Invasive inflammatory pseudotumor of the pelvis: a case report with review of the literature.

Inflammatory pseudotumor (IPT) is a rare benign lesion of unknown etiology, which mimics malignant neoplasm and may arise from various organs. A 53-year-old woman was submitted to diagnostic evaluation because of bilateral, hydroureteronephrosis and oedema of the left leg after a 3-month history of fever of unknown origin. On bimanual vaginal and rectal examination, a mass was involving the uterus, parametria and mostly left adnexa, while the cervix appeared normal. Computed tomographic (CT) scan revealed a 13x10.5 cm mass in the pelvis, mostly at the place of the left adnexa, uterus and both parametria, also involving the surrounding tissues and producing bilateral hydroureteronephrosis. At laparotomy, a grey solid mass was seen, mainly involving the reproductive system. As no radical operation could be performed, the mass was only biopsied and histology showed an inflammatory pseudotumor. Antibiotic therapy was given for one month. Follow-up CT 4 and 8 months after laparotomy showed local regression of IPT. The last follow-up CT, 20 months after laparotomy, revealed no evidence of tumor.

Distribution of high-risk HPV types in Yugoslav women with cervical neoplasia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, namely type 16, 18, 31 and 33, among Yugoslav women diagnosed with different grades of squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL), as well as to investigate the relationship between HPV infection and age, parity, age at first intercourse, number of sexual partners and residence of the patients, all of which are considered risk-factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: DNA was isolated from cervical swabs of 72 women using phenol/chloroform/isoamylalcohol extraction. Detection of HPV DNA in patients' genomic DNA was performed using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method with type-specific primer pairs, and amplification products were analyzed using 2% agarose and 10% polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: Thirty out of 72 (41.7%) patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were HPV-positive and 8 of them were double positives. HPV31 was the most frequent high-risk HPV type in this group of patients (13.9%). Eighty percent of the high-grade SIL (HSIL) patients were HPV-positive and 38.8% of the low-grade SIL (LSIL) patients were HPV-positive. Compared to HPV-negative women, the HPV-positive ones were younger, had started sexual activity earlier, and overall had more sexual partners. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that oncogenic HPV types are responsible for the transition of LSIL to HSIL, and for its further progression to an invasive carcinoma of the cervix. Thus, HPV typing should become a widely used method for identifying women with increased risk for developing HSIL and invasive cervical cancer. We also concluded that sexual behavior is connected with the frequency of HPV infection. Henceforth, introduction of prophylactic measures could reduce the incidence of HPV infected women in our country.

Interferometry in the assessment of biomechanical features of the masticatory system hard segments.

Biomechanical studies have found wide application and solved many problems in dental medicine. An interdisciplinary approach has allowed an ever-faster progress in the field. The aim of this study was to point out the advantages of holographic interferometry. With the use of this method, the study object is observed as a whole rather than as a substrate, thus providing a three-dimensional holographic image visualizing the load transmission from one jaw to another, tooth pressure against the alveolus, and strain of Sharpey's fibers, and yielding precise data on deformities, dislocations and force distribution.

Holographic analysis of the human pelvis.

Twelve fresh human pelves with preserved lumbar spines, hip joints, and ligaments, were tested by double-exposure and sandwich-hologram interferometry. During physiologic loadings (50-300 N), the pelvis moved as a whole downward and backward. Iliac wings exhibited marked undulation, except for the central part, which showed minor deformations. The sacrum moved downward and rotated forward over an axis 5-9 cm below the promontorium. Removal of the sacroiliac interosseous ligaments eliminated all joint movements and caused a tighter contact between articular surfaces. Removal of the sacrotuberous and sacrospinous ligaments had no influence on the pelvic behavior. The magnitudes of deformations as well as their underlying mineral contents were unequally distributed between the two pelvic sides. These results indicate that the sacroiliac interosseous ligaments are the main determinant of sacral movement. Asymmetric load transmittance to the hip joints might be responsible for the mineral content differences between the pelvic sides.

Tomographic reconstruction of the temperature distribution in a convective heat flow using multidirectional holographic interferometry.

Multidirectional interferometric data of an inhomogeneous phase object are obtained by double exposure reflection type holography. The evaluation of the interferograms for a computerized tomographic reconstruction of the local index of refraction by the convolution method is performed with subfringe resolution. For testing purposes the phase object is made by careful modeling of a convective heat flow in air. The reconstructed refractive index field is converted into a temperature distribution and is compared with independently measured temperature values, thus providing a strict examination of the quality of the tomograms.

Mechanical reactions of facial skeleton to maxillary expansion determined by laser holography.

The highly accurate laser holographic interferometry method was used to determine in what way low-magnitude forces during slow maxillary expansion are transmitted to the entire maxillary complex and its surrounding structures. The experiments were carried out on a macerated human skull which had a perfectly preserved, normally aligned maxillary dental arch and intact alveolar processes. The soft palatal and periodontal tissues were reconstructed with a semielastic material. The specimen was loaded gradually by widening of a split acrylic appliance with an expansion screw. Interferograms were taken simultaneously on the left and right sides of the maxillary complex, using the 10 mV He-Ne laser and the double-exposure method. Analysis of the fringe pattern on the recorded object surface was performed by graphically determining the deformation curves related to the bony surface in selected horizontal and vertical planes. Experimental results show that the application of laterally directed forces from the maxillary expansion appliance induced initial mechanical reactions of the entire maxilla, the circummaxillary sutures, and the surrounding bones. Each increase in dental arch width was obtained not only by the deformation of the alveolar process with dental tipping but also by the rotation of the entire maxilla within its sutures around horizontal and vertical axes. Moreover, displacement of the surrounding maxillary structures (pterygoid processes, zygomatic, lacrimal, and nasal bones) was detected in response to the rotational movement of the maxilla.

Holographic investigations of the human tibiofibular interosseous membrane.

The interosseous membrane contributes to the function of the fibula by neutralizing the freedom of movement in the upper tibiofibular joint and by keeping the fibula from being passive. The main role of the membrane is indicated by its shearing capacity. As a result of dislocation and bending of the tibia (during axial loading), and the passivity of the fibula, the membrane slides in the direction of the leg's axis causing the zone of maximal shearing in its upper central part. This is the principal zone of strain and divides the upper portion of the membrane into the tibial and fibular area. Damage of the upper part of the membrane, perpendicular to the main fiber bundles, causes an irregular deformation of the talus, while complete damage of the membrane unburdens the fibula in load transference by more than 30%. The interosseous membrane is important in the normal function of the lower leg by maintaining the axis of balanced loading of the foot.

Block defocused spherical fabry-perot interferometer.

A solid Fabry-Perot interferometer with a quasi-confocal resonator has been constructed. The essential characteristics of this interferometer are discussed in relation to its advantages for spectral analysis. These advantages include high resolving power (>10(7)) with satisfactory instrumental finesse (>30) in static mode. Experimental results show that this instrument can be used for analysis of spatial coherence along the cross section of the incoming light beam.