ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare conventional T1-weighted imaging (SE-T1) and chemical shift fat-saturation T1-weighted imaging (FS-T1) in the diagnosis of bone metastases. SUBJECTS: Twenty-two patients (101 vertebrae) with non-neoplastic lesions (Group 1) and 21 patients (72 vertebrae) with spinal metastases (Group 2) were evaluated with both images. RESULTS: The signal intensity (SI) distribution of Groups 1 and 2 on SE-T1 showed various patterns, and SI measurement was not significantly different between the two groups. On FS-T1, all non-neoplastic lesions had a low-intensity homogeneous appearance; however, the metastases had mixed to high SI. The SI measurement data of Group 2 was significantly (P < 0.0001) higher than that of Group 1. CONCLUSION: FS-T1 was useful in evaluating vertebral metastases.
Subject(s)
Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Spinal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Spinal Neoplasms/secondary , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective Studies , Spinal Neoplasms/pathology , Spine/pathologyABSTRACT
The utility of gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in assessing the response of spinal metastases to therapy was evaluated. Fifteen patients (62 affected vertebral bodies) with spinal metastases were evaluated with gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced imaging before and after irradiation or chemotherapy. Signal intensities of the lesions and of adjacent normal vertebral bodies were compared. Before therapy, metastatic foci enhanced significantly more than did normal vertebral bodies. After therapy, the lesions were divided into 37 responding lesions (group 1) and 25 nonresponding lesions (group 2). In group 1, lesion enhancement diminished considerably and the patients with these lesions remained clinically asymptomatic for 2-6 months. In group 2, lesion enhancement did not diminish much, and the difference between the groups was significant. Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging may thus be a useful method for assessing the effectiveness of therapy for spinal metastases.
Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Contrast Media , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Meglumine , Organometallic Compounds , Pentetic Acid , Spinal Neoplasms/secondary , Urinary Bladder Neoplasms/pathology , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/diagnosis , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/secondary , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy , Drug Combinations , Female , Gadolinium DTPA , Humans , Liver Neoplasms/pathology , Male , Prostatic Neoplasms/pathology , Spinal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Spinal Neoplasms/therapy , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
We have succeeded in the immunohistochemical demonstration of methamphetamine; and in the present study, we used this technique to determine the topographic distribution of exogenously administered methamphetamine in mouse major salivary glands. Positive reactions for methamphetamine were localized in the striated duct portion of the major salivary glands and granular duct in the submandibular glands. Time course of the decrease in immunohistochemical reactivity of the ducts was very similar to that for reported methamphetamine levels in plasma or saliva. These results show that through the striated ducts of the major salivary glands and the granular ducts of the submandibular glands, MA is excreted into saliva; however, the mechanism by which MA is excreted into saliva is unknown.
Subject(s)
Methamphetamine/metabolism , Salivary Glands/metabolism , Animals , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , Histocytochemistry , Immunoenzyme Techniques , Kinetics , Male , Methamphetamine/pharmacokinetics , Mice , Saliva/metabolism , Submandibular Gland/metabolismABSTRACT
Many methods of analysis are available to the forensic toxicologist for determining the amount of methamphetamine within human tissues, but few have the potential of histochemistry for enabling the precise site of excretion of methamphetamine to be defined. We have established a method for the demonstration of methamphetamine by immunohistochemistry, and applied this method for showing morphologically the disposition of methamphetamine. The following cells in the tissues of methamphetamine-intoxicated mice gave a strong positive reaction of the localization, which was thought to be the histological evidence of excretion of this drug: epithelial cells of the distal part of the renal tubule and of the collecting tubule, transitional epithelial cells of the bladder, liver parenchymal cells, epithelial cells of the striated duct of the salivary gland, parietal cells of the gastric gland, part of epithelial cells of the distal portion of the large intestine, secretory cells and part of epithelial cells of the ductal portion of the sweat gland, alveolar cells of the mammary gland, secretory cells of the sebaceous gland and hair medulla and cortex. These results indicated passive diffusion of methamphetamine across membranes of the cells of the distal tubule and collecting tubule of the kidney, of the bladder and of the striated duct of the salivary gland. In the parietal cells of the gastric gland, part of epithelial cells of the distal portion of the large intestine and secretory cells of the sweat gland, methamphetamine was thought to be stored and subsequently released. In the mammary gland, methamphetamine was found to be combined with casein and excreted by exocytosis. Accumulation of methamphetamine in the hair was supposed to be chiefly due to the penetration of this drug derived from tissue fluid and sebum.
