Tree-in-bud sign

Abdominal Radiology -     

The hyperdense crescent sign

Abdominal Radiology -     

MRI of endolymphatic hydrops in patients with vestibular schwannomas: a case-controlled study using non-enhanced T2-weighted images at 3 Teslas

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Vestibular schwannomas (VS) may present with similar symptoms endolymphatic hydrops. Association between hydrops and internal auditory canal VS has been...     

Amides from Piper nigrum L. with dissimilar effects on melanocyte proliferation in-vitro

Melanocyte proliferation stimulants are of interest as potential treatments for the depigmentary skin disorder, vitiligo. Piper nigrum L. (Piperaceae) fruit (black pepper) water extract and its main alkaloid, piperine (1), promote melanocyte proliferation in-vitro. A crude chloroform extract of P. nigrum containing piperine was more stimulatory than an equivalent concentration of the pure compound, suggesting the presence of other active components. Piperine (1), guineensine (2), pipericide (3), N-feruloyltyramine (4) and N-isobutyl-2E, 4E-dodecadienamide (5) were isolated from the chloroform extract. Their activity was compared with piperine and with commercial piperlongumine (6) and safrole (7), and synthetically prepared piperettine (8), piperlonguminine (9) and 1-(3, 4-methylenedioxyphenyl)-decane (10). Compounds 6-10 either occur in P. nigrum or are structurally related. Compounds 1, 2, 3, 8 and 9 stimulated melanocyte proliferation, whereas 4, 5, 6, 7 and 10 did not. Comparison of structures suggests that the methylenedioxyphenyl function is essential for melanocyte stimulatory activity. Only those compounds also possessing an amide group were active, although the amino component of the amide group and chain linking it to the methylenedioxyphenyl group can vary. P. nigrum, therefore, contains several amides with the ability to stimulate melanocyte proliferation. This finding supports the traditional use of P. nigrum extracts in vitiligo and provides new lead compounds for drug development for this disease.     

In vivo evaluation of piperine and synthetic analogues as potential treatments for vitiligo using a sparsely pigmented mouse model

Background Piperine and its analogues have been reported to stimulate melanocyte replication in vitro and may be useful in treating the depigmenting disease, vitiligo. Objective To investigate the ability of piperine (PIP) and three analogues to stimulate pigmentation in a strain of sparsely pigmented mice. Methods The test compounds were PIP [5‐(3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2,4‐pentadienoylpiperidine], tetrahydropiperine [THP, 5‐(3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐pentanoylpiperidine], a cyclohexyl analogue of piperine [CHP, 5‐(3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2,4‐pentadienoylcyclohexylamine], and reduced CHP [rCHP, 5‐(3,4‐methylenedioxyphenyl)‐2,4‐pentanoylcyclohexylamine]. Sparsely pigmented, HRA/Skh‐II mice were randomized to receive topical treatment with test compounds or vehicle twice a day for five days a week, with or without ultraviolet (UV) irradiation on 3 days a week. Treatment was either continuous or interrupted to evaluate fading and repigmentation. Skin inflammation and pigmentation were evaluated regularly during treatment. DOPA+ melanocytes were determined histologically at the termination of treatment. Results Four weeks of treatment with one of the compounds PIP, THP or rCHP, but not CHP, induced greater pigmentation than vehicle with low levels of inflammation. Additional exposure to UVR led to darker pigmentation than did the compound or UVR alone, and greater numbers of DOPA+ melanocytes were found. The combination produced an even pigmentation pattern, contrasting with the speckled, perifollicular pattern produced by UVR alone. Treatment interruption led to a decrease in pigmentation but not its loss. Repigmentation was achieved by administering one of the compounds, UVR or both, and occurred faster than in naïve mice. Conclusions Treatment with PIP, THP or rCHP and UVR induced a marked pigmentation response in HRA/Skh‐II mice, with clinically better results than UVR alone. This result supports the potential use of these compounds in treating vitiligo.     

Importance of signal intensity on T1-weighted spin-echo sequence for the diagnosis of chronic cholesteatomatous otitis

European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - The aim of our study was to evaluate the importance of a non-injected T1-weighted spin-echo sequence (T1WSE) combined with a non-echo-planar...     

The lateral crescent sign

Abdominal Radiology -     

A Systematic Review on KAP of Nebulization Therapy at Home

Background: Inhalation is the preferred method of delivering medication for respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and other respiratory disease. A nebulizer converts a medication in liquid form to mist, so that the medication can be inhaled into the lungs. The aim of the study is to systematically review the knowledge, attitude, and practice of patients using nebulization therapy at home. The objective of the study is to review the procedure of nebulizer technique and to interpret the outcome of the studies. Method: Scopus, PubMed, BMJ, and other database from 2000 to 2020 were searched using Boolean operators. Title and abstract were screened for nebulizer technology and for inclusion and exclusion criteria. After full text screening 16 articles were included in the study. Result: Use of nebulizer at home was a challenge at all stages including setting up and operating nebulizer, filling up of medication, inhalation technique, end point dismantling, and maintenance. The main challenge experienced by the participants was with cleaning and disinfecting of nebulizer. There were studies that reported with 71.6% pathogen contamination due to inappropriate cleaning and disinfecting. Conclusion: Patients with respiratory disease using nebulizers at home find difficulty in appropriate and rational use of the device. Apart from the nebulizer user guidelines from the manufactures, it is suggested that a short audio visual demonstrating the appropriate and effective use of nebulizers and also its maintenance in their colloquial language with handout infographics would highly facilitate the effective use of nebulizers.     

Dual-energy CT in vertebral compression fractures: performance of visual and quantitative analysis for bone marrow edema demonstration with comparison to MRI

Objective

To prospectively evaluate the performance of virtual non-calcium (VNC) dual-energy CT (DECT) images for the demonstration of trauma-related abnormal marrow attenuation in collapsed and non-collapsed vertebral compression fractures (VCF) with MRI as a reference standard.

Materials and methods

Twenty patients presenting with non-tumoral VCF were consecutively and prospectively included in this IRB-approved study, and underwent MRI and DECT of the spine. MR examination served as a reference standard. Two independent readers visually evaluated all vertebrae for abnormal marrow attenuation (“CT edema”) on VNC DECT images; specificity, sensitivity, predictive values, intra and inter-observer agreements were calculated. A last reader performed a quantitative evaluation of CT numbers; cut-off values were calculated using ROC analysis.

Results

In the visual analysis, VNC DECT images had an overall sensitivity of 84 %, specificity of 97 %, and accuracy of 95 %, intra- and inter-observer agreements ranged from k?=?0.74 to k?=?0.90. CT numbers were significantly different between vertebrae with edema on MR and those without (p?<?0.0001). Cut-off values provided sensitivity of 85 % (77 %) and specificity of 82 % (74 %) for “CT edema” on thoracic (lumbar) vertebrae.

Conclusions

VNC DECT images allowed an accurate demonstration of trauma-related abnormal attenuation in VCF, revealing the acute nature of the fracture, on both visual and quantitative evaluation.