Subject(s)
Optic Nerve Diseases/etiology , Peripheral Nervous System Diseases/etiology , Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency Disease/drug therapy , Thiamine/therapeutic use , Vitamin B Complex/therapeutic use , Adult , Age Factors , Humans , Male , Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Complex Deficiency Disease/complicationsABSTRACT
We report a case of intra-cranial aneurysm of the left cavernous internal carotid artery occurring 27 years after radiotherapy of the pterygopalatine fossa for Hodgkin disease. The development of the aneurysm within the irradiation field, the long latency after radiotherapy, the normality of carotid angiography before radiotherapy and the absence of other etiologies led to the diagnosis of radiation-induced aneurysm. The main characteristics of radiation-induced intra-cranial aneurysms are reviewed.
Subject(s)
Carotid Artery, Internal/physiopathology , Functional Laterality/physiology , Intracranial Aneurysm/diagnosis , Intracranial Aneurysm/physiopathology , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Carotid Artery, Internal/diagnostic imaging , Carotid Artery, Internal/pathology , Cerebral Angiography , Hodgkin Disease/radiotherapy , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Middle Aged , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Trehalose is an agent useful in maintaining the integrity of many biological systems submitted to various stresses. It is also presumed to improve specimen preparation for electron microscopy and to reduce beam damage. Here we study the effect of trehalose on the preparation and observation by cryo-electron microscopy of thin vitrified films of biological suspensions. We observe that trehalose, as compared to sucrose, can indeed reduce electron beam damage to biological particles, as determined from the dose necessary for the onset of bubbling. Surprisingly, we also find that the contrast of biological particles is higher in a vitrified solution of trehalose than in one of sucrose. This effect can be explained if the water evaporation during the specimen preparation is less in the presence of trehalose than with sucrose, but we do not yet understand the underlying reasons since the evaporation properties of both sugars are similar at a macroscopic level. We conclude that trehalose is truly a remarkable substance and that more investigation is needed in order to fully understand its properties, and that the addition of ca. 3-5% trehalose to biological suspensions is a simple and useful method to reduce commonly arising drying artefacts and water evaporation in the thin film vitrification method.
