Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a modern intravascular imaging modality that has the capability to provide detailed, in vivo characterization of the arterial wall and atherosclerotic plaque. The current understanding of the appearance of atherosclerotic plaque via OCT is largely based on coronary arterial studies where OCT information has been employed to guide therapeutic management and permits the immediate evaluation of percutaneous intervention. The clinical success of OCT in the coronary arteries has laid the foundation for investigation of the carotid artery and thus, stroke risk assessment. We report the novel use of OCT for tissue characterization of severe stenosis subsequent to carotid artery stenting (CAS), both before and after treatment with cutting balloon angioplasty.
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To determine if patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) have a reduced brain stem cross-sectional area (CSA) compared to age- and sex-matched controls. The brain stem is a common site of involvement in MS. However, relatively few imaging studies have investigated brain stem atrophy. ⋯ A significantly reduced, normalized brain stem CSA was detected in all areas of the brain stem of the RRMS patients, when compared to age- and gender-matched controls. Lack of detectable upper cervical cord atrophy in the same patients suggests some independence of the MS pathology in these regions.
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To characterize relations between configurations of the posterior part of the Circle of Willis (CoW) and the occurrence of unilateral thalamic infarction. ⋯ Assessment of CoW configuration on MRA may be helpful to understand the appearance of unilateral thalamic stroke independent from stroke etiology. A smaller diameter of the relevant CoW segment might be a risk factor for ipsilateral thalamic stroke in the corresponding thalamic vascular territory.
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To compare corpus callosum area (CCA) and corpus callosum index (CCI) in terms of feasibility and their performance as biomarkers for cognitive and physical disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). A secondary aim was to compare these two methods with volumetric measurements. ⋯ CCA is a time-effective and robust biomarker that has stronger correlations with both EDSS and information processing speed than CCI and volumetric measurements that are commonly used as outcome measures in MS research and clinical trials.
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Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) is associated with a reasonable risk of spinal ischemia. As cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) is correlated with the rate of paraplegia, a non-invasive method to estimate CSFP could help to estimate the patient's individual risk and guide the therapeutic approach. The quantification of the optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) using ocular sonography (OS) could be a suitable technique and was examined in the present study. ⋯ The present study is the first to prospectively examine and prove the possibility to monitor CSFP changes in patients with TEVAR associated transient spinal edema using OS. Systematic factors as artificial ventilation and body positioning did not have a significant effect.