We evalusted the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of the femoral heads in 20 normal and 45 abnormal patients. The bone marrow in the healthy adults consisted of a combination of hematopoietic and fatty marrow, which showed age-related dirtribation, that is the component of fatty marrow was increased and the marrow vascularity was dereased with age. Avascular necrosis (AVN) showed a decreased bone marrow signal within an normal appearing femoral head on T1 and T2-weighted images. In addition, we could see inhomogenous low signal intensity (31 cases), a ring of low intensity with central normal signal intensity (25cases), focal low signal intensity (12 cases), or a band of low signal intensity (4 cases). MRI findings were abnormal in 10 cases with normal radiographic findings as well as in all the cases with abnormal ones. In conclusion, MRI should be the choice of the imaging modality for the evaluation of early bone marrow chages of AVN.
Adult ; Bone Marrow ; Head* ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Necrosis*

Objective: To investigate the effects of a herb complex extract (HCE) prepared from Cornus officinalis Sieb. Et Zucc., Eriobotrya japonica Lindley, and olive leaves on immune response of mouse spleen NK cells in vitro and in vivo analysis. Methods: The activity of natural killer (NK) cells was measured in splenocytes and YAC-1 cells. Mice were immunosuppressed using cyclophosphamide (5 mg/kg body weight). Three different doses of HCE (200, 400, and 800 mg/kg body weight) and red ginseng extract (800 mg/kg body weight) which was used as standard immunomodulatory herb were administered orally for 4 weeks. The body weight, dietary, water intake, organs (liver, thymus, and spleen) weight, completed blood count, and cytokines (tumor necrosis factor alpha, interferon gamma, and interleukin-2) production was measured. Results: At the maximum concentration of HCE, the activity of NK cells was increased by 48.5%. HCE increased liver, spleen, and thymus weights without altering numbers of white blood cells, lymphocytes, and neutrophils in a cyclophosphamide-induced immunosuppression rat model. However, HCE recovered the inhibited cytokine expression; HCE (800 mg/kg) increased cytokines levels. The results indicate the immune enhancement potential of this HCE. Conclusion: The HCE enhances immunity by increasing NK cell activity, regulating cytokine levels, and maintaining spleen weight. Therefore, it may be used as a potential immunity enhancer.