Unusual cause of mechanical ileus: abdominal cocoon syndrome

A 38-year-old black male patient was admitted with diarrhea and nausea over two days and aggravating pain in the meso- and epigastium that resolved after urination. He had no surgical history and only an episode of pulmonary tuberculosis five years earlier, for which he was properly treated. Physical examination revealed a tender and distended abdomen with clangorous sounds. His temperature was 36.1°C. Routine laboratory blood analyses were normal. An abdominal ultrasound revealed diffuse distention of the small intestine. A computed tomography (CT) scan showed a conglomerate of dilated small bowel loops in the meso- and hypogastrium, suggestive for a supravesical mechanical small bowel obstruction. Peritoneal thickening was seen in the right epigastrium (Figure A, white arrow). An explorative laparoscopy revealed a whitish, thickened membrane encapsulating the small bowels as a ‘cocoon’ (Figure B). Extensive adhesiolysis released an intestinal kinking in the lower abdomen, just above the bladder. No resection was needed. Histopathology of the membrane showed fibrocollagenous tissue with mixed inflammatory infiltrate

Intra-articular synovial lipoma of the knee joint

We present a rare case of an intra-articular synovial lipoma, which was diagnosed in a patient after a knee trauma. MRI is the imaging modality of choice to suggest the diagnosis preoperatively, by demonstrating a well-delineated fatcontaining lesion. The differential diagnosis of an intra-articular lipomatous lesion consists of lipoma arborescens and synovial lipoma

Longitudinal cortical split sign as a potential diagnostic feature for cortical osteitis

Septic cortical osteitis is a rare but distinct type of bone infection that is characterized as a hematogenously seeded infection predominantly or exclusively limited to the cortex. Diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. Combination of clinical and laboratory findings together with the typical radiological findings consisting of vertically orientated cortical osteolysis, the ‘cortical split sign’ and the predominantly cortical disruption at the periosteal side of the cortex may lead to the correct diagnosis

Abdominal mass due to crossed renal ectopia and fusion

Background: A 22-year-old woman was referred to the department of Radiology, because of a painless mass at the right hemiabdomen

Subacute combined spinal degeneration caused by cobalamin deficiency.

A 51-year-old woman consulted the department of neurology with a 5 month-history of progressive numbness and tingling in a glove and stocking distribution. The problems started in both feet, resulting in unsteadiness and difficulty walking. Motor weakness and impairment of sensation of fine touch were also noticed

Multicentric carpal-tarsal osteolysis

A 2.5-year-old girl presented with pain and reduced strength in hands and wristsand walking difficulties. Clinical examination revealed a position deformity of both hands and broad elbows with limited extension

Lyme neuroborreliosis

Background: A 24-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with headache, apathy, aphasia and mild paresis of the right leg. Routine laboratory results revealed slightly raised infectious parameters

Mdct imaging before transcutanous aortic valve implantation: rationale and measurements

Since its introduction in 2002, transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has assumed growing importance in the treatment of patients with severe aortic stenosis (AS), because it offers a much less invasive alternative for those in high risk for surgery. Good early results and advances in percutaneous valve technology have led to a substantial increase in procedural success rate and number of patients undergoing this less invasive treatment. Pre-procedural screening of several anatomic factors to assess the feasibility of this technique is important. Multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) is the technique of choice in assessing these factors. This technical note aims to describe and illustrate the key elements that need to be evaluated before the procedure

Accurate Characterization of Silicon-On-Insulator MOSFETs for the Design of Low-Voltage, Low-Power RF Integrated Circuits

The maturation of low cost Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) MOSFET technology in the microwave domain has brought about a need to develop specific characterization techniques. An original scheme is presented, which, by combining careful design of probing and calibration structures, rigorous in-situ calibration, and a new powerful direct extraction method, allows reliable identification of the parameters of the non-quasi-static small-signal model and the high-frequency noise parameters for MOSFETs. The extracted model is shown to be valid up to 40 GHz.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/44055/1/10470_2004_Article_271487.pd