seyed reza saadat mostafavi

Endometriosis is a gynecologic disorder which causes dysmenorrhea and infertility. Early diagnosis of endometriosis can help prevent the necessity for invasive diagnostic procedures. Medical imaging has been widely utilized to diagnose various diseases without the need for invasive procedures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the cervical length in women with endometriosis.

In this case-control study, the case group consisted of nulliparous women with endometriosis, while the control group comprised nulliparous women without endometriosis. A total of 42 individuals were included in each group. Cervical length was measured using transvaginal ultrasound from the external os to the internal os. The patients in the case group underwent laparoscopy to confirm the diagnosis. Pearson chi-square test and Fisher’s exact test were employed to compare categorical variables with a p<0.05 considered statistically significant.

In both groups, there were no notable variations in any of the demographic characteristics. However, the severity of dysmenorrhea was significantly different between the two groups (p=0.01). The average diameter of the mediolateral cervix (29.48±6.2 and 27.14±3.8) was statistically significant between the patient group and control group, respectively (p=0.04). The mediolateral width may have a positive predictive effect on the presence of endometriosis, while cervical length appears to have a protective effect against endometriosis.

Demographic data do not predict endometriosis. This study suggests that mediolateral width in transvaginal sonography can serve as a minimally invasive diagnostic tool for endometriosis, showing correlation with endometriosis symptoms like dysmenorrhea and dyspareunia.

Doppler sonography parameters, particularly the resistive index (RI), have been identified as an essential tool for assessing renal transplant dysfunction (RTD). However, there is some ambiguity in the findings of previous research studies on this matter. Therefore, the objective of our study is to examine the relationship between changes in RI subsequent to RTD.

This was a systematic review and meta-analysis study. We searched three electronic databases PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus, from the year 2000 to 10 May 2022. The main effect size was considered as the mean RI differences of cases with RTD confirmed by biopsy with control patients with no RTD. We used random effect models to pool the effect size.

Thirteen studies were included in our review. The pooled mean (95% CI) for the control group was calculated to be 0.71 (0,67, 0.75) and for patients with renal transplant dysfunction was 0.73 (0.68, 0.78), under a random effect model with high heterogeneity for both analyses (I2=98% and 97%, respectively). The pooled mean was significantly different between the control group and patients with RTD (P= 0.05), based on a t-test of pooled effect sizes.

Based on the result of our study, we showed that there is a significant difference between RI in patients with kidney transplant dysfunction and the control group. However, RI cannot substitute kidney biopsy in the management and diagnosis of RTD.

Gender identification is a crucial starting point in creating a biological profile for human skeletal remains because it reduces the number of possible matches by 50%. The vertebrae (especially the chest and back) can also be some of the best-preserved skeletal elements in some areas of forensics and archeology. In the present study, gender and age were assessed based on the measurement of three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scan indices of the Twelfth thoracic (T12) vertebrae and the first and fifth lumbar (L1 and L5) vertebrae in Iranian adults.

The present study was a descriptive study carried out on 200 participants over 18 years of age in 2020. Individuals measuring thoracic and lumbar vertebrae diameters (T12 and first and fifth lumbar vertebrae) by three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) scan (Toshiba, Japan, 16-Slice) with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) and volume rendering were placed in two sagittal and horizontal sections.

The mean age of male and female participants was 34.62±9.63 years and 34.10±9.70 years, respectively, which were not significantly different (P=0.789). The present study showed that the mean indices for T12, L1 and L5 vertebrae were significantly higher in males (P>0.05). The results also showed that T12, L1, and L5 indices of nuts are not good predictors for age estimation.

Based on the results, the indices of the T12 vertebrae and the L1, and L5 vertebrae can be used to determine gender, but these indices are not a good criterion to estimate age and do not have the necessary accuracy to predict the age variable.

Cumulative effects of biomechanical risk factors on rotator cuff tendinopathy have not yet been determined. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate cumulative effects of biomechanical risk factors on rotator cuff tendinopathy among workers.

This descriptive study was conducted on 470 patients suspected of rotator cuff tendinopathy, who referred to the radiology department of Rasool-e-Akram Hospital in Tehran, Iran (July 2018-March 2019). To this end, ergonomic risk factors, including excessive hand raising, repetitive tasks, upper arm flexion, grip force, awkward posture, vibration, abduction, and rotation were evaluated. The subjects were divided into four categories, according to the number of affecting risk factors. Next, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify predictors of rotator cuff tendinopathy. The study data were analyzed by SPSS V24.0.

Risk factors, such as excessive hand raising, repetitive tasks, upper arm flexion, and awkward posture had a significant association with the frequency of rotator cuff tendinopathy (p < 0.05). Our study showed that shoulder tendinopathy had a statistically significant association with having at least one affecting risk factor (OR=3.96 95%CI: 2.26-6.96), two affecting risk factors (OR=6.82 95%CI: 4.13-11.26), three affecting risk factors (OR=10.25 95%CI: 4.35-24.14), and four affecting risk factors (OR=12.61 95%CI: 1.69-93.63).

The existence of more than one mechanical risk factor in the workplace is associated with a greater increase in the possibility of rotator cuff tendinopathy. In most workplaces, there is usually more than one mechanical risk factor, so it is necessary to pay attention to cumulative effects of all of them.

Endometriosis is one of the most common gynecological disorders, which causes pain and reduces fertility. An accurate diagnostic technique would be helpful in the management of these patients preoperatively. The objective of this study was to do a comparative evaluation of uterosacral involvement in deep infiltrative endometriosis by transvaginal sonography (TVS) and laparoscopic biopsy.

TVS and laparoscopy were done in all patients suspected to have endometriosis. TVS examination was carried out to identify endometriotic lesions, and in suspicious laparoscopic views, biopsy was done and laparoscopic findings were confirmed by pathologic report. Then, TVS and pathological findings in laparoscopy were compared and data analyzed by SPSS Version 23.

In our study on 80 patients, the mean age was 34.47 ± 5.94 (mean ± SD) years. Comparison of ultrasound with laparoscopic examinations showed that ultrasound as the gold standard method, has sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of 93%, 65%, and 87%, and 78.9%, respectively, while in the diagnosis of increased uterosacral ligament thickness showed 82%, 100%, and 100% and 6.66%, respectively. While in the diagnosis of nodules in the uterosacral ligament, 100% for all four parameters in the diagnosis of endometrioma in the ovaries, and 71%, 96.4%, and 97.3% and 64.2%, respectively, in the diagnosis of rectal, bladder, and ureteral involvement.

TVS can be used in the diagnosis of endometriosis by examining the increase in the thickness of the uterosacral ligament and the presence of hypoechoic nodules in it; also, this method demonstrates acceptable sensitivity and specificity in ovarian endometrioma.

Identification of victims is one of the main challenges of forensic medicine. Height is one of the key measurements of the biological profiles of individuals. This study aimed to evaluate height based on measuring three-dimensional CT scan indices of twelfth thoracic (T12), first lumbar (L1), and fifth lumbar (L5) vertebrae in Iranian adults.

The present study was a cross-sectional study performed on 100 patients who underwent a spinal CT scan. Vertebral T12, L1, and L5 indices were measured in these individuals. Finally, the evaluated indices were statistically compared and the diagnostic effect of each was evaluated to estimate the height. Independent t-test and linear regression were used using SPSS software v. 21. A P value less than 0.05 was considered significant.

The results showed that the mean difference between T12, L1, and L5 indices in the two groups of male and female patients was statistically significant. With one unit increase in the Transverse process distance T 12 (TDM T12), there is an increase of 0.42 units in height (P=0.02).

According to the results of the present study, the measurements of the T12, L1, and L5 vertebral indices have a significant relationship with gender. Among the measurements of the T12, L1, and L5 vertebral indices, just TDM T12 can be a predictive factor to estimate the height of the Iranian population

Stature and gender are essential parameters of forensic anthropology. Moreover, their estimation is critical for medico-legal investigations to identify unknown remains. The present study aimed to estimate stature and gender by the anthropometric dimensions of the Iranian population’s third, fourth, and fifth fingers.

In this cross-sectional study, 199 individuals (99 men & 100 women) were included. Individuals’ demographic information was recorded. A caliper measured the length of the fingers. An anthropometer was used for the measurement of stature. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS. A multivariate linear regression test was used to predict the stature of individuals based on finger length.

In males and females, a solid and positive direct relationship was observed between the length of the third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the hand with the stature of individuals and between the length of the fingers with each other. In the coefficient table of the regression model of this study, in males, the length of the fingers was not predictive of stature, and only the length of the third finger in females had a predictive effect on stature (P=0.007).

According to the obtained results, stature is predictable in women through the third finger length using the derived regression equation

Normal cephalogram parameters seem to be gender discriminative and thus applicable in forensic medicine. We assessed validity of cephalogram parameters in gender identification among the Iranian population. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 75 Iranian men and 75 Iranian women aged 25 to 54 years. On their first admission, the physicians requested for simple lateral skull X-ray for all participants. Using area under the ROC curve, gonion-gonion index (AUC=0.741) and vertex- mention index (AUC=0.697) had a moderate value to discriminate male from female gender, while other parameters lacked enough power to differentiate gender. The best cut-off point in gonion-gonion index for discriminating male from female gender was 103.75 with a sensitivity of 74.7% and a specificity of 65.3%. Also, the best cut-off value for vertex-mention index to differentiate two genders was 244.75 with a sensitivity of 74.7% and a specificity of 62.7%. By considering two parameters of gonion-gonion and vertex-mention, it is possible to differentiate males from females with a sensitivity of 82.6% and a specificity of 71.8%. The two gonion-gonion and vertex-mention indices on cephalogram are applicable for gender discrimination.

The study of shoulder pathologies as one of the most common orthopedic injuries due to the lack of sensitivity of clinical findings is one of the topics discussed in radiology papers. Traditionally, MRI is a selective diagnostic modality of choice. However, due to its limitations, such as high cost and unavailability, simple and cheaper methods seems to be valuable. Sonography can be a good alternative in this field that examines soft tissue pathologies. This study evaluated the magnitude of ultrasound and MRI matching in cases of partial and complete tear of cuff muscles and accompanying findings such as subacromial bursal effusion and degenerative changes of shoulder joint. In this study 85 patients who referred to the radiology department of Hazrat-e-Rasool Akram Hospital were asked for simultaneous sonographic examination of the shoulder. The degree of ultrasound and MRI correlation in localizing the tear as well as the severity of tear based on complete or partial was evaluated for each rotator cuff muscle individually. Also the degree of subacromial bursa effusion and acromioclavicular join hypertrophy were also compared. A total of 85 patients (30 males and 55 females) with different injuries in supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis and long head of biceps tendon, sonography was in acceptable agreement with the findings of MRI in the diagnosis of complete and partial tear and in determining their location. However, the tendency of tendon retraction is less than predicted by MRI. Shoulder ultrasound can be used as an alternative modality to MRI, especially in cases where it is not available, to examine the rupture of cuff tendons, as well as the extent and severity of subacromial bursa effusion and acromioclavicular joint hypertrophy.

Recent studies have indicated the relation of vertebral endplate lesions (Modic changes) to low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to investigate the Modic changes in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with low back pain, and its correlation with age, sex, type of changes, number of involved segments and location of changes. Additionally, association of degenerative disc changes and disc herniation was assessed. In this retrospective study, MRI records of 229 patients with LBP referring to Medical Center of Hazrat-e-Rasoul Hospital, Tehran, Iran, from August to February 2014, were assessed and Modic changes and degenerative and herniated disc changes were recorded. Based on our observations, a significant association between Modic type and age (P= 0.003) existed in patients with LBP. The highest prevalence in Modic location were observed in anterior part of vertebral endplate (48.8%, P= 0.001). Although, observation of the Modic changes in superior vertebral endplate was higher than inferior parts, but this differences was not statistically significant. The highest prevalence in degenerative disc disease was disc dehydration which was observed in 18.1% of patients (P= 0.04). The relationship between the degenerative changes and Modic type was significant (P= 0.04), while the most prevalent change of disc contour was disc bulging which occurred in 23.7% of patients (P= 0.01). The highest frequency of abnormal disc contour were observed in Modic type 2 which was statistically significant (P= 0.01). Modic surface involvement above 25% was significantly associated with disc herniation (P= 0.04). There was no significant association between Modic height involvement above 25% and disc herniation. Considering significant association between Modic changes and degenerative and herniated disc changes, reporting of Modic changes is necessary.