Role of MRI in differentiation between spinal arachnoid and synovial cysts

The current study was conducted upon 121 patients referred from the neurologists and neurosurgeons to the radiology departments[Alex. University Hospital and to private centers in Alexandria and Jeddah during the period Jan.1998 to Jan.2000] presenting with radiculopathy at different levels. MRI examinations were performed to such patients using the Siemens Vision 1.5 tesla in sagittal and coronal planes, T1 and T2 weighted images were obtained. Cystic lesions on the spine were identified in seven patients. Five of those patients were diagnosed as arachnoid cysts. The remaining two patients were diagnosed as synovial cysts. MRI has been proved to be an effective,accurate and non-invasive modality in diagnosing and differentiating spinal arachnoid and synovial cysts

Utility of doppler study of the arterial system of the upper limb prior to radial artery harvesting in coronary bypass candidates

Preoperative evaluation of the arterial system of the non-dominant upper limb in RA harvesting candidates to estimate the compliance of the ulnar artery to receive the entire flow from the brachial artery for better case selection to avoid post-operative ischaemic complications in the used upper limb. Doppler and/or Power Doppler examination were performed prior to surgery to evaluate the arterial system of the non-dominant upper limbs of 32 patients admitted as candidates for radial artery harvesting for coronary bypass surgery. The state of radial artery removal was imitated by RAC at the wrist. The PSV, EDV and RI were estimated under basal conditions and during RAC. The readings were collected, tabulated and compared to previous reports and accordingly some of the candidates were excluded from RA harvesting owing to significant expectations of upper limb ischaemic manifestations following RA removal. Doppler and/or power Doppler is a very useful preoperative screening test for better selection of candidates for RA harvesting for coronary bypass surgery to avoid post-operative upper limb ischaemic manifestations following RA removal

In utero sonographic estimation of fetal liver weight can it be a useful biometric parameter for assessment of fetal growth?

Assessment of fetal growth is important and difficult issue. The aim of this work was to define the usefulness of liver weight estimation by ultrasonography as a biometric parameter for assessing fetal growth in normal pregnancies. A single fetal ultrasonographic examination was obtained between 20[th] and 41[st] week of gestation in 113 normal pregnancies. Fetal body weight was calculated with standard methods. Fetal liver weight was estimated on the basis of longitudinal, antro-posterior, and cephalo-caudal liver dimensions multiplied by a constant [K] of 0.42. Fetal liver weight estimation in our study was highly correlated with both fetal weight and gestational age. Liver weight estimation is a very useful parameter in assessing fetal growth and in calculation of fetal age in normal pregnancies