PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Bray

Publications and source records attributed to A Bray.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Diagnostic imaging of primitive neuroectodermal tumour of the chest wall (Askin tumour).

OBJECTIVES: To describe the radiological features of primitive neuroectodermal tumour (PNET) of the chest wall (Askin tumour) at diagnosis and to analyse the radiological changes occurring as a consequence of treatment and during follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine children with histologically proven PNET were studied. At diagnosis, all patients underwent chest X-ray (CXR), chest CT and bone scintigraphy; three patients also had MR and three had US. During treatment and follow-up, CT was performed in all patients. RESULTS: CT demonstrated a solid heterogeneous chest wall mass in all children at diagnosis and six had a rib lesion. Small nodular densities in the extra-pleural fat were identified in three patients at diagnosis. US, performed in three patients, excluded tumour infiltration of the lung or diaphragm, which had been suspected on CT. On MR, the lesions showed high signal intensity in T1-weighted/proton-density images and intermediate/high signal intensity in T2-weighted images compared with muscle. Minimal chest wall involvement was demonstrated in one case by MRI. Extensive necrosis of tumour mass with pseudo-cystic appearance was documented in the five patients who underwent chemotherapy. Macroscopically complete resection was performed in five patients but there was early local recurrence after surgery in two, identified by CT in one and by MR in the other. CONCLUSIONS: PNET of the chest wall should be considered in a child with a chest wall mass. CT is valuable for evaluating tumour extension at diagnosis, the effects of chemotherapy and assessing tumour recurrence after surgery. However, CT can overestimate pleural, lung or diaphragmatic infiltration, which are better evaluated by US. MR was superior to CT in the evaluation of tumour extension in one of three patients and may be considered complementary to CT, particularly in very large chest wall tumours.

Child↗
PubMed1998

Pneumatoceles following hydrocarbon aspiration.

We report an unusual evolution of turpentine-induced pneumonia due to accidental aspiration in a 21-month-old child. Chest X-rays demonstrated patchy alveolar densities evolving into large pneumatoceles. Follow-up CT optimally depicted the number, site and extent of pneumatoceles. To our knowledge, pneumatoceles developing in turpentine-induced pneumonia have never been reported in turpentine aspiration.

Cysts↗
PubMed1996

Sociopathy: forever forensic?

We suggest that the criteria for antisocial personality disorder, or "sociopathy", in the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th edition) are deficient in that they define "failed sociopathy", and fail to include an equally valid group of individuals who, although seen by society as successful, display core features of the antisocial personality disorder.

Antisocial Personality Disorder↗
PubMed1995

Reporting guidelines: another perspective.

The following data are required when reporting results of a procedure for occlusive disease of the lower limb: (1) PREOPERATIVE PATIENT ASSESSMENT: This should include age, sex, diabetes, smoking habit, whether the ischemic symptoms are at rest or after exercise, and the resting ankle or toe pressure. (2) INTENTION TO TREAT: This should be stated as a percentage of the number of procedures that actually were properly performed against the number of procedures scheduled. Only those procedures that were performed should be subsequently analyzed. (3) ACUTE RESULTS: This is assessed by an imaging technique, such as angiography or duplex ultrasound, and defined in terms of patency and degree of maximal stenosis in the area treated and 5 cm on either side. Change in symptoms, complications, and ankle pressures should be reported but are not criteria for procedural success or failure. The assessment should be done from 10 to 30 days following the procedure. (4) LONG-TERM RESULTS: As assessed by appropriate imaging techniques, outcome should be reported in terms of primary, assisted primary, and secondary patency. The degree of maximal stenosis in the treated segments and 5 cm on either side should be stated. The surveillance intervals would depend on the answers being sought in the follow-up period, but the minimum would be an annual review. Three-year results are required to give an adequate assessment of the durability of a procedure. (5) REPORTING: Life-table analysis should be used to present the data on patencies and the degree of stenosis.

Arterial Occlusive Diseases↗
PubMed1990

Cosmetic leg veins: evaluation using duplex venous imaging.

The records of 305 consecutive patients who had presented with cosmetic symptoms related to varicose and/or spider veins over a 12-month period were studied. Following clinical assessment, 250 (82%) patients were referred for duplex venous imaging. A total of 500 lower limbs were evaluated; 236 (47%) were documented to have incompetence in the superficial venous system (long or short saphenous veins). Only 6 (1%) limbs had deep venous incompetence and 45 (9%) limbs were found to have perforator incompetence. Short saphenous vein incompetence was found in 59 (12%) limbs. In the long saphenous vein there was a consistent pattern of an increasing incidence of incompetence from the saphenofemoral junction down to the below-knee segment. The duplex imaging findings were applied to determine the optimal treatment, ie, whether surgery, sclerotherapy, or a combination of both would provide the best short- and long-term results. The possible etiology and pathophysiology of spider and varicose veins are discussed in relation to these results.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

Prostaglandin production in arthritis.

Inflammatory cell populations from synovial effusions or synovial villi in rheumatoid arthritis have been cultured in vitro. Prostaglandin productive capacity, measured by radioimmunoassay, showed the polymorphonuclear leucocyte rich populations from synovial effusions to be poor sources of PGE production whereas the synovial fragments produced substantial amounts of PGE activity. It is suggested that the macrophage is the major source of local prostaglandin formation both in gout and rheumatoid arthritis.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

High resolution computed tomography (HRCT) and new perspectives in functional radiology of the lung.

Computed Tomography (CT) with the advent of new techniques as high resolution computed tomography (HRTC) and spiral CT with 3D reconstructions (3D CT) allows a new morphologic-qualitative as well as functional-quantitative evaluation of pulmonary perfusion and ventilation. HRCT allows the identification of secondary lobule and a detailed morphologic and comparative analysis of minute distal anatomical structures with combined densitometric evaluation of lung parenchyma on perfusion. In particular, a new, more specific significance could be attributed to changes in density of lung parenchyma (mosaic pattern) with associated assessment of the vessel number, caliber and distribution, and a comparative evaluation of vessels and density between healthy and impaired areas. The "optical" HRCT evaluation on serial axial scans in inspiration and expiration allows the functional assessment of compartments which require spirometry and tests of respiratory function. Spiral CT allows volumetric acquisitions in a single breath which can be reconstructed and processed according to single requirements. 3D tailored reconstruction of spiral CT exam in maximum inspiration and expiration with a dedicated densitometric window (-1024/+ 100 HU) allows the calculation of total lung volume (TLV), of both lungs, of a single lung or selected sections. With the "air" densitometric window (-1024/-400 HU) the total lung capacity (TLC) and residual volume (RV) are calculated. The ratio between these values and the corresponding TLV represents the lung aeration index (LAI). 3D reconstruction with fixed densitometric value corresponding to median air density (peak of histogram) allows the scintigraphic-like "alveolographic" reconstruction of lung ventilation. Combined 3D CT and HRCT evaluation possibly from a single spiral CT exam, is used in the morphologic-functional diagnosis of respiratory pathophysiology.

Lung↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnostic imaging of the diabetic foot.

Diagnostic imaging plays a major role in the osteoarticular disease of the foot in diabetics, allowing the diagnosis and evaluation of alterations for therapy planning. To-date conventional radiology is still of first choice in the study of the diabetic foot with the evaluation of osteoarticular damage caused by neuropathy and vascular disease. Major radiographic patterns are neuroarthropathy and osteomyelitis. Main locations are at the level of forefoot and less frequently of tarsus and tibiotarsal joint. Second choice procedures as US, CT and MRI are useful for a more accurate evaluation of soft tissue lesions and articular structures. US is the first choice procedure in soft tissue evaluation to rule out the presence of abscesses which require surgery. MRI with some limitations represents the gold standard for the study of joints and medullary disease. Spiral CT though less specific and sensitive than MRI for soft tissue and bone marrow study is still the exam of reference for the study of bone structures with three-dimensional reconstructions useful to plan orthopedic surgery.

Diabetic Foot↗