[Fatal encephalitis caused by a parasite]. / Fatale encefalitis door een parasiet.

BACKGROUND: Encephalitis caused by a free-living amoeba is relatively rare and usually fatal. This is because the diagnosis is often made late and treatment is difficult. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 41-year-old patient with a previous history including kidney transplant was admitted with clinical symptoms of encephalitis. Brain imaging showed a number of hypodense regions, which were possibly abscesses. Although an infectious cause seemed probable, even the most extensive antimicrobial treatment was ineffective. The cause was not found until 2 months after the patient's death: infection with Balamuthia mandrillaris. A PCR test was used to detect this amoeba. CONCLUSION: This case study describes the first patient in the Netherlands to be diagnosed with granulomatous amoebic encephalitis caused by B. mandrillaris. An amoeba may be the cause of encephalitis with either a fulminant course or with a gradual increase of symptoms, without conventional anti-infective therapy being effective.

[An adrenal incidentaloma in a trauma patient; a plea for expectant management]. / Een incidentaloom van de bijnier bij een traumapatiënt; pleidooi voor een expectatief beleid.

An adrenal incidentaloma was detected in 45-year-old female driver after a car-versus-car collision. The mass, which had a diameter of 5.4 cm, was not a hormone-producing tumour, but because of its size laparoscopic adrenalectomy was performed 2 months later. Pathology examination revealed an old haematoma situated centrally in the right adrenal gland. Posttraumatic adrenal haematoma is found in 25% of autopsies of traumatized patients. Most adrenal haematomas have an ovoid appearance on CT and have a slight hyperattenuation. Follow-up CT of an adrenal haematoma shows a decrease in size and attenuation. It is therefore proposed that adrenal incidentalomas detected during trauma screening should be evaluated by repeating CT after 3 months. If the mass has diminished and its density decreased, it is most probably an adrenal haematoma, in which case unnecessary surgery may be avoided.

[Unavoidable surgical intervention in two women with severe actinomycosis during IUD use]. / Onvermijdelijke chirurgische interventie bij twee IUD-draagsters met ernstige actinomycose.

Extensive abdominal infections with Actinomyces were diagnosed in two women aged 35 and 33 years respectively, who suffered from the nonspecific symptoms fever and abdominal pain. These infections occur more often in women with an intrauterine device. Development of an abdominal mass with ureter or bowel obstruction may cause hydronephrosis and mechanical ileus. The patients underwent a laparotomy and a double-J catheter was inserted, which could be removed later on (temporary stoma). Treatment included high-dose penicillin i.v. followed by oral amoxicillin. Both patients recovered. It may be difficult to establish this diagnosis: the first patient was diagnosed by histopathological examination, in the second Actinomyces had been found in a routine cervical smear a few years earlier.

Assessing the subtalar joint: the Brodén view revisited.

We prospectively evaluated subtalar inversion stress views (Brodén view) with inversion stress views on helical CT in a group of 10 patients with unilateral instability. The contralateral, asymptomatic ankle was used as control. All patients were examined with inversion stress views on plain stress radiography and helical CT. Subtalar tilt was demonstrated in all cases on conventional stress radiography. Helical CT didn't show tilting in any of the patients except in the subluxated posteromedial part of the subtalar joint. Our data do not support prior reports that the Brodén view is useful for screening patients with subtalar instability.

Posttraumatic subchondral bone contusions and fractures of the talotibial joint: occurrence of "kissing" lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the presence and location of subchondral bone contusions, fractures, and "kissing" lesions of the talotibial joint after a sprain of the ankle shown on MR imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the images of all consecutive patients who underwent MR imaging of the ankle after acute or recurrent sprain occurring between January and December 1997. The number and location of subchondral contusions or fractures revealed on MR imaging were recorded, and a comparison was made with the radiographs obtained for each patient. RESULTS: Of the 146 ankles, 42 osteochondral lesions were revealed on MR imaging in 26 ankles (18%) involving 23 patients. Twenty-three lesions were localized in the dome of the talus and 19, in the tibiofibular plafond. In 16 (11%) of the 146 ankles, the lesions were present in the opposing bones of the joint ("kissing" lesions). Only six of the 12 talar fractures and none of the tibial fractures involving the 26 ankles were seen on conventional radiography. CONCLUSION: Subchondral lesions in the talus and tibia are relatively common after ankle trauma, occurring in 18% of patients in our series. Kissing lesions were present in more than half of the lesions in these patients.

Stress radiography and stress examination of the talocrural and subtalar joint on helical computed tomography.

The main objective of this study was to compare subtalar inversion stress views using the Brodén view with inversion stress views on helical computed tomography (CT). One of the drawbacks of routine radiography is the imaging of three-dimensional structures in a two-dimensional plane. We investigated whether the use of helical CT would lead to a more objective and clearer measurable method to determine the amount of tilt in the subtalar joint. A group of 15 patients with unilateral chronic instability complaints and clinically suspected subtalar instability was examined. The contralateral asymptomatic foot was used as control. A variable amount of subtalar tilt (range, 4 degrees to 18 degrees) was demonstrated in all cases on stress radiographs, without finding significant difference between the symptomatic and asymptomatic feet. However, contrary to the findings at the talocrural level, subtalar tilt was found in none of the patients using helical CT. Thus, we now doubt that the tilt seen during stress examination using the Brodén view is the true amount of tilt. It may be that the lateral opening, seen on these radiographs, largely results from imaging two planes that have made a translatory and rotary movement relative to each other in an oblique direction. It is concluded that the Brodén stress examination might not be useful for screening patients with subtalar instability. Associated anomalies not visible on the radiographs were detected by helical CT. In four cases, narrowing of the articular cartilage and irregular and hypertrophic bone formation at the middle facet joint of the subtalar joints were found. It is likely that these changes cause disturbance of function of this joint and it is suggested that the subjective complaint of instability with "giving way" is not only caused by hypermobility, but can be caused by other disturbance of normal motion.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the femoral head to detect avascular necrosis in active rheumatoid arthritis treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy.

Efficacious management of patients with avascular necrosis of bone (AVN) necessitates the identification of patients with a high risk of collapse of the femoral head. In this prospective study we imaged both hips of 10 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis, who were treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy. MRI and conventional radiography were performed before MP-pulse therapy and 6 and 12 months thereafter. Two patients showed unilateral changes, compatible with AVN. One patient became symptomatic and revealed characteristic radiographic abnormalities. The other patient remained asymptomatic and the MRI appearance returned to normal after 6 months.

Familial nonparasitic splenic cysts.

Only three times the occurrence of splenic cysts in siblings has been reported. This is the first report of a nonparasitic splenic cyst in mother and daughter. This improbable coincidence may perhaps give a better insight in the histogenesis of splenic cysts. A practical classification of nonparasitic splenic cysts is presented.

[Purulent parotitis in an infant]. / Parotitis purulenta bij een zuigeling.

A sibling was taken into hospital at the age of 3 weeks with an acute suppurative parotitis of the left parotid. Since birth, the child had suffered from recurrent infections. Her mother was known with recurrent furunculosis. Ultrasonography of the left parotid showed a diffuse enlarged parotid with multiple areas of necrosis. After a diagnostic puncture, a penicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was found. Therapy consisted of intravenous antibiotics.