Assessment of lung toxicity caused by bleomycin and amiodarone by Tc-99m HMPAO lung scintigraphy in rats.

AIM: The purpose of the study was to determine the lung toxicity caused by amiodarone (AD) and bleomycin (BLM) in rats, by means of Tc-99m HMPAO lung scintigraphy. METHODS: Thirty albino rats were randomly divided into five groups. After AD or BLM was dissolved with isotonic saline (SF), a 0.5 ml solution was applied to the right bronchus via a catheter. Group 1 (n = 5 rats) received a single dose of AD, group 2 (n = 5) received two doses of AD, group 3 (n = 9) received BLM, group 4 (n = 3) received hydrochloric acid (HCl), and group 5 (n = 8) received SF. Rats in groups 1, 2, 3 and 5 were given 37 MBq Tc-99m HMPAO from the tail vein on days 7, 14, 21 and 28, and at 4 and 24 h in group 4. Static images of 10 min duration were obtained at 30 and 60 min by a double-headed gamma camera (Infinia, GE, Tirat Hacermel, Israel) on 256 × 256 matrix. Regular regions of interests were drawn over the right lung (RL), left lung (LL) and the liver (Li), and lung/liver (L/Li) ratios were calculated. After the scintigraphic imaging procedures were completed, rats were killed. Lung tissues were evaluated on a scale of (+) to (+++++) for edema, alveolar structural integrity and infiltration by inflammatory cells. RESULTS: Groups 2 and 3 showed statistically significant differences in RL/Li and LL/Li ratios, whereby RL/Li was higher than LL/Li (p < 0.05). There were no significant differences in RL/Li and LL/Li ratios in group 5 (p > 0.05). In histopathological examination, minimal damage or artifacts were observed in group 5. In group 4, almost all pathological findings were present in the right lung. Statistically significant (p < 0.01) histological differences were found when groups 1 and 5 were compared. More significant (p < 0.001) pathological effects were noted when groups 2 and 3 were compared to both groups 5 and 1. Injury was more prominent in the lung tissues of the control rats that were given HCl. Increased RL/Li ratios and histopathological findings were consistent. CONCLUSION: Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan are found to be useful in the identification of patients with lung toxicity. The simplicity of the procedure and lower radiation exposure are the advantages of Tc-99m HMPAO lung scan.

Comparative morphometry of the lower lumbar vertebrae: osteometry in dry bones and computed tomography images of patients with and without low back pain.

Various factors affect the development of the vertebral canal. The dimensions of the vertebral canal and the intervertebral foramen can be altered by these factors before or after birth. Sex differences in dimensions have also been reported. When there is a stenosis of the vertebral canal or the intervertebral foramen, neural structures confined within them can be affected easily, resulting in symptoms. Using computed tomography images, we compared vertebral canal dimensions in 100 patients with low back pain and/or radiculopathy with those in 40 healthy, non-symptomatic controls. We also measured the dimensions of 275 dry bones. We found significant correlations among the variables in the live subjects. We found significant differences between patients and controls in the variables that were measured. Stenoses were more prevalent in females. Dry bone measurements showed some sex differences, and stenosis mainly in vertebrae L4, L5 and S1.

The cranio-orbital foramen, the groove on the lateral wall of the human orbit, and the orbital branch of the middle meningeal artery.

The cranio-orbital foramen, a foramen in the lateral wall of the orbit, contains an anastomosis between the anterior branch of the middle meningeal artery and the lacrimal artery. Previous workers have speculated that the groove starting either from the cranio-orbital foramen or the lateral extremity of the superior orbital fissure contains the anastomotic artery. We investigated the cranio-orbital foramen and the groove on the lateral wall of the orbit in a series of 170 dried adult human skulls, and the course of the orbital branch of the middle meningeal artery in 74 specimens from 37 cadavers. We observed the cranio-orbital foramen in 141 skulls (82.9%). It was unilateral in 55 (32.4%) and bilateral in 86 (50.6%) skulls. The groove on the lateral wall of the human orbit was observed in 122 skulls (71.8%). It was unilateral in 40 (23.5%) and bilateral in 82 (48.2%). The groove on the lateral wall of the orbit started from the cranio-orbital foramen in 20 skulls (11.8%). The orbital branch of the middle meningeal artery was found in 48 cadaveric specimens (64.9%): 32 (43.2%) passed through the cranio-orbital foramen and 12 (16.2%) passed through the superior orbital fissure. In four specimens (5.4%), orbital branches of the middle meningeal artery passed through both the superior orbital fissure and the cranio-orbital foramen. The anatomy of the cranio-orbital foramen and the course of the orbital branch should be well known by surgeons reconstructing the anterior base of the skull, the orbit after orbital base surgery, and during excision of meningiomas.

Origin of the anterior spinal artery.

This investigation was designed to extend our present knowledge of the origin of the anterior spinal a. and is based on 80 brains of human cadavers. The anterior spinal a. is usually formed rostrally by the union of the anterior spinal branches from the intracranial segments of the vertebral aa. In this study, we observed three different locations of the origin of the anterior spinal a. Each type has different characteristics. A bilateral origin (type I) was present in 60 specimens (75%). This type could be further subdivided according to the caliber of the arteries, into the following subtypes: "balanced" (type Ia 42.5%), right-dominated (type Ib 17.5%), and left-dominated (type Ic 15%). A unilateral origin (type II) was found in 9 specimens (11.3%), and an origin in an intervertebral transverse anastomosis was demonstrated in 11 (13.8%). In all cases, the anterior spinal a. had an average caliber of 1.145 +/- 0.12 mm.

An anatomical study of the sigmoid sulcus and related structures.

Variations in the shape and size of the sigmoid sulcus were investigated in 561 temporal bones (438 isolated temporal bones, 49 skull bases and 25 half skull bases) and measurements of related structures were made. Right-left differences were analysed. The sigmoid sulcus was significantly wider (12 mm) and longer (38 mm) in the skull bases, while no differences were observed in the isolated temporal bones. The distance from the most prominent point of the mastoid process to the Frankfort horizontal plane (FHP) was 33 mm; no right-left difference was found. The distance from the genu of the sigmoid sulcus to the external acoustic meatus was 24.06 mm on the right side and 24.74 mm on the left side and this difference is significant, being considerably longer on the left side. The jugular foramen diameter was 7.8 mm; no right-left difference was observed. The relationship of the mastoid air cells to the sulcus was analysed and air cells were found just behind the sulcus in 66% and behind and posterior to the sulcus in 5% of temporal bones.