Clinical and Pathological Features of Congenital Hepatic Hemangioma in Children: A Retrospective Analysis.

Objective: We reviewed our experience with congenital hepatic hemangiomas (CHH) to assess the effectiveness of our treatment strategies. Methods: Clinical and pathologic features of children with CHH were reviewed. Results: Twenty-two cases of CHH were collected, 17 were resected and 5 were followed until resolution. In 17 with alpha-feto-protein (AFP) levels, 9 were elevated with 5 decreasing to normal before surgery. In six with tumors under 3 cm, five regressed between 1 and 13 months, one required removal 5 years after initial diagnosis. Postoperative histopathology of 17 cases showed abnormal vascular hyperplasia without lobular architecture. CD34 was expressed in all tumors, glucose transporter 1(Glut1) was negative. Conclusion: If the tumor is less than 3 cm, AFP is normal and there are no obvious complications, the lesion can be followed with regular assessment imaging. Surgical resection is an option in tumors less than 3 cm which have not regressed over time.

Cranial fasciitis in children: clinicoradiology features and management.

BACKGROUND: Cranial fasciitis (CF) is a rare benign fibroproliferative lesion of the skull. To date, the summarized radiologic characteristics and the subtype of the disease have not been reported. our purpose was to summarize the characteristic clinicoradiology features and management of CF and to improve the knowledge of radiologists and clinicians. METHODS: We searched our institution's database and retrieved the clinical and radiologic data of CF patients confirmed by histopathological examination. The clinicoradiology features and management of CF were analysed retrospectively. RESULTS: A total of 14 CF patients were included. A total of 85.7% of the patients presented with a painless, firm, nonmobile and single mass. Tenderness and multiple masses were found in 14.3% of the patients. The mass was clearly increased in 2 patients and gradually increased in 5 patients in the short term. We divided these patients into three types based on the CT characteristics. The characteristic features of type I (9 patients) presented as an expansive and osteolytic bone destruction with a soft tissue mass. Type II (2 patients) presented as a scalp mass with mild erosion of the outer skull plate. Type III (3 patients) presented as a scalp mass without skull destruction. All patients underwent surgical resection. For type I patients, craniectomy and cranioplasty were performed. For type II patients, complete excision of the scalp mass with local skull curettage was performed. For type III patients, complete excision of the scalp mass was performed. There were no cases of recurrence after follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: CF usually presents as a painless, firm, nonmobile and single mass with a clear boundary. There are generally three types of MSCT findings: bone destruction with a soft tissue mass, a scalp mass with erosion of the skull and a scalp mass. Different management strategies should be utilized for the various types of CF.

Imaging features of neonatal systemic juvenile xanthogranuloma: a case report and review of the literature.

Juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG) is the most common non-Langerhans cell histiocytic disorder in children. This report describes the case of a 28-day-old boy that presented with multiple subcutaneous nodular lesions on the trunk and extremities, and multiple red nodular lesions on the scrotum. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain showed a well-demarcated extra-axial dura-based mass that appeared isointense or slightly hyperintense on T1-weighted images, hypointense on T2-weighted images and had intense enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images. Computed tomography (CT) or MRI scans of the chest and abdomen revealed multiple scattered nodular or patchy lesions of varying sizes in the lungs, liver and left kidney. Histological analysis of a subcutaneous mass suggested JXG. The patient was diagnosed with neonatal systemic JXG with involvement of the central nervous system, lungs, liver, kidneys, subcutaneous soft tissue and skin. CT and MRI after 3 months of treatment with methylprednisolone sodium succinate demonstrated that the lesions were obviously diminished. This report discusses the imaging findings in this current case of multi-organ JXG and reviews the imaging literature on this condition to improve awareness of the lesions in order to help radiologists establish an accurate differential diagnosis when confronted with similar cases.

Spatiotemporal variations in the abundance and composition of bulk and chromophoric dissolved organic matter in seasonally hypoxia-influenced Green Bay, Lake Michigan, USA.

Green Bay, Lake Michigan, USA, is the largest freshwater estuary in the Laurentian Great Lakes and receives disproportional terrestrial inputs as a result of a high watershed to bay surface area ratio. While seasonal hypoxia and the formation of "dead zones" in Green Bay have received increasing attention, there are no systematic studies on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) and its linkage to the development of hypoxia. During summer 2014, bulk dissolved organic carbon (DOC) analysis, UV-vis spectroscopy, and fluorescence excitation-emission matrices (EEMs) coupled with PARAFAC analysis were used to quantify the abundance, composition and source of DOM and their spatiotemporal variations in Green Bay, Lake Michigan. Concentrations of DOC ranged from 202 to 571µM-C (average=361±73µM-C) in June and from 279 to 610µM-C (average=349±64µM-C) in August. In both months, absorption coefficient at 254nm (a254) was strongly correlated to bulk DOC and was most abundant in the Fox River, attesting a dominant terrestrial input. Non-chromophoric DOC comprised, on average, ~32% of bulk DOC in June with higher terrestrial DOM and ~47% in August with higher aquagenic DOM, indicating that autochthonous and more degraded DOM is of lower optical activity. PARAFAC modeling on EEM data resulted in four major fluorescent DOM components, including two terrestrial humic-like, one aquagenic humic-like, and one protein-like component. Variations in the abundance of DOM components further supported changes in DOM sources. Mixing behavior of DOM components also indicated that while bulk DOM behaved quasi-conservatively, significant compositional changes occurred during transport from the Fox River to the open bay.

A critical evaluation of an asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation system for colloidal size characterization of natural organic matter.

Colloidal retention characteristics, recovery and size distribution of model macromolecules and natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) were systematically examined using an asymmetrical flow field-flow fractionation (AFlFFF) system under various membrane size cutoffs and carrier solutions. Polystyrene sulfonate (PSS) standards with known molecular weights (MW) were used to determine their permeation and recovery rates by membranes with different nominal MW cutoffs (NMWCO) within the AFlFFF system. Based on a ≥90% recovery rate for PSS standards by the AFlFFF system, the actual NMWCOs were determined to be 1.9 kDa for the 0.3 kDa membrane, 2.7 kDa for the 1 kDa membrane, and 33 kDa for the 10 kDa membrane, respectively. After membrane calibration, natural DOM samples were analyzed with the AFlFFF system to determine their colloidal size distribution and the influence from membrane NMWCOs and carrier solutions. Size partitioning of DOM samples showed a predominant colloidal size fraction in the <5 nm or <10 kDa size range, consistent with the size characteristics of humic substances as the main terrestrial DOM component. Recovery of DOM by the AFlFFF system, as determined by UV-absorbance at 254 nm, decreased significantly with increasing membrane NMWCO, from 45% by the 0.3 kDa membrane to 2-3% by the 10 kDa membrane. Since natural DOM is mostly composed of lower MW substances (<10 kDa) and the actual membrane cutoffs are normally larger than their manufacturer ratings, a 0.3 kDa membrane (with an actual NMWCO of 1.9 kDa) is highly recommended for colloidal size characterization of natural DOM. Among the three carrier solutions, borate buffer seemed to provide the highest recovery and optimal separation of DOM. Rigorous calibration with macromolecular standards and optimization of system conditions are a prerequisite for quantifying colloidal size distribution using the flow field-flow fractionation technique. In addition, the coupling of AFlFFF with fluorescence EEMs could provide new insights into DOM heterogeneity in different colloidal size fractions.

Deepwater Horizon oil in Gulf of Mexico waters after 2 years: transformation into the dissolved organic matter pool.

Recent work has shown the presence of anomalous dissolved organic matter (DOM), with high optical yields, in deep waters 15 months after the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Here, we continue to use the fluorescence excitation-emission matrix (EEM) technique coupled with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) modeling, measurements of bulk organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), oil indices, and other optical properties to examine the chemical evolution and transformation of oil components derived from the DWH in the water column of the GOM. Seawater samples were collected from the GOM during July 2012, 2 years after the oil spill. This study shows that, while dissolved organic carbon (DOC) values have decreased since just after the DWH spill, they remain higher at some stations than typical deep-water values for the GOM. Moreover, we continue to observe fluorescent DOM components in deep waters, similar to those of degraded oil observed in lab and field experiments, which suggest that oil-related fluorescence signatures, as part of the DOM pool, have persisted for 2 years in the deep waters. This supports the notion that some oil-derived chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM) components could still be identified in deep waters after 2 years of degradation, which is further supported by the lower DIC and partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) associated with greater amounts of these oil-derived components in deep waters, assuming microbial activity on DOM in the current water masses is only the controlling factor of DIC and pCO2 concentrations.

Chemical evolution of Macondo crude oil during laboratory degradation as characterized by fluorescence EEMs and hydrocarbon composition.

The fluorescence EEM technique, PARAFAC modeling, and hydrocarbon composition were used to characterize oil components and to examine the chemical evolution and degradation pathways of Macondo crude oil under controlled laboratory conditions. Three major fluorescent oil components were identified, with Ex/Em maxima at 226/328, 262/315, and 244/366 nm, respectively. An average degradation half-life of ∼20 d was determined for the oil components based on fluorescence EEM and hydrocarbon composition measurements, showing a dynamic chemical evolution and transformation of the oil during degradation. Dispersants appeared to change the chemical characteristics of oil, to shift the fluorescence EEM spectra, and to enhance the degradation of low-molecular-weight hydrocarbons. Photochemical degradation played a dominant role in the transformation of oil components, likely an effective degradation pathway of oil in the water column. Results from laboratory experiments should facilitate the interpretation of field-data and provide insights for understanding the fate and transport of oil components in the Gulf of Mexico.