Role of vitamin D in children with hepatosteatosis.

BACKGROUND: The increasing incidence of obesity in children is a significant risk factor for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and obesity-associated morbidity. Vitamin D has a major role in bone mineral metabolism and has antimicrobial, antioxidant properties. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of vitamin D in children with obesity with hepatosteatosis. METHODS: A total of 101 children with obesity were included in this study. Hepatosteatosis was diagnosed and graded using ultrasonography. Serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH) vitamin D), calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathormone were tested. Two-sided t test and Pearson χ tests were used for the relation between vitamin D and hepatosteatosis. RESULTS: In our study group, 45.5% were girls (n=46) and the mean age was 11.5 ± 2.8 years (range 3-17 years). Hepatosteatosis was identified in 58 children (57.4%). The diagnosis of grade 1 and grade 2 hepatosteatosis was made in 41 (40.6%) and 17 (16.8%) children, respectively. Median serum 25-(OH) vitamin D levels in children without hepatosteatosis was 16.4 ng/mL (interquartile range 12.4-24.8 ng/mL), whereas children with grade 1 and grade 2 hepatosteatosis had 25-(OH) vitamin D levels of 14.2 ng/mL (interquartile range 9.5-21.2 ng/mL) and 11.5 ng/mL (interquartile range 7.5-16.7 ng/mL), respectively (P=0.005). There was a positive correlation between insulin resistance and the grade of hepatosteatosis (P=0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Serum vitamin D levels in children with obesity with hepatosteatosis are significantly lower than vitamin D levels in children with obesity without hepatosteatosis. In this observational study we only refer to the association of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency with hepatosteatosis.

Radiological manifestations of abdominopelvic nerve tumours seen in neurofibromatosis type 1.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is the most common of the phakomatoses, which is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. Neurofibromas arise from Schwann cells and fibroblasts and plexiform neurofibromas are pathognomonic for NF1, which may arise in any peripheral nerve. The clinical expression of NF1 is extremely variable and gastrointestinal manifestations of NF1 are relatively uncommon. The purpose of this article is to illustrate the abdominal ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging findings of abdominopelvic nerve tumours seen in NF1 in both paediatric and adult patients.

Prevalence of ELISA-detected specific antibodies against Besnoitia besnoiti in cattle of the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolian regions, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Besnoitiosis caused by Besnoitia besnoiti is regarded as a re-emerging disease in cattle because of the increased number of cases and geographical distribution in many European countries. AIMS: The present study was conducted to determine the presence of B. besnoiti in cattle in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia of Turkey. METHODS: Blood samples were collected from 450 cattle in the provinces of Mus, Van, Siirt, and Diyarbakir. PrioCHECK®Besnoitia Ab 2.0 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit was used to detect specific anti-B. besnoiti antibodies in the serum samples. RESULTS: Twelve (2.7%) of the 450 asymptomatic cattle were seropositive against B. besnoiti. In cattle, the prevalence rates were 0%, 3.7%, 3.4%, and 1.1% in Mus, Siirt, Diyarbakir, and Van provinces (P>0.05), respectively. This study is the first to investigate the presence of B. besnoiti in cattle raised in the Eastern and Southeastern Anatolia of Turkey. CONCLUSION: Although the ELISA test revealed some positive cases, concrete evidence for the establishment of clinical B. besnoiti infection could not be verified. More comprehensive analysis would be necessary to determine the significance of the present observations.

A rare malignant hepatic tumor of childhood: transitional liver cell tumor revisited.

Transitional liver cell tumor is an extremely rare entity and has a poor prognosis. It has similar histopathologic findings with hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. Up to now, only 10 cases have been reported in the literature. We report on an 8-year-old boy with histologically proven transitional liver cell tumor and describe the pertinent radiological findings.

Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt: diagnosis by colour/power Doppler imaging and three-dimensional ultrasound.

Intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt, considered to be a rare disease, can lead to hepatic encephalopathy. With recent advances in diagnostic imaging techniques, the number of reports of intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunts identified incidentally in patients without symptoms are increasing. We report an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt that was diagnosed incidentally by real-time ultrasound and colour Doppler imaging, including the use of three-dimensional ultrasound using minimum intensity projections and power Doppler.

[Central hemodynamics and hormonal homeostasis during surgical stress in young patients with different levels of physical preparation]. / Tsentral'naia gemodinamika i gormonal'nyi gomeostaz pri operatsionnom stresse u lits molodogo vozrasta s razlichnym urovnem fizicheskoi podgotovlennosti.

Twenty-two patients, aged 16 to 35 years who were to be operated on for varicocele have been examined. It has been established that the degree of shifts in hormonal homeostasis and central hemodynamics depends on the baseline level of physical training. Analysis of central hemodynamic response to operation stress has shown that the prognosis of favourable operation stress tolerance was observed in well trained patients or in those poorly trained without hyperkinetic hemodynamic reaction 1 day before surgery. The above data make it possible to predict the nature of reactions in response to the operation stress by the level of circulation function activation 1 day before surgery.

Incidentally detected congenital giant left atrial appendage aneurysm in a child: MRI findings.

Left atrial appendage aneurysms are usually congenital and are very infrequent anomalies of the heart. They are very rarely diagnosed during childhood, with most cases symptomatic between the 2nd and 4th decades of life. Diagnosis is vitally important due to potential life-threatening complications. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice. Surgery reduces the risks of cardiac arrest, respiratory distress, arrhythmia, heart failure, thromboembolism, or rupture. We report the case of a 3-year-old boy with incidental diagnosis of a giant aneurysm of the left atrial appendage that was confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging and treated with surgery.

Diagnostic accuracy of the constructive interference in steady state sequence alone for follow-up imaging of vestibular schwannomas.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Vestibular schwannoma (VS) is a benign, slow-growing tumor, and radiologic monitoring is an acceptable alternative to surgery in small lesions and in elderly patients. MR imaging with contrast is the study of choice in the follow-up of these lesions. However, gadolinium-based contrast agents have side effects and should be used only when definitely indicated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the constructive interference in steady state (CISS) sequence used without postcontrast sequences for the follow-up imaging of VS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR imaging examinations of 18 patients were retrospectively evaluated by 2 radiologists. VS masses were measured on both CISS and the postcontrast images by each observer. For each patient, the masses were also assessed qualitatively for possible progression between every consecutive study. RESULTS: Fifty MR images of 18 patients were evaluated. Patients had 1-5 follow-up studies. The mean time interval between the consecutive studies was 23 months (6-55 months). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the CISS sequence for the detection of progression were 100%. There was good interobserver and intraobserver (CISS and postcontrast) correlation. The CISS sequence had, however, limited sensitivity for the detection of changes in the internal architecture. CONCLUSIONS: Noncontrast CISS-only technique may be a viable alternative to routine contrast-enhanced sequences for the follow-up of overall lesion size in patients with VS; however, treatment-related changes internal to the tumor are less noticeable using the CISS sequence.

Paediatric multidetector CT angiography: spectrum of congenital thoracic vascular anomalies.

Multidetector row CT (MDCT) is a non-invasive and rapid technique used for the evaluation of paediatric vascular diseases as an alternative to conventional angiography. Three-dimensional (3D) images allow excellent display of vascular anomalies that can be used as a vascular road map by surgeons. The aim of this pictorial review is to demonstrate diagnostic MDCT angiographic findings of various congenital thoracic vascular anomalies in paediatric patients. It is important to recognize these anomalies early for proper treatment and follow-up, and also to prevent morbidities and mortalities.

MR angiography of left-sided cervical aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian artery.

Cervical aortic arch is a rare anomaly. We report the contrast-enhanced MR angiography features of left-sided cervical aortic arch with contralateral descending aorta and aberrant right subclavian artery in a 16-year-old girl.

Fusiform basilar artery aneurysm rapid death with occlusion and subdural-subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Fusiform aneurysms of the posterior circulation constitute a relatively uncommon subgroup of aneurysms. We present a patient with fusiform basilar artery aneurysm accompanied by ectasia and elongation of both supraclinoid parts of the internal carotid arteries, middle cerebral arteries and vertebral arteries. The aneurysm had thrombus formation along its length which progressed to occlude the lumen the day after the patient's admission. Mass effect, progressive infarcts at the territories of posterior inferior cerebellar (PICA) and superior cerebellar (SCA) arteries and brainstem perforators along with subarachnoid and subdural hemorrhage were present.