Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Relapsing polychondritis is a rare autoimmune disease characterized by inflammation of cartilaginous tissues. It may be associated with systemic and cerebral vasculitis and exceptionally with ischemic stroke. Brain infarction associated with internal carotid artery thrombus, in a setting of relapsing polychondritis, has never been reported. ⋯ The patient was treated with high-dose tinzaparin and was followed with serial ultrasound. After 16 days, the thrombus demonstrated a hypoechogenic core surrounded by a hyperechogenic rim and the following day it resolved completely. Thrombus formation on a small unruptured plaque may reflect involvement by relapsing polychondritis of the intimal proteoglycans that hold a role in the development of atheromatosis.
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Multicenter Study
Usefulness of transcranial Doppler-derived cerebral hemodynamic parameters in the noninvasive assessment of intracranial pressure.
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography is a noninvasive bedside tool that can evaluate cerebral blood flow hemodynamics in major intracranial arteries. TCD-derived pulsatility index (PI) is believed to be influenced by intracranial pressure (ICP). ⋯ TCD-derived PI could be used to identify patients with CSF-P ≥ 20 cm H2 0 and may play an important role as a monitoring tool.
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Previous studies have demonstrated that cerebral dural sinus stenosis (DSS) may be a potential patho-physiological cause of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Endovascular therapy for DSS is emerging as a potential alternative to treat IIH. Here, we present the results of our case series. ⋯ Dural sinus angioplasty and stenting is relatively safe, feasible, and clinically efficacious for patients with symptomatic sinus stenosis who have failed standard therapy. The long-term durability of patency and clinical improvement remains unknown.
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Clinical Trial
Radiation injury to the normal brain measured by 3D-echo-planar spectroscopic imaging and diffusion tensor imaging: initial experience.
Whole brain radiation therapy (WBRT) may cause cognitive and neuropsychological impairment and hence objective assessment of adverse effects of radiation may be valuable to plan therapy. The purpose of our study was to determine the potential of echo planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in detecting subacute radiation induced injury to the normal brain. ⋯ Our preliminary findings suggest that 3D-EPSI and DTI may provide quantitative measures of radiation induced injury to the normal brain.
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Head ultrasonography (HUS) remains an important tool in the initial evaluation of intracranial abnormalities in infants. In experienced hands, HUS is an outstanding tool to detect brain abnormalities in preterm and full-term infants, to follow the progression of these lesions, and to describe the maturation of the infant brain. ⋯ In this article we discuss the HUS techniques that are currently available and are now the standard of care, how to perform them, and what to look for. We describe a variety of findings that may be encountered including hemorrhagic complications of prematurity, hypoxic ischemic brain injury, neonatal stroke, infections, malformations, neoplasms, and a few more rare neonatal pathologies.