T2 Short Tau Inversion Recovery Research Articles

Diffusion-Weighted MRI in Perianal Abscess: Role and Comparison With Contrast-Enhanced MRI.

Perianal abscess is a clinical infective and/or inflammatory collection in the perianal region, one entity of a large group of anal and perianal disorders. Perianal abscesses are often seen as a complication of grade 2 and grade 4 perianal fistulas from St. James's University Hospital classification. Several imagingmodalities have been tried in the past for adequate assessment of perianal abscess with contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) providing the most accurate results. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is an emerging sequence that can provide comparable results to CE-MRI in diagnosing and characterizing perianal abscess. The main objective of this study is to assess the role of DWI in adequate identification and assessment of perianal abscess and compare the final results with contrast-enhanced images. Twenty patients with complicated perianal fistula with clinically suspected perianal abscess were evaluated with DWI and CE-MRI. This study was a comparative cross-sectional study conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, India. Chi-square test was done to find the association between categorical variables. Kappa test was used to find the agreement between two different tests. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis was done to estimate the area under the curve in predicting the outcome. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were used to measure the validity of the tests. DWI is a very sensitive MRI sequence and is equivalent to CE-MRI to detect the location and analyzingthe loco-regional extent of abscess in complicated perianal fistula cases. DWI is also very sensitive and superior to T2 short tau inversion recovery (STIR) in differentiating perianalabscess from perianal inflammation without abscess. DWI can be used as an alternative to post-contrast fat-suppressed MRI in precisely defining the location and extent of anal and perianal abscesses and disease activity in complicated fistula cases.

Comparing the Efficacy of a Combination of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and T2-STIR (Short Tau Inversion Recovery) Imaging With Contrast-Enhanced MRI in the Evaluation of Perianal Fistula.

Perianal fistula is clinically diagnosed and commonly characterized using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and T2-weighted imaging are emerging techniques that can obviate the need for contrast injection in cases where contrast administration is not feasible or contraindicated. The main objective of our study was to compare the efficacy of the combination of DWI and T2 STIR (short tau inversion recovery) imaging with contrast-enhanced MRI for the diagnosis and characterization of perianal fistula. Sixty-nine patients with clinical perianal fistula with at least one external opening were evaluated with DWI, T2 STIR, and contrast MRI. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhopal, India. The chi-square test was done to find the association between categorical variables. The Kappa test was done to estimate the agreement between two different tests in measuring the outcome. The validity of tests was measured using sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. The combination of DWI and T2 STIR is equivalent to contrast-enhanced MRI in the evaluation of primary and complicated perianal fistula. The combination of DWI and T2 STIR is superior to DWI alone in the classification and characterization of perianal fistula. However, DWI is superior to T2 STIR in differentiating perianal inflammation with abscess from perianal inflammation without abscess and can be used as an alternative to post-contrast fat-suppressed T1-WI in the detection of perianal abscesses and disease activity. DWI can be used as an adjunct to T2 STIR, and the combination of DWI and T2 STIR can replace the post-contrast fat-suppressed T1 MRI sequence in the classification and characterization of perianal fistula.

3D Fractal Dimension Analysis: Prognostic Value of Right Ventricular Trabecular Complexity in Participants with Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy.

Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM) is characterized by progressive myocardial fibro-fatty infiltration accompanied by trabecular disarray. Traditionally, two-dimensional (2D) instead of 3D fractal dimension (FD) analysis has been used to evaluate trabecular disarray. However, the prognostic value of trabecular disorder assessed by 3D FD measurement remains unclear. To investigate the prognostic value of right ventricular trabecular complexity in ACM patients using 3D FD analysis based on cardiac MR cine images. Retrospective. 85 ACM patients (mean age: 45 ± 17 years, 52 male). 3.0T/cine imaging, T2-short tau inversion recovery (T2-STIR), and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Using cine images, RV (right ventricular) volumetric and functional parameters were obtained. RV trabecular complexity was measured with 3D fractal analysis by box-counting method to calculate 3D-FD. Cox and logistic regression models were established to evaluate the prognostic value of 3D-FD for major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Cox regression and logistic regression to explore the prognostic value of 3D-FD. C-index, time-dependent receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and area under the ROC curve (AUC) to evaluate the incremental value of 3D-FD. Intraclass correlation coefficient for interobserver variability. P < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. 26 MACE were recorded during the 60 month follow-up (interquartile range: 48-67 months). RV 3D-FD significantly differed between ACM patients with MACE (2.67, interquartile range: 2.51 ~ 2.81) and without (2.52, interquartile range: 2.40 ~ 2.67) and was a significant independent risk factor for MACE (hazard ratio, 1.02; 95% confidence interval: 1.01, 1.04). In addition, prognostic model fitness was significantly improved after adding 3D-FD to RV global longitudinal strain, LV involvement, and 5-year risk score separately. The myocardial trabecular complexity assessed through 3D FD analysis was found associated with MACE and provided incremental prognostic value beyond conventional ACM risk factors. 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY: Stage 1.

Precision in Practice: A Cross-sectional Study Involving MRI T2 Dixon and Conventional Sequence in Detecting Focal Multiple Myeloma Lesions

Introduction: Multiple Myeloma (MM) represents a malignant proliferation of plasma cells derived from a single clone. Imaging of the skeleton beyond symptomatic areas is useful for myeloma staging and subsequent follow-up for treatment response and disease relapse. Despite research comparing the Dixon sequence to conventional sequences in a variety of musculoskeletal disorders, there is a lack of studies regarding the Dixon sequence’s application in MM. Aim: To compare the contrast of MM focal lesions in all four T2- weighted Dixon and Conventional T1-weighted spin-echo and Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) images. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiology at Kovai Medical Centre and Hospitals (KMCH), Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India. All newly diagnosed and known cases of MM, either biopsyproven or strongly suspected based on other diagnostic testing conforming to International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria from December 2020 to July 2022, were included in the study. A total of 43 patients with 142 focal MM lesions were included. Contrast between focal MM lesions and surrounding bone marrow was calculated on T1-weighted spin-echo, STIR, and T2-weighted Dixon (all four) images. Statistical analysis was done using repeated measures of Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni correction to control the type I error on multiple comparisons to find the significant difference between multivariate analyses. A probability value of 0.05 was considered a significant level for all statistical tools. Results: The study population consisted of 21 men and 22 women with a mean age of 65.3±8.6 years {Mean±Standard Deviation (SD)}. Contrast values in all four T2 Dixon images, STIR, and T1-weighted images were as follows: T2 Dixon Fat-only (FO) images (0.86.±0.09) (SD); range: (0.46-0.99), T2-weighted Dixon Water-only (WO) images (0.54±0.14) (SD); range: (0.14-0.82), T2 Dixon In-phase (IP) images (0.20±0.13) (SD); range: (0.02-0.41), T2-weighted Dixon Out-phase (OP) images (0.53±0.19) (SD); range: (0.12-0.87), STIR images (0.47±0.12) (SD); range: (0.12-0.73), and T1 images (0.23±0.12) (SD); range: (0.01-0.55). The mean contrast was highest on T2 Dixon fat-only images (p&lt;0.0005) compared to T1 images, with the lowest contrast seen in IP images and intermediate values in OP images. Conclusion: In conclusion, fat-only images of the T2 multipoint Dixon sequence provide significant contrast compared to conventional T1-weighted imaging. Dixon water-only images provide fat suppression that is not inferior to STIR images. While Dixon techniques in the diagnosis of MM did not significantly differ from the conventional sequence, Dixon stands out from conventional sequences when considering the study duration and contrast between the lesion and normal bone marrow.

MRI-detected intraosseous bone marrow edema recedes after effective therapy of periodontitis

ObjectivesT2 STIR MRI sequences can detect preclinical changes associated with periodontal inflammation, i.e. intraosseous edema in the tooth-supporting bone. In this study, we assessed whether MRI can be used for monitoring periodontal disease.Material and methodsIn a prospective cohort study, we examined 35 patients with periodontitis between 10/2018 and 04/2019 by using 3D isotropic T2-weighted short tau inversion recovery (STIR) and Fast Field Echo T1-weighted Black bone sequences. All patients received standardized clinical exams before and three months after non-surgical periodontal therapy. Bone marrow edema extent was quantified in the STIR sequence at 922 sites before and after treatment. Results were compared with standard clinical findings. Non-parametric statistical analysis was performed.ResultsNon-surgical periodontal treatment caused significant improvement in mean probing depth (p < 0.001) and frequency of bleeding on probing (p < 0.001). The mean depth of osseous edema per site was reduced from a median [IQR] of 2 [1, 3] mm at baseline to 1 [0, 3] mm, (p < 0.001). Periodontal treatment reduced the frequency of sites with edema from 35 to 24% (p < 0.01).ConclusionThe decrease of periodontal bone marrow edema, as observed with T2 STIR MR imaging, is indicative of successful periodontal healing.Clinical relevance statementT2 STIR hyperintense bone marrow edema in the periodontal bone decreases after treatment and can therefore be used to evaluate treatment success. Furthermore, MRI reveals new options to depict hidden aspects of periodontitis.Key Points• T2 STIR hyperintense periodontal intraosseous edema was prospectively investigated in 35 patients with periodontitis before and after treatment and compared to clinical outcomes.• The frequency of affected sites was reduced from 35 to 24% (p < 0.001), and mean edema depth was reduced from a median [IQR] of 2 [1, 3] mm at baseline to 1 [0, 3] mm 3 months after treatment. (p < 0.001).• T2 STIR sequences can be used to monitor the posttreatment course of periodontitis.

Exercise-induced myocardial edema in master triathletes: Insights from cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

BackgroundStrenuous exercise has been associated with functional and structural cardiac changes due to local and systemic inflammatory responses, reflecting oxidative, metabolic, hormonal, and thermal stress, even in healthy individuals. We aimed to assess changes in myocardial structure and function using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in master triathletes early after a full-distance Ironman Triathlon race.Materials and methodsTen master triathletes (age 45 ± 8 years) underwent CMR within 3 h after a full-distance Ironman Triathlon race (3.8 km swimming, 180 km cycling, and 42.2 km running) completed with a mean time of 12 ± 1 h. All the triathletes had a 30-day follow-up CMR. Cine balanced steady-state free precession, T2-short tau inversion recovery (STIR), tagging, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging sequences were performed on a 1.5-T MR scanner. Myocardial edema was defined as a region with increased T2 signal intensity (SI) of at least two SDs above the mean of the normal myocardium. The extent of myocardial edema was expressed as the percentage of left ventricular (LV) mass. Analysis of LV strain and torsion by tissue tagging included the assessment of radial, longitudinal, and circumferential peak systolic strain, rotation, and twist.ResultsCompared with postrace, biventricular volumes, ejection fraction, and LV mass index remained unchanged at 30-day follow-up. Global T2 SI was significantly higher in the postrace CMR (postrace 10.5 ± 6% vs. follow-up 3.9 ± 3.8%, P = 0.004) and presented with a relative apical sparing distribution (P < 0.001) matched by reduction of radial peak systolic strain of basal segments (P = 0.003). Apical rotation and twist were significantly higher immediately after the competition compared with follow-up (P < 0.05).ConclusionStrenuous exercise in master triathletes is associated with a reversible regional increase in myocardial edema and reduction of radial peak systolic strain, both presenting with a relative apical sparing pattern.

Morphological, Functional, and Tissue Characterization of Silent Myocardial Involvement in Patients With Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Cirrhotic cardiomyopathy is a major complication and cause of morbidity in end-stage primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). However, it is unclear whether there is clinically silent myocardial involvement at the early stage of PBC before cirrhosis and cardiac manifestations. This prospective, three-center, multi-modality cardiac imaging study on the early identification of myocardial impairment in PBC (EARLY-MYO-PBC) was designed to identify silent myocardial impairment in PBC patients without cardiac manifestations. A total of 112 subjects (56 with PBC and 56 age- and sex-matched controls) undergoing cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) were enrolled. Demographic, serologic, and cardiac imaging data were prospectively collected. All participants had no cardiac discomfort or previous heart disease and had normal electrocardiographic findings. Subclinical myocardial involvement, as evidenced by cardiac morphologic, functional, and tissue characterization changes on CMR, including hyperdynamic left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (median, 75% in PBC patients vs 69% in controls, P= .029), subclinical myocardial edema by T2-short tau inversion recovery (21% vs 2% in controls, P= .001), elevated extracellular matrix indices (30% vs 26% in controls, P < .001), and impaired myocardial viability by positive late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) (36%), was detected in PBC patients. Importantly, a mid-wall "stripe" at the LV septum was identified as a PBC-specific LGE pattern that differs from other known cardiomyopathies. In multivariate analysis, gp210 positivity (odds ratio [OR]= 9.909, P= .010), lower hemoglobin (OR= 0.919, P= .004), and body mass index (OR= 0.638, P= .005) were independent predictors of cardiac abnormalities in PBC. This study demonstrates clinically silent cardiac impairment with specific CMR patterns in PBC, allowing optimal screening for early myocardial impairment and potentially timely therapies. (Trial registration no.: NCT03545672).

Clinical Features of Chinese Sporadic Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy Caused by Rare Primary mtDNA Mutations.

The primary aim of this study was to describe clinical features of Chinese sporadic Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) caused by rare primary mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations. We characterized a Chinese patient cohort with rare primary mtDNA mutations at Beijing Tongren Hospital between 2015 and 2018. The clinical features of these patients were retrospectively recorded and analyzed. Sixteen patients with LHON who had the selected rare primary mutations, including m.4171C>A (3 patients), m.10197G>A (1 patient), m.14459G>A (4 patients), and m.14502T>C (8 patients), were evaluated. The mean age at disease onset was 15 ± 6 years, and the male to female ratio was 15:1. Of 32 eyes of all patients, 75% (24/32) had a worst Snellen best-corrected visual acuity ≤0.1 (worse than 20/200), while 67% (2/3) who were carrying the m.4171C>A mutation experienced significant visual improvement. In addition, 40% (2/5) of patients with LHON carrying only m.14502T>C mutation had only mild visual impairment. Isolated manifestations of LHON was present in 94% (15/16) of all patients; 1 patient with the m.14459G>A mutation had LHON plus dystonia. Brain MRI T2 short tau inversion recovery sequences demonstrated optic atrophy in 62.5% (10/16); increased T2 signal in the optic nerve was found in 38% (6/16) of patients. The patient with LHON plus dystonia demonstrated optic atrophy and increased T2 signal in basal ganglia. Patients with LHON and rare primary mutations have diverse clinical phenotypes. Those with the m.4171C>A mutation are more likely to have a good visual prognosis, while the m.14502T>C mutation may play a synergistic role in disease onset. Increased signal in the optic nerve on MRI is not rare, and this feature should not exclude LHON as the potential cause for optic neuropathy.

Effect of changing the analyzed image contrast on the accuracy of intracranial volume extraction using Brain Extraction Tool 2.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of changing the contrast of an analyzed image on the accuracy of intracranial volume (ICV) extraction using the Brain Extraction Tool (BET2) in healthy adults and patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS), including infants. Twelve SWS patients, including infants, and 12 healthy participants were imaged on a 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. All individuals underwent quantification of relaxation times and proton density using multi-echo acquisition of saturation recovery with turbo-spin-echo readout (QRAPMASTER). Based on the QRAPMASTER data, we created images with seven contrasts (T1-WI, T2-WI, PD-WI, T2 short-tau inversion recovery [STIR], proton density [PD] STIR, T2STIR + PDSTIR, and T1-WI + T2-WI + PD-WI) by post-processing with SyMRI software. ICVs extracted with BET2 from the FMRIB (Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain) Software Library with each of the seven image contrasts were compared with manually extracted ICVs, which is the gold standard reviewed by a board-certificated neuroradiologist. Manual extraction was performed on T1-WI and T2STIR. Statistical analyses were performed with Jaccard similarity coefficients (J). The highest J score was found in T1-WI + T2-WI + PD-WI in all participants (0.8451); T1-WI in healthy participants (0.8984); T2STIR in participants with SWS (0.8325). Our findings suggest that T1-WI and T2STIR should be used in ICV extraction performed using BET2 on healthy participants and infants, respectively. Additionally, if the analyzed individuals include both healthy participants and infants, T1-WI + T2-WI + PD-WI should be used.

Lumbosacral transitional vertebra in the young men population with low back pain: anatomical considerations and degenerations (transitional vertebra types in the young men population with low back pain).

To evaluate the prevalence of subtypes of congenital lumbosacral transition vertebra (LSTV) in young male populations with low back pain (LBP) and their relationship to lumbar disc and facet degeneration. 1875 patients (male, aged; 18-40years) with LBP were investigated retrospectively. Standard lumbar MRI protocol of sagittal, and axial T1 weighted images (WI) and T2 WI and coronal short tau inversion recovery (STIR) T2 WI were obtained. Castellvi classification of LSTV were used for subtyping. The level and above the level of LSTV were evaluated for the lumbar disc space and facet degeneration based on grading methods which compares subtype groups with each other. Prevalence of LSTV was 32% (600 of 1875). The most frequent LSTV types were type I (dysplastic enlarged transverse process; 66.5%) and type II (pseudoarticulation; 21.8%). Eight percent of the patients were type III (fusion) and 3.6% patients type IV (one transverse process fused and one with pseudoarticulation). The most commonly detected LSTV types were type I + II (88%) and all bilateral LSTV types were seen much more than unilateral types (bilateral versus unilateral 63.2%, 33.2%). The LSTV type I highly correlated with the disc degeneration and facet arthrosis. But the groups with higher grade of disc degeneration were type IV and III. In young male patients with LBP, LSTV was found to be high in frequency and mostly occurred to be subtype I. LSTV type I and associated disk and facet degeneration were found to be remarkable in this group. Coronal T2 STIR images are useful in showing lumbosacral region anomalies and variants, and should be included in the routine lumbar MRI protocol.

Letter by Bulluck and Hausenloy Regarding Article, “Dynamic Edematous Response of the Human Heart to Myocardial Infarction: Implications for Assessing Myocardial Area at Risk and Salvage”

We read with great interest the recent article by Fernandez-Jimenez et al,1 in which 16 ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients each underwent 5 cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) scans following primary percutaneous coronary intervention. They concluded that myocardial edema detected by T2 followed a bimodal pattern, with the first phase appearing at 3 hours and dissipating by 24 hours, and the second phase reappearing thereafter. The authors should be congratulated for completing such a challenging study. However, whether the observed bimodal pattern in edema detected by T2-short tau inversion recovery in their study was actually due to the presence of intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) attenuating the T2-signal at 24 hours cannot be excluded. O’Regan et al2 previously reported that …

Quantitative and qualitative assessment of acute myocardial injury by CMR at multiple time points after acute myocardial infarction

BackgroundRecent experimental studies have shown a dynamic time course of myocardial edema with an initial wave of edematous reaction within hours after reperfusion which almost resolved at 24 h. However, this dynamic pattern appears to be absent in clinical cohort studies. Thus far, no studies have combined a quantitative and qualitative assessment of acute myocardial injury in a large clinical cohort to explain these divergent findings. MethodsA cohort of 225 patients (59 ± 11 years, 83% men) with successfully reperfused STEMI within 12 h of symptom onset were included. Quantitative measurements of myocardial damage such as T1 mapping and T2 triple short-tau inversion recovery (STIR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) and their impact on area-at-risk (AAR), infarct size (IS), and myocardial salvage index (MSI) were assessed at different time points. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression analysis was used to compare myocardial damage at the different time points. ResultsA small fraction of patients underwent CMR within 24 h of reperfusion (17/225, 7.6%). No significant variations in AAR, IS, MSI, T2 STIR CNR, or native T1 maps were observed between the different time points after reperfusion. Time of CMR was not a significant predictor of AAR (P = 0.90), IS (P = 0.27), MSI (P = 0.23) or T2 STIR CNR (P = 0.23). ConclusionsThe majority of CMR exams in STEMI patients are performed outside the dynamic time window of early post-MI edema. The stable pattern of markers of acute myocardial damage at different time points suggests these markers are reliable for the prognostication of patients after STEMI.

Pre-surgical Multiparametric Assessment of Breast Lesions Using 3-Tesla Magnetic Resonance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate experience with multiparametric breast imaging on 3-Tesla magnetic resonance (3T-MRI) scanner using a dedicated 18-channel coil compared to histological findings in women after surgery. The study included 100 women with 105 Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4 to 6 lesions by mammography who were examined using 3T-MRI and subsequently underwent surgery. MRI included non-contrast T1, T2 and T2 short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequences, diffusion-weighted imaging with apparent diffusion coeficient maps, postcontrast dynamic study and single-voxel MRI spectroscopy. The results were compared to those of histopathological examination. A sensitivity of 98.68% was found for the whole population, with a specificity of 86.20%. The most valuable findings were diffusion restriction with sensitivity of 90.79% and specificity of 89.66%, and increased choline in the spectrum with sensitivity of 68.42% and specificity of 93.10%. Evaluation of the enhancement curve had sensitivity of 45.05% and specificity of 72.41%. In examination of lymph nodes, 3T-MRI had sensitivity of 92.59% and specificity of 93.87%. Multiparametric 3T-MRI breast imaging shows excellent results in evaluation of breast cancer compared to histological findings, both for primary tumor and nodal metastases. The greatest contribution to improving diagnostic performance is the evaluation of diffusion.

Brachial plexus magnetic resonance imaging differentiates between inflammatory neuropathies and does not predict disease course.

ObjectiveThe main objective of this study was to evaluate the correlation between the distribution of brachial plexus magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities and clinical weakness, and to evaluate the value of brachial plexus MRI in predicting disease course and response to treatment in multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), Lewis‐Sumner syndrome (LSS) and chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).MethodsSixty‐seven patients with an inflammatory neuropathy diagnosed at our tertiary referral center for neuromuscular diseases had undergone bilateral T2‐weighted short tau inversion recovery (STIR) MRI of the brachial plexus. We obtained clinical follow‐up data and scored all MRIs for abnormalities and the symmetry of their distribution.ResultsBrachial plexus MRI abnormalities were detected in 45% of the patients. An abnormal MRI did not predict disease course in terms of patterns of weakness, sensory disturbances or response to treatment. Within the spectrum of radiological abnormalities, asymmetrical clinical syndromes, MMN and LSS were significantly associated with asymmetrical radiological abnormalities, whereas symmetrical abnormalities predominated in CIDP (p < .001, phi 0.791).ConclusionT2 STIR brachial plexus MRI abnormalities correspond with the distribution of neurological deficits in inflammatory neuropathies, but do not correlate with specific clinical characteristics, response to treatment or disease course.

Imaging features of chondromyxoid fibroma: report of 15 cases and literature review.

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare benign bony tumour. Our objectives are three-fold: first, comparing MRI, conventional radiography (CR) and CT characteristics of CMF; second, providing a literature review; and third, summarizing the role of imaging landmarks in the differential diagnosis with other bony lesions. 15 patients with histopathologically proven CMF were retrospectively included. MR images were reviewed for typical findings and compared with imaging features on CR and CT. All lesions were isointense on T1 weighted images with a low intensity rim in nine cases corresponding to the perilesional sclerosis on CR and CT. Internal trabeculations were more prominent on CR than on CT due to corrugation and scalloping at the tumour's edge. CT was superior to CR in analysing the expansion of the lesion, cortical breakthrough and internal mineralization. T2 short tau inversion recovery or T2 weighted fat saturation images showed an intermediate to hyperintense signal in all lesions, mostly heterogeneous. Some lesions contained small internal cysts, and one lesion demonstrated a low signal intensity centrally, corresponding to internal mineralization on CT. Intense contrast enhancement was present in all lesions. Minimal bone and soft tissue oedema were seen in, respectively, six and three patients. The diagnosis of CMF is difficult because of overlap of characteristics with other bony lesions. Our comparative study puts forward advantages and limitations of different imaging modalities in the diagnosis of CMF. For the first time, imaging features of CMF are analysed and compared on CR, CT and MRI.

Postpartum sacral insufficiency fracture

A 32-year-old woman with inflammatory lower back and hip pain was admitted to the Radiology Department for investigation. The patient had a history of osteoporosis and underwent childbirth 2 months before. On the sacroiliac magnetic resonance image, the bilateral ventral subchondral sacral bone showed hypointensity on the axial T1-weighted image (Fig. 1A) and hyperintensity on the axial T2 (Fig. 1B) and coronal T2 fat-saturated image (Fig. 1C), which is compatible with bone marrow edema. In the central region of the bone marrow edema, a hypointense linear band was seen on the T2 short tau inversion recovery (Fig. 1C) and T1 selective partial inversion recovery (Fig. 1D) images, which was compatible with fracture lines. Treatment prescribed to the patient included Vitamin D, calcium replacement, pain control, bed rest, and physical therapy. One year after treatment, sacroiliac magnetic resonance image showed that the sacral bone marrow edema had disappeared, and bilateral symmetrical T1and T2-weighted hyperintensity (Fig. 2A, B) showed signal loss in fat-saturated images (Fig. 2C, D), which was compatible with fatty bone marrow changes. Fracture lines were not seen in the control images.

Hippocampal internal architecture and postoperative seizure outcome in temporal lobe epilepsy due to hippocampal sclerosis

PurposeSemi-quantitative analysis of hippocampal internal architecture (HIA) on MRI has been shown to be a reliable predictor of the side of seizure onset in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). In the present study, we investigated the relationship between postoperative seizure outcome and preoperative semi-quantitative measures of HIA. MethodsWe determined HIA on high in-plane resolution preoperative T2 short tau inversion recovery MR images in 79 patients with presumed unilateral mesial TLE (mTLE) due to hippocampal sclerosis (HS) who underwent amygdalohippocampectomy and postoperative follow up. HIA was investigated with respect to postoperative seizure freedom, neuronal density determined from resected hippocampal specimens, and conventionally acquired hippocampal volume. ResultsHIA ratings were significantly related to some neuropathological features of the resected hippocampus (e.g. neuronal density of selective CA regions, Wyler grades), and bilaterally with preoperative hippocampal volume. However, there were no significant differences in HIA ratings of the to-be-resected or contralateral hippocampus between patients rendered seizure free (ILAE 1) compared to those continuing to experience seizures (ILAE 2-5). ConclusionsThis work indicates that semi-quantitative assessment of HIA on high-resolution MRI provides a surrogate marker of underlying histopathology, but cannot prospectively distinguish between patients who will continue to experience postoperative seizures and those who will be rendered seizure free. The predictive power of HIA for postoperative seizure outcome in non-lesional patients with TLE should be explored.

Multimodality imaging of pericardial disease.

The emergence of multimodality imaging of pericardial diseases has improved diagnosis and management. In acute pericarditis, echocardiography is the first-line test, but cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may be beneficial in patients who fail to respond to therapy. An increased T2 short-tau inversion recovery time (STIR) suggests pericardial edema, and increased late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) suggests organizing pericarditis. Computed tomography (CT) can be helpful in procedural planning, either to guide percutaneous drainage of an effusion or to assess calcification and the location of vascular structures before pericardiectomy. On echocardiography, a respiratory septal shift in combination with either a preserved medial e' velocity or prominent expiratory diastolic hepatic vein flow reversal performs well in diagnosing constrictive pericarditis. These patients also have decreased regional longitudinal strain in the anterolateral and right ventricular free walls, presumably related to pericardial to myocardial tethering. Finally, prominent LGE may identify patients with constrictive pericarditis who improve with anti-inflammatory therapy.

Characterization of multiple myeloma osseous lesions and diffuse infiltration pattern by 18F-FDG-PET/CT, static MRI and diffusion-weighted MR Imaging (DWI-MRI): a comparative multimodality imaging study

Methods 55 Patients diagnosed according to the International Myeloma Working Group criteria (2003) were referred to consecutive imaging diagnostics including 18F-FDG PET/CT, T1-weighted and short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) as well as diffusion weighted MRI (DWI). Images were reviewed and matched on a lesion-by-lesion basis for the location and number of focal osseous MM lesions by two radiologists and one nuclear medicine physician, grading the conspicuity of each lesion in CT, T1w, T2 STIR, DWI and ADC-Map separately. PET/CT data were compared based on qualitative and semi-quantitative (SUV) evaluation. A scoring system was used, with a certainty score as the reference for each lesion resulting from an evaluation considering all imaging modalities simultaneously. The analysis was carried out without knowledge of the previous treatment or the stage of disease. Results In static MRI and DWI different infiltration patterns were observed and PET/CT revealed comparable patterns of tracer uptake: negative, focal, diffuse and mixed. MRI including DWI demonstrates both active as well as inactive MM lesions and displays numerous additional PET-negative lesions.

Diagnostic value of MR imaging in the Lewis–Sumner syndrome: A case series

Lewis–Sumner syndrome (LSS) is considered a variant of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), which is more frequently described with exclusive upper limb involvement. The diagnosis of LSS is clinical and electrophysiological. However, these are not always obvious and in view of its rarity, the diagnosis may be missed and patients denied effective immunomodulatory therapy. We herein describe the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in a series of five consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of LSS, using T2 STIR (Short Tau Inversion recovery) images without contrast. We demonstrated hyperintensity with or without hypertrophy of cervical roots and/or brachial plexus on the affected side and/or controlaterally which aided diagnostic confirmation. This helped therapeutic decision making regarding immunotherapy in all cases. MR imaging of the cervical spine/brachial plexus with T2 STIR may be helpful in suspected cases of LSS as it represents a very useful additional diagnostic tool.