[Orbital metastases of breast cancer. Radiologic features]. / Mammakarzinommetastasen der Orbita. Radiologische Eigenschaften.

BACKGROUND: We reviewed the radiologic features of 15 patients with orbital metastases originating from breast cancer. METHODS: This was a retrospective consecutive case series. Fifteen consecutive patients with orbital metastases originating from breast carcinoma were identified between March 1997 and September 2008. A retrospective chart review was carried out, and the radiologic findings were reviewed. RESULTS: The metastases were preseptal in 53%, intraconal in 60%, and both intraconal and extraconal in 33%. Lacrimal gland enlargement was noted in 33%, episcleral space involvement in 33%, bone involvement in 13%, and globe dystopia in 53%. The extraocular muscles were involved in 87%; in 60%, two or more muscles were involved. The medial and lateral rectus muscles were affected in 53% and 47%, respectively, and the inferior and superior rectus muscles in 33%. In 47% one or more radiologic features had not been noted by the radiologist, and in 20% the findings were misinterpreted as an"orbital pseudotumor." CONCLUSION: Orbital metastases originating from breast cancer may present heterogeneously. Orbital imaging most commonly shows unilateral and multifocal involvement of multiple extraocular muscles and intraconal and preseptal areas by an irregular lesion.

Atherosclerotic plaque volume and composition in symptomatic carotid arteries assessed with multidetector CT angiography; relationship with severity of stenosis and cardiovascular risk factors.

The purpose of this study was to examine the volume and the composition of atherosclerotic plaque in symptomatic carotid arteries and to investigate the relationship between these plaque features and the severity of stenosis and the presence of cardiovascular risk factors. One hundred patients with cerebrovascular symptoms underwent CT angiography. We measured plaque volume (PV) and the relative contribution of plaque components (calcifications, fibrous tissue, and lipid) in the symptomatic artery. The contribution of different components was measured as the number of voxels within defined ranges of HU values (calcification >130 HU, fibrous tissue 60-130 HU, lipid core <60 HU). Fifty-seven patients had atherosclerotic plaque in the symptomatic carotid artery. The severity of stenosis and PV were moderately correlated. Age and smoking were independently related to PV. Patients with hypercholesterolemia had significantly less lipid and more calcium in their plaques than patients without hypercholesterolemia. Other cardiovascular risk factors were not significantly related to PV or plaque composition. Luminal stenosis of the carotid artery partly reflects the amount of atherosclerotic carotid disease. Plaque volume and plaque composition are associated with cardiovascular risk factors.

Outcome after complicated minor head injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Functional outcome in patients with minor head injury with neurocranial traumatic findings on CT is largely unknown. We hypothesized that certain CT findings may be predictive of poor functional outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients from the CT in Head Injury Patients (CHIP) study with neurocranial traumatic CT findings were included. The CHIP study is a prospective, multicenter study of consecutive patients, > or =16 years of age, presenting within 24 hours of blunt head injury, with a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 13-14 or a GCS score of 15 and a risk factor. Primary outcome was functional outcome according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS). Other outcome measures were the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), the Barthel Index (BI), and number and severity of postconcussive symptoms. The association between CT findings and outcome was assessed by using univariable and multivariable regression analysis. RESULTS: GOS was assessed in 237/312 patients (76%) at an average of 15 months after injury. There was full recovery in 150 patients (63%), moderate disability in 70 (30%), severe disability in 7 (3.0%), and death in 10 (4.2%). Outcome according to the mRS and BI was also favorable in most patients, but 82% of patients had postconcussive symptoms. Evidence of parenchymal damage was the only independent predictor of poor functional outcome (odds ratio = 1.89, P = .022). CONCLUSION: Patients with neurocranial complications after minor head injury generally make a good functional recovery, but postconcussive symptoms may persist. Evidence of parenchymal damage on CT was predictive of poor functional outcome.

A history of loss of consciousness or post-traumatic amnesia in minor head injury: "conditio sine qua non" or one of the risk factors?

OBJECTIVE: A history of loss of consciousness (LOC) or post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) is commonly considered a prerequisite for minor head injury (MHI), although neurocranial complications also occur when LOC/PTA are absent, particularly in the presence of other risk factors. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether known risk factors for complications after MHI in the absence of LOC/PTA have the same predictive value as when LOC/PTA are present. METHODS: A prospective multicentre study was performed in four university hospitals between February 2002 and August 2004 of consecutive blunt head injury patients (> or = 16 years) presenting with a normal level of consciousness and a risk factor. Outcome measures were any neurocranial traumatic CT finding and neurosurgical intervention. Common odds ratios (OR) were estimated for each of the risk factors and tested for homogeneity. RESULTS: 2462 patients were included: 1708 with and 754 without LOC/PTA. Neurocranial traumatic findings on CT were present in 7.5% and were more common when LOC/PTA was present (8.7%). Neurosurgical intervention was required in 0.4%, irrespective of the presence of LOC/PTA. ORs were comparable across the two subgroups (p>0.05), except for clinical evidence of a skull fracture, with high ORs both when LOC/PTA was present (OR = 37, 95% CI 17 to 80) or absent (OR = 6.9, 95% CI 1.8 to 27). LOC and PTA had significant ORs of 1.9 (95% CI 1.0 to 2.7) and 1.7 (95% CI 1.3 to 2.3), respectively. CONCLUSION: Known risk factors have comparable ORs in MHI patients with or without LOC or PTA. MHI patients without LOC or PTA need to be explicitly considered in clinical guidelines.

Accuracy of CT angiography in the assessment of a fetal origin of the posterior cerebral artery.

An uncommon cause of cerebral ischemia in the territory of the posterior cerebral artery (PCA) is the combination of a fetal origin of the PCA and atherosclerotic disease in the internal carotid artery. This study compared the accuracy of CTA with DSA in the assessment of a fetal origin of the PCA. Patients in whom an intracranial DSA and CTA had been performed were reviewed. A fetal origin was defined as a normal-sized patent posterior communicating artery (PCoA) with hypoplasia or aplasia of the ipsilateral P1 segment. One hundred PCAs in 51 patients were analyzed. A fetal origin was present in ten vessels (10%, eight patients). CTA revealed all of them. CTA considered an additional three vessels as having a fetal origin, while DSA revealed a PCoA with the same diameter as the P1 segment of the PCA. Sensitivity and specificity of CTA in the assessment of a fetal origin could be estimated at 100 and 97%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 77 and 100%, respectively. CTA can be considered a valid diagnostic tool for the assessment of a fetal origin of the PCA in patients with a cerebral ischemic event in the territory of the PCA.

Right temporal lobe glioblastoma presenting in the left orbit. Case report.

Dissemination of gliomas outside the central nervous system without preceding neurosurgery is a rare phenomenon. Glial neoplasms presenting as bone lesions are even more rare. A case of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) with initial presentation in the orbit following a single generalized seizure is described. Signs of intracranial hypertension resulted from subarachnoid tumor invasion. The patient was treated with whole-dose radiation therapy but survived for only 6 months following the initial presentation. An autopsy revealed a right temporal GBM with extensive subarachnoid spread and invasion in the left orbit and skull base. The literature on dissemination of primary tumors of the brain is reviewed.

Inflammatory pseudotumor of the fossa pterygopalatina: diagnosis and treatment.

Pseudotumor is a term used to describe a space-occupying inflammatory lesion of unknown etiology that clinically simulates a neoplastic process. Pseudotumors of the fossa pterygopalatina and fossa infratemporalis are very rare. In this paper, we describe a patient who developed a pseudotumor in the left fossa pterygopalatina, secondary to an unclassified autoimmune disease, which caused progressive left-sided facialdynia and swelling. The tumor was detected with somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. The lesion was refractory to steroids, also in combination with azathioprine, as well as to surgical intervention. An excellent clinical response was observed after cyclosporine was added. This case is presented here in order to draw attention to the use of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy as a diagnostic tool in visualizing pseudotumors and to document a case that responded excellently to treatment with a combination of low-dose cyclosporine and steroids.

Spontaneous remodeling of the spinal canal after conservative management of thoracolumbar burst fractures.

STUDY DESIGN: Forty-two conservatively treated patients with a burst fracture of the thoracic, thoracolumbar, or lumbar spine with more than 25% stenosis of the spinal canal were reviewed more than 1 year after injury to investigate spontaneous remodeling of the spinal canal. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the natural development of the changes in the spinal canal after thoracolumbar burst fractures. SUMMARY OF THE BACKGROUND DATA: Surgical removal of bony fragments from the spinal canal may restore the shape of the spinal canal after burst fractures. However, it was reported that restoration of the spinal canal does not affect the extent of neurologic recovery. METHODS: Using computerized tomography, the authors compared the least sagittal diameter of the spinal canal at the time of injury with the least sagittal diameter at the follow-up examination. RESULTS: Remodeling and reconstitution of the spinal canal takes place within the first 12 months after injury. The mean percentage of the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal was 50% of the normal diameter (50% stenosis) at the time of the fracture and 75% of the normal diameter (25% stenosis) at the follow-up examination. The correlation was positive between the increase in the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal and the initial percentage stenosis. There was a negative correlation between the increase in the sagittal diameter of the spinal canal and age at time of injury. Remodeling of the spinal canal was not influenced by the presence of a neurologic deficit. CONCLUSION: Conservative management of thoracolumbar burst fractures is followed by a marked degree of spontaneous redevelopment of the deformed spinal canal. Therefore, this study provides a new argument in favor of the conservative management of thoracolumbar burst fractures.

[Cushing's disease: successful surgery through improved preoperative tumor localization]. / Ziekte van Cushing: succesvollere chirurgie door verbeterde preoperatieve tumorlokalisatie.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of improved preoperative tumour localisation on the outcome of transsphenoidal surgery for Cushing's disease. DESIGN: Retrospective. SETTING: University Hospital Rotterdam, the Netherlands. METHODS: The case records were studied of 61 patients, operated on for Cushing's disease due to a corticotrophin-secreting microadenoma (diameter < 10 mm), in the period January 1985-September 1995. From 1985, preoperative tumour localisation was performed with computed tomography (CT), from 1989 with Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Bilateral Simultaneous Inferior Petrosal Sinus Sampling (BSIPSS). The definition of a successful operation was: morning serum cortisol < 500 nmol/l, and of cure: morning serum cortisol < 140 nmol/l or 24-hr cortisoluria < 250 nmol. RESULTS: In 1985-1988, a microadenoma was localised preoperatively in 8/22 patients (36%), the operation was successful in 12 (55%), of which 4 (18%) were cured. In 1989-1991, a microadenoma was localised in 12/15 patients (80%), the operation was successful in 11 (73%), of which 4 (27%) were cured. In 1992-1995 a microadenoma was localised preoperatively in 23/24 patients (96%), the operation was successful in 19 (79%), of which 17 (71%) were cured. In the cured group, there was a low incidence (< 10%) of postoperative hypopituitarism in all three periods. There were 1, 0 and 1 recurrences of Cushing's disease respectively after initial cure. CONCLUSION: In our institution, improved preoperative localisation of corticotrophin-secreting hypophyseal microadenomas was associated with an important increase of success and cure rate of transsphenoidal surgery, while there was no increase in postoperative hypopituitarism or recurrences of Cushing's disease.

Pituitary insufficiency and regression of acromegaly caused by pituitary apoplexy following cerebral angiography.

Pituitary apoplexy as a complication of cerebral angiography has been described in only a few case reports. Some studies have reported the clinical resolution of active acromegaly after pituitary apoplexy. We present a patient with active acromegaly due to a growth hormone (GH)-secreting pituitary macroadenoma, who developed anterior and posterior pituitary insufficiency following cerebral angiography. Furthermore, a significant reduction in tumour size was accompanied by normalization of mean 24 h in GH insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and IGF binding protein 3 levels.

Vertebral bone destruction in sickle cell disease: infection, infarction or both.

Infectious and vaso-occlusive vertebral bone and joint destruction in two patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) are featured by H-shaped vertebrae, kyphotic angulation, osteolysis of endplates and collapse of intervertebral discs as shown by X-ray films and magnetic resonance imaging. Staphylococcal serology supported the diagnosis of staphylococcal osteomyelitis/spondylo-discitis in both SCD patients. The difficulties of establishing the causes and treatment of the osteoarthropathy in these particular cases are discussed in the light of the literature.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia with multiple cerebral infarctions simulating thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura. A case report.

The authors describe a patient with stroke, treated with heparin for unstable angina, whose clinical features mimicked those of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP). His condition eventually proved to be caused by heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT), complicated by thrombosis (HITT). The absence of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia should question the diagnosis in a presumed TTP patient. Early diagnosis of HITT is possible since recently two highly sensitive and specific tests have become available. Heparin treatment has to be stopped immediately if HITT is diagnosed. First-choice antithrombotic treatment in HITT patients is danaparoid.

Idiopathic isosexual central precocious puberty: magnetic resonance findings in 30 patients.

The purpose of this prospective study was to define the incidence of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities in the brain in patients with idiopathic central precocious puberty without any additional neurological signs and symptoms, and to evaluate the routine use of gadolinium contrast in these patients. 30 patients (29 girls, one boy; age range 1.9-11.9 years) with idiopathic central precocious puberty were studied. MRI of the brain in axial, coronal and sagittal planes was performed before and after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine, with special attention to the region of the third ventricle. There are three major findings: (1) the height of the pituitary gland is increased up to adult size compared with normal individuals; (2) in four patients (13%) major structural abnormalities were found; three hamartomas of the tuber cinereum and one gliomatous process extending from the chiasm to the optic tract; and (3) the routine use of gadopentetate dimeglumine did not reveal new abnormalities although the lack of enhancement made a positive contribution to diagnostic certainty. We conclude that contrast enhanced MR examination is a safe and reliable method for the exclusion of abnormalities in children with precocious puberty and for the follow-up of those patients in whom abnormalities are present.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in syringomyelia.

Based on an own material of 19 patients with syringomyelia and on the related literature a survey is given on the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, postoperative evaluation and the dynamics of CSF and cyst fluids, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The following conclusions can be drawn: 1. MRI is the preferred method of investigation for diagnosis and differential diagnosis of syringomyelia. 2. Using MRI, it is possible to study fluid flow in the vertebral canal and the movements of the syrinx fluid. The data are as yet limited, but in the future will form an important contribution to our understanding of the pathogenesis of syringomyelia and to the choice of a treatment method. 3. MRI is important for the postoperative follow-up of patients with syringomyelia, including tracking the cyst and detecting complications.

Predictive factors for deterioration from hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage.

We studied the predictive factors for deterioration from hydrocephalus that developed during the first 28 days after admission in 660 patients following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Deterioration from hydrocephalus was defined as deterioration of consciousness with no detectable cause other than hydrocephalus confirmed by a repeat CT with a bicaudate index exceeding the 95th percentile for age. Deterioration from hydrocephalus occurred in 143 (22%) of the 660 patients. The variables included in the analysis were sex, age, loss of consciousness at ictus, sum score on the Glasgow Coma Scale on admission, sum score of cisternal blood and presence of ventricular blood on initial CT, hydrocephalus on initial CT, confirmed aneurysm, rebleeding, delayed cerebral ischemia, and treatment with tranexamic acid for 4 (short-term treatment) or 28 (long-term treatment) days. In a multivariate analysis with the Cox proportional hazards model incorporating fixed and time-dependent covariates, sum score of cisternal blood on initial CT (hazard ratio 3.15, p < 0.000001), presence of ventricular blood on initial CT (hazard ratio 1.66, p = 0.004), hydrocephalus on initial CT (hazard ratio 3.37, p < 0.000001), and long-term treatment with tranexamic acid (hazard ratio 2.40, p < 0.000001) were significantly related with the development of hydrocephalus. We conclude that a high amount of blood after SAH and delay of the resorption of cisternal and ventricular blood caused by long-term treatment with tranexamic acid increases the risk of deterioration from hydrocephalus after SAH.

Cerebral white matter lesions, vascular risk factors, and cognitive function in a population-based study: the Rotterdam Study.

Cerebral white matter lesions are a common finding on MRI in elderly persons. We studied the prevalence of white matter lesions and their relation with classic cardiovascular risk factors, thrombogenic factors, and cognitive function in an age- and gender-stratified random sample from the general population that consisted of 111 subjects 65 to 84 years of age. Overall, 27% of subjects had white matter lesions. The prevalence and severity of lesions increased with age. A history of stroke or myocardial infarction, factor VIIc activity, and fibrinogen level were each significantly and independently associated with the presence of white matter lesions. Significant relations with blood pressure level, hypertension, and plasma cholesterol were present only for subjects aged 65 to 74 years. White matter lesions tended to be associated with lower scores on tests of cognitive function and were significantly associated with subjective mental decline. This study suggests that classic cardiovascular risk factors, as well as thrombogenic factors, are associated with white matter lesions in subjects over 65 years of age in the general population, and that these lesions may be related to cognitive function.

Pituitary tumour localization in patients with Cushing's disease by magnetic resonance imaging. Is there a place for petrosal sinus sampling?

OBJECTIVE: We wished to analyse the relative value and diagnostic accuracy of bilateral simultaneous inferior petrosal sinus blood sampling for plasma ACTH measurements when compared with pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the preoperative localization of microadenoma (tumour diameter < 10 mm) within the pituitary fossa in patients with Cushing's disease. DESIGN: Pituitary MRIs were assessed blind and independently. The sinus blood sampling was performed before and after administration of corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH). The ratios of the ACTH concentrations in plasma samples from the inferior petrosal sinuses to the concentrations in peripheral blood plasma samples (the IPS:P ratio) and the ratios of the ACTH concentrations in samples from both inferior petrosal sinuses (the intersinus gradient) were calculated. PATIENTS: Twenty consecutive patients with Cushing's disease were prospectively studied. All but two patients subsequently underwent transsphenoidal exploration of the pituitary fossa. RESULTS: In three of 20 patients (15%), positioning of catheter tips in both inferior petrosal sinuses was unsuccessful. The diagnosis of Cushing's disease was confirmed by the greater basal IPS:P ratio amounting to > or = 2.0 in 13 of 17 patients (76%), and amounting to > or = 3.0 in CRH-stimulated peak samples in 15 of 17 patients (88%). Anatomical variations of the inferior petrosal sinus, precluding reliable conclusions about lateralization of pituitary venous ACTH drainage, were observed in five of 20 patients (25%). Adding the three patients with technical failure and one patient who presented with a macroadenoma (tumour diameter 11 mm), this left interpretable data with regard to lateralization of the microadenomas in only 11 of 20 patients (55%). In 15 of 20 patients (75%) a pituitary microadenoma was found at MRI. In 14 of these 15 patients (93%) a tumour was indeed found at that position at subsequent transsphenoidal operation. Concordance between the lateralization by the intersinus gradient and microadenoma localization by MRI was observed in six of 11 cases (55%) when using basal samples and in seven of 11 cases (64%) when using peak samples obtained after stimulation with CRH. Concordance between the lateralization by the intersinus gradient and subsequent microadenoma localization at surgery was observed in seven of 11 patients (64%) before and in eight of 11 cases (73%) after CRH stimulation. Reversal of the intersinus gradient after CRH stimulation, suggesting a shift in the lateralization to the contralateral side of the gland, was found in three of 12 cases (25%). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral simultaneous inferior petrosal sinus blood sampling for plasma ACTH measurements before and after CRH stimulation successfully confirmed the diagnosis of pituitary dependent Cushing's disease in 15 of 17 patients (88%) in whom this diagnosis was suspected on the basis of conventional biochemical testing. Magnetic resonance imaging, however, is superior to bilateral simultaneous inferior petrosal sinus blood sampling for the localization/lateralization of pituitary microadenomas in patients with Cushing's disease. Therefore, bilateral simultaneous inferior petrosal sinus blood sampling should be reserved for the assessment of those patients with Cushing's syndrome in whom either the results of biochemical tests are equivocal and/or subsequent pituitary magnetic resonance imaging gives unconvincing results.