Primary pelvic pyomyositis in a neonate.

Primary pyomyositis is a bacterial infection occurring in skeletal muscle with no obvious local or adjacent cause. It is classically an infection of the tropics, although it is reported in temperate climates with increasing frequency. Tropical pyomyositis occurs predominantly in children aged between 2 and 5 and in adults aged between 20 and 45 years, whereas most temperate pyomyositis cases occur in adults. Using a magnetic resonance imaging scan, we made the diagnosis of staphylococcal pelvic pyomyositis in a Swiss term-born infant with an initial working diagnosis of septic hip osteoarthritis.

Effects of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and endovascular brachytherapy on vascular remodeling of human femoropopliteal artery: 2 years follow-up by noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to assess in vivo the long-term effects of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) and endovascular brachytherapy (EVBT) on vessel wall by serial MRI. METHODS: Twenty patients with symptomatic stenosis of the femoropopliteal artery were randomly assigned to PTA (n=10) or PTA+EVBT (n=10, 14Gy by gamma-source). High-resolution MRI was performed prior, at 24-hours, 3-months, and 24-months after intervention. MRI data were analyzed by an independent, blinded observer. RESULTS: The effects of both procedures on vessel wall at 24-hours and 3-months have been reported. Despite similar percent decrease in lumen area between 3- and 24-months in both groups (-8% for PTA and -11% for PTA+EVBT), at 24-months lumen area gain compared to baseline was +30% in PTA versus +82% in PTA+EVBT (p<0.05). Total vessel area, which was increased at 24-hours and 3-months, returned to pre-treatment value in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrated non-invasively that restenosis and inward remodeling after PTA are delayed by EVBT. At 24-months, patients treated with brachytherapy have larger lumen than those treated with PTA alone. The decrease in luminal and total vessel area between 3- and 24-months after EVBT indicates that the restenotic and remodeling process is not abolished but delayed with this therapy.

Percutaneous coronary intervention of the left main trunk in congenitally anomalous single coronary artery.

Anomalous origin of the coronary arteries is infrequent and a single coronary artery is seen even less frequently. Accordingly, few reports have described percutaneous coronary interventions in this anomaly. We report successful balloon angioplasty and stenting of a left main trunk originating from the right coronary artery.

Anterior spinal artery syndrome in an adolescent with protein S deficiency.

The diagnosis of anterior spinal artery syndrome can be made with high accuracy by thorough clinical examination in combination with typical magnetic resonance imaging findings. Sudden onset of tetra- or paraparesis and dissociated sensory loss with bladder dysfunction are the leading clinical signs. We discuss clinical and radiologic findings in an adolescent presenting with anterior spinal artery syndrome. The laboratory results showed a hereditary protein S deficiency.

Tools for physiology labs: an inexpensive high-performance amplifier and electrode for extracellular recording.

The cost of electronic equipment can be a critical barrier to including neurophysiology exercises in biology teaching programs. We describe the construction of a simple and inexpensive AC preamplifier with performance comparable to that of commercial products. The amplifier consists of two integrated circuits in five stages: differential input, fixed gain, variable gain (100 or 1000), low-pass filter (5 or 20 kHz), and 50 or 60 Hz notch filter. We compared our amplifier with two commercial units, the A-M Systems Model 1700 and the Grass P15. The quality of extracellular recording from a typical student preparation (spontaneously active crayfish motor nerve) was the same for all three amplifiers, although our amplifier has slightly higher internal noise than the P15 and slightly lower common-mode rejection than the 1700 and P15. In addition, we describe a simple suction electrode for extracellular nerve recording. It is easily constructed from readily available materials and uses a disposable plastic pipette tip, instead of the traditional glass tip, to contact the nerve. This tip is easily replaced if broken or clogged, and can be adapted to different recording conditions by selecting a different tip size or stretching the plastic. Development of this equipment is part of an ongoing project to promote neuroscience education by expanding the neurophysiology options available to laboratory instructors.

Three-dimensional MR imaging of pulmonary vessels and parenchyma with NC100150 injection (Clariscan).

The influence of increasing doses of NC100150 Injection (Clariscantrade mark) and echo times on visualization of pulmonary vessels and parenchyma was evaluated. The effects of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 mg Fe/kg NC100150 Injection and echo times (TE) of 1.1, 1.8, 2. 2, and 4.3 msec were determined in six dogs using breath-hold three-dimensional (3D) spoiled gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) sequence. At 2 mg Fe/kg and TE of 1.1 msec, the signal-to-noise ratio of the central pulmonary arteries and parenchyma was significantly increased (5.3 +/- 2.2 to 50.3 +/- 2.4) and (2.2 +/- 0. 9 to 6.4 +/- 1.1), respectively. Using the TE of 1.1 msec, signal intensity in the main arteries continued to increase with increasing dose. Moreover, the enhancement of pulmonary parenchyma and microvasculature had a positive dose response. 3D MR imaging with ultrashort echo time and 2 mg Fe/kg NC100150 Injection produces angiograms with strong vascular contrast and allows qualitative assessment of pulmonary parenchyma and microvasculature.

Reperfused rat myocardium subjected to various durations of ischemia: estimation of the distribution volume of contrast material with echo-planar MR imaging.

PURPOSE: To estimate and compare the fractional distribution volume (fDV) of gadodiamide injection and technetium 99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA) in the reperfused myocardium of rat hearts subjected to various durations of ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and autoradiography were performed in rats subjected to 20, 30, 40, or 60 minutes of regional ischemia followed by 1 hour of reperfusion. The fDVs of gadodiamide injection and (99m)Tc-DTPA were measured and compared by using inversion-recovery echo-planar imaging and autoradiographic phosphor imaging, respectively. RESULTS: The mean fDV of both tracers (gadodiamide and (99m)Tc-DTPA) in normal myocardium was 18% +/- 1, whereas that in the entire area at risk increased significantly (P <.05) with 20, 30, 40, and 60 minutes of ischemia to 32% +/- 1, 57% +/- 4, 66% +/- 2, and 68% +/- 2, respectively. The fDV was significantly (P <.05) greater in the core of infarction-78% +/- 4, 89% +/- 5, and 88% +/- 5 with 30, 40, and 60 minutes of ischemia, respectively-than in the normal myocardium or in the area at risk. CONCLUSION: The fDV of MR contrast material in the periinfarcted rim was significantly (P <. 05) greater than that in the normal myocardium, but significantly less than that in the core of infarcted myocardium.