Serial Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Articles

Enlarging neurenteric cyst at the craniocervical junction with a fluid-fluid level on magnetic resonance imaging: illustrative case.

Neurenteric cysts are relatively rare benign congenital intracranial cystic lesions that enlarge rarely and very slowly. The authors present a case of an enlarging neurenteric cyst at the craniocervical junction with a fluid-fluid level on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A 34-year-old man with no significant medical history underwent head MRI to investigate mild headaches. An incidental cystic lesion, approximately 8 mm in diameter, was revealed at the craniocervical junction. Serial follow-up MRI showed cyst enlargement with a fluid-fluid level. Four years later, the cyst reached a size of 15 mm and was surgically removed. The cyst contained cloudy fluid with a high protein concentration, without any bleeding or tissue fragments. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of a neurenteric cyst. The patient recovered well, was discharged home, and has remained recurrence free for 2 years. The growth dynamics of the relatively rapidly expanding neurenteric cyst at the craniocervical junction were monitored over time using MRI. This cyst exhibited the distinctive feature of a fluid-fluid level as it enlarged. Investigating the mechanisms underlying fluid-fluid level formation may offer novel insights into the pathogenesis of cyst enlargement. https://thejns.org/doi/10.3171/CASE24180.

Enzyme replacement therapy for CLN2 disease: MRI volumetry shows significantly slower volume loss compared to a natural history cohort.

Neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses (NCL) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders. Recently, enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was approved for CLN2, a subtype of NCL. The aim of this study was to quantify brain volume loss in CLN2 disease of patients on ERT in comparison to a natural history cohort using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Nineteen (13 female, 6 male) patients with CLN2 disease at one UK center were studied using serial 3D T1-weighted MRI (follow-up time, 1 to 9 years). Brain segmentation was done using FreeSurfer. Volume measurements for supratentorial grey and white matter, deep grey matter (basal ganglia/thalami), lateral ventricles, and cerebellar grey and white matter were recorded. The volume change over time was analyzed using a linear mixed-effects model excluding scans before treatment start. Comparison was made to a published natural history cohort of 12 patients (8 female, 4 male) which was reanalyzed using the same method. Brain volume loss of all segmented brain regions was much slower in treated patients compared to the natural history cohort. For example, supratentorial grey matter volume in treated patients decreased by 3±0.74% (p<0.001) annually compared to an annual volume loss of 16.8±1.5% (p<0.001) in the natural history cohort. Our treatment cohort showed a significantly slower rate of brain parenchymal volume loss compared to a natural history cohort in several anatomical regions. Our results complement prior clinical data which found a positive response to ERT. We demonstrate that automated MRI volumetry is a sensitive tool to monitor treatment response in children with CLN2 disease. NCL = Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis, CLN2 = Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinosis type 2, TPP1 = tripeptidyl peptidase 1, ERT = enzyme replacement therapy, EMA = European Medicines Agency, ICV = intra-cerebro-ventricular reservoir.

Initiation of vedolizumab did not provoke new-onset spondylarthritis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A prospective 24-week study with imaging assessments.

A temporal relationship between vedolizumab and new-onset spondyloarthritis (SpA) has been suggested. We evaluated the relationship between vedolizumab initiation and development of new-onset SpA in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) through serial clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A single-centre prospective observational study of 24 patients with IBD. Patients were eligible if they had active ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease (CD), were initiating vedolizumab, had no prior history of arthritis or SpA and were suitable for serial MRI. A rheumatologist performed clinical evaluation prior to the first dose and 8 and 24weeks. Axial MRI was evaluated by a blinded central reader and performed at baseline 8 and 24weeks. Nine tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitor-naïve patients (4 male; mean age 53.2years; 6 UC; 3 CD) and eight TNF inhibitor-experienced patients (7 male; mean age 48years; 3 UC; 5 CD) completed all assessments. No patients developed new features of axial arthritis or features of peripheral SpA (inflammatory oligoarthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, or psoriasis (nail, body, or scalp)). Both groups demonstrated a good intestinal response. Vedolizumab initiation did not induce new features of axial or peripheral SpA after 24weeks of treatment in TNF inhibitor-experienced or TNF inhibitor-naive patients with IBD.

A Deep Learning Approach to Predict Recanalization First-Pass Effect following Mechanical Thrombectomy in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Following endovascular thrombectomy in patients with large-vessel occlusion stroke, successful recanalization from 1 attempt, known as the first-pass effect, has correlated favorably with long-term outcomes. Pretreatment imaging may contain information that can be used to predict the first-pass effect. Recently, applications of machine learning models have shown promising results in predicting recanalization outcomes, albeit requiring manual segmentation. In this study, we sought to construct completely automated methods using deep learning to predict the first-pass effect from pretreatment CT and MR imaging. Our models were developed and evaluated using a cohort of 326 patients who underwent endovascular thrombectomy at UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center from 2014 to 2021. We designed a hybrid transformer model with nonlocal and cross-attention modules to predict the first-pass effect on MR imaging and CT series. The proposed method achieved a mean 0.8506 (SD, 0.0712) for cross-validation receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (ROC-AUC) on MR imaging and 0.8719 (SD, 0.0831) for cross-validation ROC-AUC on CT. When evaluated on the prospective test sets, our proposed model achieved a mean ROC-AUC of 0.7967 (SD, 0.0335) with a mean sensitivity of 0.7286 (SD, 0.1849) and specificity of 0.8462 (SD, 0.1216) for MR imaging and a mean ROC-AUC of 0.8051 (SD, 0.0377) with a mean sensitivity of 0.8615 (SD, 0.1131) and specificity 0.7500 (SD, 0.1054) for CT, respectively, representing the first classification of the first-pass effect from MR imaging alone and the first automated first-pass effect classification method in CT. Results illustrate that both nonperfusion MR imaging and CT from admission contain signals that can predict a successful first-pass effect following endovascular thrombectomy using our deep learning methods without requiring time-intensive manual segmentation.

Digital "flipbooks" for enhanced visual assessment of simple and complex brain tumors.

Typical longitudinal radiographic assessment of brain tumors relies on side-by-side qualitative visualization of serial magnetic resonance images (MRIs) aided by quantitative measurements of tumor size. However, when assessing slowly-growing tumors and/or complex tumors, side-by-side visualization and quantification may be difficult or unreliable. Whole-brain, patient-specific "digital flipbooks" of longitudinal scans are a potential method to augment radiographic side-by-side reads in clinical settings by enhancing the visual perception of changes in tumor size, mass effect, and infiltration across multiple slices over time. In this approach, co-registered, consecutive MRI scans are displayed in a slide deck, where one slide displays multiple brain slices of a single timepoint in an array (e.g. 3x5 "mosaic" view of slices). The flipbooks are viewed similar to an animated flipbook of cartoons/photos so that subtle radiographic changes are visualized via perceived motion when scrolling through the slides. Importantly, flipbooks can be created easily with free, open-source software. This article describes the step-by-step methodology for creating flipbooks and discusses clinical scenarios for which flipbooks are particularly useful. Example flipbooks are provided in the Online Supplemental Material.

#2974 Serial multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in a prospective cohort of patients with acute kidney injury

Abstract Background and Aims Recovery from acute kidney injury (AKI) is traditionally measured using serum creatinine but this can often over-estimate the degree of renal recovery. It is known, however, that failure of recovery of serum creatinine 90 days after AKI strongly associates with subsequent long-term reductions in renal function making it an important clinical timepoint. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is an imaging modality with promise to improve the understanding and characterisation of renal pathophysiology. In a single multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) scan, multiple measures can assess renal morphology, tissue microstructure (T1 relaxation time and diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI)), oxygenation, perfusion and blood flow. We previously published the first study of renal mpMRI at the time of AKI and during follow up, this showed increased total kidney volume (TKV) and T1 as a measure of inflammation/fibrosis at the time of AKI which remained elevated in some participants at 3 and 12 months despite normalisation of serum creatinine. This study aimed to assess the degree of change between 30 and 90 days post AKI, as the first 90 days after AKI appear to be the important in terms of outcomes. Method Prospective observational study of 10 participants with AKI of all stages recruited at the time of AKI and followed up with monthly bloods and urine. MRI scans were collected on a Philips Ingenia 3T at day 30-60 and day 90. The 1-hour protocol included: T2-weighted scans for automated segmentation to compute total kidney volume (TKV), as well as T1 &amp; T2 mapping, DWI, ASL and phase contrast MRI for kidney perfusion and blood flow, and TRUST-MRI and BOLD R2* for kidney oxygenation, and MRE for stiffness. Results 10 participants were scanned at 2 timepoints, (mean day 45 for 1st scan, 95 for 2nd scan). Baseline characteristics are summarised in Table 1 along with key clinical measures in Table 2. 2 participants had CKD at baseline. Despite a range of peak creatinine values and AKI stages the majority of participants serum creatinine normalised to within 20% of baseline by 30 days (v3) (Fig. 1). Fig. 2 shows the TKV for AKI patients across the 2 visits as compared with healthy values. Despite normalisation of biochemistry, 5 participants had enlarged TKV. The predominant AKI aetiology for these patients was sepsis. Across all participants there is little dynamic change between visits. The participant with the small TKV across both visits had pre-existing CKD, as well as the highest peak creatine. The participant did not recover renal function by day 90 (Figs 1(j) and 2). Conclusion Despite recovery of biochemistry, at least half of this AKI cohort had abnormal MR measures at that persisted through one and three months after the AKI episode. There is a trend towards larger TKV in patients with AKI due to sepsis, which needs to be explored in a larger cohort. Analysis of more parameters as well as the addition of liquid biomarkers will enrich these preliminary findings.

Longitudinal myelin content measures of slowly expanding lesions using 7T MRI in multiple sclerosis.

Slowly expanding lesions (SELs) are thought to represent a subset of chronic active lesions and have been associated with clinical disability, severity, and disease progression. The purpose of this study was to characterize SELs using advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures related to myelin and neurite density on 7Tesla (T) MRI. The study design was retrospective, longitudinal, observational cohort with multiple sclerosis (n=15). Magnetom 7T scanner was used to acquire magnetization-prepared 2 rapid acquisition gradient echo and advanced MRI including visualization of short transverse relaxation time component (ViSTa) for myelin, quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) for myelin, and neurite orientation dispersion density imaging (NODDI). SELs were defined as lesions showing ≥12% of growth over 12months on serial MRI. Comparisons of quantitative measures in SELs and non-SELs were performed at baseline and over time. Statistical analyses included two-sample t-test, analysis of variance, and mixed-effects linear model for MRI metrics between lesion types. A total of 1075 lesions were evaluated. Two hundred twenty-four lesions (21%) were SELs, and 216 (96%) of the SELs were black holes. At baseline, compared to non-SELs, SELs showed significantly lower ViSTa (1.38vs. 1.53, p<.001) and qMT (2.47vs. 2.97, p<.001) but not in NODDI measures (p>.27). Longitudinally, only ViSTa showed a greater loss when comparing SEL and non-SEL (p=.03). SELs have a lower myelin content relative to non-SELs without a difference in neurite measures. SELs showed a longitudinal decrease in apparent myelin water fraction reflecting greater tissue injury.

Serial Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients with Mitral Valve Prolapse-A Single-Center Retrospective Registry.

Background: Mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and mitral annular disjunction (MAD) are common valvular abnormalities that have been associated with ventricular arrhythmias (VA). Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) has a key role in risk stratification of VA, including assessment of late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Methods: Single-center retrospective analysis of patients with MVP or MAD who had >1 CMR and >1 24 h Holter registration available. Data are presented in detail, including evolution of VA and presence of LGE over time. Results: A total of twelve patients had repeated CMR and Holter registrations available, of which in four (33%) patients, it was conducted before and after minimal invasive mitral valve repair (MVR). After a median of 4.7 years, four out of eight (50%) patients without surgical intervention had new areas of LGE. New LGE was observed in the papillary muscles and the mid to basal inferolateral wall. In four patients, presenting with syncope or high-risk non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), programmed ventricular stimulation was performed and in two (50%), sustained monomorphic VT was easily inducible. In two patients who underwent MVR, new LGE was observed in the basal inferolateral wall of which one presented with an increased burden of VA. Conclusions: In patients with MVP and MAD, repeat CMR may show new LGE in a small subset of patients, even shortly after MVR. A subgroup of patients who presented with an increase in VA burden showed new LGE upon repeat CMR. VA in patients with MVP and MAD are part of a heterogeneous spectrum that requires further investigation to establish risk stratification strategies.

Shoulder MRI parameters in anticipating anterior shoulder dislocation: Are they a reliable and reproducible tool in clinical practice?

BackgroundAnterior shoulder dislocation (ASD) is a frequently observed musculoskeletal injury that is often encountered in the context of sports activities or as a result of trauma. Several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters have been previously investigated for the purpose of characterizing the anatomical features, which could potentially be responsible for the episodes of instability. These measurements have the potential to identify patients who are susceptible to dislocation. Consequently, ensuring the reliability and consistency of these measurements is crucial in the diagnosis and the management of athletic or traumatic shoulder injuries. MethodsA group of four students, who had no previous experience in reading MRI series, were selected to perform radiographic measurements on specific parameters of MRI scans. These parameters were glenoid version, glenoid depth, glenoid width, humeral head diameter, humeral containing angle, and the ratio of humeral head diameter to glenoid diameter. The four participants conducted two distinct readings on a total of 28 sets of shoulder MRI scans. Simultaneously, the aforementioned measures were assessed by a consultant shoulder surgeon. ResultsA total of 1512 measurements were categorized into nine sets: eight from students’ measurements (two per student) and one from the consultant. Intra-rater reliability assessed by the intra-class correlation (ICC) test indicated excellent or good reliability for all parameters (p < 0.05), with glenoid depth showing the highest (0.925) and humeral-containing angles the lowest (0.675) ICC value. Inter-rater correlation, also evaluated using ICC, demonstrated strong correlation (p < 0.05), with glenoid diameter having the highest ICC score (0.935) and glenoid depth the lowest (0.849). Agreement analysis, expressed by Cohen's Kappa test, revealed substantial agreement (p < 0.05) for all parameters, with humeral head diameter having the highest agreement (0.90) and humeral-containing angle the lowest (0.73). ConclusionIn this study, intra- and inter-rater MRI parameters are substantially concordant. Credibility comes from these reliability and agreement analyses' statistical significance. Glenoid diameter and depth are the most reliable intrarater and interrater, respectively. Best agreement was with the humeral-containing angle. These data demonstrate repeatability and clinical relevance. Level of EvidenceLevel IV

Continuous Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging after Coronary Revascularization for Left Ventricular Dysfunction

Objective: To determine the contribution of serial cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) following coronary revascularization (CR) to the clinical management of patients with left ventricular insufficiency. Methods: The study objects comprised the clinical data of 145 patients with CR undergoing CR surgery for left ventricular insufficiency in our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023. The patients were divided into the case (n = 35, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) &lt;50%) and control (n = 110, LVEF ≥50%) groups based on the LVEF recorded in the medical record system 6 months after surgery. Preoperative LVEF left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume index (LVEDVI), left ventricular end-systolic volume index (LVESVI), cardiac index (CI), and other cardiac magnetic resonance detection parameters were compared. Logistic regression analysis was performed to analyze the prognostic factors of patients undergoing CR after CR surgery for left ventricular insufficiency. The receiver operating characteristic curve was drawn, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) were calculated, and the best prediction threshold was determined. The prognostic value of cardiac MRI in CR surgery for left ventricular dysfunction was observed. Results: Cardiac MRI revealed that the case group had higher LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDVI, LVESVI, and CI than the control group. However, the LVEF index was lower than that in the control group (p &lt; 0.05). Logistic regression analysis was conducted for indicators with differences, and the results indicate LVEF as a protective factor for the postoperative efficacy of the patients, with an odds ratio (OR) &lt;1. LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDVI, LVESVI, and CI were all risk factors for the postoperative efficacy of the patients, with an OR &gt;1. The AUC values of LVEF, LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDVI, LVESVI, and CI were 0.698, 0.674, 0.654, 0.700, 0.572, and 0.812, respectively. The optimal threshold values were 53.57%, 112.33 and 68.5 mL, and 205.51, 163.99, and 2.14 L/m2, and their corresponding sensitivities reached 0.618, 0.514, 0.654, 0.800, 0.371, and 0.829 for each index. The specificities were 0.800, 0.836, 0.771, 0.609, 0.836, and 0.645, which indicate that LVEF, LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDVI, LVESVI, and CI had a certain degree of predictive value for postoperative cardiac function recovery. Conclusion: LVEDV, LVESV, LVEDVI, LVESVI, CI, and LVEF are all factors affecting the clinical efficacy in patients undergoing CR after left ventricular insufficiency. In addition, cardiac MRI can effectively detect the above factors and effectively predict the postoperative efficacy among patients.

GM1 gangliosidosis type II: Results of a 10-year prospective study

PurposeGM1 gangliosidosis (GM1) a lysosomal disorder caused by pathogenic variants in GLB1, is characterized by relentless neurodegeneration. There are no approved treatments. MethodsForty-one individuals with type II (late-infantile and juvenile) GM1 participated in a single-site prospective observational study. ResultsClassification of 37 distinct variants using American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics criteria resulted in the upgrade of 6 and the submission of 4 new variants. In contrast to type I infantile disease, children with type II had normal or near normal hearing and did not have cherry-red maculae or hepatosplenomegaly. Some older children with juvenile onset disease developed thickened aortic and/or mitral valves. Serial magnetic resonance images demonstrated progressive brain atrophy, more pronounced in late infantile patients. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy showed worsening elevation of myo-inositol and deficit of N-acetyl aspartate that were strongly correlated with scores on the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale, progressing more rapidly in late infantile compared with juvenile onset disease. ConclusionSerial phenotyping of type II GM1 patients expands the understanding of disease progression and clarifies common misconceptions about type II patients; these are pivotal steps toward more timely diagnosis and better supportive care. The data amassed through this 10-year effort will serve as a robust comparator for ongoing and future therapeutic trials.

Magnetic resonance imaging combined with histological evaluation of repair process using the microfracture technique in an association of osteocartilaginous and meniscal surgically induced lesions of the knee. In vivo experiment on a rabbit model.

The present research study aimed to assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and histological findings in the therapeutic effects of microfractures in the treatment of complex animal knee lesions resulting from osteochondral and meniscal defects resulting from non-total meniscectomies. The anterior cruciate ligament lesions are also proven to facilitate the development of osteoarthritis in the knee and worsen the prognosis. Surgery was performed on the right knee joint of 22 male rabbits in order to partially remove the anterior horn of the internal meniscus and to induce an osteochondral defect at the level of the internal femoral condyle. The induced lesion complex was aimed to simulate a clinical situation that occurs frequently in orthopedic practice when young adults undergo partial meniscectomy and at the time of surgery, an osteochondral defect is diagnosed. Rabbits were separated into two study groups: the control (C1) group and the microfractures (MF2) group. After the induced cartilage defect and partial meniscectomy, both groups were followed-up for six months using detailed MRI. Also, anatomical specimens were histologically analyzed to show modifications and signs of healing process, along with complications, in the study group. The results showed that the microfracture group had better results concerning articular surface defect healing in comparison to the control group. Our results suggest that microfractures do improve results concerning surface contact healing and serial MRI studies can be useful in observing the remodeling process in dynamics.

A randomised crossover trial of tezacaftor-ivacaftor for gut dysfunction in cystic fibrosis with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes: a pilot study.

Background People with cystic fibrosis (CF) can experience recurrent chest infections, pancreatic exocrine insufficiency and gastrointestinal symptoms. New cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulator drugs improve lung function but gastrointestinal effects are unclear. We aimed to see if a CFTR modulator (tezacaftor-ivacaftor,TEZ/IVA) improves gastrointestinal outcomes in CF. Methods We conducted a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-period crossover trial (2019-2020) at Nottingham University Hospitals. The effects of TEZ/IVA on gut physiology were measured using MRI. Participants were randomly assigned to treatment sequences AB or BA (A:TEZ/IVA, B:placebo, each 28 days), with a 28-day washout period. Participants had serial MRI scans at baseline and after 19-23 days of each treatment. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a protocol amendment allowed for observer-blind comparisons prior to and during TEZ/IVA. In such cases, participants were not blind to the treatment but researchers remained blind. The primary outcome was oro-caecal transit time (OCTT). Secondary outcomes included MRI metrics, symptoms and stool biomarkers. Results We randomised 13 participants. Before the COVID-19 pandemic 8 participants completed the full protocol and 1 dropped out. The remaining 4 participants followed the amended protocol. There were no significant differences between placebo and TEZ/IVA for OCTT (TEZ/IVA &gt;360minutes [225,&gt;360] vs. placebo 330minutes [285,&gt;360], p=0.8) or secondary outcomes. There were no adverse events. Conclusions Our data contribute to a research gap in the extra-pulmonary effects of CFTR modulators. We found no effect after TEZ/IVA on MRI metrics of gut function, GI symptoms or stool calprotectin. Effects might be detectable with larger studies, longer treatment or more effective CFTR modulators. ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT04006873 (02/07/2019)

Impacto de prótesis valvular pulmonar en la función ventricular derecha y eventos cardiacos en pacientes con tetralogía de Fallot: análisis retrospectivo

Introduction and objectivesOur aim was to assess the impact of prosthetic pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF) on changes in biventricular volumes and function and on adverse cardiac events. MethodsAdults with rTOF were identified from the SACHER-registry. Data from serial cardiac magnetic resonance imaging, echocardiography, exercise capacity and n-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were collected. The primary endpoint was right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) as measured by cardiac magnetic resonance. Secondary endpoints were biventricular volumes, left ventricular ejection fraction, exercise capacity and NT-proBNP levels, and time to adverse cardiac outcomes (atrial and ventricular arrhythmia, endocarditis). Associations between previous PVR and longitudinal changes in functional outcomes and time to adverse cardiac outcomes were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models and Cox proportional hazards models, respectively. ResultsA total of 308 patients (153 with and 155 without PVR) with 887 study visits were analyzed. Previous PVR was not significantly associated with changes in RVEF (CE, -1.33; 95%CI, -5.87 to 3.21; P=.566). Previous PVR was associated with lower right ventricular end-diastolic volume but had no significant effect on left ventricular ejection fraction, exercise capacity, or NT-proBNP-levels. Previous PVR was associated with an increased hazard of atrial arrhythmias (HR, 2.09; 95%CI, 1.17-3.72; P=.012) and infective endocarditis (HR, 12.72; 95%CI, 4.69-34.49; P<.0001) but not with an increased hazard of sustained ventricular arrhythmias (HR, 0.64; 95%CI, 0.18-2.27; P=.490). ConclusionsPrevious PVR was not significantly associated with changes in RVEF but was associated with an increased risk of atrial arrhythmias and infective endocarditis.

Virtual Reality Planning of Microvascular Decompression in Trigeminal Neuralgia: Technique and Clinical Outcome.

A neurovascular conflict (NVC) is considered the cause of trigeminal neuralgia (TN) in 75% of cases, and if so, a microvascular decompression (MVD) can lead to significant pain relief. A reliable preoperative detection of NVC is essential for clinical decision-making and surgical planning, making detailed neuroradiologic imaging an important component. We present our experiences and clinical outcomes with preoperative planning of the MVD procedure in a virtual reality (VR) environment, based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) including magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and magnetic resonance venography (MRV) sequences. We analyzed the data of 30 consecutive MVDs in patients treated for TN, in a retrospective single-surgeon (R.A. Kockro) study. Out of the 30 cases, 26 were included. Preoperatively, MRA/MRV and MRI series were fused and three dimensionally reconstructed in a VR environment. All critical structures such as the trigeminal nerve as well as the arteries and veins of the cerebellopontine angle, the brainstem, the neighboring cranial nerves, and the transverse and sigmoid sinus were segmented. The NVC was visualized and a simulation of a retrosigmoid approach, with varying trajectories, to the NVC was performed. The intraoperative findings were then compared with the data of the simulation. The clinical outcome was assessed by a detailed review of medical reports, and follow-up-interviews were conducted in all available patients (20/26). The VR planning was well integrated into the clinical workflow, and imaging processing time was 30 to 40 minutes. There was a sole arterial conflict in 13 patients, a venous conflict in 4 patients, and a combined arteriovenous conflict in 9 patients. The preoperative simulations provided a precise visualization of the anatomical relationships of the offending vessels and the trigeminal nerves as well as the surrounding structures. For each case, the approach along the most suitable surgical corridor was simulated and the exact steps of the decompression were planned. The NVC and the anatomy of the cerebellopontine angle as seen intraoperatively matched with the preoperative simulations in all cases and the MVC could be performed as planned. At follow-up, 92.3% (24/26) of patients were pain free and all the patients who completed the questionnaire would undergo the surgery again (20/20). The surgical complication rate was zero. Current imaging technology allows detailed preoperative visualization of the pathoanatomical spatial relationships in cases of TN. 3D interactive VR technology allows establishing a clear dissection and decompression strategy, resulting in safe vascular microsurgery and excellent clinical results.

Lumbar spine segmentation in MR images: a dataset and a public benchmark

This paper presents a large publicly available multi-center lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dataset with reference segmentations of vertebrae, intervertebral discs (IVDs), and spinal canal. The dataset includes 447 sagittal T1 and T2 MRI series from 218 patients with a history of low back pain and was collected from four different hospitals. An iterative data annotation approach was used by training a segmentation algorithm on a small part of the dataset, enabling semi-automatic segmentation of the remaining images. The algorithm provided an initial segmentation, which was subsequently reviewed, manually corrected, and added to the training data. We provide reference performance values for this baseline algorithm and nnU-Net, which performed comparably. Performance values were computed on a sequestered set of 39 studies with 97 series, which were additionally used to set up a continuous segmentation challenge that allows for a fair comparison of different segmentation algorithms. This study may encourage wider collaboration in the field of spine segmentation and improve the diagnostic value of lumbar spine MRI.

Edema progression in proximity to traumatic microbleeds: Evolution of cytotoxic and vasogenic edema on serial MRI

IntroductionAlthough cerebral edema is common following traumatic brain injury (TBI), its formation and progression are poorly understood. This is especially true for the mild TBI population, who rarely undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, which can pick up subtle structural details not visualized on computed tomography, in the first few days after injury. This study aimed to visually classify and quantitatively measure edema progression in relation to traumatic microbleeds (TMBs) in a cohort of primarily mild TBI patients up to 30 days after injury. Researchers hypothesized that hypointense lesions on Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) detected acutely after injury would evolve into hyperintense Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recover (FLAIR) lesions. MethodsThis study analyzed the progression of cerebral edema after acute injury using multimodal MRI to classify TMBs as potential edema-related biomarkers. ADC and FLAIR MRI were utilized for edema classification at three different timepoints: ≤48 h, ∼1 week, and 30 days after injury. Hypointense lesions on ADC (ADC+) suggested the presence of cytotoxic edema while hyperintense lesions on FLAIR (FLAIR+) suggested vasogenic edema. Signal intensity Ratio (SIR) calculations were made using ADC and FLAIR to quantitatively confirm edema progression. ResultsOur results indicated the presence of ADC+ lesions ≤48 h and ∼1 week were associated with FLAIR + lesions at ∼1 week and 30 days, respectively, suggesting some progression of cytotoxic edema to vasogenic edema over time. Ten out of 15 FLAIR + lesions at 30 days (67%) were ADC+ ≤48 h. However, ADC + lesions ≤48 h were not associated with FLAIR + lesions at 30 days; 10 out of 25 (40%) ADC + lesions ≤48 h were FLAIR + at 30 days, which could indicate that some lesions resolved or were not visualized due to associated atrophy or tissue necrosis. Quantitative analysis confirmed the visual progression of some TMB lesions from ADC + to FLAIR+. FLAIR SIRs at ∼1 week were significantly higher when lesions were ADC+ ≤48 h (1.22 [1.08–1.32] vs 1.03 [0.97–1.11], p = 0.002). ConclusionAwareness of how cerebral edema can evolve in proximity to TMBs acutely after injury may facilitate identification and monitoring of patients with traumatic cerebrovascular injury and assist in development of novel therapeutic strategies.

Predictors of Tumor Dynamics Over a 6-Week Course of Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy for Glioblastoma and the Effect on Survival

We present the final analyses of tumor dynamics and their prognostic significance during a 6-week course of concurrent chemoradiotherapy for glioblastoma in the Glioblastoma Longitudinal Imaging Observational study. This is a prospective serial magnetic resonance imaging study in 129 patients with glioblastoma who had magnetic resonance imaging obtained at radiation therapy (RT) planning (F0), fraction 10 (F10), fraction 20 (F20), and 1-month post-RT. Tumor dynamics assessed included gross tumor volume relative to F0 (Vrel) and tumor migration distance (dmigration). Covariables evaluated included: corpus callosum involvement, extent of surgery, O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase methylation, and isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status. The median Vrel were 0.85 (range, 0.25-2.29) at F10, 0.79 (range, 0.09-2.22) at F20, and 0.78 (range, 0.13-4.27) at 1 month after completion of RT. The median dmigration were 4.7 mm (range, 1.1-20.4 mm) at F10, 4.7 mm (range, 0.8-20.7 mm) at F20, and 6.1 mm (range, 0.0-45.5 mm) at 1 month after completion of RT. Compared with patients who had corpus callosum involvement (n = 26), those without corpus callosum involvement (n = 103) had significant Vrel reduction at F20 (P = .03) and smaller dmigration at F20 (P = .007). Compared with patients who had biopsy alone (n = 19) and subtotal resection (n = 71), those who had gross total resection (n = 38) had significant Vrel reduction at F10 (P = .001) and F20 (P = .001) and a smaller dmigration at F10 (P = .03) and F20 (P = .002). O6-Methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase methylation and isocitrate dehydrogenase mutation status were not significantly associated with tumor dynamics. The median progression-free survival and overall survival (OS) were 8.5 months (95% CI, 6.9-9.9) and 20.4 months (95% CI, 17.6-25.2). In multivariable analyses, patients with Vrel ≥ 1.33 at F10 had worse OS (hazard ratio [HR], 4.6; 95% CI, 1.8-11.4; P = .001), and patients with dmigration ≥ 5 mm at 1-month post-RT had worse progression-free survival (HR, 1.76; 95% CI, 1.08-2.87) and OS (HR, 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0; P = .007). Corpus callosum involvement and extent of surgery are independent predictors of tumor dynamics during RT and can enable patient selection for adaptive RT strategies. Significant tumor enlargement at F10 and tumor migration 1-month post-RT were associated with poorer OS.

Dynamic Imaging of Blood Coagulation Within the Hematoma of Patients With Acute Hemorrhagic Stroke.

The dynamics of blood clot (combination of Hb [hemoglobin], fibrin, and a higher concentration of aggregated red blood cells) formation within the hematoma of an intracerebral hemorrhage is not well understood. A quantitative neuroimaging method of localized coagulated blood volume/distribution within the hematoma might improve clinical decision-making. The deoxyhemoglobin of aggregated red blood cells within extravasated blood exhibits a higher magnetic susceptibility due to unpaired heme iron electrons. We propose that coagulated blood, with higher aggregated red blood cell content, will exhibit (1) a higher positive susceptibility than noncoagulated blood and (2) increase in fibrin polymerization-restricted localized diffusion, which can be measured noninvasively using quantitative susceptibility mapping and diffusion tensor imaging. In this serial magnetic resonance imaging study, we enrolled 24 patients with acute intracerebral hemorrhage between October 2021 to May 2022 at a stroke center. Patients were 30 to 70 years of age and had a hematoma volume >15 cm3 and National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score >1. The patients underwent imaging 3×: within 12 to 24 (T1), 36 to 48 (T2), and 60 to 72 (T3) hours of last seen well on a 3T magnetic resonance imaging system. Three-dimensional anatomic, multigradient echo and 2-dimensional diffusion tensor images were obtained. Hematoma and edema volumes were calculated, and the distribution of coagulation was measured by dynamic changes in the susceptibilities and fractional anisotropy within the hematoma. Using a coagulated blood phantom, we demonstrated a linear relationship between the percentage coagulation and susceptibility (R2=0.91) with a positive red blood cell stain of the clot. The quantitative susceptibility maps showed a significant increase in hematoma susceptibility (T1, 0.29±0.04 parts per millions; T2, 0.36±0.04 parts per millions; T3, 0.45±0.04 parts per millions; P<0.0001). A concomitant increase in fractional anisotropy was also observed with time (T1, 0.40±0.02; T2, 0.45±0.02; T3, 0.47±0.02; P<0.05). This quantitative neuroimaging study of coagulation within the hematoma has the potential to improve patient management, such as safe resumption of anticoagulants, the need for reversal agents, the administration of alteplase to resolve the clot, and the need for surgery.

P696 Initiation of Vedolizumab did not provoke new-onset spondylarthritis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease: A Prospective Study Including Rheumatological and Blinded Imaging Assessments

Abstract Background Prior case series indicated a temporal relationship between use of vedolizumab and new-onset spondyloarthritis. Methods We aimed to evaluate the relationship between initiation of vedolizumab and development of new-onset spondyloarthritis in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, through serial clinical evaluation and magnetic resonance imaging. A single-centre prospective observational study of 24 patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Patients were eligible if they had active ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease and initiating vedolizumab, had no prior history of arthritis or spondyloarthritis and suitable for undergoing serial magnetic resonance imaging. Clinical evaluation was performed by a rheumatologist prior to first dose of vedolizumab and at weeks 8 and 24 weeks after administration. Axial magnetic resonance imaging was performed at baseline, weeks 8 and 24 and evaluated by a blinded central reader. Results Nine tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-naïve patients (4 male; mean age 53.2 yrs; 6 ulcerative colitis; 3 Crohn’s disease) and eight tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-experienced patients (7 male; mean age 48 yrs; 3 ulcerative colitis; 5 Crohn’s disease) completed all assessments. No patients developed new features of axial arthritis either on clinical or blinded radiological assessment at weeks 8 or 24, nor any features of peripheral spondyloarthritis including inflammatory oligoarthritis, enthesitis, dactylitis, or psoriasis (nail, body, or scalp). Both the tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-naive and tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-experienced patients demonstrated good intestinal response to vedolizumab. Conclusion Initiation of vedolizumab did not induce new features of axial or peripheral spondyloarthritis in tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-experienced or tumour necrosis factor inhibitor-naive patients with inflammatory bowel disease.