Differentiation between Chondrosarcoma and Synovial Chondromatosis of the Temporomandibular Joint Using CT and MR Imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Chondrosarcoma and synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint share overlapping clinical and histopathologic features. We aimed to identify CT and MR imaging features to differentiate chondrosarcoma from synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The CT and MR images of 12 and 35 patients with histopathologically confirmed chondrosarcoma and synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint, respectively, were retrospectively reviewed. Imaging features including lesion size, center, enhancement, destruction/sclerosis of surrounding bone, infiltration into the tendon of the lateral pterygoid muscle, calcification, periosteal reaction, and osteophyte formation were assessed. A comparison between chondrosarcoma and synovial chondromatosis was performed with a Student t test for quantitative variables and the Fisher exact test or linear-by-linear association test for qualitative variables. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the diagnostic performance for differentiation of chondrosarcoma and synovial chondromatosis based on a composite score obtained by assigning 1 point for each of 9 imaging features.

RESULTS

High-risk imaging features for chondrosarcoma were the following: lesion centered on the mandibular condyle, destruction of the mandibular condyle, no destruction/sclerosis of the articular eminence/glenoid fossa, infiltration into the tendon of the lateral pterygoid muscle, absent or stippled calcification, periosteal reaction, internal enhancement, and size of ≥30.5 mm. The best cutoff value to discriminate chondrosarcoma from synovial chondromatosis was the presence of any 4 of these high-risk imaging features, with an area under the curve of 0.986 and an accuracy of 95.8%.

CONCLUSIONS

CT and MR imaging features can distinguish chondrosarcoma from synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint with improved diagnostic performance when a subcombination of 9 imaging features is used.

Surface reconstruction and charge modulation in BaFe2As2 superconducting film

Whether or not epitaxially grown superconducting films have the same bulk-like superconducting properties is an important concern. We report the structure and the electronic properties of epitaxially grown Ba(Fe_1-x Co _x )₂As₂ films using scanning tunneling microscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy (STS). This film showed a different surface structure, [Formula: see text]R45° reconstruction, from those of as-cleaved surfaces from bulk crystals. The electronic structure of the grown film is different from that in bulk, and it is notable that the film exhibits the same superconducting transport properties. We found that the superconducting gap at the surface is screened at the Ba layer surface in STS measurements, and the charge density wave was observed at the surface in sample in the superconducting state.

Cultivation of the carotenoid-hyperproducing mutant 2A2N of the red yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma) with molasses

The carotenoid-hyperproducing mutant 2A2N of the yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous (Phaffia rhodozyma) was cultivated using sugar beet blackstrap molasses. This molasses was composed of 70% (w/v) total solid and 50% (w/v) total sugar. Biomass yield (biomass/carbohydrate) significantly decreased at >5% (v/v) molasses. Atomic emission spectrometry revealed that Na and P were the limiting nutrients when molasses was used. Molasses (5%, v/v) containing urea (30 g/l molasses) and sodium phosphate (NaH2PO4, 5 g/l molasses) was formulated for biomass production by the mutant. The optimal pH for carotenoid production was 4.9 during the growth phase and 2.6-3.5 during the stationary phase. The three main sugars in molasses (sucrose, glucose, and fructose) were assimilated by the mutant but fructose was consumed slowly. When the formulated medium with pH 4.5-5.5 was used, the maximal biomass yield was 36 g/l (0.18 g of yeast l(-1)h(-1) and 40 mg of carotenoid l(-1)) in fed-batch pilot-scale 100-l cultivation.

Morphometric Studies on the Testis of Korean Ring-necked Pheasant (Phasianus colchicus karpowi) during the Breeding and Non-breeding Seasons

The purpose of this study was to obtain detailed quantitative information on all cell types in the testis interstitium of Korean ring-necked pheasants and to combine these data with changes in the steroidogenic function of the testis during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. For animals collected during the breeding season, their testis weights, sperm production, serum testosterone levels and leuteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulated testosterone secretion were significantly (p < 0.01) increased compared to the non-breeding season. Testes of the pheasants during the non-breeding season displayed a 98% reduction in testis volume that was associated with a decrease in the absolute volume of seminiferous tubules (98% reduction), tubular lumen (100%), interstitium (90%), blood vessels (84%), lymphatic spaces (97%), Leydig cells (79%), mesenchymal cells (51%) and myoid cells (61%) compared to the breeding season. The numbers of Leydig cells, mesenchymal cells and myoid cells per testis in the breeding season were much higher than in the non-breeding season. Although the mean volume of a Leydig cell was 74% lower in the non-breeding season, the mean volumes of myoid and mesenchymal cells remained unchanged. These results demonstrate that there are striking differences in the testicular structure of the Korean ring-necked pheasant during the breeding and non-breeding seasons. Every structural parameter of the Leydig cell was positively correlated with both testosterone serum levels and LH-stimulated testosterone secretion. The correlation of changes in hormonal status with the morphometric alterations of Leydig cells suggests that the Korean-ring necked pheasant may be used as a model to study structure-function relationships in the avian testis.

Oocyst production and immunogenicity of Cryptosporidium baileyi in chickens and mallards

Two-day-old chickens and mallards were orally inoculated with one of 5 doses varying from 2 x 10(2) to 2 x 10(6) of C. baileyi oocysts per individual. Generally, the more oocysts inoculated were, the longer the patent periods were, and the more oocysts shedding were. Meanwhile increasing the inoculative dose, the prepatent periods were shortened except that mallards inoculated with 2 x 10(2) and 2 x 10(3) oocysts failed to produce the oocysts. The more parasites involving oocysts appeared from the chicken in comparison to the mallard. In the chickens challenged with a single dose of 2 x 10(6) oocysts, a small number of oocysts were detected from feces on days 4-14 after challenge infection (ACI) in all of carrageenan administered groups and in the control groups inoculated with 2 x 10(2) and 2 x 10(3) oocysts. In the mallards, a few oocysts were also recognized on days 5-15 ACI in all of carrageenan treated groups and in the control groups inoculated with 2 x 10(2), 2 x 10(3) and 2 x 10(4) oocysts. Just prior to challenge infection, phagocytic activity of peritoneal macrophages (Mø) and the number of peripheral Mø in both birds were significantly decreased in the carrageenan treated groups as compared to the control groups. Mild challenge infection in both birds denoted that the immunogenicity of C. baileyi to the birds was very strong, despite Mø blocker carrageenan administration.

Application of scanning electron microscopy in assessing the prevalence of some Setaria species in Korean cattle

The numbers of individual Setaria species in the peritoneal cavities of Korean cattle were estimated. The worms were tentatively identified under light microscopy, and then precisely classified by SEM on the basis of unique features at the anterior and posterior ends of the adult worms. The positive rate of Setaria species was 34.2% out of 1,074 Korean cattle surveyed; that of S. digitata was 25.1%, S. marshalli 2.9% and both species 6.2%, respectively. Out of a total of 1,254 worms collected, 66.8% were female and 19.1% were male S. digitata; 9.2% were female and 5.0% were male S. marshalli, respectively. The average length of S. marshalli was somewhat longer than that of S. digitata. S. marshalli was documented for the first time in Korea.