Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow and Brain Motion in Chiari I Malformation: Past, Present, and Future.

Cranio-spinal volume and pressure changes associated with the cardiac-cycle and respiration are altered in Chiari I malformation (CMI) due to obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow at the foramen magnum. With the introduction of motion-sensitive MRI sequences, it was envisioned that these could provide noninvasive information about volume-pressure dynamics at the cranio-cervical junction in CMI hitherto available only through invasive pressure measurements. Since the early 1990s, multiple studies have assessed CSF flow and brain motion in CMI. However, differences in design and varied approaches in the presentation of results and conclusions makes it difficult to fully comprehend the role of MR imaging of CSF flow and brain motion in CMI. In this review, a cohesive summary of the current status of MRI assessment of CSF flow and brain motion in CMI is presented. Simplified versions of the results and conclusions of previous studies are presented by dividing the studies in distinct topics: 1) comparing CSF flow and brain motion between healthy subjects (HS) and CMI patients (before and after surgery), 2) comparing CSF flow and brain motion to CMI severity and symptoms, and 3) comparing CSF flow and brain motion in CMI with and without syringomyelia. Finally, we will discuss our vision of the future directions of MR imaging in CMI patients. EVIDENCE LEVEL: 2. TECHNICAL EFFICACY: 5.

Association between resistance to cerebrospinal fluid flow and cardiac-induced brain tissue motion for Chiari malformation type I.

PURPOSE: Chiari malformation type I (CMI) patients have been independently shown to have both increased resistance to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in the cervical spinal canal and greater cardiac-induced neural tissue motion compared to healthy controls. The goal of this paper is to determine if a relationship exists between CSF flow resistance and brain tissue motion in CMI subjects. METHODS: Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) techniques were employed to compute integrated longitudinal impedance (ILI) as a measure of unsteady resistance to CSF flow in the cervical spinal canal in thirty-two CMI subjects and eighteen healthy controls. Neural tissue motion during the cardiac cycle was assessed using displacement encoding with stimulated echoes (DENSE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. RESULTS: The results demonstrate a positive correlation between resistance to CSF flow and the maximum displacement of the cerebellum for CMI subjects (r = 0.75, p = 6.77 × 10-10) but not for healthy controls. No correlation was found between CSF flow resistance and maximum displacement in the brainstem for CMI or healthy subjects. The magnitude of resistance to CSF flow and maximum cardiac-induced brain tissue motion were not statistically different for CMI subjects with and without the presence of five CMI symptoms: imbalance, vertigo, swallowing difficulties, nausea or vomiting, and hoarseness. CONCLUSION: This study establishes a relationship between CSF flow resistance in the cervical spinal canal and cardiac-induced brain tissue motion in the cerebellum for CMI subjects. Further research is necessary to understand the importance of resistance and brain tissue motion in the symptomatology of CMI.

The Relationship Between Imbalance Symptom and Cardiac Pulsation Induced Mechanical Strain in the Brainstem and Cerebellum for Chiari Malformation Type I.

Chiari malformation Type I (CMI) is known to have an altered biomechanical environment for the brainstem and cerebellum; however, it is unclear whether these altered biomechanics play a role in the development of CMI symptoms. We hypothesized that CMI subjects have a higher cardiac-induced strain in specific neurological tracts pertaining to balance, and postural control. We measured displacement over the cardiac cycle using displacement encoding with stimulated echoes magnetic resonance imaging in the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord in 37 CMI subjects and 25 controls. Based on these measurements, we computed strain, translation, and rotation in tracts related to balance. The global strain on all tracts was small (<1%) for CMI subject and controls. Strain was found to be nearly doubled in three tracts for CMI subjects compared to controls (p < 0.03). The maximum translation and rotation were ∼150 µm and ∼1 deg, respectively and 1.5-2 times greater in CMI compared to controls in four tracts (p < 0.005). There was no significant difference between strain, translation, and rotation on the analyzed tracts in CMI subjects with imbalance compared to those without imbalance. A moderate correlation was found between cerebellar tonsillar position and strain on three tracts. The lack of statistically significant difference between strain in CMI subjects with and without imbalance could imply that the magnitude of the observed cardiac-induced strain was too small to cause substantial damage to the tissue (<1%). Activities such as coughing, or Valsalva may produce a greater strain.

Comparing the benefit of ASPECTS on maximum intensity projection images of computed tomography angiography to source images and noncontract computed tomography in predicting infarct volume and collaterals extent.

INTRODUCTION: In acute ischemic strokes (AIS), the Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (ASPECTS) and CT perfusion (CTP) are commonly used to determine mechanical thrombectomy eligibility. Prior work suggests that CTA source image (CTA-SI) ASPECTS (CTAasp) and a newly described CTA maximum intensity projection (CTA-MIP) ASPECTS (MIPasp) better predict the final infarct core. Our goal was to compare MIPasp to CTAasp and non-contrast CT ASPECTS (NCCTasp) for predicting ischemic core and collaterals established by CTP. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A single institution, retrospective database for AIS due to internal carotid artery (ICA) or proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusions between January 2016 and February 2021 was reviewed. We rated ASPECTS on NCCT, CTA-SI, and CTA-MIP at baseline, then used the automated RAPID software to measure CTP ischemic core volume. The accuracy of each ASPECTS in predicting ischemic core volume (ICV) >70 cc and Hypoperfusion intensity ratio (HIR) >0.4 was compared using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: 122/319 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Area under the curve (AUC) for MIPasp was significantly higher than NCCTasp and CTAasp for predicting ICV >70 cc (0.95 vs. 0.89 and 0.95 vs. 0.92, P =0.03 and P = 0.04). For predicting HIR >0.4, AUC for MIPasp was significantly higher than NCCTasp and CTAasp (0.85 vs. 0.72 and 0.85 vs. 0.81, P < 0.001 and P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The predictive accuracy of detecting ischemic stroke with ICV >70cc and HIR >0.4 can be significantly improved using the MIPasp instead of CTAasp or NCCTasp.

MRI findings differentiating tonsillar herniation caused by idiopathic intracranial hypertension from Chiari I malformation.

PURPOSE: Some patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) have cerebellar tonsillar herniation ≥ 5 mm mimicking Chiari malformation I (CMI), which can result in misdiagnosis and unjustified treatment. Our purpose was to identify IIH patients with tonsillar herniation ≥ 5 mm (IIHTH) and compare with CMI patients to assess imaging findings that could distinguish the two conditions. METHODS: Ninety-eight patients with IIH, 81 patients with CMI, and 99 controls were retrospectively assessed. Two neuroradiologists blindly reviewed MR images. IIHTH patients were compared with CMI patients and controls regarding the extent of tonsillar herniation (ETH), bilateral transverse sinus stenosis (BTSS), hypophysis-sella ratio (HSR), and bilateral tortuosity of optic nerve (BTON). RESULTS: 13/98 (13.2%) IIH patients had tonsillar herniation ≥ 5 mm (IIHTH) and were significantly younger and had higher BMI compared with CMI patients and controls. ETH was significantly less in the IIHTH than CMI (6.5 ± 2.4 mm vs. 10.9 ± 4.4 mm; p < 0.001). BTSS and HSR < 0.5 were more common in IIHTH than CMI (p < 0.001 and p = 0.003, respectively). No differences were seen between CMI and controls. BTON was significantly more common in IIHTH compared to control (p = 0.01) but not to the CMI (p = 0.36). Sensitivity and specificity to differentiate IIHTH from CMI were 69.2% and 96.1% for BTSS and 69.2% and 75.3% for HSR < 0.5. CONCLUSION: The presence of BTSS and/or HSR < 0.5 in patients with ETH ≥ 5 mm should suggest further evaluation to exclude IIH before considering CMI surgery.

Shortened total spine MRI protocol in the detection of spinal cord compression and pathology for emergent settings: a noninferiority study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Spinal cord compression (SCC) requires rapid diagnosis in the emergent setting; however, current MRI protocols may be cumbersome for patients and clinicians. We sought to validate an abbreviated total spine MRI (TS-MRI) protocol using standard non-contrast sequences in the detection of SCC and other clinically significant findings (OCSF). METHODS: Two hundred six TS-MRI scans obtained over a 30-month period for SCC were included. Sagittal T2 (T2sag), sagittal T1 (T1sag), and sagittal STIR (IRsag), as well as axial T2 (T2ax) images, were individually assessed independently by 2 reviewers for SCC, cauda equina compression (CEC), and OCSF. A protocol consisting of all the sequences was considered the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity of single and combined MRI sequences for SCC/CEC and OCSF were determined and were tested for noninferiority relative to standard non-contrast sequences using a 5% noninferiority margin. RESULTS: An abbreviated protocol of IRsag + T2ax provided the best performance with sensitivity and specificity of 100% (95%CI, 96.0-100.0) and 98.6% (95%CI, 95.6-99.7) for SCC/CEC and 100.0% (95%CI, 96.7-100.0), and 99.3% (95%CI, 96.6-99.9) for OCSF. The mean difference of sensitivity and specificity between IRsag + T2ax and standard protocol was 0.0% (95%CI, 0.0-4.0) and - 2.1% (95%CI, - 5.4 to - 0.6) for SCC/CEC and 0.0% (95%CI, 0.0-3.3) and - 1.5% (95%CI, - 4.8 to - 0.3) for OCSF, all within the noninferiority margin of 5%. CONCLUSIONS: An abbreviated TS-MRI protocol of IRsag + T2ax is noninferior to the standard non-contrast protocol, potentially allowing for faster emergent imaging diagnosis and triage.

Diagnostic yield of CT angiography performed for suspected cervical artery dissection in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Computed tomography angiographies are frequently performed in the emergency department (ED) for the assessment of cervical artery dissection (CeAD) due to the high risk of associated morbidity, but their diagnostic utility is not fully evaluated. We assessed the radiological outcomes and clinical correlates of CTAs performed for suspected CeAD. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CTAs for all indications (IndicationALL) over a 10-year period were evaluated to identify those with CeAD. A subgroup of CTAs performed for suspected CeAD (IndicationDISSECTION) was identified and further assessed for clinical findings predictive of CeAD. Magnetic resonance angiography/fat-saturated images (MRA/FSI) performed after CTA were also assessed. RESULTS: Nine-thousand-two-hundred-four CTAs were performed by our ED for IndicationALL of which 850 (9.2%) were for IndicationDISSECTION. CeAD was noted in 1.5% (142/9204) among IndicationALL and in 6.1% (53/850) of IndicationDISSECTION CTAs. The most common radiological findings were mural thrombus and eccentric lumen. In the IndicationDISSECTION group, new headache (OR: 2.5, 95%CI: 1.2-5.7) and partial Horner syndrome (OR: 14.4, 95%CI: 4.2-49.9) predicted carotid dissection and cervical fracture (OR: 5.5, 95%CI: 2.1-14.6) predicted vertebral artery dissections. MRA/FSI confirmed CeAD in all positive cases, but in 2 CTAs read as negative, MRA/FSI was positive for vertebral artery dissection. CONCLUSION: Although the yield of CTAs for clinically suspected CeAD is low, the paucity of reliable clinical predictors, high risk of morbidity, availability in ED, and comparable performance to MRA/FSI justifies its widespread utilization for initial diagnosis of CeAD.

Association Between Resistance to Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow Near the Foramen Magnum and Cough-Associated Headache in Adult Chiari Malformation Type I.

Cough-associated headaches (CAHs) are thought to be distinctive for Chiari malformation type I (CMI) patients and have been shown to be related to the motion of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) near the foramen magnum (FM). We used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to compute patient-specific resistance to CSF motion in the spinal canal for CMI patients to determine its accuracy in predicting CAH. Fifty-one symptomatic CMI patients with cerebellar tonsillar position (CTP) ≥ 5 mm were included in this study. The patients were divided into two groups based on their symptoms (CAH and non-CAH) by review of the neurosurgical records. CFD was utilized to simulate CSF motion, and the integrated longitudinal impedance (ILI) was calculated for all patients. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was evaluated for its accuracy in predicting CAH. The ILI for CMI patients with CAH (776 dyn/cm5, 288-1444 dyn/cm5; median, interquartile range) was significantly larger compared to non-CAH (285 dyn/cm5, 187-450 dyn/cm5; p = 0.001). The ILI was more accurate in predicting CAH in CMI patients than the CTP when the comparison was made using the area under the ROC curve (AUC) (0.77 and 0.70, for ILI and CTP, respectively). ILI ≥ 750 dyn/cm5 had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 95% in predicting CAH. ILI is a parameter that is used to assess CSF blockage in the spinal canal and can predict patients with and without CAH with greater accuracy than CTP.

Role of C-reactive protein in effective utilization of emergent MRI for spinal infections.

PURPOSE: Emergent spinal MRI is recommended for patients with back pain and red flags for infection. However, many of these studies are negative due to low prevalence of spinal infections. Our purpose was to assess if C-reactive protein (CRP) can be used to guide effective utilization of emergent MRI for spinal infections. METHODS: 316/960 (33%) MRIs performed for infection by the emergency department over 75-month period had CRP levels obtained at presentation, after excluding patients receiving antibiotic or had spinal surgery in < 1 month. An MRI was considered positive when there was imaging evidence of spinal infection confirmed on follow-up by surgery/biopsy/drainage or definitive therapy. A CRP of ≤ 10 mg/L was considered normal and > 100 mg/L as highly elevated. RESULTS: CRP was normal in 95/316 (30%) and abnormal in 221/316 (70%) patients. MRI was positive in 43/316 (13.6%) patients, all of whom had abnormal CRP. CRP (p < 0.001) and intravenous drug use (IVDU; p = 0.002) were independently associated with a positive MRI. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis showed AUC of 0.76 for CRP, slightly improving with IVDU. Sensitivity, specificity, and negative predictive values for CRP level cut-off: 10 mg/L, 100%, 35%, and 100%, and 100 mg/L, 58%, 70% and 91%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Abnormal CRP, although extremely sensitive, lacks specificity in predicting a positive MRI for spinal infection unless highly elevated. However, a normal CRP (absent recent antibiotic or surgery) makes spinal infection unlikely, and its routine use as a screening test can help reducing utilization of emergent MRI for this purpose.

Clinical utility of 2-D anatomic measurements in predicting cough-associated headache in Chiari I malformation.

PURPOSE: Cough-associated headache (CAH) is the most distinctive symptom of patients with Chiari I malformation (CMI) and indicates clinically significant disease. We determined the clinical utility of simple 2D anatomic measurements performed on a PACS workstation by assessing their diagnostic accuracy in predicting CAH in CMI patients. METHODS: Seventy-two consecutive CMI patients (cerebellar tonsillar herniation > 5 mm) with headache seen by neurosurgeons over 6 years were included. Sagittal T1 images were used by two readers to measure: extent of tonsillar herniation, lengths of the clivus and supra-occiput, McRae and pB-C2 lines, as well as clivus-canal, odontoid retroversion, and skull base angles. Neurosurgery notes were reviewed to determine presence of CAH. Mann-Whitney test was used to compare measurements between patients with and without CAH. Predictive accuracy was assessed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. RESULTS: 47/72 (65.3%) CMI patients reported CAH. Tonsillar herniation with CAH (10.2 mm, 7-14 mm; median, interquartile range) was significantly greater than those without CAH (7.9 mm, 6.3-10.9 mm; p = 0.02). Tonsillar herniation ≥ 10 mm showed sensitivity and specificity of 51% and 68%, and tonsillar herniation > 14 mm showed sensitivity and specificity of 30% and 100%, respectively, for predicting CAH. Other 2D measurements showed no statistically significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Among the 2D measurements used, only the extent of tonsillar herniation is different between CMI patients with and without CAH. Although CMI is diagnosed with tonsillar herniation of only 5 mm, we found that a much higher extent of herniation is needed to be predictive of CAH.

Performance of On-Call Radiology Residents in Interpreting Total Spine MRI Studies for the Detection of Spinal Cord Compression or Cauda Equina Compression.

OBJECTIVE. Accurate diagnosis of spinal cord compression (SCC) or cauda equina compression (CEC) is important in the emergency setting so management decisions may be made promptly. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the performance of on-call radiology residents in interpreting total spine MRI studies for the detection of SCC or CEC. MATERIALS AND METHODS. On-call radiology residents' preliminary interpretation of total spine MRI studies performed over a period of two and half years were evaluated. Agreements and disagreements were determined for SCC (defined as severe spinal stenosis with compression of the spinal cord and lack of surrounding CSF), CEC (defined as > 75% narrowing of the lumbar canal and lack of CSF in the thecal sac), and the presence of other significant findings that might impact clinical management. Studies with true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, and false-negative findings were identified. RESULTS. SCC or CEC was present in 72 of the 295 studies with preliminary interpretations done by on-call residents. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting SCC or CEC were 93.1% and 98.2%, respectively. Sensitivity was higher for 3rd- and 4th-year residents (97.7%) than for 2nd-year residents (86.2%). Other significant findings were present in 34 of the 295 studies. The overall sensitivity and specificity for the detection of other significant findings were 85.3% and 100.0%, respectively. The level of training did not affect the detection of other significant findings. CONCLUSION. The overall sensitivity of on-call radiology residents' interpretation of total spine MR images for the detection of SCC or CEC was high, improving with their level of training. However, residents' sensitivity was slightly less for the detection of other significant findings. Resident performance can be further improved with focused training and the use of a preliminary interpretation template.

Comparison of Automated CT Perfusion Softwares in Evaluation of Acute Ischemic Stroke.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Automated imaging software is integral to decision-making in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) during extended time windows. RAPID software is the most widely used and has been validated in landmark endovascular trials. Olea software is another commercially available and FDA-approved software, but has not been studied in AIS trials. We aimed to compare the diagnostic utility and accuracy of RAPID and Olea in everyday clinical practice outside of a clinical trial. METHODS: We analyzed prospectively-collected data from a consecutive cohort of 141 patients with suspected AIS who underwent computed tomography perfusion upon presentation followed by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI-MRI) within 24-48 hours. Core infarct was defined as the region with a relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) less than 30% on RAPID and rCBF less than 40% on Olea (default settings). We also evaluated rCBF less than 30% on Olea to match RAPID's default setting. Infarct volume on DWI-MRI was measured using a semiautomated segmentation method. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were excluded; 14 due to poor bolus tracking and/or motion artifact, and 7 due to software failure. The software failure rate was 4.7% [6/127] with RAPID versus .78% [1/127] with Olea (P = .12). For the remaining 120 patients, the sensitivity and specificity for detecting an acute infarct were 40.5% and 97.6% for RAPID; 50.6% and 85.4% for Olea; and for detecting large infarcts (≥70 mL on DWI-MRI) 73.7% and 81.2% for RAPID; 73.7% and 68.3% for Olea. Core infarct volume on RAPID was more closely correlated with DWI-MRI infarct volume (rho = .64) than Olea (rho = .42). CONCLUSIONS: Our head-to-head comparison of these 2 commonly-used softwares in the clinical setting elucidates the pros and cons of their use to guide decision-making for AIS management in the acute setting.

"Barbell Sign": A Diagnostic Imaging Finding in Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy.

The recently proposed diagnostic algorithm for progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy underscores the importance of imaging and emphasizes the role of the radiologist in the diagnostic workup. We describe a case series of patients with visual symptoms and a typical pattern of brain involvement in definite progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy, for which we have coined the term barbell sign.

Schwannoma of the trochlear nerve-an illustrated case series and a systematic review of management.

Schwannomas of cranial nerves in the absence of systemic neurofibromatosis are relatively rare. Among these, schwannomas of the trochlear nerve are even less common. They can be found incidentally or when they cause diplopia or other significant neurological deficits. Treatment options include observation only, neuro-ophthalmological intervention, and/or neurosurgical management via resection or sterotactic radiosurgery (SRS). In recent years, the latter has become an attractive therapeutic tool for a number of benign skull base neoplasm including a small number of reports on its successful use for trochlear Schwannomas. However, no treatment algorithm for the management of these tumors has been proposed so far. The goal of this manuscript is to illustrate a case series of this rare entity and to suggest a rational treatment algorithm for trochlear schwannomas, based on our institutional experience of recent cases, and a pertinent review of the literature. Including our series of 5 cases, a total of 85 cases reporting on the management of trochlear schwannomas have been published. Of those reported, less than half (40 %) of patients underwent surgical resection, whereas the remainder were managed conservatively or with SRS. Seventy-six percent (65/85) of the entire cohort presented with diplopia, which was the solitary symptom in over half of the cases (n = 39). All patients who presented with symptoms other than diplopia or headaches as solitary symptoms underwent surgical resection. Patients in the non-surgical group were mostly male (M/F = 3.5:1), presented at an older age and had shorter mean diameter (4.6 vs. 30.4 mm, p < 0.0001) when compared to the surgical group. Twelve patients in the entire cohort were treated with SRS, none of whom had undergone surgical resection before or after radiation treatment. Trochlear schwannoma patients without systemic neurofibromatosis are rare and infrequently reported in the literature. Of those, patients harboring symptomatic trochlear Schwannomas do not form a single homogenous group, but fall into two rather distinct subgroups regarding demographics and clinical characteristics. Among those patients in need of intervention, open microsurgical resection as well as less invasive treatment options exist, which all aim at safe relief of symptoms and prevention of progression. Both open microsurgical removal as well as SRS can achieve good long-term local control. Consequently, a tailored multidisciplinary treatment algorithm, based on the individual presentation and tumor configuration, is proposed.

Three-dimensional brain MRI for DBS patients within ultra-low radiofrequency power limits.

BACKGROUND: For patients with deep brain stimulators (DBS), local absorbed radiofrequency (RF) power is unknown and is much higher than what the system estimates. We developed a comprehensive, high-quality brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol for DBS patients utilizing three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance sequences at very low RF power. METHODS: Six patients with DBS were imaged (10 sessions) using a transmit/receive head coil at 1.5 Tesla with modified 3D sequences within ultra-low specific absorption rate (SAR) limits (0.1 W/kg) using T2 , fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T1 -weighted image contrast. Tissue signal and tissue contrast from the low-SAR images were subjectively and objectively compared with routine clinical images of six age-matched controls. RESULTS: Low-SAR images of DBS patients demonstrated tissue contrast comparable to high-SAR images and were of diagnostic quality except for slightly reduced signal. CONCLUSIONS: Although preliminary, we demonstrated diagnostic quality brain MRI with optimized, volumetric sequences in DBS patients within very conservative RF safety guidelines offering a greater safety margin.

Transient Decrease in Cerebrospinal Fluid Motion Is Related to Cough-Associated Headache in Chiari I Malformation.

BACKGROUND: Short-lasting cough-associated headache (CAH) in patients with Chiari I malformation (CMI) is believed to be due to transient worsening of cerebrospinal flow (CSF) obstruction at the foramen magnum. We assessed changes in CSF flow in response to coughing in CMI patients with CAH and compared with those without CAH and healthy participants (HPs) using real-time magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: Seventeen CMI patients (12 with CAH, 5 without CAH) and 6 HPs were prospectively assessed using real-time pencil-beam imaging magnetic resonance sequence. A 64-mm length pencil-beam imaging cylinder was placed at the craniocervical junction. CSF stroke volume (SVCSF) was assessed during resting, postcoughing, and relaxation phases via a 90-second scan. SVCSF was measured at 6 levels at 5-mm intervals between 10 and 35 mm below the foramen magnum. During each phase, SVCSF was compared between CMI with and without CAH and HPs and corrected for multiple comparisons. RESULTS: At multiple consecutive levels, postcoughing SVCSF was significantly lower in CMI with CAH compared with both CMI without CAH and HP (P < 0.05). No differences in postcoughing SVCSF were seen between CMI without CAH and HP. At rest or relaxation phase, no differences in SVCSF were seen between patients with and without CAH but minimal differences were seen between CMI with CAH and HP. CONCLUSIONS: A decrease in CSF flow after coughing in CMI patients with CAH supports the notion that CAH is caused by transient worsening of CSF flow obstruction at the foramen magnum.

Association between linear measurements of corpus callosum and gait in the elderly.

PURPOSE: Segmentation and diffusion-tensor-imaging of the corpus callosum (CC) have been linked to gait impairment. However, such measurements are impracticable in clinical routine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between simple linear measurements of CC thickness with gait. METHODS: Two hundred and seventy-two community-dwelling subjects underwent neurological assessment and brain MRI. Mid-sagittal reformats of T1-weighted images were used to determine CC thickness. The association of measurements with clinical evaluation of gait was assessed by multivariate regression, controlling for numerous clinical and imaging confounders. Differences in CC thickness were, moreover, compared between subgroups with no, moderate or severe impairment of gait. RESULTS: In univariate analyses, thickness of the genu and body of CC but not the splenium were associated with postural stability (P < 0.01). Multivariate regression revealed thickness of CC genu as the only imaging variable independently associated with gait (P = 0.01). Genu thickness was significantly different between subjects with high and low (P = 0.0003) or high and moderate (P = 0.001) risk of fall. CONCLUSION: Atrophy of the CC genu is an imaging marker of gait impairment in the elderly suggesting higher risk of fall. Simple linear measurements of CC can help in MRI evaluation of patients with gait impairment. KEY POINTS: • Regional atrophy of the corpus callosum reflects disruption of gait regulation • Genu thickness on cranial MRI is an independent marker of gait impairment • Findings help in the MRI evaluation of patients with gait impairment.

The Effect of Posterior Fossa Decompression Surgery on Brainstem and Cervical Spinal Cord Dimensions in Adults with Chiari Malformation Type 1.

OBJECTIVE: Posterior fossa decompression (PFD) surgery creates more space at the skull base, reduces the resistance to the cerebrospinal fluid motion, and alters craniocervical biomechanics. In this paper, we retrospectively examined the changes in neural tissue dimensions following PFD surgery on Chiari malformation type 1 adults. METHODS: Measurements were performed on T2-weighted brain magnetic resonance images acquired before and 4 months after surgery. Measurements were conducted for neural tissue volume and spinal cord/brainstem width at 4 different locations; 2 width measurements were made on the brainstem and 2 on the spinal cord in the midsagittal plane. Cerebellar tonsillar position (CTP) was also measured before and after surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-five adult patients, with a mean age of 38.9 ± 8.8 years, were included in the study. The cervical cord volume increased by an average of 2.3 ± 3.3% (P = 0.002). The width at the pontomedullary junction increased by 2.2 ± 3.5% (P < 0.01), while the width 10 mm caudal to this junction increased by 4.2 ± 3.9% (P < 0.0001). The spinal cord width at the base of second cervical vertebra and third cervical vertebra did not significantly change after surgery. The CTP decreased by 60 ± 37% (P < 0.0001) after surgery, but no correlation was found between CTP change and dimension change. CONCLUSIONS: The brainstem width and cervical cord volume showed a modest increase after PFD surgery, although standard deviations were large. A reduction in compression after PFD surgery may allow for an increase in neural tissue dimension. However, clinical relevance is unclear and should be assessed in future studies with high-resolution imaging.

Major radiological outcomes of CTA head and neck performed for dizziness in a major academic Emergency Department.

Purpose: Routine head and neck CTAs (CTAhead+neck) performed for dizziness in the Emergency Department (ED) has steadily increased, but its clinical utility is still poorly elucidated. Our purpose was to assess the radiologic outcomes of CTAhead+neck in ED dizziness patients.Methods: ED dizziness patients with CTAhead+neck from January 2010 through November 2019 were retrospectively identified and further stratified into central vertigo (CV), peripheral vertigo (PV), and non-specific dizziness (NSD) groups by final clinical diagnoses. Findings on CTAhead+neck (vessel stenosis >50%, occlusion, dissection, and infarct), and infarct on subsequent MRI if performed, were assessed. Differences in imaging findings were analyzed using chi-square or Fisher's exact tests.Results: Of 867 dizziness patients, 88 were diagnosed with CV, 383 with PV, and 396 with NSD. On CTAhead+neck, 11.4% of all patients had posterior CTA findings, including posterior occlusions (4.2%), dissections (1.2%), and infarcts (2.3%). CV patients had more posterior circulation findings (31.8%) versus PV (9.9%) and NSD (8.3%) patients (both p < 0.01). 21.6% of CV patients had acute infarcts on CT versus none for PV and 0.03% for NSD patients (both p < 0.01). On MRI, 46.6% of CV patients had acute posterior circulation infarcts versus none for PV and 0.3% for NSD patients (p < 0.01).Conclusion: Diagnostic yield for CTAhead+neck for dizziness patients is low except in central vertigo patients which constitute only 1/10th of CTAs performed. Our single institution results support that CTAhead+neck is likely low-yield in patients with high clinical suspicion for PV or NSD and further studies are needed to test this hypothesis.

T2 hyperintensity of medial lemniscus is an indicator of small-vessel disease.

OBJECTIVE: Small-vessel disease is a common MRI finding that can be difficult to differentiate from other white matter (WM) diseases because of the lack of a specific pattern of brain involvement. The purpose of our study was to evaluate medial lemniscus hyperintensity seen on FLAIR images as an imaging marker for small-vessel disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two blinded neuroradiologists retrospectively reviewed 103 consecutive outpatient brain MRI studies. Medial lemniscus signal in the dorsal pons was evaluated visually on FLAIR images and after placing regions of interest (ROIs) on T2-weighted images. On the basis of the original interpretations, scans were divided into three categories: small-vessel disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), and normal or nonspecific WM changes. Cardiovascular risk factors were recorded. Analysis of variance and Fisher exact tests were used to determine group differences, and kappa statistics was used to determine interrater agreement. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients had small-vessel disease, 14 patients had MS, and 52 had nonspecific WM changes. Medial lemniscus hyperintensity was seen in about 20% of patients with small-vessel disease and was generally bilateral. Although ROI analyses identified a slightly higher number of patients with medial lemniscus signal > 20% of adjacent to normal-appearing brainstem, interrater reliability was moderate, and there were false-positive and false-negative cases in comparison with visual data. When small-vessel disease patients were further subdivided into mild or advanced subgroups, medial lemniscus hyperintensity was selectively seen in advanced small-vessel disease. Patients with medial lemniscus hyperintensity were older (p < 0.001) and had higher prevalence of diabetes (p = 0.03), hypertension (p = 0.009), and hypercholesterolemia (p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Medial lemniscus hyperintensity seen on FLAIR images is a reliable radiologic marker of advanced small-vessel disease.