In order to analyse asymmetries between hemimandibles, a sample of 24 mandibles from ferrets was studied by means of geometric morphometric methods, using a set of 3 landmarks and 14 semilandmarks, on the lateral aspect. Results showed that both size and shape played a significative role in mandibular asymmetry. For shape, there appeared significative fluctuating and directional asymmetries, with an especially high level for this latter. Landmarks corresponding to muscular attachments showed greater landmark asymmetry. This it is supported the hypothesis of a chewing side preference, e.g., a mastication-related driver for mandibular shape asymmetry.

This retrospective study assessed anatomical characteristics of cervicomedullary compression in children with achondroplasia. Twelve anatomical parameters were analyzed (foramen magnum diameter and area; myelon area; clivus length; tentorium and occipital angles; brainstem volume outside the posterior fossa; and posterior fossa, cerebellum, supratentorial ventricular system, intracranial cerebrospinal fluid, and fourth ventricle volumes) from sagittal and transversal T1- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans from 37 children with achondroplasia aged ≤ 4 years (median [range] 0.8 [0.1–3.6] years) and compared with scans from 37 children without achondroplasia (median age 1.5 [0–3.9] years). Mann-Whitney U testing was used for between-group comparisons. Foramen magnum diameter and area were significantly smaller in children with achondroplasia compared with the reference group (mean 10.0 vs. 16.1 mm [p < 0.001] and 109.0 vs. 160.8 mm2 [p = 0.005], respectively). The tentorial angle was also steeper in children with achondroplasia (mean 47.6 vs. 38.1 degrees; p < 0.001), while the clivus was significantly shorter (mean 23.5 vs. 30.3 mm; p < 0.001). Significant differences were also observed in myelon area, occipital angle, fourth ventricle, intracranial cerebrospinal fluid and supratentorial ventricular volumes, and the volume of brainstem protruding beyond the posterior fossa (all p < 0.05). MRI analysis of brain structures may provide a standardized value to indicate decompression surgery in children with achondroplasia.

Artificial intelligence has garnered significant attention in recent years as a rapidly advancing field of computer technology. With the continual advancement of computer hardware, deep learning has made breakthrough developments within the realm of artificial intelligence. Over the past few years, applying deep learning architecture in medicine and Industrial anomaly inspection has significantly contributed to solving numerous challenges related to efficiency and accuracy. Despite excellent results in radiological, pathological, endoscopic, ultrasonic, and biochemical examinations, this paper utilizes deep learning combined with image processing to identify spinal canal and vertebral foramen dimensions. In existing research, technologies such as corrosion and expansion in magnetic resonance image (MRI) processing have also strengthening the accuracy of results. Indicators such as area and Intersection over Union (IoU)are also provided for assessment. Among them, the mean average precision (mAP), for identifying intervertebral foramen (IVF) and intervertebral disc (IVD) through YOLOv4 is 95.6%. Resnet50 mixing U-Net was employed to identify the spinal canal and intervertebral foramen and achieved IoU scores of 79.11% and 80.89%.

Background: PFO (Patent foramen ovale) is a common defect that affects about 25% of the population. Although its presence is asymptomatic in the majority of the cases, the remaining part becomes overt with different symptoms, including cryptogenic stroke. The PFO closure procedure is widely available to date with the most used Amplatzer PFO Occluder, also in complex anatomy, but the performance of another device, the GORE Septal Occluder (GSO), has not been completely explored with regard to different septal anatomies. Methods: From March 2012 to June 2020, 118 consecutive patients with an indication for PFO closure were treated using the GSO system and included in a prospective analysis and followed. After 12 months, every patient underwent transcranial Doppler to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment. Results: of 111 patients evaluated, 107 showed effective PFO closure (96,4%) and 4 showed a residual shunt (3,6%). To better evaluate the device performance, the overall population was sorted into 2 clusters based on the echocardiographic characteristics. The main difference between groups was for PFO width (4,85 ± 1,8 vs 2,9 ± 1 mm, p <0,001) and PFO tunnel length (12,6 ± 3,8 vs 7,2 ± 2 respectively, p <0,001), allowing identification of complex anatomy and simple anatomy, respectively. Regardless of the aforementioned cluster, the GSO performance to reach an effective closure was independent of anatomy type and the chosen device size. Conclusion: GSO device showed efficacy and safety at 1-year follow-up in patients with at least 1 anatomical factor of complexity of PFO, irrespectively from the level of complexity itself.

Traditional diagnosis of patent foramen ovale (PFO) in the heart has involved the use of transcranial doppler (TCD). However, TCD is essentially a blind test that cannot directly visualize the location of blood vessels. Since TCD relies on qualitative assessments by examiners, there is room for errors, such as misalignment of the ultrasound's angle of incidence with the actual blood vessels. This limitation affects the reproducibility and consistency of the examination. In this study, we presented an alternative approach for assessing right-to-left shunt (RLS) associated with PFO using contrast transcranial color-coded doppler (C-TCCD) with bubble contrast. The patient under consideration had been diagnosed with an ischemic stroke through imaging, but the subsequent cardiac work-up failed to determine the cause. Employing C-TCCD for RLS screening revealed a confirmed RLS of Spencer’s three grades. Subsequently, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) was conducted to evaluate PFO risk factors, confirming an 8 mm PFO size, a 21 mm tunnel length, a hypermobile interatrial septum, and persistent RLS. The calculated high-risk PFO score was 4 points, categorizing it as a very high-risk PFO. This case underscores the importance of C-TCCD screening in detecting RLS associated with PFO, especially in cryptogenic stroke patients when identifying the underlying cause of ischemic stroke becomes challenging.

That birds are maniraptoran theropod dinosaurs is now considered an evolutionary consensus. An “open” (i.e., completely, or substantially perforate) acetabulum is considered an important synapomorphy verifying the bird-dinosaur nexus. Here I present anatomical evidence from morphological aspects of the acetabulum and its important appurtenances, the supracetabular crest and the antitrochanter, that the hip anatomy differs substantially between dinosaurs and birds and for the current hypothesis of origins to be correct unlikely anatomical reversals would have been required. Given the thin bone of the acetabular walls and the varied tissue, both hard and soft, in the acetabular region and especially the lower part of the basin, it is apparent that many avian skeletons exhibit some anatomical loss of soft tissue and thin bone, some perhaps related to changes in gait, but also in part related to the dramatic trend in bone reduction associated with flight, especially in more advanced crown taxa. Many basal birds and early diverging neornithines tend to have a nearly closed or various levels of partially closed acetabula, thus rendering the current terms “open” or “closed” acetabula inaccurate; they should be modified or replaced.

Background: The Risk of Paradoxical Embolism (RoPE) score was developed to identify stroke-related patent foramen ovale (PFO) in patients with cryptogenic stroke. Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of the 2016 to 2020 National Inpatient Sample to determine the performance of modified RoPE score for PFO presence in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Results: A total of 3,338,805 hospital admissions for AIS were analysed and 3.0% had PFO. Patients with PFO were younger compared to those without PFO (median 63 years vs. 71 years, p&lt;0.001) and fewer were female (46.1% vs. 49.7%, p&lt;0.001). The patients with PFO had greater mean modified RoPE score (4.0 vs. 3.3, p&lt;0.001). The area under the curve for the RoPE score in predicting PFO was 0.625 (95%CI 0.620-0.629). The best diagnostic power of the RoPE score was achieved with a cut point of ≥4 where the sensitivity was 55% and the specificity was 64.2%. A cut point of ≥5 increased specificity (83.1%) at the expense of sensitivity (35.8%). The strongest predictor of PFO was deep vein thrombosis (OR 3.97, 95%CI 3.76-4.20). Conclusions: The modified RoPE score had modest predictive value in identifying patients with PFO among patients admitted with AIS.

The outflow tract of crocodilians resembles that of birds and mammals as ventricular septation is complete. The arterial anatomy however, presents with a pulmonary trunk originating from the right ventricular cavum, and two aortae originating from either the right or left ventricular cavum. Mixing of blood in crocodilians cannot occur at ventricular level as in other reptiles, but instead takes place at aortic root level by a shunt, the Foramen of Panizza, the opening of which is guarded by two facing semilunar leaflets of both bicuspid aortic valves. Methods. Developmental stages of Alligator mississipiensis, Crocodilus niloticus and Caiman latirostris, have been studied. Results and Conclusions. The outflow tract septation complex can be divided into 2 components. The aorto-pulmonary septum divides the pulmonary trunk from both aortae, whereas the interaortic septum divides the systemic from the visceral aorta. Neural crest cells are most likely involved in the formation of both components. Remodeling of the endocardial cushions and both septa results in the formation of bicuspid valves in all three arterial trunks. The foramen of Panizza originates intracardially as a channel in the septal endocardial cushion.

To date, the patent foramen ovale (PFO) does not get the deserved medical attention. The PFO poses a serious threat to health and even life of mankind. The first respective case report in the medical literature dates back to the 19th century. It led to death. The fact that a PFO is present in roughly 25% of people underscores its overall potential to do harm. Yet at the same time by the sheer number, it discourages the medical community from screening for it and from treating it. About 5% of the population have particularly dangerous forms of PFOs. Such PFOs portray a high enough risk for clinical events, the likes of death, stroke, myocardial infarction, or ocular, visceral, and peripheral embolism, to justify screening for them. Highly significant health incidents being at stake, it appears obvious that PFO closure should be used for primary prevention. This is supported by the fact that closing a PFO is the simplest intervention in cardiology, with presumably the highest clinical yield. Being mainly a preventive measure, PFO closure represents a mechanical vaccination. When closing PFOs for one of the rarer therapeutic indications (migraine, platypnea orthodeoxia, etc.), patients automatically profit from the collateral benefit of getting at the same time mechanically vaccinated for life against paradoxical embolism. Vice versa, closing a PFO for prevention of paradoxical embolism not infrequently betters or cures migraine or exercise dyspnea, thereby improving quality of life as a collateral benefit.