PURPOSE:To describe the features of displaced bucket-handle tears of the menisci on magnetic resonance (MR) images and to assess associated knee injuries. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed coronal and sagittal MR images in 21 bucket-handle tears. The subjects were patients who had underwent preoperative MR evaluations of the knee and were identified from the arthroscopic surgical records as bucket-handle tear. We also described patterns of associated injuries. RESULTS:On coronal MR images, (a) in all cases, peripheral portion of the meniscus(bucket) had the appearance of a truncated or altered wedge;(b) central fragments(handle) were observed to be sitting in the intercondylar notch(16 cases) or located between the fernoral condyle and tibial plateau (5 cases). On sequential sagittal MR images, (c) the bow-tie appearance of the body of the meniscus was not seen (13 cases);(d) the bow-tie appearance of the displaced inner fragment was seen at the intercondylar notch level (9 cases);(e) "double posterior cruciate ligament" sign was presented (7 cases). Associated joint abnormalities included anterior cruciate ligament tears(l 1), contralateral meniscal tears(l 1), posterior cruciate ligament tears(3), medial collateral ligament tears(3), osteoarthritis(1), and Baker's cyst(l). CONCLUSION:Awareness of these characteristic MR findings(a-e) may increase the sensitivity of MR imaging in the diagnosis of displaced bucket-handle tears, and the MRI may be helpful to correctly characterize the displaced fragment and patterns of associated injury, providing arthroscopists a guide to appropriate surgical plans.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament ; Collateral Ligaments ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Joints ; Knee ; Knee Injuries ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Posterior Cruciate Ligament ; Retrospective Studies

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the location of cystic lesions in the greater tuberosity of the humerus and the relationship to rotator cuff tears and age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 78 patients (age range, 19-82 years; mean age, 51 years) who underwent arthroscopy or open surgery after MR arthrography (MRA) for a painful shoulder were enrolled in the study. The location of the cystic lesions were classified as 'A' for a supraspinatus insertion site, as 'C' for an infraspinatus insertion site, as 'B' for both a supraspinatus and infraspinatus insertion site, as 'BG' for a site posterior to the bicipital groove and as 'P' for a site at the bare area of the humeral head. The location of cystic lesions and supraspinatus and infraspinatus tears were evaluated on MRA. Statistical analyses used the chi-squared test and logistic regression. RESULTS: 'BG' and 'A' cystic lesions were related to the presence of a supraspinatus tear, 'C' cystic lesions were related to the presence of an infraspinatus tear and 'B' cystic lesions were related to the presence of both supraspinatus and infraspinatus tears (p < 0.05). 'P' cystic lesions were not related to the presence of rotator cuff tears. The incidence of cystic lesions increased with age, but with no statistical correlation. CONCLUSION: Cystic lesions at the supraspinatus and infraspinatus insertion sites are useful to predict the presence of a rotator cuff tear, but cystic lesions were not age related.
Age Factors ; Arthrography ; Arthroscopy ; Humans ; Humeral Head ; Humerus ; Incidence ; Rotator Cuff ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint

BACKGROUND: Some patients present transient swelling on lower lateral neck during swallowing; this condition is known as "omohyoid syndrome" or "omohyoid sling syndrome". The purpose of this case report is to evaluate the proper mechanism as well as to give the reader an appreciation for the proper diagnosis and treatment to this not-uncommon condition. METHODS: There were three cases between May, 2000 and January, 2001. The photography, real-time sonography, and computed tomography (CT) were used. RESULTS: There was a brief report on omohyoid syndrome. The sternocleidomastoid muscle is passively tented up by an underlying omohyoid muscle, and the omohyoid muscle is paradoxically thickened during swallowing. The former appears to have lost its restriction to bowstring by the retaining deep cervical fascia. And the latter seems to result from lack of its relaxation during laryngeal elevation. CONCLUSION: The described approaches allow for precise diagnosis and definite proof of the pathogenetic mechanism.
Deglutition ; Diagnosis ; Fascia ; Humans ; Neck ; Photography ; Relaxation

Osteoporotic vertebral fractures are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Morbidity associated with these fractures includes pain and decreased physical function, which have a significant impact on the quality of life. The detection of osteoporotic vertebral fracture is based mainly on the identification of vertebral collapse, but this can be misleading in the presence of a fracture without radiologic collapse. And the diagnosis of vertebral fractures in simple radiographs is difficult because of normal variants and degenerative change of vertebrae. We review the various methods for evaluating osteoporotic vertebral fractures based on simple radiography or dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). The preferred method may be Genant's semiquantitative method which was developed in an attempt to reduce subjectivity associated with visual diagnosis of osteoporotic vertebral fracture. Recently, vertebral fracture assessment (VFA) by DXA can be used to detect vertebral fractures in asymptomatic patients undergoing routine BMD measurements. Yoshida's classification is useful alternative method in the incidental vertebral fracture diagnosis with a morphological change in the anterior bone cortex.
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Methods ; Mortality ; Osteoporosis ; Quality of Life ; Radiography ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine

Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a relatively recent procedure in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures. Bone cement embolism is a severe and potentially life-threatening complication of percutaneous vertebroplasty with cement. The risk for cement pulmonary embolism ranges between 3.5 and 23% for osteoporotic fractures. Bone cement leakage may be usually more frequent with vertebroplasty than with kyphoplasty. We experienced a 69-year-old female patient of an asymptomatic pulmonary embolus (length 8 cm) after kyphoplasty for an osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture
Aged ; Embolism ; Female ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Kyphoplasty ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Pulmonary Embolism ; Vertebroplasty

Torsion of a normal adnexa is rare, but can occurs. For premenarcheal girls, gynecologic disorders are less commonly considered in differential diagnosis because they occur infrequently. Generally, girls with right lower quadrant pain are considered to have appendicitis untill proven otherwise. An immediate diagnosis is very important because early surgical intervention is the only way to save the ovary from necrosis. The author reviews the clinical presentation, ultrasonographic and MRI feature and treatment of torsion of normal uterine adnexa.
Abdominal Pain* ; Appendicitis ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Necrosis ; Ovary

Insufficiency fracture is a type of stress fracture, which is the result of normal stresses on abnormal bone. Postmenopausal osteoporosis is the most common cause of insufficiency fractures. An early diagnosis is best made with a bone scan or magnetic resonance imaging, as radiographs may initially appear normal. Insufficiency fractures of the lower leg and ankle are less common. Furthermore, reports of medial malleolar insufficiency fracture without any history of trauma in elderly patients are extremely rare. Thus, we report a case with a medial malleolar insufficiency fracture of the ankle in an elderly patient with osteoporosis. This case shows that we should be aware of the possibility of encountering an uncommon medial malleolar insufficiency fracture as a cause of pain in the ankle region of an elderly patient with osteoporosis.
Ankle* ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Fractures, Stress* ; History ; Humans ; Leg ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Osteoporosis* ; Osteoporosis, Postmenopausal ; Wounds and Injuries

PURPOSE: We wanted to determine the diagnostic accuracy of 16-slice MDCT arthrography (CTA) for glenoid labral and rotator cuff tears of the shoulder. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled forty-five patients who underwent arthroscopy after CTA for pain or instability of the shoulder joint. The CTA images were analyzed for the existence, sites and types of glenoid labral tears and the presence and severity of rotator cuff tears. We determined the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CTA for detecting glenoid labral and rotator cuff tears on the basis of the arthroscopy findings. RESULTS: At arthroscopy, there were 33 SLAP lesions (9 type I, 23 type II and 1 type III), 6 Bankart lesions and 31 rotator cuff lesions (21 supraspinatus, 9 infraspinatus and 1 subscapularis). On CTA, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for detecting 24 SLAP lesions, excluding the type I lesions, were 83%, 100% and 91%, the total rotator cuff tears were 90%, 100% and 98%, the full thickness supraspinatus tendon tears were 100%, 94% and 96%, and the partial thickness supraspinatus tendon tears were 29%, 100% and 89%, respectively. CONCLUSION: 16-slice MDCT arthrography has high accuracy for the diagnosis of abnormality of the glenoid labrum or rotator cuff tears and it can be a useful alternative to MRI or US.
Arthrography* ; Arthroscopy ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Rotator Cuff* ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Shoulder Joint ; Shoulder* ; Tendons

Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thymus is an extremely rare malignant mediastinal neoplasm, and to our knowledge, only 13 cases have been reported. We report a case of mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thymus that was seen in a 53-yr-old man with right chest pain. Chest CT scan showed a huge, cystic mass having a focal solid portion with direct invasion of the adjacent anterior chest wall and pericardium in the anterior mediastinum. Mucoepidermoid carcinoma of the thymus should be included in the differential diagnosis for masses of the anterior mediastinum associated with extensive cystic changes, although the carcinoma is exceedingly rare.
Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid/*diagnosis/pathology ; Fatal Outcome ; Humans ; Male ; Mediastinal Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology ; Middle Aged ; Thymus Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disease primarily affecting the spine. Osteoporosis can be a complication of AS and associated with low bone mineral density. As well, spinal fractures in the AS are usually unstable and may cause neurologic deficit at the mainly cervical region with low energy trauma. However, reports of lumbar compression fracture in AS are very rare. Thus, we report a 73-year-old male patient with osteoporotic L3 compression fracture with AS treated with kyphoplasty which has no symptom improvement with conservative treatment. Kyphoplasty is a useful procedure option in the treatment of the lumbar compression fracture in AS.
Bone Density ; Fractures, Compression ; Humans ; Kyphoplasty ; Male ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Osteoporosis ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing