AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Mar 2002
Development of a perigraft seroma around modified Blalock-Taussig shunts: imaging evaluation.
The modified Blalock-Taussig shunt is a synthetic shunt between the subclavian and pulmonary artery, frequently used in the treatment of children with pulmonary hypoperfusion caused by congenital heart disease. The development of a perigraft seroma is a known complication of this procedure. We sought to describe the imaging features of a perigraft seroma and to define an optimal diagnostic strategy in patients with a suspected perigraft seroma. ⋯ As was found in these critically ill children, sonography has an advantage over CT and MR imaging because of its portability and, therefore, capability for bedside use. We recommend the use of sonography as the initial imaging modality in suspected cases of perigraft seroma development.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Feb 2002
Elbow effusions in trauma in adults and children: is there an occult fracture?
The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether a detectable abnormality was present on MR imaging without a visible fracture on conventional radiography in the setting of trauma. A recent retrospective study based on the presence or absence of periosteal reaction on follow-up radiographs concluded that fractures were not always present. The discrepancies in the literature over the usefulness of joint effusions as an indicator of fracture caused us to evaluate whether fractures were present more often than identified by conventional radiography. To do this, we used MR imaging. ⋯ Preliminary data using screening MR imaging suggests that an occult fracture usually is present in the setting of effusion without radiographically visualized fracture.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Feb 2002
Comparative StudyCan a multiphasic contrast-enhanced three-dimensional fast spoiled gradient-recalled echo sequence be sufficient for liver MR imaging?
The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of a multiphasic gadolinium-enhanced three-dimensional (3D) fast spoiled gradient-recalled echo sequence alone in the detection and characterization of focal liver lesions compared with a comprehensive liver evaluation using multiphasic gadolinium-enhanced 3D fast spoiled gradient-recalled echo, T1-weighted, and fat-suppressed fast spin-echo T2-weighted sequences. ⋯ A multiphasic contrast-enhanced 3D fast spoiled gradient-recalled echo sequence alone detects most of the clinically relevant focal liver lesions. Additional liver examination using both unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted sequences is helpful for lesion characterization but increases the detection rate only minimally.