Catheter-directed middle hemorrhoidal artery embolization for life-threatening rectal bleeding.

Over the past 10 years, arteriography has become a well-established technique for the diagnosis of acute lower gastrointestinal bleeding, but not particularly for rectal bleeding. However, to the authors' knowledge, the technique of middle hemorrhoidal artery embolization has rarely been reported in the literature. In the present report, three patients with life-threatening rectal bleeding are presented, which was controlled by superselective embolization of the middle hemorrhoidal artery or selective embolization of the internal iliac artery as a last resort.     

Syringomyelia-like manifestation of subacute combined degeneration.

A 32-year-old male presented with progressive weakness and numbness of both upper limbs of one-month duration. The patient had weakness and wasting of small muscles of both hands with weak grip. Sensory system revealed graded sensory loss to pain, temperature and touch in C5 to T1 distribution and vibration and joint position sense from C5 to C8 in the both upper limbs. There was areflexia in the upper limbs while there was no motor or sensory deficit in the lower limbs. The cortical potential on stimulation of posterior tibial nerve was prolonged on both sides. On MR imaging of the cervical spine there was iso to low intense lesion which was hyperintense on T2-weighted imaging along the dorsal aspect of the cord extending from C2 to C6 level. The axial images showed involvement of the posterior column. The serum vitamin B12 level was found to be low. The patient responded to parenteral cyanocobalamine therapy and the radiological lesion subsequently resolved.     

Polyamines in ejaculated ram spermatozoa and their relationship with sperm motility.

Intracellular polyamine levels in ejaculated spermatozoa and seminal fluid from rams were determined by fluorescent spectroscopy of their dansyl derivatives. Relationships between the sperm polyamine content and sperm motility of six mature and eight pubescent rams were studied. Samples were collected from both groups once a month from August through October. Mature rams had a greater percentage of motile sperm cells than lambs (94% versus 73% in September and 92% versus 78% in October); higher spermidine content (36 versus 9 pmol/10(8) cells in September and 162 versus 55 pmol/10(8) cells in October); higher spermine content (984 versus 205 pmol/10(8) cells in September and 1,229 versus 414 pmol/10(8) cells in October); and higher total sperm polyamine content (1,021 versus 216 pmol/10(8) cells in September and 2,258 versus 973 pmol/10(8) cells in October). In the lambs, spermidine content increased (55 versus 9 pmol/10(8) cells); spermine content increased (414 versus 205 pmol/10(8) cells); and total sperm polyamine content increased (973 versus 215 pmol/10(8) cells) in October compared to September. Ejaculates with sperm motility higher than 85% had greater spermine (848 versus 234 pmol/10(8) cells in September and 1064 versus 449 pmol/10(8) cells in October), and total sperm polyamine content (882 versus 244 pmol/10(8) cells in September and 2,015 versus 1,008 pmol/10(8) cells in October) than ejaculates with less than 450 pmol total sperm polyamines/10(8) cells was 68% +/- 6% compared to 90% +/- 4% in cells with greater than 450 pmol (average for all ejaculates) total sperm polyamines/10(8) cells. These data suggest a positive relationship between sperm polyamine constant and sperm motility.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)