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BACKGROUND: Studies have shown an association between inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and low bone density. Previous publications, however, measured only a single parameter, either T or Z score, making comparison of data difficult. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of disease factors on both T and Z scores in a population of patients with IBD. METHODS: Risk factors for development of low bone density were recorded in IBD patients with confirmed diagnosis and disease extent. Bone density was then measured at the spine and neck of femur using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. RESULTS: Ninety-one patients (49 male, 42 female) with a mean age of 46.6 years (range 22-84) were studied. Forty-eight patients had ulcerative colitis and 43 had Crohn's disease. Mean Z scores were -0.60 at the hip and -0.61 at the spine, whilst mean T scores were - 1.61 at the hip and -1.15 at the spine. Univariate analysis of Z scores identified Crohn's disease, high steroid use and low BMI as significantly associated with low bone density. An identical analysis using T scores failed to show any significant relationships. On multivariate analysis of Z scores, only disease type and BMI remained significant. CONCLUSIONS: Low bone density is associated with IBD particularly in patients with Crohn's disease and low BMI. This large UK study is the first to report both T and Z scores in patients with IBD and shows that Z scores are the most reliable guide to the effect of IBD on bone density.

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Optic nerve fenestration is carried out in cases of severe benign intracranial hypertension. This study aimed to monitor the optic nerve sheath appearances and orbital changes that occur following this procedure. The eight patients were all female with an average age of 37.3 years and a range of 20-58 years. The duration of symptoms was 2-6 years. Symptoms included headaches, diplopia and visual obscurations. Examination revealed severe papilledema. All investigations, including MRI, biochemical and immunological tests, were negative. Patients had fenestration of a 2 mm x 3 mm segment of the medial aspect of the optic nerve sheath. Imaging was obtained with a 1 T MRI machine using a head coil. Coronal, axial and sagittal 3 mm contiguous sections using STIR sequences with TR 4900 ms, IT 150 ms and TE 60 ms were obtained. Five patients showed clinical improvement. The post-operative MRI findings in four of these included a decreased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) around the optic nerve sheaths and a localized collection of fluid within the orbit. There were no MRI changes in the three patients with no clinical improvement. Decreased CSF volume around the optic nerve and a fluid collection within the orbit may indicate a favorable outcome in optic nerve fenestration.

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We measured fasting serum lipids, lipoproteins, apolipoproteins and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] in 49 Caucasian patients with transient ischaemic attacks undergoing carotid angiography. The severity of extracranial cerebrovascular disease was assessed visually by a highly reproducible grading system that focused on the internal carotid artery and carotid bifurcation. Compared with a healthy reference group, patients had significantly higher serum concentrations of: total cholesterol (mean +/- SD), 6.2 +/- 1.6 vs. 5.6 +/- 1.0 mmol/l, p = 0.02; apolipoprotein B, 1.4 +/- 0.5 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.3 g/l, p = 0.03; triglyceride [geometric mean(95% CI)], 2.02(1.75-2.32) vs. 1.66(0.67-4.06) mmol/l, p = 0.03; and Lp(a), 0.33(0.26-0.42) vs. 0.17(0.40-0.76) g/l, p < 0.001. Regression analysis showed that of the lipoprotein-related variables, only Lp(a) was significantly related to the severity of carotid artery disease (p = 0.04) in the patients; this association remained significant after adjusting for age, sex, blood pressure, and a history of stroke. Serum Lp(a) concentration was significantly higher in patients with carotid artery disease severity score above the median value of the sample population compared with those below the median: 0.45 vs. 0.24 g/l (95% CI for difference 0.35-0.88), p = 0.01. Elevated serum Lp(a) is a significant determinant of the extent of carotid atherosclerosis and may be useful in identifying patients most at risk of stroke.

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Computer tomography has been used to image and reconstruct in 3-D an Egyptian mummy from the collection of the British Museum. This study of Tjentmutengebtiu, a priestess from the 22nd dynasty (945-715 BC) revealed invaluable information of a scientific, Egyptological and palaeopathological nature without mutilation and destruction of the painted cartonnage case or linen wrappings. Precise details on the removal of the brain through the nasal cavity and the viscera from the abdominal cavity were obtained. The nature and composition of the false eyes were investigated. The detailed analysis of the teeth provided a much closer approximation of age at death. The identification of materials used for the various amulets including that of the figures placed in the viscera was graphically demonstrated using this technique.

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There have been recent reports of enhancement of the inner ear in acute labyrinthitis on gadolinium enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, none has described persistence of enhancement beyond 6 weeks. We report a case of Ramsay Hunt syndrome with labyrinthitis, sensorineural hearing loss and facial nerve palsy in which marked enhancement of the inner ear structures was observed on MRI 6 months after the onset of symptoms. Enhancement on delayed or repeated imaging after a period of months does not exclude labyrinthitis from the differential diagnosis of the small intracanalicular acoustic neuroma, and care should be taken not to confuse them.

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We report a case of peduncular hallucinosis (Lhermitte's syndrome), unusual in that there were no associated neurological signs and the symptoms persisted over many years. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated the typical midbrain lesion.

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Malignant external otitis is a severe infection of the external auditory meatus occurring predominantly in diabetics and usually caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The infection may spread along several routes: directly by bony erosion into the adjacent mastoid bone, anteriorly into the parotid gland and temporomandibular joint and inferiorly into the soft tissues of the infratemporal fossa. We present four cases of malignant external otitis that illustrate the typical patterns of spread of this disease and the role that radiology, and in particular computed tomography, plays in its diagnosis and management.

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Stress and anxiety are substantially raised in many preclinical students in their first year at medical school. Although correlated with poor end-of-year examination performance, anxiety levels did not cause poor performance, but were themselves caused by previous poor performance in sessional examinations. Study habits showed declining deep and strategic approaches, and increasing surface ('rote-learning') approaches. Surface learning correlated with poor end-of-year examination performance, and was a result of previous poor sessional examination performance. Deep learning did not correlate with performance, whereas strategic learning correlated positively with examination success, even when measured 2 years previously during application to medical school.

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The role of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the assessment of optic atrophy, chiasmal compression, and posterior fossa lesions is demonstrated. Good spatial resolution, absence of bony artifact and multiplanar imaging are significant advantages over CT scanning in these areas, as is the ability to detect areas of demyelination. Orbital MRI offers future potential but at present we think that CT scanning provides better spatial resolution and is more cost effective for the orbit.

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A method of measuring flow in a large vessel by using a CT scanner is described. It has been shown that this is a simple, accurate and reproducible method in an experimental model. Possible clinical applications and limitations of this method of measuring flow are briefly considered.

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A comparative radiographic and histological study was carried out in 126 patients with malignant and benign breast lesions. Prior to biopsy an additional film- and xeromammogram, both at oblique projection, were taken of each patient. The X-ray film was Definix Medical (Kodak), processed 5.5 minutes. The xerograms were taken with 1.5 mm aluminium total filtration, and developed by negative mode. The X-ray equipment consisted of a Senograph (CGR). The image evaluation was carried out independently by seven observers of varying experience in mammography by means of ROC-analysis. There is no loss of diagnostic information content in negative mode xeromammography, on the contrary, it seems to be slightly superior to film mammography.

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A specimen of breast tissue containing a carcinoma with multiple spiculations was used as a test object and examined by a range of mammographic techniques. The images were compared with a photograph of the cleared specimen. A quantitative method of evaluating the performance of each technique is described and used to compare these images. Xeroradiography clearly excelled other imaging methods.

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The clinical and xeroradiographic appearances are described of four patients with malignant lymphomatous involvement of the breast, two with breast involvement by acute leukaemia, and four with primary fibrosarcoma of the breast. In one patient with malignant lymhoma and multiple palpable masses, the radiological appearance resembled benign mammary dysplasia, but in the three other patients, one with a discrete clinical mass, and two with diffuse clinical involvement, radiological examination of the breast showed skin thickening with diffuse abnormalities of the trabecular pattern, most marked in the subdermal area. One of the patients with leukaemia had a discrete palpable mass and the other had diffuse clinical involvement, but the radiological appearances in both patients were similar and resembled those of a carcinoma. The clinical and radiological appearance of the patients with fibrosarcoma were those of a benign cyst or a fibroadenoma.

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A specimen of breast tissue containing a carcinoma with multiple calcifications was used as a test object and examined by a range of mammographic techniques. The images were compared with a photograph of the actual specimen which was cleared and stained for calcium salts. A quantitative method of evaluating the discriminating ability of each technique is described and used to compare these images. Xeroradiography and Kodak Crystallex film clearly excelled other imaging methods. The value of using a biological test object is discussed.

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