[The location of Ciliao (BL 32) acupoint by three-dimensional reconstruction of computed tomography in women].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the location of Ciliao (BL 32) by the help of three-dimensional (3-D) surface reconstruction of computed tomography (CT) so as to provide a reference for clinical application. METHODS: A total of 106 female volunteer subjects were enrolled in the present study. A CT scanner was used to scan the subjects' pelvis, and the collected image data was processed by Dextroscope workstation. The distances and angels of Ciliao(BL 32) in the 3-D space were measured. RESULTS: A linear correlation existed between the inter-iliac distance (L 1) and sacro-foremen distance (L 2, with the regression equation being Y = 20.219 + 0.25X), and between the sacro-iliac distance and sacral foremen-iliac distance (with the regression equation being Y = -14.007 + 0.446X), which were used to determine the location of BL 32. A linear correlation also existed between the body weight and the needling depth (with the regression equation being Y = -18.893 + 0.988X). So, the suitably inserted straight depth of acupuncture needle could be determined according to the woman's body weight. The oblique angle of the 2nd sacral foremen was (30.08 +/- 4.26), and the depth of the 2nd sacral foramen was (20.13 +/- 2.11) mm. CONCLUSION: In accordance with the results obtained from CT 3-D reconstruction, oblique needling of an acupuncture needle for Ciliao (BL 32) is highly recommended.

Visual pathway lesion and its development during hyperbaric oxygen treatment: a bold- fMRI and DTI study.

PURPOSE: To characterize and evaluate functional and anatomic changes of visual pathway lesions during hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment with blood-oxygenation-level-dependent functional MRI (BOLD-fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients with visual pathway lesions received HBO treatment. Both BOLD-fMRI and DTI were performed before and after the treatment, while 12 healthy subjects were also studied with 2 examinations as control. The t-tests were used for the comparison of number of activated voxels (AVs) and fractional anisotropy (FA) between the two groups, and within the patient group before and after HBO treatment. Visual acuity of the patient group before and after the treatment was compared using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: Before the treatment, both AVs (P < 0.01) and FA (P < 0.05) in the bilateral cortexes of occipital lobes were significantly less in the patient group than in the control group. After the treatment, both AVs (P < 0.05) and FA (P < 0.05) were significantly increased. Moreover, The FA of 6 patients with lesions in the optical nerve was greater than the FA of the other 10 patients with lesions in the optic radiation (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: BOLD-fMRI combined with DTI was useful for the characterization and evaluation of anatomic and functional changes of visual pathway lesions and their development during HBO treatment.

Evaluating ischemic stroke with diffusion tensor imaging.

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has emerged as a promising tool to study ischemic stroke. The aim of this study is to evaluate the anisotropic changes of cerebral white matter tracks in patients with ischemic stroke using DTI, and investigate the correlation between corticospinal tract damage and muscle strength in such patients during acute ischemia. METHODS: Nine patients with acute ischemic stroke and nine healthy subjects were examined with T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), T2 weighted MRI and DTI. Fractional anisotropy (FA) was measured and the three-dimensional fibrous band images of bilateral corticospinal tracts were reconstructed. The muscle strength of the affected hand was assessed by Brunnstorm standard. RESULTS: In the control group, there was no significant difference in FA between the bilateral corticospinal tracts, but FA in different white matter structures of the same side was significantly different (t=3.12, p<0.05); while in the patient group, FA of the infarcted sites was significantly lower than the contralateral ones (t=5.570, p<0.01). The ipsilateral corticospinal tract demonstrated continuous interruption and the loss of consistent anatomic structure. The involved severity of corticospinal tract had significant correlation with that of muscle strength of the ipsilateral hand (r=1.30, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: This study shows that DTI can be used to investigate ischemic stroke and assess ischemic stroke-induced damage. The damaged severity of corticospinal tracts is correlated with that of muscle strength.