The detection of carotid plaque rupture caused by intraplaque hemorrhage by serial high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Plaque rupture is believed to be a critical event that leads to thromboembolic complications in atherosclerotic carotid artery disease. Intraplaque hemorrhage can also cause fibrous cap disruption and may be related to the progression of atherosclerosis. However, the mechanism that leads to fibrous cap disruption is not well defined, and there have been few reports in the literature that carotid plaque rupture could be clearly visualized by serial high-resolution MRI. CASE DESCRIPTION: We describe a case of a 79-year-old man who presented with minor ischemic stroke. On diffusion-weighted image, new multiple embolic spots were detected. Plaque rupture caused by intraplaque hemorrhage could be clearly detected by serial high-resolution MRI of the cervical carotid artery. The patient underwent carotid endarterectomy, and an atheromatous plaque was extracted intact for histologic analysis. In the histologic section corresponding to the MRI slices, plaque rupture caused by intraplaque hemorrhage was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This case represents a valuable example of artery-to-artery embolisms from a carotid plaque rupture secondary to intraplaque hemorrhage. High-resolution MRI may have important applications in natural history studies and in clinical trials of carotid plaques

Image Guidance of Breast Cancer Surgery Using 3D Ultrasound Images and Augmented Reality Visualization

This paper describes augmented reality visualization for the guidance of breast-conservative cancer surgery using ultrasonic images acquired in the operating room just before surgical resection. By combining an optical 3D position sensor, the position and orientation of each ultrasonic crosssection are precisely measured to reconstruct geometrically accurate 3D tumor models from the acquired ultrasonic images. Similarly, the 3D position and orientation of a video camera are obtained to integrate video and ultrasonic images in a geometrically accurate manner. Superimposing the 3D tumor models onto live video images of the patient's breast enables the surgeon to perceive the exact 3D position of the tumor, including irregular cancer invasions which cannot be perceived by touch, as if it were visible through the breast skin. Using the resultant visualization, the surgeon can determine the region for surgical resection in a more objective and accurate manner, thereby minimizing the risk of..

Serum S-glutathionylated proteins as a potential biomarker of carotid artery stenosis

Objectives: As oxidative stress is known to be associated with the development of atherosclerosis, we investigated whether the serum S-glutathionylated proteins were increased in patients with carotid artery stenosis (CS). Design and methods: Fifty-four patients with CS and 20 age-matched non-CS patients were involved in this study. S-glutathionylated proteins in serum were examined by immunoblot analysis using an antibody against S-glutathionylated bovine serum albumin. Results: The antibody against S-glutathionylated bovine serum albumin was confirmed to specifically recognize the serum S-glutathionylated proteins in patient samples. The S-glutathionylated proteins in serum were significantly increased in the patients with CS (p<. 0.01) compared to the non-CS patients, and the increase did not depend on the stage of CS. Logistic regression analysis revealed that the serum levels of S-glutathionylated proteins were associated with the development of CS (p<. 0.01). Conclusions: Oxidative stress likely contributes to the development of CS, and serum S-glutathionylated proteins may be a potential biomarker of CS