Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: This study investigated compatibility between post chemoradiation magnetic resonance images and histologic findings after operation and chemoradiation in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer.

Methods: In this prospective study, 63 patients referred to Cancer Institute of Emam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from October 2011 to October 2013 with locally advanced rectal cancer receiving neoadjuvant chemoradiation (50.4 Gy external beam radiation with concomitant capecitabine 825 mg/m2 PO twice a day with or without 60 mg/m2 oxaliplatin weekly). Patients had an MRI before chemoradiation and MRI assessment were used to identify Tumor (T) and lymph node (N) staging by an experienced radiologist. Patients were recommended to repeat MRI after surgery but it was not obligatory. Findings of post chemoradiation MRI and histopathologic reports were compared. Downstaging was defined as at least one stage decrease in T or N in histopathologic report comparing to their first MRI, on condition of no sign of disease progression.

Results: 32 patients (50.79%) had T downstaging and 36 of them (57.14%) showed N downstaging: none had disease progression. In this study MRI had an accuracy of 55.5% for rectal tumor (T) restaging after chemoradiation comparing to pathology. MRI sensitivity for T restaging was 33.3% to 83.3%.  There was a higher possibility to have errors in restaging of T1-2 stages. Specificity of MRI for T restaging was higher than its sensitivity, 66.6%. In this study lymph node involvement (N) was determined according to morphology and size. MRI has an accuracy of 42.8% for detecting lymph node involvement. Its sensitivity and specificity for N restaging were 50% and 66.6% respectively. All patients had MRI before chemoradiation, although 21 of them repeated MRI after chemoradiation since it was not mandatory. 19 of these 21 patients underwent surgery.

Conclusion: Although MRI is a suitable imaging for staging locally advanced rectal cancer its use for restaging after chemoradiation is under question. According to this study, MRI accuracy rates for both T and N restaging were below the rates of previous studies.

Background: Acetabular dysplasia is a well-known cause of early osteoarthritis of hip which may appear at any time (perinatal, breast-feeding and childhood). The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of children with de-velopmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) after undergoing open reduction, capsulorrhaphy and Pemberton osteotomy procedures.

Methods: This study prospectively conducted on 13 patients with DDH who attended to Razi Hospital at Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences at Ahvaz, Iran, from April 2012 to March 2015. Inclusion criteria were children with age range of 18 months to 8 years and acetabular index≥ 40 degree. Exclusion criteria were the age less than 18 months or above 8 years, connective tissue diseases, secondary dislocation due to previous infection, and acetabular dysplasia with specific syndrome. All patients were evaluated before surgery and at least one year after surgery in terms of clinical evaluations, dislocation or subluxation of hip, congruity of hip and radiological out-comes according to grading systems of McKay, Tonnis grading system, Severin classi-fication and acetabular index, respectively. All patients underwent open reduction, capsulorrhaphy, and Pemberton’s osteotomy in single-stage surgery and if necessary femoral shortening was performed.

Results: Ten patients (12 hips) were evaluated. Of those, 4 patients (40%) had right hip involvement. The mean age score was 38.92±12.37 months (range: 24-65 months). Acetabular index showed significant reduction after surgery in compare to before sur-gery (P= 0.002). According to Tonnis grading, 91.6% of cases were in I-II classes. Moreover, 66.6% of cases at clinical examinations of McKay criteria had excellent and good results after surgery. According to Severin radiographic findings criteria, 83.2% of cases were in I-III classes after surgery. There was statistically significant improvement in patients according to different grading systems.

Conclusion: In conclusion, Pemberton osteotomy could be an effective procedure and also in conjunction with other surgical procedures for the treatment of patients with DDH who presented in higher age and late.

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease presenting with inflammation, tenderness and destruction of the synovial joints, resulting in severe disability and early death due to complication of disease. Previous diagnostic criteria are not useful for identifying patients who need early treatment. Thus, new diagnostic criteria for faster diagnosis of disease are introduced in 2010. The aim of this study was to compared 1987 ACR (American College of Rheumatology) criteria and 2010 ACR/EULAR (European League Against Rheumatism) classification criteria for diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis.