Thirty Minutes of Running Exercise Decreases T2 Signal Intensity but Not Thickness of the Knee Joint Cartilage: A 3.0-T Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies showed a potential of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can be used as an additional tool for diagnosing cartilage degeneration in the early stage. We designed a cross-sectional study in order to evaluate knee joint cartilage adaptation to running, using 3.0-T MRI equipped with the 3-dimensional turbo spin echo (VISTA = Volume ISotropic Turbo spin echo Acquisition) software. By this thickness (mm) and signal intensity (mean pixel value) can be quantified, which could be closely related to the fluid content of the knee joint cartilage, before and after running. METHODS: A total of 22 males, aged 18 to 35 years, dominant (right) and nondominant (left) knees were assessed before and after 30 minutes of running. Cartilage thickness and signal intensity of surfaces of the patella, medial and lateral femoral and tibial condyles were measured. RESULTS: Cartilage thickness of the lateral condyle decreased at the dominant knee, while it increased at the medial tibial plateau. Signal intensity decreased at all locations, except the lateral patella in both knees. The most obvious decrease in signal intensity (10.6%) was at the medial tibial plateau from 949.8 to 849.0 of the dominant knee. CONCLUSION: There was an increase in thickness measurements and decrease in signal intensity in medial tibial plateau of the dominant knee after 30 minutes of running. This outcome could be related to fluid outflow from the tissue. Greater reductions in the medial tibial plateau cartilage indicate greater load sharing by these areas of the joint during a 30-minute running.

Midline facial soft tissue thickness database of Turkish population: MRI study.

Facial reconstruction is the approximation of an antemortem face from human skeletal remains. Since the nineteenth century, several methods have been developed for reconstruction of the face; all of them require the measurement of average tissue thicknesses at various points on the face. To our knowledge, there are no publications on soft tissue thickness in the Turkish population. In addition, there are few publications on the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in measuring soft tissue thickness for forensic sciences. The aim of this study was to create a reference database of facial tissue thickness in the Turkish population, and to present data illustrating the successful use of MRI for this purpose. The study included 161 patients (79 males and 82 females) between the ages of 18 and 78 who had undergone brain MRI in our radiology clinic, and showed no sign of maxillofacial pathology. Measurements were taken at 9 points at the midline; glabella, nasion, end of nasals, mid-philtrum, upper lip margin, lower lip margin, chin-lip fold, mental eminence, and beneath chin points. The mean values for these points in the patient sample population were determined, and differences related to age, sex, and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. The values were then compared to the findings of the Manhein study.

Antidepressant-like effects of echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging in mice determined using the forced swimming test.

Echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging (EP-MRI), which is novel variant of MRI, is thought to have antidepressant properties in humans and animal models. Using the forced swimming test (FST), we investigated which monoaminergic system in mice is affected by EP-MRI. The short- and long-term effects of EP-MRI on immobility time in the FST and motor activity within a locomotor activity cage were examined. Two groups of mice underwent 20 min of EP-MRI in an MR scanner (Siemens, 1.5 T Symphony) either 23.5 or 1 h before the start of the second session of the FST. In both groups, the immobility duration in the FST was reduced, similar to effective antidepressant drug treatments. Climbing behavior in the 1-h group and swimming behavior in the 23.5-h group increased significantly, similar to that seen after the administration of desipramine (a noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor) and sertraline (a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor), respectively. The findings support the hypothesis that EP-MRI has an antidepressant-like effect. We suggest that the antidepressant-like effect begins in the early period with noradrenaline systems and is maintained in the late period with serotonin systems.

Focal liver lesions: whether a standard dose (0.05 mmol/kg) gadobenate dimeglumine can provide the same diagnostic data as the 0.1 mmol/kg dose.

OBJECTIVE: Gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) is a liver-specific contrast agent also showing a distribution in the extracellular compartment which is recommended to be used at standard dose (0.05 mmol/kg) in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver lesions. However, its use at 0. 1mmol/kg is gradually increasing in recent clinical practice. Which dose should we use in routine MRI of liver lesions from now on? This study investigated the efficacy of Gd-BOPTA at a standard dose versus 0.1 mmol/kg dose in demonstrating diagnostic data in MRI of focal liver lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 47 patients with focal liver lesions. Twenty-two patients received standard dose and 25 patients received 0.1 mmol/kg dose Gd-BOPTA intravenously. MRI of both groups was carried out with T1-A FLASH-2D and T2-A TURBO spin echo before contrast injection and T1-A FLASH-2D sequences in dynamic and late phase (90th minute) after the contrast injection. The lesion conspicuity for each image was evaluated qualitatively. Liver signal to noise ratio (SNR), absolute lesion-liver contrast to noise ratio (CNR), mean lesion-liver CNR and contrast enhancement rate of the liver obtained from both groups were compared quantitatively. RESULTS: While liver contrast enhancement rate in the group receiving standard dose Gd-BOPTA were 41%+/-42 in the arterial phase, 66%+/-58 in the portal phase, 45%+/-45 in the venous phase and 42%+/-88 in the late phase, these values were 43%+/-59, 86%+/-73, 63%+/-75 and 61%+/-105, respectively, in the group receiving the dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. There were no statistically significant differences between the means of both groups. While the absolute lesion-liver CNR values were 18+/-15 precontrast, 22+/-18 in the arterial phase, 19+/-17 in the portal phase, 15+/-10 in the venous phase and 24+/-26 in the late phase in the group receiving the standard dose Gd-BOPTA, these values were 13+/-11, 18+/-15, 15+/-15, 13+/-13 and 19+/-21, respectively, in the group receiving the 0.1 mmol/kg dose. There were no statistically significant differences between the means of both groups (p>0.05). However, when the mean lesion-liver CNR values were compared, there was statistically significant difference between each arterial and portal phases of metastases in both groups (p<0.05). There was no statistical difference found in other lesions. When lesion conspicuity scores were compared, there were no significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSION: In liver lesions, similar diagnostic data are obtained in dynamic and late phase MRI with either standard dose Gd-BOPTA or with a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg. Because there was a difference in only metastases in both groups, in oncological patients who are being investigated for liver metastasis, it is expedient to use a dose of 0.1 mmol/kg.

Kozlowski type spondylometaphyseal dysplasia: a case report with literature review.

Spondylometaphyseal dysplasia is a type of bone dysplasia characterized by vertebral and metaphyseal changes of varying severity. Diagnosis of the disease is difficult because the severity of bone involvement differs and symptoms change according to the age of the patient. In this study, radiographic findings of a 16 month-old male patient diagnosed as Kozlowski type spondylometaphyseal dysplasia is reported.

Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome without mental retardation (Smith-McCort dysplasia).

Radiographic features of a 15-year-old boy with Smith-McCort dysplasia are presented. Dyggve-Melchior-Clausen syndrome without mental retardation has clinical and radiographic findings similar to those of Smith-McCort dysplasia. Both of these syndromes are rare autosomal recessive disorders affecting skeletal development. The radiographic appearance of generalized platyspondyly with double-humped end-plates, and the lace-like appearance of iliac crests are pathognomonic and distinctive of these syndromes. Diagnostic features of these diseases are compared with others like Morquio's disease and spondylometaphyseal dysplasia, which may have similar vertebral changes, and are discussed in the light of the literature.