Insular resection may lead to autonomic function changes.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine if insular damage is associated with markers of autonomic dysfunction. METHODS: We studied patients who underwent temporal lobe and/or insular resections for epilepsy surgery between April 2010 and June 2015 at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center (UHCMC). Presurgical T1-weighted MPRAGE, standard T1, T2 and FLAIR sequences were compared with postsurgical MRI by a neuroradiologist and classified as type 0 (no involvement of insula), type 1 (minimal involvement of insular margin), type 2 (insular involvement <25%), and type 3 (insular involvement ≥25%). Analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) was carried out in pre- and postoperative video-electroencephalography (vEEG) recording. Time-domain parameters were calculated: (mean of the RR intervals (MNN), root mean square difference of successive RR intervals (RMSSD), standard deviation of the RR intervals (SDNN), and coefficient of variation (CV)). In addition, frequency-domain parameters were calculated: low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and low frequency/high frequency (LF/HF). RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (14 females) with mean age of 36.2 ±â€¯14.4 years (30; 22-75) were studied. Insular involvement was classified as type 0 (4 patients [19%]), type 1 (9 [43%]), type 2 (7 [33%]), and type 3 (1 [5%]). Significant decrease in RMSSD (p = 0.025) and CV (p = 0.008) was seen in insular damage types 2 and 3 compared with no or minimal insular involvement (types 0 and 1). Right-sided resections were associated with increase in LF power (p = 0.010) and the LF/HF ratio (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that insular resection may lead to autonomic function changes.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy for vertebral neoplasms: a department's experience and hybrid biopsy technique to improve yield.

OBJECTIVE Recent articles have identified the poor diagnostic yield of percutaneous needle biopsy for vertebral osteomyelitis. The current study aimed to confirm the higher accuracy of CT-guided spinal biopsy for vertebral neoplasms and to identify which biopsy technique provides the highest yield. METHODS Over a 9-year period, the radiology department at University Hospitals Case Medical Center performed 222 CT-guided biopsies of vertebral lesions, of which clinicians indicated a concern for vertebral neoplasms in 122 patients. A retrospective chart review was performed to confirm the higher sensitivity of the percutaneous intervention for vertebral neoplasms. RESULTS A core sample was obtained for all 122 biopsies of concern (100.0%). Only 6 cases (4.9%) were reported as nondiagnostic per histological sampling, and 12 cases (9.8%) were negative for disease. The question of vertebral neoplastic involvement warrants follow-up, and the current study was able to determine the subsequent diagnosis of each lesion. Of the 122 total, 94 (77.0%) core samples provided true-positive results, and the sensitivity of core biopsy measured 87.9%. The technical approach did not demonstrate any significant difference in diagnostic yield. However, when the vertebral cortex was initially pierced with a coaxial bone biopsy system and subsequently a 14-gauge spring-loaded cutting biopsy needle was coaxially advanced into lytic lesions, 14 true positives were obtained with a corresponding sensitivity of 100.0%. CONCLUSIONS This study confirms the higher sensitivity of image-guided percutaneous needle biopsy for vertebral neoplasms. In addition, it demonstrates how the use of a novel cutting needle biopsy approach, performed coaxially through a core biopsy track, provides the highest yield.

CT-guided percutaneous administration of Spot sterile carbon stain to a single F-18 FDG positive mesenteric lymph node to allow identification during subsequent laparoscopic resection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of CT-guided percutaneous administration and off-label use of Spot sterile carbon stain (GI Supply, Camp Hill, PA) to a single PET-positive mesenteric lymph node to allow identification during subsequent laparoscopic resection. METHODS: An asymptomatic 61-year-old male veteran with past medical history only for benign prostatic hyperplasia presented with a mildly elevated PSA. A screening CT demonstrated a 2.3 × 0.8 cm mesenteric mass and findings resembling mesenteric panniculitis; however, following PET revealed F-18 FDG avidity, and a neoplastic process could not be entirely excluded. An initial attempt at percutaneous biopsy was non-diagnostic. Therefore, a second percutaneous intervention with localization and off-label administration of Spot dye was performed to aid in subsequent laparoscopic resection. RESULTS: The Spot dye was identified during laparoscopy and the PET-positive mesenteric mass was successfully resected. Histology diagnosed the non-malignant etiology of organizing hematoma. A follow-up PET/CT confirmed interval resection of the previous PET-avid mass. CONCLUSIONS: This case report is the first to describe the off-label administration and use of Spot dye by a CT-guided percutaneous technique, allowing improved visualization during subsequent laparoscopic resection. Spot is composed of sterile, carbon-based particles which leave a permanent tattoo and is FDA-approved for the inking of the Gastrointestinal tract. Interventional radiologists should consider the off-label use of Spot dye in marking regions of interest as it safely provides a permanent tattoo which may aid in future identification.

Computed tomography-guided percutaneous biopsy for vertebral osteomyelitis: a department's experience.

OBJECT: Vertebral osteomyelitis has been reported to occur in approximately 0.2-2 cases per 100,000 annually. Elevated laboratory values such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein suggest inflammatory etiologies. Different imaging modalities, from radiography and CT scanning to nuclear medicine imaging and contrastenhanced MRI, can be employed to evaluate for osteomyelitis. Although MRI has a strong sensitivity and specificity for vertebral osteomyelitis, obtaining histological and microbiological samples remains the gold standard in diagnosis. Therapy can be geared toward the specific pathogen cultured, thereby preventing the need surgical intervention in the majority of cases. However, recent reports have questioned the percentage yield of image-guided percutaneous biopsy even when there is a high clinical suspicion for vertebral osteomyelitis. METHODS: After obtaining institutional review board approval, the authors performed a chart review of patients who had undergone image-guided percutaneous bone biopsies at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio. Data were filtered for patients in whom a biopsy sample of a vertebral body/disc was obtained. A total of 213 procedures were performed, of which clinicians indicated a concern for infection in 84, infection or neoplasm in 13, and a noninfectious etiology (the majority being neoplasms) in the remaining 116. RESULTS: Histological examination provided positive results in 25 (41.0%) of the 61 samples collected for suspected cases of osteomyelitis. Microbiology samples were less predictive, with only 16 of the 84 samples collected, or 19.0%, yielding a positive result. In 10 patients there were positive blood and/or urine cultures. Of these, 8 samples (80%) demonstrated the same pathogen identified by biopsy (for the remaining 2 positive systemic cultures, no pathogen was identified by the percutaneous intervention). In other words, half of the 16 cases that provided microbiological results from biopsy demonstrated the same results by systemic cultures. However, 89 (76.7%) of the 116 samples collected with the primary concern of neoplasm yielded results. CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided percutaneous biopsy for vertebral osteomyelitis demonstrates an extremely low probability of identifying specific microbes. Blood or urine cultures concurrently identified culprit pathogens in 50% of positive biopsy cultures. Therefore, in only 8 (9.5%) of 84 biopsies did the biopsy results provide additional information to clinicians as to the pathological microorganism present and how treatment might need to be adjusted.

Role of FDG-PET/MRI, FDG-PET/CT, and Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast Perfusion MRI in Differentiating Radiation Necrosis from Tumor Recurrence in Glioblastomas.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: To compare the utility of quantitative PET/MRI, dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC) perfusion MRI (pMRI), and PET/CT in differentiating radiation necrosis (RN) from tumor recurrence (TR) in patients with treated glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). METHODS: The study included 24 patients with GBM treated with surgery, radiotherapy, and temozolomide who presented with progression on imaging follow-up. All patients underwent PET/MRI and pMRI during a single examination. Additionally, 19 of 24 patients underwent PET/CT on the same day. Diagnosis was established by pathology in 17 of 24 and by clinical/radiologic consensus in 7 of 24. For the quantitative PET/MRI and PET/CT analysis, a region of interest (ROI) was drawn around each lesion and within the contralateral white matter. Lesion to contralateral white matter ratios for relative maximum, mean, and median were calculated. For pMRI, lesion ROI was drawn on the cerebral blood volume (CBV) maps and histogram metrics were calculated. Diagnostic performance for each metric was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and area under curve (AUC) was calculated. RESULTS: In 24 patients, 28 lesions were identified. For PET/MRI, relative mean ≥ 1.31 resulted in AUC of .94 with both sensitivity and negative predictive values (NPVs) of 100%. For pMRI, CBV max ≥3.32 yielded an AUC of .94 with both sensitivity and NPV measuring 100%. The joint model utilizing r-mean (PET/MRI) and CBV mode (pMRI) resulted in AUC of 1.0. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that quantitative PET/MRI parameters in combination with DSC pMRI provide the best diagnostic utility in distinguishing RN from TR in treated GBMs.

Utility of 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Diagnosis of Cardiac Paraganglioma.

Cardiac paragangliomas are rare tumors of neural crest origin, most frequently seen in the left atrium. There are mixed opinions regarding the most appropriate imaging study for diagnosis and evaluation. We describe the novel utility of 18-F-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging in the case of a 42-year-old male with cardiac paraganglioma.

Differentiation of recurrent spinal ependymoma from postradiation treatment necrosis through multiparametric PET-MR and perfusion MRI.

A 67-year-old male presented with papilledema and back pain localized to the T10 level. Initial workup revealed multifocal spinal ependymoma which was resected and treated with external beam radiotherapy. Nine years after treatment, the patient had a relapse of back pain, and MRI was inconclusive in distinguishing posttreatment radiation necrosis from recurrent tumor. We present the first described report with the utilization of multiparametric positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging and perfusion MRI to distinguish recurrent spinal ependymoma from radiation necrosis.

Imaging of musculoskeletal manifestations in sickle cell disease patients.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary red cell disorder with clinical manifestations secondary to sickling or crescent-shaped distortion of the red blood cells. Major clinical manifestations of SCD include haemolytic anaemia and vaso-occlusive phenomena resulting in ischaemic tissue injury and organ damage. Chronic sequelae of the anaemia and vaso-occlusive processes involving the musculoskeletal system include complications related to extramedullary haematopoiesis, osteonecrosis, myonecrosis and osteomyelitis. Sickle cell bone disease is one of the commonest clinical presentations. Awareness and knowledge of the imaging features related to these complications are essential for early diagnosis and prompt management. In this article, the pathophysiology and key imaging findings related to these complications are reviewed.

Emergency Room Plain Radiograph Imaging Study Indications: An Analysis of Quality and Trends at a Large Academic Medical Center.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to assess the quality of and analyze trends among clinical indications received for emergency room radiograph studies. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical indications provided by the emergency room and rapid care for consecutive chest, abdominal, and musculoskeletal radiographs were reviewed. Chart review was performed to analyze the provided indications compared to clinical information known to the ordering providers. Chest and abdominal radiograph indications were graded according to symptoms and physical examination signs and relevant past medical history. Musculoskeletal indications were graded according to symptoms, mechanism of injury, and positive physical examination findings. Each study indication was graded on a scale from 0 to 2 according to scales modified from those of prior published studies. Grades were further stratified according to ordering location, time of shift, ordering provider level, and specific anatomy involved. RESULTS: For chest and abdomen studies, mean scores for symptom and physical examination and provided past medical history grades were 1.16 and 0.36, respectively. There was a trend toward a significant difference in mean medical history grades among ordering provider levels. For musculoskeletal studies, mean scores for symptom, mechanism, and physical examination grades were 1.04, 0.89, and 0.51, respectively. Mean symptom and examination grades for physician extenders were significantly less than those of attendings and residents. Mean symptom and mechanism grades for extremity studies were significantly less than those for spinal studies. CONCLUSIONS: For plain radiographs ordered through the emergency department, certain critical pieces of study indications tended to be underreported relative to other components. Furthermore, significant differences in select categories were seen among ordering provider levels and anatomic location.

Cervical dural arteriovenous malformation and large epidural venous varices in a rare adult presentation of congenital vascular bone syndrome.

61-year-old male presented with shortness of breath and chest pain. Workup for acute myocardial infarction was negative; however, computed tomography angiography visualized what a vascular malformation within the cervical spinal canal. Given the patient's history of Servelle-Martorell syndrome, neurovascular imaging was performed. We present the unique vascular findings of a right thyrocervical trunk-based dural arteriovenous malformation (dAVM) and a large epidural venous varix. The cervical dAVM induced intervertebral foraminal widening and polyradiculopathy, representing a rare adult case of congenital vascular bone syndrome.