AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Sixty-four-row multisection CT angiography for detection and evaluation of ruptured intracranial aneurysms: interobserver and intertechnique reproducibility.
The purpose of this work was to assess intertechnique and interobserver reproducibility of 64-row multisection CT angiography (CTA) used to detect and evaluate intracranial aneurysms. ⋯ Sixty-four-row multisection CTA is an imaging method with a good interobserver reproducibility and a high sensitivity and specificity for the detection and the morphologic evaluation of ruptured intracranial aneurysms. It may be used as an alternative to DSA as a first-intention imaging technique in patients with SAH.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Nov 2007
Imaging characteristics of dacryocystocele diagnosed after surgery for sinonasal cancer.
A dacryocystocele forms when tears accumulate within the lacrimal sac as a result of an obstruction more distally in the lacrimal drainage apparatus, which may occur as a complication of sinonasal surgery. The purpose of this study was to define the imaging characteristics of a postoperative dacryocystocele occurring after surgery for sinonasal cancer and to review the anatomy of the nasolacrimal drainage apparatus. ⋯ Dacryocystocele after surgery for sinonasal cancer has a characteristic appearance on CT and MR imaging. Familiarity with this complication of sinonasal surgery and its appearance on imaging will enable radiologists to avoid misinterpreting dacryocystocele as a recurrent tumor or another process.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Oct 2007
Symptomatic spinal epidural collections after lumbar puncture in children.
Complications from lumbar puncture (LP) include headache; mild puncture-site pain; and, rarely, subdural, epidural, or subarachnoid hemorrhage. In infants, asymptomatic leakage of CSF documented with ultrasound is common. We report the MR imaging findings and clinical course of 25 symptomatic patients with spinal epidural collections after LP. ⋯ Symptomatic epidural fluid collections after LP are often extensive and may compromise the thecal sac. These collections are not usually the result of a difficult LP and have signal intensity characteristics most consistent with CSF leak rather than hemorrhage. Signs and symptoms typically resolve with time, without treatment and with no serious sequelae.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Oct 2007
ReviewRadiation dose-reduction strategies for neuroradiology CT protocols.
Within the past 2 decades, the number of CT examinations performed has increased almost 10-fold. This is in large part due to advances in multidetector-row CT technology, which now allows faster image acquisition and improved isotropic imaging. The increased use, along with multidetector technique, has led to a significantly increased radiation dose to the patient from CT studies. ⋯ Neuroradiologists are familiar with factors that affect patient dose such as pitch, milliamperes, kilovolt peak (kVp), collimation, but with increasing attention being given to dose reduction, they are looking for additional ways to further reduce the radiation associated with their CT protocols. In response to increasing concern, CT manufacturers have developed dose-reduction tools, such as dose modulation, in which the tube current is adjusted along with the CT acquisition, according to patient's attenuation. This review will describe the available techniques for reducing dose associated with neuroradiologic CT imaging protocols.
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AJNR Am J Neuroradiol · Oct 2007
Improved identification of intracortical lesions in multiple sclerosis with phase-sensitive inversion recovery in combination with fast double inversion recovery MR imaging.
Accurate detection and classification of purely intracortical lesions in multiple sclerosis (MS) are important in understanding their role in disease progression and impact on the clinical manifestations of the disease. However, detection of these lesions with conventional MR imaging remains a challenge. Although double inversion recovery (DIR) has been shown to improve the sensitivity of the detection of cortical lesions, this sequence has low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), poor delineation of lesion borders, and is prone to image artifacts. We demonstrate that intracortical lesions can be identified and classified with greater confidence by the combination of DIR with phase-sensitive inversion recovery (PSIR) images. ⋯ Reliable detection and classification of intracortical lesions in MS are greatly improved by combined use of PSIR and DIR.