Magnetic Resonance Enhancement Pattern as a Predictor of Cement Volume in Vertebroplasty Procedures for Osteoporotic Fractures

PURPOSE: To identify the differences between injected cement volumes during vertebroplasty procedures according to the enhancement pattern of pre-procedure magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two patients who underwent 52 vertebroplasty procedures as well as pre-procedure contrast-enhanced spine MRI in the authors' institution were reviewed retrospectively. The 52 procedures were divided into two groups according to different enhancement patterns shown by pre-procedure MR imaging [E(+) and E(−)]. The volumes of the enhancing/non-enhancing portions of the fractured vertebral body shown by pre-procedural MR imaging were calculated and compared to the volumes of the injected cement during the vertebroplasty procedures. RESULTS: The 52 injections included 28 (56%) in Group E(+) and 24 (44%) in Group E(−). The actual volume ratio of the injected cement to the volume of the non-enhanced or enhanced region calculated based on the contrast-enhanced MRI was 0.22 ± 0.11 (cc/cm³) in the E(+) group and 0.93 ± 0.62 (cc/cm³) in the E(−) group. The average amount of injected cement was significantly different between Group E(+) and Group E(−) (P < 0.001). In addition, the ratio of the injected cement amount to the volume of the enhanced or non-enhanced portion based on the contrast-enhanced MRI in Group E(−) was significantly higher than that of Group E(+) (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Different enhancement patterns shown by pre-procedure MRI can predictors of the injected cement volume during vertebroplasty procedures for osteoporotic fractures.

Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma with Distant Metastases to the Kidney, Adrenal Gland, Skull and Gluteus Maximus Muscle: a Case Report

INTRODUCTION: Distant metastases of mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC) are reported with the most common sites being the soft tissue of skin, lung, liver, and bone. We report here a very rare case of MEC with multiple metastases to the kidney, adrenal gland, skull and gluteus maximus muscle. CASE REPORT: A 63-year-old male patient presented with left-sided headache. Radiologic evaluations including CT and MRI showed ill-defined soft tissue lesion involving the left infratemporal fossa and left sphenoid sinus, and multiple enlarged lymph nodes in neck and mediastinum. PET-CT demonstrated multiple hypermetabolic lesions in and around the left kidney, left adrenal gland, right ischium, right gluteus maximus and skull base. These lesions were confirmed as MEC with multiple metastases through biopsy. DISCUSSION: Only one case of metastasis to the skull has been previously reported, and moreover, there has not been a case of metastatic MEC to the kidney, adrenal gland and gluteus maximus muscle so far in the medical literature. It is important to acknowledge the possibility of every unusual MEC metastases, since the presence of metastasis has statistically significant influence on the survival of MEC.

Rapid Regression of White Matter Changes in Hypoglycemic Encephalopathy

PURPOSE: In a previous report, it took several days for white matter lesions to regress in hypoglycemic encephalopathy. We present a case of rapid diffusion-weighted image (DWI) changes in hypoglycemic encephalopathy. CASE REPORT: A 58-year-old male patient was found semi-comatous with the only abnormality in his laboratory tests showing hypoglycemia (44 mg/dL). After rapid correction of glucose level, immediate brain DWI showed bilateral subcortical white matter lesions. After about 5 hours, follow-up DWI showed resolved subcortical white matter lesions, with newly-appeared bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal cortical lesions. CONCLUSION: Both white matter and cortex involvement in hypoglycemic encephalopathy has been shown in several reports, but rapid regression of white matter changes in hypoglycemic encephalopathy has been rarely reported. It is important to know that MR imaging changes in hypoglycemic encephalopathy can be made as quick as just a few-hour-long.

Transient right hemidiaphragmatic paralysis following subclavian venous catheterization: possible implications of anatomical variation of the phrenic nerve: a case report / 대한마취과학회지

Phrenic nerve paralysis is an unusual complication associated with central venous catheterization. Various mechanisms have been proposed. We present a case of transient right hemidiaphragmatic paralysis after subclavian venous catheterization. We hypothesize that anatomical variation of the phrenic nerve was responsible for this complication.

MR Findings Predictive of Intradiscal Leakage of Bone Cement in Vertebroplasty

PURPOSE: To evaluate the relation between pre-operative MR findings and intradiscal bone cement leakage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Pre-operative MR and vertebroplasty were performed in 188 vertebral bodies, 376 superior and inferior cortical endplates and intervertebral discs of 126 patients. We analyzed the relation between endplate cortical injury and intradiscal linear low signal intensity lesions in the pre-operative MR images and measured intradiscal bone cement leakage on post-operative CT and fluoroscopy. RESULTS: Intradiscal bone cement leakage was found in 11.4% (43/376) of the cases. The incidence of endplate cortical injury in T1, T2 weighted MR images were 52.1% and 38.8%, respectively; the incidence of intradiscal linear low signal intensity lesions in T1, T2 weighted images were 11.2% and 24.2%, respectively. In relation with pre-operative MR findings and intradiscal bone cement leakage, the sensitivities of end plate cortical injury in T1 and T2 weighted images and intradiscal low signal intensity lesions in T1 and T2 weighted images were 100%, 95.3%, 39.5%, 86.5%, the specificities were 54.1%, 68.5%, 92.5%, 83.9%, the positive predictive values were 21.9%, 28.1%, 40.5%, 40.7%, the negative predictive values were 100%, 99.1%, 92.2%, 97.9%, and the accuracy were 59.3%, 71.5%, 86.4%, 84.0%. The incidence of intradiscal bone cement leakage was significantly increased when endplate cortical injury and intradiscal linear low signal intensity lesions were observed (p <0.001). CONCLUSION: Endplate cortical injury and intradiscal linear low signal intensity observed in pre-operative MR are useful findings in predicting intradiscal bone cement leakage.

Gastric Schwannoma: A Case Report

Gastric schwannoma is a rare benign intramural tumor arising from the stomach, and it accounts for only 0.1% of all the different kinds of gastric neoplasms, and it's less than 4% of all the benign gastric tumors. This tumor is very difficult to differentiate from the other mesenchymal tumors by the clinical, endoscopic and radiologic findings. In this study, we demonstrate the appearance of this tumor on endoscopic ultrasound and contrast-enhanced abdomen CT. We also show the histopathologic findings of a surgically confirmed gastric schwannoma that was located in the proper muscle layer.