AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
-
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Sep 2018
Brachial Plexus Ultrasound and MRI in Children with Brachial Plexus Birth Injury.
Brachial plexus birth injury is caused by traction on the neck during delivery and results in flaccid palsy of an upper extremity commonly involving C5-C6 nerve roots. MR imaging and MR myelography help to assess the anatomic location, extent, and severity of brachial plexus injuries which influence the long-term prognosis along with the surgical decision making. Recently, sonography has been increasingly used as the imaging modality of choice for brachial plexus injuries. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of correlation among brachial plexus sonography, MR imaging, and surgical findings in children with brachial plexus birth injury. ⋯ High-resolution sonography can identify and locate the postganglionic injury associated with the upper and middle trunks. The ability of sonography to evaluate pre- and the postganglionic injury associated with the lower trunk was quite limited. Sonography can be used as a complement to MR imaging; thus, the duration of the MR imaging examination and the need for sedation can be reduced by sonography.
-
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Sep 2018
Time Course of Cerebral Perfusion Changes in Children with Migraine with Aura Mimicking Stroke.
Hemiplegic migraine is a common cause of acute brain attack in pediatrics. MR imaging sequences useful in differentiating hemiplegic migraine from other entities include arterial spin-labeling, SWI, MRA, and DWI. There has been limited exploration on the simultaneous use of these sequences in pediatrics. ⋯ All 12 patients had normal DWI and abnormal arterial spin-labeling findings. Furthermore, we observed a more rapid transition from hypoperfusion to rebound hyperperfusion in 3 patients compared with prior reports. These findings support the use of multimodal MR imaging to distinguish migraine with aura from stroke and the simultaneous use of these MR imaging sequences to improve understanding of perfusion changes during migraine with aura.
-
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Sep 2018
Observational StudyAssociation between Type 1 Modic Changes and Propionibacterium Acnes Infection in the Cervical Spine: An Observational Study.
Research on the association between Propionibacterium acnes in the disc space and type 1 Modic changes in adjacent vertebrae is limited and has produced mixed results. The prevalence of bacteria in intervertebral discs contradicts the prior understanding that skeletal areas in the human anatomy are sterile; yet it opens new treatment possibilities. We investigated the relationship of P acnes and type 1 Modic changes in the cervical spine. ⋯ We conclude that P acnes was prevalent in the degenerated cervical spine and that type 1 Modic changes were predictive of a culture positive for P acnes. We also found that the prevalence of P acnes was not associated with previous interventions. If these results are validated by future studies, they could have a major impact on the standard of care for back and neck pain.
-
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Aug 2018
Morphology-Specific Discrimination between MS White Matter Lesions and Benign White Matter Hyperintensities Using Ultra-High-Field MRI.
Recently published North American Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis guidelines call for derivation of a specific radiologic definition of MS WM lesions and mimics. The purpose of this study was to use SWI and magnetization-prepared FLAIR images for sensitive differentiation of MS from benign WM lesions using the morphologic characteristics of WM lesions. ⋯ Nonconfluent lesions of >3 mm with ≥1 central vein were the most sensitive and specific differentiators between patients with MS and control subjects.
-
AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Aug 2018
Prognostic Implications of Gadolinium Enhancement of Skull Base Chordomas.
Skull base chordomas often demonstrate variable MR imaging characteristics, and there has been limited prior research investigating the potential clinical relevance of this variability. The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the prognostic implications of signal intensity on standard imaging techniques for the biologic behavior of skull base chordomas. ⋯ Enhancement of skull base chordomas is a risk factor for tumor progression/recurrence following surgical resection.