AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Diffusion tensor MR imaging reveals persistent white matter alteration after traumatic brain injury experienced during early childhood.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can noninvasively quantify white matter (WM) integrity. Although its application in adult traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common, few studies in children have been reported. The purposes of this study were to examine the alteration of fractional anisotropy (FA) in children with TBI experienced during early childhood and to quantify the association between FA and injury severity. ⋯ This DTI study provides evidence that WM integrity remains abnormal in children with moderate-to-severe TBI experienced during early childhood and that injury severity correlated strongly with FA.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Comparative StudyRole of perfusion CT in glioma grading and comparison with conventional MR imaging features.
Perfusion imaging using CT can provide additional information about tumor vascularity and angiogenesis for characterizing gliomas. The purpose of our study was to demonstrate the usefulness of various perfusion CT (PCT) parameters in assessing the grade of treatment-naïve gliomas and also to compare it with conventional MR imaging features. ⋯ PCT can be used for preoperative grading of gliomas and can provide valuable complementary information about tumor hemodynamics, not available with conventional imaging techniques. nCBV was the single best parameter correlating with glioma grades, though using nCBF when nCBV was <1.92 improved the sensitivity. An nCBV threshold of >1.92 was found to identify the high-grade gliomas.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Scoring of CT perfusion in early stroke visualization and assessment.
Qualitative CT perfusion (CTP) assessment by using the Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) allows rapid calculation of infarct extent for middle cerebral artery infarcts. Published thresholds exist for noncontrast CT (NCCT) ASPECTS, which may distinguish outcome/complication risk, but early ischemic signs are difficult to detect. We hypothesized that different ASPECTS thresholds exist for CTP parameters versus NCCT and that these may be superior at predicting clinical and radiologic outcome in the acute setting. ⋯ Cerebral blood volume ASPECTS is equivalent to NCCT for predicting radiologic outcome but may have an additional benefit in predicting patients with major neurologic improvement.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Selective cervical nerve root blockade: experience with a safe and reliable technique using an anterolateral approach for needle placement.
[corrected] Our aim was to evaluate the safety and clinical utility of a fluoroscopically guided anterolateral oblique approach technique for outpatient diagnostic and therapeutic selective cervical nerve root blockade (SCNRB). ⋯ The technique we describe for fluoroscopically guided SCNRB is a useful and safe outpatient procedure when performed by skilled and experienced proceduralists.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Flat panel detector angiographic CT for stent-assisted coil embolization of broad-based cerebral aneurysms.
The purpose of this work was to evaluate angiographic CT (ACT) in the combined application of a self-expanding neurovascular stent and detachable platinum coils in the management of broad-based and fusiform intracranial aneurysms. ⋯ ACT provides cross-sectional, 3D visualization of endovascular stents otherwise hardly visible with plain fluoroscopy. ACT enables us to accurately determine stent position, which may be helpful in complex stent-assisted aneurysm coiling procedures. However, in aneurysms larger than 10 mm in diameter, beam hardening artifacts caused by the endoaneurysmal coil package impair visibility of the stent. Further data are necessary to evaluate the usefulness of ACT in stent-assisted aneurysm coiling.