Alveolar hydatid disease of the liver: Brief review and spectrum of adjacent organ invasion

The purpose of this study is to show the spectrum of adjacent organ invasion and to make a brief review of hepatic alveolar hydatid disease (AHD), using CT and MR imaging. We retrospectively reviewed CT and MR images of three patients with various adjacent organ invasions surgically and histologically proven to be AHD. Local invasion to right kidney and adrenal, right hemidiaphragm and lung were detected in one patient, right adrenal in another patient and gall bladder, duodenum, gastric wall and pancreas invasion in the other. AHD may rarely extend to the gall bladder, stomach, duodenum, pancreas, right adrenal and kidney, diaphragm, pleura and lung. The extension of the disease outside the liver is usually encountered in patients with large, peripherally located masses in the advanced stage of the disease.     

Angiographic and histologic findings in high frequency rotational ablation in coronary arteries in vitro

High-frequency rotational angioplasty is a recently developed method for coronary angioplasty in the catheter laboratory. An elliptical burr tip (phi 1.25-2.0 mm) with embedded diamant chips (phi 40-50 microns) is rotated by a helical drive shaft at 150,000-180,000 rpm. The burr is advanced over a 0.009-inch coaxial guide wire. To show the effects of this approach in diseased and healthy vessels, which may be present before and behind a stenosis, 17 atherosclerotic coronary arteries of nine human hearts, and 18 normal coronary arteries of nine pig hearts were treated by this method in vitro. Standardized coronary angiography was performed before and after Rotablator treatment, followed by histological examination. From these data the burr-to-vessel-diameter ratio was calculated for each vessel segment and compared with the angiographical and histological outcome. Partial or complete removal of the circumference of the innermost vessel wall layers was observed regularly. The average removal of tissue in human coronary arteries was limited to the intimal layer and in the pig coronary arteries to the internal elastic membrane. In the pig coronary arteries no intimal tears or dissections occurred, in human coronary arteries tears could be seen frequently (13 of 17 vessels (76%)). Media tears were observed in 3 of 17 vessels; one (2%) media dissection could be demonstrated; no perforation occurred. Thus, the in vitro studies suggest that coronary rotational angioplasty has only a slight effect on the vessel segment next to a stenosis, regardless of the burr-to-vessel-diameter ratio.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Deprivation of form vision suppresses diurnal cycling of retinal levels of leu-enkephalin

Deprivation of form vision by the fitting of translucent occluders suppressed the diurnal cycling of enkephalinergic amacrine cells (the ENSLI amacrine cells), in the chicken. Daily periods of normal vision or enforcing temporal contrast using strobe lighting appeared to restore normal functioning of the ENSLI cells. These results suggest that the ENSLI cells are involved in retinal circuits that assess the quality of the visual image and control eye growth.     

Morphological and cytochemical alterations of the Golgi apparatus and GERL in rat parotid acinar cells during ethionine intoxication and recovery

The present electron microscopic cytochemical investigation was undertaken to characterize the alterations in the Golgi apparatus and GERL of rat parotid acinar cells during ethionine intoxication and recovery. Although the Golgi apparatus and GERL were reduced in size, and some broadening of the Golgi saccules occurred as the result of ethionine treatment, the relative localization of thiamine pyrophosphatase (TPPase) activity in the Golgi saccules, and acid phosphatase activity (AcPase) in GERL, remained unchanged. Shortly after ethionine treatment was stopped, a dramatic redistribution of enzyme activities was noted. Within the first 24 hours of recovery, the Golgi apparatus began to enlarge, and the content of secretory granules increased. By day 3 of recovery, cisternae morphologically identifiable as GERL and forming secretory granules possessed TPPase activity, while AcPase activity was virtually undetectable. After seven days of recovery, the Golgi apparatus and GERL appeared both morphologically and cytochemically normal. The enzyme modulation observed during recovery may be correlated with increased secretory granule production. Furthermore, the presence of TPPase activity in GERL and forming secretory granules lends support to the suggestion that GERL may be derived from the trans Golgi saccule.