Fat-suppressed Short Tau Inversion Recovery Research Articles

Chondrolipoma of the finger in a child: A case study.

Chondrolipoma is, based on the limited case reports available, an extremely rare histological variant of lipoma with the proliferation of mature adipocytes containing an area of true hyaline cartilage. Chondrolipoma is characterized by adult onset and is often identified in the breast, pharynx and tongue. The current study presents a case of chondrolipoma of the finger in an 11 year-old girl. Physical examination indicated a well-defined elastic soft mass, measuring 2.5x2 cm, on the dorsal aspect of the proximal phalanx of the left middle finger. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-circumscribed lesion with heterogeneous signal intensity. On T1- and T2-weighted images, the lesion indicated a predominantly marked hyperintense signal containing linear hypointense regions, and on fat-suppressed short-tau inversion recovery sequences, the lesion indicated a predominant hypointensity, with linear regions displaying hyperintensity. Marginal excision of the tumor was performed. Histologically, the major component of the tumor was mature adipose tissue containing a limited area of mature hyaline cartilage matrix, without lipoblasts or malignancy. The postoperative course of the patient was excellent, with no local recurrence three years after surgery. To the best of our knowledge, the current study outlines the first pediatric case of chondrolipoma arising in the finger.

En Bloc Resection of Thoracic Tumors Involving the Spine

Thoracic tumors involving the spine are challenging to manage. Successful treatment requires multidisciplinary surgical and oncological care. The most common subsets of such tumors encountered by thoracic surgeons are nonsmall-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) of the superior sulcus (Pancoast tumors) or posterolaterally located NSCLC involving the costovertebral junction or spine. Involvement of the spine and brachial plexus has traditionally portended a poor prognosis. Patients with tumors involving the spine are considered to have Stage IIIB disease, which until recently was considered unresectable for cure. However, newer techniques for resection, improvements in instrumentation for spine stabilization, 1-6 and advances in combined modality therapy, particularly preoperative chemoradiotherapy, 7 have made curative resection possible. Complete resection of superior sulcus tumors or other NSCLCinvolvingthespinemusttakeintoaccountthedegree of spinal and brachial plexus involvement. Radiographic spine assessment includes both computed tomography (CT) scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The MRI is critical for evaluating the extent of neuro foraminal and epidural tumor involvement. Although overtly lytic disease in the vertebral body will be obvious on CT, MRI is necessary to identify more subtle signs of infiltrative bone disease of the vertebral body or posterior elements, which may be seen as hypointensity on T1-weighted images or hyperintensity on T2 fat-suppressed short-tau inversion recovery sequences. Such infiltrative disease visualized on MRI may need to be addressed by both radiation therapy and resection. On this basis, a MRI classification was devised to facilitate decision-making regarding the extent of spinal elements requiring resection and the need to provide instrumented fusion. Class A tumors involve the periosteum of the vertebral

MR imaging features of foot involvement in ankylosing spondylitis

Objective: To determine alterations of the soft tissue, tendon, cartilage, joint space, and bone of the foot using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. Materials and Method: Clinical and MR examination of the foot was performed in 23 AS patients (46 feet). Ten asymptomatic volunteers (20 feet) were studied on MR imaging, as a control group. MR imaging protocol included; T1-weighted spin-echo, T2-weighted fast-field echo (FFE) and fat-suppressed short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences in sagittal, sagittal oblique, and coronal planes using a head coil. Specifically, we examined: bone erosions, tendinitis (acute and chronic), para-articular enthesophyte, joint effusion, plantar fasciitis, joint space narrowing, soft tissue edema, bone marrow edema, enthesopathy in the Achilles tendon and plantar fascia attachment, subchondral signal intensity abnormalities (edema and sclerosis), tenosynovitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis, subchondral cysts, subchondral fissures, and bony ankylosis. Midfoot, hindfoot, and ankle were included in examined anatomic regions. Results: Clinical signs and symptoms (pain and swelling) due to foot involvement were present in 3 (13%) of the patients while frequency of involvement was 21 (91%) with MR imaging assessment. The MR imaging findings were bone erosions (65%), Achilles tendinitis (acute and chronic) (61%), para-articular enthesophyte (48%), joint effusion (43%), plantar fasciitis (40%), joint space narrowing (40%), subchondral sclerosis (35%), soft tissue edema (30%), bone marrow edema (30%), enthesopathy of the Achilles attachment (30%), subchondral edema (26%), enthesopathy in the plantar fascia attachment (22%), retrocalcaneal bursitis (22%), subchondral cysts (17%), subchondral fissures (17%), tendinitis and enthesopathy of the plantar ligament (13%), and bony ankylosis (9%). The most common involved anatomical region was the hindfoot (83%) following by midfoot (69% ) and ankle (22%). Conclusion: In our experience, MR imaging may detect inflammatory and/or erosive bone, soft tissue, cartilage, tendon, and joint abnormalities in AS patients, even if AS patients did not have clinical signs and symptoms of foot involvement. If these data prove to be confirmed in further MR studies, MR imaging may be of importance especially in early diagnosis of inflammatory changes in the foot.

Jaccoud's arthropathy in systemic lupus erythematosus: differentiation of deforming and erosive patterns by magnetic resonance imaging.

To evaluate alterations of the soft tissues, tendons, and bones as detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-associated arthritis of the finger joints. Both hands of 14 patients with SLE of various activities and durations and with arthritis and/or deformities of the finger joints were examined by MRI and conventional radiography. Coronal T1-weighted spin-echo (with and without gadolinium contrast), axial T2-weighted turbo spin-echo, coronal fat-suppressed short tau inversion recovery, and 3-dimensional double-echo steady-state sequences were acquired and analyzed, and the findings were compared with those from conventional radiographs. MRI detected periarticular capsular swelling in all 14 patients, joint effusion in 7, edematous tenosynovitis in 6, proliferative tenosynovitis (flexor and/or extensor tendons) in 4, and intraarticular signs of synovial membrane hypertrophy in 10 patients, 9 of whom showed enhancement after administration of contrast medium. Bony erosions were identified in 8 patients by MRI; conventional radiography missed these erosions in 2 of the 8 patients. Four of the 14 patients were designated as Jaccoud's arthropathy index-positive, and all 4 showed severe edematous tenosynovitis and capsular swelling, but no signs of bony erosions despite longstanding disease (mean 21.5 years). Four of the 10 patients with mild deformity exhibited prominent soft tissue pathology, with minimal destruction of bone; the other 6 patients had bony alterations that resembled rheumatoid arthritis. In SLE patients with arthritis of the finger joints, MRI detects characteristic signs of soft tissue pathology (e.g., capsular swelling, edematous and proliferative tenosynovitis, synovial hypertrophy) and bony alterations (e.g., erosions, some of which are missed by conventional radiography). MRI thus helps to distinguish different types of lupus arthritis/Jaccoud's arthropathy, which allows more differentiated treatment strategies and monitoring.

Cross-sectional imaging of primary osseous hemangiopericytoma.

The aim of this study was to assess cross-sectional imaging features and the value of CT and MRI in primary hemangiopericytoma of bone. In five patients with histologically proven primary osseous hemangiopericytoma CT and MR scans were evaluated retrospectively. Both CT and MRI were available in four patients each. In three patients both imaging techniques were available. On CT primary hemangiopericytoma of bone presents as an expansive lytic lesion with bone destruction and inhomogeneous contrast enhancement. Magnetic resonance imaging depicts osseous hemangiopericytoma as hyperintense lesion on T2-weighted images with intermediate signal intensity on T1-weighted images. Curvilinear tubular structures of signal void in the tumor matrix on T1-weighted images and corresponding hyperintense structures on T2-weighted and on fat-suppressed short tau inversion recovery images were present in three patients. Although cross-sectional imaging findings are non-specific, they add to the diagnosis and provide valuable information about the extent of bone destruction and local tumor spread in patients with primary osseous hemangiopericytoma. While CT demonstrates the extent of bone destruction best, MRI better visualizes medullary and soft tissue extension of the tumor. Curvilinear signal abnormalities support the diagnosis of hemangiopericytoma of bone. This imaging pattern is best visualized on fat-suppressed or contrast enhanced T1-weighted MR images.