Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to C Lévy.
Two cases of cerebral arteritis related to varicella-zoster virus in seropositive patients are presented. Diagnosis of arteritis was made by conventional angiography. However, 3D Time of Flight MR Angiography demonstrated an excellent sensitivity in detection of cerebral arterial stenosis located at the skull base.
The purpose of this study was to analyse with 3D TOF MR angiography the anatomical variants of the circle of Willis (CW) in 109 consecutive patients. In all cases, the quality of exams was sufficient to analyse the anatomy of CW. Nevertheless, MRA over estimated hypoplastic segments because incomplete CW were more frequently demonstrated with MRA than in anatomic literature. This lack of MRA sensitivity was related to artifacts as MIP artifacts and blood flow artifacts. MRA sensitivity was improved by analysis of partitions with MIP reconstructions.
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PURPOSE: To compare three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance (MR) angiography, MR imaging, and transfemoral four-vessel angiography in diagnosis and follow-up of cervical artery dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with 19 extracranial internal carotid artery and five vertebral artery dissections were included in this prospective study. Blind interpretation of MR and angiographic images was made by two independent radiologists. RESULTS: MR angiography was more accurate than MR imaging in diagnosis of carotid dissection, although the difference was not statistically significant. In carotid artery dissection, respective sensitivity and specificity were 95% and 99% for MR angiography and 84% and 99% for MR imaging and in vertebral artery dissection were 20% and 100% for MR angiography and 60% and 98% for MR imaging. CONCLUSION: MR angiography is a reliable, noninvasive method for use in diagnosis and follow-up of extracranial internal carotid artery dissection. In vertebral artery dissection, however, conventional angiography remains useful.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Territorial cerebellar infarcts have mainly a thromboembolic mechanism. Cerebellar infarcts less than 2 cm in diameter have recently been reported as nonterritorial infarcts, but it is not clear whether they are low-flow or embolic infarcts. The aim of the present study was to compare the characteristics and causes of territorial and nonterritorial infarcts in a prospective series of 115 patients. METHODS: We collected data from 115 consecutive patients with cerebellar infarcts (79 territorial and 36 nonterritorial [ie, less than 2 cm]), using magnetic resonance imaging (88 patients) and computed tomography. RESULTS: Patients with territorial infarcts and those with nonterritorial infarcts had similar vascular risk factors and clinical presentations and an equal frequency of cardiac source of embolism (32% versus 42%; P = NS) and of large artery occlusive disease (23% versus 19%; P = NS). Occlusive lesions of large arteries at angiography occurred at the level of one cerebellar artery (5% versus 0%; P = NS) and proximal to the ostia of the cerebellar arteries (18% versus 19%; P = NS). Infarcts distal to occlusive lesions were subdivided into unilateral vertebral artery occlusive disease (presumed artery-to-artery embolic mechanism; 18% versus 5%; P = NS) and low-flow state distal to bilateral vertebral or basilar artery occlusion (presumed hemodynamic mechanism; 0% versus 14%; P = .004). Patients with nonterritorial infarcts had more frequent hypercoagulable state (17% versus 1.25%; odds ratio, 15.6 [95% confidence interval, 1.8 to 135]). For the remaining patients, the mechanism of the infarct was unknown (34% versus 22%; P = NS). CONCLUSIONS: Cerebellar infarcts less than 2 cm in diameter (ie, nonterritorial) have the same high rate of embolic mechanism as territorial infarcts (47% versus 49%; P = NS), have more frequent hypercoagulable state, and sometimes have a hemodynamic mechanism.
BACKGROUND: Clinical features of carotid artery dissection include ipsilateral local signs, contralateral ischemic stroke, or both. We observed two patients in whom these features were associated with renal infarcts. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: A 57-year-old woman had painful Horner's syndrome caused by a right internal carotid artery dissection. On days 3 and 4 she had acute abdominal pain, first on the right side and later on the left. The computed tomographic (CT) scan showed a left renal infarct. No aortic dissection or cardiac source of embolism was found. Transesophageal echocardiography showed a mild dystrophy of the ascending aorta and of the mitral valve. Cerebral angiography showed irregularities of the V3 segment of the left vertebral artery compatible with fibromuscular dysplasia. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 100 mm/h, and she complained of intense fatigue. She fully recovered within 3 months. A 53-year-old man had sudden severe abdominal pain followed by headache and difficulty in swallowing. He had 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th cranial nerve involvement on both sides due to bilateral internal carotid artery dissections and pseudoaneurysms. CT scan showed a left renal infarct. Angiography showed extensive signs of fibromuscular dysplasia involving carotid, vertebral, renal, iliac, and mesenteric arteries as well as a dissection of the left renal artery. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 65 mm/h, and he complained of severe fatigue. His neurological signs returned to normal in 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Renal infarct due to renal artery dissection may occur together with cerebral artery dissection. Acute abdominal pain, increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and intense fatigue are the warning symptoms.
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Parotid gland is a very unusual site of metastasis. Four proven cases are described. The tumor was occult in three cases out of four. In one case, an extra neck primitive tumor was suspected. Two kinds of metastases are described: firstly, metastases within the salivary gland with look like pleomorphic adenoma and are secondary to hematogenous spread; secondly, lymph node metastasis (two cases). Their diagnosis appear easier as they are not usually completely surrounded by parenchyma. They can reveal either occult head and neck tumor or visceral tumor.
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The tip correction phase in reduction rhinoplasty cannot and must not be performed according to the same protocol in all patients. Simple clinical examination can determine the predominant element in projection of the tip: lateral crus, medial crus, the septum, which may participate to varying degrees in this projection. Precise procedures are performed on the basis of the elements observed on clinical examination.
Between 1977 and 1986, 3,500 patients were examined for the symptom of impotence; 1,250 of them received multidisciplinary investigation permitting the diagnosis of a pure organic or mixed disorder in 85% of cases, including 62% of vascular disease subdivided into arterial (40%) and venous (22%). For 1,062 patients, 1 or several of the following therapies were used: intracavernous infusion of vasoactive drugs (N = 725), auto-injections (N = 235), vascular surgery (N = 357) and prostheses (N = 23). The diagnostic approach, formerly analytical and making use of multiple non-invasive methods, such as nocturnal erection plethysmography (NPT) and invasive methods (artificial erection, arteriography) have been transformed by the use of pharmacological tests associated with visual sexual stimulation (VSS) which enable, together with Doppler velocimetric examination, simple screening of vascular impotence based on the study of 4 parameters: penile pressure index (PPI) when less than 0.91 is always a sign of an arterial problem, the severity of which is directly proportional to the lowering of this index and the association with maintenance insufficiency; the initial intracavernous flow rate (IICF) depends overall on the maintenance flow and the state of erectile tissue, resulting from pharmacological stimulation by a low dose of papaverine (8 mg); penile rigidity attained by the combined action of pharmacological and visual sexual stimulation, reflecting the functional erectile capacity; the duration of the rigidity thus obtained on stoppage of VSS indicating the capacity for maintenance of erection. In the event of suspicion of an isolated venous leak or in association with arterial problems, it is the artificial erection with cavernosography, carried out after pharmacological stimulation, which enables the severity of the leak to be assessed. The following specific investigations are carried out to investigate a specific associated etiology: electromyogram for neurological disorders, hormone assay for endocrine disorders and psychological study using the MMPI questionnaire (Multiphasic Minnesota Personality Inventory). One can thus distinguish several groups of patients suffering from vascular impotence depending on the degree of arterial involvement: minor (PPI between 0.75 and 0.9), moderate (PPI between 0.65 and 0.75) and severe (PPI less than 0.65); depending on the degree of venous leaking: absent (MI less than 0.3 and/or MF less than 25 ml/min), minor (MI between 0.3 and 0.5 and MF between 30 and 50 ml/min), moderate (MI between 0.5 and 75 ml/min) and severe (MI greater than 0.75 and/or MF greater than 75 ml/mn).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Based on a series of 143 cases of soft tissue sarcomas, including 106 cases treated curatively, the author stresses the importance of surgical resection with frozen section histological control, systematically combined with radiotherapy. Even when resection is complete, the frequency of loco-regional recurrences in all published series shows that neoplastic cells were already present around the resection site. Consequently, since 1972 at the Centre François Baclesse, whenever possible, surgery is preceded by concentrated regional irradiation (2 sessions of 6.50 Gy at 48 hour's interval) and postoperative complementary radiotherapy is always performed regardless of the quality of the resection 3 weeks after the preoperative irradiation. The dose is limited to a total of 50 Gy when the resection is complete and is increased to 60 to 70 Gy in the zones of doubtful or incomplete resection. This postoperative radiotherapy is associated with 5 injections of actinomycin D during the first sessions, but no adjuvant chemotherapy such as cyvadic is administered routinely. Under the conditions of treatment, the 5-year results obtained in 106 cases were as follows: local recurrences: 12.4%, metastases: 26%, survival rate: 76%. When the surgical resection was complete (62 cases), the 5-year local recurrence rate was 1.5% with 9% metastases and 92% survival. Metastases were related to factors of high malignancy which are beginning to be more clearly defined. These forms may benefit from intensive combination chemotherapy.
Nosocomial pneumonia is a frequent infectious complication in ICU patients. All the patients with prolonged nasotracheal intubation presenting with nosocomial pneumonia according to Salata's criteria were examined for sinusitis in the prospective study. Diagnosis was confirmed via CT-scan views and transnasal sinus puncture. In eleven nasally intubated patients, CT-scan views showed air fluid levels and multiple sinus involvement. Bacteriological studies isolated the same gram negative bacilli in both sinus and bronchial aspirates. In four cases, a polymicrobial sinusitis was found with a single organism predominant. This predominant germ was always found in bronchial aspirate. Recovery from pneumonia was obtained only after sinus drainage. Treatment included removing the nasal tubes, or performing tracheostomy and systemic antibiotics. One patient required surgical maxillary sinus drainage after failure of medical management. The occurrence of nosocomial pneumonia in nasotracheally intubated patients should lead physicians to explore the paranasal sinuses. Sinus CT-scan views should be routinely obtained in the assessment of pulmonary sepsis in patients with prolonged nasotracheal intubation. Persistent or ignored nosocomial sinusitis in such circumstances could be a major source of treatment failure.
Hospital infectious sinusitis resulting from nasotracheal intubation is common. A prospective study was undertaken between October 1986 and January 1988 of 46 patients who had undergone nasotracheal intubation. CT scan revealed sinusitis in 43 cases with sinus puncture proving the existence of bacterial sinusitis in 36 cases. Gram negative bacilli predominated. In 21 cases the existence of a complication (chest infection and/or septicemia) raised the possibility of the role played by sinusitis in their etiology. The prevalence of gram negative bacilli sinusitis in patients with a nasotracheal tube is felt to require the following from the 8th day onwards: a CT scan to detect the existence of sinusitis, sinus puncture for bacteriological identification of the organism.
Five cases of epidermoid cyst (or primary cholesteatoma) of petrous bone are described and the criteria necessary to consider these tumors as truly primary outlined. The most plausible theories appear to be either congenital: embryonic inclusions or, to a lesser degree, acquired: papillary proliferation. Emphasis is placed on facial signs, even minimal, associated with progressive perception or mixed unilateral deafness. Advantages and indications for different surgical approaches are discussed and the value of NMR imaging emphasized, both for diagnosis and postoperative follow up review, especially when a closed technique had been selected.
Use of a moulded aponeurotic graft, shapened and then made rigid by heat and formalin, is a seductive method of tympanic reconstruction because of its simplicity and availability. Indications for and results of the application of this method are analyzed based on experience of 158 cases, with sufficient follow up in 90. The principal indication for use is large perforations, when it is possible to exteriorize the whole canal and almost all the tympanic remains, while doubt exists as to its advantages for treatment of small perforations. Its essential advantage is in fact the ease with which the graft can be positioned on external surface of malleus and inside the remains of tympanic membrane. Overall anatomical results were very satisfactory (83.5%) if one includes in failures of treatment the apparent lateralizations of graft. Functional results were poorer, with rarely complete recovery of hearing and a certain number of labyrinthizations possibly due to injury to handle of malleus or even perforation of canal. Secondary degradation of favorable results may develop because of some degree of lateralization of the newly formed tympanic membrane. These could perhaps be avoided by the technical artifices proposed by other authors.