Left renal vein abnormalities detected during routine abdominal computed tomography imaging: clinico-radiological significance.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative knowledge of the presence of major venous anomalies facilitates the safe performance of aortic surgery. The purpose of the study was to estimate the incidence, as detected by abdominal computed tomography (CT), of major left renal vein anomalies related to the abdominal aorta in an adult population. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seven hundred and fifty abdominal CT examinations were reviewed retrospectively for the presence of left renal vein anomalies. Eleven CT scans were excluded from the study because of technical or patient- -related factors. The course of the left renal vein was assessed on the CT slices to detect any anomalies. RESULTS: Left renal vein anomaly was detected in 23 (3.1%) of 739 cases. Seventeen (2.3%) of them were a retro-aortic, and six (0.8%) of them were a circumaortic left renal vein. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to detect left renal vein anomalies before retroperitoneal surgery or interventional procedures. These anomalies can be identified in routine abdominal CT examinations with a careful inspection.

Determination of cerebellar volume in children and adolescents with magnetic resonance images.

Recent studies show that the cerebellum contributes to higher cognitive functions as well as its role on motor system. It is thought that higher cognitive functions continue to develop during childhood and adolescence; therefore, cerebellum develops significantly during these periods. For that reason, this study was carried out in order to determine cerebellar volumes of 90 healthy individuals (40 males, 50 females) aged between 6 and 17 years according to their gender. The individuals were divided into three age groups of 6-9, 10- -13, and 14-17 years, and their cerebellar volumes were found by means of stereological methods using their magnetic resonance images. The cerebellar volumes found were compared among the groups without discriminating genders, among groups according to gender, and again according to gender within each age group. The general average cerebellar volume of the age group 10-13 years was significantly higher than the other two age groups(p 〈 0.05). When the groups were compared according to gender, there was no important difference between the groups in women (p 〉 0.05); as for men, cerebellar volume only in the age group 10-13 years was significantly higher than that in age group 6-9 (p 〈 0.05). When cerebellar volume for ages 6-17 years was compared according to gender (without dividing into age group) there was no significant difference between men and women (p 〉 0.05). It was seen that the cerebellum develops from childhood to adolescence, and reaches peak levels between the ages 10-13 years for both genders.

Batch-mixed iron treatment of high arsenic waters.

This paper develops batch-mixed treatment with zero-valent iron as a point-of-use technology, appropriate for arsenic removal from water stored within rural homes in Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, where arsenic poisoning has affected an estimated 20 million people. Batch tests with iron yielded the following results: (1) High arsenic removal (>93%) was achieved from highly arsenated waters (2,000 microg/L) over short contact times (0.5-3h) with iron filings added at doses ranging from 2500 to 625 mg/L; (2) Most rapid arsenic removal was observed in head-space free systems with sulphates present in solution, while phosphate buffers were observed to inhibit arsenic removal by iron; (3) The arsenic removed from water was found to be strongly bound to the elemental iron filings, such that the treated water could be decanted and iron could be reused at least 100 times; (4) Some iron dissolved into water over the contact period, at concentrations ranging from 100 to 300 microg/L, which are within safe drinking water limits. These results indicate that, with appropriate assessment of water chemistry in the affected region, treatment with metallic iron followed by simple decantation can be used as a practical, in-home, point-of-use technique for reducing human exposure to arsenic in drinking water.