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Biomedical subjects

L J Herman

Publications and source records attributed to L J Herman.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2000

Care giver perception of children's obesity-related health risk: a study of African American families.

OBJECTIVE: To examine care giver perception of children's weight-related health risk in African American families. RESEARCH METHODS AND PROCEDURES: One-hundred and eleven families (representing 48 boys and 63 girls) screened for participation in a diabetes prevention study participated. Care givers completed a health awareness questionnaire that assessed their perception of the child's weight, eating habits, appearance, exercise habits, and health risk. The care givers also reported each subject's family history of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. After a physical examination, height and weight were used to compute an age- and sex-adjusted body mass index for each child. RESULTS: Despite the fact that a substantial number of children were obese (57%) and super-obese (12%), only 44% of the care givers perceived the child's weight to be a potential health problem. Regression analysis showed that 21% of the variance in parental perception of obesity-related health risk could be predicted by child age, body mass index, perception of frame size, and perception of exercise habits. DISCUSSION: A number of reasons for the apparent minimization of child health risk are discussed, including cultural differences in the acceptance of a large body habitus, lack of knowledge about the connection between childhood obesity and future health risk, and an optimistic bias in the perception of personal health risk.

Adult↗
PubMed1988

Femoral head avascular necrosis: MR imaging with clinical-pathologic and radionuclide correlation.

A retrospective evaluation of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for the detection of avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head was performed in 49 patients (85 hips) with clinical suspicion of AVN. Positive findings at bone biopsy or evidence on plain radiographs was considered proof of AVN. Absence of clinical symptoms and of radiographic findings for a minimum of 18 months after MR imaging was considered evidence of the absence of AVN. All patients were studied with plain radiography and technetium-99m methylene diphosphonate bone scintigraphy. Five hips had negative MR images, positive findings at bone marrow biopsy, positive bone pressure measurement (BMP), and positive bone scans. A comparison between MR images and bone scans showed MR imaging to be superior, with a sensitivity of 88.8% (vs. 77.5%) and a specificity of 100% (vs. 75%). BMP was the most sensitive (92%) but least specific test (57%).

Adolescent↗
PubMed1988

Pitfalls in MR imaging of the knee.

Discrepancies between the findings of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and those of arthroscopy were reviewed retrospectively in 52 knee examinations. Some of the discrepancies between MR imaging and arthroscopy were caused by errors in interpretation of MR images due to normal structures that mimicked meniscal tears. The transverse ligament and the lateral inferior genicular artery can produce the appearance of tears in the anterior horns of the medial and lateral menisci, respectively. The popliteus tendon may be mistaken for a tear in the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. The normal concavity at the outer edge of the meniscus can create a volume-averaging artifact, which mimics a horizontal tear in the meniscus. Tears of the meniscus and separations of the meniscus from the joint capsule were not seen or were underestimated when the tears were oriented parallel to the plane of the image. An awareness of these pitfalls may improve the accuracy of the interpretation of MR images of the knee.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Avascular necrosis of the femoral head: early MRI detection and radiological correlation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and conventional radiographs were compared in 49 hips with Avascular Necrosis (AVN). MRI detected AVN in 25% of the hips during the preradiological stage of the disease. Both MRI and conventional radiographs accurately detected AVN in the remaining 75% of hips. Correlation between the patterns observed with the two techniques reflected the underlying histopathologic events. The reactive interface between infarcted bone and viable bone could be identified on MRI as a low signal intensity (SI) band. On conventional radiographs the reactive interface appeared as a sclerotic band. The adjacent hyperemic zone was seen on MRI as a high SI band and as a lucent zone on the plain films. Variations of this pattern occurred as related to the extend and duration of AVN and to the individual's ability to mount a healing response. Minor degrees of collapse of the femoral head were better identified with plain radiographs but MRI demonstrated small areas of hyperintensity probably corresponding to early subchondral fractures.

Femur Head Necrosis↗
PubMed1987

Tendons: high-field-strength, surface coil MR imaging.

High-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images of the tendons of the hands, wrists, feet, and ankles of six healthy volunteers and six cadavers were obtained using receive-only surface coils and reduced-field-of-view imaging. Normal anatomy was identified and compared with gross anatomic sections of the six cadavers. Experimentally produced tears of the calcaneal (Achilles) tendon in domestic swine were identified on MR images. The hands and feet of 11 patients were examined, and a variety of pathologic lesions were identified, including acute posttraumatic rupture, acute tenosynovitis, chronic tendonitis, and postsurgical complications. MR imaging provides inherently greater soft-tissue contrast than any other currently available imaging modality. With the use of surface coils and reduced-field-of-view imaging to enhance spatial resolution, MR imaging has become a valuable tool for imaging tendons. Advantages over other available modalities include excellent depiction of anatomic detail, superior contrast resolution, and the potential for multiplanar imaging.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Joint effusions: MR imaging.

Magnetic resonance (MR) images of the hips and knees of three healthy volunteers were reviewed and compared with images obtained from the hips of three patients with effusions. Comparison was also made with MR images obtained from two swine knees following the injections of saline in one and blood in the other. The anatomy of the knees and hips was well defined. The hip effusions were all easily recognized. MR images of the swine knees clearly demonstrated the experimentally produced joint effusions. The hip effusions and the experimentally introduced blood and saline all had long T1 and T2 values allowing easy differentiation from articular cartilage. We were unable to distinguish fresh blood from saline in the knee joints.

Adult↗