Adaptability and Stability of Safflower Genotypes for Oil Production.

The study aimed to analyze the agronomic performance of 11 safflower genotypes using adaptability and stability methods, while identifying safflower genotypes with stable behavior and a high grain yield in different environments of the Brazilian Cerrado. Ten lines and a cultivar of safflower were evaluated in four environments in the Brazilian conditions. Our results revealed the genotypes P30, P35, P9, P11, and P31 to be superior for grain yield and P43, P7, P11, and P31 to be superior for oil content. The lowest Wricke index, an indication of genotype stability, was observed for P9 (0.41%), which is considered the most stable genotype, followed by P35 (1.29%) and P31 (1.98%). For the predictability of the behavior of genotypes in the environments, P7 (80.85%), P35 (86.10%), P31 (85.90%), and P9 (97.42%) were considered predictable genotypes. The genotypes P11 (1045.6 kg ha-1 and 19.7%) and P21 (952.7 kg ha-1 and 20.6%) are recommended for cultivation in this region, considering both their grain yield and oil content. Safflower is viable to use out of season in the Brazilian Cerrado. The crop can generate profits for farmers and be used for oil production in periods of uncertain corn production.

A rare association of tension pneumocephalus and a large frontoethmoidal osteoma: imaging features and surgical treatment.

Osteomas are the most common benign paranasal sinus tumors and are often found in the frontal and ethmoidal sinus. Intracranial complications such as pneumocephalus have occasionally been reported in association with osteomas. We describe a 33-year-old man with a large frontoethmoidal osteoma complicated by tension pneumocephalus and neurological disturbances, and we discuss the clinical and imaging resolutions after surgical management. We emphasize the imaging features and neuroendoscopic approach to avoid life-threatening conditions.

Dural metastases from prostate carcinoma: a systematic review of the literature apropos of six patients.

Intracranial metastases are a rare manifestation of prostate carcinoma and the dura mater is the most affected site. We report a series of six patients with dural prostate metastases (DPM) and perform a systematic review of the current literature in order to depict imaging trademarks of this condition. This review points to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) pattern of meningeal involvement characterized by a diffuse smooth thickening, nodular appearance or dural-based masses. We also demonstrate an osteoblastic pattern of lesions, particularly in sphenoid wing, by computed tomography (CT) scans. We suggest that these imaging findings may support an elevated index of suspicion of DPM in elderly men, including those patients without urologic symptoms.

Asymmetric cortical degenerative syndromes: an integrated approach to clinical and imaging review.

BACKGROUND: The term asymmetric cortical degenerative syndromes (ACDSs) refers to any brain afflictions that result in selective atrophy, particularly with an asymmetric pattern. Regardless of the etiology, the resulting compromised profile reflects the affected topography, which correlates with the clinical findings, more than any specific neuropathologic entity. REVIEW SUMMARY: ACDS can represent a diagnostic challenge, because of an overlap of clinical manifestations, especially in the early stages. Magnetic resonance techniques are useful to understand nuclear medicine studies and to confirm areas of focal atrophy by providing anatomic details and allowing an accurate correlation with several different clinical settings. CONCLUSIONS: This article demonstrates a practical neuroradiologic approach for ACDS, including optimized imaging analysis (magnetic resonance and nuclear medicine studies), which correlates their patterns with clinical and pathologic findings of the most relevant disorders.

Lipomyelocele with osseous dysraphic hamartoma in a child: a case report.

Lipomyelocele is a well-known vertebral malformation that affects intraspinal and extraspinal tissues and compartments. However, other tissues can be associated with the lipomatous component, such as well-developed bones in unusual sites. This association is consistent with dysraphic hamartoma, one of the rarest malformations of the vertebral canal closure. We describe an 8-year-old girl without neurological deficit with a voluminous lipomyelocele associated with a well-developed flat bone articulated to the left iliac wing. We reviewed the role of magnetic resonance and computed tomography with tridimensional reconstruction in this rare form of spinal dysraphism and described the imaging features.

Pyramidal tract degeneration in multiple system atrophy: the relevance of magnetization transfer imaging.

The clinical features of multiple system atrophy (MSA) include four domains: autonomic failure/urinary dysfunction, Parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, and corticospinal tract dysfunction. Although the diagnosis of definite MSA requires pathological confirmation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have been shown to contribute to the diagnosis of MSA. Although pyramidal tract dysfunction is frequent in MSA patients, signs of pyramidal tract involvement are controversially demonstrated by MRI. We evaluated the pyramidal involvement in 10 patients (7 women) with clinically probable MSA, detecting the presence of spasticity, hyperreflexia, and Babinski sign, as well as demonstrating degeneration of the pyramidal tract and primary motor cortex by MRI in all of them. Our article also discusses key radiological features of this syndrome. In MSA, pyramidal tract involvement seems to be more frequent than previously thought, and the clinicoradiological correlation between pyramidal tract dysfunction and degeneration may contribute to the understanding of the clinical hallmarks of MSA. MRI may also add information regarding the differential diagnosis of this syndrome.

Focal transient lesion in the splenium of the corpus callosum in three non-epileptic patients.

INTRODUCTION: We analyzed the imaging features of transient focal lesions in the splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC) in non-epileptic patients receiving antiepileptic drugs (AEDs). METHODS: We identified signal abnormalities in the SCC in three non-epileptic patients, all of them receiving AEDs. We examined two of these patients with multiplanar magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using 1.0-T equipment including fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), T2-weighted (TSE) and T1-weighted (SE) sequences before and after injection of contrast agent. The third patient was studied using 1.5-T equipment with the same sequences. Additionally, a T1 SE sequence with a magnetization transfer contrast pulse off resonance (T1 SE/MTC), diffusion-weighted imaging (EPI-DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were obtained. RESULTS: We observed an identical pattern of imaging abnormalities in all patients characterized by round lesions, hyperintense on FLAIR and hypointense on T1 SE images, located in the central portion of the SCC. One lesion showed homogeneous gadolinium enhancement and perilesional vasogenic edema. This particular lesion showed restricted diffusion confirmed on the ADC map. This pattern was considered consistent with focal demyelination. Follow-up MR examinations showed complete disappearance or a clear reduction in lesion size. All patients had been treated with AEDs, but they did not show any clinical signs of toxicity, interhemispheric symptoms, or abnormal neurological findings (including seizures). CONCLUSION: We believe that our MR findings might be interpreted as transient lesions related to AED toxicity. They presumably resulted from focal demyelination in the central portion of the SCC.

Comparison of magnetic resonance imaging sequences with computed tomography to detect low-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage: Role of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequence.

OBJECTIVES: To compare computed tomography (CT) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the presumptive diagnosis and localization of acute and subacute low-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: We consecutively enrolled 45 patients clinically suspected of low-grade SAH, comparing them with a control group. We obtained axial nonenhanced CT scans as well as fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted gradient echo (T2*) MRI sequences at 1.0 T. Two neuroradiologists scrutinized the presence of blood at 26 different regions in the intracranial subarachnoid space (SAS). RESULTS: Three of 45 patients had normal CT and MRI scans, and SAH was excluded by lumbar puncture. We demonstrated SAH on CT scans in 28 of 42 (66.6%) patients, T2* sequences in 15 of 42 (35.7%) patients, and FLAIR sequences in 42 of 42 (100%) patients. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences were superior to CT in 16 of the 26 evaluated regions. CONCLUSIONS: The FLAIR sequence was superior for presumptive diagnosis and localization of acute and subacute low-grade SAH, representing a potential tool in this setting.

Comparative analysis of MR sequences to detect structural brain lesions in tuberous sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a neurocutaneous genetically inherited disease with variable penetrance characterized by dysplasias and hamartomas affecting multiple organs. MR is the imaging method of choice to demonstrate structural brain lesions in TS. OBJECTIVE: To compare MR sequences and determine which is most useful for the demonstration of each type of brain lesion in TS patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed MR scans of 18 TS patients for the presence of cortical tubers, white matter lesions (radial bands), subependymal nodules, and subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SGCA) on the following sequences: (1) T1-weighted spin-echo (T1 SE) images before and after gadolinium (Gd) injection; (2) nonenhanced T1 SE sequence with an additional magnetization transfer contrast medium pulse on resonance (T1 SE/MTC); and (3) fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence. RESULTS: Cortical tubers were found in significantly (P<0.05) larger numbers and more conspicuously in FLAIR and T1 SE/MTC sequences. The T1 SE/MTC sequence was far superior to other methods in detecting white matter lesions (P<0.01). There was no significant difference between the T1 SE/MTC and T1 SE (before and after Gd injection) sequences in the detection of subependymal nodules; FLAIR sequence showed less sensitivity than the others in identifying the nodules. T1 SE sequences after Gd injection demonstrated better the limits of the SGCA. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated the importance of appropriate MRI sequences for diagnosis of the most frequent brain lesions in TS. Our study reinforces the fact that each sequence has a particular application according to the type of TS lesion. Gd injection might be useful in detecting SGCA; however, the parameters of size and location are also important for a presumptive diagnosis of these tumors.