Testicular Torsion Appearance and Diagnosis on Computed Tomography of the Abdomen and Pelvis: Case Report.

INTRODUCTION: Testicular torsion, or the twisting of the spermatic cord compromising blood flow to the testis, is a urologic emergency with the potential to cause infertility in male patients. The diagnosis may be clinical or confirmed using imaging, with ultrasound being the modality of choice. CASE REPORT: We present a case of right lower quadrant pain with radiation to the groin and right scrotum in a young male. A computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis was ordered to assess for appendicitis, which showed a "whirl" sign on the inferior periphery of the images near the scrotum. The finding was not appreciated during the emergency department visit and the patient was discharged home. He returned 48 hours later due to continued pain and was ultimately diagnosed with testicular torsion via ultrasound and surgical pathology. CONCLUSION: This is the first reported case to our knowledge identifying "whirl" sign for the diagnosis of testicular torsion. This finding was not appreciated by multiple clinicians during the initial patient presentation, highlighting the uncommon nature of the finding.

Threatened Respiratory Compromise in the Setting of Isolated Angioedema.

Isolated angioedema of the uvula, or Quincke's disease, is a rare condition that can cause respiratory compromise. Although typically self-limiting, episodes of angioedema may require prompt therapy to prevent obstruction of the proximal airway. In this case report we review the appropriate steps for initial evaluation of patients with suspected angioedema, primary etiologies, and appropriate initial therapy.

Use of 3D Printed Models in Resident Education for the Classification of Acetabulum Fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To determine if three-dimensional (3D) printed models can be used to improve acetabular fracture pattern recognition and be a valuable adjunct in orthopedic resident education. DESIGN: Fifteen randomized testing stations with each containing plain radiographs (XRs), two-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scans, or 3D model of an acetabular fracture. SETTING: Two orthopedic residency programs based at Level 1 trauma centers. PARTICIPANTS: Forty-one orthopedic residents, PGY 1-5. RESULTS: Senior residents were superior to junior residents at correctly identifying the provided acetabular fracture pattern. Overall, use of CT scans or the 3D model improved fracture classification as compared to standard XRs, but there was no significant difference between use of the CT scans and 3D models. Subjective survey results indicated agreement among residents that 3D models were accurate representations of acetabular fractures and that models would be a desired educational modality. CONCLUSIONS: 3D models improved the accuracy of acetabular fracture identification compared to XR. In addition, trainees were able to use 3D models to obtain similar accuracy compared to CT scans despite not having previous exposure to the models. Interobserver agreement improved when comparing CT to 3D, but did not provide greater than a fair agreement indicating that fracture patterns were difficult to accurately classify even with the use of 3D models. Residents' subjective responses indicated a positive experience with the use of 3D models. We conclude that the incorporation of 3D models could be an important adjunct to orthopedic residency education for the evaluation complex fracture patterns, but is not significantly superior to identification with CT scans.

In vivo HSV-1 DNA transport studies using murine retinal ganglion cells.

The mammalian retina, brain, spinal cord, and peripheral ganglia are all heterogeneous tissues. Each is composed of neuronal and glial cell partners embedded in a connective tissue bed and supplied by vascular and immune cells. This complicated structure presents many challenges to neuroscientists and cell biologists, e.g., how to carry out a quantitative study of neurons in a mature animal surrounded by the hormonal and immune stimuli. A reductionist view leads investigators to study single neurons in vitro, subtracting the immune and vascular components and simplifying the problem. While this has advantages, it limits relevance of the study. We present a method for studying the axonal transport of Herpes simplex virus in mature neurons in situ. Using genetically identical mice and carefully controlling the delivery of virus, an investigator can obtain insight into the transport of virus to and from the neuron cell body within the cellular environment of an intact animal.

Delivery of herpes simplex virus to retinal ganglion cell axon is dependent on viral protein Us9.

PURPOSE: How herpes simplex virus (HSV) is transported from the infected neuron cell body to the axon terminal is poorly understood. Several viral proteins are candidates for regulating the process, but the evidence is controversial. We compared the results of Us9 deletions in two HSV strains (F and NS) using a novel quantitative assay to test the hypothesis that the viral protein Us9 regulates the delivery of viral DNA to the distal axon of retinal ganglion cells in vivo. We also deleted a nine-amino acid motif in the Us9 protein of F strain (Us9-30) to define the role of this domain in DNA delivery. METHODS: The vitreous chambers of murine eyes were infected with equivalent amounts of F or NS strains of HSV. At 3, 4, or 5 days post infection (dpi), both optic tracts (OT) were dissected and viral genome was quantified by qPCR. RESULTS: At 3 dpi, the F strain Us9- and Us9-30 mutants delivered less than 10% and 1%, respectively, of the viral DNA delivered after infection with the Us9R (control) strain. By 4 and 5 dpi, delivery of viral DNA had only partially recovered. Deletion of Us9 in NS-infected mice has a less obvious effect on delivery of new viral DNA to the distal OT. By 3 dpi the NS Us9-strain delivered 22% of the DNA that was delivered by the NS wt, and by 4 and 5 dpi the amount of Us9-viral DNA was 96% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A highly conserved acidic cluster within the Us9 protein plays a critical role for genome transport to the distal axon. The transport is less dependent on Us9 expression in the NS than in the F strain virus. This assay can be used to compare transport efficiency in other neurotropic viral strains.

Adenosine inhibition of lipopolysaccharide-induced interleukin-6 secretion by the osteoblastic cell line MG-63.

Adenosine is known to inhibit inflammatory responses in many cell systems via a family of purine receptors termed "P1." The P1 family consists of the adenosine receptors (ADORA) of subtypes A(1), A(2a), A(2b), and A(3). In order to assess whether adenosine has anti-inflammatory actions in osteoblastic cells, we investigated its effects on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced interleukin 6 (IL-6) release in an in vitro inflammatory functional response model. We showed that the osteoblastic cell line MG-63 expresses ADORA(1), A(2a), and A(2b) but not A(3). Treatment of MG-63 cells with adenosine and pharmacological ADORA agonist 5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine or 2-[4-(2-p-carboxyethyl)phenylamino]-5'-N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (CGS21680) inhibits LPS-induced IL-6 release. This inhibition was protein kinase A (PKA)-dependent and mimicked by treatment with the adenylate cyclase activator forskolin. Treatment of MG-63 with the ADORA(2a)-specific antagonist ZM241385 partially reversed the inhibitory effects of ADORA stimulation on LPS-induced IL-6 release. Overall, these data suggest that ADORA(2a) is involved in the regulation of LPS-induced IL-6 release, thus illustrating a regulatory role for adenosine receptors in the control of inflammation and potentially osteoclastogenesis and bone resorption.