Small cardiac lesions: fibrosis of papillary muscles and focal cardiac myocytolysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steer, A; Nakashima, T; Kawashima, T; Lee, K K; Danzig, M D; Robertson, T L; Dock, D S

1977-11-01

Three types of small cardiac lesions were described and illustrated: (1) focal type of papillary muscle fibrosis, evidently a healed infarct of the papillary muscle present in 13% of the autopsies, is a histologically characteristic lesion associated with coronary artery disease and healed myocardial infarction, (2) diffuse type of papillary muscle fibrosis, probably an aging change present in almost half of the autopsies, is associated with sclerosis of the arteries in the papillary muscle, is identifiable histologically, and apparently is not associated with any cardiac abnormality, and (3) focal cardiac myochtolysis, a unique histologic lesion, usually multifocal without predilection for any area of the heart, is associated with ischemic heart disease, death due to cancer complicated by nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis and microthrombi in small cardiac arteries as well as with other diseases. Differentiation of the 2 types of papillary muscle fibrosis is important in the study of papillary muscle and mitral valve dysfunction. Focal cardiac myocytolysis may contribute to the fatal extension of myocardial infarcts.

Multivariate analysis of magnetic resonance imaging of focal hepatic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujishima, Mamoru; Suemitsu, Ichizou; Sei, Tetsurou; Takeda, Yoshihiro; Hiraki, Yoshio

1993-01-01

A total of 124 lesions from 1 to 6 cm in diameter, including 31 cavernous hemangiomas, 32 metastases and 61 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) were analyzed to study the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 0.5 Tesla to differentiate focal hepatic lesions on the basis of qualitative criteria. Each focal hepatic lesion was assessed for shape, internal architecture and signal intensity relative to normal liver parenchyma. While all cavernous hemangiomas and metastases except one lesion could be detected, detection rate of HCC was significantly inferior to that of the other two diseases. A tumor capsule and a hyperintense focus on T 1 -weighted images were demonstrated in only HCC lesions in strong contrast with the other two diseases; however, metastases with slow-growing characteristics or subacute hematoma may appear as similar images. Cavernous hemangiomas appeared markedly hyperintense on T 2 -weighted images in 23 of 31 lesions, but one metastasis and one HCC had similar images. A multivariate analysis of several MRI resulted in the following mean discriminant scores: cavernous hemangioma, -1.2652; metastasis, 0.1830; and HCC, 0.7138. It appeared to be possible to differentiate the three diseases with 84.4 percent accuracy. (author)

Lesser-known myelin-related disorders: focal tumour-like demyelinating lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiménez Arango, J A; Uribe Uribe, C S; Toro González, G

2015-03-01

Focal tumour-like demyelinating lesions are defined as solitary demyelinating lesions with a diameter greater than 2 cm. In imaging studies, these lesions may mimic a neoplasm or brain abscess; as a result, invasive diagnostic and therapeutic measures may be performed that will in some cases increase morbidity. Our aim was to analyse and characterise these lesions according to their clinical, radiological, and pathological characteristics, and this data in addition to our literature review will contribute to a better understanding of these lesions. This descriptive study includes 5 cases with pathological diagnoses. We provide subject characteristics gathered through reviewing their clinical, radiology, and pathology reports. Patients' ages ranged from 12 to 60 years; 3 patients were female. The time delay between symptom onset and hospital admission was 3 to 120 days. Clinical manifestations were diverse and dependent on the location of the lesion, pyramidal signs were found in 80% of patients, there were no clinical or radiological signs of spinal cord involvement, and follow-up times ranged from 1 to 15 years. Brain biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of demyelinating tumour-like lesions; however, their clinical features, along with several magnetic resonance imaging features such as open ring enhancement, venular enhancement, the presence of glutamate in spectroscopy, and others, may be sufficient to differentiate neoplastic lesions from focal tumour-like demyelinating lesions. Copyright © 2012 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Fasciola hepatica EN GANADO BOVINO DE CARNE EN SIQUIRRES Y LESIONES ANATOMO-HISTOPATOLÓGICAS DE HÍGADOS BOVINOS DECOMISADOS EN MATADEROS DE COSTA RICA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Ernesto Alpízar

2013-01-01

Full Text Available El presente estudio fue realizado con el objetivo de determinar la infección por Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica en una finca dedicada al ganado de carne en el cantón de Siquirres, provincia de Limón para caracterizar las lesiones más comunes de hígados parasitados, en 3 plantas de sacrificio de bovinos del país. De agosto del 2005 a agosto del 2006, fueron recolectadas muestras fecales de 577 bovinos de razas cebuinas con edades entre 6 meses y 2,5 años. Cada muestra fue sometida a la técnica coprológica de sedimentación; también se buscaron y recolectaron moluscos con el objetivo de identificar la(s especie(s involucrada(s en la transmisión del parásito en la finca. Asimismo, se recolectaron muestras de hígados bovinos infectados con el parásito en 3 mataderos del Valle Central, para el análisis histopatológico. F. hepatica fue diagnosticada en 67 (11,3% de los 577 bovinos evaluados, y el porcentaje de infección fue mayor en agosto del 2005 (31,6% y agosto del 2006 (26,2%. Además, los animales con edades entre 18 y 24 meses mostraron mayor frecuencia de infección (19,4%, mientras que los animales de 12 a menos de 18 meses mostraron la menor frecuencia de infección (2,4%. Los caracoles identificados fueron de la especie Thiara tuberculata, que no fue identificada como vector de F. hepatica. Las principales lesiones en los hígados decomisados fueron atrofia moderada de lóbulos hepáticos, aumento de consistencia, engrosamiento de ductos hepáticos con presencia de calcificación, material mucoso y formas adultas del parásito. Histológicamente corresponden a colangiohepatitis necrótica con formación de depósitos cálcicos distróficos e hiperplasia de ductos biliares. Con base en los resultados obtenidos se pudo determinar la presencia de F. hepatica en los bovinos de la finca y de la zona, con marcado incremento de la infección en la época lluviosa, además del hallazgo colateral de Paramphistomum spp.

Focal lesions in the central nervous system: stereotaxic radioneurosurgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fabrikant, J.I.; Budinger, T.f.; Hosobuchi, Y.; Born, J.L.; Tobias, C.A.

1981-01-01

The application of heavy-ion beams for fundamental and applied brain research has unusual potential. Methods are being developed in our laboratory for producing focal lesions in the central nervous system (e.g., the hypothalamus, thalamus, pituitary gland) to investigate nerve pathways and neuroendocrine responses, and for treating certain pathological disorders of the brain with stereotaxic Bragg peak heavy-ion radiosurgery. Studies in animals are demonstrating the value of this neuroscience tool for investigating mammalian brain response to induction of discrete focal lesions in the hypothalamus or in the cerebral cortex. These studies are also elucidating the neuroendocrinological response follwing ablation of various portions of the midbrain, without requiring complex neurosurgical preparations. Clinical studies are demonstrating the feasibility of stereotaxic neurological radiosurgery for treating certain inoperable vascular disorders of the brain [e.g., arteriovenous malformations (AVM), internal carotid artery-cavernous sinus fistulas and other cerebrovascular disorders] in patients who are already demonstrating progressive neurological deficit. Further applications of focal lesion production with the Bragg ionization peak can be extended to include localized radiation to centers of the brain and spinal cord for treatment of such disorders as Parkinson's disease, pituitary microadenomas, acoustic neuromas, and the control of pain. The eventual application of radioactive beams will provide accurate localization of the stopping points of the beam, thereby making it feasible to stop the beam accurately at a defined depth within the central nervous system

Impact of variations in fatty liver on sonographic detection of focal hepatic lesions originally identified by CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wu, Size; Tu, Rong; Nan, Ruixia; Liu, Guang Qing; Cui, Xiao Jing; Liang, Xian

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of variations in fatty liver on the ultrasonographic detection of focal liver lesions. A total of 229 patients with varying degrees of fatty liver and focal liver lesions and 200 patients with focal liver lesions but no fatty liver were randomly selected for inclusion in groups I and II, respectively. Findings of focal liver lesions identified on computed tomography were taken as the reference, and findings on ultrasonography were compared with them. The number of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 501 and 413, respectively. The ultrasonographic detection rates of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 86.8% (435/501) and 94.2% (389/413), respectively. Comparison of the detection of the focal lesions between patients with and without fatty liver or different grades of fatty liver were as follows: mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P=0.277); mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. moderate fatty liver (190/212) (P=0.604); mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. severe fatty liver (83/112) (P<0.001); moderate fatty liver (190/212) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P=0.051); moderate fatty liver (190/212) vs. severe fatty liver (83/112) (P<0.001); severe fatty liver (83/112) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P<0.001); and fatty liver (435/501) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P<0.001). Mild and moderate fatty liver are not significantly associated with the visualization of the lesion, while severe fatty liver usually impairs the detection of focal lesions in the liver. If a patient with severe fatty liver is suspected to have a liver tumor, ultrasonography should only be chosen cautiously in case of a missed diagnosis

Impact of variations in fatty liver on sonographic detection of focal hepatic lesions originally identified by CT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Size; Tu, Rong; Nan, Ruixia; Liu, Guang Qing; Cui, Xiao Jing; Liang, Xian [Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou (China)

2016-01-15

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of variations in fatty liver on the ultrasonographic detection of focal liver lesions. A total of 229 patients with varying degrees of fatty liver and focal liver lesions and 200 patients with focal liver lesions but no fatty liver were randomly selected for inclusion in groups I and II, respectively. Findings of focal liver lesions identified on computed tomography were taken as the reference, and findings on ultrasonography were compared with them. The number of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 501 and 413, respectively. The ultrasonographic detection rates of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 86.8% (435/501) and 94.2% (389/413), respectively. Comparison of the detection of the focal lesions between patients with and without fatty liver or different grades of fatty liver were as follows: mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P=0.277); mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. moderate fatty liver (190/212) (P=0.604); mild fatty liver (162/177) vs. severe fatty liver (83/112) (P<0.001); moderate fatty liver (190/212) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P=0.051); moderate fatty liver (190/212) vs. severe fatty liver (83/112) (P<0.001); severe fatty liver (83/112) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P<0.001); and fatty liver (435/501) vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413) (P<0.001). Mild and moderate fatty liver are not significantly associated with the visualization of the lesion, while severe fatty liver usually impairs the detection of focal lesions in the liver. If a patient with severe fatty liver is suspected to have a liver tumor, ultrasonography should only be chosen cautiously in case of a missed diagnosis.

Impact of variations in fatty liver on sonographic detection of focal hepatic lesions originally identified by CT

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Size Wu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of variations in fatty liver on the ultrasonographic detection of focal liver lesions. Methods: A total of 229 patients with varying degrees of fatty liver and focal liver lesions and 200 patients with focal liver lesions but no fatty liver were randomly selected for inclusion in groups I and II, respectively. Findings of focal liver lesions identified on computed tomography were taken as the reference, and findings on ultrasonography were compared with them. Results: The number of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 501 and 413, respectively. The ultrasonographic detection rates of focal liver lesions in groups I and II were 86.8% (435/501 and 94.2% (389/413, respectively. Comparison of the detection of the focal lesions between patients with and without fatty liver or different grades of fatty liver were as follows: mild fatty liver (162/177 vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413 (P=0.277; mild fatty liver (162/177 vs. moderate fatty liver (190/212 (P=0.604; mild fatty liver (162/177 vs. severe fatty liver (83/112 (P<0.001; moderate fatty liver (190/212 vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413 (P=0.051; moderate fatty liver (190/212 vs. severe fatty liver (83/112 (P<0.001; severe fatty liver (83/112 vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413 (P<0.001; and fatty liver (435/501 vs. liver without fat infiltration (389/413 (P<0.001. Conclusion: Mild and moderate fatty liver are not significantly associated with the visualization of the lesion, while severe fatty liver usually impairs the detection of focal lesions in the liver. If a patient with severe fatty liver is suspected to have a liver tumor, ultrasonography should only be chosen cautiously in case of a missed diagnosis.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosis and characterization of focal hepatic lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Molins, Inés Gómez; Font, Juan Manuel Fernández; Alvaro, Juan Carrero; Navarro, Jose Luís Lledó; Gil, Marta Fernández; Rodríguez, Conrado M Fernández

2010-12-28

The extensive use of imaging techniques in differential diagnosis of abdominal conditions and screening of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatic diseases, has led to an important increase in identification of focal liver lesions. The development of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) opens a new window in the diagnosis and follow-up of these lesions. This technique offers obvious advantages over the computed tomography and magnetic resonance, without a decrease in its sensitivity and specificity. The new second generation contrast agents, due to their intravascular distribution, allow a continuous evaluation of the enhancement pattern, which is crucial in characterization of liver lesions. The dual blood supply in the liver shows three different phases, namely arterial, portal and late phases. The enhancement during portal and late phases can give important information about the lesion's behavior. Each liver lesion has a different enhancement pattern that makes possible an accurate approach to their diagnosis. The role of emerging techniques as a contrast-enhanced three-dimensional US is also discussed. In this article, the advantages, indications and technique employed during CEUS and the different enhancement patterns of most benign and malignant focal liver lesions are discussed.

Management of HIV-associated focal brain lesions in developing ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background. HIV-associated focal brain lesions (FBLs) are caused by opportunistic infections, neoplasms, or cerebrovascular diseases. In developed countries toxoplasma encephalitis (TE) is the most frequent cause followed by primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL). Guidelines based on these causes have been proposed ...

Value of MR imaging after CT in patients with focal hepatic lesion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Kyeong Ah; Lim, Jae Hoon; Choi, Sang Hee; Lee, Soon Jin; Paik, Chul H.; Cho, Jae Min

1999-01-01

To determine the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after computed tomography (CT) in patients with focal hepatic lesion. We evaluated 100 patients with 103 focal hepatic lesions. The diagnosis of each lesion was made pathologically (n=19), or radiologically and clinically (n=84), and the findings were as follows : hemangioma (n=53), hepatocellular carcinoma (n=17), metastasis (n=10), cyst (n=5), regenerative nodule (n=3), and adenomatous hyperplasia (n=3). The patients underwent conventional CT (n=25), two-phase spiral CT (n=17) or three-phase spiral CT (n=61). MRI was performed using conventional T1- and T2-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast enhancement. The value of MRI after CT was assigned to one of four grades, according to the consensus of three radiologists : grade I (decisive), grade II (helpful), grade III (not additional), or grade IV (confused). The outcome of MRI of 103 lesions was grade I in 14 cases(14%), II in 34 (33%), III in 49 (48%), and IV in 6 (6%). MRI was not helpful (grade III or IV) in 40% (10/25), 47% (8/17), and 61%(31/61) of lesions after conventional, two-phase spiral, and three-phase spiral CT, respectively. Grade III or IV lesions were present in 45% of hemangiomas (24/53), 59% of hepatocellular carcinomas (10/17), and 80% of cases in which metastasis had occurred(8/10). MRI after CT in patients with focal hepatic lesion was helpful in less than half of all cases. It was particularly valuable for patients who did not undergo three-phase spiral CT and in whom hemangioma was suspected

Automated diagnosis of focal liver lesions using bidirectional empirical mode decomposition features.

Science.gov (United States)

Acharya, U Rajendra; Koh, Joel En Wei; Hagiwara, Yuki; Tan, Jen Hong; Gertych, Arkadiusz; Vijayananthan, Anushya; Yaakup, Nur Adura; Abdullah, Basri Johan Jeet; Bin Mohd Fabell, Mohd Kamil; Yeong, Chai Hong

2018-03-01

Liver is the heaviest internal organ of the human body and performs many vital functions. Prolonged cirrhosis and fatty liver disease may lead to the formation of benign or malignant lesions in this organ, and an early and reliable evaluation of these conditions can improve treatment outcomes. Ultrasound imaging is a safe, non-invasive, and cost-effective way of diagnosing liver lesions. However, this technique has limited performance in determining the nature of the lesions. This study initiates a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system to aid radiologists in an objective and more reliable interpretation of ultrasound images of liver lesions. In this work, we have employed radon transform and bi-directional empirical mode decomposition (BEMD) to extract features from the focal liver lesions. After which, the extracted features were subjected to particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique for the selection of a set of optimized features for classification. Our automated CAD system can differentiate normal, malignant, and benign liver lesions using machine learning algorithms. It was trained using 78 normal, 26 benign and 36 malignant focal lesions of the liver. The accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of lesion classification were 92.95%, 90.80%, and 97.44%, respectively. The proposed CAD system is fully automatic as no segmentation of region-of-interest (ROI) is required. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Scintigraphic evaluation of the liver in Fasciola hepatica with radiocolloid and 67Ga-citrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguirre Errasti, C.; Alberola Gomez-Escolar, I.; Gonzalez de Zarate, P.; Merino Angulo, J.

1981-01-01

A group of 23 patients with Fasciola hepatica have been studied in the province of Biscay. The diagnosis was reached after finding parasite eggs in the faeces or duodenal juice. The liver lesion was confirmed by means of macro and microscopic studies. Radiocolloid demonstrated the presence of cold areas in 18 patients; in 13 of them the uptake with 67 Ga was positive. These isotopic findings identified Fasciola hepatica as one of the causes of 'cold areas' in traditional liver scans and positive 67 Ga uptake. (orig.)

Optimization of imaging and treatment of patients with focal liver lesions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Kessel, C.S.

2012-01-01

The incidence of focal liver lesions (either benign or malignant) has increased drastically the last decades. Treatment possibilities have extended significantly due to improved chemotherapeutic agents, extended eligibility criteria for partial liver resection, the introduction of radiofrequency

Added Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound on Biopsies of Focal Hepatic Lesions Invisible on Fusion Imaging Guidance.

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Tae Wook; Lee, Min Woo; Song, Kyoung Doo; Kim, Mimi; Kim, Seung Soo; Kim, Seong Hyun; Ha, Sang Yun

2017-01-01

To assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid can improve the lesion conspicuity and feasibility of percutaneous biopsies for focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging of real-time ultrasonography (US) with computed tomography/magnetic resonance images, and evaluate its impact on clinical decision making. The Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study. Between June 2013 and January 2015, 711 US-guided percutaneous biopsies were performed for focal hepatic lesions. Biopsies were performed using CEUS for guidance if lesions were invisible on fusion imaging. We retrospectively evaluated the number of target lesions initially invisible on fusion imaging that became visible after applying CEUS, using a 4-point scale. Technical success rates of biopsies were evaluated based on histopathological results. In addition, the occurrence of changes in clinical decision making was assessed. Among 711 patients, 16 patients (2.3%) were included in the study. The median size of target lesions was 1.1 cm (range, 0.5-1.9 cm) in pre-procedural imaging. After CEUS, 15 of 16 (93.8%) focal hepatic lesions were visualized. The conspicuity score was significantly increased after adding CEUS, as compared to that on fusion imaging (p making for 11 of 16 patients (68.8%). The addition of CEUS could improve the conspicuity of focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging. This dual guidance using CEUS and fusion imaging may affect patient management via changes in clinical decision-making.

Ultrasound guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy of the liver with focal lesion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, Gang Seok; Yang, Hyun Cheol; Park, Byoung Lan; Kim, Byoung Geun; Sohn, Jang Sihn

1985-01-01

The ultrasound-guided fine needle aspirations were performed in order to diagnose a suspected neoplastic or infectious disease in 52 patients with focal liver disease. Of these, neoplastic lesions were suspected in 31 patients and infectious lesions in 21 patients ultrasonically and/or clinically. The overall accuracy for both suspected malignant and infectious disease was 79% (41/52). The primary indication for fine needle aspiration was to document the presence of malignancy and to avoid a diagnostic laparotomy, and to drain hepatic abscess. Consequently we were convinced that the ultrasound-guided percutaneous fine needle aspiration biopsy in the focal liver disease is the best method for a conclusive diagnosis

Scintigraphic evaluation of the liver in Fasciola hepatica with radiocolloid and /sup 67/Ga-citrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aguirre Errasti, C.; Alberola Gomez-Escolar, I.; Gonzalez de Zarate, P.; Merino Angulo, J.

1981-02-01

A group of 23 patients with Fasciola hepatica have been studied in the province of Biscay. The diagnosis was reached after finding parasite eggs in the faeces or duodenal juice. The liver lesion was confirmed by means of macro and microscopic studies. Radiocolloid demonstrated the presence of cold areas in 18 patients; in 13 of them the uptake with /sup 67/Ga was positive. These isotopic findings identified Fasciola hepatica as one of the causes of 'cold areas' in traditional liver scans and positive /sup 67/Ga uptake.

Added value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on biopsies of focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging guidance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Tae Wook; Lee, Min Woo; Song, Kyoung Doo; Kim, Mimi; Kim, Seung Soo; Kim, Seong Hyun; Ha, Sang Yun [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-01-15

To assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid can improve the lesion conspicuity and feasibility of percutaneous biopsies for focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging of real-time ultrasonography (US) with computed tomography/magnetic resonance images, and evaluate its impact on clinical decision making. The Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study. Between June 2013 and January 2015, 711 US-guided percutaneous biopsies were performed for focal hepatic lesions. Biopsies were performed using CEUS for guidance if lesions were invisible on fusion imaging. We retrospectively evaluated the number of target lesions initially invisible on fusion imaging that became visible after applying CEUS, using a 4-point scale. Technical success rates of biopsies were evaluated based on histopathological results. In addition, the occurrence of changes in clinical decision making was assessed. Among 711 patients, 16 patients (2.3%) were included in the study. The median size of target lesions was 1.1 cm (range, 0.5–1.9 cm) in pre-procedural imaging. After CEUS, 15 of 16 (93.8%) focal hepatic lesions were visualized. The conspicuity score was significantly increased after adding CEUS, as compared to that on fusion imaging (p < 0.001). The technical success rate of biopsy was 87.6% (14/16). After biopsy, there were changes in clinical decision making for 11 of 16 patients (68.8%). The addition of CEUS could improve the conspicuity of focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging. This dual guidance using CEUS and fusion imaging may affect patient management via changes in clinical decision-making.

Added value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on biopsies of focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging guidance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Tae Wook; Lee, Min Woo; Song, Kyoung Doo; Kim, Mimi; Kim, Seung Soo; Kim, Seong Hyun; Ha, Sang Yun

2017-01-01

To assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with Sonazoid can improve the lesion conspicuity and feasibility of percutaneous biopsies for focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging of real-time ultrasonography (US) with computed tomography/magnetic resonance images, and evaluate its impact on clinical decision making. The Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study. Between June 2013 and January 2015, 711 US-guided percutaneous biopsies were performed for focal hepatic lesions. Biopsies were performed using CEUS for guidance if lesions were invisible on fusion imaging. We retrospectively evaluated the number of target lesions initially invisible on fusion imaging that became visible after applying CEUS, using a 4-point scale. Technical success rates of biopsies were evaluated based on histopathological results. In addition, the occurrence of changes in clinical decision making was assessed. Among 711 patients, 16 patients (2.3%) were included in the study. The median size of target lesions was 1.1 cm (range, 0.5–1.9 cm) in pre-procedural imaging. After CEUS, 15 of 16 (93.8%) focal hepatic lesions were visualized. The conspicuity score was significantly increased after adding CEUS, as compared to that on fusion imaging (p < 0.001). The technical success rate of biopsy was 87.6% (14/16). After biopsy, there were changes in clinical decision making for 11 of 16 patients (68.8%). The addition of CEUS could improve the conspicuity of focal hepatic lesions invisible on fusion imaging. This dual guidance using CEUS and fusion imaging may affect patient management via changes in clinical decision-making

La biopsia estereotáctica en el diagnóstico de las lesiones cerebrales focales en sida Stereotactic brain biopsy in the diagnosis of focal brain lesions in AIDS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcelo Corti

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Las lesiones cerebrales focales constituyen una complicación frecuente en los pacientes con infección por el virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (HIV y síndrome de inmunodeficiencia adquirida (sida. Durante el período comprendido entre enero de 1999 y mayo de 2007 se realizaron un total de 83 biopsias en pacientes con sida y lesiones cerebrales. Se incluyeron aquellos pacientes que no hubiesen respondido al algoritmo habitual de enfoque diagnóstico-terapéutico de estas lesiones. Todas las muestras obtenidas fueron sometidas a evaluación intraoperatoria para asegurar la obtención de material patológico y posterior análisis histopatológico y exámenes microbiológicos. De los 41 pacientes con lesiones cerebrales múltiples, 62 tenían localización supratentorial, en 4 eran infratentoriales y 17 mostraron ambas localizaciones. Cincuenta y un lesiones seleccionadas como blanco estereotáctico tuvieron refuerzo periférico del contraste. Se obtuvo material histopatológico en el 100% de los procedimientos. El diagnóstico más frecuente fue el de leucoencefalopatía multifocal progresiva (LEMP con 24 casos (29%, seguido del linfoma primario del sistema nervioso central (LPSNC con 19 diagnósticos (23% y de toxoplasmosis en 13 pacientes (15.7%. Se comprobó una relación significativa entre los diagnósticos histopatológicos y la localización de las lesiones y entre los diagnósticos histopatológicos y el comportamiento de las imágenes luego de la administración de la sustancia de contraste. El rédito diagnóstico alcanzó el 90.3% (75 biopsias. La morbiletalidad en esta serie fue de 2.4%. La biopsia cerebral estereotáctica permitió alcanzar el diagnóstico etiológico y adecuar el enfoque terapéutico en la mayoría de los pacientes de esta serie.Focal brain lesions are frequent complications among HIV/AIDS patients. Between January 1999 and May 2007, 83 procedures of stereotactic brain biopsies in HIV/AIDS patients with focal

Diagnostic accuracy of scintigraphic methods in the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Czermak, H.; Gomez, I.; Gallowitsch, H.J.; Lind, P.

1993-01-01

In a retrospective study of 160 patients who were examined within 12 months, we analysed the diagnosic value of scintigraphic techniques in the differential diagnosis of solid focal liver lesions. Haemangiomas were found in 77 patients. Bloodpool scintigraphy was true-positive in 66 (sensivitity 85%); for lesions greater than 2 cm in diameter, sensitivity increased to 94%. Metastases of CEA-expressing tumors were found in 42 patients, anti-CEA-immunoscintigraphy was true-positive in 33 patients (sensitivity 78.5%). Focal nodulary hyperplasia was found in 3 patients, adenomas in 6 patients. In the remaining 32 patiens we saw 4 hepatocellular carcinomas, 28 metastases from lung and breast cancer, 2 echinococcus cysts and 1 choledochus cyst. (orig.) [de

Past Tense in Children with Focal Brain Lesions

OpenAIRE

Konstantinopoulou, P.; Stavrakaki, S.; Manouilidou, C.; Zafeiriou, D.

2013-01-01

In this study, 22 children with early left hemisphere (LHD) or right hemisphere (RHD) focal brain lesions (FL, n ¼ 14 LHD,\\ud n ¼ 8 RHD) were administered an English past tense elicitation test (M ¼ 6:5 years). Proportion correct and frequency of overregularization\\ud and zero-marking errors were compared to age-matched samples of children with specific language impairment (SLI,\\ud n ¼ 27) and with typical language development (TD, n ¼ 27). Similar rates of correct production and error patter...

Fibrocystic change of the breast presenting as a focal lesion mimicking breast cancer in MR imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jeon-Hor; Nalcioglu, Orhan; Su, Min-Ying

2008-12-01

Focal fibrocystic change (FCC) of the breast is a rare form of FCC. Imaging presentations of focal FCC are not well known. This study aimed to analyze its MR imaging features. Eleven patients of pathology-proven focal FCC were retrospectively studied. Of the 11 patients, seven were mass (>or=5 mm), two showed multiple foci, and two were focus (Breast sonography suspected malignancy in seven patients (7/10, 70%). No statistically significant difference was found in the three diagnostic methods. In pathology, all 11 patients showed the typical pathological features of fibrocystic change, with mixed components of stromal fibrosis, cyst formation, apocrine metaplasia, adenosis, and/or focal sclerosing adenosis. In conclusion, MR imaging features of focal FCC usually present as a mass or focus lesion with rapid enhancement and washout kinetics that mimic a malignant breast lesion and lead to unnecessary operation, especially in patients with contralateral malignant breast cancer. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Movement disorders associated with focal midbrain lesion: correlation with clinical and I-123 IPT SPECT findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Ji Hoon; Im, Joo Hyuk; Kim, Jae Seung; Lee, Myoung Chong

2001-01-01

Midbrain lesion may produce a variety of movement disorders including tremor, dystonia, and parkinsonism. The anatomical and functional basis of the movement disorder associated with the midbrain lesion is still unclear. The purpose of this study was to correlate focal midbrain lesions with clinical and I-123 IPT SPECT findings. Five patients (aged 25 to 69 years, 3 men and 2 women) who presented with movement disorder associated with discrete focal midbrain lesion on the brain MRI were included. We reviewed the clinical characteristics of movement disorders and the brain MRI findings in all patients. I-123 IPT SPECT was performed in all patients and 9 normal controls to evaluate the integrity of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system and specific binding ratios were also calculated. Patients consisted of 2 with parkinsonism, 1 with midbrain tremor, 1 with hemidystonia, and 1 with micrographia as the only manifestation. In all patients, movement disorders were confined to the limbs contralateral to the focal midbrain lesions. The causes of midbrain lesion were trauma (n=2), rupture of AVM (n=1), cerebral infarction (n=1), and encephalitis (n=1). The latency between the midbrain injury and the onset of movement disorder varied from 1.5 months to 2 years (mean 6.7 months). Specific binding ratios of ipsilateral striatum (1.6±1.4) were significantly lower than that of contralateral side (3.3±0.99) and normal control (3.5±0.5)(p<0.05). All of six patients had lesions involving substantia nigra on MRI and two of these with resting tremor had also lesions involving the red nucleus. Bradykinesia and rigidity were mild or absent in these two patients, despite severely decreased specific binding ratios (mean 0.55) of ipsilateral striatum. Movement disorders associated with focal midbrain lesion were partially related to the damage in the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system. However, the severity and nature of movement disorder were variable and not directly related to the

DETEKSI Fasciola hepatica DAN Fasciola gigantica PADA KERBAU PERAH ( DETEKSI Fasciola hepatica DAN Fasciola gigantica PADA KERBAU PERAH ( DETEKSI Fasciola hepatica DAN Fasciola gigantica PADA KERBAU PERAH (

OpenAIRE

-, YAUMIL NI???MAH YAUMIL NI???MAH YAUMIL NI???MAH

2016-01-01

2015 ABSTRAK YAUMIL NI???MAH O11111101.Deteksi Fasciola hepatica dan Fasciola gigantica pada Kerbau Perah Fasciola hepatica dan Fasciola gigantica merupakan cacing kelas trematoda.Telur cacing ini berbentuk oval dan dilengkapi dengan operculum yang berfungsi sebagai jalan keluar larva mirasidium pada saat telur menetas.Ukuran telur Fasciola gigantica lebih besar dibandingkan ukuran telur Fasciola hepatica.Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendeteksi telur cacing Fasciola...

Comparison of Long-Term Clinical Outcomes of Lesions Exhibiting Focal and Segmental Peri-Stent Contrast Staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokuda, Takahiro; Yamawaki, Masahiro; Takahara, Mitsuyohi; Mori, Shinsuke; Makino, Kenji; Honda, Yosuke; Takafuji, Hiroya; Takama, Takuro; Tsutsumi, Masakazu; Sakamoto, Yasunari; Takimura, Hideyuki; Kobayashi, Norihiro; Araki, Motoharu; Hirano, Keisuke; Ito, Yoshiaki

2016-03-18

Peri-stent contrast staining (PSS) after metallic drug-eluting stent deployment is associated with target lesion revascularization and very late stent thrombosis. However, the type of PSS that influences the clinical outcomes is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to reveal which PSS type was influencing clinical outcomes. This study included 5580 de novo lesions of 4405 patients who were implanted with a first- or second-generation drug-eluting stent and who were evaluated using follow-up angiography within 12 months after stent implantation. We compared the clinical outcomes of patients divided into focal PSS and segmental PSS groups for 6 years after stent implantation. Total PSS was observed in 97 lesions (2.2%), of which 42 and 55 lesions were focal and segmental PSS, respectively. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups, except for intraoperative chronic total occlusion (segmental PSS=47.3% versus focal PSS=11.9%, P=0.0001). The incidence of segmental PSS tended to be higher in patients with a first-generation drug-eluting stent (83.6% versus 16.4%, P=0.05). The cumulative incidence of stent thrombosis in the 6 years of segmental PSS group was significantly higher than that of the focal PSS group (13.9% versus 0%, P=0.04). The cumulative incidence of overall target lesion revascularization for restenosis, excluding target lesion revascularization procedures for stent thrombosis, was significantly higher in the segmental PSS group (38.0% versus 0%, P=0.01). The incidence of segmental PSS tended to be higher in patients with a first-generation drug-eluting stent and appeared to be significantly associated with target lesion revascularization and stent thrombosis. © 2016 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley Blackwell.

Impairments in proverb interpretation following focal frontal lobe lesions.

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Murphy, Patrick; Shallice, Tim; Robinson, Gail; MacPherson, Sarah E; Turner, Martha; Woollett, Katherine; Bozzali, Marco; Cipolotti, Lisa

2013-09-01

The proverb interpretation task (PIT) is often used in clinical settings to evaluate frontal "executive" dysfunction. However, only a relatively small number of studies have investigated the relationship between frontal lobe lesions and performance on the PIT. We compared 52 patients with unselected focal frontal lobe lesions with 52 closely matched healthy controls on a proverb interpretation task. Participants also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests, including a fluid intelligence task (Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices). Lesions were firstly analysed according to a standard left/right sub-division. Secondly, a finer-grained analysis compared the performance of patients with medial, left lateral and right lateral lesions with healthy controls. Thirdly, a contrast of specific frontal subgroups compared the performance of patients with medial lesions with patients with lateral frontal lesions. The results showed that patients with left frontal lesions were significantly impaired on the PIT, while in patients with right frontal lesions the impairments approached significance. Medial frontal patients were the only frontal subgroup impaired on the PIT, relative to healthy controls and lateral frontal patients. Interestingly, an error analysis indicated that a significantly higher number of concrete responses were found in the left lateral subgroup compared to healthy controls. We found no correlation between scores on the PIT and on the fluid intelligence task. Overall our results suggest that specific regions of the frontal lobes contribute to the performance on the PIT. © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Motor cortex stimulation does not improve dystonia secondary to a focal basal ganglia lesion.

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Rieu, Isabelle; Aya Kombo, Magaly; Thobois, Stéphane; Derost, Philippe; Pollak, Pierre; Xie, Jing; Pereira, Bruno; Vidailhet, Marie; Burbaud, Pierre; Lefaucheur, Jean Pascal; Lemaire, Jean Jacques; Mertens, Patrick; Chabardes, Stephan; Broussolle, Emmanuel; Durif, Franck

2014-01-14

To assess the efficacy of epidural motor cortex stimulation (MCS) on dystonia, spasticity, pain, and quality of life in patients with dystonia secondary to a focal basal ganglia (BG) lesion. In this double-blind, crossover, multicenter study, 5 patients with dystonia secondary to a focal BG lesion were included. Two quadripolar leads were implanted epidurally over the primary motor (M1) and premotor cortices, contralateral to the most dystonic side. The leads were placed parallel to the central sulcus. Only the posterior lead over M1 was activated in this study. The most lateral or medial contact of the lead (depending on whether the dystonia predominated in the upper or lower limb) was selected as the anode, and the other 3 as cathodes. One month postoperatively, patients were randomly assigned to on- or off-stimulation for 3 months each, with a 1-month washout between the 2 conditions. Voltage, frequency, and pulse width were fixed at 3.8 V, 40 Hz, and 60 μs, respectively. Evaluations of dystonia (Burke-Fahn-Marsden Scale), spasticity (Ashworth score), pain intensity (visual analog scale), and quality of life (36-Item Short Form Health Survey) were performed before surgery and after each period of stimulation. Burke-Fahn-Marsden Scale, Ashworth score, pain intensity, and quality of life were not statistically significantly modified by MCS. Bipolar epidural MCS failed to improve any clinical feature in dystonia secondary to a focal BG lesion. This study provides Class I evidence that bipolar epidural MCS with the anode placed over the motor representation of the most affected limb failed to improve any clinical feature in dystonia secondary to a focal BG lesion.

FLAIR-HASTE sequence in differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Yong Jae; Kim, Tae Kyoung; Bae, In Young; Kim, Pyo Nyun; Ha, Hyun Kwon; Kim, Ah Young; Lee, Moon Gyu

2001-01-01

To assess the feasibility of using the FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery)-HASTE (half-fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo) sequence for the differential diagnosis of focal hepatic lesions. During a 12-month period, 80 patients with 127 focal hepatic lesions [hemangiomas (n=60), hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) (n=27), cysts (n=25), and metastases (n=15) underwent MR imaging using a 1.5-T scanner. Verification of the diagnosis was based on the findings of pathology (n=11), of angiography and clinical investigation (n=17), or of dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (n=99). MR sequences included T2-weighted HASTE (TE, 134 ms ; echo space, 4.4 ms), FLAIR-HASTE (TE, 64 ms ; echo space, 4.4 ms ; inversion time, 2000 ms ; number of slices, 5-9 ; acquisition time, 13-20 s), and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted FLASH (TR, 131 ms ; TE, 4 ms). FLAIR-HASTE imaging was of any focal lesions seen on T2-weighted HASTE images was performed in the liver area, and their signal intensity was classified in one of five ways : very high (higher than the spleen), moderately high (similar to the spleen), slightly high (higher than the liver and lower than the spleen), intermediate (similar to the liver), or low (lower than the liver). The signal intensity of the 25 cysts, as determined by FLAIR-HASTE, was low in 21 cases (84%), intermediate in three (12%), and very high in one (4%), which was diagnosed as a complicated cyst in which ultrasound revealed internal septa. At FLAIR-HASTE, all 60 hemangiomas showed either very high (n=50, 83%) or moderately high (n=10, 17%) signal intensity, while that of 42 hepatic malignant tumors was very high in 14 cases (33%), moderately high in 8 (19%), slightly high in 18 (43%), intermediate in one (2.5%), and low in one (2.5%). FLAIR-HASTE showed that the signal intensity of the majority of hepatic cysts was low, while that of most hemangiomas and solid liver tumors was high. For the differential diagnosis of cystic and

Effects of Focal Basal Ganglia Lesions on Timing and Force Control

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Aparicio, P.; Diedrichsen, J.; Ivry, R.B.

2005-01-01

Studies of basal ganglia dysfunction in humans have generally involved patients with degenerative disorders, notably Parkinson's disease. In many instances, the performance of these patients is compared to that of patients with focal lesions of other brain structures such as the cerebellum. In the present report, we studied the performance of…

Safety and effectiveness of percutaneous biopsy of focal splenic lesions under ultrasonographic guidance

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Han, Hyun Young; Kim, Joo Heon [Eulji University College of Medicine, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Kyung Sook [Chungnam National University College of Medicine, Taejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2002-06-15

To evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of ultrasound (US)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy for the diagnosis of focal splenic lesions. US guided, automated needle biopsy using an 18-gauge cutting needle was performed in 11 patients, consisted of nine men and two women (mean age=49 years), with focal splenic lesions detected on the CT or US. Six patients (55%) had multiple lesions while five (45%) had a single lesion. Two of eleven patients had splenomegaly. None of 11 patients had the prior diagnosis of extrasplenic or hematopoietic malignancies. The biopsy was considered successful if a specific pathological diagnosis was possible. The diagnostic yield and frequency of complication were retrospectively analyzed. Tissue adequate for histological diagnosis was obtained in nine (82%) of 11 patients, and no complications other than mild, localized discomfort occurred. Multifocal splenic lesions without splenomegaly in five patients were confirmed as Hodgkin's disease (n=2), tuberculosis (n=1), infarction (n=1), and hemangioma (n=1). All single lesion in four patients were proven as benign conditions including hamartoma (n=2), lymphangioma (n=1) and chronic organizing abscess (n=1), and only of them with a large hamartoma received splenectomy while others did not receive further treatment. Although in two (18%) patients with multiple lesions and splenomegaly, no specific diagnosis was established by US-guided biopsy, malignant lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease were confirmed by surgery. US-guided automated needle biopsy is a safe and valuable procedure that can provides a specific diagnosis in patients with splenic lesions.

Focal knee lesions in knee pairs of asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects with OA risk factors—Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chundru, Renu, E-mail: renu.chundru@ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Baum, Thomas, E-mail: thbaum@gmx.de [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Nardo, Lorenzo, E-mail: lorenzo.nardo@ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Nevitt, Michael C., E-mail: MNevitt@psg.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Lynch, John, E-mail: JLynch@psg.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); McCulloch, Charles E., E-mail: CMcCulloch@epi.ucsf.edu [Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 5700, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States); Link, Thomas M., E-mail: tmlink@radiology.ucsf.edu [Musculoskeletal and Quantitative Imaging Research Group, Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, 185 Berry Street, Suite 350, San Francisco, CA 94107 (United States)

2013-08-15

Objective: To better understand the relationship between knee pain and bilateral knee lesions, we compared focal knee lesions in knee pairs of subjects with no, unilateral, and bilateral knee pain, and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but no radiographic knee OA. Materials and methods: We examined both knees of 120 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. We randomly selected 60 subjects aged 45–55 years with OA risk factors, no knee pain (WOMAC pain score = 0) and no radiographic OA (KL-score ≤1) in both knees. We also selected two comparison groups with OA risk factors and no radiographic OA in both knees, but with knee pain (WOMAC pain score ≥5): 30 subjects with right only knee pain and 30 subjects with bilateral knee pain. All subjects underwent 3T MRI of both knees and focal knee lesions were assessed. Results: Statistically significant associations between prevalence of focal lesions in the right and left knee with odds ratios up to 13.5 were found in all three subject groups. Focal knee lesions were generally not associated with pain in analyses comparing knee pairs of subjects with unilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). The prevalence and severity of focal knee lesions were not significantly different in knee pairs of subjects with no knee pain and those with bilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Focal knee lesions in the right and left knee of subjects with OA risk factors were positively associated with each other independent of knee pain status, and were not statistically significant different between knees in subjects with unilateral knee pain.

Focal knee lesions in knee pairs of asymptomatic and symptomatic subjects with OA risk factors—Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chundru, Renu; Baum, Thomas; Nardo, Lorenzo; Nevitt, Michael C.; Lynch, John; McCulloch, Charles E.; Link, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Objective: To better understand the relationship between knee pain and bilateral knee lesions, we compared focal knee lesions in knee pairs of subjects with no, unilateral, and bilateral knee pain, and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis (OA), but no radiographic knee OA. Materials and methods: We examined both knees of 120 subjects from the Osteoarthritis Initiative database. We randomly selected 60 subjects aged 45–55 years with OA risk factors, no knee pain (WOMAC pain score = 0) and no radiographic OA (KL-score ≤1) in both knees. We also selected two comparison groups with OA risk factors and no radiographic OA in both knees, but with knee pain (WOMAC pain score ≥5): 30 subjects with right only knee pain and 30 subjects with bilateral knee pain. All subjects underwent 3T MRI of both knees and focal knee lesions were assessed. Results: Statistically significant associations between prevalence of focal lesions in the right and left knee with odds ratios up to 13.5 were found in all three subject groups. Focal knee lesions were generally not associated with pain in analyses comparing knee pairs of subjects with unilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). The prevalence and severity of focal knee lesions were not significantly different in knee pairs of subjects with no knee pain and those with bilateral knee pain (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Focal knee lesions in the right and left knee of subjects with OA risk factors were positively associated with each other independent of knee pain status, and were not statistically significant different between knees in subjects with unilateral knee pain

Functional MR imaging using sensory and motor task in brain tumors and other focal cerebral lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ok, Chul Su; Lim, Myung Kwan; Yu, Ki Bong; Kim, Hyung Jin; Suh, Chang Hae

2002-01-01

To determine the usefulness of the functional MRI (fMRI) using motor and sensory stimuli in patients with brain tumors of focal cerebral lesions. This study involved five patients with brain tumors (n=2) or cerebral lesions (cysticercosis (n=1), arteriovenous malformation (n=1), focal infarction (n=1) and seven normal controls. For MR examinations a 1.5T scanner was used, and during motor or sensory stimulation, the EPI BOLD technique was employed. For image postprocessing an SPM program was utilized. In volunteers, contralateral sensori-motor cortices were activated by both motor and sensory stimuli, while supplementary motor cortices were activated by motor stimuli and other sensory cortices by sensory stimuli. Preoperative evaluation of the relationship between lesions and important sensory and motor areas was possible, and subsequent surgery was thus successful, involving no severe complications. Activation of ipsilateral or other areas occurred in patients with destruction of a major sensory and/or motor area, suggesting compensatory reorganization. fMRI could be a useful supportive method for determining the best approach to surgery treatment in patients with brain tumors or focal cerebral lesions

Quantitative evaluation of enhancement patterns in focal solid liver lesions with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Haimerl

Full Text Available PURPOSE: The objective was to investigate the dynamic enhancement patterns in focal solid liver lesions after the administration of gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA by means of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI including hepatobiliary phase (HP images 20 min after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Non-enhanced T1/T2-weighted as well as dynamic magnetic resonance (MR images during the arterial phase (AP, the portal venous phase (PVP, the late phase (LP, and the HP (20 min were obtained from 83 patients (54 male, 29 female, mean age 62.01 years with focal solid liver lesions. MRI was conducted by means of a 1.5-T system for 63 patients with malignant liver lesions (HCCs: n = 34, metastases: n = 29 and for 20 patients with benign liver lesions (FNH lesions: n = 14, hemangiomas: n = 3, adenomas: n = 3. For quantitative analysis, signal-to-noise ratios (SNR, contrast enhancement ratios (CER, lesion-to-liver contrast ratios (LLC, and signal intensity (SI ratios were measured. RESULTS: The SNR of liver parenchyma significantly increased in each dynamic phase after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration compared to the SNR of non-enhanced images (p<0.001. The CER of HCCs and metastases significantly decreased between LP and HP images (p = 0.0011, p<0.0001. However, FNH lesions did not show any significant difference, whereas an increased CER was found in hemangiomas. The mean LLCs of FNH lesions were significantly higher than those of HCCs and metastases. The LLC values of hemangiomas remained negative during the entire time course, whereas the LLC of adenomas indicated hyperintensity from the AP to the LP. Furthermore, adenomas showed hypointensity in HP images. CONCLUSION: Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI may help diagnose focal solid liver lesions by evaluating their enhancement patterns.

Human papillomavirus-32-associated focal epithelial hyperplasia accompanying HPV-16-positive papilloma-like lesions in oral mucosa.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Na; Wang, Jiayi; Lei, Lei; Li, Yanzhong; Zhou, Min; Dan, Hongxia; Zeng, Xin; Chen, Qianming

2013-05-01

Human papillomavirus infection can cause a variety of benign or malignant oral lesions, and the various genotypes can cause distinct types of lesions. To our best knowledge, there has been no report of 2 different human papillomavirus-related oral lesions in different oral sites in the same patient before. This paper reported a patient with 2 different oral lesions which were clinically and histologically in accord with focal epithelial hyperplasia and oral papilloma, respectively. Using DNA extracted from these 2 different lesions, tissue blocks were tested for presence of human papillomavirus followed by specific polymerase chain reaction testing for 6, 11, 13, 16, 18, and 32 subtypes in order to confirm the clinical diagnosis. Finally, human papillomavirus-32-positive focal epithelial hyperplasia accompanying human papillomavirus-16-positive oral papilloma-like lesions were detected in different sites of the oral mucosa. Nucleotide sequence sequencing further confirmed the results. So in our clinical work, if the simultaneous occurrences of different human papillomavirus associated lesions are suspected, the multiple biopsies from different lesions and detection of human papillomavirus genotype are needed to confirm the diagnosis.

Clinical presentation and management of Fasciola hepatica infection: Single-center experience

Science.gov (United States)

Kaya, Muhsin; Beştaş, Remzi; Çetin, Sedat

2011-01-01

AIM: To identify the characteristic clinical, laboratory and radiological findings and response to treatment in patients with fascioliasis. METHODS: Patients who were diagnosed with Fasciola hepatica infection were included in this prospective study. Initial clinical, laboratory and radiological findings were recorded. All patients were followed until a complete response was achieved or for 6 mo after treatment discontinuation. RESULTS: Fasciola hepatica infection was diagnosed in 30 patients (24 females; mean age: 42.6 years) between January 2008 and February 2011. Twenty-two (73%) patients had hepatic phase fascioliasis, 5 patients had biliary phase, and 3 patients had biliary phase associated with acute pancreatitis. Of the 8 patients with biliary phase fascioliasis, 2 patients displayed features that overlapped with both hepatic and biliary phase. Abdominal pain and right upper abdominal tenderness were the most prominent signs and symptoms in all patients. Eosinophilia was the most prominent laboratory abnormality in both patients with hepatic and biliary phase (100% and 50%, respectively). Multiple nodular lesions like micro-abscesses on abdominal computerized tomography were the main radiological findings in patients with hepatic phase. Small linear filling defects in the distal choledochus were the main endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) findings in patients with biliary phase. Patients with hepatic phase were treated with triclabendazole alone, and patients with biliary phase were treated with triclabendazole and had live Fasciola hepatica extracted from the bile ducts during ERCP. CONCLUSION: Fasciola hepatica infection should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with hepatic or biliary disease and/or acute pancreatitis associated with eosinophilia. PMID:22171131

Long-term effects of localized spinal radiation therapy on vertebral fractures and focal lesions appearance in patients with multiple myeloma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lecouvet, Frederic; Richard, Francoise; Berg, B. Vande; Malghem, Jacques; Maldague, Baudouin; Ferrant, Augustin; Michaux, J.-L.

1997-01-01

The occurrence of new vertebral fractures and focal marrow lesions was determined and compared in irradiated and nonirradiated vertebrae of 12 patients with multiple myeloma (MM), prospectively followed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the thoraco-lumbar spine after localized spinal radiation therapy. During follow-up (mean 35 months), fractures appeared in 5% of irradiated vertebrae and in 20% of nonirradiated vertebrae; new focal lesions appeared in 4% of irradiated vertebrae and in 27% of nonirradiated vertebrae. This study demonstrates a beneficial long-term effect of localized radiation therapy, consisting of a reduced incidence of vertebral fractures and focal marrow lesions in irradiated vertebrae. (author)

Added value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced Hepatobiliary phase MR imaging in evaluation of focal solid hepatic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haimerl, Michael; Wächtler, Max; Platzek, Ivan; Müller-Wille, Rene; Niessen, Christoph; Hoffstetter, Patrick; Schreyer, Andreas Georg; Stroszczynski, Christian; Wiggermann, Philipp

2013-01-01

Correct characterization of focal solid hepatic lesions has always been a challenge and is of great diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. The purpose of this study was to determine the added value of hepatobiliary phase images in Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for differentiating focal solid hepatic lesions. In this retrospective trial 84 consecutive patients underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MR examinations. MRI was conducted for 64 patients with malignant focal hepatic lesions (34 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 30 metastases) and for 20 patients with benign hepatic lesions (14 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), 3 adenoma, 3 hemangioma). Five radiologists independently reviewed three sets of MR images by means of a 5-point confidence scale from score 1 (definitely benign) to score 5 (definitely malignant): set 1: unenhanced images; set 2: unenhanced and Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced dynamic images; set 3: hepatobiliary phase images in addition to set 2. Accuracy was assessed by the alternative free-response receiver operating characteristic curve (A z ) and the index of diagnostic performance was calculated. Diagnostic accuracy was significantly improved by the addition of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced dynamic images: A z in set 1 was 0.708 and 0.833 in set 2 (P = 0.0002). The addition of hepatobiliary phase images increased the A z value to 0.941 in set 3 (set 3 vs set 2, P < 0.0001; set 3 vs set 1, P < 0.0001). The index of diagnostic performance was lowest in set 1 (45%), improved in set 2 (71%), and highest in set 3 (94%). Hepatobiliary phase images obtained after Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced dynamic MRI improve the differentiation of focal solid hepatic lesions

Individual Assessment of Brain Tissue Changes in MS and the Effect of Focal Lesions on Short-Term Focal Atrophy Development in MS: A Voxel-Guided Morphometry Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Fox

2016-04-01

Full Text Available We performed voxel-guided morphometry (VGM investigating the mechanisms of brain atrophy in multiple sclerosis (MS related to focal lesions. VGM maps detect regional brain changes when comparing 2 time points on high resolution T1-weighted (T1w magnetic resonace imaging (MRI. Two T1w MR datasets from 92 relapsing-remitting MS patients obtained 12 months apart were analysed with VGM. New lesions and volume changes of focal MS lesions as well as in the surrounding tissue were identified by visual inspection on colour coded VGM maps. Lesions were dichotomized in active and inactive lesions. Active lesions, defined by either new lesions (NL (volume increase > 5% in VGM, chronic enlarging lesions (CEL (pre-existent T1w lesions with volume increase > 5%, or chronic shrinking lesions (CSL (pre-existent T1w lesions with volume reduction > 5% in VGM, were accompanied by tissue shrinkage in surrounding and/or functionally related regions. Volume loss within the corpus callosum was highly correlated with the number of lesions in its close proximity. Volume loss in the lateral geniculate nucleus was correlated with lesions along the optic radiation. VGM analysis provides strong evidence that all active lesion types (NL, CEL, and CSL contribute to brain volume reduction in the vicinity of lesions and/or in anatomically and functionally related areas of the brain.

Identification of focal adenomyosis as a uterine lesion in two dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Stöcklin-Gautschi, N M; Guscetti, F; Reichler, I M; Geissbühler, U; Braun, S A; Arnold, S

2001-08-01

A focal uterine adenomyosis is described in two bitches. In both cases, the uterus showed knobbly enlargements of 4 to 8 cm in diameter, which resulted in distinct clinical symptoms. Other pathological changes of the uterus were not present. One bitch was presented because of a history of vaginal discharge of several months' duration. Radiographs, as well as ultrasonography, revealed a soft tissue lesion at the cervix. The other bitch showed a marked reduction in its general condition and a sudden onset of a tense abdomen. Radiologically, a lesion of soft tissue opacity was observed in the mid-abdomen and was seen to originate from the left uterine horn during exploratory laparotomy. A torsion of the lesion was present, which explained the clinical signs in this second case.

Incidence of lesions as described by MRI in focal epilepsy of frontal and temporal onset

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menzel, C.; Gruenwald, F.; Biersack, H.J.; Ostertun, B.; Solymosi, L.; Schild, H.; Bockisch, A.; Elger, C.E.

1997-01-01

Aim: Today, MRI is an integral part of the presurgical evaluation of patients suffering from partial epilepsy. These patients frequently show focal morphological abnormalities with potential epileptogenic character and surgical resection of these lesions is associated with superior postsurgical outcome as to seizure frequency. Apart from easily detectable defects, such as post-traumatic lesions or cerebral infarction, as wide variety of mainly small abnormalities can be detected using MRI. Methods: In this study, 484 patients suffering from partial epilepsy of temporal or frontal onset were evaluated for the incidence of different lesions in this population. Results: All lesions found were included without evaluating their potential epileptogenicity, which remains to be proven using other procedures (EEG, SPECT, PET, etc.). Involvement of the hippocampal formation was a major finding in temporal lobe epilepsy, which could be detected as sclerosis (T2w-images), atrophy (T2w-TSE or T1w-IR-images) or both (15%). In addition and in declining frequency various tumors (14%), post-traumatic lesion (-5%), and focal cortical dysplasia or other disturbances of cortical integrity (-4%) were found. These lesions are detectable with best contrast on different sequences. As a consequence it is suggested to acquire sequences in 3 dimensions including a T1w-SE, two (coronal and axial) double-echo-SE sequences and similarily two T1w-IR-sequences. The application of contrast media can be restricted to special questions, derived either from the first imaging results or from the patients history. Conclusion: Using qualitative data for interpretation, the sensitivity as to the detection of any focal pathology of a recent-generation MRI in this population was 75%, with 79% for temporal lobe epilepsies and 67% for frontal lobe epilepsies. Quantitative measurements of hippocampal volume or signal seem to be able to increase the sensitivity of the method. (orig.) [de

Unveiling the 'unique bone': a study of the distribution of focal clavicular lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suresh, S.; Saifuddin, A.

2008-01-01

Clavicle is a unique bone for many reasons. There is no study discussing the differential diagnosis of clavicular lesions based on the site of occurrence or age at presentation. This study aims to determine whether the distribution of lesions affecting the clavicle and age at presentation aid in the differential diagnosis of focal clavicular lesions. Clinical notes, imaging and histopathological reports of the clavicular lesions between Jan 1999 and Jan 2006 were reviewed. Virtually, all patients had been referred as suspected neoplasm. Fifty-nine patients were identified. Patients 50 years (n=18) had predominantly malignant lesions. The lesions most commonly affected the medial third (n=35) and were predominantly non-neoplastic or benign. The middle third was affected in 15 patients and showed both benign and malignant lesions. The lateral third was least affected with predominance of malignant lesions. The clavicle is not a primary common site for any particular tumour; hence, diagnosis of the lesions can be challenging. Our study has suggested that few factors like age and site of the lesions may be helpful in diagnosis. (orig.)

Real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosing of focal spleen lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu Xiaoling; Yu Jie; Liang Ping; Liu Fangyi

2012-01-01

Objective: To investigate the features of focal spleen lesions (FSLs) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging. Materials and methods: CEUS with a blot injection of SonoVue was performed in 48 patients with 75 FSLs (median diameter 2.6 cm) and their perfusion characteristics were analyzed by using contrast pulse sequences (CPS) technique. Results: Among 19 malignant lesions (10 metastases, 7 lymphoma, 1 hemangiosarcoma, 1 epithelioid hemangioendothelioma) and 56 benign lesion (23 hemangiomas, 14 cysts, 8 infarctions, 4 splenic ruptures, 3 tuberculosis, 2 abscess, 1 pseudoaneurysm, 1 lymphangioma), 25 benign lesions were demonstrated nonenhancement. For malignancy, 50.0% (5/10) metastases and 57.1% (4/7) lymphomas were showed hypoenhancement in the arterial phase, and 18 (94.7%) of malignant lesions were hypo-enhancement in the parenchymal phase. Among 31 benign lesions with enhancement, 27 (87.1%) were showed isoenhancement or hyperenhancement in the arterial phase and 22 (71.0%) lesions were isoenhancement or hyperenhancement in the parenchymal phase. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of diagnosis for FSLs were 91.1%, 95.0% and 92.0% for CEUS and 75.0%, 84.2% and 77.3% respectively, for the conventional baseline ultrasound (BUS). Conclusion: Real-time CEUS can provide valuable information for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of FSLs.

Focal hepatic lesions: contrast-enhancement patterns at pulse-inversion harmonic US using a microbubble contrast agent

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Eun-A; Yoon, Kwon-Ha; Lee, Young-Hwan; Kim, Hye-Won; Juhng, Seon-Kwan; Won, Jong-Jin [Wonkwang University, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2003-12-15

To analyze the contrast-enhancement patterns obtained at pulse-inversion harmonic imaging (PIHI) of focal hepatic lesions, and to thus determine tumor vascularity and the acoustic emission effect. We reviewed pulse-inversion images in 90 consecutive patients with focal hepatic lesions, namely hepatocellular carcinoma (HHC) (n=43), metastases (n=30), and hemangioma (n=17). Vascular and delayed phase images were obtained immediately and five minutes following the injection of a microbubble contrast agent. Tumoral vascularity at vascular phase imaging and the acoustic emission effect at delayed phase imaging were each classified as one of four patterns. Vascular phase images depicted internal vessels in 93% of HCCs, marginal vessels in 83% of metastases, and peripheral enhancement in 71% of hemangiomas. Delayed phase images showed inhomogeneous enhancement in 86% of HCCs; hypoechoic, decreased enhancement in 93% of metastases; and hypoechoic and reversed echogenicity in 65% of hemangiomas. Vascular and delayed phase enhancement patterns were associated with a specificity of 91% or greater, and 92% or greater, respectively, and with positive predictive values of 71% or greater, and 85% or greater, respectively. Contrast-enhancement patterns depicting tumoral vascularity and the acoustic emission effect at PIHI can help differentiate focal hepatic lesions.

Imaging patterns and focal lesions in fatty liver: a pictorial review.

Science.gov (United States)

Venkatesh, Sudhakar K; Hennedige, Tiffany; Johnson, Geoffrey B; Hough, David M; Fletcher, Joel G

2017-05-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common cause of chronic liver disease and affects nearly one-third of US population. With the increasing trend of obesity in the population, associated fatty change in the liver will be a common feature observed in imaging studies. Fatty liver causes changes in liver parenchyma appearance on imaging modalities including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and may affect the imaging characteristics of focal liver lesions (FLLs). The imaging characteristics of FLLs were classically described in a non-fatty liver. In addition, focal fatty change and focal fat sparing may also simulate FLLs. Knowledge of characteristic patterns of fatty change in the liver (diffuse, geographical, focal, subcapsular, and perivascular) and their impact on the detection and characterization of FLL is therefore important. In general, fatty change may improve detection of FLLs on MRI using fat suppression sequences, but may reduce sensitivity on a single-phase (portal venous) CT and conventional ultrasound. In patients with fatty liver, MRI is generally superior to ultrasound and CT for detection and characterization of FLL. In this pictorial essay, we describe the imaging patterns of fatty change in the liver and its effect on detection and characterization of FLLs on ultrasound, CT, MRI, and PET.

Classification of focal liver lesions on ultrasound images by extracting hybrid textural features and using an artificial neural network.

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Yoo Na; Lee, Ju Hwan; Kim, Ga Young; Jiang, Yuan Yuan; Kim, Sung Min

2015-01-01

This paper focuses on the improvement of the diagnostic accuracy of focal liver lesions by quantifying the key features of cysts, hemangiomas, and malignant lesions on ultrasound images. The focal liver lesions were divided into 29 cysts, 37 hemangiomas, and 33 malignancies. A total of 42 hybrid textural features that composed of 5 first order statistics, 18 gray level co-occurrence matrices, 18 Law's, and echogenicity were extracted. A total of 29 key features that were selected by principal component analysis were used as a set of inputs for a feed-forward neural network. For each lesion, the performance of the diagnosis was evaluated by using the positive predictive value, negative predictive value, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy. The results of the experiment indicate that the proposed method exhibits great performance, a high diagnosis accuracy of over 96% among all focal liver lesion groups (cyst vs. hemangioma, cyst vs. malignant, and hemangioma vs. malignant) on ultrasound images. The accuracy was slightly increased when echogenicity was included in the optimal feature set. These results indicate that it is possible for the proposed method to be applied clinically.

Robust segmentation of focal lesions on multi-sequence MRI in multiple sclerosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia-Lorenzo, Daniel

2010-01-01

Multiple sclerosis (MS) affects around 80.000 people in France. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an essential tool for diagnosis of MS and MRI-derived surrogate markers such as MS lesion volumes are often used as measures in MS clinical trials for the development of new treatments. The manual segmentation of these MS lesions is a time-consuming task that shows high inter- and intra-rater variability. We developed an automatic work flow for the segmentation of focal MS lesions on MRI. The segmentation method is based on the robust estimation of a parametric model of the intensities of the brain; lesions are detected as outliers to the model. We proposed two methods to include spatial information in the segmentation using mean shift and graph cut. We performed a quantitative evaluation of our work flow using synthetic and clinical images of two different centers to verify its accuracy and robustness. (author)

The role of transvaginal power Doppler ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of benign intrauterine focal lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Cogendez, Ebru; Eken, Meryem Kurek; Bakal, Nuray; Gun, Ismet; Kaygusuz, Ecmel Isik; Karateke, Ates

2015-10-01

The purpose of this prospective study was to assess the role of power Doppler imaging in the differential diagnosis of benign intrauterine focal lesions such as endometrial polyps and submucous myomas using the characteristics of power Doppler flow mapping. A total of 480 premenopausal patients with abnormal uterine bleeding were evaluated by transvaginal ultrasonography (TVS) searching for intrauterine pathology. Sixty-four patients with a suspicious focal endometrial lesion received saline infusion sonography (SIS) after TVS. Fifty-eight patients with focal endometrial lesions underwent power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS). Three different vascular flow patterns were defined: Single vessel pattern, multiple vessel pattern, and circular flow pattern. Finally, hysteroscopic resection was performed in all cases, and Doppler flow characteristics were then compared with the final histopathological findings. Histopathological results were as follows: endometrial polyp: 40 (69 %), submucous myoma: 18 (31 %). Of the cases with endometrial polyps, 80 % demonstrated a single vessel pattern, 7.5 % a multiple vessel pattern, and 0 % a circular pattern. Vascularization was not observed in 12.5 % of patients with polyps. Of the cases with submucousal myomas, 72.2 % demonstrated a circular flow pattern, 27.8 % a multiple vessel pattern, and none of them showed a single vessel pattern. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the single vessel pattern in diagnosing endometrial polyps were 80, 100, 100, and 69.2 %, respectively; and for the circular pattern in diagnosing submucous myoma, these were 72.2, 100, 100, and 88.9 %, respectively. Power Doppler blood flow mapping is a useful, practical, and noninvasive diagnostic method for the differential diagnosis of benign intrauterine focal lesions. Especially in cases of recurrent abnormal uterine bleeding, recurrent abortion, and infertility, PDUS can be preferred as a first-line diagnostic method.

Primary Self-Expandable Nitinol Stent Placement in Focal Lesions of Infrarenal Abdominal Aorta: Long Term Results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lastovickova, Jarmila; Peregrin, Jan H.

2008-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate the technical and clinical success, safety and long term results of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty/self-expandable nitinol stent placement of infrarenal abdominal aorta focal lesions. Materials and Methods. Eighteen patients underwent PTA of focal atherosclerotic occlusive disease of distal abdominal aorta. Two symptomatic occlusions and 16 stenoses in 10 male and 8 female patients (mean age 68.2 years) were treated with primary self-expandable nitinol stent placement. Results. Primary self-expandable nitinol stent placement was technically successful in all 18 procedures; clinical success was achieved in 100% of patients. No complications associated with the procedure occurred. During the 49.4 months of mean follow up (range 3-96, 4 months) all treated aortic segments remained patent. Conclusions. Endovascular treatment (primary self-expandable nitinol stent placement) of focal atherosclerotic lesions of distal abdominal aorta is a safe method with excellent primary technical and clinical success rates and favourable Long term results

Fasciola Hepatica Mimicking Malignancy on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

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Erdem Sürücü

2016-10-01

Full Text Available A 48-year-old female with complaints of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, and weight loss was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor after removal of a 2 mm lesion from the stomach with endoscopic biopsy. Her magnetic resonance imaging that was performed due to on-going symptoms showed multiple linear hypointense lesions in the liver. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT scan was performed for differential diagnosis, which showed high fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG uptake in these lesions. Clinical and laboratory findings revealed the final diagnosis as Fasciola hepatica. The imaging features of this case is presented to aid in differentiating this infectious disease from malignancy and avoid misdiagnosis on FDG-PET/CT.

Fasciola Hepatica Mimicking Malignancy on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose-Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Sürücü, Erdem; Demir, Yusuf; Dülger, Ahmet C.; Batur, Abdüssamed; Ölmez, Şehmus; Kitapçı, Mehmet T.

2016-01-01

A 48-year-old female with complaints of gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal pain, fatigue, vomiting, nausea, and weight loss was diagnosed with neuroendocrine tumor after removal of a 2 mm lesion from the stomach with endoscopic biopsy. Her magnetic resonance imaging that was performed due to on-going symptoms showed multiple linear hypointense lesions in the liver. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) scan was performed for differential diagnosis, which showed high fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in these lesions. Clinical and laboratory findings revealed the final diagnosis as Fasciola hepatica. The imaging features of this case is presented to aid in differentiating this infectious disease from malignancy and avoid misdiagnosis on FDG-PET/CT. PMID:27751978

Parietal Epithelial Cells Participate in the Formation of Sclerotic Lesions in Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Science.gov (United States)

Smeets, Bart; Kuppe, Christoph; Sicking, Eva-Maria; Fuss, Astrid; Jirak, Peggy; van Kuppevelt, Toin H.; Endlich, Karlhans; Wetzels, Jack F.M.; Gröne, Hermann-Josef; Floege, Jürgen

2011-01-01

The pathogenesis of the development of sclerotic lesions in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) remains unknown. Here, we selectively tagged podocytes or parietal epithelial cells (PECs) to determine whether PECs contribute to sclerosis. In three distinct models of FSGS (5/6-nephrectomy + DOCA-salt; the murine transgenic chronic Thy1.1 model; or the MWF rat) and in human biopsies, the primary injury to induce FSGS associated with focal activation of PECs and the formation of cellular adhesions to the capillary tuft. From this entry site, activated PECs invaded the affected segment of the glomerular tuft and deposited extracellular matrix. Within the affected segment, podocytes were lost and mesangial sclerosis developed within the endocapillary compartment. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that PECs contribute to the development and progression of the sclerotic lesions that define FSGS, but this pathogenesis may be relevant to all etiologies of glomerulosclerosis. PMID:21719782

Radiation-induced focal cortical necrosis of the femur presenting as a lytic lesion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ilaslan, Hakan; Schils, Jean [Cleveland Clinic, Musculoskeletal Radiology, Cleveland, OH (United States); Joyce, Michael [Cleveland Clinic, Orthopedic Oncology, Cleveland, OH (United States); Shah, Chirag [Cleveland Clinic, Radiation Oncology, Cleveland, OH (United States); Zhang, Yaxia [Cleveland Clinic, Pathology, Cleveland, OH (United States)

2017-11-15

Management of soft tissue sarcomas is often complicated, requiring radiation before and in some cases after limb-sparing surgery. Radiation necrosis is a severe complication after radiation treatment and is typically dose related and involves medullary bone. We report on two cases of hitherto unreported focal circumscribed intra-cortical lytic lesions within the radiation portal, which appeared 19 months and 31 months, respectively, after the conclusion of radiation treatment. Both patients had a history of soft tissue sarcoma treated with radiation (66 Gy) and surgical resection. Biopsy of these lesions showed necrotic bone attributed to radiation. (orig.)

Molecular characterization and phylogenetic analysis of Fasciola hepatica from Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Ichikawa-Seki, Madoka; Ortiz, Pedro; Cabrera, Maria; Hobán, Cristian; Itagaki, Tadashi

2016-06-01

The causative agent of fasciolosis in South America is thought to be Fasciola hepatica. In this study, Fasciola flukes from Peru were analyzed to investigate their genetic structure and phylogenetic relationships with those from other countries. Fasciola flukes were collected from the three definitive host species: cattle, sheep, and pigs. They were identified as F. hepatica because mature sperms were observed in their seminal vesicles, and also they displayed Fh type, which has an identical fragment pattern to F. hepatica in the nuclear internal transcribed spacer 1. Eight haplotypes were obtained from the mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) sequences of Peruvian F. hepatica; however, no special difference in genetic structure was observed between the three host species. Its extremely low genetic diversity suggests that the Peruvian population was introduced from other regions. Nad1 haplotypes identical to those of Peruvian F. hepatica were detected in China, Uruguay, Italy, Iran, and Australia. Our results indicate that F. hepatica rapidly expanded its range due to human migration. Future studies are required to elucidate dispersal route of F. hepatica from Europe, its probable origin, to other areas, including Peru. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

Fasciola hepatica in snails collected from water-dropwort fields using PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hwang-Yong; Choi, In-Wook; Kim, Yeon-Rok; Quan, Juan-Hua; Ismail, Hassan Ahmed Hassan Ahmed; Cha, Guang-Ho; Hong, Sung-Jong; Lee, Young-Ha

2014-12-01

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode that causes zoonosis mainly in cattle and sheep and occasionally in humans. Fascioliasis has been reported in Korea; however, determining F. hepatica infection in snails has not been done recently. Thus, using PCR, we evaluated the prevalence of F. hepatica infection in snails at 4 large water-dropwort fields. Among 349 examined snails, F. hepatica-specific internal transcribed space 1 (ITS-1) and/or ITS-2 markers were detected in 12 snails and confirmed using sequence analysis. Morphologically, 213 of 349 collected snails were dextral shelled, which is the same aperture as the lymnaeid snail, the vectorial host for F. hepatica. Among the 12 F. hepatica-infected snails, 6 were known first intermediate hosts in Korea (Lymnaea viridis and L. ollula) and the remaining 6 (Lymnaea sp.) were potentially a new first intermediate host in Korea. It has been shown that the overall prevalence of the snails contaminated with F. hepatica in water-dropwort fields was 3.4%; however, the prevalence varied among the fields. This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of F. hepatica infection using the vectorial capacity of the snails in Korea.

CONSUMER PREFERENCES FOR SCANNING MODALITY TO DIAGNOSE FOCAL LIVER LESIONS.

Science.gov (United States)

Whitty, Jennifer; Filby, Alexandra; Smith, Adam B; Carr, Louise M

2015-01-01

Differences in the process of using liver imaging technologies might be important to patients. This study aimed to investigate preferences for scanning modalities used in diagnosing focal liver lesions. A discrete choice experiment was administered to 504 adults aged 25 ≥years. Respondents made repeated choices between two hypothetical scans, described according to waiting time for scan and results, procedure type, the chance of minor side-effects, and whether further scanning procedures were likely to be required. Choice data were analyzed using mixed-logit models with respondent characteristics used to explain preference heterogeneity. Respondents preferred shorter waiting times, the procedure to be undertaken with a handheld scanner on a couch instead of within a body scanner, no side-effects, and no follow–up scans (p≤.01). The average respondent was willing to wait an additional 2 weeks for the scan if it resulted in avoiding side-effects, 1.5 weeks to avoid further procedures or to be told the results immediately, and 1 week to have the scan performed on a couch with a handheld scanner. However, substantial heterogeneity was observed in the strength of preference for desirable imaging characteristics. An average individual belonging to a general population sub–group most likely to require imaging to characterize focal liver lesions in the United Kingdom would prefer contrast–enhanced ultrasound over magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography. Insights into the patient perspective around differential characteristics of imaging modalities have the potential to be used to guide recommendations around the use of these technologie

Ultrasonographic detection of focal liver lesions: increased sensitivity and specificity with microbubble contrast agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohmann, J.; Albrecht, T.; Hoffmann, C.W.; Wolf, K.-J.

2003-01-01

Ultrasonography (US) is the first choice for screening patients with suspected liver lesions. However, due to a lack of contrast agents, US used to be less sensitive and specific compared with computed tomography (CT) and magnet resonance imaging (MRI). The advent of microbubble contrast agents increased both sensitivity and specificity dramatically. Rapid developments of the contrast agents as well as of special imaging techniques were made in recent years. Today numerous different US imaging methods exist which based either on Doppler or on harmonic imaging. They are using the particular behaviour of microbubbles in a sound field which varies depending on the energy of insonation (low/high mechanical index, MI) as well as on the properties of the agent themselves. Apart from just blood pool enhancement some agents have a hepatosplenic specific late phase. US imaging during this late phase using relatively high MI in phase inversion mode (harmonic imaging) or stimulated acoustic emission (SAE; Doppler method) markedly improves the detection of focal liver lesions and is also very helpful for lesion characterisation. With regards to detection, contrast enhanced US performs similarly to CT as shown by recent studies. Early results of studies using low MI imaging and the newer perfluor agents are also showing promising results for lesion detection. Low MI imaging with these agents has the advantage of real time imaging and is particularly helpful for characterisation of focal lesions based on their dynamic contrast behaviour. Apart from the techniques which based on the morphology of liver lesions there were some attempts for the detection of occult metastases or micrometastases by means of liver blood flow changes. Also in this field the use of US contrast agents appears to have advantages over formerly used non contrast-enhanced methods although no conclusive results are available yet

Task-specific compensation and recovery following focal motor cortex lesion in stressed rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirkland, Scott W; Smith, Lori K; Metz, Gerlinde A

2012-03-01

One reason for the difficulty to develop effective therapies for stroke is that intrinsic factors, such as stress, may critically influence pathological mechanisms and recovery. In cognitive tasks, stress can both exaggerate and alleviate functional loss after focal ischemia in rodents. Using a comprehensive motor assessment in rats, this study examined if chronic stress and corticosterone treatment affect skill recovery and compensation in a task-specific manner. Groups of rats received daily restraint stress or oral corticosterone supplementation for two weeks prior to a focal motor cortex lesion. After lesion, stress and corticosterone treatments continued for three weeks. Motor performance was assessed in two skilled reaching tasks, skilled walking, forelimb inhibition, forelimb asymmetry and open field behavior. The results revealed that persistent stress and elevated corticosterone levels mainly limit motor recovery. Treated animals dropped larger amounts of food in successful reaches and showed exaggerated loss of forelimb inhibition early after lesion. Stress also caused a moderate, but non-significant increase in infarct size. By contrast, stress and corticosterone treatments promoted reaching success and other quantitative measures in the tray reaching task. Comparative analysis revealed that improvements are due to task-specific development of compensatory strategies. These findings suggest that stress and stress hormones may partially facilitate task-specific and adaptive compensatory movement strategies. The observations support the notion that hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation may be a key determinant of recovery and motor system plasticity after ischemic stroke.

Seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica in cattle in Estonia

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersson, Jennifer; Jokelainen, Pikka; Lassen, Brian

2017-01-01

Fasciolosis, an infectious disease caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, affects grazing cattle world-wide. Liver fluke F. hepatica is prevalent and well-documented in cattle in many European countries, but for the Baltic countries such information is limited. This study investigated...

Evaluation of turbo spin echo sequences for MRI of focal liver lesions at 0.5 T

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kreft, B.; Layer, G.; Steudel, A.; Spiller, L.; Heuck, A.; Mueller, A.; Gieseke, J.; Reiser, M.F.

1994-01-01

To determine whether turbo spin echo (TSE) sequences can replace conventional T2-weighted spin echo (SE) sequences in MRI of the liver, 40 patients with focal liver lesions were imaged at 0.5 T. A T2-weighted SE sequence (TR/TE 1800/90 ms, number of signals averaged [NEX] = 2, scan time 7:16 min), a TSE sequence (TR/TE 1800/90 ms, NEX = 4, number of echos per excitation = 13, echo spacing = 12.9 ms, scan time = 4:16 min) and a T1-weighted SE sequence (TR/TE 350/15 ms, NEX = 2, scan time = 4:21 min) were obtained and image quality, lesion detectability and lesion differentiation were evaluated qualitatively by subjective assessment using scores and quantitatively by lesion-liver contrast-to-noise (CNR) and tumour/liver signal intensity (SI) ratios. The image quality of the TSE sequence was substantially better compared with the T2-weighted SE sequence due to a reduction in motion artefacts and better delineation of anatomical details. Of a total of 158 visible lesions the T1-weighted SE, TSE and T2-weighted SE sequences showed 91 %, 81 % and 65 % of the lesions, respectively. Thus the TSE sequence depicted 24 % (P < 0.001) more lesions than the T2-weighted SE sequence. In all types of pathology the lesion-liver CNR of the TSE sequence was significantly (P < 0.001) higher compared to the CNR of the T2-weighted SE sequence ( +55-65 %), indicating superior lesion conspicuity. Lesion characterization was equally good on the two T2-weighted sequences with no difference in the tumour/liver SI ratio. Using a criterion of tumour/liver SI ratio equal to or higher than 2, haemangiomas larger than 1 cm in diameter could be differentiated from other lesions with a sensitivity and specificity of 95 % and 96 %, respectively. Our results indicate that the TSE sequence is suitable for replacing the conventional T2-weighted SE sequence in MRI of focal liver lesions. (orig.)

Clinical value of MRI liver-specific contrast agents: a tailored examination for a confident non-invasive diagnosis of focal liver lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ba-Ssalamah, Ahmed; Uffmann, Martin; Bastati, Nina; Herold, Christian; Schima, Wolfgang; Saini, Sanjai

2009-01-01

Screening of the liver for hepatic lesion detection and characterization is usually performed with either ultrasound or CT. However, both techniques are suboptimal for liver lesion characterization and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has emerged as the preferred radiological investigation. In addition to unenhanced MR imaging techniques, contrast-enhanced MR imaging can demonstrate tissue-specific physiological information, thereby facilitating liver lesion characterization. Currently, the classes of contrast agents available for MR imaging of the liver include non-tissue-specific extracellular gadolinium chelates and tissue-specific hepatobiliary or reticuloendothelial agents. In this review, we describe the MR features of the more common focal hepatic lesions, as well as appropriate imaging protocols. A special emphasis is placed on the clinical use of non-specific and liver-specific contrast agents for differentiation of focal liver lesions. This may aid in the accurate diagnostic workup of patients in order to avoid invasive procedures, such as biopsy, for lesion characterization. A diagnostic strategy that considers the clinical situation is also presented. (orig.)

Fasciola hepatica from naturally infected sheep and cattle in Great Britain are diploid.

Science.gov (United States)

Beesley, N J; Cwiklinski, K; Williams, D J L; Hodgkinson, J

2015-08-01

Diploid (2n = 2x = 20) and triploid (2n = 3x = 30) Fasciola hepatica have been reported in the UK, and in Asia diploid, triploid and mixoploid (2x/3x) Fasciola spp. exist but there is little information to indicate how common triploidy is, particularly in UK fluke. Here the ploidy of 565 adult F. hepatica from 66 naturally infected British sheep and 150 adult F. hepatica from 35 naturally infected British cattle was determined. All 715 of these parasites were diploid, based on observation of 10 bivalent chromosomes and sperm (n = 335) or, since triploids are aspermic, sperm alone (n = 380). This constitutes the first extensive analysis of the ploidy of F. hepatica field isolates from Great Britain and shows that most F. hepatica isolated from cattle and sheep are diploid and have the capacity to sexually reproduce. These data suggest that triploidy, and by extension parthenogenesis, is rare or non-existent in wild British F. hepatica populations. Given that F. hepatica is the only species of Fasciola present in Britain our results indicate that the parasite is predominantly diploid in areas where F. hepatica exists in isolation and suggests that triploidy may only originate in natural populations where co-infection of F. hepatica and its sister species Fasciola gigantica commonly occurs.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of brain metastases: their potential to be misinterpreted as focal ischaemic lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Geijer, B. [Department of Radiology, University Hospital, Lund (Sweden); Holtaas, S. [Department of Diagnostic Imaging, King Fahd Hospital, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia)

2002-07-01

Small focal ischaemic brain lesions are said to be easy to identify in the acute stage and to differentiate from older lesions using diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). Brain metastases are common and the aim of this study was to evaluate the risk of misinterpretation as ischaemic lesions in a standard MRI protocol for clinical stroke. Of 26 patients investigated with MRI for possible metastases, 12 did have metastatic brain lesions, including most of the common tumours. On a 1.5 tesla imager, we obtained DWI, plus T2- and T1-weighted images, the latter before and after triple-dose contrast medium. Well-circumscribed brain lesions with a decreased apparent diffusion coefficient and a slightly or moderately increased signal on T2-weighted images were found in patients with metastases from a small-cell bronchial carcinoma and a pulmonary adenocarcinoma. The same features were also found in metastases from a breast carcinoma but the lesions were surrounded by oedema. With a standard DWI protocol, the features of common brain metastases may overlap with those of small acute and subacute ischaemic lesions. (orig.)

Parametric imaging for characterizing focal liver lesions in contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Rognin, Nicolas G; Arditi, Marcel; Mercier, Laurent; Frinking, Peter J A; Schneider, Michel; Perrenoud, Geneviève; Anaye, Anass; Meuwly, Jean-Yves; Tranquart, François

2010-11-01

The differentiation between benign and malignant focal liver lesions plays an important role in diagnosis of liver disease and therapeutic planning of local or general disease. This differentiation, based on characterization, relies on the observation of the dynamic vascular patterns (DVP) of lesions with respect to adjacent parenchyma, and may be assessed during contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging after a bolus injection. For instance, hemangiomas (i.e., benign lesions) exhibit hyper-enhanced signatures over time, whereas metastases (i.e., malignant lesions) frequently present hyperenhanced foci during the arterial phase and always become hypo-enhanced afterwards. The objective of this work was to develop a new parametric imaging technique, aimed at mapping the DVP signatures into a single image called a DVP parametric image, conceived as a diagnostic aid tool for characterizing lesion types. The methodology consisted in processing a time sequence of images (DICOM video data) using four consecutive steps: (1) pre-processing combining image motion correction and linearization to derive an echo-power signal, in each pixel, proportional to local contrast agent concentration over time; (2) signal modeling, by means of a curve-fitting optimization, to compute a difference signal in each pixel, as the subtraction of adjacent parenchyma kinetic from the echopower signal; (3) classification of difference signals; and (4) parametric image rendering to represent classified pixels as a support for diagnosis. DVP parametric imaging was the object of a clinical assessment on a total of 146 lesions, imaged using different medical ultrasound systems. The resulting sensitivity and specificity were 97% and 91%, respectively, which compare favorably with scores of 81 to 95% and 80 to 95% reported in medical literature for sensitivity and specificity, respectively.

Radioimmunoassay for carcinoembryonic antigen and alpha1-fetoprotein in the qualitative evaluation of focal hepatic lesions in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aburano, T.; Tonami, N.; Tada, A.; Hisada, K.

1980-01-01

The combined tests of serum alpha 1 -fetoprotein (AFP) und carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were routinely performed in 210 patients with focal hepatic lesions on a 99 sup(m)Tc-colloid liver scan in order to determine whether these could provide more useful information that AFP test alone in the qualitative evaluation of focal hepatic lesions. The predictive value of hepatoma with positive AFP alone remained 80%. However, when the negative CEA was combined with positive AFP, the predictive value of hepatoma (91%) with both was greatly increased. On the other hand, the predictive value of metastatic liver cancer with positive CEA showed 92%. The combined Test of AFP and CEA may be useful for preserving high predictive values of hepatoma and metastatic liver disease. (orig.) [de

A new automated quantification algorithm for the detection and evaluation of focal liver lesions with contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Science.gov (United States)

Gatos, Ilias; Tsantis, Stavros; Spiliopoulos, Stavros; Skouroliakou, Aikaterini; Theotokas, Ioannis; Zoumpoulis, Pavlos; Hazle, John D; Kagadis, George C

2015-07-01

Detect and classify focal liver lesions (FLLs) from contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) imaging by means of an automated quantification algorithm. The proposed algorithm employs a sophisticated segmentation method to detect and contour focal lesions from 52 CEUS video sequences (30 benign and 22 malignant). Lesion detection involves wavelet transform zero crossings utilization as an initialization step to the Markov random field model toward the lesion contour extraction. After FLL detection across frames, time intensity curve (TIC) is computed which provides the contrast agents' behavior at all vascular phases with respect to adjacent parenchyma for each patient. From each TIC, eight features were automatically calculated and employed into the support vector machines (SVMs) classification algorithm in the design of the image analysis model. With regard to FLLs detection accuracy, all lesions detected had an average overlap value of 0.89 ± 0.16 with manual segmentations for all CEUS frame-subsets included in the study. Highest classification accuracy from the SVM model was 90.3%, misdiagnosing three benign and two malignant FLLs with sensitivity and specificity values of 93.1% and 86.9%, respectively. The proposed quantification system that employs FLLs detection and classification algorithms may be of value to physicians as a second opinion tool for avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures.

Hepatic Mass Caused by Fasciola Hepatica: A Tricky Differential Diagnosis

Science.gov (United States)

Yılmaz, Bülent; Köklü, Seyfettin; Gedikoğlu, Gökhan

2013-01-01

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic infestation caused by the trematode fasciola hepatica. It presents a wide spectrum of clinical pictures ranging from fever and eosinophilia to ambiguous gastrointestinal symptoms in the acute phase. However, it may often be overlooked, especially in the acute phase, because of uncertain symptoms. Fasciola hepatica can have an initial presentation similar to the presentation of malignancy. Here, we report a case of a hepatic mass caused by fasciola hepatica. PMID:24080633

State of the knowledge of flora of hepaticas of Colombia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uribe M, Jaime; Gradstein, S Rob

1999-01-01

The Colombian hepatic flora is a very rich one. About 60% of all the species of tropical America and one sixth of the world's hepaticas occur in Colombia. The country has more species than the whole of Africa south of the Sahara and almost twice as many as Europe. The new catalogue of the hepaticas of Colombia accepts 840 species (in 36 families and 136 genera): 832 species of Hepaticae and 8 species of Anthocerotae

Possibilities of differentiation of solitary focal liver lesions by computed tomography perfusion

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Irmina Sefić Pašić

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Aim To evaluate possibilities of computed tomography (CT perfusion in differentiation of solitary focal liver lesions based on their characteristic vascularization through perfusion parameters analysis. Methods Prospective study was conducted on 50 patients in the period 2009-2012. Patients were divided in two groups: benign and malignant lesions. The following CT perfusion parameters were analyzed: blood flow (BF, blood volume (BV, mean transit time (MTT, capillary permeability surface area product (PS, hepatic arterial fraction (HAF, and impulse residual function (IRF. During the study another perfusion parameter was analyzed: hepatic perfusion index (HPI. All patients were examined on Multidetector 64-slice CT machine (GE with application of perfusion protocol for liver with i.v. administration of contrast agent. Results In both groups an increase of vascularization and arterial blood flow was noticed, but there was no significant statistical difference between any of 6 analyzed parameters. Hepatic perfusion index values were increased in all lesions in comparison with normal liver parenchyma. Conclusion Computed tomography perfusion in our study did not allow differentiation of benign and malignant liver lesions based on analysis of functional perfusion parameters. Hepatic perfusion index should be investigated in further studies as a parameter for detection of possible presence of micro-metastases in visually homogeneous liver in cases with no lesions found during standard CT protocol

Incidence and significance of small focal liver lesions on MRI; Haeufigkeit und Bedeutung von kleinen fokalen Leberlaesionen in der MRT

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Kreft, B.; Pauleit, D.; Bachmann, R.; Conrad, R.; Kraemer, A.; Schild, H.H. [Bonn Univ. (Germany). Radiologische Klinik

2001-05-01

Analysis of the frequency and significance of small focal liver lesions ({<=} 2 cm) detected on MRI in the presence or absence of a history of malignancy. Methods: 628 MRI examinations of the liver performed during 1994 - 1996 were evaluated. The inclusion criterion into the study was the detection of a focal liver lesion with a size {<=} 2 cm. The frequency, the size, the diagnostic proof, and the differential diagnosis of the focal liver lesions were analysed with regard to the patients history of a known malignant tumor. Results: Overall, 179 of the 628 patients (28.5%) had focal liver lesions {<=} 2 cm (n = 338). 58.9% of the lesions could be classified based upon follow-up studies by ultrasound, CT or MRI, or by biopsy. The remaining 41.1% of the lesions could not be classified due to the absence of follow-up examinations. 57.3% of all proven lesions were benign and 42.7% were malignant. A history of a malignant tumor was present in 76.7% of all patients with small liver lesions; however, lesions were benign in these patients in 50.6% of the cases. In patients with no known history of a malignancy, 75% of the lesions were benign and 25% were malignant. However, these malignant lesions were in 10/11 cases hepatocellular carcinomas in patients with liver cirrhosis. (orig.) [German] Analyse der Haeufigkeit und der Bedeutung von kleinen Leberlaesionen ({<=} 2 cm) in der MRT in Abhaengigkeit einer vorbestehenden Tumoranamnese. Methode: Es wurden insgesamt 628 MRT-Untersuchungen der Leber aus dem Zeitraum von 1994-1996 ausgewertet. Einschlusskriterium in die Studie war der Nachweis von Leberlaesionen mit einer Groe paragraph e {<=} 2 cm, wobei die Haeufigkeit, die Groe paragraph enverteilung, die Diagnosesicherung und die Differenzialdiagnose in Abhaengigkeit von der Anamnese einer Tumorerkrankung untersucht wurden. Ergebnisse: Insgesamt wiesen 179 der 628 Patienten (28,5%) fokale Leberlaesionen {<=} 2 cm (n = 338) auf. 58,9% der Laesionen konnten aufgrund von

Comparision between biphasic helical CT and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR in the detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions in cirrhotic patients; Estudio comparativo entre TC helicoidal bifasica y RM dinamica con gadolinio en la deteccion y caracterizacion de lesiones focales hepticas en pacientes cirrticos

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Puig, J; Martn, J; Donoso, L; Falco, J; Rue, M [Consorcio Hospitalario del Parc Taul. Sabadell. Barcelona (Spain)

1998-12-31

To assess the agreement between biphasic helical computerized tomography (BHCT) and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) in the detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions in a group of cirrhotic patients. A prospective study was done in 50 cirrhotic patients suspected of having hepatocarcinoma (HC) on the basis of ultrasonographic images evaluated by means of BHCT and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR using fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequences (110-135/4/90 degree centigree). The images were assessed jointly by four radiologists. Between the two techniques, a total of 83 lesions were detected. MR disclosed more lesions (n=79) than BHCT (n=67) (p<0.005). Moreover, 25 of the lesions that were visible by both techniques were more clearly evident in MR images (p<0.01). MR correctly classified 6 of 7 benign lesions (85%) and 49 of 66 malignant ones (74%). BHCT correctly classifed 2 of 7 benign lesions (28%) and 32 of 66 malignant ones (48%). The sensitivities of MR and BHCT for the characterization of these lesions were 74% and 48%, respectively (p=0.0009), while the respective specificities were 86% and 29% (P<0.001). Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR with FLASH sequences is more efficient than BHCT in the detection and characterization of focal lesions in cirrhotic patients. (Author) 37 refs.

Fasciola hepatica Infection in an Indigenous Community of the Peruvian Jungle

OpenAIRE

Cabada, Miguel M.; Castellanos-Gonzalez, Alejandro; Lopez, Martha; Caravedo, Mar��a Alejandra; Arque, Eulogia; White, Arthur Clinton

2016-01-01

Fasciola hepatica is a zoonotic infection with a worldwide distribution. Autochthonous cases have not been reported in the Amazon region of Peru. Operculated eggs resembling F. hepatica were identified in the stools of five out of 215 subjects in a remote indigenous community of the Peruvian jungle. Polymerase chain reaction targeting Fasciola hepatica cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene and sequencing of the products confirmed Fasciola infection.

Focal myositis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kransdorf, M.J.; Temple, H.T.; Sweet, D.E.

1998-01-01

Focal myositis is a pseudotumor of soft tissue that typically occurs in the deep soft tissue of the extremities, and is a relatively rare lesion. There is a wide clinical spectrum, with approximately one-third of patients with focal myositis subsequently developing polymyositis, and clinical symptoms of generalized weakness, fever, myalgia, and weight loss, with elevation of creatine phosphokinase. We report the case of a patient with focal myositis who subsequently developed myositis ossificans-like features. (orig.)

DISTURBIOS PRAXICOS EN LESIONES FOCALES DE LOS HEMISFERIOS CEREBRALES

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Jorge Murillo Duran

2007-01-01

Full Text Available El propósito de este trabajo es analizar la dificultad paraxial, es decir, los desórdenes funcionales en el movimiento resultado de lesiones cerebrales del tejido fino. De acuerdo con la literatura sobre la materia, se ha aceptado la definición de la apraxia como la inhabilidad en ejecutar correctamente tareas cinéticas, sin la debilitación o la pérdida de motricidad o de funciones sensoriales o la ataxia como condicionante de tal inhabilidad". La "ejecución apropiada" utilizada en esta definición considera no solamente el efecto de la acción, también los medios de su realización. Las "tareas cinéticas" significan todos los aspectos de la actividad motora definidos por las instrucciones, independientes del tipo de instrucción (verbal o los gestos, y sin importar si lograron el efecto final imitando el movimiento del investigador o si fueron realizadas independientemente. La metodología se ha basado en principio en los trabajos de A.R.Luria.. Las discusiones fueron basadas en los resultados de la investigación que comprendían a 90 pacientes con lesiones cerebrales focales. En cincuenta casos, los cambios fueron localizados en el hemisferio cerebral izquierdo, en cuarenta casos en el hemisferio derecho. Los resultados alcanzaron permiten formar la opinión que no todas las pruebas generalmente aceptadas que investigan praxia en personas con lesiones cerebrales son solucionadas favorablemente por individuos sanos; así, una ejecución deficiente no se debe mirar siempre como muestra del funcionamiento patológico del tejido fino cerebral como resultado de la lesión.

Expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Bulut, Emel Uzun; Acikgoz, Aydan; Ozan, Bora; Zengin, Ayse Zeynep; Gunhan, Omer

2012-01-01

To present a case of expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia and emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis. Cemento-osseous dysplasia is categorized into three subtypes on the basis of the clinical and radiographic features: Periapical, focal and florid. The focal type exhibits a single site of involvement in any tooth-bearing or edentulous area of the jaws. These lesions are usually asymptomatic; therefore, they are frequently diagnosed incidentally during routine radiographic examinations. Lesions are usually benign, show limited growth, and do not require further surgical intervention, but periodic follow-up is recommended because occasionally, this type of dysplasia progresses into florid osseous dysplasia and simple bone cysts are formed. A 24-year-old female patient was referred to our clinic for swelling in the left edentulous mandibular premolarmolar region and felt discomfort when she wore her prosthetics. She had no pain, tenderness or paresthesia. Clinical examination showed that the swelling in the posterior mandible that was firm, nonfluctuant and covered by normal mucosa. On panoramic radiography and computed tomography, a well defined lesion of approximately 1.5 cm in diameter of mixed density was observed. The swelling increased slightly in size over 2 years making it difficult to use prosthetics and, therefore, the lesion was totally excised under local anesthesia, and surgical specimens were submitted for histopathological examination. The histopathological diagnosis was focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. In the present case, because of the increasing size of the swelling making it difficult to use prosthetics, young age of the patient and localization of the lesion, in the initial examination, cemento-ossifying fibroma was suspected, and the lesion was excised surgically; the histopathological diagnosis confirmed it as focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. We present a case of expansive focal cemento-osseous dysplasia. Differential diagnosis

Fasciola hepatica: Infection Status of Freshwater Snails Collected from Gangwon-do (Province), Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae-Hyung; Quan, Juan-Hua; Choi, In-Wook; Park, Gab-Man; Cha, Guang-Ho; Kim, Hyun-Ju; Yuk, Jae-Min; Lee, Young-Ha

2017-02-01

Fasciola hepatica is a trematode that causes zoonosis, mainly in cattle and sheep, and occasionally in humans. Few recent studies have determined the infection status of this fluke in Korea. In August 2015, we collected 402 samples of freshwater snails at Hoenggye-ri (upper stream) and Suha-ri (lower stream) of Song-cheon (stream) in Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun in Gangwon-do (Province) near many large cattle or sheep farms. F. hepatica infection was determined using PCR on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS-2). Among the 402 samples, F. hepatica 1TS-2 marker was detected in 6 freshwater snails; thus, the overall prevalence in freshwater snails was 1.5%. The prevalence varied between collection areas, ranging from 0.0% at Hoenggye-ri to 2.9% at Suha-ri. However, F. gigantica ITS-2 was not detected in the 6 F. hepatica -positive samples by PCR. The nucleotide sequences of the 6 F. hepatica ITS-2 PCR-positive samples were 99.4% identical to the F. hepatica ITS-2 sequences in GenBank, whereas they were 98.4% similar to F. gigantica ITS-2 sequences. These results indicated that the prevalence of F. hepatica in snail intermediate hosts was 1.5% in Gangwon-do, Korea; however the prevalence varied between collection areas. These results may help us to understand F. hepatica infection status in natural environments.

Breath-hold MR imaging of focal liver lesions: comparison of fast and ultrafast techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaa, J.; Fischer, H.

1996-01-01

The performance of breath-hold MR imaging using two T2-weighted hybrid sequences (TSE, TGSE), two T2-weighted single-shot sequences (HASTE, EPI-SE), and one T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence (FLASH) was compared with a standard conventional T2-weighted SE sequence in 20 patients with focal liver lesions. Liver signal-to-noise ratio was highest for the FLASH sequence (54.3±8.3) and the HASTE (41.1±12.5) sequence, whereas the highest spleen-liver contrast-to-noise ratio was obtained by the TSE sequence (38.9±20.7). Lesion-liver CNR was highest with the TSE sequence (63.9±21.4). With both TSE and HASTE significantly (p<0.01) more lesions were detected as compared with SE and EPI-SE sequences. Our results indicate that breath-hold TSE and HASTE sequences will eventually replace conventional T2-weighted SE techniques due to their insensitivity to motion artifacts, superior lesions detectability and inherently short acquisition times. (orig.)

Focal myositis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galloway, H.R.; Dahlstrom, J.E.; Bennett, G.M.

2001-01-01

Focal myositis is a rare, benign focal inflammation of muscle. The lesion often presents as a mass that may be mistaken for a soft tissue sarcoma. This report describes the MRI and histopathological features of a case and illustrates how the diagnosis may be suspected on the basis of the MR findings. Copyright (2001) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

Focal myositis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kransdorf, M.J. [Saint Mary`s Hospital, Richmond, VA (United States). Dept. of Radiol.]|[Department of Radiologic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC (United States); Temple, H.T. [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, Virginia (United States)]|[Department of Orthopedic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC (United States); Sweet, D.E. [Department of Orthopedic Pathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, Washington, DC (United States)

1998-05-01

Focal myositis is a pseudotumor of soft tissue that typically occurs in the deep soft tissue of the extremities, and is a relatively rare lesion. There is a wide clinical spectrum, with approximately one-third of patients with focal myositis subsequently developing polymyositis, and clinical symptoms of generalized weakness, fever, myalgia, and weight loss, with elevation of creatine phosphokinase. We report the case of a patient with focal myositis who subsequently developed myositis ossificans-like features. (orig.) With 3 figs., 25 refs.

Fasciola hepatica Infection in an Indigenous Community of the Peruvian Jungle.

Science.gov (United States)

Cabada, Miguel M; Castellanos-Gonzalez, Alejandro; Lopez, Martha; Caravedo, María Alejandra; Arque, Eulogia; White, Arthur Clinton

2016-06-01

Fasciola hepatica is a zoonotic infection with a worldwide distribution. Autochthonous cases have not been reported in the Amazon region of Peru. Operculated eggs resembling F. hepatica were identified in the stools of five out of 215 subjects in a remote indigenous community of the Peruvian jungle. Polymerase chain reaction targeting Fasciola hepatica cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI) gene and sequencing of the products confirmed Fasciola infection. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Improved focal liver lesion detection by increasing flip angle during gadoxetic acid-enhancement in MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Se Jy; Kim, Young Keun

2015-01-01

To study the differences of focal liver lesion image detection at 3 minute, 10 minute and 15 minute time points on gadoxetic acid (GA)’s enhanced MR imaging with a flip angle (FA) of 30° compared with a 11°. The subjects were 69 patients evaluated with GA enhanced MR imaging with 3.0T MR scanner. The patients are total 35(23 men and 7 women at the mean age of 60.4 years), hepatocellular carcinoma(23) and metastsis(12) except for normal, cyst and hemangioma. After GA was injected, FA 11° and 30° images were obtained at 3 minute, 10 minute and 15 minute time points respectively. After quantitative and qualitative assessment of each image was done, statistical analysis was performed by using the independent sample T-test. From both quantitative and qualitative assessment of 3 minute and 10 minute MR images after the injection of GA, FA 30° images was found to be superior than FA 11°, but there were no statistical significance. However, at 15 minute time point, Statistically significant FA 30° image(p<0.05) was better than FA 11° therefore, the FA 30° improves the focal liver lesion detection. FA 30° of MR image can detect liver lesion more sensitively than the existing FA11° image after GA contrast enhancement at 15 minute time point

Focal retrograde amnesia: voxel-based morphometry findings in a case without MRI lesions.

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Bernhard Sehm

Full Text Available Focal retrograde amnesia (FRA is a rare neurocognitive disorder presenting with an isolated loss of retrograde memory. In the absence of detectable brain lesions, a differentiation of FRA from psychogenic causes is difficult. Here we report a case study of persisting FRA after an epileptic seizure. A thorough neuropsychological assessment confirmed severe retrograde memory deficits while anterograde memory abilities were completely normal. Neurological and psychiatric examination were unremarkable and high-resolution MRI showed no neuroradiologically apparent lesion. However, voxel-based morphometry (VBM-comparing the MRI to an education-, age-and sex-matched control group (n = 20 disclosed distinct gray matter decreases in left temporopolar cortex and a region between right posterior parahippocampal and lingual cortex. Although the results of VBM-based comparisons between a single case and a healthy control group are generally susceptible to differences unrelated to the specific symptoms of the case, we believe that our data suggest a causal role of the cortical areas detected since the retrograde memory deficit is the preeminent neuropsychological difference between patient and controls. This was paralleled by grey matter differences in central nodes of the retrograde memory network. We therefore suggest that these subtle alterations represent structural correlates of the focal retrograde amnesia in our patient. Beyond the implications for the diagnosis and etiology of FRA, our results advocate the use of VBM in conditions that do not show abnormalities in clinical radiological assessment, but show distinct neuropsychological deficits.

Focal parenchymal lesions in community-acquired bacterial meningitis in adults: a clinico-radiological study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katchanov, Juri; Siebert, Eberhard; Klingebiel, Randolf; Endres, Matthias

2009-01-01

Here, we analyzed the frequency, morphological pattern, and imaging characteristics of focal lesions as a consequence of community-acquired bacterial meningitis. We hypothesized that diffusion-weighted imaging combined with contrast-enhanced imaging, serial scanning, and multimodal vascular studies would provide further insight into the pathological basis of such parenchymal lesions in bacterial meningitis. We reviewed clinical and imaging data (i.e., magnetic resonance tomography, magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, digital subtraction angiography) of 68 adult patients admitted to our neurological intensive care unit between March 1998 and February 2009 with the diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial meningitis. We identified seven patients with parenchymal lesions. These lesions could be attributed to four morphological patterns: (1) territorial cerebral ischemia, (2) perforating vessels ischemia, (3) ischemia of presumed cardiac origin, and (4) isolated cortical lesions. Whereas the patterns (1) and (2) were associated with vasculopathy of large- and medium-sized vessels (as shown by cerebral vascular imaging), vessel imaging in (3) and (4) did not show abnormal findings. Our study implies that parenchymal lesions in acute bacterial meningitis are mainly ischemic and due to involvement of large-, medium-, and small-sized arteries of the brain. Diffusion-weighted imaging combined with conventional, CT-, or MR-based cerebral angiography revealed the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in the majority of patients. Furthermore, we detected two patients with isolated bilateral cortical involvement and normal vessel imaging. These lesions might represent ischemia due to the involvement of small pial and intracortical arteries. (orig.)

Focal parenchymal lesions in community-acquired bacterial meningitis in adults: a clinico-radiological study

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Katchanov, Juri [Campus Charite Mitte, Charite, Department of Neurology, Berlin (Germany); University Hospital Charite, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Department of Neurology, Berlin (Germany); Siebert, Eberhard; Klingebiel, Randolf [Campus Charite Mitte, Charite, Department of Neuroradiology, Berlin (Germany); Endres, Matthias [Campus Charite Mitte, Charite, Department of Neurology, Berlin (Germany); Charite-Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Center for Stroke Research Berlin, Berlin (Germany)

2009-11-15

Here, we analyzed the frequency, morphological pattern, and imaging characteristics of focal lesions as a consequence of community-acquired bacterial meningitis. We hypothesized that diffusion-weighted imaging combined with contrast-enhanced imaging, serial scanning, and multimodal vascular studies would provide further insight into the pathological basis of such parenchymal lesions in bacterial meningitis. We reviewed clinical and imaging data (i.e., magnetic resonance tomography, magnetic resonance angiography, computed tomography angiography, digital subtraction angiography) of 68 adult patients admitted to our neurological intensive care unit between March 1998 and February 2009 with the diagnosis of community-acquired bacterial meningitis. We identified seven patients with parenchymal lesions. These lesions could be attributed to four morphological patterns: (1) territorial cerebral ischemia, (2) perforating vessels ischemia, (3) ischemia of presumed cardiac origin, and (4) isolated cortical lesions. Whereas the patterns (1) and (2) were associated with vasculopathy of large- and medium-sized vessels (as shown by cerebral vascular imaging), vessel imaging in (3) and (4) did not show abnormal findings. Our study implies that parenchymal lesions in acute bacterial meningitis are mainly ischemic and due to involvement of large-, medium-, and small-sized arteries of the brain. Diffusion-weighted imaging combined with conventional, CT-, or MR-based cerebral angiography revealed the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms in the majority of patients. Furthermore, we detected two patients with isolated bilateral cortical involvement and normal vessel imaging. These lesions might represent ischemia due to the involvement of small pial and intracortical arteries. (orig.)

Diagnostic Criteria on 18F-FDG PET/CT for Differentiating Benign from Malignant Focal Hypermetabolic Lesions of Parotid Gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Soo Bin; Choi, Joon Young; Lee, Eun Jeong; Yoo, Jang; Cheon, Miju; Cho, Suk Kyong; Choe, Yearn Seong; Lee, Kyung-Han; Kim, Byung-Tae

2012-01-01

We investigated PET/CT diagnostic criteria for differentiating benign from malignant parotid lesions with focal 18 F-FDG uptake. The subjects of the study were 272 patients who exhibited focal 18 F-FDG uptake of the parotid gland. Sixty-eight pathologically confirmed parotid lesions from 67 patients were included. The maximum SUV (SUVmax), uptake patterns (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous), size measured by CT, maximum Housfield units (HUmax) and margins on CT (well vs. ill defined) of each parotid lesion on PET/CT images were compared with final diagnoses. Thirty- two parotid lesions were histologically proven to be malignant. There were significant differences in uptake patterns (cancer incidence, heterogeneous:homogeneous=79.2%:29.5%, p<0.0001) and margins on CT (cancer incidence, ill:well defined=84.4%:13.3%, p<0.0001) between benign and malignant lesions. The cancer risks of parotid lesions were 89.5% with heterogeneous uptake and ill-defined margins, 70.6% with heterogeneous uptake or ill-defined margins (no overlap in subjects) and 9.3% with homogeneous uptake and well-defined margins (p<0.0001). When any lesion with heterogeneous uptake or ill-defined margins was regarded as malignant, the sensitivity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were 90.6% (29/32) and 85.6% (58/68), respectively. For predicting malignancy, combined PET/CT criteria showed better sensitivity, NPV and accuracy than PET-only criteria, and had a tendency to have more accurate results than CT-only criteria, and had a tendency to have more accurate results than CT-only criteria. There were no significant differences in SUVmax, size or HUmax between benign and malignant lesions. Uptake patterns and margins on CT are useful PET/CT diagnostic criteria for differentiating benign from malignant lesions

Three-dimensional spatiotemporal features for fast content-based retrieval of focal liver lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Sharmili; Chi, Yanling; Liu, Jimin; Venkatesh, Sudhakar K; Brown, Michael S

2014-11-01

Content-based image retrieval systems for 3-D medical datasets still largely rely on 2-D image-based features extracted from a few representative slices of the image stack. Most 2 -D features that are currently used in the literature not only model a 3-D tumor incompletely but are also highly expensive in terms of computation time, especially for high-resolution datasets. Radiologist-specified semantic labels are sometimes used along with image-based 2-D features to improve the retrieval performance. Since radiological labels show large interuser variability, are often unstructured, and require user interaction, their use as lesion characterizing features is highly subjective, tedious, and slow. In this paper, we propose a 3-D image-based spatiotemporal feature extraction framework for fast content-based retrieval of focal liver lesions. All the features are computer generated and are extracted from four-phase abdominal CT images. Retrieval performance and query processing times for the proposed framework is evaluated on a database of 44 hepatic lesions comprising of five pathological types. Bull's eye percentage score above 85% is achieved for three out of the five lesion pathologies and for 98% of query lesions, at least one same type of lesion is ranked among the top two retrieved results. Experiments show that the proposed system's query processing is more than 20 times faster than other already published systems that use 2-D features. With fast computation time and high retrieval accuracy, the proposed system has the potential to be used as an assistant to radiologists for routine hepatic tumor diagnosis.

First insight into CD59-like molecules of adult Fasciola hepatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Shi, Yunliang; Toet, Hayley; Rathinasamy, Vignesh; Young, Neil D; Gasser, Robin B; Beddoe, Travis; Huang, Weiyi; Spithill, Terry W

2014-09-01

The present study focussed on investigating CD59-like molecules of Fasciola hepatica. A cDNA encoding a CD59-like protein (termed FhCD59-1) identified previously in the membrane fraction of the F. hepatica tegument was isolated. This homologue was shown to encode a predicted open reading frame (ORF) of 122 amino acids (aa) orthologous to human CD59 with a 25 aa signal peptide, a mature protein containing 10 cysteines and a conserved CD59/Ly-6 family motif "CCXXXXCN". An analysis of cDNAs from two different adult specimens of F. hepatica revealed seven variable types of FhCD59-1 sequences, designated FhCD59-1.1 to FhCD59-1.7, which had 94.3-99.7% amino acid sequence identity upon pairwise comparison. Molecular modeling of FhCD59-1.1 with human CD59 confirmed the presence of the three-finger protein domain found in the CD59 family and predicted three disulphide bonds in the F. hepatica sequence. The interrogation of F. hepatica databases identified two additional sequences, designated FhCD59-2 and FhCD59-3, which had only 23.4-29.5% amino acid identity to FhCD59-1.1. Orthologues of the inferred CD59 protein sequences of F. hepatica were also identified in other flatworms, including Fasciola gigantica, Fascioloides magna, Schistosoma haematobium, Schistosoma japonicum, Schistosoma mansoni, Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini, Taenia solium, Echinococcus granulosus and the free living Schmidtea mediterannea. The results revealed a considerable degree of sequence complexity in the CD59-like sequence families in F. hepatica and flatworms. Phylogenetic analysis of CD59-like aa sequences from F. hepatica and flatworms showed that FhCD59-2 clustered with the known surface-associated protein SmCD59-2 of S. mansoni. Relatively well-supported clades specific to schistosomes, fasciolids and opisthorchiids were identified. The qPCR analysis of gene transcription showed that the relative expression of these 3 FhCD59-like sequences varied by 11-47-fold during fluke

Characterization of focal breast lesions by means of elastography.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, T; Sack, I; Thomas, A

2013-09-01

The modern method of sonoelastography of the breast is used for differentiating focal lesions. This review gives an overview of the different techniques available and discusses their roles in the routine clinical setting. The presented techniques include compression or vibration elastography as well as shear wave elastography. Descriptions of the methods are supplemented by a discussion of the clinical role of each technique based on the most recent literature. We discuss by outlining two recent experimental approaches - MRI and tomosynthesis elastography. Currently available data suggest that elastography is an important supplementary tool for the differentiation of breast tumors under routine clinical conditions. The specificity improves with the immediate availability of additional diagnostic information using real-time techniques and/or the calculation of strain ratios (SR). Elastography is especially helpful in women with involuted breasts for differentiating BI-RADS-US 3 and 4 lesions and for evaluating very small cancers without the typical imaging features of malignancy. Here, elastography techniques are highly specific, while the sensitivity decreases compared to B-mode ultrasound. SR calculation is especially helpful in women who have a high risk of breast cancer and high pretest likelihood. B-mode ultrasound is still the first-line method for the initial evaluation of the breast. If suspicious findings are detected, elastography with or without SR calculation is the most crucial supplementary tool. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Diagnostic accuracy of scintigraphic methods in the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions. Stellenwert nuklearmedizinischer Methoden in der Differentialdiagnose solider Leberherde

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Czermak, H. (Nuklearmedizinische Abt., LKH Klagenfurt (Austria)); Gomez, I. (Nuklearmedizinische Abt., LKH Klagenfurt (Austria)); Gallowitsch, H.J. (Nuklearmedizinische Abt., LKH Klagenfurt (Austria)); Lind, P. (Nuklearmedizinische Abt., LKH Klagenfurt (Austria))

1993-08-01

In a retrospective study of 160 patients who were examined within 12 months, we analysed the diagnosic value of scintigraphic techniques in the differential diagnosis of solid focal liver lesions. Haemangiomas were found in 77 patients. Bloodpool scintigraphy was true-positive in 66 (sensivitity 85%); for lesions greater than 2 cm in diameter, sensitivity increased to 94%. Metastases of CEA-expressing tumors were found in 42 patients, anti-CEA-immunoscintigraphy was true-positive in 33 patients (sensitivity 78.5%). Focal nodulary hyperplasia was found in 3 patients, adenomas in 6 patients. In the remaining 32 patiens we saw 4 hepatocellular carcinomas, 28 metastases from lung and breast cancer, 2 echinococcus cysts and 1 choledochus cyst. (orig.)

Detection of Lymnaea columella infection by Fasciola hepatica through Multiplex-PCR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kelly Grace Magalhães

2004-06-01

Full Text Available From complete mitochondrial DNA sequence of Fasciola hepatica available in Genbank, specific primers were designed for a conserved and repetitive region of this trematode. A pair of primers was used for diagnosis of infected Lymnaea columella by F. hepatica during the pre-patent period simultaneously with another pair of primers which amplified the internal transcribed spacer (ITS region of rDNA from L. columella in a single Multiplex-PCR. The amplification generated a ladder band profile specific for F. hepatica. This profile was observed in positive molluscs at different times of infection, including adult worms from the trematode. The Multiplex-PCR technique showed to be a fast and safe tool for fascioliasis diagnosis, enabling the detection of F. hepatica miracidia in L. columella during the pre-patent period and identification of transmission areas.

Three Living Fasciola Hepatica in the Biliary Tract of a Woman

Science.gov (United States)

Niknam, Ramin; Kazemi, Mohammad Hassan; Mahmoudi, Laleh

2015-01-01

Fasciola hepatica (F. hepatica) as a foodborne trematode can occasionally cause hepatobiliary diseases. We report a 67-year-old woman who was referred to our center because of the diagnosis of cholangitis. She was a resident of mountainous area with the history of unsafe water and contaminated vegetables. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) was performed as a diagnostic and therapeutic modality for her. Three living F. hepatica was removed from biliary tract with a basket via ERCP. Clinical and laboratory condition of the patient improved after therapy of antibiotics and triclabendazole. PMID:26379355

Common and uncommon features of focal splenic lesions on contrast-enhanced ultrasound: a pictorial review

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Zavariz, Julia D., E-mail: julia.zavariz@hc.fm.usp.br [Universidade de São Paulo (HC/FMUSP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil). Faculdade de Medicina. Hospital das Clínicas; Konstantatou, Eleni; Deganello Annamaria; Bosanac, Diana; Huang, Dean Y.; Sellars, Maria E.; Sidhu, Paul S. [Department of Radiology, King’s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London (United Kingdom)

2017-11-15

The characterization of focal splenic lesions by ultrasound can be quite challenging. The recent introduction of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has come to play a valuable role in the field of imaging splenic pathologies, offering the possibility of an ionizing radiation-free investigation. Because CEUS has been incorporated into everyday clinical practice, malignant diseases such as focal lymphomatous infiltration, metastatic deposits, benign cysts, traumatic fractures, and hemangiomas can now be accurately depicted and characterized without the need for further imaging. More specifically, splenic traumatic fractures do not require additional imaging by computed tomography (with ionizing radiation exposure) for follow-up, because splenic fractures and their complications are safely imaged with CEUS. In the new era of CEUS, more patients benefit from radiation-free investigation of splenic pathologies with high diagnostic accuracy. (author)

Comparision between biphasic helical CT and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR in the detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions in cirrhotic patients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puig, J.; Martin, J.; Donoso, L.; Falco, J.; Rue, M.

1997-01-01

To assess the agreement between biphasic helical computerized tomography (BHCT) and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) in the detection and characterization of focal hepatic lesions in a group of cirrhotic patients. A prospective study was done in 50 cirrhotic patients suspected of having hepatocarcinoma (HC) on the basis of ultrasonographic images evaluated by means of BHCT and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR using fast low-angle shot (FLASH) sequences (110-135/4/90 degree centigree). The images were assessed jointly by four radiologists. Between the two techniques, a total of 83 lesions were detected. MR disclosed more lesions (n=79) than BHCT (n=67) (p<0.005). Moreover, 25 of the lesions that were visible by both techniques were more clearly evident in MR images (p<0.01). MR correctly classified 6 of 7 benign lesions (85%) and 49 of 66 malignant ones (74%). BHCT correctly classifed 2 of 7 benign lesions (28%) and 32 of 66 malignant ones (48%). The sensitivities of MR and BHCT for the characterization of these lesions were 74% and 48%, respectively (p=0.0009), while the respective specificities were 86% and 29% (P<0.001). Dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR with FLASH sequences is more efficient than BHCT in the detection and characterization of focal lesions in cirrhotic patients. (Author) 37 refs

Intra-individual comparison of CAIPIRINHA VIBE technique with conventional VIBE sequences in contrast-enhanced MRI of focal liver lesions

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Albrecht, M.H., E-mail: MoritzAlbrecht@gmx.net [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Bodelle, B., E-mail: boris.bodelle@kgu.de [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Varga-Szemes, A., E-mail: vargaasz@musc.edu [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Dewes, P., E-mail: patricia.dewes@kgu.de [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Bucher, A.M., E-mail: andreas.bucher@kgu.de [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Ball, B.D., E-mail: BallBr@musc.edu [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); De Cecco, C.N., E-mail: dececco@musc.edu [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Schoepf, U.J., E-mail: schoepf@musc.edu [Medical University of South Carolina, Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Charleston, SC (United States); Zhu, X., E-mail: zhuxun@shzu.edu.cn [Shihezi University, Department of Psychology, Beisi Road, Xinjiang (China); Zangos, S., E-mail: Zangos@em.uni-frankfurt.de [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Gruber-Rouh, T., E-mail: tatjanagruber2004@yahoo.de [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); Wichmann, J.L., E-mail: dochwichmann@gmail.com [University Hospital Frankfurt, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Frankfurt (Germany); and others

2017-01-15

Purpose: To evaluate the impact of controlled aliasing in parallel imaging results in higher acceleration (CAIPIRINHA) volume interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique on image quality, reader confidence, and inter-observer agreement for the assessment of focal liver lesions in comparison with the standard VIBE approach. Material and methods: In this IRB-approved intra-individual comparison study, abdominal arterial and portal-venous contrast-enhanced MRI studies were retrospectively analyzed in 38 patients with malignant liver lesions. Each patient underwent both CAIPIRINHA and conventional VIBE 3 T MRI within 3 months, showing stable disease. Images were evaluated using 5-point rating scales by two blinded radiologists with more than 20 and 5 years of experience in MRI, respectively. Readers scored dignity of liver lesions and assessed which liver segments were affected by malignancy (ranging from 1 = definitely benign/not affected to 5 = definitely malignant/affected by malignancy). Readers also rated overall image quality, sharpness of intrahepatic veins, and diagnostic confidence (ranging from 1 = poor to 5 = excellent). Results: Reviewers achieved a higher inter-observer reliability using CAIPIRINHA when they reported which liver segments were affected by malignancy compared to traditional VIBE series (κ = 0.62 and 0.54, respectively, p < 0.05). Similarly, CAIPIRINHA showed a slightly higher inter-rater agreement for the dignity of focal liver lesions versus the standard VIBE images (κ = 0.50 and 0.49, respectively, p < 0.05). CAIPIRINHA series also scored higher in comparison to standard VIBE sequences (mean scores: image quality, 4.2 and 3.5; sharpness of intrahepatic vessels, 3.8 and 3.2, respectively, p < 0.05) for both reviewers and allowed for higher subjective diagnostic confidence (ratings, 3.8 and 3.2, respectively, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Compared to the standard VIBE approach, CAIPIRINHA VIBE technique

Role of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography in the characterization of focal solid hepatic lesions

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Harshavardhan Nagolu

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: The purpose of the study is to investigate the usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI elastography in the characterization of focal solid liver lesions as benign, malignant, or metastatic using ARFI two-dimensional (2D imaging and ARFI quantification (shear wave velocities [SWVs]. Materials and Methods: Sixty lesions were included in this study. The lesions were classified into three groups: Group I included benign lesions (n = 25, Group II included malignant lesions (n = 27, and Group III included metastatic lesions (n = 8. ARFI elastography was performed in all these patients using a Siemens ACUSON S 2000TM ultrasound machine. Stiffness and size of the lesions were assessed on ARFI 2D images in correlation with B-mode ultrasound images. SWVs were obtained in these lesions for the quantification of stiffness. Results: In ARFI 2D images, malignant lesions were predominantly stiffer and larger, while benign lesions were softer and similar in size (P < 0.05. The mean SWVs in benign, malignant, and metastatic lesions were 1.30 ± 0.35 m/s, 2.93 ± 0.75 m/s, and 2.77 ± 0.90 m/s, respectively. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve of SWV for differentiating benign from malignant lesions was 0.877, suggesting fair accuracy (95% confidence interval: 0.777–0.976; with a cutoff value of 2 m/s, showing sensitivity: 92%; specificity: 96%; positive predictive value: 96%; negative predictive value: 93% (P < 0.05. Statistically significant difference exists in SWV of benign and malignant or metastatic lesions. Conclusion: ARFI elastography with 2D imaging and quantification might be useful in the characterization of benign and malignant liver lesions.

Fine-needle versus core-needle biopsy – which one to choose in preoperative assessment of focal lesions in the breasts? Literature review

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Ewa Łukasiewicz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of the study was to review two techniques that can be used to verify focal lesions in the breasts: fine-needle aspiration biopsy and core-needle biopsy. Material and methods: Fifty-five articles (original papers and reviews, half of them published within the past 5 years, were included in the analysis. The authors also took their own experience into account. Results: Pre-operative assessment of focal lesions in the breasts is crucial in the planning of further therapeutic management. The role of fine-needle aspiration biopsy has been reduced lately due to its low sensitivity and specificity as well as a high rate of non-diagnostic, suspicious and false negative results. This method does not enable one to differentiate between in situ and invasive disease. Currently, fine-needle biopsy is recommended for cystic lesions, suspected of being recurrences in the chest wall, and lymph node metastases. Core-needle biopsy is the basic diagnostic method of breast lesions. According to the recommendations of the Polish Ultrasound Society and American College of Radiology, BIRADS 4 and 5 lesions should be evaluated histopathologically. Core-needle biopsy makes it possible to establish a final diagnosis more frequently than fine-needle biopsy, both in the case of benign and malignant lesions. It delivers more information about the nature of a tumor (mutation of HER-2, estrogen and progesterone receptors and Ki-67 index. Its limitations include: underestimation of invasion and failure to recognize the components of ductal carcinoma in situ in papillary and atypical lesions. Single fine-needle aspiration biopsy is inexpensive, but when considering the cost of further diagnosis due to non-diagnostic, suspicious and atypical results, this method generates high additional costs. Conclusions: Microscopic verification of focal breast lesions is crucial for further therapeutic decisions. It has been proven that histopathological verification is more

Dynamics of haemocytes from Pseudosuccinea columella circulating infected by Fasciola hepatica

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Vinicius Marques Antunes Ribeiro

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The lymnaeids are important in the epidemiology of Fasciola hepatica, a neglected and endemic zoonosis. The interaction between the internal defense system of Pseudosuccinea columella and F. hepatica has been little studied. In the present study the effect of infection by F. hepatica on P. columella circulating haemocytes was investigated. Changes in the average number of total circulating haemocytes have been observed at 30 minutes post-infection and 1, 7, 10, 14, 21, 28 and 50 days post-infection (dpi. Miracidia were observed head-foot and mantle at 30 minutes post-infection. Miracidia/Sporocysts in the mantle skirt 1 dpi, and fully formed sporocysts were observed in the head-foot at 7 dpi. Rediae became evident at 10 dpi and were located between the haemocoel and the muscles from 14 dpi; 50 dpi, the rediae in the digestive gland contained cercariae. The statistical analysis of the total haemocytes of P. columella infected by F. hepatica showed significant differences on the 30 minutes post-infection and 1, 14, 21, and 28 dpi in comparison to uninfected molluscs (0 dpi. Therefore, the interference observed on the internal defence system of P. columella may have direct association with the development of F. hepatica.

Focal dermal hypoplasia without focal dermal hypoplasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Contreras-Capetillo, Silvina N.; Lombardi, Maria Paola; Pinto-Escalante, Doris; Hennekam, Raoul C.

2014-01-01

Focal dermal hypoplasia (FDH; Goltz-Gorlin syndrome) is an X-linked dominant disorder affecting mainly tissues of ectodermal and mesodermal origin. The phenotype is characterized by hypoplastic linear skin lesions, eye malformations, hair and teeth anomalies, and multiple limbs malformations. The

First results in rapid MR imaging of focal liver and spleen lesions using field echos and small angle excitation (gradient echo sequences)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griebel, J.; Hess, C.F.; Kurtz, B.; Klose, U.; Kueper, K.

1987-01-01

15 healthy subjects and 39 patients with focal liver and spleen lesions were examined via MR tomography at 1.5 tesla. Gradient field echos at small angle excitation ( 0 ) were employed. The imaging time per layer was 10 seconds so that rapid imaging could be carried out at respiratory standstill. This enabled visualisation of liver and spleen without interference by breathing artifacts and with accurate localisation. Focal lesions can be imaged best at low flip-angle pulses (liver) or low to medium-angle pulses (spleen). The primary liver cell carcinoma is visualised as an inhomogeneous structure with similar signal intensity as the surrounding tissue. All other examined liver lesions (metastases, haemangiomas, lymphatic infiltrates, echinococcus cysts, FNH, gummae) showed greater signal intensity than the remaining organ at small angle excitation. Furthermore, contrast reversals were seen at medium-angle pulses. Contrariwise, with the exception of the light-coloured spleen infarcts, spleen lesions (lymphatic infiltrate, Boeck's disease or sarcoidosis) appeared darker at all excitation angles than the surrounding tissue. (orig.) [de

First results in rapid MR imaging of focal liver and spleen lesions using field echos and small angle excitation (gradient echo sequences)

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Griebel, J.; Hess, C.F.; Kurtz, B.; Klose, U.; Kueper, K.

1987-01-01

15 healthy subjects and 39 patients with focal liver and spleen lesions were examined via MR tomography at 1.5 tesla. Gradient field echos at small angle excitation (< 90/sup 0/) were employed. The imaging time per layer was 10 seconds so that rapid imaging could be carried out at respiratory standstill. This enabled visualisation of liver and spleen without interference by breathing artifacts and with accurate localisation. Focal lesions can be imaged best at low flip-angle pulses (liver) or low to medium-angle pulses (spleen). The primary liver cell carcinoma is visualised as an inhomogeneous structure with similar signal intensity as the surrounding tissue. All other examined liver lesions (metastases, haemangiomas, lymphatic infiltrates, echinococcus cysts, FNH, gummae) showed greater signal intensity than the remaining organ at small angle excitation. Furthermore, contrast reversals were seen at medium-angle pulses. Contrariwise, with the exception of the light-coloured spleen infarcts, spleen lesions (lymphatic infiltrate, Boeck's disease or sarcoidosis) appeared darker at all excitation angles than the surrounding tissue.

Focal pancreatic enlargement: differentiation between pancreatic adenocarcinoma and focal pancreatitis on CT and ERCP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Eun Kyung; Kim, Ki Whang; Lee, Jong Tae; Kim, Hee Soo; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Yu, Jeong Sik; Yoon, Sang Wook

1995-01-01

To differentiate the pancreatic adenocarcinoma from focal pancreatitis on CT and ERCP in cases of focal pancreatic enlargement. We analysed CT findings of 66 patients of pancreatic adenocarcinoma (n = 45) or focal pancreatitis (n = 21) with respect to size, density, calcification, pancreatic or biliary duct dilatation, fat plane obliteration around the vessels, direction of retroperitoneal extension, lymphadenopathy, pseudocyst formation and atrophy of pancreas. ERCP available in 48 patients were analysed in respect to morphologic appearance of CBD and pancreatic duct, and distance between the two ducts. The patients in focal pancreatitis were younger with more common history of alcohol drinking. There was no statistical difference in calcifications of the mass (18% in the adenocarcinoma, 33% in the focal pancreatitis), but a tendency of denser, larger number of calcifications was noted in focal pancreatitis. The finding of fat plane obliteration around the vessels were more common in pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and fascial thickenings were more prominent in focal pancreatitis, although not statistically significant. On ERCP, there were no differential points of CBD, pancreatic duct morphology, but distance between the two ducts at the lesion center was more wider in focal pancreatitis. Differentiating focal pancreatitis from pancreatic adenocarcinoma is difficult. However, we should consider the possibility of focal pancreatitis in cases of patients with young age, having alcoholic history in association with CT findings of large numbers of and dense calcifications, and ERCP findings of prominent separation of two duct at the lesion center

Immune responses induced by co-infection with Capillaria hepatica in Clonorchis sinensis-infected rats.

Science.gov (United States)

Moon, E-K; Lee, S-H; Goo, T W; Quan, F-S

2018-07-01

Clonorchis sinensis and Capillaria hepatica are zoonotic parasites that mainly infect the liver and cause serious liver disorders. However, immunological parameters induced by co-infection with these parasites remain unknown. In this study, for the first time, we investigated immunological profiles induced by co-infection with C. hepatica (CH) in C. sinensis (CS)-infected rats (Sprague-Dawley). Rats were infected primarily with 50 metacercariae of C. sinensis; 4 weeks later, they were subsequently infected with 1000 infective C. hepatica eggs. Significantly higher levels of C. sinensis- or C. hepatica-specific IgG antibodies were found in the sera of rats. Interestingly, no cross-reacting antibody was observed between C. sinensis and C. hepatica infections. Significantly raised eosinophil levels were found in the blood of C. sinensis/C. hepatica co-infected rats (CS + CH) compared to the blood of rats infected singly with C. sinensis. Co-infected rats showed significantly higher levels of lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production compared to a single C. sinensis infection. The worm burden of C. sinensis was significantly reduced in co-infected rats compared to the single C. sinensis infection. These results indicate that the eosinophils, lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine production induced by subsequent infection with C. hepatica in C. sinensis-infected rats might contribute to the observed C. sinensis worm reduction.

Epidemiology and impact of Fasciola hepatica exposure in high-yielding dairy herds.

Science.gov (United States)

Howell, Alison; Baylis, Matthew; Smith, Rob; Pinchbeck, Gina; Williams, Diana

2015-09-01

The liver fluke Fasciola hepatica is a trematode parasite with a worldwide distribution and is the cause of important production losses in the dairy industry. The aim of this observational study was to assess the prevalence of exposure to F. hepatica in a group of high yielding dairy herds, to determine the risk factors and investigate their associations with production and fertility parameters. Bulk milk tank samples from 606 herds that supply a single retailer with liquid milk were tested with an antibody ELISA for F. hepatica. Multivariable linear regression was used to investigate the effect of farm management and environmental risk factors on F. hepatica exposure. Higher rainfall, grazing boggy pasture, presence of beef cattle on farm, access to a stream or pond and smaller herd size were associated with an increased risk of exposure. Univariable regression was used to look for associations between fluke exposure and production-related variables including milk yield, composition, somatic cell count and calving index. Although causation cannot be assumed, a significant (phepatica exposure and estimated milk yield at the herd level, representing a 15% decrease in yield for an increase in F. hepatica exposure from the 25th to the 75th percentile. This remained significant when fertility, farm management and environmental factors were controlled for. No associations were found between F. hepatica exposure and any of the other production, disease or fertility variables. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ectopic Human Fasciola hepatica Infection by an Adult Worm in the Mesocolon.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Ah Jin; Choi, Chang Hwan; Choi, Sun Keun; Shin, Yong Woon; Park, Yun-Kyu; Kim, Lucia; Choi, Suk Jin; Han, Jee Young; Kim, Joon Mee; Chu, Young Chae; Park, In Suh

2015-12-01

We report here an ectopic case of Fasciola hepatica infection confirmed by recovery of an adult worm in the mesocolon. A 56-year-old female was admitted to our hospital with discomfort and pain in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen. Abdominal CT showed 3 abscesses in the left upper quadrant, mesentery, and pelvic cavity. On surgical exploration, abscess pockets were found in the mesocolon of the sigmoid colon and transverse colon. A leaf-like worm found in the abscess pocket of the mesocolon of the left colon was diagnosed as an adult fluke of F. hepatica. Histologically, numerous eggs of F. hepatica were noted with acute and chronic granulomatous inflammations in the subserosa and pericolic adipose tissues. Conclusively, a rare case of ectopic fascioliasis has been confirmed in this study by the adult worm recovery of F. hepatica in the mesocolon.

Dynamic MRI of the liver with parallel acquisition technique. Characterization of focal liver lesions and analysis of the hepatic vasculature in a single MRI session

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heilmaier, C.; Sutter, R.; Lutz, A.M.; Willmann, J.K.; Seifert, B.

2008-01-01

Purpose: to retrospectively evaluate the performance of breath-hold contrast-enhanced 3D dynamic parallel gradient echo MRI (pMRT) for the characterization of focal liver lesions (standard of reference: histology) and for the analysis of hepatic vasculature (standard of reference: contrast-enhanced 64-detector row computed tomography; MSCT) in a single MRI session. Materials and method: two blinded readers independently analyzed preoperative pMRT data sets (1.5T-MRT) of 45 patients (23 men, 22 women; 28 - 77 years, average age, 48 years) with a total of 68 focal liver lesions with regard to image quality of hepatic arteries, portal and hepatic veins, presence of variant anatomy of the hepatic vasculature, as well as presence of portal vein thrombosis and hemodynamically significant arterial stenosis. In addition, both readers were asked to identify and characterize focal liver lesions. Imaging parameters of pMRT were: TR/TE/matrix/slice thickness/acquisition time: 3.1 ms/1.4 ms/384 x 224/4 mm/15 - 17 s. MSCT was performed with a pitch of 1.2, an effective slice thickness of 1 mm and a matrix of 512 x 512. Results: based on histology, the 68 liver lesions were found to be 42 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), 20 metastases, 3 cholangiocellular carcinomas (CCC) as well as 1 dysplastic nodule, 1 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and 1 atypical hemangioma. Overall, the diagnostic accuracy was high for both readers (91 - 100%) in the characterization of these focal liver lesions with an excellent interobserver agreement (κ-values of 0.89 [metastases], 0.97 [HCC] and 1 [CCC]). On average, the image quality of all vessels under consideration was rated good or excellent in 89% (reader 1) and 90% (reader 2). Anatomical variants of the hepatic arteries, hepatic veins and portal vein as well as thrombosis of the portal vein were reliably detected by pMRT. Significant arterial stenosis was found with a sensitivity between 86% and 100% and an excellent interobserver agreement (κ

Sheep and Fasciola hepatica in Europe: the GLOWORM experience

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Laura Rinaldi

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica infection challenges health, welfare and productivity of small ruminants throughout the world. The distribution of F. hepatica in sheep in Europe is usually scattered and studies are generally concerned with a single area making it difficult to compare results from different environments, climates and management regimes. In order to elucidate the current scenario in terms of prevalence and intensity of F. hepatica infection in sheep farms across Europe, a standardized cross-sectional survey was conducted in three pilot areas in Ireland, Switzerland and Italy, all part of the EU funded GLOWORM project. Two consecutive field surveys (in 2012 and 2013 were conducted in the three countries in the same period (August-October in 361 sheep farms in total. Harmonized procedures (from farm to laboratory based on pooled samples and the highly sensitive and accurate, diagnostic FLOTAC technique were used. The georeferenced parasitological results were modelled (at the pilot area level following a Bayesian geostatistical approach with correction for preferential sampling and accounting for climatic and environmental covariates. The observed F. hepatica prevalence rates did not differ between the two study years in any of the three pilot areas, but they did vary between the countries showing high values in Ireland (61.6% compared to Italy (7.9% and Switzerland (4.0%. Spatial patterns of F. hepatica distribution were detected by the Bayesian geostatistical approach in Ireland with a high risk of infection in the south-western part of the pilot area there. The latent factor analysis highlighted the importance of year-to-year variation of mean temperature, rainfall and seasonality within a country, while long-term trends of temperature and rainfall dominated between countries with respect to prevalence of infection.

Hybridization experiments indicate incomplete reproductive isolating mechanism between Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica.

Science.gov (United States)

Itagaki, T; Ichinomiya, M; Fukuda, K; Fusyuku, S; Carmona, C

2011-09-01

Experiments on hybridization between Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica were carried out to clarify whether a reproductive isolating mechanism appears between the two Fasciola species. Molecular evidence for hybridization was based on the DNA sequence of the internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) region in nuclear ribosomal DNA, which differs between the species. The results suggested that there were not pre-mating but post-mating isolating mechanisms between the two species. However, viable adults of the hybrids F1 and F2 were produced from both parental F. hepatica and F. gigantica. The hybrids inherited phenotypic characteristics such as ratio of body length and width and infectivity to rats from parental Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. These findings suggest that reproductive isolation is incomplete between Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. Adults of the hybrids F1 and F2 were completely different in mode of reproduction from aspermic Fasciola forms that occur in Asia and seem to be offspring originated from hybridization between F. hepatica and F. gigantica and to reproduce parthenogenetically.

The effect of focal cortical frontal and posterior lesions on recollection and familiarity in recognition memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Stamenova, Vessela; Gao, Fuqiang; Black, Sandra E; Schwartz, Michael L; Kovacevic, Natasha; Alexander, Michael P; Levine, Brian

2017-06-01

Recognition memory can be subdivided into two processes: recollection (a contextually rich memory) and familiarity (a sense that an item is old). The brain network supporting recognition encompasses frontal, parietal and medial temporal regions. Which specific regions within the frontal lobe are critical for recollection vs. familiarity, however, are unknown; past studies of focal lesion patients have yielded conflicting results. We examined patients with focal lesions confined to medial polar (MP), right dorsal frontal (RDF), right frontotemporal (RFT), left dorsal frontal (LDF), temporal, and parietal regions and matched controls. A series of words and their humorous definitions were presented either auditorily or visually to all participants. Recall, recognition, and source memory were tested at 30 min and 24 h delay, along with "remember/know" judgments for recognized items. The MP, RDF, temporal and parietal groups were impaired on subjectively reported recollection; their intact recognition performance was supported by familiarity. None of the groups were impaired on cued recall, recognition familiarity or source memory. These findings suggest that the MP and RDF regions, along with parietal and temporal regions, are necessary for subjectively-reported recollection, while the LDF and right frontal ventral regions, as those affected in the RTF group, are not. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Prognostic significance of focal lesions and diffuse infiltration on MRI for multiple myeloma: a meta-analysis

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Lee, So-Yeon; Park, Hee-Jin [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hyun-Jung [Korea University College of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Yu Ri [The Catholic University of Korea, Department of Radiology, Incheon St. Mary' s Hospital, College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Yun-Gyoo; Oh, Suk Joong [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-06-15

MRI of bone marrow of the axial skeleton is recommended for evaluation of multiple myeloma. The impact of bone marrow involvement pattern on MRI for determining progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) is not yet clear. We performed a meta-analysis of research on the prognostic significance of MRI patterns for OS and PFS using a random effects model. Databases searched without language restriction were MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library (January 1976 to April 2014). Manual searches were also conducted. Of 10,953 citations identified in the original search, 10 cohort studies for a total of 2015 patients met the inclusion criteria. Nine of the 10 included studies are from three research groups. Pooled hazard ratios were 1.80 (95 % confidence interval [CI] 1.32-2.46; P < 0.001) for OS and 2.30 (95 % CI 1.65-3.20; P < 0.001) for PFS for focal lesions on MRI; and 1.70 (95 % CI 1.30-2.21; P < 0.001) for OS and 1.74 (95 % CI 1.07-2.85; P = 0.03) for PFS for diffuse infiltration on MRI. No significant heterogeneity was observed among studies. This meta-analysis demonstrated an association between focal lesions and diffuse infiltration and poor prognosis in this population. (orig.)

Evaluation of TSE- and T1-3D-GRE-sequences for focal cartilage lesions in vitro in comparison to ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stork, A.; Schulze, D.; Koops, A.; Kemper, J.; Adam, G.

2002-01-01

Purpose: Evaluation of TSE- and T 1 -3D-GRE-sequences for focal cartilage lesions in vitro in comparison to ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT. Materials and methods: Forty artificial cartilage lesions in ten bovine patellae were immersed in a solution of iodinated contrast medium and assessed with ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT. Fat-suppressed TSE images with intermediate- and T 2 -weighting at a slice thickness of 2, 3 and 4 mm as well as fat-suppressed T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH images with an effective slice thickness of 1, 2 and 3 mm were acquired at 1.5 T. After adding Gd-DTPA to the saline solution containing the patellae, the T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH imaging was repeated. Results: All cartilage lesions were visualised and graded with ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT. The TSE images had a higher sensitivity and a higher inter- and intraobserver kappa compared to the FLASH-sequences (TSE: 70-95%; 0.82-0.83; 0.85-0.9; FLASH: 57.5-85%; 0.53-0.72; 0.73-0.82, respectively). An increase in slice thickness decreased the sensitivity, whereby deep lesions were even reliably depicted on TSE images at a slice thickness of 3 and 4 mm. Adding Gd-DTPA to the saline solution increased the sensitivity by 10% with no detectable advantage over the T 2 -weighted TSE images. Conclusion: TSE sequences and application of Gd-DTPA seemed to be superior to T 1 -weighted 3D-FLASH sequences without Gd-DTPA in the detection of focal cartilage lesions. The ultrahigh resolution multi-slice CT can serve as in vitro reference standard for focal cartilage lesions. (orig.) [de

Focal masses in a non-cirrhotic liver: The additional benefit of CEUS over baseline imaging

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Chiorean, L., E-mail: lilichiorean@yahoo.com [Sino-German Research Center of Ultrasound in Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (China); Med. Klinik 2, Caritas Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Uhlandstr. 7, D-97980 Bad Mergentheim (Germany); Département d’imagerie médicale, Clinique des Cévennes, 07100 Annonay (France); Cantisani, V., E-mail: vito.cantisani@uniroma1.it [Dipartimento di Scienze Radiologiche, Oncologiche, Anatomo-patologiche, Policlinico Umberto I, Univ. Sapienza, Roma (Italy); Jenssen, C., E-mail: C.Jenssen@khmol.de [Innere Medizin, Krankenhaus Märkisch Oderland, Prötzeler Chaussee 5, 15433 Strausberg (Germany); Sidhu, P.S., E-mail: paulsidhu@nhs.net [Department of Radiology, King' s College Hospital, Denmark Hill, London SE5 9RS, England (United Kingdom); Baum, U., E-mail: Ulrich.Baum@ckbm.de [Department of Radiology, Caritas Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Uhlandstr. 7, D-97980 Bad Mergentheim (Germany); Dietrich, C.F., E-mail: christoph.dietrich@ckbm.de [Sino-German Research Center of Ultrasound in Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (China); Med. Klinik 2, Caritas Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Uhlandstr. 7, D-97980 Bad Mergentheim (Germany)

2015-09-15

Highlights: • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in detection of focal liver lesions. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in characterization of focal liver lesions. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in final diagnosis of focal liver lesions. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in liver metastases screening. • Roles of cross-sectional imaging techniques for focal liver lesions assessment. • Advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound over other imaging procedures. - Abstract: Incidentally detected focal liver lesions are commonly encountered in clinical practice presenting a challenge in the daily department work flow. Guidelines for the management of incidental focal liver lesions have been published but comments, illustrations and recommendations regarding practical issues are crucial. The unique features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in non-invasive assessment of focal liver lesion enhancement throughout the vascular phases in real-time has allowed an impressive improvement in the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound. We highlight the additional benefit of contrast-enhanced ultrasound over conventional B-mode ultrasound imaging in detection, characterization, differential and final diagnosis of focal liver lesions, as well as for liver metastases screening. The current roles of cross-sectional imaging are explained in detail, with indications and limitations for each procedure. The advantages of CEUS, such as non-ionizing radiation exposure, cost benefits, non-iodinate contrast agents, and repeatability are also described ultimately improving patient management.

Experimental approbation of a new ultrosound contrast agent based on sulfur geksafluoride in diagnostics of focal liver lesions of inflammatory genesis

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S. V. Fomina

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose of the study. Experimental approbation of a new domestic ultrasound contrast agent (UCA based on sulfur hexafluoride in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions of inflammatory genesis.Materials and methods. The investigated ultrasound contrast agent (UCA was a heterogeneous gas-liquid system consisting of micro bubbles of a sparingly soluble gas of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6 surrounded by a flexible mobile membrane of surfactants. Experimental work was carried out on rabbits. The study group included rabbits of males and females with focal liver lesion of inflammatory genesis (n = 12 weighing 1500- 1700 g. UCA was administered to animals in the ear vein. Focal lesions of the liver in animals were created in the experimental laboratory conditions. 14 days after the operation, all animals were subjected to ultrasound examination of the surgical intervention zones by using the Toshiba Aplio 400 scanners (Japan with a 3,5–8 MHz convection sensor. In a natural study, the size, structure and echogenicity of the focus were assessed, the degree of vascularization, the evenness and clarity of the contours were determined. When performing post contrast ultrasound, the time of the onset of contrast enhancement, the total duration of contrast, the changes in the contrast enhancement of the focus in different phases of the study were measured, the dimensions of the focus were measured, and the evenness and acuity of contours were measured. For histological examination, liver fragments and lungs were used. 

Neural network ensemble based CAD system for focal liver lesions from B-mode ultrasound.

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Virmani, Jitendra; Kumar, Vinod; Kalra, Naveen; Khandelwal, Niranjan

2014-08-01

A neural network ensemble (NNE) based computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) system to assist radiologists in differential diagnosis between focal liver lesions (FLLs), including (1) typical and atypical cases of Cyst, hemangioma (HEM) and metastatic carcinoma (MET) lesions, (2) small and large hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) lesions, along with (3) normal (NOR) liver tissue is proposed in the present work. Expert radiologists, visualize the textural characteristics of regions inside and outside the lesions to differentiate between different FLLs, accordingly texture features computed from inside lesion regions of interest (IROIs) and texture ratio features computed from IROIs and surrounding lesion regions of interests (SROIs) are taken as input. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used for reducing the dimensionality of the feature space before classifier design. The first step of classification module consists of a five class PCA-NN based primary classifier which yields probability outputs for five liver image classes. The second step of classification module consists of ten binary PCA-NN based secondary classifiers for NOR/Cyst, NOR/HEM, NOR/HCC, NOR/MET, Cyst/HEM, Cyst/HCC, Cyst/MET, HEM/HCC, HEM/MET and HCC/MET classes. The probability outputs of five class PCA-NN based primary classifier is used to determine the first two most probable classes for a test instance, based on which it is directed to the corresponding binary PCA-NN based secondary classifier for crisp classification between two classes. By including the second step of the classification module, classification accuracy increases from 88.7 % to 95 %. The promising results obtained by the proposed system indicate its usefulness to assist radiologists in differential diagnosis of FLLs.

Focal liver lesions segmentation and classification in nonenhanced T2-weighted MRI.

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Gatos, Ilias; Tsantis, Stavros; Karamesini, Maria; Spiliopoulos, Stavros; Karnabatidis, Dimitris; Hazle, John D; Kagadis, George C

2017-07-01

To automatically segment and classify focal liver lesions (FLLs) on nonenhanced T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans using a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) algorithm. 71 FLLs (30 benign lesions, 19 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 22 metastases) on T2-weighted MRI scans were delineated by the proposed CAD scheme. The FLL segmentation procedure involved wavelet multiscale analysis to extract accurate edge information and mean intensity values for consecutive edges computed using horizontal and vertical analysis that were fed into the subsequent fuzzy C-means algorithm for final FLL border extraction. Texture information for each extracted lesion was derived using 42 first- and second-order textural features from grayscale value histogram, co-occurrence, and run-length matrices. Twelve morphological features were also extracted to capture any shape differentiation between classes. Feature selection was performed with stepwise multilinear regression analysis that led to a reduced feature subset. A multiclass Probabilistic Neural Network (PNN) classifier was then designed and used for lesion classification. PNN model evaluation was performed using the leave-one-out (LOO) method and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The mean overlap between the automatically segmented FLLs and the manual segmentations performed by radiologists was 0.91 ± 0.12. The highest classification accuracies in the PNN model for the benign, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastatic FLLs were 94.1%, 91.4%, and 94.1%, respectively, with sensitivity/specificity values of 90%/97.3%, 89.5%/92.2%, and 90.9%/95.6% respectively. The overall classification accuracy for the proposed system was 90.1%. Our diagnostic system using sophisticated FLL segmentation and classification algorithms is a powerful tool for routine clinical MRI-based liver evaluation and can be a supplement to contrast-enhanced MRI to prevent unnecessary invasive procedures. © 2017 American

Point shear wave speed measurement in differentiating benign and malignant focal liver lesions.

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Dong, Yi; Wang, Wen-Ping; Xu, Yadan; Cao, Jiaying; Mao, Feng; Dietrich, Cristoph F

2017-06-26

To investigate the value of ElastPQ measurement for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs) by using histologic results as a reference standard. A total of 154 patients were included. ElastPQ measurement was performed for each lesion in which the shear wave speed (SWS) was measured. The difference in SWS and SWS ratio of FLL to surrounding liver were evaluated, and the cut off value was investigated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance. Histology as a gold standard was obtained by surgery in all patients. A total of 154 lesions including 129 (83.7 %) malignant FLLs and 25 (16.3 %) benign ones were analysed. The SWS of malignant and benign FLLs was significantly different, 2.77±0.68 m/s and 1.57±0.55 m/s (p<0.05). The SWS ratio of each FLL to surrounding liver parenchyma was 2.23±0.49 for malignant and 1.14±0.36 for benign FLLs (p<0.05). The cut off value for differential diagnosis was 2.06 m/s for SWS and 1.67 for SWS ratio.  ElastPQ measurement provides reliable quantitative stiffness information of FLLs and may be helpful in the differential diagnosis between malignant and benign FLLs.

Controversial aspects of the life cycle of Fasciola hepatica.

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Moazeni, Mohammad; Ahmadi, Amin

2016-10-01

Fasciola hepatica is a well-known helminth parasite, with significant economic and public health importance all over the world. It has been known since more than 630 years ago and a considerable research work has been carried out on the life cycle of this important parasite. In the hepatic phase of the life cycle of F. hepatica, it is assumed that the young flukes, after about 6-7 weeks of migration in the liver parenchyma, enter into the bile ducts of the definitive hosts and become sexually mature. Even though the secretion of cysteine peptidases including cathepsin L and B proteases by F. hepatica may justify this opinion, because of several scientific reasons and based on the experimental studies conducted in different animals (reviewed in this article), the entry of parasites into the bile ducts, after their migration in the liver parenchyma seems to be doubtful. However, considering all the facts relating to the hepatic and biliary phases of the life cycle of F. hepatica, two alternative ideas are suggested: 1) some of the migrating juvenile flukes may enter into the bile ducts immediately after reaching the liver parenchyma while they are still very small, or 2) when newly excysted juvenile flukes are penetrating into the intestinal wall to reach the liver through the abdominal cavity, a number of these flukes may enter into the choleduct and reach the hepatic bile ducts, where they mature. According to the previously performed natural and experimental studies in different animals and human beings, the supporting and opposing evidences for the current opinion as well as the evidences that might justify the two new ideas are reviewed and discussed briefly. In conclusion, our present knowledge about the time and quality of the entry of F. hepaticas into the bile ducts, seems to be insufficient, therefore, there are still some dark corners and unknown aspects in this field that should be clarified. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Protection against Schistosoma mansoni infection using a Fasciola hepatica-derived fatty acid binding protein from different delivery systems.

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Vicente, Belén; López-Abán, Julio; Rojas-Caraballo, Jose; del Olmo, Esther; Fernández-Soto, Pedro; Muro, Antonio

2016-04-18

Schistosomiasis is a water-borne disease afflicting over 261 million people in many areas of the developing countries with high morbidity and mortality. The control relies mainly on treatment with praziquantel. Fatty acid binding proteins (FABP) have demonstrated high levels of immune-protection against trematode infections. This study reports the immunoprotection induced by cross-reacting Fasciola hepatica FABP, native (nFh12) and recombinantly expressed using two different expression systems Escherichia coli (rFh15) and baculovirus (rFh15b) against Schistosoma mansoni infection. BALB/c mice were vaccinated with native nFh12 or recombinant rFh15 and rFh15 FABP from F. hepatica formulated in adjuvant adaptation (ADAD) system with natural or chemical synthesised immunomodulators (PAL and AA0029) and then challenged with 150 cercariae of S. mansoni. Parasite burden, hepatic lesions and antibody response were studied in vaccination trials. Furthermore differences between rFh15 and rFh15b immunological responses (cytokine production, splenocyte population and antibody levels) were studied. Vaccination with nFh12 induced significant reductions in worm burden (83%), eggs in tissues (82-92%) and hepatic lesions (85%) compared to infected controls using PAL. Vaccination with rFh15 showed lower total worm burden (56-64%), eggs in the liver (21-61%), eggs in the gut (30-77%) and hepatic damage (67-69%) using PAL and AA0029 as immunomodulators. In contrast, mice vaccinated with rFh15b showed only reductions in eggs trapped in the liver and intestine (53 and 60%, respectively), and hepatic lesions (45%). We observed a significant rise in TNFα, IL-6, IL-2, IL-4 and high antibody response (IgG, IgG1, IgG2a, IgM and IgE) in mice immunised with either rFh15 or rFh15b. Moreover, mice immunised with rFh15b showed an increase in IFNγ and a decrease in B220 cells compared to untreated mice, and less production of IgG1 and IgM than in mice immunised by rFh15. Higher level of

Signal characteristics of focal bone marrow lesions in patients with multiple myeloma using whole body T1w-TSE, T2w-STIR and diffusion-weighted imaging with background suppression

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Sommer, Gregor; Bongartz, Georg; Winter, Leopold [University of Basel Hospital, Department of Radiology, Basel (Switzerland); Klarhoefer, Markus; Lenz, Claudia; Scheffler, Klaus [University of Basel Hospital, Department of Radiology, Division of Radiological Physics, Basel (Switzerland)

2011-04-15

This study analyses the diagnostic potential of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Background Suppression (DWIBS) in the detection of focal bone marrow lesions from multiple myeloma. The signal and contrast properties of DWIBS are evaluated in correlation with the serum concentration of M-component (MC) and compared with established T1- and T2-weighted sequences. Data from 103 consecutive studies in 81 patients are analysed retrospectively. Signal intensities and apparent Diffusion Coefficients (ADC) of 79 focal lesions in the lumbar spine or pelvis of 38 patients are determined and contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) is calculated. Data from patients with low (<20 g/L) and high (>20 g/dL) MC are evaluated separately. Signal intensities of focal myeloma lesions on T2w-STIR vary significantly depending on the MC, which leads to a loss in CNR in patients with high MC. No signal variation is observed for T1w-TSE and DWIBS. The CNR values provided by DWIBS in patients with high MC are slightly higher than those of T2w-STIR. ADC values in patients with low MC are significantly higher than in patients with high MC. Whole-body DWIBS has the potential to improve the conspicuity of focal myeloma lesions and provides additional biological information by ADC quantification. (orig.)

[Profitability of the bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of focal pulmonary malignant lesions].

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García Quero, C; García Luján, R; González Torralba, F; de Miguel Poch, E; Alfaro Abreu, J; Villena Garrido, V; López Ríos, F; López Encuentra, A

2008-12-01

We define focal pulmonary lesion (FPL) as an intra-parenchymatous pulmonary lesion that is well circumscribed and completely surrounded by healthy lung. It is considered that the profitability of the fine needle aspiration puncture (FNAP) in FPL profitability of the FNAP in the malignant FPL and study if it varies according to site, size and histology. We analyzed all the FBCs of our Unit between 01/2000 and 12/2001 in patients with solitary FLP profitability by size, site and histology was analyzed with Pearson's chi(2) statistics. 124 patients. Mean FBC per patient was 1.3. A total of 101 cases (82%) were diagnosed with FBC, 15 by thoracotomy and 8 by FNAP. Global diagnostic profitability of the FBC was 0.82 and the transbronchial biopsy 0.76. There are no diagnostic profitability differences by size ( 2 cm) (0.81 vs 0.82 p = 0.96), site (peripheral vs central) (0.79 vs 0.85 p = 0.41) and histology (epidermoid vs adenocarcinoma) (0.89 vs 0.75 p = 0.21). Profitability of the FBC in malignant FPL in our hospital is elevated without differences by size, site or histology. In our site, the initial diagnostic approach of the FLP is done with FBC.

Seven tesla MRI improves detection of focal cortical dysplasia in patients with refractory focal epilepsy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veersema, Tim J; Ferrier, Cyrille H; van Eijsden, Pieter; Gosselaar, Peter H; Aronica, Eleonora; Visser, Fredy; Zwanenburg, Jaco M; de Kort, Gerard A P; Hendrikse, Jeroen; Luijten, Peter R; Braun, Kees P J

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine whether the use of 7 tesla (T) MRI in clinical practice leads to higher detection rates of focal cortical dysplasias in possible candidates for epilepsy surgery. Methods: In our center patients are referred for 7 T MRI if lesional focal epilepsy is

BACTERIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION ON Fasciola hepatica AND CATTLE BILIARY DUCTS

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A. Panebianco

2009-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to investigate the occurrence of bacteria in Fasciola hepatica and into cattle biliary ducts containing the parasite. A total of 24 liver and 58 F. hepatica samples were analysed. In all biliary ducts and in 62,06% of parasite Enterobacteriaceae were isolated. The bacterial specie more frequently isolated from parasite were Citrobacter freundii (34%, Proteus mirabilis (18%, Providencia rettgeri (12%, Staphylococcus spp. (18%, Enterobacter spp. (12%. There doesn’t appear to be a correlation between bacterial specie from parasite and ducts. The Authors conclude with some related inspective consideration.

Characterization of Focal Liver Lesions using CEUS and MRI with Liver-Specific Contrast Media: Experience of a Single Radiologic Center.

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Beyer, Lukas Philipp; Wassermann, Florian; Pregler, Benedikt; Michalik, Katharina; Rennert, Janine; Wiesinger, Isabel; Stroszczynski, Christian; Wiggermann, Philipp; Jung, Ernst Michael

2017-12-01

 The purpose of this study was to compare contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using liver-specific contrast agent and a combination of both for the characterization of focal liver lesions (FLL).  83 patients with both benign and malignant liver lesions were examined using CEUS and MRI after the intravenous administration of liver-specific contrast media. All patients had inconclusive results from prior imaging examinations. Histopathological specimens could be obtained in 53 patients. Ultrasound was performed using a multi-frequency curved probe (1 - 6 MHz) after the injection of 1 - 2.4 ml ultrasound contrast media. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CEUS, MRI and a combination of both (CEUS + MRI) were compared.  The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values regarding lesion classification were 90.9 %, 70.6 %, 92.3 % and 66.6 %, respectively, for CEUS; 90.9 %, 82.4 %, 95.2 % and 70.0 %, respectively, for MRI; and 96.9 %, 70.6 %, 92.7 % and 85.7 % respectively, for CEUS + MRI. There were no statistically significant differences. 6 malignant lesions were missed using CEUS or MRI alone (false negatives). The use of both modalities combined reduced the false-negative results to 2.  CEUS and MRI with liver-specific contrast media are very reliable and of equal informative value in the characterization of focal liver lesions. The number of false-negative results can be decreased using a combination of the two methods. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Small Lesion Size Is Associated with Sleep-Related Epilepsy in Focal Cortical Dysplasia Type II

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Bo Jin

2018-02-01

Full Text Available ObjectiveTo investigate the neuroimaging and clinical features associated with sleep-related epilepsy (SRE in patients with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD type II.MethodsPatients with histopathologically proven FCD type II were included from three epilepsy centers. SRE was defined according to the video EEG findings and seizure history. Cortical surface reconstruction and volume calculation were performed using FreeSurfer. The lesions were manually delineated on T1 volumetric MRI using the ITK-SNAP software. The lesion volumes were normalized by the intracranial volume of each patient. The lesions were classified as small or large by placing a threshold based on quantitative (whether the lesion was detected on MRI report and qualitative (volume criteria.ResultsA total of 77 consecutive patients were included. Of them, 36 had SRE and 41 had non-SRE. An earlier age of epilepsy onset, high seizure frequency, regional interictal EEG findings, and favorable surgical outcome were characteristic in both groups. Small lesions were defined as those having a volume <3,217 mm3. In total, 60.9% of the patients with SRE (25/41 had small FCD lesion, which was significantly higher than the non-SRE group (9/34, 26.5%, p = 0.005. Small lesion size was the only predictor significantly associated with SRE in the overall type II group by multivariate analyses (p = 0.016. Although the proportion of patients who had frontal FCD and SRE was higher than non-frontal FCD (54.5 vs. 27.3%, p = 0.043, the relationship between SRE and lesion location was not confirmed by multivariate analysis. Thalamic volume and seizure semiology were not statistically different between the SRE and non-SRE group. The significant association between lesion size and SRE was reproducible in type IIb and IIa subgroups.SignificanceSRE is common in patients with FCD type II. Small FCD type II lesions are significantly associated with SRE. Although our findings cannot be applied to

A case of pathological rib fractures: focal osteolysis or osteoporosis?

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Vrbanić, T S L; Novak, S; Sestan, B; Tudor, A; Gulan, G

2008-03-01

This paper reports on a unique, previously unreported, successful outcome in the case of a patient with focal osteolytic lesions of the ribs as a first sign of osteoporosis. The lesions were detected by chance after acute cough-induced rib fractures were seen on plain chest radiographs. The diagnosis had to be approached as a diagnosis of exclusion since known causes of the osteolytic process had to be eliminated. The authors describe multiple focal osteolytic lesions with rib fractures appearing in a pattern that could be confused with metastases. Laboratory results were normal. Final diagnosis was based on plain radiography, bone scan and bone densitometry. Pharmacomedical treatments for osteoporosis were applied. The patient was observed between the year 2000 and 2005. Five years later radiological and bone scintigraphy revealed resolution of the lesion. We conclude that osteoporosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of asymptomatic focal osteolysis of the ribs with rib fractures as a complication of acute cough. The case suggests that focal osteolytic lesions of the ribs may regress over time and become scintigraphically inactive.

Distinct focal lesions of the femoral head: imaging features suggesting an atypical and minimal form of bone necrosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theodorou, Daphne J.; Theodorou, Stavroula J.; Resnick, Donald; Haghighi, Parviz

2002-01-01

Heading AbstractObjective. To document the imaging findings observed in patients with an unusual pattern of abnormality of the femoral head, most likely representing osteonecrosis.Design and patients. The imaging findings in 11 patients (10 men, 1 woman; age range 32-55 years) with a distinct lesion of the femoral head were reviewed with particular attention to the morphologic appearance, location, and extent of the lesion(s) in the proximal femur.Results. The 16 lesions identified in these patients extended to the subchondral area. Articular collapse was not evident in any hip. Radiography and CT showed areas of mixed bone sclerosis and osteolysis surrounded by sclerotic margins. On MR imaging, the signal intensity characteristics of the osseous lesion(s) were most commonly similar to those of fluid. Histopathologic findings, available in two hips, were typical of osteonecrosis. There was evidence of correlation of the site of the lesion with the known general distribution and anastomoses of arteries supplying the femoral head.Conclusion. A distinct, focal lesion of the femoral head is believed to represent an atypical form of bone necrosis. Its restriction to a small portion of the femoral head may relate to localized vascular anatomy. Recognition of the quite characteristic imaging findings can prevent misdiagnosis and may have implications for the prediction of the natural course of the disease. (orig.)

Focal myositis: A review.

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Devic, P; Gallay, L; Streichenberger, N; Petiot, P

2016-11-01

Amongst the heterogeneous group of inflammatory myopathies, focal myositis stands as a rare and benign dysimmune disease. Although it can be associated with root and/or nerve lesions, traumatic muscle lesions and autoimmune diseases, its triggering factors remain poorly understood. Defined as an isolated inflammatory pseudotumour usually restricted to one skeletal muscle, clinical presentation of focal myositis is that of a rapidly growing solitary mass within a single muscle, usually in the lower limbs. Electromyography shows spontaneous activity associated with a myopathic pattern. MRI reveals a contrast enhanced enlarged muscle appearing hyper-intense on FAT-SAT T2 weighted images. Adjacent structures are spared and there are no calcifications. Serum creatine kinase (CK) levels are usually moderately augmented and biological markers of systemic inflammation are absent in most cases. Pathological histological features include marked variation in fibre size, inflammatory infiltrates mostly composed of T CD4+ lymphocytes and macrophages, degenerating/regenerating fibres and interstitial fibrosis. Differential diagnoses are numerous and include myositis of other origin with focal onset. Steroid treatment should be reserved for patients who present with major pain, nerve lesions, associated autoimmune disease, or elevated C reactive protein or CK. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of classification trees for the qualitative differentiation of focal liver lesions suspicious for metastasis in gadolinium-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MR imaging

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Schelhorn, J. [Sophien und Hufeland Klinikum, Weimar (Germany). Dept. of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine; Benndorf, M.; Dietzel, M.; Burmeister, H.P.; Kaiser, W.A.; Baltzer, P.A.T. [Jena Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

2012-09-15

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of qualitative descriptors alone and in combination for the classification of focal liver lesions (FLLs) suspicious for metastasis in gadolinium-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MR imaging. Materials and Methods: Consecutive patients with clinically suspected liver metastases were eligible for this retrospective investigation. 50 patients met the inclusion criteria. All underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI (T2w, chemical shift T1w, dynamic T1w). Primary liver malignancies or treated lesions were excluded. All investigations were read by two blinded observers (O1, O2). Both independently identified the presence of lesions and evaluated predefined qualitative lesion descriptors (signal intensities, enhancement pattern and morphology). A reference standard was determined under consideration of all clinical and follow-up information. Statistical analysis besides contingency tables (chi square, kappa statistics) included descriptor combinations using classification trees (CHAID methodology) as well as ROC analysis. Results: In 38 patients, 120 FLLs (52 benign, 68 malignant) were present. 115 (48 benign, 67 malignant) were identified by the observers. The enhancement pattern, relative SI upon T2w and late enhanced T1w images contributed significantly to the differentiation of FLLs. The overall classification accuracy was 91.3 % (O1) and 88.7 % (O2), kappa = 0.902. Conclusion: The combination of qualitative lesion descriptors proposed in this work revealed high diagnostic accuracy and interobserver agreement in the differentiation of focal liver lesions suspicious for metastases using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI. (orig.)

Usefulness of 8 kDa protein of Fasciola hepatica in diagnosis of fascioliasis

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Kim, Kwangsig; Yang, Hyun Jong

2003-01-01

This study was designed to detect and evaluate an antigenicity of low molecular weight proteins of Fasciola hepatica in fascioliasis. Low molecular weight protein of F. hepatica was purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and Sephacryl S-100 HR gel filtration. The protein obtained was estimated to be 8 kDa on 7.5-15% gradient sodium dodecyl sulfate gel electrophoresis. Immunoblotting studies showed that the 8 kDa protein reacted with human fascioliasis sera, but not other trematodiasis sera. This result suggests that the 8 kDa protein of F. hepatica is one of diagnostic antigens in human fascioliasis without cross-reaction with other human trematodiasis. PMID:12815325

CT Perfusion for Early Response Evaluation of Radiofrequency Ablation of Focal Liver Lesions: First Experience

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Marquez, Herman P., E-mail: hermanpaulo.marquezmasquiaran@usz.ch; Puippe, Gilbert; Mathew, Rishi Philip; Alkadhi, Hatem; Pfammatter, Thomas; Fischer, Michael A. [University Hospital Zurich, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology (Switzerland)

2017-01-15

PurposeTo investigate the value of perfusion CT (P-CT) for early assessment of treatment response in patients undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of focal liver lesions.Methods and Materials20 consecutive patients (14 men; mean age 64 ± 14) undergoing P-CT within 24 h after RFA of liver metastases (n = 10) or HCC (n = 10) were retrospectively included. Two readers determined arterial liver perfusion (ALP, mL/min/100 mL), portal liver perfusion (PLP, mL/min/100 mL), and hepatic perfusion index (HPI, %) in all post-RFA lesions by placing a volume of interest in the necrotic central (CZ), the transition (TZ), and the surrounding parenchymal (PZ) zone. Patients were classified into complete responders (no residual tumor) and incomplete responders (residual/progressive tumor) using imaging follow-up with contrast-enhanced CT or MRI after a mean of 57 ± 30 days. Prediction of treatment response was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC) from receiver operating characteristic analysis.ResultsMean ALP/PLP/HPI of both readers were 4.8/15.4/61.2 for the CZ, 9.9/16.8/66.3 for the TZ and 20.7/29.0/61.8 for the PZ. Interreader agreement of HPI was fair for the CZ (intraclass coefficient 0.713), good for the TZ (0.813), and excellent for the PZ (0.920). For both readers, there were significant differences in HPI of the CZ and TZ between responders and nonresponders (both, P < 0.05). HPI of the TZ showed the highest AUC (0.911) for prediction of residual tumor, suggesting a cut-off value of 76 %.ConclusionIncreased HPI of the transition zone assessed with P-CT after RFA might serve as an early quantitative biomarker for residual tumor in patients with focal liver lesions.

Evaluation of the diagnostic efficacy of SPIO enhanced MRI in patients with focal hepatic lesions. Comparison with CECT and CTAP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasugai, Hisashi; Katayama, Nobuhito; Sakai, Shigeru; Yamakawa, Tatsuo

2002-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic efficacy of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO)-enhanced MRI for the detection and diagnostic accuracy of focal liver lesions with helical contrast enhanced CT (CECT) and CT during arterial portography (CTAP). Thirty-nine patients (25 men and 14 women, mean age 63.5 years) were examined by SPIO-MRI and triple-phase CECT. Eleven of them were also examined by CTAP. There were a total of 96 confirmed focal hepatic lesions, 61 metastatic cancers in 18 patients and 35 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) in 21 patients. Final diagnosis was established by operation in 25 cases, by biopsy in 7 cases, and by progression of disease on follow-up examination in the other 7 cases. The sensitivity of SPIO-MRI for HCC detection was almost equal to CECT, but that of SPIO-MRI for metastatic cancer detection, especially cancers smaller than 1 cm in size, was significantly superior to CECT. The sensitivity of SPIO-MRI for both HCC and metastatic cancer detection was almost equal to that of CTAP, but the specificity of SPIO-MRI for detection of both lesions was significantly superior to that of CTAP because CTAP produced a higher incidence of false-positive findings. In conclusion, SPIO-MRI could take the place of CTAP as a non-invasive excellent modality to determine the distribution of hepatic lesions preoperatively. SPIO-MRI could also be a useful modality to follow liver metastasis postoperatively in patients with advanced digestive cancers. (author)

Extensive Focal Epithelial Hyperplasia: A Case Report.

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Mansouri, Zahra; Bakhtiari, Sedigheh; Noormohamadi, Robab

2015-01-01

Focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH) or Heck's disease is a rare viral infection of the oral mucosa caused by human papilloma virus especially subtypes 13 or 32. The frequency of this disease varies widely from one geographic region and ethnic groups to another. This paper reports an Iranian case of extensive focal epithelial hyperplasia. A 35-year-old man with FEH is described, in whom the lesions had persisted for more than 25 years. The lesion was diagnosed according to both clinical and histopathological features. Dental practitioner should be aware of these types of lesions and histopathological examination together and a careful clinical observation should be carried out for a definitive diagnosis.

Evaluation of 2D- Shear Wave Elastography for Characterisation of Focal Liver Lesions.

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Gerber, Ludmila; Fitting, Daniel; Srikantharajah, Kajana; Weiler, Nina; Kyriakidou, Georgia; Bojunga, Joerg; Schulze, Falko; Bon, Dimitra; Zeuzem, Stefan; Friedrich-Rust, Mireen

2017-09-01

This is a prospective study for evaluation of 2D-shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) for characterisation and differentiation of benign und malignant focal liver lesions (FLLs). The patients referred to our ultrasound unit were prospectively included. B-mode ultrasound and 2D-SWE (Aixplorer® France) were performed for one FLL in each patient. Liver histology and/or contrast-enhanced imaging were used as a reference method. 140 patients with FLL were included. SWE acquisitions failed in 24% of them. Therefore, 106 patients with FLL could be analysed, 42/106 with benign and 64/106 with malignant FLLs. The median stiffness for benign FLLs was 16.4 (2.1-71.9) kPa: 16.55 kPa for 18 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), 16.35 kPa for 18 hemangioma, 9.8 kPa for 3 focal fatty sparings (FFS), 8.9 kPa for 1 adenoma, 20 kPa for one regenerative node and 29 kPa for one cholangiofibroma, and for the malignant FLLs 36 (4.1-142.9) kPa: 44.8 kPa for 16 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), 70.7 kPa for 7 cholangiocarcinoma (CCC) and 29.5 kPa for the 41 metastasis (p<0.001). Malignant FLLs were significantly stiffer than benign FLLs (p<0.0001). Cholangiocarcinomas were the stiffest malignant FFLs with significantly higher values as compared to HCCs and metastases (p=0.033 and p=0.0079, respectively). No significant difference in stiffness could be observed between the different benign FLL entities. No significant difference was observed whether 2D-SWE included the whole FLL, the periphery or only the hardest area of the FLL. 2D-SWE provides further characterising information for interpretation of FLLs and may be useful at least in differentiation of CCCs and HCCs.

Gene Expression Profile in the Liver of BALB/c Mice Infected with Fasciola hepatica.

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Jose Rojas-Caraballo

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica infection still remains one of the helminthic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs. It has a huge worldwide distribution, affecting mainly cattle and, sometimes, human beings. In addition to data reported about the immunological response induced by helminthic infections and that induced by Fasciola hepatica, little is known about the gene expression profile in its organ target, the liver, which is where adult worms are established and live for long periods of time, causing its characteristic pathology. In the present work, we study both the early and late gene expression profiles in the livers of mice infected with F. hepatica metacercariae using a microarray-based methodology.A total of 9 female-6-week-old BALB/c mice (Charles River Laboratories, Barcelona, Spain weighing 20 to 35 g were used for the experiments. Two groups of BALB/c mice were orally infected with seven F. hepatica metacercariae, and the other group remained untreated and served as a control. Mice were humanely euthanized and necropsied for liver recovery, histological assessment of hepatic damage, RNA isolation, microarray design and gene expression analysis on the day of infection (t0, seven days post-infection (t7 and twenty-one days post-infection (t21.We found that F. hepatica infection induces the differential expression of 128 genes in the liver in the early stage of infection and 308 genes in the late stage, and most of them are up-regulated. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed significant changes in the pathways related to metabolism, biosynthesis and signaling as well as genes implicated in inducing liver-toxicity, injury and death.The present study provides us insights at the molecular level about the underlying mechanisms used by F. hepatica, leading to liver damage and its subsequent pathophysiology. The expression pattern obtained here could also be used to explain the lack of association between infection with F. hepatica and cholangiocarcinoma

Gene Expression Profile in the Liver of BALB/c Mice Infected with Fasciola hepatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Rojas-Caraballo, Jose; López-Abán, Julio; Fernández-Soto, Pedro; Vicente, Belén; Collía, Francisco; Muro, Antonio

2015-01-01

Fasciola hepatica infection still remains one of the helminthic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). It has a huge worldwide distribution, affecting mainly cattle and, sometimes, human beings. In addition to data reported about the immunological response induced by helminthic infections and that induced by Fasciola hepatica, little is known about the gene expression profile in its organ target, the liver, which is where adult worms are established and live for long periods of time, causing its characteristic pathology. In the present work, we study both the early and late gene expression profiles in the livers of mice infected with F. hepatica metacercariae using a microarray-based methodology. A total of 9 female-6-week-old BALB/c mice (Charles River Laboratories, Barcelona, Spain) weighing 20 to 35 g were used for the experiments. Two groups of BALB/c mice were orally infected with seven F. hepatica metacercariae, and the other group remained untreated and served as a control. Mice were humanely euthanized and necropsied for liver recovery, histological assessment of hepatic damage, RNA isolation, microarray design and gene expression analysis on the day of infection (t0), seven days post-infection (t7) and twenty-one days post-infection (t21). We found that F. hepatica infection induces the differential expression of 128 genes in the liver in the early stage of infection and 308 genes in the late stage, and most of them are up-regulated. The Ingenuity Pathway Analysis revealed significant changes in the pathways related to metabolism, biosynthesis and signaling as well as genes implicated in inducing liver-toxicity, injury and death. The present study provides us insights at the molecular level about the underlying mechanisms used by F. hepatica, leading to liver damage and its subsequent pathophysiology. The expression pattern obtained here could also be used to explain the lack of association between infection with F. hepatica and cholangiocarcinoma. However

Application of classification trees for the qualitative differentiation of focal liver lesions suspicious for metastasis in gadolinium-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MR imaging.

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Schelhorn, J; Benndorf, M; Dietzel, M; Burmeister, H P; Kaiser, W A; Baltzer, P A T

2012-09-01

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of qualitative descriptors alone and in combination for the classification of focal liver lesions (FLLs) suspicious for metastasis in gadolinium-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MR imaging. Consecutive patients with clinically suspected liver metastases were eligible for this retrospective investigation. 50 patients met the inclusion criteria. All underwent Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI (T2w, chemical shift T1w, dynamic T1w). Primary liver malignancies or treated lesions were excluded. All investigations were read by two blinded observers (O1, O2). Both independently identified the presence of lesions and evaluated predefined qualitative lesion descriptors (signal intensities, enhancement pattern and morphology). A reference standard was determined under consideration of all clinical and follow-up information. Statistical analysis besides contingency tables (chi square, kappa statistics) included descriptor combinations using classification trees (CHAID methodology) as well as ROC analysis. In 38 patients, 120 FLLs (52 benign, 68 malignant) were present. 115 (48 benign, 67 malignant) were identified by the observers. The enhancement pattern, relative SI upon T2w and late enhanced T1w images contributed significantly to the differentiation of FLLs. The overall classification accuracy was 91.3 % (O1) and 88.7 % (O2), kappa = 0.902. The combination of qualitative lesion descriptors proposed in this work revealed high diagnostic accuracy and interobserver agreement in the differentiation of focal liver lesions suspicious for metastases using Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Accelerated forgetting of contextual details due to focal medio-dorsal thalamic lesion

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Sicong eTu

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Effects of thalamic nuclei damage and related white matter tracts on memory performance are still debated. This is particularly evident for the medio-dorsal thalamus which has been less clear in predicting amnesia than anterior thalamus changes. The current study addresses this issue by assessing 7 thalamic stroke patients with consistent unilateral lesions focal to the left medio-dorsal nuclei for immediate and delayed memory performance on standard visual and verbal tests of anterograde memory, and over the long-term (> 24 hrs on an object-location associative memory task. Thalamic patients showed selective impairment to delayed recall, but intact recognition memory. Patients also showed accelerated forgetting of contextual information after a 24 hour delay, compared to controls. Importantly, the mammillothalamic tract was intact in all patients, which suggests a role for the medio-dorsal nuclei in recall and early consolidation memory processes.

Fasciola hepatica infestation as a very rare cause of extrahepatic cholestasis

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ahmet Dobrucali; Rafet Yigitbasi; Yusuf Erzin; Oguzhan Sunamak; Erdal Polat; Hakan Yakar

2004-01-01

Fasciola hepatica, an endemic parasite in Turkey, is still a very rare cause of cholestasis worldwide. Through ingestion of contaminated water plants like watercress, humans can become the definitive host of this parasite. Cholestatic symptoms may be sudden but in some cases they may be preceeded by a long period of fever, eosinophilia and vague gastrointestinal symptoms. We report a woman with cholangitis symptoms of sudden onset which was proved to be due to Fasciola hepatica infestation by an endoscopic retrograde cholangiography.

Transcriptomic Study on Ovine Immune Responses to Fasciola hepatica Infection.

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Yan Fu

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica is not only responsible for major economic losses in livestock farming, but is also a major food-borne zoonotic agent, with 180 million people being at risk of infection worldwide. This parasite is sophisticated in manipulating the hosts' immune system to benefit its own survival. A better understanding of the mechanisms underpinning this immunomodulation is crucial for the development of control strategies such as vaccines.This in vivo study investigated the global gene expression changes of ovine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC response to both acute & chronic infection of F. hepatica, and revealed 6490 and 2364 differential expressed genes (DEGS, respectively. Several transcriptional regulators were predicted to be significantly inhibited (e.g. IL12 and IL18 or activated (e.g. miR155-5p in PBMC during infection. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis highlighted a series of immune-associated pathways involved in the response to infection, including 'Transforming Growth Factor Beta (TGFβ signaling', 'Production of Nitric Oxide in Macrophages', 'Toll-like Receptor (TLRs Signaling', 'Death Receptor Signaling' and 'IL17 Signaling'. We hypothesize that activation of pathways relevant to fibrosis in ovine chronic infection, may differ from those seen in cattle. Potential mechanisms behind immunomodulation in F. hepatica infection are a discussed.In conclusion, the present study performed global transcriptomic analysis of ovine PBMC, the primary innate/adaptive immune cells, in response to infection with F. hepatica, using deep-sequencing (RNAseq. This dataset provides novel information pertinent to understanding of the pathological processes in fasciolosis, as well as a base from which to further refine development of vaccines.

Magnetic resonance tomography for focal lesions in the liver using the para-magnetic contrast medium gadolinium DTPA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamm, B.; Roemer, T.; Felix, R.; Wolf, K.J.; Klinikum Charlottenburg, Berlin

1986-01-01

The use of the para-magnetic contrast medium gadolinium DTPA for magnetic resonance tomography of focal lesions in the liver was investigated in 31 patients. Two dosage schedules of the contrast medium (0.1 and 0.2 mmol/kg body weight) were used with field strengths of 0.35 and 0.5 Tesla. Using T 1 sequences, gadolinium DTPA showed increased signal intensity in the liver and in tumours, but this was significantly more marked in the tumour. On T 1 spin-echo sequences, previously iso-intense lesions became visible after administration of contrast. On the other hand, contrast-enhanced lesions were less well seen on inversion recovery sequences because of a reduction in the contrast between tumour and liver tissue. The contrast between tumour and liver tissue was not improved by gadolinium DTPA in comparison with precontrast inversion recovery sequences and T 2 spin-echo sequences. The perfusion of intra-hepatic tumours could be elucidated by magnetic resonance tomography after the administration of gadolinium DTPA. (orig.) [de

Fasciola hepatica in Cuba: compatibility of different isolates with two intermediate snail hosts, Galba cubensis and Pseudosuccinea columella.

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Vázquez, A A; Sánchez, J; Pointier, J-P; Théron, A; Hurtrez-Boussès, S

2014-12-01

In Cuba, only two lymnaeid snails, Galba cubensis and Pseudosuccinea columella, with different ecology and distribution patterns, are intermediate hosts for Fasciola hepatica. The compatibility of these two species as hosts was analysed through their rates of infection, the production of rediae and survivorship when exposed to F. hepatica miracidia. Ten populations of G. cubensis, eight of P. columella collected from various habitats and six isolates of F. hepatica sampled in slaughterhouses from different localities were tested. Our results clearly demonstrate that G. cubensis is a more compatible host for F. hepatica in Cuba when compared with P. columella. However, the role that P. columella may have in fascioliasis transmission under certain conditions should not be disregarded. Variation in infectivity among isolates of F. hepatica were also observed and may explain why some regions in Cuba are more commonly subjected to fascioliasis outbreaks.

Nöropati ile başvuran Fasciola hepatica olgusu

OpenAIRE

BOĞA, Salih; KÖKSAL, Ali Rıza; ALTINKAYA, Engin; ÖZDOĞAN, Osman; ERGÜN, Meltem; ALKIM, Canan ALATAŞ

2015-01-01

Fascioliazis insanda fasciola türlerinin, özellikle Fasciola hepatica'nın neden olduğu zoonotik bir hastalıktır. Fascioliazis koyun, sığır gibi ot yiyen evcil hayvanlarda yaygın olarak görülmekle beraber insanlar rastlantı sal konaklardır. ‹nsan enfeksiyonu genellikle koyun yetiştirilen yerlerde su teresi tüketilmesiyle alır. Erişkin Fasciola hepatica 2.5–3 cm boyunda 1–1.5 cm çapında yaprak şekilli bir yassı solucandır. Fasciola kistleri asıl konak veya insanlar tarafından ora...

Comparison of humoral response in sheep to Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica experimental infection

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Zhang W.

2004-06-01

Full Text Available Humoral response of sheep to F. gigantica was compared with the well known humoral response to F. hepatica, in order to explain the difference of susceptibility of sheep to these two parasites. In this work, a lesser susceptibility of sheep to F. gigantica than to F. hepatica infection was confirmed. Humoral response to F. hepatica infection is similar to that previously described by several authors. IgG level of F. gigantica infected sheep increased from week 2 post-infection (2WPI and displayed a peak at 13WPI. F. gigantica excretory-secretory products (FgESP analyzed by SDS-PAGE showed at least 31 bands from 12.0 to 127.6 kDa in FgESP. Western blot indicated that F. gigantica infected sheep sera recognized, in FgESP, at least 30 antigens from 7.8 to 119.2 kDa of which 12 major bands recognized after OWPI. In FhESP and FgESP, F. hepatica infected sheep serum reacted only with the lower molecular mass antigens, while F. gigantica infected sheep serum reacted with the lower and the higher molecular mass antigens. These differences of antigenic recognition might be associated with the difference of susceptibility of sheep. Further investigation must be done to study the mechanism of resistance between the sheep infected with F. hepatica or F. gigantica.

Characterisation of focal liver lesions with contrast enhanced ultrasonography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dietrich, Christoph F.

2004-01-01

Ultrasound contrast agents (USCA) have improved the detection rate of liver tumours in recent years. Conventional ultrasound has been reported to be relatively unreliable in the characterisation of liver tumours. SonoVue [reg] (Bracco Imaging Spa) has been shown to be particularly advantageous in the differentiation of benign and malignant liver tumours and, therefore, possibly represents a new cost-effective competitive alternative to other liver imaging modalities (e.g. computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging), thus allowing these important technologies to be available for other indications (e.g. brain, thorax). More detailed and specific liver tumour characterisation is possible in about 80% of liver tumours due to typical vascularity and perfusion patterns. The role of USCA for better characterisation, which is possible through the analysis of flow characteristics in real time, places a particular emphasis on agent use. Contrast enhanced real-time imaging techniques with SonoVue [reg] allow real-time analysis of tumour perfusion in patients with liver lesions. Liver tumours known to be hyperperfused in the arterial phase (e.g. focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatocellular adenoma and carcinoma, and hyperperfused metastases) can be better detected and characterised. Hypoperfused tumours (e.g. liver metastases of the gastrointestinal tract) can be recognised in the portal venous phase as less perfused 'black spots'. In this article we discuss liver tumour characterisation by contrast enhanced ultrasonography

MRI of focal liver lesions using a 1.5T turbo-spinecho technique compared with spinecho technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steiner, S.; Vogl, T.J.; Fischer, P.; Steger, W.; Neuhaus, P.; Keck, H.

1995-01-01

In our study 35 patients with suspected focal liver lesions were examined. Standardised imaging protocol included a conventional T 2 -weighted SE sequence (T R /T E = 2000/90/45, acquisition time = 10.20) as well as a T 2 -weighted TSE sequence (T R /T E = 4700/90, acquisition time = 6.33). Calculation of S/N and C/N ratio as a basis of quantitative evaluation was done using standard methods. A diagnostic score was implemented to enable qualitative assessment. In 7% (n=2) the TSE sequence enabled detection of further liver lesions showing a size of less than 1 cm in diameter. Comparing anatomical details the TSE sequence was superior. S/N and C/N ratio of anatomic and pathologic structures of the TSE sequence were higher compared to results of the SE sequence. (orig./MG) [de

Protection against heterologous infection by using cross antigenicity between schistosoma mansoni and fasciola hepatica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moawad, M.A.; Amin, M.M.

2004-01-01

Fasciola hepatica is the causative agent of fasciolosis in many areas in America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Australia. There is an urgent need for improved methods to control the parasite's transmission. The present study is parasitological, immunological (interleukine-1β and interleukine-6) and histopathological investigations on the immunizing effect of cross antigenicity between S. mansoni and F. hepatica against schistosomiasis and fasciolosis in mice. Parasitological study showed that vaccination with irradiated cercariae of S. mansoni or vaccination by F. hepatica whole worm extract (FhWWE) before challenged with encysted metacercariae of F. hepatica or cercariae of S. mansoni played a significant control on the parasitic infection manifested by a remarkable reduction in the means of worm count. Assessment of IL-1β and IL-6 in sera of the experimental groups showed that there are cross reactivity between fasciola / schistosoma and its relation to cross protection. Histopathological examination of vaccinated mice livers showed protection against parasite maturation and liver damage after challenged, as compared to mice infected only without vaccination

Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in differentiating benign and malignant focal liver lesions: a retrospective study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ooi, Chin-Chin; Low, Su-Chong Albert; Lim, Sze-Ying; Bakar, Rafidah Abu; Lo, Richard Hoau-Gong; Schneider-Kolsky, Michal; Lombardo, Paul

2010-01-01

Full text: Purpose: The purpose of this study was to access the diagnostic accuracy of our early experience with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the characterisation of focal liver lesions (FLLs) using histopathology, contrastenhanced computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or other imaging follow-up as the standard of reference. Materials and Methods: Seventy-three patients with 82 FLLs who underwent liver CEUS from January 2006 to December 2008 were retrospectively reviewed. CEUS was performed with up to 4.8 mL of SonoVue (Bracco, Milan, Italy) using a low mechanical index mode. The CEUS findings were compared with histopathology, or where histopathology was not available, clinical and imaging follow-up over at least 12 months was used as the standard of reference. Results: Of the 82 FLLs, 50 were malignant and 32 were benign at final diagnosis. CEUS correctly identified 43 malignant FLLs, with final diagnosis confirmed by histopathology in 13 lesions and clinico-radiological follow-up in 30 lesions. Twenty-nine lesions were correctly identified as benign on CEUS, with all these lesions confirmed on c1inico-radiological follow-up. CEUS demonstrated a sensitivity of 86.0% and a specificity of 90.6% in the characterisation of liver lesions as malignant, with an overall accuracy of 87.8% (P< 0.05). Conclusion: Our early experience has shown that CEUS can be accurate in differentiating malignant from benign FLLs and may become a useful first-line imaging tool where CT or MRI are not available or contra-indicated.

Evaluation of focal cartilage lesions of the knee using MRI T2 mapping and delayed Gadolinium Enhanced MRI of Cartilage (dGEMRIC).

Science.gov (United States)

Årøen, Asbjørn; Brøgger, Helga; Røtterud, Jan Harald; Sivertsen, Einar Andreas; Engebretsen, Lars; Risberg, May Arna

2016-02-11

Assessment of degenerative changes of the cartilage is important in knee cartilage repair surgery. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) T2 mapping and delayed Gadolinium Enhanced MRI of Cartilage (dGEMRIC) are able to detect early degenerative changes. The hypothesis of the study was that cartilage surrounding a focal cartilage lesion in the knee does not possess degenerative changes. Twenty-eight consecutive patients included in a randomized controlled trial on cartilage repair were evaluated using MRI T2 mapping and dGEMRIC before cartilage treatment was initiated. Inclusion was based on disabling knee problems (Lysholm score of ≤ 75) due to an arthroscopically verified focal femoral condyle cartilage lesion. Furthermore, no major malalignments or knee ligament injuries were accepted. Mean patient age was 33 ± 9.6 years, and the mean duration of knee symptoms was 49 ± 60 months. The MRI T2 mapping and the dGEMRIC measurements were performed at three standardized regions of interest (ROIs) at the medial and lateral femoral condyle, avoiding the cartilage lesion The MRI T2 mapping of the cartilage did not demonstrate significant differences between condyles with or without cartilage lesions. The dGEMRIC results did not show significantly lower values of the affected condyle compared with the opposite condyle and the contra-lateral knee in any of the ROIs. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of the dGEMRIC readings was 0.882. The MRI T2 mapping and the dGEMRIC confirmed the arthroscopic findings that normal articular cartilage surrounded the cartilage lesion, reflecting normal variation in articular cartilage quality. NCT00885729 , registered April 17 2009.

Space Occupying Lesions in the Liver

OpenAIRE

Nasser Ebrahimi Daryani

2009-01-01

"nRadiology (imaging) plays a pivotal role for the diagnosis, staging, treatment planning, and follow-up of focal liver lesions. The differential diagnosis in patients presenting with a focal liver lesion is broad. "nThe size of the liver mass is an important consideration in guiding the evaluation. Lesions smaller than approximately 1.0 cm are commonly benign incidental findings on imaging studies, and in most cases represent small cysts, hemangiomas, or biliary hamartomas. Further...

Ultrasound and computer tomography in the evaluation of focal liver disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bartolozzi, C; Ciatti, S; Lucarelli, E; Villari, N; de Dominicis, R [Florence Univ. (Italy). Ist. di Radiologia

1981-01-01

The results of ultrasound and computer tomography in 150 patients with possible focal liver disease were compared. Ultrasound was more sensitive than CT in detecting lesions but similar information on the nature of the lesion was obtained with both methods. CT provided more complete information than US on the extent of the lesion. Thus, CT and US are supplementary in the evaluation of focal liver disease. Because of the higher sensitivity US should be the first examination, followed, if clinically indicated, by CT for confirmation and possible further information regarding the extent of the lesion.

Detection and classification of focal liver lesions in patients with colorectal cancer: Retrospective comparison of diffusion-weighted MR imaging and multi-slice CT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eiber, Matthias; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Brügel, Melanie; Gaa, Jochen; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Holzapfel, Konstantin

2012-01-01

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) with multi-slice CT (MS-CT) in the detection and classification of focal liver lesions in patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: In a retrospective study 68 patients who underwent DWI at 1.5 T (b-values of 50, 300 and 600 s/mm 2 ) and contrast-enhanced MS-CT were analysed by two radiologists blinded to the clinical results. Imaging results were correlated with intraoperative surgical and ultrasound findings (n = 24), imaging follow-up or PET (n = 44). Sensitivity of DWI and MS-CT in detection of focal liver lesions was compared on a per-lesion and a per-segment basis. Receiver operator-characteristic (ROC) curves to determine the diagnostic performance and the sensitivities of correctly identifying liver metastases on a segmental base were calculated. Results: For lesion detection, DWI was significantly superior to MS-CT both on a per-lesion (difference in sensitivities for reader 1 and 2 22.65% and 19.06%, p < 0.0001) and a per-segment basis (16.86% and 11.76%, p < 0.0001). Especially lesions smaller than 10 mm were better detected with DWI compared to MS-CT (difference 41.10% and 29.45%, p < 0.0001). ROC-analysis showed superiority for lesions classification (p < 0.0001) of DWI (AUC: 0.949 and 0.951) as compared to MS-CT (AUC: 0.879 and 0.892, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.005). DWI was able to filter out metastatic segments with a higher sensitivity (88.2 and 86.5%) compared to MS-CT (68.0 and 67.4%, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.005, respectively). Conclusion: Compared to MS-CT DWI is both more sensitive in the detection of liver lesions and more accurate in determining the extent of metastatic disease in patients with colorectal cancer and therefore might help to optimize therapeutic management in those patients.

Relative importance of meteorological and geographical factors in the distribution of Fasciola hepatica infestation in farmed sheep in Qinghai province, China

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Qin Hongyu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica is an important trematode parasite of economic importance that infests sheep and cattle worldwide. We conducted a detailed investigation into the spatial distribution of F. hepatica infestation in farmed sheep in Qinghai (Wutumeiren province, Mainland China. Mathematical modelling was used to assess the inter-relationships between meteorological and geographical factors and the risk of F. hepatica infestation across the province. A capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA test (MM3-SERO was used to detect F. hepatica infestation. A niche model based on the maximum entropy method (MaxEnt was used to estimate the influence of meteorological and geographical factors on the observed spatial distribution of F. hepatica infestation. Results of jackknife analysis indicated that temperature, precipitation, solar radiation, digital elevation and slope were associated with the occurrence of F. hepatica infestation, and that infestation rates were significantly higher among animals from districts with a high percentage of grassland habitat. The findings indicate that meteorological and geographical factors may be important variables affecting the distribution of F. hepatica infestation and should be taken into account in the development of future surveillance and control programmes for fascioliasis.

Focal inflammatory diseases of the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oto, Aytekin; Akhan, Okan; Oezmen, Mustafa

1999-01-01

Inflammatory lesions constitute an important subgroup of focal liver lesions. They may mimic primary or metastatic neoplastic lesions and their differentiation from neoplasia is clinically very important since management of the patient significantly changes. Radiologists should have an important role in both the diagnosis and therapy of these lesions by performing percutaneous aspirations and drainages. In this review we discussed the radiological findings of pyogenic abscesses, amebic abscesses, candidiasis, tuberculosis, hydatic cysts, fascioliasis, ascariasis, schistosomiasis, and sarcoidosis with a special emphasis on US, CT and MR characteristics

Focal inflammatory diseases of the liver

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oto, Aytekin; Akhan, Okan; Oezmen, Mustafa

1999-10-01

Inflammatory lesions constitute an important subgroup of focal liver lesions. They may mimic primary or metastatic neoplastic lesions and their differentiation from neoplasia is clinically very important since management of the patient significantly changes. Radiologists should have an important role in both the diagnosis and therapy of these lesions by performing percutaneous aspirations and drainages. In this review we discussed the radiological findings of pyogenic abscesses, amebic abscesses, candidiasis, tuberculosis, hydatic cysts, fascioliasis, ascariasis, schistosomiasis, and sarcoidosis with a special emphasis on US, CT and MR characteristics.

Focal CT abnormality and epileptogenic focus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yagi, Kazuichi; Mihara, Tadahiro; Tottori, Takayasu; Matsuda, Kazumi; Watanabe, Yutaka; Seino, Masakazu

1989-01-01

In 31 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, the precise site of epileptogenic focus was determined by means of a depth EEG recording as one of the presurgical evaluations. In 13 patients, a CT scan revealed focal lesions; 7 in the left temporal lobe and 6 in the right temporal lobe. In 5 of the 7 patients and in 5 of the 6 patients the epileptogenic foci were determined in the temporal lobe on the side of a CT lesion. However, in 2 of the patients with a CT lesion in the left temporal lobe, independent epileptogenic foci were found in both the temporal lobes, and in the other patient with a CT lesion in the right temporal lobe, they were found in the right frontal and left temporal lobes. Thus, the CT lesions agreed in lateralization and focality with the epileptogenic foci in 10 of the 13 patients (77%), but they disagreed in 3 (23%). A CT lesion disclosed in the temporal lobe does not necessarily indicate the side and/or site where the epileptogenic focus may be localized. Although exceptions may be made, spatial disagreement was exemplified between the CT lesion and epileptogenic focus. Therefore, extreme caution has to be taken on the side and/or site of the epileptogenic focus when functional surgical indication is to be made. (author)

Heme-Oxygenase-1 Expression Contributes to the Immunoregulation Induced by Fasciola hepatica and Promotes Infection

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Paula Carasi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica, also known as the liver fluke, is a trematode that infects livestock and humans causing fasciolosis, a zoonotic disease of increasing importance due to its worldwide distribution and high economic losses. This parasite immunoregulates the host immune system by inducing a strong Th2 and regulatory T immune response by immunomodulating dendritic cell (DC maturation and alternative activation of macrophages. In this paper, we show that F. hepatica infection in mice induces the upregulation of heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1, the rate-limiting enzyme in the catabolism of free heme that regulates the host inflammatory response. We show and characterize two different populations of antigen presenting cells that express HO-1 during infection in the peritoneum of infected animals. Cells that expressed high levels of HO-1 expressed intermediate levels of F4/80 but high expression of CD11c, CD38, TGFβ, and IL-10 suggesting that they correspond to regulatory DCs. On the other hand, cells expressing intermediate levels of HO-1 expressed high levels of F4/80, CD68, Ly6C, and FIZZ-1, indicating that they might correspond to alternatively activated macrophages. Furthermore, the pharmacological induction of HO-1 with the synthetic metalloporphyrin CoPP promoted F. hepatica infection increasing the clinical signs associated with the disease. In contrast, treatment with the HO-1 inhibitor SnPP protected mice from parasite infection, indicating that HO-1 plays an essential role during F. hepatica infection. Finally, HO-1 expression during F. hepatica infection was associated with TGFβ and IL-10 levels in liver and peritoneum, suggesting that HO-1 controls the expression of these immunoregulatory cytokines during infection favoring parasite survival in the host. These results contribute to the elucidation of the immunoregulatory mechanisms induced by F. hepatica in the host and provide alternative checkpoints to control fasciolosis.

Distribution of Fasciola hepatica in Swedish dairy cattle and associations with pasture management factors

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Adam Novobilský

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The geographic distribution of Fasciola hepatica infection in relation to management routines was studied in Swedish dairy herds by testing for F. hepatica antibodies with the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. In addition, all farmers were sent a questionnaire asking for information about type of production, management routines and historical record of F. hepatica at slaughter. A total of 176 farmers (41% responded to the questionnaire. A total of 426 bulk tank milk (BTM samples were randomly selected from the period September to October 2012 representing approximately 10% of all herds in Sweden. The overall seroprevalence was 25% (n = 107; 95% confidence interval = 21-29% with a concentration of herds located in south-western Sweden. Among the seropositive herds, 31 (29% had antibody levels indicating production loss. There were no significant differences in seropositivity between organic and conventional herds or due to pasture management routines. The length of grazing period, which increased the risk for heifers, was found to be the most influential factor. A discrepancy was noted between reported F. hepatica presence at meat inspection and herds that were seropositive based on BTM-ELISA results. Although the largest proportion of seropositive BTM samples (80% came from herds where liver fluke presence had been observed at meat inspection after slaughter, seropositive BTM samples were also diagnosed in five herds (17% with no remarks at slaughter. In conclusion, F. hepatica is a common parasite in Swedish dairy herds and the month of heifer turn-out and the grazing period length were the most influential factors observed.

Efficacy and Safety of Radiofrequency Ablation for Focal Hepatic Lesions Adjacent to Gallbladder: Reconfiguration of the Ablation Zone through Probe Relocation and Ablation Time Reduction.

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Choi, In Young; Kim, Pyo Nyun; Lee, Sung Gu; Won, Hyung Jin; Shin, Yong Moon

2017-10-01

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation for treatment of focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder with electrode relocation and ablation time reduction. Thirty-nine patients who underwent RF ablation for focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder (≤ 10 mm) were evaluated retrospectively from January 2011 to December 2014 (30 men and 9 women; age range, 51-85 y; mean age, 65 y). Of 36 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, 3 had a second treatment for recurrence (mean tumor size, 15 mm ± 6). Patients were divided into 2 subgroups based on lesion distance from the gallbladder: nonabutting (> 5 mm; n = 19) and abutting (≤ 5 mm; n = 20). Electrodes were inserted parallel to the gallbladder through the center of a tumor in the nonabutting group and through the center of the expected ablation zone between a 5-mm safety zone on the liver side and the gallbladder in the abutting group. Ablation time was decreased in proportion to the transverse diameter of the expected ablation zone. Technical success and technical effectiveness rates were 89.7% and 97.4%, respectively, with no significant differences between groups (P = 1.00). Local tumor progression was observed in 3 patients (1 in the nonabutting group and 2 in the abutting group; P = 1.00). There were no major complications. The gallbladder was thickened in 10 patients, with no significant difference between groups (P = .72). Biloma occurred in 1 patient in the nonabutting group. RF ablation with electrode relocation and reduction of ablation time can be a safe and effective treatment for focal hepatic lesions adjacent to the gallbladder. Copyright © 2017 SIR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MR tomography of focal liver lesions using the superparamagnetic contrast agent AMI-25 at 1.5 tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duda, S.H.; Laniado, M.; Kopp, A.F.; Groenewaeller, E.; Aicher, K.P.; Pavone, P.; Jehle, E.; Claussen, C.D.

1994-01-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide particles (AMI-25) were evaluated as a liver contrast agent in high-field MR imaging (1.5 T). 16 patients with up to 5 presumed focal liver lesions (liver metastases n=8, HCC n=5, Klatskin tumours n=2, FNH n=1) received 15 μmol Fe/kg BW intravenously and were examined via standard T 1 - and T 2 -weighted spin-echo sequences. Quantitative image analysis showed a post-contrast increase of the contrast-to-noise ratio (C/N) from 1.6 to 7.4 on SE 2,500/15 images (p [de

Secondary parkinsonism due to focal substantia nigra lesions. A PET study with [18F]FDG and [18F]fluorodopa

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boecker, H.; Weindl, A.; Kruggel, F.; Graerin v. Einsiedel, H.; Contrad, B.; Leenders, K.; Antonini, A.; Kuwert, T.

1996-01-01

We present a 71 year old woman with predominantly right sided parkinsonim of sudden onset, but without tremor. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depicted lesions affecting the substantia nigra (SN) bilaterally, but more pronounced on the left side. There were no other discernible structural lesions. Using positron emission tomography (PET), we investigated regional cerebral metabolic rate of glucose (rCMRG) using the tracer [ 18 F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), and striatal dopa decarboxylase capacity using the tracer [ 18 F]-L-6-fluorodopa (FDOPA). The degree and pattern of distribution of FDOPA uptake reductions (putamen > caudate nuclei) were similar to those in idopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). FDG uptake also revealed similar changes (reductions in frontal cortex and cerebellum, but increases in thalamus), except for putamen which showed reduced rCMRG. In conclusion, the absence of tremor at rest accords with experimental SN lesions. The PET findings in this atypical condition are explained in terms of deafferentation of various brain regions involved in motor control. Furthermore, they illustrate the metabolic effects related to acute focal lesions of the SN as opposed to the progressive degeneration in idiopathic PD and may serve to help unravel the complicated pathophysiology underlying these conditions. (au) 39 refs

Differences in optical coherence tomographic findings and clinical outcomes between excimer laser and cutting balloon angioplasty for focal in-stent restenosis lesions.

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Nishino, Masami; Lee, Yasuharu; Nakamura, Daisuke; Yoshimura, Takahiro; Taniike, Masayuki; Makino, Nobuhiko; Kato, Hiroyasu; Egami, Yasuyuki; Shutta, Ryu; Tanouchi, Jun; Yamada, Yoshio

2012-10-01

In-stent restenosis (ISR), especially focal ISR, after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) remains one of the major clinical problems in the drug-eluting stent (DES) era. Several reports have revealed that excimer laser coronary angioplasty (ELCA) is useful for ISR; however, detailed findings after ELCA are unknown. Therefore, we investigated the condition of the neointima after ELCA for ISR with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and compared the OCT findings and clinical outcome between ELCA and cutting-balloon angioplasty (CBA). Twenty-one consecutive patients with focal ISR who underwent ELCA or CBA were enrolled. All patients underwent 12- to 15-month follow-up coronary angiography. OCT was performed immediately after successful PCI to evaluate the neointimal condition in the ISR lesion. We compared the following OCT parameters between ELCA and CBA groups: maximal thickness of remaining in-stent neointima (MTN), number of tears, minimum lumen dimension (MLD), and minimum lumen area (MLA). We also evaluated clinical outcomes, including target vessel revascularization, acute myocardial infarction, death, and stent thrombosis. MLA in the ELCA group (n = 10) was significantly larger than in the CBA group, and number of tears in the ELCA group was significantly lower than in the CBA group. A trend was shown toward lower TLR with ELCA versus CBA (10.0% vs 45.5%). OCT immediately after ELCA for ISR lesions revealed larger lumen area and smaller number of tears compared with CBA, which may support favorable effects of ELCA for focal ISR.

Sensitivity of rCBF to focal lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Halsey, J.H. Jr.; Nakai, K.; Wariyar, B.

1981-01-01

The ability of the 133Xenon inhalation method to lateralize cerebral infarctions visible on CT scan was tested in 39 patients. At each of 7 hemispheric regions the flow rate in the lesioned hemisphere was divided by that in the unaffected hemisphere and this ratio was compared with the corresponding ratio for normal subjects. The fast compartment relative flow f1 correctly lateralized the lesion in only 6 patients with no false lateralizations. If the fast compartment relative weight w1 was also considered, the correct lateralizations were increased to about 50%. With the less well-known ISI and the Fractional Flow considered together, the laterality of the lesion was identified correctly in 85% of cases, with no false lateralizations

Human fascioliasis by Fasciola hepatica: the first case report in Nepal.

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Sah, Ranjit; Khadka, Shusila; Khadka, Mohan; Gurubacharya, Dipesh; Sherchand, Jeevan Bahadur; Parajuli, Keshab; Shah, Niranjan Prasad; Kattel, Hari Prasad; Pokharel, Bharat Mani; Rijal, Basista

2017-09-05

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola species. Patient may be asymptomatic or presents with jaundice and biliary colic or right hypochondriac pain due to bile duct obstruction with gastrointestinal symptoms. We report a case of human fascioliasis in a 45 years old female presented to Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital (TUTH), Kathmandu, Nepal on August, 2015 with fever, right hypochondriac pain, jaundice and occasional vomiting with anorexia for 4 months whose alkaline phosphatase was elevated and peripheral blood smear revealed eosinophilia. The patient also gives the history of consumption of water-cress. Endoscopic Retrograde Cholagiopancretography (ERCP) showed the presence of a flat worm resembling Fasciola hepatica and stool routine examination revealed ova of F. hepatica. The patient was treated with nitazoxanide by which she got improved. Repeat stool examination 2 weeks after treatment revealed no ova of F. hepatica. Patient with fascioliasis can be simply diagnosed with stool routine microscopy and treated with nitazoxanide. So patient with right hypochondriac pain, sign and symptoms of obstructive jaundice, eosinophilia and history of water-cress consumption should be suspected for fascioliasis and investigated and treated accordingly.

Molecular differentiation of sheep and cattle isolates of Fasciola hepatica using RAPD-PCR

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Khakpour, M.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Understanding genetic structure and status of genetic variation of Fasciola hepatica isolates from different hosts, has important implications on epidemiology and effective control of fasciolosis. Random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD-PCR was used to study the genetic variation of F. hepatica in sheep and cattle. DNA was extracted from adult helminthes removed from livers of each infected animal in slaughterhouse at East-Azerbaijan province, North-West of Iran. DNA template amplified by the polymerase chain reaction, using three oligonucleotide decamers with arbitrary DNA sequences as primers. RAPD patterns showed the specific but different pattern DNA patterns for each primer. The intraspecific similarity coefficient within two isolates of F. hepatica was ranged between 69 to 100%. Present findings showed that the interspecific genetic distance was higher than intraspecific genetic distances (19-47% compares to 0-19%. Pair wise similarity matrices generated from each isolates-primer combination were totaled and the similarity coefficient between strains were calculated both manually (Nei and Li method and software analysis (Free-Tree-Freeware program. The inferred phylogenetic tree on the fingerprinting of these isolates clearly demonstrated the existence of population genetic diversity sub structuring within F. hepatica of sheep and cattle of Iran, raising interesting questions on the host specificity, epidemiology (e.g., zoonotic transmission and ecology of this fluke. RAPD-PCR is useful for both individual identification and epidemiological investigations in endemic regions.

Focal splenic masses of the extramedullary hematopoiesis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Incedayi, M.; Sivrioglu, A.

2012-01-01

Full text: Extramedullary hematopoiesis arises from pleuripotential stem cells distributed throughout the body. It is most common in patients with congenital hemolytic anemia, such as thalassemia, sickle cell anemia and hereditary spherocytosis as a response to ineffective red blood cell formation. Although microscopic foci of Extramedullary hematopoiesis are commonly seen in the spleen and liver parenchyma, focal mass-like lesion of extramedullary hematopoiesis in the liver and spleen are rare. We report a case of intrasplenic focal extramedullary hematopoiesis lesions and the imaging features of extramedullary hematopoiesis on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Extramedullary hematopoiesis should always be considered as a diagnosis in a patient with a known hematological disorder

Rattus norvegicus como indicador de la circulación de Capillaria hepatica y Taenia taeniaeformis en la Plaza Minorista de Medellín, Colombia

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Biviana Andrea Duque

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Introducción. Rattus norvegicus cumple un papel epidemiológico en el mantenimiento y dispersión de agentes zoonóticos bacterianos, virales y parasitarios de interés en salud pública. La presencia de infección por helmintos en especies Rattus cercanas a poblaciones expuestas en condiciones ambientales propicias, puede convertirse en un factor de riesgo de transmisión. Objetivo. Reportar la frecuencia de infección con Capillaria hepatica y formas larvarias de Taenia taeniaeformis en ratas silvestres (R. norvegicus capturadas en una zona urbana de Medellín. Materiales y métodos. Se capturaron 254 ejemplares de R. norvegicus. Los hígados de 54 ejemplares que presentaron lesión hepática macroscópica durante la necropsia, fueron examinados por histopatología convencional. Resultados. La frecuencia de infección por C. hepatica fue de 20,1 % (51/254. Seis hígados fueron también positivos para larvas de T. taeniaeformis con una frecuencia de 2,4 % (6/254. Los hígados infestados con C. hepatica exhibían parásitos en el estadio adulto o juvenil y huevos ovalados conopérculos bipolares, asociados con hepatitis granulomatosa leve a moderada multifocal y acompañada por infiltrado leucocitario. Se observaron lesiones granulomatosas en resolución y fibrosis residual o calcificada que contenía huevos. Donde se encontraron cisticercos de T. taeniaeformis, el hallazgo más frecuente fueron quistes hepáticos que contenían larvas, y lesiones inflamatorias y fibróticas. Conclusión. Estos resultados indican que helmintos de potencial zoonótico circulan en R. norvegicus de ambientes urbanos. Debe investigarse la verdadera distribución de estos parásitos, para determinar el riesgo potencial que corren las poblaciones animales y humanas expuestas a adquirir este tipo de infecciones.   doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.7705/biomedica.v32i4.442

Isolated, relative aproverbia without focal lesion.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cora; Smith-Benjamin, Sarah; Patira, Riddhi; Altschuler, Eric L

2016-06-01

We have seen a patient with a profound, isolated, and quite selective deficit in proverb interpretation-aproverbia. The patient presented to us after an anoxic brain injury with aproverbia. Interestingly, the aproverbia appeared to be premorbid to the presenting event. Furthermore, the patient had no brain lesion that has been associated or even proposed as a cause of deficit in proverb or metaphor interpretation. The patient did have acute bilateral hippocampi lesions and associated severe anterograde amnesia, but he retained good retrograde memory with which he is able to give good, logical but concrete explanations for proverbs. This case highlights the need, importance, and interest in further neuropsychologic, imaging and functional studies of proverb and interpretation in patients and normal subjects populations.

Focal perinatal acquired brain injury - a sonographic study of the course

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Franek, A.

1985-06-01

A case of a perinatal acquired focal brain lesion is reported, and the process of resorption and healing demonstrated by ultrasound. Within four weeks a cortical area of increased echogenicity was resorbed. After two months, the resulting porencephalic cyst had been transformed into glial tissue of very high echogenicity. The neurologic development of two children with such glial focus was good. These cases demonstrate that porencephalic cysts are not always the final state after resorption of a focal brain lesion. They are no reliable prognostic indicator of poor neurological outcome. Traumatic and complicated delivery, asphyxia and coagulopathy are conditions which have been found several times in connection with a focal brain lesion. In contrast to periventricular injury, prematurity does not seem to be a factor of higher risk.

Phenotypes of intermediate forms of Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica in buffaloes from Central Punjab, Pakistan.

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Afshan, K; Valero, M A; Qayyum, M; Peixoto, R V; Magraner, A; Mas-Coma, S

2014-12-01

Fascioliasis is an important food-borne parasitic disease caused by the two trematode species, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The phenotypic features of fasciolid adults and eggs infecting buffaloes inhabiting the Central Punjab area, Pakistan, have been studied to characterize fasciolid populations involved. Morphometric analyses were made with a computer image analysis system (CIAS) applied on the basis of standardized measurements. Since it is the first study of this kind undertaken in Pakistan, the results are compared to pure fasciolid populations: (a) F. hepatica from the European Mediterranean area; and (b) F. gigantica from Burkina Faso; i.e. geographical areas where both species do not co-exist. Only parasites obtained from bovines were used. The multivariate analysis showed that the characteristics, including egg morphometrics, of fasciolids from Central Punjab, Pakistan, are between F. hepatica and F. gigantica standard populations. Similarly, the morphometric measurements of fasciolid eggs from Central Punjab are also between F. hepatica and F. gigantica standard populations. These results demonstrate the existence of fasciolid intermediate forms in endemic areas in Pakistan.

Role of scintigraphy in focally abnormal sonograms of fatty livers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lisbona, R.; Mishkin, S.; Derbekyan, V.; Novales-Diaz, J.A.; Roy, A.; Sanders, L.

1988-01-01

Fatty infiltration of the liver may cause a range of focal abnormalities on hepatic sonography which may simulate hepatic nodular lesions. Discrete deposits of fat or islands of normal tissue which are uninvolved by fatty infiltration may stand out as potential space-occupying lesions on the sonograms. Twelve patients with such focally abnormal ultrasound images were referred for liver scintigraphy with 133 Xe and /sup 99m/Tc colloidal SPECT studies to clarify the issue. These examinations helped identify, in nine of 12 patients, the innocent nature of the sonographic abnormalities which were simply related to the fat deposition process. Further, [/sup 99m/Tc]RBC scans defined the additional pathologic process in three patients in whom actual space-occupying lesions were indeed present in the liver. Scintigraphy has an important role to play in the understanding of focal hepatic ultrasound abnormalities particularly in unsuspected hepatic steatosis

Role of scintigraphy in focally abnormal sonograms of fatty livers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lisbona, R.; Mishkin, S.; Derbekyan, V.; Novales-Diaz, J.A.; Roy, A.; Sanders, L.

1988-06-01

Fatty infiltration of the liver may cause a range of focal abnormalities on hepatic sonography which may simulate hepatic nodular lesions. Discrete deposits of fat or islands of normal tissue which are uninvolved by fatty infiltration may stand out as potential space-occupying lesions on the sonograms. Twelve patients with such focally abnormal ultrasound images were referred for liver scintigraphy with /sup 133/Xe and /sup 99m/Tc colloidal SPECT studies to clarify the issue. These examinations helped identify, in nine of 12 patients, the innocent nature of the sonographic abnormalities which were simply related to the fat deposition process. Further, (/sup 99m/Tc)RBC scans defined the additional pathologic process in three patients in whom actual space-occupying lesions were indeed present in the liver. Scintigraphy has an important role to play in the understanding of focal hepatic ultrasound abnormalities particularly in unsuspected hepatic steatosis.

Gallbladder adenoma with focal adenocarcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciurea, S; Matei, E; Petrisor, P; Luca, L; Boros, Mirela; Herlea, V; Popescu, I

2008-01-01

The majority of polypoid lesions of the gallbladder are cholesterolosis pseudopolyps. True neoplastic GB polyps are represented mainly by adenomas. The case of a 52-year old male patient with an adenomatous polyp of the GB with focal adenocarcinoma is presented.

Focal vitiligo: long-term follow-up of 52 cases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lommerts, J. E.; Schilder, Y.; de Rie, M. A.; Wolkerstorfer, A.; Bekkenk, M. W.

2016-01-01

Focal vitiligo is characterized by depigmented patches located in a small area without a typical segmental distribution. Focal vitiligo is classified as an undetermined type of vitiligo, and a more definitive diagnosis can be made when the lesions have not evolved into non-segmental or segmental

18 F-FDG uptake in focal organising pneumonia mimicking bronchial carcinoma.

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Baha, Ayse; Yildirim, Fatma; Kokturk, Nurdan; Akdemir, Umit Ozgur; Demircan, Sedat; Turktas, Haluk

2016-11-01

Organising pneumonia (OP) is not a well-known cause of increased 18 F-FDG uptake, and the relationship of the increased 18 F-FDG uptake to clinical parameters has not been clearly identified. This study aims to assess the role of positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) for the diagnosis of focal organised pneumonia that may mimic malignity because of mass-like lesions on the radiological images it causes. Among 40 patients of whom histopathological exams were consistent with OP, medical records of 14 focal OP patients diagnosed with surgical biopsy were evaluated retrospectively. There were 10 male (71.4%) and 4 female (28.6%) patients. The mean age at the time of diagnosis was 57.2 ± 11.7 years, ranging from 38 to 85 years. Nine subjects (64.3%) were smokers. Eleven patients (78.5%) had symptoms, the remaining 3 patients (21.5%) were asymptomatic. Three patients (21.3%) had a history of malignancy. Focal lung lesion was initially detected by chest radiography in 10 patients (71.4%) and by computed tomography (CT) scan in all patients. CT scan showed a single lesion in 12 (85.7%) patients. The lesions were located in the right lung of the half of patients (50%) and in the left lung of the other half. The median diameter of the lesions was 3.4 cm (range, 1.8-6.0 cm). PET with 18 F-FDG was performed in all patients, and hypermetabolic activity of the focal lung lesion was demonstrated in all cases. The median values of maximum standardized uptake value was 3.5 ± 2.7 (min 2.1-max 13.1). Focal OP is a discrete form of OP that is associated with unifocal lesions on radiological images, and it can easily mimic lung cancer because of positivity on PET scans. There are no specific findings of PET scan for the diagnosis of OP. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fasciola hepatica infection reduces Mycobacterium bovis burden and mycobacterial uptake and suppresses the pro-inflammatory response.

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Garza-Cuartero, L; O'Sullivan, J; Blanco, A; McNair, J; Welsh, M; Flynn, R J; Williams, D; Diggle, P; Cassidy, J; Mulcahy, G

2016-07-01

Bovine tuberculosis (BTB), caused by Mycobacterium bovis, has an annual incidence in cattle of 0.5% in the Republic of Ireland and 4.7% in the UK, despite long-standing eradication programmes being in place. Failure to achieve complete eradication is multifactorial, but the limitations of diagnostic tests are significant complicating factors. Previously, we have demonstrated that Fasciola hepatica infection, highly prevalent in these areas, induced reduced sensitivity of the standard diagnostic tests for BTB in animals co-infected with F. hepatica and M. bovis. This was accompanied by a reduced M. bovis-specific Th1 immune response. We hypothesized that these changes in co-infected animals would be accompanied by enhanced growth of M. bovis. However, we show here that mycobacterial burden in cattle is reduced in animals co-infected with F. hepatica. Furthermore, we demonstrate a lower mycobacterial recovery and uptake in blood monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) from F. hepatica-infected cattle which is associated with suppression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and a switch to alternative activation of macrophages. However, the cell surface expression of TLR2 and CD14 in MDM from F. hepatica-infected cattle is increased. These findings reflecting the bystander effect of helminth-induced downregulation of pro-inflammatory responses provide insights to understand host-pathogen interactions in co-infection. © 2016 The Authors. Parasite Immunology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Immunological and pathophysiological studies on the infection of animals with liver specific trichocephalid Capillaris hepatica. Part a coordinated programme on isotopes and radiation in animal parasitology and immunology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahner, H.

1976-07-01

The effect of X-ray radiation on the infection of animal liver with Capillaria hepatica was investigated. A dose of 70 Krd could not prevent an invasion of the liver with the parasite, and no differences in the number of lesions was found to occur between normal and irradiated parasite eggs. With regard to the fertility of the eggs, reproductivity was found to decrease after X-ray irradiation. Studies on cross- and histopathology were performed after infections with normal and irradiated (2 Krd and 5 Krd) eggs. Alterations of serum-enzyme activities were followed and the development of antibodies was demonstrated using an extract of non-embryonated C. hepatica eggs. Immunization experiments ascertained the immunizing capacity of a vaccine (as irradiated embryonated eggs) in comparison to normal infections and to intraperitoneal injections of nonembryonated eggs. The effect was determined with regard to the egg production of sublethal challenge infections and to the mortality after normally lethal challenge infections

Topography and distribution of ostia venae hepatica in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND: Openings of hepatic veins into the retrohepatic surface of the inferior vena cava. (ostia venae hepatica) play a part in controlling hepatic circulation by acting as collateral channels in obstruction. Their topography and distribution must be taken into account during catheterization and liver transplantation.

Incidental focal FDG uptake in the parotid glands on PET/CT in patients with head and neck malignancy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Young Lan; Yoon, Dae Young; Lim, Kyoung Ja; Yun, Eun Joo; Cho, Young Kwon [Hallym University College of Medicine, Department of Radiology, Kangdong Seong-Sim Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Baek, Sora [Hallym University College of Medicine, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Kangdong Seong-Sim Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Bae, Woo Jin; Chung, Eun Jae; Kwon, Kee Hwan [Hallym University College of Medicine, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ilsong Memorial Institute of Head and Neck Cancer, Kangdong Seong-Sim Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2015-01-15

To evaluate the prevalence and clinical significance of focal parotid lesions identified by {sup 18} F- FDG PET/CT in patients with nonparotid head and neck malignancies. From 3,638 PET/CT examinations using {sup 18} F-FDG conducted on 1,342 patients with nonparotid head and neck malignancies, we retrospectively identified patients showing incidental focal FDG uptake in the parotid glands. The diagnosis of parotid lesions was confirmed histopathologically or on imaging follow-up. Patient demographics, clinical features, maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) on PET images, size and attenuation on corresponding contrast-enhanced CT images were assessed and correlated with the final diagnosis. The prevalence of incidental focal parotid FDG uptake on PET/CT was 2.1 % (95 % CI 1.4 - 3.0 %). Among 21 patients with focal parotid lesions confirmed histologically or on imaging follow-up, 7 (33.3 %) had malignant lesions (all metastases) and 14 (66.7 %) had benign lesions (four pleomorphic adenomas, two Warthin's tumours, one benign lymph node, one granulomatous lesion, six lesions without histopathological confirmation). There were no significant differences in age, sex, SUV{sub max} or CT findings between patients with benign and those with malignant lesions. Focal parotid FDG uptake on PET/CT in patients with head and neck malignancy warrants further investigations to ensure adequate therapy for incidental parotid lesions. (orig.)

Aspects of the Maintenance of the Life Cycle of Fasciola hepatica in Lymnaea columella in Minas Gerais, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Souza Cecília Pereira de

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease of domestic ruminants that occurs worldwide. The lymnaeid intermediate hosts of Fasciola hepatica include Lymnaea columella, which is widely distributed in Brazil. A colony of L. columella from Belo Horizonte, MG, was reared in our laboratory to be used in studies of the F. hepatica life cycle, the intermediate host-parasite relationship and development of an anti-helminthic vaccine. In the first experiment 1,180 snails were exposed to miracidia of F. hepatica eggs removed from the biliary tracts of cattle from the State of Rio Grande do Sul. In the second and third experiments the snails were exposed to miracidia that had emerged from F. hepatica eggs from Uruguay, maintained in rabbits. The rates of infection in the first, second and third experiments were 0, 42.1 and 0% respectively. Over 15,806 metacercariae were obtained and stored at 4ºC. Four rabbits weighing 1.5 kg each were infected with 32-44 metacercariae and two with 200. Three rabbits begin to eliminate eggs of the parasite in the feces from 84 days after infection onwards. The biological cycle of F. hepatica in L. columella and the rabbit was completed within 124 days.

Little genetic variability in resilience among cattle exists for a range of performance traits across herds in Ireland differing in Fasciola hepatica prevalence.

Science.gov (United States)

Twomey, Alan J; Graham, David A; Doherty, Michael L; Blom, Astrid; Berry, Donagh P

2018-06-04

It is anticipated that in the future, livestock will be exposed to a greater risk of infection from parasitic diseases. Therefore, future breeding strategies for livestock, which are generally long-term strategies for change, should target animals adaptable to environments with a high parasitic load. Covariance components were estimated in the present study for a selection of dairy and beef performance traits over herd-years differing in Fasciola hepatica load using random regression sire models. Herd-year prevalence of F. hepatica was determined by using F. hepatica-damaged liver phenotypes which were recorded in abattoirs nationally. The data analyzed consisted up to 83,821 lactation records from dairy cows for a range of milk production and fertility traits, as well as 105,054 young animals with carcass-related information obtained at slaughter. Reaction norms for individual sires were derived from the random regression coefficients. The heritability and additive genetic standard deviations for all traits analyzed remained relatively constant as herd-year F. hepatica prevalence gradient increased up to a prevalence level of 0.7; although there was a large increase in heritability and additive genetic standard deviation for milk and fertility traits in the observed F. hepatica prevalence levels >0.7, only 5% of the data existed in herd-year prevalence levels >0.7. Very little rescaling, therefore, exists across differing herd-year F. hepatica prevalence levels. Within-trait genetic correlations among the performance traits across different herd-year F. hepatica prevalence levels were less than unity for all traits. Nevertheless, within-trait genetic correlations for milk production and carcass traits were all >0.8 for F. hepatica prevalence levels between 0.2 and 0.8. The lowest estimate of within-trait genetic correlations for the different fertility traits ranged from -0.03 (SE = 1.09) in age of first calving to 0.54 (SE = 0.22) for calving to first service

Characterisation of focal liver lesions with unenhanced and contrast enhanced low MI real time ultrasound: On-site unblinded versus off-site blinded reading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hohmann, Joachim; Skrok, Jan; Basilico, Raffaella; Jennett, Manfred; Müller, Anja; Wolf, Karl-Jürgen; Albrecht, Thomas

2012-01-01

Objective: To compare on-site and blinded off-site reading of baseline ultrasound (US) and contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for classification and characterisation of focal liver lesions. Materials and methods: 99 patients (57 women and 42 men, age range 18–89 years, mean age: 59 years) with 53 malignant and 46 benign liver lesions were studied with unenhanced US followed by contrast enhanced US after injection of 2.4 ml SonoVue ® (Bracco, Milano, Italy). Image interpretation was performed on-site with clinical information available by consensus of two readers and off-site by two independent blinded readers at two different centers. Comparison of pre and post contrast scans and of the different readers was performed. Reference examinations were histology, intraoperative US, MRI or CT. Results: Sensitivity for malignancy improved from 81/89/66% (on-site/off-site reader 1/2) before to 100/96/96% post contrast administration (p < 0.05, except for reader 1). Specificity improved from 48/48/54% on baseline US to 89/80/76% on CEUS (p < 0.05). Accuracy for specific lesion diagnosis was 62/59/50% pre and 90/77/72% post contrast (p < 0.05). Classification and characterisation post contrast were mildly inferior for off-site reading. Agreement between on-site and off-site readers of unenhanced scans was fair (κ = 0.29–0.39) while it was good for CEUS (κ = 0.63–0.79). Conclusions: CEUS improves classification and characterisation of focal liver lesions and interobserver agreement compared to conventional US. Classification and characterisation post contrast were mildly but statistically significantly better for on-site than for off-site reading.

In Vitro Assay of Paecilomyces lilacinus Biocontrol Effects on Fasciola hepatica Eggs Illustrated in Scanning Electron Micrographs

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Faezeh NAJAFI

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Background: Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. Drug resistance, high costs of treatment and economic losses in meat production have emerged the need of alternative control measures into consideration. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro ovicidal activity of Paecilomyces lilacinus fungus on F. hepatica eggs. Methods: P. lilacinus isolated from the soil of natural environment was challenged on F. hepatica eggs to observe the bio control effect of nematophagous fungi on trematode helminth eggs. The study was conducted in Tehran University of Medical Sciences, in 2015. Within 21 d of experiment, destructive effects exhibited on the eggshells were investigated using optical and Scanning Electron Microscopy. Results: The effective role of P. lilacinus on damaging the eggs of F. hepatica was noticed. Conclusion: This finding is promising for advantageous use of nematophagus fungi as a natural constituent in hyper endemic areas for certain helminthic infections like fascioliasis with diverse kinds of herbivores as egg passer hosts.

Recurrent Bilateral Focal Myositis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagafuchi, Hiroko; Nakano, Hiromasa; Ooka, Seido; Takakuwa, Yukiko; Yamada, Hidehiro; Tadokoro, Mamoru; Shimojo, Sadatomo; Ozaki, Shoichi

This report describes a rare case of recurrent bilateral focal myositis and its successful treatment via methotrexate. A 38-year-old man presented myalgia of the right gastrocnemius in May 2005. Magnetic resonance imaging showed very high signal intensity in the right gastrocnemius on short-tau inversion recovery images. A muscle biopsy revealed inflammatory CD4+ cell-dominant myogenic change. Focal myositis was diagnosed. The first steroid treatment was effective. Tapering of prednisolone, however, repeatedly induced myositis relapse, which progressed to multiple muscle lesions of both lower limbs. Initiation of methotrexate finally allowed successful tapering of prednisolone, with no relapse in the past 4 years.

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia of mandible.

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Cankaya, Abdülkadir Burak; Erdem, Mehmet Ali; Olgac, Vakur; Firat, Deniz Refia

2012-09-03

Fibro-osseous lesions are disturbances in bone metabolism in which normal bone is replaced by a connective tissue matrix that then gradually develops into cemento-osseous tissue. Typically, the lesion is asymptomatic and is detected on routine radiographic examination. Radiologically, this lesion has three stages of maturation: pure radiolucent, radiopaque/mixed radiolucent, and radiopaque appearance. During these stages the lesion can be misdiagnosed. In this case report a 69-year- old patient with a a complaint of painless swelling of the left mandibular molar and premolar area is presented along with a review of the differential diagnoses considered in order to reach a final diagnosis of focal cemento-osseous dysplasia.

Gadobenate-dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for hepatic lesions in children

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Chavhan, Govind B.; Mann, Erika [The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Toronto (Canada); Kamath, Binita M. [The Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto, Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Toronto (Canada); Babyn, Paul S. [Royal University Hospital, Department of Medical Imaging, Saskatoon (Canada)

2014-10-15

Magnetic resonance imaging enhanced by hepatocyte-specific contrast media has been found useful to characterize liver lesions in adults and children. To present our experience with gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA)-enhanced MRI for evaluation of focal liver lesions in children. We retrospectively reviewed gadobenate-dimeglumine-enhanced MR images obtained for evaluation of suspected hepatic lesions in 30 children. Signal characteristics on various sequences including 45- to 60-min hepatobiliary phase images were noted by two radiologists. Chart review identified relevant clinical details including history of cancer treatment, available pathology and stability of lesion size on follow-up imaging. Of the 30 children who had gadobenate-enhanced MRI, 26 showed focal lesions. Diagnoses in 26 children were focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in 15, hemangiomas in 3, regenerating nodules in 3, focal fatty infiltration in 2, indeterminate lesions in 3, and one patient each with adenomas, hepatoblastoma and metastasis. Two patients had multiple diagnoses. All FNH lesions (39), all regenerative nodules (19) and an indeterminate lesion were iso- or hyperintense on hepatobiliary-phase images while all other lesions (28) were hypointense to hepatic parenchyma. The average follow-up period was 21.7 months. Our experience with gadobenate-enhanced MRI indicates potential utility of gadobenate in the evaluation of pediatric hepatic lesions in differentiating FNH and regenerating nodules from other lesions. (orig.)

Fasciola hepatica: comparative metacercarial productions in experimentally-infected Galba truncatula and Pseudosuccinea columella

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Vignoles Philippe

2015-01-01

Full Text Available As large numbers of metacercariae of Fasciola hepatica are necessary for research, experimental infections of Galba truncatula and Pseudosuccinea columella with this digenean were carried out to determine the better intermediate host for metacercarial production and, consequently, the most profitable snail for decreasing the cost price of these larvae. Pre-adult snails (4 mm in shell height originating from two populations per lymnaeid species were individually exposed to two or five miracidia, raised at 23 °C and followed for cercarial shedding up to their death. Compared to values noted in G. truncatula, the survival of P. columella on day 30 post-exposure was significantly greater, while the prevalence of F. hepatica infection was significantly lower. In the four P. columella groups, metacercarial production was significantly greater than that noted in the four groups of G. truncatula (347–453 per cercariae-shedding snail versus 163–275, respectively. Apart from one population of G. truncatula, the use of five miracidia per snail at exposure significantly increased the prevalence of F. hepatica in P. columella and the other population of G. truncatula, whereas it did not have any clear effect on the mean number of metacercariae. The use of P. columella for experimental infections with F. hepatica resulted in significantly higher metacercarial production than that noted with G. truncatula, in spite of a lower prevalence for the former lymnaeid. This finding allows for a significant decrease in the cost price of these larvae for commercial production.

Sympatric and allopatric combinations of Lymnaea columella and Fasciola hepatica from southern and south-eastern Brazil.

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Coelho, L H L; Lima, W S; Guimaraes, M P

2009-09-01

Experimental infections of Lymnaea columella with Fasciola hepatica were carried out to test the effect of sympatric and allopatric combinations between parasite and host, by using snails and flukes from southern and south-eastern Brazil. Four groups of 50 snails were infected with four miracidia per snail: two groups in sympatric and two groups in allopatric combinations. Sympatric combinations between parasite and host were more efficient than allopatric ones when snails from Itajubá were used, but the opposite was observed in infections involving snails from Pelotas. The sympatric association between L. columella and F. hepatica from Itajubá was significantly higher than in the other combinations. We concluded that the host-parasite relationship between L. columnella and F. hepatica may vary according to the geographical origin of the snails and flukes involved.

Understanding the main route of drug entry in adult Fasciola hepatica: Further insights into closantel pharmacological activity.

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Ceballos, L; Canton, C; Cadenazzi, G; Larsen, K; Virkel, G; Moreno, L; Fairweather, I; Lanusse, C; Alvarez, L

2017-10-01

Closantel (CLS) is highly effective against adult liver flukes after its oral or subcutaneous (sc) administration in ruminants. Trans-tegumental diffusion and oral ingestion are the two potential routes available for the entry of drugs into Fasciola hepatica. The work reported here contributes to improve the understanding of CLS pharmacology. The main goals of were: I) to determine the pattern of in vivo CLS accumulation into adult F. hepatica and relevant tissues in CLS-treated sheep; II) to investigate the influence of the physicochemical composition of the incubation medium on the CLS diffusion process into adult F. hepatica; III) to assess the ovicidal activity of CLS against F. hepatica eggs; and IV) to investigate the in vivo effect of CLS treatment on glutathione S-transferases activity in adult liver flukes exposed to CLS. Fourteen healthy sheep were each orally infected with 75 F. hepatica metacercariae. Sixteen (16) weeks after infection, animals were treated with CLS by oral (n = 6, 10 mg/kg) or sub-cutaneous (sc) (n = 6, 5 mg/kg) route. At 12, 24 and 36 h post-treatment, animals were sacrificed (n = 2) and samples of blood, bile and adult F. hepatica were collected. In addition, flukes recovered from non-treated sheep (n = 2) were ex vivo incubated (60 min) in the presence of CLS in either RPMI or bile as incubation medium. CLS concentration was measured by HPLC. The ovicidal activity of CLS was investigated using eggs obtained from the bile of untreated sheep. Finally, glutathione S-transferase activity in F. hepatica recovered from untreated and CLS-treated sheep was assessed. In the in vivo studies, the highest CLS concentrations were measured in plasma and adult liver flukes. A positive correlation was observed between CLS concentration in plasma and in F. hepatica. Results obtained in the current work indicate that the in vivo accumulation of CLS into adult liver flukes occurs mainly by the oral route. After ex

Fasciola hepatica saposin-like-2 protein based ELISA for the serodiagnosis of chronic human fascioliasis

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Figueroa-Santiago, Olgary; Delgado, Bonnibel; Espino, Ana M.

2011-01-01

An indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed and evaluated for its diagnostic ability to detect human IgG antibodies against Fasciola hepatica saposin-like protein-2. The assay was compared with an indirect ELISA with excretory-secretory products (FhES) from adult F. hepatica. In an analysis of the sera of 37 patients infected with F. hepatica, 40 patients with other parasitic infections, and 50 healthy controls, the sensitivity of both ELISA assays was 100%. However, the FhSAP2-based ELISA was more specific (95.6%) than the FhES-ELISA (91.9%). These results demonstrated that FhSAP2 can be used in the serodiagnosis of chronic human fascioliasis with additional advantage that is relative cheap and easy to produce. Studies are in progress to evaluate this FhSAP2-ELISA assay in a large-scale prevalence surveys in endemic areas. PMID:21683266

Focal myositis of lower extremity responsive to botulinum A toxin.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitrovic, Josko; Prka, Zeljko; Zic, Rado; Marusic, Srecko; Morovic-Vergles, Jadranka

2014-01-01

Focal myositis is a rare, mostly benign disease (pseudotumor) of skeletal muscle, histopathologically characterized by interstitial myositis and tumorous enlargement of a single muscle. The etiology of focal myositis remains unknown; however, localized myopathy has been postulated to be caused by denervation lesions. This case report describes a patient that presented with clinical, laboratory, electromyoneurography, and magnetic resonance imaging features of focal myositis complicated with intervertebral disk protrusion in the lumbosacral spine affected with radicular distress. In most cases, focal myositic lesions show spontaneous regression, relapses are rare, and long-term prognosis is good. There is a wide spectrum of therapeutic options, from no therapy at all through nonsteroidal antirheumatics and glucocorticoids to radiotherapy, surgical excision, and immunosuppressants. In the patient presented, treatment with glucocorticoids, methotrexate, and surgical excision failed to produce satisfactory results. Clinical improvement, pain relief, and reduction in lower leg volume were only achieved by local infiltration of botulinum A toxin.

Value of repeat brain MRI in children with focal epilepsy and negative findings on initial MRI

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Jeon, Tae Yeon; Kim, Ji Hye; Lee, Jee Hun; Yoo, So Young; Hwang, Sook Min; Lee, Mun Hyang [Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-08-01

To evaluate the value of repeat brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying potential epileptogenic lesions in children with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy. Our Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent. During a 15-year period, 257 children (148 boys and 109 girls) with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy were included. After re-evaluating both initial and repeat MRIs, positive results at repeat MRI were classified into potential epileptogenic lesions (malformation of cortical development and hippocampal sclerosis) and other abnormalities. Contributing factors for improved lesion conspicuity of the initially overlooked potential epileptogenic lesions were analyzed and classified into lesion factors and imaging factors. Repeat MRI was positive in 21% (55/257) and negative in 79% cases (202/257). Of the positive results, potential epileptogenic lesions comprised 49% (27/55) and other abnormalities comprised 11% of the cases (28/257). Potential epileptogenic lesions included focal cortical dysplasia (n = 11), hippocampal sclerosis (n = 10), polymicrogyria (n = 2), heterotopic gray matter (n = 2), microlissencephaly (n = 1), and cortical tumor (n = 1). Of these, seven patients underwent surgical resection. Contributing factors for new diagnoses were classified as imaging factors alone (n = 6), lesion factors alone (n = 2), both (n = 18), and neither (n = 1). Repeat MRI revealed positive results in 21% of the children with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy, with 50% of the positive results considered as potential epileptogenic lesions. Enhanced MRI techniques or considering the chronological changes of lesions on MRI may improve the diagnostic yield for identification of potential epileptogenic lesions on repeat MRI.

Value of repeat brain MRI in children with focal epilepsy and negative findings on initial MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeon, Tae Yeon; Kim, Ji Hye; Lee, Jee Hun; Yoo, So Young; Hwang, Sook Min; Lee, Mun Hyang

2017-01-01

To evaluate the value of repeat brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying potential epileptogenic lesions in children with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy. Our Institutional Review Board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent. During a 15-year period, 257 children (148 boys and 109 girls) with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy were included. After re-evaluating both initial and repeat MRIs, positive results at repeat MRI were classified into potential epileptogenic lesions (malformation of cortical development and hippocampal sclerosis) and other abnormalities. Contributing factors for improved lesion conspicuity of the initially overlooked potential epileptogenic lesions were analyzed and classified into lesion factors and imaging factors. Repeat MRI was positive in 21% (55/257) and negative in 79% cases (202/257). Of the positive results, potential epileptogenic lesions comprised 49% (27/55) and other abnormalities comprised 11% of the cases (28/257). Potential epileptogenic lesions included focal cortical dysplasia (n = 11), hippocampal sclerosis (n = 10), polymicrogyria (n = 2), heterotopic gray matter (n = 2), microlissencephaly (n = 1), and cortical tumor (n = 1). Of these, seven patients underwent surgical resection. Contributing factors for new diagnoses were classified as imaging factors alone (n = 6), lesion factors alone (n = 2), both (n = 18), and neither (n = 1). Repeat MRI revealed positive results in 21% of the children with initial MRI-negative focal epilepsy, with 50% of the positive results considered as potential epileptogenic lesions. Enhanced MRI techniques or considering the chronological changes of lesions on MRI may improve the diagnostic yield for identification of potential epileptogenic lesions on repeat MRI

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia: review and a case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Salem, Y M Y; Osman, Y I; Norval, E J G

2010-10-01

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia is a benign fibro-osseous condition that can be seen in dentate and edentulous patients. It is an asymptomatic lesion and needs no treatment; however follow-up is essential due to the possibility that focal cemento-osseous dysplasia can progress to a condition called florid osseous dysplasia that involves multiple sites. A case report is presented here, along with a review of the differential diagnoses considered in order to reach a final diagnosis of focal cemento-osseous dysplasia.

Ocorrência de infecção natural de Fasciola hepatica Linnaeus, 1758 em Lymnaea columella Say, 1817 no Vale do Paraíba, SP, Brasil Natural infection by Fasciola hepatica in Lymnaea columella in the Paraíba river valley, S. Paulo, Brazil

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Marlene Tiduko Ueta

1980-06-01

Full Text Available Foram registradas em Piquete, no vale do rio Paraíba do Sul (SP, Brasil, taxas de 1,22% e 0,14% de infecção natural em Lymnaea columella, por Fasciola hepatica. Em um único exemplar de Lymnaea columella dentre os 1.052 examinados, foram observadas rédias com xifidiocercárias, rédias com cercárias de Fasciola hepatica e metacercárias de Echinostomatidae.Infection rates of 1.22% and 0.14% were obtained in Lymnaea columella snails naturally infected by Fasciola hepatica. Samples of the snails were collected in Piquete, a municipality of Paraíba do Sul, a river valley area in the State of S. Paulo. Also observed was one of the 1052 specimen of the Lymnaea columella rediae which had xiphidiocercariae and rediae with Fasciola hepatica cercariae and metacercariae of Echinostomatidae.

Electrophysiological and pathological study of focal cortical dysplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hodozuka, Akira; Hashizume, Kiyotaka; Hayashi, Yoshimitsu; Tanaka, Tatsuya

2008-01-01

Clinical and experimental studies on focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) were carried out. For the experimental study, an experimental FCD model of rats was developed. Twenty Wistar rats at 0-2 days after birth were used for the study. Kainic acid (KA) solution was injected stereotaxically into medial and lateral sites of the sensori-motor cortex. Bipolar electrodes were inserted. The behavior of the rats and electroencephalography (EEG) were recorded using a digital video-EEG monitoring system. After observation periods of 1, 2 and 6 months, the rats were perfused for pathological study. FCD was observed adjacent to the site of KA injection in all rats more than one month after the injection. EEG recording demonstrated focal spike discharges in and around the site of injection. However, clinical seizure was not observed. Pathological studies showed decrease in gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)-A receptors and increase in GABA-B receptors not only in the lesion but also in perilesional areas. Fifteen surgical cases of FCD with intractable epilepsy were included in the clinical study. Neuro-imaging studies including high-resolution MRI and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were performed. Conventional EEG studies demonstrated focal EEG abnormalities with epileptic phenomena. At surgery, intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) was performed in order to localize epileptic foci under neuroleptanalgesia. Fourteen patients showed epileptiform discharges on preresection ECoG. All foci in non-eloquent areas were resected. Pathological studies including immunohistochemical staining were performed, and characteristics of the FCD in relation to EEG findings were analyzed. Electrophysiological examination revealed epileptogenecity not only in the lesions but also in perilesional areas. In the lesions, immunohistochemical studies showed decrease in GABA-A receptors and increase in GABA-B receptors in both the lesions and perilesional areas, but N

CT and ERCP findings of chronic focal pancreatitis

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Kim, Hee Soo; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Kim, Eun Kyeong [Yonsei Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1996-10-01

To evaluate the major radiologic features of chronic focal pancreatitis in various imaging studies, with special emphasis on CT and ERCP findings. From 1991 to 1995, twelve patients were pathologically proved to be suffering from focal chronic pancreatitis after pancreatico-duodenectomy;for retrospective evaluation, imaging studies were available for eight(seven men, one woman;mean age 58.9{+-}6.6, range 47 to 67). Clinical, surgical, and radiological findings, including CT(n=8), ultrasound(n=7), ERCP(n=8) and UGI(n=3) were analysed. Seven male patients had suffered from chronic alcoholism for between 20 and 50 years. Serum bilirubin levels were normal in eight patients and alkaline phosphatase levels were normal in seven patients. Serum CA 19-9 levels were normal in all five patients who had undergone preoperative evaluation. Seven patients(87.5%) showed focal enlargement without definable margin on CT, and five of the six lesions detectable on ultrasound(83.3%) were ill defined hypoechoic nodules. Dilated side branches within lesions were seen in five of eight patients(83.3%) on CT and ERCP. Double duct signs were observed in siven(87.5%) patients, and dilated intrahepatic ducts in six(75%), with diameters ranging from 5 to 8mm(average:5.42{+-}1.96mm). The average ratio of pancreatic duct caliber to gland width was 0.33{+-}0.19. None of the patients had calcification within the lesion and one case showed intraductal calcification. None showed perivascular fat obliteration around the superior mesenteric artery or celiac axis. The average biductal distance between abnormal common bile duct and the immediately adjacent pancreatic duct was 4.0{+-}1.15mm. One of three cases who under went a UGI examination showed severe luminal narrowing and mucosal thickening in the second protion of the duodenum, another showed double contour, and the other merely showed widening of the C-loop of the duodenum. Chronic focal pancreatitis mostly demonstrated ill defined focal

CT and ERCP findings of chronic focal pancreatitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hee Soo; Lee, Jong Tae; Yoo, Hyung Sik; Kim, Eun Kyeong

1996-01-01

To evaluate the major radiologic features of chronic focal pancreatitis in various imaging studies, with special emphasis on CT and ERCP findings. From 1991 to 1995, twelve patients were pathologically proved to be suffering from focal chronic pancreatitis after pancreatico-duodenectomy;for retrospective evaluation, imaging studies were available for eight(seven men, one woman;mean age 58.9±6.6, range 47 to 67). Clinical, surgical, and radiological findings, including CT(n=8), ultrasound(n=7), ERCP(n=8) and UGI(n=3) were analysed. Seven male patients had suffered from chronic alcoholism for between 20 and 50 years. Serum bilirubin levels were normal in eight patients and alkaline phosphatase levels were normal in seven patients. Serum CA 19-9 levels were normal in all five patients who had undergone preoperative evaluation. Seven patients(87.5%) showed focal enlargement without definable margin on CT, and five of the six lesions detectable on ultrasound(83.3%) were ill defined hypoechoic nodules. Dilated side branches within lesions were seen in five of eight patients(83.3%) on CT and ERCP. Double duct signs were observed in siven(87.5%) patients, and dilated intrahepatic ducts in six(75%), with diameters ranging from 5 to 8mm(average:5.42±1.96mm). The average ratio of pancreatic duct caliber to gland width was 0.33±0.19. None of the patients had calcification within the lesion and one case showed intraductal calcification. None showed perivascular fat obliteration around the superior mesenteric artery or celiac axis. The average biductal distance between abnormal common bile duct and the immediately adjacent pancreatic duct was 4.0±1.15mm. One of three cases who under went a UGI examination showed severe luminal narrowing and mucosal thickening in the second protion of the duodenum, another showed double contour, and the other merely showed widening of the C-loop of the duodenum. Chronic focal pancreatitis mostly demonstrated ill defined focal enlargement and

Elucidating the transcriptome of Fasciola hepatica - a key to fundamental and biotechnological discoveries for a neglected parasite.

Science.gov (United States)

Young, Neil D; Hall, Ross S; Jex, Aaron R; Cantacessi, Cinzia; Gasser, Robin B

2010-01-01

Liver flukes of animals are parasitic flatworms (Platyhelminthes: Digenea) of major socioeconomic importance in many countries. Key representatives, such as Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica, cause "liver fluke disease" (= fascioliasis), which is of major animal health significance worldwide. In particular, F. hepatica is a leading cause of production losses to the livestock (mainly sheep and cattle) and meat industries due to clinical disease, reduced weight gain and milk production, and deaths. This parasite is also a major food-borne pathogen of humans throughout parts of the Middle East, Asia and South America. Currently, there is a significant focus on the development of new approaches for the prevention and control of fascioliasis in livestock. Recent technological advances in genomics and bioinformatics provide unique opportunities for the identification and prevalidation of drug targets and vaccines through a better understanding of the biology of F. hepatica and related species as well as their relationship with their hosts at the molecular level. Surprisingly, despite the widespread socioeconomic impact of fascioliasis, genomic datasets for F. hepatica are scant, limiting the molecular biological research of this parasite. The present article explores specifically the transcriptome of the adult stage of F. hepatica using an integrated genomic-bioinformatic platform. The analysis of the current data reveals numerous molecules of biological relevance, some of which are inferred to be involved in key biological processes or pathways that could serve as targets for new trematocidal drugs or vaccines. Improved insights into the transcriptome of F. hepatica should pave the way for future, comparative analysis of the transcriptomes of other developmental stages of this and related parasites, such as F. gigantica, cancer-causing flatworms (Clonorchis sinensis and Opisthorchis viverrini) and blood flukes (Schistosoma mansoni and S. japonicum). Prediction of the

Apparent diffusion coefficient values of diffusion-weighted imaging for distinguishing focal pulmonary lesions and characterizing the subtype of lung cancer: a meta-analysis

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Shen, Guohua; Jia, Zhiyun; Deng, Houfu [Sichuan University, Department of Nuclear Medicine, West China Hospital, Chengdu, Sichuan (China)

2016-02-15

The potential performance of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for distinguishing malignant and benign pulmonary lesions, further characterizing the subtype of lung cancer was assessed. PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, EBSCO, and three Chinese databases were searched to identify eligible studies on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of focal pulmonary lesions. ADC values of malignant and benign lesions were extracted by lesion type and statistically pooled based on a linear mixed model. Further analysis for subtype of lung cancer was also performed. The methodological quality was assessed using the quality assessment of diagnostic accuracy studies tool. Thirty-four articles involving 2086 patients were included. Malignant pulmonary lesions have significantly lower ADC values than benign lesions [1.21 (95 % CI, 1.19-1.22) mm{sup 2}/s vs. 1.76 (95 % CI, 1.72-1.80) mm{sup 2}/s; P < 0.05]. There is a significant difference between ADC values of small cell lung cancer and non-small cell lung cancer (P < 0.05), while the differences were not significant among histological subtypes of lung cancer. The methodological quality was relatively high, and the data points from Begg's test indicated that there was probably no obvious publication bias. The ADC value is helpful for distinguishing malignant and benign pulmonary lesions and provides a promising method for differentiation of SCLC from NSCLC. (orig.)

Differentiation of focal liver lesions by contrast-enhanced MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heintz, P.; Ehrenheim, C.

1989-01-01

47 patients with liver tumours (haemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatocellular carcinoma) underwent MRI of the liver before and after i.v. injection of 0.2 ml./kg. gadolinium-DTPA in addition to other imaging methods. The demarcation of focal nodular hyperplasia is not influenced by use of the contrast agent as it almost behaves like surrounding normal liver tissue, thus only indirectly facilitating its identification. With regard to liver haemangiomas that show the most intensive uptake of gadolinium-DTPA, the contrast enhanced image does not reach to contrast and sensitivity of a native T 2 -weighted SE image, especially in cases of small haemangiomas. The contrast agent is helpful, however, in the recognition of large cavernous haemangiomas that are partially fibrotic or thrombotic. Emphasis is given to the contrast agent in hepatomas: gadolinium-DTPA presents a pattern of uptake and distribution frequently found in hepatocellular carcinoma providing additional information on the delineation of internal tumour details. (orig.) [de

Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced 3.0-Tesla MRI findings for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions: Comparison with iodine-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Hyong-Hu; Goo, Eun-Hoe; Im, In-Chul; Lee, Jae-Seung; Kim, Moon-Jib; Kwak, Byung-Joon; Chung, Woon-Kwan; Dong, Kyung-Rae

2012-12-01

The safety of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic-acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) has been confirmed, but more study is needed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for whom surgical treatment is considered or with a metastatic hepatoma. Research is also needed to examine the rate of detection of hepatic lesions compared to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), which is used most frequently to localize and characterize a HCC. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and iodine-enhanced MDCT imaging were compared for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions. The clinical usefulness of each method was examined. The current study enrolled 79 patients with focal liver lesions who preoperatively underwent MRI and MDCT. In these patients, there was less than one month between the two diagnostic modalities. Imaging data were taken before and after contrast enhancement in both methods. To evaluate the images, we analyzed the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the lesions and the liver parenchyma. To compare the sensitivity of the two methods, we performed a quantitative analysis of the percentage signal intensity of the liver (PSIL) on a high resolution picture archiving and communication system (PACS) monitor (paired-samples t-test, p DTPA-enhanced MRI findings and the iodine-enhanced MDCT by using an adjusted x2 test. The SNRs, CNRs, and PSIL all had a greater detection rate in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI than in iodine-enhanced MDCT. Hepatocyte-selective uptake was observed 20 minutes after the injection in the focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, 9/9), adenoma (9/10), and highly-differentiated HCC (grade G1, 27/30). Rim enhancement was detected in all metastases (30/30). During the arterial and the delayed phases, good overall agreement between the gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MR and CT was observed (x2 test, p DTPA-enhanced MRI had a higher

Laparoscopic Partial Hepatectomy of Focal Nodular Hyperplasia

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Mayu Sakata

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Focal nodular hyperplasia is a benign liver lesion incidentally discovered with increasing frequency because of the proliferation of imaging studies. Radiographic characterization can diagnose this pathologic lesion and nonoperative therapy is the standard of care. However, surgical resection may be required for diagnostic reasons or symptomatic patients. Depending on the anatomic location of the lesion, biopsy and/or resection can be performed laparoscopically. We herein report the case of a 26-year-old Japanese woman with a hepatic tumor who required a medical examination. Her medical history was negative for alcohol abuse, oral contraceptive administration and trauma. Clinical examination showed no significant symptoms. Ultrasonography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed a mass located in the left lateral segment of the liver with a diameter of about 40 mm. It was difficult to diagnose the tumor definitively from these imaging studies, so we performed laparoscopic partial hepatectomy with successive firing of endoscopic staplers. The histopathological diagnosis was focal nodular hyperplasia. Surgical procedures and postoperative course were uneventful and the patient was discharged from the hospital on postoperative day 5.

Perfusion maps of the whole liver based on high temporal and spatial resolution contrast-enhanced MRI (4D THRIVE): Feasibility and initial results in focal liver lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coenegrachts, Kenneth; Ghekiere, Johan; Denolin, Vincent; Gabriele, Beck; Herigault, Gwen; Haspeslagh, Marc; Daled, Peter; Bipat, Shandra; Stoker, Jaap; Rigauts, Hans

2010-01-01

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate a new imaging sequence (4D THRIVE) for whole liver perfusion in high temporal and spatial resolution. Feasibility of parametric mapping and its potential for characterizing focal liver lesions (FLLs) are investigated. Materials and methods: Fifteen patients suspected for colorectal liver metastases (LMs) were included. Parametric maps were evaluated qualitatively (ring-enhancement and lesion heterogeneity) and compared to three-phased contrast-enhanced MRI. Quantitative analysis was based on average perfusion values of entire FLLs. Reference standard comprised surgery with histopathology or follow-up imaging. Fisher's exact test was used for qualitative and Kruskal-Wallis test for quantitative analysis. Results: In total 29 LMs, 17 hemangiomas and 4 focal nodular hyperplasias were evaluated. FLLs could be differentiated by qualitative assessment of parametric maps respectively three-phased contrast-enhanced MRI (Fisher's p < 0.001 for comparisons between LMs and hemangiomas and LMs and FNHs for both ring-enhancement and lesion heterogeneity) rather than by quantitative analysis of parametric maps (Chi-square for Kep = 0.33 (p = 0.847) and Chi-square for Kel = 1.35 (p = 0.509)). Conclusion: This preliminary study shows potential of 4D THRIVE for whole liver imaging enabling calculation of parametric maps. Qualitative rather than quantitative analysis was accurate for differentiating malignant and benign FLLs.

Using passive cavitation images to classify high-intensity focused ultrasound lesions.

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Haworth, Kevin J; Salgaonkar, Vasant A; Corregan, Nicholas M; Holland, Christy K; Mast, T Douglas

2015-09-01

Passive cavitation imaging provides spatially resolved monitoring of cavitation emissions. However, the diffraction limit of a linear imaging array results in relatively poor range resolution. Poor range resolution has limited prior analyses of the spatial specificity and sensitivity of passive cavitation imaging in predicting thermal lesion formation. In this study, this limitation is overcome by orienting a linear array orthogonal to the high-intensity focused ultrasound propagation direction and performing passive imaging. Fourteen lesions were formed in ex vivo bovine liver samples as a result of 1.1-MHz continuous-wave ultrasound exposure. The lesions were classified as focal, "tadpole" or pre-focal based on their shape and location. Passive cavitation images were beamformed from emissions at the fundamental, harmonic, ultraharmonic and inharmonic frequencies with an established algorithm. Using the area under a receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC), fundamental, harmonic and ultraharmonic emissions were found to be significant predictors of lesion formation for all lesion types. For both harmonic and ultraharmonic emissions, pre-focal lesions were classified most successfully (AUROC values of 0.87 and 0.88, respectively), followed by tadpole lesions (AUROC values of 0.77 and 0.64, respectively) and focal lesions (AUROC values of 0.65 and 0.60, respectively). Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The absence of MyD88 has no effect on the induction of alternatively activated macrophage during Fasciola hepatica infection

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Luo HongLin

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alternatively activated macrophages (AAMϕ play important roles in allergies and responses to parasitic infections. However, whether signaling through toll-like receptors (TLRs plays any role in AAMϕ induction when young Fasciola hepatica penetrates the liver capsule and migrates through the liver tissue is still unclear. Results The data show that the lack of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88 has no effect on the AAMϕ derived from the bone marrow (BMMϕ in vitro and does not impair the mRNA expression of arginase-1, resistin-like molecule (RELMα, and Ym1 in BMMϕs. The Th2 cytokine production bias in splenocytes was not significantly altered in F. hepatica-infected mice in the absence of MyD88 in vitro and in the pleural cavity lavage in vivo. In addition, MyD88-deficiency has no effect on the arginase production of the F. hepatica elicited macrophages (Fe Mϕs, production of RELMα and Ym1 proteins and mRNA expression of Ym1 and RELMα of macrophages in the peritoneal cavity 6 weeks post F. hepatica infection. Conclusions The absence of MyD88 has no effect on presence of AAMϕ 6 weeks post F. hepatica infection.

Six-year longitudinal study of Fasciola hepatica bulk milk antibody ELISA in the dairy dense region of the Republic Ireland.

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Munita, M P; Rea, R; Bloemhoff, Y; Byrne, N; Martinez-Ibeas, A M; Sayers, R G

2016-11-01

Completion of the F. hepatica lifecycle is dependent on suitable climatic conditions for development of immature stages of the parasite, and its snail intermediate host. Few investigations have been conducted regarding temporal variations in F. hepatica status in Irish dairy herds. The current study aimed to conduct a longitudinal study examining annual and seasonal trends in bulk milk seropositivity over six years, while also investigating associations with soil temperature, rainfall and flukicide treatment. Monthly bulk milk samples (BTM) were submitted by 28 herds between March 2009 and December 2014. In all, 1337 samples were analysed using a Cathepsin L1 ELISA. Soil temperature, rainfall and management data were obtained for general estimating equation and regression analyses. A general decrease in milk seropositivity was observed over the six year study period and was associated with an increased likelihood of treating for liver fluke (OR range=2.73-6.96). Annual and seasonal analyses of rainfall and F. hepatica BTM status yielded conflicting results. Higher annual rainfall (>1150mm) yielded a lower likelihood of being BTM positive than annual rainfall of hepatica in wetter years, although a 'wash effect' by high rainfall of the free living stages and snails cannot be ruled out. Higher seasonal rainfall (>120mm), however, was associated with increased ELISA S/P% values (Coefficient=9.63S/P%; P=0.001). Soil temperature was not found to influence F. hepatica to the same extent as rainfall and may reflect the lack of severe temperature fluctuations in Ireland. Flukicides active against both immature and mature F. hepatica were approximately half as likely to record a positive F. hepatica herd BTM status than a flukicide active against only the mature stage of the parasite (OR≅0.45; Phepatica data, which can vary significantly. Additionally, it highlights the progress that can be achieved in fluke control by application of a continuous BTM monitoring program

[A case of focal epilepsy manifesting multiple psychiatric auras].

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Ezura, Michinori; Kakisaka, Yosuke; Jin, Kazutaka; Kato, Kazuhiro; Iwasaki, Masaki; Fujikawa, Mayu; Aoki, Masashi; Nakasato, Nobukazu

2015-01-01

We present a case of epilepsy with multiple types of focal seizures that were misdiagnosed as psychiatric disorders. A 20-year-old female patient presented with a variety of episodes, including loss of consciousness, deja vu, fear, delusion of possession, violent movements, and generalized convulsions. Each of these symptoms appeared in a stereotypic manner. She was initially diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder and treated with psychoactive medications, which had no effect. Long-term video electroencephalography revealed that her episodes of violent movement with impaired consciousness and secondarily generalized seizure were epileptic events originating in the right hemisphere. High-field brain magnetic resonance imaging for detecting subtle lesions revealed bilateral lesions from periventricular nodular heterotopia. Her final diagnosis was right hemispheric focal epilepsy. Carbamazepine administration was started, which successfully controlled all seizures. The present case demonstrates the pitfall of diagnosing focal epilepsy when it presents with multiple types of psychiatric aura. Epilepsy should thus be included in differential diagnoses, considering the stereotypic nature of symptoms, to avoid misdiagnosis.

Role of the lymnaeid snail Pseudosuccinea columella in the transmission of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica in Egypt.

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Dar, Y; Vignoles, P; Rondelaud, D; Dreyfuss, G

2015-11-01

Experimental infections of three Egyptian Pseudosuccinea columella populations with sympatric miracidia of Fasciola sp., coming from cattle- or sheep-collected eggs, were carried out to determine the capacity of this lymnaeid to support larval development of the parasite. Using microsatellite markers, the isolates of Egyptian miracidia were identified as Fasciola hepatica. Apart from being independent of snail origin, prevalences ranging from 60.4 to 75.5% in snails infected with five miracidia of F. hepatica were significantly higher than values of 30.4 to 42.2% in snails with bi-miracidial infections. The number of metacercariae ranged from 243 to 472 per cercarial-shedding snail and was independent of snail origin, parasite origin and miracidial dose used for infection. If P. columella was subjected to two successive bi-miracidial infections with F. hepatica, prevalence of infection was 63.3%, with a mean of 311 metacercariae per snail. These values were clearly greater than those already reported for Radix natalensis infected with the same parasite and the same protocol. Successful experimental infection of P. columella with F. hepatica suggests that this lymnaeid snail is an important intermediate host for the transmission of fascioliasis in Egypt.

Seroepidemiology of Fasciola Hepatica in Mersin province and surrounding towns and the role of family history of the Fascioliasis in the transmission of the parasite.

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Ozturhan, Hakan; Emekdaş, Gürol; Sezgin, Orhan; Korkmaz, Metin; Altintaş, Engin

2009-09-01

Fascioliasis is an important zoonotic disease caused by Fasciola hepatica. This zoonosis may cause serious morbidity and a considerable financial burden. Knowledge about Fasciola hepatica and interest in this parasite have increased in Turkey recently. However, there have been few studies on the real prevalence of this condition in the country. Therefore, we aimed to determine the prevalence of fascioliasis and the role of family history of the condition in the transmission of the parasite in the province of Mersin. Taking account of their populations, 729 people without a family history of fascioliasis and 155 people with a family history of fascioliasis from the city of Mersin and randomly selected three towns were included into the study to obtain a sample that well represented the population of the province of Mersin. A questionnaire composed of items about consumption of green leafy vegetables, stock-breeding and clinical symptoms of the disease was used to collect data. Excretory/ secretory (ES)-ELISA was used to detect IgG antibodies to Fasciola hepatica. People seropositive for Fasciola hepatica underwent abdominal ultrasonography, physical examination, biochemistry, and stool tests for the detection of Fasciola hepatica eggs. A total of 0.79% of the participants were seropositive for Fasciola hepatica. One point ninety-three percent of the individuals with a family history of fascioliasis and 0.55% of the individuals without a family history of fascioliasis were seropositive for Fasciola hepatica. Out of 7 individuals found to be seropositive for Fasciola hepatica, 5 were female, 2 were male, and 4 had a family history of fascioliasis. Five and 4 patients, respectively, had a history of consuming green leafy vegetables and 4 had a history of stock-breeding. The clinical evaluation revealed that 4 patients had at least one sign of fascioliasis. Three patients had signs of fascioliasis on ultrasonography and 1 had Fasciola hepatica egg in stool examination

MR imaging of noncancerous lesions of the prostate gland

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lovett, K.; Rifkin, M.D.; Choi, H.Y.; McCue, P.; Mitchell, D.G.; Burk, D.L. Jr.

1990-01-01

This paper determines the importance of MR signal characteristics in noncancerous lesions of the prostate. Step-sectioned radical prostatectomy specimens from over 50 individuals with stage A or B cancer were retrospectively reviewed and compared with correlative axial T2-weighted MR images obtained just prior to surgery. Noncancerous lesions were evaluated for signal intensity and location. Focal high-signal-intensity areas were present in 82% of patients. The 28% of lesions in the central gland correlated with cystic atrophy. Of the lesions in the peripheral prostate, 85% were cystic atrophy without associated cancer, 7.5% cystic atrophy with cancer, and 7.5% focal inflammation. Focal low-signal-intensity areas were present in 76% of patients. Of the 31% in the central prostate, one-fifth correlated with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and four-fifths with fibrous tissue, 10% to the 69% that were peripheral, 82% corresponded to fibrous tissue, 10% to BPH, and 8% to normal tissue. Mixed lesions were present in 73%; 93% of these were located centrally and 7% peripherally. All mixed central lesions were BPH, and the peripheral 7% were areas of combined cystic atrophy and fibrosis

First report of Lymnaea columella Say, 1817 (Pulmonata: Lymnaeidae naturally infected with Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus,1758 (Trematoda: Digenea in Argentina

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Prepelitchi Lucila

2003-01-01

Full Text Available We report the first evidence of natural infection of Lymnaea columella with Fasciola hepatica in Argentina. A sample of 601 snails was collected in May 2003 in northeastern Corrientes, a province bounded on the north by Paraguay, on the east by Brazil and on the southeast by Uruguay. Among 500 examined snails, 44 (8.8% were exclusively infected with F. hepatica. Parasite identification was based on morphological features of cercariae from snails, and of eggs and adult flukes from Wistar rats. We discuss the events suggesting that an enzootic transmission cycle of F. hepatica has been recently established in northeastern Corrientes.

Quantitative analysis of the dual-energy CT virtual spectral curve for focal liver lesions characterization

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Wang, Qi, E-mail: wq20@hotmail.com; Shi, Gaofeng, E-mail: gaofengs62@sina.com; Qi, Xiaohui, E-mail: qixiaohui1984@163.com; Fan, Xueli, E-mail: 407849960@qq.com; Wang, Lijia, E-mail: 893197597@qq.com

2014-10-15

Highlights: • We establish a feasible method using the virtual spectral curves (VSC) to differentiate focal liver lesions using DECT. • Our study shows the slope of the VSC can be used to differentiate between hemangioma, HCC, metastasis and cyst. • Importantly, the diagnostic specificities associated with using the slope to diagnose both hemangioma and cysts were 100%. - Abstract: Objective: To assess the usefulness of the spectral curve slope of dual-energy CT (DECT) for differentiating between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hepatic metastasis, hemangioma (HH) and cysts. Methods: In total, 121 patients were imaged in the portal venous phase using dual-energy mode. Of these patients, 23 patients had HH, 28 patients had HCC, 40 patients had metastases and 30 patients had simple cysts. The spectral curves of the hepatic lesions were derived from the 40–190 keV levels of virtual monochromatic spectral imaging. The spectral curve slopes were calculated from 40 to 110 keV. The slopes were compared using the Kruskal–Wallis test. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were used to determine the optimal cut-off value of the slope of the spectral curve to differentiate between the lesions. Results: The spectral curves of the four lesion types had different baseline levels. The HH baseline level was the highest followed by HCC, metastases and cysts. The slopes of the spectral curves of HH, HCC, metastases and cysts were 3.81 ± 1.19, 1.49 ± 0.57, 1.06 ± 0.76 and 0.13 ± 0.17, respectively. These values were significantly different (P < 0.008). Based on ROC analysis, the respective diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were 87% and 100% for hemangioma (cut-off value ≥ 2.988), 82.1% and 65.9% for HCC (cut-off value 1.167–2.998), 65.9% and 59% for metastasis (cut-off value 0.133–1.167) and 44.4% and 100% for cysts (cut-off value ≤ 0.133). Conclusion: Quantitative analysis of the DECT spectral curve in the portal venous phase can be used to

In vitro biomarker discovery in the parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica for monitoring chemotherapeutic treatment

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Russell M. Morphew

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The parasitic flatworm Fasciola hepatica is a global food security risk. With no vaccines, the sustainability of triclabendazole (TCBZ is threatened by emerging resistance. F. hepatica excretory/secretory (ES products can be detected in host faeces and used to estimate TCBZ success and failure. However, there are no faecal based molecular diagnostics dedicated to assessing drug failure or resistance to TCBZ in the field. Utilising in vitro maintenance and sub-proteomic approaches two TCBZ stress ES protein response fingerprints were identified: markers of non-killing and lethal doses. This study provides candidate protein/peptide biomarkers to validate for detection of TCBZ failure and resistance.

Viabilidade de ovos de Fasciola hepatica de bovinos em sistema de biodigestão anaeróbia Viability of bovine's Fasciola hepatica eggs in a system of anaerobic biodigestion

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M.B. Mentz

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Cattle Fasciola hepatica egg-viability was studied in closed system of anaerobic biodigestion. Two thirds of a biodigestor were filled with liquefied manure from eight Hosltein cows, naturally infected. For 10 consecutive weeks of observation, the biodigestor internal temperature ranged from 24ºC to 28ºC, and external temperature from 26ºC to 33ºC. All the effluent samples showed a constant pH of 7. The samples of the effluent were weekly collected, in a total of 10 and submitted to techniques to detect the presence and viability of the trematode eggs. It was detected a 42-day egg viability. Therefore, liquefied cattle manure containing Fasciola hepatica eggs must remain under anaerobic biodigestion for at least 42 days before its safe return to the environment.

Oral focal epithelial hyperplasia: report of three cases.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghalayani, Parichehr; Tavakoli, Payam; Eftekhari, Mehdi; Haghighi, Mohammad Akhondzadeh

2015-01-01

Focal epithelial hyperplasia or Heck's disease is an infrequent asymptomatic condition caused by human papillomavirus types 13 or 32 affecting the mucous membrane of the mouth and is commonly seen in young individuals. Firstly, it was described in Indians and Eskimos, but it exists in various populations. We present three cases of Heck's disease in an Afghan immigrant family group living in Iran that seem to have familial predominance. The disease was identified as oral focal epithelial hyperplasia on the basis of histopathologic and clinical findings. The lesions were reduced significantly after 4 months of good oral hygiene. Dentists should be familiar with the clinical manifestations of these types of lesions that affect the oral cavity. In fact, histopathologic assessment and clinical observation are necessary to establish the diagnosis.

Differentiation of thyroid lesion detected by FDG PET/CT using SUV ratio

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Kim, Bom Sahn; Kang, Won Jun; Lee, Dong Soo; Chung, June Key; Lee, Myung Chul [Seoul National Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-07-01

We investigated the usefulness of SUV ratio to discriminate focal thyroid lesion incidentally detected on 18F-FDG PET/CT (FDG PET) in patients with malignant disease. A total of 2167 subjects with malignant tumor underwent PET/CT for staging. Forty-five of 2167 subjects (2.1%) showed hypermetabolic thyroid lesions on FDG PET. Of 45, 21 lesions were confirmed by pathology (n = 16) or follow up exam (n=5). Seventeen patients had focal FDG uptakes, while 4 patients had diffuse thyroid uptakes. Standardized uptake value (SUV) was measured by drawing region of interest (ROI) on bilateral thyroid lobes and liver. From 21 patients, 12 thyroid lesions were confirmed as malignant lesions and 9 lesions as benign lesions. All of bilateral thyroid FDG uptakes were determined as benign disease such as thyroiditis. From seventeen focal thyroid incidentaloma, FDG PET had 100 % (12/12) of sensitivity and 60 % (3/5) of specificity, retrospectively. Malignant nodules had a significantly higher lesion to liver ratio than those of benign nodules (2.10.9 vs. 1.20.6, p=0.029). With ROC curve, the best cut-off value of lesion to liver was 1.0 with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 60 % (area under the curve=0.783). The SUV ratio of lesion to contralateral lobe do not have statistical significance to determine malignancy (3.72.1 vs. 2.61.7, p=0.079). This study showed that focal thyroidal FDG uptake detected by FDG PET could be differentiated with best performance by SUV ratio of lesion to liver.

Differences in intermediary energy metabolism between juvenile and adult Fasciola hepatica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tielens, A.G.M.; Heuvel, J.M. van den; Bergh, S.G. van den

A comparison of glucose catabolism by juvenile and adult liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica, showed that in the adult the cytosolic degradation of glucose via phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was the most important route, whereas in the freshly excysted juvenile a large part was degraded via

Serial neuroradiological studies in focal cerebritis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatta, S.; Mochizuki, H.; Kuru, Y.; Miwa, H.; Kondo, T.; Mori, H.; Mizuno, Y.

1994-01-01

We report serial neuroradiological studies in a patient with focal cerebritis in the head of the left caudate nucleus. On the day after the onset of symptoms, CT showed an ill-defined low density lesion. The lack of contrast enhancement appeared to be the most important finding for differentiating focal cerebritis from an encapsulated brain abscess or a tumour. MRI two days later revealed the centre of the lesion to be of slightly low intensity on T1-weighted inversion recovery (IR) images and very low intensity on T2-weighted spin echo images, which appeared to correspond to the early cerebritis stage of experimentally induced cerebritis and brain abscess. Ten days after the onset of symptoms, CT revealed a thin ring of enhancement in the head of the caudate nucleus, and a similar small ring was seen in the hypothalamus 16 days after the onset, corresponding to the late cerebritis stage. MRI nine days later revealed ill-defined high signal lesions within the involved area on the T1-weighted IR images. To our knowledge, this is the first published MRI documentation of the early cerebritis stage developing into an encapsulated brain abscess. The mechanisms underlying of these radiographic changes are discussed. (orig.)

Correlation between Focal Nodular Low Signal Changes in Hoffa’s Fat Pad Adjacent to Anterior Femoral Cartilage and Focal Cartilage Defect Underlying This Region and Its Possible Implication

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Chermaine Deepa Antony

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. This study investigates the association between focal nodular mass with low signal in Hoffa’s fat pad adjacent to anterior femoral cartilage of the knee (FNMHF and focal cartilage abnormality in this region. Method. The magnetic resonance fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition sequence (MR FIESTA sagittal and axial images of the B1 and C1 region (described later of 148 patients were independently evaluated by two reviewers and categorized into four categories: normal, FNMHF with underlying focal cartilage abnormality, FNMHF with normal cartilage, and cartilage abnormality with no FNMHF. Results. There was a significant association (p=0.00 between FNMHF and immediate adjacent focal cartilage abnormality with high interobserver agreement. The absence of focal nodular lesions next to the anterior femoral cartilage has a very high negative predictive value for chondral injury (97.8%. Synovial biopsy of focal nodular lesion done during arthroscopy revealed some fibrocollagenous tissue and no inflammatory cells. Conclusion. We postulate that the FNMHF adjacent to the cartilage defects is a form of normal healing response to the cartilage damage. One patient with FHMHF and underlying cartilage abnormality was rescanned six months later. In this patient, the FNMHF disappeared and normal cartilage was observed in the adjacent region which may support this theory.

Consequence of temperature changes on cercarial shedding from Galba truncatula infected with Fasciola hepatica or Paramphistomum daubneyi

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Rondelaud Daniel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Experimental infections of Galba truncatula (two populations with Fasciola hepatica or Paramphistomum daubneyi were carried out to study the effect of water temperature changes (3 h at a mean of 12 °C every week on cercarial shedding during the patent period. The results were compared with those of control snails infected according to the same protocol and always maintained at 20 °C. Compared to controls, a significant increase in the number of cercariae-shedding snails, a significantly longer patent period and significantly greater cercarial production were noted in temperature-challenged snails, regardless of the type of digenean infection. In contrast, the number of incompletely formed metacercariae was significantly higher in temperature-challenged snails than in controls. Incompletely formed metacercariae of F. hepatica consisted of cysts whose colour remained whitish after shedding (25.4% for temperature-challenged snails or whose dome was flattened after encystment (74.6%. Those of P. daubneyi were totally dark brown or blackish after formation. These incomplete metacercariae might originate from young differentiating cercariae within the snail body (F. hepatica or from cercariae which died just after encystment (P. daubneyi. The use of regular temperature changes for snails infected with F. hepatica or P. daubneyi must be monitored carefully during collection of metacercariae to select completely formed cysts for infecting definitive hosts.

Variations in local adaptation of allopatric Fasciola hepatica to French Galba truncatula in relation to parasite origin.

Science.gov (United States)

Dar, Y; Lounnas, M; Djuikwo Teukeng, F F; Mouzet, R; Courtioux, B; Hurtrez-Boussès, S; Vignoles, P; Dreyfuss, G; Rondelaud, D

2013-07-01

Two French populations of Galba truncatula were subjected to experimental infections with Egyptian and French isolates of Fasciola sp. miracidia, originating from cattle and sheep, to compare characteristics of snail infections in allopatric and sympatric groups. All sampled Egyptian isolates were identified as Fasciola hepatica using microsatellite markers. Compared to snails infected with French miracidia, snail survival at day 30 post-exposure was significantly greater in the Egyptian groups, while prevalence of infection was significantly lower (in an Egyptian group infected with cattle-derived miracidia) or did not show any significant differences in the other three cases. The total number of metacercariae was significantly higher in the four Egyptian groups. However, snail population and the mammalian origin of F. hepatica had also a significant effect on this parameter. The dissection of snail cadavers showed a significantly higher number of free rediae in the Egyptian groups, even if snail population also had a significant effect on the redial burden. Both Egyptian isolates of F. hepatica could easily develop in French snails, causing a low mortality in snails and inducing a metacercarial production higher than that noted in sympatric infections. However, the mammalian origin of F. hepatica eggs and the quality of snail populations as intermediate hosts had to be taken into account for studying local adaptation in reason of their effects on this process.

Detection of fat in focal liver lesions using chemical-shift MR imaging: its significance in patients with and without hepatic cirrhosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, J.

1999-01-01

To determine the utility of the chemical shift technique in MRI for the detection of fact in focal hepatic lesions and to see its significance in patients with and without hepatic cirrhosis. 159 patients with 207 hepatic lesions were studied using MRI (IT). Two groups were established: a) patients with hepatic cirrhosis (n=63 with 69 lesions) and b) patients without cirrhosis (n=96 with 138 lesions). Images were obtained in phase (P) and in opposite phase (OP) with gradient echo sequences (RG). The parameter used to differentiate the lesions with fat from those without fat was the variation percentage of the intensity of the signal (VIS) between the images in P and in OP. The statistical valuation was carried out using Student's t tests and the area under the ROC curve. The chemical shift technique detected fat in 25 lesions (12%), 10 hepatocarcinomas in the patients with cirrhosis and two angiomyolipomas and 13 nodular fat infiltrations in the patients who did not have cirrhosis. The average VIS percentage in the 10 hepatocarcinomas was 174.77% (ranging from 88.64% to 369.33%) while in the remaining 59 hepatocarcinomas it was -4.03% (ranging from 12.79% to -19.10%) (p=0.003). In the patients who did not have cirrhosis the average VIS percentage of the lesions with fat was 161.23 (ranging from 19.82 to 605.78) while in the lesions without fat it was -0.41 (ranging from -18.96 to 19.52) (p=0.003). The area under the ROC curve was 1 for the VIS parameter. The chemical shift technique allowed for fat to be detected within hepatic lesions. Based on our study, a nodule with fat in a patient with hepatic cirrhosis is suspected to have hepatocarcinomas while in patients who do not suffer from cirrhosis the existence of fat in a nodule favours its bening nature. (Author) 39 refs

CIAS detection of Fasciola hepatica/F. gigantica intermediate forms in bovines from Bangladesh.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahasan, Syed Ali; Valero, M Adela; Chowdhury, Emdadul Haque; Islam, Mohammad Taohidul; Islam, Mohammad Rafiqul; Hussain Mondal, Mohammad Motahar; Peixoto, Raquel V; Berinde, Lavinia; Panova, Miroslava; Mas-Coma, Santiago

2016-03-01

Fascioliasis is an important food-borne parasitic zoonosis caused by two trematode species, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica. The characterisation and differentiation of Fasciola populations is crucial to control the disease, given the different transmission, epidemiology and pathology characteristics of the two species. Lineal biometric features of adult liver flukes infecting livestock have been studied to characterise and discriminate fasciolids from Bangladesh. An accurate analysis was conducted to phenotypically discriminate between fasciolids from naturally infected bovines (cattle, buffaloes) throughout the country. Morphometric analyses were made with a computer image analysis system (CIAS) applied on the basis of standardised measurements and the logistic model of the body growth and development of fasciolids in the different host groups. Since it is the first ever comprehensive study of this kind undertaken in Bangladesh, the results are compared to pure fasciolid populations of F. hepatica from the European Mediterranean area and F. gigantica from Burkina Faso, geographical areas where both species do not co-exist. Principal component analysis showed that the biometric characteristics of fasciolids from Bangladesh are situated between F. hepatica and F. gigantica standard populations, indicating the presence of phenotypes of intermediate forms in Bangladesh. These results are analysed by considering the present emergence of animal fascioliasis, the local lymnaeid fauna, the impact of climate change, and the risk of human infection in the country.

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia masquerading as benign cementoblastoma: A diagnostic dilemma.

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Rao, Gayathri S; Kamalapur, Muralidhar G; Acharya, Swetha

2014-01-01

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia (FCOD) is a fibro-osseous lesion that is a nonneoplastic reactive lesion. A case of 47-year-old female patient presenting with a diagnostic dilemma to the clinician is reported. Methods to achieve definitive diagnosis are discussed. FCOD can present with features of periapical pathology or other osseous lesions. Hence, to arrive at a definitive diagnosis biopsy and histopathologic examination is imperative.

Prevalence and Molecular Diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica in Sheep and Goats in Different Districts of Punjab, Pakistan

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Waseem Shahzad*, Khalid Mehmood1, Rashid Munir2, Waqar Aslam, Muhammad Ijaz1, Rashid Ahmad, Mohammad Sarwar Khan1 and Ahmad Jawad Sabir1

2012-10-01

Full Text Available A study was conducted to determine the prevalence and molecular diagnosis of fasciolosis in Lohi sheep and Beetal goats in Okara, Sahiwal and Lahore districts of Punjab province. A total of 800 samples including 200 fecal and 200 bile, each from Lohi sheep and Beetal goats were collected and processed for microscopic examination of Fasciola eggs as well as its confirmation through polymerase chain reaction (PCR. Of the fecal samples, 3.5 and 2% samples whereas from bile samples, 6.5 and 4% bile samples from sheep and goats were found microscopically positive for Fasciola hepatica, respectively. By PCR, 4.5 and 3.5% fecal samples and 8.5 and 5% bile samples from sheep and goats, respectively were confirmed for F. hepatica. Statistically sheep and goats species were found equally likely acquiring the F. hepatica diagnosed by either source of material (fecal and bile samples similarly fecal and bile samples were equally likely showing fasciolosis in either of sheep and goats.

Development of indirect sandwich ELISA for determination of excretory-secretory antigens of Fasciola hepatica

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Libertad Alzamora-Gonzales

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Fasciolosis is a cosmopolitan parasitosis medical-veterinary importance caused by Fasciola hepatica, which affects sheep, goats and cattle; and it affects man accidentally causing an epidemic-endemic infection difficult to diagnose. The aim was to develop an indirect sandwich ELISA with 3 antibodies for detecting excretory-secretory antigens of Fasciola hepatica (ESFh. For the development of indirect sandwich ELISA were used, as capture antibody, mouse polyclonal antibodies anti ESFh and polyclonal antibodies rabbit anti-ESFh as detection antibody, at the concentrations of 10 and 5 µg/mL respectively. The conjugate used was mouse monoclonal anti- total immunoglobulins rabbit linked to peroxidase (1/1000. Were analized 31 sheep fecal samples, and the results were compared with those obtained by direct coproparasitological examination (DC and counterimmunoelectrophoresis (CIEP. The detection limit obtained for indirect sandwich ELISA was 100 ng/mL. The test had a 100% sensitivity, 96.6% specificity, positive and negative predictive values of 50% and 96.6% respectively, in relation to DC test. Comparing with CIEP the specificity obtained for indirect sandwich ELISA was 93.5% and a negative predictive value of 100%. We concluded that indirect sandwich ELISA designed is able to detect metabolic antigens in ovine feces samples and can be used for Fasciola hepatica diagnosis.

Fasciola hepatica infection and association with gastrointestinal parasites in Creole goats from western Argentina.

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Cuervo, Pablo; Sidoti, Laura; Fantozzi, Cecilia; Neira, Gisela; Gerbeno, Leticia; Mera y Sierra, Roberto

2013-01-01

Goats, called “the cow of the poor”, are the livestock species with the most significant population growth worldwide in recent years. Gastrointestinal parasitism constitutes one of the main constraints to its outdoor and extensive breeding in temperate and tropical countries. Despite a Creole goat population of nearly 4 million heads, local reports on parasitological prevalence are scarce, and while Fasciola hepatica infection is spread all over Argentina, the goat is usually neglected as a reservoir and economic losses are not considered. To evaluate gastrointestinal parasitism prevalence and associations between parasite genera and species, with emphasis on fascioliasis, Creole goats from the plateau and Andean regions from western Argentina were investigated by coprological techniques, and associations were statistically assessed. Eighty-five percent (85%) of the animals harbored one or more parasite types, while 46% showed mixed infections. Significant positive associations between F. hepatica + Strongyle eggs, Eimeria sp. + Nematodirus sp. and Nematodirus sp. + Trichuris ovis were detected. Further studies are required to define the causality of these associations and their relevance in epidemiology. F. hepatica is rarely considered as goat parasite in the country, but a 33% prevalence poses an interrogation on the role goats play on the transmission and dissemination of this zoonotic trematode.

Sonography and computed tomography of splenic nonsystemic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garretti, L.; Cassinis, M.C.; Gandini, G.

1987-01-01

Differential diagnosis problems are caused by the increased, at time occasional detection of benignant and malignant spleen focal lesions in routine superior abdomen ultrasound (US). The following pathologic conditions were reported in 29 patients with focal lesions (excepted systemic diseases): 6 plain cysts, 1 cystic lymphangioma, 3 echinococcus cysts, 3 abscesses, 7 hematomas and 9 metastases. US examination and clinical data together have permitted the differentiation of cysts from solid nodules but has limits in the characterzation of lesions and in the diagnosis of abscesses. Metastases did non present specific US or CT aspects and have been correctly charaterized only with aid of anamnestical data and for the coexhistence of hepatic lesions. CT has proven superior specificity, compared to US, only in the diagnosis of abscesses and should thus be utilized only in selected cases

Localization of serotonin and ultrastructure of serotonergic neutrons in the nervous system of fasciola hepatica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Shile; Cheng Bing; Rong Yaofang

1993-01-01

Rabbits antisera were raised against an antigen prepared by coupling 5-HT to bovine serum albumin (BSA) using formaldehyde as a coupling reagent. The fresh adult Fasciola hepatica were fixed with 4% formaldehyde and sectioned on a cryostat. The sections were stained by indirect immunofluorescence technique. Abundant immunofluorescence specific for 5-HT was observed in ganglion cell bodies and their processes, the transverse commissure that connects two ganglia and longitudinal axes extending from the ganglia. Immuno-reactivity to 5-HT was also found in the nerve fibre innervating tegument, gut wall, the epithelium of testes or ovary, the musculature of uterus and ootype, etc. The ultrastructure of serotonergic neurons was visualized. As in other invertebrates, the serotonergic neutrons of Fasciola hepatica consisted of cell bodies, axons, synapses, herring bodies and neuromuscular junctions. The nerve cell bodies were aggregatively located in ganglia and many dispersed spherical granular vesicles were present in cytoplasm. The nerve axons branched out to the muscles forming synapses, where synaptic vesicles contained 5-HT dense-core granules were found. The distribution of 5-HT within the neurons strongly suggested that 5-HT was functioning as a neurotrasmitter in Fasciola hepatica

Partial purification and properties of adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) from liver fluke Fasciola hepatica.

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Hassan, Husain; Abeer, Ali

2014-01-01

The adenosine triphosphatase (ATP phosphohydrolase, EC 3.6.1.3.;ATPase) is a membrane -bound enzyme which transport protons across the plasma membrane using ATP as an energy source. The adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase ; EC: 3.6.1.3) was extracted from membrane preparations of adult Fasciola hepatica by chloroform treatment and purified by means of ammonium sulphate fractionation, gel filtration on sephadex G-200 and DEAE- Cellulose chromatography. The molecular weight was calculated to be 305.000 dalton by gel filtration. Kinetic experiments demonstrated a biphasic linear lineweaver - burk relationship (km=0.142 and 1.66 mM) thus revealing the existence of two substrate binding enzyme sites. In our study revealed that partial inhibition of Mg²⁺ dependent purified enzyme by oligomycin suggest the absence of mitochondrial ATPase in F. hepatica.

Triclabendazole Effect on Protease Enzyme Activity in the Excretory- Secretory Products of Fasciola hepatica in Vitro.

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Yosef Shrifi

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Fasciola hepatica is one of the most important helminthes parasites and triclabendazole (TCBZ is routinely used for treatment of infected people and animals. Secreted protease enzymes by the F. hepatica plays a critical role in the invasion, migration, nutrition and the survival of parasite and are key targets for novel drugs and vaccines. The aim of study was to determine the protease activity of excretory- secretory products (ESP of F. hepatica in the presence of TCBZ anthelmintic.F. hepatica helminthes were collected and cultured within RPMI 1640 [TCBZ treated (test and untreated (control] for 6 h at 37 °C. ESP of treated and control were collected, centrifuged and supernatants were stored at -20°C. Protein concentrations were measured according to Bradford method. Protease enzymes activities of ESP samples were estimated by using sigma's non-specific protease activity assay. ESP protein bands were detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE.Mean protein concentrations in control and treated of ESP samples were determined 196.1 ±14.52 and 376.4 ±28.20 μg/ml, respectively. Mean protease enzymes activities in control and treated were 0.37 ±0.1 and 0.089 ±0.03 U/ml, respectively. Significant difference between proteins concentrations and protease enzymes activities of two groups was observed (P<0.05. SDS-PAGE showed different patterns of protein bands between treated and control samples.The TCBZ reduced secreted protease enzymes activities and possibly effects on invasion, migration, nutrition and particularly survival of the parasite in the host tissues.

Common histological patterns in glomerular epithelial cells in secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kuppe, C.; Grone, H.J.; Ostendorf, T.; Kuppevelt, T.H. van; Boor, P.; Floege, J.; Smeets, B.; Moeller, M.J.

2015-01-01

Parietal epithelial cells (PECs) are involved in the development of sclerotic lesions in primary focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Here, the role of PECs was explored in the more common secondary FSGS lesions in 68 patient biopsies, diagnosed with 11 different frequently or rarely

Fibrinogen and fibrin are novel substrates for Fasciola hepatica cathepsin L peptidases

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mebius, Mirjam M.; Op Heij, Jody M J; Tielens, Aloysius G.M.; de Groot, Philip G; Urbanus, Rolf T; van Hellemond, Jaap J.

2018-01-01

Cathepsin peptidases form a major component of the secreted proteins of the blood-feeding trematodes Fasciola hepatica and Schistosoma mansoni. These peptidases fulfill many functions, from facilitating infection to feeding and immune evasion. In this study, we examined the Fasciola cathepsin L

Focal myositis of the thigh: unusual MR pattern

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Llauger, Jaume; Palmer, Jaume; San Roman, Luis; Bague, Silvia; Matias-Guiu, Xavier; Doncel, Antonio

2002-01-01

Focal myositis is a commonly referenced, infrequently reported and poorly documented benign inflammatory pseudotumor which may be misdiagnosed clinically as a malignant tumor. We report the clinicopathologic features and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a case of focal myositis in the thigh of a 55-year-old woman. A different radiologic presentation of this disorder is described. The gross appearance of the lesion, previously undescribed, appears to be rather specific for such a pseudoneoplastic disorder, and correlates very well with the magnetic resonance imaging features. (orig.)

Focal myositis of the thigh: unusual MR pattern

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Llauger, Jaume; Palmer, Jaume; San Roman, Luis [Department of Radiology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona (Spain); Bague, Silvia; Matias-Guiu, Xavier [Department of Pathology, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona (Spain); Doncel, Antonio [Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona (Spain)

2002-05-01

Focal myositis is a commonly referenced, infrequently reported and poorly documented benign inflammatory pseudotumor which may be misdiagnosed clinically as a malignant tumor. We report the clinicopathologic features and magnetic resonance imaging findings in a case of focal myositis in the thigh of a 55-year-old woman. A different radiologic presentation of this disorder is described. The gross appearance of the lesion, previously undescribed, appears to be rather specific for such a pseudoneoplastic disorder, and correlates very well with the magnetic resonance imaging features. (orig.)

Fasciola hepatica demonstrates high levels of genetic diversity, a lack of population structure and high gene flow: possible implications for drug resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Beesley, Nicola J; Williams, Diana J L; Paterson, Steve; Hodgkinson, Jane

2017-01-01

Fasciola hepatica, the liver fluke, is a trematode parasite of considerable economic importance to the livestock industry and is a re-emerging zoonosis that poses a risk to human health in F. hepatica-endemic areas worldwide. Drug resistance is a substantial threat to the current and future control of F. hepatica, yet little is known about how the biology of the parasite influences the development and spread of resistance. Given that F. hepatica can self-fertilise and therefore inbreed, there is the potential for greater population differentiation and an increased likelihood of recessive alleles, such as drug resistance genes, coming together. This could be compounded by clonal expansion within the snail intermediate host and aggregation of parasites of the same genotype on pasture. Alternatively, widespread movement of animals that typically occurs in the UK could promote high levels of gene flow and prevent population differentiation. We identified clonal parasites with identical multilocus genotypes in 61% of hosts. Despite this, 84% of 1579 adult parasites had unique multilocus genotypes, which supports high levels of genotypic diversity within F. hepatica populations. Our analyses indicate a selfing rate no greater than 2%, suggesting that this diversity is in part due to the propensity for F. hepatica to cross-fertilise. Finally, although we identified high genetic diversity within a given host, there was little evidence for differentiation between populations from different hosts, indicating a single panmictic population. This implies that, once those emerge, anthelmintic resistance genes have the potential to spread rapidly through liver fluke populations. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Bulk milk-estimated seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica in dairy herds and collecting of risk factor data in East Frisia, northern Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuerpick, Birte; Fiedor, Christiane; von Samson-Himmelstjerna, Georg; Schnieder, Thomas; Strube, Christina

2012-01-01

The liver fluke Fasciola (F) hepatica is one of the most important trematodes in cattle farming worldwide. Fasciolosis in dairy cows is leading to production losses due to decreased milk yield, liver condemnation and impaired reproduction. The treatment of dairy cows is unsatisfactory, because available drugs are either effective against adult flukes only or have long withdrawal times or in some countries may not be used at all. In the present study the prevalence of F. hepatica in dairy farms located in East Frisia, which is part of the federal state Lower Saxony, was investigated. East Frisia is considered a high risk area for Fasciola hepatica infections, because of its coastal location, high precipitation and moist pastures. About 750 bulk milk samples were collected in January and November 2006 and analysed for F. hepatica antibodies using the Pourquier ELISA. In addition, questionnaires, which were answered by 260 of the participating farmers, were evaluated to analyse management-related factors associated with fasciolosis. In January and November, 52.1% and 53.6% of the bulk milk samples, respectively, showed positive results. Thereby, 88.1% of the examined farms showed an unchanged infection status, whereas 6.2% of the farms became seropositive during the grazing season and 5.8% of the dairy herds turned seronegative. Statistical analysis revealed a significant negative association between average annual milk production and the frequency of infections with F. hepatica.

Aneurysm of the A. hepatica propria as cause of Angina abdominalis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rieser, R.; Hauger, W.

1988-01-01

The aetiology of a. hepatica aneurysm can be manifold. Among all the complications, rupture of the vessel is the most dangerous one. We report on a case which was noticed clinically due to an angina abdominalis. In this paper we outline the symptoms, all diagnostic steps and the therapeutic approach. (orig.) [de

Studies on Colombian Cryptogams VI. High Andean species of Radula (Hepaticae)

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jans, Els

1979-01-01

This study deals with the genus Radula (Hepaticae) from the high Andean forests and paramos of Colombia, above 2500 m, and is based on the determination of Colombian collections gathered by H. Bischler and by A. M. Cleef and collaborators. A key to the 8 species known from the area is given and

Flying under the radar: Figurative language impairments in focal lesion patients

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Geena Rose Ianni

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Despite the prevalent and natural use of metaphor in everyday language, the neural basis of this powerful communication device remains poorly understood. Early studies of brain-injured patients suggested the right hemisphere plays a critical role in metaphor comprehension, but more recent patient and neuroimaging studies do not consistently support this hypothesis. One explanation for this discrepancy is the challenge in designing optimal tasks for brain-injured populations. As traditional aphasia assessments do not assess figurative language comprehension, we designed a new metaphor comprehension task to consider whether impaired metaphor processing is missed by standard clinical assessments. Stimuli consisted of 60 pairs of moderately familiar metaphors and closely matched literal sentences. Sentences were presented visually in a randomized order, followed by four adjective-noun answer choices (target + three foil types. Participants were instructed to select the phrase that best matched the meaning of the sentence. We report the performance of three focal lesion patients and a group of 12 healthy, older controls. Controls performed near ceiling in both conditions, with slightly more accurate performance on literal than metaphoric sentences. While the Western Aphasia Battery (Kertesz, 1982 and the Objects and Actions Naming Battery (Druks, 1992 indicated minimal to no language difficulty, our metaphor comprehension task indicated three different profiles of metaphor comprehension impairment in the patients’ performance. Single case statistics revealed comparable impairment on metaphoric and literal sentences, disproportionately greater impairment on metaphors than literal sentences, and selective impairment on metaphors. We conclude our task reveals that patients can have selective metaphor comprehension deficits. These deficits are not captured by traditional neuropsychological language assessments, suggesting overlooked communication

Human brain lesion-deficit inference remapped.

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Mah, Yee-Haur; Husain, Masud; Rees, Geraint; Nachev, Parashkev

2014-09-01

Our knowledge of the anatomical organization of the human brain in health and disease draws heavily on the study of patients with focal brain lesions. Historically the first method of mapping brain function, it is still potentially the most powerful, establishing the necessity of any putative neural substrate for a given function or deficit. Great inferential power, however, carries a crucial vulnerability: without stronger alternatives any consistent error cannot be easily detected. A hitherto unexamined source of such error is the structure of the high-dimensional distribution of patterns of focal damage, especially in ischaemic injury-the commonest aetiology in lesion-deficit studies-where the anatomy is naturally shaped by the architecture of the vascular tree. This distribution is so complex that analysis of lesion data sets of conventional size cannot illuminate its structure, leaving us in the dark about the presence or absence of such error. To examine this crucial question we assembled the largest known set of focal brain lesions (n = 581), derived from unselected patients with acute ischaemic injury (mean age = 62.3 years, standard deviation = 17.8, male:female ratio = 0.547), visualized with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and processed with validated automated lesion segmentation routines. High-dimensional analysis of this data revealed a hidden bias within the multivariate patterns of damage that will consistently distort lesion-deficit maps, displacing inferred critical regions from their true locations, in a manner opaque to replication. Quantifying the size of this mislocalization demonstrates that past lesion-deficit relationships estimated with conventional inferential methodology are likely to be significantly displaced, by a magnitude dependent on the unknown underlying lesion-deficit relationship itself. Past studies therefore cannot be retrospectively corrected, except by new knowledge that would render them redundant

Relative importance of management, meteorological and environmental factors in the spatial distribution of Fasciola hepatica in dairy cattle in a temperate climate zone.

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Bennema, S C; Ducheyne, E; Vercruysse, J; Claerebout, E; Hendrickx, G; Charlier, J

2011-02-01

Fasciola hepatica, a trematode parasite with a worldwide distribution, is the cause of important production losses in the dairy industry. Diagnosis is hampered by the fact that the infection is mostly subclinical. To increase awareness and develop regionally adapted control methods, knowledge on the spatial distribution of economically important infection levels is needed. Previous studies modelling the spatial distribution of F. hepatica are mostly based on single cross-sectional samplings and have focussed on climatic and environmental factors, often ignoring management factors. This study investigated the associations between management, climatic and environmental factors affecting the spatial distribution of infection with F. hepatica in dairy herds in a temperate climate zone (Flanders, Belgium) over three consecutive years. A bulk-tank milk antibody ELISA was used to measure F. hepatica infection levels in a random sample of 1762 dairy herds in the autumns of 2006, 2007 and 2008. The infection levels were included in a Geographic Information System together with meteorological, environmental and management parameters. Logistic regression models were used to determine associations between possible risk factors and infection levels. The prevalence and spatial distribution of F. hepatica was relatively stable, with small interannual differences in prevalence and location of clusters. The logistic regression model based on both management and climatic/environmental factors included the factors: annual rainfall, mowing of pastures, proportion of grazed grass in the diet and length of grazing season as significant predictors and described the spatial distribution of F. hepatica better than the model based on climatic/environmental factors only (annual rainfall, elevation and slope, soil type), with an Area Under the Curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristic of 0.68 compared with 0.62. The results indicate that in temperate climate zones without large climatic

Composition and metabolism of phospholipids of Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oldenborg, V.; Vugt, F. van; Golde, L.M.G. van

1. 1. The phospholipid composition of Fasciola hepatica, the common liver fluke, was compared to that of the liver of the host animals (rats and cattle). Considerable differences were found: monoacyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine, hardly detectable in the liver, was found in significant amounts in

Diffusion tensor imaging of early changes in corpus callosum after acute cerebral hemisphere lesions in newborns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Righini, Andrea; Doneda, Chiara; Parazzini, Cecilia; Arrigoni, Filippo; Triulzi, Fabio; Matta, Ursula

2010-01-01

The main purpose was to investigate any early diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) changes in corpus callosum (CC) associated with acute cerebral hemisphere lesions in term newborns. We retrospectively analysed 19 cases of term newborns acutely affected by focal or multi-focal lesions: hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, focal ischemic stroke and deep medullary vein associated lesions. DTI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla with dedicated neonatal coil. DTI metrics (apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial λ parallel and radial λ diffusivity) were measured in the hemisphere lesions and in the CC. The control group included seven normal newborns. The following significant differences were found between patients and normal controls in the CC: mean ADC was lower in patients (0.88 SD 0.23 versus 1.18 SD 0.07 μm 2 /s) and so was mean FA (0.50 SD 0.1 versus 0.67 SD 0.05) and mean λ parallel value (1.61 SD 0.52 versus 2.36 SD 0.14 μm 2 /s). In CC the percentage of ADC always diminished independently of lesion age (with one exception), whereas in hemisphere lesions, it was negative in earlier lesions, but exceeded normal values in the older lesions. CC may undergo early DTI changes in newborns with acute focal or multi-focal hemisphere lesions of different aetiology. Although a direct insult to CC cannot be totally ruled out, DTI changes in CC (in particular λ parallel ) may also be compatible with very early Wallerian degeneration or pre-Wallerian degeneration. (orig.)

Diffusion tensor imaging of early changes in corpus callosum after acute cerebral hemisphere lesions in newborns

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Righini, Andrea; Doneda, Chiara; Parazzini, Cecilia; Arrigoni, Filippo; Triulzi, Fabio [Children' s Hospital V. Buzzi, ICP, Radiology and Neuroradiology Department, Milan (Italy); Matta, Ursula [University of Milan, Radiology Institute, Milan (Italy)

2010-11-15

The main purpose was to investigate any early diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) changes in corpus callosum (CC) associated with acute cerebral hemisphere lesions in term newborns. We retrospectively analysed 19 cases of term newborns acutely affected by focal or multi-focal lesions: hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, hypoglycaemic encephalopathy, focal ischemic stroke and deep medullary vein associated lesions. DTI was acquired at 1.5 Tesla with dedicated neonatal coil. DTI metrics (apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), fractional anisotropy (FA), axial {lambda} {sub parallel} and radial {lambda} diffusivity) were measured in the hemisphere lesions and in the CC. The control group included seven normal newborns. The following significant differences were found between patients and normal controls in the CC: mean ADC was lower in patients (0.88 SD 0.23 versus 1.18 SD 0.07 {mu}m{sup 2}/s) and so was mean FA (0.50 SD 0.1 versus 0.67 SD 0.05) and mean {lambda} {sub parallel} value (1.61 SD 0.52 versus 2.36 SD 0.14 {mu}m{sup 2}/s). In CC the percentage of ADC always diminished independently of lesion age (with one exception), whereas in hemisphere lesions, it was negative in earlier lesions, but exceeded normal values in the older lesions. CC may undergo early DTI changes in newborns with acute focal or multi-focal hemisphere lesions of different aetiology. Although a direct insult to CC cannot be totally ruled out, DTI changes in CC (in particular {lambda} {sub parallel}) may also be compatible with very early Wallerian degeneration or pre-Wallerian degeneration. (orig.)

Is the motor system necessary for processing action and abstract emotion words? Evidence from focal brain lesions

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Felix R. Dreyer

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Neuroimaging and neuropsychological experiments suggest that modality-preferential cortices, including motor- and somatosensory areas contribute to the semantic processing of action related concrete words. In contrast, a possible role of modality-preferential – including sensorimotor – areas in processing abstract meaning remains under debate. However, recent fMRI studies indicate an involvement of the left sensorimotor cortex in the processing of abstract-emotional words (e.g. love. But are these areas indeed necessary for processing action-related and abstract words? The current study now investigates word processing in two patients suffering from focal brain lesion in the left frontocentral motor system. A speeded lexical decision task (LDT on meticulously matched word groups showed that the recognition of nouns from different semantic categories – related to food, animals, tools and abstract-emotional concepts – was differentially affected. Whereas patient HS with a lesion in dorsolateral central sensorimotor cortex next to the hand area showed a category-specific deficit in recognizing tool words, patient CA suffering from lesion centered in the left SMA was primarily impaired in abstract-emotional word processing. These results point to a causal role of the motor cortex in the semantic processing of both action-related object concepts and abstract-emotional concepts and therefore suggest that the motor areas previously found active in action-related and abstract word processing can serve a meaning-specific necessary role in word recognition. The category-specific nature of the observed dissociations is difficult to reconcile with the idea that sensorimotor systems are somehow peripheral or ‘epiphenomenal’ to meaning and concept processing. Rather, our results are consistent with the claim that cognition is grounded in action and perception and based on distributed action perception circuits reaching into sensorimotor areas.

How to diagnose and treat focal therapy failure and recurrence?

Science.gov (United States)

Barret, Eric; Harvey-Bryan, Kadi-Ann; Sanchez-Salas, Rafael; Rozet, Francois; Galiano, Marc; Cathelineau, Xavier

2014-05-01

Focal therapy presents an alternative option for disease-targeted therapy while preserving erectile and urinary function without compromising oncological outcome. Such treatment, which preserves normal prostate parenchyma, presents a clinical challenge to the urologist, as typical disease surveillance parameters are not as reliable in post-ablation follow-up. We propose an integrated approach to post-ablation surveillance to identify treatment failure as well as recurrence. Post-ablation prostate-specific antigen kinetics, imaging based on multiparametric MRI and control biopsies are the tools currently used to follow patients after focal therapy. Good treatment response is indicated by a negative control biopsy, absence of persistent lesion on post-treatment imaging and a reduction in prostate-specific antigen of at least 50%. When histological evidence of therapeutic failure or recurrence is present, different options of management may be proposed to the patient including active surveillance, focal salvage therapy or radical salvage treatment, depending on the characteristics of the lesion found. A recommended post-ablation surveillance protocol is presented as well as a discussion of management strategies based on the data currently available.

Development of a Support Vector Machine - Based Image Analysis System for Focal Liver Lesions Classification in Magnetic Resonance Images

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gatos, I; Tsantis, S; Kagadis, G; Karamesini, M; Skouroliakou, A

2015-01-01

Purpose: The design and implementation of a computer-based image analysis system employing the support vector machine (SVM) classifier system for the classification of Focal Liver Lesions (FLLs) on routine non-enhanced, T2-weighted Magnetic Resonance (MR) images. Materials and Methods: The study comprised 92 patients; each one of them has undergone MRI performed on a Magnetom Concerto (Siemens). Typical signs on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and biopsies were employed towards a three class categorization of the 92 cases: 40-benign FLLs, 25-Hepatocellular Carcinomas (HCC) within Cirrhotic liver parenchyma and 27-liver metastases from Non-Cirrhotic liver. Prior to FLLs classification an automated lesion segmentation algorithm based on Marcov Random Fields was employed in order to acquire each FLL Region of Interest. 42 texture features derived from the gray-level histogram, co-occurrence and run-length matrices and 12 morphological features were obtained from each lesion. Stepwise multi-linear regression analysis was utilized to avoid feature redundancy leading to a feature subset that fed the multiclass SVM classifier designed for lesion classification. SVM System evaluation was performed by means of leave-one-out method and ROC analysis. Results: Maximum accuracy for all three classes (90.0%) was obtained by means of the Radial Basis Kernel Function and three textural features (Inverse- Different-Moment, Sum-Variance and Long-Run-Emphasis) that describe lesion's contrast, variability and shape complexity. Sensitivity values for the three classes were 92.5%, 81.5% and 96.2% respectively, whereas specificity values were 94.2%, 95.3% and 95.5%. The AUC value achieved for the selected subset was 0.89 with 0.81 - 0.94 confidence interval. Conclusion: The proposed SVM system exhibit promising results that could be utilized as a second opinion tool to the radiologist in order to decrease the time/cost of diagnosis and the need for patients to undergo invasive

Evolution of novel wood decay mechanisms in Agaricales revealed by the genome sequences of Fistulina hepatica and Cylindrobasidium torrendii

Science.gov (United States)

Floudas, Dimitrios; Held, Benjamin W.; Riley, Robert; Nagy, Laszlo G.; Koehler, Gage; Ransdell, Anthony S.; Younus, Hina; Chow, Julianna; Chiniquy, Jennifer; Lipzen, Anna; Tritt, Andrew; Sun, Hui; Haridas, Sajeet; LaButti, Kurt; Ohm, Robin A.; Kües, Ursula; Blanchette, Robert A.; Grigoriev, Igor V.; Minto, Robert E.; Hibbett, David S.

2015-01-01

Wood decay mechanisms in Agaricomycotina have been traditionally separated in two categories termed white and brown rot. Recently the accuracy of such a dichotomy has been questioned. Here, we present the genome sequences of the white rot fungus Cylindrobasidium torrendii and the brown rot fungus Fistulina hepatica both members of Agaricales, combining comparative genomics and wood decay experiments. Cylindrobasidium torrendii is closely related to the white-rot root pathogen Armillaria mellea, while F. hepatica is related to Schizophyllum commune, which has been reported to cause white rot. Our results suggest that C. torrendii and S. commune are intermediate between white-rot and brown-rot fungi, but at the same time they show characteristics of decay that resembles soft rot. Both species cause weak wood decay and degrade all wood components but leave the middle lamella intact. Their gene content related to lignin degradation is reduced, similar to brown-rot fungi, but both have maintained a rich array of genes related to carbohydrate degradation, similar to white-rot fungi. These characteristics appear to have evolved from white-rot ancestors with stronger ligninolytic ability. Fistulina hepatica shows characteristics of brown rot both in terms of wood decay genes found in its genome and the decay that it causes. However, genes related to cellulose degradation are still present, which is a plesiomorphic characteristic shared with its white-rot ancestors. Four wood degradation-related genes, homologs of which are frequently lost in brown-rot fungi, show signs of pseudogenization in the genome of F. hepatica. These results suggest that transition towards a brown rot lifestyle could be an ongoing process in F. hepatica. Our results reinforce the idea that wood decay mechanisms are more diverse than initially thought and that the dichotomous separation of wood decay mechanisms in Agaricomycotina into white rot and brown rot should be revisited. PMID:25683379

The significance of incidental focal colonic 18FDG uptake on PET scanning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bartholomeusz, Dylan; Schultz, Christopher

2009-01-01

Full text: The incidental discovery of colonic polyps, colonic malignancy, diverticulitis and inflammation during PET scanning is well described. This study is a retrospective review of the incidence and follow up of incidental focal FOG uptake in the colon detected during routine PET scanning. PET scan reports over 12 months were reviewed for the reporting of incidental colonic uptake and then clinical follow up performed in available patient records for the incidence of further colonic investigation and results. In 2008, 1985 PET scans were reported at the Royal Adelaide Hospital for the staging and detection of malignancy. Review of the results show that incidental focal colonic uptake was seen in 27 cases, (II female aged 56-83 years). Follow up colonoscopy was performed in 8 cases and in 4 cases showed tubulovillous adenomas, 7-9 mm in size, in the region of abnormal FOG uptake, I had divetticulae and another focal inflammation. Two colonoscopies revealed no abnormality (25% false negative rate). One patient with Head and Neck cancer did not have colonoscopy but the colonic lesion resolved on a post therapy PET scan. Of the 18 cases that did not have colonoscopic follow up 5 were reported on the PET scan to have diffuse probably physiological caecal activity but 13 had focal lesions in the large bowel. Although incidental colonic lesions were detected in only 1.3% of studies, of those having colonoscopy 75 % had significant findings.

A 2.9 kDa Fasciola hepatica-recombinant protein based ELISA test for the detection of current-ovine fasciolosis trickle infected.

Science.gov (United States)

Arias, M; Hillyer, G V; Sánchez-Andrade, R; Suárez, J L; Pedreira, J; Lomba, C; Díaz, P; Morrondo, P; Díez-Baños, P; Paz-Silva, A

2006-04-15

The suitability of an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test with a 2.9 kDa Fasciola hepatica-recombinant protein (FhrAPS) for diagnosing early and current-ovine fasciolosis was analyzed, and compared to that obtained by using a direct ELISA for detecting F. hepatica-circulating FhES antigens and to the coprological sedimentation for fluke egg quantitation. Fourteen Gallega autochthonous breed sheep were experimentally infected with metacercariae by a trickle system (small repetitive infections) and divided into two groups: G-I represented a primary infection for 34 weeks; G-R, animals with primary infection and reinfected 18 w.a.p.i. Seven sheep were left uninfected as the control group (G-C). Serum IgG antibody values against the FhrAPS rose rapidly by 1st w.a.p.i. in all infected sheep. Antibody levels in those with primary infection (G-I, G-C) peaked at 10 weeks, diminishing slightly and levelling from 16 to 34 weeks. Those with primary infection reinfected at 18 weeks had a rebound effect with the highest values observed. Circulating F. hepatica-ES antigens were detected by the 1st w.a.p.i. in all infected groups peaking at 6 weeks, decreasing rapidly to uninfected control values by 10 weeks of infection. Faecal egg-output started 11 weeks after primary infection. An increase in the IgG antibody as well as antigen responses to the FhrAPS and to anti-FhES from the 18 w.a.p.i. was recorded in G-T and G-R after the challenge infection. Antibody levels remained high whereas antigenemia values diminished after 6 weeks. A positive significant correlation between the IgG response against the FhrAPS and the F. hepatica circulating antigens (r2 = 0.428, p = 0.001) was obtained. In conclusion, our standardized diagnostic ELISA for fasciolosis based on the detection of IgG responses to the FhrAPS would be a valuable tool to diagnosis early and current F. hepatica-infections in sheep.

Secreted products of Fasciola hepatica inhibit the induction of T cell responses that mediate allergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Finlay, C M; Stefanska, A M; Coleman, M M; Jahns, H; Cassidy, J P; McLoughlin, R M; Mills, K H G

2017-10-01

There is evidence from epidemiology studies of a negative association between infection with helminth parasites and the development of allergy and asthma. Here, we demonstrate that the excretory/secretory products of the helminth Fasciola hepatica (FHES) protected mice against ovalbumin (OVA)-induced allergic asthma when administered at time of allergen sensitization. FHES reduced the accumulation of mucus, eosinophils and lymphocytes into the airways of allergen-challenged mice. Furthermore, FHES treatment suppressed Th2 responses in the airways. Interestingly, systemic administration of FHES at allergen challenge had no effect on airway inflammation, demonstrating that alum-induced Th2 response is set following initial allergen sensitization. Our findings highlight the immunomodulatory potential of molecules secreted by F. hepatica. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Genomes of Fasciola hepatica from the Americas Reveal Colonization with Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related to the Agents of Potomac Horse and Human Sennetsu Fevers

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McNulty, Samantha N.; Rosa, Bruce A.; Fontenla, Santiago; Choi, Young-Jun; Hallsworth-Pepin, Kymberlie; Kammili, Lakshmi; Latham, Patricia S.; Dell’Oca, Nicolas; Dominguez, Fernanda; Carmona, Carlos; Fischer, Peter U.; Mitreva, Makedonka

2017-01-01

Food borne trematodes (FBTs) are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. hepatica Oregon and related food-borne trematodes are metabolically less constrained than schistosomes and cestodes, taking advantage of the richer millieux offered by the hepatobiliary organs. Protease families differentially expanded between diverse trematodes may facilitate migration and survival within the heterogeneous environments and niches within the mammalian host. Surprisingly, the sequencing of Oregon and Uruguay F. hepatica isolates led to the first discovery of an endobacteria in this species. Two contigs from the F. hepatica Oregon assembly were joined to complete the 859,205 bp genome of a novel Neorickettsia endobacterium (nFh) closely related to the etiological agents of human Sennetsu and Potomac horse fevers. Immunohistochemical studies targeting a Neorickettsia surface protein found nFh in specific organs and tissues of the adult trematode including the female reproductive tract, eggs, the Mehlis’ gland, seminal vesicle, and oral suckers, suggesting putative routes for fluke-to-fluke and fluke-to-host transmission. The genomes of F. hepatica and nFh will serve as a resource for further exploration of the biology of F. hepatica, and specifically its newly discovered trans-kingdom interaction with nFh and the impact of both species on disease in ruminants and humans. PMID:28060841

Genomes of Fasciola hepatica from the Americas Reveal Colonization with Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related to the Agents of Potomac Horse and Human Sennetsu Fevers.

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, Samantha N; Tort, Jose F; Rinaldi, Gabriel; Fischer, Kerstin; Rosa, Bruce A; Smircich, Pablo; Fontenla, Santiago; Choi, Young-Jun; Tyagi, Rahul; Hallsworth-Pepin, Kymberlie; Mann, Victoria H; Kammili, Lakshmi; Latham, Patricia S; Dell'Oca, Nicolas; Dominguez, Fernanda; Carmona, Carlos; Fischer, Peter U; Brindley, Paul J; Mitreva, Makedonka

2017-01-01

Food borne trematodes (FBTs) are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. hepatica Oregon and related food-borne trematodes are metabolically less constrained than schistosomes and cestodes, taking advantage of the richer millieux offered by the hepatobiliary organs. Protease families differentially expanded between diverse trematodes may facilitate migration and survival within the heterogeneous environments and niches within the mammalian host. Surprisingly, the sequencing of Oregon and Uruguay F. hepatica isolates led to the first discovery of an endobacteria in this species. Two contigs from the F. hepatica Oregon assembly were joined to complete the 859,205 bp genome of a novel Neorickettsia endobacterium (nFh) closely related to the etiological agents of human Sennetsu and Potomac horse fevers. Immunohistochemical studies targeting a Neorickettsia surface protein found nFh in specific organs and tissues of the adult trematode including the female reproductive tract, eggs, the Mehlis' gland, seminal vesicle, and oral suckers, suggesting putative routes for fluke-to-fluke and fluke-to-host transmission. The genomes of F. hepatica and nFh will serve as a resource for further exploration of the biology of F. hepatica, and specifically its newly discovered trans-kingdom interaction with nFh and the impact of both species on disease in ruminants and humans.

Genomes of Fasciola hepatica from the Americas Reveal Colonization with Neorickettsia Endobacteria Related to the Agents of Potomac Horse and Human Sennetsu Fevers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Samantha N McNulty

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Food borne trematodes (FBTs are an assemblage of platyhelminth parasites transmitted through the food chain, four of which are recognized as neglected tropical diseases (NTDs. Fascioliasis stands out among the other NTDs due to its broad and significant impact on both human and animal health, as Fasciola sp., are also considered major pathogens of domesticated ruminants. Here we present a reference genome sequence of the common liver fluke, Fasciola hepatica isolated from sheep, complementing previously reported isolate from cattle. A total of 14,642 genes were predicted from the 1.14 GB genome of the liver fluke. Comparative genomics indicated that F. hepatica Oregon and related food-borne trematodes are metabolically less constrained than schistosomes and cestodes, taking advantage of the richer millieux offered by the hepatobiliary organs. Protease families differentially expanded between diverse trematodes may facilitate migration and survival within the heterogeneous environments and niches within the mammalian host. Surprisingly, the sequencing of Oregon and Uruguay F. hepatica isolates led to the first discovery of an endobacteria in this species. Two contigs from the F. hepatica Oregon assembly were joined to complete the 859,205 bp genome of a novel Neorickettsia endobacterium (nFh closely related to the etiological agents of human Sennetsu and Potomac horse fevers. Immunohistochemical studies targeting a Neorickettsia surface protein found nFh in specific organs and tissues of the adult trematode including the female reproductive tract, eggs, the Mehlis' gland, seminal vesicle, and oral suckers, suggesting putative routes for fluke-to-fluke and fluke-to-host transmission. The genomes of F. hepatica and nFh will serve as a resource for further exploration of the biology of F. hepatica, and specifically its newly discovered trans-kingdom interaction with nFh and the impact of both species on disease in ruminants and humans.

Intraosseous osteolytic lesions

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Adler, C.P.; Wenz, W.

1981-10-01

Any pathological damage occurring in a bone will produce either an osteolytic or osteosclerotic lesion which can be seen in the macroscopic specimen as well as in the roentgenogram. Various bone lesions may lead to local destructions of the bone. An osteoma or osteoplastic osteosarcoma produces an osteosclerotic lesion showing a dense mass in the roentgenogram; a chondroblastoma or an osteoclastoma, on the other hand, induces an osteolytic focal lesion. This paper presents examples of different osteolytic lesions of the humerus. An osteolytic lesion seen in the roentgenogram may be either produced by an underlying non-ossifying fibroma of the bone, by fibrous dysplasia, osteomyelitis or Ewing's sarcoma. Differential diagnostic considerations based on the radiological picture include eosinophilic bone granuloma, juvenile or aneurysmal bone cyst, multiple myeloma or bone metastases. Serious differential diagnostic problems may be involved in case of osteolytic lesions occurring in the humerus. Cases of this type involving complications have been reported and include the presence of an teleangiectatic osteosarcoma as well as that of a hemangiosarcoma of the bone.

Development of functional genomic tools in trematodes: RNA interference and luciferase reporter gene activity in Fasciola hepatica.

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Gabriel Rinaldi

2008-07-01

Full Text Available The growing availability of sequence information from diverse parasites through genomic and transcriptomic projects offer new opportunities for the identification of key mediators in the parasite-host interaction. Functional genomics approaches and methods for the manipulation of genes are essential tools for deciphering the roles of genes and to identify new intervention targets in parasites. Exciting advances in functional genomics for parasitic helminths are starting to occur, with transgene expression and RNA interference (RNAi reported in several species of nematodes, but the area is still in its infancy in flatworms, with reports in just three species. While advancing in model organisms, there is a need to rapidly extend these technologies to other parasites responsible for several chronic diseases of humans and cattle. In order to extend these approaches to less well studied parasitic worms, we developed a test method for the presence of a viable RNAi pathway by silencing the exogenous reporter gene, firefly luciferase (fLUC. We established the method in the human blood fluke Schistosoma mansoni and then confirmed its utility in the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica. We transformed newly excysted juveniles of F. hepatica by electroporation with mRNA of fLUC and three hours later were able to detect luciferase enzyme activity, concentrated mainly in the digestive ceca. Subsequently, we tested the presence of an active RNAi pathway in F. hepatica by knocking down the exogenous luciferase activity by introduction into the transformed parasites of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA specific for fLUC. In addition, we tested the RNAi pathway targeting an endogenous F. hepatica gene encoding leucine aminopeptidase (FhLAP, and observed a significant reduction in specific mRNA levels. In summary, these studies demonstrated the utility of RNAi targeting reporter fLUC as a reporter gene assay to establish the presence of an intact RNAi pathway in helminth

Nuclear and mitochondrial DNA analysis reveals that hybridization between Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica occurred in China.

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Ichikawa-Seki, Madoka; Peng, Mao; Hayashi, Kei; Shoriki, Takuya; Mohanta, Uday Kumar; Shibahara, Toshiyuki; Itagaki, Tadashi

2017-02-01

The well-known pathogens of fasciolosis, Fasciola hepatica (Fh) and Fasciola Gigantica (Fg), possess abundant mature sperms in their seminal vesicles, and thus, they reproduce bisexually. On the other hand, aspermic Fasciola flukes reported from Asian countries, which have no sperm in their seminal vesicles, probably reproduce parthenogenetically. The aim of this study was to reveal the origin of aspermic Fasciola flukes. The nuclear single copy markers, phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and DNA polymerase delta, were employed for analysis of Fasciola species from China. The hybrid origin of aspermic Fasciola flukes was strongly suggested by the presence of the Fh/Fg type, which includes DNA fragments of both F. hepatica and F. gigantica. China can be regarded as the cradle of the interspecific hybridization because F. hepatica and F. gigantica were detected in the northern and southern parts of China, respectively, and hybrids flukes were distributed between the habitats of the two species. The Chinese origin was supported by the fact that a larger number of mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (nad1) haplotypes was detected in Chinese aspermic Fasciola populations than in aspermic populations from the neighbouring countries. Hereafter, 'aspermic' Fasciola flukes should be termed as 'hybrid' Fasciola flukes.

A mucin-like peptide from Fasciola hepatica induces parasite-specific Th1-type cell immunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Noya, Verónica; Brossard, Natalie; Berasaín, Patricia; Rodríguez, Ernesto; Chiale, Carolina; Mazal, Daniel; Carmona, Carlos; Freire, Teresa

2016-03-01

Fasciolosis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, is a major parasitic disease of livestock that causes significant economic losses worldwide. Although drugs are effective against liver flukes, they do not prevent reinfection, and continuous treatment is costly. Moreover, resistant fluke strains are emerging. In this context, vaccination is a good alternative since it provides a cost-effective long-term prevention strategy to control fasciolosis. In this paper, we evaluate the Fhmuc peptide as a potential vaccine against fasciolosis. This peptide derives from a mucin-like protein highly expressed in the infective stage of Fasciola hepatica. Mucin-like molecules expressed by parasites can contribute to several infection processes by protecting the parasite from host proteases and recognition by the immune system. We show that the Fhmuc peptide induces Th1-like immune responses specific for F. hepatica excretion-secretion products (FhESP) with a high production of IFNγ. We also investigated whether this peptide could protect animals from infection, and present preliminary data indicating that animals treated with Fhmuc exhibited reduced liver damage compared to non-immunised animals and that this protection was associated with a recruitment of B and T lymphocytes in the peritoneum, as well as eosinophils and mature dendritic cells. These results suggest that the mucin-like peptide Fhmuc could constitute a potential vaccine candidate against fasciolosis and pave the way towards the development of vaccines against parasites.

The energy metabolism of Fasciola hepatica during its development in the final host

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tielens, A.G.M.; Heuvel, J.M. van den; Bergh, S.G. van den

1984-01-01

Mature liver flukes, Fasciola hepatica, of different ages were isolated from the bile ducts of experimentally infected rats. Their energy metabolism was studied during aerobic incubation with [6-14C]glucose. The results showed that the aerobic potentials of the parenchymal liver flukes are not lost

Seasonal pattern of Fasciola hepatica antibodies in dairy herds in Northern Germany.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuerpick, Birte; Schnieder, Thomas; Strube, Christina

2012-09-01

Fasciolosis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, is one of the most important parasitoses in cattle farming worldwide. In dairy cows, the trematode leads to economic losses due to decreased milk yield, a negative impact on reproduction parameters, and liver condemnations. In the present study, the seasonal patterns of F. hepatica antibodies in bulk-tank milk from dairy herds located in East Frisia, a region of the federal state Lower Saxony in the north of Germany, were investigated. This region was chosen since it is known as a high risk area for fluke infections due to its coastal location at the North Sea with the consequence of rather moist pastures. Between 669 and 868 bulk-tank milk samples were collected in January, September and November 2008 and 2010, respectively, and analysed for antibodies against F. hepatica with an in-house ELISA based on excretory-secretory antigens of the liver fluke. The overall East Frisian prevalence was 49.1%, 57.1% and 53.9% in January, September and November 2008 and 45.1%, 49.5% and 48.4% in 2010. From a number of 606 farms, which were sampled in all six investigated months, 34.5% of the farms continued to remain positive, whereas 30.9% continued to remain negative. A percentage of 69.1% (419 farms) were positive on at least one sampling occasion during the study period. The distributions of optical density ratio (ODR) values were skewed to the left but showed a second, lower peak in a high ODR range. Statistical analysis revealed a significant difference concerning the prevalence increase from January to September 2008. Furthermore, the prevalence decrease from September as well as November 2008 to these months in 2010 was significantly different, what might result from a more frequent use of anthelminthics or different climatic conditions.

Carbohydrate Detection and Lectin Isolation from Tegumental Tissue of Fasciola hepatica

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MB Molaei Rad

2010-02-01

Full Text Available "nBackground: Fascioliasis is a chronic hepatic disease and may be resulted from mechani­cal/molecular parasite adhesion to host liver tissue. The aim of this study was to detect surface car­bohydrate and lectin, carbohydrate-binding protein isolation that might be responsible of this molecular binding."nMethods: The present experimental work was conducted in the Department of Medical Parasitol­ogy and Mycology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Te­hran, Iran.  Fasciola hepatica parasites were collected from abattoir (Saman, Tehran, Iran and surface mannose-carbohydrate was detected by fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC conju­gated lectin (Lentil. Lectin of tegumental tissue from F. hepatica was isolated by affinity chroma­tography and detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE."nResults: Mannose carbohydrate was observed on the surface of tegumental tissue from para­site under fluorescence microscope. Carbohydrate-binding protein or lectin with MW of 50 kDa also was isolated from homogenized tegument of helminth."nConclusion: These results are important for understanding of molecular pathogenesis of F. hepat­ica at the chronic phase of fascioliasis

Atlas of hepatic tumors and focal lesions: Arteriographic and tomographic diagnosis

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Gutierrez, O.; Schwartz, S.I.

1984-01-01

This book describes the diagnosis of liver tumors. Topics considered include general considerations, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, mesenchyomoma, sarcoma, hemangioma, hepatic cell adenoma, focal nodular hyperlasia (FNH), hamartoma, echinococcus cyst, abscess, AV fistula, hepatic artery aneurysm, metastatic carcinoma-colon, metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, metastatic melanoma, metastatic merkel cell and extrahepatic tumor.

Atlas of hepatic tumors and focal lesions: Arteriographic and tomographic diagnosis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez, O.; Schwartz, S.I.

1984-01-01

This book describes the diagnosis of liver tumors. Topics considered include general considerations, hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatoblastoma, cholangiocarcinoma, mesenchyomoma, sarcoma, hemangioma, hepatic cell adenoma, focal nodular hyperlasia (FNH), hamartoma, echinococcus cyst, abscess, AV fistula, hepatic artery aneurysm, metastatic carcinoma-colon, metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, metastatic melanoma, metastatic merkel cell and extrahepatic tumor

Post-Mortem Evaluation of Pathological Lesions in European Bison (Bison Bonasus in the Białowieża Primeval Forest Between 2008 and 2013

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K. Krzysiak Michał

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The study presents the analysis of the findings of 234 post-mortem examinations on free-ranging and captive European bison selectively culled or having fallen between 2008 and 2013 in Białowieża Primeval Forest. Pneumonia, emphysema, nephritis, bodily traumas, and intestinal lesions were observed in 106 (45.3%, 77 (32.9%, 82 (35.0%, 68 (29.1%, and 56 (23.9% animals respectively and were the most common pathological changes. Almost half of all males (66 out of 140; 47.1% tested showed some pathological changes of prepuce and penis, described as posthitis or balanoposthitis. Infection with liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica and lungworm (Dictyocaulus viviparus was observed macroscopically in 114 (48.7% and 80 (32.9% bison respectively. F. hepatica prevalence was associated with the emergence of other liver changes such as hepatitis and cirrhosis (P < 0.001. Similarly, the prevalence of D. viviparus coincided with pneumonia (P = 0.001, changes in the upper respiratory tract (P = 0.04, and emphysema (P < 0.001. Hepatitis, infection with F. hepatica, and pathological lesions in the male and female reproductive tracts were associated with the animals’ age. Mechanical injuries, caused by other bison or less commonly by traffic accidents, were the most common cause of death of bison below six months of age. Most pathological changes were significantly more frequent in the selectively culled animals in comparison with the ones having fallen, which confirms the desirability of elimination as a tool to improve the health and welfare of the bison population and limit the number of reservoirs of invasive and possibly infectious diseases.

A rare diagnosis of a focal liver lesion

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Alberto Del Prato

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Splenosis can be considered as a benign condition due to the presence of heterotopic splenic tissue in abdomen, thorax and pelvis because of a massive splenic trauma or surgery. Here we report the case of a patient with an unknown hepatic mass, chronic hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis and a previous splenectomy after abdominal trauma. In our case lesion could not be clearly defined by ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance. Classical features of malignancy were not demonstrated at computed tomography, while at magnetic resonance imaging the differential diagnosis of the lesion appeared quite difficult and debate. Then an ultrasound-guided biopsy demonstrated the liver mass in left hepatic lobe consisted of splenic tissue and some millimetric accessory spleens in the left upper quadrant. So the possibility of an intra-hepatic splenosis should be taken into account in patients with an unknown liver mass and a history of previous abdominal trauma, followed by splenectomy. The conclusive diagnosis of intra-hepatic splenosis was given by ultrasound-guided biopsy.

Focal Endometrial Adenocarcinoma in Atypical Polypoid Adenomyoma of Low Malignant Potential

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Coskun Salman

2009-12-01

This report describes a perimenopausal woman with atypical polypoid adenomyoma of low malignant potential with focal adenocarcinoma on endometrial biopsy who subsequently underwent hysterectomy in which no residual malignant lesion was found.

The presence of Fasciola hepatica (Liver-fluke in humans and cattle from a 4,500 Year old archaeological site in the Saale-Unstrut Valley, Germany

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Dittmar K

2003-01-01

Full Text Available During an excavation of a site of the corded ware culture in the Saale-Unstrut-Valley (ca. 3000 BC in Germany, a soil sample from the pelvis of a human skeleton was studied under palaeoparasitological aspects. Eggs of the trematode Fasciola hepatica and of the nematode genus Capillaria were found. This is the first case of a direct association of a F. hepatica-infestation to both a prehistoric human skeleton and domesticated animal remains. Sheep and cattle bones were present at the same site and F. hepatica eggs were found in bovine samples. This strongly points toward an existing infection cycle, involving humans as a final host.

Fasciola hepatica infection and association with gastrointestinal parasites in Creole goats from western Argentina Fasciola hepatica infecção e associação com parasitas gastrintestinais em caprinos crioulos do oeste da Argentina

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Pablo Cuervo

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Goats, called “the cow of the poor”, are the livestock species with the most significant population growth worldwide in recent years. Gastrointestinal parasitism constitutes one of the main constraints to its outdoor and extensive breeding in temperate and tropical countries. Despite a Creole goat population of nearly 4 million heads, local reports on parasitological prevalence are scarce, and while Fasciola hepatica infection is spread all over Argentina, the goat is usually neglected as a reservoir and economic losses are not considered. To evaluate gastrointestinal parasitism prevalence and associations between parasite genera and species, with emphasis on fascioliasis, Creole goats from the plateau and Andean regions from western Argentina were investigated by coprological techniques, and associations were statistically assessed. Eighty-five percent (85% of the animals harbored one or more parasite types, while 46% showed mixed infections. Significant positive associations between F. hepatica + Strongyle eggs, Eimeria sp. + Nematodirus sp. and Nematodirus sp. + Trichuris ovis were detected. Further studies are required to define the causality of these associations and their relevance in epidemiology. F. hepatica is rarely considered as goat parasite in the country, but a 33% prevalence poses an interrogation on the role goats play on the transmission and dissemination of this zoonotic trematode.As cabras, nomeadas como “a vaca dos pobres”, são as espécies de gado com o crescimento populacional mais significativo nos últimos anos em todo o mundo. O parasitismo gastrintestinal constitui uma das principais limitações à sua criação extensiva em clima temperado e tropical. Na Argentina, apesar de uma população de caprinos crioulos de cerca de quatro milhões de cabeças, são escassos os relatórios locais de prevalências parasitológicas. Embora a infecção por Fasciola hepatica esteja espalhada em todo o país, as cabras s

MR imaging findings of focal myositis: a pseudotumour that may mimic muscle neoplasm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gaeta, Michele; Mazziotti, Silvio; Minutoli, Fabio; Genitori, Antonino; Blandino, Alfredo; Toscano, Antonio; Rodolico, Carmelo

2009-01-01

The authors describe magnetic resonance (MR) findings in eight patients with histologically confirmed focal myositis. In each patient, axial TSE T1-weighted and fast short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images were obtained using a 1.5-T MR scanner. Three patients also underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MR examination using a GE T1-weighted sequence. The following features were evaluated: anatomical distribution, extent of the involvement, signal intensity characteristics, dynamic enhancement pattern and outcome at follow-up examinations. Seven of eight lesions were located in the lower extremities, one of eight in the arm; four of eight involved part of a muscle, two of eight diffusely involved a muscle and two of eight showed multifocal involvement of two or more muscles. All lesions were hyperintense on fast-STIR images: the hyperintensity was homogeneous in six of eight and inhomogeneous in two of eight. On T1-weighted unenhanced images, all lesions but two appeared isointense or slightly hypointense in comparison to normal muscles; two lesions showed a slight hyperintensity. Dynamic enhancement pattern corresponded to the type usually seen in benign soft tissue lesions. All lesions disappeared. Focal myositis is an uncommon pseudotumour which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of muscular masses and myopathies. (orig.)

MR imaging findings of focal myositis: a pseudotumour that may mimic muscle neoplasm

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Gaeta, Michele; Mazziotti, Silvio; Minutoli, Fabio; Genitori, Antonino; Blandino, Alfredo [University of Messina, A.O.U. ' ' Policlinico G. Martino' ' , Department of Radiological Sciences, Messina (Italy); Toscano, Antonio; Rodolico, Carmelo [University of Messina, A.O.U. ' ' Policlinico G. Martino' ' , Department of Neurosciences, Psychiatry and Anaesthesiology, Messina (Italy)

2009-06-15

The authors describe magnetic resonance (MR) findings in eight patients with histologically confirmed focal myositis. In each patient, axial TSE T1-weighted and fast short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images were obtained using a 1.5-T MR scanner. Three patients also underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced MR examination using a GE T1-weighted sequence. The following features were evaluated: anatomical distribution, extent of the involvement, signal intensity characteristics, dynamic enhancement pattern and outcome at follow-up examinations. Seven of eight lesions were located in the lower extremities, one of eight in the arm; four of eight involved part of a muscle, two of eight diffusely involved a muscle and two of eight showed multifocal involvement of two or more muscles. All lesions were hyperintense on fast-STIR images: the hyperintensity was homogeneous in six of eight and inhomogeneous in two of eight. On T1-weighted unenhanced images, all lesions but two appeared isointense or slightly hypointense in comparison to normal muscles; two lesions showed a slight hyperintensity. Dynamic enhancement pattern corresponded to the type usually seen in benign soft tissue lesions. All lesions disappeared. Focal myositis is an uncommon pseudotumour which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of muscular masses and myopathies. (orig.)

Comparative assessment of recombinant and native immunogenic forms of Fasciola hepatica proteins for serodiagnosis of sheep fasciolosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Mokhtarian, Kobra; Meamar, Ahmad Reza; Khoshmirsafa, Majid; Razmjou, Elham; Masoori, Leila; Khanmohammadi, Majid; Akhlaghi, Lame; Falak, Reza

2018-01-01

Laboratory diagnosis of sheep fasciolosis is commonly performed by coprological examinations; however, this method may lead to false negative results during the acute phase of the infection. Furthermore, the poor sensitivity of coprological methods is considered to be a paradox in the chronic phase of the infection. In this study, we compared the immunoreactivity of native and recombinant forms of Fasciola hepatica excretory/secretory antigens and determined their capabilities for the development of F. hepatica-specific immunoassays. Immunoreactivity and specificity of recombinant and native forms of F. hepatica antigens, including fatty acid binding protein (FABP), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), and cathepsin L-1 (CL1), in parallel with native forms of FABP and GST, were studied for serodiagnosis of the chronic form of sheep fasciolosis, individually or in combination with each other by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The correlation of the findings was assessed by receiver-operator characteristic (ROC); furthermore, the specificity and sensitivity were assessed by Youden's J. Serologic cross-reactivity was evaluated using samples from healthy sheep (n = 40), Fasciola-infected sheep (n = 30), and sheep with other parasitic infections (n = 43). The FABPs were determined to be greater than 95% sensitive for F. hepatica serodiagnosis. The most desirable diagnostic recombinant antigen was rCL1, which showed 100% sensitivity and 97% specificity in ELISA and was capable of discriminating the positive and negative samples by maximum Youden's J results. We conclude that rCL1 can be used for routine serodiagnosis of chronic fasciolosis. Thus, it could be advantageous in development of immunoassays for screening of ovine herds in fasciolosis-endemic areas and as a reliable agent for detection of fasciolosis in non-endemic regions.

Retirada de fasciola hepatica da via biliar principal por coledocoscopia

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Coral, Roberto Pelegrini; Mastalir, Eduardo T.; Mastalir, Fabiane Pinto

2007-01-01

The authors present a rare case of hepatic fascioliasis in a female patient 53-years-old, coming from the rural zone of Rio Grande do Sul, a southern State from Brazil. She has presented with biliary colic, fluctuant jaundice and eosinophilia. Abdominal ultrasound has shown a dilated biliary tree with inside heterogeneous images. At surgery we have found inside the biliary tree several Fasciola hepatica, which have been pulled out with the choledocoscope. We have proceeded with biliodigestive...

Dosimetry Modeling for Focal Low-Dose-Rate Prostate Brachytherapy

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Al-Qaisieh, Bashar [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Mason, Josh, E-mail: joshua.mason@nhs.net [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Bownes, Peter; Henry, Ann [Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Leeds (United Kingdom); Dickinson, Louise [Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London (United Kingdom); Department of Radiology, Northwick Park Hospital, London North West NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom); Ahmed, Hashim U. [Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London (United Kingdom); University College London Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Emberton, Mark [University College London Hospital, London (United Kingdom); Langley, Stephen [St Luke' s Cancer Centre, Guildford (United Kingdom)

2015-07-15

Purpose: Focal brachytherapy targeted to an individual lesion(s) within the prostate may reduce side effects experienced with whole-gland brachytherapy. The outcomes of a consensus meeting on focal prostate brachytherapy were used to investigate optimal dosimetry of focal low-dose-rate (LDR) prostate brachytherapy targeted using multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mp-MRI) and transperineal template prostate mapping (TPM) biopsy, including the effects of random and systematic seed displacements and interseed attenuation (ISA). Methods and Materials: Nine patients were selected according to clinical characteristics and concordance of TPM and mp-MRI. Retrospectively, 3 treatment plans were analyzed for each case: whole-gland (WG), hemi-gland (hemi), and ultra-focal (UF) plans, with 145-Gy prescription dose and identical dose constraints for each plan. Plan robustness to seed displacement and ISA were assessed using Monte Carlo simulations. Results: WG plans used a mean 28 needles and 81 seeds, hemi plans used 17 needles and 56 seeds, and UF plans used 12 needles and 25 seeds. Mean D90 (minimum dose received by 90% of the target) and V100 (percentage of the target that receives 100% dose) values were 181.3 Gy and 99.8% for the prostate in WG plans, 195.7 Gy and 97.8% for the hemi-prostate in hemi plans, and 218.3 Gy and 99.8% for the focal target in UF plans. Mean urethra D10 was 205.9 Gy, 191.4 Gy, and 92.4 Gy in WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. Mean rectum D2 cm{sup 3} was 107.5 Gy, 77.0 Gy, and 42.7 Gy in WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. Focal plans were more sensitive to seed displacement errors: random shifts with a standard deviation of 4 mm reduced mean target D90 by 14.0%, 20.5%, and 32.0% for WG, hemi, and UF plans, respectively. ISA has a similar impact on dose-volume histogram parameters for all plan types. Conclusions: Treatment planning for focal LDR brachytherapy is feasible. Dose constraints are easily met with a notable

Digital mammography with high-resolution storage plates (CR) versus full-field digital mammography (CCD) (DR) for microcalcifications and focal lesions - a retrospective clinical histologic analysis (n = 102)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schulz-Wendtland, R.; Lell, M.; Wenkel, E.; Boehner, C.; Dassel, M.S.; Bautz, W.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to determine the diagnostic accuracy of microcalcifications and focal lesions in a retrospective clinical-histological study using high-resolution digital phosphor storage plates (hard copy) and full-field digital mammography (hard copy). Materials and methods: from May 2003 to September 2003, 102 patients underwent digital storage plate mammography (CR), using a mammography unit (Mammomat 3000 N, Siemens) in combination with a high resolution (9 lp/mm) digital storage phosphor plate system (pixel size 50 μm) (Fuji/Siemens). After diagnosis and preoperative wire localization, full-field digital mammography (CCD) (DR) was performed with the same exposure parameters. The full-field digital mammography used a CCD-detector (SenoScan) (fisher imaging) with a resolution of 10 Ip/mm and a pixel size of 50 μm. Five investigators determined the diagnosis (BI-RADS trademark I-V) retrospectively after the operation from randomly distributed mediolateral views (hard copy reading). These results were correlated with the final histology. Results: the diagnostic accuracy of digital storage plate mammography (CR) and full-field digital mammography (CCD) (DR) was 73% and 71% for all findings (n = 102), 73% and 71% for microcalcifications (n = 51), and 72% and 70% for focal lesions (n = 51). The overall results showed no difference. Conclusion: our findings indicate the equivalence of high-resolution digital phosphor storage plate mammography (CR) and full-field digital mammography (CCD) (DR). (orig.)

Bone involvement pattern in hypervascular lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bjersand, A.J.

1982-01-01

The pattern of the focal bone lesion which consists partly or wholly of rounded holes with comparatively smooth edges is discussed. Twenty-two bone lesions were studied by angiography. The 'hypervascular pattern' occurred in five cases of widely different histology, all with strong intraosseous hypervascularity. Different pathogenic mechanisms in the creation of this pattern are discussed. It is probably the result of both destructive and reparative processes in the bone. (orig.)

Coproantígenos de Fasciola hepatica de posible utilidad en el diagnóstico de la fascioliasis Identification and isolation of coproantigens of Fasciola hepatica that are potentially useful in the diagnosis of fascioliasis

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Ana M. Espino

2000-04-01

Full Text Available En el presente estudio se describen cuáles son los antígenos de Fasciola hepatica que están presentes en las heces de pacientes con fascioliasis crónica y de ratas infectadas experimentalmente con metacercarias de F. hepatica. Mediante el empleo de la técnica de inmunoelectrotransferencia (Western blot con un suero hiperinmune obtenido frente a antígenos de excreción/secreción de adultos de F. hepatica, se pudo demostrar que en las heces de los pacientes se encuentran antígenos de posible interés para el diagnóstico con masas moleculares de 14, 19, 20, 23, 25, 32, 46, 51 y 62 kilodaltons (kDa. Además, se comprobó que algunos de estos péptidos (los de 14, 20, 23 y 51 kDa son reconocidos también por la mayoría de los sueros de pacientes crónicos. Después de purificar por cromatografía de afinidad los antígenos presentes en heces de ratas con 6 a 12 semanas de infección, empleando para ello el anticuerpo monoclonal ES78 acoplado a Sepharosa 4B-CNBr, se identificaron seis polipéptidos de 11, 14, 26, 32, 47 y 51 kDa; otros tres polipéptidos, de 17, 24 y 66 kDa, solo se pudieron identificar en heces de ratas con 10 a 12 semanas de infección. Nuestros resultados sugieren que estos polipéptidos pueden ser antígenos comunes a ambos estadios parasitarios y constituir importantes marcadores de la fascioliasis aguda y crónica, en particular los de 14, 24, 26 y 51 kDa, puesto que reaccionaron con el inmunosuero, los sueros humanos y el anticuerpo monoclonal ES78.This study describes which antigens of Fasciola hepatica are present in the feces of patients with chronic fascioliasis and in the feces of rats infected experimentally with F. hepatica metacercariae. Using a Western blot assay technique with hyperimmune serum obtained from excretory-secretory antigens of adult F. hepatica, we found in the patients' feces antigens of possible diagnostic interest, with molecular weights of 14, 19, 20, 23, 25, 32, 46, 51, and 62 kilodaltons

Limited value of fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET for the differential diagnosis of focal liver lesions in patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection

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Schroeder, O. [Frankfurt Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine]|[Frankfurt Univ. (Germany). 2. Dept. of Internal Medicine; Trojan, J.; Zeuzem, S. [Frankfurt Univ. (Germany). 2. Dept. of Internal Medicine; Baum, R.P. [Frankfurt Univ. (Germany). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine

1998-12-31

Aim: The differentiation of HCC from liver metastasis or benign disorders by imaging studies based upon morphological aspects may be difficult. Method: In order to evaluate the role of tumour metabolism, we performed FDG-PET (whole-body PET and transmission-corrected regional scans of the liver as well as the SUV determined 60 min after injection of FDG) in ten consecutive patients with HCV-associated focal liver lesions. Definite diagnosis was established after ultrasound-guided liver biopsy followed by histopathological examination. These results were compared with ultrasound, computed tomography, serum anti-p53, and p53 protein expression. Results: The histologic examination revealed a HCC in five patients, regenerative nodules in three patients, and liver metastasis (primary malignancy: One adenocarcinoma and one neuroendocrine tumour) in the remaining two patients. Three of ten lesions were detectable by FDG-PET: two HCCs and one metastatic adenocarcinoma. Seven lesions were not distinguishable by FDG-PET (three HCCs, three regeneration nodules and one metastatic neuroendocrine tumour). In each patient hepatic lesions were visible either by ultrasound or CT. Both tumours (metatatic adenocarcinoma, moderately well-differentiated HCC) with the strongest expression of p53 also presented with highly increased FDG uptake. Conclusions: FDG-PET is not superior to ultrasound or CT and therefore does not allow the non-invasive differentiation of HCV-associated focal liver lesions. Tissue-diagnosis by means of liver-biopsy followed by histopathological examination remains the gold-standard for the differentiation of HCV-related liver lesions. The finding of the relationship of p53 protein overexpression with the SUV needs further confirmation. (orig.) [Deutsch] Ziel: Eine Differenzierung des hepatozellulaeren Karzinoms (HCC) gegenueber Lebermetastasen oder benignen Erkrankungen ist durch Einsatz morphologischer bildgebender Verfahren nicht immer moeglich. Untersuchungen

Focal changes of the spleen in one case of Gaucher disease - assessed by ultrasonography, CT, MRI and angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aspestrand, F.; Charania, B.; Scheel, B.; Kolmannskog, F.; Jacobsen, M.

1989-01-01

Focal lesions of the spleen in one case of Gaucher disease are demonstrated by ultrasonography, CT, MRI and angiography. The sonographic and angiographic features differ from the findings presented in previous reports. The Gaucher manifestations in the spleen as demonstrated by CT, do not seem to have been reported previously. An earlier report on the MR findings in the liver and spleen in this disease did not disclose any focal abnormalities. In this case, ultrasonography and MRI revealed a targetlike configuration of the focal lesions. An attempt is made to analyze the more complex patterns disclosed by MRI against the background of the manifestations by the other imaging modalities and previous reports. (orig.) [de

Focal cortical dysplasia – review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kabat, Joanna; Król, Przemysław

2012-01-01

Focal cortical dysplasia is a malformation of cortical development, which is the most common cause of medically refractory epilepsy in the pediatric population and the second/third most common etiology of medically intractable seizures in adults. Both genetic and acquired factors are involved in the pathogenesis of cortical dysplasia. Numerous classifications of the complex structural abnormalities of focal cortical dysplasia have been proposed – from Taylor et al. in 1971 to the last modification of Palmini classification made by Blumcke in 2011. In general, three types of cortical dysplasia are recognized. Type I focal cortical dysplasia with mild symptomatic expression and late onset, is more often seen in adults, with changes present in the temporal lobe. Clinical symptoms are more severe in type II of cortical dysplasia usually seen in children. In this type, more extensive changes occur outside the temporal lobe with predilection for the frontal lobes. New type III is one of the above dysplasias with associated another principal lesion as hippocampal sclerosis, tumor, vascular malformation or acquired pathology during early life. Brain MRI imaging shows abnormalities in the majority of type II dysplasias and in only some of type I cortical dysplasias. The most common findings on MRI imaging include: focal cortical thickening or thinning, areas of focal brain atrophy, blurring of the gray-white junction, increased signal on T2- and FLAIR-weighted images in the gray and subcortical white matter often tapering toward the ventricle. On the basis of the MRI findings, it is possible to differentiate between type I and type II cortical dysplasia. A complete resection of the epileptogenic zone is required for seizure-free life. MRI imaging is very helpful to identify those patients who are likely to benefit from surgical treatment in a group of patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. However, in type I cortical dysplasia, MR imaging is often normal, and also in both

Evaluation and Characterization of Fasciola hepatica Tegument Protein Extract for Serodiagnosis of Human Fascioliasis

Science.gov (United States)

Morales, Adelaida

2012-01-01

Tegument protein extract from Fasciola hepatica adult flukes (FhTA) was obtained and assessed for its potential as a diagnostic agent for the serological detection of human fascioliasis using an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In an analysis of sera from 45 patients infected with F. hepatica, sera from 41 patients with other parasitic infections, and sera from 33 healthy controls, the FhTA-ELISA showed sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 91.1%, 97.3%, and 95%, respectively. Specific IgG1 and IgG4 were the antibody isotypes mainly detected in sera from patients with fascioliasis. Polypeptides of 52, 38, 24 to 26, and 12 to 14 kDa were identified by Western blotting as the most immunoreactive components of the FhTA. A proteomic approach led us to identify enolase, aldolase, glutathione S-transferase, and fatty acid binding protein as the major immunoreactive components of the FhTA. PMID:23015645

Fasciola hepatica IN BOVINES IN BRAZIL: DATA AVAILABILITY AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION

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Sita C. Bennema

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Fasciolosis is a disease of importance for both veterinary and public health. For the first time, georeferenced prevalence data of Fasciola hepatica in bovines were collected and mapped for the Brazilian territory and data availability was discussed. Bovine fasciolosis in Brazil is monitored on a Federal, State and Municipal level, and to improve monitoring it is essential to combine the data collected on these three levels into one dataset. Data were collected for 1032 municipalities where livers were condemned by the Federal Inspection Service (MAPA/SIF because of the presence of F. hepatica. The information was distributed over 11 states: Espírito Santo, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Paraná, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo. The highest prevalence of fasciolosis was observed in the southern states, with disease clusters along the coast of Paraná and Santa Catarina and in Rio Grande do Sul. Also, temporal variation of the prevalence was observed. The observed prevalence and the kriged prevalence maps presented in this paper can assist both animal and human health workers in estimating the risk of infection in their state or municipality.

Facial emotion recognition in patients with focal and diffuse axonal injury.

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Yassin, Walid; Callahan, Brandy L; Ubukata, Shiho; Sugihara, Genichi; Murai, Toshiya; Ueda, Keita

2017-01-01

Facial emotion recognition impairment has been well documented in patients with traumatic brain injury. Studies exploring the neural substrates involved in such deficits have implicated specific grey matter structures (e.g. orbitofrontal regions), as well as diffuse white matter damage. Our study aims to clarify whether different types of injuries (i.e. focal vs. diffuse) will lead to different types of impairments on facial emotion recognition tasks, as no study has directly compared these patients. The present study examined performance and response patterns on a facial emotion recognition task in 14 participants with diffuse axonal injury (DAI), 14 with focal injury (FI) and 22 healthy controls. We found that, overall, participants with FI and DAI performed more poorly than controls on the facial emotion recognition task. Further, we observed comparable emotion recognition performance in participants with FI and DAI, despite differences in the nature and distribution of their lesions. However, the rating response pattern between the patient groups was different. This is the first study to show that pure DAI, without gross focal lesions, can independently lead to facial emotion recognition deficits and that rating patterns differ depending on the type and location of trauma.

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia masquerading as a residual cyst.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhandari, Rajat; Sandhu, Simarpreet V; Bansal, Himanta; Behl, Rashi; Bhullar, Ramanpreet Kaur

2012-04-01

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia (FCOD) is a benign fibroosseous condition that can be seen in dentulous and edentulous patients. It is an asymptomatic lesion and needs no treatment; however, follow-up is essential due to the possibility that it can progress to a condition called florid cemento-osseous dysplasia. We report a case of FCOD of mandible in a 25-year-old female. Clinically, the lesion resembled periapical pathosis of odontogenic origin. An attempt has been made to discuss the clinical and histopathologic features along with differential diagnosis of cemento-osseous dysplasia.

Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia masquerading as a residual cyst

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rajat Bhandari

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Focal cemento-osseous dysplasia (FCOD is a benign fibroosseous condition that can be seen in dentulous and edentulous patients. It is an asymptomatic lesion and needs no treatment; however, follow-up is essential due to the possibility that it can progress to a condition called florid cemento-osseous dysplasia. We report a case of FCOD of mandible in a 25-year-old female. Clinically, the lesion resembled periapical pathosis of odontogenic origin. An attempt has been made to discuss the clinical and histopathologic features along with differential diagnosis of cemento-osseous dysplasia.

31P NMR studies of pH homeostasis in intact adult Fasciola hepatica

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tielens, A.G.M.; Nicolaij, K.; Bergh, van S.G.

1982-01-01

31P NMR was used to measure the intracellular pH in live adult Fasciola hepatica. The results demonstrate that at external pH values above 7.0, pH homeostasis keeps the intracellular pH at 7.0. At external pH values below 7.0 the intracellular pH is less strictly regulated.

Role of shear wave sonoelastography in differentiation between focal breast lesions.

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Dobruch-Sobczak, Katarzyna; Nowicki, Andrzej

2015-02-01

Our goal in this study was to evaluate the relevance of shear wave sonoelastography (SWE) in the differential diagnosis of masses in the breast with respect to ultrasound (US). US and SWE were performed (Aixplorer System, SuperSonic Imagine, Aix en Provence, France) in 76 women (aged 24 to 85) with 84 lesions (43 malignant, 41 benign). The study included BI-RADS-US (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System for Ultrsound) category 3-5 lesions. In elastograms, the following values were calculated: mean elasticity in lesions (E(av.l)) and in fat tissue (E(av.f.)) and maximal (E(max.adj.)) and mean (E(av.adj.)) elasticity in lesions and adjacent tissues. The sensitivity and specificity of the BI-RADS category 4a/4b cutoff value were 97.7% and 90.2%. For an E(av.adj.) of 68.5 kPa, the cutoff sensitivity was 86.1% and the specificity was 87.8%, and for an E(max.adj.) of 124.1 kPa, 74.4% and 92.7%, respectively. For BI-RADS-US category 3 lesions, E(av.l), E(max.adj.) and E(av.adj.) were below cutoff levels. On the basis of our findings, E(av.adj.) had lower sensitivity and specificity compared with US. Emax.adj. improved the specificity of breast US with loss of sensitivity. Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Focal intestinal lymphangiectasia: An unusual cause of acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding

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Ashish Kumar Jha

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Detection of bleeding lesion in a patient of acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding is a real challenge. Recently, authors have showed superiority of urgent capsule endoscopy (CE over angiography in patients with acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding. Focal type of intestinal lymphangiectasia is a rare cause of acute gastrointestinal bleeding. Here, we describe a case of focal lymphangiectasia who presented to us with acute overt obscure gastrointestinal bleeding and diagnosed by urgent CE.

Ovicidal effect of the methanolic extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on Fasciola hepatica eggs: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Moazeni, Mohammad; Khademolhoseini, Ali Asghar

2016-09-01

Fasciolosis is of considerable economic and public health importance worldwide. Little information is available on the ovicidal effects of anthelminthic drugs. The use of ovicidal anthelmintics can be effective in disease control. In this study, the effectiveness of the methanolic extract of ginger (Zingiber officinale) on the eggs of Fasciola hepatica is investigated. Fasciola hepatica eggs were obtained from the gall bladders of naturally infected sheep and kept at 4 °C until use. The eggs were exposed to varying concentrations of ginger extract (1, 5, 10, 25 and 50 mg/mL) for 24, 48 and 72 h. To investigate the effect of the ginger extracts on the miracidial formation, the treated eggs were incubated at 28 °C for 14 days. The results indicated that F. hepatica eggs are susceptible to the methanolic extract of Z. officinale. The ovicidal effect of ginger extract at a concentration of 1 mg/mL with 24, 48 and 72 h treatment time was 46.08, 51.53 and 69.09 % respectively (compared with 22.70 % for control group). The ovicidal effect of ginger extract at a concentration of 5 mg/mL after 24 h was 98.84 %. One hundred percent ovicidal efficacy was obtained through application of ginger extract at concentrations of 5 and 10 mg/mL with a 48 and 24 h treatment time respectively. The in vitro ovicidal effect of the methanolic extract of Z. officinale was satisfactory in this study, however, in vivo efficacy of this extract, remains for further investigation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the ovicidal effect of Z. officinale against F. hepatica eggs.

Assessment of flukicide efficacy against Fasciola hepatica in sheep in Sweden in the absence of a standardised test.

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Novobilský, Adam; Amaya Solis, Natalia; Skarin, Moa; Höglund, Johan

2016-12-01

Anthelmintic resistance (AR) to Fasciola hepatica is emerging worldwide. Recently, AR to the adulticide compound albendazole (ABZ) was shown in Argentina and Spain. In Sweden, ABZ treatment failure against F. hepatica was first reported in sheep in 2012. The present study tested the efficacy of ABZ and triclabendazole (TCBZ) in sheep naturally infected with F. hepatica using a combination of three different diagnostic methods: faecal egg counts (FEC), coproantigen ELISA (cELISA) and Fasciola egg hatch test (FEHT). Two deworming trials, in November 2014 and January 2015, were performed on two sheep farms (farms A and B) in south-western Sweden. Except ABZ in November, treatment with ABZ or TCBZ achieved sufficient efficacy (97-100%) against adult F. hepatica on farm A. In contrast, ABZ treatment failed in the sheep flock on farm B, despite low initial faecal egg output. On farm B, ABZ efficacy based on FEC was 67% (95% CI: 35-84) and four of eight ewes tested were coproantigen-positive 21 days post-treatment. Ovicidal activity of ABZ against Fasciola eggs in isolates from both farms and one additional bovine isolate were tested by FEHT to exclude the presence of juvenile flukes and other factors such as dosing failure and poor quality of drug product. Irrespective of drug trial, data from FEHT showed significantly lower ovicidal activity of ABZ for the ovine farm B isolate than for the isolate from farm A. This confirms that the low efficacy of ABZ in sheep flock B was associated with ABZ resistance. Overall, the usefulness of three complementary methods for detection of ABZ resistance in the field was demonstrated. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Adaptation of Lymnaea fuscus and Radix balthica to Fasciola hepatica through the experimental infection of several successive snail generations

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background High prevalence of Fasciola hepatica infection (>70%) was noted during several outbreaks before the 2000s in several French farms where Galba truncatula is lacking. Other lymnaeids such as Lymnaea fuscus, L. glabra and/or Radix balthica are living in meadows around these farms but only juvenile snails can sustain complete larval development of F. hepatica while older snails were resistant. The low prevalence of infection (<20%) and limited cercarial production (<50 cercariae per infected snail) noted with these juveniles could not explain the high values noted in these cattle herds. As paramphistomosis due to Calicophoron daubneyi was not still noted in these farms, the existence of another mode of infection was hypothesized. Experimental infection of several successive generations of L. glabra, originating from eggs laid by their parents already infected with this parasite resulted in a progressive increase in prevalence of snail infection and the number of shed cercariae. The aim of this paper was to determine if this mode of snail infection was specific to L. glabra, or it might occur in other lymnaeid species such as L. fuscus and R. balthica. Methods Five successive generations of L. fuscus and R. balthica were subjected to individual bimiracidial infections in the laboratory. Resulting rediae and cercariae in the first four generations were counted after snail dissection at day 50 p.e. (20°C), while the dynamics of cercarial shedding was followed in the F5 generation. Results In the first experiment, prevalence and intensity of F. hepatica infection in snails progressively increased from the F1 (R. balthica) or F2 (L. fuscus) generation. In the second experiment, the prevalence of F. hepatica infection and the number of shed cercariae were significantly lower in L. fuscus and R. balthica (without significant differences between both lymnaeids) than in G. truncatula. Conclusion The F. hepatica infection of several successive snail generations

Higher physiopathogenicity by Fasciola gigantica than by the genetically close F. hepatica: experimental long-term follow-up of biochemical markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Valero, M Adela; Bargues, M Dolores; Khoubbane, Messaoud; Artigas, Patricio; Quesada, Carla; Berinde, Lavinia; Ubeira, Florencio M; Mezo, Mercedes; Hernandez, Jose L; Agramunt, Veronica H; Mas-Coma, Santiago

2016-01-01

Fascioliasis is caused by Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica. The latter, always considered secondary in human infection, nowadays appears increasingly involved in Africa and Asia. Unfortunately, little is known about its pathogenicity, mainly due to difficulties in assessing the moment a patient first becomes infected and the differential diagnosis with F. hepatica. A long-term, 24-week, experimental study comparing F. hepatica and F. gigantica was made for the first time in the same animal model host, Guirra sheep. Serum biochemical parameters of liver damage, serum electrolytes, protein metabolism, plasma proteins, carbohydrate metabolism, hepatic lipid metabolism and inflammation were analysed on a biweekly basis as morbidity indicators. Serum anti-Fasciola IgG, coproantigen and egg shedding were simultaneously followed up. rDNA and mtDNA sequencing and the morphometric study by computer image analysis system (CIAS) showed that fasciolids used fitted standard species characteristics. Results demonstrated that F. gigantica is more pathogenic, given its bigger size and biomass but not due to genetic differences which are few. Fasciola gigantica shows a delayed development of 1-2 weeks regarding both the biliary phase and the beginning of egg shedding, with respective consequences for biochemical modifications in the acute and chronic periods. The higher F. gigantica pathogenicity contrasts with previous studies which only reflected the faster development of F. hepatica observed in short-term experiments. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Is Galba schirazensis (Mollusca, Gastropoda) an intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda, Digenea) in Ecuador?

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Caron, Yannick; Celi-Erazo, Maritza; Hurtrez-Boussès, Sylvie; Lounnas, Mannon; Pointier, Jean-Pierre; Saegerman, Claude; Losson, Bertrand; Benítez-Ortíz, Washington

2017-01-01

Fasciolosis is a widely distributed disease in livestock in South America but knowledge about the epidemiology and the intermediate hosts is relatively scarce in Ecuador. For three months, lymnaeid snails were sampled (n = 1482) in Pichincha Province at two sites located in a highly endemic area. Snails were identified (based on morphology and ITS-2 sequences) and the infection status was established through microscopic dissection and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based technique. Techniques based on morphology were not useful to accurately name the collected snail species. Comparison with available DNA sequences showed that a single snail species was collected, Galba schirazensis. Live rediae were observed in 1.75% (26/1482) and Fasciola sp. DNA was detected in 6% (89/1482) of collected snails. The COX-1 region permitted identification of the parasite as Fasciola hepatica. The relative sensitivity and specificity of the microscope study, compared to PCR results, were 25.84% and 99.78%, respectively. The mean size of the snails recorded positive for F. hepatica through crushing and microscopy was significantly higher than the mean size of negative snails, but there was no such difference in PCR-positive snails. The role of G. schirazensis as an intermediate host of F. hepatica in Ecuador is discussed and the hypothesis of an adaptation of the parasite to this invasive snail is proposed. For the first time, an epidemiological survey based on molecular biology-based techniques assessed the possible role of lymnaeid snails in the epidemiology of fasciolosis in Ecuador. © Y. Caron et al., published by EDP Sciences, 2017.

Is Galba schirazensis (Mollusca, Gastropoda an intermediate host of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda, Digenea in Ecuador?

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Caron Yannick

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Fasciolosis is a widely distributed disease in livestock in South America but knowledge about the epidemiology and the intermediate hosts is relatively scarce in Ecuador. For three months, lymnaeid snails were sampled (n = 1482 in Pichincha Province at two sites located in a highly endemic area. Snails were identified (based on morphology and ITS-2 sequences and the infection status was established through microscopic dissection and a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR-based technique. Techniques based on morphology were not useful to accurately name the collected snail species. Comparison with available DNA sequences showed that a single snail species was collected, Galba schirazensis. Live rediae were observed in 1.75% (26/1482 and Fasciola sp. DNA was detected in 6% (89/1482 of collected snails. The COX-1 region permitted identification of the parasite as Fasciola hepatica. The relative sensitivity and specificity of the microscope study, compared to PCR results, were 25.84% and 99.78%, respectively. The mean size of the snails recorded positive for F. hepatica through crushing and microscopy was significantly higher than the mean size of negative snails, but there was no such difference in PCR-positive snails. The role of G. schirazensis as an intermediate host of F. hepatica in Ecuador is discussed and the hypothesis of an adaptation of the parasite to this invasive snail is proposed. For the first time, an epidemiological survey based on molecular biology-based techniques assessed the possible role of lymnaeid snails in the epidemiology of fasciolosis in Ecuador.

Influence of Fasciola Hepatica on Serum Biochemical Parameters and Vascular and Biliary System of Sheep Liver

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A Hodžić

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional capacity of the liver based on the activity of specific enzymes and bilirubin in serum and also to investigate the influence of mechanical and toxic effects of Fasciola hepatica on the structures of the blood vessels and biliary tract in the sheep liver.Methods: Blood samples and liver of 63 indigenous sheep of Pramenka breed, slaughtered in the period from March to December 2009 were used. Based on parasitological findings in the liver, all animals were divided into two groups: control (n=34 and infected group (n=29. For investigation and description of pathological changes in sheep liver, naturally infected with F. hepatica, corrosion cast technique was used.Results: Biochemical analysis of tested parameters showed a significant elevation (P≤0.05 of serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT, total bilirubin (TBIL and direct bilirubin (DBIL in infected sheep group comparing with the control group. No significant differences were observed for activity of aspartate aminotranferase (AST between groups. Vascular and biliary systems of the liver were found to be affected.Conclusion: Results of biochemical analysis are consistent with pathological findings and measuring of tested parameters could be used in early diagnosis of sheep fasciolosis and to test the effectiveness of anthelmintic therapy. Corrosion cast technique is very useful for investigation of pathological changes and neoangiogenesis of vascular and biliary system in sheep liver, caused by mechanical and toxic effects of F. hepatica.

Incidental Detection of Temporary Focal FDG Retention in the Spleen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Youn Joon; Lee, Jai Hyuen; Jee, Keum Nahn; Namgung, Hwan [Dankook Univ. College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-06-15

F 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) is a valuable tool in discriminating malignancy from benign lesion. But because various false positive results reduce the diagnostic specificity, nuclear medicine physicians should be familiar with possible false positive cases. Although many cases of high FDG uptake mimicking malignancy have been reported, temporary intense focal FDG uptake of normal spleen has not been reported previously. We report herein a phenomenon of temporary intense focal FDG uptake of normal spleen without evidence of metastasis in a 46 year old woman with a history of anal cancer.

Time-course investigation of the gene expression profile during Fasciola hepatica infection: A microarray-based study

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Jose Rojas-Caraballo

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Fasciolosis is listed as one of the most important neglected tropical diseases according with the World Health Organization and is also considered as a reemerging disease in the human beings. Despite there are several studies describing the immune response induced by Fasciola hepatica in the mammalian host, investigations aimed at identifying the expression profile of genes involved in inducing hepatic injury are currently scarce. Data presented here belong to a time-course investigation of the gene expression profile in the liver of BALB/c mice infected with F. hepatica metacercariae at 7 and 21 days after experimental infection. The data published here have been deposited in NCBI's Gene Expression Omnibus and are accessible through GEO Series accession number GSE69588, previously published by Rojas-Caraballo et al. (2015 in PLoS One [1].

Effect of gamma irradiation on different stages of Fasciola hepatica

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Torres, J.L.; Chiriboga, J.

1976-04-01

Fascioliasis or hepatic distomatosis is one of the most widespread liver diseases throughout the world. It is caused by a parasitic worm of the class Trematoda of the phylum Platyhelminthes. This flatworm is commonly known as liver-fluke in the United States and Europe; babosa del higado in Cuba; cucaracha del higado in Puerto Rico; saguaype in Argentina and Chile; pirihuin in Chile; yuta in North Chile, and it is taxonomically classified as Fasciola hepatica. The adult trematode is a common parasite of warm blooded animals especially cattle, sheep, and goats. Alterations in the viability of normal Fasciola hepatica metacercariae as a result of time of storage at 4/sup 0/C were studied by the method of Wikerhauser (1960). A significant decrease in viability was observed only after one hundred days of storage. The in vitro viability of normal metacercariae was compared with that of metacercariae that were exposed to increasing ..gamma.. radiation doses. Two plainly opposite effects observed were: the activation of the excystation process by the lower radiation doses (1.5 and 2.5 Kr), an effect that persisted up to the 14th day post-radiation, and the impairment of the process evidenced on the 14th day in the metacercariae exposed to 3.5 and 5.0 Kr. Correlation between liver damage and the increasing radiation doses to which the metacercariae were exposed was studied up to 34 days after the oral inoculation in rats. (auth)

Effect of gamma irradiation on different stages of Fasciola hepatica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torres, J.L.; Chiriboga, J.

1976-04-01

Fascioliasis or hepatic distomatosis is one of the most widespread liver diseases throughout the world. It is caused by a parasitic worm of the class Trematoda of the phylum Platyhelminthes. This flatworm is commonly known as liver-fluke in the United States and Europe; babosa del higado in Cuba; cucaracha del higado in Puerto Rico; saguaype in Argentina and Chile; pirihuin in Chile; yuta in North Chile, and it is taxonomically classified as Fasciola hepatica. The adult trematode is a common parasite of warm blooded animals especially cattle, sheep, and goats. Alterations in the viability of normal Fasciola hepatica metacercariae as a result of time of storage at 4 0 C were studied by the method of Wikerhauser (1960). A significant decrease in viability was observed only after one hundred days of storage. The in vitro viability of normal metacercariae was compared with that of metacercariae that were exposed to increasing γ radiation doses. Two plainly opposite effects observed were: the activation of the excystation process by the lower radiation doses (1.5 and 2.5 Kr), an effect that persisted up to the 14th day post-radiation, and the impairment of the process evidenced on the 14th day in the metacercariae exposed to 3.5 and 5.0 Kr. Correlation between liver damage and the increasing radiation doses to which the metacercariae were exposed was studied up to 34 days after the oral inoculation in rats

A single amino acid substitution in isozyme GST mu in Triclabendazole resistant Fasciola hepatica (Sligo strain) can substantially influence the manifestation of anthelmintic resistance.

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Fernández, V; Estein, S; Ortiz, P; Luchessi, P; Solana, V; Solana, H

2015-12-01

The helminth parasite Fasciola hepatica causes fascioliasis in human and domestic ruminants. Economic losses due to this infection are estimated in U$S 2000-3000 million yearly. The most common method of control is the use of anthelmintic drugs. However, there is an increased concern about the growing appearance of F. hepatica resistance to Triclabendazole (TCBZ), an anthelmintic with activity over adult and young flukes. F. hepatica has eight Glutathione S-Transferase (GST) isozymes, which are enzymes involved in the detoxification of a wide range of substrates through chemical conjugation with glutathione. In the present work we identified and characterized the GST mu gene isolated from the TCBZ-susceptible and TCBZ-resistant F. hepatica strains. Total RNA was transcribed into cDNA by reverse transcription and a 657 bp amplicon corresponding to the GST mu gene was obtained. The comparative genetic analysis of the GST mu gene of the TCBZ susceptible strain (Cullompton) and TCBZ resistant strain (Sligo) showed three nucleotide changes and one amino acid change at position 143 in the GST mu isozyme of the TCBZ-resistant strain. These results have potential relevance as they contribute better understand the mechanisms that generate resistance to anthelmintics. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The role of dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging in differentiating between infectious and neoplastic focal brain lesions: results from a cohort of 100 consecutive patients.

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Valdeci Hélio Floriano

Full Text Available BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Differentiating between infectious and neoplastic focal brain lesions that are detected by conventional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI may be a challenge in routine practice. Brain perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI may be employed as a complementary non-invasive tool, providing relevant data on hemodynamic parameters, such as the degree of angiogenesis of lesions. We aimed to employ dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion MR imaging (DSC-MRI to differentiate between infectious and neoplastic brain lesions by investigating brain microcirculation changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: DSC-MRI perfusion studies of one hundred consecutive patients with non-cortical neoplastic (n = 54 and infectious (n = 46 lesions were retrospectively assessed. MRI examinations were performed using a 1.5-T scanner. A preload of paramagnetic contrast agent (gadolinium was administered 30 seconds before acquisition of dynamic images, followed by a standard dose 10 seconds after starting imaging acquisitions. The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV values were determined by calculating the regional cerebral blood volume in the solid areas of lesions, normalized to that of the contralateral normal-appearing white matter. Discriminant analyses were performed to determine the cutoff point of rCBV values that would allow the differentiation of neoplastic from infectious lesions and to assess the corresponding diagnostic performance of rCBV when using this cutoff value. RESULTS: Neoplastic lesions had higher rCBV values (4.28±2.11 than infectious lesions (0.63±0.49 (p<0.001. When using an rCBV value <1.3 as the parameter to define infectious lesions, the sensitivity of the method was 97.8% and the specificity was 92.6%, with a positive predictive value of 91.8%, a negative predictive value of 98.0%, and an accuracy of 95.0%. CONCLUSION: PWI is a useful complementary tool in distinguishing between infectious and neoplastic brain

A novel ex vivo immunoproteomic approach characterising Fasciola hepatica tegumental antigens identified using immune antibody from resistant sheep.

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Cameron, Timothy C; Cooke, Ira; Faou, Pierre; Toet, Hayley; Piedrafita, David; Young, Neil; Rathinasamy, Vignesh; Beddoe, Travis; Anderson, Glenn; Dempster, Robert; Spithill, Terry W

2017-08-01

A more thorough understanding of the immunological interactions between Fasciola spp. and their hosts is required if we are to develop new immunotherapies to control fasciolosis. Deeper knowledge of the antigens that are the target of the acquired immune responses of definitive hosts against both Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica will potentially identify candidate vaccine antigens. Indonesian Thin Tail sheep express a high level of acquired immunity to infection by F. gigantica within 4weeks of infection and antibodies in Indonesian Thin Tail sera can promote antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity against the surface tegument of juvenile F. gigantica in vitro. Given the high protein sequence similarity between F. hepatica and F. gigantica, we hypothesised that antibody from F. gigantica-infected sheep could be used to identify the orthologous proteins in the tegument of F. hepatica. Purified IgG from the sera of F. gigantica-infected Indonesian Thin Tail sheep collected pre-infection and 4weeks p.i. were incubated with live adult F. hepatica ex vivo and the immunosloughate (immunoprecipitate) formed was isolated and analysed via liquid chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry to identify proteins involved in the immune response. A total of 38 proteins were identified at a significantly higher abundance in the immunosloughate using week 4 IgG, including eight predicted membrane proteins, 20 secreted proteins, nine proteins predicted to be associated with either the lysosomes, the cytoplasm or the cytoskeleton and one protein with an unknown cellular localization. Three of the membrane proteins are transporters including a multidrug resistance protein, an amino acid permease and a glucose transporter. Interestingly, a total of 21 of the 38 proteins matched with proteins recently reported to be associated with the proposed small exosome-like extracellular vesicles of adult F. hepatica, suggesting that the Indonesian Thin Tail week

CD4+ T-cell clones obtained from cattle chronically infected with Fasciola hepatica and specific for adult worm antigen express both unrestricted and Th2 cytokine profiles.

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Brown, W C; Davis, W C; Dobbelaere, D A; Rice-Ficht, A C

1994-01-01

The well-established importance of helper T (Th)-cell subsets in immunity and immunoregulation of many experimental helminth infections prompted a detailed study of the cellular immune response against Fasciola hepatica in the natural bovine host. T-cell lines established from two cattle infected with F. hepatica were characterized for the expression of T-cell surface markers and proliferative responses against F. hepatica adult worm antigen. Parasite-specific T-cell lines contained a mixture of CD4+, CD8+, and gamma/delta T-cell-receptor-bearing T cells. However, cell lines containing either fewer than 10% CD8+ T cells or depleted of gamma/delta T cells proliferated vigorously against F. hepatica antigen, indicating that these T-cell subsets are not required for proliferative responses in vitro. Seventeen F. hepatica-specific CD4+ Th-cell clones were examined for cytokine expression following concanavalin A stimulation. Biological assays to measure interleukin-2 (IL-2) or IL-4, gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), and tumor necrosis factor and Northern (RNA) blot analysis to verify the expression of IL-2, IL-4, and IFN-gamma revealed that the Th-cell clones expressed a spectrum of cytokine profiles. Several Th-cell clones were identified as Th2 cells by the strong expression of IL-4 but little or no IL-2 or IFN-gamma mRNA. The majority of Th-cell clones were classified as Th0 cells by the expression of either all three cytokines or combinations of IL-2 and IL-4 or IL-4 and IFN-gamma. No Th1-cell clones were obtained. All of the Th-cell clones expressed a typical memory cell surface phenotype, characterized as CD45Rlow, and all expressed the lymph node homing receptor (L selectin). These results are the first to describe cytokine responses of F. hepatica-specific T cells obtained from infected cattle and extend our previous analysis of Th0 and Th1 cells from cattle immune to Babesia bovis (W. C. Brown, V. M. Woods, D. A. E. Dobbelaere, and K. S. Logan, Infect. Immun. 61

Surgical pathology of epilepsy-associated non-neoplastic cerebral lesions: a brief introduction with special reference to hippocampal sclerosis and focal cortical dysplasia

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Miyata, Hajime; Hori, Tomokatsu; Vinters, Harry V.

2014-01-01

Among epilepsy-associated non-neoplastic lesions, mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE-HS) and malformation of cortical development (MCD) including focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), are the two most frequent causes of drug-resistant focal epilepsies constituting about 50% of all surgical pathology of epilepsy. Several distinct histological patterns have been historically recognized in both HS and FCD, and several studies have tried to perform clinicopathological correlation; results, however, have been controversial, particularly in terms of postsurgical seizure outcome. Recently, the International League Against Epilepsy constituted a Task Forces of Neuropathology and FCD within the Commission on Diagnostic Methods, to establish an international consensus of histological classification of HS and FCD, respectively, based on agreement with the recognition of the importance of defining a histopathological classification system that reliably has some clinicopathological correlation. Such consensus classifications are likely to facilitate future clinicopathological study. Meanwhile, we reviewed neuropathology of 41 surgical cases of mTLE, and confirmed three type/patterns of HS along with no HS, based on the qualitative evaluation of the distribution and severity of neuronal loss and gliosis within hippocampal formation; i.e., HS type 1 (61%) equivalent to ‘classical’ Ammon’s horn sclerosis, HS type 2 (2%) representing CA1 sclerosis, HS type 3 (17%) equivalent to end folium sclerosis, and no HS (19%). Furthermore we performed a neuropathological comparative study on mTLE-HS and dementia associated HS (d-HS) in elderly, and confirmed that neuropathological features differ between mTLE-HS and d-HS in the distribution of hippocampal neuronal loss and gliosis, morphology of reactive astrocytes and their protein expression, and presence of concomitant neurodegenerative changes particularly Alzheimer type and TDP-43 pathologies. These

Systemic focal epileptogenesis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Remler, M.P.; Marcussen, W.H.

1986-01-01

Rats that receive radiation to 0.25 cc of one cerebral hemisphere are clinically and electroencephalographically normal until there is a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) at 3 to 6 months postradiation. This BBB lesion can be detected by transient focal seizure activity produced by the BBB-excluded systemic convulsant bicuculline methiodide. In two rats the seizure activity induced by this one injection was self-sustaining. In seven of 15 other rats tested, the subsequent administration of repeated 2 mg/kg injections created a chronic focus that continued to spike with great frequency for 3 weeks or more without further administration of any convulsant. In three of eight other rats, implanted minipumps delivering 180 micrograms/h of bicuculline methiodide produced self-sustaining epileptic activity.

Herd-level seroprevalence of Fasciola hepatica and Ostertagia ostertagi infection in dairy cattle population in the central and northeastern Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Kowalczyk, Sławomir J; Czopowicz, Michał; Weber, Corinna N; Müller, Elisabeth; Nalbert, Tomasz; Bereznowski, Andrzej; Kaba, Jarosław

2018-04-17

Fasciola hepatica and Ostertagia ostertagi infections are widespread in cattle population of Europe, however data on their prevalence in Poland are only fragmentary. Therefore, the cross-sectional study was carried out to determine the herd-level seroprevalence of F. hepatica and O. ostertagi infection in dairy cattle population in the central and north-eastern provinces Poland, and to identify basic local risk factors for these infections. In total, 598 herds were enrolled, 394 (65.9%) in the north-eastern province and 204 (34.1%) in the central province. In each herd the questionnaire survey was conducted and bulk-tank milk (BTM) sample was collected and screened using two indirect immunoenzymatic tests. Optical density ratio (ODR) was regarded as the quantitative proxy of exposure to either of the two parasites. Both Fasciola and Ostertagia ELISA ODR in the north-eastern province was significantly higher than ODR in the central province. At the cut-off value of ODR = 0.27 the true herd-level seroprevalence of F. hepatica was 79.6% (95% CI: 74.0%, 84.3%) in the north-eastern province and 13.0% (95% CI: 5.3%, 21.7%) in the central province. At the cut-off of ODR = 0.50151 of 188 herds (80.3%, 95% CI: 74.1%, 85.4%) were seropositive for O. ostertagi in the north-eastern province and only 70 of 136 herds (51.5%, 95% CI: 43.1%, 59.7%) were seropositive in the central province. Location of a herd in the north-eastern province, longer grazing period practiced in a herd and > 50%-share of grazing grass in roughage were all positively related to the increase in exposure to both parasites. Moreover, the use of hay or haylage as main roughage proved to be positively related to the increase in exposure to F. hepatica. F. hepatica and O. ostertagi are widespread in cattle population in Poland, however their occurrence at a herd-level varies between different regions of Poland. This diversity can only partly be explained by different herd management, and appears

Efficacy of an artificial neural network-based approach to endoscopic ultrasound elastography in diagnosis of focal pancreatic masses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Săftoiu, Adrian; Vilmann, Peter; Gorunescu, Florin

2012-01-01

By using strain assessment, real-time endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography provides additional information about a lesion's characteristics in the pancreas. We assessed the accuracy of real-time EUS elastography in focal pancreatic lesions using computer-aided diagnosis by artificial neural...... network analysis....

Evaluation of local immune response to Fasciola hepatica experimental infection in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes of goats immunized with Sm14 vaccine antigen

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Ricardo E Mendes

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Protection against Fasciola hepatica in goats immunized with a synthetic recombinant antigen from Schistosoma mansoni fatty acid-binding protein 14 (rSm14 was investigated by assessing worm burdens, serum levels of hepatic enzymes, faecal egg count and hepatic damage, which was evaluated using gross and microscopic morphometric observation. The nature of the local immune response was assessed by examining the distribution of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+ and γ´+ T lymphocytes along with IgG+, IL-4+ and IFN-γ+ cells in the liver and hepatic lymph nodes (HLN. The goats used consisted of group 1 (unimmunized and uninfected, group 2 [infected control - immunized with Quillaia A (Quil A] and group 3 (immunized with rSm14 in Quil A and infected, each containing seven animals. Immunization with rSm14 in Quil A adjuvant induced a reduction in gross hepatic lesions of 56.6% (p < 0.001 and reduced hepatic and HLN infiltration of CD2+, CD4+, CD8+ and γ´+ T lymphocytes as well as IL-4+ and IFN-γ+ cells (p < 0.05. This is the first report of caprine immunization against F. hepatica using a complete rSm14 molecule derived from S. mansoni. Immunization reduced hepatic damage and local inflammatory infiltration into the liver and HLN. However, considering that Quil A is not the preferential/first choice adjuvant for Sm14 immunization, further studies will be undertaken using the monophosphoryl lipid A-based family of adjuvants during clinical trials to facilitate anti-Fasciolavaccine development.

SYSTEMATIC ANALYSIS OF REAL-WORLD DRIVING BEHAVIOR FOLLOWING FOCAL BRAIN LESIONS

OpenAIRE

Thompson, Kelsey; Read, Katherine; Anderson, Steven; Rizzo, Matthew

2011-01-01

Many patients with circumscribed brain injuries, such as those caused by stroke or focal trauma, return to driving after a period of acute recovery. These persons often have chronic residual cognitive deficits that may impact on driving safety, but little is known about their driving behavior in the real world. Extant studies tend to rely on driving simulators or controlled on-road drives. These methods of observation are not able to capture the complexities of the typical driving environment...

Cervical high-intensity intramedullary lesions in achondroplasia : Aetiology, prevalence and clinical relevance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, Patrick A.; Lubout, Charlotte M.; van Dijk, J. Marc C.; Vleggeert-Lankamp, Carmen L.

2012-01-01

In achondroplastic patients with slight complaints of medullary compression the cervical spinal cord regularly exhibits an intramedullary (CHII) lesion just below the craniocervical junction with no signs of focal compression on the cord. Currently, the prevalence of the lesion in the general

Interferon Induced Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

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Yusuf Kayar

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Behçet’s disease is an inflammatory disease of unknown etiology which involves recurring oral and genital aphthous ulcers and ocular lesions as well as articular, vascular, and nervous system involvement. Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS is usually seen in viral infections, immune deficiency syndrome, sickle cell anemia, and hyperfiltration and secondary to interferon therapy. Here, we present a case of FSGS identified with kidney biopsy in a patient who had been diagnosed with Behçet’s disease and received interferon-alpha treatment for uveitis and presented with acute renal failure and nephrotic syndrome associated with interferon.

Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver: an unusual association with diabetes mellitus in a child and review of literature

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Trizzino Antonino

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Hepatic hemangioma, adenoma and focal nodular hyperplasia are the most frequent benign lesions of the liver, but they are all infrequent among pediatric population. The reports of focal nodular hyperplasia in children have recently increased in number, with many cases associated to drug intake, particularly to chemotherapy. We here describe, to our knowledge, the first case of focal nodular hyperplasia in association with diabetes mellitus in childhood.

Is CEUS (contrast enhanced ultrasonography a useful tool in a beginner’s hands? How much can CAD (computer assisted diagnosis prototype help us in the characterization of malignancy in focal lesions of the liver?

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Tudor Voicu Moga1,

2016-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVES CEUS improved the characterization of focal lesions of the liver (FLLs, but it remains an operator-dependent method. The goal of this scientific paper was to test a computer assisted diagnosis (CAD prototype. MATERIALS AND METHODS 97 CEUS videos [34% hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC, 12.3% hypervascular metastases (HiperM, 11.3% hypovascular metastases (HipoM, 24.7% hemangiomas (HMG, 17.5% focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH] were used to develop a CAD prototype based on an algorithm that tested a binary decision classifier. Two young MDs, two experts and the CAD prototype, reevaluated 50 CEUS videos (diagnosis of benign vs. malignant lesions, in order to evaluate the beginner vs. expert diagnostic gap, the first being blinded by clinical data. RESULTS I-Beginner misdiagnosed 4/10-FNH, 3/10-HCC, 2/10-HMG, 1/10-HiperM, 1/10-HipoM. After being informed about the clinical data 2/10-FNH, 1/10-HCC. II-beginner misdiagnosed: 3/10-FNH; 3/10-HCC, 2/10- HMG, 1/10-HiperM. Unblinded: 1/10-HCC, 1/10- HMG. I-Expert: only 1/10-FNH, 1/10-HCC, 1/10- HMG misdiagnosed. Unblinded: all lesions were correctly diagnosed. II-Expert: 1/10-FNH, 1/10-HCC misdiagnosed. Unblinded: only 1/10-FNH was misdiagnosed. The CAD classifier managed a 75.2% overall correct classification rate. The overall classification before and after the uncovering of clinical data was: I beginner 78 %; 94%, II 82%; 96%. I expert 94%; 100%. II 96%; 98%. CONCLUSIONS The CAD prototype can assist a beginner for a better CEUS diagnostic accuracy. The integration of clinical data in the CAD algorithm is essential. Graphical abstract: Average Intensity variation in Arterial and Late Phase with supra unitary (meaning wash in and sub unitary pattern (meaning washout. REFERENCES 1.Sugimoto K, Shiraishi J, Moriyasu F, Doi K. Computer-aided diagnosis for contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the liver. World J Gastroenterol. 2010;2:215-223. 2. Gatos I, Tsantis S, Spiliopoulos S, Skouroliakou A, Theotokas I

Automated detection of Lupus white matter lesions in MRI

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Eloy Roura Perez

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Brain magnetic resonance imaging provides detailed information which can be used to detect and segment white matter lesions (WML. In this work we propose an approach to automatically segment WML in Lupus patients by using T1w and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR images. Lupus WML appear as small focal abnormal tissue observed as hyperintensities in the FLAIR images. The quantification of these WML is a key factor for the stratification of lupus patients and therefore both lesion detection and segmentation play an important role. In our approach, the T1w image is first used to classify the three main tissues of the brain, white matter (WM, gray matter (GM and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF, while the FLAIR image is then used to detect focal WML as outliers of its GM intensity distribution. A set of post-processing steps based on lesion size, tissue neighborhood, and location are used to refine the lesion candidates. The proposal is evaluated on 20 patients, presenting qualitative and quantitative results in terms of precision and sensitivity of lesion detection (True Positive Rate (62% and Positive Prediction Value (80% respectively as well as segmentation accuracy (Dice Similarity Coefficient (72%. Obtained results illustrate the validity of the approach to automatically detect and segment lupus lesions. Besides, our approach is publicly available as a SPM8/12 toolbox extension with a simple parameter configuration.

Changes in energy metabolism of the juvenile Fasciola hepatica during its development in the liver parenchyma

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tielens, A.G.M.; Heuvel, J.M. van den; Bergh, S.G. van den

1982-01-01

Juvenile Fasciola hepatica at different stages of development were isolated from the liver parenchyma of experimentally infected rats. Their energy metabolism was studied by incubation with D-[16-14C]glucose and compared with that of juveniles isolated immediately after in vitro emergence from the

Incidental colonic focal FDG uptake on PET/CT: can the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) guide us in the timing of colonoscopy?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hoeij, F. B.; Keijsers, R. G. M.; Loffeld, B. C. A. J.; Dun, G.; Stadhouders, P. H. G. M.; Weusten, B. L. A. M.

2015-01-01

In patients undergoing F-18-FDG PET/CT, incidental colonic focal lesions can be indicative of inflammatory, premalignant or malignant lesions. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of these lesions, representing the FDG uptake intensity, might be helpful in differentiating malignant from

Proteomic analysis of Fasciola hepatica excretory and secretory products (FhESPs) involved in interacting with host PBMCs and cytokines by shotgun LC-MS/MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qing; Huang, Si-Yang; Yue, Dong-Mei; Wang, Jin-Lei; Wang, Yujian; Li, Xiangrui; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2017-02-01

Fasciola hepatica is a helminth parasite with a worldwide distribution, which can cause chronic liver disease, fasciolosis, leading to economic losses in the livestock and public health in many countries. Control is mostly reliant on the use of drugs, and as a result, drug resistance has now emerged. The identification of F. hepatica genes involved in interaction between the parasite and host immune system is utmost important to elucidate the evasion mechanisms of the parasite and develop more effective strategies against fasciolosis. In this study, we aimed to identify molecules in F. hepatica excretory and secretory products (FhESPs) interacting with the host peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), Th1-like cytokines (IL2 and IFN-γ), and Th17-like cytokines (IL17) by Co-IP combined with tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that 14, 16, and 9 proteins in FhESPs could bind with IL2, IL17, and IFN-γ, respectively, which indicated that adult F. hepatica may evade the host immune responses through directly interplaying with cytokines. In addition, nine proteins in FhESPs could adhere to PBMCs. Our findings provided potential targets as immuno-regulators, and will be helpful to elucidate the molecular basis of host-parasite interactions and search for new potential proteins as vaccine and drug target candidates.

Fine focal spot size improves image quality in computed tomography abdomen and pelvis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goh, Yin P.; Low, Keat; Kuganesan, Ahilan [Monash Health, Diagnostic Imaging Department, 246, Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria (Australia); Lau, Kenneth K. [Monash Health, Diagnostic Imaging Department, 246, Clayton Road, Clayton, Victoria (Australia); Monash University, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Victoria (Australia); Buchan, Kevin [Philips Healthcare, Clinical Science, PO Box 312, Mont Albert, Victoria (Australia); Oh, Lawrence Chia Wei [Flinders Medical Centre, Division of Medical Imaging, Bedford Park South (Australia); Huynh, Minh [Swinburne University, Department of Statistics, Data Science and Epidemiology, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, Hawthorn (Australia)

2016-12-15

To compare the image quality between fine focal spot size (FFSS) and standard focal spot size (SFSS) in computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis (CTAP) This retrospective review included all consecutive adult patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CTAP between June and September 2014. Two blinded radiologists assessed the margin clarity of the abdominal viscera and the detected lesions using a five-point grading scale. Cohen's kappa test was used to examine the inter-observer reliability between the two reviewers for organ margin clarity. Mann-Whitney U testing was utilised to assess the statistical difference of the organ and lesion margin clarity. 100 consecutive CTAPs were recruited. 52 CTAPs were examined with SFSS of 1.1 x 1.2 mm and 48 CTAPs were examined with FFSS of 0.6 x 0.7 mm. Results showed that there was substantial agreement for organ margin clarity (mean κ = 0.759, p < 0.001) among the reviewers. FFSS produces images with clearer organ margins (U = 76194.0, p < 0.001, r = 0.523) and clearer lesion margins (U = 239, p = 0.052, r = 0.269). FFSS CTAP improves image quality in terms of better organ and lesion margin clarity. Fine focus CT scanning is a novel technique that may be applied in routine CTAP imaging. (orig.)

Cartilage Health in Knees Treated with Metal Resurfacing Implants or Untreated Focal Cartilage Lesions: A Preclinical Study in Sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Carranza, Nicolas; Hultenby, Kjell; Lagerstedt, Anne Sofie; Schupbach, Peter; Berg, Hans E

2017-07-01

Background Full-depth cartilage lesions do not heal and the long-term clinical outcome is uncertain. In the symptomatic middle-aged (35-60 years) patient, treatment with metal implants has been proposed. However, the cartilage health surrounding these implants has not been thoroughly studied. Our objective was to evaluate the health of cartilage opposing and adjacent to metal resurfacing implants. Methods The medial femoral condyle was operated in 9 sheep bilaterally. A metallic resurfacing metallic implant was immediately inserted into an artificially created 7.5 mm defect while on the contralateral knee the defect was left untreated. Euthanasia was performed at 6 months. Six animals, of similar age and study duration, from a previous study were used for comparison in the evaluation of cartilage health adjacent to the implant. Cartilage damage to joint surfaces within the knee, cartilage repair of the defect, and cartilage adjacent to the implant was evaluated macroscopically and microscopically. Results Six animals available for evaluation of cartilage health within the knee showed a varying degree of cartilage damage with no statistical difference between defects treated with implants or left untreated ( P = 0.51; 95% CI -3.7 to 6.5). The cartilage adjacent to the implant (score 0-14; where 14 indicates no damage) remained healthy in these 6 animals showing promising results (averaged 10.5; range 9-11.5, SD 0.95). Cartilage defects did not heal in any case. Conclusion Treatment of a critical size focal lesion with a metal implant is a viable alternative treatment.

Focal cryotherapy of localized prostate cancer: a systematic review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Shah, Taimur Tariq; Ahmed, Hashim; Kanthabalan, Abi; Lau, Benjamin; Ghei, Maneesh; Maraj, Barry; Arya, Manit

2014-11-01

Radical/whole gland treatment for prostate cancer has significant side-effects. Therefore focal treatments such as cryotherapy have been used to treat localized lesions whilst aiming to provide adequate cancer control with minimal side-effects. We performed a systematic review of Pubmed/Medline and Cochrane databases' to yield 9 papers for primary focal prostate cryotherapy and 2 papers for focal salvage treatment (radio-recurrent). The results of 1582 primary patients showed biochemical disease-free survival between 71-93% at 9-70 months follow-up. Incontinence rates were 0-3.6% and ED 0-42%. Recto-urethral fistula occurred in only 2 patients. Salvage focal cryotherapy had biochemical disease-free survival of 50-68% at 3 years. ED occurred in 60-71%. Focal cryotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for primary localized prostate cancer and compares favorably to radical/whole gland treatments in medium-term oncological outcomes and side-effects. Although more studies are needed it is also effective for radio-recurrent cancer with a low complications rates.

CASE SERIES The enigma of reversible splenial lesions

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Focal reversible lesions of the splenium of the corpus callosum have been described ... Initial brain MRI scan performed at an overseas facility was reportedly normal. ... reported here, was on an appetite suppressant, and diet restriction in this.

Insights into the biological features of the antigenic determinants recognized by four monoclonal antibodies in redia and adult stages of the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Alba, Annia; Sánchez, Jorge; Hernández, Hilda; Mosqueda, Maryani; Rodríguez, Suanel Y; Capó, Virginia; Otero, Oscar; Alfonso, Carlos; Marcet, Ricardo; Sarracent, Jorge

2016-09-01

Fasciola hepatica is a digenean trematode which infects a wide variety of domestic animals and also humans. Previous studies have demonstrated that four monoclonal antibodies (Mabs) against the total extract of F. hepatica redia (named as 1E4, 6G11, 4E5 and 4G11) also recognized the excretion - secretion antigens (ES Ag) of adult parasites, which is a biologically-relevant mixture of molecules with functional roles during infection and immune evasion on definitive hosts. In the present report we describe the partial characterization of the epitopes recognized by these Mabs by heat treatment, mercaptoethanol reduction, pronase proteolysis and sodium peryodate oxidation, which suggested their predominant protein and conformational nature. Also, a comparative study using immunodetection assays on crude extracts and on histological sections of both rediae and adults of F. hepatica were performed to explore the expression pattern of the antigenic determinants in these developmental stages. From these experiments it was found that the Mabs reacted most likely with the same proteins of approximately 64 and 105 kDa present on both rediae and adult's extracts. However, the 1E4, 6G11 and 4E5 Mabs also recognized other molecules of the total extract of F. hepatica adults, a fact that constitutes an evidence of the antigenic variation between both stages and points at a certain biological relevance of the recognized antigenic determinants. Immunolocalization studies on histological sections revealed that all Mabs reacted with the tegument of F. hepatica in both rediae and adults stages, while the epitopes recognized by 1E4, 6G11 and 4E5 antibodies were also preferentially localized in the intestinal caeca and in different organs of the reproductive system of adult specimens. The immunogenicity of these antigenic determinants, their conserved status among different stages of the life cycle of F. hepatica and their presence in both tegument and ES Ag of adult parasites

Burden of Fasciola hepatica Infection among Children from Paucartambo in Cusco, Peru

OpenAIRE

Lopez, Martha; White, A. Clinton; Cabada, Miguel M.

2012-01-01

There is a high prevalence of fascioliasis in the Peruvian highlands, but most cases remain undiagnosed. The burden of disease caused by chronic subclinical infection is largely unknown. We studied school-age children from a district in Paucartambo Province in Cusco, Peru to evaluate the burden of disease caused by subclinical fascioliasis. Parasite eggs and/or larvae were identified in 46.2% of subjects, including Fasciola hepatica in 10.3% of subjects. Fascioliasis was independently associa...

In vivo assessment of closantel ovicidal activity in Fasciola hepatica eggs.

Science.gov (United States)

Solana, María Victoria; Mera y Sierra, Roberto; Scarcella, Silvana; Neira, Gisela; Solana, Hugo Daniel

2016-01-01

Anthelmintic resistance in livestock parasites is currently a worldwide problem. Fasciola hepatica is a cosmopolitan parasite which causes considerable loss in sheep and cattle production systems all over the world. Chemotherapy is currently the main tool available for its control. The intensive use of triclabendazole, the drug of choice for more than 20 years, has resulted in the development of resistant strains. The therapeutic options are adulticides such as closantel (salicylanilide anthelmintic that binds extensively to plasma albumin) to treat chronic fascioliasis in sheep, and cattle. In the present work, an Egg Hatch Assay (EHA) and morphometric studies were used to evaluate in vivo the ovicidal activity and morphology F. hepatica eggs, recovered from closantel treated sheep collected at different time intervals post treatment. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.0001) were observed in egg morphometry between the control and the treated groups in all the parameters studied. Eggs recovered from treated animals tend to be narrower and longer. Significant differences were found in the embryonation and hatching of eggs between 36 h post treatment (32, 5%) vs. approximately 85% in control, 12 h and 24 h post treatment. Our results confirm that closantel affects in vivo the normal development of the eggs. As one of the first effects, this drug affects the performance of the trematode's reproductive physiology. Even though closantel treated animals may still eliminate eggs in the first days post treatment, these are not viable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Local adaptation of the trematode Fasciola hepatica to the snail Galba truncatula

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dreyfuss G.

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Experimental infections of six riverbank populations of Galba truncatula with Fasciola hepatica were carried out to determine if the poor susceptibility of these populations to this digenean might be due to the scarcity or the absence of natural encounters between these snails and the parasite. The first three populations originated from banks frequented by cattle in the past (riverbank group whereas the three others were living on islet banks without any known contact with local ruminants (islet group. After their exposure, all snails were placed in their natural habitats from the end of October up to their collection at the beginning of April. Compared to the riverbank group, snails, which died without cercarial shedding clearly predominated in the islet group, while the other infected snails were few in number. Most of these last snails released their cercariae during a single shedding wave. In islet snails dissected after their death, the redial and cercarial burdens were significantly lower than those noted in riverbank G. truncatula. Snails living on these islet banks are thus able to sustain larval development of F. hepatica. The modifications noted in the characteristics of snail infection suggest the existence of an incomplete adaptation between these G. truncatula and the parasite, probably due to the absence of natural contact between host and parasite.

Single-session endoscopic resection and focal radiofrequency ablation for short-segment Barrett's esophagus with early neoplasia.

Science.gov (United States)

Barret, Maximilien; Belghazi, Kamar; Weusten, Bas L A M; Bergman, Jacques J G H M; Pouw, Roos E

2016-07-01

The management of early neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE) requires endoscopic resection of visible lesions, followed by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the remaining BE. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of combining endoscopic resection and focal RFA in a single endoscopic session in patients with early BE neoplasia. This was a retrospective analysis of patients with early BE neoplasia and a visible lesion undergoing combined endoscopic resection and focal RFA in a single session. Consecutive ablation procedures were performed every 8 to 12 weeks until complete endoscopic and histologic eradication of dysplasia and intestinal metaplasia were reached. Forty patients were enrolled, with a median C1M2 BE segment, a visible lesion with a median diameter of 15 mm, and invasive carcinoma in 68% of cases. Endoscopic resection was performed by using the multiband mucosectomy technique in 80% of cases, and the Barrx(90) catheter (Barrx Medical, Sunnyvale, Calif) was used for focal ablation. When an intention-to-treat analysis was used, both complete remission of all neoplasia and intestinal metaplasia were 95% after a median follow-up of 19 months. Stenoses occurred in 33% of cases and were successfully managed with a median number of 2 dilations. In 43% of patients, 1 single-session treatment resulted in complete histologic remission of intestinal metaplasia. Combining endoscopic resection and focal RFA in a single session appears to be effective. Less-aggressive RFA regimens could limit the adverse event rates. Copyright © 2016 American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diagnosis of liver lesions in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krause, T.; Juengling, F.

2003-01-01

With the introduction of new imaging protocols for ultrasound, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the importance of conventional nuclear medicine diagnostic procedures has changed fundamentally. With the introduction of positron emission tomography (PET) into routine diagnostics, the assessment of tissue-specific function adds on to the modern, morphological imaging procedures and in principle allows for differentiating benign from malignant lesions. The actual clinical value of nuclear medicine procedures for the diagnostic workup of focal liver lesions is discussed. (orig.) [de

Ultrasound-guided image fusion with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical utility for imaging and interventional diagnostics of hepatic lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clevert, D.A.; Helck, A.; Paprottka, P.M.; Trumm, C.; Reiser, M.F.; Zengel, P.

2012-01-01

Abdominal ultrasound is often the first-line imaging modality for assessing focal liver lesions. Due to various new ultrasound techniques, such as image fusion, global positioning system (GPS) tracking and needle tracking guided biopsy, abdominal ultrasound now has great potential regarding detection, characterization and treatment of focal liver lesions. Furthermore, these new techniques will help to improve the clinical management of patients before and during interventional procedures. This article presents the principle and clinical impact of recently developed techniques in the field of ultrasound, e.g. image fusion, GPS tracking and needle tracking guided biopsy and discusses the results based on a feasibility study on 20 patients with focal hepatic lesions. (orig.) [de

Lymphocytic Thyroiditis Presenting as a Focal Uptake on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Tae Seok; Kim, Eun Kyung; Lee, Sarah; Moon, Hee Jung; Kwak, Jin Young [Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2011-12-15

Diffuse increased uptake on 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (18F FDG PET) is a well-known finding of the lymphocytic thyroiditis. Nevertheless, a pathologic confirmation is needed in cases of a focal 18F FDG uptake in the thyroid gland. This article reports a rare case of a focal 18F FDG uptake lesion by PET, which was revealed pathologically to be lymphocytic thyroiditis

Production of Monoclonal Antibody Against Excretory-Secretory Antigen of Fasciola hepatica and Evaluation of Its Efficacy in the Diagnosis of Fascioliasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdolahi Khabisi, Samaneh; Sarkari, Bahador; Moshfe, Abdolali; Jalali, Sedigheh

2017-02-01

Parasitological methods are not helpful for the diagnosis of fascioliasis in acute and invasive periods of the disease. Detection of coproantigens seems to be a suitable alternative approach in the diagnosis of fascioliasis. The present study aimed to develop a reliable antigen detection system, using monoclonal antibodies raised against excretory-secretory (ES) antigen of Fasciola hepatica, for the diagnosis of fascioliasis. Fasciola adult worms were collected from the bile ducts of infected animals. Species of the fluke was determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP-PCR). ES antigen of F. hepatica was prepared. For production of monoclonal antibodies, mice were immunized with ES antigens of F. hepatica. Spleen cells from the immunized mice were fused with NS-1 myeloma cells, using polyethylene glycol. Hybridoma cells secreting specific antibody were expanded and cloned by limiting dilution. Moreover, polyclonal antibody was produced against F. hepatica ES antigen in rabbits. A capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system, using produced monoclonal antibody, was designed and stool samples of infected animals along with control samples were tested by the system. The capture ELISA detected the coproantigen in 27 of 30 (90%) parasitologically confirmed fascioliasis cases, while 4 of 39 (10.25%) samples infected with other parasitic infections showed a positive reaction in this system. No positive reactivity was found with healthy control samples. Accordingly, sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 94.2% were obtained for the capture ELISA system. The results were compared with those obtained with commercial BIO-X ELISA, and a very good (kappa = 0.9) agreement was found between the commercial kit and the developed capture ELISA. Findings of this study showed that the produced monoclonal antibody has appropriate performance for the detection of Fasciola coproantigen in stool samples and can be appropriately

Excretory/secretory products from two Fasciola hepatica isolates induce different transcriptional changes and IL-10 release in LPS-activated bovine "BOMA" macrophages.

Science.gov (United States)

Bąska, Piotr; Norbury, Luke James; Zawistowska-Deniziak, Anna; Wiśniewski, Marcin; Januszkiewicz, Kamil

2017-10-01

Fasciola hepatica are trematodes that reside in the bile ducts of mammals. Infection causes US$3 billion in losses annually in animal production and is considered a zoonosis of growing importance. An under-represented area in F. hepatica research has been the examination of the different immunomodulatory abilities of various parasite isolates on the host immune system. In this paper, this issue was explored, with the bovine macrophage cell line "BOMA". The cells were matured by LPS treatment and stimulated with excretory/secretory antigens (ES) from two Fasciola hepatica isolates: a laboratory isolate "Weybridge" (Fh-WeyES) and a wild isolate (Fh-WildES). As expected, stimulation with antigen mixtures with highly similar compositions resulted in mild transcriptomic differences. However, there were significant differences in cytokine levels. Compared to Fh-WeyES, exposure to Fh-WildES upregulated 27 and downregulated 30 genes. Fh-ES from both isolates diminished the release of TNF-α, whereas only Fh-WildES decreased IL-10 secretion. Neither Fh-WeyES nor Fh-WildES had an impact on IL-12 release. Our results indicate that various isolates can have different immunomodulatory abilities and impacts on the bovine immune system.

Clinical Significance of Incidental Focal 18F-FDG Uptake in the Spinal Cord of Patients with Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Chae Hong; Hyun, Seung Hyup; Moon, Seung Hwan; Cho, Young Seok; Choe, Yearn Seong; Lee, Kyung-Han; Kim, Byung-Tae; Choi, Joon Young

2017-09-01

We investigated the incidence, location, and clinical significance of focal 18 F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord in patients with cancer. We reviewed the medical records of 22,937 consecutive adult patients with known or suspicious malignancy who underwent 18 F-FDG PET/CT. PET/CT scans with incidental focal spinal cord uptake were selected and retrospectively reviewed to determine the presence, location, number, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) of any focal hypermetabolic lesions of the spinal cord. In subjects with focal spinal uptake, clinical characteristics and clinical follow-up results, including follow-up PET/CT, were reviewed. Incidental focal spinal cord uptake was observed in 69 of 22,937 adult patients (incidence = 0.3%; M:F = 31:38; age, 55.8 ± 14.7 years). Seventy-eight focal hypermetabolic lesions on spinal cord in the PET/CT scans of the 69 study subjects were analyzed. The most common sites of focal spinal cord uptake were the T12 vertebra (47/78; 60.3%) and L1 vertebra (20/78; 25.6%). Multifocal cord uptake was found in 8 of 69 patients (11.6%). The average SUV max for cord uptake was 2.5 ± 0.5 (range, 1.4∼3.9). There was no clinical or imaging evidence of abnormalities in the spinal cord, both at the time of PET/CT and during clinical follow-up. Although incidental focal 18 F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord is rare in patients with cancer, it may be physiological or benign, but it should not be considered as malignant involvement. Common sites for the uptake were in the T12 and L1 spine levels.

Detection and genetic distance of resistant populations of Pseudosuccinea columella (Mollusca: Lymnaeidae) to Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda: Digenea) using RAPD markers.

Science.gov (United States)

Calienes, Aymé Fernandez; Fraga, Jorge; Pointier, Jean-Pierre; Yong, Mary; Sanchez, Jorge; Coustau, Christine; Gutiérrez, Alfredo; Théron, André

2004-09-01

Twelve natural populations of Pseudosuccinea columella snails, sampled in the western and central regions of Cuba, were analyzed using the RAPD-PCR technique to screen for resistance to Fasciola hepatica. Ten OPA primers previously shown to produce marker bands for resistance and susceptibility were tested. A new population of P. columella (El Azufre, Pinar del Río) exhibited the amplification patterns of resistant snails, and its resistant status was confirmed after experimental exposure to miracidia. No genetic variability was detected across or within the susceptible isolates. Similarly, the novel resistant isolate displayed an RAPD profile identical to the profile of two other isolates previously identified as resistant to F. hepatica. However, clear differences in RAPD banding patterns and genetic distance were observed between resistant and susceptible isolates.

MSCT diagnosis and differential diagnosis of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Haitao; Xu Qinsha; Chen Yutang; Song Yupiao

2011-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the MSCT findings of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver, and to improve the diagnostic standard. Methods: The MSCT findings were analyzed retrospectively in 25 patients pathologically approved with FNH. All patients underwent 16 detector row spiral CT scanning with and without contrast enhancement. Results: 28 lesions were discovered by CT, with single lesion showed in 22 cases, 2 lesions showed in 3 cases. All lesions showed a solitary nodules or lobulated mass in the liver. On plain CT, FNH showed equal or slightly low density. In the arterial phase, 27 lesions were vigorously and homogeneously enhanced, except the central scars with CT value of 99∼149HU and the mean CT-number of 124 HU. 1 lesion ws enhanced inter-homogeneously. Tortuous and enlarged arteries were seen at the center or periphery in 8 of the 28 lesions. In the portal venous phase, 16 lesions remained slightly hyperdense, 8 lesions turned to isodense, and 1 lesion turned to slightly hypodense. The typical central scar was showed in 8 lesions and 2 lesions showed delayed enhancement. 21 cases were correctly diagnosed by MSCT, with the diagnostic accuracy of 84.0%. Conclusion: MSCT scanning can fully show the pathologic and the blood supplying characteristics of FNH. The typical FNH can be easily diagnosed by CT, while the atypical cases should be differentiated from hepatocellular carcinoma, hemangioma of liver, liver cell adenoma and fibrolamellar hepatocarcinoma. (authors)

Retirada de fasciola hepatica da via biliar principal por coledocoscopia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberto Pelegrini Coral

Full Text Available The authors present a rare case of hepatic fascioliasis in a female patient 53-years-old, coming from the rural zone of Rio Grande do Sul, a southern State from Brazil. She has presented with biliary colic, fluctuant jaundice and eosinophilia. Abdominal ultrasound has shown a dilated biliary tree with inside heterogeneous images. At surgery we have found inside the biliary tree several Fasciola hepatica, which have been pulled out with the choledocoscope. We have proceeded with biliodigestive anastomosis using the small intestine. The patient remains asymptomatic six months after surgical procedure. Small intestine. The patient remains asymptomatic six months after surgical procedure.

Fibrocystic change in breast; mammographic and ultrasonographic findings in lower risk lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kook, Shin Ho; Jung, Kyung Jae; Noh, In Gye

1996-01-01

We performed this study to define the characteristic mammographic and ultrasonographic findings in lower risk lesions of fibrocystic change and also tried to evaluate the role of both modalities in planning the treatment of these lesions. We retrospectively reviewed 38 cases of mammography and 46 cases of ultrasonography in biopsy proven 55 cases of fibrocystic change, histologically showing the nonproliferative pattern or proliferative pattern without atypia. We analyzed the mammographic and ultrasonographic findings, final assessments, and compared the effectiveness of each modality. On mammography, there were no abnormatlities in 20 cases(53%), nodules or masses in 9 cases(24%), microcalcifications in 6 cases(16%) and asymmetric density in 5 cases(14%). On ultrasonography, there were 40 cases(87%) of focal sonographic abnormality and no abnormality in 6 cases(13%). Most focal sonographic abnormalities were smooth(40 cases, 93%), well-defined(21 cases, 49%) or ill-defined(22 cases, 51%) round or oval(36 cases, 84%) shaped, homogeneous(31 cases, 67%), hypoechoic(30 cases, 65%) lesions. Final assessment revealed that only 7 cases(18%) of mammography and 8 cases(18%) of ultrasound examinations were included into the category of indeterminate and malignancy groups which were recommended biopsy. Mammography was excellent to demonstrate the microcalcifications and ultrasonography was effective in depiction of the focal lesions. The mammography and ultrasonography findings were not specific in diagnosing lower risk group of fibrocystic change. But complementary study of both modalities in conjunction with clinical findings will be helpful in making decision among biopsy, fine needle aspiration, and simple close follow up of the lesions

Fibrocystic change in breast; mammographic and ultrasonographic findings in lower risk lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kook, Shin Ho; Jung, Kyung Jae; Noh, In Gye [Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

1996-01-01

We performed this study to define the characteristic mammographic and ultrasonographic findings in lower risk lesions of fibrocystic change and also tried to evaluate the role of both modalities in planning the treatment of these lesions. We retrospectively reviewed 38 cases of mammography and 46 cases of ultrasonography in biopsy proven 55 cases of fibrocystic change, histologically showing the nonproliferative pattern or proliferative pattern without atypia. We analyzed the mammographic and ultrasonographic findings, final assessments, and compared the effectiveness of each modality. On mammography, there were no abnormatlities in 20 cases(53%), nodules or masses in 9 cases(24%), microcalcifications in 6 cases(16%) and asymmetric density in 5 cases(14%). On ultrasonography, there were 40 cases(87%) of focal sonographic abnormality and no abnormality in 6 cases(13%). Most focal sonographic abnormalities were smooth(40 cases, 93%), well-defined(21 cases, 49%) or ill-defined(22 cases, 51%) round or oval(36 cases, 84%) shaped, homogeneous(31 cases, 67%), hypoechoic(30 cases, 65%) lesions. Final assessment revealed that only 7 cases(18%) of mammography and 8 cases(18%) of ultrasound examinations were included into the category of indeterminate and malignancy groups which were recommended biopsy. Mammography was excellent to demonstrate the microcalcifications and ultrasonography was effective in depiction of the focal lesions. The mammography and ultrasonography findings were not specific in diagnosing lower risk group of fibrocystic change. But complementary study of both modalities in conjunction with clinical findings will be helpful in making decision among biopsy, fine needle aspiration, and simple close follow up of the lesions.

Expression and cellular distribution of multidrug transporter proteins in two major causes of medically intractable epilepsy: Focal cortical dysplasia and glioneuronal tumors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aronica, E.; Gorter, J. A.; Jansen, G. H.; van Veelen, C. W. M.; van Rijen, P. C.; Leenstra, S.; Ramkema, M.; Scheffer, G. L.; Scheper, R. J.; Troost, D.

2003-01-01

The cell-specific distribution of multidrug resistance extrusion pumps was studied in developmental glioneuronal lesions, including focal cortical dysplasia (15 cases) and ganglioglioma (15 cases) from patients with medically intractable epilepsy. Lesional, perilesional, as well as normal brain

Antibody mediated albuminuria and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in Thy- 1.1 transgenic mice.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Smeets, B.

2006-01-01

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) is the hallmark of the glomerular lesion that is characteristically observed in failing kidneys. FSGS is one of the leading causes of renal insufficiency. In this thesis the Thy-1.1 transgenic mouse model was used as a model of FSGS. We particularly

Alport's syndrome with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis lesion - Pattern to recognize.

Science.gov (United States)

Alsahli, Afnan A; Alshahwan, Sara I; Alotaibi, Amal O; Alsaad, Khaled O; Aloudah, Nourah; Farooqui, Mahfooz; Al Sayyari, Abdullah A

2018-01-01

The association between Alport's syndrome (AS) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in the same patient is complex and rarely reported. We report a case of a 42-year-old male presenting with proteinuria, microscopic hematuria, elevated serum creatinine and hypertension with unremarkable physical examination apart from obesity. The renal biopsy showed well-established FSGS pattern of injury with mild interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy, while the electron microscopic examination demonstrated glomerular basement membranes (GBM) changes compatible with AS. AS can be complicated by segmental glomerular scarring, which can mimic primary FSGS, while familial FSGS can result from mutations in collagen IV network of the GBM. This overlap can complicate histopathological interpretation of renal biopsy, which should be accompanied by mutational analysis for accurate diagnosis and proper therapeutic intervention.

Comparison of magnetic resonance elastography and diffusion-weighted imaging for differentiating benign and malignant liver lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Hennedige, Tiffany P; Hallinan, James Thomas Patrick Decourcy; Leung, Fiona P; Teo, Lynette Li San; Iyer, Sridhar; Wang, Gang; Chang, Stephen; Madhavan, Krishna Kumar; Wee, Aileen; Venkatesh, Sudhakar K

2016-02-01

Comparison of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for differentiating malignant and benign focal liver lesions (FLLs). Seventy-nine subjects with 124 FLLs (44 benign and 80 malignant) underwent both MRE and DWI. MRE was performed with a modified gradient-echo sequence and DWI with a free breathing technique (b = 0.500). Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps and stiffness maps were generated. FLL mean stiffness and ADC values were obtained by placing regions of interest over the FLLs on stiffness and ADC maps. The accuracy of MRE and DWI for differentiation of benign and malignant FLL was compared using receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. There was a significant negative correlation between stiffness and ADC (r = -0.54, p 4.54kPa) and DWI (cut-off, benign and malignant FLLs. • MRE is superior to DWI for differentiating benign and malignant focal liver lesions. • Benign lesions with large fibrous components may have higher stiffness with MRE. • Cholangiocarcinomas tend to have higher stiffness than hepatocellular carcinomas. • Hepatocellular adenomas tend to have lower stiffness than focal nodular hyperplasia. • MRE is superior to conventional MRI in differentiating benign and malignant liver lesions.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of the 'intermediate form' of Fasciola and Fasciola gigantica, and their comparison with F. hepatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Guo-Hua; Gasser, Robin B; Young, Neil D; Song, Hui-Qun; Ai, Lin; Zhu, Xing-Quan

2014-03-31

Fascioliasis is an important and neglected disease of humans and other mammals, caused by trematodes of the genus Fasciola. Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica are valid species that infect humans and animals, but the specific status of Fasciola sp. ('intermediate form') is unclear. Single specimens inferred to represent Fasciola sp. ('intermediate form'; Heilongjiang) and F. gigantica (Guangxi) from China were genetically identified and characterized using PCR-based sequencing of the first and second internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of these representative specimens were then sequenced. The relationships of these specimens with selected members of the Trematoda were assessed by phylogenetic analysis of concatenated amino acid sequence datasets by Bayesian inference (BI). The complete mt genomes of representatives of Fasciola sp. and F. gigantica were 14,453 bp and 14,478 bp in size, respectively. Both mt genomes contain 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes, but lack an atp8 gene. All protein-coding genes are transcribed in the same direction, and the gene order in both mt genomes is the same as that published for F. hepatica. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated amino acid sequence data for all 12 protein-coding genes showed that the specimen of Fasciola sp. was more closely related to F. gigantica than to F. hepatica. The mt genomes characterized here provide a rich source of markers, which can be used in combination with nuclear markers and imaging techniques, for future comparative studies of the biology of Fasciola sp. from China and other countries.

Application of a coproantigen ELISA as an indicator of efficacy against multiple life stages of Fasciola hepatica infections in sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

George, S D; Vanhoff, K; Baker, K; Lake, L; Rolfe, P F; Seewald, W; Emery, D L

2017-11-15

At present diagnosis of true resistance and determination of drug efficacy in Fasciola hepatica infection rely solely on terminal experiments. The coproantigen ELISA (cELISA) has been reported previously as a sensitive and specific tool appropriate to detect treatment failure, and potentially drug resistance. Two studies were conducted to determine whether the cELISA was appropriate for on-farm efficacy and resistance testing in Australian Merino sheep. In Study 1 sheep were infected orally with 50 F. hepatica metacercariae on three occasions, twelve, six and two weeks prior to a single flukicide treatment with triclabendazole, closantel or albendazole. Sheep were sampled weekly for a further seven weeks prior to necropsy. Following effective treatment, no faecal antigen was detected from 1 week. When immature stages (≤6 weeks) survived treatment, coproantigen reappeared from 6 weeks post-treatment. Therefore, cELISA conducted 1-4 weeks after treatment will demonstrate obvious treatment failure against adult F. hepatica, but is not sufficiently sensitive to detect survival of immature fluke until these reach maturity. In study 2, fluke burdens of sheep necropsied 13 weeks post single infection were compared to fecal worm egg counts (FWEC) and cELISA at necropsy. Regression analysis demonstrated that cELISA correlated strongly with fluke burden, whilst FWEC correlated weakly with cELISA. The correlation between FWEC and fluke burden was also weak, although stronger than that of FWEC with cELISA. The cELISA is an appropriate tool for monitoring effectiveness of treatments against Fasciola hepatica if an adult infection is present, however when immature stages of the parasite are present it is not as reliable. Where immature parasites are present it is recommended that initial cELISA be followed with a secondary cELISA at least 6 weeks after treatment to ensure resistance to immature stages is detected. Further testing is justified for monitoring the effectiveness

Distribution of Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica in the endemic area of Guilan, Iran: Relationships between zonal overlap and phenotypic traits.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashrafi, Keyhan; Valero, M Adela; Peixoto, Raquel V; Artigas, Patricio; Panova, Miroslava; Mas-Coma, Santiago

2015-04-01

Fascioliasis is a zoonotic disease emerging in numerous parts of the world. In any endemic area, the characterisation of scenarios and patterns of infection must always be considered the starting point before implementing any control measure. Fascioliasis is a parasitic disease of different epidemiological, pathological and control characteristics depending on the endemic area and the causal agent, Fasciola hepatica and Fasciolagigantica. Classically it has been accepted that F. hepatica is present worldwide, while the distribution of the two species overlaps in many areas of Africa and Asia. Fascioliasis caused by F. hepatica, F. gigantica and intermediate forms is present in Guilan province, a complicated epidemiological situation where the highest human infection rates have been described in Iran. Morphometric tools were used to analyse the possible relationship between liver-fluke metric traits and geographical and altitudinal distribution. This is the first study in which a detailed distribution of both Fasciola species is analysed in a human fascioliasis endemic area with a zonal overlap transmission pattern. An accurate analysis was conducted to phenotypically discriminate between fasciolids from naturally infected livestock (cattle, buffaloes, sheep and goats). The distribution of the % F. hepatica-like (F.h.) and F. gigantica-like (F.g.) flukes detected in each liver versus altitude (m) in each group was analysed. The presence of F.g. specimens mainly in locations below sea level (average: 11.23% F.h., 88.77% F.g.), the presence of both species with similar intensity at 1-99m (average: 56.95% F.h., 43.05% F.g.) and the presence of F.h. specimens mainly from 100 to 999m (average: 71.69% F.h., 28.31% F.g.) as well as in locations with an altitude above 1000m (average: 97.48% F.h., 2.52% F.g.) are noteworthy. A significant positive correlation was obtained between altitude and % F.h., and a significant negative correlation was obtained between altitude and

Impairments in proverb interpretation following focal frontal lobe lesions☆

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Patrick; Shallice, Tim; Robinson, Gail; MacPherson, Sarah E.; Turner, Martha; Woollett, Katherine; Bozzali, Marco; Cipolotti, Lisa

2013-01-01

The proverb interpretation task (PIT) is often used in clinical settings to evaluate frontal “executive” dysfunction. However, only a relatively small number of studies have investigated the relationship between frontal lobe lesions and performance on the PIT. We compared 52 patients with unselected focal frontal lobe lesions with 52 closely matched healthy controls on a proverb interpretation task. Participants also completed a battery of neuropsychological tests, including a fluid intelligence task (Raven’s Advanced Progressive Matrices). Lesions were firstly analysed according to a standard left/right sub-division. Secondly, a finer-grained analysis compared the performance of patients with medial, left lateral and right lateral lesions with healthy controls. Thirdly, a contrast of specific frontal subgroups compared the performance of patients with medial lesions with patients with lateral frontal lesions. The results showed that patients with left frontal lesions were significantly impaired on the PIT, while in patients with right frontal lesions the impairments approached significance. Medial frontal patients were the only frontal subgroup impaired on the PIT, relative to healthy controls and lateral frontal patients. Interestingly, an error analysis indicated that a significantly higher number of concrete responses were found in the left lateral subgroup compared to healthy controls. We found no correlation between scores on the PIT and on the fluid intelligence task. Overall our results suggest that specific regions of the frontal lobes contribute to the performance on the PIT. PMID:23850600

Clinical significance of incidental focal "1"8F-FDG uptake in the spinal cord of patients with cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Chae Hong; Hyun, Seung Hyup; Moon, Seung Hwan; Cho, Young Seok; Choe, Yearn Seong; Lee, Kyung Han; Kim, Byung Tae; Choi, Joon Young

2017-01-01

We investigated the incidence, location, and clinical significance of focal "1"8F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord in patients with cancer. We reviewed the medical records of 22,937 consecutive adult patients with known or suspicious malignancy who underwent "1"8F-FDG PET/CT. PET/CT scans with incidental focal spinal cord uptake were selected and retrospectively reviewed to determine the presence, location, number, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_m_a_x) of any focal hypermetabolic lesions of the spinal cord. In subjects with focal spinal uptake, clinical characteristics and clinical follow-up results, including follow-up PET/CT, were reviewed. Incidental focal spinal cord uptake was observed in 69 of 22,937 adult patients (incidence = 0.3%; M:F = 31:38; age, 55.8 ± 14.7 years). Seventy-eight focal hypermetabolic lesions on spinal cord in the PET/CT scans of the 69 study subjects were analyzed. The most common sites of focal spinal cord uptake were the T12 vertebra (47/78; 60.3%) and L1 vertebra (20/78; 25.6%). Multifocal cord uptake was found in 8 of 69 patients (11.6%). The average SUVmax for cord uptake was 2.5 ± 0.5 (range, 1.4∼3.9). There was no clinical or imaging evidence of abnormalities in the spinal cord, both at the time of PET/CT and during clinical follow-up. Although incidental focal "1"8F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord is rare in patients with cancer, it may be physiological or benign, but it should not be considered as malignant involvement. Common sites for the uptake were in the T12 and L1 spine levels

Clinical significance of incidental focal {sup 18}F-FDG uptake in the spinal cord of patients with cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lim, Chae Hong; Hyun, Seung Hyup; Moon, Seung Hwan; Cho, Young Seok; Choe, Yearn Seong; Lee, Kyung Han; Kim, Byung Tae; Choi, Joon Young [Dept. of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical CenterSungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2017-09-15

We investigated the incidence, location, and clinical significance of focal {sup 18}F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord in patients with cancer. We reviewed the medical records of 22,937 consecutive adult patients with known or suspicious malignancy who underwent {sup 18}F-FDG PET/CT. PET/CT scans with incidental focal spinal cord uptake were selected and retrospectively reviewed to determine the presence, location, number, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) of any focal hypermetabolic lesions of the spinal cord. In subjects with focal spinal uptake, clinical characteristics and clinical follow-up results, including follow-up PET/CT, were reviewed. Incidental focal spinal cord uptake was observed in 69 of 22,937 adult patients (incidence = 0.3%; M:F = 31:38; age, 55.8 ± 14.7 years). Seventy-eight focal hypermetabolic lesions on spinal cord in the PET/CT scans of the 69 study subjects were analyzed. The most common sites of focal spinal cord uptake were the T12 vertebra (47/78; 60.3%) and L1 vertebra (20/78; 25.6%). Multifocal cord uptake was found in 8 of 69 patients (11.6%). The average SUVmax for cord uptake was 2.5 ± 0.5 (range, 1.4∼3.9). There was no clinical or imaging evidence of abnormalities in the spinal cord, both at the time of PET/CT and during clinical follow-up. Although incidental focal {sup 18}F-FDG uptake of the spinal cord is rare in patients with cancer, it may be physiological or benign, but it should not be considered as malignant involvement. Common sites for the uptake were in the T12 and L1 spine levels.

18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scans as diagnostic tools in focal congenital hyperinsulinism. A blinded evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dahl Christiansen, Charlotte; Helleskov Rasmussen, Annett; Petersen, Henrik; Lerberg Nielsen, Anne; Detlefsen, Soenke; Brusgaard, Klaus; Rasmussen, Lars; Hovendal, Claus; Melikyan, Maria; Ekstroem, Klas; Globa, Evgenia; Christesen, Henrik Thybo

2018-01-01

Focal congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is curable by surgery, which is why identification of the focal lesion is crucial. We aimed to determine the use of 18F-fluoro-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET/CT vs. 68Ga-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic-acid-1-Nal3 -octreotide (68Ga-DOTANOC) PET/CT as diagnostic tools in focal CHI. PET/CT scans of children with CHI admitted to Odense University Hospital between August 2005 and June 2016 were retrospectively evaluated visually and by their maximal standardized uptake values (SUV max ) by two independent examiners, blinded for clinical, surgical and pathological data. Pancreatic histology was used as the gold standard. For patients without surgery, the genetic profile served as the gold standard. Fifty-five CHI patients were examined by PET/CT (18F-DOPA n = 53, 68Ga-DOTANOC n = 18). Surgery was performed in 34 patients, no surgery in 21 patients. Fifty-one patients had a classifiable outcome, either by histology (n = 33, 22 focal lesions, 11 non-focal) or by genetics (n = 18, all non-focal). The predictive performance of 18F-DOPA PET/CT to identify focal CHI was identical by visual- and cut-off-based evaluation: sensitivity (95% CI) of 1 (0.85-1); specificity of 0.96 (0.82-0.99). The optimal 18F-DOPA PET SUV max ratio cut-off was 1.44 and the optimal 68Ga-DOTANOC PET SUV max cut-off was 6.77 g/ml. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.98 (0.93-1) for 18F-DOPA PET vs. 0.71 (0.43-0.95) for 68Ga-DOTANOC PET (p < 0.03). In patients subjected to surgery, localization of the focal lesion was correct in 91%, and 100%, by 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT, respectively. 18F-DOPA PET/CT was excellent in predicting focal CHI and superior compared to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Further use of 68GA-DOTANOC PET/CT in predicting focal CHI is discouraged. (orig.)

18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scans as diagnostic tools in focal congenital hyperinsulinism. A blinded evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dahl Christiansen, Charlotte; Helleskov Rasmussen, Annett [Hans Christian Andersen Children' s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense (Denmark); University of Southern Denmark, Department of Clinical Research, Odense (Denmark); Petersen, Henrik; Lerberg Nielsen, Anne [Odense University Hospital, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense (Denmark); Detlefsen, Soenke [University of Southern Denmark, Department of Clinical Research, Odense (Denmark); Odense University Hospital, Department of Pathology, Odense (Denmark); Brusgaard, Klaus [Odense University Hospital, Department of Clinical Genetics, Odense (Denmark); Rasmussen, Lars; Hovendal, Claus [Odense University Hospital, Department of Abdominal Surgery, Odense (Denmark); Melikyan, Maria [Endocrine Research Centre, Moscow (Russian Federation); Ekstroem, Klas [Karolinska Hospital, Astrid Lindgren Children' s Hospital, Stockholm (Sweden); Globa, Evgenia [MOH of Ukraine, Ukrainian Center of Endocrine Surgery, Endocrine Organs and Tissue Transplantation, Kyiv (Ukraine); Christesen, Henrik Thybo [Hans Christian Andersen Children' s Hospital, Odense University Hospital, Odense (Denmark); University of Southern Denmark, Department of Clinical Research, Odense (Denmark); Odense University Hospital, Odense Pancreas Center (OPAC), Odense (Denmark); Odense University Hospital, Department of Paediatrics, Odense C (Denmark)

2018-02-15

Focal congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is curable by surgery, which is why identification of the focal lesion is crucial. We aimed to determine the use of 18F-fluoro-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET/CT vs. 68Ga-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic-acid-1-Nal3 -octreotide (68Ga-DOTANOC) PET/CT as diagnostic tools in focal CHI. PET/CT scans of children with CHI admitted to Odense University Hospital between August 2005 and June 2016 were retrospectively evaluated visually and by their maximal standardized uptake values (SUV{sub max}) by two independent examiners, blinded for clinical, surgical and pathological data. Pancreatic histology was used as the gold standard. For patients without surgery, the genetic profile served as the gold standard. Fifty-five CHI patients were examined by PET/CT (18F-DOPA n = 53, 68Ga-DOTANOC n = 18). Surgery was performed in 34 patients, no surgery in 21 patients. Fifty-one patients had a classifiable outcome, either by histology (n = 33, 22 focal lesions, 11 non-focal) or by genetics (n = 18, all non-focal). The predictive performance of 18F-DOPA PET/CT to identify focal CHI was identical by visual- and cut-off-based evaluation: sensitivity (95% CI) of 1 (0.85-1); specificity of 0.96 (0.82-0.99). The optimal 18F-DOPA PET SUV{sub max} ratio cut-off was 1.44 and the optimal 68Ga-DOTANOC PET SUV{sub max} cut-off was 6.77 g/ml. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.98 (0.93-1) for 18F-DOPA PET vs. 0.71 (0.43-0.95) for 68Ga-DOTANOC PET (p < 0.03). In patients subjected to surgery, localization of the focal lesion was correct in 91%, and 100%, by 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT, respectively. 18F-DOPA PET/CT was excellent in predicting focal CHI and superior compared to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Further use of 68GA-DOTANOC PET/CT in predicting focal CHI is discouraged. (orig.)

Fascioliasis coledociana por Fasciola hepatica en cirugía de colecistitis crónica calculosa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María Beltrán-Fabián

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Se reporta un caso de Fasciola hepatica en una mujer de 50 años de edad, natural de Huaral, procedente de un asentamiento humano del distrito de Ate en Lima, con un tiempo de enfermedad de siete días caracterizado al inicio por dolor abdominal tipo cólico de curso progresivo en el epigastrio, dolor que se irradia a hipocondrio derecho. Luego presentó luego náuseas y vómitos en cuatro oportunidades, de contenido alimenticio y bilioso, por lo que se decide su hospitalización previa atención por emergencia. Al examen físico se encontró conjuntivas oculares levemente ictéricas, abdomen balonado, blando, depresible, no visceromegalia, Murphy positivo, ruidos hidroaéreos presentes, tórax y pulmones sin alteraciones. Posteriormente a los exámenes auxiliares, se diagnosticó colecistitis calculosa aguda y fascioliasis coledociana. En el acto quirúrgico se extrajo tres especímenes identificados como Fasciola hepatica. La paciente después de recibir el triclabendazol, concurrió al Hospital para la evaluación y control, habiendo logrado mejoría y bienestar.

Notes on the Plagiochilaceae, IX. A Review of the Genus Plagiochila (Dum.) Dum. (Hepaticae) in the Galapagos Islands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Inoue, Hiroshi; Gradstein, S. Rob

1980-01-01

El género Plagiochila (hepatica) esta representada en las Islas Galapagos por ocho (8) especies diferentes: P. bursata (Desv.) Lindenbg., P. galapagona Inoue, P gradsteinii Inoue, P. guilleminiana Mont., P. inouei Grolle, P. scabrifolia Inoue, P. spinifera Ångstr. y P. subplana Lindenbg. El

Confluent focal nodular hyperplasia mimicking liver cancer: Value of liver-specific contrast-enhanced MRI for diagnosis

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Yu-Chi Cheng

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Focal nodular hyperplasia is the second most common benign hepatic tumor. Unlike adenoma as well as the malignant neoplasms, focal nodular hyperplasia can often be managed successfully without surgery. Use of liver-specific contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging allows clinicians to confirm the diagnosis noninvasively in some patients, allowing select patients to avoid surgery. We report a case of a patient who presented with the rare profile of multiple, confluent lesions that were diagnosed, using magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium-dimeglumine, as focal nodular hyperplasia. This complicated case was managed successfully and noninvasively based on algorithm found in the recent literature that allows patients to avoid unnecessary surgery.

Collapsing variant of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in children = Variante colapsante de la glomeruloesclerosis focal y segmentaria en niños

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Jonh Fredy Nieto Ríos

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS collapsing variant refers to a renal lesion that may be idiopathic or associated to some factors, characterized by glomerular collapse leading to cortico-resistant nephrotic syndrome and chronic progressive renal failure. This glomerulopathy has been scarcely studied in children, but in this age group most cases are idiopathic. In this paper we present a report of 6 cases of collapsing variant of FSGS in children no associated to HIV, which were resistant to immunosuppressive management and with a high mortality

Cause of focal uptake in the cervical vertebral column in routine bone scintigraphy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buell, U.; Winkler, U.

1983-09-01

Focal uptake was seen in the cervical vertebral column of 61 patients in the course of routine bone scintigraphy. These focal increases were subjected to close analysis. In 60 of these patients (98.4%) degenerative lesions became manifest as the cause of the scintigraphic finding already by the bone scintigraphy pattern (paravertebral localisation in the posterior and dorsal localisation in the lateral. Two typical examples of metastatic changes are presented to facilitate differentiation. The bone scintigraphic pattern in arthrosis of the intervertebral joint is so typical that X-ray control examinations to confirm the diagnosis can be omitted in many cases.

Lesions induced in rodent pancreas by azaserine and other pancreatic carcinogens

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Longnecker, D.S.

1984-06-01

Focal proliferative changes in the acinar cells of the pancreas of rats have been induced by several systemically administered carcinogens including azaserine, N-nitrosobis(2-oxopropyl)amine, N-nitroso(2-hydroxypropyl) (2-oxopropyl)amine, and Ndelta-(N-methyl-N-nitrosocarbamoyl)-L-ornithine (MNCO). Foci, nodules, and adenomas induced by these carcinogens are usually made up of atypical-appearing acinar cells that maintain a high degree of differentiation, but a minority of these lesions exhibit anaplastic cellular changes that suggest the development of malignant potential. Such anaplasia may occupy the whole of smaller lesions or may occur as a secondary focal change within larger nodules or adenomas. Many foci and nodules per pancreas have been induced by single or multiple exposures to these known genotoxic carcinogens, but relatively few of them develop into carcinomas. Azaserine and MNCO have induced acinar cell carcinomas in rats. Those induced by azaserine have exhibited a broad spectrum of histologic variants, including ductlike, cystic and undifferentiated patterns. Higher doses of MNCO have induced a second pattern of change in the pancreatic lobules of rats, which includes cystic and tubular ductlike structures that have been called cystic and tubular ductal complexes. MNCO has also induced focal acinar cell lesions, cystic and tubular ductal complexes, and adenocarcinomas in the pancreas of Syrian golden hamsters. In this species, ductal complexes are much more numerous than are proliferative lesions of acinar cells, and the histologic appearance of the carcinomas is ductlike. Hyperplasia and atypical changes were also seen in the epithelium of the intralobular ducts of hamsters. 20 references, 5 figures, 1 table.

MRI findings of multiple focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Xin; Yu Qingtai; Jing Yu; Wang Haiyi; Pan Jingjing; Duan Weidong; Wang Dianjun; Ye Huiyi

2010-01-01

Objective: To assess the diagnostic value of MRI on multiple focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver. Methods: MR images of 9 cases with pathological-confirmed multiple FNH were retrospectively analyzed. MRI features of the lesions were correlated with pathological findings. Results: Multiple FNH was considered in all these 9 cases. Among them, the primary diagnosis was FNH in 5, hepatic adenoma in 3 and fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma in 1 case. A total of 31 lesions were detected in the 9 cases. On T 2 WI, 19 lesions presented slightly high-signal intensity, and the other 12 presented iso-signal intensity. On T 1 WI, 12 lesions presented slightly low-signal intensity, 7 presented iso-signal intensity, and the other 12 presented high-signal intensity. On opposed-phase, the signal intensity of 1 lesion dropped unevenly. After bolus injection of contrast agent Gd-DTPA, in hepatic arterial phase 18 lesions showed mild to marked heterogeneous enhancement, 11 showed marked homogeneous enhancement, 1 showed moderate ring-like enhancement, and the last one did not have obvious enhancement. In portal venous and delayed phase, all the lesions turned to iso- or slightly high-signal intensity gradually. Sixteen of 31 lesions presented central scar, which demonstrated mild star-like enhancement in delayed phase. Conclusion: Multiple FNH presented certain MRI features, which contributed to the preoperative diagnosis. (authors)

Sonographic Findings of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Associated Nodular Lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Bong Joo; Park, Young Ha; Jung, So Lyung; Chung, Soo Kyo

2007-01-01

To evaluate the sonographic findings of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and associated nodular lesions. We retrospectively reviewed the sonographic findings of twenty patients who had surgically confirmed Hashimoto's thyroiditis between 1 March 2005, and 26 November 2005. In these patients, we reviewed the sonographic findings of the associated focal nodular lesion. Assessed were size, homogeneity, and echogenicity of the diseased thyroid gland and shape, echogenicity, margin, rim, microcal cification of the associated nodules. Without knowledge of the pathological diagnosis of the nodular lesions, based on the sonographic criteria, the nodules were classified as either malignant or benign. Hashimoto's thyroiditis demonstrates a variety of sonographic findings for size, homogeneity, and echogenicity. Among the nineteen nodules that were sonographically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed, nine papillary cancers, seven nodular hyperplasias, two Huthle cell adenomas, and one focal hyalinized fibrosing nodule were included. All of the nine papillary cancers showed more than one malignant finding such as marked hypoechogenicity, an irregular shape, a taller than wide shape, a spiculated margin, or microcalcifications that were classified as malignant nodulea, and all of the ten benign nodules showed no malignant findings. Circumscribed isoechoic, hyperechoic, or hypoechoic nodules without calcification were classified as bending nodules. Hashimoto's thyroiditis demonstrates various findings on a sonographic examination,and associated various benign and malignant lesions. Moreover, a sonographic examination is helpful to differentiate between malignant and benign lesions in Hashimoto's thyroiditis as in the normal thyroid

Focal epithelial hyperplasia in a human immuno-deficiency virus patient treated with laser surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Galanakis, Alexandros; Palaia, Gaspare; Tenore, Gianluca; Vecchio, Alessandro Del; Romeo, Umberto

2014-07-16

Focal epithelial hyperplasia (FEH), or Heck's disease, is a rare disease of the oral mucosa; it is mostly found in children or young adults who are immunosuppressed and who live in regions with low socioeconomic status. It is characterized by asymptomatic papules on the oral mucosa, gingiva, tongue, and lips. Healing can be spontaneous, and treatment is indicated if there are aesthetic or functional complications. Human papillomavirus, especially genotypes 13 and 32, has been associated with FEH and is detected in the majority of lesions. Histopathologically, FEH is characterized by parakeratosis, epithelial hyperplasia, focal acanthosis, and fusion and horizontal outgrowth of epithelial ridges. A 37-year-old male patient was referred to the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Sciences at the Sapienza University of Rome, complaining of numerous exophytic lesions in his mouth. He stated that the lesions were not painful but he had experienced occasional bleeding after incidental masticatory trauma. He had received no previous treatment for the oral lesions. His medical history revealed that he was human immuno-deficiency virus positive and was a smoker with numerous, asymptomatic oral papules clinically and histologically corresponding to FEH. The labial and buccal mucosa were especially affected by lesions. Surgical treatment was performed using a 532-nm potassium titanyl phosphate laser (SmartLite, Deka, Florence, Italy) in continuous mode with a 300 μm fiber and power of 1.4 W (power density 1980.22 W/cm(2)). After anesthesia without vasoconstrictors, the lesions were tractioned with sutures or an Allis clamp and then completely excised. The lesions were preserved in 10% formalin for histological examination, which confirmed the clinical diagnosis of FEH. In this case, the laser allowed excellent control of bleeding, without postoperative sutures, and optimal wound healing.

Towards assessing fine-scale indicators for the spatial transmission risk of Fasciola hepatica in cattle

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Johannes Charlier

2011-05-01

Full Text Available In order to improve the spatial resolution of current risk maps for fasciolosis in cattle, more knowledge is needed with respect to farm-level factors that determine infection risk. In this study, we visited 39 dairy farms within a predefined low- and high-risk area for fasciolosis in Belgium and assessed their infection status by an indirect bulk tank milk enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. Management factors were collected and all pastured lands of the farms were visited to identify and georeference potential snail habitats. The habitats were visually characterised, investigated for the presence of the intermediate host snails of Fasciola hepatica (i.e.Galba truncatula and Radix spp. and used in a geographical information system (GIS to construct overlays including information on soil and hydrology. A linear regression model was used to evaluate associations between bulk tank milk ELISA results and farm level management and habitat factors. A logistic, mixed model was used to identify possible risk factors for the presence of intermediate host snails on a potential habitat. Potential snail habitats were found in 35 out of 39 farms. A total of 87 potential habitats were identified and on 29% of these, intermediate host snails were found. The number of potential habitats, the presence of snails, drainage of pastures, month of turnout of the cows, stocking rate, type of watering place and risk area were significantly associated with the bulk tank milk ELISA result and explained 85% of the observed variation. Intermediate host snails were more likely to be present with increasing surface of the potential habitat and on loamy soils. This study confirms the importance of farm management factors in the infection risk for F. hepatica in cattle and highlights that the combination of management factors with characterization of snail habitats is a powerful means to predict the infection risk with F. hepatica at the individual farm level. Further

Hybrid Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography/Computed Tomography Sulphur Colloid Scintigraphy in Focal Nodular Hyperplasia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhoil, Amit; Gayana, Shankramurthy; Sood, Ashwani; Bhattacharya, Anish; Mittal, Bhagwant Rai

2013-01-01

It is important to differentiate focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), a benign condition of liver most commonly affecting women, from other neoplasm such as hepatic adenoma and metastasis. The functional reticuloendothelial features of FNH can be demonstrated by scintigraphy. We present a case of breast cancer in whom fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computerized tomography (CT) showed a homogenous hyperdense lesion in liver, which on Tc99m sulfur colloid single-photon emission computed tomography/CT was found to have increased focal tracer uptake suggestive of FNH

Development and validation of a meat juice ELISA for the diagnosis of Fasciola hepatica in cattle in Cuba

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Amilcar Arenal

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Objective: To establish and validate a home-made ELISA for determination of antibodies against excretory-secretory proteins of Fasciola hepatica in bovine meat juice samples. Methods: The validity criteria of the assay were defined based on standards of ISO. The following parameters were evaluated: excretion/secretion antigen concentrations for coating, anti-bovine immunoglobulin G dilution, linearity, accuracy and precision. Results: The assay was validated on 126 meat juice samples with known infection status. Using the receiver operating characteristic (n = 126 the optimal cut-off for the ELISA assay was 0.78, above this value the probability for an animal to have fasciolosis was 11 times. And the specificity and sensitivity were 100% and 90.91% respectively. The repeatability of the intra- and inter-assay tests had coefficients of variation lower than 10% and 20% respectively. Conclusions: The ELISA is a suitable test for further use in studies towards the epidemiology of Fasciola hepatica in Cuba.

Hiperceratose focal acral associada à hipocromia de dermatóglifos Focal acral hyperkeratosis with hypochromic dermatoglyphics

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Roberto Rheingantz da Cunha Filho

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Hiperceratose focal acral é dermatose rara caracterizada por pápulas ceratóticas acrais que afetam preferencialmente as superfícies marginais das mãos e dos pés, pertencendo ao grupo das hiperceratoses marginais. Apresentamos variante inédita de mulher de 45 anos de idade, branca, dona-de-casa, sem história familiar, com lesões ceratóticas papulosas localizadas nos pés e hipocromia de dermatóglifos na região afetada. Histologicamente apresentou hiperortoceratose, desnível da epiderme (degrau, acantose e hipergranulose. Os tratamentos com ceratolíticos tópicos foram ineficientes, de forma semelhante aos casos descritos na literatura atual.Focal acral hyperkeratosis is a rare condition, characterized by acral keratotic papules that preferably affect hand and foot surfaces, and are included in the spectrum of marginal papular keratodermas. We report an unpublished variant of this condition, the case of a 45-year-old Caucasian woman with acral keratotic papular lesions and hypochromic dermatoglyphics in the feet. Histological examination revealed orthohyperkeratosis, depression of the epidermis, acanthosis and hypergranulosis. Topical treatments with keratolytics were ineffective, similarly to previously described cases.

Evaluation of various hepatic lesions with PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Chul Ju

2000-12-01

When a liver lesion is found in a PET image, differential diagnosis and analysis of the lesion is very important. We tried to analyze hepatic lesions found in PET. 53 patients with focal liver lesions (13 patients with HCC, 8 patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CC), 20 patients with liver metastasis, 5 patients with hemangioma, 7 patients with liver abscess, including 1 patient with liver candidiasis) were examined. Definitely high FDG uptake pattern were observed in 54% (7/13) of HCC, 100% (8/8) of CC, 95% (19/20) of metastatic liver cancer and 100% (7/7) of liver abscess. Therefore, PET was partially useful in the diagnosis of HCC, but it was very useful in the diagnosis of CC or liver metastasis or liver abscess. The contrast between lesions and surrounding liver background was very conspicuous in PET images of CC or liver metastasis or liver abscess, which suggests that PET might be used for the follow up and assessment of treatment response of these diseases

Evaluation of various hepatic lesions with PET

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Han, Chul Ju

2000-12-01

When a liver lesion is found in a PET image, differential diagnosis and analysis of the lesion is very important. We tried to analyze hepatic lesions found in PET. 53 patients with focal liver lesions (13 patients with HCC, 8 patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CC), 20 patients with liver metastasis, 5 patients with hemangioma, 7 patients with liver abscess, including 1 patient with liver candidiasis) were examined. Definitely high FDG uptake pattern were observed in 54% (7/13) of HCC, 100% (8/8) of CC, 95% (19/20) of metastatic liver cancer and 100% (7/7) of liver abscess. Therefore, PET was partially useful in the diagnosis of HCC, but it was very useful in the diagnosis of CC or liver metastasis or liver abscess. The contrast between lesions and surrounding liver background was very conspicuous in PET images of CC or liver metastasis or liver abscess, which suggests that PET might be used for the follow up and assessment of treatment response of these diseases.

The diterpenoid 7-keto-sempervirol, derived from Lycium chinense, displays anthelmintic activity against both Schistosoma mansoni and Fasciola hepatica.

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Jennifer Edwards

2015-03-01

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Two platyhelminths of biomedical and commercial significance are Schistosoma mansoni (blood fluke and Fasciola hepatica (liver fluke. These related trematodes are responsible for the chronic neglected tropical diseases schistosomiasis and fascioliasis, respectively. As no vaccine is currently available for anti-flukicidal immunoprophylaxis, current treatment is mediated by mono-chemical chemotherapy in the form of mass drug administration (MDA (praziquantel for schistosomiasis or drenching (triclabendazole for fascioliasis programmes. This overreliance on single chemotherapeutic classes has dramatically limited the number of novel chemical entities entering anthelmintic drug discovery pipelines, raising significant concerns for the future of sustainable blood and liver fluke control. METHODOLOGY/ PRINCIPLE FINDINGS: Here we demonstrate that 7-keto-sempervirol, a diterpenoid isolated from Lycium chinense, has dual anthelmintic activity against related S. mansoni and F. hepatica trematodes. Using a microtiter plate-based helminth fluorescent bioassay (HFB, this activity is specific (Therapeutic index = 4.2, when compared to HepG2 cell lines and moderately potent (LD50 = 19.1 μM against S. mansoni schistosomula cultured in vitro. This anti-schistosomula effect translates into activity against both adult male and female schistosomes cultured in vitro where 7-keto-sempervirol negatively affects motility/behaviour, surface architecture (inducing tegumental holes, tubercle swelling and spine loss/shortening, oviposition rates and egg morphology. As assessed by the HFB and microscopic phenotypic scoring matrices, 7-keto-sempervirol also effectively kills in vitro cultured F. hepatica newly excysted juveniles (NEJs, LD50 = 17.7 μM. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM evaluation of adult F. hepatica liver flukes co-cultured in vitro with 7-keto-sempervirol additionally demonstrates phenotypic abnormalities including breaches in tegumental

An automatic respiratory gating method for the improvement of microcirculation evaluation: application to contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies of focal liver lesions

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Mule, S; Kachenoura, N; Lucidarme, O; De Oliveira, A; Pellot-Barakat, C; Herment, A; Frouin, F, E-mail: Sebastien.Mule@gmail.com [INSERM UMR-S 678, 75634 Paris Cedex 13 (France)

2011-08-21

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), with the recent development of both contrast-specific imaging modalities and microbubble-based contrast agents, allows noninvasive quantification of microcirculation in vivo. Nevertheless, functional parameters obtained by modeling contrast uptake kinetics could be impaired by respiratory motion. Accordingly, we developed an automatic respiratory gating method and tested it on 35 CEUS hepatic datasets with focal lesions. Each dataset included fundamental mode and cadence contrast pulse sequencing (CPS) mode sequences acquired simultaneously. The developed method consisted in (1) the estimation of the respiratory kinetics as a linear combination of the first components provided by a principal components analysis constrained by a prior knowledge on the respiratory rate in the frequency domain, (2) the automated generation of two respiratory-gated subsequences from the CPS mode sequence by detecting end-of-inspiration and end-of-expiration phases from the respiratory kinetics. The fundamental mode enabled a more reliable estimation of the respiratory kinetics than the CPS mode. The k-means algorithm was applied on both the original CPS mode sequences and the respiratory-gated subsequences resulting in clustering maps and associated mean kinetics. Our respiratory gating process allowed better superimposition of manually drawn lesion contours on k-means clustering maps as well as substantial improvement of the quality of contrast uptake kinetics. While the quality of maps and kinetics was satisfactory in only 11/35 datasets before gating, it was satisfactory in 34/35 datasets after gating. Moreover, noise amplitude estimated within the delineated lesions was reduced from 62 {+-} 21 to 40 {+-} 10 (p < 0.01) after gating. These findings were supported by the low residual horizontal (0.44 {+-} 0.29 mm) and vertical (0.15 {+-} 0.16 mm) shifts found during manual motion correction of each respiratory-gated subsequence. The developed

Evaluation of the various hepatic lesions with PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han, Chul Ju

1999-12-01

When a liver lesion is found in a PET image, differential diagnosis and analysis of the lesion is very important. We tried to analyze hepatic lesions found in PET. 27 patients with focal liver lesions (6 patients with HCC, 5 patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CC), 9 patients with liver metastasis, 2 patients with hemangioma, 3 patients with liver abscess, and 1 patient with liver candidiasis) were examined. The concordance rates between CT and PET images were 57 % (4/7) for HCC, 83 % (5/6) for CC, 89% (8/9) for metastatic liver cancer, 100 % (6/6) for benign liver lesions. Therefore, PET was partially useful in the diagnosis of HCC, but it was very useful in the diagnosis of CC of liver metastasis. The contrast between lesions and surrounding liver background was very conspicuous in PET images of CC or liver metastasis, which suggests that PET might be used for the follow up and assessment of treatment response of these disease

Evaluation of the various hepatic lesions with PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Chul Ju

1999-12-01

When a liver lesion is found in a PET image, differential diagnosis and analysis of the lesion is very important. We tried to analyze hepatic lesions found in PET. 27 patients with focal liver lesions (6 patients with HCC, 5 patients with cholangiocarcinoma (CC), 9 patients with liver metastasis, 2 patients with hemangioma, 3 patients with liver abscess, and 1 patient with liver candidiasis) were examined. The concordance rates between CT and PET images were 57 % (4/7) for HCC, 83 % (5/6) for CC, 89% (8/9) for metastatic liver cancer, 100 % (6/6) for benign liver lesions. Therefore, PET was partially useful in the diagnosis of HCC, but it was very useful in the diagnosis of CC of liver metastasis. The contrast between lesions and surrounding liver background was very conspicuous in PET images of CC or liver metastasis, which suggests that PET might be used for the follow up and assessment of treatment response of these disease.

Housing conditions influence motor functions and exploratory behavior following focal damage of the rat brain.

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Gornicka-Pawlak, Elzbieta; Jabłońska, Anna; Chyliński, Andrzej; Domańska-Janik, Krystyna

2009-01-01

The present study investigated influence of housing conditions on motor functions recovery and exploratory behavior following ouabain focal brain lesion in the rat. During 30 days post-surgery period rats were housed individually in standard cages (IS) or in groups in enriched environment (EE) and behaviorally tested. The EE lesioned rats showed enhanced recovery from motor impairments in walking beam task, comparing with IS animals. Contrarily, in the open field IS rats (both lesioned and control) traveled a longer distance, showed less habituation and spent less time resting at the home base than the EE animals. Unlike the EE lesioned animals, the lesioned IS rats, presented a tendency to hyperactivity in postinjury period. Turning tendency was significantly affected by unilateral brain lesion only in the EE rats. We can conclude that housing conditions distinctly affected the rat's behavior in classical laboratory tests.

DNA sequence analyses reveal co-occurrence of novel haplotypes of Fasciola gigantica with F. hepatica in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

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Mucheka, Vimbai T; Lamb, Jennifer M; Pfukenyi, Davies M; Mukaratirwa, Samson

2015-11-30

The aim of this study was to identify and determine the genetic diversity of Fasciola species in cattle from Zimbabwe, the KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga provinces of South Africa and selected wildlife hosts from Zimbabwe. This was based on analysis of DNA sequences of the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS1 and 2) and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) regions. The sample of 120 flukes was collected from livers of 57 cattle at 4 abattoirs in Zimbabwe and 47 cattle at 6 abattoirs in South Africa; it also included three alcohol-preserved duiker, antelope and eland samples from Zimbabwe. Aligned sequences (ITS 506 base pairs and CO1 381 base pairs) were analyzed by neighbour-joining, maximum parsimony and Bayesian inference methods. Phylogenetic trees revealed the presence of Fasciola gigantica in cattle from Zimbabwe and F. gigantica and Fasciola hepatica in the samples from South Africa. F. hepatica was more prevalent (64%) in South Africa than F. gigantica. In Zimbabwe, F. gigantica was present in 99% of the samples; F. hepatica was found in only one cattle sample, an antelope (Hippotragus niger) and a duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia). This is the first molecular confirmation of the identity Fasciola species in Zimbabwe and South Africa. Knowledge on the identity and distribution of these liver flukes at molecular level will allow disease surveillance and control in the studied areas. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-resolving focal non-ossifying myositis: a poorly known clinical and imaging entity diagnosed with MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perlepe, Vasiliki; Dallaudière, Benjamin; Omoumi, Patrick; Hristova, Lora; Rezzazadeh, Afshin; Vande Berg, Bruno; Malghem, Jacques; Lecouvet, Frederic

2015-01-01

Focal myositis is a rare benign inflammatory pseudotumor, presenting as a painful nodular mass within a muscle, and characterized by spontaneous resolution within weeks. To assess the clinical and imaging findings of focal nodular myositis simulating a neoplasm at clinical examination, with no history of trauma. This study describes the locations and appearance at ultrasonography (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of this condition in a series of five patients. MRI and US displayed a solid intramuscular “tumor” and suggested a continuum between the proximal and distal muscle fibers that appeared thickened within the nodular lesion, a sign that has been reported in myositis ossificans. MRI showed edema in adjacent muscles and soft tissues, as well as intense enhancement of the mass. Intense vascular flows were seen at Doppler analysis. CT did not reveal the appearance of peripheral ossifications, ruling out the diagnosis of myositis ossificans. In some patients, the diagnosis of sarcoma had been suggested as possible by the radiologist. Imaging follow-up with MRI showed complete resolution of the masses over several weeks, thus avoiding a biopsy; no recurrence was observed at long-term follow-up (more than 24 months). This paper highlights MRI and US findings in focal non-ossifying myositis, and emphasizes the role of MRI in suggesting this diagnosis, leading to the careful follow-up of the lesion until its resolution, and ruling out more aggressive lesions

Coproantígenos de Fasciola hepatica de posible utilidad en el diagnóstico de la fascioliasis

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Ana M. Espino

2000-04-01

Full Text Available En el presente estudio se describen cuáles son los antígenos de Fasciola hepatica que están presentes en las heces de pacientes con fascioliasis crónica y de ratas infectadas experimentalmente con metacercarias de F. hepatica. Mediante el empleo de la técnica de inmunoelectrotransferencia (Western blot con un suero hiperinmune obtenido frente a antígenos de excreción/secreción de adultos de F. hepatica, se pudo demostrar que en las heces de los pacientes se encuentran antígenos de posible interés para el diagnóstico con masas moleculares de 14, 19, 20, 23, 25, 32, 46, 51 y 62 kilodaltons (kDa. Además, se comprobó que algunos de estos péptidos (los de 14, 20, 23 y 51 kDa son reconocidos también por la mayoría de los sueros de pacientes crónicos. Después de purificar por cromatografía de afinidad los antígenos presentes en heces de ratas con 6 a 12 semanas de infección, empleando para ello el anticuerpo monoclonal ES78 acoplado a Sepharosa 4B-CNBr, se identificaron seis polipéptidos de 11, 14, 26, 32, 47 y 51 kDa; otros tres polipéptidos, de 17, 24 y 66 kDa, solo se pudieron identificar en heces de ratas con 10 a 12 semanas de infección. Nuestros resultados sugieren que estos polipéptidos pueden ser antígenos comunes a ambos estadios parasitarios y constituir importantes marcadores de la fascioliasis aguda y crónica, en particular los de 14, 24, 26 y 51 kDa, puesto que reaccionaron con el inmunosuero, los sueros humanos y el anticuerpo monoclonal ES78.

Fasciola hepatica Surface Coat Glycoproteins Contain Mannosylated and Phosphorylated N-glycans and Exhibit Immune Modulatory Properties Independent of the Mannose Receptor.

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Alessandra Ravidà

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Fascioliasis, caused by the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica, is a neglected tropical disease infecting over 1 million individuals annually with 17 million people at risk of infection. Like other helminths, F. hepatica employs mechanisms of immune suppression in order to evade its host immune system. In this study the N-glycosylation of F. hepatica's tegumental coat (FhTeg and its carbohydrate-dependent interactions with bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs were investigated. Mass spectrometric analysis demonstrated that FhTeg N-glycans comprised mainly of oligomannose and to a lesser extent truncated and complex type glycans, including a phosphorylated subset. The interaction of FhTeg with the mannose receptor (MR was investigated. Binding of FhTeg to MR-transfected CHO cells and BMDCs was blocked when pre-incubated with mannan. We further elucidated the role played by MR in the immunomodulatory mechanism of FhTeg and demonstrated that while FhTeg's binding was significantly reduced in BMDCs generated from MR knockout mice, the absence of MR did not alter FhTeg's ability to induce SOCS3 or suppress cytokine secretion from LPS activated BMDCs. A panel of negatively charged monosaccharides (i.e. GlcNAc-4P, Man-6P and GalNAc-4S were used in an attempt to inhibit the immunoregulatory properties of phosphorylated oligosaccharides. Notably, GalNAc-4S, a known inhibitor of the Cys-domain of MR, efficiently suppressed FhTeg binding to BMDCs and inhibited the expression of suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS 3, a negative regulator the TLR and STAT3 pathway. We conclude that F. hepatica contains high levels of mannose residues and phosphorylated glycoproteins that are crucial in modulating its host's immune system, however the role played by MR appears to be limited to the initial binding event suggesting that other C-type lectin receptors are involved in the immunomodulatory mechanism of FhTeg.

Pathogenesis of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

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Beom Jin Lim

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS is characterized by focal and segmental obliteration of glomerular capillary tufts with increased matrix. FSGS is classified as collapsing, tip, cellular, perihilar and not otherwise specified variants according to the location and character of the sclerotic lesion. Primary or idiopathic FSGS is considered to be related to podocyte injury, and the pathogenesis of podocyte injury has been actively investigated. Several circulating factors affecting podocyte permeability barrier have been proposed, but not proven to cause FSGS. FSGS may also be caused by genetic alterations. These genes are mainly those regulating slit diaphragm structure, actin cytoskeleton of podocytes, and foot process structure. The mode of inheritance and age of onset are different according to the gene involved. Recently, the role of parietal epithelial cells (PECs has been highlighted. Podocytes and PECs have common mesenchymal progenitors, therefore, PECs could be a source of podocyte repopulation after podocyte injury. Activated PECs migrate along adhesion to the glomerular tuft and may also contribute to the progression of sclerosis. Markers of activated PECs, including CD44, could be used to distinguish FSGS from minimal change disease. The pathogenesis of FSGS is very complex; however, understanding basic mechanisms of podocyte injury is important not only for basic research, but also for daily diagnostic pathology practice.

TRIM15 is a focal adhesion protein that regulates focal adhesion disassembly

Science.gov (United States)

Uchil, Pradeep D.; Pawliczek, Tobias; Reynolds, Tracy D.; Ding, Siyuan; Hinz, Angelika; Munro, James B.; Huang, Fang; Floyd, Robert W.; Yang, Haitao; Hamilton, William L.; Bewersdorf, Joerg; Xiong, Yong; Calderwood, David A.; Mothes, Walther

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Focal adhesions are macromolecular complexes that connect the actin cytoskeleton to the extracellular matrix. Dynamic turnover of focal adhesions is crucial for cell migration. Paxillin is a multi-adaptor protein that plays an important role in regulating focal adhesion dynamics. Here, we identify TRIM15, a member of the tripartite motif protein family, as a paxillin-interacting factor and a component of focal adhesions. TRIM15 localizes to focal contacts in a myosin-II-independent manner by an interaction between its coiled-coil domain and the LD2 motif of paxillin. Unlike other focal adhesion proteins, TRIM15 is a stable focal adhesion component with restricted mobility due to its ability to form oligomers. TRIM15-depleted cells display impaired cell migration and reduced focal adhesion disassembly rates, in addition to enlarged focal adhesions. Thus, our studies demonstrate a cellular function for TRIM15 as a regulatory component of focal adhesion turnover and cell migration. PMID:25015296

Encephalitozoon cuniculi causes focal anterior cataract and uveitis in dogs.

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Nell, B; Csokai, J; Fuchs-Baumgartinger, A; Maaß, G

2015-01-01

Three mongrel dogs, aged 10 months (case 1), 14 months (case 2) and 7.5 years (case 3), were presented because of ophthalmologic disorders of 4 months, 6 months and 7 years duration, respectively. All three dogs were offspring of stray dogs from Hungary and Serbia and had positive serum antibody titres against Encephalitozoon (E.) cuniculi. The two young dogs showed unilateral, the older dog bilateral chronic anterior uveitis with posterior synechia and focal anterior cortical cataract. The fundi that could be evaluated developed focal tapetal hyporeflective lesions in the course of the disease. Dogs 1 and 2 underwent removal of the lens via phacoemulsification. PCR of the lens material was positive for E. cuniculi strains IV and II, respectively. In dog 2 findings suggestive of microsporidia were detected underneath the anterior lens capsule by immunohistochemical staining. In all cases medical treatment consisted of systemic fenbendazole, prednisolone, and topical anti-inflammatory drugs, and additional brinzolamid/timolol for dog 3. For the time being all cases (follow up 23 months, 6 months and 3 months, respectively) are still on topical anti-inflammatory therapy. It is concluded that E. cuniculi infections can cause cataract and chorioretinal lesions in dogs.

Computed tomographic and ultrasound appearances of focal spared areas in fatty infiltration of the liver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKenzie, A.; Gill, G.; Hennessy, O.; Pryde, D.

1991-01-01

Computed tomography (CT) and utrasound (US) appearances of diffuse and focal fatty infiltration of the liver (FIL) are well recognized as pseudo tumours of the liver. Characteristic appearances of fat free areas in FIL which help differentiate these areas from other focal liver lesions include location in the medical segment of the left lobe of the liver, absence of mass effect on surrounding vessels and liver tissue, and presence of typical changes of FIL elsewhere in the liver on CT or US examination. 16 refs., 1 tab., 5 figs

Role of FDG/CT in imaging of renal lesions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochhar, R.; Manoharan, P.; Brown, R.K.; Dunnick, N.R.; Frey, K.A.; Wong, C.O.

2010-01-01

Full text: Focal incidental renal lesions are commonly encountered on positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) imaging. The wast majority of these lesions are benign. However, the interpretation of renal lesions can be problematic if the imaging criteria of simple cysts are not met. Limited literature exists on the characterisation of renal masses with metabolic imaging. The purpose of this article is to focus on the imaging features of benign and malignant renal masses with PET/CT. The lesions discussed include renal cyst, angiomyolipoma, oncocytoma, renal cell carcinoma, renal metastases and other infiltrating neoplastic processes affecting the kidney. Both the anatomical and metabolic features which characterise these benign and malignant entities are described. We emphasise the importance of viewing the CT component to identify the typical morphological features and discuss how to best use hybrid imaging for management of renal lesions. Metabolic imaging has a promising role in the imaging of renal lesions and can help prevent unnecessary biopsies and ensure optimal management of suspicious lesions.

Is Contrast Enhanced Ultrasonography a useful tool in a beginner's hand? How much can a Computer Assisted Diagnosis prototype help in characterizing the malignancy of focal liver lesions?

Science.gov (United States)

Moga, Tudor Voicu; Popescu, Alina; Sporea, Ioan; Danila, Mirela; David, Ciprian; Gui, Vasile; Iacob, Nicoleta; Miclaus, Gratian; Sirli, Roxana

2017-08-23

Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) improved the characterization of focal liver lesions (FLLs), but is an operatordependent method. The goal of this paper was to test a computer assisted diagnosis (CAD) prototype and to see its benefit in assisting a beginner in the evaluation of FLLs. Our cohort included 97 good quality CEUS videos[34% hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), 12.3% hypervascular metastases (HiperM), 11.3% hypovascular metastases (HipoM), 24.7% hemangiomas (HMG), 17.5% focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)] that were used to develop a CAD prototype based on an algorithm that tested a binary decision based classifier. Two young medical doctors (1 year CEUS experience), two experts and the CAD prototype, reevaluated 50 FLLs CEUS videos (diagnosis of benign vs. malignant) first blinded to clinical data, in order to evaluate the diagnostic gap beginner vs. expert. The CAD classifier managed a 75.2% overall (benign vs. malignant) correct classification rate. The overall classification rates for the evaluators, before and after clinical data were: first beginner-78%; 94%; second beginner-82%; 96%; first expert-94%; 100%; second expert-96%; 98%. For both beginners, the malignant vs. benign diagnosis significantly improved after knowing the clinical data (p=0.005; p=0,008). The expert was better than the beginner (p=0.04) and better than the CAD (p=0.001). CAD in addition to the beginner can reach the expert diagnosis. The most frequent lesions misdiagnosed at CEUS were FNH and HCC. The CAD prototype is a good comparing tool for a beginner operator that can be developed to assist the diagnosis. In order to increase the classification rate, the CAD system for FLL in CEUS must integrate the clinical data.

[3D FSPGR (fast spoiled gradient echo) magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of focal cortical dysplasia in children].

Science.gov (United States)

Alikhanov, A A; Sinitsyn, V E; Perepelova, E M; Mukhin, K Iu; Demushkina, A A; Omarova, M O; Piliia, S V

2001-01-01

Small dysplastic lesions of the cerebral cortex are often missed by conventional MRI methods. The identification of subtle structural abnormalities by traditional multiplanar rectilinear slices is often limited by the complex convolutional pattern of the brain. We used a method of FSPGR (fast spoiled gradient-echo) of three-dimensional MRI data that improves the anatomical display of the sulcal structure of the hemispheric convexities. It also reduces the asymmetric sampling of gray-white matter that may lead to false-positive results. We present 5 from 12 patients with dysplastic cortical lesions in whom conventional two-dimensional and three-dimensional MRI with multiplanar reformatting was initially considered normal. Subsequent studies using 3D FSPGR identified various types of focal cortical dysplasia in all. These results indicate that an increase in the detection of subtle focal dysplastic lesions may be accomplished when one improves the anatomical display of the brain sulcal structure by performing 3D FSPGR.

Focal lesions in whole-body MRI in multiple myeloma. Quantification of tumor mass and correlation with disease-related parameters and prognosis; Fokale Laesionen in der Ganzkoerper-MRT beim multiplen Myelom. Quantifizierung der Tumorlast und Korrelation mit krankheitstypischen Parametern und Prognose

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Brandelik, S.C.; Kauczor, H.U. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Heidelberg (Germany); Krzykalla, J.; Hielscher, T. [Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum (dkfz), Biostatistik, Heidelberg (Germany); Hillengass, J. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, Haematologie und Onkologie, Heidelberg (Germany); Kloth, J.K. [Radiologie Loebau, Loebau (Germany); Weber, M.A. [Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Heidelberg (Germany); Universitaetsmedizin Rostock, Diagnostische und Interventionelle Radiologie, Rostock (Germany)

2018-01-15

In this study, we evaluated methods of quantification of tumor mass in whole-body MRI (wb-MRI) in multiple myeloma and correlated these with disease-related parameters in serum and bone marrow. We retrospectively evaluated wb-MRIs of 52 patients with focal infiltration pattern and a total of 700 focal lesions (subsequently called lesions). We determined the longest diameter (LD), the segmented volume (SV), and the morphology (spherical or non-spherical). We correlated total number/volume of the lesions with clinical parameters and prognosis and furthermore LD with SV. After that we analyzed the agreement of SV and estimated volume (EV) using the volume formula of a sphere based on LD. Results showed no significant correlations of total number/volume with prognosis or clinical parameters. The latter were situated predominantly in the normal range. Furthermore, 10% of lesions were spherical. SV and LD correlated significantly in single lesions and on patient level. SV was in lesions <6 cm{sup 3} systematically larger and in lesions ≥6 cm{sup 3} smaller than EV. In 95%, we found in small lesions a deviation of EV versus SV from +0.9 cm{sup 3} to -4.6 cm{sup 3} and in large lesions from +160 cm{sup 3} to -111 cm{sup 3} (EV-SV). Quantification of tumor mass in the focal infiltration pattern is performed more accurately by volumetry than LD due to the predominant existence of non-spherical lesions. The patient cohort with clinical parameters predominantly in the normal range is distributed to ISS stage I and partly pretreated, a fact that makes interpretation of absent correlations more difficult. Consider also a variation in activity of lesions and a diffuse infiltration not detectable by MRI. (orig.) [German] In dieser Studie wurden Methoden der Tumorlastquantifizierung in der Ganzkoerper-Magnetresonanztomographie (GK-MRT) beim Multiplen Myelom untersucht und mit krankheitstypischen Parametern in Serum und Knochenmark korreliert. Die GK-MRT von 52 Patienten mit

Apparent prevalence of and risk factors for infection with Ostertagia ostertagi, Fasciola hepatica and Dictyocaulus viviparus in Swiss dairy herds.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, C F; Eicher, R; Raue, K; Strube, C; Bodmer, M; Hentrich, B; Gottstein, B; Marreros, N

2018-01-30

Infections with helminth parasites can negatively affect performance of dairy cows. Knowledge on infection intensity, spatial distributions and risk factors are key to develop targeted treatment strategies. Canada and most EU countries have conducted large investigations, but respective data for Switzerland were missing. We now performed a bulk tank milk serosurvey for Ostertagia ostertagi, Fasciola hepatica, and Dictyocaulus viviparus on a total of 1036 voluntarily participating dairy herds that were sampled at confinement periods, i.e. in winter 2014/15 or 2015/16, respectively. All samples were analyzed with commercial ELISAs for antibodies (AB) against O. ostertagi and F. hepatica, and those of the first sampling period additionally with an in-house ELISA for AB against D. viviparus. Testing for the latter parasite was not done in the second year of the study, as the sampling period might have missed infections due to the short lived nature of specific antibodies. The possible influence of geographic, climatic, and farm management variables on AB levels were assessed for each parasite using scanning cluster and multiple regression analysis. Overall seroprevalence for O. ostertagi was 95.5% (95% C.I.: 94.0-96.6), with a mean optical density ratio (ODR) of 0.83, for F. hepatica 41.3% (95% C.I.: 38.3-44.4), and for D. viviparus 2.9% (95% C.I.: 1.6-4.7). There were no significant differences between the two sampling periods. For all parasites, significant geographic clusters of higher AB levels could be established. Furthermore, AB levels against all three parasites were positively correlated with each other, indicating either cross-reactions or co-infections. For O. ostertagi, herd size and percentage of pasture in the ration were positively correlated with AB levels. For F. hepatica, altitude above sea level (a.s.l.) positively, and milk production per cow and year was negatively correlated with AB levels. This work provides baseline data for further

Comparison of ultrasound and sontigraphy of the parathyroid glands diagnostics of the focal pathology. the results of own research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makejev, S.S.; Tserkovnyak, V.Yi.

2015-01-01

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) is the most common cause of hypercalcemia in ambulatory patients. For the diagnosis of this disease as usually use scintigraphy of parathyroid glands (PTSG) with 99m-MIBI Ta and ultrasonography (US). 87 patients with PHP were underwent to PTSG and 80 patients - to ultrasound of the neck area. 76 from 87 patients had the pathological focuses of parathyroid tissue on PTSG, 11 had not the signs of the disease. Sensitivity PTSG in diagnosis of focal lesions was 90.54 % an accuracy - 81.61 %. 51 from 80 patients had pathological focuses of the parathyroid glands on US and 29 patients had not signs of the disease. Sensitivity of US in diagnosis of focal lesions was 64.29 %, accuracy - 61.25 %

Identification of Chalcones as Fasciola hepatica Cathepsin L Inhibitors Using a Comprehensive Experimental and Computational Approach.

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Florencia Ferraro

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Increased reports of human infections have led fasciolosis, a widespread disease of cattle and sheep caused by the liver flukes Fasciola hepatica and Fasciola gigantica, to be considered an emerging zoonotic disease. Chemotherapy is the main control measure available, and triclabendazole is the preferred drug since is effective against both juvenile and mature parasites. However, resistance to triclabendazole has been reported in several countries urging the search of new chemical entities and target molecules to control fluke infections.We searched a library of forty flavonoid derivatives for inhibitors of key stage specific Fasciola hepatica cysteine proteases (FhCL3 and FhCL1. Chalcones substituted with phenyl and naphtyl groups emerged as good cathepsin L inhibitors, interacting more frequently with two putative binding sites within the active site cleft of the enzymes. One of the compounds, C34, tightly bounds to juvenile specific FhCL3 with an IC50 of 5.6 μM. We demonstrated that C34 is a slow-reversible inhibitor that interacts with the Cys-His catalytic dyad and key S2 and S3 pocket residues, determinants of the substrate specificity of this family of cysteine proteases. Interestingly, C34 induces a reduction in NEJ ability to migrate through the gut wall and a loss of motility phenotype that leads to NEJ death within a week in vitro, while it is not cytotoxic to bovine cells.Up to date there are no reports of in vitro screening for non-peptidic inhibitors of Fasciola hepatica cathepsins, while in general these are considered as the best strategy for in vivo inhibition. We have identified chalcones as novel inhibitors of the two main Cathepsins secreted by juvenile and adult liver flukes. Interestingly, one compound (C34 is highly active towards the juvenile enzyme reducing larval ability to penetrate the gut wall and decreasing NEJ´s viability in vitro. These findings open new avenues for the development of novel agents to control

Altered growth pattern, not altered growth per se, is the hallmark of early lesions preceding cancer development.

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Doratiotto, S; Marongiu, F; Faedda, S; Pani, P; Laconi, E

2009-01-01

Many human solid cancers arise from focal proliferative lesions that long precede the overt clinical appearance of the disease. The available evidence supports the notion that cancer precursor lesions are clonal in origin, and this notion forms the basis for most of the current theories on the pathogenesis of neoplastic disease. In contrast, far less attention has been devoted to the analysis of the phenotypic property that serves to define these focal lesions, i.e. their altered growth pattern. In fact, the latter is often considered a mere morphological by-product of clonal growth, with no specific relevance in the process. In the following study, evidence will be presented to support the concept that focal growth pattern is an inherent property of altered cells, independent of clonal growth; furthermore, it will be discussed how such a property, far from being merely descriptive, might indeed play a fundamental role in the sequence of events leading to the development of cancer. Within this paradigm, the earliest steps of neoplasia should be considered and analysed as defects in the mechanisms of tissue pattern formation.

In vitro antihelmintic effect of fifteen tropical plant extracts on excysted flukes of Fasciola hepatica

OpenAIRE

Alvarez-Mercado, Jos? Manuel; Ibarra-Velarde, Froyl?n; Alonso-D?az, Miguel ?ngel; Vera-Montenegro, Yolanda; Avila-Acevedo, Jos? Guillermo; Garc?a-Bores, Ana Mar?a

2015-01-01

Background Fasciolosis due to Fasciola hepatica is the most important hepatic disease in veterinary medicine. Its relevance is important because of the major economical losses to the cattle industry such as: reduction in milk, meat and wool production; miscarriages, anemia, liver condemnation and occasionally deaths, are estimated in billons of dollars. The emergence of fluke resistance due to over or under dosing of fasciolides as well as environmental damage produced by the chemicals elimin...

Single-session endoscopic resection and focal radiofrequency ablation for short-segment Barrett's esophagus with early neoplasia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Barret, Maximilien; Belghazi, Kamar; Weusten, Bas L. A. M.; Bergman, Jacques J. G. H. M.; Pouw, Roos E.

2016-01-01

The management of early neoplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE) requires endoscopic resection of visible lesions, followed by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of the remaining BE. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of combining endoscopic resection and focal RFA in a single endoscopic session in

In vivo inhibition of incorporation of (U-/sup 14/C)glucose into proteins in experimental focal epilepsy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Coutinho-Netto, J.; Boyar, M.M.; Abdul-Ghani, A.S.; Bradford, H.F.

1982-08-01

The in vivo incorporation of (/sup 14/C) from (U-/sup 14/C)-glucose into rat brain proteins from different cortical areas was examined in three different experimental focal epilepsies: cobalt, freeze-lesions, and tityustoxin. When (U-/sup 14/C)-glucose was injected intraperitoneally into awake and unrestrained animals with marked signs of epileptic hyperactivity, the inhibition of incorporation of (/sup 14/C)-amino acids into trichloracetic acid (TCA)-insoluble proteins was highest in the focal (sensorimotor) area when compared with distant regions (approx. 60%), but less when compared with the contralateral (sensorimotor) region (approx. 23%). Greatly decreased incorporation caused by both cobalt and freeze-lesion-induced epilepsies was also observed in the contralateral area when a comparison was made with distant regions (approx. 50%), but there were no significant differences in protein-specific radioactivity between the different distant areas.

Anti-helminthic activity of Momordica charantia L. against Fasciola hepatica eggs after twelve days of incubation in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Cíntia A J; Oliveira, Laura L S; Coaglio, Aytube L; Santos, Fernanda S O; Cezar, Rodolfo S M; Mendes, Tiago; Oliveira, Fernando L P; Conzensa, Gustavo; Lima, Walter S

2016-09-15

Fasciolosis, a parasitic disease caused by the trematode Fasciola hepatica underreported is expanding both in human and animal population, throughout the world. The constant use of synthetic drugs to treat this condition has led to the natural selection of resistant strains of the parasite. Hence, there is a growing focus on the potential anti-helminthic properties of medicinal plants and phytopharmaceuticals. The current study assessed the potential anti-fasciolicide action of Momordica charantia leaf extracts and fractions on the eggs of F. hepatica parasites. The lyophilized crude extract (CE) of M. charantia leaves and its sub-fractions, obtained from liquid-liquid partitioning with organic solvents, were analysed by High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), suspended in 1% DMSO and used in in vitro tests. Quadruplicates of 50F. hepatica eggs were incubated at 23°C with M. charantia leaf CE in different concentrations. After 12days no larvae were formed in eggs incubated with CE concentrations above 12.5mg/mL. Eggs incubated with CE sub-fractions at concentrations of 1000, 100, 10, 1, 0.1, 0.01μg/mL affected embryonic development, with n-butanol presenting the strongest inhibition of miracidia formation. In contrast, on the 12th day, 90% of the miracidia hatched in the control experiments using 0.03% DMSO whereas embryogenesis was completely abolished with any concentration of albendazole sulphoxide ABZ(SO). Chemical analysis of the CE and sub-fractions revealed a prominent presence of flavonoids. HPLC-MS confirmed Quercetin to be one of the main flavonoids present in the CE and the n-butanol subfraction. This is the first study to analyse the potential anti-fasciolicide action of M. charantia leaf CE and subfractions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Complete mitochondrial genomes of the ‘intermediate form’ of Fasciola and Fasciola gigantica, and their comparison with F. hepatica

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Fascioliasis is an important and neglected disease of humans and other mammals, caused by trematodes of the genus Fasciola. Fasciola hepatica and F. gigantica are valid species that infect humans and animals, but the specific status of Fasciola sp. (‘intermediate form’) is unclear. Methods Single specimens inferred to represent Fasciola sp. (‘intermediate form’; Heilongjiang) and F. gigantica (Guangxi) from China were genetically identified and characterized using PCR-based sequencing of the first and second internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA. The complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of these representative specimens were then sequenced. The relationships of these specimens with selected members of the Trematoda were assessed by phylogenetic analysis of concatenated amino acid sequence datasets by Bayesian inference (BI). Results The complete mt genomes of representatives of Fasciola sp. and F. gigantica were 14,453 bp and 14,478 bp in size, respectively. Both mt genomes contain 12 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes and two ribosomal RNA genes, but lack an atp8 gene. All protein-coding genes are transcribed in the same direction, and the gene order in both mt genomes is the same as that published for F. hepatica. Phylogenetic analysis of the concatenated amino acid sequence data for all 12 protein-coding genes showed that the specimen of Fasciola sp. was more closely related to F. gigantica than to F. hepatica. Conclusions The mt genomes characterized here provide a rich source of markers, which can be used in combination with nuclear markers and imaging techniques, for future comparative studies of the biology of Fasciola sp. from China and other countries. PMID:24685294

Lesion Size Is Exacerbated in Hypoxic Rats Whereas Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1 Alpha and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Increase in Injured Normoxic Rats: A Prospective Cohort Study of Secondary Hypoxia in Focal Traumatic Brain Injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Thelin, Eric Peter; Frostell, Arvid; Mulder, Jan; Mitsios, Nicholas; Damberg, Peter; Aski, Sahar Nikkhou; Risling, Mårten; Svensson, Mikael; Morganti-Kossmann, Maria Cristina; Bellander, Bo-Michael

2016-01-01

Hypoxia following traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a severe insult shown to exacerbate the pathophysiology, resulting in worse outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of a hypoxic insult in a focal TBI model by monitoring brain edema, lesion volume, serum biomarker levels, immune cell infiltration, as well as the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF-1α) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Female Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 73, including sham and naive) were used. The rats were intubated and mechanically ventilated. A controlled cortical impact device created a 3-mm deep lesion in the right parietal hemisphere. Post-injury, rats inhaled either normoxic (22% O2) or hypoxic (11% O2) mixtures for 30 min. The rats were sacrificed at 1, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days post-injury. Serum was collected for S100B measurements using ELISA. Ex vivo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to determine lesion size and edema volume. Immunofluorescence was employed to analyze neuronal death, changes in cerebral macrophage- and neutrophil infiltration, microglia proliferation, apoptosis, complement activation (C5b9), IgG extravasation, HIF-1α, and VEGF. The hypoxic group had significantly increased blood levels of lactate and decreased pO2 (p hypoxic animals (p hypoxic group at 1 day after trauma (p = 0.0868). No differences were observed between the groups in cytotoxic and vascular edema, IgG extravasation, neutrophils and macrophage aggregation, microglia proliferation, or C5b-9 expression. Hypoxia following focal TBI exacerbated the lesion size and neuronal loss. Moreover, there was a tendency to higher levels of S100B in the hypoxic group early after injury, indicating a potential validity as a biomarker of injury severity. In the normoxic group, the expression of HIF-1α and VEGF was found elevated, possibly indicative of neuro-protective responses occurring in this less severely injured group. Further studies are

STUDY OF THE PREVALENCE OF Capillaria hepatica IN HUMANS AND RODENTS IN AN URBAN AREA OF THE CITY OF PORTO VELHO, RONDÔNIA, BRAZIL

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Elierson José Gomes da Rocha

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hepatic capillariosis, caused by Capillaria hepatica (Calodium hepaticum (Bancroft, 1893, Travassos, 1915 (Nematoda, Trichinelloidea, Capillariidae, is a common zoonosis in rodents but is rare in humans. Seventy-two cases in humans have been reported worldwide since the first case was described by MACARTHUR in 192417,27. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of Capillaria hepatica in humans and rodents in an urban area of Porto Velho, the capital of Rondônia, in Brazil. Methods: After conducting a census of the area, 490 residents were randomly selected, and, after signing a term of consent, provided blood samples that were screened for anti-Capillaria hepatica antibodies. Simultaneously, rats were captured to assess the prevalence of this parasite in rodents by histopathological examination in liver sections. Results: A prevalence of 1.8% was found among residents who had specific antibodies at a dilution of 1:150, indicating exposure to parasite eggs; 0.8% of the subjects also had positive titers at a dilution of 1:400, indicating true infection. The prevalence in rats was 2%. Conclusions: The prevalence of infection with this parasite among humans and rats was low. While the prevalence encountered among humans was within the limits reported in the literature, the prevalence among rodents was much lower.

Aptitude of Lymnaea palustris and L. stagnalis to Fasciola hepatica larval development through the infection of several successive generations of 4-mm-high snails.

Science.gov (United States)

Vignoles, P; Rondelaud, D; Dreyfuss, G

2016-06-01

Bimiracidial infections of Lymnaea palustris and Lymnaea stagnalis (shell height at exposure, 4 mm) with Fasciola hepatica were carried out during six successive snail generations to determine if prevalence and intensity of snail infection increased over time through descendants issuing from eggs laid by parents already exposed to this digenean. Controls were constituted by a French population of Galba truncatula (a single generation) infected according to the same protocol. In a first experiment performed with the F1 to F5 generations of L. palustris, the prevalence and intensity of F. hepatica infection in snails progressively increased. Immature rediae and a few cercariae-containing rediae of the digenean were observed in L. stagnalis from the F3 generation, but no free cercaria was noted in the bodies of this lymnaeid from the F4 to F6 generations. In another experiment carried out with the F6 generation of L. palustris, the prevalence of F. hepatica infection and the number of shed cercariae were significantly lower in L. palustris than in G. truncatula. This mode of snail infection suggests an explanation for cases of human fasciolosis occurring in central France after the collection of wild watercress from beds where L. palustris was the sole lymnaeid.

Common histological patterns in glomerular epithelial cells in secondary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuppe, Christoph; Gröne, Hermann-Josef; Ostendorf, Tammo; van Kuppevelt, Toin H; Boor, Peter; Floege, Jürgen; Smeets, Bart; Moeller, Marcus J

2015-11-01

Parietal epithelial cells (PECs) are involved in the development of sclerotic lesions in primary focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Here, the role of PECs was explored in the more common secondary FSGS lesions in 68 patient biopsies, diagnosed with 11 different frequently or rarely encountered glomerular pathologies and additional secondary FSGS lesions. For each biopsy, one section was quadruple stained for PECs (ANXA3), podocytes (synaptopodin), PEC matrix (LKIV69), and Hoechst (nuclei), and a second was quadruple stained for activated PECs (CD44 and cytokeratin-19), PEC matrix, and nuclei. In all lesions, cellular adhesions (synechiae) between Bowman's capsule and the tuft were formed by cells expressing podocyte and/or PEC markers. Cells expressing PEC markers were detected in all FSGS lesions independent of the underlying glomerular disease and often stained positive for markers of activation. Small FSGS lesions, which were hardly identified on PAS sections previously, were detectable by immunofluorescent staining using PEC markers, potentially improving the diagnostic sensitivity to identify these lesions. Thus, similar patterns of cells expressing podocyte and/or PEC markers were found in the formation of secondary FSGS lesions independent of the underlying glomerular disease. Hence, our findings support the hypothesis that FSGS lesions follow a final cellular pathway to nephron loss that includes involvement of cells expressing PEC markers.

Narrative discourse in children with early focal brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Reilly, J S; Bates, E A; Marchman, V A

1998-02-15

Children with early brain damage, unlike adult stroke victims, often go on to develop nearly normal language. However, the route and extent of their linguistic development are still unclear, as is the relationship between lesion site and patterns of delay and recovery. Here we address these questions by examining narratives from children with early brain damage. Thirty children (ages 3:7-10:10) with pre- or perinatal unilateral focal brain damage and their matched controls participated in a storytelling task. Analyses focused on linguistic proficiency and narrative competence. Overall, children with brain damage scored significantly lower than their age-matched controls on both linguistic (morphological and syntactic) indices and those targeting broader narrative qualities. Rather than indicating that children with brain damage fully catch up, these data suggest that deficits in linguistic abilities reassert themselves as children face new linguistic challenges. Interestingly, after age 5, site of lesion does not appear to be a significant factor and the delays we have witnessed do not map onto the lesion profiles observed in adults with analogous brain injuries.

Effects of focal lesions produced by beta irradiating the cerebellums in fetal and infant rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pulliam, J.A.

1976-01-01

A beam of beta radiation, 2mm in diameter, was used to irradiate the cerebellum in 29 rat fetuses and in 90 infant rats and to irradiate the cerebrum in 51 rat fetuses and in 72 infant rats. The age range of the rats was from the 15th fetal day to the 6th postnatal day. Localized beta radiation produced lesions limited to the cerebrum, to the cerebellum, to one cerebral hemisphere, or to one cerebellar hemisphere and the vermis in rat fetes and in infant rats. Varying degrees of ataxia were produced in the irradiated rats. This ataxia was proportional to the hypoplasia of the cerebellum. Severe reduction in the size of the cerebrum caused no motor deficits. The lesions produced by localized beta radiation were similar to lesions produced by x radiation, except that beta radiation produced lesions that were more localized and that were asymmetrical. Also the beta radiation offered the investigator more flexibility in selecting the site of the lesion regardless to the age of the rat fetus or the infant rat

On the cause of focal uptake in the cervical vertebral column in routine bone scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buell, U.; Winkler, U.

1983-01-01

Focal uptake was seen in the cervical vertebral column of 61 patients in the course of routine bone scintigraphy. These focal increases were subjected to close analysis. In 60 of these patients (98.4%) degenerative lesions became manifest as the cause of the scintigraphic finding already by the bone scintigraphy pattern (paravertebral localisation in the posterior and dorsal localisation in the lateral. Two typical examples of metastatic changes are presented to facilitate differentiation. The bone scintigraphic pattern in arthrosis of the intervertebral joint is so typical that X-ray control examinations to confirm the diagnosis can be omitted in many cases. (orig.) [de

Comparación de las técnicas Kato-Katz, TSET y TSR en el diagnóstico de infección por Fasciola hepatica en humanos

OpenAIRE

Nelson Uribe Delgado; Raúl Fernando Sierra Balcárcel; Cindy Tatiana Espinosa González

2012-01-01

Introducción: La Fasciolosis es una enfermedad causada por el parásito Fasciola hepatica, que afecta primordialmente a bovinos, ovinos, caprinos y en algunas zonas de forma endémica a los humanos. En la investigación clínica y epidemiológica de fasciolosis humana es importante contar con técnicas coprológicas de diagnóstico de alta sensibilidad y especificidad. Objetivo: realizar la comparación de tres técnicas coprológicas para el diagnóstico de infección por Fasciola hepatica en humanos. Me...

Focal symmetrical encephalomalacia in sheep Encefalomalacia focal simétrica em ovino

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Luciano A. Pimentel

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Focal symmetrical encephalomalacia (FSE is the most prominent lesion seen in the chronic form of enterotoxemia by Clostridium perfringens type D. This paper reports FSE in sheep in Brazil. Six deaths occurred within a seven days period in a flock of 70, four to 30-month-old Santa Inês sheep in the state of Paraíba in the Brazilian semiarid. The flock was grazing a paddock of irrigated sprouting Cynodon dactylon (Tifton grass, and supplemented, ad libitum, with a concentrate of soybean, corn and wheat. Nervous signs included blindness and recumbence. A 19 month-old sheep was examined clinically and necropsied after a clinical course of three days. Gross lesions were herniation of the cerebellar vermis and multifocal, bilateral, symmetric brownish areas in the internal capsule, thalamus and cerebellar peduncles. Histologic lesions were multifocal, bilateral malacia with some neutrophils, swelling of blood vessels endothelium, perivascular edema, and hemorrhages. The flock was vaccinated, before the outbreak, with only one dose of Clostridium perfringens type D vaccine. Two factors are suggested to be important for the occurrence of the disease: insufficient immunity due to the incorrect vaccination; and high nutritional levels by the supplementation with highly fermentable carbohydrates.Encefalomalacia focal simétrica (EFS é a lesão mais proeminente vista nas formas subaguda ou crônica da enterotoxemia por Clostridium perfringens tipo D. Este trabalho relata EFS em ovinos no semiárido do estado da Paraíba. Seis ovinos morreram, em um período de sete dias, dentro de um rebanho de 70 animais, da raça Santa Inês, entre 4-30 meses de idade, que pastavam em piquete de Cynodon dactylon (capim Tifton, que estava rebrotando. Os ovinos eram suplementados com um concentrado de soja, trigo e milho. Os sinais nervosos incluíam cegueira e decúbito lateral. Um ovino de 19 meses de idade foi examinado clinicamente e necropsiado, depois de um curso

Assessment of the FasciMol-ELISA in the detection of the trematode Fasciola hepatica in field-collected Galba cubensis: a novel tool for the malacological survey of fasciolosis transmission.

Science.gov (United States)

Alba, Annia; Vázquez, Antonio A; Sánchez, Jorge; Fraga, Jorge; Hernández, Hilda; Martínez, Elizabeth; Marcet, Ricardo; Figueredo, Mabel; Sarracent, Jorge

2016-01-16

Fasciolosis is one of the food-borne neglected trematodioses that has reemerged as a human disease while its effects on domestic animal health remains of significant economic consideration. Being snail-borne disease, the accurate and time-saving epidemiological surveillance of the transmission foci where infected lymnaeid snails occur could be essential to effectively focus or redirect control strategies. For this purpose, the first monoclonal antibody-based immunoenzymatic assay to detect Fasciola hepatica-infected snails (FasciMol-ELISA) was recently developed and showed a high sensitivity and specificity when tested in an experimental F. hepatica - Galba cubensis system. Here, we surveyed populations of G. cubensis occurring in western Cuba for the assessment of the FasciMol-ELISA in determining natural F. hepatica infection in this intermediate host. A multiplex PCR, previously developed to detect F. hepatica in G. cubensis, was used for sample classification. Snail dissection method was also employed as screening technique. A Χ(2) test and a Kappa index were calculated to evaluate the positivity and the level of agreement between the FasciMol-ELISA and the snail dissection methods with the multiplex PCR, respectively. Galba cubensis was found in nine out of 12 sampled localities of which four were positive for F. hepatica infection as detected by both immunoenzymatic and PCR-based assays. The overall prevalence was higher than the natural infection rates previously reported for Cuban G. cubensis (range from 4.1 to 7.42% depending on the screening method). No significant differences were found between FasciMol-ELISA and multiplex PCR when determining parasite positivity (Χ(2) = 6.283; P = 0.0981) whereas an excellent agreement was also noted (Kappa = 0.8224). Our results demonstrate the importance of malacological surveys in assessing parasite transmission risk and constitute an alert on the need of accurate measures to control fasciolosis in

A cost-effectiveness analysis of the diagnostic strategies for differentiating focal nodular hyperplasia from hepatocellular adenoma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Suh, Chong Hyun [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Namwon Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Namwon-si (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Kyung Won [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Harvard Medical School, Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States); Park, Seong Ho [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Research Institute of Radiology, Asan Liver Center, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Sangjin; Ahn, Jeonghoon [National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, Division of Healthcare Technology Assessment Research, Department of Economic Evaluation, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Pyo, Junhee [Utrecht University, Collaborating Center for Pharmaceutical Policy and Regulation, Department of Pharmaceutical Science, Utrecht (Netherlands); Shinagare, Atul B.; Krajewski, Katherine M.; Ramaiya, Nikhil H. [Harvard Medical School, Department of Imaging, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women' s Hospital, Boston, MA (United States)

2018-01-15

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) strategy compared with conventional MRI strategy and biopsy to differentiate focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) from hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). A decision tree model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of EOB-MRI, conventional MRI with extracellular contrast agents, and biopsy as the initial diagnostic modality in patients with incidentally detected focal liver lesions suspected of being FNH or HCA. We analysed the cost and effectiveness, i.e. probability of successful diagnosis of each strategy. Costs were based on utilisation rates and Medicare reimbursements in the USA and South Korea. In the base case analysis of our decision tree model, the effectiveness of the three strategies was similar. The cost of the EOB-MRI strategy ($1283 in USA, $813 in South Korea) was lowest compared with the biopsy strategy ($1725 in USA, $847 in South Korea) and the conventional MRI strategy ($1750 in USA, $962 in South Korea). One-way, two-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed unchanged results over an acceptable range. EOB-MRI strategy is the most cost-effective strategy for differentiating FNH from HCA in patients with incidentally detected focal liver lesions in a non-cirrhotic liver. (orig.)

A cost-effectiveness analysis of the diagnostic strategies for differentiating focal nodular hyperplasia from hepatocellular adenoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suh, Chong Hyun; Kim, Kyung Won; Park, Seong Ho; Shin, Sangjin; Ahn, Jeonghoon; Pyo, Junhee; Shinagare, Atul B.; Krajewski, Katherine M.; Ramaiya, Nikhil H.

2018-01-01

We evaluated the cost-effectiveness of a gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI (EOB-MRI) strategy compared with conventional MRI strategy and biopsy to differentiate focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) from hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). A decision tree model was constructed to compare the cost-effectiveness of EOB-MRI, conventional MRI with extracellular contrast agents, and biopsy as the initial diagnostic modality in patients with incidentally detected focal liver lesions suspected of being FNH or HCA. We analysed the cost and effectiveness, i.e. probability of successful diagnosis of each strategy. Costs were based on utilisation rates and Medicare reimbursements in the USA and South Korea. In the base case analysis of our decision tree model, the effectiveness of the three strategies was similar. The cost of the EOB-MRI strategy ($1283 in USA, $813 in South Korea) was lowest compared with the biopsy strategy ($1725 in USA, $847 in South Korea) and the conventional MRI strategy ($1750 in USA, $962 in South Korea). One-way, two-way and probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed unchanged results over an acceptable range. EOB-MRI strategy is the most cost-effective strategy for differentiating FNH from HCA in patients with incidentally detected focal liver lesions in a non-cirrhotic liver. (orig.)

Sonographic Findings of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis and Associated Nodular Lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Bong Joo; Park, Young Ha; Jung, So Lyung; Chung, Soo Kyo [Catholic University of Korea College of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2007-12-15

To evaluate the sonographic findings of Hashimoto's thyroiditis and associated nodular lesions. We retrospectively reviewed the sonographic findings of twenty patients who had surgically confirmed Hashimoto's thyroiditis between 1 March 2005, and 26 November 2005. In these patients, we reviewed the sonographic findings of the associated focal nodular lesion. Assessed were size, homogeneity, and echogenicity of the diseased thyroid gland and shape, echogenicity, margin, rim, microcal cification of the associated nodules. Without knowledge of the pathological diagnosis of the nodular lesions, based on the sonographic criteria, the nodules were classified as either malignant or benign. Hashimoto's thyroiditis demonstrates a variety of sonographic findings for size, homogeneity, and echogenicity. Among the nineteen nodules that were sonographically diagnosed and pathologically confirmed, nine papillary cancers, seven nodular hyperplasias, two Huthle cell adenomas, and one focal hyalinized fibrosing nodule were included. All of the nine papillary cancers showed more than one malignant finding such as marked hypoechogenicity, an irregular shape, a taller than wide shape, a spiculated margin, or microcalcifications that were classified as malignant nodulea, and all of the ten benign nodules showed no malignant findings. Circumscribed isoechoic, hyperechoic, or hypoechoic nodules without calcification were classified as bending nodules. Hashimoto's thyroiditis demonstrates various findings on a sonographic examination,and associated various benign and malignant lesions. Moreover, a sonographic examination is helpful to differentiate between malignant and benign lesions in Hashimoto's thyroiditis as in the normal thyroid

The differentiation of the character of solid lesions in the breast in the compression sonoelastography. Part II: Diagnostic value of BIRADS-US classification, Tsukuba score and FLR ratio

OpenAIRE

Dobruch-Sobczak, Katarzyna

2013-01-01

Sonoelastography is a dynamically developing method of ultrasound examination used to differentiate the character of focal lesions in the breasts. The aim of the Part II of the study is to determine the usefulness of sonoelastography in the differentiation diagnosis of focal breast lesions including the evaluation of the diagnostic value of Tsukuba score and FLR ratio in characterizing solid lesions in the breasts. Furthermore, the paper provides a comparison of classic B-mode imaging and son...

18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scans as diagnostic tools in focal congenital hyperinsulinism

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Charlotte Dahl; Petersen, Henrik; Nielsen, Anne Lerberg

2018-01-01

(68Ga-DOTANOC) PET/CT as diagnostic tools in focal CHI. Methods: PET/CT scans of children with CHI admitted to Odense University Hospital between August 2005 and June 2016 were retrospectively evaluated visually and by their maximal standardized uptake values (SUVmax) by two independent examiners......, blinded for clinical, surgical and pathological data. Pancreatic histology was used as the gold standard. For patients without surgery, the genetic profile served as the gold standard. Results: Fifty-five CHI patients were examined by PET/CT (18F-DOPA n = 53, 68Ga-DOTANOC n = 18). Surgery was performed...... in 34 patients, no surgery in 21 patients. Fifty-one patients had a classifiable outcome, either by histology (n = 33, 22 focal lesions, 11 non-focal) or by genetics (n = 18, all non-focal). The predictive performance of 18F-DOPA PET/CT to identify focal CHI was identical by visual- and cut...

Dual contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of the liver with superparamagnetic iron oxide followed by gadolinium for lesion detection and characterization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubaska, Samantha; Sahani, Dushyant V.; Saini, Sanjay; Hahn, Peter F.; Halpern, Elkan

2001-01-01

AIM: Iron oxide contrast agents are useful for lesion detection, and extracellular gadolinium chelates are advocated for lesion characterization. We undertook a study to determine if dual contrast enhanced liver imaging with sequential use of ferumoxides particles and gadolinium (Gd)-DTPA can be performed in the same imaging protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixteen patients underwent dual contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver for evaluation of known/suspected focal lesions which included, metastases (n = 5), hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC;n = 3), cholangiocharcinoma(n = 1) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH;n = 3). Pre- and post-iron oxide T1-weighted gradient recalled echo (GRE) and T2-weighted fast spin echo (FSE) sequences were obtained, followed by post-Gd-DTPA (0.1 mmol/kg) multi-phase dynamic T1-weighted out-of-phase GRE imaging. Images were analysed in a blinded fashion by three experts using a three-point scoring system for lesion conspicuity on pre- and post-iron oxide T1 images as well as for reader's confidence in characterizing liver lesions on post Gd-DTPA T1 images. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in lesion conspicuity was observed on pre- and post-iron oxide T1-GRE images in this small study cohort. The presence of iron oxide did not appreciably diminish image quality of post-gadolinium sequences and did not prevent characterization of liver lesions. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that characterization of focal liver lesion with Gd-enhanced liver MRI is still possible following iron oxide enhanced imaging. Kubaska, S. et al. (2001)

On the presence and immunoregulatory functions of extracellular microRNAs in the trematode Fasciola hepatica.

Science.gov (United States)

Fromm, B; Ovchinnikov, V; Høye, E; Bernal, D; Hackenberg, M; Marcilla, A

2017-02-01

Liver flukes represent a paraphyletic group of endoparasitic flatworms that significantly affect man either indirectly due to economic damage on livestock or directly as pathogens. A range of studies have focussed on how these macroscopic organisms can evade the immune system and live inside a hostile environment such as the mammalian liver and bile ducts. Recently, microRNAs, a class of short noncoding gene regulators, have been proposed as likely candidates to play roles in this scenario. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key players in development and pathogenicity and are highly conserved between metazoans: identical miRNAs can be found in flatworms and mammalians. Interestingly, miRNAs are enriched in extracellular vesicles (EVs) which are secreted by most cells. EVs constitute an important mode of parasite/host interaction, and recent data illustrate that miRNAs play a vital part. We have demonstrated the presence of miRNAs in the EVs of the trematode species Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Fasciola hepatica (Fhe) and identified potential immune-regulatory miRNAs with targets in the host. After our initial identification of miRNAs expressed by F. hepatica, an assembled genome and additional miRNA data became available. This has enabled us to update the known complement of miRNAs in EVs and speculate on potential immune-regulatory functions that we review here. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Vaccination against Fasciola hepatica using cathepsin L3 and B3 proteases delivered alone or in combination.

Science.gov (United States)

Wesołowska, Agnieszka; Basałaj, Katarzyna; Norbury, Luke J; Sielicka, Alicja; Wędrychowicz, Halina; Zawistowska-Deniziak, Anna

2018-01-30

No licensed vaccine is currently available for prevention of Fasciola hepatica infections. However, considering the alarming increase in drug resistance, there is an urgent need for a safe and fully effective vaccine against fasciolosis. Here, we tested if cathepsins L (FhCL3-1, FhCL3-2) and B (FhCB3) secreted by juvenile liver flukes are viable vaccine targets when delivered alone or in combination in a rat model. Since control over the early immune response is crucial for parasite's establishment in its host, it was hypothesised that targeting fluke juvenile stages may prove beneficial. Moreover, it was assumed that selected antigens will act in a cumulative manner to interfere with liver fluke migration and thereby will reduce F. hepatica infection. Recombinant FhCL3-1 and FhCL3-2 delivered alone reduced liver fluke burdens by 47 % and 63 %, respectively. A trivalent vaccine containing rFhCL3-1/CL3-2/CB3 did not increase the protective vaccine efficacy compared to the rFhCL3-2 vaccinated group (53 %), although, reductions in liver fluke wet weight (statistically significant) and liver damage score were most pronounced. Further, the highest IgG1 and IgG2a levels were seen in rFhCL3-2 vaccinated rats, the group for which the highest reduction in worm burden was demonstrated. Moreover, IgG1 and IgG2a levels in vaccinated rats were significantly elevated compared to those reported for control groups up to 4 week post-infection. While the mechanism of protection remains unknown, it appears that it depends on vaccine-induced antibodies directed against cathepsins. The obtained results imply that F. hepatica juvenile-specific cathepsins are promising vaccine candidates that induce responses that successfully target early migratory liver fluke stages. Now, the challenge is to evaluate these juvenile-specific cathepsins for use in livestock. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Battery-powered bone drill: caution needed in densely blastic lesions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chang, Connie Y.; Simeone, F.J.; Huang, Ambrose J. [Massachusetts General Hospital, Division of Musculoskeletal Imaging and Intervention, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States)

2015-12-15

Image-guided biopsies play an important role for pathologic diagnosis of bone tumors. Recently, motorized, battery powered bone marrow biopsy devices have been used to biopsy focal bone lesions with high accuracy. We present here two cases of densely blastic metastases where the biopsy sample could not be removed from the needle. These two cases suggest that if the lesion is densely blastic, then the sample should be small (<5 mm) to ensure that the biopsy specimen will not be stuck within the biopsy needle. (orig.)

Visual agnosia and focal brain injury.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinaud, O

Visual agnosia encompasses all disorders of visual recognition within a selective visual modality not due to an impairment of elementary visual processing or other cognitive deficit. Based on a sequential dichotomy between the perceptual and memory systems, two different categories of visual object agnosia are usually considered: 'apperceptive agnosia' and 'associative agnosia'. Impaired visual recognition within a single category of stimuli is also reported in: (i) visual object agnosia of the ventral pathway, such as prosopagnosia (for faces), pure alexia (for words), or topographagnosia (for landmarks); (ii) visual spatial agnosia of the dorsal pathway, such as cerebral akinetopsia (for movement), or orientation agnosia (for the placement of objects in space). Focal brain injuries provide a unique opportunity to better understand regional brain function, particularly with the use of effective statistical approaches such as voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM). The aim of the present work was twofold: (i) to review the various agnosia categories according to the traditional visual dual-pathway model; and (ii) to better assess the anatomical network underlying visual recognition through lesion-mapping studies correlating neuroanatomical and clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Adaptive lesion formation using dual mode ultrasound array system

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Dalong; Casper, Andrew; Haritonova, Alyona; Ebbini, Emad S.

2017-03-01

We present the results from an ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound platform designed to perform real-time monitoring and control of lesion formation. Real-time signal processing of echogenicity changes during lesion formation allows for identification of signature events indicative of tissue damage. The detection of these events triggers the cessation or the reduction of the exposure (intensity and/or time) to prevent overexposure. A dual mode ultrasound array (DMUA) is used for forming single- and multiple-focus patterns in a variety of tissues. The DMUA approach allows for inherent registration between the therapeutic and imaging coordinate systems providing instantaneous, spatially-accurate feedback on lesion formation dynamics. The beamformed RF data has been shown to have high sensitivity and specificity to tissue changes during lesion formation, including in vivo. In particular, the beamformed echo data from the DMUA is very sensitive to cavitation activity in response to HIFU in a variety of modes, e.g. boiling cavitation. This form of feedback is characterized by sudden increase in echogenicity that could occur within milliseconds of the application of HIFU (see http://youtu.be/No2wh-ceTLs for an example). The real-time beamforming and signal processing allowing the adaptive control of lesion formation is enabled by a high performance GPU platform (response time within 10 msec). We present results from a series of experiments in bovine cardiac tissue demonstrating the robustness and increased speed of volumetric lesion formation for a range of clinically-relevant exposures. Gross histology demonstrate clearly that adaptive lesion formation results in tissue damage consistent with the size of the focal spot and the raster scan in 3 dimensions. In contrast, uncontrolled volumetric lesions exhibit significant pre-focal buildup due to excessive exposure from multiple full-exposure HIFU shots. Stopping or reducing the HIFU exposure upon the detection of such an

MRI of peripheral nerve lesions of the lower limbs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacour-Petit, M.C.; Ducreux, D. [Dept. of Neuroradiology, Hopital Bicetre, Kremlin-Bicetre (France); Lozeron, P. [Dept. of Neurology, Hopital Bicetre, Kremlin-Bicetre (France)

2003-03-01

Our aim is to illustrate the contribution of MRI to diagnosis of lesions of the lower-limb nerve trunks. We report six patients who had clinical and electrophysiological examination for a peroneal or tibial nerve palsy. MRI of the knee showed in three cases a nonenhancing cystic lesion of the peroneal nerve suggesting an intraneural ganglion cyst, confirmed by histological study in one case. One patient with known neurofibromatosis had an enhancing nodular lesion of the peroneal nerve compatible with a neurofibroma. Two patients had diffuse hypertrophy with high signal on T2-weighted images, without contrast enhancement of the sciatic nerve or its branches. These lesions were compatible with localised hypertrophic neuropathy. In one case, biopsy of the superficial branch of the peroneal nerve showed insignificant axonal degeneration. MRI can provide information about the size and site of the abnormal segment of a nerve before treatment and can be used to distinguish different patterns of focal lesion. (orig.)

Evaluation of benign pulmonary lesions less than 20 mm in diameter by thin-section computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiotani, Seiji; Yamada, Kouzo; Oshita, Fumihiro

1997-01-01

To establish diagnostic criteria for small solitary pulmonary nodules, the findings of thin-section computed tomography (CT) were compared with pathological findings. We evaluated thin-section CT images and compared them with pathological findings in 23 specimens of resected benign lesions less than 20 mm in diameter located in the peripheral region. The thin-section CT images were reconstructed using 2 mm thick sections taken by TCT-900S, HELIX (Toshiba, Tokyo) and were examined with two different windows and level settings. In every case, the surgical specimens were sliced transversely to correlate with the CT findings. The thin-section CT images were classified into two types; solid and air-containing types. The former consisted of benign pulmonary tumors, granulomas and some focal fibrosis, while the latter all consisted of focal fibrosis. Both types were difficult to distinguish from peripheral lung cancer based only on margin analysis of the lesion, but analysis of how pulmonary vessels relate to the lesion can allow benign pulmonary lesions to be distinguished from peripheral lung cancer. (author)

The differentiation of the character of solid lesions in the breast in the compression sonoelastography. Part II: Diagnostic value of BIRADS-US classification, Tsukuba score and FLR ratio.

Science.gov (United States)

Dobruch-Sobczak, Katarzyna

2013-03-01

Sonoelastography is a dynamically developing method of ultrasound examination used to differentiate the character of focal lesions in the breasts. The aim of the Part II of the study is to determine the usefulness of sonoelastography in the differentiation diagnosis of focal breast lesions including the evaluation of the diagnostic value of Tsukuba score and FLR ratio in characterizing solid lesions in the breasts. Furthermore, the paper provides a comparison of classic B-mode imaging and sonoelastography. From January to July 2010 in the Ultrasound Department of the Cancer Centre, The Institute of Maria Skłodowska-Curie, 375 breast ultrasound examinations were conducted. The examined group included patients who in B-mode examinations presented indications for pathological verification. They were 80 women aged between 17 and 83 (mean age was 50) with 99 solid focal lesions in the breasts. All patients underwent: the interview, physical examination, B-mode ultrasound examination and elastography of the mammary glands and axillary fossae. The visualized lesions were evaluated according to BIRADS-US classification and Tsukuba score as well as FLR ratio was calculated. In all cases, the histopathological and/or cytological verification of the tested lesions was obtained. In the group of 80 patients, the examination revealed 39 malignant neoplastic lesions and 60 benign ones. The mean age of women with malignant neoplasms was 55.07 (SD = 10.54), and with benign lesions - 46.9 (SD = 15.47). In order to identify threshold values that distinguish benign lesions from malignant ones, a comparative analysis of statistical models based on BIRADS-US classification and Tsukuba score was conducted and the cut-off value for FLR was assumed. The sensitivity and specificity values for BIRADS-US 4/5 were 76.92% and 96.67% and for Tsukuba 3/4 - 64.1% and 98.33% respectively. The assumed FLR threshold value to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions in the breasts equaled 3

Burden of Fasciola hepatica Infection among children from Paucartambo in Cusco, Peru.

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Martha; White, A Clinton; Cabada, Miguel M

2012-03-01

There is a high prevalence of fascioliasis in the Peruvian highlands, but most cases remain undiagnosed. The burden of disease caused by chronic subclinical infection is largely unknown. We studied school-age children from a district in Paucartambo Province in Cusco, Peru to evaluate the burden of disease caused by subclinical fascioliasis. Parasite eggs and/or larvae were identified in 46.2% of subjects, including Fasciola hepatica in 10.3% of subjects. Fascioliasis was independently associated with anemia (adjusted odds ratio = 3.01 [1.10-8.23]). Subclinical fascioliasis was common among children and strongly associated with anemia. Anemia should be recognized as an important component of the burden of disease from fascioliasis.

Burden of Fasciola hepatica Infection among Children from Paucartambo in Cusco, Peru

Science.gov (United States)

Lopez, Martha; White, A. Clinton; Cabada, Miguel M.

2012-01-01

There is a high prevalence of fascioliasis in the Peruvian highlands, but most cases remain undiagnosed. The burden of disease caused by chronic subclinical infection is largely unknown. We studied school-age children from a district in Paucartambo Province in Cusco, Peru to evaluate the burden of disease caused by subclinical fascioliasis. Parasite eggs and/or larvae were identified in 46.2% of subjects, including Fasciola hepatica in 10.3% of subjects. Fascioliasis was independently associated with anemia (adjusted odds ratio = 3.01 [1.10–8.23]). Subclinical fascioliasis was common among children and strongly associated with anemia. Anemia should be recognized as an important component of the burden of disease from fascioliasis. PMID:22403322

A case of alcoholic hepatitis demonstrating focal fatty infiltration of the liver on computed tomography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uesaka, Toshihiro; Kato, Masayoshi; Nagai, Tadayuki; Kametani, Tomio; Horigami, Tateyuki; Takimoto, Hiroaki; Tanino, Mikio

1985-01-01

Focal fatty infiltration of the liver is a newly recognized entity that may be confused with primary neoplasm or tumor metastasis on computed tomography. We report a 31-year-old woman with a history of chronic alcoholism. Physical examination revealed jaundice, marked hepatomegaly and ascites. Laboratory studies revealed mild elevation of bilirubin, AlP, GOT, γ-GTP and marked leukocytosis. Abdominal CT showed a large area of decreased density in the right lobe. The radionuclide scan demonstrated the area of diminished activity located in the central portion of the right lobe. Ultrasonography demonstrated high echoic mass shadows in the right lobe. The rapid disappearance of the low density area on CT was recognized. The liver biopsy specimen revealed fatty metamorphosis, alcoholic hyaline bodies, pericellular fibrosis and mild lobular disorganization. Focal fatty infiltration can mimic focal hepatic lesions and repeat CT scans are useful in diagnosis. (author)

Susceptibilidade de Lymnaea (pseudosuccinea columella (Say, 1817 exposta à infecção por miracídios de Fasciola hepatica (Linnaeus, 1758

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alfredo Raimundo Corrêa Dacal

1988-10-01

Full Text Available Com o objetivo de estudar a susceptibilidade de Lymnaea (pseudosuccinea columella de Minas Gerais, Estado onde ainda não se registraram casos autóctones de fasciolose hepática, foram utilizadas as amostras MG 1, MG 2, MG 3 e MG 4, provenientes de diferentes regiões deste Estado, para estudo comparativo com as amostras RJ e RGS procedentes dos Estados do Rio de Janeiro e Rio Grande do Sul, áreas de focos de fasciolose. A amostra de Fasciola hepatica utilizada era procedente de ovinos abatidos no município de Camapuã, no Rio Grande do Sul, e foi mantida em coelhos. Os moluscos foram infectados com 6, 8 e 10 miracídos por molusco, sendo estudadas as incidências de infecção e de mortalidade. Nas condições que se realizou o trabalho diante dos resultados obtidos, foram tiradas as seguintes conclusões: 1. A mortalidade dos caramujos parece não estar diretamente relacionada com a percentagem de infecção; 2. As amostras de Lymnaea (pseudosuccinea columella de Minas Gerais, do Rio de Janeiro e do Rio Grande do Sul mostraram-se identicamente susceptíveis à infecção por Fasciola hepatica; 3. A população humana e os rebanhos bovino, ovino e suíno de Minas Gerais, particularmente aqueles do Vale do Rio Paraíba, podem ser considerados sujeitos à infecção por Fasciola hepatica.

18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT scans as diagnostic tools in focal congenital hyperinsulinism: a blinded evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Christiansen, Charlotte Dahl; Petersen, Henrik; Nielsen, Anne Lerberg; Detlefsen, Sönke; Brusgaard, Klaus; Rasmussen, Lars; Melikyan, Maria; Ekström, Klas; Globa, Evgenia; Rasmussen, Annett Helleskov; Hovendal, Claus; Christesen, Henrik Thybo

2018-02-01

Focal congenital hyperinsulinism (CHI) is curable by surgery, which is why identification of the focal lesion is crucial. We aimed to determine the use of 18F-fluoro-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET/CT vs. 68Ga-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic-acid-1-Nal3-octreotide (68Ga-DOTANOC) PET/CT as diagnostic tools in focal CHI. PET/CT scans of children with CHI admitted to Odense University Hospital between August 2005 and June 2016 were retrospectively evaluated visually and by their maximal standardized uptake values (SUV max ) by two independent examiners, blinded for clinical, surgical and pathological data. Pancreatic histology was used as the gold standard. For patients without surgery, the genetic profile served as the gold standard. Fifty-five CHI patients were examined by PET/CT (18F-DOPA n = 53, 68Ga-DOTANOC n = 18). Surgery was performed in 34 patients, no surgery in 21 patients. Fifty-one patients had a classifiable outcome, either by histology (n = 33, 22 focal lesions, 11 non-focal) or by genetics (n = 18, all non-focal). The predictive performance of 18F-DOPA PET/CT to identify focal CHI was identical by visual- and cut-off-based evaluation: sensitivity (95% CI) of 1 (0.85-1); specificity of 0.96 (0.82-0.99). The optimal 18F-DOPA PET SUV max ratio cut-off was 1.44 and the optimal 68Ga-DOTANOC PET SUV max cut-off was 6.77 g/ml. The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.98 (0.93-1) for 18F-DOPA PET vs. 0.71 (0.43-0.95) for 68Ga-DOTANOC PET (p PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT, respectively. 18F-DOPA PET/CT was excellent in predicting focal CHI and superior compared to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. Further use of 68GA-DOTANOC PET/CT in predicting focal CHI is discouraged.

Focal cortical malformations in children with early infantile epilepsy and PCDH19 mutations: case report.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurian, Mary; Korff, Christian M; Ranza, Emmanuelle; Bernasconi, Andrea; Lübbig, Anja; Nangia, Srishti; Ramelli, Gian Paolo; Wohlrab, Gabriele; Nordli, Douglas R; Bast, Thomas

2018-01-01

In this case report we assess the occurrence of cortical malformations in children with early infantile epilepsy associated with variants of the gene protocadherin 19 (PCDH19). We describe the clinical course, and electrographic, imaging, genetic, and neuropathological features in a cohort of female children with pharmacoresistant epilepsy. All five children (mean age 10y) had an early onset of epilepsy during infancy and a predominance of fever sensitive seizures occurring in clusters. Cognitive impairment was noted in four out of five patients. Radiological evidence of cortical malformations was present in all cases and, in two patients, validated by histology. Sanger sequencing and Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification analysis of PCDH19 revealed pathogenic variants in four patients. In one patient, array comparative genomic hybridization showed a microdeletion encompassing PCDH19. We propose molecular testing and analysis of PCDH19 in patients with pharmacoresistant epilepsy, with onset in early infancy, seizures in clusters, and fever sensitivity. Structural lesions are to be searched in patients with PCDH19 pathogenic variants. Further, PCDH19 analysis should be considered in epilepsy surgery evaluation even in the presence of cerebral structural lesions. Focal cortical malformations and monogenic epilepsy syndromes may coexist. Structural lesions are to be searched for in patients with protocadherin 19 (PCDH19) pathogenic variants with refractory focal seizures. © 2017 Mac Keith Press.

Hiperplasia epitelial focal (doença de Heck em descendente de índios brasileiros: relato de caso Focal epithelial hyperplasia (Heck's disease in Brazilian indian descent: report of a case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pedro Paulo de Andrade Santos

2007-12-01

Full Text Available A hiperplasia epitelial focal, ou doença de Heck, é uma enfermidade rara, benigna, que afeta a mucosa oral de crianças e adultos jovens de diversas regiões do mundo e em diferentes grupos étnicos, como indígenas e esquimós. Apresenta correlação com o papilomavírus humano (HPV no qual os tipos 13 e 32 têm sido consistentemente detectados nessas lesões. Este artigo relata um caso de uma paciente de 18 anos de idade, descendente de índios potiguares, que compareceu ao serviço de estomatologia da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN, exibindo lesões bem definidas, arredondadas, planas, localizadas em cavidade oral, com tempo de evolução de aproximadamente dois anos. As lesões foram submetidas a biópsias incisionais, constatado-se no exame histopatológico alterações epiteliais, como acantose, cristas epiteliais em forma de "taco de golfe" além de células mitosóides. Esses achados histopatológicos foram compatíveis com a hipótese clínica de hiperplasia epitelial focal (doença de Heck.The focal epithelial hyperplasia or Heck's disease is a benign rare pathology, that affects children and young adults oral mucosal in many world regions, and different ethnic groups, for example Indians and Eskimos. Presents correlation with the subtypes 13 and 32 of human papillomavirus (HPV. This article report a case of an 18-year-old patient, descent of potiguar indian, attended in stomatology service of Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN, presenting well defined lesions, round, plane, localized in oral cavity with an evolution of two years. The lesions were submitted to incisional biopsies, verifying in histopathologic exam, epithelial alterations, like acanthosis, epithelial projections in "parquet block of golf" beyond mitosoid cells. These histopathological findings were compatible with clinical hypothesis of focal epithelial hyperplasia (Heck's disease.

Comparative strategies and success of sympatric and allopatric Fasciola hepatica infecting Galba truncatula of different susceptibilities.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanabria, R; Mouzet, R; Courtioux, B; Vignoles, P; Rondelaud, D; Dreyfuss, G; Cabaret, J; Romero, J

2013-06-01

Allopatric infections of French Galba truncatula with an Argentinean isolate of Fasciola hepatica were carried out to determine the infectivity of foreign miracidia in three snail populations differing by their susceptibility to French miracidia (two highly and one poorly susceptible populations). Sympatric infections of G. truncatula with French miracidia were used as controls. Compared to sympatric infections of G. truncatula, snail survival at day 30 post-infection in allopatric groups was significantly lower in a highly susceptible population and significantly greater in the other two. Prevalence in snails infected with the allopatric isolate was significantly lower (16.4-34.5 % instead of 58.6-72.1 %), whereas their patent period was significantly longer (a mean of 69.9-85.9 days instead of 6.4-20.7 days). The mean number of metacercariae was also higher in allopatric groups (236.5-897.3 per cercariae-shedding snail instead of 70.7-222.1). Owing to longer patent periods, the Argentinean isolate of F. hepatica was less pathogenic for these snails. The lower prevalence of infection, the longer patent period and the higher number of metacercariae noted in allopatric groups might be the consequence of an adaptive mechanism used by this digenean introduced to the New World to infect new populations of unusual intermediate hosts.

Impact of region contouring variability on image-based focal therapy evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Gibson, Eli; Donaldson, Ian A.; Shah, Taimur T.; Hu, Yipeng; Ahmed, Hashim U.; Barratt, Dean C.

2016-03-01

Motivation: Focal therapy is an emerging low-morbidity treatment option for low-intermediate risk prostate cancer; however, challenges remain in accurately delivering treatment to specified targets and determining treatment success. Registered multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MPMRI) acquired before and after treatment can support focal therapy evaluation and optimization; however, contouring variability, when defining the prostate, the clinical target volume (CTV) and the ablation region in images, reduces the precision of quantitative image-based focal therapy evaluation metrics. To inform the interpretation and clarify the limitations of such metrics, we investigated inter-observer contouring variability and its impact on four metrics. Methods: Pre-therapy and 2-week-post-therapy standard-of-care MPMRI were acquired from 5 focal cryotherapy patients. Two clinicians independently contoured, on each slice, the prostate (pre- and post-treatment) and the dominant index lesion CTV (pre-treatment) in the T2-weighted MRI, and the ablated region (post-treatment) in the dynamic-contrast- enhanced MRI. For each combination of clinician contours, post-treatment images were registered to pre-treatment images using a 3D biomechanical-model-based registration of prostate surfaces, and four metrics were computed: the proportion of the target tissue region that was ablated and the target:ablated region volume ratio for each of two targets (the CTV and an expanded planning target volume). Variance components analysis was used to measure the contribution of each type of contour to the variance in the therapy evaluation metrics. Conclusions: 14-23% of evaluation metric variance was attributable to contouring variability (including 6-12% from ablation region contouring); reducing this variability could improve the precision of focal therapy evaluation metrics.