Two patients who had a balloon angioplasty for native coarctation of the aorta as neonates underwent redilatation for restenosis 1 or 2 months after the initial procedure. We recorded intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) images at redilatation. Before redilatation, there was an abnormal, localized area of ultrasound density equal to the inner layer of the aorta. The enlargement of this tissue was in proportion to the severity of stenosis and diminished after dilatations. No intimal flaps or tears were observed. From the IVUS images it appears that the mechanism to relieve the coarctation of our patients may be compression of this abnormal tissue.

Angioplasty, Balloon↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Late-phase enhancement of the upstream portion of pancreatic adenocarcinoma on dual-phase helical CT.

BACKGROUND: Late-phase enhancement of pancreatic parenchyma upstream (tail side) of pancreatic adenocarcinoma is found frequently on dual-phase helical computed tomography (CT). We measured the frequency of late-phase enhancement of the upstream portion of pancreatic adenocarcinoma and normal pancreatic parenchyma using dual-phase helical CT. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma and nontumorous pancreas upstream of tumors were compared with 100 control patients without pancreatic disease. Early and late scans started at 25 and 75 s, respectively, after intravenous injection of contrast material. The attenuation values of normal and nontumorous pancreas upstream of tumors were assessed in three phases: precontrast, early, and late enhanced. Enhancement ratio (ER) was calculated as ER = (late phase - precontrast)/(early phase - precontrast). RESULTS: Late-phase enhancements (ER > 1.0) were seen in 86% of upstream pancreas and 10% of normal pancreas. The mean ER of upstream pancreas was significantly higher than that of normal pancreas (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Late-phase enhancement of the pancreas upstream of the tumor is frequently observed in patients with pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Late-phase enhancement and histology showed a correlation for chronic obstructing pancreatitis in five patients.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Congenital extrahepatic portocaval shunt associated with hepatic hyperplastic nodules in a patient with Dubin-Johnson syndrome.

We report a rare case of congenital extrahepatic portocaval shunt diagnosed during evaluation of hyperplastic nodules in the liver. Diagnostic imagings showed hypoplasia of the intrahepatic portal venous system and splanchnic portal venous return to the inferior vena cava through aberrant vessels. Altered hepatic blood flow dynamics due to this shunt may have been implicated in the etiology of the hepatic hyperplastic nodules.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Proliferative effect of ginseng saponin on neurite extension of primary cultured neurons of the rat cerebral cortex.

The effect of the crude saponins of Panax ginseng root on neurite extension of primary cultured neurons of the rat cerebral cortex was examined. Addition of the crude saponin extract to the culture medium showed a proliferative effect of neurite extension in 24-h and 48-h cultures. The looping phenomenon and disappearance of the growth cone due to the addition of cytochalasin-B to the culture medium were protected by the addition of the crude saponin. Addition of the crude saponin extract showed increases of about 1.5-fold in ganglioside content of cultured neurons. These results suggest that the crude saponin extract of the ginseng root has a promoting effect on neurite extension and also a protecting effect on distortion of neurites due to cytochalasin-B.

Animals↗