Concomitant continuous pain in patients with trigeminal neuralgia is associated with trigeminal nerve root atrophy.

INTRODUCTION: Trigeminal neuralgia is an exemplary neuropathic pain condition characterized by paroxysmal electric-shock-like pain. However, up to 50% of patients also experiences concomitant continuous pain. In this neuroimaging study, we aimed to identify the specific anatomical features of trigeminal nerve root in patients with concomitant continuous pain. METHODS: We enrolled 73 patients with a definitive diagnosis of classical and idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia and 40 healthy participants. The diagnosis of trigeminal neuralgia was independently confirmed by two clinicians. Patients were grouped as patients with purely paroxysmal pain (45 patients) and patients also with concomitant continuous pain (28 patients). All participants underwent a structured clinical examination and a 3T MRI with sequences dedicated to the anatomical study of the trigeminal nerve root, including volumetric study. Images analysis was independently performed by two investigators, blinded to any clinical data. RESULTS: In most patients with concomitant continuous pain, this type of pain, described as burning, throbbing or aching, manifested at the disease onset. Demographic and clinical variables did not differ between the two groups of patients; the frequency of neurovascular compression and nerve dislocation were similar. Conversely, trigeminal nerve root atrophy was more severe in patients with concomitant continuous pain than in those with purely paroxysmal pain (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Our clinical and neuroimaging study found that in patients with trigeminal neuralgia, concomitant continuous pain was associated with trigeminal nerve root atrophy, therefore suggesting that this type of pain is likely related to axonal loss and abnormal activity in denervated trigeminal second-order neurons.

Patients with chronic migraine without history of medication overuse are characterized by a peculiar white matter fiber bundle profile.

BACKGROUND: We investigated intracerebral fiber bundles using a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data to verify microstructural integrity in patients with episodic (MO) and chronic migraine (CM). METHODS: We performed DTI in 19 patients with MO within interictal periods, 18 patients with CM without any history of drug abuse, and 18 healthy controls (HCs) using a 3 T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. We calculated diffusion metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA), axial diffusion (AD), radial diffusion (RD), and mean diffusion (MD). RESULTS: TBSS revealed no significant differences in the FA, MD, RD, and AD maps between the MO and HC groups. In comparison to the HC group, the CM group exhibited widespread increased RD (bilateral superior [SCR] and posterior corona radiata [PCR], bilateral genu of the corpus callosum [CC], bilateral posterior limb of internal capsule [IC], bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus [LF]) and MD values (tracts of the right SCR and PCR, right superior LF, and right splenium of the CC). In comparison to the MO group, the CM group showed decreased FA (bilateral SCR and PCR, bilateral body of CC, right superior LF, right forceps minor) and increased MD values (bilateral SCR and right PCR, right body of CC, right superior LF, right splenium of CC, and right posterior limb of IC). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that chronic migraine can be associated with the widespread disruption of normal white matter integrity in the brain.

Detection of Crohn's disease with diffusion images versus contrast-enhanced images in pediatric using MR enterography with histopathological correlation.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether MRE performed with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences is comparable to contrast-enhanced MRE in the detection of active small-bowel inflammation in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease (CD). We included in our study 68 patients with diagnosis of CD between April 2015 and June 2018 that underwent MRE examination. Examination protocol includes coronal and axial FISP, T2-w half-Fourier RARE and DWI sequences, a baseline coronal T1-w fat-saturated ultrafast (GRE) sequence followed by contrast 3D T1-w GRE. All images were assessed by two radiologists who graded each of bowel segments for the presence of inflammation on a four-point confidence scale on the basis of wall thickening and wall signal on DWI and ADC maps and comparing their results with post-contrast images. When considering all bowel segments, we found 41 true positive and 25 true negative on DWI. One false positive case corresponded to the absence of inflammatory histopathology changes at the level of the terminal ileum in a 15-year-old male, and one false negative case was in a 10-year-old female with only jejunal lesion. The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 97.6% (95% CI 67.7-99.7), 96.1% (95% CI 66.7-98.5), 97.6% (95% CI 70.8-98.4), 96.1% (95% CI 64.2-90.6) and 97% (95% CI 84.2-97.5), respectively. Analyzing the gadolinium-enhanced set, 35 true positive and 25 true negative results were found. One false positive case was found, and it was the same as with DWI. The corresponding sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy were 83.3% (95% CI 65.9-86.7), 96.1% (95% CI 68.7-88.9), 97.2% (95% CI 84.3-98.7), 78.1% (95% CI 27.9-72.1) and 88.2% (95% CI 41.2-85.6), respectively. Sensitivity for the detection of active IBD lesion was significantly better with DWI than with CE-T1-w imaging (p = 0.002), whereas the specificity was similar (p = 0.743). Our study has shown that DWI sequences have a high accuracy in detecting the bowel segment affected by CD. These results emphasize the utility to include the DWI/ADC in standard MR enterography protocols and suggest that DWI could replace T1-weighted post-contrast sequences.

Post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) radiological findings and assessment in advanced decomposed bodies.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study is to report radiological findings and features in advanced decomposed bodies obtained by post-mortem computed tomography (PMCT) with autopsy correlation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective descriptive multicentric study included 41 forensic cases examined between May 2013 and November 2016. All the bodies were PMCT-scanned prior to autopsy, and internal putrefactive state was determined using the radiological alteration index (RAI) by a radiologist with expertise in forensic radiology and a forensic pathologist trained in forensic imaging. After PMCT scans, grade of external putrefaction (GEP) was assigned during the external examination and the complete autopsy was performed by forensic pathologists. RESULTS: The PMCT images evaluation revealed that the RAI index was > 61 in all bodies, corresponding to a moderate-massive presence of putrefactive gas. The gas grade was > II in correspondence of the major vessels, heart cavities, liver parenchyma, vertebra L3 and subcutaneous pectoral tissues, and varied from I to III in correspondence of the kidney. Cadaveric external examination revealed the presence of advanced transformative phenomena, with a GEP3 and GEP4 in most of the cases, with body swelling, eyes and tongue protrusion, body fluids expulsion and fat liquefaction. CONCLUSION: Radiological imaging by PMCT as an adjunct to autopsy in advanced decomposed bodies represents a useful tool in detecting post-mortem gas, even in very small amounts. A correct interpretation process of the PMCT data is essential to avoid images pitfalls, due to natural decomposition that can be mistaken for pathologic processes.

Cerebral gray matter volume in patients with chronic migraine: correlations with clinical features.

BACKGROUND: To date, few MRI studies have been performed in patients affected by chronic migraine (CM), especially in those without medication overuse. Here, we performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analyses to investigate the gray matter (GM) volume of the whole brain in patients affected by CM. Our aim was to investigate whether fluctuations in the GM volumes were related to the clinical features of CM. METHODS: Twenty untreated patients with CM without a past medical history of medication overuse underwent 3-Tesla MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HCs). We used SPM12 and the CAT12 toolbox to process the MRI data and to perform VBM analyses of the structural T1-weighted MRI scans. The GM volume of patients was compared to that of HCs with various corrected and uncorrected thresholds. To check for possible correlations, patients' clinical features and GM maps were regressed. RESULTS: Initially, we did not find significant differences in the GM volume between patients with CM and HCs (p < 0.05 corrected for multiple comparisons). However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we noted that compared to HCs, patients with CM exhibited clusters of regions with lower GM volumes including the cerebellum, left middle temporal gyrus, left temporal pole/amygdala/hippocampus/pallidum/orbitofrontal cortex, and left occipital areas (Brodmann areas 17/18). The GM volume of the cerebellar hemispheres was negatively correlated with the disease duration and positively correlated with the number of tablets taken per month. CONCLUSION: No gross morphometric changes were observed in patients with CM when compared with HCs. However, using more-liberal uncorrected statistical thresholds, we observed that CM is associated with subtle GM volume changes in several brain areas known to be involved in nociception/antinociception, multisensory integration, and analgesic dependence. We speculate that these slight morphometric impairments could lead, at least in a subgroup of patients, to the development and continuation of maladaptive acute medication usage.

Peripheral arterial occlusive disease: diagnostic performance and effect on therapeutic management of 64-section CT angiography.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance and effect on therapeutic management of 64-section computed tomographic (CT) angiography in the assessment of steno-occlusive disease in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD), with conventional digital subtraction angiography (DSA) as the reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study protocol was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients. A total of 212 patients with symptomatic PAD underwent CT angiography and subsequent DSA. For stenosis analysis (≥ 70% stenosis), the arterial bed was divided into 35 segments and evaluated by three readers. Interobserver agreement was determined with generalized κ statistics. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), and negative likelihood ratio (NLR) were calculated. In addition, according to the TransAtlantic Inter-Society Consensus (TASC) Document on Management of Peripheral Arterial Disease guidelines, treatment recommendations based on CT angiographic and DSA findings were compared. McNemar test was used to prove significant differences between CT angiographic and DSA findings. RESULTS: A total of 7420 arterial segments were evaluated, with excellent agreement between readers (κ ≥ 0.928). On a segmental basis, both sensitivity and specificity for stenosis of 70% or more were at least 96% (3072 of 3113 segments and 4141 of 4279 segments, respectively), with an accuracy of 98% (7213 of 7392 segments), a PPV of 96% (3072 of 3187 segments), an NPV of 99% (3141 of 3187 segments), a PLR of 36.7, and an NLR of 0.013. There was no significant difference between CT angiographic and DSA findings (P = .62-.87). In accordance with TASC II guidelines, 49 patients were referred for conservative treatment, 87 underwent endovascular procedures, 38 underwent surgery, and 17 received hybrid treatment. Therapy recommendations based on CT angiographic findings alone were identical to those based on DSA findings in all but one patient. CONCLUSION: The diagnostic performance of 64-section CT angiography is excellent in patients with clinical symptoms of PAD. The results can be used to effectively guide therapeutic decision making in these patients.

Liver metastases from colorectal cancer treated with conventional and antiangiogenetic chemotherapy: evaluation with liver computed tomography perfusion and magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study were to determine whether perfusion computed tomography (CT-p) and magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) can allow evaluation of the effects of chemotherapy combined with antiangiogenetic treatment on liver metastases in patients with advanced colorectal cancer and to determine if changes in CT-p and MR-DWI correlate with the response to therapy as assessed by conventional Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). METHODS: Eighteen patients with liver metastases from colorectal cancer underwent CT-p and MR-DWI before and 6 months after chemotherapy and antiangiogenetic treatment. Lesions were classified according to RECIST criteria (complete response [CR], partial response [PR], stable disease [SD], and progressive disease) and calculations of CT-p parameters including blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), capillary permeability (CP), and MR-DWI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were performed; RECIST, CT-p, and MR-DWI measurements at baseline and follow-up were tested for statistically significant differences using the paired-samples t test. Baseline and follow-up perfusion parameters of the lesions were also compared on the basis of therapy response assessed by RECIST criteria using independent-samples t test. P < 0.05 was considered indicative of a statistically significant difference for all statistical test. RESULTS: Six patients (6/18; 33.3%) were classified as PR (), and the remaining 12 (12/18; 66.7%) were classified as SD. On a per-lesion basis, 2 (2/32; 6.3%) cannot be identified at follow-up, 6 (6/32; 18.8%) showed a decrease in size of more than 30%, and 24 (24/32; 75%) were substantially stable in size. No cases of progressive disease were demonstrated at follow-up. No statistically significant differences were demonstrated between PR, CR, and SD lesions for BF (P = 0.19), BV (P = 0.14), and ADC (P = 0.68) measurements, whereas CP was significantly higher in CR and PR lesions (P = 0.038). Considering differences between baseline and follow-up values, no statistically significant differences were noted between PR and CR lesions versus SD lesions for CT-p values (BF: P = 0.77; BV: P = 0.15; CP: P = 0.64). A statistically significant difference between PR and CR lesions and SD lesions was noted for ADC values (P = 0.047). CONCLUSION: Both CT-p and MR-DWI can detect therapy-induced modifications in lesion vascularization before significant changes in size are evident.

Shaken Baby Syndrome: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features in Abusive Head Trauma.

In the context of child abuse spectrum, abusive head trauma (AHT) represents the leading cause of fatal head injuries in children less than 2 years of age. Immature brain is characterized by high water content, partially myelinated neurons, and prominent subarachnoid space, thus being susceptible of devastating damage as consequence of acceleration-deceleration and rotational forces developed by violent shaking mechanism. Diagnosis of AHT is not straightforward and represents a medical, forensic, and social challenge, based on a multidisciplinary approach. Beside a detailed anamnesis, neuroimaging is essential to identify signs suggestive of AHT, often in absence of external detectable lesions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) represents the radiation-free modality of choice to investigate the most typical findings in AHT, such as subdural hematoma, retinal hemorrhage, and hypoxic-ischemic damage and it also allows to detect more subtle signs as parenchymal lacerations, cranio-cervical junction, and spinal injuries. This paper is intended to review the main MRI findings of AHT in the central nervous system of infants, with a specific focus on both hemorrhagic and non-hemorrhagic injuries caused by the pathological mechanisms of shaking. Furthermore, this review provides a brief overview about the most appropriate and feasible MRI protocol to help neuroradiologists identifying AHT in clinical practice.

Role of computed tomography in predicting critical disease in patients with covid-19 pneumonia: A retrospective study using a semiautomatic quantitative method.

BACKGROUND: So far, only a few studies evaluated the correlation between CT features and clinical outcome in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. PURPOSE: To evaluate CT ability in differentiating critically ill patients requiring invasive ventilation from patients with less severe disease. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data from patients admitted to our institution for COVID-19 pneumonia between March 5th-24th. Patients were considered critically ill or non-critically ill, depending on the need for mechanical ventilation. CT images from both groups were analyzed for the assessment of qualitative features and disease extension, using a quantitative semiautomatic method. We evaluated the differences between the two groups for clinical, laboratory and CT data. Analyses were conducted on a per-protocol basis. RESULTS: 189 patients were analyzed. PaO2/FIO2 ratio and oxygen saturation (SaO2) were decreased in critically ill patients. At CT, mixed pattern (ground glass opacities (GGO) and consolidation) and GGO alone were more frequent respectively in critically ill and in non-critically ill patients (p < 0.05). Lung volume involvement was significantly higher in critically ill patients (38.5 % vs. 5.8 %, p < 0.05). A cut-off of 23.0 % of lung involvement showed 96 % sensitivity and 96 % specificity in distinguishing critically ill patients from patients with less severe disease. The fraction of involved lung was related to lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, PaO2/FIO2 ratio and SaO2 (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Lung disease extension, assessed using quantitative CT, has a significant relationship with clinical severity and may predict the need for invasive ventilation in patients with COVID-19.

Increased neural connectivity between the hypothalamus and cortical resting-state functional networks in chronic migraine.

OBJECTIVE: The findings of resting-state functional MRI studies have suggested that abnormal functional integration between interconnected cortical networks characterises the brain of patients with migraine. The aim of this study was to investigate the functional connectivity between the hypothalamus, brainstem, considered as the migraine generator, and the following areas/networks that are reportedly involved in the pathophysiology of migraine: default mode network (DMN), executive control network, dorsal attention system, and primary and dorsoventral visual networks. METHODS: Twenty patients with chronic migraine (CM) without medication overuse and 20 healthy controls (HCs) were prospectively recruited. All study participants underwent 3-T MRI scans using a 7.5-min resting-state protocol. Using a seed-based approach, we performed a ROI-to-ROI analysis selecting the hypothalamus as the seed. RESULTS: Compared to HCs, patients with CM showed significantly increased neural connectivity between the hypothalamus and brain areas belonging to the DMN and dorsal visual network. We did not detect any connectivity abnormalities between the hypothalamus and the brainstem. The correlation analysis showed that the severity of the migraine headache was positively correlated with the connectivity strength of the hypothalamus and negatively with the connectivity strength of the medial prefrontal cortex, which belongs to the DMN. CONCLUSION: These data provide evidence for hypothalamic involvement in large-scale reorganisation at the functional-network level in CM and in proportion with the perceived severity of the migraine pain.

The Relationships Between Vitamin K and Cognition: A Review of Current Evidence.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble nutrient discovered in 1935 and its role in blood coagulation has been thoroughly explored. In recent years, studies conducted in vitro and on animals highlighted vitamin K involvement in brain cells development and survival. In particular, vitamin K seems to have an antiapoptotic and anti-inflammatory effect mediated by the activation of Growth Arrest Specific Gene 6 and Protein S. Moreover, this vitamin is involved in sphingolipids metabolism, a class of lipids that participate in the proliferation, differentiation, and survival of brain cells. An altered expression in sphingolipids profile has been related to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. This review stems from a growing interest in the role of vitamin K in brain functions, especially in cognition, also in view of an expected increase of prevalence of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. It collects recent researches that show interesting, even though not definitive, evidence of a direct correlation between vitamin K levels and cognitive performance. Moreover, vitamin K antagonists, used worldwide as oral anticoagulants, according to recent studies may have a negative influence on cognitive domains such as visual memory, verbal fluency and brain volume. The aim of this review is to analyze the evidence of clinical studies carried out up to date on the relationship between vitamin K intake and cognitive performances. The involvement of vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) in declining cognitive performances is also addressed separately.

Aberrant interactions of cortical networks in chronic migraine: A resting-state fMRI study.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated resting-state (RS)-fMRI using independent component analysis (ICA) to determine the functional connectivity (FC) between networks in chronic migraine (CM) patients and their correlation with clinical features. METHODS: Twenty CM patients without preventive therapy or acute medication overuse underwent 3T MRI scans and were compared to a group of 20 healthy controls (HC). We used MRI to collect RS data in 3 selected networks, identified using group ICA: the default mode network (DMN), the executive control network (ECN), and the dorsal attention system (DAS). RESULTS: Compared to HC, CM patients had significantly reduced functional connectivity between the DMN and the ECN. Moreover, in patients, the DAS showed significantly stronger FC with the DMN and weaker FC with the ECN. The higher the severity of headache, the increased the strength of DAS connectivity, and the lower the strength of ECN connectivity. CONCLUSION: These results provide evidence for large-scale reorganization of functional cortical networks in chronic migraine. They suggest that the severity of headache is associated with opposite connectivity patterns in frontal executive and dorsal attentional networks.

Cerebral venous thrombosis: A case series and a neuroimaging review of the literature.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is a rare condition, difficult to diagnose because of its non specific clinical symptoms. In some cases CVT can mimic other conditions as subarachnoid hemorrhage, ischemia or tumor and for these reasons diagnosis is delayed or missed. CT, DSA and MRI findings help to obtain an early diagnosis and to distinguish it from other diseases. Our cases involved four patients with no signs or symptoms suspected for CVT and without risk factors associated to this disease; furthermore some early imaging findings observed in these patients could mimic other diseases. The aim of presenting these cases is to underline the importance of some findings at imaging techniques in obtaining an early diagnosis of CVT; in particular we describe the usefulness of MRI with gradient echo sequences (GRE) in detecting the venous thrombus, suggesting that GRE sequences should be included in the MRI protocol when a CVT is suspected. We also underline the role of radiologists in helping neurologists to make an early diagnosis of CVT or when in doubt to encourage further investigations in order to begin the anticoagulation therapy as soon as possible avoiding the onset of complications as permanent parenchymal damage, cerebral hemorrhage and venous infarction.

CT angiography and magnetic resonance angiography findings after surgical and interventional radiology treatment of peripheral arterial obstructive disease.

In the last years, technical innovations in the field of CT angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) have allowed accurate and highly detailed evaluation of peripheral vascular pathologies. This has dramatically changed the diagnostic approach in treatment planning of peripheral arterial obstructive disease and also enabling early identification of treatment failure or treatment-related complications after surgical or endovascular procedures. Although Doppler Ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality during follow-up after treatment, its role is currently diminishing in importance mostly because of the proliferation of high-end CT and MR scanners capable of fast, reproducible, and highly reliable vascular imaging. The aim of this study is to review the various surgical and endovascular procedures for peripheral arterial obstructive disease and to provide CTA and MRA samples of common and uncommon complications related to treatment.

Real-time magnetic resonance-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound focal therapy for localised prostate cancer: preliminary experience.

Five patients with unifocal, biopsy-proven prostate cancer (PCa) evident on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were treated with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation before radical prostatectomy (RP). An endorectal probe featuring a phased-array focused ultrasound transducer was positioned for lesion ablation under MRI guidance. The tissue temperature and accumulation of thermal damage in the target zone was monitored during the procedure by MRI thermometry. Overlap between the ablation area and the devascularisation of the target lesion was evaluated by contrast-enhanced MRI performed immediately after treatment. The procedure was uneventful, and no adverse events were observed. RP was safely performed without significant surgical difficulties in relation to the previous MRgFUS treatment. The histopathology report showed extensive coagulative necrosis, with no residual tumour in the ablated area. Significant bilateral residual tumour, not evident on pretreatment MRI, was observed outside the treated area in two patients. MRgFUS ablation of focal localised PCa is feasible and, if confirmed in appropriate studies, could represent a valid option for the focal treatment of localised PCa.

Primary pain palliation and local tumor control in bone metastases treated with magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the efficacy in pain management of magnetic resonance (MR)-guided focused ultrasound for the primary treatment of painful bone metastases and to assess its potential for local control of bone metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective, single-arm research study with approval from the institutional review board. Eighteen consecutive patients (female, 8; male, 10; mean [SD] age, 62.7 [11.5] years) with painful bone metastases were enrolled. The patients were examined clinically for pain severity and pain interference in accordance with the Brief Pain Inventory-Quality of Life criteria before and at each follow-up visit. Computed tomography and MR imaging were performed before and at 1 and 3 months after the magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound treatment. The nonperfused volume (NPV) was calculated to correlate the extension of the ablated pathological tissue in the responder and nonresponder patients. RESULTS: No treatment-related adverse events were recorded during the study. The evaluation of pain palliation revealed a statistically significant difference between baseline and follow-up values for pain severity and pain interference (P = 0.001, both evaluations). In the evaluation of local tumor control, we observed increased bone density with restoration of cortical borders in 5 of the 18 patients (27.7%). In accordance with the MD Anderson criteria, complete and partial responses were obtained in 2 of the 18 patients (11.1%) and 4 of the 18 patients (22.2%), respectively. Nonperfused volume values ranged between 20% and 93%. Mean NPV values remained substantially stable after the treatment (P = 0.08). There was no difference in the NPV values between the responder and nonresponder patients (46.7% [24.2%] [25%-90%] versus 45% [24.9%] [20%-93%]; P = 0.7). CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound can be safely and effectively used as the primary treatment of pain palliation in patients with bone metastases and has a potential role in local tumor control.

MR-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound: current status of an emerging technology.

The concept of ideal tumor surgery is to remove the neoplastic tissue without damaging adjacent normal structures. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) was developed in the 1940s as a viable thermal tissue ablation approach. In clinical practice, HIFU has been applied to treat a variety of solid benign and malignant lesions, including pancreas, liver, prostate, and breast carcinomas, soft tissue sarcomas, and uterine fibroids. More recently, magnetic resonance guidance has been applied for treatment monitoring during focused ultrasound procedures (magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound, MRgFUS). Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging provides the best possible tumor extension and dynamic control of energy deposition using real-time magnetic resonance imaging thermometry. We introduce the fundamental principles and clinical indications of the MRgFUS technique; we also report different treatment options and personal outcomes.

Persistence of the sciatic artery: a case report of a combined (complete and incomplete) type causing leg ischemia.

Persistent sciatic artery is a very uncommon embryologic vascular variant, with a prevalence of 0.05% based on angiographic studies. Two different types of this anomaly can occur, complete or incomplete, on the basis of the relationship between sciatic artery and femoral artery. Although many of these patients are asymptomatic, it may represent a threat to the viability of the lower extremity because of atherosclerotic degeneration resulting in aneurysmal dilatation, occlusive thrombosis, or embolic phenomena with distal complication. We present a case of a 64-year-old man with combined, complete and incomplete, type of persistent sciatic artery causing ischemic ulcer of the first toe.