Noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy, which appears to represent an arrest in intrauterine endomyocardial morphogenesis. It is diagnosed both in children and adults. Its common presentation involves heart failure symptoms, ventricular tachyarrhythmias and thromboembolic events, but the age of onset varies widely. The diagnosis is made by the combined appearance of numerous, excessively prominent trabeculations and multiple deep intertrabecular recesses perfused from the ventricular cavity, commonly involving the apical and midventricular segments of the left ventricle. Although the peculiar echocardiographic picture may possibly lead to the correct diagnosis, this condition may be often misdiagnosed or unrecognized since it is not widely known.
Cystic and cavitary lung lesions constitute a spectrum of pulmonary diseases diagnosed in both children and adults. We reviewed the CT findings of the most common cystic and cavitary lung lesions and we defined useful morphological criteria that will help radiologists to distinguish benign from malignant cavitary lesions. However, in many cases the considerable overlap in morphological features of benign and malignant cavities renders transthoracic needle biopsy necessary to establish the correct diagnosis.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the
effectiveness and possible toxicity of the combination of
temozolomide (TMZ) with whole-brain irradiation (WBI)
in the treatment of brain metastases from solid tumors.
Patients and Methods: 33 patients with brain metastases
were included in the study and treated with TMZ
60 mg/m2/day (days 1-16) concomitantly with WBI (36
Gy/12 fractions given in 16 days). One month after the
end of radiotherapy, 6 cycles of TMZ were administered
as adjuvant treatment (200 mg/m2/day for 5 consecutive
days every 28 days). Results: Responses were assessed
using computed tomography at the end of the 3rd and
6th cycle of chemotherapy. The objective response rate
was 54.5% and 57.6% after the 3rd and the 6th cycle, respectively.
The median overall survival was 12 months.
In patients with metastases from lung cancer the objective
response rate was 11/14 (78.6%) after both the 3rd
and the 6th cycle of treatment. The most common side
effects were anemia (24.2%), thrombocytopenia (18.2%),
as well as nausea and vomiting (18.2%). The high incidence
of hepatotoxicity (45.5%) might be related to concomitantly
administered antiepileptic drugs and not to
TMZ. Conclusion: WBI combined with TMZ as concomitant
and adjuvant treatment is effective in treating brain
metastases, with acceptable mild side effects.
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