Factors of local recurrence of giant cell tumor of long bone after treatment: plain radiographs, pathology and surgical procedures.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the relationship between local recurrence of giant cell tumor (GCT) after surgical treatments and plain radiography, pathology grade and surgical procedures. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Patients with pathologically proven primary giant cell tumor of long bones, who underwent surgical treatment in Siriraj Hospital between 1995 and 2007, were retrospectively reviewed. Plain radiographic findings were reviewed by an experienced musculoskeletal radiologist without knowledge of the clinical history or pathologic results. Specific attention on plain radiographic evaluations included site of tumor in long bone, total tumor volume, expansion of cortex, breaking of cortex, and presence of pathological fracture. Patients with grade III tumor were excluded due to malignant histology. Patients received treatments with amputation were also excluded due to no possibility of tumor recurrence. Only patients who received surgical treatments with wide excision or curettage with cement were included in the present study. Univariate analysis and Cox proportional hazard ratio was used to evaluate the influence of plain radiographic findings and histology grade on risk of tumor recurrence. RESULTS: Seventy-four patients participated in this study and included 32 males (43%) and 42 (57%) females with a mean age of 35 years (range 17 to 84). The median follow-up time was 3.2 years. Forty-eight patients (65%) underwent curettage with cement or bone graft and 26 patients (35%) underwent wide excision. Sixty-three patients (85%) did not develop tumor recurrence while 11 patients (15%) developed local recurrent tumor. Those occurred only in patients who underwent curettage with cement or bone graft. None of the patients who underwent wide excision developed local recurrence. Median of time after operation to recurrence was 3.5 years (range, 0.5 to 10.3 years). Local recurrence occurred in the distal femur in five patients (45%), in the proximal tibia in five patients (45%), and in distal radius in one patient (9%). Risk of local recurrence of GCT was not statistically different in patients with any abnormal features of plain radiography as well as histology grade. CONCLUSION: No radiographic findings and histological grade of GCT can predict tumor recurrence after curettage procedure. Compared with wide excision, risk of local recurrence in patients that received treatment with curettage was significantly higher. However the choice of treatment should be balanced between preserving maximal joint function and risks of tumor recurrence.

Evaluation of atherosclerosis, arterial stiffness and related risk factors in chronic hemodialysis patients in Siriraj Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Additional to traditional risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), recent evidence demonstrates that nontraditional risk factors such as high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), hyperhomocysteinemia and vascular calcification may cause progressive atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients. OBJECTIVE: We aim to determine the prevalence of atherosclerosis and assess the arterial stiffness and related risk factors. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Common carotid artery intima-media thicknesses (CIMT), atherosclerotic plaque occurrence were determined by B-mode ultrasonography in 105 hemodialysis patients (mean age, 53 +/- 15.5 years; mean dialysis duration 82 +/- 59.5 months). A history of clinically significant atherosclerotic vascular disease was elicited by patient questionnaire and verified by careful patient chart review and physical examination. Cardiovascular ankle index (CAVI) was use to assess arterial stiffness. Serum biochemical marker for traditional risk factors, hsCRP and homocysteine were measured by standard method. RESULTS: Atherosclerotic vascular disease (defined by a history of CVD or presence of atherosclerotic plaque) was present in 79% of patients. Compared to non-atherosclerotic group, the mean CIMT and serum hsCRP in atherosclerotic group was higher (1.9 +/- 0.8 mm vs. 0.8 +/- 0.6 mm, p < 0.001; 6.5 +/- 8.8 mg/L vs. 3.3 +/- 3.5 mg/L, p = 0.03, respectively), while other biochemical markers were not significantly different, as well as the percentage of abnormal CAVI (69% vs. 54.5%, p = 0.28). CAVI was positively correlated with maximum carotid intima-meida thickness (r = 0.44, p < 0.001). CAVI was also significantly greater in patients with carotid plaque (soft plaque (p < 0.05) and calcified plaque (p < 0.05)) compared with patients without carotid plaque. CONCLUSION: A high prevalence of atherosclerosis and arterial stiffness was observed in hemodialysis patients. Carotid atherosclerosis is associated with an increased inflammatory marker (hsCRP). CAVI may be a useful index to assess arterial stiffness and associated with arterial intima-media thickness.

Malnutrition-inflammation score associated with atherosclerosis, inflammation and short-term outcome in hemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Malnutrition-Inflammation Score (MIS) has been proposed as a new quantitative system for assessment of malnutrition and inflammation, which are common important risk factors for increased morbidity and mortality in maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the MIS and related it to the presence of atherosclerosis, and the morbidity and mortality rate. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The inflammatory and nutritional status in 100 MHD patients was evaluated by serum high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), Subjective Global Assessment (SGA), and MIS. Atherosclerosis was defined by a history of cardiovascular disease or presence of carotid plaque by B-mode ultrasonography. Twelve-month prospective hospitalization and mortality rates were recorded. RESULTS: The MIS score was significantly higher in patients with atherosclerosis (5.5 +/- 2.3 vs. 3.0 +/- 1.7, p = 0.003) and modestly correlated with serum ferritin level (r = 0.304, p = 0.03), but did not correlated with hs-CRP. The SGA was not associated with hs-CRP level and atherosclerosis. Over a 12-month follow-up period, 4 patients died and 28 were hospitalized at least once. Compared to the survivor group, MIS in the deceased group was significantly higher (8.0 +/- 1.4 vs. 5.1 +/- 2.3, p = 0.01) while SGA, hs-CRP and other biochemical markers were not significantly different. The Receiver Operating Characteristics Curves for the prediction of 1-year mortality from the MIS score identified the optimal cut-off value of 7.5 with sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 88%. There was no association between MIS or SGA and hospitalization. CONCLUSION: MIS is a useful tool for the assessment of malnutrition and inflammatory status. It is superior to the conventional SGA as a predictor of short-term outcome in MHD patients.

Intervertebral disk calcification of the spine in an elderly population: radiographic prevalence, location, and distribution and correlation with spinal degeneration.

PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence, distribution, and location of intervertebral disk calcification (IDC) in the thoracic and lumbar spine and the association of IDC with radiographically evident spinal degenerative changes in cadavers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anterior vertebral columns comprising T1 through L5 were removed from 223 cadavers (183 men, 40 women; mean age at death, 67 years; range, 37-94 years). Approximately 5-mm-thick parasagittal sections were investigated with high-contrast radiography. The presence of IDC, osteophytes, vertebral endplate abnormalities, and vacuum phenomena was recorded, and the height of disk space was measured at 3,568 intervertebral levels. Logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: IDC was identified in 178 (80%) of the 223 cadavers. Of 3,568 disks, 459 (13%) had IDC, and 289 cases (63%) were located in the annulus fibrosus. IDC was most common in the lower thoracic spine, occurring in 275 (60%) of 459 disks. IDC occurred in 159 (87%) of 183 men and 19 (48%) of 40 women. Logistic regression analysis was adjusted for age, and results showed that the frequency of IDC was significantly higher in men in upper, middle, and lower segments of the thoracic spine (P <.05) but not in the lumbar spine (P =.09). IDC correlated with increasing age (P <.001) and disk space loss (P <.001) at all spinal levels. There was no association of IDC with vacuum phenomena or vertebral endplate abnormalities at any spinal level. CONCLUSION: IDC is common in elderly persons, especially in the annulus fibrosus and lower thoracic spine. The prevalence of IDC increases with age and extent of disk space loss.

Complications of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: MR imaging.

Arthroscopic reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) using autografts or allografts is being performed with increasing frequency, particularly in young athletes. Although the procedure is generally well tolerated, with good success rates, early and late complications have been documented. As clinical manifestations of graft complications are often non-specific and plain radiographs cannot directly visualize the graft and the adjacent soft tissues, MR imaging has a definite role in the diagnosis of complications after ACL reconstruction and may direct subsequent therapeutic management. Our purpose is to review the normal MR imaging of the ACL graft and present the MR imaging findings of a wide spectrum of complications after ACL reconstruction, such as graft impingement, graft rupture, cystic degeneration of the graft, postoperative infection of the knee, diffuse and localized (i.e., cyclops lesion) arthrofibrosis, and associated donor site abnormalities. Awareness of the MR imaging findings of complications as well as the normal appearances of the normal ACL graft is essential for correct interpretation.