Clinical features versus MRI findings in athletes with osteoarthritis of the knee

The purpose of this work was to evaluate the association between clinical features [knee pain and stiffness] and structural abnormalities found at magnetic resonance [MR] imaging in athletes with osteoarthritis [OA] of the knee. MR images of the knee were obtained from 40 [8[20%] women, 32 [80%] men; median age, 33years; range, [25-40] years] patients in whom symptomatic OA at multiple joint sites was diagnosed. MR images were analyzed for various abnormalities of OA. All patients were interviewed concerning pain and stiffness in the knee that was imaged. There was significant correlation was found between patellofemoral osteophyte and pain. A large joint effusion was associated with pain and stiffness, an association was found between meniscal defects [tear] with pain and stiffness. All other imaging findings, including focal or diffuse cartilaginous abnormalities [reduction of thickness of cartilage], subchondral cysts, bone marrow edema, subluxation of the meniscus, or Baker cysts, were not significantly correlated with symptoms. These results indicate that there was significant correlation between clinical symptoms and structural findings found on MR images in athletes with OA of the knee. Significant correlation was found between patellofemoral osteophytes and pain, large joint effusion with pain and stiffness, and meniscal defects with pain and stiffness

Radiological modalities versus histopathological finding in chronic small bowel diseases

The small intestine is one of the most difficult areas to study radiographically in the gastrointestinal tract, yet satisfactory investigations are needed to give the maximum definition of every inch of the intestine. Barium radiology remains the method of choice for diagnosis and evaluation of many small intestinal disorders. The other radiological modalities are helpful in diagnosis of chronic small bowel disorder and also detecting the associated pathology and the complications in the different organs. Aim of the work: To evaluate the accuracy of the different radiological modalities in diagnosis of different chronic small bowel diseases. This study was conducted on 50 patients referred from the inpatients departments and outpatients' clinic of medicine and surgery to the radiology department of Bab El Sharia University hospital. They were 30 males and 20 females, their age ranged between 22 and 50 years. The predominant clinical presentations were diarrhea [40 cases], loss of body weight [34 cases], abdominal colic [42 cases], distension [18 cases], fever [6 cases] and bleeding per rectum [1 case]. The cases were submitted to the following: Full clinical examination, Basic laboratory investigations and radiological studies. 38 patients of our conducted study were pathologically proven [76%]. Two cases [4%] were suspected to have small intestinal loops infiltration by an invasive ovarian carcinoma using another modality, while barium study decline this [our results was confirmed operatively]. On the other hand, there were four cases [8%] of post radiotherapy enteric changes having no definite criteria by barium study, and was diagnosed by previous clinical data of receiving radio-therapeutic treatment. Our study was non specific in two cases [4%]. Our study was negative in one patient suffering from obscure rectal bleeding proved by angiography to have a ceacal vascular malformation. Then we classified our population for more detailed analysis according to the type of abnormality into: Post therapeutic complications [6 case], inflammatory diseases [18 cases], neoplastic disorders [6 cases], obstructive disorders [4 cases] and others [6 cases]. Barium study is a highly sensitive imaging tool for detecting small bowel disorder. However other radiological modalities with correlation with the histopathological finding are helpful in the diagnosis and detection of complications of different chronic small bowel diseases

Evaluation of tuberculosis versus pyogenic [infectious] arthritis by using MRI imaging

To assess magnetic resonance [MR] imaging features in differentiating tuberculous arthritis from pyogenic arthritis. Findings in 29 patients with tuberculous arthritis were compared with those of 13 patients with pyogenic arthritis. Bone erosion, marrow signal intensity, synovial lesion signal intensity, boundaries [smooth or irregular] for extraarticular extension of infection, and abscess rim enhancement [thin and smooth or thick and irregular] were analyzed. Revealed that bone erosion was more common in patients with tuberculous arthritis [24 [83%] of 29] than in those with pyogenic arthritis [six [46%] of 13] [P = 0.026], while subchondral marrow signal intensity abnormality was seen more frequently in patients with pyogenic arthritis [12 [92%] of 13] than in those with tuberculous arthritis [17 [59%] of 29] [P = 0.036]. On T2-weighted images, there was no significant difference between the synovial lesion signal intensities of tuberculous arthritis and pyogenic arthritis. Lesions in 16 [70%] of 23 patients with tuberculous arthritis and two [17%] of 12 patients with pyogenic arthritis had smooth extraarticular boundaries, while those in seven [30%] of 23 patients with tuberculous arthritis and 10 [83%] of 12 patients with pyogenic arthritis had irregular boundaries [P = .005]. Tuberculous abscesses [16 [100%] of 16] had thin and smooth rim enhancement, while most pyogenic abscesses [five [7 1%] of seven] had thick and irregular rims[P .001].MR imaging of bone abnormalities Tnalities, extraarticular lesions, and associated abscesses provides useful information in the differentiation of tuberculous arthritis and pyogenic arthritis