Imaging spectrum of rhino-orbital-cerebral mucormycosis secondary to COVID-19 infection: a reporting checklist.

In recent times, India has been in the midst of a notifiable epidemic of mucormycosis (a rare angio-invasive fungal infection), within the ongoing global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Epidemiological studies have reported the estimated prevalence of mucormycosis to be around 70 times higher in India as compared to the global data, even in the pre-COVID era. However, in the last 3 months, our city witnessed an unprecedented surge in cases of post-COVID-19-associated rhino-orbital-cerebral (ROC) mucormycosis. This pictorial review aims to illustrate the entire imaging spectrum of mucormycosis in the head-neck-face region. Along with the usual sites (nose, paranasal sinuses, orbits), this disease also involves the skull base, palate, temporal bone, and deep neck spaces. Many cases also demonstrated morbid and, at times, fatal intracranial and neurovascular complications. This review also aims to provide a structured reporting template that will prove useful to the radiologists interpreting imaging studies of ROC mucormycosis.

A case report on paraneoplastic encephalitis associated with astrocytoma - An unknown entity.

Paraneoplastic encephalitis is a multifocal inflammatory disorder of the central nervous system (CNS) that is associated with remote neoplasias. The most common malignancy associated with it is bronchial carcinoma, typically small cell carcinoma of lung. It has never been described in association with intracranial neoplasm. We present and discuss the clinical, radiological, and histopathological findings of paraneoplastic encephalitis with intracranial space-occupying lesions (SOLs) in a 55-year-old man. He was thoroughly investigated and biopsy revealed presence of astrocytoma with changes of paraneoplastic encephalitis.

MRI brain in monohalomethane toxic encephalopathy: A case report.

Monohalomethanes are alkylating agents that have been used as methylating agents, laboratory reagents, refrigerants, aerosol propellants, pesticides, fumigants, fire-extinguishing agents, anesthetics, degreasers, blowing agents for plastic foams, and chemical intermediates. Compounds in this group are methyl chloride, methyl bromide, methyl iodide (MI), and methyl fluoride. MI is a colorless volatile liquid used as a methylating agent to manufacture a few pharmaceuticals and is also used as a fumigative insecticide. It is a rare intoxicant. Neurotoxicity is known with both acute and chronic exposure to MI. We present the characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain findings in a patient who developed neuropsychiatric symptoms weeks after occupational exposure to excessive doses of MI.

Dose escalation in image-guided, intensity-modulated radiotherapy of carcinoma prostate: initial experience in India.

BACKGROUND: Increasing incidence and significant stage migration from distant metastases to a localized disease, due to screening application of PSA, is taking place in carcinoma prostate. Also, role of radiotherapy is increasing in carcinoma prostate due to rapid strides in technology. AIM: The present retrospective study, evaluates escalating the dose in the treatment of localized carcinoma prostate using integration of multiple advanced techniques. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The settings designed are: a) use of gold seed internal fiducial markers: b) clinical application of emerging Megavoltage Cone Beam Computed Tomography (MVCBCT) technology for Image Guided Radiotherapy (IGRT); c) Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy (IMRT); d) adopting biochemical method for follow-up. METHODS AND MATERIAL: Twelve consecutive, biopsy proven localized cancer of prostate patients, treated with dose escalation IMRT & IGRT protocol between August 2006 and January 2008, were analyzed. Gold seed markers in prostate were used for daily localization with MVCBCT or Electronic Portal Imaging (EPI). All patients underwent clinical and biochemical follow-up. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS & RESULTS: Planned dose of 7740 cGy was delivered in 10 out of 12 patients (83%). While one patient had migration of maximum of 3 mm, two others had 1 mm migration of one seed during course of treatment. One patient (8%) developed Grade II proctitis at 12th month. During the mean follow-up duration of 12.2 months, 92% (11/12) had biochemical control within 3 months of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: IGRT technique using MVCBCT for implanted fiducial gold seed localization was feasible for IMRT dose escalation in carcinoma prostate with excellent results.