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To compare and quantify, by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and localization ROC analyses, the performance of radiologists, pulmonologists, and anesthesiologists (residents and staff) in the detection of missed lung cancer.The study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was not required or obtained for review of radiographs. A set of 60 posteroanterior chest radiographs was presented to 36 observers: 12 radiologists, 12 pulmonologists, and 12 anesthesiologists. Each of these three observer categories included six residents and six staff. Thirty of the radiographs each depicted one lung cancer that was overlooked at prospective image interpretation; the other 30 were normal radiographs matched for age and smoking history. Observers were asked to rate their degree of suspicion concerning the presence of lung cancer by using a visual analog scale and to point out the zone of suspicion on a schematic of the lung. These data were used to generate combined ROC-localization ROC curves and to assess performance. Intraobserver consistency was evaluated by using intraclass correlation coefficients and weighted kappa statistics.Areas under the ROC curves indicated better performance for radiologists and pulmonologists compared with anesthesiologists (P.002) and for staff compared with residents (P.022). Performance was lower for all categories of observers when localization ROC curves were used. Radiologists and staff pulmonologists showed a higher degree of confidence in the assessment of normality than did other categories of physicians. Intraobserver consistency was poor.Experienced readers showed better ability to distinguish normality from abnormality. Combined ROC and localization ROC analyses gave a more reliable quantification of observer performance than did ROC analysis alone.

Summary Objectives The Mediab study was conducted to estimate the medical care in French patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus managed by general practitioners on an ambulatory basis, but considered as requiring new treatment implementation. Methods Five thousand one hundred and fourty eight diabetic patients without any treatment or treated with lifestyle measures either alone or combined with an oral antidiabetic agent given as monotherapy were included in a cross-sectional study that was conducted on a nationwide basis by using the ORP ® methodology. The 4088 patients in whom HbA1c was determined with a reliable method were further classified into 3 categories according to whether HbA1c was ≤ 6.5% (group I, n = 525), ranging between 6.6 and 8% (group II, n = 1699) or > 8% (group III, n =1864). Results A large proportion of patients (45.6%) exhibited HbA1c > 8%. Adherence to diet and regular physical activity were progressively decreasing while prevalence of diabetic complications was steadily increasing from group I to III, i.e. when diabetic control was worsening. The complications suffered from severe “underreporting”. When complications were reported, the odds-ratio analysis showed that retinopathy is influenced by both the magnitude of glucose excess and the diabetes duration, while renal diseases and macroangiopathy depend mainly on diabetes duration. 38.1 % of patients visited a diabetologist, but most of these patients were refered to the specialist after the inclusion visit. Conclusions Despite the development of guidelines, a large percentage of patients remains poorly-controlled. Future actions should be based on: (i) better collaboration between general practitioners and diabetologists (ii) better detection of complications that suffer from severe “underreporting”, (iii) reinforcement of lifestyle recommendations and of pharmacological treatments by shifting from mono- to multi-drug therapy, at earlier stages of the disease.

We report two cases of acute aortic thrombosis in cancer patients. Aortic thrombosis is rare in the absence of atherosclerosis, dissection, or aneurysm. On the one hand, hypercoagulable state related to cancer is a well-known risk factor for venous thrombosis. On the other hand, arterial thrombosis has been rarely reported in cancer patients. Recognition of aortic thrombosis is important because it is a dangerous condition; furthermore, it exposes at the patient to complications such as peripheral embolism. In addition, anticoagulation can result in resolution of thrombosis.

Aurillac (Cantal)

A pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm developed after placement of a Swan-Ganz catheter for liver surgery is described. This observation is unusual for two reasons. Pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm was discovered on a simple post-operative chest radiograph. Spontaneous thrombosis and radiographic regression were observed.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the publication rate in Medline-indexed journals of papers originally presented at the Journées Françaises de Radiologie (JFR96).Proceedings from the JFR 96 were reviewed by two observers in conference. A Medline search encompassing 1997-1999 was performed for the lead author of all abstracts of original papers. Publication year and the journal of publication were recorded.456 oral presentations were analysed, 39 papers were subsequently published corresponding to a publication rate of 8.5%. 10 papers were published in Radiology, 4 in European Radiology and 4 in the Journal de Radiologie, the other 21 in other journals. Publication rate was significantly higher for two sessions: Research session (publication rate was 22%) and Bone and Joint session (publication rate was 16%).Less than 10% of abstracts presented at JFR 96 were subsequently published in Medline-indexed journals. This rate is lower than the publication rate of papers presented at other medical meetings.

Metabolic adaptation is part of the response to stress and participate to produce a favorable state for cure. Carbohydrate metabolism is profoundly altered with an increase in basal cellular glucose uptake and utilization and in endogenous glucose production; insulin sensitivity is decreased. Glucose tolerance is altered and hyperglycemia develops. This state of hyperglycemia is most obviously directed to satisfy the increased need of the injured organs and of the inflammatory cells. The role of the cytokines in association to the stress hormones is important to these metabolic adaptations. This article reviews the main features of glucose homeostasis and the potential mechanisms leading to stress induced insulin resistance.

Diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy is rare because symptoms are often moderate and similar to signs observed during normal pregnancy. The gravity of such an association is probably underscored.The diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism was made at 9 weeks gestation in a young woman who declined surgery. She was seen again at 32 weeks gestation for in utero fetal death. Nine months later she accepted surgery and a parathyroid adenoma was removed.Hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy is associated with significant morbidity with major maternal or fetal complications in 50% of the cases. Surgery during the second trimester of pregnancy is the treatment of choice. If hyperparathyroidism is diagnosed in young women who desire pregnancy, surgery should be performed before advising pregnancy.

Dietary interviews and food diaries are traditionally used for nutritional assessments. In clinical practice, these methods are time consuming, require high training, and thus remain poorly used. Furthermore, the results are frequently impaired by the underreporting phenomenon which can be due either to underrecording (failure to record what is eaten) or to undereating (volontary food restriction during the assessment period). These difficulties can be overcome by using rapid questionnaires based on 2 principles: 1) underreporting is less for proteins than for other macronutrients; 2) in developed countries, calories from proteins are relatively stable and contribute approximately to one sixth of the total daily energy intake. Estimations given by the rapid questionnaire lead to less misleading results than those provided by 7 day-food records. On the other hand, the rapid questionnaire gives an estimate of specific dietary behaviors such as nibbling, festive meals and consumption of salted entrées, sweet desserts and caloric beverages. In conclusion, helpful and simple recommendations for correcting main nutritional errors can be drawn from estimation of the above mentioned specific behaviors that correspond to a daily average of 500 kcalories.

The purpose of this study was to report 30 cases of missed lung cancers and describe characteristics of each case. Reasons for misdiagnosis were analyzed from the report. Each radiograph was subsequently reviewed by a panel of two experts who quantified several parameters regarding image analysis and film quality. Lesions were not described in 67 % of the cases and were misinterpreted as benign processes in 33 % of cases. Comparison to previous chest radiographs and clinical information were seldom available on the report. Size of the lesions varied between 1 and 7 cm, location was primarily apical and paramediastinal, normal anatomy was highly or moderately complex in 87 %, and distracting lesions were present in 63 % of the cases. Image quality was considered perfect in 3 cases only. Among all the factors responsible for missed lung cancer, certain factors can be improved as film quality, comparison with previous radiographs, and better awareness of clinical information.

Filter placement within the inferior vena cava is performed to prevent pulmonary embolism in patients with contraindications or failure of anticoagulant therapy. Several complications of vena cava filters have been described. However, mechanical complications related to IVC filters may not be of any clinical significance. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to present the imaging features of complications related to inferior vena cava filter placement.

Fibrates are widely prescribed as hypolipidemic drugs and are considered as safe. We report the case of a 69 year-old woman who probably developed a major allergic reaction following a Fenofibrate prescription (generic form) of 300 mg per day. Clinical features included asthenia, hyperthermia (40.5 degrees C) and slight muscular pain. Biological abnormalities were mildly elevated muscular enzymes and pancytopenia rapidly developed. All bacteriologic, virologic, immune and radiologic investigations were normal. Evolution was spontaneously favorable with Fenofibrate withdrawal. This is the first reported case of major fever and pancytopenia following a Fenofibrate prescription. Adverse effects of Fenofibrate are briefly reviewed and their usual favorable outcomes following drug removal are outlined.

Most studies argue for a strong relation between postprandial blood glucose and cardiovascular risk. Thus the DIS study establishes a significant link between postprandial glucose and the incidence of myocardial infarction as well as the occurrence of death. The DECODE study shows that identifying individuals at risk for death can be done through OGTT 2 h blood glucose, whatever fasting glycemia is. Kumamoto study shows a reduction in microangiopathic complications when postprandial blood glucose is corrected by a multiinjection protocol. Finally, a study conducted in Montpellier shows that postprandial blood glucose better reflects the overall diabetes control than fasting glycemia. Altogether, these data suggest that managing postprandial blood glucose is essential for the prevention of vascular outcome in diabetic patients.

It is well-recognized that standard caloric restrictions (1500 kcal/day) are usually poorly effective in achieving weight losses in overweight type 2 diabetic patients. For that reason very-low-calorie-diets (VLCDs) were developed as a mean for initiating or accelerating weight reduction. Short-term studies indicate that VLCDs result generally in weight losses that are three times greater than those obtained with standard low-calorie-diets. Fasting blood glucose values are improving in parallel to weight losses and in many patients the improvement in glycemic control is better than that expected from the magnitude of weight losses. However the results are rather disappointing after several months or years of follow-up. For example it has been demonstrated that weight regain can be observed as soon as the patient is shifted to a refeeding or maintenance dietary program at the end of the VLCD period. Long-term results on glycemic control and body weight reduction are generally similar with standard low-calorie-diets and with VLCDs, the final results depending on the magnitude of weight loss whatever the prescribed diet. At short-term the VLCDs can be helpful first for initiating weight losses and second for sensitizing the patient to the potential benefits of complying to dietary measures.

Atherosclerosis results from a multifactorial process. For that reason, primary prevention of cardiovascular diseases requires several measures that should exhibit antiatherogenic, antithrombotic, antioxidative and antihypertensive properties. Two types of therapeutic strategies can be individualized. Nutritional interventions are the first line measures for population wide primary prevention in subjects at low risk of developing atheroscleric diseases. In high risk individuals who have either one major risk factor (LDL cholesterol above 190 mg/dL) or several additional risk factors, dietary measures must be frequently combined with drug treatments. However, the cost-effectiveness ratio should be weighed prior to any treatment especially with statins. Dietary measures consist to reduce caloric intakes in overweight subjects, or more generally to adopt eating patterns which correspond to the following recommendations: (i) proteins = 15% of total calories; (ii) saturated and polyunsatured fats = 10% each; (iii) carbohydrates plus monounsaturated fats = 65%. Such dietary instructions permit individual dietary changes, just by adjusting the carbohydrates/monounsaturates balance, the sum of both nutrients remaining in all cases equal to two-thirds to total calories. Drug treatments are only indicated after secondary dietary failure. They are generally based on the use of statins since the efficacy of these treatments has been clearly established by such preventive trials as the WOSCOP Study, provided that the therapeutic interventions result in significant reduction of LDL cholesterol levels over several years. Antiplatelet agents (aspirin), antihypertensive therapies, antioxidant supplementations with vitamins E or C are also recommended in some individuals for completing the beneficial effects of the above mentioned measures.

Objectifs Savoir reconnaitre une dilatation anevrysmale des canaux lymphatiques en lymphographie par resonance magnetique. Savoir utiliser la lymphographie par resonance magnetique pour effectuer le bilan de ces anomalies. Savoir distinguer ces dilatations anevrysmales lymphatiques des variations anatomiques et variantes de la normale et des autres lesions kystiques retroperitoneales. Points cles Les dilatations anevrysmales des canaux lymphatiques constituent une pathologie rare mais non exceptionnelle. Ces dilatations anevrysmales des canaux lymphatiques constituent donc une des causes des formations kystiques retroperitoneales. La lymphographie par resonance magnetique constitue la modalite de reference pour effectuer le diagnostic de ces anomalies lymphatiques anevrysmales et pour les distinguer des autres anomalies kystiques du retroperitoine.

Fitness and dietary measures remain the corner stone of the treatment of type 2 diabetic patients. The two objectives of these measures are: (i) to improve the glycemic control and to normalize the biological abnormalities which are frequently associated with the diabetic state; (ii) to prevent the micro and macrovascular complications. All these measures should be simplified, and sufficiently attractive to be acceptable and accepted by the patient. Weight-loss objectives in overweight diabetic patients should remain within reasonable limits: a few kilogram- loss is sufficient in many cases. In order to maintain the palatability of the diet, the dietary fat intake must be set at sufficient high levels, just by adjusting the carbohydrates/monounsaturates fat balance. When physical training is recommended, this activity must appear as a leisure and not as a constraint. More generally the management plan should be multifactorial and avoid contradictory measures.

In the late 1990s, diet remains the cornerstone of diabetes therapy. Dietary and nutritional recommendations should seek to reduce the hyperglycaemic state which is the main risk factor for microangiopathy. Furthermore, the prevention of macrovascular complications should lead to dietary prescriptions that combine such properties as antiatherosclerotic, antithrombotic, and antihypertensive measures and such advantages as reducing oxidative stress. The means for achieving such objectives are, first, weight-loss interventions in obese patients and, secondly, the choice of a judicious balance between carbohydrates and monounsaturated fats in all individuals. Dietary measures must achieve a compromise between their acceptability by the patient and medical requirements. For that reason, caloric restriction should be moderate, leading to progressive weight loss (-3 kg monthly), with reasonable weight targets at the end of the weight-reduction period. Compliance with dietary advice usually results in significant savings in medical costs. However, long-term maintenance of dietary measures is difficult to achieve in most individuals, except those enrolled in well-structured training programmes.

Diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the rectosigmoid colon (DCHR) is an uncommon disease that affects mainly young adults. As the main symptom is non-specific chronic rectal bleeding, the clinical diagnosis is difficult and often delayed. In this essay, we illustrate the imaging features of DCHR, including plain radiograph, barium enema, CT and MR study, and echoendoscopy. Pitfalls in diagnosis and the role of imaging study in the diagnosis, in the preoperative staging, and in the follow-up of the patients are defined.

The prognosis of cholesterol embolism is often poor, and no treatment is presently available. We report the use of a stable prostacyclin analogue in treating cholesterol embolism in a diabetic patient with arteriopathy. As a sole therapy, it improved cutaneous manifestations and pain, in parallel with an increased transcutaneous oxymetry. We think that prostacyclin analogues are novel candidates for the treatment of cholesterol embolism.

International audience

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the relative value of plasma glucose (PG) at different time points in assessing glucose control of type 2 diabetic patients. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Glycemic profiles, i.e., PG at prebreakfast (8:00 A.M.), prelunch (11:00 A.M.), postlunch (2:00 P.M.), and extended postlunch (5:00 P.M.) times over the same day, were obtained in 66 type 2 diabetic patients on an ambulatory basis. The different time points of PG were compared with a measurement of HbA1c made in a reference laboratory. RESULTS Extended postlunch PG was lower than prebreakfast PG (104 ± 21 vs. 133 ± 35 mg/dl, P < 0.02) in patients demonstrating good diabetic control (HbA1c ≤ 7.0%), was not different from prebreakfast PG (149 ± 47 vs. 166 ± 26 mg/dl, NS) in patients demonstrating fair diabetic control (7.0% < HbA1c ≤ 8.5%), and was higher than prebreakfast PG (221 ± 62 vs. 199 ± 49 mg/dl, P ≤ 0.01) in those demonstrating poor diabetic control (HbA1c ≤ 8.5%). Prebreakfast, prelunch, postlunch, and extended postlunch PG values were all significantly correlated with HbA1c. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG correlated significantly and independently with HbA1c, but that prebreakfast PG and prelunch PG did not. Moreover, postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG demonstrated better sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value in predicting poor glycemic control than did prebreakfast PG or prelunch PG. CONCLUSIONS In type 2 diabetes, postlunch PG and extended postlunch PG are better predictors of glycemic control than fasting plasma glucose (FPG). We therefore suggest that they be more widely used to supplement, or substitute for, FPG in evaluating the metabolic control of type 2 diabetic patients.

Systolic blood pressure and body mass index (BMI) are the main determinants of the left ventricular mass (LVM). The mechanism of this cardiac hypertrophy in the obese individual is multifactorial and involves hemodynamic as well as metabolic factors. The association of LVM with the morphologic features of the individual are well known. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of the morphologic and metabolic features of obese women on LVM. 2D echocardiography evaluation of LVM was done in 24 normotensive, normoglycemic obese women (BMI [27.5-52.2 Kg/m2). Lean and fat body mass were determined by bio-impedancemetry, insulin sensitivity (Si) by the minimal model (Bergman), and basal metabolism by using indirect calorimetry. There was a positive correlation between LVM and BMI (r = 0.61; p = 0.001), waist to hip ratio (r = 0.45; p = 0.03), basal metabolism (r = 0.61, p = 0.001), lean (r = 0.74, p = 0.0002) and fat (r = 0.49; p = 0.01) body mass. Fasting glycemia was positively correlated with LVM (r = 0.62; p = 0.001), but not Si. LVM was also positively correlated to the triglyceride level. No relations were found with systolic or diastolic blood pressure. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to determine the relative contribution of lean body mass (the morphologic variable with the best association to LVM in univariate analysis), blood glucose, waist to hip ratio, age and triglycerides. The multiple r for the model was 0.87 (p0.001). Lean body mass and blood glucose were found to be the only significant and independent predictors of LVM (p = 0.001 and p = 0.03 respectively). We conclude that: 1) lean body mass is an important determinant of LVM in obese normotensive individuals. Hence, in obese women, correcting LVM for lean body mass might be more accurate than correcting it for body surface area or height. 2) There is no relationship between LVM and insulin sensitivity. The link between blood glucose and LVM needs to be studied further.

We report a case of wirsungorrhagia related to rupture of a pseudoaneurysm into the duct of Wirsung in a patient with chronic pancreatitis. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed blood coming from the papilla of Vater suggesting wirsungorrhagia. Non-contrast computed tomography showed a spontaneous hyperdensity and arteriography showed an extravasation of contrast within a very large duct of Wirsung confirming wirsungorrhagia. Arteriography and dynamic computed tomography revealed a pseudoaneurysm from the left gastric artery. The pseudoaneurysm was successfully embolized with four steel microcoils, after super-selective catheterization of small branch of the left gastric artery, keeping gastric and liver vascularization.

The recommended method for assessing long-term blood glucose control in diabetic patients is the measurement of glycated haemoglobin (Hb). The Ames DCA 2000 system for assaying glycated Hb uses an immunoassay with a monoclonal antibody specific for an aminoacid sequence within the HblAc molecule. This study compared the performance of the DCA 2000 system for HblAc measurement with that of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). A total of 1.016 insulin-dependent and non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients from 5 outpatient clinics took part. The correlation coefficients between DCA 2000 and HPLC data ranged between 0.94 and 0.98, depending on site. The mean variations and 95% confidence intervals for the differences between the results for each sample were: site A 0.172 (-1.186 to 1.53), site B -0.275 (-1.317 to 0.767), site C -0.146 (-0.868 to 0.576), site D -0.088 (-0.864 to 0.688), and site E -0.251 (-1.099 to 0.597). The sensitivity of the DCA 2000 assay ranged between 80 and 94%, and the specificity between 88 and 100%, depending on site. For pooled results, the correlation coefficient assayed by the two methods was 0.95. The mean variation was -0.116 and the 95% confidence interval -1.23 to 0.998. The sensitivity of DCA 2000 was 91%, and the specificity 94%. DCA tended to underestimate HbAlc slightly as compared to HPLC. This study confirms the reliability of DCA 2000 for measuring glycated Hb. The system is easy to use and provides valuable information for the care of the diabetic patients.

Giant hepatic hemangiomas are rare entities. They can be symptomatic with pain and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Cholestasis has already been reported. We describe a case of biliary dilatation secondary to a hemorrhagic giant hepatic hemangioma documented on CT and MRI.

Plasmapheresis and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-apheresis are recognized procedures for the treatment of hyperlipidemia resistant to diet and lipid-lowering drugs and provide information on cholesterol synthesis in hypercholesterolemic patients. However, cholesterol synthesis after acute cholesterol removal from plasma has never been investigated in normocholesterolemic patients. In this study, cholesterol synthesis was evaluated in three normocholesterolemic patients by determination of plasma lathosterol, lathosterol-to-cholesterol ratio, and plasma mevalonic acid. In a short-term kinetic study, samples were collected before and after plasmapheresis and every 6 hours during 24 hours. In the second part of the study, cholesterol synthesis was evaluated daily for 3 days. In normocholesterolemic patients, cholesterol returns to basal levels in 3 days. However, cholesterol removal did not result in a significant increase in lathosterol-to-cholesterol ratio or in plasma mevalonic acid, despite a slight increase in lathosterol. In contrast, when repeated plasma exchanges induced a dramatic hypocholesterolemia (1 mmol/liter), an acute but transient stimulation of cholesterol synthesis was observed (lathosterol/cholesterol ratio and MVA, respectively, increase from 8.2 to 22.3 and from 28 nmol/liter to 98 nmol/liter). This study shows that cholesterol synthesis is not stimulated by plasmapheresis in normocholesterolemic patients but is enhanced in dramatic hypocholesterolemic patients (1 mmol/liter).

Objectif Evaluer l’intensite et la frequence du phenomene de l’aube dans le diabete de type 2 et etudier son impact sur l’exposition totale au glucose. Patients et methodes 248 patients diabetiques de type 2 non traites par l’insuline ont beneficie d’un enregistrement glycemique continu. Le phenomene de l’aube a ete quantifie par la difference entre la glycemie precedant le petit dejeuner et le nadir nocturne. Sa frequence a ete mesuree pour 2 valeurs seuils : ∂ glucose > 10 ou 20 mg/dl. Les participants ont ete separes sur la presence ou l’absence d’un phenomene de l’aube dont le seuil a ete fixe a 10 (n = 146) ou a 20 mg/dl (n = 136) puis apparies sur le nadir glycemique. L’impact du phenomene de l’aube a ete evalue sur l’HbA1c et sur la moyenne glycemique des 24 heures. Resultats Chez les 248 sujets, la mediane du ∂ glucose [intervalle inter-quartile] etait egale a 16,0 [0–31,5 mg/dl] et les frequences a 10 et 20 mg/dl etaient respectivement egales a 58,1 % et 40,7 %. Aucune difference n’a ete observee entre les groupes selectionnes sur l’HbA1c et les traitements. L’impact moyen sur l’HbA1c etait le meme a 10 et 20 mg/dl (0,36 ± 0,13 et 0,39 ± 12 % respectivement) mais plus marque sur la moyenne glycemique des 24 heures quand le seuil etait fixe a 20 mg/dl (12,4 ± 2,4 mg/dl) comparativement a un seuil fixe a 10 mg/dl (7,5 ± 3,2 mg/dl). Conclusion Un seuil de 20 mg/dl correspond a une meilleure definition du phenomene de l’aube que 10 mg/dl. A 20 mg/dl l’impact sur l’equilibre global du diabete (environ 0,4 % sur l’HbA1c) reste modeste mais suffisamment marque pour ne pas etre neglige.

A case of symptomatic giant hemangioma of the liver with fever, anemia, and increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate is reported. Spontaneous hyperdense areas at CT, and high signal-intensity areas at T1-weighted MR images were demonstrated within the hemangioma. Marked hemorrhagic zones demonstrated at pathologic examination may explain these uncommon clinical and imaging features.

Renal vein thrombosis was observed in a patient with acute ulcerative colitis complicated by retroperitoneal perforation. Retroperitoneal inflammation related to colonic perforation may constitute a predisposing factor for local thrombosis in combination with coagulation disorders (protein S deficiency).