Neural pattern and limb development--normal development of the hindlimb nerve in the mouse and its aberrations induced by 5-fluorouracil]

Many ways of approach are available for the elucidation of the pathogenesis of congenital limb malformation. We examined the time course of the development of the nerve pattern in the whole mounted hindlimbs of mouse embryo stained with Karnovsky's method. The normal development and its aberrations induced with maternal administration of 5-fluorouracil at day 10.0 of gestation were studied. The basic development of the nerve pattern in normal limbs and 5-fluorouracil-induced poly-dactylic+ limbs was similar. At the stage of digital ray formation, distal tips of the nerve fibers were still reaching the base of the foot plate. Nerve fibers seem to reach the tip of the digit as a secondary phenomenon following formation of digital rays. These findings indicate that the developmental pattern of nerves in the mouse hindlimb is largely determined by the mesenchyme, rather than by the nerves themselves.     

Hodgkin disease: contributions of chest CT in the initial staging evaluation

Chest radiographs and chest computed tomography (CT) scans were compared in 203 patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin disease. The incidence of positive findings was tabulated from six intrathoracic lymph node groups, lung parenchyma, pericardium, pleura, and chest wall. The discordant cases were assessed to determine impact on clinical management. The CT scans provided additional evidence of disease involvement, ranging from 0% to 15% at each of the designated anatomic sites. Treatment was altered in 9.4% of all patients (19 of 203), including 13.8% (nine of 65) of those undergoing radiation therapy alone and 8.2% (ten of 122) of those undergoing combined-modality treatment. We conclude that routine chest CT examinations are valuable in the clinical management of those patients for whom radiation therapy is planned.     

The use of deep inspiration preceding the valsalva maneuver and rapid expiration in color doppler imaging of the lower extremity veins

Deep inspiration preceding Valsalva maneuver and rapid expiration immediately following it (DIVE) enhance venous blood flow on color Doppler flow imaging (CDI). The effect of DIVE was assessed in 115 consecutive lower extremity examinations. Of these, 95 or 115 (83%) had negative CDI sonograms, and 20 of 115 (17%) had partially (six of 115) or completely (14 of 115) occluding deep vein thrombosis. DIVE enhanced venous blood flow in 68% of the negative cases, resulting in transient venous distention, and/or more complete color filling, and/or greater spectral flow velocities. The 14 cases with completely occluding thrombi showed no response to DIVE. Six cases with partially occluding thrombi showed moderate to mild response to DIVE, with improved color delineation of the residual patent lumen around the thrombus. The authors conclude that DIVE facilitates deep venous CDI, especially when compression cannot be used to augment venous flow.