Role of a modified ultrafast MRI brain protocol in clinical paediatric neuroimaging.

AIM: To establish a role for modified ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in clinical paediatric patients based on clinically acceptable image quality and diagnostic accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was conducted with institutional review board approval on an ultrafast MRI brain protocol consisting of sagittal T1-weighted, axial T2-weighted, axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), axial diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and axial T2∗-weighted sequences. Preliminary investigations revealed that the default ultrafast T2-weighted sequence was prone to pulsation artefacts. A modified ultrafast T2-weighted sequence was therefore developed to replace the default ultrafast T2-weighted sequence. Thirty-five patients with clinical indication for neuroimaging underwent ultrafast MRI, modified ultrafast T2-weighted sequence and standard MRI at 3 T. Image quality of ultrafast MRI sequences were graded as clinically "diagnostic" or "non-diagnostic" and compared against the corresponding standard MRI sequences as the reference standard. The modified ultrafast T2-weighted sequence surpassed the default ultrafast T2-weighted sequence in image quality. The ultrafast MRI protocol was therefore replaced with the modified ultrafast T2-weighted sequence creating a modified ultrafast MRI protocol. The clinical reports of modified ultrafast MRI were compared against standard MRI for diagnostic concordance, categorised further as "normal", "clinically significant", or "clinically minor" abnormalities. RESULTS: Ultrafast T1-weighted, FLAIR, and DWI sequences had comparable image quality to standard MRI sequences. The ultrafast T2∗-weighted sequence had significantly higher non-diagnostic images (42.9%) compared to the standard MRI sequence (2.9%). The default ultrafast T2-weighted sequence had significantly higher non-diagnostic images compared to the modified ultrafast T2-weighted sequence and standard T2-weighted sequence (82.9%, 5.7%, 8.6%, respectively). There was 100% concordance for normal and clinically significant abnormalities and 23% discordance for clinically minor abnormalities. Modified ultrafast MRI takes 5 minutes 41 seconds compared to standard MRI time of 14 minutes 57 seconds. CONCLUSION: The modified ultrafast MRI protocol for brain imaging demonstrates clinically acceptable image quality in four out of five sequences and has high accuracy in diagnosing normal and clinically significant abnormalities when compared against the standard MRI protocol for brain imaging. It could potentially benefit a select group of paediatric patients who require neuroimaging.

Metastatic prostate carcinoma presenting as supraclavicular lymphadenopathy - is it unusual?

Prostate carcinoma presenting initially as supraclavicular lymphadenopathy has been increasingly reported as an uncommon presentation of the disease. The diagnosis is often made on lymph node biopsy as these patients rarely undergo digital rectal examination or serum prostate-specific antigen level measurement as part of their initial investigations. A 74-year-old man presented with supraclavicular lymphadenopathy and subsequently deteriorated with severe shortness of breath associated with venous congestion of the head and neck. The diagnosis of metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma was made only after cervical lymph node biopsy. Following the diagnosis, he was confirmed as having an abnormal prostate on digital rectal examination and a raised serum prostate-specific antigen level. The authors propose that a digital rectal examination and a serum prostate specific antigen level be included in the initial investigation process of male patients with persistent supraclavicular lymphadenopathy. This would prevent delay in diagnosis, allow early intervention and decrease patient morbidity.

What is Sluder's neuralgia?

In 1908 Sluder described a symptom complex consisting of neuralgic, motor, sensory and gustatory manifestations that he attributed to the sphenopalatine ganglion. He stated that treatment directed at the ganglion successfully alleviated these symptoms. Over the last 90 years several reports have described patients as having sphenopalatine neuralgia and have directed treatment at the ganglion. The symptoms described and the criteria for patient selection in these studies has often been varied and deviated from Sluder's description. In reports claiming cures with treatment directed at the ganglion the duration of post-treatment follow-up has been short. This article discusses Sluder's description and attempts to analyse its features in the light of current understanding of the different mechanisms and categories of facial pain. It is proposed that the condition described by Sluder is a neurovascular headache that most closely resembles cluster headache in its aetiology and clinical manifestations. We propose that the term Sluder's neuralgia should be discarded as there are serious flaws in its original description and many authors have misused the term leading to persistent confusion about it.