New insights on COPD imaging via CT and MRI

Multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) can be used to quantify morphological features and investigate structure/function relationship in COPD. This approach allows a phenotypical definition of COPD patients, and might improve our understanding of disease pathogenesis and suggest new therapeutical options. In recent years, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has also become potentially suitable for the assessment of ventilation, perfusion and respiratory mechanics. This review focuses on the established clinical applications of CT, and novel CT and MRI techniques, which may prove valuable in evaluating the structural and functional damage in COPD.     

Parental alcohol use and brain volumes in early- and late-onset alcoholics.

BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that alcoholics have smaller brain volumes than non-alcoholic cohorts, but an effect of family history (FH) of heavy drinking on brain volume has not been demonstrated. We examined the relationship between an FH of heavy drinking and both brain shrinkage as measured by the ratio of brain volumes to intracranial volume (ICV) as well as maximal brain growth as measured by ICV in early-onset and late-onset alcoholics. METHODS: With T1-weighted resonance imaging, we measured ICV, brain volume, and white and gray matter volume in adult treatment-seeking late-onset and early-onset alcoholics with either a positive or a negative FH of heavy alcohol use, and in healthy control subjects. We also calculated brain shrinkage using a ratio of soft tissue volumes to ICV. RESULTS: The FH positive alcoholic patients had significantly smaller ICVs than FH negative patients, suggesting smaller premorbid brain growth. Brain shrinkage did not correlate with FH. Late-onset alcoholics showed a greater difference in ICV between FH positive and FH negative patients than early-onset alcoholics. Late-onset FH positive patients also had significantly lower IQ scores than late-onset FH negative patients, and IQ scores were correlated with ICV. CONCLUSIONS: These data provide evidence that parental alcohol use might increase risk for alcoholism in offspring in part by a genetic and/or environmental effect that might be related to reduced brain growth.     

外加磁场对半乳糖化白蛋白磁性阿霉素纳米粒在大鼠体内分布影响的研究

目的观察半乳糖化白蛋白磁性阿霉素纳米粒(ADR-GHMN)在正常肝脏中的靶向性,并观察ADR-GHMN在全身各脏器的分布特征及外加磁场对其分布的影响.方法大鼠正中开腹,肝动脉插管并固定,肝动脉注射125I-ADR-GHMN(相当于阿霉素0.5 mg/kg),左外叶加磁场,磁场应用30 min,移去磁场后,动物立即处死;对照组:肝动脉注射ADR-GHMN,左外叶不加磁场,30min后,移去磁场后,动物立即处死,立即取靶区肝、非靶区肝、肾、心、肺、小肠、脾及周围血作γ计数.肝组织作病理切片.结果注入的纳米粒75～85%分布于肝脏,其它脏器极少.病理切片显示磁区小动脉见大量纳米粒存在,对照组及非磁区肝中纳米粒很少见.结论ADR-GHMN在正常肝组织中有明显的磁靶向性;在磁场作用下,ADR-GHMN主要分布于肝脏,其它脏器含量很少;试验组肾、心、肺、小肠、脾及外周血于对照组的放射活性比较明显降低,表明磁性物质的存在使这些脏器的相对药物暴露明显减少.     

CT、MRI对肾上腺病变的诊断分析

目的:分析探讨CT、MRI诊断对肾上腺病变的作用与价值。方法:MarconiMX8000 4层螺旋CT机,增强造影剂使用非离子型制剂,常规扫描及增强。应用西门子MAGNETOM1.5T磁共振机,增强造影剂使用Gd-DTPA制剂,常规T1WI、T2WI、脂肪抑制、化学位移同反相位及增强。对25例经手术及病理资料诊断证实的肾上腺病变进行CT、MRI诊断回顾性分析。结果:可清楚显示肾上腺病变的侧别、数目、大小、范围及可能的性质。结论:CT是肾上腺病变最佳影像检查方法,MRI具有重要辅助及补充诊断价值。     

MRI对累及头颈部淋巴组织病变的鉴别意义

目的:基于累及头颈部淋巴组织病变的临床不典型性,旨在探讨MRI对其进行鉴别诊断的客观依据。方法:对本组22例可疑累及头颈部淋巴组织的各类病变进行MRI检查并与病理学结果进行对照。结果:MRI对本组22例累及淋巴组织病变的诊断与病理学诊断的符合率(21/22)约为95%。结论:MRI是对累及头颈部淋巴组织病变的重要检查手段,并能为明确其诊断提供客观依据。     

Evidence of an abnormal intramuscular component of fatigue in multiple sclerosis

The goals of this study were to investigate muscle fatigue in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and to determine the relationships between muscle fatigue, clinical status, and perceived fatigue. The fatigability of the anterior tibial muscle was quantitated in patients and controls during 9 min of intermittent stimulation (used to eliminate central sources of muscle fatigue). During exercise, the decline in tetanic force, phosphocreatine, and intracellular pH was greater in patients than in controls. The compound muscle action potential amplitude did not decrease during exercise, indicating that there was no failure of neuromuscular transmission during fatigue. Thus, the excessive fatigue in MS developed from sources beyond the muscle membrane. Following exercise, the recovery of tetanic force was delayed in patients (a pattern that suggests abnormal excitation–contraction coupling), whereas the recovery of metabolites was complete in both groups. Muscular fatigue was correlated with clinical disability but not with perceived fatigue. These results suggests that fatigue in MS has both central (perception, upper motor neuron dysfunction) and peripheral (impaired metabolism and excitation–contraction coupling) components.© 1995 John Wiley &Sons, Inc.     

Image technique optimization in MR imaging of a titanium alloy joint prosthesis

The purpose of this study was to explore systematically the effect of the imaging parameters changeable by the user in spin-echo (SE) imaging sequences to minimize image distortion when imaging joint prostheses. A titanium alloy hip joint prosthesis was studied at 1.0 T. The SE imaging parameters were bandwidth/pixel (BW/p), TE, strength of encoding gradients (matrix size), echo train length (ETL), and direction of phase and frequency encoding. The effect of ETL in rapid acquisition relaxation enhanced (RARE) sequences was also evaluated with a turbo-SE sequence using a different ETL with the same TR and an effective TE. It is concluded that an optimized image quality can be achieved in SE imaging by using a high bandwidth/pixel value (at least 130 Hz/pixel), a high resolution matrix (256–512), sequences with multiple refocusing, and a frequency-encoding axis parallel to the long axis of the prosthesis. The degree of distortion is reduced with this optimized technique.     

Transitional progressive multiple sclerosis: MRI and MTI findings

Transitional progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) is quite an unusual form of presentation and course of the disease. A case with this progressive form is presented and brain MRI and MTI findings are discussed in relation to the possible insight they may provide for understanding the mechanisms that determine progressive disability in MS.     

Effect of magnetic field on pineal gland volume and pinealocyte size in the rat

Abstract: Light microscopic observations on the superficial pineal gland of Wistar-King rats were made to examine whether or not pineal volume and pinealocyte size, expressed as nuclear density, at daytime or nighttime are affected by long-term exposure to 50 Hz rotating magnetic field (MF) at 5.0 μT. Determinations of pineal volume and pinealocyte size were repeated twice (April and October) during the year. Size of pinealocytes in MF-exposed and sham-exposed rats exhibited, in addition to the difference between peripheral and central regions, regional differences in a proximodistal direction; pinealocytes in the distal and middle-peripheral regions were usually larger than those in the proximal and middle-central regions at daytime or nighttime. In October, distal and proximal pinealocytes showed significant day-night changes in size in sham-exposed rats, but not in MF-exposed animals. The situations in the two groups were almost reversed in April. Significant day-night differences were scarcely found in pinealocyte size in the middle region in the two groups. Throughout the study, pineal volume and pinealocyte size in each region were generally the same between MF-exposed and sham-exposed rats at daytime or nighttime. The results suggest that pinealocytes in the distal and proximal regions, but not those in the middle region, are affected by MF-exposure; day-night differences in sizes of distal and proximal pinealocytes appear in April and disappear in October under the influence of MF. MF may exert an effect on mechanisms controlling day-night rhythms of pinealocyte size in the rat.