No abstract

No abstract

L o t h a r H. Hussman, M.D., Charles S i r a k i , M.D.; and B e r t h o l d O s t e r t a g , M.D. ABSTRACT. S p e c i f i c p i c t u r e s i n A-scope u l t r a s o n o g r a m s a r e r e l a t e d d i r e c t l y t o b i o l o g i c a l changes i n t h e b r a i n , by o u r f i n d i n g s . T h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p a p p e a r s i n edema, c i r c u l a t o r y d i s t u r ba n c e s , a n a t o m i c a l a b n o r m a l i t i e s , d e g e n e r a t i v e c e r e b r a l d i s e a s e , normal p r e s s u r e h y d r o c e p h a l u s , space-occupying l e s i o n s , b r a i n damage i n s e v e r e l y burned p a t i e n t s , c o n v u l s i v e d i s o r d e r s , and even i n b r a i n d e a t h . Experiments done w i t h M e t r a z o l and e l e c t r o s h o c k have e l u c i d a t e d t h e s e rel a t i o n s h i p s as t o c o n v u l s i v e d i s o r d e r s and b r a i n death; U l t r a s o n i c d i a g n o s i s t h e r e f o r e e x t e n d s beyond t h e s o -c a l l e d s h i f t of t h e m i d l i n e s t r u c t u r e s . Changes i n e l a s t i c p a r a m e t e r s ( r i g i d i t y and f l a c c i d i t y ) and dynamics of c i r c u l a t i o n and v e n t r i c l e p u l s a t i o n s are r e l e v a n t f a c t o r s modif i e d by t i s s u e p o l a r i z a t i o n . W e b e l i e v e o u r f i n d i n g s open new avenues f o r c l i n i c a l u s e of echoencephalography, which some have t h o u g h t had r e a c h e d i t s l i m i t s i n merely d e t e r m i n i n g s h i f t s i n t h e m i d l i n e complex. White i n 1973 w r o t e t h a t i t i s d i f f i c u l t t o p r ed i c t what e f f e c t a x i a l tomography w i l l have upon t h e f u t u r e development of u l t r a s o n i c encephalography, b u t w e today have no doubt t h a t t h e f u t u r e i s i n e e d v e r y b r i g h t and t h a t t h e EM1 s c a n n e r need n o t f r i g h t e n us i n t h e l e a s t . On t h e c o n t r a r y , we a r e v e r y much encouraged and q u i t e i n agreement w i t h White, who a l s o c l a i m s i n t h e same p a p e r t h a t "range v a r i a t i o n s from s i n g l e i n t r a c r a n i a l i n t e r f a c e s s h o u l d c o n t i n u e t o b e i n v e s t i g a t e d " and t h a t i n a d d i t i o n t o t h e r e g i s t r at i o n of slow p r e s s u r e changes, more i n f o r m a t i o n of c l i n i c a l v a l u e can b e a c q u i r e d by t h i s s i m p l e noni n t r u s i v e t e c h n i q u e . " T h e r e f o r e w e can b e much more a f f i r m a t i v e and p o s i t i v e i n o u r c o n v i c t i o n t h a t , a l l i n a l l , " l a r g e and rewarding f i e l d s " i n t h e u s e of d i a g n o s t i c u l t r asonography s t i l l a w a i t c u l t i v a t i o n . I t i s h e l p f u l t o compare u l t r a s o n i c t r a n s -s k u l l v i s u a l i z a t i o n w i t h t h e t e c h n i q u e of computerized a x i a l tomography. During a r e c e n t Chicago symposium on t h i s new s c a n n i n g d e v i c e , i t becam...