IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—ULTRASOUND-GUIDED ETHANOL SCLEROTHERAPY FOR A SIMPLE RENAL CYST

Solitary renal cysts are benign and in the majority of instances asymptomatic and do not require treatment. Nevertheless, treatment may be required if abdominal discomfort or pain, hypertension, infection or renal outflow obstruction occur. Under these circumstances, percutaneous management of the cyst is the easiest and fastest procedure, and no major complications are generally encountered. In this report we describe a patient with a solitary renal cyst treated successfully by a single injection of ethanol into the cyst. The sonographic appearance of the cyst changed from a well-defined hypoechoic structure to an ill-defined hyperechoic region. Canine renal cysts may be successfully managed in some instances by a single ethanol injection.     

Computed tomographic anatomy of the temporomandibular joint in the young horse

Reasons for performing study: The equine temporomandibular joint (TMJ) and its surrounding structures can be difficult to investigate in cases with a clinical problem related to the region. Little previous attention has been given either to a computed tomographic (CT) imaging protocol for the joint or an interpretation of the structures displayed in CT images of the normal joint. Objectives: To provide a CT atlas of the normal cross‐sectional anatomy of the equine TMJ using frozen and plastinated sections as anatomical reference. Methods: Eight TMJs from 4 immature pure‐bred Spanish horses were examined by helical CT. Scans were processed with a detailed algorithm to enhance bony and soft tissue. Transverse CT images were reformatted into sagittal and dorsal planes. Transverse, sagittal and dorsal cryosections were then obtained, photographed and plastinated. Relevant anatomic structures were identified in the CT images and corresponding anatomical sections. Results: In the CT images, a bone window provided excellent bone detail, however, the soft tissue components of the TMJ were not as well visualised using a soft tissue window. The articular cartilage was observed as a hyperattenuating stripe over the low attenuated subchondral bone and good delineation was obtained between cortex and medulla. The tympanic and petrous part of the temporal bone (middle and inner ear) and the temporohyoid joint were seen in close proximity to the TMJ. Conclusions: Helical CT provided excellent images of the TMJ bone components to characterise the CT anatomy of the normal joint. Potential relevance: Detailed information is provided that may be used as a reference by equine veterinarians for the CT investigation of the equine TMJ and serve to assist them in the diagnosis of disorders of the TMJ and related structures (middle and inner ear). The study was performed at an immature stage and further studies of mature individuals are required in order to confirm that the clinical interpretation is not affected by changes occurring with age.     

Relationships between substituted urea herbicides and soil urease activity

Fenuron, monuron, diuron, siduron, linuron and neburon were tested for their inhibition of soil urease activity in order to investigate relationships between fertilizers and herbicides. The inhibition of urea hydrolysis in the selected soils was 10–33% for fenuron, 10–39% for monuron, 10–35% for diuron, 8–38% for siduron, 9–36% for linuron and 12–30% for neburon. In the field greater effects might be expected since the fertilizer/herbicide ratio would be lower than the one considered here. Some agronomic aspects of the relationship between fertilizers and herbicides are discussed.     

Tuber production by purple nutgrass (Cyperus rotundus L.) in darkness

Observations were made on the development of new tubers from sprouts of isolated tubers of Cyperus rotundus grown in the dark. The metabolic events occurred primarily in the sprout itself, though the physiological state of the parent tuber affected the phenomenon. A seasonal variation in the behaviour of the sprouts was observed; maximum tuber formation was found in autumn and winter and minimum in spring and summer. The initiation of new tubers was independent of the sprout length and seemed rather to be dependent on its age. The physiological slate that enabled the sprouts to form tubers alternated with periods in which this condition was lost. Production de tubercules par le cyperus (Cyperus rotundus L.) à l'obscurité Des observations ont été faites sur le développement de nouveaux tubercules à partir de pousses de tubercules isolés de Cyperus rotundus croissant à robscurité. Les transformations métaboliques apparurent dans la pousse elle-même, bien que le phénomène fut affecté par l'état du tubercule parental. Une variation saisonniére fut observée dans le comportement des pousses: la formation maximale des tubercules fut constatée en automne et en hiver, la formation minimale au printemps et en été. L'initiation d e nouveaux tubercules fut indéependante de la longueur de la pousse et sembla plutøt dépendre de son âge. L'état physiologique, qui permet aux pousses de former des tubercules, alterna avec des péeriodes an cours desquelles cette faculté fut perdue. Knollenbildung bei Cyperus rotundus L. in Dunkelheit Es wurde die Entwicklung neuer Knollen aus den Sprossen von isolierten Knollen von Cyperus rotundus beobachtet, die bei Dunkelheit gewachsen waren. Die Stoffwechselprozesse verliefen hauptsächlich im Spross selbst, sie wurden aber vom physiologischen Zustand der Mutterknolle beeinflusst. Das Verhalten der Sprosse war von der Jahreszeit abhängig: die meisten Knollen wurden im Herbst und Winter, die wenigsten im Frühjahr und Sommer gebildet. Die Bildung neuer Knollen war von der Sprosslänge unabhängig und schien eher VOM Alter der Sprosse, abhängig zu sein. Der physiologische Zustand der Sprosse der sie zur Knollenbildung befähigte wechselte mit Perioden ab in denen keine Knollenbildung auftrat.     

ULTRASONOGRAPHIC ANATOMY OF THE TEMPOROMANDIBULAR JOINT IN HEALTHY PURE-BRED SPANISH HORSES

The objective was to describe the normal ultrasonographic appearance of the soft tissue and bony structures of the temporomandibular joint in Pure-Bred Spanish horses using frozen and plastinated sections performed as anatomical references. The temporomandibular joint of five healthy Pure-Bred Spanish horses and the head specimens from 12 Pure-Bred Spanish cadavers that were subjected to euthanasia for reasons other than temporomandibular joint problems were studied sonographically and anatomically. An 11 MHz linear-array transducer was used to obtain longitudinal ultrasonographic images of the temporomandibular joint from rostral, lateral, and caudal approaches. For anatomic study, a gross dissection was performed on six temporomandibular joints. The other six head specimens were first frozen at -30 degrees C for 48h and then, at -70 degrees C for a week. Three millimeter thick anatomic sections were collected in the same plane as the sonographic planes. These sections were plastinated, photographed, and compared with the corresponding ultrasonographic images. The articular surfaces, the articular cartilage, the disc, the intra-articular fat tissue, the joint capsule, and other structures were clearly visualized sonographically. Structures identified on the ultrasonographic images were in accordance with those identified on the corresponding anatomic sections. We confirmed the appearance of structures of the equine temporomandibular joint that have been described previously but we also identified the caudal fibrous expansion of the disc, the caudal compartment of the dorsal synovial pouch, and the lateral ligament. Our results define a reference that will aid in sonographic evaluation of the equine temporomandibular joint region.