The value of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in evaluating granulomatous spinal infection was retrospectively assessed in 81 patients with proved disease; 27 were reexamined after administration of gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid, and 25 underwent follow-up studies. Blinded interpretations were correlated with clinical, microbiologic, and surgical findings. MR imaging enabled prediction of the presence of neurologic complications in 93% of patients and diagnosis of the type of infection in 94%, and correlated well with surgical findings in 24 of 27 patients. Vertebral intraosseous abscesses, meningeal involvement, subligamentous spread, and paraspinal abscess location were best identified on contrast-enhanced studies and were seen most frequently in tuberculous spondylitis. High signal intensity on T1-weighted images of previously affected vertebrae suggested healing and correlated well with symptoms. The authors conclude that MR imaging may be useful as the method of first choice for the initial assessment and posttherapy follow-up of patients with granulomatous spinal infection.

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We describe the CT findings in four patients and the MR imaging in one patient with juvenile ossifying fibroma. Three lesions involved the maxillary sinus and extended to the surrounding structures; one lesion was confined to the maxillary bone. CT scan revealed welldefined, expansile lesions with variable amount of calcifications. On MRI one lesion had intermediate signal intensity with significant contrast enhancement.

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TRUBP continues to be associated with significant infectious complications, especially UTI. Given the increasing incidence of antibiotic resistance mainly among the Enterobacteriaceae, antimicrobial prophylaxis practices should be reevaluated and the universal administration of quinolones alone or in combination with aminoglycosides should be reconsidered.

This study was carried out on 968 skull X-rays to determine the incidence of the metopic suture in the Lebanese population. Complete and incomplete metopism was present in 0.82% and 0.93% of cases, respectively, leading to an overall incidence of 1.75%. In both categories, the incidence was relatively higher in males (1.84%) than in females (1.62%). Persons living in rural areas had a higher incidence of complete and incomplete metopism compared to persons living in urban areas, with ratios of 4:1 and 4:2, respectively. Other findings included an absence of frontal sinuses in all but one skull with complete metopism, accessory ossicles in the majority of cases of complete metopism (7/8), and hydrocephalus in one case. Medical records did not reveal any other associated diseases or abnormalities. Despite the low incidence of metopic suture in the Lebanese population, in X-ray diagnosis of fractures of the frontal bone, metopic suture must not be ruled out.

To assess whether ultrasonography (US) with or without plain abdominal radiography (kidney, ureter, bladder [KUB] radiography) can replace intravenous urography (IVU) in detection of acute urinary tract obstruction, 101 consecutive patients with renal colic were evaluated with US followed immediately by IVU. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves for US diagnosis of acute urinary tract obstruction yielded sensitivities of 91% and 92% for two reviewers at a specificity of 90%. There was no statistically significant difference between US and IVU results. When US was combined with KUB radiography, ROC curves yielded sensitivities of 94% and 97% for two reviewers at a specificity of 90%.KUB radiography alone was of limited diagnostic value. For US alone, no false-positive results occurred, and the false-negative results (n = 9 and n = 6 for two reviewers) were encountered in cases of grade 1 hydronephrosis and nondilated obstructive uropathy. The authors conclude that US combined with KUB radiography can replace IVU in initial evaluation and follow-up of the great majority of patients with renal colic.