Intracranial circulation: pulse-sequence considerations in three- dimensional (volume) MR angiography

The technique and feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) angiography of intracranial vessels were studied in 35 healthy volunteers. Variations in image orientation, repetition time (TR), and flip angle were evaluated to determine their effects on flow-related enhancement. Gradient modifications--including echo time (TE), motion compensation, bandwidth, and field of view--were also studied in an effort to reduce motion-induced phase shifts. Results indicated that a FISP (fast imaging with steady precession) sequence with a TR of 50 msec, TE of 15 msec, velocity compensation in the read and section-select directions, acceleration compensation in the read direction, anisotropic volume, and a 1.25-mm partition thickness produced three-dimensional angiographic MR images that were accurate and reproducible in the depiction of the major intracranial vessels. Difficulties with field of view, persistent signal void secondary to higher-order motion, and spatial resolution remain major problems requiring additional study.     

Transplacental carcinogenic effects of nickel(II) acetate in the renal cortex, renal pelvis and adenohypophysis in F344/NCr rats.

Nickel(II) acetate (NiAcet), a soluble nickel salt known to be an effective initiator of renal epithelial tumors in adult rats, was studied for possible transplacental carcinogenicity. Pregnant F344/NCr rats were given NiAcet i.p. either once a day on day 17 (90 mumol/kg body wt; group 1) or twice on days 16 and 18 of gestation (45 mumol/kg body wt/day; group 2). Offspring of these rats were further subdivided into groups 1A and B and 2A and B, respectively. Groups 1A and 2A received ordinary tap water while groups 1B and 2B received drinking water containing 500 p.p.m. sodium barbital (NaBB) during weeks 4-85 of age. Renal cortical epithelial and renal pelvic transitional epithelial tumors occurred in male offspring given NiAcet prenatally followed by NaBB postnatally (group 1B, 15 tumors in 8/15 rats; group 2B, 10 tumors in 7/15), but not in male offspring given NiAcet only (0/32) or in controls given prenatal sodium acetate (NaAcet) only (0/15) and rarely in males given NaAcet followed by the promoter NaBB (1/15). No renal tumors occurred in females. Pituitary tumor incidence was significantly higher in offspring of both sexes given NiAcet prenatally (NaAcet controls, 4/31, both sexes combined; group 1A, 14/33, P = 0.012; group 2A, 14/31, P = 0.008). Pituitary tumors appeared much earlier in rats given NiAcet prenatally, with or without postnatal NaBB, and often were malignant by cytologic and histologic criteria including pleomorphism and invasion of adjacent structures, unlike the well-differentiated adenomas that occurred less frequently in untreated rats. These results are the first evidence that Ni(II) is a potent transplacental initiator of epithelial tumors in fetal rat kidney and a complete transplacental carcinogen for rat pituitary.     

FM sonography in diffuse liver disease: prospective assessment and blinded analysis

FM sonography - a signal-processing technique that uses frequency and phase information as well as amplitude data - shows promise in evaluation of patients with diffuse liver disease. In a prospective blinded review of 37 patients with biopsy-proved liver disease and 42 healthy volunteers, FM sonography was clearly superior to traditional amplitude-based (AM) sonography in distinguishing healthy from diseased subjects. Statistically significant differences were seen in accuracy (FM, 98.7%; AM, 84.8%), sensitivity (FM, 97.3%; AM, 70.3%), and negative predictive value (FM, 97.7%; AM, 78.8%). Our data also suggest that current FM sonographic techniques cannot differentiate among histologic findings associated with different hepatic parenchymal abnormalities. It is unclear, therefore, whether FM imaging can reduce the numbers of patients who require biopsy for diagnosis or the frequency of biopsy procedures in patients with known disease.     

Epidemiology of migraine headache in Santiago, Chile: a prevalence study

Objective . To describe the importance of migraine in Santiago, Chile, by analyzing its prevalence, clinical features and impact by age, gender and socioeconomic status. Methods . In 1993, a representative sample of 1,540 adults of the province of Santiago were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. A total of 1,385 (89.9%) subjects responded to the survey. Initially, a designated member of each household responded to the questionnaire. Subsequently, each household member with headaches was asked to respond to questions about severity, frequency, location, duration, associated symptoms and impact in work and social activities of their most frequent headaches. Migraine diagnoses were determined in accordance with the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria of 1988. Results. Recurrent headaches in the past year were found in 516 (36.82%) respondents, 145 (28.1%) males and 371 (71.9%) females. Total prevalence of migraine was found to be 7.3% (95%, CI 5.9–8.6); 11.9% (95% CI 9.6–14.2) in females and 2.0% (95% CI 0.9–3.0) in males. Overall, migraine constituted 19.6% (101/516) of all headaches reported in this sample. The prevalence did not vary significantly by age groups or socioeconomic status (SES). Migraine with aura had an overall prevalence of 3.5% (CI 0.8–7.1), and was significantly more frequent in females. In 60–70% of cases the attacks lasted 2–6 h and the frequency was 3.3 and 3.4 per month in females and males respectively. Both males and females reported significantly high percentages of attacks during work. Conclusions . Migraine prevalence in a sample of adults of Santiago is similar to that reported in previous studies using IHS criteria. Women of all socioeconomic levels are at an increased risk.     

Characterization of antibody and selection of alternative drug therapy in hydrochlorothiazide-induced immune hemolytic anemia

The authors report the clinical and laboratory findings of a patient who had severe immune hemolytic anemia due to hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ). In this case, the HCTZ antibody reacted not only with other thiazide and thiazide-like drugs, but also with a chemically unrelated diuretic, ethacrynic acid. These results indicate that HCTZ antibody activity is not restricted solely to the thiazides and imply that therapy with any of the reactive drugs would be contraindicated for this patient. The serologic screening for drug reactivity may be useful for selecting alternative therapy for patients with drug-induced immune hemolytic anemia.     

Holographic analysis of displacement of the bovine cornea after disruption of intact structures]

Displacement of the surface of the cornea of bovine eyes after disruption of intact structures was investigated by means of holographic interferometry. Double-T-incisions of different depths were made with a diamond knife. Starting at about 80% of the incision depth there is a change in the central holographic interference fringe pattern. These effects can be clearly demonstrated by means of double-exposure holographic interferometry and real-time holographic interferometry. The stability of an existing corneal scar was analyzed by double-exposure holographic interferometry. The region of the scar showed a higher density of holographic interference fringes compared with the non-affected corneal areas, indicating a higher degree of elasticity. All eyes were investigated at an intraocular pressure of 1340 Pa (about 10 mmHg) and an intraocular pressure change of 10 Pa and 20 Pa. Further potential ophthalmic applications of holographic interferometry are discussed.