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E Pessis

Publications and source records attributed to E Pessis.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Study of the joint space of the hip on supine and weight-bearing digital radiographs.

AIM: To compare hip joint space on supine and weight-bearing anteroposterior digital radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty anteroposterior views of the hip in 25 patients were taken in supine and weight-bearing positions on a fluoroscopic unit. Two observers in a double-blind study assessed the width of the joint space on an Easy Vision unit with an indirect method of measurement (metric index). RESULTS: Inter-observer and intra-observer variabilities of the metric index were less than 4.1%. There was no significant difference of the metric index of the hip (P>0.05), between supine and weight-bearing positions. CONCLUSION: There is no significant difference of the width of the joint space of the hip between supine and weight-bearing anteroposterior radiographs. Measuring joint space loss in osteoarthritis of the hip with anteroposterior views should be done with radiographs of the hip in the supine position to improve image quality.

Adult

The influence of highly active antiretroviral therapy on AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma.

To assess the clinical and biological benefit of highly active antiretroviral therapy on AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), 13 patients with AIDS-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (five pulmonary KS and eight cutaneous KS) were prospectively followed for a mean duration of 12 months. Six patients were treated with specific anti-KS chemotherapy before or simultaneously with the introduction of antiretroviral therapy. Clinical response was assessed according to the AIDS Clinical Trial Group (ACTG) criteria. CD4 cell counts, plasma HIV-1 RNA and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) viraemia were measured at baseline and at different points. Among patients with pulmonary KS, we observed three complete responses (CR), one partial response (PR) and one progression. The median survival time after the diagnosis of pulmonary KS was 15 months with a median duration of the response after the discontinuation of specific chemotherapy for KS of 8 months. Among patients with cutaneous KS, we observed four CR, three PR and one stable response. A complete response was significantly associated with a reversal in HHV-8 viraemia (five of six vs. one of six; P = 0.02, Mann-Whitney test).

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

Longitudinal stress fractures of the tibia: comparative study of CT and MR imaging.

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of CT and MRI in the diagnosis of longitudinal stress fracture of the tibia (LSFT). A retrospective study of imaging findings was performed in 15 patients with LSFT. The CT and MR images were compared for detection of fracture line, callus, bone marrow edema, and soft tissues changes. The CT and MRI techniques allowed the detection of the fracture line in 82 and 73 % of cases, respectively. The callus was always visualized with CT or MRI. The MRI technique had a markedly higher sensitivity than CT in the detection of bone marrow edema (73 vs 18 %) and soft tissue lesions (87 vs 9 %). This may cause a misleading aggressive appearance on MRI. Computed tomography remains the best imaging modality for diagnosis of LSFT. However, MRI findings should be known to obviate the performance of CT or bone biopsy.

Adolescent

Quantitative MR imaging evaluation of chondropathy in osteoarthritic knees.

PURPOSE: To determine the validity and the reliability of T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for quantification of articular cartilage abnormalities of osteoarthritic knees. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-three patients (mean age, 63 years) with knee osteoarthritis (American College of Rheumatology criteria) of the medial tibiofemoral compartment underwent a prospective, cross-sectional study. Knees were examined with a T1-weighted three-dimensional gradient-echo sequence (1.4-mm contiguous sections), with use of a 0.2-T dedicated MR unit, before arthroscopic exploration. The tibiofemoral articular cartilage abnormalities were quantified blindly on both the MR and arthroscopic images with the French Society of Arthroscopy (SFA) score (0-100) and grading scheme (five grades). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant correlation between the SFA-arthroscopic score and the SFA-MR score (r = .83) and between the SFA-arthroscopic grade and the SFA-MR grade (weighted kappa = 0.84). The deepest cartilage lesions graded with arthroscopy and MR imaging showed correlation in the medial femoral condyle (weighted kappa = 0.83) and in the medial tibial plateau (weighted kappa = 0.84). The intraobserver reliability of the SFA-MR score was higher (r = .94) than the interobserver reliability (r = .80). CONCLUSION: Quantification of chondropathy with MR imaging is feasible and well correlated with anatomic cartilage breakdown.

Aged

[MRI and articular cartilage].

Although plain films are fundamental for routine imaging of degenerative chondral lesions, MRI is a promising tool of investigation for the articular cartilage. Its modalities are still imprecise and debated, but, because of its noninvasiveness, it is destined to be preferred over arthroCT. The small size of the cartilage requires thin slices of less than 3-mm thick. The various features of normal cartilage images must be well known. They depend on acquisition parameters, zonal structure of the cartilage and numerous artifacts (partial volume average, chemical shift, magnetic susceptibility, truncation, "magic angle"). Fast SE images provide a good compromise between contrast and the signal-to-noise ratio. T2-weighted images take advantage of an arthrographic effect in case of joint effusion. 3D GE images allow a more accurate evaluation with 1-mm thick slices. In all sequences, adding of a fat-suppression presaturation increases contrast between the cartilage and the surrounding structures. The diagnostic accuracies of the different sequences and of MR arthrography are discussed. Quantitative measurements of cartilage thickness and volume remain the topic of clinical research.

Arthrography

[Imaging].

The panoply of imaging techniques useful in podology is essentially limited to X-rays. Standard "standing" and "lying" X-rays furnish most of the required information. Arthrography is sometimes performed, in particular for trauma or tumour of the ankle. CT scan and MRI make a decisive contribution in difficult cases, notably in fractures and in small fractures without displacement. The two latter techniques are useful in tendon, ligament and muscular disorders, where echography is also informative. Rigorous analysis of radiographies and a good knowledge of foot disorders make these imaging techniques efficacious.

Adult

[Limitations of ultrasonography in the detection of small cancers of the left kidney].

Renal ultrasound seems to be more difficult on the left than on the right side. In a retrospective analysis of 343 patients in whom a radical nephrectomy for renal tumor diagnosed by abdominal ultrasonography had been carried out, we analyzed the characteristics of these tumors. TNM classification was used. Right kidney tumors (n = 170) were smaller than the left ones (n = 172), 58 +/- 31.7 mm and 66.8 +/- 31.5 mm respectively, the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.01). Right kidney tumors of a less advanced stage (p < 0.05). Asymptomatic renal tumors were found more frequently on the right side (58.7%) than on the left (41.3%) (p = 0.03) and were smaller on the right (44 mm +/- 19.6 vs 54.5 mm +/- 27.2) (p = 0.04). In conclusion, Ultrasound exploration of the left kidney seems to be more difficult, mostly because the exploration of the right kidney is facilitated by the acoustic window of the liver.

Aged

Lumbar facet joint arthrography with the posterior approach.

Lumbar facet joint (LFJ) arthrography with intraarticular injections of long-acting steroids and local anesthetics is routinely used for therapeutic purposes in selected patients for relief of low back pain. The procedure may also be used for diagnostic reasons to establish the source of such pain. However, because direct access to the LFJ space is not always possible owing to degenerative changes such as osteophytes, another posterior approach has been proposed for LFJ arthrography. With the patient in the prone position, a spinal needle is inserted vertically into the inferior recess of an LFJ with fluoroscopic guidance and the patient under local anesthesia. To facilitate puncture, cushions are placed under the patient's abdomen to flatten normal lumbar lordosis, which enlarges the inferior recess of the LFJ. Use of cushions also results in a decrease in tissue thickness in the patient, thereby improving image quality and decreasing radiation exposure. LFJ arthrography can demonstrate the causative role of facet disease in abnormalities responsible for low back pain or sciatica and can be performed easily and rapidly with this direct posterior approach.

Anesthetics, Local