The results of this study confirm the efficacy of percutaneous resection of osteoid osteomas and the possibility of using this method for successful treatment of other small bone lesions.
Infectious spondylodiscitis is an infection of the intervertebral disc and the adjacent vertebral bodies due to the introduction of a pyogen, usually by the haematogenous route. Plain film radiography (which is usually normal in the early stages) shows blurring of the vertebral endplates and a loss of disc height that progresses quickly. MRI is the examination of choice, as it detects oedema within the trabecular bone very early, before the onset of destruction. Injection of a contrast medium with fat signal saturation improves detection and visualisation of the spread of infection in the soft tissue and epidural space. Imaging can also be used to guide a needle aspiration to investigate the infective agent.
Fat is not just used by the body as bulk tissue. In addition to its role in storing energy and regulating hormone action, fat is used in some parts of the body for its mechanical properties. The anatomy of anterior knee fat is more complex than it appears at first sight and is capable of withstanding considerable compressive and shear stress. Specific lesions occur when such mechanical stress exceeds the physiological limits and are yet little known. Superficial fat can be the site of either acute injury by closed degloving called the Morel-Lavallée lesion or chronic injury, when subject to repeat excessive shear forces, due to more complex and less well-defined disruptions that result in pseudo-bursitis. There are three main anterior, intracapsular and extrasynovial fat pads in the knee joint, which are the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) or Hoffa's fat pad, the quadriceps fat pad and the prefemoral fat pad. The IFP plays an important role as a mechanical shock absorber and guides the patella tendon and even the patella itself during flexion-extension movements. In response to repeated excessive stress, an inflammatory reaction and swelling of the IFP is first observed, followed by a fibrotic reaction with metaplastic transformation into fibrous, cartilaginous or bone tissue. More rarely, the two other deep fat pads (quadriceps and prefemoral) can, if subject to repeated stress, undergo similar restructuring inflammatory reactions with metaplasia resulting in tissue hardening, anterior pain and partial loss of function.
Diffuse esophageal leiomyomatosis is a rare disorder which may be found in association with leiomyomas in other locations or with other disorders. We report two cases in men, one with associated tracheobronchial involvement, which illustrate the value of imaging in differentiating this entity from other causes of dysphagia and in establishing a diagnosis.
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.