AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · May 2011
Clinical TrialHigh-resolution MRI of carotid plaque with a neurovascular coil and contrast-enhanced MR angiography: one-stop shopping for the comprehensive assessment of carotid atherosclerosis.
The objective of our study was to assess a protocol of study of carotid atherosclerosis coupling vascular wall imaging and luminal imaging in the same examination and to evaluate the accuracy of high-resolution MRI with a neurovascular coil in carotid plaque characterization. ⋯ In patients with carotid atherosclerosis, ongoing CE-MRA with a neurovascular coil for the simultaneous detection of unstable plaques is feasible. Our MR protocol accurately identifies the major features of vulnerable plaque.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · May 2011
Does a clinical decision rule using D-dimer level improve the yield of pulmonary CT angiography?
The objective of our study was to evaluate the impact of incorporating a mandatory clinical decision rule and selective d-dimer use on the yield of pulmonary CT angiography (CTA). ⋯ Guidelines combining a clinical decision rule with d-dimer level significantly improved the utilization of pulmonary CTA and positive yield for PE.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · May 2011
MDCT findings in Baastrup disease: disease or normal feature of the aging spine?
Baastrup disease is characterized by the development of abnormal contact between adjacent spinous processes. The clinical significance remains unresolved, a few studies showing Baastrup disease as a cause of back pain. The aim of this study was to establish the frequency of Baastrup disease in a large unselected cohort to determine whether it is part of the expected spectrum of degenerative changes in the aging spine. ⋯ Baastrup disease occurs with high frequency among the elderly. Our data show that it develops with increasing age and is part of the expected degenerative changes in the aging spine. Because of the nearly universal association with other degenerative changes, we urge caution before diagnosing Baastrup disease as the cause of back pain.