ABSTRACT
Although not necessary for the vast majority of ultrasound-guided procedures, intravenous contrast agents can be useful for procedures aimed at lesions that require contrast enhancement to be seen on ultrasonography. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to guide procedures has two drawbacks: first, because enhancement from ultrasound contrast agents is short lived, it is often necessary to plan several injections; second, because the needle is poorly seen on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a dual image display format is necessary. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can be used for planning and monitoring diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, for guiding the procedures, and for follow-up. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography enables better results in both types of procedures; moreover, it can be used within cavities.
Subject(s)
Contrast Media , Ultrasonography/methodsABSTRACT
Aunque el contraste intravenoso no es necesario en la inmensa mayoría de los procedimientos realizados con guía ecográfica, su uso puede permitir realizar procedimientos en aquellas lesiones que solo se visualizan con ecografía con contraste. Los problemas que tiene son dos: el tiempo limitado del realce producido por el contraste, que requiere con frecuencia planificar varias inyecciones, y la mala visualización de la aguja, que requiere el uso de doble ventana de visualización. Puede ser usada en la planificación y el control de los procedimientos diagnósticos y terapéuticos, tanto en la guía del procedimiento, para monitorizar el alcance del tratamiento, como en los controles posteriores. Su uso permite mejorar los resultados de ambos tipos de procedimientos. Puede ser usada también intracavitariamente.(AU)
Although not necessary for the vast majority of ultrasound-guided procedures, intravenous contrast agents can be useful for procedures aimed at lesions that require contrast enhancement to be seen on ultrasonography.Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to guide procedures has two drawbacks: first, because enhancement from ultrasound contrast agents is short lived, it is often necessary to plan several injections; second, because the needle is poorly seen on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a dual image display format is necessary. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can be used for planning and monitoring diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, for guiding the procedures, and for follow-up. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography enables better results in both types of procedures; moreover, it can be used within cavities.(AAlthough not necessary for the vast majority of ultrasound-guided procedures, intravenous contrast agents can be useful for procedures aimed at lesions that require contrast enhancement to be seen on ultrasonography.Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to guide procedures has two drawbacks: first, because enhancement from ultrasound contrast agents is short lived, it is often necessary to plan several injections; second, because the needle is poorly seen on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a dual image display format is necessary. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can be used for planning and monitoring diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, for guiding the procedures, and for follow-up. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography enables better results in both types of procedures; moreover, it can be used within cavities.(AU)
Subject(s)
Humans , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Ultrasonography , Contrast Media , Ablation Techniques , Image-Guided Biopsy , RadiologyABSTRACT
Although not necessary for the vast majority of ultrasound-guided procedures, intravenous contrast agents can be useful for procedures aimed at lesions that require contrast enhancement to be seen on ultrasonography. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to guide procedures has two drawbacks: first, because enhancement from ultrasound contrast agents is short lived, it is often necessary to plan several injections; second, because the needle is poorly seen on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, a dual image display format is necessary. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can be used for planning and monitoring diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, for guiding the procedures, and for follow-up. Using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography enables better results in both types of procedures; moreover, it can be used within cavities.
Subject(s)
Diagnostic Imaging , Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced , Humans , Radiation Dosage , Risk AssessmentABSTRACT
Ultrasonography is the most appropriate tool for interventional procedures in the musculoskeletal system when the lesion is visible on ultrasonography. Procedures performed under ultrasonographic guidance include: taking biopsies; draining abscesses; bursitis; hematomas or muscle tears; treating cystic lesions; diagnostic or therapeutic arthrocentesis; injecting substances into joints or lesions; aspirating calcium deposits and extracting foreign bodies. Although some of these procedures are often carried out without imaging guidance, ultrasonographic guidance improves their efficacy. Drainage can be performed with catheters or needles and makes it possible to avoid more aggressive treatments in most cases. Urokinase is useful for draining hematomas or fibrinous collections. Injecting corticoids is useful in the treatment of synovial cysts, Baker's cyst, tendinitis, and non-infective arthritis. Calcifying tendinitis of the shoulder can be treated effectively with percutaneous calcium lavage.
Subject(s)
Musculoskeletal Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Musculoskeletal Diseases/surgery , Ultrasonography, Interventional , HumansABSTRACT
US has important advantages in guiding interventional procedures: it is economical and widely available, it does not use ionizing radiation, and it requires less time than other techniques. US guidance can be provided using devices adapted to probes or using the freehand technique (holding the needle in one hand and the probe in the other). US-guided procedures require careful planning, adequate hemostasis or a directly compressible puncture site, the patient's informed consent, and appropriate measures to ensure asepsis and anesthesia. The technique involves introducing the needle or catheter through the plane of the US slice. The advance of the needle is controlled in real time. High resolution linear probes are ideal for interventional procedures in superficial tissues, but 3.5 MHz probes are required for procedures in deep tissues. The most common procedures include biopsies, drainages, and percutaneous injections. Biopsies can be carried out using fine needles to obtain material for cytological study (fine-needle aspiration cytology) or using large needles to obtain specimens for histologic study (core biopsy). Core biopsy is more sensitive and more specific, and it has a low rate of complications. Drainage almost always involves placing a catheter in a fluid collection; it can be done using the Seldinger techniques, trocars, or pleural catheters. US-guided percutaneous injections can be used to inject substances into infectious lesions, tumors, or nerve plexuses, and they are especially useful in musculoskeletal disease.
Subject(s)
Radiology/methods , Ultrasonography, Interventional , Biopsy, Needle/instrumentation , Biopsy, Needle/methods , Drainage/instrumentation , Drainage/methods , Equipment Design , Humans , NeedlesABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Cutaneous draining sinus tracts of dental origin often are a diagnostic challenge. A delay in correctly diagnosing these types of lesions can result in ineffective and inappropriate treatment. CASE DESCRIPTION: The authors present five cases of facial lesions that were initially misdiagnosed as lesions of nonodontogenic origin. The correct diagnosis in each case was cutaneous sinus tract secondary to pulpal necrosis and suppurative apical periodontitis. All facial sinus tracts resolved after the patients received nonsurgical root canal therapy. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: As patients with cutaneous facial sinus tracts of dental origin often do not have obvious dental symptoms, possible dental etiology may be overlooked. Early correct diagnosis and treatment of these lesions can help prevent unnecessary and ineffective antibiotic therapy or surgical treatment.
Subject(s)
Cutaneous Fistula/etiology , Dental Fistula/etiology , Dental Pulp Necrosis/complications , Periapical Abscess/complications , Adult , Cutaneous Fistula/diagnosis , Cutaneous Fistula/therapy , Dental Fistula/diagnosis , Dental Fistula/therapy , Diagnosis, Differential , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Root Canal TherapyABSTRACT
This study compared root surface temperatures produced during warm vertical obturation using the System B Heat Source (SB), the Touch 'n Heat device (TH), and a flame-heated carrier (FH). The root canals of 30 maxillary incisor, premolar, and mandibular incisor teeth were prepared; divided into three groups; and obturated using each heat source. A thermocouple placed 2 mm below the cementoenamel junction transferred the temperature rise on the external root surface to a digital thermometer. SB surface temperature rise was < 10 degrees C for all experimental teeth. TH temperature rise in maxillary incisors and premolars was < 10 degrees C; however, > 10 degrees C was observed for mandibular incisors. FH produced a > 10 degrees C surface temperature rise in all experimental teeth. The critical level of root surface heat required to produce irreversible bone damage is believed to be > 10 degrees C. The findings of this study suggest that warm vertical condensation with the SB should not damage supporting periradicular tissues. However, caution should be used with TH and FH on mandibular incisors.
Subject(s)
Gutta-Percha , Root Canal Obturation/instrumentation , Tooth Root , Body Temperature , Dental Pulp Cavity , Hot Temperature , Humans , Root Canal Obturation/methods , Surface PropertiesABSTRACT
Starch biogenesis in corn endosperm from Flint, Sugary, Waxy, as a function of the grain filling/period was studied. We have differentially identified the initiation from the elongation process. After incubating under unprimed conditions, two glucose radiolabelled protein bands of 39,5 and 36 kDa were obtained. UDP(14C)Glc was the preferred glucosyl donor but also ADP(14C)Glc was. It was additionally found that more than one glucose was transferred to the protein or to the alpha 1,4-glucan linked to protein from UDPGlc. These results were supported by the fact that the glucosylated protein from UDPGlc liberates maltooligosaccharides after alpha- or beta-amylase treatment. The elongation activity in the first steps related to the glucan linked to protein is different from starch synthase. Therefore, we are proposing a model for starch biogenesis where two new transglucosylating enzyme activities are necessary to prepare the primer for starch synthase.
Subject(s)
Polysaccharides/metabolism , Starch/biosynthesis , Zea mays/metabolism , 1,4-alpha-Glucan Branching Enzyme/metabolism , Adenosine Triphosphate/pharmacology , Glucosyltransferases/metabolism , Glycoproteins/metabolism , Models, Biological , Starch Synthase/metabolism , Uridine Triphosphate/pharmacology , Zea mays/growth & developmentABSTRACT
Results from an evaluation of immunoturbidimetric methods (Tina-quant) for apolipoprotein A-I (apo AI) and apolipoprotein B (apo B), are presented and compared with results from six other commercial immunoassays. These apo AI and B procedures are fully automated on the Boehringer Mannheim (BM) and Hitachi 704 and 717 analyzers and use undiluted serum. The methods provide an analytical range from 0.002 to 2.3 g/L for apo AI and from 0.003 to 2.2 g/L for apo B and are precise with maximal CVs of 4%. Neither hemoglobin nor intralipid interfered with the assays. Bilirubin concentrations higher than 376 mumol/L for apo AI and 444 mumol/L for apo B, produce a negative interference. In the apo AI method a positive interference caused by rheumatoid factor was found for concentrations higher than 440 x 10(3) IU/L. All comparisons showed an excellent correlation (r > 0.93) with all methods, and slopes ranged from 1.01 to 1.25 for apo AI, and from 0.62 to 1.15 for apo B.
Subject(s)
Apolipoprotein A-I/analysis , Apolipoproteins B/analysis , Nephelometry and Turbidimetry/methods , Autoanalysis/instrumentation , Humans , Reproducibility of Results , Specimen Handling/methodsABSTRACT
A case of infantile desmoid-type fibromatosis has been described and discussed. The clinical and pathological features were described, and the interrelationship of this entity with others, together with the wide range of benign structures, was discussed. Other cases resembling this one have been described.
Subject(s)
Fibroma/pathology , Muscular Diseases/pathology , Pectoralis Muscles/pathology , Humans , Infant, Newborn , MaleABSTRACT
The interference of endogenous IgG in the identification of anti-HCV antibodies was studied in three second-generation enzymeimmunoassays. The addition of increasing concentrations of this immunoglobulin led to the appearance of false positives. The results obtained confirm the hypothesis that a non-specific binding of the IgG with the support material used was responsible for this interference.
Subject(s)
Hepacivirus/immunology , Hepatitis Antibodies/blood , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Immunoglobulin G/blood , Evaluation Studies as Topic , False Positive Reactions , Hepatitis C Antibodies , Humans , Immunoenzyme Techniques/statistics & numerical data , Sensitivity and SpecificityABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relation between the number of CD4 lymphocytes, the CD4/CD8 ratio and the plasma levels of neopterin and beta-2 microglobulin, and the clinical status, risk of progression without of active opportunistic infections, among HIV-infected patients. METHODS: Seventy-two patients infected by HIV in different clinical groups were evaluated upon entering the study and following a mean follow up of 6 months for the parameters studied. RESULTS: The values of CD4 lymphocytes and neopterin were related with the clinical status according to the CDC's classification, with no significant differences existing in the beta-2 microglobulin level. The CD4 count as well as the neopterin and the beta-2 microglobulin levels differed significantly when classified to the patients with regard to the risk of progression to AIDS throughout the study. The presence of active opportunistic infections was related with significantly higher concentrations of neopterin without differences recorded for the remaining parameters. CONCLUSIONS: The parameters studied are good markers or both clinical status and/or the risk of short-term progression to AIDS. Neopterin levels are high during acute infections. Therefore, its prognostic value should be cautiously evaluated in this situation.
Subject(s)
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/blood , Biopterins/analogs & derivatives , CD4-CD8 Ratio , CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes , HIV Seropositivity/blood , Lymphocyte Subsets , beta 2-Microglobulin/analysis , Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/immunology , Adult , Biomarkers , Biopterins/blood , Female , Follow-Up Studies , HIV Seropositivity/immunology , Humans , Male , Neopterin , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
A sensitive immunoassay based on latex particle agglutination has been developed for measuring lipoprotein Lp(a) concentrations in serum or plasma. Carboxylated latex particles (diameter 240 nm) covalently coated with F(ab')2 fragments of anti-lipoprotein Lp(a) antibodies are incubated with diluted sample (400-fold) for 12 min at room temperature, with the resulting agglutination quantified by measuring the change of light-scatter produced. The assay has been automated on the Behring nephelometer analyzer with a sampling rate of 150 samples/hour. This assay generates a standard curve in the range of 27 to 1750 mg/L, showing inter-assay precision of less than 8%. There were no interferences from plasminogen, bilirubin, Intralipid, haemoglobin, rheumatoid factor, and apolipoprotein B. No significant differences were observed when fresh and frozen samples were compared. Sample pretreatment with "Lipoclean" clearing agent and sample lyophilization decreased the agglutinating reaction. In two separate studies using 77 and 112 patient sera the Lp(a) values, determined by the latex nephelometric method, the Terumo Macra Lp(a) ELISA test, and the Pharmacia Apo(a) radioimmunoassay method, gave correlation coefficients of 0.948 and 0.974, respectively. Physiological lipoprotein (a) values were determined in a blood donor group, with the distribution of serum Lp(a) highly skewed, with a mean (SD) and median values of 213(236) mg/L and 116 mg/L, respectively. Concentrations of Lp(a) were found to be age- and sex-independent. This latex nephelometric procedure is a convenient method and an interesting alternative to other immunoassays for routine measurement of human lipoprotein (a).
