Hamstring Muscle Stiffness in Athletes with and without Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction History: A Retrospective Study.

Introduction: Sports requiring sprinting, jumping, and kicking tasks frequently lead to hamstring strain injuries (HSI). One of the structural risk factors of HSI is the increased passive stiffness of the hamstrings. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury history is associated with a 70% increase in the incidence of HSI, according to a recent meta-analysis. The same report recommended that future research should concentrate on the relationships between the HSI risk factors. Hence, the present study aimed to retrospectively compare changes in the passive stiffness of the hamstrings in athletes with and without ACL reconstruction history. Methods: Using ultrasound-based shear-wave elastography, the mid-belly passive muscle stiffness values of the biceps femoris long head, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus muscles were assessed and compared amongst athletes with and without a history of ACL reconstruction. Results: There were no significant differences in the biceps femoris long head (injured leg (IL): 26.19 ± 5.28 KPa, uninjured contralateral (UL): 26.16 ± 7.41 KPa, control legs (CL): 27.64 ± 5.58 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 1; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL: p = 1), semimembranosus (IL: 24.35 ± 5.58 KPa, UL: 24.65 ± 8.35 KPa, CL: 22.83 ± 5.67 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 1; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL, p = 1), or semitendinosus (IL: 22.45 ± 7 KPa, UL: 25.52 ± 7 KPa, CL: 22.54 ± 4.4 KPa; IL vs. UL: p = 0.487; IL vs. CL: p = 1; UL vs. CL, p = 0.291) muscle stiffness values between groups. Conclusions: The passive mid-muscle belly stiffness values of the biceps femoris long head, semitendinosus, and semimembranosus muscles did not significantly differ between previously injured and uninjured athletes; therefore, further assessment for other muscle regions of hamstrings may be necessary. To collect more comprehensive data related to the structural changes that may occur following ACL reconstructions in athletes, a future study should examine the passive stiffness of wider muscle regions from origin to insertion.

Ultrasonography-based staging of inflammatory granulomatous mastitis and estimation of steroid response.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to present novel diagnostic ultrasonography (USG)-based classification of inflammatory granulomatous mastitis (IGM) and to assess and compare dosage responses of locoregional steroid therapy. METHODS: From January 2017 through March 2023, total of 230 biopsy-proven IGM patients were reclassified (grades I, II, and III) according to USG-based morphological features. The injection applications were grouped in Group1 (40 mg/mL between years 2017 and 2019) versus Group2 (80 mg/mL between years 2019 and 2023), and effectiveness was analysed for each grade in between groups. RESULTS: The mean age was 31 years old (range: 19-60) with median follow-up period of 7 months. The most common clinical presentation was breast mass accompanying draining skin sinuses of the affected skin and hypoechogenic mass with tubular extensions was the most prevalent feature on USG examination. As per USG-based features, 79 (34.3%) patients were redefined as grade I, 64 (27.8%) as grade II, and 87 (37.8%) as grade III. All patients underwent locoregional steroid injection only. The average number of treatments in the first group was 6 (±3 SD) with an effective dose of 40 mg/mL in the first group, and 4 (±2 SD) with an effective dose of 80 mg/mL in the second group. The generalized linear mixed model was used to investigate effects between groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: High-dose steroid treatment was effective in burnout lesions (grades II and III), and it was found to be statistically significant in lowering number of treatments irrespective of grade. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: This novel classification could be a convenient tool in terms of common language between radiologists and clinicians. In addition, our study is a pioneer in comparing steroid dosage with no relapse in IGM patients.

Comparison of the Efficacy of Systemic Versus Local Steroid Treatment in Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis: A Cohort Study.

INTRODUCTION: Steroid therapy is known to be effective against granulomatous mastitis. We aimed to compare the efficacy of local versus systemic steroid administration in patients with idiopathic granulomatous mastitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This prospective cohort study included 58 patients who had either local (n = 42) or systemic (n = 16) treatment due to granulomatous mastitis between 2015 and 2019. Recurrence rates were determined as per ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging examinations and the rate of side effects was evaluated as per patient complaints and physical examinations at the end of a 2-year follow-up period. RESULTS: Median doses of 140 mg and 3810 mg were administered to the local and systemic group, respectively. Six (14.3%) patients in the local treatment group and 13 (81.3%) in the systemic treatment group had steroid-related side effects. The local treatment group had significantly fewer side effects than the systemic treatment group (P < 0.001). The recurrence rates were similar in both groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Local steroid injection was as effective as systemic steroid therapy. Compared to systemic therapy, local steroid administration can be considered as a new therapeutic protocol with a lower dose and side effect rate.

Signal abnormalities of the bladder wall detected by native T1 mapping in patients with overactive bladder.

OBJECT: Native T1 mapping provides tissue-specific T1 relaxation times, which can be used to identify structural changes in the various organs. The object of this article was to evaluate the bladder wall of patients with overactive bladder using native T1 mapping and compare the relaxation times of patients and healthy controls. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventeen patients with a diagnosis of overactive bladder and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in this prospective study. All participants underwent pelvic MRI and T1 maps were acquired. Native T1 relaxation times were calculated via regions of interest acquired from the anterosuperior wall of the bladder in all participants. Mean T1 relaxation times of the overactive bladder patients were compared with those of controls. RESULTS: Overactive bladder patients had statistically significantly higher T1 relaxation times compared with controls (p = 0.004). In the subgroup analysis, there was no statistically significant difference between males (1113.42 ± 62.4) and females (1176.70 ± 100.9) regarding the T1 relaxation times (p = 0.165). There were no correlations between age and T1 relaxation times in patient or control groups (r = 0.057, p = 0.825, and r = 0.052, p = 0.932, respectively). CONCLUSION: Native T1 mapping can identify structural changes in the bladder wall of patients with overactive bladder. This technique has a promising role in the diagnosis of patients with suspected overactive bladder.

Clinical, Histopathological, Imaging, and Treatment Perspectives of Inflammatory Granulomatous Mastitis: Review of the Literature.

Inflammatory granulomatous mastitis is a benign inflammatory disease of the breast mostly presenting in puerperal women. The disease is characterized by recurrent bouts of mastitis with clinical picture of hyperemia, breast mass, and swelling of the breast with or without purulent discharge depending on the severity of the underlying inflammatory process. Although no true prevalence and incidence have been reported in the literature, there are several reported studies setting forth a predilection in specific ethnic groups and/ or geographical areas. Due to the intricate nature of the disease, quite often inflammatory granulomatous mastitis may be mistaken for malignant processes of the breast and even so, there are no pathognomonic imaging appearances to differentiate one from another. The histopathological analysis is a definite way of diagnosis. In this article, we review the imaging manifestations and clinical and histopathological findings along with current trends of available treatment options in the literature and briefly discussed our institutional perspective regarding grading of inflammatory granulomatous mastitis based on ultrasonographic appearances.

The distribution in joint recesses and adjacent synovial compartments of loose bodies determined on MR and CT arthrographies of ankle joint.

ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Loose bodies (LBs) are intraarticular free bodies and may cause synovial inflammation.Accurate and complete determination of the number and location of LBs before surgery are very important for effective treatment.The location, number and distribution of LBs in the ankle joint may be determined successfully by high-resolution magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) and computed tomography arthrography (CTA).For this purpose, MRA and CTA may increase the diagnostic and therapeutic success of the arthroscopy.

Evaluation and Comparison of Left Ventricular Functions by Cardiac MRI and 2D Transthoracic Echocardiography.

OBJECTIVE: It is important to measure left ventricular function (LVF) accurately in the diagnosis and follow-up of cardiovascular diseases. Different imaging algorithms and mathematical calculations have been developed for the evaluation of LVF in cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and numerous studies are still being carried on this. In our study, LVF was calculated by two different measurement methods in MRI and were compared with transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) to assess the correlation and the consistency of these with TTE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 31 patients with left ventricular dysfunction due to different etiologies were evaluated with simultaneous TTE and MRI. In the Cine MR images, LVF parameters of ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and myocardial mass were measured using short axis images (short axis method) and short axis plus four chamber and two chamber images (combined method). The results were compared with the results from TTE. RESULTS: We found that the combined and the short axis-based calculations of ejection fraction, end-diastolic volume, end-systolic volume, and myocardial mass in cardiac MRI showed correlation and consistency with those calculated via echocardiography. We also determined that the short axis-based calculations in cardiac MRI showed better correlation with the echocardiography compared with the combined method. CONCLUSION: Because our results revealed that the cardiac MRI results obtained from the short axis method better correlate with the TTE, we recommend using short axis-based measurements in the evaluation left ventricular dysfunction.

Can Beaver Tail Liver be the Cause of Preference in Living Liver Transplantation Donors?

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate whether there was a difference between the levels of safety in terms of the postoperative residual liver volume in living transplant donors with normal liver anatomy and beaver tail liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contrast-enhanced abdominal computed tomography (CT) images of 158 volunteers were retrospectively scanned. They were divided into 2 groups; with and without beaver tail liver. The total and left lobe volumes of the liver in all the candidates were calculated. The data were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Statistical values of p<0.05 were considered significant. RESULTS: The median value of the total liver volume was 1.252 mL and that of the left lobe percentage was 38% in the beaver tail group and 1.375 mL and 35%, respectively, in the normal liver group. A significant difference was observed in terms of the total liver volume and left lobe volume percentages of the 2 groups (p=0.012 and p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The percentage of the left lobe in the beaver tail group was significantly higher, which indicates that liver transplantation donors with the beaver tail feature may be safer in terms of residual liver volume.