Cat-Ear-Line: A Sonographic Sign of Cortical Development?

OBJECTIVES: Diagonal echogenic lines outside the lateral ventricle have often been observed in the anterior coronal planes of the normal fetal brain by neurosonography. We have observed abnormal shapes of these echogenic lines in cases of malformation of cortical development (MCD). We named the ultrasound finding "cat-ear-line" (CEL). This study aimed to examine how and when CEL develops in normal cases compared with MCD cases. METHODS: We retrospectively examined the fetal brain volume dataset acquired through transvaginal 3D neurosonography of 575 control cases and 39 MCD cases from 2014 to 2020. We defined CEL as the hyperechogenic continuous lines through subplate (SP) and intermediate zone (IZ), pre-CEL as the lines that existed only within the SP, and abnormal CEL as a mass-like or mosaic shadow-like structure that existed across the SP and IZ. All fetuses in the MCD group had some neurosonographic abnormalities and were ultimately diagnosed with MCD. RESULTS: The CEL was detected in 97.9% (369/377) of the control group from 19 to 30 weeks. The CEL visualization rate of the MCD group in the same period was 40.0% (14/35) which was significantly lower than that of the control group (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: From this study, it appears that the CEL is an ultrasound finding observed at and beyond 19 weeks in a normally developing fetus. In some MCD cases, pre-CEL at and beyond 19 weeks or abnormal CEL was observed. Maldeveloped CEL at mid-trimester may help identify cases at-risk of subsequent MCD.

Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma with intramedullary production of platelet-derived growth factor and possibly complicating myelofibrosis: report of a case with review of the literature.

A 65-year-old man was diagnosed with angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) with bone marrow (BM) infiltration and myelofibrosis (MF). The BM infiltration and the condition of the MF improved following CHOP therapy (cyclophosphamide hydrate, doxorubicin hydrochloride, vincristine sulfate, and prednisolone). After complete remission was achieved, early central nervous system recurrence was noted, with no evidence of BM infiltration or MF. The lymph nodes and BM were examined for cytokines by immunohistochemical staining with monoclonal murine antibodies. The lymphoma cells were positive only for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and negative for basic fibroblast growth factor, fibronectin, vascular endothelial growth factor, transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß), tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin-1ß, and interleukin-6. It was thus inferred that the lymphoma cells producing PDGF caused the MF, and that the absence of MF at relapse may have been attributable to the absence of BM infiltration. There have been seven reported cases of AITL with intercurrent MF, although cytokine data (elevations of blood PDGF and TGFß levels) are available for only one case. The present report is to our knowledge the only report of a case of AITL complicated by MF for which the results of immunohistostaining with anticytokine antibodies are available.