Motor fMRI in Acute Infarction of Basal Ganglia and Thalamus

PURPOSE: We wanted to assess the cerebral activation of the motor function after deep cortical (lentiform nucleus and thalamus) infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied the motor function of eight right-handed deep cortical infarcted patients (mean age, 61 years; 7 men and 1 woman) who suffered a single unilateral deep cortical (lentiform nucleus or thalamus) infarction. The grade of muscle power by the grading system of the Medical Research Council was II in two patients, III in three patients and IV in three patients. All the MRI experiments were performed with a 1.5T scanner. The fMRI protocol consisted of eight alternating periods of task performance and rest. The activation tasks consisted of finger movements. Data analysis of activated area and calculation of the activated volumes in sensorimotor cortex were done. RESULTS: For the six lentiform nucleus acute infarction patients, one right hemiparetic patient (MRC Grade: II), and only the right sensorimotor cortex (the unilateral non-lesion side) were activated. In five (MRC Grade: III-IV) of the six lentiform nucleus infarcted patients, bilateral activations of the primary sensorimotor cortex were recorded. In four of the five bilaterally activated patients, extended activations in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex were observed. In the two right thalamic infarction patients, bilateral activations of the primary sensorimotor cortex were recorded. One patient (MRC Grade: II) was observed to have an extended activation in the non-lesion side sensorimotor cortex. On the follow up fMRI done on this patient after 40 days (MRC Grade: III at that time), the activated volumes of both sensorimotor cortexes were increased. The activated volume in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex was more than that in the non-lesion side sensorimotor cortex. The other patient (MRC Grade: IV) was observed to have extended activation in the lesion side sensorimotor cortex. CONCLUSION: fMRI allows for the study of the motor function in deep cortical infarction. We were able to investigate the differences in motor activation according to the individual MRC Grades. fMRI may be a useful tool to monitor and study deep cortical infarction, and it may be important to help us understand the function of the deep cortical areas.

The Economic Efficiency of the Single Stage Management of Left Colon Cancer Patient

PURPOSE: Two-stage management with Hartmann's procedure is the most common procedure used for the treatment of obstructive left colon cancer with or without perforation. However, single-stage procedures have gained popularity recently with reports that show little difference in safety compared to the conventional multi-stage procedures. To evaluate the economic advantage of single stage procedure compare with two stage procedure in emergent left colonic pathology. METHODS: Eleven patients (SP; single stage procedure) without other accompanying diseases among 15 patients who entered the emergency room and treated by the single stage procedure using the intraoperative irrigation for the left colon obstructions with or without perforation during the period from July of 1999 to November of 2000, were compared in their costs retrospectively with 11 patients (MP; multiple stage procedure) without other accompanying diseases and had final reduction of stoma out of 28 patients treated by Hartman's procedures including the resections of lesions during the period from September 1996 to May 1999 with the same diagnosis. The costs were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests, with data on the costs of overall treatments, operations, anesthesia, admission room, medications, test/evaluations, and managements as well as days of hospital stay, all on the record of accounting department. The relationships of the factors to the total cost of treatment were evaluated using Multi-variant regression analysis, and the pre-operative physiologic status were compared using APACHE III scoring system. The total treatment cost did not include optional treatment costs, uninsured admission room costs, and the costs of colonic irrigator used in the operations for the SP. RESULTS: There were no significant difference in the age and gender of the two groups as 67 +/-15 years with 6 males for the SP and 6+/-19 years with 7 males for the MP. The preoperative physiologic status of patients, in APACHE III scoring system, were 29.1+/-10.6 in the SP and 26.1+/-8.2 in the MP without any significant difference between the two groups. The average of hospital stay showed a significant difference between two groups as 17.1+/-6.2 (range: 13-25) days for the SP and 31.3 (range: 24-43) days for the MP (p<0.01). The average of total costs showed also a significant difference in two groups as 3,938 687 (range: 3,017-4,974) thousand won for the SP and 7,543 1,851 (range: 5,314-9925) thousand won for the MP (p<0.01). It showed that the SP had roughly 50, 53, 76, 79, and 72% reductions of costs over operations, anesthesia, admission room, medications, tests/evaluations, and managements. The analysis of the overall costs of treatments showed 3,540 thousand won reduction in SP. CONCLUSIONS: Single stage procedure using intraoperative colonic irrigation technique showed no difference in safety but has an economical advantage over the conventional multiple stage in the management of emergent left colonic obstruction or perforation patients.

Lipohyperplasia of the Ileocecal Valve Mimicking Malignant Neoplasm on CT: A Case Report

We report a case in which CT scanning revealed lipohyperplasia of the ileocecal (IC) valve and cecum with acute inflammation and ulceration mimicking malignant neoplasm. At unenhanced CT, lesion attenuation was lower than that of back muscle, and at contrast-enhanced CT, the lesion was seen as a lobulated polypoid mass with inhomogeneous enhancement, pericecal fat infiltration, and pericecal lymphadenopathy. Although these findings mimick those of malignant neoplasm, the typical location of the mass, involving the IC valve, and the low attenuation observed at unenhanced CT, can help distinguish it from other masses.

Functional MRI of Motor Speech Area Combined with Motor Stimulation during Resting Period

PURPOSE: To evaluate functional MR imaging of the motor speech area with and without motor stimulation duringthe rest period. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine healthy, right-handed volunteers(M:F=7:2, age:21-40years) wereincluded in this study. Brain activity was mapped using a multislice, gradient echo single shot EPI on a 1.5T MRscanner. The paradigm consisted on a series of alternating rest and activation tasks, performed six times. Each volunteer in the first study(group A) was given examples of motor stimulation during the rest period, while eachin the second study(group B) was not given examples of a rest period. Motor stimulation in group A was achieved bycontinuously flexing five fingers of the right hand. In both groups, maximum internal word generation was achievedduring the activation period. Using fMRI analysis software(Stimulate 5.0) and a cross-correlationmethod(background threshold, 200; correlation threshold, 0.3; ceiling, 1.0; floor, 0.3; minimal count, 3),functional images were analysed. After correlating the activated foci and a time-signal intensity curve, theactivated brain cortex and number of pixels were analysed and compared between the two tasks. The t-test was usedfor statistical analysis. RESULT: In all nine subjects in group A and B, activation was observed in and adjacentto the left Broca's area. The mean number of activated pixels was 31.6 in group A and 27.8 in group B, adifference which was not statistically significant(P>0.1). Activities in and adjacent to the right Broca 's areawere seen in seven of group A and four of group B. The mean number of activated pixels was 14.9 in group A and 18in group B. Eight of nine volunteers in group A showed activity in the left primary motor area with negativecorrelation to the time-signal intensity curve. The mean number of activated pixels for this group was 17.5. Inthree volonteers, activation in the right primary motor area was also observed, the mean number of activatedpixels in these cases was 10.0. CONCLUSION: During the rest period, functional MR imaging of the motor speechcenter combined with motor stimulation was more effective than that without stimulation, and simultaneouslyprovided mapping of the primary motor area.