Table of Contents
Editorial
Perspectives
Review Articles
Health Care Reform Vignette
Brain
- Association of CT Perfusion Parameters with Hemorrhagic Transformation in Acute Ischemic Stroke
Because hemorrhagic transformation affects treatment and patient prognosis, these authors explored whether CT perfusion predicts it. Twenty percent of their subjects developed hemorrhagic transformation and these patients did not differ from controls in terms of age, gender, time to presentation, or comorbidities. Only CBV was found to be lower and predictive of hemorrhagic transformation.
Commentary
- Parenchymal Hypointense Foci Associated with Developmental Venous Anomalies: Evaluation by Phase-Sensitive MR Imaging at 3T
These authors used phase-sensitive imaging to evaluate the presence of low-signal foci (hemorrhage or cavernoma) seen in association with developmental venous anomalies. More than 62% of patients with DVAs showed these foci, suggesting that venous congestion caused by abnormal venous drainage may be the cause and that phase-sensitive imaging is useful in their detection.
- Widespread White Matter Alterations in Patients with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Voxelwise Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study
Hemodyalisis may not prevent brain damage resulting from accumulation of urea and other metabolites as previously believed. These investigators used voxelwise DTI to assess the white matter of 28 patients with end-stage renal disease. All DTI parameters were abnormal, especially in the callosum, sagittal stratum, and pons.
- MR Imaging Features of Amyloid-Related Imaging Abnormalities
These authors used MR imaging studies from 210 patients being treated with bapineuzumab derived from 3 phase-2 studies to assess imaging abnormalities related to amyloidosis. Areas of edema and exudate/effusions were seen in 17% and hemosiderin deposition in 12%. Of those with significant hemosiderin deposition, nearly all had microhemorrhages and almost 50% of those with edema and exudate had hemosiderosis.
Functional
Commentary
Interventional
Commentary
Extracranial Vascular
Head & Neck
Pediatrics
- Incidental Findings in Youths Volunteering for Brain MRI Research
Incidental abnormalities seen in research MRI brain studies of 1400 “normal” volunteer individuals aged 8-23 years were assessed. Ten percent showed incidental findings and 12 of these required further follow-up. Findings were not related to age but whites had higher numbers of pineal cysts and males had a higher incidence of cavum septum pellucidum, which was associated with psychosis-related symptoms.
Spine
- Intramedullary Spinal Cord Metastases: MRI and Relevant Clinical Features from a 13-Year Institutional Case Series
This article reviews the MRI and clinical findings in 70 spinal cord metastases; 20% of patients had multiple metastases and 8% were asymptomatic. Spinal cord metastases were the initial clinical presentation in 20% of patients. Nearly all metastases showed contrast enhancement and had extensive edema. Cysts and hemorrhage were, however, uncommon and nearly 60% of patients had other metastases to the CNS or that were seen in studies in other organs. Accompanying pial metastases were also common.
