AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · May 2016
Comparative StudyComparison of Sagittal FSE T2, STIR, and T1-Weighted Phase-Sensitive Inversion Recovery in the Detection of Spinal Cord Lesions in MS at 3T.
Determining the diagnostic accuracy of different MR sequences is essential to design MR imaging protocols. The purpose of the study was to compare 3T sagittal FSE T2, STIR, and T1-weighted phase-sensitive inversion recovery in the detection of spinal cord lesions in patients with suspected or definite MS. ⋯ The use of an additional sagittal sequence other than FSE T2 significantly increases the detection of cervical and thoracic spinal cord lesions in patients with MS at 3T. In the cervical segment, both STIR and T1-weighted phase-sensitive inversion recovery offer high sensitivity and specificity, whereas in the thoracic spine, STIR performs better than T1-weighted phase-sensitive inversion recovery, particularly in patients with a thick dorsal fat pad.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · May 2016
Normal Development and Measurements of the Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval in Children and Young Adults.
Widening of the occipital condyle-C1 interval is the most specific and sensitive means of detecting atlanto-occipital dislocation. Recent studies attempting to define normal measurements of the condyle-C1 interval in children have varied substantially. This study was performed to test the null hypothesis that condyle-C1 interval morphology and joint measurements do not change as a function of age. ⋯ The condyle-C1 interval increases during the first several years of life, is largest in the 2- to 4-year age range, and then decreases through late childhood and adolescence. A single threshold value to detect atlanto-occipital dissociation may not be sensitive and specific for all age groups. Application of this normative data to documented cases of atlanto-occipital injury is needed to determine clinical utility.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · May 2016
Application of Normative Occipital Condyle-C1 Interval Measurements to Detect Atlanto-Occipital Injury in Children.
Prior studies have found that widening or asymmetry of the occipital condyle-C1 interval on CT is a sensitive and specific marker for atlanto-occipital dislocation. Previously reported abnormal occipital condyle-C1 interval values are not age-specific, possibly leading to false-positive findings in younger children, in whom this joint space is normally larger than that in adults. This study assesses the utility of applying age-specific normative occipital condyle-C1 interval ranges to documented cases of atlanto-occipital injury compared with previously reported abnormal cutoff values. ⋯ Occipital condyle-C1 interval widening cutoffs used to establish atlanto-occipital injury lack both sensitivity and specificity in children and young teenagers. MR imaging is necessary to establish a diagnosis of atlanto-occipital injury in children and young teenagers when the appropriate mechanism of injury is present.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · May 2016
Lateral Asymmetry and Spatial Difference of Iron Deposition in the Substantia Nigra of Patients with Parkinson Disease Measured with Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping.
Quantitative susceptibility mapping is useful for assessing iron deposition in the substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson disease. We aimed to determine whether quantitative susceptibility mapping is useful for assessing the lateral asymmetry and spatial difference in iron deposits in the substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson disease. ⋯ Quantitative susceptibility mapping is useful for assessing the lateral asymmetry and spatial difference of iron deposition in the substantia nigra of patients with Parkinson disease.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · May 2016
Diffusion Tractography Biomarkers of Pediatric Cerebellar Hypoplasia/Atrophy: Preliminary Results Using Constrained Spherical Deconvolution.
Advances in MR imaging modeling have improved the feasibility of reconstructing crossing fibers, with increasing benefits in delineating angulated tracts such as cerebellar tracts by using tractography. We hypothesized that constrained spherical deconvolution-based probabilistic tractography could successfully reconstruct cerebellar tracts in children with cerebellar hypoplasia/atrophy and that diffusion scalars of the reconstructed tracts could differentiate pontocerebellar hypoplasia, nonprogressive cerebellar hypoplasia, and progressive cerebellar atrophy. ⋯ This study shows the feasibility of constrained spherical deconvolution to reconstruct cerebellar and corticospinal tracts in children with morphologic cerebellar pathologies. In addition, the preliminary results show the potential utility of quantitative analysis of scalars of the cerebellar white matter tracts in children with cerebellar pathologies such as cerebellar hypoplasia and atrophy. Further studies with larger cohorts of patients are needed to validate the clinical significance of our preliminary results.