Neuroimaging clinics of North America
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2022
ReviewComputed Tomography Imaging Artifacts in the Head and Neck Region: Pitfalls and Solutions.
Computed tomography (CT) artifacts are aberrations that usually degrade the image quality of CT images, but occasionally provide insights regarding actual imaging findings. The presence of artifacts can be attributed to various sources, including patient, scanner, and postprocessing factors. ⋯ While we cannot fully eliminate the occurrence of CT artifacts, building an awareness of their cause provides reading physicians the tools to detect and read through their presence. Further, this knowledge may be applied to contribute to protocol adjustments to improve a site's overall imaging practice.
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18FDG-PET plays an important role in cancer imaging. However, there are certain challenges with interpreting head and neck 18FDG-PET. In this article, examples of technical issues that can undermine the interpretation of the scans, normal physiologic activity that can mimic lesions or obscure lesions, and causes of false positives and false negatives on posttreatment cancer imaging are discussed. In addition, suggestions for addressing potential pitfalls on head and neck 18FDG-PET are highlighted.
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2022
ReviewPostsurgical and Postradiation Findings in the Head and Neck Imaging.
Surgical procedures and radiation therapy can have recognizable features on diagnostic imaging that should be recognized by the radiologist. Although it is a good practice to reference the surgical and clinical notes regarding any procedures that may have been performed in the head and neck, this information is not always available. Selected examples of posttreatment findings and potential mimics are described and depicted in the following sections.
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Neuroimaging Clin. N. Am. · May 2022
ReviewNormal Vascular Structures and Variants on Head and Neck Imaging.
The vasculature of the neck, comprised of arteries and veins, provides for the supply and return of blood to and from the brain, and to structures of the neck and face. Knowledge of normal appearance and anatomy, and anatomic variants, may help one distinguish between normal and pathologic processes in the neck, which may affect diagnosis or choice of surgical approach. Other related structures that are important to recognize include the thoracic duct and carotid body. In this article examples of mostly computed tomography and MR imaging of normal anatomy and some of these variants are shown.
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A wide variety of foreign bodies can be encountered on head and neck imaging. These foreign bodies might include comestible foreign bodies, retained foreign bodies from trauma, and surgically implanted devices. The imaging features of these items are reviewed in this article.