A Case of Intussusception Associated with Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis

Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is an uncommon disease that generally lacks symptoms and is rarely associated with intussusception. A 29-year-old man visited our hospital for right upper abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed multiple air-filled cysts along the intestinal wall and a pseudokidney sign in the transverse colon. A gastrographin enema examination showed a so-called crab finger appearance and multiple elevated translucency in the transverse colon. From these findings, the diagnosis of intussusception associated with PCI was made. The enema and manipulative reduction improved the intussusception. Comparing the enema findings before and after the reduction, we thought that mobile cecum could play an important role in the intussusception. Colonoscopy was performed after the reduction and showed multiple elevated lesions in the ascending colon, which were similar to cluster of grapes. The CT scan of the next day revealed no recurrence of the intussusception, and the patient has not had symptoms of recurrence ever since

Diffusion-weighted imaging of mucinous carcinoma of the breast: evaluation of apparent diffusion coefficient and signal intensity in correlation with histologic findings

OBJECTIVE. The purposes of this study were to compare the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of mucinous carcinoma of the breast with that of other breast tumors and to analyze correlations between signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images and the histologic features of mucinous carcinoma. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Two hundred seventy-six patients with 277 lesions, including 15 mucinous carcinomas (13 pure type, two mixed type), 204 other malignant tumors, and 58 benign lesions, were examined with 1.5-T MRI at b values of 0 and 1,500 s/mm. The correlations between cellularity and ADC, homogeneity of signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images, and histopathologic findings were analyzed. The difference was statistically significant (p 0.05). The correlation between mean cellularity and the ADC of mucinous carcinoma was significant (ρ = -0.754; p = 0.001). The homogeneity of signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images correlated with the homogeneity of histologic structures of mucinous carcinoma (p < 0.001; κ = 0.826). CONCLUSION. Mucinous carcinoma can be clearly differentiated from other breast tumors on the basis of ADC. The low signal intensity of mucinous carcinoma on diffusion-weighted images appears to reflect the presence of mucin and low cellularity. High signal intensity on diffusion-weighted images may reflect the presence of fibrovascular bundles, increased cell density, or a combination of these features

Identification of residual breast carcinoma following neoadjuvant chemotherapy: Diffusion-weighted imaging - comparison with contrast-enhanced MR imaging and pathologic findings

Purpose.\ud \ud To compare the capability of diffusion-weighted (DW) and contrast material–enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to provide diagnostic information on residual breast cancers following neoadjuvant chemotherapy and to assess apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) of the carcinoma prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy to determine if the method could help predict response to chemotherapy.\ud \ud Materials and Methods.\ud \ud Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained. Three hundred ninety-eight patients underwent MR imaging of the breast, including DW MR (b values, 0 and 1500 sec/mm2) and contrast-enhanced MR imaging. Of these, the contralateral breast in 73 women was used as a control. Seventy-two patients with 73 lesions with malignant disease were treated by using neoadjuvant chemotherapy and were examined for residual disease following therapy. Three were excluded because of prolonged intervals between final MR imaging and surgery. Thus, 69 patients (70 lesions) with DW and contrast-enhanced MR imaging results were compared with postoperative histopathologic findings. The ADCs of the carcinoma prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy were calculated for each patient, and those with complete response and residual disease were compared.\ud \ud Results.\ud \ud The accuracy for depicting residual tumor was 96% for DW MR imaging, compared with an accuracy of 89% for contrast-enhanced MR imaging (P = .06). There was no significant difference in prechemotherapy ADCs between pathologic complete response cases and those with residual disease.\ud \ud Conclusion.\ud \ud DW MR imaging had at least as good of accuracy as did contrast-enhanced MR imaging for monitoring neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The ADCs prior to chemotherapy did not predict response to chemotherapy. The use of DW imaging to visualize residual breast cancer without the need for contrast medium could be advantageous in women with impaired renal function

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis of hepatitis B virus core protein dimerizedviaa peptide linker containing an EGFP insertion

exterior, east facade, seen from entrance court, 198

Highly Enantioselective Organocatalytic Oxidative Kinetic Resolution of Secondary Alcohols Using Chiral Alkoxyamines as Precatalysts: Catalyst Structure, Active Species, and Substrate Scope

The development and characterization of enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution (OKR) of racemic secondary alcohols using chiral alkoxyamines as precatalysts are described. A number of chiral alkoxyamines have been synthesized, and their structure–enantioselectivity correlation study in OKR has led us to identify a promising precatalyst, namely, 7-benzyl-3-<i>n</i>-butyl-4-oxa-5-azahomoadamantane, which affords various chiral aliphatic secondary alcohols (ee up to >99%, <i>k</i>_rel up to 296). In a mechanistic study, chlorine-containing oxoammonium species were identified as the active species generated in situ from the alkoxyamine precatalyst, and it was revealed that the chlorine atom is crucial for high reactivity and enantioselectivity. The present OKR is the first successful example applicable to various unactivated aliphatic secondary alcohols, including heterocyclic alcohols with high enantioselectivity, the synthetic application of which is demonstrated by the synthesis of a bioactive compound

Highly Enantioselective Organocatalytic Oxidative Kinetic Resolution of Secondary Alcohols Using Chiral Alkoxyamines as Precatalysts: Catalyst Structure, Active Species, and Substrate Scope

The development and characterization of enantioselective organocatalytic oxidative kinetic resolution (OKR) of racemic secondary alcohols using chiral alkoxyamines as precatalysts are described. A number of chiral alkoxyamines have been synthesized, and their structure–enantioselectivity correlation study in OKR has led us to identify a promising precatalyst, namely, 7-benzyl-3-<i>n</i>-butyl-4-oxa-5-azahomoadamantane, which affords various chiral aliphatic secondary alcohols (ee up to >99%, <i>k</i>_rel up to 296). In a mechanistic study, chlorine-containing oxoammonium species were identified as the active species generated in situ from the alkoxyamine precatalyst, and it was revealed that the chlorine atom is crucial for high reactivity and enantioselectivity. The present OKR is the first successful example applicable to various unactivated aliphatic secondary alcohols, including heterocyclic alcohols with high enantioselectivity, the synthetic application of which is demonstrated by the synthesis of a bioactive compound