Neuroimaging clinics of North America
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As new treatments are developed for stroke, the potential clinical applications of CT perfusion (CTP) imaging in the diagnosis, triage, and therapeutic monitoring of these diseases are certain to increase. Technical advances in scanner hardware and software should no doubt continue to increase the speed, coverage, and resolution of CTP imaging. CTP offers the promise of efficient use of imaging resources and, potentially, of decreased morbidity. Most importantly, current CT technology already permits the incorporation of CTP as part of an all-in-one acute stroke examination to answer the four fundamental questions of stroke triage quickly and accurately, further increasing the contribution of imaging to the diagnosis and treatment of acute stroke.
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · Aug 2005
ReviewDiffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography in acute stroke.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) permits the quantitative evaluation of white matter pathology using measures of diffusion anisotropy. Fiber tractography based on DTI can reveal the three-dimensional white matter connectivity of the human brain. ⋯ DTI also improves the evaluation of hypoxic-ischemic injury to the developing brain of newborns and infants. DTI and fiber tractography may prove useful in elucidating alterations in brain connectivity resulting from neuroplasticity after stroke.
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2005
ReviewThe evolving role of acute stroke imaging in intravenous thrombolytic therapy: patient selection and outcomes assessment.
In early trials of thrombolysis, unenhanced CT was used to exclude patients with brain hemorrhage or large infarctions but was insensitive to stroke pathophysiology or early signs of cerebral ischemia or infarction. Currently, CT angiography, CT perfusion, and MR imaging can provide information about stroke mechanisms and prognosis, quantify penumbral tissue, and support risk stratification and patient selection. This article reviews the role of neuroimaging in the original intravenous thrombolytic trials, current application of these technologies, and the potential future role of imaging to extend the time window for thrombolysis and to augment therapeutic success.
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2005
ReviewCatheter-based recanalization techniques for acute ischemic stroke.
Recent advances in endovascular interventional therapies have revolutionized the management of acute ischemic stroke. For patients who present with occluded circle of Willis vessels, timely and successful arterial recanalization is the best predictor of clinical improvement. ⋯ Moreover, the US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved the use of a mechanical clot retrieval device for acute embolic stroke, and a number of other similar strategies are under various stages of investigation. This article reviews the diagnostic and interventional approach to the management of large vessel embolic stroke.
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Although the diagnosis of retinoblastoma (Rb) is made primarily by means of clinical examination, CT and MR imaging are helpful to confirm the diagnosis, determine the extent of the intraocular tumor, and exclude extraocular or intracranial involvement. They are also valuable in differentiating Rb from lesions that simulate Rb.