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Pituitary secretory activity is different in premature and full-term infants. The height of the pituitary is a marker of its secretory activity. Our purpose was to use MRI to measure height of the pituitary of premature infants and to compare it with full-term controls. The height was measured on a midline sagittal T1-weighted image in 86 premature infants (gestational age 26-36.9 weeks, mean 32.3+/-2.85 weeks, corrected age 0.33-2 years, mean 0.76+/-0.42 years) and in 70 age- and sex-matched full-term controls. The children were was divided into four age groups: A: > or =0.5 years; B: 0.51-1.0 year; C: 1.01-1.5 years; and D: 1.51-2.00 years. The gland was significantly (P<0.01) higher in the preterm infants than in the controls (3.88+/-0.61 vs 3.31+/-0.64 mm). In the preterm group no significant difference was found between children small or appropriate for gestational age or between those with and without periventricular leukomalacia. Pituitary height by age group was: A: 3.71+/-0.57, B: 3.81+/-0.56, C: 4.09+/-0.68; and D:4.45+/-0.57 mm; statistically significant (P<0.01) differences were found between groups A and D and B and D. The pituitary is thus higher in premature than in full-term controls and shows a trend to increase after the first year of corrected-age life.

Our purpose was to measure the size of the pons and cerebellum in preterm babies with periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), and to study their relationship with the severity of PVL and with perinatal risk factors. We examined 33 premature children, mean gestational age 31 weeks, range 26-36 weeks with PVL on MRI, and 27 full-term controls. On MRI at 0.4-5.5 years (mean 1.4 years) we measured the area of the corpus callosum and vermis, the anteroposterior diameter of the pons and the volume of the cerebellum. The area of the corpus callosum was used as a marker of white matter loss and PVL severity. All regional brain measurements except that of the vermis were significantly lower in patients than controls: corpus callosum (mm(2)): 239.6+/-92.5 vs 434.8+/-126.8, P <0.01; pons (mm): 14.8+/-3.0 vs 17.9+/-1.4, P <0.01]; cerebellum (cm(3)): 68.2+/-31.6 vs 100.6+/-28.3, P <0.01; vermis (mm(2)): 808.1+/-292.2 vs 942.2+/-246.2, NS. Significant reduction in the area of the vermis: 411.3+/-203.3 vs 935+/-252.6 mm(2); cerebellar volume: 16.3+/-12.5 vs 96.6+/-20.2 mm(3); and the diameter of the pons: 10.1+/-2.2 vs 17.5+/-1.3 mm ( P<0.01) were observed in seven children with gestational age < or =28 weeks, severe hypotension and large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA). There was a significant correlation between the duration of mechanical ventilation and the size of the vermis, pons and cerebellum (R=-0.65, -0.57 and -0.73, respectively, P <0.01).

The imaging findings of intra-articular haemangiopericytomas have not been described previously. We report on a 35-year-old man with a primary malignant haemangiopericytoma of the left knee joint. MRI demonstrated joint effusion and a heterogeneous mass with haemorrhagic components and multiple peripheral serpentine signal voids, suggesting the presence of vascular channels. Multiple pulmonary metastases were seen on chest CT. These imaging findings, although not pathognomonic, might be useful in suggesting the diagnosis of intra-articular haemangiopericytoma.

Abstract: The assessment of glioma proliferation rate is important to predict tumor behavior, response to therapy and prognosis. Various methods, largely involving immunohistological markers in tissue samples, have been proposed to this aim; however, they all require tissue removal through a biopsy or during a surgical procedure. Consequently, non-invasive imaging modalities that could reliably assess the proliferative potential of intracranial space-occupying lesions in vivo would be of obvious significance. In the present study we review the contribution of MRI, positron emission tomography and single-photon emission CT for the assessment of the proliferative potential of gliomas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Isolated granulomatous orchitis is a rare chronic testicular inflammation, which should be differentiated from testicular malignancies on scrotal imaging. We present a case of a 33-year-old man, with a diffuse pattern of granulomatous orchitis, confirmed by means of testicular biopsy. MR imaging of the scrotum revealed the presence of two small-sized intratesticular lesions, hypointense on T2-weighted images, not enhancing after gadolinium administration suggesting the diagnosis of benignity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The usefulness of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI) in the evaluation of scrotal pathology has recently been reported. A standard reference of normal testicular apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values and their variations with age is necessary when interpreting normal testicular anatomy and pathology. We evaluated 147 normal testes using DWI, including 71 testes from 53 men aged 20-39 years (group 1), 67 testes from 42 men aged 40-69 years (group 2) and nine testes from six men older than 70 years (group 3). DWI was performed along the axial plane, using a single shot, multislice spin-echo planar diffusion pulse sequence and b-values of 0 and 900 s mm−2 . The mean and standard deviation of the ADC values of normal testicular parenchyma were calculated for each age group separately. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by post hoc analysis (Dunnett T3) was used for statistical purposes. The ADC values (× 10−3 mm 2 s−1 ) of normal testicular tissue were different among age groups (group 1: 1.08 ± 0.13; group 2: 1.15 ± 0.15 and group 3: 1.31 ± 0.22). ANOVA revealed differences in mean ADC among age groups (F = 11.391, P < 0.001). Post hoc analysis showed differences between groups 1 and 2 (P = 0.008) and between groups 1 and 3 (P = 0.043), but not between groups 2 and 3 (P = 0.197). Our findings suggest that ADC values of normal testicular tissue increase with advancing age.