Radiologic investigation of avascular necrosis of femoral head in adult

The authors studied 126 cases (90 patients) of proven avascuar necrosis of femoral head inadult during theperiod from Jan. 1975 to May 1982 at Kyung Hee University Hospital. The results were as follows; 1. The sex ratiowas 63 males to 27 females and the peak incidence of age was in the fifth decade. 2.Among the 90 patients, thecause and conditions associated with avascular necrosis were idiopathic in 33 cases, femoral neck fracture in 32cases, chronic alcholism in 9 cases, anti-inflammatory drugs abuse in 6 cases, corticosteroid therapy in 5 cases,caisson's disease in 2 cases, hip dislocation in 2 cases and macromolecular storage disease in 1 case, in theorder of frequency. 3. Excluding 34 patients of avascular necrosis associaited with trauma, bilateral lesion was36 patients(64.3%) among the 56 patients. 4. The radiographic features in femoral head were variable, such as 118cases of central increased density surrounded by lucent zone, encompassed by dense rim, 110 cases of collapsedarticular cortex and 16 cases of intact articular cortex, 91 cases of flattening of femoral head, 79 cases ofcrescent sign, 51 cases of fragmentation of osteonecrotic segment, 47 cases of superimposed degenerativearthritis, 5 cases of patchy increased density, and 3 cases of no radiographic change. 5. The bone scintigraphywith Tc-99m-MDP was performed in 11 patients (15 cases) and its finding in femoral head were 8 cases of increasedradioactivity, 4 cases of mixed increased and decreased radioactivity, and 3 cases of absent radioactivity. 6. Itwas our belief that comparative study of plain radiographs and bone scintigraphy would be useful in earlydiagnosis and tratment planning of avascular necrosis of femoral head.

Real-time ultrasonographic findings of gallbladder empyema

Although the ultrasonography has been regarded as a main procedure in the diagnosis of gallbladder diseases, no many papers concerning the ultrasonographic findings of gallbladder empyema appeared in the literature. Twenty-four cases of surgically proven gallbladder empyema were studied by ultrasonography in our hospital during last 15 months. The results were as follows; 1. The size of gallbladder was enlarged in 18 cases. 2. The thicknessof gallbladder wall was more than 3mm in 16 cases. 3. The echogenicity of gallbladder wall was diminished in all cases. the inner margin of gallblaldder wall was also ill-defined in all cases. These findings are considered to be important in the diagnosis of gallbladder empyema. 4. The internal echogenicity of gallbladder (diffuse or localized) was positive in 16 cases and negative in the remainders. The echo genility was thought to beproportional to the amount of pus in gallbladder. 5. The 7 cases presented periocholecystic sonolucent area hadperforation of gallbladder and pericholecystic abscess. 6. Gallstone was found in 17 cases.