The role of computed tomography in the diagnosis of brain involvement in patients with posttraumatic epilepsy]

Fifteen patients with posttraumatic epilepsy (10 men and 5 women aged 15 to 47) were examined in 1990-1991. All the patients had a history of craniocerebral injury (closed in 7 and open in 8 cases), 6 of them were operated on for intracranial hematomas. Besides CAT, electroencephalography, craniography, and examination of the fundus oculi were carried out. CAT was performed with a Ct MAX (General Electric) unit. Standard positioning of the patients with sectional projections parallel to the orbital meatal line was used. Changes in the brain matter were detected in 13 of these 15 patients: foreign bodies (2 cases), meningeal cerebral cicatrices (5), dilatation of the ventricular system (4), petrificates in the brain matter (1), atrophic changes of the cerebral cortex (1). The tomograms of two patients were normal. Ten patients were operated on: 2 were subjected to anterior callosotomy, in 2 foreign bodies were removed, and in 6 patients staged plasty with removal of the meningeal cerebral cicatrix was carried out. The detected CAT changes helped diagnose the topical location of the epileptogenic focus and choose the optimal method of surgery for posttraumatic epilepsy.     

Computerized x-ray tomography of fossil hominid skulls

The newest generation of Computerized Tomography (CT) scanning appears to provide x-ray pictures of the internal structures of a rather heavily mineralized Homo erectus skull, i.e., Pithecanthropus IV, notably of its temporal bones, that reveal more details than traditional x-ray procedures. An analysis of the right temporal bone shows that it is extremely pneumatized, that the oval shape of the external meatus does not result from fractures as previously suggested, and that the middle ear and the internal auditory meatus have probably been damaged during restoration. Labyrinthine structures can be seen, and the facial nerve canal appears to be of a relative small size.     

Computerized tomography and skeletal density of coral skeletons

In this paper I describe and discuss the use of medical X-ray computerized tomography (CT) in the study of coral skeletons. CT generates X-ray images along freely chosen sections through the skeleton and offers, as well, the possibility of density measurements based on X-ray attenuation. This method has been applied to measure the skeletal density of the Caribbean reef-building coral Montastrea annularis, from Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles. The observed, non-linear increase of skeletal density with depth can be attributed to decreasing photo-synthetic rates with increasing water depth. A comparison with extension rate measurements shows the inverse relationship between extension rate and skeletal density. CT proves to be aquick and non-destructive method to reveal growth structures (density banding) since it measures skeletal density.     

Computerized tomography in the diagnosis of hemorrhage caused by ruptured intracranial aneurysm]

The authors presented current views on usefulness of computed tomography (CT) for diagnosing the bleeding from a ruptured intracranial aneurysm. CT should be done in every such case, whereas the lumbar puncture remains the diagnostic method of choice, when CT is not available or in those patients in whom CT shows no haemorrhage. Sensitivity of CT decreases with time that elapsed from the stroke; false negative results are the least likely to occur within the first 48 hours after bleeding episode to subarachnoid space.     

Computerized tomography of the otic capsule and otoliths in the oyster toadfish,Opsanus tau

The neurocranium of the toadfish (Opsanus tau) exhibits a distinct translucent region in the otic capsule (OC) that may have functional significance for the auditory pathway. This study used ultrahigh resolution computerized tomography (100 µm voxels) to compare the relative density of three sites along the OC (dorsolateral, midlateral, and ventromedial) and two reference sites (dorsal: supraoccipital crest; ventral: parasphenoid bone) in the neurocranium. Higher attenuation occurs where structural density is greater; thus, we compared the X‐ray attenuations measured, which provided a measure of relative density. The maximum attenuation value was recorded for each of the five sites (x and y) on consecutive sections throughout the OC and for each of the three calcareous otoliths associated with the sensory maculae (lagena, saccule, and utricle) in the OC. All three otoliths had higher attenuations than any sites in the neurocranium. Both dorsal and ventral reference sites (supraoccipital crest and parasphenoid bone, respectively) had attenuation levels consistent with calcified bone and had relatively small, irregular variations along the length of the OC in all individuals. The lowest relative attenuations (lowest densities) occurred consistently at the three sites along the OC. In addition, the lowest attenuations measured along the OC occurred at the ventromedial site around the saccular otolith for all seven fish. The decrease in bone density along the OC is consistent with the hypothesis that there is a low‐density channel in the skull to facilitate transmission of acoustic stimuli to the auditory endorgans of the ear. J. Morphol. 276:228–240, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Disturbance in responsiveness in patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy

A polygraphic study of the somatic, autonomic and electroencephalographic (EEG) components of the orienting reaction elicited by an auditory stimulus was performed in 29 patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy and in 116 matched subjects in three control groups. Patients with post-meningoencephalitic epilepsy had a significantly more intense orienting reaction than control subjects, the degree depending on the seizure frequency, electroclinical form and history, as well as on the features of the EEG.     

Computerized tomography using a modified orthogonal tangent correction algorithm.

A modified orthogonal tangent correction algorithm is presented for computerized tomography. The algorithm uses four X-rays scans spaced 45 degrees apart, to reconstruct a transverse axial image. The reconstruction procedure is interative in which image matrix elements are corrected by alternately matching the two sets of orthogonal scan data. The algorithm has been applied to phantom data as well as to video recorded fluoroscopic data.     

Corticosteroid receptor mRNA expression in the brains of patients with epilepsy

The effects of corticosteroids in the brain are mediated through the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR). We used a sensitive competitive RT-PCR assay to quantify the amounts of GR and MR mRNA in human brain tissue specimens from patients with focal epilepsies. GR and MR mRNAs were expressed at approximately the same levels in the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, and hippocampus as compared to tissues with high glucocorticoid/mineralocorticoid receptor expression (liver/kidney). GR and MR mRNA concentrations in the temporal lobe increased markedly during childhood and reached adult levels at puberty. GR and MR mRNA expression was significantly higher in the temporal lobe and frontal lobe cortex of women than in those of men. In women, MR and GR mRNA concentrations were markedly lower in hippocampal tissue than in frontal and temporal lobe cortex tissue. In conclusion, our data demonstrate sex- and site-dependent expression of corticosteroid receptor mRNA in the human brain.     

Computed tomography in the diagnosis of head and neck diseases]

A total of 106 patients suffering from tumors and inflammatory diseases of the head and neck were investigated. CT was performed in axial and frontal projections using a method of intravenous contrast image enhancement. The purpose of CT was to reveal an abnormal lesion, to detect its initial site, spreading, to make differential diagnosis, and to evaluate therapeutic results. Some limitations of CT in differential diagnosis of small-size tumors were observed. CT can be used for differential diagnosis of tumors and inflammatory processes in the accessory nasal sinuses. CT results were important for a choice of therapeutic methods, radiation therapy design, assessment of efficacy of surgical and radiation therapy, and the detection of tumor recurrences.