[Mono-arthritis of the hand: case report of osteoid osteoma]. / Mono-arthrite de la main: un cas rapporté d'ostéome ostéïode.

Osteoid osteoma is a rare occurrence at the hand. There is often a long delay before the diagnosis because the clinical signs mimic other frequent affections of the hand. We report the case of a 24-year old female patient suffering from an osteoid osteoma in the first phalanx of a finger. The diagnosis was made four years after the first symptoms. We started by a curettage-biopsy, followed in a second operative step by cauterization and filling up the defect by a bone autograft. Six months after the surgery, the patient was no longer experiencing any symptom. This rare case demonstrates that osteoid osteoma remains a possible diagnosis in chronic pain affecting the hand.

[Multifocal diabetic myonecrosis]. / Infarctus musculaire multifocal diabétique.

Diabetic muscle infarction is a rare and often unrecognized complication of diabetes. It typically occurs in patients with poorly controlled and multi-complicated diabetes. Typical clinical presentation is an indurate muscle pain, mainly localized in the lower limb with an acute onset. In most cases, diabetes myonecrosis is focal and sometimes can be recurrent. Diagnosis is clinical but can used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Muscle biopsy is sometimes necessary in cases of doubt or to confirm the imaging diagnosis. Elevation of muscle enzymes (CPK) is present in half of cases. Management is conservative and the clinical and imaging evolution is usually favourable. We report the case of a patient presenting a subacute hyperalgesic lomboradiculopathy.

A study on intestinal helminthes of dogs, foxes and jackals in the western part of Iran.

Human infection especially with helminth parasites is an emerging health issue, as the human environment is increasingly shared with infected animals, either pets or wild life. In this survey, the intestinal content of 83 stray dogs, 22 red foxes and 10 golden Jackals collected from the West Azarbaijan, Kordestan and Kermanshah provinces in the west of Iran, were studied for the presence of helminth parasites. The percentage of different species recovered from these animals is listed as follows: From stray dogs: Toxocara canis (6.02%), Toxascaris leonina (32.53%), Ancylostoma caninum (3.61%), Oxynema sp. (1.35%), Rictularia affinis (12.05%), Taenia hydatigena (53.01%), Taenia ovis (7.23%), Taenia multiceps (4.82%), Echinococcus granulosus (13.25%), Dipylidium caninum (38.55%), Mesocestoides lineatus (26.50%) and Macracanthorhynchus hirudinaceus (4.82%). From red foxes: T. canis (4.54%), T. leonina (31.82%), A. caninum (4.54%), Uncinaria stenocephala (13.64%), Oxynema sp. (9.09%), R. affinis (54.54%), Strongyloides sp. (4.54%), Physaloptera sp. (4.54%), T. hydatigena (9.09%), E. granulosus (4.54%), D. caninum (9.09%), M. lineatus (81.82%), Joyeuxiella pasqalei (27.27%), Diplopylidium nolleri (4.54%), M. hirudinaceus (22.72%) and Macracanthorhynchus sp. (9.09%). From golden jackals: T. canis (10%), T. leonina (30%), R. affinis (50%), T. hydatigena (10%), D. caninum (20%), M. lineatus (70%), J. pasqalei (30%.), Alaria canis (10%), M. hirudinaceus (30%) and Macracanthomynchus sp. (10%).

Production of Ga-66 from natural zinc

In this study, production of Gallium-66 by irradiation of natural zinc target with 15 MeV protons was verified.Gallium-66 is an intermediate-lived radioisotope that has potential for positron emission tomography (PET), along study of the biological processes with intermediate to slow target tissue uptake. 66Ga [t1/2 = 9.49 h; ß+ (56.5 percent), EC(43.5 percent)] can be used in a large number of labeled proteins, peptides, and small molecules. We have produced 66Ga by irradiation of natural Zinc with 15 MeV proton beam, using the cyclotron -30Cyclon- at nuclear research center for agriculture and medicine. A 400µm Zinc target with copper backing substrate was irradiated for 1.5 hours with total integrated current 250µAh. Gallium has been purified from irradiated targets by passing through the cation exchange column and diisopropyl ether extraction. The concentration of zinc and copper in 0.1 and 0.5 ppm were respectively measured by polarography. In order to detect impurities, gallium radioisotopes were detected by a Canberra HPGe gamma spectrometer. The production yield at EOB was 7mCi/µAh with total activity of 1.75 Ci for Gallium-66. The ratio of activity at 9 hours after the EOB for 66Ga(t 1/2=9.5h), 68Ga(t1/2=1.1h) and 67Ga(t1/2=78h) was 98.63 percent, 1.12 percent and 0.25 percent respectively. The amount of 64Ga(t1/2=0.04h), and 70Ga(t1/2=0.35h) was not detectable. Due to using natural zinc, this method could be considered as an inexpensive method for laboratories studies. The production process comparing the irradiation of natural copper has no impurity such as copper-61, 64 and 67. The purification including cation-exchange and ether extraction afforded high yield beside negligible concentrations of copper and stable zinc as chemical impurity.

Urinary excretion and external radiation dose from patients administered thallium-201 and technetium-99M methoxy isobutyl isonitrile.

In this study, the dose rates at various distances of 5, 10, 50 and 100 cm from 70 patients, who were administered diagnostic amounts of 201Tl-chloride and 99Tcm-MIBI, was measured using an ionisation chamber. The maximum values of external dose rates of 201Tl and 99Tcm-MIBI were 11.2 microSv.h-1 +/- 2.3 and 43.1 microSv.h-1 +/- 11.9 respectively at 5 cm from the patients. Significant exposure from patients after injection of 99Tcm-MIBI was limited on the day of administration. Departure dose rates of 201Tl fell gradually so by 3 days after administration were significant. All excreted urine was also collected from 16 patients for the 24 days after administration. The urinary excretion rate of 201Tl was slow; about 2% of the activity within 24 h after injection. The urinary excretion of 99Tcm-MIBI was rapid, and a large amount of activity was excreted in a few hours after injection; 22% within 20 h after injection.

CT and 99mTc-DMSA scintigraphy in adult acute pyelonephritis: a comparative study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the relative value of CT and (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy in the diagnosis of acute pyelonephritis (APN) in adult patients suspected of having urinary tract infection. METHOD: The study was conducted in 36 patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of urinary tract infection. Plain B-mode sonography, CT with contrast medium, and (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy of the kidneys were performed in all patients. Both CT and (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy were performed within 72 h after admission. RESULTS: Twelve patients with clinical and biological signs of urinary tract infection had no CT or (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy abnormalities. Among these patients, lower urinary tract infection was found in 10 patients and 2 patients had ureteral obstruction. In the 24 remaining patients, the diagnosis of APN was made. Among these patients, a correlation was found between CT and (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy in 11 cases. In two cases, both examinations were normal, and in nine cases, both were abnormal. In 11 cases of the 13 remaining patients, abnormal CT was found with normal (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy, whereas the 2 last cases had normal CT and abnormal (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy results. In two cases, bilateral lesions found on CT manifested as unilateral abnormalities on (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy images. CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of APN in adult patients is based on clinical presentation and biological findings. Few studies have compared (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy with CT in the detection of parenchymal involvement in APN. We conclude that CT is more accurate than (99m)Tc-DMSA scintigraphy in the detection of APN lesions in adult patients.

Laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding: radiological appearances of a new surgical treatment for morbid obesity.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this report is to describe the radiologic appearances of laparoscopic adjustable silicone gastric banding (LASGB), a new surgical treatment for morbid obesity. In this procedure, a silicone band is fastened around the fundus, delimitating a small proximal gastric pouch and stoma. The inner surface of the band is inflatable and connected by a thin silicone tube to an access port. This allows postoperative stoma size adjustment by puncturing the port and injecting or withdrawing saline solution. METHODS: One hundred eighty patients underwent LASGB. A radiologic study protocol was established and performed in all patients, including preoperative double-contrast upper gastrointestinal (GI) series and single-contrast upper GI series on the first postoperative day and 1 month after surgery. Radiologic evaluation was also performed at each band adjustment and in case of persistent vomiting or inadequate weight loss. RESULTS: Postoperative stoma adjustment was performed in all patients. The optimal volume of saline was 1-4.5 mL. Percutaneous puncture of the port was impossible in three patients because of an inverted port. We observed 15 cases of pouch dilatation with stomal obstruction requiring reoperation. There were also nine cases of spontaneous band deflation caused by leaking reservoir in five cases and by disconnection between the connecting tube and the port in the other four cases. CONCLUSIONS: Because radiologic evaluation is necessary after surgery and for band adjustments, radiologists are involved in the postoperative follow-up and may be asked to perform those adjustments themselves.