Sexual dimorphism in the murine model of extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis.

Neurocysticercosis is a heterogeneous disease, and the patient's sex seems to play a role in this heterogeneity. Hosts' sexual dimorphism in cysticercosis has been largely explored in the murine model of intraperitoneal Taenia crassiceps cysticercosis. In this study, we investigated the sexual dimorphism of inflammatory responses in a rat model of extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis caused by T. crassiceps. T. crassiceps cysticerci were inoculated in the subarachnoid space of Wistar rats (25 females, 22 males). Ninety days later, the rats were euthanized for histologic, immunohistochemistry, and cytokines studies. Ten animals also underwent a 7-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Female rats presented a higher concentration of immune cells in the arachnoid-brain interface, reactive astrogliosis in the periventricular region, in situ pro-inflammatory cytokine (interleukin [IL]-6) and anti-inflammatory cytokine (IL-10), and more intense hydrocephalus on MRI than males. Intracranial hypertension signals were not observed during the observational period. Overall, these results suggest sexual dimorphism in the intracranial inflammatory response that accompanied T. crassiceps extraparenchymal neurocysticercosis.

[Cerebral aneurysms diagnosis by three-dimensional CT angiography]. / Diagnóstico dos aneurismas cerebrais por angiotomografia tridimensional.

Three-dimensional computerized tomography angiography is a fast diagnosis method and low invasive that passed to be used recently in the cases of intracranial aneurysms. This method presents a 100% specificity and can reach 95% of sensibility in the evaluation of the aneurysms in the circle of Willis, substituting the digital angiography but not in all of the cases. We report our experience in evaluation of the three-dimensional angiotomography exams in a period of 2 years between June of 1997 and June of 1999, were accomplished for detection of intracranial aneurysms in 136 patients, being 118 just with three-dimensional angiotomography and in 18 cases they were accomplished besides three-dimensional angiotomography also the conventional digital angiography. The exam of three-dimensional angiotomography possesses low risk being used better in the detection of the aneurysms when possess higher diameter than 3mm, with some limitations as in the very small aneurysms when smaller than 3mm, carotid intern cavarnous aneurysms, posterior circulation aneurysms as well as the non accomplishment of the dynamic exam.

Diagnóstico dos aneurismas cerebrais por angiotomografia tridimensional / Cerebral aneurysms diagnosis by three-dimensional CT angiography

A angiotomografia é método diagnóstico rápido e minimamente invasivo que passou a ser utilizado recentemente nos casos de aneurisma intracraniano, possuindo 100 por cento de especificidade e podendo atingir 95 por cento de sensibilidade, na avaliaçäo dos aneurismas do círculo de Willis, substituindo a angiografia digital, mas näo em todos os casos. Apresentamos nossa experiência na avaliaçäo do exame de angiotomografia tridimensional em período de 2 anos, comprendido entre junho de 1997 e junho 1999, em que foram realizados exames de angiotomografia tridimensional para detecçäo de aneurismas intracranianos em 136 pacientes Em 118 pacientes foi realizada apenas angiotomografia e em 18 casos foi realizada além da angiotomografia tridimensional, também a angiografia digital convencional. O exame de angiotomografia tridimensional possui baixo risco, sendo melhor utilizada na detecçäo dos aneurismas com diâmetro maior que 3mm. Possui algumas limitações, como os aneurismas muito pequenos <3mm aneurismas da carótida cavernosa e da circulaçäo posterior, como também a näo realizaçäo do exame dinâmico