Complications in transorbital penetrating injury by bamboo branch: A case report.

RATIONALE: Wooden transorbital penetrating injury is an uncommon and serious trauma that may cause multiply complications. PATIENT CONCERNS: Here we describe a 62-year-old Chinese woman with a transorbital penetrating injury caused by a long bamboo branch. DIAGNOSIS: Computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging showed the presence of a wooden foreign body. INTERVENTIONS: Cerebrovascular digital subtraction angiography and temporary balloon occlusion were performed with general anesthesia. Anti-inflammatory therapy was subsequently administered. OUTCOMES: Retention of wooden foreign body, orbital cellulitis, and traumatic aneurysm at the right internal carotid artery were diagnosed 1 month later. Coil embolization of the right internal carotid artery aneurysm and endoscopic sinus surgery were then performed, and postoperative condition was monitored and recorded. LESSONS: Penetrating transorbital injury complications may occur because of retained wooden foreign bodies near the intracranial arteries. Reasonable surgical intervention and special attention should be performed in this kind of trauma.

Dual release of dexamethasone and TGF-ß3 from polymeric microspheres for stem cell matrix accumulation in a rat disc degeneration model.

Low back pain is frequently caused by nucleus pulposus (NP) degeneration. Tissue engineering is a powerful therapeutic strategy which could restore the normal biomechanical motion of the human spine. Previously we reported that a new nanostructured three-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microsphere, which is loaded with dexamethasone and growth factor embedded heparin/poly(l-lysine) nanoparticles via a layer-by-layer system, was an effective cell carrier in vitro for NP tissue engineering. This study aimed to investigate whether the implantation of adipose-derived stem cell (ADSC)-seeded PLGA microspheres into the rat intervertebral disc could regenerate the degenerated disc. Changes in disc height by plain radiograph, T2-weighted signal intensity in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histology, immunohistochemistry and matrix-associated gene expression were evaluated in normal controls (NCs) (without operations), a degeneration control (DC) group (with needle puncture, injected only with Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium), a PLGA microspheres (PMs) treatment group (with needle puncture, PLGA microspheres only injection), and PLGA microspheres loaded with ADSCs treatment (PMA) group (with needle puncture, PLGA microspheres loaded with ADSC injection) for a 24-week period. The results showed that at 24 weeks post-transplantation, the PM and PMA groups regained disc height values of ∼63% and 76% and MRI signal intensities of ∼47% and 76%, respectively, compared to the NC group. Biochemistry, immunohistochemistry and gene expression analysis also indicated the restoration of proteoglycan accumulation in the discs of the PM and PMA groups. However, there was almost no restoration of proteoglycan accumulation in the discs of the DC group compared with the PM and PMA groups. Taken together, these data suggest that ADSC-seeded PLGA microspheres could partly regenerate the degenerated disc in vivo after implantation into the rat degenerative intervertebral disc.

Imaging findings of splenic hamartoma.

AIM: To assess CT and MR manifestations and their diagnostic value in splenic hamartoma with review of literatures. METHODS: We described a woman who was accidentally found to have a splenic tumor by ultrasound of the abdomen. CT and MR findings of this splenic hamartoma were proved by pathology retrospectively. RESULTS: The CT and MR findings in this case included a ball-like mass with homogeneous mild-hypodensity lesions on non-enhanced CT scans or isointensity on T1-weighted images and mild hypointensity on T2-weighted images, progressive homogeneous enhancement on multiple-phase spiral CT and MR enhanced scans, and isodense enhancement on delayed post-contrast CT scans and obvious hyperintensity relative to the spleen on delayed MR images. CONCLUSION: Splenic hamartoma has some specific radiological features. However, the diagnosis of this disease must be based on clinical features and confirmed by pathology.