Biomedical subjects

M F Levin

Publications and source records attributed to M F Levin.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1992

Ultrasonographic findings in the anterior segment of the eye obtained with a nondedicated unit.

Many abnormalities of the anterior segment of the eye can be detected by ultrasonography (US), and associated anomalies of the posterior segment that are difficult to detect clinically may also be demonstrated by this modality. A total of 48 patients with ultrasonographically detectable abnormalities in the anterior segment were examined with real-time high-resolution US; 51 abnormalities were demonstrated. The most common problems were cataract (19 cases), intraocular lens implant (10), dislocated lens (9) and tumour (8). In addition, 23 abnormalities of the posterior segment of the eye were found. Six of the lesions in the posterior segment were obscured by those in the anterior segment and could be detected only by US.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Tuberculosis of the odontoid bone: a rare but treatable cause of quadriplegia.

Radiologic investigation plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of tuberculosis of the odontoid bone. Immediate confirmation of the condition by examination of tissue and surgery may save lives and reduce the morbidity rate substantially. When the clinical history is appropriate, a diagnosis of tuberculosis is strongly suggested by plain films of the cervical spine showing precervical swelling of the soft tissues, narrowing of the disk spaces and focal erosion of the bones and by computed tomography scans demonstrating details of the soft-tissue abnormality, focal bony erosion and sclerosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Colour-flow Doppler imaging of a carotid-cavernous fistula.

The authors describe a case of carotid-cavernous fistula evaluated with both conventional carotid angiography and colour-flow Doppler ultrasonography. The findings in the colour-flow Doppler images correlated well with those from angiography; in addition, Doppler imaging supplied extra information about the direction and the velocity of flow. After embolization, colour-flow Doppler imaging demonstrated a marked decrease in the flow. The authors conclude that colour-flow Doppler imaging may be useful for noninvasively detecting and evaluating a carotid-cavernous fistula, as well as for monitoring the patient's progress after therapy.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

Peripancreatic fluid collections: vascular structures masquerading as pseudocysts.

Five patients with splanchnic arterial aneurysms and one patient with a tortuous splenic vessel presented with peripancreatic masses that exhibited an anechoic portion in real-time ultrasonography (US) images; the masses were incorrectly diagnosed as pseudocysts. In two patients a vascular abnormality was suspected, and colour-flow Doppler and pulsed Doppler US were performed; these techniques showed the presence of pseudoaneurysms. In the other four patients the possibility of a pseudoaneurysm was not entertained until further studies had been performed. These results emphasize the need for colour-duplex US evaluation of all peripancreatic fluid collections during the initial US examination to avoid the misinterpretation of an aneurysm or a pseudoaneurysm as a simple or complex fluid collection and to prevent the potential disaster of performing biopsy, surgery or other interventions.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

Current status of magnetic resonance imaging of the ankle and the hindfoot.

With the increasing use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for examining the musculoskeletal system, numerous applications have been found in the evaluation of ankle and hindfoot problems. For example, MRI is ideal for assessing tendon disorders, which are common in this region. In addition, the technique allows accurate staging of osteochondral fractures, as well as both soft-tissue and bony neoplasms. Tarsal coalition can be readily evaluated and the type determined. Increasingly, arthritis and synovial abnormalities are coming under scrutiny with MRI; this is currently an area of avid interest. In this article the authors review the current status of MRI of the ankle and the hindfoot and illustrate a variety of these disorders.

Ankle Joint↗

PubMed1992

Current status of magnetic resonance imaging of the wrist.

Conventional imaging of the wrist has relied heavily on plain radiography, tomography, fluoroscopy and arthrography. More recently, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have been added to this armamentarium. In this article the authors review the normal anatomy of the wrist and demonstrate a variety of pathologic conditions that can be assessed with MRI, including avascular necrosis and tears of the intrinsic and the extrinsic ligaments and the triangular fibrocartilage. MRI of the wrist is still evolving rapidly, and its place in the work-up of wrist disorders is only now being defined.

Bone Diseases↗

PubMedDate not supplied

MR imaging of muscle and tender points in fibromyalgia.

Fibromyalgia is a syndrome manifested by chronic, diffuse musculoskeletal aching and soreness, palpable muscle tender points, and other symptoms. Standardized clinical diagnostic criteria have recently been developed. Skeletal muscle has been postulated as the end organ in this disease. Biochemical, histologic, electromyographic, and conventional radiographic studies have demonstrated no definitive abnormality. This study sought to establish whether magnetic resonance (MR) imaging could demonstrate any abnormality in these patients. Eighteen patients were entered in the study, 14 of whom were able to complete their examinations. T1-weighted, T2-weighted, gradient-echo, and STIR (short-tau inversion-recovery) sequences were performed in all patients, with selected patients examined with T1-weighted, gadopentetate dimeglumine-enhanced sequences. The trapezius and suboccipital regions were imaged in patients who, clinically, had active fibromyalgia. No abnormalities could be detected. The authors conclude that the conventional MR imaging used in this study was unable to depict any primary skeletal muscle abnormality in fibromyalgia.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effectiveness of teaching interviewing and communication skills to physiotherapy students.

Recognition of the importance of effective interviewing and communication skills, and the concomitant need to teach such skills to students in the helping professions are both relatively recent phenomena in rehabilitation medicine. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of the model developed at the Institut de réadaptation de Montréal (IRM model) in the teaching of interviewing skills to physiotherapy students in the clinical setting. Twenty-six final-year physiotherapy students were assigned to two groups of 13 each, one of which received structured training in interviewing skills over a four-week period while the other received no specific instruction. Analyses of the appraisals of pre- and post-test student-patient interviews--the appraisals having been done not only by the students themselves, but by the patients and the independent raters--showed that scores on each evaluation improved significantly following the students' training program. The group receiving no training showed no significant improvement. The authors conclude that a short clinical training program using the IRM model can be effective in improving the interviewing skills of physiotherapy students.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Ankle spasticity is inversely correlated with antagonist voluntary contraction in hemiparetic subjects.

The correlation between the severity of spasticity and residual muscular activity is unclear, yet the latter is often used to investigate the effects of therapeutic interventions in spastic movement disorders. Our objectives were to compare the EMG and force generated by the ankle plantar- and dorsi-flexors in normal and spastic hemiparetic subjects, and to investigate their reproducibility and their correlation with clinical spasticity. Thirteen spastic hemiparetic and seven age-matched normal subjects generated maximal isometric ankle plantar- and dorsi-flexing contractions. Maximal force was significantly decreased to 33% of the non-affected leg during dorsiflexion and to 59% during plantarflexion. Measurements of force parameters (onset and magnitude) during both dorsi- and plantar-flexion and the EMG co-contraction ratios during dorsiflexion were highly reproducible (r = 0.78 to 0.99). Our most interesting finding was that the EMG co-contraction ratio was inversely correlated with the amount of force produced by the paretic dorsiflexors (r = -0.91), and that the latter was in turn, inversely related to plantarflexor spasticity (r = -0.65). The high reproducibility of the force measurements suggested that they could be used to evaluate the long-term effects of therapeutic interventions. Furthermore, our findings demonstrated that the voluntary motor deficit in the paretic dorsiflexors but not the spastic plantarflexors was a reliable and valid indicator of the severity of ankle spasticity.

Adult↗