AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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Extrapulmonary small cell carcinoma (EPSCC) is a rare, aggressive neoplasm arising from virtually any organ. Numerous oncologic studies have addressed prognostic indicators and survival rates in EPSCC, however relatively little has been published regarding the imaging features and metastatic patterns of these uncommon tumors. This article provides a pictorial review of EPSCC in multiple organs, emphasizing the imaging appearance at presentation and the radiologic patterns of recurrence/metastasis. ⋯ Although the appearance of EPSCC is often nonspecific, the typical presentation is large aggressive tumors that, similar to small cell carcinoma in the lung, often respond well to local therapy but tend to recur relentlessly at distant sites.
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MR neurography (MRN) has increasingly been used in clinical practice for the evaluation of peripheral nerve disease. This article reviews the historic perspective of MRN, the current imaging trends of this modality, and the future directions and applications that have shown potential for improved imaging and diagnostic capabilities. ⋯ MRN has come a long way in the past 2 decades. Excellent depiction of 3D nerve anatomy and pathology is currently possible. Further technical developments in diffusion-based nerve and muscle imaging, whole-body MRN, and nerve-specific MR contrast agents will likely play a major role in advancing this novel field and understanding peripheral neuromuscular diseases in the years to come.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Sep 2011
Whole-body diffusion-weighted imaging: the added value to whole-body MRI at initial diagnosis of lymphoma.
The objective of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of conventional whole-body MRI without and with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the detection of known (18)F-FDG-avid lymphomas. The conventional whole-body MRI protocol consisted of a T2-weighted sequence and a T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR) sequence with frequency-selective fat suppression. The second protocol used the same sequences as the first protocol but also included DWI. ⋯ The addition of DWI to conventional whole-body MRI sequences enhanced lesion conspicuity and improved diagnostic accuracy for lymphomas. With technical optimization, whole-body MRI with DWI, as a nonionizing imaging modality, may potentially be useful as an alternative method to PET/CT in the management of malignant lymphoma.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Sep 2011
Comparative StudyFree-breathing 3D T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence with radial data sampling in abdominal MRI: preliminary observations.
The purposes of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of a free-breathing 3D gradient-recalled echo sequence with radial data sampling (radial 3D GRE) in abdominal MRI compared with a standard 3D GRE volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination (VIBE) sequence for imaging of cooperative patients and to perform a preliminary assessment in imaging of noncooperative patients. ⋯ A free-breathing radial 3D GRE sequence is feasible for abdominal MRI and may find application in imaging of patients who are unable to suspend respiration, especially children.
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Although dexmedetomidine has been administered to adults by intramuscular injection for perioperative anxiolysis and sedation, this route in children has not been described, to our knowledge. Our hypothesis was that intramuscular dexmedetomidine can be used to achieve sedation for MRI and CT of children. ⋯ The intramuscular route is an alternative approach to dexmedetomidine delivery for pediatric sedation. Larger studies are warranted to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and hemodynamic outcome associated with the intramuscular use of dexmedetomidine in the care of children.