Occult intrasacral meningocele with tethered cord--case report

A 32-year-old female presented with a history of intermittent, severe lower back pain, exacerbated by pregnancy and persisting for several years. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging showed a sacral mass as a low signal intensity area on the T1-weighted image and a high signal intensity area on the T2-weighted image, consistent with a cystic structure containing cerebrospinal fluid. A tethered cord attached to the thecal sac was also confirmed. Sacral laminectomy revealed thinned sacral vertebral laminae, but no neuronal elements existed within the cyst. The cyst was attached to the distal thecal sac by a small fistula. The thecal sac was explored, revealing a thick filum terminale, which was transected. The severe pain resolved postoperatively. This type of meningeal cyst, often called "occult intrasacral meningocele," is best diagnosed by MR imaging. Surgery to obliterate the fistulous tract is the optimum treatment. Total removal of the cyst is unnecessary, but evaluation of other associated congenial abnormalities is important.

Erythrocyte ouabain binding capacity as a possible cellular index of hyperthyroid status

The maximum ouabain binding capacity in erythrocytes from 8 normal subjects and 14 patients with hyperthyroidism was assessed by measuring [3H]-ouabain binding. The mean value for maximum ouabain binding capacity was significantly lower in the patients than in normals (0.422 +/- 0.084 vs 0.671 +/- 0.095 pmol per 10(9) cells, p less than 0.001). Furthermore, a close inverse correlation was found between the ouabain binding capacity and serum T3 (r = 0.766; p less than 0.01) or T4 (r = -0.870; p less than 0.001) levels. These results suggest that the maximum ouabain binding capacity in erythrocytes may provide a useful index of the peripheral effect of thyroid hormone.