Usefulness of MR Arthrography of the Hip with and without leg Traction in Detection of Intra-articular Bodies

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE

Although intra-articular bodies are a classic indication for MR arthrography and surgical removal, diagnostic studies are currently sparse. To assess the diagnostic performance of MR arthrography with and without leg traction in detection of intra-articular bodies in the hip joint.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The institutional hip arthroscopy data base (2009-2016: 631 hips) was retrospectively reviewed. Inclusion criteria were hips with and without intra-articular bodies and direct MR arthrography performed with and without leg traction. Twenty-one hips with intra-articular bodies constituted the "disease-positive" group. Seventy-nine randomly selected hips without intra-articular bodies constituted the "disease-negative" group. Images were reviewed independently for presence of intra-articular bodies by two blinded readers. Overall diagnosis and location of intra-articular bodies was recorded (peripheral or central). Arthroscopy served as goldstandard for diagnosis and location of intra-articular bodies. Diagnostic performance and kappa statistics of traction MR arthrography with and without traction were calculated.

RESULTS

For both readers sensitivity/specificity of traction MR arthrography was 86%-95% respectively 90%-91% for overall diagnosis of intra-articular bodies and was 81%-86% respectively 90%-92%for MR arthrogrpahy without traction. For central intra-articular bodies sensitivity was higher for both readers with traction (79%-89%) than without traction (74% each).

CONCLUSION

MR arthrography with and without traction of the hip is highly accurate in identifying central and peripheral intra-articular bodies. Application of traction was further useful for visualization of centrally located intra-articular bodies.

Modulation of cytostatic drugs by nifedipine in two heterotransplanted human testicular-cancer cell lines differing in their sensitivity to standard agents

Drug resistance is an important clinical problem in testicular cancer patients with relapsed or refractory disease after first-line chemotherapy. Here we report that the relative reduction in tumour volume in nude mice heterotransplanted with either H 12.1 or H 23.1 human testicular cancer cell lines was significantly increased by addition of the calcium antagonist nifedipine to the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of cisplatin (DDP). The mean reduction in relative tumour volume at day 30 (rVR) reached statistical significance for both cell lines following combination therapy of DDP with nifedipine compared to DDP alone (55 +/- 7% versus 12 +/- 4% for H 23.1 and 60 +/- 9% vs. DDP with nifedipine has also been confirmed in H 12.1 cells in vitro. However, in vivo, this combination was associated with a concordant increase in therapeutic toxicity. In contrast, no improvement in in vivo anti-tumour activity was obtained by combining similar dose-schedules of nifedipine with the MTD of epirubicin, or with MTDs of vinblastine or etoposide. These results are in agreement with our immunohistochemical finding that H 12.1 and H 23.1 do not over-express the Pgp 170 glycoprotein which mediates the multiple drug resistance (MDR) phenotype and involves both anthracyclines and vinblastine, but not DDP. We conclude that another Pgp-MDR modulator, nifedipine, is able to increase the anti-tumour activity of DDP in vivo and in vitro via a specific but as yet unknown mechanism, which is most likely not MDR-related. However, the increased anti-tumour activity is, in vivo, associated with a considerable increase in overall toxicity. Further studies are necessary to decrease therapeutic toxicity, before clinically relevant models for modifiers of DDP-resistance could possibly be applied to patients.