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Biomedical subjects

B Aubin

Publications and source records attributed to B Aubin.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Plantar fasciitis: sonographic evaluation.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the sonographic findings of plantar fasciitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Both feet of 15 patients who had a clinical diagnosis of plantar fasciitis were evaluated with ultrasound (US) by using a 7.0-MHz linear-array transducer. Heel pain was unilateral in 11 patients and bilateral in four. Sagittal sonograms were obtained, and the thickness of the plantar fascia was measured at its proximal end near its insertion into the calcaneus. Other observations included hypoechoic fascia, fiber rupture, perifascial fluid collections, and calcifications. Both feet of 15 healthy volunteers were also evaluated as a control group. RESULTS: Plantar fascia thickness was significantly increased in the heels in patients with plantar fasciitis (3.2-6.8 mm; mean, 5.2 mm +/- 1.13) compared with their asymptomatic heels (2.0-4.0 mm; mean, 2.9 mm +/- 0.70) (P < .0001) and compared with the heels of the patients in the control group (1.6-3.8 mm; mean, 2.6 mm +/- 0.48) (P < .0001). The proximal plantar fascia of 16 (84%) symptomatic heels were diffusely hypoechoic compared with none of the patients' asymptomatic heels and only one heel of a patient in the volunteer group. No fascia rupture, perifascial fluid collection, or calcifications were identified. CONCLUSION: Increased thickness of the fascia and hypoechoic fascia are sonographic findings of plantar fasciitis. US may be a valuable noninvasive technique for the diagnosis of plantar fasciitis.

Case-Control Studies↗
PubMed1995

Cavernous transformation of the portal vein: patterns of intrahepatic and splanchnic collateral circulation detected with Doppler sonography.

OBJECTIVE: Cavernous transformation of the portal vein is defined as the formation of venous channels within or around a previously thrombosed portal vein. The purpose of this work was to study the hemodynamic consequences of cavernous transformation of the portal vein in a group of afflicted patients by use of Doppler sonography. We wished to study the evolution from portal vein thrombosis to the formation of cavernous transformation, the extent of resulting extrahepatic collateral channels, and the patterns of splanchnic collateral circulation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-five patients (48 adults and 27 children) with cavernous transformation of the portal vein were studied with color and/or pulsed Doppler sonography. Blood flow in the extrahepatic portal vein, in its segmental branches, in the hepatic veins and artery, and in the splanchnic veins was examined. Collateral pathways were sought. For nine patients with acute thrombosis of the portal vein, serial examinations were performed during the formation of cavernous transformation. RESULTS: In nine patients, a fresh thrombus filled and distended the portal vein and became recanalized within a few days. Tortuous vessels appeared at the porta hepatis. These were characterized as veins or arteries with Doppler sonography. Soon the portal vein could no longer be identified within the mass of tortuous vessels. The cavernous transformation developed within 6-20 days of the acute thrombosis. A spongelike mass of collateral vessels around the main portal vein was seen in all but two patients. Intrahepatic extension of the cavernous transformation was seen in 57 patients (76%) and involved one or more intrahepatic portal veins. Two types of collateral circulation were observed: portosystemic, mainly through the left gastric and the perisplenic veins (the caput medusae, i.e., the paraumbilical-to-abdominal venous route, was never seen); and portoportal, from the periportal or pericholecystic venous channels to the intrahepatic portal veins. In nine patients, flow within unaffected intrahepatic branches of the portal vein was reversed as directed toward the cavernous transformation surrounding other, thrombosed intrahepatic segments of the portal vein. CONCLUSION: After thrombosis of the portal vein, portoportal venous channels may form not only at the porta hepatis but also within the liver. Intrahepatic blood may be shunted from one segmental portal vein to another. In addition, portosystemic collateral channels are formed, suggesting that, despite extensive hemodynamic adaptations, portal hypertension ensues.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1995

Focal sparing of liver parenchyma in steatosis: role of the gallbladder and its vessels.

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and localization of focal areas of sparing in a population of patients with fatty infiltration (steatosis) of the liver. We also sought to determine if the blood supply of the gallbladder has an effect on fatty infiltration of the liver adjacent to it. We studied 290 patients with sonographic signs of fatty infiltration of the liver with gray scale sonography. In 58 of the patients, the gallbladder had been removed previously. A zone of focal sparing was found in 67% of patients with liver steatosis (78% in patients with an intact gallbladder versus 33% in patients with previous cholecystectomy). In patients with an intact gallbladder, segments 4 and 5 were spared most often. These segments were rarely spared in patients with previous cholecystectomy. Other sites of focal sparing were observed with the same frequency in the two groups. We conclude that focal sparing occurs frequently in patients with liver steatosis, especially in segments 4 and 5. When the gallbladder is absent, areas of focal sparing are less frequent, and they rarely involve segments 4 and 5. This suggests that the blood supply of the gallbladder plays a role in the distribution of the fat in the adjacent liver. Focal sparing might serve as an additional sign in the diagnosis of steatosis of the liver, especially in patients with an intact gallbladder.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Doppler sonography of the inferior mesenteric artery: a preliminary study.

The purposes of this study were to look for the inferior mesenteric artery in patients undergoing abdominal sonography, to determine in what percentage of patients it is visible, and to characterize Doppler flow patterns of the inferior mesenteric artery in fasting patients without intestinal vascular disease. The inferior mesenteric artery was sought in 100 consecutive fasting adults (mean age, 54 years; 63 women, 37 men), as follows: the infrarenal aorta was scanned in a transverse plane; the origin of the inferior mesenteric artery was identified on the left anterolateral surface of the aorta; the inferior mesenteric artery was then traced caudally along the left side of the aorta. The inferior mesenteric artery and the superior mesenteric artery were studied with Doppler sonography in 50 different subjects without clinical or Doppler sonographic evidence of abdominal vascular disease (mean age, 44.9 years; 17 men, 33 women). Pulsed Doppler samples were taken within the inferior mesenteric artery in sagittal planes. The resistive index was calculated from the superior mesenteric artery and the inferior mesenteric artery. The inferior mesenteric artery was detected in all but eight patients (92%). In seven patients obesity prevented visualization. The eighth patient had undergone abdominal surgery on the previous day, limiting the sonographic examination. The diastolic flow in the inferior mesenteric artery was less than that in the superior mesenteric artery in all patients. The resistive index was 0.959 +/- 0.045 in the inferior mesenteric artery and 0.856 +/- 0.046 in the superior mesenteric artery (P < 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Ga-67 imaging in primary and secondary psoas abscess.

Primary and secondary psoas abscesses are uncommon and frequently misdiagnosed. Two cases of pyogenic psoas abscess are presented to illustrate the usefulness of Ga-67 scintigraphy in determining the presence and the extent of the infectious process.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Citalopram. An open study of a highly selective serotonin-uptake inhibitor administered by infusion to depressive patients].

In an open, clinical trial comprising a total of 49 depressed in-patients, a new selective 5-HT uptake inhibitor citalopram was administered by intravenous infusion in doses of 20-60 mg once daily for per 3 weeks. The therapeutic effect was assessed globally and by means of the CPRS subscale for depression (MADRS). About 40 per cent of the patients showed a complete response whereas about 25 per cent showed a partial response. Side effects which were rated globally and recorded according to a check-list were generally mild and infrequent. The side-effects most frequently observed were tremor, drowsiness, and dizziness which occurred in about 15 per cent of the patients.' Three patients were withdrawn prematurely because of nausea and one because of a skin rash. Cardiovascular recordings were normal except for one patient, who developed a hypertension which may have been related to the test drug. No pathological laboratory values were detected during the trial period. The authors conclude that intravenously administered citalopram is well suited for the treatment of depressed patients.

Adult↗