Parotid Gland Lesions: Multiparametric Ultrasound and MRI Features.

High-resolution ultrasound (US), as a readily available, cost-effective and harmless imaging technique, is appropriately the initial imaging modality for salivary gland lesions. Benign tumors are reported to present with regular and well-defined margins, a homogeneous hypoechoic structure and demarcated vessel distribution, whereas malignant lesions are irregular, heterogeneous and diffusely perfused. Ultrasound and color Doppler features of benign and malignant salivary gland lesions overlap, and many benign tumors, particularly pleomorphic adenomas, may appear irregularly shaped, with a heterogeneous echo-structure indistinguishable from a malignant lesion. Often skilled US operators are not always able to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. The introduction of US contrast agents has allowed further perspectives in the possible improvement of lesion characterization, and the emergence of US elastography, an innovative tool for assessing lesion stiffness/elasticity characteristics, has been advocated for differentiating salivary gland lesions. When lesions are atypical on US, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is usually the definitive imaging modality. We present a current review of benign and malignant parotid gland tumors with emphasis on the role of multiparametric US and MR imaging.

3.0 Tesla MRI in the early evaluation of inferior alveolar nerve neurological complications after mandibular third molar extraction: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the use of 3.0 T MRI in the prognosis of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction, in the early post-operative period. METHODS: 343 IANs were examined before and 3 days after surgery. Two radiologists evaluated the course of the nerve and the relative signal intensity (RSI). Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the interobserver (k = 0.891) and intra-observer variability (ICC = 0.927; 0.914, respectively). The IANs were divided into four groups on the basis of neurosensory disorders recovery time. ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences among the RSIs of the four groups, and multiple comparisons were performed with Tukey's range test. RESULTS: No differences in the course of IANs were found before and after surgery. In 280 IANs, no iatrogenic paraesthesia was found (Group A). 63 IANs showed a neurosensory impairment. 38 IANs showed recovery of post-operative paraesthesia at 3-month follow-up (Group B). 16 IANs showed a full recovery of iatrogenic paraesthesia at 6-month follow-up (Group C). Seven IANs displayed a full recovery at 12-month follow-up and two IANs showed persistence of neurosensory disorders at 18-month follow-up (Group D). The one-way ANOVA results indicated statistically significant difference among all groups (p < 0.05), except between Groups C and D (p = 0.504). CONCLUSIONS: The early evaluation of RSI values represents a valid tool to determine the prognosis of IAN sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction.

Duplex Doppler ultrasound study of the temporomandibular joint.

INTRODUCTION: The anatomy and physiology of the temporomandibular joint can be studied clinically and by diagnostic imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), radiography (X-ray) and computed tomography (CT) have thus for many years contributed to the study of the kinetics in the mandibular condyle. However, also duplex Doppler ultrasound (US) examination is widely used in the study of structures during movement, particularly vascular structures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients were referred by the Department of Orthodontics to the Department of Radiological, Oncological and Pathological Sciences, University of Rome "La Sapienza". All patients underwent duplex Doppler ultrasound (US) examination of the temporomandibular joint using Toshiba APLIO SSA-770A equipment and duplex Doppler multi-display technique, which allows simultaneous display of US images and color Doppler signals. A linear phased array probe with crystal elements was used operating at a basic frequency of 6 MHz during pulsed Doppler spectral analysis and 7.5 MHz during US imaging. RESULTS: In normal patients a regular alternation in the spectral Doppler waveforms was obtained, while in patients with temporomandibular joint meniscus dysfunction there was no regularity in the sum of the Fourier series with an unsteady waveform pattern related to irregular movements of the temporomandibular joint. CONCLUSIONS: In all cases duplex Doppler US examination proved able to differentiate between normal and pathological patients and among the latter this technique permitted identification of the most significant aspects of the dysfunctional diseases.

Paranasal sinuses anatomic variants: 64-slice CT evaluation.

AIM: The aim of the paper was to perform a 64-slice CT evaluation of the main anatomic variants of paranasal sinuses. METHODS: From April 2005 to January 2006, 100 patients were chosen among all those that had undergone a paranasal sinuses CT examination. They were 45 women and 55 men, all aged between 18 and 70 years, mean age 46 years; they were all caucasian. This research has been conducted using a 64-slice Siemens Somatom Volume-Zoom multidetector Spiral CT. Para-nasal sinuses CT examination has been performed through a thin axial acquisition; the patient was lying on his back and the images were processed with multiplanar reconstruction (MPR). The anatomic variants considered in this study are: concha bullosa, Haller cells, uncinate process abnormalities, agger nasi cells, ethmoidal bulla, Onodi cell, middle turbinate curvature abnormalities. RESULTS: In this research it has been noticed that 29% of patients are affected by concha bullosa, 5% by Haller cells and again 5% by uncinate process abnormalities; 52% are affected by agger nasi cells, 15% by ethmoidal bulla, 9% by Onodi cell and 11% by middle turbinate curvature abnormalities. CONCLUSION: By using a 64-slice CT you can get a better quality of images in terms of spatial and temporal resolution. Osteomeatal complex structures are often featured by many anatomic variants. The most of the time, percentages are the same as recent researches have shown.

Parotid gland cancer: a case report of a primitive adenocarcinoma arising from a multirecurrent pleomorphic adenoma.

Parotid tumours represent a wide group of tumours which are mostly localized in the major salivary glands. We report a case of a 69-year old female with a parotid tumour history who was referred to us with a prominent lump and swelling localized in the right parotid area. In the period between 1985-2002, she was operated 5 times elsewhere for a recurrent pleomorphic adenoma of the right parotid (mixed tumour until 1991), which was histologically confirmed. Sixteen years after the primitive tumour, she underwent mastectomy and axillary dissection for a ductal carcinoma. Routine follow-up has been conducted on both malignancies. Pleomorphic adenoma is the most frequent tumour of the parotid. The potential risk of a malignant transformation can increase over the years with an incidence of 1% to 7%. Management of these recurrences is complex and controversial because of the different treatment options advocated such as radical resection with possible facial nerve sacrifice, or postoperative radiotherapy in non radical cases.

[Appendiceal lithiasis: case report and review of literature]. / Calcolosi dell'appendice: caso clinico e revisione della letteratura.

Appendiceal calculi are found in a limited percentage of patients. They are in association to an elevated prevalence of necrotic appendicitis and perforation of the appendix. The Authors report a case of acute appendicitis associated to appendiceal lithiasis with perforation of the organ. They emphasize the possibility to perform a preventive appendectomy in case of incidental appendiceal lithiasis. Besides they consider the differential diagnosis of the calcified images located in the lower abdominal quadrants with the aid of the various imaging methods available today, particularity sonography and computerized tomography.

[Magnetic resonance of the knee: possibility and current indications]. / La risonanza magnetica del ginocchio: possibilità ed indicazioni attuali.

MRI is a multiparametric, multiplanar, non-invasive largely employed tool for assessing osseous, ligamentous and tendineous injuries, inflammatory and degenerative changes of the knee. Although its wider availability and the lack of ionizing radiations MRI should be used only if clinically useful in patient management, in a appropriate diagnostic iter including plain film and/or ultrasound examination. The aim of our work is to review possibilities, limits and current indications for MRI assessment of diseases of the knee.

CT cystoscopy in the evaluation of bladder tumors.

The aim of the present study was to assess the role of virtual cystoscopy in the identification of bladder tumors. Fifteen patients (11 men and 4 women, median age: 61 years, range: 46-74 years) with a positive finding of bladder tumor at fiber-optic cystoscopy were studied by multislice-CT. Scans were downloaded to a workstation with the aid of a software for the processing of 3-D reconstructions, with a volume-rendering technique which allowed the "navigation" within the bladder in search of wall lesions. In this group of 15 patients, cystoscopy was able to detect 19 neoplastic lesions, 13 with a diameter >10 mm and 6 with a diameter <10 mm. Virtual cystoscopy, instead, identified 17 lesions (89%) only. In particular, all those lesions with a diameter >1 cm (13/13=100%) were correctly identified, whereas only 4 of the 6 lesions with a diameter <1 cm were depicted. The 2 false negative cases were 2 lesions with a flat morphology, measuring 5 and 6 mm. Most recent technological advances allowed the employement of virtual endoscopies, characterized by the absence of invasivity as compared with fiber-optic studies and based on data obtained by spiral- and multislice-CTs. According to our experience, virtual CT-cystoscopy revealed to be a complementary tool in the evaluation of cross-sectional images and proved to be an easy procedure without complications, well-accepted by the patients, and with a reliable detection of those bladder lesions measuring more than 5 mm in case of polypoid formations and at least 10 mm in case of flat lesions. This technique, however, does not allow the collection of a bioptic sample and--with the present resolution power of available equipments--it could be unable to correctly detect small-sized flat lesions. We, nonetheless, believe that this procedure, in the future, thanks to rapid technological improvements in virtual imaging techniques, could become a useful diagnostic tool in the management of those patients with bladder tumors. Further studies on larger study groups are therefore desirable for a more reliable validation of the technique.