Where do penguins go during the inter-breeding period? Using geolocation to track the winter dispersion of the macaroni penguin.

Although penguins are key marine predators from the Southern Ocean, their migratory behaviour during the inter-nesting period remains widely unknown. Here, we report for the first time, to our knowledge, the winter foraging movements and feeding habits of a penguin species by using geolocation sensors fitted on penguins with a new attachment method. We focused on the macaroni penguin Eudyptes chrysolophus at Kerguelen, the single largest consumer of marine prey among all seabirds. Overall, macaroni penguins performed very long winter trips, remaining at sea during approximately six months within the limits of the Southern Ocean. They departed from Kerguelen in an eastward direction and distributed widely, over more than 3.10(6) km(2). The penguins spent most of their time in a previously unrecognized foraging area, i.e. a narrow latitudinal band (47-49 degrees S) within the central Indian Ocean (70-110 degrees E), corresponding oceanographically to the Polar Frontal Zone. There, their blood isotopic niche indicated that macaroni penguins preyed mainly upon crustaceans, but not on Antarctic krill Euphausia superba, which does not occur at these northern latitudes. Such winter information is a crucial step for a better integrative approach for the conservation of this species whose world population is known to be declining.

[Imaging of acute pelvic pain in women]. / Imagerie de la douleur pelvienne aiguë

Acute pelvic pain in women is a routine situation in any emergency unit. The radiologist should know how to explore the patient with regards to the history and clinical findings. Ultrasonography is the primary and sometimes the only necessary imaging tool in the assessment of acute pelvic pain in women. MRI is the preferred technique in pregnant or young women. CT is more valuable for assessing nongynecologic disorders or post-partum and post-operative infections. This article reviews the contribution of each imaging technique in this clinical situation. Emphasis is put on the importance of age and clinical findings in the diagnostic strategy.

Giant cervical epidural veins after lumbar puncture in a case of intracranial hypotension.

A 29-year-old woman presented with dilated epidural veins and incapacitating headache after undergoing a lumbar puncture. Two months later, the results of follow-up MR imaging were normal. These findings suggest that temporary dilation of the epidural vein may occur in association with post-lumbar puncture intracranial hypotension syndrome. In these cases, it seems useful to confirm whether the patient has recently undergone a lumbar puncture.

Midsagittal MR measurements of the corpus callosum in healthy subjects and diseased patients: a prospective survey.

PURPOSE: To determine quantitatively a possible corpus callosum (CC) involvement in normal aging and white matter diseases. METHODS: Midsagittal size and signal of CC were recorded prospectively from 243 routine MR brain examinations. A midline internal skull surface (MISS) and subcutaneous fat signal intensity were measured to calculate CC/MISS and CC/fat ratios. Four groups of subjects were studied: 124 apparently healthy subjects, 45 patients with multiple sclerosis, 13 patients with a noncerebral cancer under chemotherapy, and 37 AIDS patients. RESULTS: Mean surface area of CC in controls was 6.36 cm2. It was significantly larger in men than in women (P < .05), but CC/MISS ratio was not. Elderly controls > 70 years and AIDS patients displayed significant CC atrophy, as well as multiple sclerosis subjects with long-standing disease or with a severe chronic progressive form. CONCLUSION: CC substance loss identification should not be based on visual inspection or on absolute area, but by means of a CC/MISS ratio.

Common origin of the arterial blood flow for an arteriovenous medullar fistula and the anterior spinal artery: a case report.

A common origin of the blood supply to a dural arteriovenous malformation and to the spinal cord from the same segmental artery is very rare. This obviously contraindicates embolization of the fistula. Demonstrating the location of the normal spinal blood supply system is therefore mandatory to avoid postoperative complications. The visualization of the normal blood vessels can be masked by a steal phenomenon, but it must at all costs be obtained. The authors describe one such case.

Primary left atrial angiosarcoma: follow-up by magnetic resonance imaging.

We report the case of a primary left atrial angiosarcoma followed by MRI over a period of 1 year. The tumor was lobulated, with an initial central hyperintensity on T1-weighted images which disappeared after radiotherapy. Compared with other imaging modalities, MRI offered the most accurate information about the location, extent, and outcome under treatment.

Neurologic disorders due to brain manganese deposition in a jaundiced patient receiving long-term parenteral nutrition.

BACKGROUND: Neurologic and radiologic disorders have been reported in patients receiving long-term parenteral nutrition (PN). On the basis of elevated serum manganese levels, some of these abnormalities have been attributed to manganese intoxication. Alterations of the basal ganglia signal intensity on T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRIs) have been previously reported, but the precise nature of these alterations remains controversial although the deposition of manganese has been suggested in patients with chronic hepatic encephalopathy due to liver failure. METHODS: We report the case of a patient who was receiving PN and exhibited a chronic cholestasis. Neurologic disorders appeared after several months of PN, when a hypersignal in the basal ganglia and white matter was found on T1-weighted MRIs of the brain in association with elevated serum and manganese levels. RESULTS: Elevated autopsic concentrations of manganese were found in the radiologic abnormal cerebral areas. CONCLUSIONS: Our observation is the first demonstration of a relationship between high intracerebral manganese levels, radiologic abnormalities, and neurologic disorders during long-term PN. Moreover, serum manganese levels are not a good indicator of cerebral levels. In fact, in our patient, serum manganese levels returned to normal, whereas those of cerebral manganese remained increased.

[Dura mater arteriovenous fistula and lateral sinus occlusion]. / Fistule artério-veineuse dure-mérienne et occlusion du sinus latéral.

It is rare to find an arteriovenous fistula of the dura mater associated with a venous sinus occlusion, but this may provide evidence of an etiology. In the case reported, the malformation was probably of congenital origin, the sinus thrombosis having occurred secondarily to the venous stasis adjacent to the fistula.

[Brachial diplegia caused by cervical spinal cord ischemia. A case]. / Diplégie brachiale par ischémie médullaire cervicale. Un cas.

We report one case of acute cervical spinal cord infarction characterized by motor impairment of the upper limbs with respect of the lower limbs. It occurs infrequently. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the clinical, neurophysiological and magnetic resonance imaging findings, and to review the presumed mechanisms of spinal cord infarction.

[Spontaneous intracranial hypotension syndrome. A case]. / Syndrome d'hypotension intracrânienne spontanée. Un cas.

We report a 49-year-old woman with spontaneous intra-cranial hypotension. this characteristic syndrome associates postural headache and a low cerebro-spinal fluid pressure. It was confirmed by lumbar puncture and magnetic resonance imagery. We describe the clinical and the cerebro-spinal fluid features, the radiological appearances, and the clinical and radiological course. The interests of this diagnosis are, first, its spontaneous benign course and, second, to avoid unnecessary invasive investigations.

[Lumbar interapophyseal septic arthritis. Apropos of 3 cases]. / Arthrite septique interapophysaire lombaire. A propos de 3 cas.

Septic arthritis of spinal apophyseal joint, seldom described, mainly concern the lumbar spine. We report three cases. Inflammatory lesions of the paravertebral soft tissues were associated in each case; an epidural abscess was present twice. Our three cases were due to Staphylococcus aureus. The initial clinical features were consistent with a spondylodiscitis. Imaging led to the correct diagnosis in all cases. According to our observations and several others of the literature: facet joint lesions are visible too late on plain films. Bone scintigraphy is sensitive, but not specific. CT scan and MRI are the most contributive investigations. A pathologic aspect of the paravertebral soft tissues is visible less than one week after the beginning of the symptoms on CT scan and MRI. Lesions of the facet joint are detectable as soon as the first week on MRI, and after 15 days of clinical course on CT scan. Epidural abscess, when present, is best shown by MRI as early as the first week. CT scan can guide percutaneous needle biopsies of the paravertebral abscesses or of the concerned facet joint.

[Cervical myelography via lumbar approach. Simple, reliable and painless technic]. / La myélographie cervicale par voie lombaire. Technique simple, fiable et anodine.

A proposal is made to substitute myelography using a lumbar approach for cervical myelography by laterocervical C1-C2 puncture. It is essential for contrast to be injected in procubitus. This examination is simpler to perform, is free from risk and radiologic and diagnostic qualities of images are excellent. This procedure is now used routinely for primary investigation of cervical region and excellent results have been obtained.

[Isolated sphenoidal tumor localization in a child, disclosing histiocytosis X]. / Localisation tumorale sphénoïdale isolée chez un enfant, révélatrice d'une histiocytose X.

A case of isolated sphenoidal tumor localization in a child without any endocrinological disorder and revealing an histiocytosis X is reported. This mode of presentation is extremely rare. The diagnosis of histiocytosis X must be evoked and proved in lesions of the sellar region in children.

[Imaging of a foreign body in the submandibular space]. / Imagerie d'un corps étranger de la loge sous-maxillaire.

Foreign bodies in the oral cavity are infrequent in children. In spite of a negative clinical exploration, US and CT showed the suction cup of a rubber-tipped dart in the left submandibular space of a 3 year-old child. Surgery could be guided by these investigations.

[Orbital metastases of melanoma of the choroid. Value of imaging]. / Métastases orbitaires d'un mélanome de la choroïde. Intérêt de l'imagerie.

Choroidal melanoma is characterized by an unpredictable clinical course, during which metastatic disease may occur after a prolonged disease-free interval. However, metastases to orbit are quite rare; there have been only 6 reported cases in the literature. We report well documented examples of metastases to the orbit from a melanoma of the choroïd first diagnosed 8 years earlier. MR imaging is accurate in determining the exact location of lesions and their nature owing to the paramagnetic properties of melanin.

[Cervico-occipital injury and bilateral paralysis of cranial nerve XII. Apropos of a case]. / Traumatisme cervico-occipital et paralysie bilatérale du XII. A propos d'un cas.

A patient with bilateral traumatic hypoglossal palsy is presented. Evaluation of the atlanto-occipital articulation is difficult. Prompt radiographic diagnosis of this injury can be made by computed tomography. In this case, there was bony avulsion of the alar ligament from the occipital condyle. We suggest a severe blow to the head in a lateral direction.

[Optochiasmatic tuberculoma and MRI. 2 cases]. / Tuberculomes opto-chiasmatiques et IRM. Deux observations.

Two cases are reported of optochiasmatic tuberculoma, an exceptional complication difficult to diagnose in the absence of any tuberculous context. Although diagnosis of the optochiasmatic occupying process is simple by scan or NMR imaging, it is generally difficult to identify the chiasma in a process of this type. It is therefore impossible to recognize the two forms of these tuberculomas: intra- and peri-chiasmatic histologic types, and yet these have an incidence on therapy and prognosis. Surgical exploration is justified when the diagnosis remains in doubt or when the functional prognosis is implicated.

[Spontaneous thrombosis of cerebral arteriovenous malformation]. / Thrombose spontanée d'une malformation artério-veineuse cérébrale.

Complete disappearance of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM), 9 years after its discovery, is reported in a 45-year-old man. This unusual evolution was revealed by the onset of 3 seizures. CT scan and MR imaging eliminated any hemorrhage and carotid angiography showed the spontaneous thrombosis of the whole malformation. The evolution of the MRI signals demonstrates that seizures and the disappearance of the AVM were concomitant. It is suggested that the spontaneous thrombosis of the venous drainage caused the AVM disappearance with cerebral oedema responsible of seizures.

[Renal arteriovenous fistula associated with fibromuscular dysplasia of the renal arteries]. / Fistule artérioveineuse rénale associée a une dysplasie fibromusculaire des artères rénales.

Three to 5% of hypertensive diseases have a renovascular origin. Atherosclerosis and fibromuscular dysplasia are the two major causes of renovascular hypertension. Association of renal arteriovenous fistula and fibromuscular dysplasia is uncommon. The authors propose to illustrate the usefulness of Doppler ultrasonography and digital subtraction angiography in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of a renal arteriovenous fistula associated with fibromuscular dysplasia discovered after severe preeclampsia in a 30 year-old woman.

[Apropos of a rare case of bilateral orbital metastasis of malignant melanoma of the choroid]. / A propos d'un cas rare de métastase orbitaire bilatérale d'un mélanome malin de la choroïde.

We report a case of bilateral orbital metastasis from an ocular choroidal melanoma which had required enucleation eight years earlier. This uncommon case was fully documented with clinical, radiological and pathological studies. Magnetic resonance imaging was particularly contributive showing very characteristic sequences. The patient was given focal palliative cobalt radiotherapy. We compared this case with previous reports in the litterature.