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In the continuation of our study of substituted isocoumarins a series of novel 3-azolyl isocoumarin and their thio derivatives, including some related lactone compounds was prepared and biologically profiled against C. albicans showing moderate activity with MIC values in range of 4–60 g mL-1, in general. The additional characterisation of selected compounds was carried out by exploring their activity on CYP3A4 and CYP2D6 enzymes, while experiments on mutagenicity were performed by AMES test. The representative isocoumarins 3b, 4a and 4b showed lower inhibitory activity on CYP enzymes, when compared to the reference inhibitors, ketoconazole and quinidine. Compound 4a showed a higher mutagenic potential than the other two compounds. Further characterization included cytotoxicity profiling against normal MRC5 cells.

Gender norms and issues related to gender are highly relevant when it comes to treatment of juveniles in correctional institutions, especially related to their risky behavior and personal characteristics (such as personality traits, intellectual capability, culture, ethnicity etc.). Furthermore, many juveniles in correctional institutions are exposed to violence and are also perpetrators of violent criminal acts. This paper will give an overview of national policies related to gender-sensitive treatment in Croatia as a background to research aimed to describe the reflection of gender issues and gender norms in practical work with juveniles in Croatian correctional institutions. The research is based on qualitative approach and includes focus groups with youth workers from various organizations who implemented programs for youth in correctional institutions. Preliminary results show that gender and gender norms are not specifically targeted in treatment programs within the institutions. The initiative to implement gender issues mainly comes from organizations from the civil sector through different workshops. Juveniles express relatively rigid gender norms that are supported by rigid organization of correctional institutions especially for males. This research shows the importance of clearer focus to gender-sensitive programing and gender sensitive treatment programs that will strongly be integrated in everyday practice of correctional institutions. The precondition for this is largely connected to deconstructing stereotypes about gender and gender norms both for youth and professionals working with them., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Matković, Borić, Ćosić and Sočo.)

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders. Much progress has been made in regenerative medicine for the symptomatic treatment of KOA, including products containing stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The aim of this study was to evaluate clinical and radiological findings after the application of autologous conditioned adipose tissue (ACA) and leukocyte-poor PRP (LP-PRP) in patients with mild to moderate KOA. A total of 16 patients (eight male and eight female) with changes related to KOA on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but without severe osteophytosis, full-thickness cartilage loss, or subchondral bone involvement were included in this study. Patients received an intraarticular, ultrasound-guided injection of ACA and LP-PRP. Clinical scores, including a visual analog scale for pain (VAS), Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) were evaluated at baseline and at the three and six month follow-ups showing a statistically significant improvements at three and six months post-intervention. Furthermore, the delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of the cartilage (dGEMRIC) indices were evaluated at baseline and at the three and six month follow-ups showing no significant changes after treatment with ACA and LP-PRP, which were actually equal to the dGEMRIC indices measured in the control group (hyaluronic acid applied in contralateral knees without osteoarthritis). ACA with LP-PRP presents a viable minimally invasive therapeutic option for the clinical improvement of mild to moderate KOA. However, MFAT produced by different systems is likely to differ in cellular content, which can directly affect the paracrine effect (cytokine secretion) of mesenchymal stem cells and consequently the regeneration process.

Aim: To expand our previous findings by increasing the number of patients in a study characterizing medicinal signaling cells (MSC) of stromal vascular fraction from lipoaspirate (SVF-LA) and from microfragmented lipoaspirate (SVF-MLA) applied for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA)., Methods: Twenty OA patients, including 8 new patients, acquiring autologous microfragmented adipose tissue were enrolled. In-parallel immunophenotyping of SVF-LA and SVF-MLA was performed. The samples were incubated in a DuraClone SC prototype tube targeting the CD31, CD34, CD45, CD73, CD90, CD105, and CD146 surface markers, stained with the DRAQ7 cell nuclear dye and Live/Dead Yellow Fixable Stain, and analyzed by flow cytometry., Results: The population phenotypes in SVF-LA and SVF-MLA samples included CD31+CD34+CD73±CD90±CD105±CD146± endothelial progenitors (EP), CD31+CD34-CD73±CD90±CD105-CD146± mature endothelial cells, CD31-CD34-CD73±CD90+CD105-CD146+ pericytes, CD31-CD34+CD73±CD90+CD105-CD146+ transitional pericytes, and CD31-CD34+CD73highCD90+CD105-CD146- supra-adventitial-adipose stromal cells. Compared with the autologous SVF-LA samples, the prevailing cell type in SVF-MLA were EP, which outnumbered leukocytes and supra-adventitial-adipose stromal cells (SA-ASC). The ratio of progenitor cells in SVF-MLA samples differed between female and male patients, showing a higher EP-pericyte and pericyte-SA-ASC ratio in men., Conclusion: Our results, hallmarked by EP-enriched anti-inflammatory features and indicating a possible sex-specific impact, contribute to defining the cellular composition of the clinically applied MSC serving as a regenerative cell therapy in OA.

Osteoarthritis is a common cause of disability worldwide. Although commonly referred to as a disease of the joint cartilage, osteoarthritis affects all joint tissues equally. The pathogenesis of this degenerative process is not completely understood; however, a low-grade inflammation leading to an imbalance between anabolic and katabolic processes is a well-established factor. The complex network of cytokines regulating these processes and cell communication has a central role in the development and progression of osteoarthritis. Concentrations of both proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were found to be altered depending on the osteoarthritis stage and activity. In this review, we analyzed individual cytokines involved in the immune processes with an emphasis on their function in osteoarthritis.

Aim: This study aimed to improve osteosarcoma chemoresponsiveness prediction by optimization of computational analysis of MRIs. Patients & methods: Our retrospective predictive model involved osteosarcoma patients with MRI scans performed before OsteoSa MAP neoadjuvant cytotoxic chemotherapy. Results: We found that several monofractal and multifractal algorithms were able to classify tumors according to their chemoresponsiveness. The predictive clues were defined as morphological complexity, homogeneity and fractality. The monofractal feature CV for Λ'(G) provided the best predictive association (area under the ROC curve = 0.88; p <0.001), followed by   Y-axis intersection of the regression line  for  box fractal dimension, r²  for  FD M and tumor circularity. Conclusion: This is the first full-scale study to indicate that computational analysis of pretreatment MRIs could provide imaging biomarkers for the classification of osteosarcoma according to their chemoresponsiveness.

Osteoarthritis is the most common musculoskeletal progressive disease, with the knee as the most commonly affected joint in the human body. While several new medications are still under research, many symptomatic therapy options, such as analgesics (opioid and non-opioid), nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs, symptomatic slow-acting drugs in osteoarthritis, and preparations for topical administration, are being used, with a diverse clinical response and inconsistent conclusions across various professional societies guidelines. The concept of pharmacogenomic-guided therapy, which lies on principles of the right medication for the right patient in the right dose at the right time, can significantly increase the patient's response to symptom relief therapy in knee osteoarthritis. Corticosteroid intra-articular injections and hyaluronic acid injections provoke numerous discussions and disagreements among different guidelines, even though they are currently used in daily clinical practice. Biological options, such as platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cell injections, have shown good results in the treatment of osteoarthritis symptoms, greatly increasing the patient's quality of life, especially when combined with other therapeutic options. Non-inclusion of the latter therapies in the guidelines, and their inconsistent stance on numerous therapy options, requires larger and well-designed studies to examine the true effects of these therapies and update the existing guidelines.

Being the most common musculoskeletal progressive condition, osteoarthritis is an interesting target for research. It is estimated that the prevalence of knee osteoarthritis (OA) among adults 60 years of age or older is approximately 10% in men and 13% in women, making knee OA one of the leading causes of disability in elderly population. Today, we know that osteoarthritis is not a disease characterized by loss of cartilage due to mechanical loading only, but a condition that affects all of the tissues in the joint, causing detectable changes in tissue architecture, its metabolism and function. All of these changes are mediated by a complex and not yet fully researched interplay of proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, growth factors and adipokines, all of which can be measured in the serum, synovium and histological samples, potentially serving as biomarkers of disease stage and progression. Another key aspect of disease progression is the epigenome that regulates all the genetic expression through DNA methylation, histone modifications, and mRNA interference. A lot of work has been put into developing non-surgical treatment options to slow down the natural course of osteoarthritis to postpone, or maybe even replace extensive surgeries such as total knee arthroplasty. At the moment, biological treatments such as platelet-rich plasma, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and autologous microfragmented adipose tissue containing stromal vascular fraction are ordinarily used. Furthermore, the latter two mentioned cell-based treatment options seem to be the only methods so far that increase the quality of cartilage in osteoarthritis patients. Yet, in the future, gene therapy could potentially become an option for orthopedic patients. In the following review, we summarized all of the latest and most important research in basic sciences, pathogenesis, and non-operative treatment.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a widely prevalent disease worldwide, and with an increasingly ageing society, it has become a challenge for the field of regenerative medicine. OA is a disease process involving multiple joint tissues, including those not visible on radiography, and is a complex disease process with multiple phenotypes that require evaluation by a multimodality imaging assessment. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of micro-fragmented fat tissue intra-articular injection 24 months after application in two ways: Indirectly using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assessment analyzing the glycosaminoglycans (GAG) content in cartilage by means of delayed gadolinium (Gd)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC), as well as clinical outcome on observed level of GAG using standard orthopedic physical examination including VAS assessment. In our previous study assessing comprehensive results after 12 months, the dGEMRIC results have drawn attention. The present study explores the long-term effect of intra-articular injection of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue to host chondrocytes and cartilage proteoglycans in patients with knee OA. A prospective, non-randomized, interventional, single-center, open-label clinical trial was conducted from January 2016 to April 2018. A total of 17 patients were enrolled in the study, and 32 knees were assessed in a 12-month follow-up, but only 10 patients of them with 18 knees are included in a 24-month follow-up. The rest of the seven patients dropped out of the study 12 months after follow-up: three patients underwent knee arthroplasty, and the remaining four did not fulfil the basic criteria of 24 months involvement in the study. Surgical intervention (lipoaspiration), followed by tissue processing and intra-articular injection of the final microfragmented adipose tissue product into the affected knee(s), was performed in all patients. Patients were assessed for a visual analog scale (VAS), dGEMRIC at the baseline, three, six, 12 and 24 months after the treatment. A magnetic resonance sequence in dGEMRIC due to infiltration of the anionic, negatively-charged contrast gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA2) into the cartilage indicated that the contents of cartilage glycosaminoglycans significantly increased in specific areas of the treated knee joint. Our results suggest that this method of single intra-articular injection of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue improves GAG content on a significant scale, with over half of the measurements suggesting relevant improvement 24 months after intra-articular injection opposed to the expected GAG decrease over the natural course of the disease.

A high proportion of cutaneous melanomas harbor activating mutations of the BRAF or NRAS genes, which are components of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signal transduction pathway. The importance of BRAF V600E mutation in melanoma is not only related to the possibility of the administration of the targeted therapy, but also to the fact that BRAF V600E mutated melanomas have distinct clinicopathological features. We investigated the clinicopathological features of 80 primary skin melanomas with known BRAF V600E mutation status excised in the Dalmatian region of Croatia, with comparison of these features between the mutated and wild-type group. The frequency of BRAF V600E mutation was 47.5%. In comparison with wild-type melanomas, BRAF V600E mutated melanomas were significantly associated with younger age and female sex (P=0.014 and P=0.011, respectively). The mutated melanomas were more often located on the extremities, of a nodular type, ulcerated, and with higher median of mitotic index but without significant difference in comparison with wild-type tumors. There were no differences in the depth of invasion and the presence of lymphovascular invasion, tumor infiltrating lymphocytes, and regression between the investigated groups. The frequency of BRAF V600E mutation in our cohort of primary skin melanomas and the clinicopathological features of mutated tumors were similar to those reported in the literature, except for the higher proportion of women observed in our group with mutation.

Aim: To analyze clinical and functional effects of intra-articular injection of autologous micro-fragmented lipoaspirate (MLA) in patients with late stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Secondary aims included classifying cell types contributing to the treatment effect, performing detailed MRI-based classification of KOA, and elucidating the predictors for functional outcomes., Methods: This prospective, non-randomized study was conducted from June 2016 to February 2018 and enrolled 20 patients with late stage symptomatic KOA (Kellgren Lawrence grade III, n=4; and IV, n=16) who received an intra-articular injection of autologous MLA in the index knee joint. At baseline radiological KOA grade and MRI were assessed in order to classify the morphology of KOA changes. Stromal vascular fraction cells obtained from MLA samples were stained with antibodies specific for cell surface markers. Patients were evaluated at baseline and 12-months after treatment with visual analog scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)., Results: Three patients (15%) received a total knee replacement and were not followed up completely. Seventeen patients (85%) showed a substantial pattern of KOOS and WOMAC improvement, significant in all accounts. KOOS score improved from 46 to 176% when compared with baseline, WOMAC decreased from 40 to 45%, while VAS rating decreased from 54% to 82% (all P values were <0.001). MLA contained endothelial progenitor cells, pericytes, and supra-adventitial adipose stromal cells as most abundant cell phenotypes., Conclusion: This study is among the first to show a positive effect of MLA on patients with late stages KOA.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the leading musculoskeletal disorders in the adult population. It is associated with cartilage damage triggered by the deterioration of the extracellular matrix tissue. The present study explores the effect of intra-articular injection of autologous microfragmented adipose tissue to host chondrocytes and cartilage proteoglycans in patients with knee OA. A prospective, non-randomized, interventional, single-center, open-label clinical trial was conducted from January 2016 to April 2017. A total of 17 patients were enrolled in the study, and 32 knees with osteoarthritis were assessed. Surgical intervention (lipoaspiration) followed by tissue processing and intra-articular injection of the final microfragmented adipose tissue product into the affected knee(s) was performed in all patients. Patients were assessed for visual analogue scale (VAS), delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of cartilage (dGEMRIC) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) glycans at the baseline, three, six and 12 months after the treatment. Magnetic resonance sequence in dGEMRIC due to infiltration of the anionic, negatively charged contrast gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA 2- ) into the cartilage indicated that the contents of cartilage glycosaminoglycans significantly increased in specific areas of the treated knee joint. In addition, dGEMRIC consequently reflected subsequent changes in the mechanical axis of the lower extremities. The results of our study indicate that the use of autologous and microfragmented adipose tissue in patients with knee OA (measured by dGEMRIC MRI) increased glycosaminoglycan (GAG) content in hyaline cartilage, which is in line with observed VAS and clinical results., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

The aim of the study was to assess disease characteristics and outcome in patients with vertebral osteomyelitis (VO). A two medical centre retrospective cohort study was performed by chart review after discharge of 110 patients with confirmed VO treated during a 5-year period. Patients were divided in two groups: patients with uncomplicated VO and patients with complicated VO. All patients underwent clinical and biological examinations and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) according to the same protocol. Patients with complicated VO were significantly older (p = 0.038). They were longer treated with antibiotics parenterally (p = 0.047) and more often surgically (p < 0.001). In these patients, high Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) score was more often observed (p = 0.024), as well as liver cirrhosis (p = 0.013) and degenerative spine disease (p = 0.007) as comorbidities. Patients with advanced MRI changes of VO had a modified CCI score of 2 or more (p = 0.006). They more often experienced neurological deficit (p = 0.021). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated bacterium from blood and tissue samples. Advanced MRI changes and complicated VO were more often observed in patients with high CCI score due to impaired immune system caused by chronic comorbid disease(s) or modulation of immunity with medications. High CCI scores were more frequently associated with positive blood cultures due to bacteremia because of impaired immunity. Patients with complicated VO were longer treated with antibiotics parenterally and more often surgically treated for phlegmon and abscess formation. Liver cirrhosis and degenerative spine disease, which were more often found in patients with complicated VO, obviously impacted the course of the disease.

Accurate assessment of HER-2 status is essential for identifying patients who will benefit from HER-2 targeted therapy. The aim of the present study was to show results on the concordance between local and central laboratory testing results in HER-2 positive breast cancer patients. In cases with discordant findings, the immunohistochemical (IHC) and/or in situ hybridization (FISH/SISH) analysis was performed in central laboratories. A total of 104 out of 143 (72.72%) breast carcinoma cases were HER-2 positive (score 3+), while nearly 14% of tumors (20/43) showed weak (score 2+) and 12% (19/143) negative IHC staining (score 0 and 1+). After repeated IHC and ISH, 88% (126/143) were classified as HER-2 positive and 12% (17/143) as HER-2 negative cases. The results obtained are in agreement with many studies that confirmed similar discordance in HER-2 testing by IHC and/or FISH between local and central laboratory. Thus, our findings as well as those from other studies support the importance of regular quality assessment of the staining procedures performed and consistency of interpretation of HER-2 test results.

To determine the frequency of advanced clinical and radiological features of AS with reference to gender, onset of symptoms and disease duration. Fifty-seven patients diagnosed with AS were included in this study. Functional evaluation of the musculoskeletal system detected advanced clinical features: rubber-ball phenomenon, flattening of the chest anterior wall, diastasis of rectus abdominis muscle, steel back phenomenon, umbilical extrusion, skiing posture. Conventional radiographs of sacroiliac joints, pelvis and axial skeleton were obtained in order to analyze signs of sacroiliitis, syndesmophytes, vertebral squaring and ligamentous ossification. Statistical significance is found in the distribution of particular advanced clinical and radiological features of AS between men and women: rubber-ball phenomenon (p = 0.002), flat chest (p = 0.002), diastasis of rectus abdominis muscle (p = 0.002), skiing position (p = 0.000), syndesmophytes (p = 0.009) and ligamentous ossification (p = 0.030) in thoracic and lumbar spine. Onset of first disease symptoms (> 20 years of age) is significantly associated with radiological changes in thoracic spine (ligamentous ossification, p = 0.015) and cervical spine (vertebral squaring, p = 0.032). Longer disease duration (> 10 years) is significantly associated with the appearance of particular clinical features: rubber-ball phenomenon, p < 0.01; rectus abdominis diastasis, p=0.042) and radiological changes of sacroiliac joints (grade IV sacroileitis, p = 0.012), thoracic and lumbar spine (syndesmophytes, p = 0.015; ligamentous ossification, p = 0.027). Our study shows that the occurrence of clinical and some radiological features of AS appears to be gender dependent. Furthermore, onset of first disease symptoms (> 20 years of age) and longer disease duration (> 10 years) are associated with the higher risk of developing particular clinical signs and radiological features in sacroiliac joints and axial skeleton.

Sever's disease is juvenile osteochondrosis of calcaneus, manifested with posterior heel pain and mild swelling, usually in young athletes, caused by repetitive microtrauma. The standard diagnostic procedures include radiographs and ultrasound examination. It is a self-limiting condition, usually treated conservatively. We present a case of Sever's disease complicated with calcaneal osteomyelitis. A 9-year-old boy with a several month history of left heel pain was admitted to our institution for further clinical evaluation and therapy. Bilateral Sever's disease was clinically diagnosed, confirmed by radiographs and ultrasound examination. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed osteolytic zone in the posterior left calcaneus with peripheral enhancement after contrast administration and surrounding bone and subcutaneous edema, suggestive of osteomyelitis. After six weeks of parenteral antibiotic treatment, the patient's condition improved. Follow up MRI performed 3 months later showed significant regression of osteolytic lesion and replacement with granulation tissue surrounded with new bone formation. To our knowledge and literature search, this is a previously unreported complication of Sever's disease. MRI should be done in all atypical cases of Sever's disease to rule out any other possible disorders including osteomyelitis.

A young patient with symptoms of median nerve compression in carpal tunnel without known risk factors is presented. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed an anatomical variation of the median nerve in carpal tunnel, described in the literature as bifid median nerve. The knowledge of the existence ofbifid median nerve is important in planning surgical decompression of median nerve to avoid nerve injury or potential relapse if decompression of both branches has not been done. Carpal tunnel ultrasonography is a noninvasive, reliable and available diagnostic tool to diagnose bifid median nerve.

Unlabelled: Reconstruction of the ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) requires precise anatomical placement of the tendon graft. Anatomic variations may increase/decrease risk of the ACL rupture. Twenty-eight children with clinical, MRI and arthroscopic verified ACL ruptures were compared with match case control group. MRI was done one to 12 months after trauma. The thresholds values for identifying the ACL rupture were set; ACL angle < 45 degrees, Blumensat angle > 0 degrees, and the PCL angle < 115 degrees., Results: There was no significant difference of tibial attachment for the ACL and measured parameters of the femur. The ACL angle (p < 0.001), the Blumensat angle (p = 0.001), and the PCL angle (p < 0.001) were significantly different. Each of the patients in group with a torn ACL had at least one parameter positive., Discussion: ACL angle, Blumensat angle and PCL angle might help to diagnose ruptured ACL. Pediatric patients with the ruptured ACL show no difference in notch width or the tibial roof inclination angle as compared with pediatric patients without ACL rupture.

Aim: To describe the organization, field work, forensic anthropological examination, and DNA analysis conducted to identify the victims from a World War II mass grave found on the Dalmatian island of Daksa near Dubrovnik (Croatia) in 2009., Methods: Excavation of the site was performed according to standard archeological procedures. Basic anthropological examination was made to determine the minimum number of victims, sex, age at death, and height. The bones with pathological and traumatic changes were identified. DNA was extracted from powdered bones and relatives' blood samples. Y-chromosome and autosomal short tandem repeats (STR) were used to establish the relationship of the remains with the putative family members., Results: The remains were found to belong to at least 53 distinctive victims. All were male, mostly with gunshot wounds to the head. DNA analysis and cross-matching of the samples with relatives resulted in 14 positive identifications using the Y-chromosomal STRs and 4 positive identifications using the autosomal STRs., Conclusions: This study showed that even in cases of more than 50-year-old, highly degraded human remains from mass graves, Y-chromosomal and autosomal STRs analysis can contribute to identification of the victims.

In this report, we present a rare case of an initially unrecognized fracture of the posteromedial process of the talus sustained in a seldom reported position of dorsiflexion and supination of the foot. Fractures of the posteromedial process of the talus are very rare and represent an important diagnostic problem. Difficult x-ray visualization makes these fractures often misdiagnosed as ankle sprains. Complications due to this kind of fractures can include serious consequences such as avascular osteonecrosis, tarsal tunnel syndrome, post-traumatic osteoarthritis, or chronic pain. Timely diagnosis represents an important factor in the development of these conditions. A heightened awareness in examining ankle traumas with specific patient history details is of great importance. The most common mechanism of injury includes dorsiflexion and pronation of the foot. However, in an increasing number of cases alternative mechanisms have been described, all including high-energy impacts. Our patient sustained a fracture of the posteromedial process of the talus in dorsiflexion and supination with high-energy impact due to a 3-m fall. The patient was treated with excision of the fragment six months after the injury, and 18 months after the surgery the patient returned to his normal daily activities with significantly less pain in the posteromedial part of the ankle.

The aim of this case report is to present an unusual double synovial cyst that arose from the proximal tibiofibular joint compressing the peroneal nerve in the peroneal tunnel and was unrecognized at the beginning. According to the review of literature back to 1891, only 62 cases of cysts originating from the proximal tibiofibular joint (PTFJ) have been described. We report a case of a 32 year old male patient who was admitted to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery because of a classic peroneal tunnel syndrome of the left leg. On the lateral side of the proximal third of his left leg a tumefaction of 12 x 2.5 cm was visible. The sonography showed a characteristic image of the para-articular synovial cyst of the left knee. A surgical extirpation of the synovial cyst and decompression of the peroneal nerve in the peroneal tunnel were performed. PHD confirmed a classic synovial cyst. Postoperatively, the symptoms of the peroneal nerve compression disappeared. Three years after the first surgical intervention the patient was readmitted to the Department because of quite similar problems, only the neurological symptoms were less intensive than during the first admittance. This time the performed MR imaging showed a double synovial cyst originating from the proximal tibiofibular joint. The surgical treatment consisted of a total extirpation of both cysts including the narrow stalks of communication with the PTFJ. The joint was opened and a synovectomy was done using an electrocauter and a sharp curette. Regular check-ups were done every 6 months and twice during the control period of 4 years, as was the MR imaging control. MRI findings 4 years after the second surgical intervention were normal. Clinical findings after 7 years were normal and we are sure that the recidivation of the synovial cyst excluded. The MRI diagnostics was crucial for an adequate surgical treatment and the relief of the peroneal tunnel syndrome symptoms.

The aim of this paper is to report on three cases of symptomatic osteochondritis dissecans of the humeral capitellum in adolescent gymnasts, two females and one male. In all the cases arthroscopic surgery was performed. During arthroscopy, loose osteochondral fragments were removed, the defect was debrided and microfractures were performed. All the three patients regained the full range of motion of the affected elbow, and returned to the high-level gymnastics within a period of 5 months. At 12 months follow-up, all the three patients remained symptomless and were participating in high-level gymnastics. A combination of arthroscopy and the microfracture technique is a reliable method with excellent short-term results in the treatment of the osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow.

Aim: To compare the quality and diagnostic reliability of conventional spin-echo and fast spin-echo with fat suppression magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the evaluation of cruciate ligament injury., Methods: Thirty-five patients with internal knee injury and positive clinical signs of cruciate ligament injury were examined by using an Elscint Prestige 2T MR scanner. Findings of conventional and fast spin-echo with fat suppression MR sequences were evaluated and compared with each other and with arthroscopic findings. In all patients, arthroscopy was performed within 2 months after the MR examination., Results: Analysis of anterior cruciate ligament injury with conventional spin-echo sequence showed 81.8% sensitivity. The sensitivity of fast spin-echo sequences with fat suppression was 96.9%. According to the type of the anterior cruciate ligament injury, the sensitivity of fast spin-echo sequences with fat suppression was higher than that of conventional spin-echo sequence (85.7% and 66.7%, respectively) for partial rupture, but the sensitivity of both sequences for complete rupture was the same (100% both)., Conclusion: Fast spin-echo with fat suppression sequence can be used routinely in clinical practice for the assessment of acutely injured knees as the substitute for conventional spin-echo sequence without decreased diagnostic reliability.

The authors compared the diagnoses from intraoperative frozen section consultation with the final diagnosis using permanent tissue sections from 179 breast biopsy specimens. Of these, there were 175 correct diagnoses (97.8%), two diagnoses were incorrect (1.1%) and two were inconclusive (1.1%). The distribution of the correct diagnoses within each particular group of breast diseases proves that in the invasive tumor group the diagnosis on FS was correct for 101 patients (98.1%) and incorrect for two patients (1.9%). In the fibrocystic breast disease group, diagnoses correlated for 42 patients (97.7%), whereas the problem in diagnosing the extent of epithelial proliferation appeared for only one patient (2.3%) and was categorized as an inconclusive diagnosis. Of 4 incorrect and inconclusive diagnoses, two occurred as a result of sampling nonrepresentative tissue specimens and two as a result of diagnostic misinterpretation. This study has shown that for the determination of the histological type of carcinoma, FS is not of significant morphological value since correct diagnoses were made for only 60% of the patients.