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Objective: It was investigated whether patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with and without optic glioma (OG) differed from the healthy control group in terms of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) parameters obtained from optic radiation. Methods: Eighty three patients and 36 healthy controls followed with the diagnosis of NF1 were included in the study. Routine MRI and DTI were applied to all subjects. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusity (MD), radial diffusity (RD) and axial diffusity (AD) values were calculated by placing ROI on the right and left optic radiation on colored FA maps. Patients with OG detected by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (n=19) were classified as group 1, patients with NF1 without OG (n=64) were classified as group 2 and they were compared with the healthy control group in terms of DTI parameters. Results: The right and left optic radiation FA values of the patients in group 1 and group 2 were significantly different when compared with the healthy control group. Optical radiation FA values were significantly lower than healthy control group. MD values in group 1 patients with OG were significantly higher than healthy control group. Optic radiation RD values were significantly higher in group 1 and group 2 compared with healthy control group. Conclusion: There appears to be microstructural damage in optic radiation in patients with NF1 with or without OG. The idea that changes in FA values detected in optic radiation in visual pathways in patients with NF1 can be predicted in the early period of visual impairment is promising in terms of treatment planning and management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare virtual bronchoscopy (VB) with multi-slice CT (MSCT) in the diagnosis of centrally located lung cancer and to investigate the effectiveness of VB in the diagnosis of the radiologist. Methods: These patients had central lung mass detected during thorax tomography and were diagnosed as having centrally located lung cancer by histopathological examination. Detection and localization of lesions were determined by MSCT and VB. In addition, the evaluation time was determined in seconds with an electronic stopwatch. Results: The mean age of 32 patients included in the study was 58.14±15.09. Centrally located squamous cell carcinoma (n=19) and small cell carcinoma (n=13) were included. Eighteen (54.8%) patients were male and 14 (47.6%) were female. All patients diagnosed as having centrally located lung cancer detected by MSCT were also detected by VB (100%). In the evaluation of patients with MSCT and VB; obstruction and/or lesion and their localization completely overlapped. The mean duration of MSCT evaluation of the patients was determined as 58.7 sec, and the mean duration of VB assessment was 549.9 sec. The mean VB evaluation duration was found to be statistically significantly longer than the mean MSCT evaluation duration. Conclusion: Virtual bronchoscopy does not provide a significant additional contribution to MSCT in the diagnosis of centrally located malignant lung tumor. We think that using VB for diagnosis and navigation will be important in terms of efficiency especially in selected patients due to its low specificity and high sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To compare tractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) values obtained from corpus callosum (CC), basal ganglion, thalamus, frontal and parietal white matter in NF1 patients compared to the control group and to investigate the correlation with CC volume. Methods: Thirty three cases diagnosed with NF1 and 21 healthy control groups were included in the study. CC volume was measured in both groups. Using tensor imaging (DTI), MD and FA values were calculated from CC genu and splenium, globus pallidum, caudate nucleus, putamen, thalamus, parietal and frontal white matter. Results: CC volume increased significantly in cases with NF1. There was a significant difference in MD and FA values obtained from CC genu and splenium compared to the control group. MD values obtained from frontal and parietal white matter, globus pallidum, putamen, thalamus and caudate nucleus were significantly higher than the control group. FA values decreased in caudate nucleus and putamen while FA values in globus pallidum were higher than control group. There was a negative correlation between CC volume and MD values obtained from KK splenium, putamen, thalamus and caudate nucleus Conclusion: Increased MD in areas of involvement in NF1 cases can be explained by impaired myelination and demyelination. Heterogeneity in FA values suggests that it is caused by microstructural differences resulting from the breakdown of myelin sheaths or axonal disruption in different locations of the brain. In cases with NF1, DTI findings will help us to understand the occurrence of the disease and the physiopathology of clinical findings in more detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]