Search

Purpose: To report a case of transient cortical blindness following cervical transforaminal epidural injection.Case summary: A 58-year-old diabetic and hypertensive male was referred to the ophthalmology department with sudden-onset bilateral visual disturbances after cervical transforaminal epidural injection for neck pain. During the procedure, an intravascular contrast medium was injected into the left vertebral artery. Immediately after the injection, the patient complained of bilateral visual disturbances, mild headache, and dizziness. Twelve hours after the procedure, his visual acuity was reduced to hand motion perception in both eyes. Anterior segment and fundus examinations were unremarkable. Pupillary light reflexes and extraocular muscle movements were normal. Brain magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance angiography, and fluorescein angiography showed no significant findings. There were no other neurological abnormalities. The patient was treated conservatively with intravenous dexamethasone and nimodipine based on a provisional diagnosis of transient cortical blindness. The symptoms gradually improved 2 days after the procedure; visual acuity recovered to 20/20 by the third day.Conclusions: Although contrast-induced transient cortical blindness is rare, it should be considered in patients with bilateral visual loss after transforaminal epidural injection. It is a benign and reversible condition but requires a prompt diagnosis.

Purpose: The aim of this multicenter study was to investigate the malignancy risk of minimally cystic thyroid nodules (MCTNs) using cyto-histopathologic diagnoses as the reference standard.Methods: From June 2015 to September 2015, 5,601 thyroid nodules (≥1 cm) from 4,989 consecutive patients who underwent thyroid ultrasonography (US) at 26 institutions were retrospectively analyzed. Each thyroid nodule was categorized according to its cystic proportion: purely solid, minimally cystic (≤10%), and partially cystic (>10%). The malignancy risk of MCTNs was compared with those of purely solid nodules and partially cystic thyroid nodules (PCTNs). The malignancy risk of MCTNs was assessed according to echogenicity and the presence of suspicious US features.Results: The prevalence of MCTNs was 22.5%. The overall malignancy risk of MCTNs was 8.8%, which was significantly lower than that of purely solid nodules (29.5%) (P0.05). MCTNs were associated with a higher risk of malignancy in hypoechoic nodules than in isohyperechoic nodules and in nodules with suspicious US features than in those without suspicious US features (all P

Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease (KFD), also known as histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis, is common in young Asian women under the age of 30, and is usually characterized by fever, myalgia, fatigue, and cervical lymphadenopathy. Because patients with KFD often present with necrotic lesions that are also features of lymph node metastasis, ipsilateral or bilateral lymph node enlargement in head and neck cancer patients can be disguised as lymph node metastasis. We present an unusual case of KFD mimicking bilateral metastatic papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. This study emphasizes that KFD should be considered when diagnosing lymph nodes with necrotic lesions but without malignant cells in young women.

Various risk stratification systems show discrepancies in the ultrasound lexicon of nodule echotexture and hypoechogenicity. This study aimed to determine the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules according to their echotexture and degree of hypoechogenicity. From June to September 2015, we retrospectively evaluated 5601 thyroid nodules with final diagnoses from 26 institutions. Nodules were stratified according to the echotexture (homogeneous vs. heterogeneous) and degree of hypoechogenicity (mild, moderate, or marked). We calculated the malignancy risk according to composition and suspicious features. Heterogeneous hypoechoic nodules showed a significantly higher malignancy risk than heterogeneous isoechoic nodules (P ≤ 0.017), except in partially cystic nodules. Malignancy risks were not significantly different between homogeneous versus heterogeneous nodules in both hypoechoic (P ≥ 0.086) and iso- hyperechoic nodules (P ≥ 0.05). Heterogeneous iso-hyperechoic nodules without suspicious features showed a low malignancy risk. The malignancy risks of markedly and moderately hypoechoic nodules were not significantly different in all subgroups (P ≥ 0.48). Marked or moderately hypoechoic nodules showed a significantly higher risk than mild hypoechoic (P ≤ 0.016) nodules. The predominant echogenicity effectively stratifies the malignancy risk of nodules with heterogeneous echotexture. The degree of hypoechogenicity could be stratified as mild versus moderate to marked hypoechogenicity.

Ischemic stroke is one of the manifestations of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS). Many precipitants and associated disorders of RCVS have been suggested. However, few case reports have indicated an association between anemia and RCVS. Here, we report a case of a 66-year-old female with severe iron deficiency anemia (IDA), who presented with ischemic stroke and cerebral vasoconstriction, which gradually improved with conservative treatment. High-resolution vessel wall magnetic resonance imaging findings and reversibility suggested the possibility of RCVS. In patients with RCVS and ischemic stroke, IDA should be considered. Prompt management should be delivered to prevent disease progression and recurrence.

Metastases to the thyroid gland have rarely been reported in clinical settings, and the thyroid gland is an uncommon site for breast carcinoma metastasis. We report a case of a 64-year-old breast cancer patient diagnosed with metastatic breast carcinoma in the thyroid gland after performing ultrasonography (US)-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) and subsequent total thyroidectomy. On US, the thyroid lesion appeared to be mildly enlarged with multiple internal hypoechoic lines and a few microcalcifications without mass formation. Under US-guidance, CNB was performed by targeting the area with microcalcifications and subsequently diagnosed as metastatic breast carcinoma. Total thyroidectomy revealed that the patient had metastatic invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with lymphatic spread involving both lobes and the isthmus of the thyroid gland. Although the thyroid gland is an uncommon metastatic site, the unusual features of thyroid metastasis can be observed on US; thus, US-guided CNB effectively aids the diagnosis of thyroid metastasis.

Background: Although chemotherapy-induced vocal-fold motion impairment was first reported in 1971, there are few reports. Herein, we describe a case in which life-threatening side effects occurred after injection laryngoplasty for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced vocal-fold motion impairment accompanied by dysphonia and aspiration in a patient with lymphoma.Case presentation: An 86-year-old woman with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma developed left vocal fold immobility with dysphonia and aspiration after six cycles of rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (R-CHOP) therapy. The patient underwent injection laryngoplasty to prevent aspiration pneumonia approximately 5 h after the 7th cycle of chemotherapy. On the 3rd day after the procedure, she visited the emergency room with swelling of the anterior neck and dyspnea with stridor, which had gradually worsened since the previous day, and emergency hematoma removal was performed. On the 14th day after injection laryngoplasty, laryngeal examination performed to observe the vocal cord bruises revealed improvement of edema. Dyspnea and dysphonia observed before emergency surgery resolved completely one month after the operation.Conclusions: It is important to promptly evaluate patients with symptoms such as dyspnea and stridor after injection laryngoplasty and select a safe procedure time for patients receiving chemotherapy to avoid serious complications, such as hematomas.

Palpable lesions of the scalp and face are common in clinical practice. They are usually small and benign, and the lesions tend to be treated simply according to the clinical symptoms. However, radiologic evaluation is often performed to determine the exact type and location of a lesion to ensure appropriate management. Ultrasonography is useful as a primary and definitive modality for evaluating small superficial lesions. CT and MRI are better for characterizing soft tissue features and provide superior soft tissue resolution. This article discusses various lesions and their imaging findings of the scalp and face that may present as superficially palpable masses.

Purpose of review Literature on the use of current magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients with idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (ISSNHL) is reviewed, emphasizing the role of three-dimensional fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) MRI. The discussion focuses on the diagnostic role of temporal bone MRI using 3D-FLAIR and the relationship between MRI findings, clinical symptoms, and hearing outcome. Recent findings The currently suggested MRI protocol for SSNHL includes a 3D T2-weighted steady-state free procession sequence or its equivalent, pre and postcontrast T1-weighted, and pre and postcontrast 3D-FLAIR sequences. The 3D-FLAIR image identifies an underlying labyrinthine condition in 24-57% of patients with ISSNHL, contributing to understanding the pathophysiologic mechanisms (e.g., labyrinthitis or labyrinthine hemorrhage). Recent studies demonstrated consistent results that initial hearing loss could be related to the signal change on the 3D-FLAIR image. Various results on 3D-FLAIR image value prediction for the final hearing outcome were shown. Summary 3D-FLAIR MRI application identifies an underlying labyrinthine condition. Abnormal MRI findings correlate with initial hearing loss and accompanying symptoms and hearing outcome. Performing temporal bone MRI with 3D-FLAIR sequence may clarify probable ISSNHL pathophysiology, improve diagnostic accuracy, provide prognostic information to physicians, and possibly guide toward a more specific treatment.

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is known as abnormal communication of the superior semicircular canal (SCC) to the intracranial space secondary to a bony defect in the canal. Patients who are subjected to surgical repair usually have intractable symptoms, and recently, plugging of SCC using a transmastoid approach has been widely recommended. In this report, we describe a case of incomplete plugging for SSCD in a 37-year-old woman, along with the high-resolution three dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3D MRI) findings using Pöschl view reconstruction. Postoperative MRI of 3D T2-wieghted sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution (SPACE) Pöschl plane demonstrated an incomplete plugging of the SCC with partially visible perilymphatic fluid in the posterior limb above the common crus. A 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence showed an enhancement involving the vestibule and SCC, suggesting labyrinthitis. Although there are few reports about incomplete plugging for SSCD, this case could demonstrate postoperative status and complication after plugging of SSCD using a high-resolution 3D MRI sequences with Pöschl view reconstruction.

Simple Summary Papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC) are indolent tumors associated with excellent long-term survival, albeit frequently accompanied by cervical lymph node (LN) metastasis. The imaging criteria using conventional ultrasound (US) techniques showed high diagnostic performance for the suspicious and probably benign LN categories, but showed low diagnostic performance for the indeterminate category. In this retrospective study, we aimed to assess the added value of Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) for detecting metastatic PTC in the indeterminate LN category. We confirmed that SMI could effectively stratify indeterminate LNs by visualizing additional vascular signals. The reclassified categories of SMI provided a high diagnostic performance to distinguish metastasis from benign LNs. Therefore, adding SMI to conventional US scans can be useful when evaluating indeterminate LNs in patients with PTC. Abstract Assessment of lymph node (LN) status in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is often troublesome because of cervical LNs with indeterminate US (ultrasound) features. We aimed to explore whether Superb Microvascular Imaging (SMI) could be helpful for distinguishing metastasis from indeterminate LNs when combined with power Doppler US (PDUS). From 353 consecutive patients with PTC, LNs characterized as indeterminate by PDUS were evaluated by SMI to distinguish them from metastasis. Indeterminate LNs were reclassified according to the SMI, the malignancy risk of each category was assessed, and the diagnostic performance of suspicious findings on SMI was calculated. The incidence of US-indeterminate LNs was 26.9%. Eighty PDUS-indeterminate LNs (39 proven as benign, 41 proven as malignant) were reclassified into probably benign (n = 26), indeterminate (n = 20), and suspicious (n = 34) categories according to SMI, with malignancy risks of 19.2%, 20.0%, and 94.1%, respectively. After combining SMI with PDUS, 80.8% (21/26) of probably benign LNs and 94.1% (32/34) of suspicious LNs could be correctly diagnosed as benign and metastatic, respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of categorizing LNs as suspicious based on SMI were 78.1%, 94.9%, and 86.3%, respectively. In conclusion, the combination of SMI with PDUS was helpful for the accurate stratification of indeterminate LNs based on US in patients with PTC.

In cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), the minimum threshold of the gray value of segmentation is set to convert the CBCT images to the 3D mesh reconstruction model. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of image registration of optical scans to 3D CBCT reconstructions created by different thresholds of grey values of segmentation in partial edentulous jaw conditions. CBCT of a dentate jaw was reconstructed to 3D mesh models using three different thresholds of gray value (&minus, 500, 500, and 1500), and three partially edentulous models with different numbers of remaining teeth (4, 8, and 12) were made from each 3D reconstruction model. To merge CBCT and optical scan data, optical scan images were registered to respective 3D reconstruction CBCT images using a point-based best-fit algorithm. The accuracy of image registration was assessed by measuring the positional deviation between the matched 3D images. The Kruskal&ndash, Wallis test and a post hoc Mann&ndash, Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction were used to compare the results between groups (&alpha, = 0.05). The correlations between the experimental factors were calculated using the two-way analysis of variance test. The positional deviations were lowest with the threshold of 500, followed by the threshold of 1500, and then &minus, 500. A significant interaction was found between the threshold of gray values and the number of remaining teeth on the registration accuracy. The most significant deviation was observed in the arch model with four teeth reconstructed with a gray-value threshold of &minus, 500. The threshold for the gray value of CBCT segmentation affects the accuracy of image registration of optical scans to the 3D reconstruction model of CBCT. The appropriate gray value that can visualize the anatomical structure should be set, especially when few teeth remain in the dental arch.

The aim of this study was to determine whether diffusion and perfusion imaging parameters demonstrate different diagnostic values for predicting pseudoprogression between glioblastoma subgroups stratified by O6-mythylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation status. We enrolled seventy-five glioblastoma patients that had presented with enlarged contrast-enhanced lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) one month after completing concurrent chemoradiotherapy and undergoing MGMT promoter methylation testing. The imaging parameters included 10 or 90 % histogram cutoffs of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC10), normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV90), and initial area under the time signal-intensity curve (IAUC90). The results of the areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) with cross-validation were compared between MGMT methylation and unmethylation groups. MR imaging parameters demonstrated a trend toward higher accuracy in the MGMT promoter methylation group than in the unmethylation group (cross-validated AUCs = 0.70–0.95 and 0.56–0.87, respectively). The combination of MGMT methylation status with imaging parameters improved the AUCs from 0.70 to 0.75–0.90 for both readers in comparison with MGMT methylation status alone. The probability of pseudoprogression was highest (95.7 %) when nCBV90 was below 4.02 in the MGMT promoter methylation group. MR imaging parameters could be stronger predictors of pseudoprogression in glioblastoma patients with the methylated MGMT promoter than in patients with the unmethylated MGMT promoter. • The glioblastoma subgroup was stratified according to MGMT promoter methylation status. • Diagnostic values of diffusion and perfusion parameters for predicting pseudoprogression were compared. • Imaging parameters showed higher diagnostic accuracy in the MGMT promoter methylation group. • Imaging parameters were independent to MGMT promoter methylation status for predicting pseudoprogression. • Imaging biomarkers might demonstrate different diagnostic values according to MGMT promoter methylation.

Hypertension and brachydactyly syndrome (HTNB; MIM 112410) is a rare, recently described, autosomal dominant syndromic disease characterized by the triad of brachydactyly type E (BDE), short stature, and hypertension. HTNB is caused by a heterozygous mutation in the PDE3A (MIM 123805) gene on chromosome 12p12; this gene encodes a member of the cGMP-inhibited cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase family. PED3A plays a role in many signal transduction pathways, including those involved in vascular smooth muscle proliferation and contraction, cardiac contractility, platelet aggregation, and hormone secretion. Here, we present a new case of HTNB in a 42-year-old patient who experienced recurrent ischemic strokes in various vascular territories; these strokes were caused by intracranial multiarterial dissection, and were experienced for 2 weeks. She was found to harbor a de novo heterozygous in-frame deletion, c.1333_1335del p.(Thr445del), in exon 4 of the PDE3A gene. Our finding is expected to contribute to the elucidation of the pathophysiology of stroke in HTNB patients. We further review all clinical and molecular genetic features of this rare disease described in the literature to date.

This study evaluated the characteristics of a thyroid-dedicated bipolar RF electrode (BRFE) and compared its ablation performance with that of monopolar RF electrodes (MRFEs) in normal bovine liver blocks.BRFE was tested on 60 bovine liver blocks with six different time-power combinations, applying 20, 30 and 40 W for 60 and 120 s. Subsequently, BRFE and MRFEs with 0.5-, 0.7- and 1-cm active tips were applied on 160 bovine liver blocks, creating 16 time-electrode combinations (10, 30, 60 and 120 s). The ablation characteristics, RF efficacy and true RF efficacy of each electrode group were then evaluated and compared. True RF efficacy was defined as the total ablation volume created within the total time during which valid RF current was generated.The true RF efficacy of BRFE with 30 W at 60 s was significantly higher than that of BRFE with 20 W and 40 W during the preliminary experiment (p = 0.011). BRFE showed larger vertical and transverse diameters (DT1, DT2) than MRFE with a 0.5-cm active tip (all p values 0.001, except 10 s). By contrast, MRFE with a 0.7-cm active tip created a larger DT1, DT2, volume, efficacy and true efficacy than BRFE (maximum p value = 0.011). The shape ratio of BRFE was significantly higher than that of MRFEs with 0.5-cm and 0.7-cm tips (all p 0.001).Application of BRFE with 30 W could achieve a median ablation volumes and efficacy between that of MRFEs with 0.5-cm and 0.7-cm active tips and created a more ellipsoid-shaped ablation zone.

Our study was intended to demonstrate the different signal intensity (SI) pattern of the putamen seen on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) between that of Parkinson's disease (PD) and Parkinsonism-predominant multiple system atrophy (MSA-P), and to correlate it with (18)F-flurodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography ((18)F-FDG PET). Thirty patients with PD and 17 with MSA-P underwent SWI, and (18)F-FDG PET were included. The SI was measured on SWI in the anterior and posterior halves of the putamen using a region-of-interest (ROI) on both sides. The normalized regional glucose metabolism (standardized uptake value ratio, SUVR) was measured on co-registered (18)F-FDG PET images using the ROI obtained with SWI. Analysis included a group-level comparison of the SI values obtained on SWI, and these results were correlated with the SUVR on (18)F-FDG PET. The SIs of the bilateral posterior, dominant-side of the posterior, mean values of the bilateral anterior and posterior halves of the putamen on SWI, differed significantly between the two groups (P0.001, respectively). The SUVR of the all locations also differed significantly between PD and MSA-P (P0.001, respectively). There was a moderate degree of positive correlation between the SI and the SUVR of the left posterior half, and mean value of the bilateral posterior putamen in MSA-P (r = 0.634, P = 0.006, r = 0.492, P = 0.045). In conclusion, the low SI seen on the posterior putamen may differentiate MSA-P from PD. Furthermore, low SI in the putamen correlated with hypometabolism on (18)F-FDG PET. Therefore, SWI could be a potential complementary diagnostic tool to (18)F-FDG PET for differentiating these conditions.

Although advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques provide useful information for the differential diagnosis of intra-axial mass-like lesions, the specific diagnostic role of multimodal MRI over conventional magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) alone in the differential diagnosis of mass-like lesions from a large heterogeneous cohort has not been studied. In this study, we aimed to determine the added value of a joint approach of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and dynamic-susceptibility-contrast perfusion imaging (DSC-PWI) for diagnosis of intra-axial mass-like lesions, comparing them with CMRI alone. Furthermore, we performed these evaluations in a manner simulating clinical practice. Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the requirement for informed consent. A total of 1038 patients with intra-axial mass-like lesions were retrospectively recruited according to their histological and clinico-radiological diagnoses made between January 2005 and December 2014. All patients underwent CMRI, DWI and DSC-PWI. The diagnostic accuracy and confidence in diagnosing each type of intra-axial mass-like lesions, and for differentiating the intra-axial brain tumors from non-neoplastic lesions, were compared according to the MRI protocols. The disease-specific sensitivity of joint approach differed according to specific disease entities in diagnosing each disease category. Joint approach provided the best diagnostic accuracy for discriminating intra-axial brain tumors from non-neoplastic lesions, with high diagnostic accuracy (95.3-96.7%), specificity (82-84.0%), positive-predictive-value (97.0-97.3%), and negative-predictive-value (84.8-92.7%), with the reader's confidence values being significantly improved over those on CMRI alone (all p-values < 0.001). In conclusion, joint approach of DWI, DSC-PWI to CMRI helps to differentiate non-neoplastic lesions from intra-axial brain tumors, and improves diagnostic confidence compared with CMRI alone. The benefit from the combined imaging differs for each disease category; thus joint approach needs to be customized according to clinical suspicion.

Purpose To assess a volume-weighted voxel-based multiparametric (MP) clustering method as an imaging biomarker to differentiate recurrent glioblastoma from delayed radiation necrosis. Materials and Methods The institutional review board approved this retrospective study and waived the informed consent requirement. Seventy-five patients with pathologic analysis-confirmed recurrent glioblastoma (n = 42) or radiation necrosis (n = 33) who presented with enlarged contrast material-enhanced lesions at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after they completed concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy were enrolled. The diagnostic performance of the total MP cluster score was determined by using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) with cross-validation and compared with those of single parameter measurements (10% histogram cutoffs of apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC10] or 90% histogram cutoffs of normalized cerebral blood volume and initial time-signal intensity AUC). Results Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that an AUC for differentiating recurrent glioblastoma from delayed radiation necrosis was highest in the total MP cluster score and lowest for ADC10 for both readers. The total MP cluster score had significantly better diagnostic accuracy than any single parameter (corrected P = .001-.039 for reader 1; corrected P = .005-.041 for reader 2). The total MP cluster score was the best predictor of recurrent glioblastoma (cross-validated AUCs, 0.942-0.946 for both readers), with a sensitivity of 95.2% for reader 1 and 97.6% for reader 2. Conclusion Quantitative analysis with volume-weighted voxel-based MP clustering appears to be superior to the use of single imaging parameters to differentiate recurrent glioblastoma from delayed radiation necrosis. © RSNA, 2017 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Although fine-needle aspiration (FNA) is a safe and accurate diagnostic procedure for assessing thyroid nodules, it has limitations in diagnosing follicular neoplasms due to its relatively high false-positive rate. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic role of core-needle biopsy (CNB) for thyroid nodules with follicular neoplasm (FN) in comparison with FNA.A series of 107 patients (24 men, 83 women; mean age, 47.4 years) from 231 FNAs and 107 patients (29 men, 78 women; mean age, 46.3 years) from 186 CNBs with FN readings, all of whom underwent surgery, from October 2008 to December 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The false-positive rate, unnecessary surgery rate, and malignancy rate for the FNA and CNB patients according to the final diagnosis following surgery were evaluated.The CNB showed a significantly lower false-positive and unnecessary surgery rate than the FNA (4.7% versus 30.8%, 3.7% versus 26.2%, p0.001, respectively). In the FNA group, 33 patients (30.8%) had non-neoplasms, including nodular hyperplasia (n = 32) and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (n = 1). In the CNB group, 5 patients (4.7%) had non-neoplasms, all of which were nodular hyperplasia. Moreover, the CNB group showed a significantly higher malignancy rate than FNA (57.9% versus 28%, p0.001).CNB showed a significantly lower false-positive rate and a higher malignancy rate than FNA in diagnosing FN. Therefore, CNB could minimize unnecessary surgery and provide diagnostic confidence when managing patients with FN to perform surgery.

Objectives/Hypothesis To investigate the clinical significance of three-dimensional-fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (3D-FLAIR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with Ramsay-Hunt syndrome (RHS). Study Design Case series. Methods We enrolled 28 consecutive patients of RHS with temporal bone MRI. Initial clinical findings and outcome were assessed by House-Brackmann (HB) scales, electroneuronography (ENoG), and pure tone audiometry (PTA). Two radiologists evaluated the presence of abnormalities on pre-/postcontrast 3D-FLAIR for the cranial nerve (CN)-VII, CN-VIII, inner ear (IE), and the posterior fossa by consensus. The relative signal intensity and enhancement degree (rED) of the structures were measured using ImageJ (http://rsbweb.nih.gov/ij/). Statistical test correlated the clinical symptoms and the outcome with the analysis results of 3D-FLAIR images. Results 3D-FLAIR demonstrated enhancement of CN-VII in all patients. Precontrast hyperintensity and enhancement were seen in eight and 16 patients with IE, and in four and six with CN-VIII, respectively. Precontrast hyperintensity of IE or CN-VIII was significantly associated with the presence of vertigo (P value

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The increased cochlear signal on FLAIR images in patients with acoustic neuroma is explained by an increased concentration of protein in the perilymphatic space. However, there is still debate whether there is a correlation between the increased cochlear FLAIR signal and the degree of hearing disturbance in patients with acoustic neuroma. Our aim was to investigate the clinical significance of an increased cochlear 3D FLAIR signal in patients with acoustic neuroma according to acoustic neuroma extent in a large patient cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled 102 patients with acoustic neuroma, who were divided into 2 groups based on tumor location; 22 tumors were confined to the internal auditory canal and 80 extended to the cerebellopontine angle cistern. Pure tone audiometry results and hearing symptoms were obtained from medical records. The relative signal intensity of the entire cochlea to the corresponding brain stem was calculated by placing regions of interest on 3D FLAIR images. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the cochlear relative signal intensity between the internal auditory canal acoustic neuroma and the cerebellopontine angle acoustic neuroma(.) The correlation between the cochlear relative signal intensity and the presence of hearing symptoms or the pure tone audiometry results was investigated. RESULTS: The internal auditory canal acoustic neuroma cochlea had a significantly lower relative signal intensity than the cerebellopontine angle acoustic neuroma cochlea (0.42 ± 0.15 versus 0.60 ± 0.17, P < .001). The relative signal intensity correlated with the audiometric findings in patients with internal auditory canal acoustic neuroma (r = 0.471, P = .027) but not in patients with cerebellopontine angle acoustic neuroma (P = .427). Neither internal auditory canal acoustic neuroma nor cerebellopontine angle acoustic neuroma showed significant relative signal intensity differences, regardless of the presence of hearing symptoms (P > .5). CONCLUSIONS: The cochlear signal on FLAIR images may be an additional parameter to use when monitoring the degree of functional impairment during follow-up of patients with small acoustic neuromas confined to the internal auditory canals.

In the current study, we examined whether selenium supplementation during iodine-131 (Sixteen patients with differentiated thyroid cancer were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patients after total thyroidectomy, beforeBaseline clinical characteristics, baseline amylase and selenium levels, and parameters of baseline salivary gland scintigraphy were not significantly different between selenium and control groups (P0.05). On a blood test performed 2 days afterSelenium supplementation during

Treatment failures in head and neck cancer patients are mainly related to locoregional tumor recurrence. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of model-free dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to detect local recurrence during the surveillance of head and neck cancer patients. Our retrospective study enrolled 24 patients with primary head and neck cancer who had undergone definitive treatment. Patients were grouped into local recurrence (n = 12) or posttreatment change (n = 12) groups according to the results of biopsy or clinicoradiologic follow-up. The types of time-signal intensity (TSI) curves were classified as follows: “progressive increment” as type I, “plateau” as type II, and “washout” as type III. TSI curve types and their parameters (i.e., wash-in, Emax, Tmax, area under the curve [AUC]60, AUC90, and AUC120) were compared between the 2 study groups. The distributions of TSI curve types for local recurrence versus posttreatment change were statistically significant (P

INTRODUCTION: Determining treatment response after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) in glioblastoma is important to minimize morbidity and the financial burden associated with prolonged ineffective treatment. We performed this study to determine the diagnostic superiority of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parametric response (ADCPR) for predicting glioblastoma treatment response, compared to single time point measurement. METHOD: 50 post-treatment glioblastoma patients were enrolled. ADCPR was calculated from serial ADC maps acquired before and at the time of first detection of an enlarged contrast-enhancing lesion on voxel-by-voxel basis. The percentage-decrease in ADCPR and 10% histogram cutoff of ADC (ADC10) were compared as potential predictors of treatment response at subsequent 3 months and 1 year follow-up studies. RESULTS: The percentage-decrease in ADCPR was significantly higher in progression group than in stable-response group both at 3 months follow-up studies (p

To explore the added value of histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values over magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and fluorine 18 ((18)F) fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for the detection of occult palatine tonsil squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients with cervical nodal metastasis from a cancer of an unknown primary site.The institutional review board approved this retrospective study, and the requirement for informed consent was waived. Differences in the bimodal histogram parameters of the ADC values were assessed among occult palatine tonsil SCC (n = 19), overt palatine tonsil SCC (n = 20), and normal palatine tonsils (n = 20). One-way analysis of variance was used to analyze differences among the three groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the best differentiating parameters. The increased sensitivity of histogram analysis over MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT for the detection of occult palatine tonsil SCC was evaluated as added value.Histogram analysis showed statistically significant differences in the mean, standard deviation, and 50th and 90th percentile ADC values among the three groups (P.0045). Occult palatine tonsil SCC had a significantly higher standard deviation for the overall curves, mean and standard deviation of the higher curves, and 90th percentile ADC value, compared with normal palatine tonsils (P.0167). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the standard deviation of the overall curve best delineated occult palatine tonsil SCC from normal palatine tonsils, with a sensitivity of 78.9% (15 of 19 patients) and a specificity of 60% (12 of 20 patients). The added value of ADC histogram analysis was 52.6% over MR imaging alone and 15.8% over combined conventional MR imaging and (18)F-FDG PET/CT.Adding ADC histogram analysis to conventional MR imaging can improve the detection sensitivity for occult palatine tonsil SCC in patients with a cervical nodal metastasis originating from a cancer of an unknown primary site.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Diagnostic test accuracy studies for ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration and ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy have shown inconclusive results due to their heterogenous study designs. Our aim was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration versus ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy for detecting malignant tumors of the salivary gland and for the tissue-specific diagnosis of salivary gland tumors in a single tertiary hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by our institutional review board and informed consent was waived. Four hundred twelve patients who underwent ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (n = 155) or ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy (n = 257) with subsequent surgical confirmation or clinical follow-up were enrolled. We compared the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration and ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy regarding malignant salivary gland tumors and the correct tissue-specific diagnosis of benign and malignant tumors. We also tested the difference between these procedures according to the operator's experience and lesion characteristics. RESULTS: The inconclusive rates of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration and ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy were 19% and 4%, respectively (P < .001). The overall accuracy of ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy for diagnosing malignant tumors was significantly higher than that of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration (P = .024). The correct tissue-specific diagnosis rates of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration and ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy were 95% versus 97% for benign tumors (P = .648) and 67% versus 80% for malignant tumors (P = .310). Trainees showed significantly lower accuracy with ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration than with ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy for diagnosing malignant tumors (P = .021). There was no difference between the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration and ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy according to the internal composition of the lesions. There were no complications requiring intervention or hospitalization in our patients. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasonography-guided core needle biopsy is superior to ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration in detecting and characterizing malignant tumors of the salivary gland and could emerge as the diagnostic method of choice for patients presenting with a salivary gland mass.

To determine the diagnostic superiority of parametric response mapping of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADCPR) for predicting glioblastoma treatment response, compared to single time point measurement. Fifty post-treatment glioblastoma patients were enrolled. ADCPR was calculated from serial apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps acquired before and at the time of first detection of an enlarged contrast-enhancing lesion on voxel-by-voxel basis. The percentage-decrease in ADCPR and tenth percentile histogram cutoff value of ADC (ADC10) were compared at subsequent 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. The percentage-decrease in ADCPR was significantly higher in the progression group (mean = 33.2–38.3 %) than in the stable-response group (mean = 9.7 %) at 3 months follow-up (corrected p

To evaluate the usefulness of a texture-based automated quantification system (AQS) for evaluating the extent and interval change of regional disease patterns on initial and follow-up high-resolution computed tomographies (HRCTs) of fibrotic interstitial pneumonia (FIP).Eighty-nine patients with clinically and/or biopsy confirmed usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) (n = 71) and non-specific interstitial pneumonia (NSIP) (n = 18) were included. An AQS to quantify five disease patterns (ground-glass opacity [GGO], reticular opacity [RO], honeycombing [HC], emphysema [EMPH], consolidation [CONS]) and normal lung was developed. The extent and interval changes of each disease pattern, FS (fibrosis score), TA (total abnormal lung fraction) of entire lung on initial and 1-year follow-up HRCTs were quantified. The agreement between the results of AQS and two readers was assessed. Results of AQS were correlated with forced vital capacity (FVC) and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLco).The Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) study revealed acceptable agreement between visual assessment and AQS (r = 0.78, 0.66 for HC; 0.76, 0.61 for FS; 0.64, 0.68 for TA, initial and follow-up HRCTs, respectively). Linear regression analysis revealed the extent of HC, TA on initial CT, interval changes of FS contributed negatively to DLco, and interval changes of FS, TA contributed negatively to FVC.Our AQS is comparable with visual assessment for evaluating the disease extent and the interval changes of FIP on HRCT.

Objective To identify superior cervical sympathetic ganglion (SCSG) and describe their characteristic MR appearance using 3T-MRI. Materials and methods In this prospective study, we recruited 53 consecutive patients without history of head and neck irradiation. Using anatomic location based on literature review, both sides of the neck were evaluated to identify SCSGs in consensus. SCSGs were divided into definite (medial to internal carotid artery [ICA] and lateral to longus capitis muscle [LCM]) and probable SCSGs based on relative location to ICA and LCM. Two readers evaluated signal characteristics including intraganglionic hypointensity of all SCSGs and relative location of probable SCSGs. Interrater and intrarater agreements were quantified using unweighted kappa. Results Ninety-one neck sites in 53 patients were evaluated after exclusion of 15 neck sites with pathology. Definite SCSGs were identified at 66 (73%) sites, and probable SCSGs were found in 25 (27%). Probable SCSGs were located anterior to LCM in 16 (18%), lateral to ICA in 6 (7%), and posterior to ICA in 3 (3%). Intraganglionic hypointensity was identified in 82 (90%) on contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed T1-weighted images. There was no statistical difference in the relative location between definite and probable SCSGs of the right and left sides with intragnalionic hypointensity on difference pulse sequences. Interrater and intrarater agreements on the location and intraganglionic hypointensity were excellent (κ-value, 0.749-1.000). Conclusion 3T-MRI identified definite SCSGs at 73% of neck sites and varied location of the remaining SCSGs. Intraganglionic hypointensity was a characteristic feature of SCSGs.

Objective To investigate the correlation between perfusion- and diffusion-related parameters from intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) and those from dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging in tumors and normal muscles of the head and neck. Materials and Methods We retrospectively enrolled 20 consecutive patients with head and neck tumors with MR imaging performed using a 3T MR scanner. Tissue diffusivity (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) were derived from bi-exponential fitting of IVIM data obtained with 14 different b-values in three orthogonal directions. We investigated the correlation between D, f, and D* and model-free parameters from the DCE-MRI (wash-in, Tmax, Emax, initial AUC60, whole AUC) and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value in the tumor and normal masseter muscle using a whole volume-of-interest approach. Pearson's correlation test was used for statistical analysis. Results No correlation was found between f or D* and any of the parameters from the DCE-MRI in all patients or in patients with squamous cell carcinoma (p > 0.05). The ADC was significantly correlated with D values in the tumors (p < 0.001, r = 0.980) and muscles (p = 0.013, r = 0.542), despite its significantly higher value than D. The difference between ADC and D showed significant correlation with f values in the tumors (p = 0.017, r = 0.528) and muscles (p = 0.003, r = 0.630), but no correlation with D* (p > 0.05, respectively). Conclusion Intravoxel incoherent motion shows no significant correlation with model-free perfusion parameters derived from the DCE-MRI but is feasible for the analysis of diffusivity in both tumors and normal muscles of the head and neck.

OBJECTIVE To investigate CT and (18)F-flurodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron-emission tomography/CT findings of primary endobronchial marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT). MATERIALS AND METHODS From June 2006 through April 2012, seven patients (six female, one male; age range, 21-61 years; mean age, 49 years) were examined who were pathologically diagnosed with the primary endobronchial marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of BALT. We evaluated the locations and characteristics of the lesions on CT and (18)F-FDG-PET/CT scans. The lesions were classified into the following three patterns: 1) solitary intraluminal nodule; 2) several tiny nodular protrusions; and 3) diffuse wall thickening. RESULTS A solitary intraluminal nodule was observed in four patients (57.1%), several tiny nodular protrusion in two patients (28.6%), and diffuse wall thickening in one patient (14.3%). The lesions were categorized into 3 major locations: confined to the trachea (n = 3), confined to the lobar bronchus (n = 2), and diffuse involvement of the trachea and both main bronchi (n = 2). All lesions demonstrated homogeneous iso-attenuation as compared with muscle on pre- and post-enhancement scans. Secondary findings in the lungs (n = 3; 42.9%) included postobstructive lobar atelectasis (n = 1), air trapping (n = 1), and pneumonia (n = 1). On (18)F-FDG-PET/CT (n = 5), 4 lesions showed homogeneous uptake with maximum standardized uptake values (mSUV), ranging 2.3-5.7 (mean mSUV: 3.3). One lesion showed little FDG uptake. CONCLUSION Primary endobronchial marginal zone B-cell lymphoma of the BALT manifests as three distinct patterns on CT, with the solitary intraluminal nodule presenting as the main pattern. Most lesions demonstrate homogeneous but weak FDG uptake on (18)F-FDG-PET/CT.