Journal of neuroimaging : official journal of the American Society of Neuroimaging
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Assess the incidence of enhancing lesions on follow-up MRIs in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) to determine the utility of intravenous, gadolinium-based contrast agent (IV-GBCA) use in routine follow-up imaging. ⋯ Enhancing lesions are uncommon on follow-up MRIs in MS patients. Our data suggest that new enhancing lesions are not present on a follow-up MRI when two conditions are met: (1) preceding MRI does not demonstrate any enhancing lesions and (2) there is no interval change of the lesions on the current 3D-T2-FLAIR sequence compared to the preceding 3D-T2-FLAIR sequence. IV-GBCA should be reserved for instances when temporal knowledge of lesion formation is needed.
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Review Meta Analysis
Prediction of Meningioma WHO Grade Using PET Findings: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
World Health Organization (WHO) grading of meningiomas reflects recurrence rate and prognosis. Positron emission tomography (PET) investigates metabolic activity, allowing for distinction between low- and high-grade tumors. As preoperative suspicion for malignant meningioma will influence surgical strategy in terms of timing, extent of resection, and risks taken to achieve a total resection, we systematically reviewed the literature on PET-imaging in meningiomas and relate these findings to histopathological analysis. ⋯ We found that SUV and T/N ratio in 18F-FDG PET may be useful to noninvasively differentiate benign from malignant meningiomas. T/N ratio seems to have a high specificity for the detection of high-grade meningiomas. Other PET tracers were studied too infrequently to draw definitive conclusions. Before treatment strategies can be adapted based on 18F-FDG PET, prospective studies in larger cohorts are warranted to validate the optimal T/N ratio cutoff point.
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Although global and regional brain volume has been established as a relevant measure to define and predict multiple sclerosis (MS) severity, characterization of specific trends by race/ethnicity is currently lacking. We aim to (1) characterize racial disparities in disability-specific patterns of brain MRI volumetric measures between Hispanic and Caucasian individuals with MS and (2) explore the relevance of these measures as predictors of clinical disability progression. ⋯ The confounding impact of race on quantitative brain volume measures may affect the interpretation of outcome measures in MS clinical trials.
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We sought to examine carotid webs (intimal variant fibromuscular dysplasia) by studying their clinical features and imaging profiles. ⋯ Doppler ultrasound combined with CTA and HRMRI is effective and reliable method to identifying carotid webs, which may be associated with stroke.
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The prevalence and characteristics of intraprocedural back pain is not well studied in awake patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures. ⋯ The relatively high prevalence of intraprocedural back pain in patients undergoing neuroendovascular procedures in awake state must be recognized, and strategies to reduce the occurrence need to be identified.