respectively. Profiles of the temporal signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) were measured in a phantom and an adult brain. The rFOV sequence reduced distortions from off-resonance signal and T2*-induced blurring compared to a conventional sequence. Sequence utility is demonstrated for high-resolution rFOV functional MRI (fMRI) in the visual cortex. The rFOV sequence may prove to be useful for other multislice dynamic and high-resolution imaging applications.     

Evaluation of the epidermal refractive index measured by optical coherence tomography

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has recently been proposed that the refractive index (RI) measured by means of optical coherence tomography (OCT) may be a valid measure for hydration of skin. In this pilot study, using OCT in vivo, we aimed to investigate the interday variability of RI measurements and acute changes of RI following the application of a moisturizer. METHODS: Twenty healthy Caucasian volunteers were investigated on their forearms using a commercially available OCT system (SkinDex 300, ISIS optronics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) fitted with an integrated algorithm for the evaluation of the RI. The interday repeatability of the OCT method was determined performing symmetrical measurements on both forearms on day 1, 5, 9, and 13. In order to investigate the acute effect of a moisturizer on RI, OCT assessments were performed before and 10 min after the application of an aqueous lotion with a lipophilic phase. As a control, the contralateral site was investigated in the same way, except for the use of distilled water instead of the lotion. RESULTS: Assessments of interday variability revealed insignificant (P>0.05) variances between the four measurement times as expressed in very small repeatability coefficients (right arm: 0.039; left arm 0.053) and small coefficients of variance (right arm: 1.02%; left arm: 1.38%). With regard to the RIs measured over time, we could not observe significant (P>0.05) differences between the two symmetrical anatomic sites (mean+/-SD of RI: 1.3893+/-0.0142 (right arm); 1.3875+/-0.0192 (left arm)). The acute effect of the moisturizer was indicated by a significant decrease of the RI 5 min after the application of the lotion (1.399+/-0.01 vs. 1.387+/-0.02; difference between means: 0.012; P=0.033; 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.0023). However the control site treated with distilled water did not show significant differences between the two measurement times (1.387+/-0.013 vs. 1.391+/-0.023; difference between means: -0.004; P=0.57; 95% confidence interval: -0.019-0.011). CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, we have demonstrated that RI evaluation via OCT is a promising technique that may be used for the assessment of skin hydration in vivo. However, the direct comparison of OCT with standard methods, ideally such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, is necessary.     

Imaging of thoracic aortic dissection

Acute thoracic aortic dissection has a high mortality if untreated, so the diagnosis must be rapidly made if mortality is to be lowered significantly. Multiple imaging techniques are often used. This retrospective study from 1988 to 1993 assesses the usefulness in diagnosis of chest X-rays, computed tomography (CT) scanning, aortography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), trans-thoracic (TTE) and trans-oesophageal (TOE) echocardiography. Forty-two patients with a final clinical diagnosis of dissection were studied. The diagnosis was confirmed in 16 (13 at surgery and three at autopsy). Three died with dissection given as the only cause for death. Chest X-ray abnormalities were seen in all 19 patients with surgery or death from dissection, with a widened mediastinum and/or dilated aorta being present in 17. In the group of 16 patients with surgery or autopsy proof, CT scans found dissections in 9 of 12 patients studied and correctly classified the type in only five. Aortography was performed in five, with accurate depiction of dissection and type in all. TTE found dissections in three of eight patients imaged by this method. MRI and TOE were performed each on two patients, with accurate depiction of dissection and type in each. Because of the relatively low sensitivity of CT scanning in defining aortic dissections Westmead Hospital is currently assessing the use of TOE as the prime imaging modality prior to surgical intervention.     

Structural variations in the crystal structures of two homologous DL-Leu and Δ-Leu containing peptides+

The similar conformations and interaction modes of Ac-DL-Leu-Nme₂ and Ac-Δ-Leu-NMe₂ molecules in the solid state allow the comparison of their geometrical parameters. The most evident variations are essentially restricted to the α,β-unsaturated side-chain which adopts the Z-disposition. The dimensions of the peptide backbone are much less sensitive to α,β-unsaturation, with a small shortening by 0.04 Å and 0.02 Å of the N-C^α and C^α-C′ bonds, respectively, and an increase by 6° of the N-C^α- C′ bond angle. The ethylenic and amide groups in the Δ-Leu derivative are far from coplanarity, and a significant electronic conjugation of the π-orbital is likely to be rejected.