Segmental absence of intestinal musculature (SAIM) is a rare entity of uncertain aetiology. A case of SAIM in an adult is presented, and three other adult cases of SAIM are reviewed. Our case concerns a middle-aged man who underwent a Whipple's procedure for a suspected neoplasm in the head of the pancreas. At surgery, a redundant segment of proximal jejunum with multiple large diverticula was incidentally noted and resected. On histological examination, the small bowel segment showed focal extreme thinning of the muscularis propria, focally amounting to complete absence. A peritoneal biopsy was also submitted which showed changes consistent with an old thrombosed vessel.
The objective of this study was to develop a method based on polarization-sensitive optical coherent tomography (PSOCT) for the imaging and quantification of degenerative changes associated with Achilles tendon rupture. Ex vivo PSOCT examinations were performed in 24 patients. The study involved samples from 14 ruptured Achilles tendons, 4 tendinopathic Achilles tendons and 6 patellar tendons (collected during total knee replacement) as non-ruptured controls. The samples were imaged in both intensity and phase retardation modes within 24 h after surgery, and birefringence was quantified. The samples were fixed and processed for histology immediately after imaging. Slides were assessed twice in a blind manner to provide a semi-quantitative histological score of degeneration. In-depth micro structural imaging was demonstrated. Collagen disorganization and high cellularity were observable by PSOCT as the main markers associated with pathological features. Quantitative assessment of birefringence and penetration depth found significant differences between non-ruptured and ruptured tendons. Microstructure abnormalities were observed in the microstructure of two out of four tendinopathic samples. PSOCT has the potential to explore in situ and in-depth pathological change associated with Achilles tendon rupture, and could help to delineate abnormalities in tendinopathic samples in vivo.
The results of this pilot study demonstrate that OCT can reveal the main features of carotid stenosis but that plaque vulnerability cannot be reliably and precisely assessed if scanned from the external surface with OCT in its present form.
Polarisation-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) is a non destructive technique with great potential for tendinopathy diagnosis. Functional optical assessment can be used in operating theatres to delineate in depth the margin of the non-healthy area, and limit the amount of tissue to be removed. A clinical study of 21 patients has been undertaken to correlate the optical properties of tendons to their clinical conditions. Tendons were scanned ex vivo with a fibre based time domain PSOCT. The beam from a superluminescent diode with a bandwidth of 52nm is sent through a polarizer and a polarizer modulator, and split into a sample and reference arm. After passing through polarization beam splitter, the interferences fringes are detected with two balanced detectors, for horizontal and vertical polarization. Scattering, birefringence and in depth stokes vectors are extracted from the measurements. Direct microstructural variation and changes in scattering properties are correlated with different tendinopathy and presence of scar tissue, which is crossvalidated by histology. Lack of tissue organization, detected as the disappearance of the bands of birefringence, is representative of tendon degeneration. Special attention is paid to the difference between crimp patterns of different patient's tendons. As in polarization microscopy, the crimp pattern appears as extinction bands, and is particularly important as its alteration is generally symptomatic and could be used as an early diagnosis. Its optical origin is investigated by varying polarization and scanning conditions.
An inflammatory pseudotumour of the temporal bone is a rare, idiopathic, fibro-inflammatory lesion which mimics malignancy. Although such a lesion is known to occur elsewhere in the body such as the liver, abdominal viscera, pelvis, thorax and the upper respiratory tract, the involvement of the temporal bone is extremely unusual. We present such a case in a 60-year-old man, which provided a great diagnostic challenge. We review the key radiological and histological results that confirmed the diagnosis and demonstrated for the first time that oral steroids alone may completely resolve the condition.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.