Skull Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Articles

Frontotemporal dementia: From the clinic to the differential diagnosis

Introduction: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a disease that encompasses several syndromes that differ in their cognitive, behavioral, language signs, and motor phenomena. Only Alzheimer’s disease causes more early-onset dementia cases than FTD. According to World Health Organization (WHO) projections, dementia rates will double every 20 years and reach 115.4 million people in 2050, ranging from 3% to 26%. The FTD spectrum encompasses three variant syndromes, namely the behavioral variant, the semantic variant, and the non-fluent/agrammatical variant. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration is neuropathologically related to the clinical phenotypes of FTD. Therefore, the frontal and temporal lobes suffer from gliosis and selective neuronal loss due to this neurodegenerative condition. Case Report: A 62-year-old doctor with no comorbidities. According to the family, he reports delivering very slowly, which he doesn’t and comes in the processing very efficiently. He claims that he already lost on the street but managed to restore his visuospatial function. He denies changes in his daily life to recent trauma. Neurological examination revealed impaired attention and behavioral changes, impaired short-term memory (mini-mental: 19/30 points), normal laboratory, regular liquor; skull magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed mild atrophy in the frontotemporal regions. Decreased activity in areas of the cortex was observed by cerebral perfusion scintigraphy. Conclusion: Therefore, this report is relevant because it correlates a patient with neurological examination and tests with a good indication of FTD; however, the diagnosis can be confirmed with greater accuracy through brain perfusion scintigraphy. It is still possible to observe that although there has been a significant increase in the literature on FTD, its variants and its clinic still need further studies regarding their possible differential diagnoses, mainly related to psychiatric disorders and the behavioral variant of FTD.

Analysis of the Characteristics and Related Risk Factors of Vascular Dementia After Ischemic Stroke Based on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

VD (Vascular Dementia) refers to clinical dementia caused by brain tissue damage caused by cerebrovascular disease factors. It is one of the common types of dementia. This paper examines patients with first stroke to determine whether to list them as observation objects and randomly divides the observation objects into intervention groups and control groups. Studies have shown that the incidence of VD after a stroke is closely related to the location of the stroke, and the incidence of VD in the intervention group is significantly lower than that in the control group. In addition, there were no significant adverse reactions in the intervention group. In this paper, 51 patients with VD after cerebral infarction were selected as the VD group, and 48 patients with non-VD after cerebral infarction were selected as the non-VD group. All 99 patients with stroke were assessed for cognitive function using the simple mental scale and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale within 3 months after stroke. The characteristics of skull MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and related risk factors in patients with VD and non-VD were compared and analyzed. The results showed that age, hypertension, and diabetes were associated with the occurrence of VD.

Comparison of Black Bone MRI and 3D-CT in the preoperative evaluation of patients with craniosynostosis

Black Bone (BB) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a nonionizing imaging method and a recent alternative to computed tomography (CT) in the examination of cranial deformities. The purpose of this study was to compare BB-MRI and routine 3D-CT in the preoperative evaluation of patients with craniosynostosis. At our center, we have routinely performed preoperative CT of the skull and brain MRI for patients with clinical suspicion of craniosynostosis. We recently changed our MRI protocol into one that includes sequences for the evaluation of both brain anatomy and skull bone and sutures by BB-MRI. A semi-automatic skull segmentation algorithm was developed to facilitate visualization. Both BB-MRI and 3D-CT were performed on 9 patients with clinical craniosynostosis, and the images were evaluated by two craniofacial surgeons, one pediatric neurosurgeon, and two neuroradiologists. We obtained informative 3D images using BB-MRI. Six (6/9) patients had scaphocephaly, 1 (1/9) patient had unicoronal synostosis, and 2 (2/9) patients had lambdoid synostosis. The affected synostotic sutures could be identified both by BB-MRI and by 3D-CT in all patients. Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability for rating the calvarial sutures was high. However, the reliability for rating the intracranial impressions was low by both imaging methods. BB-MRI is an alternative to 3D-CT in the preoperative evaluation of patients with craniosynostosis. BB-MRI provides information not only on cranial sutures and intracranial impressions but also on the brain structure in one imaging session. This method can replace ionizing radiation-based methods in analyzing skull deformities.

Novel Characteristic Skull Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features Associated With Meningioma

Meningioma-related skull magnetic resonance imaging findings other than hyperostosis are not widely recognized. We evaluated the novel findings of the skull adjacent to meningiomas. Records from patients with meningiomas located adjacent to the skull on magnetic resonance imaging (n = 32) were included. Three skull findings (intramedullary prominent vessel, intramedullary enhancement, intramedullary T2-hyperintensity) and the widely known hyperostosis were retrospectively visually assessed. The frequency of these 3 findings and the relevance to each other, and their relationships with hyperostosis, size, length adjacent to the skull, and relative signal intensity of the meningioma were examined. The incidence of the three findings was 46.88%, 53.13%, and 62.5%, respectively, and that of hyperostosis was 46.88%. Each association involving the findings was strong, and they were significantly related to the size and length. Intramedullary prominent vessel, intramedullary enhancement, and intramedullary T2-hyperintensity may be novel characteristic skull findings associated with meningioma.

MRI in patients with auditory implants equipped with implanted magnets-an update : Overview and procedural management

More than 100,000 patients with cochlear implants live in Germany. In addition, numerous patients have auditory bone conducted, middle-ear conducted or brainstem conducted implants equipped with implanted magnets. At the same time, the number of patients being examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasing. Therefore, MRI compatibility of these implants is an essential quality feature. This article provides information about technical innovations and new auditory devices since November 2013 that have medical-technical certification in the European Union and the USA. We communicate the restrictions of the manufacturers and aselective literature search in PubMed using the following keywords: MRI compatibility/MRI safety + cochlear implant/auditory brainstem implant/Bonebridge/Sophono alpha/Vibrand Soundbridge/BAHA attract. We included all publications of this search concerning MRI compatibility of hearing implants complemented by papers cited in the primary articles. In rare cases, high electromagnetic field intensities as used in MRI can cause shearing movements up to dislocation of the implant or the magnet of the device. As aresult the implant function could fail. Image artifacts in head MRIs can be reduced by using appropriate MRI sequences. Nevertheless, possible artifacts and the hereby reduced validity of the skull MRI results have to be considered when indicating the examination. Meanwhile, all innovations of these auditory devices are licensed to 1.5 T MRI examination, some implants up to 3.0 T MRI magnetic field intensity. For older devices, the necessary safety measures listed in the article published by Nospes, Mann and Keilmann in November 2013 should be used. Respecting the manufacturer's instructions, MRI scans without removal of the magnet in patients with these auditory implants is safe. However, due to possible defects/dislocations of the implant that may occur and the reduced quality of the skull MRI images, the indication for MRI in devices with MRI certification should only be performed under close consultation between the investigating physicians, the implanting team supervising the patient and the radiologist. All other possible diagnostic procedures should be exhausted first.

Equine skull magnetic resonance imaging: The where, when and why?

See also article by Koch et al.

Growth and puberty after treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Over the last 20 years, after combining treatment of chemotherapy and radiotherapy, there has been an improvement in the survival rate of acute lymphoblastic leukemia patients, with a current cure rate of around 70%. Children with the disease have been enrolled into international treatment protocols designed to improve survival and minimize the serious irreversible late effects. Our oncology unit uses the international protocol: GBTLI LLA-85 and 90, with the drugs methotrexate, cytosine, arabinoside, dexamethasone, and radiotherapy. However, these treatments can cause gonadal damage and growth impairment. The authors analyzed 20 children off therapy in order to determine the role of the various doses of radiotherapy regarding endocrinological alterations. They were divided into 3 groups according to central nervous system prophylaxis: Group A underwent chemotherapy, group B underwent chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (18 Gy), and group C underwent chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (24 Gy). Serum concentrations of LH, FSH, GH, and testosterone were determined. Imaging studies included bone age, pelvic ultrasound and scrotum, and skull magnetic resonance imaging. Nine of the patients who received radiotherapy had decreased pituitary volume. There was a significant difference in the response to GH and loss of predicted final stature (Bayley-Pinneau) between the 2 irradiated groups and the group that was not irradiated, but there was no difference regarding the radiation doses used (18 or 24 Gy). The final predicted height (Bayley-Pinneau) was significantly less (P = 0.0071) in both groups treated with radiotherapy. Two girls had precocious puberty, and 1 boy with delayed puberty presented calcification of the epididymis. Radiotherapy was been responsible for late side effects, especially related to growth and puberty.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Psittacine Birds with Chronic Sinusitis

Ten psittacine birds (3 African grey parrots [Psittacus erithacus], 3 blue and gold macaws [Ara ararauna], 2 scarlet macaws [Ara macao], a harlequin macaw [Ara ararauna × macao], and a yellow-naped Amazon parrot [Amazona ochrocephala auropalliata]) with histories of chronic sinusitis were referred for evaluation before possible surgical therapy. The duration of clinical signs in these birds ranged from 8 months to 11 years, and response to conventional medical therapy had been poor. Diagnostic procedures performed in each bird included a physical examination, complete blood count, plasma biochemical analysis, survey whole body and skull radiographs, and skull magnetic resonance imaging. In 7 of the 10 birds, a discrete lesion was localized by using magnetic resonance imaging. Six of these 7 birds had surgery performed to remove the lesion. Four granulomas, a mucocele, and a polyp were diagnosed by histopathologic examination. The chronic sinusitis resolved after surgery in 5 birds. Magnetic resonance imaging proved to be an excellent diagnostic tool for examining the avian infraorbital sinus, allowing identification, localization, and characterization of lesions within the sinuses.