[Role of magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of chondral and osteochondral lesions in chronic juvenile arthritis].

Chronic juvenile arthritis (CJA) is the most common inflammatory disease of joints in children. There are numerous studies showing the limited informative value of X-ray in the evaluation of CJA progression. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using intravenous gadolinium is currently in the foreground in diagnosing arthritis in children, in infants in particular. Knee joints are most frequently afflicted in CJA, showing significant manifestations of the disease. The purpose of the study was to describe the patterns of changes in the nonossified epiphyseal and articular cartilages in the distal epiphyses of femurs in the knee joints of patients with manifestations of chronic juvenile arthritis and to define the role of contrast-enhanced MRI in evaluating the epiphyseal changes in this disease. Sixty-nine patients aged 1.5-14 years who have clinical laboratory and ultrasound signs of CJA lasting 6 months to 5 years underwent contrast-enhanced MRI for the evaluation of changes in the articular and nonossified epiphyseal cartilages. Intravenous contrast enhancement identified several specific features and patterns of epiphyseal changes: subchondral hyperemia of epiphyses and recorded thickened epiphyseal chondral vascular channels, chondral and osteochondral erosions as manifestations of changes in the growing epiphyseal cartilage and articular one in children with chronic arthritis. Thus, contrast-enhanced MRI allows differentiation of different patterns of epiphyseal changes in CJA.

[Use of US-contrast media in the diagnosis of carotid artery stenosis]. / Primenenie UZ-kontrastnykh veshchestv v diagnostike stenozov sonnykh arterii.

With the advent of ultrasound diagnostic devices that provide a possibility of colored mapping, regimes of energy Doppler regimens, and procedures of second harmonic, conditions for using ultrasound contrast agents occurred. The drug Levovist was used during carotid Doppler study in 16 patients in whom primary vascular scanning was of poor quality. The use of Levovist improved the accuracy of diagnosing the degree of arterial stenosis from 40 to 95%. Thus, the use of ultrasound contrast agents in Doppler ultrasound of carotids makes it possible to specify the degree of stenosis, to differentiate arterial subocclusion and occlusion, to visualize minor vessels with low blood velocity.

[X-ray diagnosis of injuries of middle and distal parts of the hand]. / Rentgenodiagnostika povrezhdenii srednego i distal'nogo otdelov kisti.

384 victims aged 1 to 14 years with damages of middle and distal hand parts were examined. The rate of osteo-epiphysiolysis, hand damages without affection of zone of growth in different short bones of hand is presented. Significant group of damages is composed of subperiosteal fractures and osteo-epiphysiolysis. Special features of different types of osteo-epiphysiolysis and roentgenologic signs which differ them from juxta-epiphyseal fractures are described. Of special significance in diagnosis of osteo-epiphysiolysis is the "bone lamina" sign and uneven expansion of the zone of growth.