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Biomedical subjects

M Rafii

Publications and source records attributed to M Rafii.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Trabecular mineral content of the spine in women with hip fracture: CT measurement.

The trabecular bone mineral content (BMC) of the spine was measured by computed tomography in 185 women aged 47-84 years with vertebral fracture (n = 74), hip fracture (n = 83), and both vertebral and hip fracture (n = 28). Eighty-seven percent of vertebral-fracture patients, 38% of hip-fracture patients, and 82% of vertebral- and hip-fracture patients had spinal BMC values below the fifth percentile for healthy premenopausal women and values 64%, 9%, and 68% below the fifth percentile for age-matched control subjects. No significant loss of spinal trabecular bone was seen in patients with hip fracture. If it is assumed that the rate of trabecular bone loss is the same in the spine and femoral neck, then hip fracture (unlike osteoporotic vertebral fracture) is not associated with disproportionate loss of trabecular bone. Hip fracture occurs secondary to weakening of bone and increased incidence of falls. Bone weakening may be due to disproportionate loss of trabecular or cortical bone, proportionate loss of both, or other as yet undetermined qualitative changes in bone.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

Rate of spinal trabecular bone loss in normal perimenopausal women: CT measurement.

Age-related bone loss in women may begin at any time following attainment of peak skeletal maturity bone mass. The rate of bone loss may accelerate near the time of menopause and continue for several years thereafter. Women with low baseline bone mass and women who are fast bone losers are potentially at risk for early spinal osteoporosis. In a prospective longitudinal study, spinal trabecular bone mineral content (BMC) of 83 healthy women, 47-53 years old, was measured with use of computed tomography (CT) at 0, 12, 24, and 36 months. Fifty-four of these same women had a fifth measurement at 48 months. In 51 women the rate of bone loss was less than or equal to 2% per year (average 1.96%; normal bone losers); in 32, it was more than 2% per year (average 5.61%; fast bone losers). CT studies can identify women with low spinal trabecular BMC and/or fast bone loss--women likely to be at increased risk for early spinal osteoporosis. This information may be useful in selection of candidates for vigorous preventive measures, including estrogen replacement.

Female↗

CT arthrography of capsular structures of the shoulder.

The capsular mechanism of the shoulder joint consists of the joint capsule, which is strengthened by the glenohumeral ligaments and the rotator cuff, the glenoid labrum, and a variable number of synovial recesses. Although the fibrous capsule is a lax structure, the normal function of the capsular mechanism makes it an effective barrier against anterior dislocation, particularly in external rotation. There has been a tendency in the past to overestimate the role of the glenoid labrum in stability of the shoulder joint. In patients with instability, the significance of the capsular attachment or its anomalous insertions to the glenoid has not been adequately recognized. Labral tears may develop as secondary lesions due to repeated dislocations and subluxations rather than representing the primary lesion responsible for instability. Operative visualization of capsular defects or detachments is often difficult. Prior knowledge of these lesions can effectively help the choice of an appropriate surgical procedure and reduce operating time. The results of computed tomographic (CT) arthrography of the shoulder joint in 45 patients are reported and the normal and pathologic variations of the joint capsule and particularly the capsular insertions are described. Configuration of the joint recesses and the glenoid labrum are also evaluated. These CT findings were correlated and verified by surgery or arthroscopy in 26 cases.

Adolescent↗

Sudden quadriplegia after a minor trauma. The role of preexisting spinal stenosis.

Three patients are described who became quadriplegic after a minor trauma to the spine without suffering a spinal fracture dislocation. Radiologic investigation revealed marked stenosis of the spinal canal, due to developmental stenosis with superimposed degenerative changes in two patients, and calcification of posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine in one. Two patients recovered almost completely with conservative measures. The spinal cord may be able to tolerate slowly increasing mechanical pressure for many years and conform to the shape of the spinal canal without causing any neurological symptoms. However, when stenosis is severe, any additional pressure, for example, swelling and edema from trauma, may cause a neurologic catastrophe.

Aged↗

Computed tomography of septic joints.

Twenty-six patients with suspected or known septic joints who had been studied by computed tomography were retrospectively reviewed. Eighteen patients (20 joints) proved to have septic arthritis. Computed tomography was advantageous in patients with acute septic arthritis of deep-seated axial joints, such as the hip and sacroiliac, where it demonstrated particular soft tissue swelling as early as 36 hours after the onset of symptoms. In three patients, this finding on computed tomography was helpful in accurately localizing the disease process and facilitating a diagnostic closed needle aspiration biopsy procedure. Four patients had a primary osseous focus of infection in an adjacent epiphyseal region that was documented by computed tomography. Computed tomography was superior to conventional radiology in revealing early articular bone erosion in joints with curved and overlapping articular surfaces in five patients, and resulted in alteration of their treatment. Fat-fluid levels within the suprapatellar bursae were noted in one patient (two joints). Computed tomography is a valuable modality for evaluation of patients with suspected septic arthritis of axial joints, particularly in the acute stage. Furthermore, it is helpful for evaluation of possible periarticular abscess formation and can serve as a guide for a percutaneous drainage procedure. Computed tomography can also be used when articular bone erosion or medullary extension of osteomyelitis is suspected but not fully documented by conventional radiography.

Adult↗

Computed tomography of osteoid osteoma.

Computed tomography revealed a radiolucent nidus with a surrounding zone of osteosclerosis in 17 patients with osteoid osteoma. Plain films did not reveal any abnormality in 5 patients. Conventional tomography was negative in 3 patients. Computed tomography is the modality of choice for detection of osteoid osteoma when the lesion is deep-seated or when it occurs in complex anatomic regions with curvilinear and overlapping surfaces, such as acetabulum, knee, and spine.

Acetabulum↗

Hepatocellular carcinoma with skeletal metastasis.

Three patients with symptoms related to metastases from hepatocellular carcinoma are described. The diagnosis of the primary tumor was made at autopsy in two cases and by biopsy in one. The skeletal lesions had a lytic, expansile, and hypervascular appearance. This hypervascularity may lead to bleeding either spontaneously or following biopsy. Hepatocellular carcinoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of osteolytic, expansile, hypervascular metastases, especially when such lesions are encountered in patients with liver cirrhosis.

Aged↗

Sacral destruction: foraminal lines revisited.

Although imaging techniques have improved greatly in recent years, plain radiography remains the initial imaging method for evaluation of patients with low back pain. The sacrum, in particular, is a difficult structure to evaluate. In reviewing 12 cases, the authors found an unacceptably high rate of missed sacral metastases (83%). Using a photograph and a radiograph of two bony pelvic specimens to represent normal anatomy and the normal appearance of the sacral foraminal lines, sacral destruction is illustrated in six cases. All lesions were neoplastic and most were metastatic. In each case there was destruction of one or more sacral lines. The importance of careful observation for symmetric appearance of these lines is emphasized.

Adult↗

Computed tomography of the sacroiliac joints: comparison with complex-motion tomography.

Forty-seven patients with sacroiliac joint abnormalities were examined with computed tomography and conventional complex-motion tomography. Twenty-nine patients had spondyloarthritis. Of the 29, complex-motion tomography detected bone erosions in 16 patients, whereas computed tomography revealed erosions in nine. Computed tomography was more sensitive in detection of joint narrowing, joint widening, osteosclerosis, and intraarticular bony ankylosis. In the remaining 13 patients, computed tomography was the modality of choice in detection of paraarticular soft tissue pathology, such as abscess or tumor, and in detection of the lesions involving the sacral canal and neural foramina.

Adult↗

Fusion of the lateral joints in fixed atlantoaxial dislocation: a computed tomography demonstration.

Fixed atlantoaxial dislocation is a well-known phenomenon that may partially account for the discrepancy between the radiographic and neurologic abnormalities seen in rheumatoid arthritis of the craniocervical region. In this care report, "arthritis rigidity" is demonstrated by computed tomography to be due to fusion of the occipitoatlantoaxial complex, following erosion and disruption of these joints by rheumatoid disease.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Fibrobullous disease of the upper lobes: an extraskeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis.

Fibrobullous disease of the upper lobes of the lungs is a rare extraskeletal manifestation of ankylosing spondylitis, occurring in 1.3% of patients with ankylosing spondylitis. We present a patient with this disease, and discuss this pulmonary manifestation. Because the radiographic appearance of the chest in this disease resembles that in tuberculosis, many patients are misdiagnosed and treated for tuberculosis despite negative bacteriology. Computed tomography is useful in delineating the extent of pleural thickening, bullous changes, volume loss, parenchymal fibrosis, and bronchiectasis, as well as identifying or excluding an intracavitary pulmonary mycetoma.

Adult↗

Computed tomography of calcification and ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine.

Calcification of the posterior longitudinal ligament occurs in about 3% of adults in Japan, and in about 0.7% of hospitalized adults with spinal symptoms in the United States. The condition may be asymptomatic, however, in patients with a stenotic spinal canal or when the calcification is large, it may cause compression of the spinal cord and myelopathy. The radiographic diagnosis is made when a band of calcification is noted in the spinal canal directly posterior to the vertebral bodies. Lateral tomograms of the spine are helpful for detection and measurement of the exact thickness of the calcification. Computed tomography is particularly helpful because it reveals the thickness and the extent of lateral extension of the calcification, as well as the size of the spinal canal and the extent of its narrowing by the calcification. Seventeen patients evaluated by computed tomography are reported.

Aged↗

Quantitative computed tomography assessment of spinal trabecular bone. I. Age-related regression in normal men and women.

Computed tomography, utilized in conjunction with a calibrated phantom containing a set of reference densities (K2HPO4 and water), is capable of determining the mineral content of the trabecular bone of the spine with an accuracy of about 6% of the ash weight of the vertebrae scanned (specimen studies). Other modalities measure a composite of cortical and trabecular bone. Computed tomography is capable of exclusively measuring the mineral content of the trabecular bone of the spine, where the earliest and most pronounced changes of spinal osteoporosis occur. Quantitative computed tomography measurements are useful for a precise and objective assessment of the spinal mineral content and its changes with age, disease, and drugs.

Adult↗

Quantitative computed tomography assessment of spinal trabecular bone. II. In osteoporotic women with and without vertebral fractures.

Computed tomography was utilized to measure the bone mineral content of the spinal trabecular bone in 96 osteoporotic women. A significant overlapping was found between the values obtained for these patients and the age-matched normal values. Sixty-six percent had bone mineral content values below the fifth percentile for age-matched normals. Eighty-five percent of those with vertebral fractures had bone mineral content values below the fifth percentile for normal premenopausal women (fracture threshold). It is suggested that diagnosis of osteoporosis be made when the spinal bone mineral content value is below the fracture threshold.

Adult↗

Computed tomography of thoracic and lumbar spine fractures that have been treated with Harrington instrumentation.

Twenty patients with fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine underwent computed tomography (CT) following Harrington distraction instrumentation and spinal fusion. CT was done to search for a cause of persistent cord or nerve root compression in those patients who failed to improve and completely recover their partial neurologic deficit (14 cases). In 6 patients seen in the late recovery period, CT was performed to evaluate the causes of pain and instability at the fracture site. Even though the image was degraded due to the artifacts generated by the metallic rods, significant information was available in each case. The most common abnormality was the presence of residual bone fragments originating in the burst fracture of a vertebral body displaced posteriorly, into the spinal canal. In patients with complications in the late recovery period, CT found exuberant callus indenting the canal or lack of fusion of the bone grafts placed in the anterolateral aspect of the vertebral bodies. This experience indicates that CT is the modality of choice for spinal canal evaluation in those patients who fail to have an optimal clinical course following fractures of the thoracic and lumbar spine treated with Harrington rods.

Bone Nails↗

Hematogenous osteomyelitis with fat-fluid level shown by CT.

Computed tomography (CT) revealed fat-fluid (pus) levels in two adult patients who had hematogenous osteomyelitis due to gram-negative organisms: in one patient within an intraosseous cavity, and in another patient within the adjacent suprapatellar bursae. Both patients were hospitalized for other chronic illnesses and had confusing clinical manifestations with non-specific radiographic changes. Observation of fluid levels, in addition to bony erosions, correctly suggested the presence of pus, and in one patient prompted a diagnostic intraosseous aspiration. To our knowledge, this CT sign of hematogenous osteomyelitis has not been previously reported.

Adult↗