Nora's lesion, defined as a "well-marginated mass of heterotopic mineralization arising from the periosteal aspect of an intact cortex, without medullary changes" has a distinct radiological presentation and is part of a spectrum of reactive lesions which includes florid reactive periostitis and turret exostosis. As it has a distinct radiological appearance, differential diagnosis of malignant lesions such as osteosarcoma and chondrosarcoma should be clear. It does not require immediate biopsy unless the natural evolution is unspecific.

Right colonic diverticulitis is more common than has been previously reported. US and CT findings are characteristic and show a consistent pattern of changes over time. The natural history is benign, and surgical intervention can be avoided in the vast majority of patients.

Spontaneous hematoma in the iliopsoas muscle is a serious complication of anticoagulant therapy. It causes severe pain and often results in loss of function of the femoral nerve. We present two cases in which percutaneous decompression of the hematoma was successfully performed to relieve intractable pain and to support functional restoration of the femoral nerve.

Subjective (semiquantitative) grading on radiography by an expert group proved to be excellent when compared with the results of a quantitative analysis of individual grading parameters. Multiple logistic regression analysis of these parameters resulted in a grading formula containing only six variables. The additional value of MRI in grading was amply demonstrated. Already high accuracy of radiography, in making a tissue-specific diagnosis, improved substantially after the performance of MRI.

To assess the prevalence of impaired homocysteine metabolism in young adults with arterial occlusive disease, 80 consecutive patients under 45 years old were screened. Various laboratory blood investigations and a standardized methionine loading test were performed. In the first 52 patients plasma levels of free homocysteine were determined; thereafter the levels of total homocysteine (a more sensitive measure of impaired homocysteine metabolism) were measured. The methionine loading test was abnormal in 15 patients (19 per cent) who did not differ from the other 65 with respect to prevalence of other risk factors, clinical characteristics, and electrocardiographic and angiographic findings. Blood levels of glucose, vitamins B6 and B12, folate, protein C and protein S, fibrinogen and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol did not differ significantly between the two groups. The prevalence of impaired homocysteine metabolism in young patients with arterial occlusive disease is greater than the 1-2 per cent found in the normal population.