Sample records for mri grading method

  1. Multi-class SVM model for fMRI-based classification and grading of liver fibrosis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freiman, M.; Sela, Y.; Edrei, Y.; Pappo, O.; Joskowicz, L.; Abramovitch, R.

    2010-03-01

    We present a novel non-invasive automatic method for the classification and grading of liver fibrosis from fMRI maps based on hepatic hemodynamic changes. This method automatically creates a model for liver fibrosis grading based on training datasets. Our supervised learning method evaluates hepatic hemodynamics from an anatomical MRI image and three T2*-W fMRI signal intensity time-course scans acquired during the breathing of air, air-carbon dioxide, and carbogen. It constructs a statistical model of liver fibrosis from these fMRI scans using a binary-based one-against-all multi class Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. We evaluated the resulting classification model with the leave-one out technique and compared it to both full multi-class SVM and K-Nearest Neighbor (KNN) classifications. Our experimental study analyzed 57 slice sets from 13 mice, and yielded a 98.2% separation accuracy between healthy and low grade fibrotic subjects, and an overall accuracy of 84.2% for fibrosis grading. These results are better than the existing image-based methods which can only discriminate between healthy and high grade fibrosis subjects. With appropriate extensions, our method may be used for non-invasive classification and progression monitoring of liver fibrosis in human patients instead of more invasive approaches, such as biopsy or contrast-enhanced imaging.

  2. An update on risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis assessed using MRI-based semiquantitative grading methods.

    PubMed

    Alizai, Hamza; Roemer, Frank W; Hayashi, Daichi; Crema, Michel D; Felson, David T; Guermazi, Ali

    2015-03-01

    Arthroscopy-based semiquantitative scoring systems such as Outerbridge and Noyes' scores were the first to be developed for the purpose of grading cartilage defects. As magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) became available for evaluation of the osteoarthritic knee joint, these systems were adapted for use with MRI. Later on, grading methods such as the Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Score, the Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score and the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score were designed specifically for performing whole-organ assessment of the knee joint structures, including cartilage. Cartilage grades on MRI obtained with these scoring systems represent optimal outcome measures for longitudinal studies, and are designed to enhance understanding of the knee osteoarthritis disease process. The purpose of this narrative review is to describe cartilage assessment in knee osteoarthritis using currently available MRI-based semiquantitative whole-organ scoring systems, and to provide an update on the risk factors for cartilage loss in knee osteoarthritis as assessed with these scoring systems.

  3. [3-Tesla MRI vs. arthroscopy for diagnostics of degenerative knee cartilage diseases: preliminary clinical results].

    PubMed

    von Engelhardt, L V; Schmitz, A; Burian, B; Pennekamp, P H; Schild, H H; Kraft, C N; von Falkenhausen, M

    2008-09-01

    The literature contains only a few studies investigating the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnostics of degenerative cartilage diseases. Studies on MRI diagnostics of the cartilage using field strengths of 3-Tesla demonstrate promising results. To assess the value of 3-Tesla MRI for decision making regarding conservative or operative treatment possibilities, this study focused on patients with degenerative cartilage diseases. Thirty-two patients with chronic knee pain, a minimum age of 40 years, a negative history of trauma, and at least grade II degenerative cartilage disease were included. Cartilage abnormalities detected at preoperative 3-Tesla MRI (axial/koronar/sagittal PD-TSE-SPAIR, axial/sagittal 3D-T1-FFE, axial T2-FFE; Intera 3.0T, Philips Medical Systems) were classified (grades I-IV) and compared with arthroscopic findings. Thirty-six percent (70/192) of the examined cartilage surfaces demonstrated no agreement between MRI and arthroscopic grading. In most of these cases, grades II and III cartilage lesions were confounded with each other. Regarding the positive predictive values, the probability that a positive finding in MRI would be exactly confirmed by arthroscopy was 39-72%. In contrast, specificities and negative predictive values of different grades of cartilage diseases were 85-95%. Regarding the high specificities and negative predictive values, 3-Tesla MRI is a reliable method for excluding even slight cartilage degeneration. In summary, in degenerative cartilage diseases, 3-Tesla MRI is a supportive, noninvasive method for clinical decision making regarding conservative or operative treatment possibilities. However, the value of diagnostic arthroscopy for a definitive assessment of the articular surfaces and for therapeutic planning currently cannot be replaced by 3-Tesla MRI. This applies especially to treatment options in which a differentiation between grade II and III cartilage lesions is of interest.

  4. Simultaneous 11C-Methionine Positron Emission Tomography/Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Suspected Primary Brain Tumors

    PubMed Central

    Deuschl, Cornelius; Goericke, Sophia; Grueneisen, Johannes; Sawicki, Lino Morris; Goebel, Juliane; El Hindy, Nicolai; Wrede, Karsten; Binse, Ina; Poeppel, Thorsten; Quick, Harald; Forsting, Michael; Hense, Joerg; Umutlu, Lale; Schlamann, Marc

    2016-01-01

    Introduction The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of integrated 11C- methionine PET/MRI for suspected primary brain tumors, in comparison to MRI alone. Material and Methods Forty-eight consecutive patients with suspected primary brain tumor were prospectively enrolled for an integrated 11C-methionine PET/MRI. Two neuro-radiologists separately evaluated the MRI alone and the integrated PET/MRI data sets regarding most likely diagnosis and diagnostic confidence on a 5-point scale. Reference standard was histopathology or follow-up imaging. Results Fifty-one suspicious lesions were detected: 16 high-grade glioma and 25 low-grade glioma. Ten non-malignant cerebral lesions were described by the reference standard. MRI alone and integrated PET/MRI each correctly classified 42 of the 51 lesions (82.4%) as neoplastic lesions (WHO grade II, III and IV) or non-malignant lesions (infectious and neoplastic lesions). Diagnostic confidence for all lesions, low-grade astrocytoma and high-grade astrocytoma (3.7 vs. 4.2, 3,1 vs. 3.8, 4.0 vs. 4,7) were significantly (p < 0.05) better with integrated PET/MRI than in MRI alone. Conclusions The present study demonstrates the high potential of integrated 11C-methionine-PET/MRI for the assessment of suspected primary brain tumors. Although integrated methionine PET/MRI does not lead to an improvement of correct diagnoses, diagnostic confidence is significantly improved. PMID:27907162

  5. Hamstring Injuries in Professional Football Players

    PubMed Central

    Cohen, Steven B.; Towers, Jeffrey D.; Zoga, Adam; Irrgang, Jay J.; Makda, Junaid; Deluca, Peter F.; Bradley, James P.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allows for detailed evaluation of hamstring injuries; however, there is no classification that allows prediction of return to play. Purpose: To correlate time for return to play in professional football players with MRI findings after acute hamstring strains and to create an MRI scoring scale predictive of return to sports. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiologic study. Methods: Thirty-eight professional football players (43 cases) sustained acute hamstring strains with MRI evaluation. Records were retrospectively reviewed, and MRIs were evaluated by 2 musculoskeletal radiologists, graded with a traditional radiologic grade, and scored with a new MRI score. Results were correlated with games missed. Results: Players missed 2.6 ± 3.1 games. Based on MRI, the hamstring injury involved the biceps femoris long head in 34 cases and the proximal and distal hamstrings in 25 and 22 cases, respectively. When < 50% of the muscle was involved, the average number of games missed was 1.8; if > 75%, then 3.2. Ten players had retraction, missing 5.5 games. By MRI, grade I injuries yielded an average of 1.1 missed games; grade II, 1.7; and grade III, 6.4. Players who missed 0 or 1 game had an MRI score of 8.2; 2 or 3 games, 11.1; and 4 or more games, 13.9. Conclusions: Rapid return to play (< 1 week) occurred with isolated long head of biceps femoris injures with < 50% of involvement and minimal perimuscular edema, correlating to grade I radiologic strain (MRI score < 10). Prolonged recovery (missing > 2 or 3 games) occurs with multiple muscle injury, injuries distal to musculotendinous junction, short head of biceps injury, > 75% involvement, retraction, circumferential edema, and grade III radiologic strain (MRI score > 15). Clinical Relevance: MRI grade and this new MRI score are useful in determining severity of injury and games missed—and, ideally, predicting time missed from sports. PMID:23016038

  6. Optimizing a machine learning based glioma grading system using multi-parametric MRI histogram and texture features

    PubMed Central

    Hu, Yu-Chuan; Li, Gang; Yang, Yang; Han, Yu; Sun, Ying-Zhi; Liu, Zhi-Cheng; Tian, Qiang; Han, Zi-Yang; Liu, Le-De; Hu, Bin-Quan; Qiu, Zi-Yu; Wang, Wen; Cui, Guang-Bin

    2017-01-01

    Current machine learning techniques provide the opportunity to develop noninvasive and automated glioma grading tools, by utilizing quantitative parameters derived from multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. However, the efficacies of different machine learning methods in glioma grading have not been investigated.A comprehensive comparison of varied machine learning methods in differentiating low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and high-grade gliomas (HGGs) as well as WHO grade II, III and IV gliomas based on multi-parametric MRI images was proposed in the current study. The parametric histogram and image texture attributes of 120 glioma patients were extracted from the perfusion, diffusion and permeability parametric maps of preoperative MRI. Then, 25 commonly used machine learning classifiers combined with 8 independent attribute selection methods were applied and evaluated using leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) strategy. Besides, the influences of parameter selection on the classifying performances were investigated. We found that support vector machine (SVM) exhibited superior performance to other classifiers. By combining all tumor attributes with synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE), the highest classifying accuracy of 0.945 or 0.961 for LGG and HGG or grade II, III and IV gliomas was achieved. Application of Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) attribute selection strategy further improved the classifying accuracies. Besides, the performances of LibSVM, SMO, IBk classifiers were influenced by some key parameters such as kernel type, c, gama, K, etc. SVM is a promising tool in developing automated preoperative glioma grading system, especially when being combined with RFE strategy. Model parameters should be considered in glioma grading model optimization. PMID:28599282

  7. Optimizing a machine learning based glioma grading system using multi-parametric MRI histogram and texture features.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Xin; Yan, Lin-Feng; Hu, Yu-Chuan; Li, Gang; Yang, Yang; Han, Yu; Sun, Ying-Zhi; Liu, Zhi-Cheng; Tian, Qiang; Han, Zi-Yang; Liu, Le-De; Hu, Bin-Quan; Qiu, Zi-Yu; Wang, Wen; Cui, Guang-Bin

    2017-07-18

    Current machine learning techniques provide the opportunity to develop noninvasive and automated glioma grading tools, by utilizing quantitative parameters derived from multi-modal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. However, the efficacies of different machine learning methods in glioma grading have not been investigated.A comprehensive comparison of varied machine learning methods in differentiating low-grade gliomas (LGGs) and high-grade gliomas (HGGs) as well as WHO grade II, III and IV gliomas based on multi-parametric MRI images was proposed in the current study. The parametric histogram and image texture attributes of 120 glioma patients were extracted from the perfusion, diffusion and permeability parametric maps of preoperative MRI. Then, 25 commonly used machine learning classifiers combined with 8 independent attribute selection methods were applied and evaluated using leave-one-out cross validation (LOOCV) strategy. Besides, the influences of parameter selection on the classifying performances were investigated. We found that support vector machine (SVM) exhibited superior performance to other classifiers. By combining all tumor attributes with synthetic minority over-sampling technique (SMOTE), the highest classifying accuracy of 0.945 or 0.961 for LGG and HGG or grade II, III and IV gliomas was achieved. Application of Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) attribute selection strategy further improved the classifying accuracies. Besides, the performances of LibSVM, SMO, IBk classifiers were influenced by some key parameters such as kernel type, c, gama, K, etc. SVM is a promising tool in developing automated preoperative glioma grading system, especially when being combined with RFE strategy. Model parameters should be considered in glioma grading model optimization.

  8. Grading of Gliomas by Using Radiomic Features on Multiple Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Sequences.

    PubMed

    Qin, Jiang-Bo; Liu, Zhenyu; Zhang, Hui; Shen, Chen; Wang, Xiao-Chun; Tan, Yan; Wang, Shuo; Wu, Xiao-Feng; Tian, Jie

    2017-05-07

    BACKGROUND Gliomas are the most common primary brain neoplasms. Misdiagnosis occurs in glioma grading due to an overlap in conventional MRI manifestations. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the power of radiomic features based on multiple MRI sequences - T2-Weighted-Imaging-FLAIR (FLAIR), T1-Weighted-Imaging-Contrast-Enhanced (T1-CE), and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) map - in glioma grading, and to improve the power of glioma grading by combining features. MATERIAL AND METHODS Sixty-six patients with histopathologically proven gliomas underwent T2-FLAIR and T1WI-CE sequence scanning with some patients (n=63) also undergoing DWI scanning. A total of 114 radiomic features were derived with radiomic methods by using in-house software. All radiomic features were compared between high-grade gliomas (HGGs) and low-grade gliomas (LGGs). Features with significant statistical differences were selected for receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. The relationships between significantly different radiomic features and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression were evaluated. RESULTS A total of 8 radiomic features from 3 MRI sequences displayed significant differences between LGGs and HGGs. FLAIR GLCM Cluster Shade, T1-CE GLCM Entropy, and ADC GLCM Homogeneity were the best features to use in differentiating LGGs and HGGs in each MRI sequence. The combined feature was best able to differentiate LGGs and HGGs, which improved the accuracy of glioma grading compared to the above features in each MRI sequence. A significant correlation was found between GFAP and T1-CE GLCM Entropy, as well as between GFAP and ADC GLCM Homogeneity. CONCLUSIONS The combined radiomic feature had the highest efficacy in distinguishing LGGs from HGGs.

  9. Usefulness of MR imaging of the parotid glands in patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome associated with rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    Yokosawa, Masahiro; Tsuboi, Hiroto; Nasu, Katsuhiro; Hagiya, Chihiro; Hagiwara, Shinya; Hirota, Tomoya; Ebe, Hiroshi; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Asashima, Hiromitsu; Kondo, Yuya; Ogishima, Hiroshi; Suzuki, Takeshi; Minami, Manabu; Bukawa, Hiroki; Matsumoto, Isao; Sumida, Takayuki

    2015-05-01

    To assess the correlation between MR imaging (MRI) of parotid glands with X-ray sialography, histopathology of the labial salivary glands, and salivary secretion, in patients with secondary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Non-contrast MRI of the parotid glands was performed in 13 secondary SS patients associated with RA who satisfied the revised Japanese diagnostic criteria for SS (1999), and the ACR/EULAR classification criteria for RA (2010). The MRI findings were classified according to the degree of high-intensity signal on T1-weighted images (T1WI) and short inversion time inversion recovery (STIR) images into five grades (0-4), using the modified Nagasaki University grading method. The results of MRI grading were compared with the Rubin and Holt staging of X-ray sialography (0-4), the Greenspan grading of labial salivary gland histopathology (0-4), and salivary secretion by the gum test (ml/10 min). All 13 patients were females, with a mean age of 50.2 ± 11.3 years. According to the MRI grading, 3 patients were Grade 1, 5 were Grade 2, 5 were Grade 3, and none was Grade 0 or Grade 4. The mean stage by X-ray sialography was 1.7 ± 1.0, the mean grade by histopathology was 2.4 ± 1.2, and the mean volume of salivary secretion was 9.7 ± 3.9 ml. The MRI grading correlated significantly with the Rubin and Holt staging and Greenspan grading (P < 0.01 each, Spearman's rank correlation), and significantly and inversely with the results of the gum test (P < 0.05). The results suggest that MRI of the parotid glands is a useful noninvasive tool for evaluating destruction and inflammation in the salivary glands.

  10. A new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae.

    PubMed

    Özgen, Ali; Taşdelen, Neslihan; Fırat, Zeynep

    2017-04-01

    Background Chondromalacia patellae is a very common disorder. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to investigate patellar cartilage lesions, there is no descriptive MRI-based grading system for chondromalacia patellae. Purpose To propose a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding high resolution images which might be useful in precisely reporting and comparing knee examinations in routine daily practice and used in predicting natural course and clinical outcome of the patellar cartilage lesions. Material and Methods High resolution fat-saturated proton density (FS PD) images in the axial plane with corresponding T2 mapping images were reviewed. A detailed MRI grading system covering the deficiencies of the existing gradings has been set and presented on these images. Two experienced observers blinded to clinical data examined 44 knee MR images and evaluated patellar cartilage changes according to the proposed grading system. Inter- and intra-rater validity testing using kappa statistics were calculated. Results A descriptive and detailed grading system with corresponding FS PD and T2 mapping images has been presented. Inter-rater agreement was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.89). Intra-rater agreements were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.91) for observer A and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70-0.88) for observer B (k-values). Conclusion We present a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding images and good inter- and intra-rater agreement which might be useful in reporting and comparing knee MRI examinations in daily practice and may also have the potential for using more precisely predicting prognosis and clinical outcome of the patients.

  11. Reliability of Task-Based fMRI for Preoperative Planning: A Test-Retest Study in Brain Tumor Patients and Healthy Controls

    PubMed Central

    Morrison, Melanie A.; Churchill, Nathan W.; Cusimano, Michael D.; Schweizer, Tom A.; Das, Sunit; Graham, Simon J.

    2016-01-01

    Background Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) continues to develop as a clinical tool for patients with brain cancer, offering data that may directly influence surgical decisions. Unfortunately, routine integration of preoperative fMRI has been limited by concerns about reliability. Many pertinent studies have been undertaken involving healthy controls, but work involving brain tumor patients has been limited. To develop fMRI fully as a clinical tool, it will be critical to examine these reliability issues among patients with brain tumors. The present work is the first to extensively characterize differences in activation map quality between brain tumor patients and healthy controls, including the effects of tumor grade and the chosen behavioral testing paradigm on reliability outcomes. Method Test-retest data were collected for a group of low-grade (n = 6) and high-grade glioma (n = 6) patients, and for matched healthy controls (n = 12), who performed motor and language tasks during a single fMRI session. Reliability was characterized by the spatial overlap and displacement of brain activity clusters, BOLD signal stability, and the laterality index. Significance testing was performed to assess differences in reliability between the patients and controls, and low-grade and high-grade patients; as well as between different fMRI testing paradigms. Results There were few significant differences in fMRI reliability measures between patients and controls. Reliability was significantly lower when comparing high-grade tumor patients to controls, or to low-grade tumor patients. The motor task produced more reliable activation patterns than the language tasks, as did the rhyming task in comparison to the phonemic fluency task. Conclusion In low-grade glioma patients, fMRI data are as reliable as healthy control subjects. For high-grade glioma patients, further investigation is required to determine the underlying causes of reduced reliability. To maximize reliability outcomes, testing paradigms should be carefully selected to generate robust activation patterns. PMID:26894279

  12. Combined 18F-Fluciclovine PET/MRI Shows Potential for Detection and Characterization of High-Risk Prostate Cancer.

    PubMed

    Elschot, Mattijs; Selnæs, Kirsten M; Sandsmark, Elise; Krüger-Stokke, Brage; Størkersen, Øystein; Giskeødegård, Guro F; Tessem, May-Britt; Moestue, Siver A; Bertilsson, Helena; Bathen, Tone F

    2018-05-01

    The objective of this study was to investigate whether quantitative imaging features derived from combined 18 F-fluciclovine PET/multiparametric MRI show potential for detection and characterization of primary prostate cancer. Methods: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with high-risk prostate cancer underwent simultaneous 18 F-fluciclovine PET/MRI before radical prostatectomy. Volumes of interest (VOIs) for prostate tumors, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) nodules, prostatitis, and healthy tissue were delineated on T2-weighted images, using histology as a reference. Tumor VOIs were marked as high-grade (≥Gleason grade group 3) or not. MRI and PET features were extracted on the voxel and VOI levels. Partial least-squared discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) with double leave-one-patient-out cross-validation was performed to distinguish tumors from benign tissue (BPH, prostatitis, or healthy tissue) and high-grade tumors from other tissue (low-grade tumors or benign tissue). The performance levels of PET, MRI, and combined PET/MRI features were compared using the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Voxel and VOI features were extracted from 40 tumor VOIs (26 high-grade), 36 BPH VOIs, 6 prostatitis VOIs, and 37 healthy-tissue VOIs. PET/MRI performed better than MRI and PET alone for distinguishing tumors from benign tissue (AUCs of 87%, 81%, and 83%, respectively, at the voxel level and 96%, 93%, and 93%, respectively, at the VOI level) and high-grade tumors from other tissue (AUCs of 85%, 79%, and 81%, respectively, at the voxel level and 93%, 93%, and 91%, respectively, at the VOI level). T2-weighted MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, and PET features were the most important for classification. Conclusion: Combined 18 F-fluciclovine PET/multiparametric MRI shows potential for improving detection and characterization of high-risk prostate cancer, in comparison to MRI and PET alone. © 2018 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.

  13. Low-Grade Glioma Segmentation Based on CNN with Fully Connected CRF

    PubMed Central

    Li, Zeju; Shi, Zhifeng; Guo, Yi; Chen, Liang; Mao, Ying

    2017-01-01

    This work proposed a novel automatic three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation method which would be widely used in the clinical diagnosis of the most common and aggressive brain tumor, namely, glioma. The method combined a multipathway convolutional neural network (CNN) and fully connected conditional random field (CRF). Firstly, 3D information was introduced into the CNN which makes more accurate recognition of glioma with low contrast. Then, fully connected CRF was added as a postprocessing step which purposed more delicate delineation of glioma boundary. The method was applied to T2flair MRI images of 160 low-grade glioma patients. With 59 cases of data training and manual segmentation as the ground truth, the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of our method was 0.85 for the test set of 101 MRI images. The results of our method were better than those of another state-of-the-art CNN method, which gained the DSC of 0.76 for the same dataset. It proved that our method could produce better results for the segmentation of low-grade gliomas. PMID:29065666

  14. Low-Grade Glioma Segmentation Based on CNN with Fully Connected CRF.

    PubMed

    Li, Zeju; Wang, Yuanyuan; Yu, Jinhua; Shi, Zhifeng; Guo, Yi; Chen, Liang; Mao, Ying

    2017-01-01

    This work proposed a novel automatic three-dimensional (3D) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation method which would be widely used in the clinical diagnosis of the most common and aggressive brain tumor, namely, glioma. The method combined a multipathway convolutional neural network (CNN) and fully connected conditional random field (CRF). Firstly, 3D information was introduced into the CNN which makes more accurate recognition of glioma with low contrast. Then, fully connected CRF was added as a postprocessing step which purposed more delicate delineation of glioma boundary. The method was applied to T2flair MRI images of 160 low-grade glioma patients. With 59 cases of data training and manual segmentation as the ground truth, the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) of our method was 0.85 for the test set of 101 MRI images. The results of our method were better than those of another state-of-the-art CNN method, which gained the DSC of 0.76 for the same dataset. It proved that our method could produce better results for the segmentation of low-grade gliomas.

  15. Diagnostic accuracy of automatic normalization of CBV in glioma grading using T1- weighted DCE-MRI.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Prativa; Gupta, Rakesh K; Gupta, Pradeep K; Awasthi, Ashish; Pandey, Chandra M; Gupta, Mudit; Patir, Rana; Vaishya, Sandeep; Ahlawat, Sunita; Saha, Indrajit

    2017-12-01

    Aim of this retrospective study was to compare diagnostic accuracy of proposed automatic normalization method to quantify the relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) with existing contra-lateral region of interest (ROI) based CBV normalization method for glioma grading using T1-weighted dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI). Sixty patients with histologically confirmed gliomas were included in this study retrospectively. CBV maps were generated using T1-weighted DCE-MRI and are normalized by contralateral ROI based method (rCBV_contra), unaffected white matter (rCBV_WM) and unaffected gray matter (rCBV_GM), the latter two of these were generated automatically. An expert radiologist with >10years of experience in DCE-MRI and a non-expert with one year experience were used independently to measure rCBVs. Cutoff values for glioma grading were decided from ROC analysis. Agreement of histology with rCBV_WM, rCBV_GM and rCBV_contra respectively was studied using Kappa statistics and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). The diagnostic accuracy of glioma grading using the measured rCBV_contra by expert radiologist was found to be high (sensitivity=1.00, specificity=0.96, p<0.001) compared to the non-expert user (sensitivity=0.65, specificity=0.78, p<0.001). On the other hand, both the expert and non-expert user showed similar diagnostic accuracy for automatic rCBV_WM (sensitivity=0.89, specificity=0.87, p=0.001) and rCBV_GM (sensitivity=0.81, specificity=0.78, p=0.001) measures. Further, it was also observed that, contralateral based method by expert user showed highest agreement with histological grading of tumor (kappa=0.96, agreement 98.33%, p<0.001), however; automatic normalization method showed same percentage of agreement for both expert and non-expert user. rCBV_WM showed an agreement of 88.33% (kappa=0.76,p<0.001) with histopathological grading. It was inferred from this study that, in the absence of expert user, automated normalization of CBV using the proposed method could provide better diagnostic accuracy compared to the manual contralateral based approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Automated brain tumour detection and segmentation using superpixel-based extremely randomized trees in FLAIR MRI.

    PubMed

    Soltaninejad, Mohammadreza; Yang, Guang; Lambrou, Tryphon; Allinson, Nigel; Jones, Timothy L; Barrick, Thomas R; Howe, Franklyn A; Ye, Xujiong

    2017-02-01

    We propose a fully automated method for detection and segmentation of the abnormal tissue associated with brain tumour (tumour core and oedema) from Fluid- Attenuated Inversion Recovery (FLAIR) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The method is based on superpixel technique and classification of each superpixel. A number of novel image features including intensity-based, Gabor textons, fractal analysis and curvatures are calculated from each superpixel within the entire brain area in FLAIR MRI to ensure a robust classification. Extremely randomized trees (ERT) classifier is compared with support vector machine (SVM) to classify each superpixel into tumour and non-tumour. The proposed method is evaluated on two datasets: (1) Our own clinical dataset: 19 MRI FLAIR images of patients with gliomas of grade II to IV, and (2) BRATS 2012 dataset: 30 FLAIR images with 10 low-grade and 20 high-grade gliomas. The experimental results demonstrate the high detection and segmentation performance of the proposed method using ERT classifier. For our own cohort, the average detection sensitivity, balanced error rate and the Dice overlap measure for the segmented tumour against the ground truth are 89.48 %, 6 % and 0.91, respectively, while, for the BRATS dataset, the corresponding evaluation results are 88.09 %, 6 % and 0.88, respectively. This provides a close match to expert delineation across all grades of glioma, leading to a faster and more reproducible method of brain tumour detection and delineation to aid patient management.

  17. Multiparametric MRI Assessment of Human Articular Cartilage Degeneration: Correlation with Quantitative Histology and Mechanical Properties

    PubMed Central

    Rautiainen, Jari; Nissi, Mikko J.; Salo, Elli-Noora; Tiitu, Virpi; Finnilä, Mikko A.J.; Aho, Olli-Matti; Saarakkala, Simo; Lehenkari, Petri; Ellermann, Jutta; Nieminen, Miika T.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the sensitivity of quantitative MRI techniques (T1, T1,Gd, T2, continous wave (CW) T1ρ dispersion, adiabatic T1ρ, adiabatic T2ρ, RAFF and inversion-prepared magnetization transfer (MT)) for assessment of human articular cartilage with varying degrees of natural degeneration. Methods Osteochondral samples (n = 14) were obtained from the tibial plateaus of patients undergoing total knee replacement. MRI of the specimens was performed at 9.4 T and the relaxation time maps were evaluated in the cartilage zones. For reference, quantitative histology, OARSI grading and biomechanical measurements were performed and correlated with MRI findings. Results All MRI parameters, except T1,Gd, showed statistically significant differences in tangential and full-thickness ROIs between early and advanced osteoarthritis (OA) groups, as classified by OARSI grading. CW-T1ρ showed significant dispersion in all ROIs and featured classical laminar structure of cartilage with spin-lock powers below 1000 Hz. Adiabatic T1ρ, T2ρ, CW-T1ρ, MT and RAFF correlated strongly with OARSI grade and biomechanical parameters. Conclusion MRI parameters were able to differentiate between early and advanced OA. Furthermore, rotating frame methods, namely adiabatic T1ρ, adiabatic T2ρ, CW-T1ρ and RAFF, as well as MT experiment correlated strongly with biomechanical parameters and OARSI grade, suggesting high sensitivity of the parameters for cartilage degeneration. PMID:25104181

  18. Evaluation of B1 inhomogeneity effect on DCE-MRI data analysis of brain tumor patients at 3T.

    PubMed

    Sengupta, Anirban; Gupta, Rakesh Kumar; Singh, Anup

    2017-12-02

    Dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI data acquired using gradient echo based sequences is affected by errors in flip angle (FA) due to transmit B 1 inhomogeneity (B 1 inh). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of B 1 inh on quantitative analysis of DCE-MRI data of human brain tumor patients and to evaluate the clinical significance of B 1 inh correction of perfusion parameters (PPs) on tumor grading. An MRI study was conducted on 35 glioma patients at 3T. The patients had histologically confirmed glioma with 23 high-grade (HG) and 12 low-grade (LG). Data for B 1 -mapping, T 1 -mapping and DCE-MRI were acquired. Relative B 1 maps (B 1rel ) were generated using the saturated-double-angle method. T 1 -maps were computed using the variable flip-angle method. Post-processing was performed for conversion of signal-intensity time (S(t)) curve to concentration-time (C(t)) curve followed by tracer kinetic analysis (K trans , Ve, Vp, Kep) and first pass analysis (CBV, CBF) using the general tracer-kinetic model. DCE-MRI data was analyzed without and with B 1 inh correction and errors in PPs were computed. Receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed on HG and LG patients. Simulations were carried out to understand the effect of B 1 inhomogeneity on DCE-MRI data analysis in a systematic way. S(t) curves mimicking those in tumor tissue, were generated and FA errors were introduced followed by error analysis of PPs. Dependence of FA-based errors on the concentration of contrast agent and on the duration of DCE-MRI data was also studied. Simulations were also done to obtain K trans of glioma patients at different B 1rel values and see whether grading is affected or not. Current study shows that B 1rel value higher than nominal results in an overestimation of C(t) curves as well as derived PPs and vice versa. Moreover, at same B 1rel values, errors were large for larger values of C(t). Simulation results showed that grade of patients can change because of B 1 inh. B 1 inh in the human brain at 3T-MRI can introduce substantial errors in PPs derived from DCE-MRI data that might affect the accuracy of tumor grading, particularly for border zone cases. These errors can be mitigated using B 1 inh correction during DCE-MRI data analysis.

  19. Influence of Cervical Node Necrosis of Different Grades on the Prognosis of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated with Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Lu-Lu; Li, Jia-Xiang; Zhou, Guan-Qun; Tang, Ling-Long; Ma, Jun; Lin, Ai-Hua; Qi, Zhen-Yu; Sun, Ying

    2017-01-01

    Background: To analyze the prognostic value of cervical node necrosis (CNN) observed on pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Patients and Methods: The medical records of 1423 NPC patients with cervical node metastasis who underwent IMRT were retrospectively reviewed. Lymph nodes in the axial plane of pretreatment MRI were classified as follows: grade 0 CNN, no hypodense zones; grade 1 CNN, ≤33% areas showing hypodense zones; and grade 2, >33% areas showing hypodense zones. Results: CNN was detectable in 470/1423 (33%) patients. Of these 470 patients, 213 (15%) and 257 (18%) exhibited grade 1 and grade 2 CNN. The grade 0 and grade 1 CNN groups showed significant differences with regard to distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS), but not overall survival (OS), regional relapse-free survival (RRFS), local relapse-free survival (LRFS), and disease-free survival (DFS). Significant differences were observed among the grade 0 and grade 2 CNN groups with regard to OS, RRFS, LRFS, DMFS, and DFS. Moreover, OS, LRFS, RRFS, and DFS were significantly different between the grade 1 and grade 2 CNN groups, whereas DMFS showed no significant differences. Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed CNN on MRI as a significant negative prognostic factor for OS, LRFS, RRFS, DMFS, and DFS in NPC patients. Conclusions: NPC patients with CNN of different grades show various prognosis and failure patterns after IMRT. CNN on MRI can be adopted as a predictive factor for formulating individualized treatment plans for NPC patients.

  20. CORRELATION OF MRI GRADING OF BONE STRESS INJURIES WITH CLINICAL RISK FACTORS AND RETURN TO PLAY: A 5-YEAR PROSPECTIVE STUDY IN COLLEGIATE TRACK AND FIELD ATHLETES

    PubMed Central

    Nattiv, Aurelia; Kennedy, Gannon; Barrack, Michelle T.; Abdelkerim, Ashraf; Goolsby, Marci A.; Arends, Julie C.; Seeger, Leanne L.

    2015-01-01

    Background Bone stress injuries are common in track and field athletes. Knowledge of risk factors and correlation of these to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grading could be helpful in determining recovery time. Purpose To examine the relationships between MRI grading of bone stress injury with clinical risk factors and time to return to sport in collegiate track and field athletes. Study Design Prospective cohort over 5 years. Methods Two hundred and eleven male and female collegiate track and field and cross-country athletes were followed prospectively through their competitive seasons. All athletes had a pre-participation history, physical exam, and anthropometric measurements obtained annually. An additional questionnaire was completed regarding nutritional behaviors, menstrual patterns and prior injuries, as well as a 3-day diet record. Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry was obtained at baseline and each year of participation in the study. Athletes with clinical evidence of bone stress injuries had plain radiographs. If radiographs were negative, MRI was obtained. Bone stress injuries were evaluated by two independent radiologists utilizing an MRI grading system. MRI grading and risk factors were evaluated to identify predictors of time to return to sport. Results Thirty-four (12 males, 22 females) of the 211 collegiate athletes sustained 61 bone stress injuries during the 5-year study period. The average prospective assessment for participants was 2.1 years. MRI grade and total body bone mineral density (BMD) emerged as significant and independent predictors of time to return to sport in the multiple regression model. Specifically, the higher the MRI grade, the longer the recovery time (p<0.002). Location of bone injury at predominantly trabecular sites of the femoral neck, pubic bone and sacrum (p<0.001), and lower total body BMD (p<0.029) independently predicted prolonged time to return to sport. Conclusions Higher MRI grade, lower BMD, and skeletal sites of predominant trabecular bone structure were independently associated with delayed recovery of bone stress injuries in track and field athletes. Knowledge of these risk factors, as well as nutritional and menstrual factors, can be clinically useful in determining time to return to sport. PMID:23825184

  1. Machine-learning in grading of gliomas based on multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging at 3T.

    PubMed

    Citak-Er, Fusun; Firat, Zeynep; Kovanlikaya, Ilhami; Ture, Ugur; Ozturk-Isik, Esin

    2018-06-15

    The objective of this study was to assess the contribution of multi-parametric (mp) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) quantitative features in the machine learning-based grading of gliomas with a multi-region-of-interests approach. Forty-three patients who were newly diagnosed as having a glioma were included in this study. The patients were scanned prior to any therapy using a standard brain tumor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging protocol that included T1 and T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, diffusion tensor, MR perfusion and MR spectroscopic imaging. Three different regions-of-interest were drawn for each subject to encompass tumor, immediate tumor periphery, and distant peritumoral edema/normal. The normalized mp-MRI features were used to build machine-learning models for differentiating low-grade gliomas (WHO grades I and II) from high grades (WHO grades III and IV). In order to assess the contribution of regional mp-MRI quantitative features to the classification models, a support vector machine-based recursive feature elimination method was applied prior to classification. A machine-learning model based on support vector machine algorithm with linear kernel achieved an accuracy of 93.0%, a specificity of 86.7%, and a sensitivity of 96.4% for the grading of gliomas using ten-fold cross validation based on the proposed subset of the mp-MRI features. In this study, machine-learning based on multiregional and multi-parametric MRI data has proven to be an important tool in grading glial tumors accurately even in this limited patient population. Future studies are needed to investigate the use of machine learning algorithms for brain tumor classification in a larger patient cohort. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  2. Gliomas: Application of Cumulative Histogram Analysis of Normalized Cerebral Blood Volume on 3 T MRI to Tumor Grading

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyungjin; Choi, Seung Hong; Kim, Ji-Hoon; Ryoo, Inseon; Kim, Soo Chin; Yeom, Jeong A.; Shin, Hwaseon; Jung, Seung Chai; Lee, A. Leum; Yun, Tae Jin; Park, Chul-Kee; Sohn, Chul-Ho; Park, Sung-Hye

    2013-01-01

    Background Glioma grading assumes significant importance in that low- and high-grade gliomas display different prognoses and are treated with dissimilar therapeutic strategies. The objective of our study was to retrospectively assess the usefulness of a cumulative normalized cerebral blood volume (nCBV) histogram for glioma grading based on 3 T MRI. Methods From February 2010 to April 2012, 63 patients with astrocytic tumors underwent 3 T MRI with dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging. Regions of interest containing the entire tumor volume were drawn on every section of the co-registered relative CBV (rCBV) maps and T2-weighted images. The percentile values from the cumulative nCBV histograms and the other histogram parameters were correlated with tumor grades. Cochran’s Q test and the McNemar test were used to compare the diagnostic accuracies of the histogram parameters after the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Using the parameter offering the highest diagnostic accuracy, a validation process was performed with an independent test set of nine patients. Results The 99th percentile of the cumulative nCBV histogram (nCBV C99), mean and peak height differed significantly between low- and high-grade gliomas (P = <0.001, 0.014 and <0.001, respectively) and between grade III and IV gliomas (P = <0.001, 0.001 and <0.001, respectively). The diagnostic accuracy of nCBV C99 was significantly higher than that of the mean nCBV (P = 0.016) in distinguishing high- from low-grade gliomas and was comparable to that of the peak height (P = 1.000). Validation using the two cutoff values of nCBV C99 achieved a diagnostic accuracy of 66.7% (6/9) for the separation of all three glioma grades. Conclusion Cumulative histogram analysis of nCBV using 3 T MRI can be a useful method for preoperative glioma grading. The nCBV C99 value is helpful in distinguishing high- from low-grade gliomas and grade IV from III gliomas. PMID:23704910

  3. Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Patellofemoral Chondromalacia: Is There a Role for T2 Mapping?

    PubMed

    van Eck, Carola F; Kingston, R Scott; Crues, John V; Kharrazi, F Daniel

    2017-11-01

    Patellofemoral pain is common, and treatment is guided by the presence and grade of chondromalacia. To evaluate and compare the sensitivity and specificity in detecting and grading chondral abnormalities of the patella between proton density fat suppression (PDFS) and T2 mapping magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. A total of 25 patients who underwent MRI of the knee with both a PDFS sequence and T2 mapping and subsequently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery were included. The cartilage surface of the patella was graded on both MRI sequences by 2 independent, blinded radiologists. Cartilage was then graded during arthroscopic surgery by a sports medicine fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon. Reliability, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined for both MRI methods. The findings during arthroscopic surgery were considered the gold standard. Intraobserver and interobserver agreement for both PDFS (98.5% and 89.4%, respectively) and T2 mapping (99.4% and 91.3%, respectively) MRI were excellent. For T2 mapping, the sensitivity (61%) and specificity (64%) were comparable, whereas for PDFS there was a lower sensitivity (37%) but higher specificity (81%) in identifying cartilage abnormalities. This resulted in a similar accuracy for PDFS (59%) and T2 mapping (62%). Both PDFS and T2 mapping MRI were reliable but only moderately accurate in predicting patellar chondromalacia found during knee arthroscopic surgery.

  4. Quantitative MR Imaging of Hepatic Steatosis: Validation in Ex Vivo Human Livers

    PubMed Central

    Bannas, Peter; Kramer, Harald; Hernando, Diego; Agni, Rashmi; Cunningham, Ashley M.; Mandal, Rakesh; Motosugi, Utaroh; Sharma, Samir D.; del Rio, Alejandro Munoz; Fernandez, Luis; Reeder, Scott B.

    2015-01-01

    Emerging magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers of hepatic steatosis have demonstrated tremendous promise for accurate quantification of hepatic triglyceride concentration. These methods quantify the “proton density fat-fraction” (PDFF), which reflects the concentration of triglycerides in tissue. Previous in vivo studies have compared MRI-PDFF with histologic steatosis grading for assessment of hepatic steatosis. However, the correlation of MRI-PDFF with the underlying hepatic triglyceride content remained unknown. The aim of this ex vivo study was to validate the accuracy of MRI-PDFF as an imaging biomarker of hepatic steatosis. Using ex vivo human livers, we compared MRI-PDFF with magnetic resonance spectroscopy-PDFF (MRS-PDFF), biochemical triglyceride extraction and histology as three independent reference standards. A secondary aim was to compare the precision of MRI-PDFF relative to biopsy for the quantification of hepatic steatosis. MRI-PDFF was prospectively performed at 1.5T in 13 explanted human livers. We performed co-localized paired evaluation of liver fat content in all nine Couinaud segments using single-voxel MRS-PDFF (n=117), tissue wedges for biochemical triglyceride extraction (n=117), and five core biopsies performed in each segment for histologic grading (n=585). Accuracy of MRI-PDFF was assessed through linear regression with MRS-PDFF, triglyceride extraction and histology. Intra-observer agreement, inter-observer agreement and repeatability of MRI-PDFF and histologic grading were assessed through Bland-Altman analyses. MRI-PDFF showed an excellent correlation with MRS-PDFF (r=0.984; CI: 0.978–0.989) and strong correlation with histology (r=0.850; CI: 0.791–0.894) and triglyceride extraction (r=0.871; CI: 0.818–0.909). Intra-observer agreement, inter-observer agreement and repeatability showed a significantly smaller variance for MRI-PDFF than for histologic steatosis grading (all p<0.001). Conclusion MRI-PDFF is an accurate, precise and reader-independent non-invasive imaging biomarker of liver triglyceride content, capable of steatosis quantification over the entire liver. PMID:26224591

  5. MRI differentiation of low-grade from high-grade appendicular chondrosarcoma.

    PubMed

    Douis, Hassan; Singh, Leanne; Saifuddin, Asif

    2014-01-01

    To identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features which differentiate low-grade chondral lesions (atypical cartilaginous tumours/grade 1 chondrosarcoma) from high-grade chondrosarcomas (grade 2, grade 3 and dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma) of the major long bones. We identified all patients treated for central atypical cartilaginous tumours and central chondrosarcoma of major long bones (humerus, femur, tibia) over a 13-year period. The MRI studies were assessed for the following features: bone marrow oedema, soft tissue oedema, bone expansion, cortical thickening, cortical destruction, active periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length. The MRI-features were compared with the histopathological tumour grading using univariate, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses. One hundred and seventy-nine tumours were included in this retrospective study. There were 28 atypical cartilaginous tumours, 79 grade 1 chondrosarcomas, 36 grade 2 chondrosarcomas, 13 grade 3 chondrosarcomas and 23 dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that bone expansion (P = 0.001), active periostitis (P = 0.001), soft tissue mass (P < 0.001) and tumour length (P < 0.001) were statistically significant differentiating factors between low-grade and high-grade chondral lesions with an area under the ROC curve of 0.956. On MRI, bone expansion, active periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length can reliably differentiate high-grade chondrosarcomas from low-grade chondral lesions of the major long bones. • Accurate differentiation of low-grade from high-grade chondrosarcomas is essential before surgery • MRI can reliably differentiate high-grade from low-grade chondrosarcomas of long bone • Differentiating features are bone expansion, periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length • Presence of these four MRI features demonstrated a diagnostic accuracy (AUC) of 95.6 % • The findings may result in more accurate diagnosis before definitive surgery.

  6. Susceptibility Imaging in Glial Tumor Grading; Using 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance (MR) System and 32 Channel Head Coil.

    PubMed

    Aydin, Omer; Buyukkaya, Ramazan; Hakyemez, Bahattin

    2017-01-01

    Susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) is a velocity compensated, high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) spoiled gradient-echo sequence that uses magnitude and filtered-phase data. SWI seems to be a valuable tool for non-invasive evaluation of central nervous system gliomas. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) ratio is one of the best noninvasive methods for glioma grading. Degree of intratumoral susceptibility signal (ITSS) on SWI correlates with rCBV ratio and histopathological grade. This study investigated the effectiveness of ITSS grading and rCBV ratio in preoperative assessment. Thirty-one patients (17 males and 14 females) with histopathogical diagnosis of glial tumor undergoing routine cranial MRI, SWI, and perfusion MRI examinations between October 2011 and July 2013 were retrospectively enrolled. All examinations were performed using 3T apparatus with 32-channel head coil. We used ITSS number for SWI grading. Correlations between SWI grade, rCBV ratio, and pathological grading were evaluated. ROC analysis was performed to determine the optimal rCBV ratio to distinguish between high-grade and low-grade glial tumors. There was a strong positive correlation between both pathological and SWI grading. We determined the optimal rCBV ratio to discriminate between high-grade and low-grade tumors to be 2.21. In conclusion, perfusion MRI and SWI using 3T MR and 32-channel head coil may provide useful information for preoperative glial tumor grading. SWI can be used as an accessory to perfusion MR technique in preoperative tumor grading.

  7. Early Changes in Tumor Perfusion from T1-Weighted Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI following Neural Stem Cell-Mediated Therapy of Recurrent High-Grade Glioma Correlate with Overall Survival

    PubMed Central

    Sahoo, Prativa; Frankel, Paul; Ressler, Julie; Gutova, Margarita; Annala, Alexander J.; Portnow, Jana; Aboody, Karen S.

    2018-01-01

    Background The aim of this study was to correlate T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI- (DCE-MRI-) derived perfusion parameters with overall survival of recurrent high-grade glioma patients who received neural stem cell- (NSC-) mediated enzyme/prodrug gene therapy. Methods A total of 12 patients were included in this retrospective study. All patients were enrolled in a first-in-human study (NCT01172964) of NSC-mediated therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma. DCE-MRI data from all patients were collected and analyzed at three time points: MRI#1—day 1 postsurgery/treatment, MRI#2— day 7 ± 3 posttreatment, and MRI#3—one-month follow-up. Plasma volume (V p), permeability (K tr), and leakage (λ tr) perfusion parameters were calculated by fitting a pharmacokinetic model to the DCE-MRI data. The contrast-enhancing (CE) volume was measured from the last dynamic phase acquired in the DCE sequence. Perfusion parameters and CE at each MRI time point were recorded along with their relative change between MRI#2 and MRI#3 (Δ32). Cox regression was used to analyze patient survival. Results At MRI#1 and at MRI#3, none of the parameters showed a significant correlation with overall survival (OS). However, at MRI#2, CE and λ tr were significantly associated with OS (p < 0.05). The relative λ tr and V p from timepoint 2 to timepoint 3 (Δ32 λ tr and Δ32 V p) were each associated with a higher hazard ratio (p < 0.05). All parameters were highly correlated, resulting in a multivariate model for OS including only CE at MRI#2 and Δ32 V p, with an R 2 of 0.89. Conclusion The change in perfusion parameter values from 1 week to 1 month following NSC-mediated therapy combined with contrast-enhancing volume may be a useful biomarker to predict overall survival in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma. PMID:29731779

  8. Diagnostic Performance of a Rapid Magnetic Resonance Imaging Method of Measuring Hepatic Steatosis

    PubMed Central

    House, Michael J.; Gan, Eng K.; Adams, Leon A.; Ayonrinde, Oyekoya T.; Bangma, Sander J.; Bhathal, Prithi S.; Olynyk, John K.; St. Pierre, Tim G.

    2013-01-01

    Objectives Hepatic steatosis is associated with an increased risk of developing serious liver disease and other clinical sequelae of the metabolic syndrome. However, visual estimates of steatosis from histological sections of biopsy samples are subjective and reliant on an invasive procedure with associated risks. The aim of this study was to test the ability of a rapid, routinely available, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) method to diagnose clinically relevant grades of hepatic steatosis in a cohort of patients with diverse liver diseases. Materials and Methods Fifty-nine patients with a range of liver diseases underwent liver biopsy and MRI. Hepatic steatosis was quantified firstly using an opposed-phase, in-phase gradient echo, single breath-hold MRI methodology and secondly, using liver biopsy with visual estimation by a histopathologist and by computer-assisted morphometric image analysis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to assess the diagnostic performance of the MRI method against the biopsy observations. Results The MRI approach had high sensitivity and specificity at all hepatic steatosis thresholds. Areas under ROC curves were 0.962, 0.993, and 0.972 at thresholds of 5%, 33%, and 66% liver fat, respectively. MRI measurements were strongly associated with visual (r2 = 0.83) and computer-assisted morphometric (r2 = 0.84) estimates of hepatic steatosis from histological specimens. Conclusions This MRI approach, using a conventional, rapid, gradient echo method, has high sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing liver fat at all grades of steatosis in a cohort with a range of liver diseases. PMID:23555650

  9. SU-D-207B-04: Morphological Features of MRI as a Correlate of Capsular Contracture in Breast Cancer Patients with Implant-Based Reconstructions

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Tyagi, N; Sutton, E; Hunt, M

    Purpose: Capsular contracture (CC) is a serious complication in patients receiving implant-based reconstruction for breast cancer. The goal of this study was to identify image-based correlates of CC using MRI imaging in breast cancer patients who received both MRI and clinical evaluation following reconstructive surgery. Methods: We analyzed a retrospective dataset of 50 patients who had both a diagnostic MR and a plastic surgeon’s evaluations of CC score (Baker’s score) within a six month period following mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. T2w sagittal MRIs (TR/TE = 3500/102 ms, slice thickness = 4 mm) were used for morphological shape features (roundness, eccentricity,more » solidity, extent and ratio-length) and histogram features (median, skewness and kurtosis) of the implant and the pectoralis muscle overlying the implant. Implant and pectoralis muscles were segmented in 3D using Computation Environment for Radiological Research (CERR) and shape and histogram features were calculated as a function of Baker’s score. Results: Shape features such as roundness and eccentricity were statistically significant in differentiating grade 1 and grade 2 (p = 0.009; p = 0.06) as well as grade 1 and grade 3 CC (p = 0.001; p = 0.006). Solidity and extent were statistically significant in differentiating grade 1 and grade 3 CC (p = 0.04; p = 0.04). Ratio-length was statistically significant in differentiating all grades of CC except grade 2 and grade 3 that showed borderline significance (p = 0.06). The muscle thickness, median intensity and kurtosis were significant in differentiating between grade 1 and grade 3 (p = 0.02), grade 1 and grade 2 (p = 0.03) and grade 1 and grade 3 (p = 0.01) respectively. Conclusion: Morphological shape features described on MR images were associated with the severity of CC. MRI may be important in objectively evaluating outcomes in breast cancer patients who undergo implant reconstruction.« less

  10. Hepatic fat quantification using the two-point Dixon method and fat color maps based on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score.

    PubMed

    Hayashi, Tatsuya; Saitoh, Satoshi; Takahashi, Junji; Tsuji, Yoshinori; Ikeda, Kenji; Kobayashi, Masahiro; Kawamura, Yusuke; Fujii, Takeshi; Inoue, Masafumi; Miyati, Tosiaki; Kumada, Hiromitsu

    2017-04-01

    The two-point Dixon method for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is commonly used to non-invasively measure fat deposition in the liver. The aim of the present study was to assess the usefulness of MRI-fat fraction (MRI-FF) using the two-point Dixon method based on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score. This retrospective study included 106 patients who underwent liver MRI and MR spectroscopy, and 201 patients who underwent liver MRI and histological assessment. The relationship between MRI-FF and MR spectroscopy-fat fraction was used to estimate the corrected MRI-FF for hepatic multi-peaks of fat. Then, a color FF map was generated with the corrected MRI-FF based on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score. We defined FF variability as the standard deviation of FF in regions of interest. Uniformity of hepatic fat was visually graded on a three-point scale using both gray-scale and color FF maps. Confounding effects of histology (iron, inflammation and fibrosis) on corrected MRI-FF were assessed by multiple linear regression. The linear correlations between MRI-FF and MR spectroscopy-fat fraction, and between corrected MRI-FF and histological steatosis were strong (R 2  = 0.90 and R 2  = 0.88, respectively). Liver fat variability significantly increased with visual fat uniformity grade using both of the maps (ρ = 0.67-0.69, both P < 0.001). Hepatic iron, inflammation and fibrosis had no significant confounding effects on the corrected MRI-FF (all P > 0.05). The two-point Dixon method and the gray-scale or color FF maps based on the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease activity score were useful for fat quantification in the liver of patients without severe iron deposition. © 2016 The Japan Society of Hepatology.

  11. Determination of the Association Between T2-weighted MRI and Gleason Sub-pattern: A Proof of Principle Study.

    PubMed

    Downes, Michelle R; Gibson, Eli; Sykes, Jenna; Haider, Masoom; van der Kwast, Theo H; Ward, Aaron

    2016-11-01

    The study aimed to determine the relationship between T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal and histologic sub-patterns in prostate cancer areas with different Gleason grades. MR images of prostates (n = 25) were obtained prior to radical prostatectomy. These were processed as whole-mount specimens with tumors and the peripheral zone was annotated digitally by two pathologists. Gleason grade 3 was the most prevalent grade and was subdivided into packed, intermediate, and sparse based on gland-to-stroma ratio. Large cribriform, intraductal carcinoma, and small cribriform glands (grade 4 group) were separately annotated but grouped together for statistical analysis. The log MRI signal intensity for each contoured region (n = 809) was measured, and pairwise comparisons were performed using the open-source software R version 3.0.1. Packed grade 3 sub-pattern has a significantly lower MRI intensity than the grade 4 group (P < 0.00001). Sparse grade 3 has a significantly higher MRI intensity than the packed grade 3 sub-pattern (P < 0.0001). No significant difference in MRI intensity was observed between the Gleason grade 4 group and the sparse sub-pattern grade 3 group (P = 0.54). In multivariable analysis adjusting for peripheral zone, the P values maintained significance (packed grade 3 group vs grade 4 group, P < 0.001; and sparse grade 3 sub-pattern vs packed grade 3 sub-pattern, P < 0.001). This study demonstrated that T2-weighted MRI signal is dependent on histologic sub-patterns within Gleason grades 3 and 4 cancers, which may have implications for directed biopsy sampling and patient management. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Comparative study of pulsed-continuous arterial spin labeling and dynamic susceptibility contrast imaging by histogram analysis in evaluation of glial tumors.

    PubMed

    Arisawa, Atsuko; Watanabe, Yoshiyuki; Tanaka, Hisashi; Takahashi, Hiroto; Matsuo, Chisato; Fujiwara, Takuya; Fujiwara, Masahiro; Fujimoto, Yasunori; Tomiyama, Noriyuki

    2018-06-01

    Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive perfusion technique that may be an alternative to dynamic susceptibility contrast magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) for assessment of brain tumors. To our knowledge, there have been no reports on histogram analysis of ASL. The purpose of this study was to determine whether ASL is comparable with DSC-MRI in terms of differentiating high-grade and low-grade gliomas by evaluating the histogram analysis of cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the entire tumor. Thirty-four patients with pathologically proven glioma underwent ASL and DSC-MRI. High-signal areas on contrast-enhanced T 1 -weighted images or high-intensity areas on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images were designated as the volumes of interest (VOIs). ASL-CBF, DSC-CBF, and DSC-cerebral blood volume maps were constructed and co-registered to the VOI. Perfusion histogram analyses of the whole VOI and statistical analyses were performed to compare the ASL and DSC images. There was no significant difference in the mean values for any of the histogram metrics in both of the low-grade gliomas (n = 15) and the high-grade gliomas (n = 19). Strong correlations were seen in the 75th percentile, mean, median, and standard deviation values between the ASL and DSC images. The area under the curve values tended to be greater for the DSC images than for the ASL images. DSC-MRI is superior to ASL for distinguishing high-grade from low-grade glioma. ASL could be an alternative evaluation method when DSC-MRI cannot be used, e.g., in patients with renal failure, those in whom repeated examination is required, and in children.

  13. Magnetic resonance imaging and liver histology as biomarkers of hepatic steatosis in children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Middleton, Michael S; Behling, Cynthia; Newton, Kimberly P; Awai, Hannah I; Paiz, Melissa N; Lam, Jessica; Hooker, Jonathan C; Hamilton, Gavin; Fontanesi, John; Sirlin, Claude B

    2015-06-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in children. In order to advance the field of NAFLD, noninvasive imaging methods for measuring liver fat are needed. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown great promise for the quantitative assessment of hepatic steatosis but has not been validated in children. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the correlation and diagnostic accuracy of MRI-estimated liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF), a biomarker for hepatic steatosis, compared to histologic steatosis grade in children. The study included 174 children with a mean age of 14.0 years. Liver PDFF estimated by MRI was significantly (P < 0.01) correlated (0.725) with steatosis grade. The correlation of MRI-estimated liver PDFF and steatosis grade was influenced by both sex and fibrosis stage. The correlation was significantly (P < 0.01) stronger in girls (0.86) than in boys (0.70). The correlation was significantly (P < 0.01) weaker in children with stage 2-4 fibrosis (0.61) than children with no fibrosis (0.76) or stage 1 fibrosis (0.78). The diagnostic accuracy of commonly used threshold values to distinguish between no steatosis and mild steatosis ranged from 0.69 to 0.82. The overall accuracy of predicting the histologic steatosis grade from MRI-estimated liver PDFF was 56%. No single threshold had sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be considered diagnostic for an individual child. Advanced magnitude-based MRI can be used to estimate liver PDFF in children, and those PDFF values correlate well with steatosis grade by liver histology. Thus, magnitude-based MRI has the potential for clinical utility in the evaluation of NAFLD, but at this time no single threshold value has sufficient accuracy to be considered diagnostic for an individual child. © 2015 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.

  14. Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Liver Histology as Biomarkers of Hepatic Steatosis in Children with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

    PubMed Central

    Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.; Middleton, Michael S.; Behling, Cynthia; Newton, Kimberly P.; Awai, Hannah I.; Paiz, Melissa N.; Lam, Jessica; Hooker, Jonathan C.; Hamilton, Gavin; Fontanesi, John; Sirlin, Claude B.

    2015-01-01

    Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in children. In order to advance the field of NAFLD, noninvasive imaging methods for measuring liver fat are needed. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has shown great promise for the quantitative assessment of hepatic steatosis but has not been validated in children. Therefore, this study was designed to evaluate the correlation and diagnostic accuracy of MRI-estimated liver proton density fat fraction (PDFF), a biomarker for hepatic steatosis, compared to histologic steatosis grade in children. The study included 174 children with a mean age of 14.0 years. MRI-estimated liver PDFF was significantly (p < 0.01) correlated (0.725) with steatosis grade. Correlation of MRI-estimated liver PDFF and steatosis grade was influenced by both sex and fibrosis stage. The correlation was significantly (p<0.01) stronger in girls (0.86) than in boys (0.70). The correlation was significantly (p<0.01) weaker in children with stage 2–4 fibrosis (0.61) than children with no fibrosis (0.76) or stage 1 fibrosis (0.78). The diagnostic accuracy of commonly used threshold values to distinguish between no steatosis and mild steatosis ranged from 0.69 to 0.82. The overall accuracy of predicting the histologic steatosis grade from MRI-estimated liver PDFF was 56%. No single threshold had sufficient sensitivity and specificity to be considered diagnostic for an individual child. Conclusions Advanced magnitude-based MRI can be used to estimate liver PDFF in children, and those PDFF values correlate well with steatosis grade by liver histology. Thus magnitude-based MRI has the potential for clinical utility in the evaluation of NAFLD, but at this time no single threshold value has sufficient accuracy to be considered diagnostic for an individual child. PMID:25529941

  15. Gadoxetate Disodium-Enhanced MRI to Differentiate Dysplastic Nodules and Grade of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Correlation With Histopathology.

    PubMed

    Channual, Stephanie; Tan, Nelly; Siripongsakun, Surachate; Lassman, Charles; Lu, David S; Raman, Steven S

    2015-09-01

    The objective of our study was to determine quantitative differences to differentiate low-grade from high-grade dysplastic nodules (DNs) and low-grade from high-grade hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) using gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI. A retrospective study of 149 hepatic nodules in 127 consecutive patients who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI was performed. MRI signal intensities (SIs) of the representative lesion ROI and of ROIs in liver parenchyma adjacent to the lesion were measured on unenhanced T1-weighted imaging and on dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in the arterial, portal venous, delayed, and hepatobiliary phases. The relative SI of the lesion was calculated for each phase as the relative intensity ratio as follows: [mass SI / liver SI]. Of the 149 liver lesions, nine (6.0%) were low-grade DNs, 21 (14.1%) were high-grade DNs, 83 (55.7%) were low-grade HCCs, and 36 (24.2%) were high-grade HCCs. The optimal cutoffs for differentiating low-grade DNs from high-grade DNs and HCCs were an unenhanced to arterial SI of ≥ 0 or a relative SI on T2-weighted imaging of ≤ 1.5, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 99.2% and accuracy of 88.6%. The optimal cutoffs for differentiating low-grade HCCs from high-grade HCCs were a relative hepatobiliary SI of ≤ 0.5 or a relative T2 SI of ≥ 1.5, with a PPV of 81.0% and an accuracy of 60.5%. Gadoxetate disodium-enhanced MRI allows quantitative differentiation of low-grade DNs from high-grade DNs and HCCs, but significant overlap was seen between low-grade HCCs and high-grade HCCs.

  16. Fat-suppressed 3D spoiled gradient-echo MRI and MDCT arthrography of articular cartilage in patients with hip dysplasia.

    PubMed

    Nishii, Takashi; Tanaka, Hisashi; Nakanishi, Katsuyuki; Sugano, Nobuhiko; Miki, Hidenobu; Yoshikawa, Hideki

    2005-08-01

    Our objective was to assess the diagnostic ability of MDCT arthrography for acetabular and femoral cartilage lesions in patients with hip dysplasia. A disorder of the articular cartilage was evaluated in 20 hips of 18 patients with acetabular dysplasia who did not have osteoarthritis or who had early stage osteoarthritis before undergoing pelvic osteotomy surgery. The findings on fat-suppressed 3D fast spoiled gradient-echo MRI and MDCT arthrography of the hip were evaluated by two independent observers, and sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were determined using arthroscopic findings as the standard of reference. Kappa values were calculated to quantify the level of interobserver agreement. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of any cartilage disorder (grade 1 or higher) were (observer 1/observer 2) 49%/67% and 89%/76%, respectively, on MRI, and 67%/67% and 89%/82%, respectively, on CT arthrography. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of cartilage lesions with substance loss (grade 2 or higher) were (observer 1/observer 2) 47%/53% and 92%/87%, respectively, on MRI, and 70%/79% and 93%/94%, respectively, on CT arthrography. CT arthrography provided significantly higher sensitivity in the detection of grade 2 or higher lesions than MRI for both observers. Interobserver agreement in the detection of grade 2 or higher cartilage lesions was moderate (kappa = 0.53) on MRI and substantial (kappa = 0.78) on CT. MDCT arthrography is a sensitive and reproducible method for assessing articular cartilage lesions with substance loss in patients with hip dysplasia.

  17. [MRI and CT-scan in presumed benign ovarian tumors].

    PubMed

    Thomassin-Naggara, I; Bazot, M

    2013-12-01

    Radiological examinations are required for the assessment of complex or indeterminate ovarian masses, mainly using MRI and CT-scan. MRI provides better tissue characterization than Doppler ultrasound or CT-scan (LE2). Pelvic MRI is recommended in case of an indeterminate or complex ovarian ultrasonographic mass (grade B). The protocol of a pelvic MRI should include morphological T1 and T2 sequences (grade B). In case of solid portion, perfusion and diffusion sequences are recommended (grade C). In case of doubt about the diagnosis of ovarian origin, pelvic MRI is preferred over the CT-scan (grade C). MRI is the technique of choice for the difference between functional and organic ovarian lesion diagnosis (grade C). It can be useful in case of clinical diagnostic uncertainty between polycystic ovary syndrome and ovarian hyperstimulation and multilocular ovarian tumor syndrome (grade C). No MRI classification for ovarian masses is currently validated. The establishment of a presumption of risk of malignancy is required in a MRI report of adnexal mass with if possible a guidance on the histological diagnosis. In the absence of clinical or sonographic diagnosis, pelvic CT-scan is recommended in the context of acute painful pelvic mass in non-pregnant patients (grade C). It specifies the anomalies and allows the differential diagnosis with digestive and urinary diseases (LE4). Given the lack of data in the literature, the precautionary principle must be applied to the realization of a pelvic MRI in a pregnant patient. A risk-benefit balance should be evaluated case by case by the clinician and the radiologist and information should be given to the patient. In an emergency situation during pregnancy, pelvic MRI is an alternative to CT-scan for the exploration of acute pelvic pain in case of uncertain sonographic diagnosis (grade C). Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  18. High-Grade Glioma Radiation Therapy Target Volumes and Patterns of Failure Obtained From Magnetic Resonance Imaging and {sup 18}F-FDOPA Positron Emission Tomography Delineations From Multiple Observers

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Kosztyla, Robert, E-mail: rkosztyla@bccancer.bc.ca; Chan, Elisa K.; Hsu, Fred

    Purpose: The objective of this study was to compare recurrent tumor locations after radiation therapy with pretreatment delineations of high-grade gliomas from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[{sup 18}F]fluoro-L-phenylalanine ({sup 18}F-FDOPA) positron emission tomography (PET) using contours delineated by multiple observers. Methods and Materials: Nineteen patients with newly diagnosed high-grade gliomas underwent computed tomography (CT), gadolinium contrast-enhanced MRI, and {sup 18}F-FDOPA PET/CT. The image sets (CT, MRI, and PET/CT) were registered, and 5 observers contoured gross tumor volumes (GTVs) using MRI and PET. Consensus contours were obtained by simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE). Interobserver variability was quantified bymore » the percentage of volume overlap. Recurrent tumor locations after radiation therapy were contoured by each observer using CT or MRI. Consensus recurrence contours were obtained with STAPLE. Results: The mean interobserver volume overlap for PET GTVs (42% ± 22%) and MRI GTVs (41% ± 22%) was not significantly different (P=.67). The mean consensus volume was significantly larger for PET GTVs (58.6 ± 52.4 cm{sup 3}) than for MRI GTVs (30.8 ± 26.0 cm{sup 3}, P=.003). More than 95% of the consensus recurrence volume was within the 95% isodose surface for 11 of 12 (92%) cases with recurrent tumor imaging. Ten (91%) of these cases extended beyond the PET GTV, and 9 (82%) were contained within a 2-cm margin on the MRI GTV. One recurrence (8%) was located outside the 95% isodose surface. Conclusions: High-grade glioma contours obtained with {sup 18}F-FDOPA PET had similar interobserver agreement to volumes obtained with MRI. Although PET-based consensus target volumes were larger than MRI-based volumes, treatment planning using PET-based volumes may not have yielded better treatment outcomes, given that all but 1 recurrence extended beyond the PET GTV and most were contained by a 2-cm margin on the MRI GTV.« less

  19. Indications requiring preoperative magnetic resonance imaging before knee arthroscopy.

    PubMed

    Roßbach, Björn Peter; Pietschmann, Matthias Frank; Gülecyüz, Mehmet Fatih; Niethammer, Thomas Richard; Ficklscherer, Andreas; Wild, Stefan; Jansson, Volkmar; Müller, Peter Ernst

    2014-12-22

    Knee arthroscopy knee is gold standard in diagnosis and simultaneous treatment of knee disorders. But most patients undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before arthroscopy, although MRI results are not always consistent with arthroscopic findings. This raises the question in which suspected diagnoses MRI really has influence on diagnosis and consecutive surgical therapy. Preoperative MRI of 330 patients with knee disorders were compared with arthroscopic findings. The MRI were performed by 23 radiologists without specialization in musculoskeletal diagnostics. Specificity, sensitivity, negative/positive predictive value and accuracy of MRI were calculated in comparison to arthroscopic findings. We found sensitivity/specificity of 58%/93% for anterior horn, 94%/46% for posterior horn of medial meniscus and 71%/81% for anterior and 62%/82% for posterior horn of lateral meniscus. Related to anterior cruciate ligament injuries we showed sensitivity/specificity of 82%/91% for grade 0 + I and 72%/96% for grade II + III. For Cartilage damage sensitivity/specificity of 98%/7% for grade I-, 89%/29% for grade II-, 96%/38% for grade III- and 96%/69% for grade IV-lesions were revealed. The MRI should not be used as routine diagnostic tool for knee pain. No relevant information for meniscal lesions and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures has been gained with MRI from non-specialized outside imaging centres. The MRI should not be used as routine diagnostic tool for knee pain. No relevant information for meniscal lesions and anterior cruciate ligament ruptures has been gained with MRI from non-specialized outside imaging centres.

  20. A Pilot Comparative Study of Quantitative Ultrasound, Conventional Ultrasound, and MRI for Predicting Histology-Determined Steatosis Grade in Adult Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

    PubMed Central

    Paige, Jeremy S.; Bernstein, Gregory S.; Heba, Elhamy; Costa, Eduardo A. C.; Fereirra, Marilia; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C.; Valasek, Mark A.; Lin, Grace Y.; Han, Aiguo; Erdman, John W.; O’Brien, William D.; Andre, Michael P.; Loomba, Rohit; Sirlin, Claude B.

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to explore the diagnostic performance of two investigational quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters, attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient, in comparison with conventional ultrasound (CUS) and MRI-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for predicting histology-confirmed steatosis grade in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). SUBJECTS AND METHODS In this prospectively designed pilot study, 61 adults with histology-confirmed NAFLD were enrolled from September 2012 to February 2014. Subjects underwent QUS, CUS, and MRI examinations within 100 days of clinical-care liver biopsy. QUS parameters (attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient) were estimated using a reference phantom technique by two analysts independently. Three-point ordinal CUS scores intended to predict steatosis grade (1, 2, or 3) were generated independently by two radiologists on the basis of QUS features. PDFF was estimated using an advanced chemical shift–based MRI technique. Using histologic examination as the reference standard, ROC analysis was performed. Optimal attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and PDFF cutoff thresholds were identified, and the accuracy of attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, PDFF, and CUS to predict steatosis grade was determined. Interobserver agreement for attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and CUS was analyzed. RESULTS CUS had 51.7% grading accuracy. The raw and cross-validated steatosis grading accuracies were 61.7% and 55.0%, respectively, for attenuation coefficient, 68.3% and 68.3% for backscatter coefficient, and 76.7% and 71.3% for MRI-estimated PDFF. Interobserver agreements were 53.3% for CUS (κ = 0.61), 90.0% for attenuation coefficient (κ = 0.87), and 71.7% for backscatter coefficient (κ = 0.82) (p < 0.0001 for all). CONCLUSION Preliminary observations suggest that QUS parameters may be more accurate and provide higher interobserver agreement than CUS for predicting hepatic steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD. PMID:28267360

  1. T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced brain magnetic resonance imaging: A preliminary study with low infusion rate in pediatric patients.

    PubMed

    Rochetams, Bruno-Bernard; Marechal, Bénédicte; Cottier, Jean-Philippe; Gaillot, Kathleen; Sembely-Taveau, Catherine; Sirinelli, Dominique; Morel, Baptiste

    2017-10-01

    Background The aim of this preliminary study is to evaluate the results of T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pediatric patients at 1.5T, with a low peripheral intravenous gadoteric acid injection rate of 1 ml/s. Materials and methods Children with neurological symptoms were examined prospectively with conventional MRI and T1-weighted DCE MRI. An magnetic resonance perfusion analysis method was used to obtain time-concentration curves (persistent pattern, type-I; plateau pattern, type-II; washout pattern, type-III) and to calculate pharmacokinetic parameters. A total of two radiologists manually defined regions of interest (ROIs) in the part of the lesion exhibiting the greatest contrast enhancement and in the surrounding normal or contralateral tissue. Lesion/surrounding tissue or contralateral tissue pharmacokinetic parameter ratios were calculated. Tumors were categorized by grade (I-IV) using the World Health Organization (WHO) Grade. Mann-Whitney testing and receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves were performed. Results A total of nine boys and nine girls (mean age 10.5 years) were included. Lesions consisted of 10 brain tumors, 3 inflammatory lesions, 3 arteriovenous malformations and 2 strokes. We obtained analyzable concentration-time curves for all patients (6 type-I, 9 type-II, 3 type-III). K trans between tumor tissue and surrounding or contralateral tissue was significantly different ( p = 0.034). K trans ratios were significantly different between grade I tumors and grade IV tumors ( p = 0.027) and a K trans ratio value superior to 0.63 appeared to be discriminant to determine a grade IV of malignancy. Conclusions Our results confirm the feasibility of pediatric T1-weighted DCE MRI at 1.5T with a low injection rate, which could be of great value in differentiating brain tumor grades.

  2. Dominant intraprostatic cancer confirmed by direct MRI-guided biopsy: Concordance with histopathological findings.

    PubMed

    Meermeier, Nicholas P; Turner, Kevin R; Foster, Bryan R; Várallyay, Csanád; Liu, Jen-Jane; Coakley, Fergus V

    2018-06-09

    To investigate the concordance between dominant intraprostatic cancer seen on endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy, since existing literature has emphasized the miss rather than the concordance rate of MRI. We retrospectively identified 20 patients who underwent radical prostatectomy after a dominant intraprostatic cancer focus was identified at endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by MRI-targeted biopsy. Concordance was determined by comparing the location and Gleason grade group of dominant tumor at MRI with the location and Gleason grade group determined at histopathological review. Mean patient age was 65 years (range, 48 to 76) and median serum prostatic specific antigen level was 9.4 ng/mL (range, 4.6 to 58.0). In all 20 patients, the location of dominant tumor based on MRI and targeted biopsy corresponded with the dominant tumor location at histopathology. In 9 patients, Gleason grade group was the same at targeted biopsy and final histopathology. In 9 patients, final Gleason grade group was higher and in two patients it was lower. Our preliminary results suggest dominant tumor as determined by endorectal multiparametric MRI and confirmed by a positive MRI-targeted biopsy has high concordance with histopathological findings at radical prostatectomy for location, and reasonable concordance for Gleason grade group. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging techniques for treatment response evaluation in patients with high-grade glioma, a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    van Dijken, Bart R J; van Laar, Peter Jan; Holtman, Gea A; van der Hoorn, Anouk

    2017-10-01

    Treatment response assessment in high-grade gliomas uses contrast enhanced T1-weighted MRI, but is unreliable. Novel advanced MRI techniques have been studied, but the accuracy is not well known. Therefore, we performed a systematic meta-analysis to assess the diagnostic accuracy of anatomical and advanced MRI for treatment response in high-grade gliomas. Databases were searched systematically. Study selection and data extraction were done by two authors independently. Meta-analysis was performed using a bivariate random effects model when ≥5 studies were included. Anatomical MRI (five studies, 166 patients) showed a pooled sensitivity and specificity of 68% (95%CI 51-81) and 77% (45-93), respectively. Pooled apparent diffusion coefficients (seven studies, 204 patients) demonstrated a sensitivity of 71% (60-80) and specificity of 87% (77-93). DSC-perfusion (18 studies, 708 patients) sensitivity was 87% (82-91) with a specificity of 86% (77-91). DCE-perfusion (five studies, 207 patients) sensitivity was 92% (73-98) and specificity was 85% (76-92). The sensitivity of spectroscopy (nine studies, 203 patients) was 91% (79-97) and specificity was 95% (65-99). Advanced techniques showed higher diagnostic accuracy than anatomical MRI, the highest for spectroscopy, supporting the use in treatment response assessment in high-grade gliomas. • Treatment response assessment in high-grade gliomas with anatomical MRI is unreliable • Novel advanced MRI techniques have been studied, but diagnostic accuracy is unknown • Meta-analysis demonstrates that advanced MRI showed higher diagnostic accuracy than anatomical MRI • Highest diagnostic accuracy for spectroscopy and perfusion MRI • Supports the incorporation of advanced MRI in high-grade glioma treatment response assessment.

  4. Can we have an overall osteoarthritis severity score for the patellofemoral joint using magnetic resonance imaging? Reliability and validity.

    PubMed

    Kobayashi, Sarah; Peduto, Anthony; Simic, Milena; Fransen, Marlene; Refshauge, Kathryn; Mah, Jean; Pappas, Evangelos

    2018-04-01

    This work aimed to assess inter-rater reliability and agreement of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based Kellgren and Lawrence (K&L) grading for patellofemoral joint osteoarthritis (OA) and to validate it against the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS). MRI scans from people aged 45 to 75 years with chronic knee pain participating in a randomised clinical trial evaluating dietary supplements were utilised. Fifty participants were randomly selected and scored using the MRI-based K&L grading using axial and sagittal MRI scans. Raters conducted inter-rater reliability, blinded to clinical information, radiology reports and other rater results. Intra- and inter-rater reliability and agreement were evaluated using the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and Cohen's weighted kappa. There was a 2-week interval between the first and second readings for intra-rater reliability. Validity was assessed using the MOAKS and evaluated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Intra-rater reliability of the K&L system was excellent: ICC 0.91 (95% CI 0.82-0.95); weighted kappa (ĸ = 0.69). Inter-rater reliability was high (ICC 0.88; 95% CI 0.79-0.93), while agreement between raters was moderate (ĸ = 0.49-0.57). Validity analysis demonstrated a strong correlation between the total MOAKS features score and the K&L grading system (ρ = 0.62-0.67) but weak correlations when compared with individual MOAKS features (ρ = 0.19-0.61). The high reliability and good agreement show consistency in grading the severity of patellofemoral OA with the MRI-based K&L score. Our validity results suggest that the scale may be useful, particularly in the clinical environment. Future research should validate this method against clinical findings.

  5. Longitudinal DSC-MRI for Distinguishing Tumor Recurrence From Pseudoprogression in Patients With a High-grade Glioma.

    PubMed

    Boxerman, Jerrold L; Ellingson, Benjamin M; Jeyapalan, Suriya; Elinzano, Heinrich; Harris, Robert J; Rogg, Jeffrey M; Pope, Whitney B; Safran, Howard

    2017-06-01

    For patients with high-grade glioma on clinical trials it is important to accurately assess time of disease progression. However, differentiation between pseudoprogression (PsP) and progressive disease (PD) is unreliable with standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. Dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion MRI (DSC-MRI) can measure relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) and may help distinguish PsP from PD. A subset of patients with high-grade glioma on a phase II clinical trial with temozolomide, paclitaxel poliglumex, and concurrent radiation were assessed. Nine patients (3 grade III, 6 grade IV), with a total of 19 enhancing lesions demonstrating progressive enhancement (≥25% increase from nadir) on postchemoradiation conventional contrast-enhanced MRI, had serial DSC-MRI. Mean leakage-corrected rCBV within enhancing lesions was computed for all postchemoradiation time points. Of the 19 progressively enhancing lesions, 10 were classified as PsP and 9 as PD by biopsy/surgery or serial enhancement patterns during interval follow-up MRI. Mean rCBV at initial progressive enhancement did not differ significantly between PsP and PD (2.35 vs. 2.17; P=0.67). However, change in rCBV at first subsequent follow-up (-0.84 vs. 0.84; P=0.001) and the overall linear trend in rCBV after initial progressive enhancement (negative vs. positive slope; P=0.04) differed significantly between PsP and PD. Longitudinal trends in rCBV may be more useful than absolute rCBV in distinguishing PsP from PD in chemoradiation-treated high-grade gliomas with DSC-MRI. Further studies of DSC-MRI in high-grade glioma as a potential technique for distinguishing PsP from PD are indicated.

  6. Are radiographs needed when MR imaging is performed for non-acute knee symptoms in patients younger than 45 years of age?

    PubMed Central

    ter Braak, Bert P. M.; van Erkel, Arian R.; Bloem, Rolf M.; Napoleon, L. J.; Coene, M. N.; van Luijt, Peter A.; de Lange, Sam; Bloem, Johan L.

    2007-01-01

    Objective The objective was to determine the value of radiographs in young adults with non-acute knee symptoms who are scheduled for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and methods Nine hundred and sixty-one consecutive patients aged between 16 and 45 years with knee symptoms of at least 4 weeks’ duration were prospectively included in three participating hospitals. After applying exclusion criteria, 798 patients remained. Exclusion criteria were previous knee surgery (including arthroscopy) or MRI, history of rheumatoid arthritis, clinical diagnosis of retropatellar chondromalacia, contra-indication for MRI and recent trauma. We identified two groups: group A with no history of trauma (n = 332), and group B with an old (>4 weeks) history of trauma (n = 466). Patients had a standardized history taken, and underwent a physical exam, antero-posterior (AP) and lateral radiographs and MRI. We evaluated the radiographs and MRI for osseous lesions, articular surface lesions, fractures, osteoarthritis, loose bodies, bone marrow edema and incidental findings. Subsequently, patients with osseous abnormalities (Kellgren grade 1 and 2 excluded) on radiographs and a matched control group was evaluated again using MRI without radiographs. Results Median duration of symptoms was 20 weeks. In group A, radiographs showed 36 osseous abnormalities in 332 patients (10.8%). Only 13 of these, all Kellgren grade 1 osteoarthritis, were not confirmed on MRI. MRI showed 72 (21.7%) additional abnormalities not confirmed on radiographs. In group B, radiographs showed 40 osseous abnormalities (8.6%) in 466 patients. Only 15 of these, all Kellgren grade 1 osteoarthritis, were not confirmed on MRI. MRI showed 194 (41.6%) additional abnormalities not confirmed on radiographs. The second evaluation of MRI without radiographs in 34 patients was identical to the first MRI evaluation. Common lesions were significantly more often diagnosed with MRI than with radiographs. Conclusion Radiographs should not be obtained routinely when MRI is being performed in young adults with non-acute knee complaints because the yield and added value to MRI are low. PMID:17912515

  7. Textural features of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI derived model-free and model-based parameter maps in glioma grading.

    PubMed

    Xie, Tian; Chen, Xiao; Fang, Jingqin; Kang, Houyi; Xue, Wei; Tong, Haipeng; Cao, Peng; Wang, Sumei; Yang, Yizeng; Zhang, Weiguo

    2018-04-01

    Presurgical glioma grading by dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) has unresolved issues. The aim of this study was to investigate the ability of textural features derived from pharmacokinetic model-based or model-free parameter maps of DCE-MRI in discriminating between different grades of gliomas, and their correlation with pathological index. Retrospective. Forty-two adults with brain gliomas. 3.0T, including conventional anatomic sequences and DCE-MRI sequences (variable flip angle T1-weighted imaging and three-dimensional gradient echo volumetric imaging). Regions of interest on the cross-sectional images with maximal tumor lesion. Five commonly used textural features, including Energy, Entropy, Inertia, Correlation, and Inverse Difference Moment (IDM), were generated. All textural features of model-free parameters (initial area under curve [IAUC], maximal signal intensity [Max SI], maximal up-slope [Max Slope]) could effectively differentiate between grade II (n = 15), grade III (n = 13), and grade IV (n = 14) gliomas (P < 0.05). Two textural features, Entropy and IDM, of four DCE-MRI parameters, including Max SI, Max Slope (model-free parameters), vp (Extended Tofts), and vp (Patlak) could differentiate grade III and IV gliomas (P < 0.01) in four measurements. Both Entropy and IDM of Patlak-based K trans and vp could differentiate grade II (n = 15) from III (n = 13) gliomas (P < 0.01) in four measurements. No textural features of any DCE-MRI parameter maps could discriminate between subtypes of grade II and III gliomas (P < 0.05). Both Entropy and IDM of Extended Tofts- and Patlak-based vp showed highest area under curve in discriminating between grade III and IV gliomas. However, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of these features revealed relatively lower inter-observer agreement. No significant correlation was found between microvascular density and textural features, compared with a moderate correlation found between cellular proliferation index and those features. Textural features of DCE-MRI parameter maps displayed a good ability in glioma grading. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1099-1111. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  8. PET/MRI of metabolic activity in osteoarthritis: A feasibility study.

    PubMed

    Kogan, Feliks; Fan, Audrey P; McWalter, Emily J; Oei, Edwin H G; Quon, Andrew; Gold, Garry E

    2017-06-01

    To evaluate positron emission tomography / magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) knee imaging to detect and characterize osseous metabolic abnormalities and correlate PET radiotracer uptake with osseous abnormalities and cartilage degeneration observed on MRI. Both knees of 22 subjects with knee pain or injury were scanned at one timepoint, without gadolinium, on a hybrid 3.0T PET-MRI system following injection of 18 F-fluoride or 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). A musculoskeletal radiologist identified volumes of interest (VOIs) around bone abnormalities on MR images and scored bone marrow lesions (BMLs) and osteophytes using a MOAKS scoring system. Cartilage appearance adjacent to bone abnormalities was graded with MRI-modified Outerbridge classifications. On PET standardized uptake values (SUV) maps, VOIs with SUV greater than 5 times the SUV in normal-appearing bone were identified as high-uptake VOI (VOI High ). Differences in 18 F-fluoride uptake between bone abnormalities, BML, and osteophyte grades and adjacent cartilage grades on MRI were identified using Mann-Whitney U-tests. SUV max in all subchondral bone lesions (BML, osteophytes, sclerosis) was significantly higher than that of normal-appearing bone on MRI (P < 0.001 for all). Of the 172 high-uptake regions on 18 F-fluoride PET, 63 (37%) corresponded to normal-appearing subchondral bone on MRI. Furthermore, many small grade 1 osteophytes (40 of 82 [49%]), often described as the earliest signs of osteoarthritis (OA), did not show high uptake. Lastly, PET SUV max in subchondral bone adjacent to grade 0 cartilage was significantly lower compared to that of grades 1-2 (P < 0.05) and grades 3-4 cartilage (P < 0.001). PET/MRI can simultaneously assess multiple early metabolic and morphologic markers of knee OA across multiple tissues in the joint. Our findings suggest that PET/MR may detect metabolic abnormalities in subchondral bone, which appear normal on MRI. 2 Technical Efficacy: Stage 1 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;45:1736-1745. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  9. Detection of prostate cancer with multiparametric MRI (mpMRI): effect of dedicated reader education on accuracy and confidence of index and anterior cancer diagnosis

    PubMed Central

    Garcia-Reyes, Kirema; Passoni, Niccolò M.; Palmeri, Mark L.; Kauffman, Christopher R.; Choudhury, Kingshuk Roy; Polascik, Thomas J.; Gupta, Rajan T.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the impact of dedicated reader education on accuracy/confidence of peripheral zone index cancer and anterior prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis with mpMRI; secondary aim was to assess the ability of readers to differentiate low-grade cancer (Gleason 6 or below) from high-grade cancer (Gleason 7+). Materials and methods Five blinded radiology fellows evaluated 31 total prostate mpMRIs in this IRB-approved, HIPAA-compliant, retrospective study for index lesion detection, confidence in lesion diagnosis (1–5 scale), and Gleason grade (Gleason 6 or lower vs. Gleason 7+). Following a dedicated education program, readers reinterpreted cases after a memory extinction period, blinded to initial reads. Reference standard was established combining whole mount histopathology with mpMRI findings by a board-certified radiologist with 5 years of prostate mpMRI experience. Results Index cancer detection: pre-education accuracy 74.2%; post-education accuracy 87.7% (p = 0.003). Confidence in index lesion diagnosis: pre-education 4.22 ± 1.04; post-education 3.75 ± 1.41 (p = 0.0004). Anterior PCa detection: pre-education accuracy 54.3%; post-education accuracy 94.3% (p = 0.001). Confidence in anterior PCa diagnosis: pre-education 3.22 ± 1.54; post-education 4.29 ± 0.83 (p = 0.0003). Gleason score accuracy: pre-education 54.8%; post-education 73.5% (p = 0.0005). Conclusions A dedicated reader education program on PCa detection with mpMRI was associated with a statistically significant increase in diagnostic accuracy of index cancer and anterior cancer detection as well as Gleason grade identification as compared to pre-education values. This was also associated with a significant increase in reader diagnostic confidence. This suggests that substantial interobserver variability in mpMRI interpretation can potentially be reduced with a focus on education and that this can occur over a fellowship training year. PMID:25034558

  10. Diagnostic Values of DCE-MRI and DSC-MRI for Differentiation Between High-grade and Low-grade Gliomas: A Comprehensive Meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Liang, Jianye; Liu, Dexiang; Gao, Peng; Zhang, Dong; Chen, Hanwei; Shi, Changzheng; Luo, Liangping

    2018-03-01

    This study aimed to collect the studies on the role of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) in differentiating the grades of gliomas, and evaluate the diagnostic performances of relevant quantitative parameters in glioma grading. We systematically searched studies on the diagnosis of gliomas with DCE-MRI or DSC-MRI in Medline, PubMed, China National Knowledge Infrastructure database, Cochrane Library, and Embase published between January 2005 and December 2016. Standardized mean differences and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for volume transfer coefficient (K trans ), volume fraction of extravascular extracellular space (V e ), rate constant of backflux (K ep ), relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV), and relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF) using Review Manager 5.2 software. Sensitivity, specificity, area under the curve (AUC), and Begg test were calculated by Stata 12.0. Twenty-two studies with available outcome data were included in the analysis. The standardized mean difference of K trans values between high-grade glioma and low-grade glioma were 1.18 (0.91, 1.45); V e values were 1.43 (1.06, 1.80); K ep values were 0.65 (-0.05, 1.36); rCBV values were 1.44 (1.08, 1.81); and rCBF values were 1.17 (0.68, 1.67), respectively. The results were all significant statistically (P < .05) except K ep values (P = .07), and high-grade glioma had higher K trans , V e , rCBV, and rCBF values than low-grade glioma. AUC values of K trans , V e , rCBV, and rCBF were 0.90, 0.88, 0.93, and 0.73, respectively; rCBV had the largest AUC among the four parameters (P < .05). Both DCE-MRI and DSC-MRI are reliable techniques in differentiating the grades of gliomas, and rCBV was found to be the most sensitive one. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. [MRI characteristic of proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome].

    PubMed

    Wu, Xi-Yuan

    2014-07-01

    To study the MRI features of proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome for further improve the understanding of the disease. MRI imaging of 10 patients with proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome was retrospectively reviewed,including 6 males and 4 females with an average age of 41.5 years old ranging from 36 to 57. The courses of diseases ranged from 1 week to 3 months. Among them, 9 cases had clinical manifestations of sudden hip pain, 7 cases had limited ability of walking and hip movement;all patients had no obvious injury history, non of the female patients was pregnant. All patients were followed up from 3 to 12 months, the following-up were topped after MRI when the symptoms disappeared for 3 months. The MRI demonstrated diffuse bone marrow edema involving the femoral head, neck and the inter-trochanteric region, 13 hips of 10 patients with bone marrow edema included 6 cases in grade 1, 5 cases in grade 2,2 cases in grade 3; 9 hips with hip hydrarthrosis included 6 hips in grade I ,1 hip in grade II, 2 hips in grade III. After treatment for 3 to 12 months the hip symptoms of the patients disappeared and MRI images were normal. MRI is useful in defining the location and extent of proximal femur bone marrow edema syndrome.

  12. Black blood MRI in suspected large artery primary angiitis of the central nervous system.

    PubMed

    Pfefferkorn, Thomas; Linn, Jennifer; Habs, Maximilian; Opherk, Christina; Cyran, Clemens; Ottomeyer, Caroline; Straube, Andreas; Dichgans, Martin; Nikolaou, Konstantin; Saam, Tobias

    2013-07-01

    Single case reports suggest that black blood MRI (T1-weighted fat and blood suppressed sequences with and without contrast injection; BB-MRI) may visualize intracranial vessel wall contrast enhancement (CE) in primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS). In this single-center observational pilot study we prospectively investigated the value of BB-MRI in the diagnosis of large artery PACNS. Patients with suspected large artery PACNS received a standardized diagnostic program including BB-MRI. Vessel wall CE was graded (grade 0-2) by two experienced readers blinded to clinical data and correlated to the final diagnosis. Four of 12 included patients received a final diagnosis of PACNS. All of them showed moderate (grade 1) to strong (grade 2) vessel wall CE at the sites of stenosis. A moderate (grade 1) vessel wall CE grade was also observed in 6 of the remaining 8 patients in whom alternative diagnoses were made: arteriosclerotic disease (n = 4), intracranial dissection (n = 1), and Moyamoya disease (n = 1). Our pilot study demonstrates that vessel wall CE is a frequent finding in PACNS and its mimics. Larger trials will be necessary to evaluate the utility of BB-MRI in the diagnostic workup of PACNS. Copyright © 2012 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  13. Machine learning: a useful radiological adjunct in determination of a newly diagnosed glioma's grade and IDH status.

    PubMed

    De Looze, Céline; Beausang, Alan; Cryan, Jane; Loftus, Teresa; Buckley, Patrick G; Farrell, Michael; Looby, Seamus; Reilly, Richard; Brett, Francesca; Kearney, Hugh

    2018-05-16

    Machine learning methods have been introduced as a computer aided diagnostic tool, with applications to glioma characterisation on MRI. Such an algorithmic approach may provide a useful adjunct for a rapid and accurate diagnosis of a glioma. The aim of this study is to devise a machine learning algorithm that may be used by radiologists in routine practice to aid diagnosis of both: WHO grade and IDH mutation status in de novo gliomas. To evaluate the status quo, we interrogated the accuracy of neuroradiology reports in relation to WHO grade: grade II 96.49% (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.88, 0.99); III 36.51% (95% CI 0.24, 0.50); IV 72.9% (95% CI 0.67, 0.78). We derived five MRI parameters from the same diagnostic brain scans, in under two minutes per case, and then supplied these data to a random forest algorithm. Machine learning resulted in a high level of accuracy in prediction of tumour grade: grade II/III; area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 98%, sensitivity = 0.82, specificity = 0.94; grade II/IV; AUC = 100%, sensitivity = 1.0, specificity = 1.0; grade III/IV; AUC = 97%, sensitivity = 0.83, specificity = 0.97. Furthermore, machine learning also facilitated the discrimination of IDH status: AUC of 88%, sensitivity = 0.81, specificity = 0.77. These data demonstrate the ability of machine learning to accurately classify diffuse gliomas by both WHO grade and IDH status from routine MRI alone-without significant image processing, which may facilitate usage as a diagnostic adjunct in clinical practice.

  14. Comparison of unsupervised classification methods for brain tumor segmentation using multi-parametric MRI.

    PubMed

    Sauwen, N; Acou, M; Van Cauter, S; Sima, D M; Veraart, J; Maes, F; Himmelreich, U; Achten, E; Van Huffel, S

    2016-01-01

    Tumor segmentation is a particularly challenging task in high-grade gliomas (HGGs), as they are among the most heterogeneous tumors in oncology. An accurate delineation of the lesion and its main subcomponents contributes to optimal treatment planning, prognosis and follow-up. Conventional MRI (cMRI) is the imaging modality of choice for manual segmentation, and is also considered in the vast majority of automated segmentation studies. Advanced MRI modalities such as perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) have already shown their added value in tumor tissue characterization, hence there have been recent suggestions of combining different MRI modalities into a multi-parametric MRI (MP-MRI) approach for brain tumor segmentation. In this paper, we compare the performance of several unsupervised classification methods for HGG segmentation based on MP-MRI data including cMRI, DWI, MRSI and PWI. Two independent MP-MRI datasets with a different acquisition protocol were available from different hospitals. We demonstrate that a hierarchical non-negative matrix factorization variant which was previously introduced for MP-MRI tumor segmentation gives the best performance in terms of mean Dice-scores for the pathologic tissue classes on both datasets.

  15. The Normal Transverse Mesocolon and Involvement of the Mesocolon in Acute Pancreatitis: An MRI Study

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Xiao Ming; Huang, Xiao Hua; Yang, Lin; Tang, Wei; Xiao, Bo

    2014-01-01

    Objective To study the MRI findings of the normal transverse mesocolon and the involvement of the mesocolon in acute pancreatitis (AP) as well as the relationship between the involvement of the mesocolon and the severity of AP. Materials and Methods Forty patients without pancreatic disorders were retrospectively analyzed to observe the normal transverse mesocolon using MRI; 210 patients with AP confirmed by clinical and laboratory tests were retrospectively analyzed using MRI to observe transverse-mesocolon involvement (TMI). The severity of TMI was recorded as zero points (no abnormalities and transverse-mesocolon vessel involvement), one point (linear and patchy signal in the transverse mesocolon) or two points (transverse-mesocolon effusion). The AP severity was graded by the MRI severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology And Chronic Healthy Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system. The correlations of TMI with MRSI and APACHE-II were analyzed. Results In a normal transverse mesocolon, the display rates of the middle colic artery, the middle colic vein and the gastrocolic trunk on MRI were 95.0%, 82.5% and 100.0%, respectively. Of the 210 patients with AP, 130 patients (61.9%) had TMI. According to the TMI grading, 40%, 39% and 20% of the patients were graded at zero, one and two points, respectively. TMI was strongly correlated with the MRSI score (r = 0.759, P = 0.000) and the APACHE-II score (r = 0.384, P = 0.000). Conclusion MRI could be used to visualize transverse-mesocolon involvement. The severity of TMI could reflect that of AP in the clinical setting and imaging. TMI might be a supplementary indicator of the severity of AP. PMID:24705446

  16. Association of quantitative magnetic resonance imaging parameters with histological findings from MRI/ultrasound fusion prostate biopsy.

    PubMed

    Dianat, Seyed Saeid; Carter, H Ballentine; Schaeffer, Edward M; Hamper, Ulrik M; Epstein, Jonathan I; Macura, Katarzyna J

    2015-10-01

    Purpose of this pilot study was to correlate quantitative parameters derived from the multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) of the prostate with results from MRI guided transrectal ultrasound (MRI/TRUS) fusion prostate biopsy in men with suspected prostate cancer. Thirty-nine consecutive patients who had 3.0T MP-MRI and subsequent MRI/TRUS fusion prostate biopsy were included and 73 MRI-identified targets were sampled by 177 cores. The pre-biopsy MP-MRI consisted of T2-weighted, diffusion weighted (DWI), and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) images. The association of quantitative MRI measurements with biopsy histopathology findings was assessed by Mann-Whitney U- test and Kruskal-Wallis test. Of 73 targets, biopsy showed benign prostate tissue in 46 (63%), cancer in 23 (31.5%), and atypia/high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia in four (5.5%) targets. The median volume of cancer-positive targets was 1.3 cm3. The cancer-positive targets were located in the peripheral zone (56.5%), transition zone (39.1%), and seminal vesicle (4.3%). Nine of 23 (39.1%) cancer-positive targets were higher grade cancer (Gleason grade > 6). Higher grade targets and cancer-positive targets compared to benign lesions exhibited lower mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value (952.7 < 1167.9 < 1278.9), and lower minimal extracellular volume fraction (ECF) (0.13 < 0.185 < 0.213), respectively. The difference in parameters was more pronounced between higher grade cancer and benign lesions. Our findings from a pilot study indicate that quantitative MRI parameters can predict malignant histology on MRI/TRUS fusion prostate biopsy, which is a valuable technique to ensure adequate sampling of MRI-visible suspicious lesions under TRUS guidance and may impact patient management. The DWI-based quantitative measurement exhibits a stronger association with biopsy findings than the other MRI parameters.

  17. Real-time sonoelastography in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tendinopathy.

    PubMed

    Lee, Sang-Uk; Joo, Sun Young; Kim, Sun Ki; Lee, Sang-Ho; Park, Sung-Ryeoll; Jeong, Changhoon

    2016-05-01

    Real-time sonoelastography can be used to assess tissue elasticity. The present study evaluated the relationship between tendon stiffness on sonoelastography and the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tendinosis grade in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. The study included 39 patients with chronic pain and no history of trauma or rotator cuff tear. The supraspinatus tendons were graded according to MRI findings (grade 0, normal; grade 1, mild tendinosis; grade 2, moderate tendinosis; grade 3, marked tendinosis), and the subcutaneous fat-to-tendon (Fat/T) and gel pad-to-tendon (Pad/T) strain ratios were assessed. We used the trend test to analyze the relationship of the MRI grade with the Fat/T strain ratio and the Pad/T strain ratio. Of the 39 patients, 9 had grade 0, 17 had grade 1, 12 had grade 2, and 1 had grade 3 tendinosis. The mean real-time elastography Fat/T and Pad/T strain ratios were 2.92 ± 2.13 and 20.77 ± 21.78 in patients with grade 0 tendinosis, 4.08 ± 4.09 and 21.78 ± 17.16 in patients with grade 1 tendinosis, 13.48 ± 10.19 and 83.00 ± 48.26 in patients with grade 2 tendinosis, and 12.3 ± 0.00 and 16.58 ± 0.00 in patients with grade 3 tendinosis, respectively. The Fat/T and Pad/T strain ratios were positively associated with the MRI grade (P <.001). The MRI tendinosis grade is associated with stiffness assessed using sonoelastography in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy. Therefore, sonoelastography might be a useful diagnostic tool for supraspinatus tendinopathy. Level III; Diagnostic Study. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. fMRI activation in the middle frontal gyrus as an indicator of hemispheric dominance for language in brain tumor patients: a comparison with Broca's area

    PubMed Central

    Dong, Jian W.; Brennan, Nicole M. Petrovich; Izzo, Giana; Peck, Kyung K.; Holodny, Andrei I.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Functional MRI (fMRI) can assess language lateralization in brain tumor patients; however, this can be limited if the primary language area—Broca's area (BA)—is affected by the tumor. We hypothesized that the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) can be used as a clinical indicator of hemispheric dominance for language during presurgical workup. Methods Fifty-two right-handed subjects with solitary left-hemispheric primary brain tumors were retrospectively studied. Subjects performed a verbal fluency task during fMRI. The MFG was compared to BA for fMRI voxel activation, language laterality index (LI), and the effect of tumor grade on the LI. Results Language fMRI (verbal fluency) activated more voxels in MFG than in BA (MFG = 315, BA = 216, p < 0.001). Voxel activations in the left-hemispheric MFG and BA were positively correlated (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). Mean LI in the MFG was comparable to that in BA (MFG = 0.48, BA = 0.39, p = 0.06). LIs in MFG and BA were positively correlated (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Subjects with high-grade tumors demonstrate lower language lateralization than those with low-grade tumors in both BA and MFG (p = 0.02, p = 0.02, respectively). Conclusion MFG is comparable to BA in its ability to indicate hemispheric dominance for language using a measure of verbal fluency and may be an adjunct measure in the clinical determination of language laterality for presurgical planning. PMID:26847705

  19. Identifying in vivo DCE MRI markers associated with microvessel architecture and gleason grades of prostate cancer.

    PubMed

    Singanamalli, Asha; Rusu, Mirabela; Sparks, Rachel E; Shih, Natalie N C; Ziober, Amy; Wang, Li-Ping; Tomaszewski, John; Rosen, Mark; Feldman, Michael; Madabhushi, Anant

    2016-01-01

    To identify computer extracted in vivo dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI markers associated with quantitative histomorphometric (QH) characteristics of microvessels and Gleason scores (GS) in prostate cancer. This study considered retrospective data from 23 biopsy confirmed prostate cancer patients who underwent 3 Tesla multiparametric MRI before radical prostatectomy (RP). Representative slices from RP specimens were stained with vascular marker CD31. Tumor extent was mapped from RP sections onto DCE MRI using nonlinear registration methods. Seventy-seven microvessel QH features and 18 DCE MRI kinetic features were extracted and evaluated for their ability to distinguish low from intermediate and high GS. The effect of temporal sampling on kinetic features was assessed and correlations between those robust to temporal resolution and microvessel features discriminative of GS were examined. A total of 12 microvessel architectural features were discriminative of low and intermediate/high grade tumors with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) > 0.7. These features were most highly correlated with mean washout gradient (WG) (max rho = -0.62). Independent analysis revealed WG to be moderately robust to temporal resolution (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.63) and WG variance, which was poorly correlated with microvessel features, to be predictive of low grade tumors (AUC = 0.77). Enhancement ratio was the most robust (ICC = 0.96) and discriminative (AUC = 0.78) kinetic feature but was moderately correlated with microvessel features (max rho = -0.52). Computer extracted features of prostate DCE MRI appear to be correlated with microvessel architecture and may be discriminative of low versus intermediate and high GS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Prediction of tumor differentiation using sequential PET/CT and MRI in patients with breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Choi, Joon Ho; Lim, Ilhan; Noh, Woo Chul; Kim, Hyun-Ah; Seong, Min-Ki; Jang, Seonah; Seol, Hyesil; Moon, Hansol; Byun, Byung Hyun; Kim, Byung Il; Choi, Chang Woon; Lim, Sang Moo

    2018-05-23

    The aim of this study is to assess tumor differentiation using parameters from sequential positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with breast cancer. This retrospective study included 78 patients with breast cancer. All patients underwent sequential PET/CT and MRI. For fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET image analysis, the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV max ) of FDG was assessed at both 1 and 2 h and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). The kinetic analysis of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI parameters was performed using dynamic enhancement curves. We assessed diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)-MRI parameters regarding apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values. Histologic grades 1 and 2 were classified as low-grade, and grade 3 as high-grade tumor. Forty-five lesions of 78 patients were classified as histologic grade 3, while 26 and 7 lesions were grade 2 and grade 1, respectively. Patients with high-grade tumors showed significantly lower ADC-mean values than patients with low-grade tumors (0.99 ± 0.19 vs.1.12 ± 0.32, p = 0.007). With respect to SUV max 1, MTV2.5, and TLG2.5, patients with high-grade tumors showed higher values than patients with low-grade tumors: SUV max 1 (7.92 ± 4.5 vs.6.19 ± 3.05, p = 0.099), MTV2.5 (7.90 ± 9.32 vs.4.38 ± 5.10, p = 0.095), and TLG2.5 (40.83 ± 59.17 vs.19.66 ± 26.08, p = 0.082). However, other parameters did not reveal significant differences between low-grade and high-grade malignancies. In receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, ADC-mean values showed the highest area under the curve of 0.681 (95%CI 0.566-0.782) for assessing high-grade malignancy. Lower ADC-mean values may predict the poor differentiation of breast cancer among diverse PET-MRI functional parameters.

  1. Routine clinical knee MR reports: comparison of diagnostic performance at 1.5 T and 3.0 T for assessment of the articular cartilage.

    PubMed

    Mandell, Jacob C; Rhodes, Jeffrey A; Shah, Nehal; Gaviola, Glenn C; Gomoll, Andreas H; Smith, Stacy E

    2017-11-01

    Accurate assessment of knee articular cartilage is clinically important. Although 3.0 Tesla (T) MRI is reported to offer improved diagnostic performance, literature regarding the clinical impact of MRI field strength is lacking. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic performance of clinical MRI reports for assessment of cartilage at 1.5 and 3.0 T in comparison to arthroscopy. This IRB-approved retrospective study consisted of 300 consecutive knees in 297 patients who had routine clinical MRI and arthroscopy. Descriptions of cartilage from MRI reports of 165 knees at 1.5 T and 135 at 3.0 T were compared with arthroscopy. The sensitivity, specificity, percent of articular surfaces graded concordantly, and percent of articular surfaces graded within one grade of the arthroscopic grading were calculated for each articular surface at 1.5 and 3.0 T. Agreement between MRI and arthroscopy was calculated with the weighted-kappa statistic. Significance testing was performed utilizing the z-test after bootstrapping to obtain the standard error. The sensitivity, specificity, percent of articular surfaces graded concordantly, and percent of articular surfaces graded within one grade were 61.4%, 82.7%, 62.2%, and 77.5% at 1.5 T and 61.8%, 80.6%, 59.5%, and 75.6% at 3.0 T, respectively. The weighted kappa statistic was 0.56 at 1.5 T and 0.55 at 3.0 T. There was no statistically significant difference in any of these parameters between 1.5 and 3.0 T. Factors potentially contributing to the lack of diagnostic advantage of 3.0 T MRI are discussed.

  2. Machine learning based brain tumour segmentation on limited data using local texture and abnormality.

    PubMed

    Bonte, Stijn; Goethals, Ingeborg; Van Holen, Roel

    2018-05-07

    Brain tumour segmentation in medical images is a very challenging task due to the large variety in tumour shape, position, appearance, scanning modalities and scanning parameters. Most existing segmentation algorithms use information from four different MRI-sequences, but since this is often not available, there is need for a method able to delineate the different tumour tissues based on a minimal amount of data. We present a novel approach using a Random Forests model combining voxelwise texture and abnormality features on a contrast-enhanced T1 and FLAIR MRI. We transform the two scans into 275 feature maps. A random forest model next calculates the probability to belong to 4 tumour classes or 5 normal classes. Afterwards, a dedicated voxel clustering algorithm provides the final tumour segmentation. We trained our method on the BraTS 2013 database and validated it on the larger BraTS 2017 dataset. We achieve median Dice scores of 40.9% (low-grade glioma) and 75.0% (high-grade glioma) to delineate the active tumour, and 68.4%/80.1% for the total abnormal region including edema. Our fully automated brain tumour segmentation algorithm is able to delineate contrast enhancing tissue and oedema with high accuracy based only on post-contrast T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI, whereas for non-enhancing tumour tissue and necrosis only moderate results are obtained. This makes the method especially suitable for high-grade glioma. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Automatic Semantic Segmentation of Brain Gliomas from MRI Images Using a Deep Cascaded Neural Network.

    PubMed

    Cui, Shaoguo; Mao, Lei; Jiang, Jingfeng; Liu, Chang; Xiong, Shuyu

    2018-01-01

    Brain tumors can appear anywhere in the brain and have vastly different sizes and morphology. Additionally, these tumors are often diffused and poorly contrasted. Consequently, the segmentation of brain tumor and intratumor subregions using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data with minimal human interventions remains a challenging task. In this paper, we present a novel fully automatic segmentation method from MRI data containing in vivo brain gliomas. This approach can not only localize the entire tumor region but can also accurately segment the intratumor structure. The proposed work was based on a cascaded deep learning convolutional neural network consisting of two subnetworks: (1) a tumor localization network (TLN) and (2) an intratumor classification network (ITCN). The TLN, a fully convolutional network (FCN) in conjunction with the transfer learning technology, was used to first process MRI data. The goal of the first subnetwork was to define the tumor region from an MRI slice. Then, the ITCN was used to label the defined tumor region into multiple subregions. Particularly, ITCN exploited a convolutional neural network (CNN) with deeper architecture and smaller kernel. The proposed approach was validated on multimodal brain tumor segmentation (BRATS 2015) datasets, which contain 220 high-grade glioma (HGG) and 54 low-grade glioma (LGG) cases. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), positive predictive value (PPV), and sensitivity were used as evaluation metrics. Our experimental results indicated that our method could obtain the promising segmentation results and had a faster segmentation speed. More specifically, the proposed method obtained comparable and overall better DSC values (0.89, 0.77, and 0.80) on the combined (HGG + LGG) testing set, as compared to other methods reported in the literature. Additionally, the proposed approach was able to complete a segmentation task at a rate of 1.54 seconds per slice.

  4. Correlation between liver histology and novel magnetic resonance imaging in adult patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - MRI accurately quantifies hepatic steatosis in NAFLD.

    PubMed

    Permutt, Z; Le, T-A; Peterson, M R; Seki, E; Brenner, D A; Sirlin, C; Loomba, R

    2012-07-01

    Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques that measure hepatic steatosis are limited by T1 bias, T(2)* decay and multi-frequency signal-interference effects of protons in fat. Newer MR techniques such as the proton density-fat fraction (PDFF) that correct for these factors have not been specifically compared to liver biopsy in adult patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To examine the association between MRI-determined PDFF and histology-determined steatosis grade, and their association with fibrosis. A total of 51 adult patients with biopsy-confirmed NAFLD underwent metabolic-biochemical profiling, MRI-determined PDFF measurement of hepatic steatosis and liver biopsy assessment according to NASH-CRN histological scoring system. The average MRI-determined PDFF increased significantly with increasing histology-determined steatosis grade: 8.9% at grade-1, 16.3% at grade-2, and 25.0% at grade-3 with P ≤ 0.0001 (correlation: r(2) = 0.56, P < 0.0001). Patients with stage-4 fibrosis, when compared with patients with stage 0-3 fibrosis, had significantly lower hepatic steatosis by both MRI-determined PDFF (7.6% vs. 17.8%, P < 0.005) and histology-determined steatosis grade (1.4 vs. 2.2, P < 0.05). NAFLD patients with grade 1 steatosis were more likely to have characteristics of advanced liver disease including higher average AST:ALT (0.87 vs. 0.60, P < 0.02), GGT (140 vs. 67, P < 0.01), and INR (1.06 vs. 0.99, P < 0.01), higher stage of fibrosis and hepatocellular ballooning. MRI-determined proton density-fat fraction correlates with histology-determined steatosis grade in adults with NAFLD. Steatosis is non-linearly related to fibrosis progression. In patients with NAFLD, a low amount of hepatic steatosis on imaging does not necessarily indicate mild disease. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  5. Novel Diffusion-Weighted MRI for High-Grade Prostate Cancer Detection

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-10-01

    AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-15-1-0346 TITLE: Novel Diffusion-Weighted MRI for High -Grade Prostate Cancer Detection PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR: Michael Abern...Unlimited The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of...Diffusion-Weighted MRI for High -Grade Prostate Cancer Detection 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER W81XWH-15-1-0346 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6

  6. Risk factors for lesions of the knee menisci among workers in South Korea's national parks.

    PubMed

    Shin, Donghee; Youn, Kanwoo; Lee, Eunja; Lee, Myeongjun; Chung, Hweemin; Kim, Deokweon

    2016-01-01

    This study was designed to investigate the prevalence of the menisci lesions in national park workers and work factors affecting this prevalence. The study subjects were 698 workers who worked in 20 Korean national parks in 2014. An orthopedist visited each national park and performed physical examinations. Knee MRI was performed if the McMurray test or Apley test was positive and there was a complaint of pain in knee area. An orthopedist and a radiologist respectively read these images of the menisci using a grading system based on the MRI signals. To calculate the cumulative intensity of trekking of the workers, the mean trail distance, the difficulty of the trail, the tenure at each national parks, and the number of treks per month for each worker from the start of work until the present were investigated. Chi-square tests was performed to see if there were differences in the menisci lesions grade according to the variables. The variables used in the Chi-square test were evaluated using simple logistic regression analysis to get crude odds ratios, and adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals were calculated using multivariate logistic regression analysis after establishing three different models according to the adjusted variables. According to the MRI signal grades of menisci, 29 % were grade 0, 11.3 % were grade 1, 46.0 % were grade 2, and 13.7 % were grade 3. The differences in the MRI signal grades of menisci according to age and the intensity of trekking as calculated by the three different methods were statistically significant. Multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for three models. In model 1, there was no statistically significant factor affecting the menisci lesions. In model 2, among the factors affecting the menisci lesions, the OR of a high cumulative intensity of trekking was 4.08 (95 % CI 1.00-16.61), and in model 3, the OR of a high cumulative intensity of trekking was 5.84 (95 % CI 1.09-31.26). The factor that most affected the menisci lesions among the workers in Korean national park was a high cumulative intensity of trekking.

  7. Morphologic Features of Magnetic Resonance Imaging as a Surrogate of Capsular Contracture in Breast Cancer Patients With Implant-based Reconstructions.

    PubMed

    Tyagi, Neelam; Sutton, Elizabeth; Hunt, Margie; Zhang, Jing; Oh, Jung Hun; Apte, Aditya; Mechalakos, James; Wilgucki, Molly; Gelb, Emily; Mehrara, Babak; Matros, Evan; Ho, Alice

    2017-02-01

    Capsular contracture (CC) is a serious complication in patients receiving implant-based reconstruction for breast cancer. Currently, no objective methods are available for assessing CC. The goal of the present study was to identify image-based surrogates of CC using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We analyzed a retrospective data set of 50 patients who had undergone both a diagnostic MRI scan and a plastic surgeon's evaluation of the CC score (Baker's score) within a 6-month period after mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The MRI scans were assessed for morphologic shape features of the implant and histogram features of the pectoralis muscle. The shape features, such as roundness, eccentricity, solidity, extent, and ratio length for the implant, were compared with the Baker score. For the pectoralis muscle, the muscle width and median, skewness, and kurtosis of the intensity were compared with the Baker score. Univariate analysis (UVA) using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test and multivariate analysis with the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression was performed to determine significant differences in these features between the patient groups categorized according to their Baker's scores. UVA showed statistically significant differences between grade 1 and grade ≥2 for morphologic shape features and histogram features, except for volume and skewness. Only eccentricity, ratio length, and volume were borderline significant in differentiating grade ≤2 and grade ≥3. Features with P<.1 on UVA were used in the multivariate least absolute shrinkage and selection operator logistic regression analysis. Multivariate analysis showed a good level of predictive power for grade 1 versus grade ≥2 CC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.78, sensitivity 0.78, and specificity 0.82) and for grade ≤2 versus grade ≥3 CC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve 0.75, sensitivity 0.75, and specificity 0.79). The morphologic shape features described on MR images were associated with the severity of CC. MRI has the potential to further improve the diagnostic ability of the Baker score in breast cancer patients who undergo implant reconstruction. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Comparison study of growth plate fusion using MRI versus plain radiographs as used in age determination for exclusion of overaged football players.

    PubMed

    George, John; Nagendran, Jayaselvi; Azmi, Khairul

    2012-03-01

    MRI of distal radius fusion is currently being used in the U17 World Cup to exclude overaged players. Developing countries that cannot afford to perform MRI on their players are using plain radiographs based on the same MRI criteria of fusion. The aim of this study is to compare the grade of fusion of the left wrist distal radial growth plate between MRI and plain radiographs. 150 healthy male football players were grouped into five age groups ranging from 15 to 19 years old. Each participant had coronal T1-weighted MRI and plain radiograph of the left wrist. The degree of distal radius fusion was rated randomly by three radiologists using a six-stage grading system proposed by the FIFA Research Centre. MRI assessment of distal radial growth plate fusion has good correlation with plain radiograph fusion (r=0.949). The mean of x-ray grading is higher than the MRI grading in the 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 years old age groups with p=0.443, 0.001, 0.009, <0.001 and 0.003, respectively, using Wilcoxon signed ranked test. Intraobserver and interobserver correlations were high (r=0.9). T1 MRI correlation with chronological age (r=0.771) was close to plain radiographs (r=0.821) with p value of <0.001. This article is of major importance as it is the first to show that x-rays significantly overrate the grading of fusion in this age group and therefore should not be used to exclude overaged players as is occurring now to the distress of many genuinely eligible players.

  9. Analysis of chronic aortic regurgitation by 2D and 3D echocardiography and cardiac MRI

    PubMed Central

    Stoebe, Stephan; Metze, Michael; Jurisch, Daniel; Tayal, Bhupendar; Solty, Kilian; Laufs, Ulrich; Pfeiffer, Dietrich; Hagendorff, Andreas

    2018-01-01

    Purpose The study compares the feasibility of the quantitative volumetric and semi-quantitative approach for quantification of chronic aortic regurgitation (AR) using different imaging modalities. Methods Left ventricular (LV) volumes, regurgitant volumes (RVol) and regurgitant fractions (RF) were assessed retrospectively by 2D, 3D echocardiography and cMRI in 55 chronic AR patients. Semi-quantitative parameters were assessed by 2D echocardiography. Results 22 (40%) patients had mild, 25 (46%) moderate and 8 (14%) severe AR. The quantitative volumetric approach was feasible using 2D, 3D echocardiography and cMRI, whereas the feasibility of semi-quantitative parameters varied considerably. LV volume (LVEDV, LVESV, SVtot) analyses showed good correlations between the different imaging modalities, although significantly increased LV volumes were assessed by cMRI. RVol was significantly different between 2D/3D echocardiography and 2D echocardiography/cMRI but was not significantly different between 3D echocardiography/cMRI. RF was not statistically different between 2D echocardiography/cMRI and 3D echocardiography/cMRI showing poor correlations (r < 0.5) between the different imaging modalities. For AR grading by RF, moderate agreement was observed between 2D/3D echocardiography and 2D echocardiography/cMRI and good agreement was observed between 3D echocardiography/cMRI. Conclusion Semi-quantitative parameters are difficult to determine by 2D echocardiography in clinical routine. The quantitative volumetric RF assessment seems to be feasible and can be discussed as an alternative approach in chronic AR. However, RVol and RF did not correlate well between the different imaging modalities. The best agreement for grading of AR severity by RF was observed between 3D echocardiography and cMRI. LV volumes can be verified by different approaches and different imaging modalities. PMID:29519957

  10. Myonecrosis following stent placement: association between impaired TIMI myocardial perfusion grade and MRI visualization of microinfarction.

    PubMed

    Choi, James W; Gibson, C Michael; Murphy, Sabina A; Davidson, Charles J; Kim, Raymond J; Ricciardi, Mark J

    2004-04-01

    Contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI (ceMRI) and TIMI myocardial perfusion grade analysis (TMPG) are proven methods for visualization of microinfarction and assessment of microvascular perfusion, respectively. To determine whether microvascular obstruction accounts for procedure-related myonecrosis, 14 poststent patients, 9 with procedural CK-MB elevation and 5 controls, underwent ceMRI and TMPG. All had TIMI 3 flow pre- and poststent. TMPG was normal in 12/14 pre- and 7/14 poststent. Those with poststent decline in TMPG had higher CK-MB (median, 41.0 vs. 7.4 ng/mL; P = 0.01) and larger infarct mass (median, 3.1 vs. 0.89 g; P = 0.04). More extensive myonecrosis (CK-MB > 3 x normal; infarct mass > 3 g) was observed more frequently if there was a poststent decline in TMPG (3/3, 100%, vs. 2/11, 18.2%; P = 0.03). These data support the theory that distal embolization and microvascular obstruction are associated with myonecrosis following otherwise successful coronary stent placement and provide further insight into its pathophysiology. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  11. Oblique Sagittal Images Prevent Underestimation of the Neuroforaminal Stenosis Grade Caused by Disc Herniation in Cervical Spine MRI.

    PubMed

    Kintzelé, Laurent; Rehnitz, Christoph; Kauczor, Hans-Ulrich; Weber, Marc-André

    2018-06-06

     To identify whether standard sagittal MRI images result in underestimation of the neuroforaminal stenosis grade compared to oblique sagittal MRI images in patients with cervical spine disc herniation.  74 patients with a total of 104 cervical disc herniations compromising the corresponding nerve root were evaluated. Neuroforaminal stenosis grades were evaluated in standard and oblique sagittal images by one senior and one resident radiologist experienced in musculoskeletal imaging. Oblique images were angled 30° towards the standard sagittal plane. Neuroforaminal stenosis grades were classified from 0 (no stenosis) to 3 (high grade stenosis).  Average neuroforaminal stenosis grades of both readers were significantly lower in standard compared to oblique sagittal images (p < 0.001). For 47.1 % of the cases, one or both readers reported a stenosis grade, which was at least 1 grade lower in standard compared to oblique sagittal images. There was also a significant difference when looking at patients who had neurological symptoms (p = 0.002) or underwent cervical spine surgery subsequently (p = 0.004). Interreader reliability, as measured by kappa value, and accordance rates were better for oblique sagittal images (0.94 vs. 0.88 and 99 % vs. 93 %).  Standard sagittal images tend to underestimate neuroforaminal stenosis grades compared to oblique sagittal images and are less reliable in the evaluation of disc herniations within the cervical spine MRI. In order to assess the potential therapeutic consequence, oblique images should therefore be considered as a valuable adjunct to the standard MRI protocol for patients with a radiculopathy.   · Neuroforaminal stenosis grades are underestimated in standard compared to oblique sagittal images. · Interreader reliability is higher for oblique sagittal images. · Oblique sagittal images should be performed in patients with a cervical radiculopathy. · Kintzele L, Rehnitz C, Kauczor H et al. Oblique Sagittal Images Prevent Underestimation of the Neuroforaminal Stenosis Grade Caused by Disc Herniation in Cervical Spine MRI. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2018; DOI: 10.1055/a-0612-8205. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  12. The value of DCE-MRI in assessing histopathological and molecular biological features in induced rat epithelial ovarian carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Yuan, Su Juan; Qiao, Tian Kui; Qiang, Jin Wei; Cai, Song Qi; Li, Ruo Kun

    2017-09-26

    To investigate dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) for assessing histopathological and molecular biological features in induced rat epithelial ovarian carcinomas (EOCs). 7,12-dimethylbenz[A]anthracene (DMBA) was applied to induce EOCs in situ in 46 SD rats. Conventional MRI and DCE-MRI were performed to evaluate the morphology and perfusion features of the tumors, including the time-signal intensity curve (TIC), volume transfer constant (K trans ), rate constant (K ep ), extravascular extracellular space volume ratio (V e ) and initial area under the curve (IAUC). DCE-MRI parameters were correlated with histological grade, microvascular density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fraction of Ki67-positive cells and the serum level of cancer antigen 125 (CA125). Thirty-five of the 46 rats developed EOCs. DCE-MRI showed type III TIC more frequently than type II (29/35 vs. 6/35, p < 0.001) in EOCs. The two types of TIC of tumors had significant differences in the histological grade, MVD, expression of VEGF and Ki67, and the serum level of CA125 (all p < 0.01). K trans , K ep and IAUC values showed significant differences in different histological grades in overall and pairwise comparisons except for IAUC in grade 2 vs. grade 3 (all p < 0.01). There was no significant difference in V e values among the three grade groups (p > 0.05). K trans , K ep and IAUC values were positively correlated with MVD, VEGF and Ki67 expression (all p < 0.01). V e was not significantly correlated with MVD, VEGF expression, Ki67 expression and the CA125 level (all p > 0.05). TIC types and perfusion parameters of DCE-MRI can reflect tumor grade, angiogenesis and cell proliferation to some extent, thereby helping treatment planning and predicting prognosis.

  13. Semi-automated and automated glioma grading using dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI relative cerebral blood volume measurements.

    PubMed

    Friedman, S N; Bambrough, P J; Kotsarini, C; Khandanpour, N; Hoggard, N

    2012-12-01

    Despite the established role of MRI in the diagnosis of brain tumours, histopathological assessment remains the clinically used technique, especially for the glioma group. Relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) is a dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI parameter that has been shown to correlate to tumour grade, but assessment requires a specialist and is time consuming. We developed analysis software to determine glioma gradings from perfusion rCBV scans in a manner that is quick, easy and does not require a specialist operator. MRI perfusion data from 47 patients with different histopathological grades of glioma were analysed with custom-designed software. Semi-automated analysis was performed with a specialist and non-specialist operator separately determining the maximum rCBV value corresponding to the tumour. Automated histogram analysis was performed by calculating the mean, standard deviation, median, mode, skewness and kurtosis of rCBV values. All values were compared with the histopathologically assessed tumour grade. A strong correlation between specialist and non-specialist observer measurements was found. Significantly different values were obtained between tumour grades using both semi-automated and automated techniques, consistent with previous results. The raw (unnormalised) data single-pixel maximum rCBV semi-automated analysis value had the strongest correlation with glioma grade. Standard deviation of the raw data had the strongest correlation of the automated analysis. Semi-automated calculation of raw maximum rCBV value was the best indicator of tumour grade and does not require a specialist operator. Both semi-automated and automated MRI perfusion techniques provide viable non-invasive alternatives to biopsy for glioma tumour grading.

  14. IDH mutant and 1p/19q co-deleted oligodendrogliomas: tumor grade stratification using diffusion-, susceptibility-, and perfusion-weighted MRI.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yu; Xing, Zhen; She, Dejun; Yang, Xiefeng; Zheng, Yingyan; Xiao, Zebin; Wang, Xingfu; Cao, Dairong

    2017-06-01

    Currently, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation and 1p/19q co-deletion are proven diagnostic biomarkers for both grade II and III oligodendrogliomas (ODs). Non-invasive diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), and dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion-weighted imaging (DSC-PWI) are widely used to provide physiological information (cellularity, hemorrhage, calcifications, and angiogenesis) of neoplastic histology and tumor grade. However, it is unclear whether DWI, SWI, and DSC-PWI are able to stratify grades of IDH-mutant and 1p/19q co-deleted ODs. We retrospectively reviewed the conventional MRI (cMRI), DWI, SWI, and DSC-PWI obtained on 33 patients with IDH-mutated and 1p/19q co-deleted ODs. Features of cMRI, normalized ADC (nADC), intratumoral susceptibility signals (ITSSs), normalized maxim CBV (nCBV), and normalized maximum CBF (nCBF) were compared between low-grade ODs (LGOs) and high-grade ODs (HGOs). Receiver operating characteristic curve and logistic regression were applied to determine diagnostic performances. HGOs tended to present with prominent edema and enhancement. nADC, ITSSs, nCBV, and nCBF were significantly different between groups (all P < 0.05). The combination of SWI and DSC-PWI for grading resulted in sensitivity and specificity of 100.00 and 93.33%, respectively. IDH-mutant and 1p/19q co-deleted ODs can be stratified by grades using cMRI and advanced magnetic resonance imaging techniques including DWI, SWI, and DSC-PWI. Combined ITSSs with nCBV appear to be a promising option for grading molecularly defined ODs in clinical practice.

  15. Reliability of macroscopic grading of intervertebral disk degeneration in dogs by use of the Thompson system and comparison with low-field magnetic resonance imaging findings.

    PubMed

    Bergknut, Niklas; Grinwis, Guy; Pickee, Emile; Auriemma, Edoardo; Lagerstedt, Anne-Sofie; Hagman, Ragnvi; Hazewinkel, Herman A W; Meij, Björn P

    2011-07-01

    To evaluate the reliability of the Thompson system for use in grading the gross pathological changes of intervertebral disk (IVD) degeneration in dogs and to investigate the agreement between gross pathological findings and low-field (0.2-T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Vertebral columns from cadavers of 19 dogs of various ages, breeds, and origins. 182 intervertebral segments were collected from 19 canine cadavers. Sagittal T2-weighted MRI of the T11 through S1 portion of the vertebral column was performed within 24 hours after the dogs were euthanized. The vertebral columns were subsequently divided in the midsagittal plane, and high-resolution photographs were obtained of each intervertebral segment (end plate-disk-end plate). The MRI images and photographs were graded separately in a blinded manner by 4 observers who used both Pfirrmann and Thompson grading criteria. The interobserver agreement for Thompson scores ranged from 0.76 to 0.88, and the intraobserver agreement ranged from 0.88 to 0.94 (Cohen weighted κ analysis). Agreement between scores for the Pfirrmann and Thompson grading criteria was κ = 0.70. Grading of IVD degeneration in dogs by use of the Thompson system resulted in high interobserver and intraobserver agreement, and scores for the Thompson system had substantial agreement with low-field MRI findings graded by use of the Pfirrmann system. This suggested that low-field MRI can be used to diagnose IVD degeneration in dogs.

  16. High concordance of findings obtained from transgluteal magnetic resonance imaging - and transrectal ultrasonography-guided biopsy as compared with prostatectomy specimens.

    PubMed

    Steurer, Stefan; Rico, Sebastian Dwertmann; Simon, Ronald; Minner, Sarah; Tsourlakis, Maria Christina; Krech, Till; Koop, Christina; Graefen, Markus; Heinzer, Hans; Adam, Meike; Huland, Hartwig; Schlomm, Thorsten; Sauter, Guido; Lumiani, Agron

    2017-09-01

    To determine the utility of our transgluteal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided prostate biopsy approach. A total of 960 biopsy series, taken within the period of 1 year, were evaluated, including 301 MRI-guided and 659 transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsies. The positivity rate and proportion of high grade cancers were significantly higher in MRI-guided than in TRUS-guided biopsies. Of 301 MRI-guided biopsies, 65.4% contained cancer while 57.2% of 659 TRUS biopsies contained cancer (P = 0.016). Gleason grade 3 + 3 = 6 disease was observed in 16.8% of 197 MRI-guided and in 36.1% of 377 TRUS-guided biopsies (P < 0.001). There was also a markedly higher quantity of cancer tissue in MRI-guided biopsies. In all cancers, the mean cancer surface area was 64.8 ± 51.6 mm 2 in MRI-guided biopsies as compared with 23.0 ± 31.4 mm 2 in non-MRI-guided biopsies (P < 0.001). With respect to the tissue quantity, superiority of MRI-guided biopsy was highest in Gleason grade 3 + 3 = 6 cancers (20.9 ± 27.9 vs 5.1 ± 10.2 mm 2 ; P < 0.001) and in Gleason grade 3 + 4 = 7 cancers (59.7 ± 38.0 vs 17.7 ± 18.4 mm 2 ; P < 0.001). Comparison of biopsy Gleason grades with findings in prostatectomy specimens was possible in 80 patients with MRI-guided and in 170 patients with non-MRI-guided biopsies. This comparison showed a very high but almost identical concordance of TRUS- and MRI-guided biopsies with the prostatectomy specimen findings. With both approaches, undetected high-risk cancers were present in ~10% of patients with low-risk biopsy results. A significant difference was observed, however, in the proportion of patients who had clinically insignificant cancers and who underwent surgery. The proportion of patients with Gleason grade 3 + 3 = 6 carcinoma in their prostatectomy specimen was 11.2% in the post-TRUS biopsy cohort, but only 2.5% in the post-MRI biopsy cohort (P = 0.021). MRI-guided transgluteal prostate biopsy has a high detection rate for high-risk carcinomas, while the risk of detecting clinically insignificant carcinomas appears to be reduced. This may by itself lead to a reduction of unnecessary prostatectomies. Overtreatment may be further avoided by better applicability of molecular testing to MRI-guided biopsies because of the excessive amount of tissue available for analysis, especially in patients with potential low-risk carcinomas. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  17. MRI/US fusion-guided prostate biopsy allows for equivalent cancer detection with significantly fewer needle cores in biopsy-naive men

    PubMed Central

    Yarlagadda, Vidhush K.; Lai, Win Shun; Gordetsky, Jennifer B.; Porter, Kristin K.; Nix, Jeffrey W.; Thomas, John V.; Rais-Bahrami, Soroush

    2018-01-01

    PURPOSE We aimed to investigate the efficiency and cancer detection of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/ultrasonography (US) fusion-guided prostate biopsy in a cohort of biopsy-naive men compared with standard-of-care systematic extended sextant transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS)-guided biopsy. METHODS From 2014 to 2016, 72 biopsy-naive men referred for initial prostate cancer evaluation who underwent MRI of the prostate were prospectively evaluated. Retrospective review was performed on 69 patients with lesions suspicious for malignancy who underwent MRI/US fusion-guided biopsy in addition to systematic extended sextant biopsy. Biometric, imaging, and pathology data from both the MRI-targeted biopsies and systematic biopsies were analyzed and compared. RESULTS There were no significant differences in overall prostate cancer detection when comparing MRI-targeted biopsies to standard systematic biopsies (P = 0.39). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in the distribution of severity of cancers based on grade groups in cases with cancer detection (P = 0.68). However, significantly fewer needle cores were taken during the MRI/US fusion-guided biopsy compared with systematic biopsy (63% less cores sampled, P < 0.001) CONCLUSION In biopsy-naive men, MRI/US fusion-guided prostate biopsy offers equal prostate cancer detection compared with systematic TRUS-guided biopsy with significantly fewer tissue cores using the targeted technique. This approach can potentially reduce morbidity in the future if used instead of systematic biopsy without sacrificing the ability to detect prostate cancer, particularly in cases with higher grade disease. PMID:29770762

  18. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Preoperative Planning in Brain Tumour Surgery.

    PubMed

    Lau, Jonathan C; Kosteniuk, Suzanne E; Bihari, Frank; Megyesi, Joseph F

    2017-01-01

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is being increasingly used for the preoperative evaluation of patients with brain tumours. The study is a retrospective chart review investigating the use of clinical fMRI from 2002 through 2013 in the preoperative evaluation of brain tumour patients. Baseline demographic and clinical data were collected. The specific fMRI protocols used for each patient were recorded. Sixty patients were identified over the 12-year period. The tumour types most commonly investigated were high-grade glioma (World Health Organization grade III or IV), low-grade glioma (World Health Organization grade II), and meningioma. Most common presenting symptoms were seizures (69.6%), language deficits (23.2%), and headache (19.6%). There was a predominance of left hemispheric lesions investigated with fMRI (76.8% vs 23.2% for right). The most commonly involved lobes were frontal (64.3%), temporal (33.9%), parietal (21.4%), and insular (7.1%). The most common fMRI paradigms were language (83.9%), motor (75.0%), sensory (16.1%), and memory (10.7%). The majority of patients ultimately underwent a craniotomy (75.0%), whereas smaller groups underwent stereotactic biopsy (8.9%) and nonsurgical management (16.1%). Time from request for fMRI to actual fMRI acquisition was 3.1±2.3 weeks. Time from fMRI acquisition to intervention was 4.9±5.5 weeks. We have characterized patient demographics in a retrospective single-surgeon cohort undergoing preoperative clinical fMRI at a Canadian centre. Our experience suggests an acceptable wait time from scan request to scan completion/analysis and from scan to intervention.

  19. MRI of the wrist is not recommended for age determination in female football players of U-16/U-17 competitions.

    PubMed

    Tscholl, P M; Junge, A; Dvorak, J; Zubler, V

    2016-03-01

    Age determination on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the wrist is a reliable method in male football players to evaluate their eligibility to participate in Under 17 tournaments. MRI of the wrist was performed in 487 female volunteers aged 13-19 years from Brazil, Germany, Malaysia, and Tanzania, and in 139 female football players participating in Under-16 and Under-17 football tournaments. A previously validated method for grading fusion of the distal radial epiphysis in male adolescent was used. Moderate correlation of chronological age and epiphyseal fusion was found in the normative control group (r = .59) and weak correlation in female football players (r = .27). Complete fusion of the distal radial epiphysis was observed in two 15-year-old volunteers of the control group (1.7%) and in 17.6% (3 of 17) of 14-year-old football players. Up to 10.8% (47 of 437) in the control group and 14.4% (20 of 139) of the football players 17 years or younger had complete fused epiphysis. Because of earlier osseous maturity in female adolescents, the grade of fusion of the distal radial epiphysis on MRI is not recommended for pretournament age determination for the age of 17 and younger in female. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  20. Correlation between dynamic contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI relative cerebral blood volume and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in meningiomas.

    PubMed

    Ginat, Daniel T; Mangla, Rajiv; Yeaney, Gabrielle; Schaefer, Pamela W; Wang, Henry

    2012-08-01

    To determine whether there is a correlation between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and cerebral blood flow (CBV) measurements in dynamic contrast-enhanced susceptibility perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and to correlate the perfusion characteristics in high- versus low-grade meningiomas. A total of 48 (24 high-grade and 24 low-grade) meningiomas with available dynamic susceptibility-weighted MRI were retrospectively reviewed for maximum CBV and semiquantitative VEGF immunoreactivity. Correlation between normalized CBV and VEGF was made using the Spearman rank test and comparison between CBV in high- versus low-grade meningiomas was made using the Wilcoxon test. There was a significant (P = .01) correlation between normalized maximum CBV and VEGF scores with a Spearman correlation coefficient of 0.37. In addition, there was a significant (P < .01) difference in normalized maximum CBV ratios between high-grade meningiomas (mean 12.6; standard deviation 5.2) and low-grade meningiomas (mean 8.2; standard deviation 5.2). The data suggest that CBV accurately reflects VEGF expression and tumor grade in meningiomas. Perfusion-weighted MRI can potentially serve as a useful biomarker for meningiomas, pending prospective studies. Copyright © 2012 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Multimodal 18F-Fluciclovine PET/MRI and Ultrasound-Guided Neurosurgery of an Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma.

    PubMed

    Karlberg, Anna; Berntsen, Erik Magnus; Johansen, Håkon; Myrthue, Mariane; Skjulsvik, Anne Jarstein; Reinertsen, Ingerid; Esmaeili, Morteza; Dai, Hong Yan; Xiao, Yiming; Rivaz, Hassan; Borghammer, Per; Solheim, Ole; Eikenes, Live

    2017-12-01

    Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histopathologic tissue sampling are routinely performed as part of the diagnostic workup for patients with glioma. Because of the heterogeneous nature of gliomas, there is a risk of undergrading caused by histopathologic sampling errors. MRI has limitations in identifying tumor grade and type, detecting diffuse invasive growth, and separating recurrences from treatment induced changes. Positron emission tomography (PET) can provide quantitative information of cellular activity and metabolism, and may therefore complement MRI. In this report, we present the first patient with brain glioma examined with simultaneous PET/MRI using the amino acid tracer 18 F-fluciclovine ( 18 F-FACBC) for intraoperative image-guided surgery. A previously healthy 60-year old woman was admitted to the emergency care with speech difficulties and a mild left-sided hemiparesis. MRI revealed a tumor that was suggestive of glioma. Before surgery, the patient underwent a simultaneous PET/MRI examination. Fused PET/MRI, T1, FLAIR, and intraoperative three-dimensional ultrasound images were used to guide histopathologic tissue sampling and surgical resection. Navigated, image-guided histopathologic samples were compared with PET/MRI image data to assess the additional value of the PET acquisition. Histopathologic analysis showed anaplastic oligodendroglioma in the most malignant parts of the tumor, while several regions were World Health Organization (WHO) grade II. 18 F-Fluciclovine uptake was found in parts of the tumor where regional WHO grade, cell proliferation, and cell densities were highest. This finding suggests that PET/MRI with this tracer could be used to improve accuracy in histopathologic tissue sampling and grading, and possibly for guiding treatments targeting the most malignant part of extensive and eloquent gliomas. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Serial MR diffusion to predict treatment response in high-grade pediatric brain tumors: a comparison of regional and voxel-based diffusion change metrics

    PubMed Central

    Rodriguez Gutierrez, Daniel; Manita, Muftah; Jaspan, Tim; Dineen, Robert A.; Grundy, Richard G.; Auer, Dorothee P.

    2013-01-01

    Background Assessment of treatment response by measuring tumor size is known to be a late and potentially confounded response index. Serial diffusion MRI has shown potential for allowing earlier and possibly more reliable response assessment in adult patients, with limited experience in clinical settings and in pediatric brain cancer. We present a retrospective study of clinical MRI data in children with high-grade brain tumors to assess and compare the values of several diffusion change metrics to predict treatment response. Methods Eighteen patients (age range, 1.9–20.6 years) with high-grade brain tumors and serial diffusion MRI (pre- and posttreatment interval range, 1–16 weeks posttreatment) were identified after obtaining parental consent. The following diffusion change metrics were compared with the clinical response status assessed at 6 months: (1) regional change in absolute and normalized apparent diffusivity coefficient (ADC), (2) voxel-based fractional volume of increased (fiADC) and decreased ADC (fdADC), and (3) a new metric based on the slope of the first principal component of functional diffusion maps (fDM). Results Responders (n = 12) differed significantly from nonresponders (n = 6) in all 3 diffusional change metrics demonstrating higher regional ADC increase, larger fiADC, and steeper slopes (P < .05). The slope method allowed the best response prediction (P < .01, η2 = 0.78) with a classification accuracy of 83% for a slope of 58° using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Conclusions We demonstrate that diffusion change metrics are suitable response predictors for high-grade pediatric tumors, even in the presence of variable clinical diffusion imaging protocols. PMID:23585630

  3. 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT, Brain MRI, and 5-Aminolevulinic Acid for the Assessment of Tumor Resection in High-Grade Glioma.

    PubMed

    García Vicente, Ana María; Jiménez Aragón, Fátima; Villena Martín, Maikal; Jiménez Londoño, German Andrés; Borrás Moreno, Jose María

    2017-06-01

    High-grade glioma is a very aggressive and infiltrative tumor in which complete resection is a chance for a better outcome. We present the case of a 57-year-old man with a brain lesion suggestive of high-grade glioma. Brain MRI and F-fluorocholine PET/CT were performed previously to plan the surgery. Surgery was microscope assisted after the administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid. Postsurgery brain MRI and PET were blind evaluated to the surgery results and reported as probably gross total resection.

  4. Non-Gaussian diffusion MR imaging of glioma: comparisons of multiple diffusion parameters and correlation with histologic grade and MIB-1 (Ki-67 labeling) index.

    PubMed

    Yan, Ren; Haopeng, Pang; Xiaoyuan, Feng; Jinsong, Wu; Jiawen, Zhang; Chengjun, Yao; Tianming, Qiu; Ji, Xiong; Mao, Sheng; Yueyue, Ding; Yong, Zhang; Jianfeng, Luo; Zhenwei, Yao

    2016-02-01

    This study was conducted to compare the association of Gaussian and non-Gaussian magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived parameters with histologic grade and MIB-1 (Ki-67 labeling) index (MI) in brain glioma. Sixty-five patients with pathologically confirmed glioma, who underwent diffusion-weighted MRI with 2 b values (0, 1000 s/mm(2)) and 22 b values (≤5000 s/mm(2)), respectively, were divided into three groups of grade II (n = 35), grade III (n = 8), and grade IV (n = 22). Comparisons by two groups were made for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), slow diffusion coefficient (Dslow), distributed diffusion coefficient (DDC), and heterogeneity index α. Analyses of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve were performed to maximize the area under the curve (AUC) for differentiating grade III + IV (high-grade glioma, HGG) from grade II (low-grade glioma, LGG) and grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme, GBM) from grade II + III (other grade glioma, OGG). Correlations with MI were analyzed for the MRI parameters. On tumor regions, the values of ADC, Dslow, DDC, and α were significantly higher in grade II [(1.37 ± 0.29, 0.70 ± 0.11, 1.39 ± 0.34) (×10(-3) mm(2)/s) and 0.88 ± 0.05, respectively] than in grade III [(0.99 ± 0.13, 0.55 ± 0.07, 1.04 ± 0.20) (×10(-3) mm(2)/s) and 0.80 ± 0.03, respectively] and grade IV [(1.03 ± 0.14, 0.50 ± 0.05, 1.02 ± 0.16) (×10(-3) mm(2)/s) and 0.76 ± 0.04, respectively] (all P < 0.001). The parameter α showed the highest AUCs of 0.950 and 0.922 in discriminating HGG from LGG and GBM from OGG, respectively. Significant correlations with histologic grade and MI were observed for the MRI parameters. The non-Gaussian MRI-derived parameters α and Dslow are superior to ADC in glioma grading, which are comparable with ADC as reliable biomarkers in noninvasively predicting the proliferation level of glioma malignancy.

  5. Early Changes in Tumor Perfusion from T1-Weighted Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI following Neural Stem Cell-Mediated Therapy of Recurrent High-Grade Glioma Correlate with Overall Survival.

    PubMed

    Sahoo, Prativa; Frankel, Paul; Ressler, Julie; Gutova, Margarita; Annala, Alexander J; Badie, Behnam; Portnow, Jana; Aboody, Karen S; D'Apuzzo, Massimo; Rockne, Russell C

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study was to correlate T1-weighted dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI- (DCE-MRI-) derived perfusion parameters with overall survival of recurrent high-grade glioma patients who received neural stem cell- (NSC-) mediated enzyme/prodrug gene therapy. A total of 12 patients were included in this retrospective study. All patients were enrolled in a first-in-human study (NCT01172964) of NSC-mediated therapy for recurrent high-grade glioma. DCE-MRI data from all patients were collected and analyzed at three time points: MRI#1-day 1 postsurgery/treatment, MRI#2- day 7 ± 3 posttreatment, and MRI#3-one-month follow-up. Plasma volume ( V p ), permeability ( K tr ), and leakage ( λ tr ) perfusion parameters were calculated by fitting a pharmacokinetic model to the DCE-MRI data. The contrast-enhancing (CE) volume was measured from the last dynamic phase acquired in the DCE sequence. Perfusion parameters and CE at each MRI time point were recorded along with their relative change between MRI#2 and MRI#3 (Δ 32 ). Cox regression was used to analyze patient survival. At MRI#1 and at MRI#3, none of the parameters showed a significant correlation with overall survival (OS). However, at MRI#2, CE and λ tr were significantly associated with OS ( p < 0.05). The relative λ tr and V p from timepoint 2 to timepoint 3 (Δ 32 λ tr and Δ 32 V p ) were each associated with a higher hazard ratio ( p < 0.05). All parameters were highly correlated, resulting in a multivariate model for OS including only CE at MRI#2 and Δ 32 V p , with an R 2 of 0.89. The change in perfusion parameter values from 1 week to 1 month following NSC-mediated therapy combined with contrast-enhancing volume may be a useful biomarker to predict overall survival in patients with recurrent high-grade glioma.

  6. Supervised learning based multimodal MRI brain tumour segmentation using texture features from supervoxels.

    PubMed

    Soltaninejad, Mohammadreza; Yang, Guang; Lambrou, Tryphon; Allinson, Nigel; Jones, Timothy L; Barrick, Thomas R; Howe, Franklyn A; Ye, Xujiong

    2018-04-01

    Accurate segmentation of brain tumour in magnetic resonance images (MRI) is a difficult task due to various tumour types. Using information and features from multimodal MRI including structural MRI and isotropic (p) and anisotropic (q) components derived from the diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) may result in a more accurate analysis of brain images. We propose a novel 3D supervoxel based learning method for segmentation of tumour in multimodal MRI brain images (conventional MRI and DTI). Supervoxels are generated using the information across the multimodal MRI dataset. For each supervoxel, a variety of features including histograms of texton descriptor, calculated using a set of Gabor filters with different sizes and orientations, and first order intensity statistical features are extracted. Those features are fed into a random forests (RF) classifier to classify each supervoxel into tumour core, oedema or healthy brain tissue. The method is evaluated on two datasets: 1) Our clinical dataset: 11 multimodal images of patients and 2) BRATS 2013 clinical dataset: 30 multimodal images. For our clinical dataset, the average detection sensitivity of tumour (including tumour core and oedema) using multimodal MRI is 86% with balanced error rate (BER) 7%; while the Dice score for automatic tumour segmentation against ground truth is 0.84. The corresponding results of the BRATS 2013 dataset are 96%, 2% and 0.89, respectively. The method demonstrates promising results in the segmentation of brain tumour. Adding features from multimodal MRI images can largely increase the segmentation accuracy. The method provides a close match to expert delineation across all tumour grades, leading to a faster and more reproducible method of brain tumour detection and delineation to aid patient management. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Addressing metabolic heterogeneity in clear cell renal cell carcinoma with quantitative Dixon MRI

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Yue; Udayakumar, Durga; Cai, Ling; Hu, Zeping; Kapur, Payal; Kho, Eun-Young; Pavía-Jiménez, Andrea; Fulkerson, Michael; de Leon, Alberto Diaz; Yuan, Qing; Dimitrov, Ivan E.; Ye, Jin; Mitsche, Matthew A.; Kim, Hyeonwoo; McDonald, Jeffrey G.; Madhuranthakam, Ananth J.; Dwivedi, Durgesh K.; Lenkinski, Robert E.; Cadeddu, Jeffrey A.; Margulis, Vitaly; Brugarolas, James; DeBerardinis, Ralph J.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND. Dysregulated lipid and glucose metabolism in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) has been implicated in disease progression, and whole tumor tissue–based assessment of these changes is challenged by the tumor heterogeneity. We studied a noninvasive quantitative MRI method that predicts metabolic alterations in the whole tumor. METHODS. We applied Dixon-based MRI for in vivo quantification of lipid accumulation (fat fraction [FF]) in targeted regions of interest of 45 primary ccRCCs and correlated these MRI measures to mass spectrometry–based lipidomics and metabolomics of anatomically colocalized tissue samples isolated from the same tumor after surgery. RESULTS. In vivo tumor FF showed statistically significant (P < 0.0001) positive correlation with histologic fat content (Spearman correlation coefficient, ρ = 0.79), spectrometric triglycerides (ρ = 0.56) and cholesterol (ρ = 0.47); it showed negative correlation with free fatty acids (ρ = –0.44) and phospholipids (ρ = –0.65). We observed both inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity in lipid accumulation within the same tumor grade, whereas most aggressive tumors (International Society of Urological Pathology [ISUP] grade 4) exhibited reduced lipid accumulation. Cellular metabolites in tumors were altered compared with adjacent renal parenchyma. CONCLUSION. Our results support the use of noninvasive quantitative Dixon-based MRI as a biomarker of reprogrammed lipid metabolism in ccRCC, which may serve as a predictor of tumor aggressiveness before surgical intervention. FUNDING. NIH R01CA154475 (YZ, MF, PK, IP), NIH P50CA196516 (IP, JB, RJD, JAC, PK), Welch Foundation I-1832 (JY), and NIH P01HL020948 (JGM). PMID:28768909

  8. Comparison of postoperative magnetic resonance imaging and second-look arthroscopy for evaluating meniscal allograft transplantation.

    PubMed

    Kim, Jong-Min; Kim, Jong-Min; Jeon, Byeong-Sam; Lee, Chang-Rack; Lim, Sung-Joon; Kim, Kyung-Ah; Bin, Seong-Il

    2015-05-01

    The aim of this study was to compare the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of transplanted meniscal allograft with second-look arthroscopy and evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI for assessing graft status. From 1996 to 2012, among 290 knees that underwent meniscal allograft transplantation and received follow-up examination for more than 1 year, those knees that underwent second-look arthroscopy were reviewed. Patients with no postoperative MRI and patients with a time gap between postoperative MRI and second-look arthroscopy of more than 3 months were excluded. Anatomically, the meniscus was divided into 3 segments: anterior one-third, mid body, and posterior one-third. Each part of the meniscus was evaluated using both methods. Grade 3 MRI signal intensity was diagnosed as a meniscal tear radiologically. By use of second-look arthroscopy as the standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of postoperative MRI were assessed in each segment of the grafts. Twenty knees were retrospectively enrolled. The specificity, PPV, and accuracy for the anterior one-third were lower than those for the mid body and posterior one-third (specificity of 35.3% v 91.7% and 90%, respectively; PPV of 21.4% v 87.5% and 90.9%, respectively; and accuracy of 45% v 90% and 95%, respectively). However, the sensitivity and NPV were similar among the anterior one-third, mid body, and posterior one-third (sensitivity of 100%, 87.5%, and 100%, respectively; and NPV of 100%, 91.7%, and 100%, respectively). There were no significant differences in the comparison between the diagnostic MRI values of lateral grafts and medial grafts. Of 5 cases that showed grade 3 signal at only the anterior one-third section, 60% had no clinical signs. There were no graft tears in any cases. The anterior one-third of grafts showed low specificity, PPV, and accuracy of postoperative MRI compared with the mid body and posterior one-third. MRI tended to grade the anterior one-third more poorly than second-look arthroscopy. These features should be considered when evaluating transplanted meniscal allografts on postoperative MRI. Level III, study of non-consecutive patients evaluating a diagnostic test with a gold standard. Copyright © 2015 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Automatic Semantic Segmentation of Brain Gliomas from MRI Images Using a Deep Cascaded Neural Network

    PubMed Central

    Mao, Lei; Liu, Chang; Xiong, Shuyu

    2018-01-01

    Brain tumors can appear anywhere in the brain and have vastly different sizes and morphology. Additionally, these tumors are often diffused and poorly contrasted. Consequently, the segmentation of brain tumor and intratumor subregions using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data with minimal human interventions remains a challenging task. In this paper, we present a novel fully automatic segmentation method from MRI data containing in vivo brain gliomas. This approach can not only localize the entire tumor region but can also accurately segment the intratumor structure. The proposed work was based on a cascaded deep learning convolutional neural network consisting of two subnetworks: (1) a tumor localization network (TLN) and (2) an intratumor classification network (ITCN). The TLN, a fully convolutional network (FCN) in conjunction with the transfer learning technology, was used to first process MRI data. The goal of the first subnetwork was to define the tumor region from an MRI slice. Then, the ITCN was used to label the defined tumor region into multiple subregions. Particularly, ITCN exploited a convolutional neural network (CNN) with deeper architecture and smaller kernel. The proposed approach was validated on multimodal brain tumor segmentation (BRATS 2015) datasets, which contain 220 high-grade glioma (HGG) and 54 low-grade glioma (LGG) cases. Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), positive predictive value (PPV), and sensitivity were used as evaluation metrics. Our experimental results indicated that our method could obtain the promising segmentation results and had a faster segmentation speed. More specifically, the proposed method obtained comparable and overall better DSC values (0.89, 0.77, and 0.80) on the combined (HGG + LGG) testing set, as compared to other methods reported in the literature. Additionally, the proposed approach was able to complete a segmentation task at a rate of 1.54 seconds per slice. PMID:29755716

  10. Does Low-Field Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Improve the Results of Endoscopic Pituitary Surgery? Experience of the Implementation of a New Device in a Referral Center.

    PubMed

    García, Sergio; Reyes, Luis; Roldán, Pedro; Torales, Jorge; Halperin, Irene; Hanzu, Felicia; Langdon, Cristobal; Alobid, Isam; Enseñat, Joaquim

    2017-06-01

    To assess the contribution of low-field intraoperative magnetic resonance (iMRI) to endoscopic pituitary surgery. We analyzed a prospective series of patients undergoing endoscopic endonasal surgery for pituitary macroadenomas assisted with a low-field iMRI (PoleStarN30, 0.15 T [Medtronic]). Clinical, radiologic, and surgical variables were analyzed and compared with our fully endoscopic historic cohort operated on without iMRI assistance. A bibliographic review of pituitary surgery assisted with iMRI was conducted. Thirty patients (57% female; mean age, 55 years) were prospectively analyzed. The most frequent tumor subtype was nonfunctioning macroadenoma (50%). The average Knosp grade was 2.3 and mean tumor size was 18 mm. Surgical and positioning time were 102 and 47 minutes, respectively. Hospital stay and complication rates were similar to our historical cohort for pituitary surgery. Mean follow-up was 10 months. Complete resection (CR) was achieved in 83% of patients. Seven patients (23%) benefited from iMRI assistance and achieved a CR in their surgeries. All patients except 1 experienced hormonal activity remission. iMRI sensitivity and specificity was 0.8 and 1, respectively. Although not statistically significant, CR rates were globally 11.5% superior in iMRI series compared with our historical cohort. This difference was independent of cavernous sinus invasiveness grade (CR rate increased 12.5% for Knosp grade 0-2 and 8.1% for Knosp grade 3-4). Low-field iMRI is a useful and safe assistance even in advanced surgical techniques such as endoscopy. Its contribution is limited by the intrinsic features of the tumor. Further randomized studies are required to confirm the cost-effectiveness of iMRI in pituitary surgery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Altered intraoperative cerebrovascular reactivity in brain areas of high-grade glioma recurrence.

    PubMed

    Fierstra, Jorn; van Niftrik, Bas; Piccirelli, Marco; Burkhardt, Jan Karl; Pangalu, Athina; Kocian, Roman; Valavanis, Antonios; Weller, Michael; Regli, Luca; Bozinov, Oliver

    2016-07-01

    Current MRI sequences are limited in identifying brain areas at risk for high grade glioma recurrence. We employed intraoperative 3-Tesla functional MRI to assess cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) after high-grade glioma resection and analyzed regional CVR responses in areas of tumor recurrence on clinical follow-up imaging. Five subjects with high-grade glioma that underwent an intraoperative Blood Oxygen-Level Dependent (BOLD) MRI CVR examination and had a clinical follow-up of at least 18months were selected from a prospective database. For this study, location of tumor recurrence was spatially matched to the intraoperative imaging to assess CVR response in that particular area. CVR is defined as the percent BOLD signal change during repeated cycles of apnea. Of the 5 subjects (mean age 44, 2 females), 4 were diagnosed with a WHO grade III and 1 subject with a WHO grade IV glioma. Three subjects exhibited a tumor recurrence on clinical follow-up MRI (mean: 15months). BOLD CVR measured in the spatially matched area of tumor recurrence was on average 94% increased (range-32% to 183%) as compared to contralateral hemisphere CVR response, 1.50±0.81 versus 1.03±0.46 respectively (p=0.31). For this first analysis in a small cohort, we found altered intraoperative CVR in brain areas exhibiting high grade glioma recurrence on clinical follow-up imaging. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. [Evaluation of cartilage defects in the knee: validity of clinical, magnetic-resonance-imaging and radiological findings compared with arthroscopy].

    PubMed

    Spahn, G; Wittig, R; Kahl, E; Klinger, H M; Mückley, T; Hofmann, G O

    2007-05-01

    The study was aimed to evaluate the validity of clinical, radiological and MRI examination for cartilage defects of the knee compared with arthroscopic finding. Seven-hundred seventy-two patients who were suffering from knee pain over more than 3 months were evaluated clinical (grinding-sign) and with radiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and subsequent arthroscopy. The grinding sign had a sensitivity of 0.39. The association of a positive grinding test with high grade cartilage defects was significant (p<0.000). In 97.4% an intact chondral surface correlated with a normal radiological finding. Subchondral sclerosis, exophytes and a joint space narrowing was significantly associated with high grade cartilage defects (p<0.000). The accuracy of MRI was 59.5%. The MRI resulted in an overestimation in 36.6% and an underestimation in 3.9%. False-positive results were significant more often assessed in low-grade cartilage defects (p<0.000). Clinical signs, x-ray imaging and MRI correlate with arthroscopic findings in cases of deep cartilage lesions. In intact or low-grade degenerated cartilage often results an overestimating of these findings.

  13. Cardiac MRI in patients with complex CHD following primary or secondary implantation of MRI-conditional pacemaker system.

    PubMed

    Al-Wakeel, Nadya; O h-Ici, Darach; Schmitt, Katharina R; Messroghli, Daniel R; Riesenkampff, Eugénie; Berger, Felix; Kuehne, Titus; Peters, Bjoern

    2016-02-01

    In patients with CHD, cardiac MRI is often indicated for functional and anatomical assessment. With the recent introduction of MRI-conditional pacemaker systems, cardiac MRI has become accessible for patients with pacemakers. The present clinical study aims to evaluate safety, susceptibility artefacts, and image reading of cardiac MRI in patients with CHD and MRI-conditional pacemaker systems. Material and methods CHD patients with MRI-conditional pacemaker systems and a clinical need for cardiac MRI were examined with a 1.5-T MRI system. Lead function was tested before and after MRI. Artefacts and image readings were evaluated using a four-point grading scale. A total of nine patients with CHD (mean age 34.0 years, range 19.5-53.6 years) received a total of 11 cardiac MRI examinations. Owing to clinical indications, seven patients had previously been converted from conventional to MRI-conditional pacemaker systems. All MRI examinations were completed without adverse effects. Device testing immediately after MRI and at follow-up showed no alteration of pacemaker device and lead function. Clinical questions could be addressed and answered in all patients. Cardiac MRI can be performed safely with high certainty of diagnosis in CHD patients with MRI-conditional pacemaker systems. In case of clinically indicated lead and box changing, CHD patients with non-MRI-conditional pacemaker systems should be considered for complete conversion to MRI-conditional systems.

  14. Seizure control following radiotherapy in patients with diffuse gliomas: a retrospective study

    PubMed Central

    Rudà, Roberta; Magliola, Umberto; Bertero, Luca; Trevisan, Elisa; Bosa, Chiara; Mantovani, Cristina; Ricardi, Umberto; Castiglione, Anna; Monagheddu, Chiara; Soffietti, Riccardo

    2013-01-01

    Background Little information is available regarding the effect of conventional radiotherapy on glioma-related seizures. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed the seizure response and outcome following conventional radiotherapy in a cohort of 43 patients with glioma (33 grade II, 10 grade III) and medically intractable epilepsy. Results At 3 months after radiotherapy, seizure reduction was significant (≥50% reduction of frequency compared with baseline) in 31/43 patients (72%) of the whole series and in 25/33 patients (76%) with grade II gliomas, whereas at 12 months seizure reduction was significant in 26/34 (76%) and in 19/25 (76%) patients, respectively. Seizure reduction was observed more often among patients displaying an objective tumor response on MRI, but patients with no change on MRI also had a significant seizure reduction. Seizure freedom (Engel class I) was achieved at 12 months in 32% of all patients and in 38% of patients with grade II tumors. Timing of radiotherapy and duration of seizures prior to radiotherapy were significantly associated with seizure reduction. Conclusions This study showed that a high proportion of patients with medically intractable epilepsy from diffuse gliomas derive a significant and durable benefit from radiotherapy in terms of epilepsy control and that this positive effect is not strictly associated with tumor shrinkage as shown on MRI. Radiotherapy at tumor progression seems as effective as early radiotherapy after surgery. Prospective studies must confirm and better characterize the response to radiotherapy. PMID:23897633

  15. Methodologies for semiquantitative evaluation of hip osteoarthritis by magnetic resonance imaging: approaches based on the whole organ and focused on active lesions.

    PubMed

    Jaremko, Jacob L; Lambert, Robert G W; Zubler, Veronika; Weber, Ulrich; Loeuille, Damien; Roemer, Frank W; Cibere, Jolanda; Pianta, Marcus; Gracey, David; Conaghan, Philip; Ostergaard, Mikkel; Maksymowych, Walter P

    2014-02-01

    As a wider variety of therapeutic options for osteoarthritis (OA) becomes available, there is an increasing need to objectively evaluate disease severity on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This is more technically challenging at the hip than at the knee, and as a result, few systematic scoring systems exist. The OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology) filter of truth, discrimination, and feasibility can be used to validate image-based scoring systems. Our objective was (1) to review the imaging features relevant to the assessment of severity and progression of hip OA; and (2) to review currently used methods to grade these features in existing hip OA scoring systems. A systematic literature review was conducted. MEDLINE keyword search was performed for features of arthropathy (such as hip + bone marrow edema or lesion, synovitis, cyst, effusion, cartilage, etc.) and scoring system (hip + OA + MRI + score or grade), with a secondary manual search for additional references in the retrieved publications. Findings relevant to the severity of hip OA include imaging markers associated with inflammation (bone marrow lesion, synovitis, effusion), structural damage (cartilage loss, osteophytes, subchondral cysts, labral tears), and predisposing geometric factors (hip dysplasia, femoral-acetabular impingement). Two approaches to the semiquantitative assessment of hip OA are represented by Hip OA MRI Scoring System (HOAMS), a comprehensive whole organ assessment of nearly all findings, and the Hip Inflammation MRI Scoring System (HIMRISS), which selectively scores only active lesions (bone marrow lesion, synovitis/effusion). Validation is presently confined to limited assessment of reliability. Two methods for semiquantitative assessment of hip OA on MRI have been described and validation according to the OMERACT Filter is limited to evaluation of reliability.

  16. Detecting liver fibrosis with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI: A confirmatory study.

    PubMed

    Verloh, Niklas; Utpatel, Kirsten; Haimerl, Michael; Zeman, Florian; Beyer, Lukas; Fellner, Claudia; Brennfleck, Frank; Dahlke, Marc H; Stroszczynski, Christian; Evert, Matthias; Wiggermann, Philipp

    2018-04-18

    Strong correlations between the grade of fibrosis and cirrhosis, classified using the Ishak scoring system, and the uptake characteristics of Gd-EOB-DTPA with the relative enhancement (RE) of the liver parenchyma have been reported. To confirm the results of a retrospective analysis, patients undergoing liver surgery were prospectively examined with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver 3 Tesla MRI to determine the degree of liver fibrosis. Correlations between the grade of fibrosis and cirrhosis, classified using the Ishak scoring system, and RE were investigated and compared with those derived from an initial retrospective study. After validating the cut-off values in the retrospective study (Ishak ≥ 1, RE-cut-off 0.90; Ishak ≥ 2, RE-cut-off 0.79; Ishak ≥ 4, RE-cut-off 0.60; and Ishak = 6, RE-cut-off 0.47), we showed that Gd-EOB-DTPA has a high sensitivity (≥86%) and a high positive predictive value (≥86%). These results support the use of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced liver MRI as a non-invasive method for determining the degree of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis.

  17. Long-Term Performance of Readers Trained in Grading Crohn Disease Activity Using MRI.

    PubMed

    Puylaert, Carl A J; Tielbeek, Jeroen A W; Bipat, Shandra; Boellaard, Thierry N; Nio, C Yung; Stoker, Jaap

    2016-12-01

    We aim to evaluate the long-term performance of readers who had participated in previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reader training in grading Crohn disease activity. Fourteen readers (8 women; 12 radiologists, 2 residents; mean age 40; range 31-59), who had participated in a previous MRI reader training, participated in a follow-up evaluation after a mean interval of 29 months (range 25-34 months). Follow-up evaluation comprised 25 MRI cases of suspected or known Crohn disease patients with direct feedback; cases were identical to the evaluation set used in the initial reader training (of which readers were unaware). Grading accuracy, overstaging, and understaging were compared between training and follow-up using a consensus score by two experienced abdominal radiologists as the reference standard. In the follow-up evaluation, overall grading accuracy was 73% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 62%-81%), which was comparable to reader training grading accuracy (72%, 95% CI: 61%-80%) (P = .66). Overstaging decreased significantly from 19% (95% CI: 12%-27%) to 13% (95% CI: 8%-21%) between training and follow-up (P = .03), whereas understaging increased significantly from 9% (95% CI: 4%-21%) to 14% (95% CI: 7%-26%) (P < .01). Readers have consistent long-term accuracy for grading Crohn disease activity after case-based reader training with direct feedback. Copyright © 2016 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. MRI detection of soleus muscle injuries in professional football players.

    PubMed

    Pezzotta, G; Querques, G; Pecorelli, A; Nani, R; Sironi, S

    2017-11-01

    To describe magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics of soleus muscle injuries in symptomatic professional football players stratified according to both the Munich consensus statement and the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC), and to investigate the association between specific MRI features and the "return to play" (RTP). Professional football players with an episode of acute posterior calf pain and impaired function, subsequent to sports activity, underwent ultrasound followed by MRI examination reviewed by two different radiologists with more than 10 years of experience in the musculoskeletal system. MRI features and RTP outcome were evaluated for all types of injuries. During a 36-month period, a total of 20 professional football players were evaluated. According to the Munich consensus, 11 were type 3A, 8 were type 3B, and 1 was type 4, whereas according to the BAMIC, 11 lesions were considered grade 1, 4 grade 2, 4 grade 3, and 1 grade 4. RTP data were available for all patients (mean 3.3 ± 1.6 weeks). Both the Munich consensus and the BAMIC correlated with RTP (Spearman correlation = 0.982 and p < 0.0001 and 0.886 and p < 0.0001 respectively). Extension of edema was an independent prognostic factor for RTP in two different models of multivariate regression analysis (p = 0.044 model A; p = 0.031 model B). The Munich consensus and BAMIC grading systems are useful tools for defining the patient's prognosis and proper rehabilitation time after injury. The MRI feature that we should carefully look for is the extension of edema, as it seems to significantly affect the RTP.

  19. Fluorescence optical imaging and 3T-MRI for detection of synovitis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis in comparison to a composite standard of reference.

    PubMed

    Thuermel, Klaus; Neumann, Jan; Jungmann, Pia M; Schäffeler, Christoph; Waldt, Simone; Heinze, Alexander; Beckmann, Alexander; Hauser, Christine; Hasenau, Anna-Lena; Wildgruber, Moritz; Clotten, Sigrun; Sievert, Matti; Haller, Bernhard; Woertler, Klaus; Harasser, Norbert; Rummeny, Ernst J; Meier, Reinhard

    2017-05-01

    To address whether Indocyanine Green (ICG) enhanced fluorescence optical imaging (FOI) is more sensitive than magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the detection of synovitis of the wrist and finger joints in rheumatoid arthritis and to analyze the performance of FOI depending on the grade of synovitis. Twenty patients with highly active rheumatoid arthritis (mean DAS28-ESR 5.25±1.0) and thirteen healthy volunteers underwent clinical examination, FOI and contrast-enhanced 3T-MRI. Joints were rated by three independent readers semiquantitatively (grade 0-3: no, low, moderate and high grade synovitis) and compared to a semiquantitative composite standard of reference (cSOR, grade 0-3) that incorporated clinical parameters, FOI and MRI results. 2.868 evaluations in 956 joints were performed. FOI had an overall sensitivity of 57.3% and a specificity of 92.1%, whereas MRI had a sensitivity of 89.2% and a specificity of 92.6%. The sensitivity of FOI increased with the degree of synovitis to 65.0% for moderate and severe synovitis (specificity 88.1%) and 76,3% for severe synovitis (specificity 80.5%). The performance of FOI decreased with the degree of synovitis with false negative results predominantly for mild (156/343, 45.5%) and moderate (160/343, 46.6%) synovitis and false positive FOI evaluations predominantly based on weak (grade 1) signals (133/163, 81,6%). FOI has a lower sensitivity than 3T-MRI in the detection of synovitis of the hand and finger joints. The diagnostic performance of FOI decreases with the degree of synovitis and with the strength of FOI signals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Prospective comparison of magnetic resonance imaging to transient elastography and serum markers for liver fibrosis detection.

    PubMed

    Dyvorne, Hadrien A; Jajamovich, Guido H; Bane, Octavia; Fiel, M Isabel; Chou, Hsin; Schiano, Thomas D; Dieterich, Douglas; Babb, James S; Friedman, Scott L; Taouli, Bachir

    2016-05-01

    Establishing accurate non-invasive methods of liver fibrosis quantification remains a major unmet need. Here, we assessed the diagnostic value of a multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in comparison with transient elastography (TE) and blood tests [including ELF (Enhanced Liver Fibrosis) and APRI] for liver fibrosis detection. In this single centre cross-sectional study, we prospectively enrolled 60 subjects with liver disease who underwent multiparametric MRI (DWI, DCE-MRI and MRE), TE and blood tests. Correlation was assessed between non-invasive modalities and histopathologic findings including stage, grade and collagen content, while accounting for covariates such as age, sex, BMI, HCV status and MRI-derived fat and iron content. ROC curve analysis evaluated the performance of each technique for detection of moderate-to-advanced liver fibrosis (F2-F4) and advanced fibrosis (F3-F4). Magnetic resonance elastography provided the strongest correlation with fibrosis stage (r = 0.66, P < 0.001), inflammation grade (r = 0.52, P < 0.001) and collagen content (r = 0.53, P = 0.036). For detection of moderate-to-advanced fibrosis (F2-F4), AUCs were 0.78, 0.82, 0.72, 0.79, 0.71 for MRE, TE, DCE-MRI, DWI and APRI, respectively. For detection of advanced fibrosis (F3-F4), AUCs were 0.94, 0.77, 0.79, 0.79 and 0.70, respectively. Magnetic resonance elastography provides the highest correlation with histopathologic markers and yields high diagnostic performance for detection of advanced liver fibrosis and cirrhosis, compared to DWI, DCE-MRI, TE and serum markers. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  1. Statistical evaluation of manual segmentation of a diffuse low-grade glioma MRI dataset.

    PubMed

    Ben Abdallah, Meriem; Blonski, Marie; Wantz-Mezieres, Sophie; Gaudeau, Yann; Taillandier, Luc; Moureaux, Jean-Marie

    2016-08-01

    Software-based manual segmentation is critical to the supervision of diffuse low-grade glioma patients and to the optimal treatment's choice. However, manual segmentation being time-consuming, it is difficult to include it in the clinical routine. An alternative to circumvent the time cost of manual segmentation could be to share the task among different practitioners, providing it can be reproduced. The goal of our work is to assess diffuse low-grade gliomas' manual segmentation's reproducibility on MRI scans, with regard to practitioners, their experience and field of expertise. A panel of 13 experts manually segmented 12 diffuse low-grade glioma clinical MRI datasets using the OSIRIX software. A statistical analysis gave promising results, as the practitioner factor, the medical specialty and the years of experience seem to have no significant impact on the average values of the tumor volume variable.

  2. MRI histogram analysis enables objective and continuous classification of intervertebral disc degeneration.

    PubMed

    Waldenberg, Christian; Hebelka, Hanna; Brisby, Helena; Lagerstrand, Kerstin Magdalena

    2018-05-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the best diagnostic imaging method for low back pain. However, the technique is currently not utilized in its full capacity, often failing to depict painful intervertebral discs (IVDs), potentially due to the rough degeneration classification system used clinically today. MR image histograms, which reflect the IVD heterogeneity, may offer sensitive imaging biomarkers for IVD degeneration classification. This study investigates the feasibility of using histogram analysis as means of objective and continuous grading of IVD degeneration. Forty-nine IVDs in ten low back pain patients (six males, 25-69 years) were examined with MRI (T2-weighted images and T2-maps). Each IVD was semi-automatically segmented on three mid-sagittal slices. Histogram features of the IVD were extracted from the defined regions of interest and correlated to Pfirrmann grade. Both T2-weighted images and T2-maps displayed similar histogram features. Histograms of well-hydrated IVDs displayed two separate peaks, representing annulus fibrosus and nucleus pulposus. Degenerated IVDs displayed decreased peak separation, where the separation was shown to correlate strongly with Pfirrmann grade (P < 0.05). In addition, some degenerated IVDs within the same Pfirrmann grade displayed diametrically different histogram appearances. Histogram features correlated well with IVD degeneration, suggesting that IVD histogram analysis is a suitable tool for objective and continuous IVD degeneration classification. As histogram analysis revealed IVD heterogeneity, it may be a clinical tool for characterization of regional IVD degeneration effects. To elucidate the usefulness of histogram analysis in patient management, IVD histogram features between asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals needs to be compared.

  3. Comparison of 7.0- and 3.0-T MRI and MRA in ischemic-type moyamoya disease: preliminary experience.

    PubMed

    Deng, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Zihao; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Dong; Wang, Rong; Ye, Xun; Xu, Long; Wang, Bo; Wang, Kai; Zhao, Jizong

    2016-06-01

    OBJECT The authors compared the image quality and diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 7.0-T and 3.0-T MRI and time-of-flight (TOF) MR angiography (MRA) in patients with moyamoya disease (MMD). METHODS MR images of 15 patients with ischemic-type MMD (8 males, 7 females; age 13-48 years) and 13 healthy controls (7 males, 6 females; age 19-28 years) who underwent both 7.0-T and 3.0-T MRI and MRA were studied retrospectively. The main intracranial arteries were assessed by using the modified Houkin's grading system (MRA score). Moyamoya vessels (MMVs) were evaluated by 2 grading systems: the MMV quality score and the MMV area score. Two diagnostic criteria for MMD were used: the T2 criteria, which used flow voids in the basal ganglion on T2-weighted images, and the TOF criteria, which used the high-intensity areas in the basal ganglion on source images from TOF MRA. All data were evaluated by 2 independent readers who were blinded to the strength field and presence or absence of MMD. Using conventional angiography as the gold standard, the sensitivity and specificity of 7.0-T and 3.0-T MRI/MRA in the diagnosis of MMD were calculated. The differences between 7.0-T and 3.0-T MRI and MRA were statistically compared. RESULTS No significant differences were observed between 7.0-T and 3.0-T MRA in MRA score (p = 0.317) or MRA grade (p = 0.317). There was a strong correlation between the Suzuki's stage and MRA grade in both 3.0-T (rs = 0.930; p < 0.001) and 7.0-T (rs = 0.966; p < 0.001) MRA. However, MMVs were visualized significantly better on 7.0-T than on 3.0-T MRA, suggested by both the MMV quality score (p = 0.001) and the MMV area score (p = 0.001). The correlation between the Suzuki's stage and the MMV area score was moderate in 3.0-T MRA (rs = 0.738; p = 0.002) and strong in 7.0-T MRA (rs = 0.908; p < 0.001). Moreover, 7.0-T MR images showed a greater capacity for detecting flow voids in the basal ganglion on both T2-weighted MR images (p < 0.001) and TOF source images (p < 0.001); 7.0-T MRA also revealed the subbranches of superficial temporal arteries much better. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that, according to the T2 criteria, 7.0-T MRI/MRA was more sensitive (sensitivity 1.000; specificity 0.933) than 3.0-T MRI/MRA (sensitivity 0.692; specificity 0.933) in diagnosing MMD; based on the TOF criteria, 7.0-T MRI/MRA was more sensitive (1.000 vs 0.733, respectively) and more specific (1.000 vs 0.923, respectively) than 3.0-T MRI/MRA. CONCLUSIONS Compared with 3.0-T MRI/MRA, 7.0-T MRI/MRA detected and delineated MMVs more clearly and provided higher diagnostic sensitivity and specificity, although it did not show significant improvement in depicting main intracranial arteries. The authors speculate that 7.0-T MRI/MRA is a promising technique in the diagnosis of MMD because it is noninvasive compared with conventional angiography and it is more sensitive than 3.0-T MRI/MRA.

  4. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Simpson, Daniel R., E-mail: drsimpson@ucsd.edu; Scanderbeg, Daniel J.; Carmona, Ruben

    Purpose/Objectives: A report of clinical outcomes of a computed tomography (CT)-based image guided brachytherapy (IGBT) technique for treatment of cervical cancer. Methods and Materials: Seventy-six women with International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage IB to IVA cervical carcinoma diagnosed between 2007 and 2014 were treated with definitive external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) with or without concurrent chemotherapy followed by high-dose-rate (HDR) IGBT. All patients underwent planning CT simulation at each implantation. A high-risk clinical target volume (HRCTV) encompassing any visible tumor and the entire cervix was contoured on the simulation CT. When available, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performedmore » at implantation to assist with tumor delineation. The prescription dose was prescribed to the HRCTV. Results: The median follow-up time was 17 months. Thirteen patients (17%) had an MRI done before brachytherapy, and 16 patients (21%) were treated without MRI guidance. The mean EBRT/IGBT sum 2-Gy equivalent dose (EQD2) delivered to the 90% volume of the HRCTV was 86.3 Gy. The mean maximum EQD2s delivered to 2 cm{sup 3} of the rectum, sigmoid, and bladder were 67.5 Gy, 66.2 Gy, and 75.3 Gy, respectively. The 2-year cumulative incidences of local, locoregional, and distant failure were 5.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.4%-14.8%), 15.1% (95% CI: 5.4%-29.4%), and 24.3% (95% CI: 12.1%-38.9%), respectively. The 2-year overall and disease-free survival rates were 75% (95% CI, 61%-91%) and 73% (95% CI, 60%-90%), respectively. Twenty-nine patients (38%) experienced grade ≥2 acute toxicity, with 5 cases of acute grade 3 toxicity and no grade ≥4 toxicities. One patient experienced grade 3 gastrointestinal toxicity. No other late grade ≥3 events were observed. Conclusions: This is the largest report to date of CT/MRI-based IGBT for the treatment of cervical cancer. The results are promising, with excellent local control and acceptable toxicity. Further investigation is needed to assess the long-term safety and efficacy of this treatment.« less

  5. Preoperative grading of supratentorial gliomas using high or standard b-value diffusion-weighted MR imaging at 3T.

    PubMed

    Cihangiroglu, M M; Ozturk-Isik, E; Firat, Z; Kilickesmez, O; Ulug, A M; Ture, U

    2017-03-01

    The goal of this study was to compare diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) using high b-value (b=3000s/mm 2 ) to DW-MRI using standard b-value (b=1000s/mm 2 ) in the preoperative grading of supratentorial gliomas. Fifty-three patients with glioma had brain DW-MRI at 3T using two different b-values (b=1000s/mm 2 and b=3000s/mm 2 ). There were 35 men and 18 women with a mean age of 40.5±17.1 years (range: 18-79 years). Mean, minimum, maximum, and range of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for solid tumor ROIs (ADC mean , ADC min , ADC max , and ADC diff ), and the normalized ADC (ADC ratio ) were calculated. A Kruskal-Wallis statistic with Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons was applied to detect significant ADC parameter differences between tumor grades by including or excluding 19 patients with an oligodendroglioma. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was conducted to define appropriate cutoff values for grading gliomas. No differences in ADC derived parameters were found between grade II and grade III gliomas. Mean ADC values using standard b-value were 1.17±0.27×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.63-1.61], 1.05±0.22×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.73-1.33], and 0.86±0.23×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.52-1.46] for grades II, III and IV gliomas, respectively. Using high b-value, mean ADC values were 0.89±0.24×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.42-1.25], 0.82±0.20×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.56-1.10], and 0.59±0.17×10 -3 mm 2 /s [range: 0.40-1.01] for grades II, III and IV gliomas, respectively. ADC mean , ADC ratio , ADC max , and ADC min were different between grade II and grade IV gliomas at both standard and high b-values. Differences in ADC mean , ADC max , and ADC diff were found between grade III and grade IV only using high b-value. ADC parameters derived from DW-MRI using a high b-value allows a better differential diagnosis of gliomas, especially for differentiating grades III and IV, than those derived from DW-MRI using a standard b-value. Copyright © 2016 Éditions françaises de radiologie. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  6. Can imaging criteria distinguish enchondroma from grade 1 chondrosarcoma?

    PubMed

    Crim, Julia; Schmidt, Robert; Layfield, Lester; Hanrahan, Christopher; Manaster, Betty Jean

    2015-11-01

    To minimize systematic bias and optimize agreement on imaging criteria in order to better define the accuracy of imaging criteria in the diagnosis of grade 1 chondrosarcoma. Study was IRB-approved and HIPAA compliant; informed consent was waived. Records were reviewed and disclosed 53 cases (38 women, 15 men ages 21-76) which were diagnosed as enchondroma or grade 1 chondrosarcoma and had available radiographs, contrast-enhanced MRI, and definitive diagnosis by histology or 5-year follow-up. 2 MSK radiologists read the studies independently after a session where they agreed on criteria for malignancy. Interobserver variability was determined as raw variability and with the kappa statistic. Accuracy was determined compared to final diagnosis. Reliability of imaging features of chondrosarcoma was determined using regression analysis. The correct diagnosis of enchondroma was made on radiographs in 43 (67.2%) of readings, and on MRI in 37/64 (57.8%). The correct diagnosis of chondrosarcoma was made on radiographs in 5/24 (20.8%) of readings, and on MRI in 14/24 (57.8%). A diagnosis of borderline lesion was made in 19/64 (29.7%) of enchondromas on radiographs and 18/64 (28.1%) on MRI. The false positive rate of radiographs for chondrosarcoma was 2/64 (3.1%) and the false positive rate of MRI was 9/64 (14.1%). There was substantial interobserver variability. Cortical thickening and bone expansion were rare but specific signs of chondrosarcoma. Both radiographs and MRI have limitations in the evaluation of low-grade cartilage lesions. MRI has an increased rate of both true-positive and false-positive diagnosis compared to radiographs. Differences in the findings of this study compared to previous literature may reflect the influence of systematic biases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Strabismus in children with white matter damage of immaturity: MRI correlation.

    PubMed

    Jeon, Hyeshin; Jung, Jaeho; Kim, Hoyun; Yeom, Jeong A; Choi, Heeyoung

    2017-04-01

    To investigate the correlation between strabismus and the severity of white matter damage of immaturity (WMDI), based on MRI findings. Although strabismus is commonly associated with WMDI, its clinical features are not well established. This cross-sectional study involved 73 consecutive patients who visited the department of ophthalmology and were diagnosed with WMDI. The severity of WMDI was graded based on the MRI findings of the patients. All of the patients underwent complete ophthalmic examination, and strabismus was characterised in terms of direction, constancy, and angle of deviation. The prevalence and the characteristics of strabismus and their correlation with the grade of WMDI were investigated. The perinatal characteristics, age at MRI, and the number of MRIs per child did not differ between different grades of WMDI. Refractive errors, found in 56 (76.7%) patients, did not differ between the grades of WMDI either. Strabismus was observed in 38 (52.1%) patients, and its prevalence increased with the grade of the disorder; 20 patients had exotropia and 18 had esotropia. Constant strabismus was found more frequently in patients with higher grade WMDI. However, the direction and angle of deviation did not differ depending on the grade of WMDI. The prevalence of strabismus increased with the severity of WMDI and was higher among patients with WMDI than among healthy individuals. The severity of WMDI might be related to the presence and constancy of strabismus. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  8. A Pilot Comparative Study of Quantitative Ultrasound, Conventional Ultrasound, and MRI for Predicting Histology-Determined Steatosis Grade in Adult Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

    PubMed

    Paige, Jeremy S; Bernstein, Gregory S; Heba, Elhamy; Costa, Eduardo A C; Fereirra, Marilia; Wolfson, Tanya; Gamst, Anthony C; Valasek, Mark A; Lin, Grace Y; Han, Aiguo; Erdman, John W; O'Brien, William D; Andre, Michael P; Loomba, Rohit; Sirlin, Claude B

    2017-05-01

    The purpose of this study is to explore the diagnostic performance of two investigational quantitative ultrasound (QUS) parameters, attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient, in comparison with conventional ultrasound (CUS) and MRI-estimated proton density fat fraction (PDFF) for predicting histology-confirmed steatosis grade in adults with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). In this prospectively designed pilot study, 61 adults with histology-confirmed NAFLD were enrolled from September 2012 to February 2014. Subjects underwent QUS, CUS, and MRI examinations within 100 days of clinical-care liver biopsy. QUS parameters (attenuation coefficient and backscatter coefficient) were estimated using a reference phantom technique by two analysts independently. Three-point ordinal CUS scores intended to predict steatosis grade (1, 2, or 3) were generated independently by two radiologists on the basis of QUS features. PDFF was estimated using an advanced chemical shift-based MRI technique. Using histologic examination as the reference standard, ROC analysis was performed. Optimal attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and PDFF cutoff thresholds were identified, and the accuracy of attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, PDFF, and CUS to predict steatosis grade was determined. Interobserver agreement for attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and CUS was analyzed. CUS had 51.7% grading accuracy. The raw and cross-validated steatosis grading accuracies were 61.7% and 55.0%, respectively, for attenuation coefficient, 68.3% and 68.3% for backscatter coefficient, and 76.7% and 71.3% for MRI-estimated PDFF. Interobserver agreements were 53.3% for CUS (κ = 0.61), 90.0% for attenuation coefficient (κ = 0.87), and 71.7% for backscatter coefficient (κ = 0.82) (p < 0.0001 for all). Preliminary observations suggest that QUS parameters may be more accurate and provide higher interobserver agreement than CUS for predicting hepatic steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD.

  9. Surgical benefits of combined awake craniotomy and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for gliomas associated with eloquent areas.

    PubMed

    Motomura, Kazuya; Natsume, Atsushi; Iijima, Kentaro; Kuramitsu, Shunichiro; Fujii, Masazumi; Yamamoto, Takashi; Maesawa, Satoshi; Sugiura, Junko; Wakabayashi, Toshihiko

    2017-10-01

    OBJECTIVE Maximum extent of resection (EOR) for lower-grade and high-grade gliomas can increase survival rates of patients. However, these infiltrative gliomas are often observed near or within eloquent regions of the brain. Awake surgery is of known benefit for the treatment of gliomas associated with eloquent regions in that brain function can be preserved. On the other hand, intraoperative MRI (iMRI) has been successfully used to maximize the resection of tumors, which can detect small amounts of residual tumors. Therefore, the authors assessed the value of combining awake craniotomy and iMRI for the resection of brain tumors in eloquent areas of the brain. METHODS The authors retrospectively reviewed the records of 33 consecutive patients with glial tumors in the eloquent brain areas who underwent awake surgery using iMRI. Volumetric analysis of MRI studies was performed. The pre-, intra-, and postoperative tumor volumes were measured in all cases using MRI studies obtained before, during, and after tumor resection. RESULTS Intraoperative MRI was performed to check for the presence of residual tumor during awake surgery in a total of 25 patients. Initial iMRI confirmed no further tumor resection in 9 patients (36%) because all observable tumors had already been removed. In contrast, intraoperative confirmation of residual tumor during awake surgery led to further tumor resection in 16 cases (64%) and eventually an EOR of more than 90% in 8 of 16 cases (50%). Furthermore, EOR benefiting from iMRI by more than 15% was found in 7 of 16 cases (43.8%). Interestingly, the increase in EOR as a result of iMRI for tumors associated mainly with the insular lobe was significantly greater, at 15.1%, than it was for the other tumors, which was 8.0% (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study revealed that combining awake surgery with iMRI was associated with a favorable surgical outcome for intrinsic brain tumors associated with eloquent areas. In particular, these benefits were noted for patients with tumors with complex anatomy, such as those associated with the insular lobe.

  10. Conventional digital subtractional vs non-invasive MR angiography in the assessment of brain arteriovenous malformation.

    PubMed

    Cuong, Nguyen Ngoc; Luu, Vu Dang; Tuan, Tran Anh; Linh, Le Tuan; Hung, Kieu Dinh; Ngoc, Vo Truong Nhu; Sharma, Kulbhushan; Pham, Van Huy; Chu, Dinh-Toi

    2018-06-01

    Digital subtractional angiography (DSA) is the standard method for diagnosis, assessment and management of arteriovenous malformation in the brain. Conventional DSA (cDSA) is an invasive imaging modality that is often indicated before interventional treatments (embolization, open surgery, gamma knife). Here, we aimed to compare this technique with a non-invasive MR angiography (MRI DSA) for brain arteriovenous malformation (bAVM). Fourteen patients with ruptured brain AVM underwent embolization treatment pre-operation. Imaging was performed for all patients using MRI (1.5 T). After injecting contrast Gadolinium, dynamic MRI was performed with 40 phases, each phase of a duration of 1.2 s and having 70 images. The MRI results were independently assessed by experienced radiologist blinded to the cDSA. The AVM nidus was depicted in all patients using cDSA and MRI DSA; there was an excellent correlation between these techniques in terms of the maximum diameter and Spetzler Martin grading. Of the fourteen patients, the drainage vein was depicted in 13 by both cDSA and MRI DSA showing excellent correlation between the techniques used. MRI DSA is a non-invasive imaging modality that can give the images in dynamic view. It can be considered as an adjunctive method with cDSA to plan the strategy treatment for bAVM. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Transabdominal high-intensity focused ultrasound therapy of the prostate and determination of the protective effect of rectal cooling: an experimental study using canine prostates.

    PubMed

    Yoo, Dong Hyun; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Kwak, Cheol; Lee, Jae Young; Moon, Kyung Chul; Kim, Seung Hyup

    2013-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to report our initial experience with transabdominal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapy of the canine prostate and to determine the protective effect of rectal cooling during HIFU therapy. Fifteen male dogs underwent transabdominal HIFU therapy of the prostate. Transabdominal HIFU was performed on 9 dogs without using a rectal cooling device, and the remaining 6 dogs underwent transabdominal HIFU with introduction of the rectal cooling device. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed before, immediately after, and 1 week after the HIFU procedure. Rectal changes on MRI were classified into 4 grades (grades 0-3), and a comparison of the rectal change grades on MRI between the two groups was performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. The procedure failed for the first dog because of inadequate skin preparation. Of the remaining 14 dogs (8 without rectal cooling and 6 with rectal cooling), 4 showed focal signal changes in the prostate. The average rectal change grades on immediate postprocedural MRI were 2.63 for the non-rectal cooling group and 1.17 for the rectal cooling group (P = .0216). On 1-week follow-up MRI, the average grades were 1.20 for the non-rectal cooling group and 0.33 for the rectal cooling group (P = .1956). Transabdominal HIFU of the canine prostate was technically feasible, but the effect was limited because of anatomic and physiologic factors of the canine prostate. The rectal cooling device seems to have a protective effect on the rectum during the transabdominal HIFU procedure.

  12. Magnetic Resonance Imaging at 1.5 Tesla With a Cochlear Implant Magnet in Place: Image Quality and Usability.

    PubMed

    Sharon, Jeffrey D; Northcutt, Benjamin G; Aygun, Nafi; Francis, Howard W

    2016-10-01

    To study the quality and usability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) obtained with a cochlear implant magnet in situ. Retrospective chart review. Tertiary care center. All patients who underwent brain MRI with a cochlear implant magnet in situ from 2007 to 2016. None. Grade of view of the ipsilateral internal auditory canal (IAC) and cerebellopontine angle (CPA). Inclusion criteria were met by 765 image sequences in 57 MRI brain scans. For the ipsilateral IAC, significant predictors of a grade 1 (normal) view included: absence of fat saturation algorithm (p = 0.001), nonaxial plane of imaging (p = 0.01), and contrast administration (p = 0.001). For the ipsilateral CPA, significant predictors of a grade 1 view included: absence of fat saturation algorithm (p = 0.001), high-resolution images (p = 0.001), and nonaxial plane of imaging (p = 0.001). Overall, coronal T1 high-resolution images produced the highest percentage of grade 1 views (89%). Fat saturation also caused a secondary ring-shaped distortion artifact, which impaired the view of the contralateral CPA 52.7% of the time, and the contralateral IAC 42.8% of the time. MRI scans without any usable (grade 1) sequences had fewer overall sequences (N = 4.3) than scans with at least one usable sequence (N = 7.1, p = 0.001). MRI image quality with a cochlear implant magnet in situ depends on several factors, which can be modified to maximize image quality in this unique patient population.

  13. MRI Evaluation of Post Core Decompression Changes in Avascular Necrosis of Hip

    PubMed Central

    Marupaka, Sravan Kumar; Alluri, Swathi; MD, Naseeruddin; Irfan, Kazi Amir; Jampala, Venkateshwarlu; Apsingi, Sunil; Eachempati, Krishna Kiran

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Avascular necrosis of hip typically presents in young patients. Core decompression in precollapse stage provides pain relief and preservation of femoral head. The results of core decompression vary considerably despite early diagnosis. The role of MRI in monitoring patients post surgically has not been clearly defined. Aim To study pre and post core decompression MRI changes in avascular necrosis of hip. Materials and Methods This is a contiguous observational cohort of 40 hips treated by core decompression for precollapse avascular necrosis of femoral head, who had a baseline MRI performed before surgery. Core decompression of the femoral head was performed within 4 weeks. Follow up radiograph and MRI scans were done at six months. Harris hip score preoperatively, 1 month and 6 months after the surgery was noted. Success in this study was defined as postoperative increase in Harris hip score (HHS) by 20 points and no additional femoral collapse. End point of clinical adverse outcome as defined by fall in Harris hip score was conversion or intention to convert to total hip replacement (THR). MRI parameters in the follow up scan were compared to the preoperative MRI. Effect of core decompression on bone marrow oedema and femoral head collapse was noted. Results were analysed using SPSS software version. Results Harris hip score improved from 57 to 80 in all patients initially. Six hips had a fall in Harris hip score to mean value of 34.1 during follow up (9 to 12 months) and underwent total hip replacement. MRI predictors of positive outcome are lesions with grade A extent, Grade A & B location. Bone marrow oedema with lesions less than 50% involvement, medial and central location. Conclusion Careful selection of patients by MR criteria for core decompression provides satisfactory outcome in precollapse stage of avascular necrosis of hip. PMID:26816966

  14. Language Lateralization in Children Aged 10 to 11 Years: A Combined fMRI and Dichotic Listening Study

    PubMed Central

    Norrelgen, Fritjof; Lilja, Anders; Ingvar, Martin; Gisselgård, Jens; Fransson, Peter

    2012-01-01

    Objective The aims of this study were to develop and assess a method to map language networks in children with two auditory fMRI protocols in combination with a dichotic listening task (DL). The method is intended for pediatric patients prior to epilepsy surgery. To evaluate the potential clinical usefulness of the method we first wanted to assess data from a group of healthy children. Methods In a first step language test materials were developed, intended for subsequent implementation in fMRI protocols. An evaluation of this material was done in 30 children with typical development, 10 from the 1st, 4th and the 7th grade, respectively. The language test material was then adapted and implemented in two fMRI protocols intended to target frontal and posterior language networks. In a second step language lateralization was assessed in 17 typical 10–11 year olds with fMRI and DL. To reach a conclusion about language lateralization, firstly, quantitative analyses of the index data from the two fMRI tasks and the index data from the DL task were done separately. In a second step a set of criteria were applied to these results to reach a conclusion about language lateralization. The steps of these analyses are described in detail. Results The behavioral assessment of the language test material showed that it was well suited for typical children. The results of the language lateralization assessments, based on fMRI data and DL data, showed that for 15 of the 17 subjects (88%) a conclusion could be reached about hemispheric language dominance. In 2 cases (12%) DL provided critical data. Conclusions The employment of DL combined with language mapping using fMRI for assessing hemispheric language dominance is novel and it was deemed valuable since it provided additional information compared to the results gained from each method individually. PMID:23284796

  15. Evaluation of Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Using T1ρ and T2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging in a Rabbit Disc Injury Model.

    PubMed

    Ishikawa, Tetsuhiro; Watanabe, Atsuya; Kamoda, Hiroto; Miyagi, Masayuki; Inoue, Gen; Takahashi, Kazuhisa; Ohtori, Seiji

    2018-04-01

    An in vivo histologic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of lumbar intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration was conducted. To clarify the sensitivity and efficacy of T1ρ/T2 mapping for IVD degeneration, the correlation between T1ρ/T2 mapping and degenerative grades and histological findings in the lumbar IVD were investigated. The early signs of IVD degeneration are proteoglycan loss, dehydration, and collagen degradation. Recently, several quantitative MRI techniques have been developed; T2 mapping can be used to evaluate hydration and collagen fiber integrity within cartilaginous tissue, and T1ρ mapping can be used to evaluate hydration and proteoglycan content. Using New Zealand White rabbits, annular punctures of the IVD were made 10 times at L2/3, 5 times at L3/4, and one time at L4/5 using an 18-gauge needle (n=6) or a 21-gauge needle (n=6). At 4 and 8 weeks post-surgery, MRI was performed including T1ρ and T2 mapping. The degree of IVD degeneration was macroscopically assessed using the Thompson grading system. All specimens were cut for hematoxylin and eosin, safranin-O, and toluidine blue staining. Disc degeneration became more severe as the number of punctures increased and when the larger needle was used. T1ρ and T2 values were significantly different between grade 1 and grade 3 IVDs, grade 1 and grade 4 IVDs, grade 2 and grade 3 IVDs, and grade 2 and grade 4 IVDs ( p <0.05). There was a significant difference between grade 1 and grade 2 IVDs only in terms of T1ρ values ( p <0.05). T1ρ and T2 quantitative MRI could detect these small differences. Our results suggest that T1ρ and T2 mapping are sensitive to degenerative changes of lumbar IVDs and that T1ρ mapping can be used as a clinical tool to identify early IVD degeneration.

  16. Intra- and interrater reliability of three different MRI grading and classification systems after acute hamstring injuries.

    PubMed

    Wangensteen, Arnlaug; Tol, Johannes L; Roemer, Frank W; Bahr, Roald; Dijkstra, H Paul; Crema, Michel D; Farooq, Abdulaziz; Guermazi, Ali

    2017-04-01

    To assess and compare the intra- and interrater reliability of three different MRI grading and classification systems after acute hamstring injury. Male athletes (n=40) with clinical diagnosis of acute hamstring injury and MRI ≤5days were selected from a prospective cohort. Two radiologists independently evaluated the MRIs using standardised scoring form including the modified Peetrons grading system, the Chan acute muscle strain injury classification and the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification. Intra-and interrater reliability was assessed with linear weighted kappa (κ) or unweighted Cohen's κ and percentage agreement was calculated. We observed 'substantial' to 'almost perfect' intra- (κ range 0.65-1.00) and interrater reliability (κ range 0.77-1.00) with percentage agreement 83-100% and 88-100%, respectively, for severity gradings, overall anatomical sites and overall classifications for the three MRI systems. We observed substantial variability (κ range -0.05 to 1.00) for subcategories within the Chan classification and the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification, however, the prevalence of positive scorings was low for some subcategories. The modified Peetrons grading system, overall Chan classification and overall British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification demonstrated 'substantial' to 'almost perfect' intra- and interrater reliability when scored by experienced radiologists. The intra- and interrater reliability for the anatomical subcategories within the classifications remains unclear. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Correlation between subcutaneous knee fat thickness and chondromalacia patellae on magnetic resonance imaging of the knee.

    PubMed

    Kok, Hong Kuan; Donnellan, John; Ryan, Davinia; Torreggiani, William C

    2013-08-01

    Chondromalacia patellae is a common cause of anterior knee pain in young patients and can be detected noninvasively with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The purpose of our study was to evaluate the correlation between subcutaneous fat thickness around the knee joint on axial MRIs as a surrogate marker of obesity, with the presence or absence of chondromalacia patellae. A retrospective review was conducted of knee MRIs in 170 patients who satisfied the inclusion criteria. Imaging was performed over a 12-month period on a 1.5T MRI system with a dedicated extremity coil. Two radiologists experienced in musculoskeletal imaging assessed each examination in consensus for the presence or absence of chondromalacia patellae and graded positive studies from 0 (absent) to 3 (full cartilage thickness defect). Measurement of subcutaneous knee fat thickness was obtained on the medial aspect of the knee. MRI findings of chondromalacia patellae were present in 33 patients (19.4%), of which, there were 11 grade 1 lesions (33.3%), 9 grade 2 lesions (27.3%), and 13 grade 3 lesions (39.4%). The mean subcutaneous knee fat thickness was significantly higher in the chondromalacia patellae group for all grades compared with the normal group (P < .001), and there was a significant correlation between subcutaneous knee fat thickness and grades of chondromalacia patellae (R = 0.48 [95% confidence interval, 0.38-0.68]; P < .001). Female patients had thicker subcutaneous knee fat and more severe grades of chondromalacia patellae. Subcutaneous knee fat thickness as a surrogate marker of obesity was positively associated with the presence and severity of chondromalacia patellae on MRI. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Quantitative OCT and MRI biomarkers for the differentiation of cartilage degeneration.

    PubMed

    Nebelung, Sven; Brill, Nicolai; Tingart, Markus; Pufe, Thomas; Kuhl, Christiane; Jahr, Holger; Truhn, Daniel

    2016-04-01

    To evaluate the usefulness of quantitative parameters obtained by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the comprehensive assessment of human articular cartilage degeneration. Human osteochondral samples of variable degeneration (n = 45) were obtained from total knee replacements and assessed by MRI sequences measuring T1, T1ρ, T2 and T2* relaxivity and by OCT-based quantification of irregularity (OII, optical irregularity index), homogeneity (OHI, optical homogeneity index]) and attenuation (OAI, optical attenuation index]). Samples were also assessed macroscopically (Outerbridge classification) and histologically (Mankin classification) as grade-0 (Mankin scores 0-4)/grade-I (scores 5-8)/grade-II (scores 9-10)/grade-III (score 11-14). After data normalisation, differences between Mankin grades and correlations between imaging parameters were assessed using ANOVA and Tukey's post-hoc test and Spearman's correlation coefficients, respectively. Sensitivities and specificities in the detection of Mankin grade-0 were calculated. Significant degeneration-related increases were found for T2 and OII and decreases for OAI, while T1, T1ρ, T2* or OHI did not reveal significant changes in relation to degeneration. A number of significant correlations between imaging parameters and histological (sub)scores were found, in particular for T2 and OII. Sensitivities and specificities in the detection of Mankin grade-0 were highest for OHI/T1 and OII/T1ρ, respectively. Quantitative OCT and MRI techniques seem to complement each other in the comprehensive assessment of cartilage degeneration. Sufficiently large structural and compositional changes in the extracellular matrix may thus be parameterized and quantified, while the detection of early degeneration remains challenging.

  19. Targeted Prostate Biopsy: Lessons Learned Midst the Evolution of a Disruptive Technology.

    PubMed

    Nassiri, Nima; Natarajan, Shyam; Margolis, Daniel J; Marks, Leonard S

    2015-09-01

    Lessons learned during a 6-year experience with more than 1200 patients undergoing targeted prostate biopsy via MRI/ultrasound fusion are reported: (1) the procedure is safe and efficient, requiring some 15-20 minutes in an office setting; (2) MRI is best performed by a radiologist with specialized training, using a transabdominal multiparametric approach and preferably a 3T magnet; (3) grade of MRI suspicion is the most powerful predictor of biopsy results, eg, Grade 5 usually represents cancer; (4) some potentially important cancers (15%-30%) are MRI-invisible; (5) Targeted biopsies provide >80% concordance with whole-organ pathology. Early enthusiasm notwithstanding, cost-effectiveness is yet to be resolved, and the technologies remain in evolution. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. TARGETED PROSTATE BIOPSY: LESSONS LEARNED MIDST THE EVOLUTION OF A DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY

    PubMed Central

    Nassiri, Nima; Natarajan, Shyam; Margolis, Daniel J.; Marks, Leonard S.

    2015-01-01

    Lessons learned during a 6-year experience with more than 1200 patients undergoing targeted prostate biopsy via MRI/US fusion are reported: (1) The procedure is safe and efficient, requiring some 15–20 minutes in an office setting; (2) MRI is best performed by a radiologist with specialized training, employing a trans-abdominal multi-parametric approach and preferably a 3T magnet; (3) Grade of MRI suspicion is the most powerful predictor of biopsy results, e.g., Grade 5 usually represents cancer; (4) Some potentially-important cancers (15%–30%) are MRI-invisible; (5) Targeted biopsies provide >80% concordance with whole-organ pathology. Early enthusiasm notwithstanding, cost-effectiveness is yet to be resolved, and the technologies remain in evolution. PMID:26166671

  1. Prospective trial evaluating the sensitivity and specificity of 3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]-fluoro-L-phenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET and MRI in patients with recurrent gliomas.

    PubMed

    Youland, Ryan S; Pafundi, Deanna H; Brinkmann, Debra H; Lowe, Val J; Morris, Jonathan M; Kemp, Bradley J; Hunt, Christopher H; Giannini, Caterina; Parney, Ian F; Laack, Nadia N

    2018-05-01

    Treatment-related changes can be difficult to differentiate from progressive glioma using MRI with contrast (CE). The purpose of this study is to compare the sensitivity and specificity of 18F-DOPA-PET and MRI in patients with recurrent glioma. Thirteen patients with MRI findings suspicious for recurrent glioma were prospectively enrolled and underwent 18F-DOPA-PET and MRI for neurosurgical planning. Stereotactic biopsies were obtained from regions of concordant and discordant PET and MRI CE, all within regions of T2/FLAIR signal hyperintensity. The sensitivity and specificity of 18F-DOPA-PET and CE were calculated based on histopathologic analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed optimal tumor to normal (T/N) and SUVmax thresholds. In the 37 specimens obtained, 51% exhibited MRI contrast enhancement (M+) and 78% demonstrated 18F-DOPA-PET avidity (P+). Imaging characteristics included M-P- in 16%, M-P+ in 32%, M+P+ in 46% and M+P- in 5%. Histopathologic review of biopsies revealed grade II components in 16%, grade III in 43%, grade IV in 30% and no tumor in 11%. MRI CE sensitivity for recurrent tumor was 52% and specificity was 50%. PET sensitivity for tumor was 82% and specificity was 50%. A T/N threshold > 2.0 altered sensitivity to 76% and specificity to 100% and SUVmax > 1.36 improved sensitivity and specificity to 94 and 75%, respectively. 18F-DOPA-PET can provide increased sensitivity and specificity compared with MRI CE for visualizing the spatial distribution of recurrent gliomas. Future studies will incorporate 18F-DOPA-PET into re-irradiation target volume delineation for RT planning.

  2. Is Ultrasound As Useful As Metal Artifact Reduction Sequence Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Longitudinal Surveillance of Metal-on-Metal Hip Arthroplasty Patients?

    PubMed

    Kwon, Young-Min; Dimitriou, Dimitris; Liow, Ming Han Lincoln; Tsai, Tsung-Yuan; Li, Guoan

    2016-08-01

    Current guidelines recommend longitudinal monitoring of at-risk metal-on-metal (MoM) arthroplasty patients with cross-sectional imaging such as metal artifact reduction sequence (MARS) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound. During follow-up evaluations, the clinical focus is on the relative interval changes in symptoms, radiographs, laboratory tests, and cross-sectional imaging modalities. Although MRI has the capacity for the detection of adverse local soft tissue reactions (ALTRs), the potential disadvantages of MARS MRI include the obscuration of periprosthetic tissues by metal artifacts and the cost. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in comparison with MARS MRI in detecting ALTR in MoM patients during consecutive follow-up. Thirty-five MoM patients (42 hips) were recruited prospectively to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the ultrasound for detecting ALTR in relation to MARS MRI during 2 longitudinal follow-up scans. The agreement between ultrasound and MARS MRI in ALTR grade, size, and size change was calculated. At the initial evaluation and at the subsequent follow-up, ultrasound had a sensitivity of 81% and 86% and a specificity of 92% and 88%, respectively. At the follow-up evaluations, ultrasound was able to detect the "change" in the lesions size with -0.3 cm(2) average bias from the MARS MRI with higher agreement (k = 0.85) with MARS MRI compared to the initial evaluation in detecting any "change" in ALTR size or grade. Ultrasound detected the interval change in the ALTR size and grade with higher accuracy and higher agreement with MARS MRI compared with the initial evaluation, suggesting ultrasound is a valid and useful. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Comparison of 3.0 T magnetic resonance imaging and X-ray mammography in the measurement of ductal carcinoma in situ: a comparison with histopathology.

    PubMed

    Pickles, Martin D; Gibbs, Peter; Hubbard, Anne; Rahman, Ayesha; Wieczorek, Joanna; Turnbull, Lindsay W

    2015-04-01

    To determine if MRI data obtained at 3.0 T can more accurately report the size of DCIS as compared to radiographic mammography, as a whole cohort and when subdivided by lesion characteristics. Thirty-nine participants underwent X-ray mammography and MRI prior to breast surgery for DCIS. Longest diameter (LD) measurements were recorded for each imaging modality and compared to histopathological LD via a logarithmic transformed Bland-Altman agreement plot methodology resulting in dimensionless mean difference and 95% limits of agreement (LoA). Data from 39 patients with a median age of 55 years (range 38-78 years) underwent analysis. Mastectomy was undertaken in 21 cases, while breast conserving surgery was performed in 18 subjects. Histopathological analysis revealed one low grade, nine intermediate grade, and 21 high grade lesions. The mean±standard deviation LD measurements for histopathology, X-ray mammography and MRI were 50.6±34.2 mm, 30.7±23.1 mm and 49.6±26.8 mm respectively. Bland-Altman agreement plot analysis for the whole cohort revealed not only a smaller logarithmic mean difference between MRI and histopathology (0.086), but also narrower 95% LoA (-0.941 to 1.113) compared with X-ray mammography and histopathology (mean difference -0.658, 95% LoA -3.503 to 2.187). When the level of agreement was assessed between clinically relevant subgroups additional significant differences were noted based on grade, hormonal receptor status, invasion, necrosis, mircocalcifications and growth pattern. MRI provides a more accurate estimation of DCIS size than X-ray mammography. MRI's superior ability was not only noted in general, but also for clinical relevant subdivisions such as grade and the presence or absence of necrosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. [fMRI study of the dominant hemisphere for language in patients with brain tumor].

    PubMed

    Buklina, S B; Podoprigora, A E; Pronin, I N; Shishkina, L V; Boldyreva, G N; Bondarenko, A A; Fadeeva, L M; Kornienko, V N; Zhukov, V Iu

    2013-01-01

    Paper describes a study of language lateralization of patients with brain tumors, measured by preoperative functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and comparison results with tumor histology and profile of functional asymmetry. During the study 21 patient underwent fMRI scan. 15 patients had a tumor in the left and 6 in the right hemisphere. Tumors were localized mainly in the frontal, temporal and fronto-temporal regions. Histological diagnosis in 8 cases was malignant Grade IV, in 13 cases--Grade I-III. fMRI study was perfomed on scanner "Signa Exite" with a field strength of 1.5 As speech test reciting the months of the year in reverse order was used. fMRI scan results were compared with the profile of functional asymmetry, which was received with the results of questionnaire Annette and dichotic listening test. Broca's area was found in 7 cases in the left hemisphere, 6 had a tumor Grade I-III. And one patient with glioblastoma had a tumor of the right hemisphere. Broca's area in the right hemisphere was found in 3 patients (2 patients with left sided tumor, and one with right-sided tumor). One patient with left-sided tumor had mild motor aphasia. Bilateral activation in both hemispheres of the brain was observed in 6 patients. All of them had tumor Grade II-III of the left hemisphere. Signs of left-handedness were revealed only in half of these patients. Broca's area was not found in 4 cases. All of them had large malignant tumors Grade IV. One patient couldn't handle program of the research. Results of fMRI scans, questionnaire Annette and dichotic listening test frequently were not the same, which is significant. Bilateral activation in speech-loads may be a reflection of brain plasticity in cases of long-growing tumors. Thus it's important to consider the full range of clinical data in studying the problem of the dominant hemisphere for language.

  5. Relationship Between Prebiopsy Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Biopsy Indication, and MRI-ultrasound Fusion-targeted Prostate Biopsy Outcomes.

    PubMed

    Meng, Xiaosong; Rosenkrantz, Andrew B; Mendhiratta, Neil; Fenstermaker, Michael; Huang, Richard; Wysock, James S; Bjurlin, Marc A; Marshall, Susan; Deng, Fang-Ming; Zhou, Ming; Melamed, Jonathan; Huang, William C; Lepor, Herbert; Taneja, Samir S

    2016-03-01

    Increasing evidence supports the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasound fusion-targeted prostate biopsy (MRF-TB) to improve the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (PCa) while limiting detection of indolent disease compared to systematic 12-core biopsy (SB). To compare MRF-TB and SB results and investigate the relationship between biopsy outcomes and prebiopsy MRI. Retrospective analysis of a prospectively acquired cohort of men presenting for prostate biopsy over a 26-mo period. A total of 601 of 803 consecutively eligible men were included. All men were offered prebiopsy MRI and assigned a maximum MRI suspicion score (mSS). Men with an MRI abnormality underwent combined MRF-TB and SB. Detection rates for all PCa and high-grade PCa (Gleason score [GS] ≥7) were compared using the McNemar test. MRF-TB detected fewer GS 6 PCas (75 vs 121; p<0.001) and more GS ≥7 PCas (158 vs 117; p<0.001) than SB. Higher mSS was associated with higher detection of GS ≥7 PCa (p<0.001) but was not correlated with detection of GS 6 PCa. Prediction of GS ≥7 disease by mSS varied according to biopsy history. Compared to SB, MRF-TB identified more GS ≥7 PCas in men with no prior biopsy (88 vs 72; p=0.012), in men with a prior negative biopsy (28 vs 16; p=0.010), and in men with a prior cancer diagnosis (42 vs 29; p=0.043). MRF-TB detected fewer GS 6 PCas in men with no prior biopsy (32 vs 60; p<0.001) and men with prior cancer (30 vs 46; p=0.034). Limitations include the retrospective design and the potential for selection bias given a referral population. MRF-TB detects more high-grade PCas than SB while limiting detection of GS 6 PCa in men presenting for prostate biopsy. These findings suggest that prebiopsy multiparametric MRI and MRF-TB should be considered for all men undergoing prostate biopsy. In addition, mSS in conjunction with biopsy indications may ultimately help in identifying men at low risk of high-grade cancer for whom prostate biopsy may not be warranted. We examined how magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-targeted prostate biopsy compares to traditional systematic biopsy in detecting prostate cancer among men with suspicion of prostate cancer. We found that MRI-targeted biopsy detected more high-grade cancers than systematic biopsy, and that MRI performed before biopsy can predict the risk of high-grade cancer. Copyright © 2015 European Association of Urology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Visualization of heterogeneity and regional grading of gliomas by multiple features using magnetic resonance-based clustered images.

    PubMed

    Inano, Rika; Oishi, Naoya; Kunieda, Takeharu; Arakawa, Yoshiki; Kikuchi, Takayuki; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Miyamoto, Susumu

    2016-07-26

    Preoperative glioma grading is important for therapeutic strategies and influences prognosis. Intratumoral heterogeneity can cause an underestimation of grading because of the sampling error in biopsies. We developed a voxel-based unsupervised clustering method with multiple magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-derived features using a self-organizing map followed by K-means. This method produced novel magnetic resonance-based clustered images (MRcIs) that enabled the visualization of glioma grades in 36 patients. The 12-class MRcIs revealed the highest classification performance for the prediction of glioma grading (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.928; 95% confidential interval = 0.920-0.936). Furthermore, we also created 12-class MRcIs in four new patients using the previous data from the 36 patients as training data and obtained tissue sections of the classes 11 and 12, which were significantly higher in high-grade gliomas (HGGs), and those of classes 4, 5 and 9, which were not significantly different between HGGs and low-grade gliomas (LGGs), according to a MRcI-based navigational system. The tissues of classes 11 and 12 showed features of malignant glioma, whereas those of classes 4, 5 and 9 showed LGGs without anaplastic features. These results suggest that the proposed voxel-based clustering method provides new insights into preoperative regional glioma grading.

  7. Predictors of intramedullary lesion expansion rate on MR images of patients with subaxial spinal cord injury.

    PubMed

    Le, Elizabeth; Aarabi, Bizhan; Hersh, David S; Shanmuganathan, Kathirkamanthan; Diaz, Cara; Massetti, Jennifer; Akhtar-Danesh, Noori

    2015-06-01

    OBJECT Studies of preclinical spinal cord injury (SCI) in rodents indicate that expansion of intramedullary lesions (IMLs) seen on MR images may be amenable to neuroprotection. In patients with subaxial SCI and motor-complete American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS) Grade A or B, IML expansion has been shown to be approximately 900 μm/hour. In this study, the authors investigated IML expansion in a cohort of patients with subaxial SCI and AIS Grade A, B, C, or D. METHODS Seventy-eight patients who had at least 2 MRI scans within 6 days of SCI were enrolled. Data were analyzed by regression analysis. RESULTS In this cohort, the mean age was 45.3 years (SD 18.3 years), 73 patients were injured in a motor vehicle crash, from a fall, or in sport activities, and 77% of them were men. The mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 26.7 (SD 16.7), and the AIS grade was A in 23 patients, B in 7, C in 7, and D in 41. The mechanism of injury was distraction in 26 patients, compression in 22, disc/osteophyte complex in 29, and Chance fracture in 1. The mean time between injury onset and the first MRI scan (Interval 1) was 10 hours (SD 8.7 hours), and the mean time to the second MRI scan (Interval 2) was 60 hours (SD 29.6 hours). The mean IML lengths of the first and second MR images were 38.8 mm (SD 20.4 mm) and 51 mm (SD 36.5 mm), respectively. The mean time from the first to the second MRI scan (Interval 3) was 49.9 hours (SD 28.4 hours), and the difference in IML lengths was 12.6 mm (SD 20.7 mm), reflecting an expansion rate of 366 μm/ hour (SD 710 μm/hour). IML expansion in patients with AIS Grades A and B was 918 μm/hour (SD 828 μm/hour), and for those with AIS Grades C and D, it was 21 μm/hour (SD 304 μm/hour). Univariate analysis indicated that AIS Grade A or B versus Grades C or D (p < 0.0001), traction (p= 0.0005), injury morphology (p < 0.005), the surgical approach (p= 0.009), vertebral artery injury (p= 0.02), age (p < 0.05), ISS (p < 0.05), ASIA motor score (p < 0.05), and time to decompression (p < 0.05) were all predictors of lesion expansion. In multiple regression analysis, however, the sole determinant of IML expansion was AIS grade (p < 0.005). CONCLUSIONS After traumatic subaxial cervical spine or spinal cord injury, patients with motor-complete injury (AIS Grade A or B) had a significantly higher rate of IML expansion than those with motor-incomplete injury (AIS Grade C or D).

  8. Detection of muscle gap by L-BIA in muscle injuries: clinical prognosis.

    PubMed

    Nescolarde, L; Yanguas, J; Terricabras, J; Lukaski, H; Alomar, X; Rosell-Ferrer, J; Rodas, G

    2017-06-21

    Sport-related muscle injury classifications are based basically on imaging criteria such as ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without consensus because of a lack of clinical prognostics for return-to-play (RTP), which is conditioned upon the severity of the injury, and this in turn with the muscle gap (muscular fibers retraction). Recently, Futbol Club Barcelona's medical department proposed a new muscle injury classification in which muscle gap plays an important role, with the drawback that it is not always possible to identify by MRI. Localized bioimpedance measurement (L-BIA) has emerged as a non-invasive technique for supporting US and MRI to quantify the disrupted soft tissue structure in injured muscles. To correlate the severity of the injury according to the gap with the RTP, through the percent of change in resistance (R), reactance (Xc) and phase-angle (PA) by L-BIA measurements in 22 muscle injuries. After grouping the data according to the muscle gap (by MRI exam), there were significant differences in R between grade 1 and grade 2f (myotendinous or myofascial muscle injury with feather-like appearance), as well as between grade 2f and grade 2g (myotendinous or myofascial muscle injury with feather and gap). The Xc and PA values decrease significantly between each grade (i.e. 1 versus 2f, 1 versus 2g and 2f versus 2g). In addition, the severity of the muscle gap adversely affected the RTP with significant differences observed between 1 and 2g as well as between 2f and 2g. These results show that L-BIA could aid MRI and US in identifying the severity of an injured muscle according to muscle gap and therefore to accurately predict the RTP.

  9. Development of a computer aided diagnosis model for prostate cancer classification on multi-parametric MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alfano, R.; Soetemans, D.; Bauman, G. S.; Gibson, E.; Gaed, M.; Moussa, M.; Gomez, J. A.; Chin, J. L.; Pautler, S.; Ward, A. D.

    2018-02-01

    Multi-parametric MRI (mp-MRI) is becoming a standard in contemporary prostate cancer screening and diagnosis, and has shown to aid physicians in cancer detection. It offers many advantages over traditional systematic biopsy, which has shown to have very high clinical false-negative rates of up to 23% at all stages of the disease. However beneficial, mp-MRI is relatively complex to interpret and suffers from inter-observer variability in lesion localization and grading. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) systems have been developed as a solution as they have the power to perform deterministic quantitative image analysis. We measured the accuracy of such a system validated using accurately co-registered whole-mount digitized histology. We trained a logistic linear classifier (LOGLC), support vector machine (SVC), k-nearest neighbour (KNN) and random forest classifier (RFC) in a four part ROI based experiment against: 1) cancer vs. non-cancer, 2) high-grade (Gleason score ≥4+3) vs. low-grade cancer (Gleason score <4+3), 3) high-grade vs. other tissue components and 4) high-grade vs. benign tissue by selecting the classifier with the highest AUC using 1-10 features from forward feature selection. The CAD model was able to classify malignant vs. benign tissue and detect high-grade cancer with high accuracy. Once fully validated, this work will form the basis for a tool that enhances the radiologist's ability to detect malignancies, potentially improving biopsy guidance, treatment selection, and focal therapy for prostate cancer patients, maximizing the potential for cure and increasing quality of life.

  10. Magnetic resonance imaging of the alar and transverse ligaments in acute whiplash-associated disorders 1 and 2: a cross-sectional controlled study.

    PubMed

    Vetti, Nils; Kråkenes, Jostein; Damsgaard, Eivind; Rørvik, Jarle; Gilhus, Nils Erik; Espeland, Ansgar

    2011-03-15

    Cross-sectional. To describe alar- and transverse-ligament magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) high-signal changes in acute whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) grades 1 and 2 in relation to the severity and mechanics of trauma, and to compare them with controls. The alar and transverse ligaments are important stabilizers at the craniovertebral junction. Acute injury of these ligaments should be detected as high-signal changes on high-resolution MRI. In the study, 114 consecutive acute WAD 1-2 patients and 157 noninjured controls underwent upper-neck high-resolution MRI, using proton-weighted sequences and Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR). Two blinded radiologists independently graded high-signal changes 0 to 3 on proton images and assessed ligament high-signal intensity on STIR. Image quality was evaluated as good, reduced, or poor (not interpretable). Multiple logistic regression was used for both within- and between-groups analyses. All proton and STIR images were interpretable. Interobserver agreement for grades 2 to 3 versus grades 0 to 1 changes was moderate to good (κ = 0.71 alar; and 0.54 transverse). MRI showed grades 2 to 3 alar ligament changes in 40 (35.1%) and grades 2 to 3 transverse ligament changes in 27 (23.7%) of the patients. Such changes were related to contemporary head injury (P = 0.041 alar), neck pain (P = 0.042 transverse), and sex (P = 0.033 transverse) but did not differ between patients and controls (P = 0.433 alar; and 0.254 transverse). STIR ligament signal intensity, higher than bone marrow, was found in only three patients and one control. This first study on high-resolution MRI of craniovertebral ligaments in acute WAD 1-2 indicates that such trauma does not induce high-signal changes. Follow-up studies are needed to find out whether pretraumatic high-signal changes imply reduced ligament strength and can predict chronic WAD.

  11. Non-invasive mapping of bilateral motor speech areas using navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Könönen, Mervi; Tamsi, Niko; Säisänen, Laura; Kemppainen, Samuli; Määttä, Sara; Julkunen, Petro; Jutila, Leena; Äikiä, Marja; Kälviäinen, Reetta; Niskanen, Eini; Vanninen, Ritva; Karjalainen, Pasi; Mervaala, Esa

    2015-06-15

    Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is a modern precise method to activate and study cortical functions noninvasively. We hypothesized that a combination of nTMS and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) could clarify the localization of functional areas involved with motor control and production of speech. Navigated repetitive TMS (rTMS) with short bursts was used to map speech areas on both hemispheres by inducing speech disruption during number recitation tasks in healthy volunteers. Two experienced video reviewers, blinded to the stimulated area, graded each trial offline according to possible speech disruption. The locations of speech disrupting nTMS trials were overlaid with fMRI activations of word generation task. Speech disruptions were produced on both hemispheres by nTMS, though there were more disruptive stimulation sites on the left hemisphere. Grade of the disruptions varied from subjective sensation to mild objectively recognizable disruption up to total speech arrest. The distribution of locations in which speech disruptions could be elicited varied among individuals. On the left hemisphere the locations of disturbing rTMS bursts with reviewers' verification followed the areas of fMRI activation. Similar pattern was not observed on the right hemisphere. The reviewer-verified speech disruptions induced by nTMS provided clinically relevant information, and fMRI might explain further the function of the cortical area. nTMS and fMRI complement each other, and their combination should be advocated when assessing individual localization of speech network. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. SU-E-P-33: Critical Role of T2-Weighted Imaging Combined with Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of MRI in Diagnosis of Loco-Regional Recurrent Esophageal Cancer After Radical Surgery

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Deng, G; Qiao, L; Liang, N

    Purpose: We perform this study to investigate the diagnostic efficacy of T2-weighted MRI (T2WI) and diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) in confirming local relapses of esophageal cancer in patients highly suspected of recurrence after eradicating surgery. Methods: Forty-two postoperative esophageal cancer patients with clinical suspicions of cancer recurrence underwent 3.0T MRI applying axial, coronal, sagittal T2WI and axial DWI sequences. Two experienced radiologists (R1 and R2) both used two methods (T2WI, T2WI+DWI) to observe the images, and graded the patients ranging from 1 to 5 to represent severity of the disease based on visual signal intensity (patients equal to or more thanmore » grade 3 was confirmed as recurrent disease) Results: 27/42patients were verified of recurrent disease by pathologic findings and/or imaging findings during follow-up. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of R1 applying T2WI+DWI are 96%, 87% and 93% versus 81%, 80% and 77% on T2WI, these figures by R2 were 96%, 93% and 95% versus 89%, 93% and 90%. The receiver operating curve (ROC) analyses suggest that both of the two readers can obtain better accuracy when adding DWI to T2WI compared with T2WI alone. Kappa test between R1 and R2 indicates excellent inter-observer agreement on T2WI+DWI. Conclusion: Standard T2WI in combination DWI can achieve better accuracy than T2WI alone in diagnosing local recurrence of esophageal cancer, and improve consistency between different readers.« less

  13. Semiautomatic segmentation and follow-up of multicomponent low-grade tumors in longitudinal brain MRI studies

    PubMed Central

    Weizman, Lior; Sira, Liat Ben; Joskowicz, Leo; Rubin, Daniel L.; Yeom, Kristen W.; Constantini, Shlomi; Shofty, Ben; Bashat, Dafna Ben

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Tracking the progression of low grade tumors (LGTs) is a challenging task, due to their slow growth rate and associated complex internal tumor components, such as heterogeneous enhancement, hemorrhage, and cysts. In this paper, the authors show a semiautomatic method to reliably track the volume of LGTs and the evolution of their internal components in longitudinal MRI scans. Methods: The authors' method utilizes a spatiotemporal evolution modeling of the tumor and its internal components. Tumor components gray level parameters are estimated from the follow-up scan itself, obviating temporal normalization of gray levels. The tumor delineation procedure effectively incorporates internal classification of the baseline scan in the time-series as prior data to segment and classify a series of follow-up scans. The authors applied their method to 40 MRI scans of ten patients, acquired at two different institutions. Two types of LGTs were included: Optic pathway gliomas and thalamic astrocytomas. For each scan, a “gold standard” was obtained manually by experienced radiologists. The method is evaluated versus the gold standard with three measures: gross total volume error, total surface distance, and reliability of tracking tumor components evolution. Results: Compared to the gold standard the authors' method exhibits a mean Dice similarity volumetric measure of 86.58% and a mean surface distance error of 0.25 mm. In terms of its reliability in tracking the evolution of the internal components, the method exhibits strong positive correlation with the gold standard. Conclusions: The authors' method provides accurate and repeatable delineation of the tumor and its internal components, which is essential for therapy assessment of LGTs. Reliable tracking of internal tumor components over time is novel and potentially will be useful to streamline and improve follow-up of brain tumors, with indolent growth and behavior. PMID:24784396

  14. Comparison of clinical semi-quantitative assessment of muscle fat infiltration with quantitative assessment using chemical shift-based water/fat separation in MR studies of the calf of post-menopausal women

    PubMed Central

    Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C.; Joseph, Gabby B.; Yap, Samuel P.; Baum, Thomas; Krug, Roland; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M.

    2013-01-01

    Objective The goal of this study was to compare the semi-quantitative Goutallier classification for fat infiltration with quantitative fat-fraction derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical shift-based water/fat separation technique. Methods Sixty-two women (age 61±6 years), 27 of whom had diabetes, underwent MRI of the calf using a T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequence and a six-echo spoiled gradient-echo sequence at 3 T. Water/fat images and fat fraction maps were reconstructed using the IDEAL algorithm with T2* correction and a multi-peak model for the fat spectrum. Two radiologists scored fat infiltration on the T1-weighted images using the Goutallier classification in six muscle compartments. Spearman correlations between the Goutallier grades and the fat fraction were calculated; in addition, intra-observer and inter-observer agreement were calculated. Results A significant correlation between the clinical grading and the fat fraction values was found for all muscle compartments (P<0.0001, R values ranging from 0.79 to 0.88). Goutallier grades 0–4 had a fat fraction ranging from 3.5 to 19%. Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement values of 0.83 and 0.81 were calculated for the semi-quantitative grading. Conclusion Semi-quantitative grading of intramuscular fat and quantitative fat fraction were significantly correlated and both techniques had excellent reproducibility. However, the clinical grading was found to overestimate muscle fat. PMID:22411305

  15. Preoperative 3-Tesla Multiparametric Endorectal Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings and the Odds of Upgrading and Upstaging at Radical Prostatectomy in Men With Clinically Localized Prostate Cancer

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Hegde, John V.; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Chen, Ming-Hui

    Purpose: To investigate whether 3-T esla (3T) multiparametric endorectal MRI (erMRI) can add information to established predictors regarding occult extraprostatic or high-grade prostate cancer (PC) in men with clinically localized PC. Methods and Materials: At a single academic medical center, this retrospective study's cohort included 118 men with clinically localized PC who underwent 3T multiparametric erMRI followed by radical prostatectomy, from 2008 to 2011. Multivariable logistic regression analyses in all men and in 100 with favorable-risk PC addressed whether erMRI evidence of T3 disease was associated with prostatectomy T3 or Gleason score (GS) 8-10 (in patients with biopsy GS {<=}7)more » PC, adjusting for age, prostate-specific antigen level, clinical T category, biopsy GS, and percent positive biopsies. Results: The accuracy of erMRI prediction of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion was 75% and 95%, respectively. For all men, erMRI evidence of a T3 lesion versus T2 was associated with an increased odds of having pT3 disease (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 4.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.36-16.98, P=.015) and pGS 8-10 (AOR 5.56, 95% CI 1.10-28.18, P=.038). In the favorable-risk population, these results were AOR 4.14 (95% CI 1.03-16.56), P=.045 and AOR 7.71 (95% CI 1.36-43.62), P=.021, respectively. Conclusions: Three-Tesla multiparametric erMRI in men with favorable-risk PC provides information beyond that contained in known preoperative predictors about the presence of occult extraprostatic and/or high-grade PC. If validated in additional studies, this information can be used to counsel men planning to undergo radical prostatectomy or radiation therapy about the possible need for adjuvant radiation therapy or the utility of adding hormone therapy, respectively.« less

  16. T1ρ MRI Quantification of Arthroscopically-Confirmed Cartilage Degeneration

    PubMed Central

    Witschey, Walter RT; Borthakur, Arijitt; Fenty, Matt; Kneeland, J Bruce; Lonner, Jess H; McArdle, Erin L.; Sochor, Matt; Reddy, Ravinder

    2010-01-01

    9 asymptomatic subjects and 6 patients underwent T1ρ MRI to determine whether Outerbridge grade 1 or 2 cartilage degeneration observed during arthroscopy could be detected noninvasively. MRI was performed 2–3 months post-arthroscopy using sagittal T1-weighted and axial and coronal T1ρ MRI from which spatial T1ρ relaxation maps were calculated from segmented T1-weighted images. Median T1ρ relaxation times of patients with arthroscopically documented cartilage degeneration and asymptomatic subjects were significantly different (p < 0.001) and median T1ρ exceeded asymptomatic articular cartilage median T1ρ by 2.5 to 9.2 ms. In 8 observations of mild cartilage degeneration at arthroscopy (Outerbridge grades 1 and 2), mean compartment T1ρ was elevated in 5, but in all observations, large foci of increased T1ρ were observed. It was determined that T1ρ could detect some, but not all, Outerbridge grade 1 and 2 cartilage degeneration but that a larger patient population is needed to determine the sensitivity to these changes. PMID:20432308

  17. Stochastic DT-MRI connectivity mapping on the GPU.

    PubMed

    McGraw, Tim; Nadar, Mariappan

    2007-01-01

    We present a method for stochastic fiber tract mapping from diffusion tensor MRI (DT-MRI) implemented on graphics hardware. From the simulated fibers we compute a connectivity map that gives an indication of the probability that two points in the dataset are connected by a neuronal fiber path. A Bayesian formulation of the fiber model is given and it is shown that the inversion method can be used to construct plausible connectivity. An implementation of this fiber model on the graphics processing unit (GPU) is presented. Since the fiber paths can be stochastically generated independently of one another, the algorithm is highly parallelizable. This allows us to exploit the data-parallel nature of the GPU fragment processors. We also present a framework for the connectivity computation on the GPU. Our implementation allows the user to interactively select regions of interest and observe the evolving connectivity results during computation. Results are presented from the stochastic generation of over 250,000 fiber steps per iteration at interactive frame rates on consumer-grade graphics hardware.

  18. Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (DCE-MRI) Combined with Positron Emission Tomography-Computed Tomography (PET-CT) and Video-Electroencephalography (VEEG) Have Excellent Diagnostic Value in Preoperative Localization of Epileptic Foci in Children with Epilepsy.

    PubMed

    Wang, Gui-Bin; Long, Wei; Li, Xiao-Dong; Xu, Guang-Yin; Lu, Ji-Xiang

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND To investigate the effect that dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) has on surgical decision making relative to video-electroencephalography (VEEG) and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT), and if the differences in these variables translates to differences in surgical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 166 children with epilepsy undergoing preoperative DCE-MRI, VEEG, and PET-CT examinations, surgical resection of epileptic foci, and intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) monitoring were enrolled. All children were followed up for 12 months and grouped by Engles prognostic classification for epilepsy. Based on intraoperative ECoG as gold standard, the diagnostic values of DCE-MRI, VEEG, PET-CT, DCE-MRI combined with VEEG, DCE-MRI combined with PET-CT, and combined application of DCE-MRI, VEEG, and PET-CT in preoperative localization for epileptic foci were evaluated. RESULTS The sensitivity of DCE-MRI, VEEG, and PET-CT was 59.64%, 76.51%, and 93.98%, respectively; the accuracy of DCE-MRI, VEEG, PET-CT, DCE-MRI combined with VEEG, and DCE-MRI combined with PET-CT was 57.58%, 67.72%, 91.03%, 91.23%, and 96.49%, respectively. Localization accuracy rate of the combination of DCE-MRI, VEEG, and PET-CT was 98.25% (56/57), which was higher than that of DCE-MRI combined with VEEG and of DCE-MRI combined with PET-CT. No statistical difference was found in the accuracy rate of localization between these three combined techniques. During the 12-month follow-up, children were grouped into Engles grade I (n=106), II (n=31), III (n=21), and IV (n=8) according to postoperative conditions. CONCLUSIONS All DCE-MRI combined with VEEG, DCE-MRI combined with PET-CT, and DCE-MRI combined with VEEG and PET-CT examinations have excellent accuracy in preoperative localization of epileptic foci and present excellent postoperative efficiency, suggesting that these combined imaging methods are suitable for serving as the reference basis in preoperative localization of epileptic foci in children with epilepsy.

  19. Diagnostic accuracy of 3.0 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of articular cartilage lesions of the talus.

    PubMed

    Gatlin, Coley C; Matheny, Lauren M; Ho, Charles P; Johnson, Nicholas S; Clanton, Thomas O

    2015-03-01

    Talar chondral defects can be a source of persistent ankle pain and disability. If untreated, there is an increased risk of osteoarthritis. The purpose of our study was to determine diagnostic accuracy of 3T MRI in detecting Outerbridge grades 3 and 4 articular cartilage lesions of the talus in a clinical setting, utilizing a standardized clinical MRI protocol. Patients who had a 3T ankle MRI and subsequent ankle surgery, by a single surgeon, were included in this study. MRI exams were performed 180 days or less before surgery. Seventy-nine ankles in 78 patients (mean age of 42.3 years) were included in this study. Mean body mass index was 26.3. A standard clinical MRI exam was performed on a 3T MRI scanner. Mean days from MRI to surgery was 39 days. All MRI exams were read and findings recorded by a musculoskeletal radiologist. Arthroscopic examination was performed by a single orthopaedic surgeon. Detailed arthroscopic findings and demographic data were collected prospectively and stored in a data registry. Of the 78 patients, 31 (39.2%) reported previous ankle surgery. Pain was the primary reason for seeking medical attention as reported by 95% of patients, followed by instability in 44% and loss of function with 42%. Prevalence of Outerbridge grade 3 and 4 talar articular cartilage defects identified at arthroscopy was 17.7%. The 3T MRI demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.714, specificity of 0.738, positive predictive value of 0.370, and negative predictive value of 0.923. Sensitivity and specificity levels were acceptable for detection of grades 3 and 4 articular cartilage defects of the talar dome using 3T MRI. The high negative predictive value may be beneficial in preoperative planning. While these values are acceptable, a high index of suspicion should be maintained in the appropriate clinical setting. © The Author(s) 2014.

  20. Diagnostic accuracy of noncontrast MRI for detection of glenohumeral cartilage lesions: a prospective comparison to arthroscopy.

    PubMed

    VanBeek, Corinne; Loeffler, Bryan J; Narzikul, Alexa; Gordon, Victoria; Rasiej, Michael J; Kazam, Jonathan K; Abboud, Joseph A

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of glenohumeral articular cartilage lesions in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy and to assess the accuracy of noncontrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting these defects compared with the "gold standard" of arthroscopy. Noncontrast MRI studies obtained in 84 consecutive patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy for rotator cuff tendinopathy (mean age, 54.8 years; range, 17-82 years) were prospectively evaluated for glenohumeral cartilage lesions. Two fellowship-trained, experienced musculoskeletal radiologists were blinded from the arthroscopic findings and independently evaluated the glenoid and humeral head cartilage on 2 separate occasions. At arthroscopy, cartilage lesions of the humeral head were detected in 23 patients (frequency, 27.4%), and glenoid cartilage lesions were found in 20 patients (frequency, 23.8%). For detection of a humeral lesion on MRI, the radiologists' combined accuracy was 78%, sensitivity was 43%, and specificity was 91%. The combined accuracy for detection of glenoid lesions on MRI was 84%, sensitivity was 53%, and specificity was 93%. Combining the readers, low-grade lesions (International Cartilage Repair Society grades 1 and 2) of the glenoid and humerus were read as negative on MRI in 63% and 86% of cases, respectively. Overall accuracy of noncontrast MRI for detection of glenohumeral articular cartilage lesions is good; however, interpretation is reader dependent, and accuracy is significantly reduced for detection of low-grade lesions. On the basis of these findings, we recommend that patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy undergoing arthroscopy be informed that the presence and severity of cartilage lesions may be underestimated on MRI. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Dual-echo, chemical shift gradient-echo magnetic resonance imaging to quantify hepatic steatosis: Implications for living liver donation.

    PubMed

    Rinella, Mary E; McCarthy, Richard; Thakrar, Kiran; Finn, John Paul; Rao, Sambasiva M; Koffron, Alan J; Abecassis, Michael; Blei, Andres T

    2003-08-01

    In living liver donation, a fatty liver poses risks for both recipient and donor. Currently, liver biopsy is the standard for assessing the presence and extent of steatosis. The goals of this study were to correlate a steatosis index derived from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to the histologic grade on biopsy as well as to determine the topographic distribution of steatosis within the liver. We examined the ability of dual-echo, chemical shift gradient-echo MRI to predict the degree of steatosis on liver biopsy. A total of 22 subjects received both a liver biopsy and detailed MRI evaluation. These individuals included 15 potential living donors and 7 patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. MRI steatosis index was then compared with histologic grade on liver biopsy. The topographic distribution of hepatic steatosis was determined from those subjects in whom MRI detected hepatic steatosis. The steatosis index had a positive correlation with grade of steatosis on liver biopsy (correlation coefficient, 0.84). There was no significant variation in the degree of steatosis among segments. A steatosis index of >0.2 had good positive and negative predictive value for the presence of significant steatosis (>15%) on biopsy. Our quantitative MRI protocol can predict the degree of hepatic steatosis when it is minimal to moderate, and may obviate the need for liver biopsy for the purpose of quantification of steatosis in living donors. Fat saturation added to the MRI protocol may further improve diagnostic accuracy. This technique may be applicable to the larger population with hepatic steatosis.

  2. Focal application of low-dose-rate brachytherapy for prostate cancer: a pilot study

    PubMed Central

    Spadinger, Ingrid T.; Salcudean, Septimiu E.; Kozlowski, Piotr; Chang, Silvia D.; Ng, Tony; Lobo, Julio; Nir, Guy; Moradi, Hamid; Peacock, Michael; Morris, W. James

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and to report the early outcomes of focal treatment of prostate cancer using low-dose-rate brachytherapy (LDR-PB). Material and methods Seventeen patients were screened with multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), 14 of whom proceeded to receive trans-perineal template mapping biopsy (TTMB). Focal LDR-PB was performed on five eligible patients using dual air kerma strength treatment plans based on planning target volumes derived from cancer locations and determined by TTMB. Patient follow-up includes prostate specific antigen (PSA) measurements, urinary and sexual function questionnaires, repeated imaging and TTMB at specific intervals post-treatment. Results Feasibility of focal LDR-PB was shown and short-term outcomes are promising. While the detection rate of tumors, a majority of which were low grade GS 3 + 3, was found to be low on mpMRI (sensitivity of 37.5%), our results suggest the potential of mpMRI in detecting the presence of higher grade (GS ≥ 3 + 4), and bilateral disease indicating its usefulness as a screening tool for focal LDR-PB. Conclusions Low-dose-rate brachytherapy is a favorable ablation option for focal treatment of prostate cancer, requiring minimal modification to the standard (whole gland) LDR-PB treatment, and appears to have a more favorable side effect profile. Further investigation, in the form of a larger study, is needed to assess the methods used and the long-term outcomes of focal LDR-PB. PMID:28725242

  3. Imaging Agonist-Induced D2/D3 Receptor Desensitization and Internalization In Vivo with PET/fMRI.

    PubMed

    Sander, Christin Y; Hooker, Jacob M; Catana, Ciprian; Rosen, Bruce R; Mandeville, Joseph B

    2016-04-01

    This study investigated the dynamics of dopamine receptor desensitization and internalization, thereby proposing a new technique for non-invasive, in vivo measurements of receptor adaptations. The D2/D3 agonist quinpirole, which induces receptor internalization in vitro, was administered at graded doses in non-human primates while imaging with simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A pronounced temporal divergence between receptor occupancy and fMRI signal was observed: occupancy remained elevated while fMRI responded transiently. Analogous experiments with an antagonist (prochlorperazine) and a lower-affinity agonist (ropinirole) exhibited reduced temporal dissociation between occupancy and function, consistent with a mechanism of desensitization and internalization that depends upon drug efficacy and affinity. We postulated a model that incorporates internalization into a neurovascular-coupling relationship. This model yielded in vivo desensitization/internalization rates (0.2/min for quinpirole) consistent with published in vitro measurements. Overall, these results suggest that simultaneous PET/fMRI enables characterization of dynamic neuroreceptor adaptations in vivo, and may offer a first non-invasive method for assessing receptor desensitization and internalization.

  4. Imaging Agonist-Induced D2/D3 Receptor Desensitization and Internalization In Vivo with PET/fMRI

    PubMed Central

    Sander, Christin Y; Hooker, Jacob M; Catana, Ciprian; Rosen, Bruce R; Mandeville, Joseph B

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the dynamics of dopamine receptor desensitization and internalization, thereby proposing a new technique for non-invasive, in vivo measurements of receptor adaptations. The D2/D3 agonist quinpirole, which induces receptor internalization in vitro, was administered at graded doses in non-human primates while imaging with simultaneous positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A pronounced temporal divergence between receptor occupancy and fMRI signal was observed: occupancy remained elevated while fMRI responded transiently. Analogous experiments with an antagonist (prochlorperazine) and a lower-affinity agonist (ropinirole) exhibited reduced temporal dissociation between occupancy and function, consistent with a mechanism of desensitization and internalization that depends upon drug efficacy and affinity. We postulated a model that incorporates internalization into a neurovascular-coupling relationship. This model yielded in vivo desensitization/internalization rates (0.2/min for quinpirole) consistent with published in vitro measurements. Overall, these results suggest that simultaneous PET/fMRI enables characterization of dynamic neuroreceptor adaptations in vivo, and may offer a first non-invasive method for assessing receptor desensitization and internalization. PMID:26388148

  5. Tumor volumetric measurements in surgically inaccessible pediatric low-grade glioma.

    PubMed

    Kilday, John-Paul; Branson, Helen; Rockel, Conrad; Laughlin, Suzanne; Mabbott, Donald; Bouffet, Eric; Bartels, Ute

    2015-01-01

    Tumor measurement is important in unresectable pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) to determine either the need for treatment or assess response. Standard methods measure the product of the largest 2 lengths from transverse, anterior-posterior, and cranio-caudal dimensions (SM, cm). This single-institution study evaluated tumor volume measurements (VM, cm) in such pLGGs. Of 50 patients treated with chemotherapy for surgically inaccessible pLGG, 8 met the inclusion criteria of having 2 or more sequential MRI studies of T1-weighted Fast-Spoiled Gradient Recalled acquisition. SM and VM were performed by 2 independent neuroradiologists. Associations of measurement methods with defined therapeutic response criteria and patient clinical status were assessed. The mean tumor size at the first MRI scan was 20 cm and 398 cm according to SM and VM, respectively. VM results did not differ significantly from SM-derived spherical volume calculations (Pearson correlation, P<0.0001) with a high interrater reliability. Both methods were concordant in defining the tumor response according to the current criteria, although radiologic progressive disease was not associated with clinical status (SM: P=0.491, VM: P=0.208). In this limited experience, volumetric analysis of unresectable pLGGs did not seem superior to the standard linear measurements for defining tumor response.

  6. Bone and cartilage characteristics in postmenopausal women with mild knee radiographic osteoarthritis and those without radiographic osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    Multanen, J.; Heinonen, A.; Häkkinen, A.; Kautiainen, H.; Kujala, U.M.; Lammentausta, E.; Jämsä, T.; Kiviranta, I.; Nieminen, M.T.

    2015-01-01

    Objectives: To evaluate the association between radiographically-assessed knee osteoarthritis and femoral neck bone characteristics in women with mild knee radiographic osteoarthritis and those without radiographic osteoarthritis. Methods: Ninety postmenopausal women (mean age [SD], 58 [4] years; height, 163 [6] cm; weight, 71 [11] kg) participated in this cross-sectional study. The severity of radiographic knee osteoarthritis was defined using Kellgren-Lawrence grades 0=normal (n=12), 1=doubtful (n=25) or 2=minimal (n=53). Femoral neck bone mineral content (BMC), section modulus (Z), and cross-sectional area (CSA) were measured with DXA. The biochemical composition of ipsilateral knee cartilage was estimated using quantitative MRI measures, T2 mapping and dGEMRIC. The associations between radiographic knee osteoarthritis grades and bone and cartilage characteristics were analyzed using generalized linear models. Results: Age-, height-, and weight-adjusted femoral neck BMC (p for linearity=0.019), Z (p for linearity=0.033), and CSA (p for linearity=0.019) increased significantly with higher knee osteoarthritis grades. There was no linear relationship between osteoarthritis grades and knee cartilage indices. Conclusions: Increased DXA assessed hip bone strength is related to knee osteoarthritis severity. These results are hypothesis driven that there is an inverse relationship between osteoarthritis and osteoporosis. However, MRI assessed measures of cartilage do not discriminate mild radiographic osteoarthritis severity. PMID:25730654

  7. Comparison of 1.5- and 3-T MR imaging for evaluating the articular cartilage of the knee.

    PubMed

    Van Dyck, Pieter; Kenis, Christoph; Vanhoenacker, Filip M; Lambrecht, Valérie; Wouters, Kristien; Gielen, Jan L; Dossche, Lieven; Parizel, Paul M

    2014-06-01

    The aim of this prospective study was to compare routine MRI scans of the knee at 1.5 and 3 T obtained in the same individuals in terms of their performance in the diagnosis of cartilage lesions. One hundred patients underwent MRI of the knee at 1.5 and 3 T and subsequent knee arthroscopy. All MR examinations consisted of multiplanar 2D turbo spin-echo sequences. Three radiologists independently graded all articular surfaces of the knee joint seen at MRI. With arthroscopy as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 1.5- and 3-T MRI for detecting cartilage lesions and the proportion of correctly graded cartilage lesions within the knee joint were determined and compared using resampling statistics. For all readers and surfaces combined, the respective sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for detecting all grades of cartilage lesions in the knee joint using MRI were 60, 96, and 87% at 1.5 T and 69, 96, and 90% at 3 T. There was a statistically significant improvement in sensitivity (p < 0.05), but not specificity or accuracy (n.s.) for the detection of cartilage lesions at 3 T. There was also a statistically significant (p < 0.05) improvement in the proportion of correctly graded cartilage lesions at 3 T as compared to 1.5 T. A 3-T MR protocol significantly improves diagnostic performance for the purpose of detecting cartilage lesions within the knee joint, when compared with a similar protocol performed at 1.5 T. III.

  8. SU-D-207B-02: Early Grade Classification in Meningioma Patients Combining Radiomics and Semantics Data

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Coroller, T; Bi, W; Abedalthagafi, M

    Purpose: The clinical management of meningioma is guided by its grade and biologic behavior. Currently, diagnosis of tumor grade follows surgical resection and histopathologic review. Reliable techniques for pre-operative determination of tumor behavior are needed. We investigated the association between imaging features extracted from preoperative gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted MRI and meningioma grade. Methods: We retrospectively examined the pre-operative MRI for 139 patients with de novo WHO grade I (63%) and grade II (37%) meningiomas. We investigated the predictive power of ten semantic radiologic features as determined by a neuroradiologist, fifteen radiomic features, and tumor location. Conventional (volume and diameter) imaging featuresmore » were added for comparison. AUC was computed for continuous and χ{sup 2} for discrete variables. Classification was done using random forest. Performance was evaluated using cross validation (1000 iterations, 75% training and 25% validation). All p-values were adjusted for multiple testing. Results: Significant association was observed between meningioma grade and tumor location (p<0.001) and two semantic features including intra-tumoral heterogeneity (p<0.001) and overt hemorrhage (p=0.01). Conventional (AUC 0.61–0.67) and eleven radiomic (AUC 0.60–0.70) features were significant from random (p<0.05, Noether test). Median AUC values for classification of tumor grade were 0.57, 0.71, 0.72 and 0.77 respectively for conventional, radiomic, location, and semantic features after using random forest. By combining all imaging data (semantic, radiomic, and location), the median AUC was 0.81, which offers superior predicting power to that of conventional imaging descriptors for meningioma as well as radiomic features alone (p<0.05, permutation test). Conclusion: We demonstrate a strong association between radiologic features and meningioma grade. Pre-operative prediction of tumor behavior based on imaging features offers promise for guiding personalized medicine and improving patient management.« less

  9. [Comparison of the Arthroscopic Finding in the Knee Joint and the MRI - Retrospective Study].

    PubMed

    Šimeček, K; Látal, P; Duda, J; Šimeček, M

    2017-01-01

    PURPOSE OF THE STUDY Our retrospective study presents the comparison of the preoperative magnetic resonance imaging of the knee joint - MRI - and the arthroscopic finding - ASC. Its aim is to find out how a positive or a negative finding of MRI corresponds with the operative finding and how much the experience of radiologist contributes to the conformity. MATERIAL AND METHODS The MRI findings of knee joints treated surgically at two departments in 2013 and 2014 were assessed. The MRI was performed in a total of 470 patients who subsequently underwent an arthroscopic surgery. A conformity or a non-conformity in anterior, posterior horn and complete rupture of both menisci and in partial or complete tear of anterior cruciate ligament - LCA was searched for. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI were established. The difference between experienced and less experienced radiologists was evaluated. The analysis of the radiology report, surgical protocol of ASC and medical history in the documentation was performed. The cartilage was not subject to evaluation. The finding of Grade 1 meniscus tear on MRI was evaluated as negative. Grade 2 and Grade 3 were evaluated as positive. RESULTS Comparison of the preoperative MRI and the arthroscopic finding 1. The group with MRI reported 3 % of diagnostic arthroscopies. The control group without MRI (551 ASC) reported 15 % diagnostic arthroscopies. 2. Low sensitivity of MRI (0.67) in negative findings of ASC. It concerned 7 cases in which a pathological finding was identified on a MRI scan, but not by ASC. In two cases the repeated arthroscopy confirmed that a pathology inside the knee joint was overlooked by the arthroscopist. In the remaining five cases, the clinical finding improved without a repeated surgery. 3. High sensitivity of MRI is shown in the most frequent finding - posterior horn of medial meniscus (0.94). 4. Lower sensitivity (0.76) in partial and (0.83) in complete ACL tear. It increases to 0.93 if partial and complete tear are put together. Both MRI and ASC detect the pathology of ligament, but do not agree in terms of terminology. 5. Lower sensitivity (0.78) was seen in posterior horn of lateral meniscus, most likely due to its complicated anatomy. 6. Specificity of complete tear of medial meniscus tear is 0.99. Lower specificity in the posterior horn of medial meniscus (0.81) shows a higher number of positive MRI findings in negative ASC findings. Some posterior horn tear can be overlooked by an inexperienced surgeon. The MRD findings need to be studied. 7. High specificity (0.99) was described in negative findings. In three cases only, the surgeon discovered a pathological finding, not revealed by MRI scan. It always concerned a tear within the posterior horn of the medial meniscus. 8. Specificity (0.88, 0.93 or 0.86, respectively) in partial, complete and all ACL damages in total. 9. We concluded that contributing to the degree of agreement between MRI and ASC is also the experience of a radiologist. The most experienced radiologist evaluated 190 of 470 MRI scans, the remaining twelve radiologists assessed 280 scans. The posterior horn of the medial meniscus - sensitivity or specificity evaluated by an experienced radiologist (0.98 and 0.88, respectively) and inexperienced radiologist (0.91 and 0.79). The specificity and sensitivity in complete ACL tears - by experienced radiologist (0.91 and 0.94, respectively) and inexperienced radiologist (0.81 and 0.90, respectively). The test accuracy of the experienced radiologist in evaluating the most frequent injuries of soft knee structures was by 9-10 % higher than of the inexperienced radiologist. DISCUSSION The results obtained by the other authors show that the sensitivity and specificity range from 0.6 to 0.9. They agree that the MRI is unsuitable for assessing the cartilage. We confirm that the results are worse when evaluating the posterior horn of the lateral meniscus. We have also proven that the radiologist s experience does play an important role. It can be the reason for a high degree of difference between the results of various authors. Some of them give preference to a clinical examination or a diagnostic arthroscopy instead of the MRI. At our department, MRI is indicated if we are convinced it can help with the indication or where it will suggest what to focus on during the surgery. CONCLUSIONS A preoperative MRI scan can prevent an unnecessary arthroscopy. It displays structures to the surgeon which shall be reviewed in detail during the surgery. We recommend paying attention to Grade 2 MRI findings, positive MRI findings on the posterior horn of medial meniscus and to MRI findings on partial ACL tears. Such menisci and ligaments shall be carefully reviewed. Clinical preoperative examination and cooperation between the surgeon, the "arthroscopist", and the radiologist is essential. The experience of the radiologist also plays a role when evaluating the MRI scan. We have introduced MRI ward rounds. Key words: MRI, knee joint, knee arthroscopy, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy.

  10. Low-grade Glioma Surgery in Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Results of a Multicenter Retrospective Assessment of the German Study Group for Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    PubMed

    Coburger, Jan; Merkel, Andreas; Scherer, Moritz; Schwartz, Felix; Gessler, Florian; Roder, Constantin; Pala, Andrej; König, Ralph; Bullinger, Lars; Nagel, Gabriele; Jungk, Christine; Bisdas, Sotirios; Nabavi, Arya; Ganslandt, Oliver; Seifert, Volker; Tatagiba, Marcos; Senft, Christian; Mehdorn, Maximilian; Unterberg, Andreas W; Rössler, Karl; Wirtz, Christian Rainer

    2016-06-01

    The ideal treatment strategy for low-grade gliomas (LGGs) is a controversial topic. Additionally, only smaller single-center series dealing with the concept of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) have been published. To investigate determinants for patient outcome and progression-free-survival (PFS) after iMRI-guided surgery for LGGs in a multicenter retrospective study initiated by the German Study Group for Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging. A retrospective consecutive assessment of patients treated for LGGs (World Health Organization grade II) with iMRI-guided resection at 6 neurosurgical centers was performed. Eloquent location, extent of resection, first-line adjuvant treatment, neurophysiological monitoring, awake brain surgery, intraoperative ultrasound, and field-strength of iMRI were analyzed, as well as progression-free survival (PFS), new permanent neurological deficits, and complications. Multivariate binary logistic and Cox regression models were calculated to evaluate determinants of PFS, gross total resection (GTR), and adjuvant treatment. A total of 288 patients met the inclusion criteria. On multivariate analysis, GTR significantly increased PFS (hazard ratio, 0.44; P < .01), whereas "failed" GTR did not differ significantly from intended subtotal-resection. Combined radiochemotherapy as adjuvant therapy was a negative prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 2.84, P < .01). Field strength of iMRI was not associated with PFS. In the binary logistic regression model, use of high-field iMRI (odds ratio: 0.51, P < .01) was positively and eloquent location (odds ratio: 1.99, P < .01) was negatively associated with GTR. GTR was not associated with increased rates of new permanent neurological deficits. GTR was an independent positive prognostic factor for PFS in LGG surgery. Patients with accidentally left tumor remnants showed a similar prognosis compared with patients harboring only partially resectable tumors. Use of high-field iMRI was significantly associated with GTR. However, the field strength of iMRI did not affect PFS. EoR, extent of resectionFLAIR, fluid-attenuated inversion recoveryGTR, gross total resectionIDH1, isocitrate dehydrogenase 1iMRI, intraoperative magnetic resonance imagingLGG, low-grade gliomaMGMT, methylguanine-deoxyribonucleic acid methyltransferasenPND, new permanent neurological deficitOS, overall survivalPFS, progression-free survivalSTR, subtotal resectionWHO, World Health Organization.

  11. Surveillance imaging in children with malignant CNS tumors: low yield of spine MRI.

    PubMed

    Perreault, Sébastien; Lober, Robert M; Carret, Anne-Sophie; Zhang, Guohua; Hershon, Linda; Décarie, Jean-Claude; Vogel, Hannes; Yeom, Kristen W; Fisher, Paul G; Partap, Sonia

    2014-02-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is routinely obtained in patients with central nervous system (CNS) tumors, but few studies have been conducted to evaluate this practice. We assessed the benefits of surveillance MRI and more specifically spine MRI in a contemporary cohort. We evaluated MRI results of children diagnosed with CNS tumors from January 2000 to December 2011. Children with at least one surveillance MRI following the diagnosis of medulloblastoma (MB), atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT), pineoblastoma (PB), supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, supratentorial high-grade glioma (World Health Organization grade III-IV), CNS germ cell tumors or ependymoma were included. A total of 2,707 brain and 1,280 spine MRI scans were obtained in 258 patients. 97% of all relapses occurred in the brain and 3% were isolated to the spine. Relapse was identified in 226 (8%) brain and 48 (4%) spine MRI scans. The overall rate of detecting isolated spinal relapse was 9/1,000 and 7/1,000 for MB patients. MRI performed for PB showed the highest rate for detecting isolated spinal recurrence with 49/1,000. No initial isolated spinal relapse was identified in patients with glioma, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor and ATRT. Isolated spinal recurrences are infrequent in children with malignant CNS tumors and the yield of spine MRI is very low. Tailoring surveillance spine MRI to patients with higher spinal relapse risk such as PB, MB with metastatic disease and within 3 years of diagnosis could improve allocation of resources without compromising patient care.

  12. Diagnostic Accuracy of MRI, DWI MRI, FDG-PET/CT and FEC PET/CT in the Detection of Lymph Node Metastases in Surgically Staged Endometrial and Cervical Carcinoma

    ClinicalTrials.gov

    2017-08-30

    Surgically Staged Endometrial and Cervical Carcinoma; Cervical Cancer: Invasive Disease, FIGO Stage 1B1 or Higher; Endometrial Cancer; Stage 1A With Myometrial Invasion or Any Higher Stage and Grade 3; Stage 1A With Myometrial Invasion or Any Other Higher Stage and Serous Papillary or Clear Cell Sub-types; Stage II Disease or Above and Any Histology Grade

  13. Image-fusion of MR spectroscopic images for treatment planning of gliomas

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Chang Jenghwa; Thakur, Sunitha; Perera, Gerard

    2006-01-15

    {sup 1}H magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRSI) can improve the accuracy of target delineation for gliomas, but it lacks the anatomic resolution needed for image fusion. This paper presents a simple protocol for fusing simulation computer tomography (CT) and MRSI images for glioma intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), including a retrospective study of 12 patients. Each patient first underwent whole-brain axial fluid-attenuated-inversion-recovery (FLAIR) MRI (3 mm slice thickness, no spacing), followed by three-dimensional (3D) MRSI measurements (TE/TR: 144/1000 ms) of a user-specified volume encompassing the extent of the tumor. The nominal voxel size of MRSI ranged from 8x8x10 mm{sup 3} to 12x12x10more » mm{sup 3}. A system was developed to grade the tumor using the choline-to-creatine (Cho/Cr) ratios from each MRSI voxel. The merged MRSI images were then generated by replacing the Cho/Cr value of each MRSI voxel with intensities according to the Cho/Cr grades, and resampling the poorer-resolution Cho/Cr map into the higher-resolution FLAIR image space. The FUNCTOOL processing software was also used to create the screen-dumped MRSI images in which these data were overlaid with each FLAIR MRI image. The screen-dumped MRSI images were manually translated and fused with the FLAIR MRI images. Since the merged MRSI images were intrinsically fused with the FLAIR MRI images, they were also registered with the screen-dumped MRSI images. The position of the MRSI volume on the merged MRSI images was compared with that of the screen-dumped MRSI images and was shifted until agreement was within a predetermined tolerance. Three clinical target volumes (CTVs) were then contoured on the FLAIR MRI images corresponding to the Cho/Cr grades. Finally, the FLAIR MRI images were fused with the simulation CT images using a mutual-information algorithm, yielding an IMRT plan that simultaneously delivers three different dose levels to the three CTVs. The image-fusion protocol was tested on 12 (six high-grade and six low-grade) glioma patients. The average agreement of the MRSI volume position on the screen-dumped MRSI images and the merged MRSI images was 0.29 mm with a standard deviation of 0.07 mm. Of all the voxels with Cho/Cr grade one or above, the distribution of Cho/Cr grade was found to correlate with the glioma grade from pathologic finding and is consistent with literature results indicating Cho/Cr elevation as a marker for malignancy. In conclusion, an image-fusion protocol was developed that successfully incorporates MRSI information into the IMRT treatment plan for glioma.« less

  14. Return-to-Play Outcomes in Professional Baseball Players After Medial Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries: Comparison of Operative Versus Nonoperative Treatment Based on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings.

    PubMed

    Ford, Gregory M; Genuario, James; Kinkartz, Jason; Githens, Thomas; Noonan, Thomas

    2016-03-01

    The medial ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) is the primary static stabilizer to valgus stress of the elbow. Injuries to the UCL are common in baseball pitchers. In the 1970s, reconstructive surgery was developed. Return-to-play (RTP) rates of 67% to 95% after reconstruction have been reported. There is a paucity of published studies among professional baseball players reporting RTP with nonoperative treatment. To identify professional baseball players' ability to RTP after the nonoperative treatment of UCL injuries based on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) grade. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. A review of elbow injuries among a professional baseball organization from 2006 to 2011 was performed. MRI was performed on all players. Forty-three UCL injuries were diagnosed. Treatment included rehabilitation, surgery, or both. Rates of RTP and return to the same level of play or higher (RTSP) were calculated and correlated with the MRI grade, location of injury, and player position. MRI grading was as follows: I, intact ligament with or without edema; IIA, partial tear; IIB, chronic healed injury; and III, complete tear. Forty-three UCL injuries in 43 players were diagnosed. Eight had complete tears (grade III), were treated operatively with UCL reconstruction, and had an RTP rate of 75% and RTSP rate of 63% (5/8 returned to the same level and 1 to a lower level). All 8 were pitchers. The remaining 35 players had incomplete injuries (4 grade I, 8 grade IIA, and 23 grade IIB), consisting of 24 pitchers and 11 positional players. Of these 35 players, 1 underwent surgery without attempted rehabilitation, 3 initiated rehabilitation until MRI was performed and then underwent surgery, and 3 underwent surgery after failed rehabilitation. The 7 players who underwent UCL reconstruction surgery had an RTP rate of 100% and RTSP rate of 86% (6/7 returned to the same level and 1 to a lower level). The remaining 28 with nonoperative treatment had both RTP and RTSP rates of 93% (26/28 returned to the same level and 0 to a lower level). Of these, 10 were positional players with an RTSP rate of 90%, and 18 were pitchers with an RTSP rate of 94%. Of all players with incomplete UCL injuries who completed nonoperative rehabilitative treatment (n = 31), 26 had a successful RTSP (84%). Incomplete UCL injuries in professional baseball players can be successfully treated nonoperatively in the majority of cases. Pitchers are more likely to have complete tears leading to surgery. MRI grading of UCL injuries can help predict RTP and the need for surgery. © 2016 The Author(s).

  15. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Suspected Liver Metastases.

    PubMed

    Kaur, Harmeet; Hindman, Nicole M; Al-Refaie, Waddah B; Arif-Tiwari, Hina; Cash, Brooks D; Chernyak, Victoria; Farrell, James; Grajo, Joseph R; Horowitz, Jeanne M; McNamara, Michelle M; Noto, Richard B; Qayyum, Aliya; Lalani, Tasneem; Kamel, Ihab R

    2017-05-01

    Liver metastases are the most common malignant liver tumors. The accurate and early detection and characterization of liver lesions is the key to successful treatment strategies. Increasingly, surgical resection in combination with chemotherapy is effective in significantly improving survival if all metastases are successfully resected. MRI and multiphase CT are the primary imaging modalities in the assessment of liver metastasis, with the relative preference toward multiphase CT or MRI depending upon the clinical setting (ie, surveillance or presurgical planning). The optimization of imaging parameters is a vital factor in the success of either modality. PET/CT, intraoperative ultrasound are used to supplement CT and MRI. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Real-Time MRI-Guided Endovascular Recanalization of Chronic Total Arterial Occlusion in a Swine Model

    PubMed Central

    Raval, Amish N.; Karmarkar, Parag V.; Guttman, Michael A.; Ozturk, Cengizhan; Sampath, Smita; DeSilva, Ranil; Aviles, Ronnier J.; Xu, Minnan; Wright, Victor J.; Schenke, William H.; Kocaturk, Ozgur; Dick, Alexander J.; Raman, Venkatesh K.; Atalar, Ergin; McVeigh, Elliot R.; Lederman, Robert J.

    2006-01-01

    Background Endovascular recanalization (guidewire traversal) of peripheral artery chronic total occlusion (CTO) can be challenging. X-Ray angiography resolves CTO poorly. Virtually “blind” device advancement during X-ray-guided interventions can lead to procedure failure, perforation and hemorrhage. Alternatively, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may delineate the artery within the occluded segment to enhance procedural safety and success. We hypothesized that real-time MRI (rtMRI) guided CTO recanalization can be accomplished in an animal model. Methods and Results Carotid artery CTO was created by balloon injury in 19 lipid overfed swine. After 6–8 weeks, two underwent direct necropsy analysis for histology, three underwent primary X-ray-guided CTO recanalization attempts, and the remaining 14 underwent rtMRI-guided recanalization attempts in a 1.5T interventional MRI system. rtMRI intervention used custom CTO catheters and guidewires that incorporated MRI receiver antennae to enhance device visibility. The mean length of the occluded segments was 13.3 ± 1.6cm. rtMRI-guided CTO recanalization was successful in 11/14 swine and only 1/3 swine using X-ray alone. After unsuccessful rtMRI (n = 3), X-ray-guided attempts also were all unsuccessful. Conclusions Recanalization of long CTO is feasible entirely using rtMRI guidance. Low profile clinical-grade devices will be required to translate this experience to humans. Endovascular recanalization of chronic total arterial occlusion (CTO) is challenging under conventional X-ray guidance because devices are advanced almost blindly. MRI can image CTO borders and luminal contents, and could potentially guide these procedures. We test the feasibility of real-time MRI guided wire traversal in a swine model of peripheral artery CTO using custom active MRI catheters. PMID:16490819

  17. Machine learning methods for the classification of gliomas: Initial results using features extracted from MR spectroscopy.

    PubMed

    Ranjith, G; Parvathy, R; Vikas, V; Chandrasekharan, Kesavadas; Nair, Suresh

    2015-04-01

    With the advent of new imaging modalities, radiologists are faced with handling increasing volumes of data for diagnosis and treatment planning. The use of automated and intelligent systems is becoming essential in such a scenario. Machine learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, is increasingly being used in medical image analysis applications such as image segmentation, registration and computer-aided diagnosis and detection. Histopathological analysis is currently the gold standard for classification of brain tumors. The use of machine learning algorithms along with extraction of relevant features from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) holds promise of replacing conventional invasive methods of tumor classification. The aim of the study is to classify gliomas into benign and malignant types using MRI data. Retrospective data from 28 patients who were diagnosed with glioma were used for the analysis. WHO Grade II (low-grade astrocytoma) was classified as benign while Grade III (anaplastic astrocytoma) and Grade IV (glioblastoma multiforme) were classified as malignant. Features were extracted from MR spectroscopy. The classification was done using four machine learning algorithms: multilayer perceptrons, support vector machine, random forest and locally weighted learning. Three of the four machine learning algorithms gave an area under ROC curve in excess of 0.80. Random forest gave the best performance in terms of AUC (0.911) while sensitivity was best for locally weighted learning (86.1%). The performance of different machine learning algorithms in the classification of gliomas is promising. An even better performance may be expected by integrating features extracted from other MR sequences. © The Author(s) 2015 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  18. Imaging discrepancies between magnetic resonance imaging and brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography in the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, and verification with amyloid positron emission tomography.

    PubMed

    Yokoyama, Shunichi; Kajiya, Yoriko; Yoshinaga, Takuma; Tani, Atsushi; Hirano, Hirofumi

    2014-06-01

    In the diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), discrepancies are often observed between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) findings. MRI, brain perfusion SPECT, and amyloid positron emission tomography (PET) findings were compared in patients with mild cognitive impairment or early AD to clarify the discrepancies between imaging modalities. Several imaging markers were investigated, including the cortical average standardized uptake value ratio on amyloid PET, the Z-score of a voxel-based specific regional analysis system for AD on MRI, periventricular hyperintensity grade, deep white matter hyperintense signal grade, number of microbleeds, and three indicators of the easy Z-score imaging system for a specific SPECT volume-of-interest analysis. Based on the results of the regional analysis and the three indicators, we classified patients into four groups and then compared the results of amyloid PET, periventricular hyperintensity grade, deep white matter hyperintense signal grade, and the numbers of microbleeds among the groups. The amyloid deposition was the highest in the group that presented typical AD findings on both the regional analysis and the three indicators. The two groups that showed an imaging discrepancy between the regional analysis and the three indicators demonstrated intermediate amyloid deposition findings compared with the typical and atypical groups. The patients who showed hippocampal atrophy on the regional analysis and atypical AD findings using the three indicators were approximately 60% amyloid-negative. The mean periventricular hyperintensity grade was highest in the typical group. Patients showing discrepancies between MRI and SPECT demonstrated intermediate amyloid deposition findings compared with patients who showed typical or atypical findings. Strong white matter signal abnormalities on MRI in patients who presented typical AD findings provided further evidence for the involvement of vascular factors in AD. © 2014 The Authors. Psychogeriatrics © 2014 Japanese Psychogeriatric Society.

  19. Recent Developments of 18F-FET PET in Neuro-oncology.

    PubMed

    Muoio, Barbara; Giovanella, Luca; Treglia, Giorgio

    2017-11-23

    From the past decade to date several studies about O-(2-[18F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine (18F-FET) positron emission tomography (PET) in brain tumours have been published in the literature. Objective The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the recent developments and the current role of 18F-FET PET in brain tumours according to recent literature data. Methods Main findings from selected recently published and relevant articles on the role of 18F-FET PET in neuro-oncology were described. Results 18F-FET PET may be useful in the differential diagnosis between brain tumours and non-neoplastic lesions and between low-grade and high-grade gliomas. Integration of 18F-FET PET into surgical planning allows better delineation of the extent of resection beyond margins visible with standard MRI. For biopsy planning, 18F-FET PET is particularly useful in identifying malignant foci within non-contrast-enhancing gliomas. 18F-FET PET may improve the radiation therapy planning in patients with gliomas. This metabolic imaging method may be useful to evaluate treatment response in patients with gliomas and it improves the differential diagnosis between brain tumours recurrence and post-treatment changes. 18F-FET PET may provide useful prognostic information in high-grade gliomas. Conclusions Based on recent literature data 18F-FET PET may provide additional diagnostic information compared to standard MRI in neuro-oncology. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

  20. The normal transverse mesocolon and involvement of the mesocolon in acute pancreatitis: an MRI study.

    PubMed

    Chi, Xiao Xiao; Zhang, Xiao Ming; Chen, Tian Wu; Huang, Xiao Hua; Yang, Lin; Tang, Wei; Xiao, Bo

    2014-01-01

    To study the MRI findings of the normal transverse mesocolon and the involvement of the mesocolon in acute pancreatitis (AP) as well as the relationship between the involvement of the mesocolon and the severity of AP. Forty patients without pancreatic disorders were retrospectively analyzed to observe the normal transverse mesocolon using MRI; 210 patients with AP confirmed by clinical and laboratory tests were retrospectively analyzed using MRI to observe transverse-mesocolon involvement (TMI). The severity of TMI was recorded as zero points (no abnormalities and transverse-mesocolon vessel involvement), one point (linear and patchy signal in the transverse mesocolon) or two points (transverse-mesocolon effusion). The AP severity was graded by the MRI severity index (MRSI) and the Acute Physiology And Chronic Healthy Evaluation II (APACHE II) scoring system. The correlations of TMI with MRSI and APACHE-II were analyzed. In a normal transverse mesocolon, the display rates of the middle colic artery, the middle colic vein and the gastrocolic trunk on MRI were 95.0%, 82.5% and 100.0%, respectively. Of the 210 patients with AP, 130 patients (61.9%) had TMI. According to the TMI grading, 40%, 39% and 20% of the patients were graded at zero, one and two points, respectively. TMI was strongly correlated with the MRSI score (r = 0.759, P = 0.000) and the APACHE-II score (r = 0.384, P = 0.000). MRI could be used to visualize transverse-mesocolon involvement. The severity of TMI could reflect that of AP in the clinical setting and imaging. TMI might be a supplementary indicator of the severity of AP.

  1. Diffusion MRI: literature review in salivary gland tumors.

    PubMed

    Attyé, A; Troprès, I; Rouchy, R-C; Righini, C; Espinoza, S; Kastler, A; Krainik, A

    2017-07-01

    Surgical resection is currently the best treatment for salivary gland tumors. A reliable magnetic resonance imaging mapping, encompassing tumor grade, location, and extension may assist safe and effective tumor resection and provide better information for patients regarding potential risks and morbidity after surgical intervention. However, direct examination of the tumor grade and extension using conventional morphological MRI remains difficult, often requiring contrast media injection and complex algorithms on perfusion imaging to estimate the degree of malignancy. In addition, contrast-enhanced MRI technique may be problematic due to the recently demonstrated gadolinium accumulation in the dentate nucleus of the cerebellum. Significant developments in magnetic resonance diffusion imaging, involving voxel-based quantitative analysis through the measurement of the apparent diffusion coefficient, have enhanced our knowledge on the different histopathological salivary tumor grades. Other diffusion imaging-derived techniques, including high-order tractography models, have recently demonstrated their usefulness in assessing the facial nerve location in parotid tumor context. All of these imaging techniques do not require contrast media injection. Our review starts by outlining the physical basis of diffusion imaging, before discussing findings from diagnostic studies testing its usefulness in assessing salivary glands tumors with diffusion MRI. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  2. Combined Dynamic Contrast Enhanced Liver MRI and MRA Using Interleaved Variable Density Sampling

    PubMed Central

    Rahimi, Mahdi Salmani; Korosec, Frank R.; Wang, Kang; Holmes, James H.; Motosugi, Utaroh; Bannas, Peter; Reeder, Scott B.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose To develop and evaluate a method for volumetric contrast-enhanced MR imaging of the liver, with high spatial and temporal resolutions, for combined dynamic imaging and MR angiography using a single injection of contrast. Methods An interleaved variable density (IVD) undersampling pattern was implemented in combination with a real-time-triggered, time-resolved, dual-echo 3D spoiled gradient echo sequence. Parallel imaging autocalibration lines were acquired only once during the first time-frame. Imaging was performed in ten subjects with focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and compared with their clinical MRI. The angiographic phase of the proposed method was compared to a dedicated MR angiogram acquired during a second injection of contrast. Results A total of 21 FNH, 3 cavernous hemangiomas, and 109 arterial segments were visualized in 10 subjects. The temporally-resolved images depicted the characteristic arterial enhancement pattern of the lesions with a 4 s update rate. Images were graded as having significantly higher quality compared to the clinical MRI. Angiograms produced from the IVD method provided non-inferior diagnostic assessment compared to the dedicated MRA. Conclusion Using an undersampled IVD imaging method, we have demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining high spatial and temporal resolution dynamic contrast-enhanced imaging and simultaneous MRA of the liver. PMID:24639130

  3. Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of experimentally collagen-induced arthritis in rats using the nonspecific dye tetrasulfocyanine in comparison with gadolinium-based contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, histology, and clinical score

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gemeinhardt, Ines; Puls, Dorothee; Gemeinhardt, Ole; Taupitz, Matthias; Wagner, Susanne; Schnorr, Beatrix; Licha, Kai; Schirner, Michael; Ebert, Bernd; Petzelt, Diethard; Macdonald, Rainer; Schnorr, Jörg

    2012-10-01

    Using 15 rats with collagen-induced arthritis (30 joints) and 7 control rats (14 joints), we correlated the intensity of near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) of the nonspecific dye tetrasulfocyanine (TSC) with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), histopathology, and clinical score. Fluorescence images were obtained in reflection geometry using a NIRF camera system. Normalized fluorescence intensity (INF) was determined after intravenous dye administration on different time points up to 120 min. Contrast-enhanced MRI using gadodiamide was performed after NIRF imaging. Analyses were performed in a blinded fashion. Histopathological and clinical scores were determined for each ankle joint. INF of moderate and high-grade arthritic joints were significantly higher (p<0.005) than the values of control and low-grade arthritic joints between 5 and 30 min after TSC-injection. This result correlated well with post-contrast MRI signal intensities at about 5 min after gadodiamide administration. Furthermore, INF and signal increase on contrast-enhanced MRI showed high correlation with clinical and histopathological scores. Sensitivities and specificities for detection of moderate and high-grade arthritic joints were slightly lower for NIRF imaging (89%/81%) than for MRI (100%/91%). NIRF imaging using TSC, which is characterized by slower plasma clearance compared to indocyanine green (ICG), has the potential to improve monitoring of inflamed joints.

  4. Quantitative Assessment of Fat Infiltration in the Rotator Cuff Muscles using water-fat MRI

    PubMed Central

    Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C.; Lansdown, Drew A.; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Lee, Sonia; Maroldi, Roberto; Ma, C. Benjamin; Link, Thomas M.; Krug, Roland

    2013-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate a chemical shift-based fat quantification technique in the rotator cuff muscles in comparison with the semi-quantitative Goutallier fat infiltration classification (GC) and to assess their relationship with clinical parameters. Materials and Methods The shoulders of 57 patients were imaged using a 3T MR scanner. The rotator cuff muscles were assessed for fat infiltration using GC by two radiologists and an orthopedic surgeon. Sequences included oblique-sagittal T1-, T2- and proton density-weighted fast spin echo, and six-echo gradient echo. The iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) was used to measure fat fraction. Pain and range of motion of the shoulder were recorded. Results Fat fraction values were significantly correlated with GC grades (p< 0.0001, kappa>0.9) showing consistent increase with GC grades (grade=0, 0%–5.59%; grade=1, 1.1%–9.70%; grade=2, 6.44%–14.86%; grade=3, 15.25%–17.77%; grade=4, 19.85%–29.63%). A significant correlation between fat infiltration of the subscapularis muscle quantified with IDEAL versus a) deficit in internal rotation (Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient=0.39, 95% CI 0.13–0.60, p<0.01) and b) pain (Spearman Rank Correlation coefficient=0.313, 95% CI 0.049–0.536, p=0.02) was found but was not seen between the clinical parameters and GC grades. Additionally, only quantitative fat infiltration measures of the supraspinatus muscle were significantly correlated with a deficit in abduction (Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient=0.45, 95% CI 0.20–0.60, p<0.01). Conclusion We concluded that an accurate and highly reproducible fat quantification in the rotator cuff muscles using water-fat MRI techniques is possible and significantly correlates with shoulder pain and range of motion. PMID:24115490

  5. Quantitative T2 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Compared to Morphological Grading of the Early Cervical Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: An Evaluation Approach in Asymptomatic Young Adults

    PubMed Central

    Han, Zhihua; Shao, Lixin; Xie, Yan; Wu, Jianhong; Zhang, Yan; Xin, Hongkui; Ren, Aijun; Guo, Yong; Wang, Deli; He, Qing; Ruan, Dike

    2014-01-01

    Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of quantitative T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantifying early cervical intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration in asymptomatic young adults by correlating the T2 value with Pfirrmann grade, sex, and anatomic level. Methods Seventy asymptomatic young subjects (34 men and 36 women; mean age, 22.80±2.11 yr; range, 18–25 years) underwent 3.0-T MRI to obtain morphological data (one T1-fast spin echo (FSE) and three-plane T2-FSE, used to assign a Pfirrmann grade (I–V)) and for T2 mapping (multi-echo spin echo). T2 values in the nucleus pulposus (NP, n = 350) and anulus fibrosus (AF, n = 700) were obtained. Differences in T2 values between sexes and anatomic level were evaluated, and linear correlation analysis of T2 values versus degenerative grade was conducted. Findings Cervical IVDs of healthy young adults were commonly determined to be at Pfirrmann grades I and II. T2 values of NPs were significantly higher than those of AF at all anatomic levels (P<0.000). The NP, anterior AF and posterior AF values did not differ significantly between genders at the same anatomic level (P>0.05). T2 values decreased linearly with degenerative grade. Linear correlation analysis revealed a strong negative association between the Pfirrmann grade and the T2 values of the NP (P = 0.000) but not the T2 values of the AF (P = 0.854). However, non-degenerated discs (Pfirrmann grades I and II) showed a wide range of T2 relaxation time. T2 values according to disc degeneration level classification were as follows: grade I (>62.03 ms), grade II (54.60–62.03 ms), grade III (<54.60 ms). Conclusions T2 quantitation provides a more sensitive and robust approach for detecting and characterizing the early stage of cervical IVD degeneration and to create a reliable quantitative in healthy young adults. PMID:24498384

  6. Brain tumor segmentation using holistically nested neural networks in MRI images.

    PubMed

    Zhuge, Ying; Krauze, Andra V; Ning, Holly; Cheng, Jason Y; Arora, Barbara C; Camphausen, Kevin; Miller, Robert W

    2017-10-01

    Gliomas are rapidly progressive, neurologically devastating, largely fatal brain tumors. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used technique employed in the diagnosis and management of gliomas in clinical practice. MRI is also the standard imaging modality used to delineate the brain tumor target as part of treatment planning for the administration of radiation therapy. Despite more than 20 yr of research and development, computational brain tumor segmentation in MRI images remains a challenging task. We are presenting a novel method of automatic image segmentation based on holistically nested neural networks that could be employed for brain tumor segmentation of MRI images. Two preprocessing techniques were applied to MRI images. The N4ITK method was employed for correction of bias field distortion. A novel landmark-based intensity normalization method was developed so that tissue types have a similar intensity scale in images of different subjects for the same MRI protocol. The holistically nested neural networks (HNN), which extend from the convolutional neural networks (CNN) with a deep supervision through an additional weighted-fusion output layer, was trained to learn the multiscale and multilevel hierarchical appearance representation of the brain tumor in MRI images and was subsequently applied to produce a prediction map of the brain tumor on test images. Finally, the brain tumor was obtained through an optimum thresholding on the prediction map. The proposed method was evaluated on both the Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation (BRATS) Benchmark 2013 training datasets, and clinical data from our institute. A dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and sensitivity of 0.78 and 0.81 were achieved on 20 BRATS 2013 training datasets with high-grade gliomas (HGG), based on a two-fold cross-validation. The HNN model built on the BRATS 2013 training data was applied to ten clinical datasets with HGG from a locally developed database. DSC and sensitivity of 0.83 and 0.85 were achieved. A quantitative comparison indicated that the proposed method outperforms the popular fully convolutional network (FCN) method. In terms of efficiency, the proposed method took around 10 h for training with 50,000 iterations, and approximately 30 s for testing of a typical MRI image in the BRATS 2013 dataset with a size of 160 × 216 × 176, using a DELL PRECISION workstation T7400, with an NVIDIA Tesla K20c GPU. An effective brain tumor segmentation method for MRI images based on a HNN has been developed. The high level of accuracy and efficiency make this method practical in brain tumor segmentation. It may play a crucial role in both brain tumor diagnostic analysis and in the treatment planning of radiation therapy. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  7. The Value of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Endoscopic and Microsurgical Transsphenoidal Pituitary Adenoma Resection.

    PubMed

    Pal'a, Andrej; Knoll, Andreas; Brand, Christine; Etzrodt-Walter, Gwendolin; Coburger, Jan; Wirtz, Christian Rainer; Hlaváč, Michal

    2017-06-01

    The routine use of intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) helps to achieve gross total resection in transsphenoidal pituitary surgery. We compared the added value of iMRI for extent of resection in endoscopic versus microsurgical transsphenoidal adenomectomy. A total of 96 patients with pituitary adenoma were included. Twenty-eight consecutive patients underwent endoscopic transsphenoidal tumor resection. For comparison, we used a historic cohort of 68 consecutive patients treated microsurgically. We evaluated the additional resection after conducting iMRI using intraoperative and late postoperative volumetric tumor analysis 3 months after surgery. Demographic data, clinical symptoms, and complications as well as pituitary function were evaluated. We found significantly fewer additional resections after conducting iMRI in the endoscopic group (P = 0.042). The difference was even more profound in Knosp grade 0-2 adenomas (P = 0.029). There was no significant difference in Knosp grade 3-4 adenomas (P = 0.520). The endoscopic approach was associated with smaller intraoperative tumor volume (P = 0.023). No significant difference was found between both techniques in postoperative tumor volume (P = 0.228). Satisfactory results of pituitary function were significantly more often associated with an endoscopic approach in the multiple regression analysis (P = 0.007; odds ratio, 17.614; confidence interval 95%, 2.164-143.396). With the endoscopic approach, significantly more tumor volume reduction was achieved before conducting iMRI, decreasing the need for further resection. This finding was even more pronounced in adenomas graded Knosp 0-2. In the case of extensive and invasive adenomas with infiltration of cavernous sinus and suprasellar or parasellar extension, additional tumor resection and increase in the extent of resection was achieved with iMRI in both groups. The endoscopic approach seems to result in better endocrine outcomes, especially in Knosp grade 0-2 pituitary adenomas. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Diagnosis and classification of chondral knee injuries: comparison between magnetic resonance imaging and arthroscopy.

    PubMed

    Danieli, Marcus Vinicius; Guerreiro, João Paulo Fernandes; Queiroz, Alexandre deOliveira; Pereira, Hamilton daRosa; Tagima, Susi; Marini, Marcelo Garcia; Cataneo, Daniele Cristina

    2016-05-01

    To compare the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of patients undergoing knee arthroscopy for chondral lesions. The hypothesis was that MRI displays low sensitivity in the diagnosis and classification of chondral injuries. A total of 83 knees were evaluated. The MRIs were performed using the same machine (GE SIGNA HDX 1.45 T). The MRI results were compared with the arthroscopy findings, and an agreement analysis was performed. Thirty-eight of the 83 MRI exams were evaluated by another radiologist for inter-observer agreement analysis. These analyses were performed using the kappa (κ) coefficient. The highest incidence of chondral injury was in the patella (14.4 %). The κ coefficient was 0.31 for the patellar surface; 0.38 for the trochlea; 0.46 for the medial femoral condyle; 0.51 for the lateral femoral condyle; and 0.19 for the lateral plateau. After dividing the injuries into two groups (ICRS Grades 0-II and Grades III and IV), the following κ coefficients were obtained as follows: 0.49 (patella); 0.53 (trochlea); 0.46 (medial femoral condyle); 0.43 (medial plateau); 0.67 (lateral femoral condyle); and 0.51 (lateral plateau). The MRI sensitivity was 76.4 % (patella), 88.2 % (trochlea), 69.7 % (medial femoral condyle), 85.7 % (medial plateau), 81.8 % (lateral femoral condyle) and 75 % (lateral plateau). Comparing the radiologists' evaluations, the following κ coefficients were obtained as follows: 0.73 (patella); 0.63 (trochlea); 0.84 (medial femoral condyle); 0.72 (medial plateau); 0.77 (lateral femoral condyle); and 0.91 (lateral plateau). Compared with arthroscopy, MRI displays moderate sensitivity for detecting and classifying chondral knee injuries. It is an important image method, but we must be careful in the assessment of patients with suspected chondral lesions. III.

  9. Assessment of treatment response in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis using advanced magnetic resonance imaging measures

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Steven C.; Heba, Elhamy; Bettencourt, Ricki; Lin, Grace Y.; Valasek, Mark A.; Lunde, Ottar; Hamilton, Gavin; Sirlin, Claude B.; Loomba, Rohit

    2017-01-01

    Background Magnetic resonance imaging derived measures of liver fat and volume are emerging as accurate, non-invasive imaging biomarkers in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Little is known about these measures in relation to histology longitudinally. Aims This study examines this relationship between MRI-derived proton-density fat-fraction (PDFF), total liver volume (TLV), total liver fat index (TLFI), vs. histology in a NASH trial. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a 24-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 50 patients with biopsy-proven NASH randomized to oral ezetimibe 10mg daily (n=25) vs. placebo (n=25). Baseline and post-treatment anthropometrics, biochemical profiling, MRI, and biopsies were obtained. Results Baseline mean PDFF correlated strongly with TLFI (Spearman’s ρ=0.94, n=45, P<0.0001) and had good correlation with TLV (ρ=0.57, n=45, P<0.0001). Mean TLV correlated strongly with TLFI (ρ=0.78, n=45, P<0.0001). After 24 weeks, PDFF remained strongly correlated with TLFI (ρ=0.94, n=45, P<0.0001), maintaining good correlation with TLV (ρ=0.51, n=45, P=0.0004). TLV remained strongly correlated with TLFI (ρ=0.74, n=45, P<0.0001). Patients with Grade 1 vs. 3 steatosis had lower PDFF, TLV, and TLFI (P<0.0001, P=0.0003, P<0.0001, respectively). Regression analysis of changes in MRI-PDFF vs. TLV indicates that 10% reduction in MRI-PDFF predicts 257 mL reduction in TLV. Conclusions MRI-PDFF and TLV strongly correlated with TLFI. Decreases in steatosis were associated with an improvement in hepatomegaly. Lower values of these measures reflect lower histologic-steatosis grades. MRI-derived measures of liver fat and volume may be used as dynamic and more responsive imaging biomarkers in a NASH trial than histology. ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01766713. PMID:28116801

  10. Molecular classification of patients with grade II/III glioma using quantitative MRI characteristics.

    PubMed

    Bahrami, Naeim; Hartman, Stephen J; Chang, Yu-Hsuan; Delfanti, Rachel; White, Nathan S; Karunamuni, Roshan; Seibert, Tyler M; Dale, Anders M; Hattangadi-Gluth, Jona A; Piccioni, David; Farid, Nikdokht; McDonald, Carrie R

    2018-06-02

    Molecular markers of WHO grade II/III glioma are known to have important prognostic and predictive implications and may be associated with unique imaging phenotypes. The purpose of this study is to determine whether three clinically relevant molecular markers identified in gliomas-IDH, 1p/19q, and MGMT status-show distinct quantitative MRI characteristics on FLAIR imaging. Sixty-one patients with grade II/III gliomas who had molecular data and MRI available prior to radiation were included. Quantitative MRI features were extracted that measured tissue heterogeneity (homogeneity and pixel correlation) and FLAIR border distinctiveness (edge contrast; EC). T-tests were conducted to determine whether patients with different genotypes differ across the features. Logistic regression with LASSO regularization was used to determine the optimal combination of MRI and clinical features for predicting molecular subtypes. Patients with IDH wildtype tumors showed greater signal heterogeneity (p = 0.001) and lower EC (p = 0.008) within the FLAIR region compared to IDH mutant tumors. Among patients with IDH mutant tumors, 1p/19q co-deleted tumors had greater signal heterogeneity (p = 0.002) and lower EC (p = 0.005) compared to 1p/19q intact tumors. MGMT methylated tumors showed lower EC (p = 0.03) compared to the unmethylated group. The combination of FLAIR border distinctness, heterogeneity, and pixel correlation optimally classified tumors by IDH status. Quantitative imaging characteristics of FLAIR heterogeneity and border pattern in grade II/III gliomas may provide unique information for determining molecular status at time of initial diagnostic imaging, which may then guide subsequent surgical and medical management.

  11. The Frequency and Severity of Magnetic Resonance Imaging Abnormalities in Infants with Mild Neonatal Encephalopathy.

    PubMed

    Walsh, Brian H; Neil, Jeffrey; Morey, JoAnn; Yang, Edward; Silvera, Michelle V; Inder, Terrie E; Ortinau, Cynthia

    2017-08-01

    To assess and contrast the incidence and severity of abnormalities on cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) between infants with mild, moderate, and severe neonatal encephalopathy who received therapeutic hypothermia. This retrospective cohort studied infants with mild, moderate, and severe neonatal encephalopathy who received therapeutic hypothermia at a single tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between 2013 and 2015. Two neuroradiologists masked to the clinical condition evaluated brain MRIs for cerebral injury after therapeutic hypothermia using the Barkovich classification system. Additional abnormalities not included in this classification system were also noted. The rate, pattern, and severity of abnormalities/injury were compared across the grades of neonatal encephalopathy. Eighty-nine infants received therapeutic hypothermia and met study criteria, 48 with mild neonatal encephalopathy, 35 with moderate neonatal encephalopathy, and 6 with severe neonatal encephalopathy. Forty-eight infants (54%) had an abnormality on MRI. There was no difference in the rate of overall MRI abnormalities by grade of neonatal encephalopathy (mild neonatal encephalopathy 54%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 54%, and severe neonatal encephalopathy 50%; P= .89). Basal ganglia/thalamic injury was more common in those with severe neonatal encephalopathy (mild neonatal encephalopathy 4%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 9%, severe neonatal encephalopathy 34%; P = .03). In contrast, watershed injury did not differ between neonatal encephalopathy grades (mild neonatal encephalopathy 36%, moderate neonatal encephalopathy 32%, severe neonatal encephalopathy 50%; P = .3). Mild neonatal encephalopathy is commonly associated with MRI abnormalities after therapeutic hypothermia. The grade of neonatal encephalopathy during the first hours of life may not discriminate adequately between infants with and without cerebral injury noted on MRI after therapeutic hypothermia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. fMRI activation in the middle frontal gyrus as an indicator of hemispheric dominance for language in brain tumor patients: a comparison with Broca's area.

    PubMed

    Dong, Jian W; Brennan, Nicole M Petrovich; Izzo, Giana; Peck, Kyung K; Holodny, Andrei I

    2016-05-01

    Functional MRI (fMRI) can assess language lateralization in brain tumor patients; however, this can be limited if the primary language area-Broca's area (BA)-is affected by the tumor. We hypothesized that the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) can be used as a clinical indicator of hemispheric dominance for language during presurgical workup. Fifty-two right-handed subjects with solitary left-hemispheric primary brain tumors were retrospectively studied. Subjects performed a verbal fluency task during fMRI. The MFG was compared to BA for fMRI voxel activation, language laterality index (LI), and the effect of tumor grade on the LI. Language fMRI (verbal fluency) activated more voxels in MFG than in BA (MFG = 315, BA = 216, p < 0.001). Voxel activations in the left-hemispheric MFG and BA were positively correlated (r = 0.69, p < 0.001). Mean LI in the MFG was comparable to that in BA (MFG = 0.48, BA = 0.39, p = 0.06). LIs in MFG and BA were positively correlated (r = 0.62, p < 0.001). Subjects with high-grade tumors demonstrate lower language lateralization than those with low-grade tumors in both BA and MFG (p = 0.02, p = 0.02, respectively). MFG is comparable to BA in its ability to indicate hemispheric dominance for language using a measure of verbal fluency and may be an adjunct measure in the clinical determination of language laterality for presurgical planning.

  13. MRI-visible perivascular space location is associated with Alzheimer's disease independently of amyloid burden.

    PubMed

    Banerjee, Gargi; Kim, Hee Jin; Fox, Zoe; Jäger, H Rolf; Wilson, Duncan; Charidimou, Andreas; Na, Han Kyu; Na, Duk L; Seo, Sang Won; Werring, David J

    2017-04-01

    Perivascular spaces that are visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are a neuroimaging marker of cerebral small vessel disease. Their location may relate to the type of underlying small vessel pathology: those in the white matter centrum semi-ovale have been associated with cerebral amyloid angiopathy, while those in the basal ganglia have been associated with deep perforating artery arteriolosclerosis. As cerebral amyloid angiopathy is an almost invariable pathological finding in Alzheimer's disease, we hypothesized that MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale would be associated with a clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, whereas those in the basal ganglia would be associated with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment. We also hypothesized that MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale would be associated with brain amyloid burden, as detected by amyloid positron emission tomography using 11C-Pittsburgh B compound (PiB-PET). Two hundred and twenty-six patients (Alzheimer's disease n = 110; subcortical vascular cognitive impairment n = 116) with standardized MRI and PiB-PET imaging were included. MRI-visible perivascular spaces were rated using a validated 4-point visual rating scale, and then categorized by severity ('none/mild', 'moderate' or 'frequent/severe'). Univariable and multivariable regression analyses were performed. Those with Alzheimer's disease-related cognitive impairment were younger, more likely to have a positive PiB-PET scan and carry at least one apolipoprotein E ɛ4 allele; those with subcortical vascular cognitive impairment were more likely to have hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidaemia, prior stroke, lacunes, deep microbleeds, and carry the apolipoprotein E ɛ3 allele. In adjusted analyses, the severity of MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the centrum semi-ovale was independently associated with clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's disease (frequent/severe grade odds ratio 6.26, 95% confidence interval 1.66-23.58; P = 0.017, compared with none/mild grade), whereas the severity of MRI-visible perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia was associated with clinically diagnosed subcortical vascular cognitive impairment and negatively predicted Alzheimer's disease (frequent/severe grade odds ratio 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.00-0.44; P = 0.009, compared with none/mild grade). MRI-visible perivascular space severity in either location did not predict PiB-PET. These findings provide further evidence that the anatomical distribution of MRI-visible perivascular spaces may reflect the underlying cerebral small vessel disease. Using MRI-visible perivascular space location and severity together with other imaging markers may improve the diagnostic value of neuroimaging in memory clinic populations, in particular in differentiating between clinically diagnosed Alzheimer's and subcortical vascular cognitive impairment. © The Author (2017). Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. Evaluation of magnetic resonance signal modification induced by hyaluronic acid therapy in chondromalacia patellae: a preliminary study.

    PubMed

    Magarelli, N; Palmieri, D; Ottaviano, L; Savastano, M; Barbato, M; Leone, A; Maggialetti, A; Ciampa, F P; Bonomo, L

    2008-01-01

    Hyaluronic Acid (HA) is an alternative method for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), which acts on pain through a double action: anti-inflammatory and synovial fluid (SF) visco-supplementation. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), utilizing specific sequences, is a valid method for studying the initial phase of chondral damage. The analysis of the data, obtained through the intensity of values taken by positioning Region of Interest (ROIs) within the lesion, determining the differences before and after treatment with HA injected into the knee. The results obtained after six months and one year from the injection were statistically different in respect to those taken before, immediately and after three months of treatment. MRI represents a valid tool to evaluate the grade of chondromalacia patellae and also to follow the cartilage modification induced by HA therapy.

  15. Computer extracted texture features on T2w MRI to predict biochemical recurrence following radiation therapy for prostate cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ginsburg, Shoshana B.; Rusu, Mirabela; Kurhanewicz, John; Madabhushi, Anant

    2014-03-01

    In this study we explore the ability of a novel machine learning approach, in conjunction with computer-extracted features describing prostate cancer morphology on pre-treatment MRI, to predict whether a patient will develop biochemical recurrence within ten years of radiation therapy. Biochemical recurrence, which is characterized by a rise in serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) of at least 2 ng/mL above the nadir PSA, is associated with increased risk of metastasis and prostate cancer-related mortality. Currently, risk of biochemical recurrence is predicted by the Kattan nomogram, which incorporates several clinical factors to predict the probability of recurrence-free survival following radiation therapy (but has limited prediction accuracy). Semantic attributes on T2w MRI, such as the presence of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion and surrogate measure- ments of tumor size, have also been shown to be predictive of biochemical recurrence risk. While the correlation between biochemical recurrence and factors like tumor stage, Gleason grade, and extracapsular spread are well- documented, it is less clear how to predict biochemical recurrence in the absence of extracapsular spread and for small tumors fully contained in the capsule. Computer{extracted texture features, which quantitatively de- scribe tumor micro-architecture and morphology on MRI, have been shown to provide clues about a tumor's aggressiveness. However, while computer{extracted features have been employed for predicting cancer presence and grade, they have not been evaluated in the context of predicting risk of biochemical recurrence. This work seeks to evaluate the role of computer-extracted texture features in predicting risk of biochemical recurrence on a cohort of sixteen patients who underwent pre{treatment 1.5 Tesla (T) T2w MRI. We extract a combination of first-order statistical, gradient, co-occurrence, and Gabor wavelet features from T2w MRI. To identify which of these T2w MRI texture features are potential independent prognostic markers of PSA failure, we implement a partial least squares (PLS) method to embed the data in a low{dimensional space and then use the variable importance in projections (VIP) method to quantify the contributions of individual features to classification on the PLS embedding. In spite of the poor resolution of the 1.5 T MRI data, we are able to identify three Gabor wavelet features that, in conjunction with a logistic regression classifier, yield an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.83 for predicting the probability of biochemical recurrence following radiation therapy. In comparison to both the Kattan nomogram and semantic MRI attributes, the ability of these three computer-extracted features to predict biochemical recurrence risk is demonstrated.

  16. Anatomic Location of Tumor Predicts the Accuracy of Motor Function Localization in Diffuse Lower-Grade Gliomas Involving the Hand Knob Area.

    PubMed

    Fang, S; Liang, J; Qian, T; Wang, Y; Liu, X; Fan, X; Li, S; Wang, Y; Jiang, T

    2017-10-01

    The accuracy of preoperative blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI remains controversial. This study assessed the association between the anatomic location of a tumor and the accuracy of fMRI-based motor function mapping in diffuse lower-grade gliomas. Thirty-five patients with lower-grade gliomas involving motor areas underwent preoperative blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI scans with grasping tasks and received intraoperative direct cortical stimulation. Patients were classified into an overlapping group and a nonoverlapping group, depending on the extent to which blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI and direct cortical stimulation results concurred. Tumor location was quantitatively measured, including the shortest distance from the tumor to the hand knob and the deviation distance of the midpoint of the hand knob in the lesion hemisphere relative to the midline compared with the normal contralateral hemisphere. A 4-mm shortest distance from the tumor to the hand knob value was identified as optimal for differentiating the overlapping and nonoverlapping group with the receiver operating characteristic curve (sensitivity, 84.6%; specificity, 77.8%). The shortest distances from the tumor to the hand knob of ≤4 mm were associated with inaccurate fMRI-based localizations of the hand motor cortex. The shortest distances from the tumor to the hand knob were larger ( P = .002), and the deviation distances for the midpoint of the hand knob in the lesion hemisphere were smaller ( P = .003) in the overlapping group than in the nonoverlapping group. This study suggests that the shortest distance from the tumor to the hand knob and the deviation distance for the midpoint of the hand knob on the lesion hemisphere are predictive of the accuracy of blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI results. Smaller shortest distances from the tumor to the hand knob and larger deviation distances for the midpoint of hand knob on the lesion hemisphere are associated with less accuracy of motor cortex localization with blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI. Preoperative fMRI data for surgical planning should be used cautiously when the shortest distance from the tumor to the hand knob is ≤4 mm, especially for lower-grade gliomas anterior to the central sulcus. © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  17. Dose-Dependent Cortical Thinning After Partial Brain Irradiation in High-Grade Glioma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Karunamuni, Roshan; Bartsch, Hauke; White, Nathan S.

    Purpose: Radiation-induced cognitive deficits may be mediated by tissue damage to cortical regions. Volumetric changes in cortex can be reliably measured using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We used these methods to study the association between radiation therapy (RT) dose and change in cortical thickness in high-grade glioma (HGG) patients. Methods and Materials: We performed a voxel-wise analysis of MRI from 15 HGG patients who underwent fractionated partial brain RT. Three-dimensional MRI was acquired pre- and 1 year post RT. Cortex was parceled with well-validated segmentation software. Surgical cavities were censored. Each cortical voxel was assigned a change in cortical thicknessmore » between time points, RT dose value, and neuroanatomic label by lobe. Effects of dose, neuroanatomic location, age, and chemotherapy on cortical thickness were tested using linear mixed effects (LME) modeling. Results: Cortical atrophy was seen after 1 year post RT with greater effects at higher doses. Estimates from LME modeling showed that cortical thickness decreased by −0.0033 mm (P<.001) for every 1-Gy increase in RT dose. Temporal and limbic cortex exhibited the largest changes in cortical thickness per Gy compared to that in other regions (P<.001). Age and chemotherapy were not significantly associated with change in cortical thickness. Conclusions: We found dose-dependent thinning of the cerebral cortex, with varying neuroanatomical regional sensitivity, 1 year after fractionated partial brain RT. The magnitude of thinning parallels 1-year atrophy rates seen in neurodegenerative diseases and may contribute to cognitive decline following high-dose RT.« less

  18. Grading system to categorize breast MRI using BI-RADS 5th edition: a statistical study of non-mass enhancement descriptors in terms of probability of malignancy.

    PubMed

    Asada, Tatsunori; Yamada, Takayuki; Kanemaki, Yoshihide; Fujiwara, Keishi; Okamoto, Satoko; Nakajima, Yasuo

    2018-03-01

    To analyze the association of breast non-mass enhancement descriptors in the BI-RADS 5th edition with malignancy, and to establish a grading system and categorization of descriptors. This study was approved by our institutional review board. A total of 213 patients were enrolled. Breast MRI was performed with a 1.5-T MRI scanner using a 16-channel breast radiofrequency coil. Two radiologists determined internal enhancement and distribution of non-mass enhancement by consensus. Corresponding pathologic diagnoses were obtained by either biopsy or surgery. The probability of malignancy by descriptor was analyzed using Fisher's exact test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. The probability of malignancy by category was analyzed using Fisher's exact and multi-group comparison tests. One hundred seventy-eight lesions were malignant. Multivariate model analysis showed that internal enhancement (homogeneous vs others, p < 0.001, heterogeneous and clumped vs clustered ring, p = 0.003) and distribution (focal and linear vs segmental, p < 0.001) were the significant explanatory variables. The descriptors were classified into three grades of suspicion, and the categorization (3, 4A, 4B, 4C, and 5) by sum-up grades showed an incremental increase in the probability of malignancy (p < 0.0001). The three-grade criteria and categorization by sum-up grades of descriptors appear valid for non-mass enhancement.

  19. Evaluation of the Chondromalacia Patella Using a Microscopy Coil: Comparison of the Two-Dimensional Fast Spin Echo Techniques and the Three-Dimensional Fast Field Echo Techniques

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyun-joo; Kang, Chang Ho; Ryu, Jeong Ah; Shin, Myung Jin; Cho, Kyung-Ja; Cho, Woo Shin

    2011-01-01

    Objective We wanted to compare the two-dimensional (2D) fast spin echo (FSE) techniques and the three-dimensional (3D) fast field echo techniques for the evaluation of the chondromalacia patella using a microscopy coil. Materials and Methods Twenty five patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were included in this study. Preoperative MRI evaluation of the patella was performed using a microscopy coil (47 mm). The proton density-weighted fast spin echo images (PD), the fat-suppressed PD images (FS-PD), the intermediate weighted-fat suppressed fast spin echo images (iw-FS-FSE), the 3D balanced-fast field echo images (B-FFE), the 3D water selective cartilage scan (WATS-c) and the 3D water selective fluid scan (WATS-f) were obtained on a 1.5T MRI scanner. The patellar cartilage was evaluated in nine areas: the superior, middle and the inferior portions that were subdivided into the medial, central and lateral facets in a total of 215 areas. Employing the Noyes grading system, the MRI grade 0-I, II and III lesions were compared using the gross and microscopic findings. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were evaluated for each sequence. The significance of the differences for the individual sequences was calculated using the McNemar test. Results The gross and microscopic findings demonstrated 167 grade 0-I lesions, 40 grade II lesions and eight grade III lesions. Iw-FS-FSE had the highest accuracy (sensitivity/specificity/accuracy = 88%/98%/96%), followed by FS-PD (78%/98%/93%, respectively), PD (76%/98%/93%, respectively), B-FFE (71%/100%/93%, respectively), WATS-c (67%/100%/92%, respectively) and WATS-f (58%/99%/89%, respectively). There were statistically significant differences for the iw-FS-FSE and WATS-f and for the PD-FS and WATS-f (p < 0.01). Conclusion The iw-FS-FSE images obtained with a microscopy coil show best diagnostic performance among the 2D and 3D GRE images for evaluating the chondromalacia patella. PMID:21228943

  20. Histogram analysis of T2*-based pharmacokinetic imaging in cerebral glioma grading.

    PubMed

    Liu, Hua-Shan; Chiang, Shih-Wei; Chung, Hsiao-Wen; Tsai, Ping-Huei; Hsu, Fei-Ting; Cho, Nai-Yu; Wang, Chao-Ying; Chou, Ming-Chung; Chen, Cheng-Yu

    2018-03-01

    To investigate the feasibility of histogram analysis of the T2*-based permeability parameter volume transfer constant (K trans ) for glioma grading and to explore the diagnostic performance of the histogram analysis of K trans and blood plasma volume (v p ). We recruited 31 and 11 patients with high- and low-grade gliomas, respectively. The histogram parameters of K trans and v p , derived from the first-pass pharmacokinetic modeling based on the T2* dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (T2* DSC-PW-MRI) from the entire tumor volume, were evaluated for differentiating glioma grades. Histogram parameters of K trans and v p showed significant differences between high- and low-grade gliomas and exhibited significant correlations with tumor grades. The mean K trans derived from the T2* DSC-PW-MRI had the highest sensitivity and specificity for differentiating high-grade gliomas from low-grade gliomas compared with other histogram parameters of K trans and v p . Histogram analysis of T2*-based pharmacokinetic imaging is useful for cerebral glioma grading. The histogram parameters of the entire tumor K trans measurement can provide increased accuracy with additional information regarding microvascular permeability changes for identifying high-grade brain tumors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Implications of neurovascular uncoupling in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of brain tumors.

    PubMed

    Pak, Rebecca W; Hadjiabadi, Darian H; Senarathna, Janaka; Agarwal, Shruti; Thakor, Nitish V; Pillai, Jay J; Pathak, Arvind P

    2017-11-01

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) serves as a critical tool for presurgical mapping of eloquent cortex and changes in neurological function in patients diagnosed with brain tumors. However, the blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) contrast mechanism underlying fMRI assumes that neurovascular coupling remains intact during brain tumor progression, and that measured changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) are correlated with neuronal function. Recent preclinical and clinical studies have demonstrated that even low-grade brain tumors can exhibit neurovascular uncoupling (NVU), which can confound interpretation of fMRI data. Therefore, to avoid neurosurgical complications, it is crucial to understand the biophysical basis of NVU and its impact on fMRI. Here we review the physiology of the neurovascular unit, how it is remodeled, and functionally altered by brain cancer cells. We first discuss the latest findings about the components of the neurovascular unit. Next, we synthesize results from preclinical and clinical studies to illustrate how brain tumor induced NVU affects fMRI data interpretation. We examine advances in functional imaging methods that permit the clinical evaluation of brain tumors with NVU. Finally, we discuss how the suppression of anomalous tumor blood vessel formation with antiangiogenic therapies can "normalize" the brain tumor vasculature, and potentially restore neurovascular coupling.

  2. Concurrent Stereotactic Radiosurgery and Bevacizumab in Recurrent Malignant Gliomas: A Prospective Trial

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Cabrera, Alvin R.; Cuneo, Kyle C.; Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

    2013-08-01

    Purpose: Virtually all patients with malignant glioma (MG) eventually recur. This study evaluates the safety of concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and bevacizumab (BVZ), an antiangiogenic agent, in treatment of recurrent MG. Methods and Materials: Fifteen patients with recurrent MG, treated at initial diagnosis with surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy/temozolomide and then at least 1 salvage chemotherapy regimen, were enrolled in this prospective trial. Lesions <3 cm in diameter were treated in a single fraction, whereas those 3 to 5 cm in diameter received 5 5-Gy fractions. BVZ was administered immediately before SRS and 2 weeks later. Neurocognitive testing (Mini-Mental Statusmore » Exam, Trail Making Test A/B), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Brain (FACT-Br) quality-of-life assessment, physical exam, and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) were performed immediately before SRS and 1 week and 2 months following completion of SRS. The primary endpoint was central nervous system (CNS) toxicity. Secondary endpoints included survival, quality of life, microvascular properties as measured by DCE-MRI, steroid usage, and performance status. Results: One grade 3 (severe headache) and 2 grade 2 CNS toxicities were observed. No patients experienced grade 4 to 5 toxicity or intracranial hemorrhage. Neurocognition, quality of life, and Karnofsky performance status did not change significantly with treatment. DCE-MRI results suggest a significant decline in tumor perfusion and permeability 1 week after SRS and further decline by 2 months. Conclusions: Treatment of recurrent MG with concurrent SRS and BVZ was not associated with excessive toxicity in this prospective trial. A randomized trial of concurrent SRS/BVZ versus conventional salvage therapy is needed to establish the efficacy of this approach.« less

  3. PET AND SPECT STUDIES IN CHILDREN WITH HEMISPHERIC LOW-GRADE GLIOMAS

    PubMed Central

    Juhász, Csaba; Bosnyák, Edit

    2016-01-01

    Molecular imaging is playing an increasing role in the pre-treatment evaluation of low-grade gliomas. While glucose positron emission tomography (PET) can be helpful to differentiate low-grade from high-grade tumors, PET imaging with amino acid radiotracers has several advantages, such as better differentiation between tumors and non-tumorous lesions, optimized biopsy targeting and improved detection of tumor recurrence. This review provides a brief overview of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies followed by a more detailed review of clinical applications of glucose and amino acid PET imaging in low-grade hemispheric gliomas. We discuss key differences in the performance of the most commonly utilized PET radiotracers and highlight the advantage of PET/MRI fusion to obtain optimal information about tumor extent, heterogeneity and metabolism. Recent data also suggest that simultaneous acquisition of PET/MR images and the combination of advanced MRI techniques with quantitative PET can further improve the pre- and post-treatment evaluation of pediatric brain tumors. PMID:27659825

  4. PET and SPECT studies in children with hemispheric low-grade gliomas.

    PubMed

    Juhász, Csaba; Bosnyák, Edit

    2016-10-01

    Molecular imaging is playing an increasing role in the pretreatment evaluation of low-grade gliomas. While glucose positron emission tomography (PET) can be helpful to differentiate low-grade from high-grade tumors, PET imaging with amino acid radiotracers has several advantages, such as better differentiation between tumors and non-tumorous lesions, optimized biopsy targeting, and improved detection of tumor recurrence. This review provides a brief overview of single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies followed by a more detailed review of the clinical applications of glucose and amino acid PET imaging in low-grade hemispheric gliomas. We discuss key differences in the performance of the most commonly utilized PET radiotracers and highlight the advantage of PET/MRI fusion to obtain optimal information about tumor extent, heterogeneity, and metabolism. Recent data also suggest that simultaneous acquisition of PET/MR images and the combination of advanced MRI techniques with quantitative PET can further improve the pretreatment and post-treatment evaluation of pediatric brain tumors.

  5. Association of Retinopathy and Retinal Microvascular Abnormalities with Stroke and Cerebrovascular Disease

    PubMed Central

    Hughes, Alun D; Falaschetti, Emanuela; Witt, Nicholas; Wijetunge, Sumangali; Thom, Simon A McG; Tillin, Therese; Aldington, Steve J; Chaturvedi, Nish

    2016-01-01

    Background and purpose Abnormalities of the retinal circulation may be associated with cerebrovascular disease. We investigated associations between retinal microvascular abnormalities and 1) strokes and subclinical cerebral infarcts and 2) cerebral white matter lesions in a UK-based tri-ethnic population-based cohort. Methods 1185 participants (age 68.8±6.1y; 77% male) underwent retinal imaging and cerebral MRI. Cerebral infarcts and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) were identified on MRI, retinopathy was graded and retinal vessels were measured. Results Higher retinopathy grade (odds ratio (OR) = 1.40 (1.16, 1.70)), narrower arteriolar diameter (OR = 0.98 (0.97, 0.99)), fewer symmetrical arteriolar bifurcations (OR = 0.84 (0.75, 0.95)), higher arteriolar optimality deviation (OR = 1.16 (1.00, 1.34)) and more tortuous venules (OR = 1.20(1.09, 1.32)) were associated with strokes/infarcts and WMH. Associations with quantitative retinal microvascular measures were independent of retinopathy. Conclusions Abnormalities of the retinal microvasculature are independently associated with stroke, cerebral infarcts and white matter lesions. PMID:27729577

  6. On consciousness, resting state fMRI, and neurodynamics

    PubMed Central

    2010-01-01

    Background During the last years, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain has been introduced as a new tool to measure consciousness, both in a clinical setting and in a basic neurocognitive research. Moreover, advanced mathematical methods and theories have arrived the field of fMRI (e.g. computational neuroimaging), and functional and structural brain connectivity can now be assessed non-invasively. Results The present work deals with a pluralistic approach to "consciousness'', where we connect theory and tools from three quite different disciplines: (1) philosophy of mind (emergentism and global workspace theory), (2) functional neuroimaging acquisitions, and (3) theory of deterministic and statistical neurodynamics – in particular the Wilson-Cowan model and stochastic resonance. Conclusions Based on recent experimental and theoretical work, we believe that the study of large-scale neuronal processes (activity fluctuations, state transitions) that goes on in the living human brain while examined with functional MRI during "resting state", can deepen our understanding of graded consciousness in a clinical setting, and clarify the concept of "consiousness" in neurocognitive and neurophilosophy research. PMID:20522270

  7. Quantitative characterization of the imaging limits of diffuse low-grade oligodendrogliomas.

    PubMed

    Gerin, Chloé; Pallud, Johan; Deroulers, Christophe; Varlet, Pascale; Oppenheim, Catherine; Roux, Francois-Xavier; Chrétien, Fabrice; Thomas, Stephen R; Grammaticos, Basile; Badoual, Mathilde

    2013-10-01

    Supratentorial diffuse low-grade gliomas in adults extend beyond maximal visible MRI-defined abnormalities, and a gap exists between the imaging signal changes and the actual tumor margins. Direct quantitative comparisons between imaging and histological analyses are lacking to date. However, they are of the utmost importance if one wishes to develop realistic models for diffuse glioma growth. In this study, we quantitatively compared the cell concentration and the edema fraction from human histological biopsy samples (BSs) performed inside and outside imaging abnormalities during serial imaging-based stereotactic biopsy of diffuse low-grade gliomas. The cell concentration was significantly higher in BSs located inside (1189 ± 378 cell/mm(2)) than outside (740 ± 124 cell/mm(2)) MRI-defined abnormalities (P = .0003). The edema fraction was significantly higher in BSs located inside (mean, 45% ± 23%) than outside (mean, 5 %± 9%) MRI-defined abnormalities (P < .0001). At borders of the MRI-defined abnormalities, 20% of the tissue surface area was occupied by edema and only 3% by tumor cells. The cycling cell concentration was significantly higher in BSs located inside (10 ± 12 cell/mm(2)), compared with outside (0.5 ± 0.9 cell/mm(2)), MRI-defined abnormalities (P = .0001). We showed that the margins of T2-weighted signal changes are mainly correlated with the edema fraction. In 62.5% of patients, the cycling tumor cell fraction (defined as the ratio of the cycling tumor cell concentration to the total number of tumor cells) was higher at the limits of the MRI-defined abnormalities than closer to the center of the tumor. In the remaining patients, the cycling tumor cell fraction increased towards the center of the tumor.

  8. Evaluation of a modified knee rotation angle in MRI scans with and without trochlear dysplasia: a parameter independent of knee size and trochlear morphology.

    PubMed

    Dornacher, Daniel; Trubrich, Angela; Guelke, Joachim; Reichel, Heiko; Kappe, Thomas

    2017-08-01

    Regarding TT-TG in knee realignment surgery, two aspects have to be considered: first, there might be flaws in using absolute values for TT-TG, ignoring the knee size of the individual. Second, in high-grade trochlear dysplasia with a dome-shaped trochlea, measurement of TT-TG has proven to lack precision and reliability. The purpose of this examination was to establish a knee rotation angle, independent of the size of the individual knee and unaffected by a dysplastic trochlea. A total of 114 consecutive MRI scans of knee joints were analysed by two observers, retrospectively. Of these, 59 were obtained from patients with trochlear dysplasia, and another 55 were obtained from patients presenting with a different pathology of the knee joint. Trochlear dysplasia was classified into low grade and high grade. TT-TG was measured according to the method described by Schoettle et al. In addition, a modified knee rotation angle was assessed. Interobserver reliability of the knee rotation angle and its correlation with TT-TG was calculated. The knee rotation angle showed good correlation with TT-TG in the readings of observer 1 and observer 2. Interobserver correlation of the parameter showed excellent values for the scans with normal trochlea, low-grade and high-grade trochlear dysplasia, respectively. All calculations were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The knee rotation angle might meet the requirements for precise diagnostics in knee realignment surgery. Unlike TT-TG, this parameter seems not to be affected by a dysplastic trochlea. In addition, the dimensionless parameter is independent of the knee size of the individual. II.

  9. The impact of reliable prebolus T 1 measurements or a fixed T 1 value in the assessment of glioma patients with dynamic contrast enhancing MRI.

    PubMed

    Tietze, Anna; Mouridsen, Kim; Mikkelsen, Irene Klærke

    2015-06-01

    Accurate quantification of hemodynamic parameters using dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI requires a measurement of tissue T 1 prior to contrast injection (T 1). We evaluate (i) T 1 estimation using the variable flip angle (VFA) and the saturation recovery (SR) techniques and (ii) investigate if accurate estimation of DCE parameters outperform a time-saving approach with a predefined T 1 value when differentiating high- from low-grade gliomas. The accuracy and precision of T 1 measurements, acquired by VFA and SR, were investigated by computer simulations and in glioma patients using an equivalence test (p > 0.05 showing significant difference). The permeability measure, K trans, cerebral blood flow (CBF), and - volume, V p, were calculated in 42 glioma patients, using fixed T 1 of 1500 ms or an individual T 1 measurement, using SR. The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were used as measures for accuracy to differentiate tumor grade. The T 1 values obtained by VFA showed larger variation compared to those obtained using SR both in the digital phantom and the human data (p > 0.05). Although a fixed T 1 introduced a bias into the DCE calculation, this had only minor impact on the accuracy differentiating high-grade from low-grade gliomas, (AUCfix = 0.906 and AUCind = 0.884 for K trans; AUCfix = 0.863 and AUCind = 0.856 for V p; p for AUC comparison > 0.05). T 1 measurements by VFA were less precise, and the SR method is preferable, when accurate parameter estimation is required. Semiquantitative DCE values, based on predefined T 1 values, were sufficient to perform tumor grading in our study.

  10. Hamstring Injuries in Professional Soccer Players: Extent of MRI-Detected Edema and the Time to Return to Play.

    PubMed

    Crema, Michel D; Godoy, Ivan R B; Abdalla, Rene J; de Aquino, Jose Sanchez; Ingham, Sheila J McNeill; Skaf, Abdalla Y

    Discrepancies exist in the literature regarding the association of the extent of injuries assessed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with recovery times. MRI-detected edema in grade 1 hamstring injuries does not affect the return to play (RTP). Retrospective cohort study. Level 4. Grade 1 hamstring injuries from 22 professional soccer players were retrospectively reviewed. The extent of edema-like changes on fluid-sensitive sequences from 1.5-T MRI were evaluated using craniocaudal length, percentage of cross-sectional area, and volume. The time needed to RTP was the outcome. Negative binomial regression analysis tested the measurements of MRI-detected edema-like changes as prognostic factors. The mean craniocaudal length was 7.6 cm (SD, 4.9 cm; range, 0.9-19.1 cm), the mean percentage of cross-sectional area was 23.6% (SD, 20%; range, 4.4%-89.6%), and the mean volume was 33.1 cm 3 (SD, 42.6 cm 3 ; range, 1.1-161.3 cm 3 ). The mean time needed to RTP was 13.6 days (SD, 8.9 days; range, 3-32 days). None of the parameters of extent was associated with RTP. The extent of MRI edema in hamstring injuries does not have prognostic value. Measuring the extent of edema in hamstring injuries using MRI does not add prognostic value in clinical practice.

  11. Multi-slice MRI reveals heterogeneity in disease distribution along the length of muscle in Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

    PubMed

    Chrzanowski, Stephen M; Baligand, Celine; Willcocks, Rebecca J; Deol, Jasjit; Schmalfuss, Ilona; Lott, Donovan J; Daniels, Michael J; Senesac, Claudia; Walter, Glenn A; Vandenborne, Krista

    2017-09-01

    Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) causes progressive pathologic changes to muscle secondary to a cascade of inflammation, lipid deposition, and fibrosis. Clinically, this manifests as progressive weakness, functional loss, and premature mortality. Though insult to whole muscle groups is well established, less is known about the relationship between intramuscular pathology and function. Differences of intramuscular heterogeneity across muscle length were assessed using an ordinal MRI grading scale in lower leg muscles of boys with DMD and correlated to patient's functional status. Cross sectional T 1 weighted MRI images with fat suppression were obtained from ambulatory boys with DMD. Six muscles (tibialis anterior, extensor digitorum longus, peroneus, soleus, medial and lateral gastrocnemii) were graded using an ordinal grading scale over 5 slice sections along the lower leg length. The scores from each slice were combined and results were compared to global motor function and age. Statistically greater differences of involvement were observed at the proximal ends of muscle compared to the midbellies. Multi-slice assessment correlated significantly to age and the Vignos functional scale, whereas single-slice assessment correlated to the Vignos functional scale only. Lastly, differential disease involvement of whole muscle groups and intramuscular heterogeneity were observed amongst similar age subjects. A multi-slice ordinal MRI grading scale revealed that muscles are not uniformly affected, with more advanced disease visible near the tendons in a primarily ambulatory population with DMD. A geographically comprehensive evaluation of the heterogeneously affected muscle in boys with DMD may more accurately assess disease involvement.

  12. Image Quality of Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator System Designed for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Environment.

    PubMed

    Schwitter, Juerg; Gold, Michael R; Al Fagih, Ahmed; Lee, Sung; Peterson, Michael; Ciuffo, Allen; Zhang, Yan; Kristiansen, Nina; Kanal, Emanuel; Sommer, Torsten

    2016-05-01

    Recently, magnetic resonance (MR)-conditional implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) systems have become available. However, associated cardiac MR image (MRI) quality is unknown. The goal was to evaluate the image quality performance of various cardiac MR sequences in a multicenter trial of patients implanted with an MR-conditional ICD system. The Evera-MRI trial enrolled 275 patients in 42 centers worldwide. There were 263 patients implanted with an Evera-MRI single- or dual-chamber ICD and randomized to controls (n=88) and MRI (n=175), 156 of whom underwent a protocol-required MRI (9-12 weeks post implant). Steady-state-free-precession (SSFP) and fast-gradient-echo (FGE) sequences were acquired in short-axis and horizontal long-axis orientations. Qualitative and quantitative assessment of image quality was performed by using a 7-point scale (grades 1-3: good quality, grades 6-7: nondiagnostic) and measuring ICD- and lead-related artifact size. Good to moderate image quality (grades 1-5) was obtained in 53% and 74% of SSFP and FGE acquisitions, respectively, covering the left ventricle, and in 69% and 84%, respectively, covering the right ventricle. Odds for better image quality were greater for right ventricle versus left ventricle (odds ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval, 1.5-2.2; P<0.0001) and greater for FGE versus SSFP (odds ratio, 3.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.5-4.8; P<0.0001). Compared with SSFP, ICD-related artifacts on FGE were smaller (141±65 versus 75±57 mm, respectively; P<0.0001). Lead artifacts were much smaller than ICD artifacts (P<0.0001). FGE yields good to moderate quality in 74% of left ventricle and 84% of right ventricle acquisitions and performs better than SSFP in patients with an MRI-conditional ICD system. In these patients, cardiac MRI can offer diagnostic information in most cases. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT02117414. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

  13. MRI findings in soccer players with long-standing adductor-related groin pain and asymptomatic controls.

    PubMed

    Branci, Sonia; Thorborg, Kristian; Bech, Birthe Højlund; Boesen, Mikael; Nielsen, Michael Bachmann; Hölmich, Per

    2015-05-01

    Soccer players are commonly affected by long-standing adductor-related groin pain (ARGP), but the clinical significance of MRI findings in these athletes is largely unknown. Our aims were (1) to evaluate whether MRI findings are associated with long-standing ARGP in soccer players, (2) to assess MRI findings in asymptomatic soccer players and non-soccer playing controls. This cross-sectional study included 28 male soccer players with long-standing ARGP, 17 male asymptomatic soccer players and 20 male asymptomatic non-soccer playing athletes of matching age and athletic exposure. Participants underwent identical standardised and reliable clinical examination, and MRI scans (3 T) of the pelvis performed by a blinded observer. Images were consensus rated by three blinded radiologists according to a standardised MRI evaluation protocol. The associations between clinical adductor-related findings and pathological MRI findings were investigated with χ(2) statistics and OR. Central disc protrusion (p=0.027) and higher grades of pubic bone marrow oedema (BMO; p=0.027) were significantly more present in symptomatic players than asymptomatic players. However, up to 71% of asymptomatic soccer players displayed different positive MRI findings, and asymptomatic soccer players had significantly higher odds (OR ranging from 6.3 to 13.3) for BMO, adductor tendinopathy and degenerative changes than non-soccer players. ARGP in soccer players was associated with central disc protrusion and higher grades of pubic BMO. Moreover, positive MRI findings were significantly more frequent in soccer players compared with non-soccer players irrespective of symptoms, suggesting that these MRI changes may be associated with soccer play itself rather than clinical symptoms. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  14. Screening Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Prediction Model for Assessing Immediate Therapeutic Response to Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Guided High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation of Uterine Fibroids.

    PubMed

    Kim, Young-sun; Lim, Hyo Keun; Park, Min Jung; Rhim, Hyunchul; Jung, Sin-Ho; Sohn, Insuk; Kim, Tae-Joong; Keserci, Bilgin

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to fit and validate screening magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based prediction models for assessing immediate therapeutic responses of uterine fibroids to MRI-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) ablation. Informed consent from all subjects was obtained for our institutional review board-approved study. A total of 240 symptomatic uterine fibroids (mean diameter, 6.9 cm) in 152 women (mean age, 43.3 years) treated with MR-HIFU ablation were retrospectively analyzed (160 fibroids for training, 80 fibroids for validation). Screening MRI parameters (subcutaneous fat thickness [mm], x1; relative peak enhancement [%] in semiquantitative perfusion MRI, x2; T2 signal intensity ratio of fibroid to skeletal muscle, x3) were used to fit prediction models with regard to ablation efficiency (nonperfused volume/treatment cell volume, y1) and ablation quality (grade 1-5, poor to excellent, y2), respectively, using the generalized estimating equation method. Cutoff values for achievement of treatment intent (efficiency >1.0; quality grade 4/5) were determined based on receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Prediction performances were validated by calculating positive and negative predictive values. Generalized estimating equation analyses yielded models of y1 = 2.2637 - 0.0415x1 - 0.0011x2 - 0.0772x3 and y2 = 6.8148 - 0.1070x1 - 0.0050x2 - 0.2163x3. Cutoff values were 1.312 for ablation efficiency (area under the curve, 0.7236; sensitivity, 0.6882; specificity, 0.6866) and 4.019 for ablation quality (0.8794; 0.7156; 0.9020). Positive and negative predictive values were 0.917 and 0.500 for ablation efficiency and 0.978 and 0.600 for ablation quality, respectively. Screening MRI-based prediction models for assessing immediate therapeutic responses of uterine fibroids to MR-HIFU ablation were fitted and validated, which may reduce the risk of unsuccessful treatment.

  15. Evidence and Recommendations for Imaging Liver Fat in Children, Based upon Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Awai, Hannah I.; Newton, Kimberly P.; Sirlin, Claude B.; Behling, Cynthia; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B.

    2013-01-01

    Background & Aims Fatty liver is a common problem in children, and increases their risk for cirrhosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Liver biopsy is the clinical standard for diagnosing and grading fatty liver. However, non-invasive imaging modalities are needed to assess liver fat in children. We performed a systematic review of studies that evaluated imaging of liver fat in children. Methods We searched PubMed for original research articles in peer-reviewed journals from January 1, 1982 through December 31, 2012 using the key words “imaging liver fat.” Studies included those in English, and those performed in children from birth to 18 y of age. To be eligible for inclusion, studies were required to measure hepatic steatosis via an imaging modality and a quantitative comparator as the reference standard. Results We analyzed 9 studies comprising 610 children; 4 studies assessed ultrasonography and 5 assessed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasonography was used in the diagnosis of fatty liver with positive predictive values of 47–62%. There was not a consistent relationship between ultrasound steatosis score and the reference measurement of hepatic steatosis. Liver fat as measurements by MRI or by spectroscopy varied with the methodologies used. Liver fat measurements by MRI correlated with results from histologic analyses, but sample size did not allow for assessment of diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions Available evidence does not support the use of ultrasonography for the diagnosis or grading of fatty liver in children. Although MRI is a promising approach, the data are insufficient to make evidence-based recommendations regarding its use in children for assessment of hepatic steatosis. PMID:24090729

  16. Combined use of endometrial sample and magnetic resonance imaging in the preoperative risk-stratification of endometrial carcinomas.

    PubMed

    Luomaranta, Anna; Bützow, Ralf; Pauna, Arja-Riitta; Leminen, Arto; Loukovaara, Mikko

    2015-01-01

    To compare two treatment strategies in women undergoing surgery for endometrial carcinoma. Retrospective cohort study. Tertiary care center. 1166 patients. Uterine biopsy/curettage was obtained in 1140 women, of whom 229 also had pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We compared two strategies: (i) routine pelvic lymphadenectomy and (ii) selective pelvic lymphadenectomy for women with high-risk carcinomas as determined from preoperative histology and MRI. High-risk carcinomas included grade 1-2 endometrioid carcinomas with ≥50% myometrial invasion, grade 3 endometrioid carcinomas, and nonendometrioid carcinomas. Others were considered low-risk carcinomas. Diagnostic indices, treatment algorithms. Of the women who underwent lymphadenectomy, positive pelvic nodes were found in 2.3% of low-risk carcinomas and 18.3% of high-risk carcinomas. The combination of preoperative histology and MRI detected high-risk carcinomas with a sensitivity of 85.7%, a specificity of 75.0%, a positive predictive value of 74.4%, and a negative predictive value of 86.1%. Area under curve was 0.804. In the routine lymphadenectomy algorithm, 54.1% of lymphadenectomies were performed for low-risk carcinomas. In the selective lymphadenectomy algorithm, 14.3% of women with high-risk carcinomas did not receive lymphadenectomy. Missed positive pelvic nodes were estimated to occur in 2.1% of patients in the selective strategy. Similarly, the estimated risk for isolated para-aortic metastasis was 2.1%, regardless of treatment strategy. The combination of preoperative histology and MRI is moderately sensitive and specific in detecting high-risk endometrial carcinomas. The clinical utility of the method is hampered by the relatively high proportion of high-risk cases that remain unrecognized preoperatively. © 2014 Nordic Federation of Societies of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

  17. Magnetic resonance tomography of the knee joint.

    PubMed

    Puig, Stefan; Kuruvilla, Yojena Chittazhathu Kurian; Ebner, Lukas; Endel, Gottfried

    2015-10-01

    To compare the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in terms of sensitivity and specificity using a field strength of <1.0 T (T) versus ≥1.5 T for diagnosing or ruling out knee injuries or knee pathologies. The systematic literature research revealed more than 10,000 references, of which 1598 abstracts were reviewed and 87 full-text articles were retrieved. The further selection process resulted in the inclusion of four systematic reviews and six primary studies. No differences could be identified in the diagnostic performance of low- versus high-field MRI for the detection or exclusion of meniscal or cruciate ligament tears. Regarding the detection or grading of cartilage defects and osteoarthritis of the knee, the existing evidence suggests that high-field MRI is tolerably specific but not very sensitive, while there is literally no evidence for low-field MRI because only a few studies with small sample sizes and equivocal findings have been performed. We can recommend the use of low-field strength MRI systems in suspected meniscal or cruciate ligament injuries. This does, however, not apply to the diagnosis and grading of knee cartilage defects and osteoarthritis because of insufficient evidence.

  18. Joint pain undergoes a transition in accordance with signal changes of bones detected by MRI in hip osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Kamimura, Mikio; Nakamura, Yukio; Ikegami, Shota; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Kato, Hiroyuki

    2013-01-01

    In this study, we aimed to investigate whether joint pain is derived from cartilage or bone alterations. We reviewed 23 hip joints of 21 patients with primary hip osteoarthritis (OA), which were classified into Kellgren-Laurence (KL) grading I to IV. Plain radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were obtained from all of the 23 joints. Two of the 21 patients had bilateral hip OA. Pain was assessed based on the pain scale of Denis. A Welch t test was performed for age, height, weight, body mass index, bone mineral density, and a Mann-Whitney U test was performed for KL grading. Four of 8 hip joints with pain and OA showed broad signal changes detected by MRI. Fourteen hip joints without pain, but with OA did not show broad signal changes by MRI. Collectively, MRI analyses showed that broad signal changes in OA cases without joint pain or with a slight degree of joint pain were not observed, while broad signal changes were observed in OA cases with deteriorated joint pain. Our findings suggest that hip joint pain might be associated with bone signal alterations in the hips of OA patients.

  19. Assessment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Based on Quantitative MRI Analysis: an in vivo study

    PubMed Central

    Grunert, Peter; Hudson, Katherine D.; Macielak, Michael R.; Aronowitz, Eric; Borde, Brandon H.; Alimi, Marjan; Njoku, Innocent; Ballon, Douglas; Tsiouris, Apostolos John; Bonassar, Lawrence J.; Härtl, Roger

    2015-01-01

    Study design Animal experimental study Objective To evaluate a novel quantitative imaging technique for assessing disc degeneration. Summary of Background Data T2-relaxation time (T2-RT) measurements have been used to quantitatively assess disc degeneration. T2 values correlate with the water content of inter vertebral disc tissue and thereby allow for the indirect measurement of nucleus pulposus (NP) hydration. Methods We developed an algorithm to subtract out MRI voxels not representing NP tissue based on T2-RT values. Filtered NP voxels were used to measure nuclear size by their amount and nuclear hydration by their mean T2-RT. This technique was applied to 24 rat-tail intervertebral discs’ (IVDs), which had been punctured with an 18-gauge needle according to different techniques to induce varying degrees of degeneration. NP voxel count and average T2-RT were used as parameters to assess the degeneration process at 1 and 3 months post puncture. NP voxel counts were evaluated against X-ray disc height measurements and qualitative MRI studies based on the Pfirrmann grading system. Tails were collected for histology to correlate NP voxel counts to histological disc degeneration grades and to NP cross-sectional area measurements. Results NP voxel count measurements showed strong correlations to qualitative MRI analyses (R2=0.79, p<0.0001), histological degeneration grades (R2=0.902, p<0.0001) and histological NP cross-sectional area measurements (R2=0.887, p<0.0001). In contrast to NP voxel counts, the mean T2-RT for each punctured group remained constant between months 1 and 3. The mean T2-RTs for the punctured groups did not show a statistically significant difference from those of healthy IVDs (63.55ms ±5.88ms month 1 and 62.61ms ±5.02ms) at either time point. Conclusion The NP voxel count proved to be a valid parameter to quantitatively assess disc degeneration in a needle puncture model. The mean NP T2-RT does not change significantly in needle-puncture induced degenerated IVDs. IVDs can be segmented into different tissue components according to their innate T2-RT. PMID:24384655

  20. A prospective controlled study of diagnostic imaging for acute shin splints.

    PubMed

    Batt, M E; Ugalde, V; Anderson, M W; Shelton, D K

    1998-11-01

    The purpose of this prospective, observational study was to examine the relationship of clinical examination, plain radiograph (XR), triple-phase bone scan (TPBS), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the investigation of patients presenting with acute shin splints. 23 subjects with exercise induced lower leg pain and diffuse tibial tenderness of less than 3 months' duration were recruited. Subjects were excluded if there was clinical evidence of compartment syndrome, muscle hernia, or stress fracture. Each subject underwent XR, TPBS, and MRI within 2 wk of physical examination. Four asymptomatic controls underwent TPBS and MRI. Clinical findings, XR, TPBS, and MRI findings were independently recorded using a consistent template and subsequently analyzed. A single consensus lesion was chosen that provided the greatest overlap and highest grade to allow comparison of clinical and imaging findings. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated from data relating to clinical findings and diagnostic imaging. Eighteen subjects had bilateral symptoms and five unilateral with a mean duration of symptom of 5.4 wk (+/- 3.5). Of 41 symptomatic lower legs, there were TPBS abnormalities in 36 and MRI findings in 34. Analysis of clinical findings to TPBS and MRI demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 84%, 33% and 79%, 33%, respectively. Assuming TPBS as the "gold-standard," MRI findings demonstrated a sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 67%. There was poor agreement between the grading of TPBS and MRI (k = 0.3). In the 5/46 asymptomatic limbs, 3/5 demonstrated uptake on bone scan and 4/5 signal change with MRI. Imaging abnormalities were similarly seen in the four control patients. MRI may be used rather than TPBS and radiographs for evaluating acute tibial pain in athletes where avoidance of radiation exposure is desirable. Similar sensitivity and specificity may be expected from both investigations; however, in the light of abnormal TPBS and MRI findings in control and asymptomatic limbs, we recommend further studies be performed to define the extent of nonpathological TPBS and MRI changes.

  1. PreSurgMapp: a MATLAB Toolbox for Presurgical Mapping of Eloquent Functional Areas Based on Task-Related and Resting-State Functional MRI.

    PubMed

    Huang, Huiyuan; Ding, Zhongxiang; Mao, Dewang; Yuan, Jianhua; Zhu, Fangmei; Chen, Shuda; Xu, Yan; Lou, Lin; Feng, Xiaoyan; Qi, Le; Qiu, Wusi; Zhang, Han; Zang, Yu-Feng

    2016-10-01

    The main goal of brain tumor surgery is to maximize tumor resection while minimizing the risk of irreversible postoperative functional sequelae. Eloquent functional areas should be delineated preoperatively, particularly for patients with tumors near eloquent areas. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive technique that demonstrates great promise for presurgical planning. However, specialized data processing toolkits for presurgical planning remain lacking. Based on several functions in open-source software such as Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM), Resting-State fMRI Data Analysis Toolkit (REST), Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI (DPARSF) and Multiple Independent Component Analysis (MICA), here, we introduce an open-source MATLAB toolbox named PreSurgMapp. This toolbox can reveal eloquent areas using comprehensive methods and various complementary fMRI modalities. For example, PreSurgMapp supports both model-based (general linear model, GLM, and seed correlation) and data-driven (independent component analysis, ICA) methods and processes both task-based and resting-state fMRI data. PreSurgMapp is designed for highly automatic and individualized functional mapping with a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) for time-saving pipeline processing. For example, sensorimotor and language-related components can be automatically identified without human input interference using an effective, accurate component identification algorithm using discriminability index. All the results generated can be further evaluated and compared by neuro-radiologists or neurosurgeons. This software has substantial value for clinical neuro-radiology and neuro-oncology, including application to patients with low- and high-grade brain tumors and those with epilepsy foci in the dominant language hemisphere who are planning to undergo a temporal lobectomy.

  2. MRI-Derived Cellularity Index as a Potential Noninvasive Imaging Biomarker of Prostate Cancer

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    whole mount pathology sections. Analysis of these UCLA data resulted in four published manuscripts (White et al, Cancer Research 2014; Rakow-Penner...Yamin et al., Clinical Cancer Research , 2016) RSI-MRI mean z-score grouped by pathologic Gleason grade. Mean RSI-MRI cellularity index represented as...Figure 2). A quantitative validation of this approach is now provided in this study. Specifically, in a group of patients with known PCa, ROC

  3. Automated Robust Image Segmentation: Level Set Method Using Nonnegative Matrix Factorization with Application to Brain MRI.

    PubMed

    Dera, Dimah; Bouaynaya, Nidhal; Fathallah-Shaykh, Hassan M

    2016-07-01

    We address the problem of fully automated region discovery and robust image segmentation by devising a new deformable model based on the level set method (LSM) and the probabilistic nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF). We describe the use of NMF to calculate the number of distinct regions in the image and to derive the local distribution of the regions, which is incorporated into the energy functional of the LSM. The results demonstrate that our NMF-LSM method is superior to other approaches when applied to synthetic binary and gray-scale images and to clinical magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the human brain with and without a malignant brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme. In particular, the NMF-LSM method is fully automated, highly accurate, less sensitive to the initial selection of the contour(s) or initial conditions, more robust to noise and model parameters, and able to detect as small distinct regions as desired. These advantages stem from the fact that the proposed method relies on histogram information instead of intensity values and does not introduce nuisance model parameters. These properties provide a general approach for automated robust region discovery and segmentation in heterogeneous images. Compared with the retrospective radiological diagnoses of two patients with non-enhancing grade 2 and 3 oligodendroglioma, the NMF-LSM detects earlier progression times and appears suitable for monitoring tumor response. The NMF-LSM method fills an important need of automated segmentation of clinical MRI.

  4. Correlation of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection of the quadratus femoris with MRI findings of ischiofemoral impingement.

    PubMed

    Backer, Matthew W; Lee, Kenneth S; Blankenbaker, Donna G; Kijowski, Richard; Keene, James S

    2014-09-01

    MRI findings of ischiofemoral impingement (IFI) have been described, but there is little evidence for treatment with ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection of the quadratus femoris muscle as a treatment of IFI syndrome and to correlate the MRI findings with injection outcome. The medical records of 61 consecutively registered subjects who underwent bony pelvis MRI in which either IFI or quadratus femoris edema was described in the radiology report were retrospectively reviewed. Subjects with MRI findings of IFI and clinical confirmation of pain that could be attributed to IFI were included and divided into injection and control groups based on clinical management. Control subjects had MRI findings and clinical symptoms suggestive of IFI but underwent conservative therapy rather than injection. The control patients had adequate follow-up and clinical documentation to determine their response to treatment. Quadratus femoris muscle edema, fat atrophy, and hamstring tendinopathy were graded from none to severe (grades 0-3). The ischiofemoral and quadratus femoris spaces were also measured. Clinical presentation was classified as typical, somewhat typical, or not typical of IFI. Injection effectiveness was determined by reported pain reduction assessed before, immediately after, and 2 weeks after the procedure with a standard 10-cm visual analog scale. Response to treatment was classified as good (reduction in pain level > 2), mild or partial (reduced by 1 or 2), or no improvement. For patients who did not return their 2-week postinjection pain surveys, injection effectiveness was determined by qualitative assessments found in their clinical notes. A Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test was used to compare effectiveness of injection between groups (p < 0.05). The Fisher exact test was used to evaluate for associations between each MRI finding and injection outcome. Of the 61 patients, 20 patients had both MRI findings and clinical confirmation of pain related to IFI. These 20 patients were included in the study. Fifteen ultrasound-guided injections were performed in seven patients, and these seven patients were included in the injection group (mean age, 47 years; range, 15-66 years); 13 patients were included in the control group (mean age, 42 years; range, 16-62 years). All seven patients in the injection group and 12 of the 13 patients in the control group were women. In the injection group, the mean width of the ischiofemoral space was 12 mm (range, 7-22 mm), and the mean width of the quadratus femoris space was 9 mm (range, 5-16 mm). The mean edema grade was 1.4 (range, 0-3); mean atrophy grade, 1.4 (range, 0-3); and mean hamstring tendinopathy grade, 1 (range, 0-2). In the control group, the mean width of the ischiofemoral space was 9 mm (range, 6-17 mm); mean quadratus femoris space width, 7 mm (range, 3-15 mm); mean edema grade, 1.9 (range, 1-3); mean atrophy grade, 1.2 (range, 0-3); and mean hamstring tendinopathy grade, 1.2 (range, 0-3). No statistical difference was seen between the two groups before treatment. Pain reduction after injection over the 2-week period was statistically significant with a mean reduction of 1.7 (range, 1-2) for the injection group and 0.8 (range, 0-2) for the control group (p < 0.01). Eleven of 15 (73%) of the injections provided good relief, and four of 15 (27%) provided mild relief. None of the 15 injections provided no relief. In the control group, four of 14 (29%) subjects had good relief, three of 14 (21%) had mild relief, and seven of 14 (50%) had no relief (p < 0.01). Ultrasound-guided corticosteroid injection of the quadratus femoris muscle shows promise as an effective treatment of IFI syndrome. However, larger longitudinal studies are needed to help establish the role of ultrasound-guided injection in the workup and care of patients presenting with both MRI findings and clinical findings of IFI.

  5. Imaging of Herniated Discs of the Cervical Spine: Inter-Modality Differences between 64-Slice Multidetector CT and 1.5-T MRI

    PubMed Central

    Yi, Ji Sook; Han, Jong Kyu; Kim, Hyun-Joo

    2015-01-01

    Objective To assess inter-modality variability when evaluating cervical intervertebral disc herniation using 64-slice multidetector-row computed tomography (MDCT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods Three musculoskeletal radiologists independently reviewed cervical spine 1.5-T MRI and 64-slice MDCT data on C2-3 though C6-7 of 51 patients in the context of intervertebral disc herniation. Interobserver and inter-modality agreements were expressed as unweighted kappa values. Weighted kappa statistics were used to assess the extents of agreement in terms of the number of involved segments (NIS) in disc herniation and epicenter measurements collected using MDCT and MRI. Results The interobserver agreement rates upon evaluation of disc morphology by the three radiologists were in fair to moderate agreement (k = 0.39-0.53 for MDCT images; k = 0.45-0.56 for MRIs). When the disc morphology was categorized into two and four grades, the inter-modality agreement rates were moderate (k-value, 0.59) and substantial (k-value, 0.66), respectively. The inter-modality agreements for evaluations of the NIS (k-value, 0.78) and the epicenter (k-value, 0.79) were substantial. Also, the interobserver agreements for the NIS (CT; k-value, 0.85 and MRI; k-value, 0.88) and epicenter (CT; k-value, 0.74 and MRI; k-value, 0.70) evaluations by two readers were substantial. MDCT tended to underestimate the extent of herniated disc lesions compared with MRI. Conclusion Multidetector-row computed tomography and MRI showed a moderate-to-substantial degree of inter-modality agreement for the assessment of herniated cervical discs. MDCT images have a tendency to underestimate the anterior/posterior extent of the herniated disc compared with MRI. PMID:26175589

  6. Comparison of clinical semi-quantitative assessment of muscle fat infiltration with quantitative assessment using chemical shift-based water/fat separation in MR studies of the calf of post-menopausal women.

    PubMed

    Alizai, Hamza; Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C; Joseph, Gabby B; Yap, Samuel P; Baum, Thomas; Krug, Roland; Majumdar, Sharmila; Link, Thomas M

    2012-07-01

    The goal of this study was to compare the semi-quantitative Goutallier classification for fat infiltration with quantitative fat-fraction derived from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) chemical shift-based water/fat separation technique. Sixty-two women (age 61 ± 6 years), 27 of whom had diabetes, underwent MRI of the calf using a T1-weighted fast spin-echo sequence and a six-echo spoiled gradient-echo sequence at 3 T. Water/fat images and fat fraction maps were reconstructed using the IDEAL algorithm with T2* correction and a multi-peak model for the fat spectrum. Two radiologists scored fat infiltration on the T1-weighted images using the Goutallier classification in six muscle compartments. Spearman correlations between the Goutallier grades and the fat fraction were calculated; in addition, intra-observer and inter-observer agreement were calculated. A significant correlation between the clinical grading and the fat fraction values was found for all muscle compartments (P < 0.0001, R values ranging from 0.79 to 0.88). Goutallier grades 0-4 had a fat fraction ranging from 3.5 to 19%. Intra-observer and inter-observer agreement values of 0.83 and 0.81 were calculated for the semi-quantitative grading. Semi-quantitative grading of intramuscular fat and quantitative fat fraction were significantly correlated and both techniques had excellent reproducibility. However, the clinical grading was found to overestimate muscle fat. Fat infiltration of muscle commonly occurs in many metabolic and neuromuscular diseases. • Image-based semi-quantitative classifications for assessing fat infiltration are not well validated. • Quantitative MRI techniques provide an accurate assessment of muscle fat.

  7. Metallic artifact in MRI after removal of orthopedic implants.

    PubMed

    Bagheri, Mohammad Hadi; Hosseini, Mehrdad Mohammad; Emami, Mohammad Jafar; Foroughi, Amin Aiboulhassani

    2012-03-01

    The aim of the present study was to evaluate the metallic artifacts in MRI of the orthopedic patients after removal of metallic implants. From March to August 2009, 40 orthopedic patients operated for removal of orthopedic metallic implants were studied by post-operative MRI from the site of removal of implants. A grading scale of 0-3 was assigned for artifact in MR images whereby 0 was considered no artifact; and I-III were considered mild, moderate, and severe metallic artifacts, respectively. These grading records were correlated with other variables including the type, size, number, and composition of metallic devices; and the site and duration of orthopedic devices stay in the body. Metallic susceptibly artifacts were detected in MRI of 18 of 40 cases (45%). Screws and pins in removed hardware were the most important factors for causing artifacts in MRI. The artifacts were found more frequently in the patients who had more screws and pins in the removed implants. Gender, age, site of implantation of the device, length of the hardware, composition of the metallic implants (stainless steel versus titanium), and duration of implantation of the hardware exerted no effect in producing metallic artifacts after removal of implants. Short TE sequences of MRI (such as T1 weighted) showed fewer artifacts. Susceptibility of metallic artifacts is a frequent phenomenon in MRI of patients upon removal of metallic orthopedic implants. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. T2* mapping and delayed gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in cartilage (dGEMRIC) of humeral articular cartilage--a histologically controlled study.

    PubMed

    Bittersohl, Bernd; Kircher, Jörn; Miese, Falk R; Dekkers, Christin; Habermeyer, Peter; Fröbel, Julia; Antoch, Gerald; Krauspe, Rüdiger; Zilkens, Christoph

    2015-10-01

    Cartilage biochemical imaging modalities that include the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques of T2* mapping (sensitive to water content and collagen fiber network) and delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC, sensitive to the glycosaminoglycan content) can be effective instruments for early diagnosis and reliable follow-up of cartilage damage. The purpose of this study was to provide T2* mapping and dGEMRIC values in various histologic grades of cartilage degeneration in humeral articular cartilage. A histologically controlled in vitro study was conducted that included human humeral head cartilage specimens with various histologic grades of cartilage degeneration. High-resolution, 3-dimensional (3D) T2* mapping and dGEMRIC were performed that enabled the correlation of MRI and histology data. Cartilage degeneration was graded according to the Mankin score, which evaluates surface morphology, cellularity, toluidine blue staining, and tidemark integrity. SPSS software was used for statistical analyses. Both MRI mapping values decreased significantly (P < .001) with increasing cartilage degeneration. Spearman rank analysis revealed a significant correlation (correlation coefficients ranging from -0.315 to 0.784; P < .001) between the various histologic parameters and the T2* and T1Gd mapping values. This study demonstrates the feasibility of 3D T2* and dGEMRIC to identify various histologic grades of cartilage damage of humeral articular cartilage. With regard to the advantages of these mapping techniques with high image resolution and the ability to accomplish a 3D biochemically sensitive imaging, we consider that these imaging techniques can make a positive contribution to the currently evolving science and practice of cartilage biochemical imaging. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Molecular MRI differentiation between primary central nervous system lymphomas and high-grade gliomas using endogenous protein-based amide proton transfer MR imaging at 3 Tesla

    PubMed Central

    Jiang, Shanshan; Yu, Hao; Wang, Xianlong; Lu, Shilong; Li, Yufa; Feng, Lyujin; Zhang, Yi; Heo, Hye-Young; Lee, Dong-Hoon; Zhou, Jinyuan; Wen, Zhibo

    2015-01-01

    Objectives To show the ability of using the amide-proton-transfer-weighted (APTW) MRI signals as imaging biomarkers to differentiate primary central-nervous-system lymphomas (PCNSLs) from high-grade gliomas (HGGs). Methods Eleven patients with lymphomas and 21 patients with HGGs were examined. Magnetization-transfer (MT) spectra over an offset range of ±6 ppm and the conventional MT ratio (MTR) at 15.6 ppm were acquired. The APTW signals, total chemical-exchange-saturation-transfer signal (integral between 0 and 5 ppm, CESTtotal), and MTR signal were obtained and compared between PCNSLs and HGGs. The diagnostic performance was assessed with the receiver-operating-characteristic-curve analysis. Results The PCNSLs usually showed more homogeneous APTW hyperintensity (spatially compared to the normal brain tissue) than the HGGs. The APTWmax, APTWmax-min, and CESTtotal signal intensities were significantly lower (P < 0.05, 0.001, and 0.05, respectively), while the APTWmin and MTR were significantly higher (both P < 0.01) in PCNSL lesions than in HGG lesions. The APTW values in peritumoral oedema were significantly lower for PCNSLs than for HGGs (P < 0.01). APTWmax-min had the highest area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve (0.963) and accuracy (94.1%) in differentiating PCNSLs from HGGs. Conclusions The protein-based APTW signal would be a valuable MRI biomarker by which to identify PCNSLs and HGGs presurgically. PMID:25925361

  10. Translating state-of-the-art spinal cord MRI techniques to clinical use: A systematic review of clinical studies utilizing DTI, MT, MWF, MRS, and fMRI

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Allan R.; Aleksanderek, Izabela; Cohen-Adad, Julien; Tarmohamed, Zenovia; Tetreault, Lindsay; Smith, Nathaniel; Cadotte, David W.; Crawley, Adrian; Ginsberg, Howard; Mikulis, David J.; Fehlings, Michael G.

    2015-01-01

    Background A recent meeting of international imaging experts sponsored by the International Spinal Research Trust (ISRT) and the Wings for Life Foundation identified 5 state-of-the-art MRI techniques with potential to transform the field of spinal cord imaging by elucidating elements of the microstructure and function: diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), magnetization transfer (MT), myelin water fraction (MWF), MR spectroscopy (MRS), and functional MRI (fMRI). However, the progress toward clinical translation of these techniques has not been established. Methods A systematic review of the English literature was conducted using MEDLINE, MEDLINE-in-Progress, Embase, and Cochrane databases to identify all human studies that investigated utility, in terms of diagnosis, correlation with disability, and prediction of outcomes, of these promising techniques in pathologies affecting the spinal cord. Data regarding study design, subject characteristics, MRI methods, clinical measures of impairment, and analysis techniques were extracted and tabulated to identify trends and commonalities. The studies were assessed for risk of bias, and the overall quality of evidence was assessed for each specific finding using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework. Results A total of 6597 unique citations were identified in the database search, and after full-text review of 274 articles, a total of 104 relevant studies were identified for final inclusion (97% from the initial database search). Among these, 69 studies utilized DTI and 25 used MT, with both techniques showing an increased number of publications in recent years. The review also identified 1 MWF study, 11 MRS studies, and 8 fMRI studies. Most of the studies were exploratory in nature, lacking a priori hypotheses and showing a high (72%) or moderately high (20%) risk of bias, due to issues with study design, acquisition techniques, and analysis methods. The acquisitions for each technique varied widely across studies, rendering direct comparisons of metrics invalid. The DTI metric fractional anisotropy (FA) had the strongest evidence of utility, with moderate quality evidence for its use as a biomarker showing correlation with disability in several clinical pathologies, and a low level of evidence that it identifies tissue injury (in terms of group differences) compared with healthy controls. However, insufficient evidence exists to determine its utility as a sensitive and specific diagnostic test or as a tool to predict clinical outcomes. Very low quality evidence suggests that other metrics also show group differences compared with controls, including DTI metrics mean diffusivity (MD) and radial diffusivity (RD), the diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) metric mean kurtosis (MK), MT metrics MT ratio (MTR) and MT cerebrospinal fluid ratio (MTCSF), and the MRS metric of N-acetylaspartate (NAA) concentration, although these results were somewhat inconsistent. Conclusions State-of-the-art spinal cord MRI techniques are emerging with great potential to improve the diagnosis and management of various spinal pathologies, but the current body of evidence has only showed limited clinical utility to date. Among these imaging tools DTI is the most mature, but further work is necessary to standardize and validate its use before it will be adopted in the clinical realm. Large, well-designed studies with a priori hypotheses, standardized acquisition methods, detailed clinical data collection, and robust automated analysis techniques are needed to fully demonstrate the potential of these rapidly evolving techniques. PMID:26862478

  11. Diagnostic capability of gadoxetate disodium-enhanced liver MRI for diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison with multi-detector CT.

    PubMed

    Toyota, Naoyuki; Nakamura, Yuko; Hieda, Masashi; Akiyama, Naoko; Terada, Hiroaki; Matsuura, Noriaki; Nishiki, Masayo; Kono, Hirotaka; Kohno, Hiroshi; Irei, Toshimitsu; Yoshikawa, Yukinobu; Kuraoka, Kazuya; Taniyama, Kiyomi; Awai, Kazuo

    2013-09-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic capability of gadoxetate disodium (Gd-EOB)-MRI for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with multidetector CT (MDCT). Fifty patients with 57 surgically proven HCCs who underwent Gd-EOB-MRI and MDCT from March 2008 to June 2011 were evaluated. Two observers evaluated MR and CT on a lesion-by-lesion basis. We analyzed sensitivity by grading on a 5-point scale, the degree of arterial enhancement and the differences in histological grades in the diffusion-weighted images (DWI). The results showed that the sensitivity of Gd-EOB-MRI was higher than that of MDCT especially for HCCs that were 1 cm in diameter or smaller. The hepatobiliary phase was useful for the detecting of small HCC. We had few cases in which it was difficult to judge HCC in the arterial enhancement between MRI and MDCT. In the diffusion-weighted image, well differentiated HCC tended to show a low signal intensity, and poorly differentiated HCC tended to show a high signal intensity. In moderately differentiated HCC's, the mean diameter of the high signal intensity group was larger than that of the low signal intensity group (24.5 mm vs. 15.8 mm). In conclusion, Gd-EOB-MRI tended to show higher sensitivity compared to MDCT in the detection of HCC.

  12. Agreement Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging Proton Density Fat Fraction Measurements and Pathologist-Assigned Steatosis Grades of Liver Biopsies From Adults With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

    PubMed

    Middleton, Michael S; Heba, Elhamy R; Hooker, Catherine A; Bashir, Mustafa R; Fowler, Kathryn J; Sandrasegaran, Kumar; Brunt, Elizabeth M; Kleiner, David E; Doo, Edward; Van Natta, Mark L; Lavine, Joel E; Neuschwander-Tetri, Brent A; Sanyal, Arun; Loomba, Rohit; Sirlin, Claude B

    2017-09-01

    We assessed the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in grading hepatic steatosis and change in hepatic steatosis in adults with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in a multi-center study, using central histology as reference. We collected data from 113 adults with NASH participating in a multi-center, randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled, phase 2b trial to compare the efficacy cross-sectionally and longitudinally of obeticholic acid vs placebo. Hepatic steatosis was assessed at baseline and after 72 weeks of obeticholic acid or placebo by liver biopsy and MRI (scanners from different manufacturers, at 1.5T or 3T). We compared steatosis estimates by PDFF vs histology. Histologic steatosis grade was scored in consensus by a pathology committee. Cross-validated receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed. At baseline, 34% of subjects had steatosis grade 0 or 1, 39% had steatosis grade 2, and 27% had steatosis grade 3; corresponding mean PDFF values were 9.8%±3.7%, 18.1%±4.3%, and 30.1%±8.1%. PDFF classified steatosis grade 0-1 vs 2-3 with an area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of 0.95 (95% CI, 0.91-0.98), and grade 0-2 vs grade 3 steatosis with an AUROC of 0.96 (95% CI, 0.93-0.99). PDFF cut-off values at 90% specificity were 16.3% for grades 2-3 and 21.7% for grade 3, with corresponding sensitivities of 83% and 84%. After 72 weeks' of obeticholic vs placebo, 42% of subjects had a reduced steatosis grade (mean reduction in PDFF from baseline of 7.4%±8.7%), 49% had no change in steatosis grade (mean increase in PDFF from baseline of 0.3%±6.3%), and 9% had an increased steatosis grade (mean increase in PDFF from baseline of 7.7%±6.0%). PDFF change identified subjects with reduced steatosis grade with an AUROC of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.71-0.91) and increased steatosis grade with an AUROC of 0.81 (95% CI, 0.63-0.99). A PDFF reduction of 5.15% identified subjects with reduced steatosis grade with 90% specificity and 58% sensitivity, whereas a PDFF increase of 5.6% identified those with increased steatosis grade with 90% specificity and 57% sensitivity. Based on data from a phase 2 randomized controlled trial of adults with NASH, PDFF estimated by MRI scanners of different field strength and at different sites, accurately classifies grades and changes in hepatic steatosis when histologic analysis of biopsies is used as a reference. Copyright © 2017 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Right-to-left shunt and subclinical ischemic brain lesions in Chinese migraineurs: a multicentre MRI study.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Xiao-Han; Wang, Si-Bo; Tian, Qian; Zhong, Chi; Zhang, Guan-Ling; Li, Ya-Jie; Lin, Pan; You, Yong; Guo, Rong; Cui, Ying-Hua; Xing, Ying-Qi

    2018-02-14

    Migraine is considered as a risk factor for subclinical brain ischemic lesions, and right-to-left shunt (RLS) is more common among migraineurs. This cross-sectional study assessed the association of RLS with the increased prevalence of subclinical ischemic brain lesions in migraineurs. We enrolled 334 migraineurs from a multicentre study from June 2015 to August 2016. Participants were all evaluated using contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and completed a questionnaire covering demographics, the main risk factors of vascular disease, and migraine status. RLS was classified into four grades (Grade 0 = Negative; Grade I = 1 ≤ microbubbles (MBs) ≤ 10; Grade II = MBs > 10 and no curtain; Grade III = curtain). Silent brain ischemic infarctions (SBI) and white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) were evaluated on MRI. We found no significant differences between migraineurs with RLS and migraineurs without RLS in subclinical ischemic brain lesions.SBI and WMHs did not increase with the size of the RLS(p for trend for SBI = 0.066, p for trend for WMHs = 0.543). Furthermore, curtain RLS in migraineurs was a risk factor for the presence of SBI (p = 0.032, OR = 3.47; 95%CI: 1.12-10.76). There was no association between RLS and the presence of WMHs. Overall, RLS is not associated with increased SBI or WMHs in migraineurs. However, when RLS is present as a curtain pattern, it is likely to be a risk factor for SBIs in migraineurs. No. NCT02425696 ; registered on April 21, 2015.

  14. Beneficial impact of high-field intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging on the efficacy of pediatric low-grade glioma surgery.

    PubMed

    Roder, Constantin; Breitkopf, Martin; Ms; Bisdas, Sotirios; Freitas, Rousinelle da Silva; Dimostheni, Artemisia; Ebinger, Martin; Wolff, Markus; Tatagiba, Marcos; Schuhmann, Martin U

    2016-03-01

    Intraoperative MRI (iMRI) is assumed to safely improve the extent of resection (EOR) in patients with gliomas. This study focuses on advantages of this imaging technology in elective low-grade glioma (LGG) surgery in pediatric patients. The surgical results of conventional and 1.5-T iMRI-guided elective LGG surgery in pediatric patients were retrospectively compared. Tumor volumes, general clinical data, EOR according to reference radiology assessment, and progression-free survival (PFS) were analyzed. Sixty-five patients were included in the study, of whom 34 had undergone conventional surgery before the iMRI unit opened (pre-iMRI period) and 31 had undergone surgery with iMRI guidance (iMRI period). Perioperative data were comparable between the 2 cohorts, apart from larger preoperative tumor volumes in the pre-iMRI period, a difference without statistical significance, and (as expected) significantly longer surgeries in the iMRI group. According to 3-month postoperative MRI studies, an intended complete resection (CR) was achieved in 41% (12 of 29) of the patients in the pre-iMRI period and in 71% (17 of 24) of those in the iMRI period (p = 0.05). Of those cases in which the surgeon was postoperatively convinced that he had successfully achieved CR, this proved to be true in only 50% of cases in the pre-iMRI period but in 81% of cases in the iMRI period (p = 0.055). Residual tumor volumes on 3-month postoperative MRI were significantly smaller in the iMRI cohort (p < 0.03). By continuing the resection of residual tumor after the intraoperative scan (when the surgeon assumed that he had achieved CR), the rate of CR was increased from 30% at the time of the scan to 85% at the 3-month postoperative MRI. The mean follow-up for the entire study cohort was 36.9 months (3-79 months). Progression-free survival after surgery was noticeably better for the entire iMRI cohort and in iMRI patients with postoperatively assumed CR, but did not quite reach statistical significance. Moreover, PFS was highly significantly better in patients with CRs than in those with incomplete resections (p < 0.001). Significantly better surgical results (CR) and PFS were achieved after using iMRI in patients in whom total resections were intended. Therefore, the use of high-field iMRI is strongly recommended for electively planned LGG resections in pediatric patients.

  15. [MRI of the rotator cuff: evaluation of a new symptomatologic classification].

    PubMed

    Tavernier, T; Walch, G; Noël, E; Lapra, C; Bochu, M

    1995-05-01

    The different classifications use for the rotator cuff pathology seem to be incomplete. We propose a new classification with many advantages: 1) Differentiate the tendinopathy between less serious (grade 2A) and serious (grade 2B). 2) Recognize the intra-tendinous cleavage of the infra-spinatus associated with complete tear of the supra-spinatus. 3) Differentiate partial and complete tears of the supra-spinatus. We established this classification after a retrospective study of 42 patients operated on for a rotator cuff pathology. Every case had had a preoperative MRI. This classification is simple, reliable, especially for the associated intra tendinous cleavage.

  16. Patellofemoral Instability in Children: Correlation Between Risk Factors, Injury Patterns, and Severity of Cartilage Damage.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hee Kyung; Shiraj, Sahar; Kang, Chang Ho; Anton, Christopher; Kim, Dong Hoon; Horn, Paul S

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare MRI findings between groups with and without patellofemoral instability and to correlate the MRI findings with the severity of patellar cartilage damage. Fifty-three children with patellofemoral instability and 53 age- and sex-matched children without patellofemoral instability (15.9 ± 2.4 years) were included. Knee MRI with T2-weighted mapping was performed. On MR images, femoral trochlear dysplasia, patellofemoral malalignment, medial retinaculum injury, and bone marrow edema were documented. The degree of patellar cartilage damage was evaluated on MR images by use of a morphologic grading scale (0-4) and on T2 maps with mean T2 values at the medial, central, and lateral facets. MRI findings were compared between the two groups. In cases of patellofemoral instability, MRI findings were correlated with the severity of cartilage damage at each region. Trochlear structure and alignment were significantly different between the two groups (Wilcoxon p < 0.0001). In patellofemoral instability, a high-riding patella was associated with central patellar cartilage damage with a higher morphologic grade and T2 value (Spearman p < 0.05). The severity of medial retinacular injury and presence of bone marrow edema at either the medial patella or the lateral femoral condyle were associated with a higher grade of medial patellar cartilage damage (Wilcoxon p < 0.05). None of the other findings correlated with the severity of patellar cartilage damage. Patients with patellofemoral instability have significantly different trochlear structure and alignment than those who do not, and these differences are known risk factors for patellofemoral instability. However, the only risk factors or injury patterns that directly correlated with the severity of patellar cartilage damage were patella alta, medial stabilizer injury, and bone marrow edema.

  17. Individual MRI and radiographic features of knee OA in subjects with unilateral knee pain: Health ABC study

    PubMed Central

    Javaid, MK; Kiran, A; Guermazi, A; Kwoh, K; Zaim, S; Carbone, L; Harris, T.; McCulloch, C.E.; Arden, NK; Lane, NE; Felson, D; Nevitt, M

    2012-01-01

    Strong associations between radiographic features of knee OA and pain have been demonstrated in persons with unilateral knee symptoms. Our objectives were to compare radiographic with MRI features of knee OA and assess the discrimination between painful and non-painful knees in persons with unilateral symptoms. 283 individuals with unilateral knee pain aged 71 to 80 years from Health ABC, a study of weight-related diseases and mobility, had bilateral knee radiographs, read for KL grade and individual radiographic features, and 1.5T MRIs, read using WORMS. The association of structural features with pain was assessed using a within-person case/control design and conditional logistic regression. Receiver operator characteristics (ROC) were then used to test the discriminatory performance of structural features. In conditional logistic analyses, knee pain was significantly associated with both radiographic (any JSN grade >=1: OR 3.20 (1.79 – 5.71) and MRI (any cartilage defect:>=2: OR 3.67 (1.49 – 9.04)) features. However, most subjects had MR detected osteophytes, cartilage and bone marrow lesions in both knees and no individual structural feature discriminated well between painful and non-painful knees using ROC. The best performing MRI feature (synovitis/effusion) was not significantly more informative than KL grade >=2 (p=0.42). In persons with unilateral knee pain, MR and radiographic features were associated with knee pain confirming an important role in the etiology of pain. However, no single MRI or radiographic finding performed well in discriminating painful from non-painful knees. Further work is needed to examine how structural and non-structural factors influence knee pain. PMID:22736267

  18. Safe Resection of Gliomas of the Dominant Angular Gyrus Availing of Preoperative FMRI and Intraoperative DTI: Preliminary Series and Surgical Technique.

    PubMed

    D'Andrea, Giancarlo; Familiari, Pietro; Di Lauro, Antonio; Angelini, Albina; Sessa, Giovanni

    2016-03-01

    Language dysfunction, visual deficit, numeracy impairment, and Gerstmann syndrome often occur in the cortical area; furthermore, the subcortical white matter is the inviolable limit of "functional neurosurgery." Preoperative functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and tractography are capable of providing the data required for safe "surgical planning" at both the cortical and subcortical levels. We report our experience regarding high-grade gliomas affecting the dominant angular gyrus (AG), supramarginal gyrus (SMG), intraparietal sulcus (IPS), and their respective subcortical areas using intraoperative MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Retrospectively, we reviewed a consecutive series of 27 patients operated in a BrainSuite for high-grade intraparenchymal tumors of the left posterior temporoparietal junction. We included tumors involving the dominant AG, SMG, and/or IPS and the subcortical course of arcuate fasciculus (AF) and all the patients who underwent preoperative fMRI and DTI to localize the AF and the eloquent cortical areas. Just after craniotomy, new volumetric MRI and DTI verified and corrected possible brain shift. After the gross total resection was carried out, and before approaching the residual mass close to the white matter tract, an intraoperative MRI was again performed. We operated on 27 patients, 15 males and 12 females, whose diagnosis was always high-grade glioma. During the preoperative neurologic examination, 6 patients were asymptomatic; 3 presented a Gerstmann syndrome; 16 showed dysphasic disturbances, 6 of which were associated with visual field deficits; and 2 showed weakness of the right limb. Our results suggest that this approach is completely safe and effective as an alternative to awake surgery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Diagnostic value of gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced hepatocyte-phase magnetic resonance imaging in evaluating hepatic fibrosis and hepatitis.

    PubMed

    Li, Xiu-Mei; Chen, Zhu; Xiao, En-Hua; Shang, Quan-Liang; Ma, Cong

    2017-05-07

    To evaluate the diagnostic value of gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA)-enhanced hepatocyte-phase magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating hepatic fibrosis and hepatitis. Hepatocyte-phase images of Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI were retrospectively evaluated in 76 patients with chronic liver disease. These patients were classified into five groups according to either the histopathological fibrosis stage (S0-S4) or the histopathological hepatitis grade (G0-G4). The relative enhancement ratio (RE) of the liver parenchyma in the T1-vibe sequence was calculated by measuring the signal intensity before (SI pre) and 90 min after (SI post) intravenous injection of Gd-BOPTA using the following formula: RE = (SI post - SI pre)/SI pre. One-way analysis of variance was used to compare the difference between the relative RE in the hepatocyte phase (REh) and the stage of hepatic fibrosis and the grade of hepatitis. Pearson's product-moment correlation analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the REh and the levels of serologic liver functional parameters. According to histopathological hepatic fibrosis stage, the 76 patients were classified into five groups: 16 in S0, 15 in S1, 21 in S2, 9 in S3, and 15 in S4 group. According to histopathological hepatitis grade, the 76 patients were also classified into five groups: 0 in G0, 44 in G1, 22 in G2, 8 in G3, and 2 in G3 group. With regard to the stage of hepatic fibrosis, REh showed significant differences between the S2 and S3 groups and between the S2 and S4 groups ( P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed between the other groups. With regard to the grade of hepatitis, REh showed significant differences between the G1 and G2 groups and between the G1 and G4 groups ( P < 0.05), but no significant difference was observed between the other groups. Increased REh showed correlations with decreased serum levels of TB, ALT and AST ( P < 0.05). To some extent, measuring the REh using Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI might be a noninvasive technique for assessing the stage of hepatic fibrosis. This method is able to differentiate no/mild hepatitis from advanced hepatitis. TB, ALT and AST levels can predict the degree of liver enhancement in the hepatocyte phase of Gd-BOPTA-enhanced MRI.

  20. [Neurologic complications in children with enterovirus 71-infected hand-foot-mouth disease : clinical features, MRI findings and follow-up study].

    PubMed

    Liu, Kun; Ma, Yan-xu; Zhang, Cheng-bing; Chen, Yi-ping; Ye, Xin-jian; Bai, Guang-hui; Yu, Zhi-kang; Yan, Zhi-han

    2012-07-03

    To explore the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) characteristics and the follow-up outcomes of neurologic complications in children with enterovirus 71-infected hand-foot-mouth disease. The clinical and MRI manifestations and follow-up outcomes in 35 children, at Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College from August 2008 to November 2010, hospitalized with neurologic complications of enterovirus 71-infected hand-foot-mouth disease were retrospectively analyzed. Six children with aseptic meningitis presented the clinical symptoms and signs of meningitis. Five of them showed subdural effusion and ventriculomegaly, or both on MRI. At follow-ups, neurologic sequel could not be found. Among 24 cases with brainstem encephalitis, there were myoclonic jerks and tremor, ataxia, or both (grade I disease, n = 12), myoclonus and cranial-nerve involvement (grade II disease, n = 4), and cardiopulmonary failure after brain-stem infection (grade III disease, n = 8). In patients with brainstem encephalitis, lesions were predominantly located at the posterior portions of medulla and pons with hypointensity on T1WI and hyperintensity on T2WI. Cerebellar dentate nucleus, caudate nucleus and lenticular nucleus could also be involved. At follow-ups, the patients with mild symptoms had no neurologic sequel and the lesions within brain stem became small or vanished in most cases. While in the majority of serious patients, neurologic sequel could be found and the lesions located at brain stem became encephalomalacia. Fourteen cases with acute flaccid paralysis presented acute limb myasthenia with tendon reflex and muscular tension decreased. On spinal MRI, the lesions predominantly involved anterior horn regions of spinal cord with hypointensity on T1WI and hyperintensity on T2WI. Most patients improved their muscle strength and most lesions of spinal cord became smaller or vanished during follow-ups. MRI is the most effective modality of diagnosis and follow-up for neurologic complications in children with enterovirus 71-infected hand-foot-mouth disease. On MRI, the lesions mainly involve the anterior horn of spinal cord, medulla oblongata and pons. At follow-ups, most patients have no neurologic sequel and the visualized lesions will be absorbed after active treatment.

  1. [Low-field magnetic resonance imaging for rheumatoid arthritis].

    PubMed

    Ostendorf, B; Edelmann, E; Kellner, H; Scherer, A

    2010-02-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a cross-sectional imaging procedure allows a three-dimensional representation of musculature, ligaments, tendons, capsules, synovial membranes, bones and cartilage with high resolution quality. An activity assessment is further possible by application of a contrast medium (gadolinium-DTPA) to differentiate between active and chronic inflammatory processes. Evidence of a bone marrow edema detected by MRI in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) can be interpreted as a prognostic and predictive factor for the development of bone erosions. On the basis of these advantages MRI is being employed more and more in the early diagnosis of inflammatory joint diseases. Semi-quantitative scores for analysis and grading of findings have already been developed and are in clinical use. Because MRI technical performances are invariably reproducible they can be practically retrieved in the course of examination which is particularly relevant in rheumatology. Therapy response or progression can thus be adequately displayed. Open, dedicated low-field MRI with a low signal strength of 0.2 Tesla (T) has been known since the 90s and now represents new MRI examination options in rheumatology. Smaller devices with lower acquisition and maintenance expenses as well as considerably more convenience due to the device itself result in a higher subjective acceptability by the patients as well as objectively more data records of low-field MRI scans of RA, which underline the significance of this new technical method. The German Society for Rheumatology (DGRh), represented by the Committee for "Diagnostic Imaging", meets this development with the release of recommendations and standards for the procedures of low-field MRI and their scoring and summarizes the most important technical data and information on clinical indications.

  2. Are magnetic resonance imaging or radiographic findings correlated with clinical prognosis in spinal cord neuropathy?

    PubMed Central

    Neshat Halati, Fatemeh; Vajhi, Alireza; Molazem, Mohammad; Dehghan, Mohammad Mehdi; Ansari, Fereshteh

    2016-01-01

    Dogs presented to the Small Animal Hospital of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran were included in the present study if spinal or intervertebral disc involvement was suspected. Clinical signs were recorded as well as general information of the patient such as age, breed and sex. Sixty dogs were examined radiographically and two standard orthogonal lateral and ventrodorsal projections were taken from the suspected region. Then magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed for all patients. Agreement between MRI and radiographic findings, comparison of sex and breed with diagnostic imaging grades, comparison between diagnostic imaging grades and mean age, recovery rate after surgery or medical treatment, effects of diagnostic imaging severity grades on surgical or medical referrals were evaluated statistically. There were no significant association between age, sex and breed and frequency of the intervertebral disk disease. Intervertebral disc involvements between L2-L3 and T13-L1 were estimated as the most frequent sites of involvements. Sensitivity and specificity of radiography were evaluated 90.0% and 46.0%, respectively, by considering the MRI as a gold standard modality. There was a significant association between severity of disease in the MRI with referral to surgery and medical treatment. The recovery rate after surgery was significantly higher than medical treatment. These results can be used as a foundation for other studies with more focuses on details of injury and larger group of patients. PMID:27872724

  3. MRI Evaluation of Post Core Decompression Changes in Avascular Necrosis of Hip.

    PubMed

    Nori, Madhavi; Marupaka, Sravan Kumar; Alluri, Swathi; Md, Naseeruddin; Irfan, Kazi Amir; Jampala, Venkateshwarlu; Apsingi, Sunil; Eachempati, Krishna Kiran

    2015-12-01

    Avascular necrosis of hip typically presents in young patients. Core decompression in precollapse stage provides pain relief and preservation of femoral head. The results of core decompression vary considerably despite early diagnosis. The role of MRI in monitoring patients post surgically has not been clearly defined. To study pre and post core decompression MRI changes in avascular necrosis of hip. This is a contiguous observational cohort of 40 hips treated by core decompression for precollapse avascular necrosis of femoral head, who had a baseline MRI performed before surgery. Core decompression of the femoral head was performed within 4 weeks. Follow up radiograph and MRI scans were done at six months. Harris hip score preoperatively, 1 month and 6 months after the surgery was noted. Success in this study was defined as postoperative increase in Harris hip score (HHS) by 20 points and no additional femoral collapse. End point of clinical adverse outcome as defined by fall in Harris hip score was conversion or intention to convert to total hip replacement (THR). MRI parameters in the follow up scan were compared to the preoperative MRI. Effect of core decompression on bone marrow oedema and femoral head collapse was noted. Results were analysed using SPSS software version. Harris hip score improved from 57 to 80 in all patients initially. Six hips had a fall in Harris hip score to mean value of 34.1 during follow up (9 to 12 months) and underwent total hip replacement. MRI predictors of positive outcome are lesions with grade A extent, Grade A & B location. Bone marrow oedema with lesions less than 50% involvement, medial and central location. Careful selection of patients by MR criteria for core decompression provides satisfactory outcome in precollapse stage of avascular necrosis of hip.

  4. Assessment of clinical and MRI outcomes after mesenchymal stem cell implantation in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a prospective study.

    PubMed

    Kim, Y S; Choi, Y J; Lee, S W; Kwon, O R; Suh, D S; Heo, D B; Koh, Y G

    2016-02-01

    Cartilage regenerative procedures using the cell-based tissue engineering approach involving mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been receiving increased interest because of their potential for altering the progression of osteoarthritis (OA) by repairing cartilage lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes of MSC implantation in OA knees and to determine the association between clinical and MRI outcomes. Twenty patients (24 knees) who underwent arthroscopic MSC implantation for cartilage lesions in their OA knees were evaluated at 2 years after surgery. Clinical outcomes were evaluated according to the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) score and the Tegner activity scale, and cartilage repair was assessed according to the MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS) and Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue (MOCART) score. The clinical outcomes significantly improved (P < 0.001 for both). The cartilage lesion grades (as described in MOAKS [grades for size of cartilage-loss area and percentage of full-thickness cartilage loss]) at follow-up MRI were significantly better than the preoperative values (P < 0.001 for both). The clinical outcomes at final follow-up were significantly correlated with the MOAKS and MOCART score at follow-up MRI (P < 0.05 for all). Considering the encouraging clinical and MRI outcomes obtained and the significant correlations noted between the clinical and MRI outcomes, MSC implantation seems to be useful for repairing cartilage lesions in OA knees. However, a larger sample size and long-term studies are needed to confirm our findings. Copyright © 2015 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Diagnostic imaging of sacroiliac joints and the spine in the course of spondyloarthropathies

    PubMed Central

    Sudoł-Szopinska, Iwona; Urbanik, Andrzej

    2013-01-01

    Summary Spondyloarthropathies belong to a group of rheumatic diseases, in which inflammatory changes affect mainly the sacroiliac joints, spine, peripheral joints, tendon, ligaments and capsule attachments (entheses). This group includes 6 entities: ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis associated with inflammatory bowel disease, reactive arthritis, undifferentiated spondyloarthropathy, psoriatic arthritis and juvenile spondyloarthropathy. In 2009, ASAS (Assessment in SpondyloArthritis international Society) association, published classification criteria for spondyloarthropathies, which propose standardization of clinical-diagnostic approach in the case of sacroiliitis, spondylitis and arthritis. Radiological diagnosis of inflammatory changes of sacroiliac joints is based on a 4 step radiographic grading method from 1966. According to modified New York criteria, the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis is made based on the presence of advanced lesions, sacroiliitis of at least 2 grade bilaterally or 3–4 unilaterally. In case of other types of spondyloarthropathies diagnosis is made based on presence of at least grade 1 changes. In MRI, active inflammation of sacroiliac joints is indicated by the presence of subchondral bone marrow edema, synovitis, bursitis, or enthesitis. ASAS discusses only the classic form of axial spondyloarthropathies, which is ankylosing spondylitis. To quantify radiological inflammatory changes in the course of the disease, Stoke Ankylosing spondylitis classification Spinal Score (SASSS) is recommended. The signs of inflammation and scarrying of the spinal cord in the course of ankylosing spondylitis, present in MRI include: bone marrow edema, sclerosis, fat metaplasia, formation of syndesmophytes, and ankylosis. PMID:23807884

  6. Computer aided detection in prostate cancer diagnostics: A promising alternative to biopsy? A retrospective study from 104 lesions with histological ground truth

    PubMed Central

    Thon, Anika; Teichgräber, Ulf; Tennstedt-Schenk, Cornelia; Hadjidemetriou, Stathis; Winzler, Sven; Malich, Ansgar

    2017-01-01

    Background Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis by means of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is a current challenge for the development of computer-aided detection (CAD) tools. An innovative CAD-software (Watson Elementary™) was proposed to achieve high sensitivity and specificity, as well as to allege a correlate to Gleason grade. Aim/Objective To assess the performance of Watson Elementary™ in automated PCa diagnosis in our hospital´s database of MRI-guided prostate biopsies. Methods The evaluation was retrospective for 104 lesions (47 PCa, 57 benign) from 79, 64.61±6.64 year old patients using 3T T2-weighted imaging, Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) maps and dynamic contrast enhancement series. Watson Elementary™ utilizes signal intensity, diffusion properties and kinetic profile to compute a proportional Gleason grade predictor, termed Malignancy Attention Index (MAI). The analysis focused on (i) the CAD sensitivity and specificity to classify suspect lesions and (ii) the MAI correlation with the histopathological ground truth. Results The software revealed a sensitivity of 46.80% for PCa classification. The specificity for PCa was found to be 75.43% with a positive predictive value of 61.11%, a negative predictive value of 63.23% and a false discovery rate of 38.89%. CAD classified PCa and benign lesions with equal probability (P 0.06, χ2 test). Accordingly, receiver operating characteristic analysis suggests a poor predictive value for MAI with an area under curve of 0.65 (P 0.02), which is not superior to the performance of board certified observers. Moreover, MAI revealed no significant correlation with Gleason grade (P 0.60, Pearson´s correlation). Conclusion The tested CAD software for mpMRI analysis was a weak PCa biomarker in this dataset. Targeted prostate biopsy and histology remains the gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis. PMID:29023572

  7. Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance arthrography and computed tomography for the detection of chondral lesions of the knee.

    PubMed

    Smith, Toby O; Drew, Benjamin T; Toms, Andoni P; Donell, Simon T; Hing, Caroline B

    2012-12-01

    To assess the diagnostic test accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) and computed tomography arthrography (CTA) for the detection of chondral lesions of the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints. A review of published and unpublished literature sources was conducted on 22nd September 2011. All studies assessing the diagnostic test accuracy (sensitivity/specificity) of MRI or MRA or CTA for the assessment of adults with chondral (cartilage) lesions of the knee (tibiofemoral/patellofemoral joints) with surgical comparison (arthroscopic or open) as the reference test were included. Data were analysed through meta-analysis. Twenty-seven studies assessing 2,592 knees from 2,509 patients were included. The findings indicated that whilst presenting a high specificity (0.95-0.99), the sensitivity of MRA, MRI and CTA ranged from 0.70 to 0.80. MRA was superior to MRI and CTA for the detection of patellofemoral joint chondral lesions and that higher field-strength MRI scanner and grade four lesions were more accurately detected compared with lower field-strength and grade one lesions. There appeared no substantial difference in diagnostic accuracy between the interpretation from musculoskeletal and general radiologists when undertaking an MRI review of tibiofemoral and patellofemoral chondral lesions. Specialist radiological imaging is specific for cartilage disease in the knee but has poorer sensitivity to determine the therapeutic options in this population. Due to this limitation, there remains little indication to replace the 'gold-standard' arthroscopic investigation with MRI, MRA or CTA for the assessment of adults with chondral lesions of the knee. II.

  8. Evaluation of grades 3 and 4 chondromalacia of the knee using T2*-weighted 3D gradient-echo articular cartilage imaging.

    PubMed

    Murphy, B J

    2001-06-01

    To determine the accuracy of T2*-weighted three-dimensional (3D) gradient-echo articular cartilage imaging in the identification of grades 3 and 4 chondromalacia of the knee. A retrospective evaluation of 80 patients who underwent both arthroscopic and MRI evaluation was performed. The 3D images were interpreted by one observer without knowledge of the surgical results. The medial and lateral femoral condyles, the medial and lateral tibial plateau, the patellar cartilage and trochlear groove were evaluated. MR cartilage images were considered positive if focal reduction of cartilage thickness was present (grade 3 chondromalacia) or if complete loss of cartilage was present (grade 4 chondromalacia). Comparison of the 3D MR results with the arthroscopic findings was performed. Eighty patients were included in the study group. A total of 480 articular cartilage sites were evaluated with MRI and arthroscopy. Results of MR identification of grades 3 and 4 chondromalacia, all sites combined, were: sensitivity 83%, specificity 97%, false negative rate 17%, false positive rate 3%, positive predictive value 87%, negative predictive value 95%, overall accuracy 93%. The results demonstrate that T2*-weighted 3D gradient-echo articular cartilage imaging can identify grades 3 and 4 chondromalacia of the knee.

  9. [Dynamics of functional MRI and speech function in patients after resection of frontal and temporal lobe tumors].

    PubMed

    Buklina, S B; Batalov, A I; Smirnov, A S; Poddubskaya, A A; Pitskhelauri, D I; Kobyakov, G L; Zhukov, V Yu; Goryaynov, S A; Kulikov, A S; Ogurtsova, A A; Golanov, A V; Varyukhina, M D; Pronin, I N

    There are no studies on application of functional MRI (fMRI) for long-term monitoring of the condition of patients after resection of frontal and temporal lobe tumors. The study purpose was to correlate, using fMRI, reorganization of the speech system and dynamics of speech disorders in patients with left hemisphere gliomas before surgery and in the early and late postoperative periods. A total of 20 patients with left hemisphere gliomas were dynamically monitored using fMRI and comprehensive neuropsychological testing. The tumor was located in the frontal lobe in 12 patients and in the temporal lobe in 8 patients. Fifteen patients underwent primary surgery; 5 patients had repeated surgery. Sixteen patients had WHO Grade II and Grade III gliomas; the others had WHO Grade IV gliomas. Nineteen patients were examined preoperatively; 20 patients were examined at different times after surgery. Speech functions were assessed by a Luria's test; the dominant hand was determined using the Annette questionnaire; a family history of left-handedness was investigated. Functional MRI was performed on an HDtx 3.0 T scanner using BrainWavePA 2.0, Z software for fMRI data processing program for all calculations >7, p<0.001. In patients with extensive tumors and recurrent tumors, activation of right-sided homologues of the speech areas cold be detected even before surgery; but in most patients, the activation was detected 3 months or more after surgery. Therefore, reorganization of the speech system took time. Activation of right-sided homologues of the speech areas remained in all patients for up to a year. Simultaneous activation of right-sided homologues of both speech areas, the Broca's and Wernicke's areas, was detected more often in patients with frontal lobe tumors than in those with temporal lobe tumors. No additional activation foci in the left hemisphere were found at the thresholds used to process fMRI data. Recovery of the speech function, to a certain degree, occurred in all patients, but no clear correlation with fMRI data was found. Complex fMRI and neuropsychological studies in 20 patients after resection of frontal and temporal lobe tumors revealed individual features of speech system reorganization within one year follow-up. Probably, activation of right-sided homologues of the speech areas in the presence of left hemisphere tumors depends not only on the severity of speech disorder but also reflects individual involvement of the right hemisphere in enabling speech function. This is confirmed by right-sided activation, according to the fMRI data, in right-sided patients without aphasia and, conversely, the lack of activation of right-sided homologues of the speech areas in several patients with severe postoperative speech disorders during the entire follow-up period.

  10. Impact of MRI on high grade Ductal Carcinoma Insitu (HG DCIS) management, are we using the full scope of MRI?

    PubMed

    Hajaj, Mohamad; Karim, Ahmed; Pascaline, Sana; Noor, Lubna; Patel, Shivali; Dakka, Mahmoud

    2017-10-01

    Preoperative assessment of pure Ductal Carcinoma Insitu (DCIS) is essential in the surgical planning. The role of Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has long been debated. The impact of MRI on the management of High Grade (HG) DCIS was assessed, whether it accurately captures the true size of this entity in comparison to conventional imaging, and, if MRI use would reduce the number of re-excision surgery. Ninety-one consecutive patients with HG DCIS, who were identified from a prospectively collected data at Kettering General Hospital between April 2011 and December 2015. All patients had preoperative MRI scan in addition to the standard breast imaging. This was compared to a control group of consecutive patients (n=52) which was obtained from a period just before 2011. Impact on surgical planning and number of surgeries for each patient was compared. The size of HG DCIS estimated by MRI was compared to the final histological size. Secondary outcomes included change of initial surgical plan and detection of occult contralateral breast cancer. MRI group had 91 patients with median age of 63. Seventy percent of which presented through the screening program. The overall sensitivity of MRI to detect HG DCIS was 77% (70/91) with a false negative rate FNR of 23% (21/91). Therefore, 70 patients only were included in the data analysis. The control group included 52 screening patients with comparable baseline characteristics. Re-excision (or completion mastectomy) rates were higher in the control group 26% compared to 8% in the MRI group (P-value 0.012). MRI use correctly converted the initial plan of breast conservation to mastectomy in 9 patients (13%). Five patients had additional ipsilateral malignant features (7%).Occult contra lateral disease, was diagnosed in 2 patients (3%). This study suggests that MRI could be an important tool in reducing the re-excision rates in the surgical management of HG DCIS. Although still controversial, selective MRI imaging can be useful in the preoperative diagnosis and evaluation of HG DCIS. Case by case discussion at MDT is crucial. Wider adaptation of MRI when indicated in the assessment of breast lesions with proper correlation to histology postoperatively is a key in improving our MRI interpretation skills, helping us to exploit the full scope of this useful tool. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. [Focusing on MRI-suspected lesions in targeted transrectal prostate biopsy guided by MRI-TRUS fusion imaging for the diagnosis of prostate cancer].

    PubMed

    Qu, Hua-Wei; Liu, Hui; Cui, Zi-Lian; Jin, Xun-Bo; Zhao, Yong; Wang, Mu-Wen; Song, Wei; Zhang, Xin-Juan

    2016-09-01

    To improve the accuracy of prostate cancer (PCa) detection by focusing biopsy on the suspected lesion manifested by MRI with the total number of biopsy cores relatively unchanged. A prospective randomized analysis was performed on 262 cases of suspected PCa detected by multi-parametric MRI (mp-MRI), each with a single suspected lesion with 10 μg/L≤ PSA <20 μg/L. All the patients underwent targeted transrectal prostate biopsy guided by fusion imaging of MRI with transrectal ultrasonography (TRUS), using the 6X+6 strategy (6 cores in the suspected region and another 6 in the systematic prostate) for 134 cases and the traditional 12+2X method (12 cores in the systematic prostate and 2 in the suspected region) for the other 128. Comparisons were made between the two methods in the PCa detection rate in the cases of suspected lesion, total PCa detection rate, incidence of post-biopsy complications, and Gleason scores. Analyses were performed on the prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) score, location, transverse section, and diameter of the suspected lesion. Both the total PCa detection rate and that in the cases of suspected lesion were significantly higher in the 6X+6 (44.8% and 37.3%) than in the 12+2X group (37.5% and 27.3%) (P<0.05). MRI showed that the suspected lesions were mostly (45%) located in the middle part of the prostate, the mean area of the transverse section was (0.48±0.11) cm2, and the mean diameter of the tumor was (8.51±2.21) mm. The results of biopsy showed that low-grade tumors (Gleason 3+3=6) accounted for 68% in the 6X+6 group and 71% in the 12+2X group. No statistically significant differences were found between the two groups in the incidence rate of post-biopsy complications. Compared with the traditional 12+2X method, for the suspected lesion manifested by mp-MRI, focusing biopsy on the suspected region with the 6X+6 strategy can achieve a higher PCa detection rate without increasing the incidence of complications.

  12. Planar dGEMRIC Maps May Aid Imaging Assessment of Cartilage Damage in Femoroacetabular Impingement.

    PubMed

    Bulat, Evgeny; Bixby, Sarah D; Siversson, Carl; Kalish, Leslie A; Warfield, Simon K; Kim, Young-Jo

    2016-02-01

    Three-dimensional (3-D) delayed gadolinium-enhanced MRI of cartilage (dGEMRIC) helps quantify biochemical changes in articular cartilage that correlate with early-stage osteoarthritis. However, dGEMRIC analysis is performed slice by slice, limiting the potential of 3-D data to give an overall impression of cartilage biochemistry. We previously developed a computational algorithm to produce unfolded, or "planar," dGEMRIC maps of acetabular cartilage, but have neither assessed their application nor determined whether MRI-based grading of cartilage damage or dGEMRIC measurements predict intraoperative findings in hips with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). (1) Does imaging-based assessment of acetabular cartilage damage correlate with intraoperative findings in hips with symptomatic FAI? (2) Does the planar dGEMRIC map improve this correlation? (3) Does the planar map improve the correlation between the dGEMRIC index and MRI-based grading of cartilage damage in hips with symptomatic FAI? (4) Does the planar map improve imaging-based evaluation time for hips with symptomatic FAI? We retrospectively studied 47 hips of 45 patients with symptomatic FAI who underwent hip surgery between 2009 and 2013 and had a 1.5-T 3-D dGEMRIC scan within 6 months preoperatively. Our cohort included 25 males and 20 females with a mean ± SD age at surgery of 29 ± 11 years. Planar dGEMRIC maps were generated from isotropic, sagittal oblique TrueFISP and T1 sequences. A pediatric musculoskeletal radiologist with experience in hip MRI evaluated studies using radially reformatted sequences. For six acetabular subregions (anterior-peripheral [AP]; anterior-central [AC]; superior-peripheral [SP]; superior-central [SC]; posterior-peripheral [PP]; posterior-central [PC]), modified Outerbridge cartilage damage grades were recorded and region-of-interest T1 averages (the dGEMRIC index) were measured. Beck's intraoperative cartilage damage grades were compared with the Outerbridge grades and dGEMRIC indices. For a subset of 26 hips, 13 were reevaluated with the map and 13 without the map, and total evaluation times were recorded. There were no meaningful differences in the correlations obtained with versus without referencing the planar maps. Planar map-independent Outerbridge grades had a notable (p < 0.05) Spearman's rank correlation (ρ) with Beck's grades that was moderate in AP, SC, and PC (0.3 < ρ < 0.5) and strong in SP (ρ > 0.5). For map-dependent Outerbridge grades, ρ was moderate in AP, AC, and SC and strong in SP. Map-independent dGEMRIC indices had a ρ with Beck's grades that was moderate in AP and SC (-0.3 > ρ > -0.5) and strong in SP (ρ < -0.5). For map-dependent dGEMRIC indices, ρ was moderate in SC and strong in SP. Similarly, there were no meaningful, map-dependent differences in the correlations. When comparing Outerbridge grades and dGEMRIC indices, there were notable correlations across all subregions. Without the planar map, ρ was moderate in AC and PC and strong in AP, SP, SC, and PP. With the map, ρ was strong in all six subregions. In AC, there was a notable map-dependent improvement in this correlation (p < 0.001). Finally, referencing the planar dGEMRIC map during evaluation was associated with a decrease in mean evaluation time, from 207 ± 32 seconds to 152 ± 33 seconds (p = 0.001). Our work challenges the weak correlation between dGEMRIC and intraoperative findings of cartilage damage that was previously reported in hips with symptomatic FAI, suggesting that dGEMRIC has potential diagnostic use for this patient population. The planar dGEMRIC maps did not meaningfully alter the correlation of imaging-based evaluation of cartilage damage with intraoperative findings; however, they notably improved the correlation of dGEMRIC and MRI-based grading in AC, and their use incurred no additional time cost to imaging-based evaluation. Therefore, the planar maps may improve dGEMRIC's use as a continuous proxy for an otherwise discrete and simplified MRI-based grade of cartilage damage in hips with symptomatic FAI. Level III, diagnostic study.

  13. A comparative analysis of magnetic resonance imaging and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography of the hand for the detection of erosion repair in rheumatoid arthritis.

    PubMed

    Regensburger, Adrian; Rech, Jürgen; Englbrecht, Matthias; Finzel, Stephanie; Kraus, Sebastian; Hecht, Karolin; Kleyer, Arnd; Haschka, Judith; Hueber, Axel J; Cavallaro, Alexander; Schett, Georg; Faustini, Francesca

    2015-09-01

    To investigate whether MRI allows the detection of osteosclerosis as a sign of repair of bone erosions compared with high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) as a reference and whether the presence of osteosclerosis on HR-pQCT is linked to synovitis and osteitis on MRI. A total of 103 RA patients underwent HR-pQCT and MRI of the dominant hand. The presence and size of erosions and the presence and extent (grades 0-2) of osteosclerosis were assessed by both imaging modalities, focusing on MCP 2 and 3 and wrist joints. By MRI, the presence and grading of osteitis and synovitis were assessed according to the Rheumatoid Arthritis MRI Score (RAMRIS). Parallel evaluation was feasible by both modalities on 126 bone erosions. Signs of osteosclerosis were found on 87 erosions by HR-pQCT and on 22 by MRI. False-positive results (MRI(+)CT(-)) accounted for 3%, while false-negative results (MRI(-)CT(+)) accounted for 76%. MRI sensitivity for the detection of osteosclerosis was 24% and specificity was 97%. The semi-quantitative scoring of osteosclerosis was reliable between MRI and HR-pQCT [intraclass correlation coefficient 0.917 (95% CI 0.884, 0.941), P < 0.001]. The presence of osteosclerosis on HR-pQCT showed a trend towards an inverse relationship to the occurrence and extent of osteitis on MRI [χ(2)(1) = 3.285; ϕ coefficient = -0.124; P = 0.070] but not to synovitis [χ(2)(1) = 0.039; ϕ coefficient = -0.14; P = 0.844]. MRI can only rarely detect osteosclerosis associated with bone erosions in RA. Indeed, the sensitivity compared with HR-pQCT is limited, while the specificity is high. The presence of osteitis makes osteosclerosis more unlikely, whereas the presence of synovitis is not related to osteosclerosis. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Rheumatology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  14. 2D XD-GRASP provides better image quality than conventional 2D cardiac cine MRI for patients who cannot suspend respiration

    PubMed Central

    Piekarski, Eve; Chitiboi, Teodora; Ramb, Rebecca; Latson, Larry A; Bhatla, Puneet; Feng, Li; Axel, Leon

    2017-01-01

    Object Residual respiratory motion degrades image quality in conventional cardiac cine MRI (CCMR). We evaluated whether a free-breathing (FB) radial imaging CCMR sequence with compressed sensing reconstruction (eXtra-Dimension (e.g. cardiac and respiratory phases) Golden-angle RAdial Sparse Parallel, or XD-GRASP) could provide better image quality than a conventional Cartesian breath-held (BH) sequence, in an unselected population of patients undergoing clinical CCMR. Material and Methods 101 patients who underwent BH and FB imaging in a mid-ventricular short-axis plane at a matching location were included. Visual and quantitative image analysis was performed by two blinded experienced readers, using a 5-point qualitative scale to score overall image quality and visual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) grade, with measures of noise and sharpness. End-diastole (ED) and end-systole (ES) left-ventricular areas were also measured and compared for both BH and FB images. Results Image quality was generally better with the BH cines (overall quality grade BH vs FB: 4 vs 2.9, p<0.001; noise 0.06 vs 0.08 p< 0.001; SNR grade: 4.1 vs 3, p<0.001), except for sharpness (p=0.48). There were no significant differences between BH and FB images regarding ED or ES areas (p=0.35 and 0.12). 18 of the 101 patients had impaired BH image quality (grades 1 or 2). In this subgroup, image quality of the FB images was better (p=0.0032), as was the SNR grade (p=0.003), but there were no significant differences regarding noise and sharpness (p=0.45, p=0.47). Conclusion Although FB XD-GRASP CCMR was visually inferior to conventional BH cardiac cine in general, it provided improved image quality in the subgroup of patients presenting respiratory motion-induced artifacts on breath-held images. PMID:29067539

  15. MR imaging of post-traumatic articular cartilage injuries confined to the femoral trochlea. Arthroscopic correlation and clinical significance.

    PubMed

    Huegli, Rolf W; Moelleken, Sonja M C; Stork, Alexander; Bonel, Harald M; Bredella, Miriam A; Meckel, Stephan; Genant, Harry K; Tirman, Phillip F J

    2005-01-01

    To assess and describe post-traumatic articular cartilage injuries isolated to the trochlear groove and provide insight into potential mechanism of injury. We retrospectively evaluated MR imaging findings of all knee MRIs performed at our institution over the last 2 years (2450). Thirty patients met the criteria of a cartilage injury confined to the trochlear groove. In 15 cases, which were included in our study, arthroscopic correlation was available. Each plane was evaluated and graded for the presence and appearance of articular cartilage defects using a standard arthroscopic grading scheme adapted to MR imaging. Any additional pathological derangement was documented and information about the mechanism of injury was retrieved by chart review. In all cases the cartilaginous injury was well demonstrated on MRI. In 13 patients additional pathological findings could be observed. The most frequently associated injury was a meniscal tear in nine patients. In eight cases, the arthroscopic grading of the trochlear injury matched exactly with the MRI findings. In the remaining seven cases, the discrepancy between MRI and arthroscopy was never higher than one grade. In 13 out of 15 of patients trauma mechanism could be evaluated. Twelve patients suffered an indirect twisting injury and one suffered a direct trauma to their knee. The findings of this study demonstrate that MR imaging allows reliable grading of isolated injury to the trochlear groove cartilage and assists in directing surgical diagnosis and treatment. These injuries may be the only hyaline cartilage injury in the knee and meniscal tears are a frequently associated finding. Therefore, it is important to search specifically for cartilage injuries of the trochlear groove in patients with anterior knee pain, even if other coexistent pathology could potentially explain the patient's symptoms.

  16. Imaging and histologic prognostic factors in triple-negative breast cancer and carcinoma in situ as a prognostic factor.

    PubMed

    Sebastián Sebastián, C; García Mur, C; Cruz Ciria, S; Rosero Cuesta, D S; Gros Bañeres, B

    2016-01-01

    To analyze what factors in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and histological study of triple-negative breast cancers are related to tumor recurrence and to shorter disease-free survival. To analyze survival and recurrence in function of the presence of an in situ component. This was a retrospective study of MRI staging examinations in 122 women with triple-negative breast cancer done from 2007 through 2014. In the MRI, we evaluated morphological variables (size, margins, morphology, internal signal in T2-weighted sequences) and dynamic variables (perfusion and diffusion). In the histological study, we evaluated Ki67, p53, CK5/6, nuclear grade, and Scarff-Bloom grade, as well as the presence of an in situ component and tumor grade (high grade or not high grade). We compared the variables between patients with tumor recurrence and those without, and we conducted a survival analysis. Non-nodular enhancement was more common in patients with tumor recurrence (p=0.038) and was associated with shorter disease-free survival (p=0.023). Neither diffusion restriction (p=0.079) nor ki67 (p=0.052) was associated with a worse prognosis. An in situ component was detected in 44% of triple-negative tumors, and a greater proportion of patients in the group with tumor recurrence had an in situ component; however, the presence of an in situ component was not associated with shorter survival (p = 0.185). Non-nodular enhancement was associated with a worse prognosis. Diffusion restriction, ki67, and the presence of an in situ component were not associated with shorter disease-free survival. Copyright © 2016 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  17. Diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of fetal anomalies: a blinded case–control study

    PubMed Central

    Gonçalves, L. F.; Lee, W.; Mody, S.; Shetty, A.; Sangi-Haghpeykar, H.; Romero, R.

    2018-01-01

    Objectives To compare the accuracy of two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US), three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the diagnosis of congenital anomalies without prior knowledge of indications and previous imaging findings. Methods This was a prospective, blinded case–control study comprising women with a singleton pregnancy with fetal congenital abnormalities identified on clinical ultrasound and those with an uncomplicated pregnancy. All women volunteered to undergo 2D-US, 3D-US and MRI, which were performed at one institution. Different examiners at a collaborating institution performed image interpretation. Sensitivity and specificity of the three imaging methods were calculated for individual anomalies, based on postnatal imaging and/or autopsy as the definitive diagnosis. Diagnostic confidence was graded on a four-point Likert scale. Results A total of 157 singleton pregnancies were enrolled, however nine cases were excluded owing to incomplete outcome, resulting in 148 fetuses (58 cases and 90 controls) included in the final analysis. Among cases, 13 (22.4%) had central nervous system (CNS) anomalies, 40 (69.0%) had non-CNS anomalies and five (8.6%) had both CNS and non-CNS anomalies. The main findings were: (1) MRI was more sensitive than 3D-US for diagnosing CNS anomalies (MRI, 88.9% (16/18) vs 3D-US, 66.7% (12/18) vs 2D-US, 72.2% (13/18); McNemar’s test for MRI vs 3D-US: P=0.046); (2) MRI provided additional information affecting prognosis and/or counseling in 22.2% (4/18) of fetuses with CNS anomalies; (3) 2D-US, 3D-US and MRI had similar sensitivity for diagnosing non-CNS anomalies; (4) specificity for all anomalies was highest for 3D-US (MRI, 85.6% (77/90) vs 3D-US, 94.4% (85/90) vs 2D-US, 92.2% (83/90); McNemar’s test for MRI vs 3D-US: P=0.03); and (5) the confidence of MRI for ruling out certain CNS abnormalities (usually questionable for cortical dysplasias or hemorrhage) that were not confirmed after delivery was lower than it was for 2D-US and 3D-US. Conclusions MRI was more sensitive than ultrasonography and provided additional information that changed prognosis, counseling or management in 22.2% of fetuses with CNS anomalies. False-positive diagnoses for subtle CNS findings were higher with MRI than with ultrasonography. PMID:26444861

  18. Bone alterations are associated with ankle osteoarthritis joint pain

    PubMed Central

    Nakamura, Yukio; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Kamimura, Mikio; Komatsu, Masatoshi; Ikegami, Shota; Kato, Hiroyuki

    2016-01-01

    The etiology of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is largely unknown. We analyzed 24 ankle OA of 21 patients diagnosed by plain radiographs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ankle joint pain disappeared in 22 out of 24 joints by conservative treatment. MRI bone signal changes in and around the ankle joints were observed in 22 of 24 joints. Bone signal changes along the joint line were seen in 10 of 11 joints as a Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade of II to IV. Such signal changes were witnessed in only 4 of 13 joints with KL grade 0 or I. In the talocrural joint, bone alterations occurred in both tibia and talus bones through the joint line in cases of KL grade III or IV, while focal bone alterations were present in the talus only in KL grade I or II cases. Sixteen of 24 joints exhibited intraosseous bone signal changes, which tended to correspond to joint pain of any ankle OA stage. Our results suggest that bone alterations around the ankle joint might be one of the etiologies of OA and associated with ankle joint pain. PMID:26776564

  19. Bone alterations are associated with ankle osteoarthritis joint pain.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Yukio; Uchiyama, Shigeharu; Kamimura, Mikio; Komatsu, Masatoshi; Ikegami, Shota; Kato, Hiroyuki

    2016-01-18

    The etiology of ankle osteoarthritis (OA) is largely unknown. We analyzed 24 ankle OA of 21 patients diagnosed by plain radiographs using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ankle joint pain disappeared in 22 out of 24 joints by conservative treatment. MRI bone signal changes in and around the ankle joints were observed in 22 of 24 joints. Bone signal changes along the joint line were seen in 10 of 11 joints as a Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade of II to IV. Such signal changes were witnessed in only 4 of 13 joints with KL grade 0 or I. In the talocrural joint, bone alterations occurred in both tibia and talus bones through the joint line in cases of KL grade III or IV, while focal bone alterations were present in the talus only in KL grade I or II cases. Sixteen of 24 joints exhibited intraosseous bone signal changes, which tended to correspond to joint pain of any ankle OA stage. Our results suggest that bone alterations around the ankle joint might be one of the etiologies of OA and associated with ankle joint pain.

  20. Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Osteophytic, Chondral, and Subchondral Structures in a Surgically-Induced Osteoarthritis Rabbit Model

    PubMed Central

    Jia, Lang; Chen, Jinyun; Wang, Yan; Liu, Yingjiang; Zhang, Yu; Chen, Wenzhi

    2014-01-01

    Objective This study aimed to assess changes in osteophytic, chondral, and subchondral structures in a surgically-induced osteoarthritis (OA) rabbit model in order to correlate MRI findings with the macroscopic progress of OA and to define the timepoint for disease status in this OA model. Methods The OA model was constructed by surgery in thirty rabbits with ten normal rabbits serving as controls (baseline). High-resolution three-dimensional MRI using a 1.5-T coil was performed at baseline, two, four, and eight weeks post-surgery. MRIs of cartilage lesions, subchondral bone lesions, and osteophyte formations were independently assessed by two blinded radiologists. Ten rabbits were sacrificed at baseline, two, four, and eight weeks post-surgery, and macroscopic evaluation was independently performed by two blinded orthopedic surgeons. Results The signal intensities and morphologies of chondral and subchondral structures by MRI accurately reflected the degree of OA. Cartilage defects progressed from a grade of 0.05–0.15 to 1.15–1.30 to 1.90–1.97 to 3.00–3.35 at each successive time point, respectively (p<0.05). Subchondral bone lesions progressed from a grade of 0.00 to 0.78–0.90 to 1.27–1.58 to 1.95–2.23 at each successive time point, respectively (p = 0.000). Osteophytes progressed from a size (mm) of 0.00 to 0.87–1.06 to 1.24–1.87 to 2.21–3.21 at each successive time point, respectively (p = 0.000). Conclusions Serial observations revealed that MRI can accurately detect the progression of cartilage lesions and subchondral bone edema over an eight-week period but may not be accurate in detecting osteophyte sizes. Week four post-surgery was considered the timepoint between OA-negative and OA-positive status in this OA model. The combination of this OA model with MRI evaluation should provide a promising tool for the pre-clinical evaluation of new disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs. PMID:25438155

  1. The Brain and Spinal Injury Center score: a novel, simple, and reproducible method for assessing the severity of acute cervical spinal cord injury with axial T2-weighted MRI findings.

    PubMed

    Talbott, Jason F; Whetstone, William D; Readdy, William J; Ferguson, Adam R; Bresnahan, Jacqueline C; Saigal, Rajiv; Hawryluk, Gregory W J; Beattie, Michael S; Mabray, Marc C; Pan, Jonathan Z; Manley, Geoffrey T; Dhall, Sanjay S

    2015-10-01

    Previous studies that have evaluated the prognostic value of abnormal changes in signals on T2-weighted MRI scans of an injured spinal cord have focused on the longitudinal extent of this signal abnormality in the sagittal plane. Although the transverse extent of injury and the degree of spared spinal cord white matter have been shown to be important for predicting outcomes in preclinical animal models of spinal cord injury (SCI), surprisingly little is known about the prognostic value of altered T2 relaxivity in humans in the axial plane. The authors undertook a retrospective chart review of 60 patients who met the inclusion criteria of this study and presented to the authors' Level I trauma center with an acute blunt traumatic cervical SCI. Within 48 hours of admission, all patients underwent MRI examination, which included axial and sagittal T2 images. Neurological symptoms, evaluated with the grades according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale (AIS), at the time of admission and at hospital discharge were correlated with MRI findings. Five distinct patterns of intramedullary spinal cord T2 signal abnormality were defined in the axial plane at the injury epicenter. These patterns were assigned ordinal values ranging from 0 to 4, referred to as the Brain and Spinal Injury Center (BASIC) scores, which encompassed the spectrum of SCI severity. The BASIC score strongly correlated with neurological symptoms at the time of both hospital admission and discharge. It also distinguished patients initially presenting with complete injury who improved by at least one AIS grade by the time of discharge from those whose injury did not improve. The authors' proposed score was rapid to apply and showed excellent interrater reliability. The authors describe a novel 5-point ordinal MRI score for classifying acute SCIs on the basis of axial T2-weighted imaging. The proposed BASIC score stratifies the SCIs according to the extent of transverse T2 signal abnormality during the acute phase of the injury. The new score improves on current MRI-based prognostic descriptions for SCI by reflecting functionally and anatomically significant patterns of intramedullary T2 signal abnormality in the axial plane.

  2. [Apoplectic macroadenomas: the outcome of the residual pituitary gland].

    PubMed

    Marouf, R; Mohr, G; Assimakopoulos, P; Glikstein, R

    2010-08-01

    The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess the MRI aspects and the function of the residual pituitary gland (RPG) after surgical decompression of an apoplectic pituitary macroadenoma, and to attempt to answer the question of whether an intra-adenomatous apoplexy necessarily leads to hypophyseal apoplexy. Between 1992 and 2008, 150 pituitary macroadenomas were surgically treated via the trans-sphenoidal approach, 19 of which presented an apoplectic feature (13%). They were subdivided into three groups: pure hemorrhage, hemorrhagic infarction, and ischemic infarction. The imaging was studied after surgery to identify the RPG and establish a correlation with the endocrine status. After surgery five of 19 patients had normal adenohypophyseal function (27%), eight (42%) had panhypopituitarism, and six (31%) complete or partial corticotropic hypopituitarism. The RPG was identified on MRI in 13 patients (69%), four of them (31%) with normal adenohypophyseal function. The RPG was clearly identified intraoperatively in nine patients (47%), four of whom (44%) had normal adenohypophyseal function. One patient presented preoperative diabetes insipidus, which disappeared immediately after surgery, and two other patients developed postoperative diabetes insipidus: in one patient it quickly declined and in the other one it persisted, requiring replacement. According to the radiological classification of Hardy and Vezina modified by the Mohr (Mohr et Hardy, 1982) grade, the patients were subdivided up as follows: one grade II-0, four grade II-A, 11 grade II-B, two grade C, and one grade IV-B+D. The repercussions of adenomatous apoplexy on the RPG is significant: only 27% of the patients retained normal pituitary function. Furthermore, although the RPG was identified on the MRI in more than two-thirds of the cases, more than half had adenohypophyseal failure: therefore, the visualization of a RPG does not mean that its functions are preserved. The involvement of the neurohypophysis is much rarer: one patient of 19 (5%). The implications of the ischemic or compressive damage on the normal pituitary gland are discussed. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Brain Tumor Segmentation Using Convolutional Neural Networks in MRI Images.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Sergio; Pinto, Adriano; Alves, Victor; Silva, Carlos A

    2016-05-01

    Among brain tumors, gliomas are the most common and aggressive, leading to a very short life expectancy in their highest grade. Thus, treatment planning is a key stage to improve the quality of life of oncological patients. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a widely used imaging technique to assess these tumors, but the large amount of data produced by MRI prevents manual segmentation in a reasonable time, limiting the use of precise quantitative measurements in the clinical practice. So, automatic and reliable segmentation methods are required; however, the large spatial and structural variability among brain tumors make automatic segmentation a challenging problem. In this paper, we propose an automatic segmentation method based on Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), exploring small 3 ×3 kernels. The use of small kernels allows designing a deeper architecture, besides having a positive effect against overfitting, given the fewer number of weights in the network. We also investigated the use of intensity normalization as a pre-processing step, which though not common in CNN-based segmentation methods, proved together with data augmentation to be very effective for brain tumor segmentation in MRI images. Our proposal was validated in the Brain Tumor Segmentation Challenge 2013 database (BRATS 2013), obtaining simultaneously the first position for the complete, core, and enhancing regions in Dice Similarity Coefficient metric (0.88, 0.83, 0.77) for the Challenge data set. Also, it obtained the overall first position by the online evaluation platform. We also participated in the on-site BRATS 2015 Challenge using the same model, obtaining the second place, with Dice Similarity Coefficient metric of 0.78, 0.65, and 0.75 for the complete, core, and enhancing regions, respectively.

  4. Intraoperative detection of glioma invasion beyond MRI enhancement with Raman spectroscopy in humans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jermyn, Michael; Mok, Kelvin; Mercier, Jeanne; Desroches, Joannie; Pichette, Julien; Saint-Arnaud, Karl; Guiot, Marie-Christine; Petrecca, Kevin; Leblond, Frédéric

    2015-03-01

    Cancer tissue is frequently impossible to distinguish from normal brain during surgery. Gliomas are a class of brain cancer which invade into the normal brain. If left unresected, these invasive cancer cells are the source of glioma recurrence. Moreover, these invasion areas do not show up on standard-of-care pre-operative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). This inability to fully visualize invasive brain cancers results in subtotal surgical resections, negatively impacting patient survival. To address this issue, we have demonstrated the efficacy of single-point in vivo Raman spectroscopy using a contact hand-held fiber optic probe for rapid detection of cancer invasion in 8 patients with low and high grade gliomas. Using a supervised machine learning algorithm to analyze the Raman spectra obtained in vivo, we were able to distinguish normal brain from the presence of cancer cells with sensitivity and specificity greater than 90%. Moreover, by correlating these results with pre-operative MRI we demonstrate the ability to detect low density cancer invasion up to 1.5cm beyond the cancer extent visible using MRI. This represents the potential for significant improvements in progression-free and overall patient survival, by identifying previously undetectable residual cancer cell populations and preventing the resection of normal brain tissue. While the importance of maximizing the volume of tumor resection is important for all grades of gliomas, the impact for low grade gliomas can be dramatic because surgery can even be curative. This convenient technology can rapidly classify cancer invasion in real-time, making it ideal for intraoperative use in brain tumor resection.

  5. Diffusion-weighted MRI derived apparent diffusion coefficient identifies prognostically distinct subgroups of pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma.

    PubMed

    Lober, Robert M; Cho, Yoon-Jae; Tang, Yujie; Barnes, Patrick D; Edwards, Michael S; Vogel, Hannes; Fisher, Paul G; Monje, Michelle; Yeom, Kristen W

    2014-03-01

    While pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) remain fatal, recent data have shown subgroups with distinct molecular biology and clinical behavior. We hypothesized that diffusion-weighted MRI can be used as a prognostic marker to stratify DIPG subsets with distinct clinical behavior. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values derived from diffusion-weighted MRI were computed in 20 consecutive children with treatment-naïve DIPG tumors. The median ADC for the cohort was used to stratify the tumors into low and high ADC groups. Survival, gender, therapy, and potential steroid effects were compared between the ADC groups. Median age at diagnosis was 6.6 (range 2.3-13.2) years, with median follow-up seven (range 1-36) months. There were 14 boys and six girls. Seventeen patients received radiotherapy, five received chemotherapy, and six underwent cerebrospinal fluid diversion. The median ADC of 1,295 × 10(-6) mm(2)/s for the cohort partitioned tumors into low or high diffusion groups, which had distinct median survivals of 3 and 13 months, respectively (log-rank p < 0.001). Low ADC tumors were found only in boys, whereas high ADC tumors were found in both boys and girls. Available tissue specimens in three low ADC tumors demonstrated high-grade histology, whereas one high ADC tumor demonstrated low-grade histology with a histone H3.1 K27M mutation and high-grade metastatic lesion at autopsy. ADC derived from diffusion-weighted MRI may identify prognostically distinct subgroups of pediatric DIPG.

  6. Pre-Surgical Integration of fMRI and DTI of the Sensorimotor System in Transcortical Resection of a High-Grade Insular Astrocytoma

    PubMed Central

    Ekstrand, Chelsea L.; Mickleborough, Marla J. S.; Fourney, Daryl R.; Gould, Layla A.; Lorentz, Eric J.; Ellchuk, Tasha; Borowsky, Ron W.

    2016-01-01

    Herein we report on a patient with a WHO Grade III astrocytoma in the right insular region in close proximity to the internal capsule who underwent a right frontotemporal craniotomy. Total gross resection of insular gliomas remains surgically challenging based on the possibility of damage to the corticospinal tracts. However, maximizing the extent of resection has been shown to decrease future adverse outcomes. Thus, the goal of such surgeries should focus on maximizing extent of resection while minimizing possible adverse outcomes. In this case, pre-surgical planning included integration of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), to localize motor and sensory pathways. Novel fMRI tasks were individually developed for the patient to maximize both somatosensory and motor activation simultaneously in areas in close proximity to the tumor. Information obtained was used to optimize resection trajectory and extent, facilitating gross total resection of the astrocytoma. Across all three motor-sensory tasks administered, fMRI revealed an area of interest just superior and lateral to the astrocytoma. Further, DTI analyses showed displacement of the corona radiata around the superior dorsal surface of the astrocytoma, extending in the direction of the activation found using fMRI. Taking into account these results, a transcortical superior temporal gyrus surgical approach was chosen in order to avoid the area of interest identified by fMRI and DTI. Total gross resection was achieved and minor post-surgical motor and sensory deficits were temporary. This case highlights the utility of comprehensive pre-surgical planning, including fMRI and DTI, to maximize surgical outcomes on a case-by-case basis. PMID:27013996

  7. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of intraoperative imaging in high-grade glioma resection; a comparative review of intraoperative ALA, fluorescein, ultrasound and MRI.

    PubMed

    Eljamel, M Sam; Mahboob, Syed Osama

    2016-12-01

    Surgical resection of high-grade gliomas (HGG) is standard therapy because it imparts significant progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS). However, HGG-tumor margins are indistinguishable from normal brain during surgery. Hence intraoperative technology such as fluorescence (ALA, fluorescein) and intraoperative ultrasound (IoUS) and MRI (IoMRI) has been deployed. This study compares the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of these technologies. Critical literature review and meta-analyses, using MEDLINE/PubMed service. The list of references in each article was double-checked for any missing references. We included all studies that reported the use of ALA, fluorescein (FLCN), IoUS or IoMRI to guide HGG-surgery. The meta-analyses were conducted according to statistical heterogeneity between studies. If there was no heterogeneity, fixed effects model was used; otherwise, a random effects model was used. Statistical heterogeneity was explored by χ 2 and inconsistency (I 2 ) statistics. To assess cost-effectiveness, we calculated the incremental cost per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Gross total resection (GTR) after ALA, FLCN, IoUS and IoMRI was 69.1%, 84.4%, 73.4% and 70% respectively. The differences were not statistically significant. All four techniques led to significant prolongation of PFS and tended to prolong OS. However none of these technologies led to significant prolongation of OS compared to controls. The cost/QALY was $16,218, $3181, $6049 and $32,954 for ALA, FLCN, IoUS and IoMRI respectively. ALA, FLCN, IoUS and IoMRI significantly improve GTR and PFS of HGG. Their incremental cost was below the threshold for cost-effectiveness of HGG-therapy, denoting that each intraoperative technology was cost-effective on its own. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Three-Dimensional Constructive Interference in Steady State Sequences and Phase-Contrast Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Arrested Hydrocephalus.

    PubMed

    Elkafrawy, Fatma; Reda, Ihab; Elsirafy, Mohamed; Gawad, Mohamed Saied Abdel; Elnaggar, Alaa; Khalek Abdel Razek, Ahmed Abdel

    2017-02-01

    To evaluate the role of three-dimensional constructive interference in steady state (3D-CISS) sequences and phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI) in patients with arrested hydrocephalus. A prospective study of 20 patients with arrested hydrocephalus was carried out. All patients underwent PC-MRI and 3D-CISS for assessment of the aqueduct. Axial (through-plane), sagittal (in-plane) PC-MRI, and sagittal 3D-CISS were applied to assess the cerebral aqueduct and the spontaneous third ventriculostomy if present. Aqueductal patency was graded using 3D-CISS and PC-MRI. Quantitative analysis of flow through the aqueduct was performed using PC-MRI. The causes of obstruction were aqueductal obstruction in 75% (n = 15), third ventricular obstruction in 5% (n = 1), and fourth ventricular obstruction in 20% (n = 4). The cause of arrest of hydrocephalus was spontaneous third ventriculostomy in 65% (n = 13), endoscopic third ventriculostomy in 10% (n = 2), and ventriculoperitoneal shunt in 5% (n = 1), and no cause could be detected in 20% of patients (n = 4). There is a positive correlation (r = 0.80) and moderate agreement (κ = 0.509) of grading with PC-MRI and 3D-CISS sequences. The mean peak systolic velocity of cerebrospinal fluid was 1.86 ± 2.48 cm/second, the stroke volume was 6.43 ± 13.81 μL/cycle, and the mean flow was 0.21 ± 0.32 mL/minute. We concluded that 3D-CISS and PC-MRI are noninvasive sequences for diagnosis of the level and cause of arrested hydrocephalus. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Analysis of FET-PET imaging for target volume definition in patients with gliomas treated with conformal radiotherapy.

    PubMed

    Rieken, Stefan; Habermehl, Daniel; Giesel, Frederik L; Hoffmann, Christoph; Burger, Ute; Rief, Harald; Welzel, Thomas; Haberkorn, Uwe; Debus, Jürgen; Combs, Stephanie E

    2013-12-01

    Modern radiotherapy (RT) techniques such as stereotactic RT, intensity-modulated RT, or particle irradiation allow local dose escalation with simultaneous sparing of critical organs. Several trials are currently investigating their benefit in glioma reirradiation and boost irradiation. Target volume definition is of critical importance especially when steep dose gradient techniques are employed. In this manuscript we investigate the impact of O-(2-(F-18)fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine-positron emission tomography/computer tomography (FET-PET/CT) on target volume definition in low and high grade glioma patients undergoing either first or re-irradiation with particles. We investigated volumetric size and uniformity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)- vs. FET-PET/CT-derived gross tumor volumes (GTVs) and planning target volumes (PTVs) of 41 glioma patients. Clinical cases are presented to demonstrate potential benefits of integrating FET-PET/CT-planning into daily routine. Integrating FET-uptake into the delineation of GTVs yields larger volumes. Combined modality-derived PTVs are significantly enlarged in high grade glioma patients and in case of primary RT. The congruence of MRI and FET signals for the identification of glioma GTVs is poor with mean uniformity indices of 0.39. MRI-based PTVs miss 17% of FET-PET/CT-based GTVs. Non significant alterations were detected in low grade glioma patients and in those undergoing reirradiation. Target volume definition for malignant gliomas during initial RT may yield significantly differing results depending upon the imaging modality, which the contouring process is based upon. The integration of both MRI and FET-PET/CT may help to improve GTV coverage by avoiding larger incongruences between physical and biological imaging techniques. In low grade gliomas and in cases of reirradiation, more studies are needed in order to investigate a potential benefit of FET-PET/CT for planning of RT. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Effects of electroacupuncture therapy for Bell's palsy from acute stage: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Liu, Zhi-dan; He, Jiang-bo; Guo, Si-si; Yang, Zhi-xin; Shen, Jun; Li, Xiao-yan; Liang, Wei; Shen, Wei-dong

    2015-08-25

    Although many patients with facial paralysis have obtained benefits or completely recovered after acupuncture or electroacupuncture therapy, it is still difficult to list intuitive evidence besides evaluation using neurological function scales and a few electrophysiologic data. Hence, the aim of this study is to use more intuitive and reliable detection techniques such as facial nerve magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nerve electromyography, and F waves to observe changes in the anatomic morphology of facial nerves and nerve conduction before and after applying acupuncture or electroacupuncture, and to verify their effectiveness by combining neurological function scales. A total of 132 patients with Bell's palsy (grades III and IV in the House-Brackmann [HB] Facial Nerve Grading System) will be randomly divided into electroacupuncture, manual acupuncture, non-acupuncture, and medicine control groups. All the patients will be given electroacupuncture treatment after the acute period, except for patients in the medicine control group. The acupuncture or electroacupuncture treatments will be performed every 2 days until the patients recover or withdraw from the study. The primary outcome is analysis based on facial nerve functional scales (HB scale and Sunnybrook facial grading system), and the secondary outcome is analysis based on MRI, nerve electromyography and F-wave detection. All the patients will undergo MRI within 3 days after Bell's palsy onset for observation of the signal intensity and facial nerve swelling of the unaffected and affected sides. They will also undergo facial nerve electromyography and F-wave detection within 1 week after onset of Bell's palsy. Nerve function will be evaluated using the HB scale and Sunnybrook facial grading system at each hospital visit for treatment until the end of the study. The MRI, nerve electromyography, and F-wave detection will be performed again at 1 month after the onset of Bell's palsy. Chinese Clinical Trials Register identifier: ChiCTR-IPR-14005730. Registered on 23 December 2014.

  11. Semi-automated brain tumor segmentation on multi-parametric MRI using regularized non-negative matrix factorization.

    PubMed

    Sauwen, Nicolas; Acou, Marjan; Sima, Diana M; Veraart, Jelle; Maes, Frederik; Himmelreich, Uwe; Achten, Eric; Huffel, Sabine Van

    2017-05-04

    Segmentation of gliomas in multi-parametric (MP-)MR images is challenging due to their heterogeneous nature in terms of size, appearance and location. Manual tumor segmentation is a time-consuming task and clinical practice would benefit from (semi-) automated segmentation of the different tumor compartments. We present a semi-automated framework for brain tumor segmentation based on non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) that does not require prior training of the method. L1-regularization is incorporated into the NMF objective function to promote spatial consistency and sparseness of the tissue abundance maps. The pathological sources are initialized through user-defined voxel selection. Knowledge about the spatial location of the selected voxels is combined with tissue adjacency constraints in a post-processing step to enhance segmentation quality. The method is applied to an MP-MRI dataset of 21 high-grade glioma patients, including conventional, perfusion-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRI. To assess the effect of using MP-MRI data and the L1-regularization term, analyses are also run using only conventional MRI and without L1-regularization. Robustness against user input variability is verified by considering the statistical distribution of the segmentation results when repeatedly analyzing each patient's dataset with a different set of random seeding points. Using L1-regularized semi-automated NMF segmentation, mean Dice-scores of 65%, 74 and 80% are found for active tumor, the tumor core and the whole tumor region. Mean Hausdorff distances of 6.1 mm, 7.4 mm and 8.2 mm are found for active tumor, the tumor core and the whole tumor region. Lower Dice-scores and higher Hausdorff distances are found without L1-regularization and when only considering conventional MRI data. Based on the mean Dice-scores and Hausdorff distances, segmentation results are competitive with state-of-the-art in literature. Robust results were found for most patients, although careful voxel selection is mandatory to avoid sub-optimal segmentation.

  12. [Correlations between MRI apparent diffusion coefficient and histological grade and molecular biology of breast invasive ductal carcinoma].

    PubMed

    Yu, Xuejuan; Liu, Shangang; Chen, Zhaoqiu; Zhang, Pinliang; Zhang, Jianbo; Xu, Liang; Liu, Zengjun; Ren, Ruimei

    2014-08-01

    To study the correlation between the MRI apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and histological grade and molecular biology of breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). This retrospective study included 125 patients with IDC verified by pathology from February 2010 to February 2013. Conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) examination were performed using a 3.0T scanner with diffusion factor of 0 and 800 s/mm(2). The region of interest (ROI) was drawn on the largest lesion and/or its two adjacent slices. The ADC value of the whole tumor was calculated as the mean ADC value. The correlation between mean ADCs and histological grade and biological factors was analyzed. The mean ADC of pathological grade I, II and III IDC was (1.152 ± 0.072)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, (1.102 ± 0.101)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, and (1.035 ± 0.107)×10(-3) mm(2)/s, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference among them (P = 0.003). Statistically a significant difference was observed between grade III and I (P = 0.034), grade III and II (P = 0.006), but not between grade I and II (P = 0.741). A significant correlation was observed between ADC value and pathological grade (r = -0.342, P < 0.001). The median ADC values were significantly higher in the ER-negative than in the ER-positive cases [(1.130 ± 0.115)×10(-3) mm(2)/s vs. (1.060 ± 0.089) ×10(-3) mm(2)/s, P < 0.001)], in PR-negative than in PR-positive cases [(1.121 ± 0.106)×10(-3) mm(2)/s vs. (1.055 ± 0.096) ×10(-3) mm(2)/s, P < 0.001)], and in Ki-67-negative than in Ki-67-positive cases [(1.153 ± 0.090)×10(-3) mm(2)/s vs. (1.063 ± 0.101) ×10(-3) mm(2)/s, P < 0.001]. A statistically significant correlation was observed between ADC value and expressions of ER, PR, and Ki-67 (r = -0.311, r = -0.317, r = -0.414, P < 0.001). ADC value of breast invasive ductal carcinoma is correlated with histological grade, and expression of ER, PR and Ki-67.

  13. Hierarchical probabilistic Gabor and MRF segmentation of brain tumours in MRI volumes.

    PubMed

    Subbanna, Nagesh K; Precup, Doina; Collins, D Louis; Arbel, Tal

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we present a fully automated hierarchical probabilistic framework for segmenting brain tumours from multispectral human brain magnetic resonance images (MRIs) using multiwindow Gabor filters and an adapted Markov Random Field (MRF) framework. In the first stage, a customised Gabor decomposition is developed, based on the combined-space characteristics of the two classes (tumour and non-tumour) in multispectral brain MRIs in order to optimally separate tumour (including edema) from healthy brain tissues. A Bayesian framework then provides a coarse probabilistic texture-based segmentation of tumours (including edema) whose boundaries are then refined at the voxel level through a modified MRF framework that carefully separates the edema from the main tumour. This customised MRF is not only built on the voxel intensities and class labels as in traditional MRFs, but also models the intensity differences between neighbouring voxels in the likelihood model, along with employing a prior based on local tissue class transition probabilities. The second inference stage is shown to resolve local inhomogeneities and impose a smoothing constraint, while also maintaining the appropriate boundaries as supported by the local intensity difference observations. The method was trained and tested on the publicly available MICCAI 2012 Brain Tumour Segmentation Challenge (BRATS) Database [1] on both synthetic and clinical volumes (low grade and high grade tumours). Our method performs well compared to state-of-the-art techniques, outperforming the results of the top methods in cases of clinical high grade and low grade tumour core segmentation by 40% and 45% respectively.

  14. “Next Door” intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging for awake craniotomy: Preliminary experience and technical note

    PubMed Central

    Mathias, Roger Neves; de Aguiar, Paulo Henrique Pires; da Luz Oliveira, Evandro Pinto; Verst, Silvia Mazzali; Vieira, Vinícius; Docema, Marcos Fernando; Calfat Maldaun, Marcos Vinícius

    2016-01-01

    Background: During glioma surgery “maximal safe resection” must be the main goal. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) associated with awake craniotomy (AC) is a valuable tool to achieve this objective. In this article, AC with a “next-door” iMRI concept is described in a stepwise protocol. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of 18 patients submitted to AC using iMRI; a stepwise protocol is also discussed. Results: The mean age was 41.7 years. Hemiparesis, aphasia, and seizures were the main initial symptoms of the patients. Sixty-six percent of the tumors were located in the left hemisphere. All tumors were near or within eloquent areas. Fifty-three percent of the cases were glioblastomas multiforme and 47% of the patients had low grade gliomas. The mean surgical time and iMRI time were 4 h 4 min and 30 min, respectively. New resection was performed in 33% after iMRI. Extent of resection (EOR) higher than 95% was possible in 66.7% of the patients. The main reason of EOR lower than 95% was positive mapping of eloquent areas (6 patients). Eighty percent of the patients experienced improvement of their deficits immediately after the surgery or had a stable clinical status whereas 20% had neurological deterioration, however, all of them improved after 30 days. Conclusion: AC associated with “next-door” iMRI is a complex procedure, but if performed using a meticulous technique, it may improve the overall tumor resection and safety of the patients. PMID:28144477

  15. Segmentation of solid subregion of high grade gliomas in MRI images based on active contour model (ACM)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seow, P.; Win, M. T.; Wong, J. H. D.; Abdullah, N. A.; Ramli, N.

    2016-03-01

    Gliomas are tumours arising from the interstitial tissue of the brain which are heterogeneous, infiltrative and possess ill-defined borders. Tumour subregions (e.g. solid enhancing part, edema and necrosis) are often used for tumour characterisation. Tumour demarcation into substructures facilitates glioma staging and provides essential information. Manual segmentation had several drawbacks that include laborious, time consuming, subjected to intra and inter-rater variability and hindered by diversity in the appearance of tumour tissues. In this work, active contour model (ACM) was used to segment the solid enhancing subregion of the tumour. 2D brain image acquisition data using 3T MRI fast spoiled gradient echo sequence in post gadolinium of four histologically proven high-grade glioma patients were obtained. Preprocessing of the images which includes subtraction and skull stripping were performed and then followed by ACM segmentation. The results of the automatic segmentation method were compared against the manual delineation of the tumour by a trainee radiologist. Both results were further validated by an experienced neuroradiologist and a brief quantitative evaluations (pixel area and difference ratio) were performed. Preliminary results of the clinical data showed the potential of ACM model in the application of fast and large scale tumour segmentation in medical imaging.

  16. Accurate classification of brain gliomas by discriminate dictionary learning based on projective dictionary pair learning of proton magnetic resonance spectra.

    PubMed

    Adebileje, Sikiru Afolabi; Ghasemi, Keyvan; Aiyelabegan, Hammed Tanimowo; Saligheh Rad, Hamidreza

    2017-04-01

    Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is a powerful noninvasive technique that complements the structural images of cMRI, which aids biomedical and clinical researches, by identifying and visualizing the compositions of various metabolites within the tissues of interest. However, accurate classification of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy is still a challenging issue in clinics due to low signal-to-noise ratio, overlapping peaks of metabolites, and the presence of background macromolecules. This paper evaluates the performance of a discriminate dictionary learning classifiers based on projective dictionary pair learning method for brain gliomas proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy spectra classification task, and the result were compared with the sub-dictionary learning methods. The proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy data contain a total of 150 spectra (74 healthy, 23 grade II, 23 grade III, and 30 grade IV) from two databases. The datasets from both databases were first coupled together, followed by column normalization. The Kennard-Stone algorithm was used to split the datasets into its training and test sets. Performance comparison based on the overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision was conducted. Based on the overall accuracy of our classification scheme, the dictionary pair learning method was found to outperform the sub-dictionary learning methods 97.78% compared with 68.89%, respectively. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  17. Evaluating the apparent diffusion coefficient in MRI studies as a means of determining paediatric brain tumour stages.

    PubMed

    Domínguez-Pinilla, N; Martínez de Aragón, A; Diéguez Tapias, S; Toldos, O; Hinojosa Bernal, J; Rigal Andrés, M; González-Granado, L I

    2016-09-01

    The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in MRI seems to be related to cellularity in brain tumours. Its utility as a tool for distinguishing between histological types and tumour stages remains controversial. We retrospectively evaluated children diagnosed with CNS tumours between January 2008 and December 2013. Data collected were age, sex, histological diagnosis, and location of the tumour. We evaluated the ADC and ADC ratio and correlated those values with histological diagnoses. The study included 55 patients with a median age of 6 years. Histological diagnoses were pilocytic astrocytoma (40%), anaplastic ependymoma (16.4%), ganglioglioma (10.9%), glioblastoma (7.3%), medulloblastoma (5.5%), and other (20%). Tumours could also be classified as low-grade (64%) or high-grade (36%). Mean ADC was 1.3 for low-grade tumours and 0.9 for high-grade tumours (p=.004). Mean ADC ratios were 1.5 and 1.2 for low and high-grade tumours respectively (p=.025). There were no significant differences in ADC/ADC ratio between different histological types. ADC and ADC ratio may be useful in imaging-study based differential diagnosis of low and high-grade tumours, but they are not a substitute for an anatomical pathology study. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  18. Histogram analysis of diffusion kurtosis imaging derived maps may distinguish between low and high grade gliomas before surgery.

    PubMed

    Qi, Xi-Xun; Shi, Da-Fa; Ren, Si-Xie; Zhang, Su-Ya; Li, Long; Li, Qing-Chang; Guan, Li-Ming

    2018-04-01

    To investigate the value of histogram analysis of diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) maps in the evaluation of glioma grading. A total of 39 glioma patients who underwent preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were classified into low-grade (13 cases) and high-grade (26 cases) glioma groups. Parametric DKI maps were derived, and histogram metrics between low- and high-grade gliomas were analysed. The optimum diagnostic thresholds of the parameters, area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity were achieved using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC). Significant differences were observed not only in 12 metrics of histogram DKI parameters (P<0.05), but also in mean diffusivity (MD) and mean kurtosis (MK) values, including age as a covariate (F=19.127, P<0.001 and F=20.894, P<0.001, respectively), between low- and high-grade gliomas. Mean MK was the best independent predictor of differentiating glioma grades (B=18.934, 22.237 adjusted for age, P<0.05). The partial correlation coefficient between fractional anisotropy (FA) and kurtosis fractional anisotropy (KFA) was 0.675 (P<0.001). The AUC of the mean MK, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.925, 88.5% and 84.6%, respectively. DKI parameters can effectively distinguish between low- and high-grade gliomas. Mean MK is the best independent predictor of differentiating glioma grades. • DKI is a new and important method. • DKI can provide additional information on microstructural architecture. • Histogram analysis of DKI may be more effective in glioma grading.

  19. Awake Craniotomy with Noninvasive Brain Mapping by 3-Tesla Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Excision of Low-grade Glioma: A Case of a Young Patient from Pakistan.

    PubMed

    Aleem Bhatti, Atta Ul; Jakhrani, Nasir Khan; Parekh, Maria Adnan

    2018-01-01

    The past few years have seen increasing support for gross total resection in the management of low-grade gliomas (LGGs), with a greater extent of resection correlated with better overall survival, progression-free survival, and time to malignant transformation. There is consistent evidence in literature supporting extent of safe resection as a good prognostic indicator as well as positively affecting seizure control, symptomatic relief in pressure symptoms, and longer progression-free and total survival. The operative goal in most LGG cases is to maximize the extent of resection for these benefits while avoiding postoperative neurologic deficits. Several advanced invasive and noninvasive surgical techniques such as intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), fluorescence-guided surgery, intraoperative functional pathway mapping, and neuronavigation have been developed in an attempt to better achieve maximal safe resection. We present a case of LGG in a young patient with a 5-year history of refractory seizures and gradual onset walking difficulty. Serial MRI brain scans revealed a progressive increase in right frontal tumor size with substantial edema and parafalcine herniation. Noninvasive brain mapping by functional MRI (fMRI) and sleep-awake-sleep type of anesthesia with endotracheal tube insertion was utilized during an awake craniotomy. Histopathology confirmed a Grade II oligodendroglioma, and genetic analysis revealed no codeletion at 1p/19q. Neurological improvement was remarkable in terms of immediate motor improvement, and the patient remained completely seizure free on a single antiepileptic drug. There is no radiologic or clinical evidence of recurrence 6 months postoperatively. This is the first published report of an awake craniotomy for LGG in Pakistan. The contemporary concept of supratotal resection in LGGs advocates generous functional resection even beyond MRI findings rather than mere excision of oncological boundaries. This relatively aggressive approach is only possible with an awake craniotomy, which ensures preservation of functional status and thus less postoperative morbidity and better outcomes. Noninvasive mapping for intracranial space-occupying lesions, including fMRI and blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) imaging modality, is an essential tool in a resource-limited setting such as Pakistan.

  20. Clinical, Radiologic, and Legal Significance of "Extensor Response" in Posttraumatic Coma.

    PubMed

    Firsching, Raimund; Woischneck, Dieter; Langejürgen, Alexander; Parreidt, Andreas; Bondar, Imre; Skalej, Martin; Röhl, Friedrich; Voellger, Benjamin

    2015-11-01

    The timely detection of neurologic deterioration can be critical for the survival of a neurosurgical patient following head injury. Because little reliable evidence is available on the prognostic value of the clinical sign "extensor response" in comatose posttraumatic patients, we investigated the correlation of this clinical sign with outcome and with early radiologic findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This retrospective analysis of prospectively obtained data included 157 patients who had remained in a coma for a minimum of 24 hours after traumatic brain injury. All patients received a 1.5-T MRI within 10 days (median: 2 days) of the injury. The correlations between clinical findings 12 and 24 hours after the injury-in particular, extensor response and pupillary function, MRI findings, and outcome after 1 year-were investigated. Statistical analysis included contingency tables, Fisher exact test, odds ratios (ORs) with confidence intervals (CIs), and weighted κ values. There were 48 patients with extensor response within the first 24 hours after the injury. Patients with extensor response (World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies coma grade III) statistically were significantly more likely to harbor MRI lesions in the brainstem when compared with patients in a coma who had no further deficiencies (coma grade I; p = 0.0004 by Fisher exact test, OR 10.8 with 95% CI, 2.7-42.5) and patients with unilateral loss of pupil function (coma grade II; p = 0.0187, OR 2.8 with 95% CI, 1.2-6.5). The correlation of brainstem lesions as found by MRI and outcome according to the Glasgow Outcome Scale after 1 year was also highly significant (p ≤ 0.016). The correlation of extensor response and loss of pupil function with an unfavorable outcome and with brainstem lesions revealed by MRI is highly significant. Their sudden onset may be associated with the sudden onset of brainstem dysfunction and should therefore be regarded as one of the most fundamental warning signs in the clinical monitoring of comatose patients. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. A Preliminary Experience with Use of Intraoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Thalamic Glioma Surgery: A Case Series of 38 Patients.

    PubMed

    Zheng, Xuan; Xu, Xinghua; Zhang, Hui; Wang, Qun; Ma, Xiaodong; Chen, Xiaolei; Sun, Guochen; Zhang, Jiashu; Jiang, Jinli; Xu, Bainan; Zhang, Jun

    2016-05-01

    Thalamic gliomas are rare tumors that constitute 1%-5% of all central nervous system tumors. Despite advanced techniques and equipment, surgical resection remains challenging because of the vital structures adjacent to the tumor. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might play an active role during brain tumor surgery because it compensates for brain shift or operation-induced hemorrhage, which are challenging issues for neurosurgeons. We reviewed 38 patients treated surgically under intraoperative MRI guidance between January 2008 and July 2015 at our center. Preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative MRI scans were reviewed. Preoperative and postoperative motor power, morbidity and mortality, resection rate, surgical approach, pathologic results, and patient demographics were also reviewed. Mean patient age was 37 years ± 18; 12 patients were included in the low-grade group, and 26 patients were included in the high-grade group. Under intraoperative MRI guidance, the gross total resection rate was increased from 16 (42.1%) to 26 (68.4%), and the near-total or subtotal resection rate was increased from 5 (13.2%) to 9 (23.7%). Hematoma formation was discovered in 3 patients on intraoperative MRI scan; each patient underwent a hemostatic operation immediately. With improvements in neurosurgical techniques and equipment, surgical resection is considered feasible in patients with thalamic gliomas. Intraoperative MRI may be helpful in achieving the maximal resection rate with minimal surgical-related morbidity. However, because of severe disease progression, the overall prognosis is unfavorable. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Diagnostic and Prognostic Capability of Newer Magnetic Resonance Imaging Brain Sequences in Diffuse Axonal Injury Patient.

    PubMed

    Bansal, Mayank; Sinha, Virendra Deo; Bansal, Juhi

    2018-01-01

    Diffuse axonal injury is one of the major causes of unconsciousness, profound neurologic deficits and persistent vegetative state after head trauma. In recent years, MR imaging has been gaining popularity as an adjunctive imaging method in patients with DAI. Our study aims to assess the relative diagnostic and prognostic capability of various MRI sequences. Retrospective observational study done in 1 year duration on 30 DAI patients. Clinical assessment done with GCS at admission and GOS at 6 month. MRI Brain FLAIR, DWI, T2*GRE AND SWI sequences taken. DAI grade were evaluated for different MRI sequences. Prognosis was correlated to total number of lesion/locations and DAI grade of patients. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS Statistical software (ver.20.0.0) and XL-Stat and ANOVA one way test, post hoc test (Turkey test) and Chi square test. We studied 30 male patients, mean age 32.57±8.72 ranges. The commonest mode of injury is RTA-80%, fall-16% followed by assault-3.33%. Out of 30 patients, 17 patients (56.67%) had GCS <=8, 13 patients (43.33%) had GCS between 9 and 12 and no patient had a GCS score between 13 and 15. The mean GCS score was 8.47±1.50. At a 6 month follow up, out of a total of 30 patients, 2 patients (6.66%) expired (GOS-1), 3 patients (10%) remained in persistent vegetative state (GOS-2), 11 patients (36.67%) and 10 patients (33.33%) were found to be severely (GOS-3) and moderately (GOS-4) disabled respectively and 4 patients (13.33%) showed good recovery (GOS-5). Mean GOS is 3.37+/-1.06. Newer imaging -SWI able to detects lesion better (diagnosis of DAI) as compared to other older sequences like FLAIR,DWI,T2*GRE. But no statistically significant found between total number of lesion/locations to the outcome and also newer imaging do not change the grade of DAI patients. Although advanced imaging in head injury, SWI helps in diagnosing the diffuse axonal injury more efficiently than other imaging sequences, but it is the grade of patients at admission that predicts the outcome best.

  3. Quantitative in vivo MRI evaluation of lumbar facet joints and intervertebral discs using axial T2 mapping.

    PubMed

    Stelzeneder, David; Messner, Alina; Vlychou, Marianna; Welsch, Goetz H; Scheurecker, Georg; Goed, Sabine; Pieber, Karin; Pflueger, Verena; Friedrich, Klaus M; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2011-11-01

    To assess the feasibility of T2 mapping of lumbar facet joints and intervertebral discs in a single imaging slab and to compare the findings with morphological grading. Sixty lumbar spine segments from 10 low back pain patients and 5 healthy volunteers were examined by axial T2 mapping and morphological MRI at 3.0 Tesla. Regions of interest were drawn on a single slice for the facet joints and the intervertebral discs (nucleus pulposus, anterior and posterior annulus fibrosus). The Weishaupt grading was used for facet joints and the Pfirrmann score was used for morphological disc grading ("normal" vs. "abnormal" discs). The inter-rater agreement was excellent for the facet joint T2 evaluation (r = 0.85), but poor for the morphological Weishaupt grading (kappa = 0.15). The preliminary results show similar facet joint T2 values in segments with normal and abnormal Pfirrmann scores. There was no difference in mean T2 values between facet joints in different Weishaupt grading groups. Facet joint T2 values showed a weak correlation with T2 values of the posterior annulus (r = 0.32) This study demonstrates the feasibility of a combined T2 mapping approach for the facet joints and intervertebral discs using a single axial slab.

  4. The use of dynamic O-(2-18F-fluoroethyl)-l-tyrosine PET in the diagnosis of patients with progressive and recurrent glioma.

    PubMed

    Galldiks, Norbert; Stoffels, Gabriele; Filss, Christian; Rapp, Marion; Blau, Tobias; Tscherpel, Caroline; Ceccon, Garry; Dunkl, Veronika; Weinzierl, Martin; Stoffel, Michael; Sabel, Michael; Fink, Gereon R; Shah, Nadim J; Langen, Karl-Josef

    2015-09-01

    We evaluated the diagnostic value of static and dynamic O-(2-[(18)F]fluoroethyl)-L-tyrosine ((18)F-FET) PET parameters in patients with progressive or recurrent glioma. We retrospectively analyzed 132 dynamic (18)F-FET PET and conventional MRI scans of 124 glioma patients (primary World Health Organization grade II, n = 55; grade III, n = 19; grade IV, n = 50; mean age, 52 ± 14 y). Patients had been referred for PET assessment with clinical signs and/or MRI findings suggestive of tumor progression or recurrence based on Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria. Maximum and mean tumor/brain ratios of (18)F-FET uptake were determined (20-40 min post-injection) as well as tracer uptake kinetics (ie, time to peak and patterns of the time-activity curves). Diagnoses were confirmed histologically (95%) or by clinical follow-up (5%). Diagnostic accuracies of PET and MR parameters for the detection of tumor progression or recurrence were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic analyses/chi-square test. Tumor progression or recurrence could be diagnosed in 121 of 132 cases (92%). MRI and (18)F-FET PET findings were concordant in 84% and discordant in 16%. Compared with the diagnostic accuracy of conventional MRI to diagnose tumor progression or recurrence (85%), a higher accuracy (93%) was achieved by (18)F-FET PET when a mean tumor/brain ratio ≥2.0 or time to peak <45 min was present (sensitivity, 93%; specificity, 100%; accuracy, 93%; positive predictive value, 100%; P < .001). Static and dynamic (18)F-FET PET parameters differentiate progressive or recurrent glioma from treatment-related nonneoplastic changes with higher accuracy than conventional MRI. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  5. Standardized Index of Shape (DCE-MRI) and Standardized Uptake Value (PET/CT): Two quantitative approaches to discriminate chemo-radiotherapy locally advanced rectal cancer responders under a functional profile

    PubMed Central

    Petrillo, Antonella; Fusco, Roberta; Petrillo, Mario; Granata, Vincenza; Delrio, Paolo; Bianco, Francesco; Pecori, Biagio; Botti, Gerardo; Tatangelo, Fabiana; Caracò, Corradina; Aloj, Luigi; Avallone, Antonio; Lastoria, Secondo

    2017-01-01

    Purpose To investigate dynamic contrast enhanced-MRI (DCE-MRI) in the preoperative chemo-radiotherapy (CRT) assessment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) compared to18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT). Methods 75 consecutive patients with LARC were enrolled in a prospective study. DCE-MRI analysis was performed measuring SIS: linear combination of percentage change (Δ) of maximum signal difference (MSD) and wash-out slope (WOS). 18F-FDG PET/CT analysis was performed using SUV maximum (SUVmax). Tumor regression grade (TRG) were estimated after surgery. Non-parametric tests, receiver operating characteristic were evaluated. Results 55 patients (TRG1-2) were classified as responders while 20 subjects as non responders. ΔSIS reached sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 80% and accuracy of 89% (cut-off 6%) to differentiate responders by non responders, sensitivity of 93%, specificity of 69% and accuracy of 79% (cut-off 30%) to identify pathological complete response (pCR). Therapy assessment via ΔSUVmax reached sensitivity of 67%, specificity of 75% and accuracy of 70% (cut-off 60%) to differentiate responders by non responders and sensitivity of 80%, specificity of 31% and accuracy of 51% (cut-off 44%) to identify pCR. Conclusions CRT response assessment by DCE-MRI analysis shows a higher predictive ability than 18F-FDG PET/CT in LARC patients allowing to better discriminate significant and pCR. PMID:28042958

  6. Reduced CMRO₂ and cerebrovascular reserve in patients with severe intracranial arterial stenosis: a combined multiparametric qBOLD oxygenation and BOLD fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Bouvier, Julien; Detante, Olivier; Tahon, Florence; Attye, Arnaud; Perret, Thomas; Chechin, David; Barbieux, Marianne; Boubagra, Kamel; Garambois, Katia; Tropres, Irène; Grand, Sylvie; Barbier, Emmanuel L; Krainik, Alexandre

    2015-02-01

    Multiparametric quantitative blood oxygenation level dependent (mqBOLD) magnetic resonance Imaging (MRI) approach allows mapping tissular oxygen saturation (StO2 ) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2 ). To identify hemodynamic alteration related to severe intracranial arterial stenosis (SIAS), functional MRI of cerebrovascular reserve (CVR BOLD fMRI) to hypercapnia has been proposed. Diffusion imaging suggests chronic low grade ischemia in patients with impaired CVR. The aim of the present study was to evaluate how oxygen parameters (StO2 and CMRO2 ), assessed with mqBOLD approach, correlate with CVR in patients (n = 12) with SIAS and without arterial occlusion. The perfusion (dynamic susceptibility contrast), oxygenation, and CVR were compared. The MRI protocol conducted at 3T lasted approximately 1 h. Regions of interest measures on maps were delineated on segmented gray matter (GM) of middle cerebral artery territories. We have shown that decreased CVR is spatially associated with decreased CMRO2 in GM of patients with SIAS. Further, the degree of ipsilateral CVR reduction was well-correlated with the amplitude of the CMRO2 deficit. The altered CMRO2 suggests the presence of a moderate ischemia explained by both a decrease in perfusion and in CVR. CVR and mqBOLD method may be helpful in the selection of patients with SIAS to advocate for medical therapy or percutaneous transluminal angioplasty-stenting. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. C2 nerve root on magnetic resonance imaging of occipital neuralgia.

    PubMed

    Yi, Minkyung; Lee, Joon Woo; Yeom, Jin S; Joe, Eugene; Hong, Sung Hwan; Lee, Guen Young; Kang, Heung Sik

    2014-06-01

    Review and grade the morphology of the C1-C2 neural foramina, from the MR images of patients who underwent C1-C2 spinal surgery, and determine the relationship with ON. To evaluate the feasibility of MRI for C1-C2 neural foramen evaluation with a new grading system and to correlate the C1-C2 neural foramen grade with ON. There have been no MRI studies of patients with and without ON in relation to C2 nerve root ganglion findings. Among the registry of 124 patients who underwent C1-C2 spinal surgery between July 2004 and May 2012 in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, we enrolled 101 patients who had information about ON and a relevant preoperative cervical spine MR image. A total of 202 neural foramina were evaluated with our new C1-C2 neural foramen grading system (grade, 0-3) using consensus reading by 2 experienced radiologists who were blinded to the clinical information. The relationship between the C1-C2 grading system and ON was assessed using a χ test and Fisher exact test. Inter- and intraobserver reliability agreement was assessed using the κ statistic. All C1-C2 neural foramina were delineated on T2 parasagittal images. Among 202 C1-C2 neural foramina, grade zero was found in 49 foramina (24.3%), grade 1 in 95 (47.0%), grade 2 in 30 (14.9%), and grade 3 in 28 (13.9%). Grade 1 stenosis was most frequently noted. The grade 2 group had the most frequent prevalence of ON (43.3%), followed by grade 3 (35.7%), grade zero (30.6%), and grade 1 (29.5%). However, the relationship between the grade and ON was not statistically significant. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were substantially high. C1-C2 neural foramina can be depicted on MR image. However, the relationship between the new grading system for C1-C2 neural foramina and ON was not statistically significant. 4.

  8. Analysis of 2D Phase Contrast MRI in Renal Arteries by Self Organizing Maps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zöllner, Frank G.; Schad, Lothar R.

    We present an approach based on self organizing maps to segment renal arteries from 2D PC Cine MR, images to measure blood velocity and flow. Such information are important in grading renal artery stenosis and support the decision on surgical interventions like percu-tan transluminal angioplasty. Results show that the renal arteries could be extracted automatically. The corresponding velocity profiles show high correlation (r=0.99) compared those from manual delineated vessels. Furthermore, the method could detect possible blood flow patterns within the vessel.

  9. Diagnostic accuracy of a five-point Likert scoring system for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluated according to results of MRI/ultrasonography image-fusion targeted biopsy of the prostate.

    PubMed

    Shin, Toshitaka; Smyth, Thomas B; Ukimura, Osamu; Ahmadi, Nariman; de Castro Abreu, Andre Luis; Ohe, Chisato; Oishi, Masakatsu; Mimata, Hiromitsu; Gill, Inderbir S

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the accuracy of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based Likert scoring system in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (CSPC), using MRI/ultrasonography (US) image-fusion targeted biopsy (FTB) as a reference standard. We retrospectively reviewed 1218 MRI-detected lesions in 629 patients who underwent subsequent MRI/US FTB between October 2012 and August 2015. 3-Tesla MRI was independently reported by one of eight radiologists with varying levels of experience and scored on a five-point Likert scale. All lesions with Likert scores 1-5 were prospectively defined as targets for MRI/US FTB. CSPC was defined as Gleason score ≥7. The median patient age was 64 years, PSA level 6.97 ng/mL and estimated prostate volume 52.2 mL. Of 1218 lesions, 48% (n = 581) were rated as Likert 1-2, 35% (n = 428) were Likert 3 and 17% (n = 209) were Likert 4-5. For Likert scores 1-5, the overall cancer detection rates were 12%, 13%, 22%, 50% and 59%, respectively, and the CSPC detection rates were 4%, 4%, 12%, 33% and 48%, respectively. Grading using the five-point scale showed strong positive correlation with overall cancer detection rate (r = 0.949, P = 0.05) and CSPC detection rate (r = 0.944, P = 0.05). By comparison, in Likert 4-5 lesions, significant differences were noted in overall cancer detection rate (63% vs 35%; P = 0.001) and CSPC detection rate (47% vs 29%; P = 0.027) for the more experienced vs the less experienced radiologists. The detection rates of overall cancer and CSPC strongly correlated with the five-point grading of the Likert scale. Among radiologists with different levels of experience, there were significant differences in these cancer detection rates. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  10. Chondromalacia of the knee: evaluation with a fat-suppression three-dimensional SPGR imaging after intravenous contrast injection.

    PubMed

    Suh, J S; Cho, J H; Shin, K H; Kim, S J

    1996-01-01

    Twenty-one MRI studies with a fat-suppression three-dimensional spoiled gradient-recalled echo in a steady state (3D SPGR) pulse sequence after intravenous contrast injection were evaluated to assess the accuracy in depicting chondromalacia of the knee. On the basis of MR images, chondromalacia and its grade were determined in each of five articular cartilage regions (total, 105 regions) and then the results were compared to arthroscopic findings. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of MRI were 70%, 99%, and 93%, respectively. MR images depicted 7 of 11 lesions of arthroscopic grade 1 or 2 chondromalacia, and seven of nine lesions of arthroscopic grade 3 or 4 chondromalacia. The cartilage abnormalities in all cases appeared as focal lesions with high signal intensity. Intravenous contrast-injection, fat-suppression 3D SPGR imaging showed high specificity in excluding cartilage abnormalities and may be considered as an alternative to intra-articular MR arthrography when chondromalacia is suspected.

  11. Quantitative evaluation of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration by axial T2* mapping.

    PubMed

    Huang, Leitao; Liu, Yuan; Ding, Yi; Wu, Xia; Zhang, Ning; Lai, Qi; Zeng, Xianjun; Wan, Zongmiao; Dai, Min; Zhang, Bin

    2017-12-01

    To quantitatively evaluate the clinical value and demonstrate the potential benefits of biochemical axial T2* mapping-based grading of early stages of degenerative disc disease (DDD) using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a clinical setting.Fifty patients with low back pain and 20 healthy volunteers (control) underwent standard MRI protocols including axial T2* mapping. All the intervertebral discs (IVDs) were classified morphologically. Lumbar IVDs were graded using Pfirrmann score (I to IV). The T2* values of the anterior annulus fibrosus (AF), posterior AF, and nucleus pulposus (NP) of each lumbar IVD were measured. The differences between groups were analyzed regarding specific T2* pattern at different regions of interest.The T2* values of the NP and posterior AF in the patient group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < .01). The T2* value of the anterior AF was not significantly different between the patients and the controls (P > .05). The mean T2*values of the lumbar IVD in the patient group were significantly lower, especially the posterior AF, followed by the NP, and finally, the anterior AF. In the anterior AF, comparison of grade I with grade III and grade I with grade IV showed statistically significant differences (P = .07 and P = .08, respectively). Similarly, in the NP, comparison of grade I with grade III, grade I with grade IV, grade II with grade III, and grade II with grade IV showed statistically significant differences (P < .001). In the posterior AF, comparison of grade II with grade IV showed a statistically significant difference (P = .032). T2 values decreased linearly with increasing degeneration based on the Pfirrmann scoring system (ρ < -0.5, P < .001).Changes in the T2* value can signify early degenerative IVD diseases. Hence, T2* mapping can be used as a diagnostic tool for quantitative assessment of IVD degeneration. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Quantitative evaluation of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration by axial T2∗ mapping

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Leitao; Liu, Yuan; Ding, Yi; Wu, Xia; Zhang, Ning; Lai, Qi; Zeng, Xianjun; Wan, Zongmiao; Dai, Min; Zhang, Bin

    2017-01-01

    Abstract To quantitatively evaluate the clinical value and demonstrate the potential benefits of biochemical axial T2∗ mapping-based grading of early stages of degenerative disc disease (DDD) using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a clinical setting. Fifty patients with low back pain and 20 healthy volunteers (control) underwent standard MRI protocols including axial T2∗ mapping. All the intervertebral discs (IVDs) were classified morphologically. Lumbar IVDs were graded using Pfirrmann score (I to IV). The T2∗ values of the anterior annulus fibrosus (AF), posterior AF, and nucleus pulposus (NP) of each lumbar IVD were measured. The differences between groups were analyzed regarding specific T2∗ pattern at different regions of interest. The T2∗ values of the NP and posterior AF in the patient group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P < .01). The T2∗ value of the anterior AF was not significantly different between the patients and the controls (P > .05). The mean T2∗values of the lumbar IVD in the patient group were significantly lower, especially the posterior AF, followed by the NP, and finally, the anterior AF. In the anterior AF, comparison of grade I with grade III and grade I with grade IV showed statistically significant differences (P = .07 and P = .08, respectively). Similarly, in the NP, comparison of grade I with grade III, grade I with grade IV, grade II with grade III, and grade II with grade IV showed statistically significant differences (P < .001). In the posterior AF, comparison of grade II with grade IV showed a statistically significant difference (P = .032). T2∗ values decreased linearly with increasing degeneration based on the Pfirrmann scoring system (ρ < −0.5, P < .001). Changes in the T2∗ value can signify early degenerative IVD diseases. Hence, T2∗ mapping can be used as a diagnostic tool for quantitative assessment of IVD degeneration. PMID:29390547

  13. Comparison of Utility of Histogram Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and R2* for Differentiation of Low-Grade From High-Grade Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yu-Dong; Wu, Chen-Jiang; Wang, Qing; Zhang, Jing; Wang, Xiao-Ning; Liu, Xi-Sheng; Shi, Hai-Bin

    2015-08-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare histogram analysis of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and R2* for differentiating low-grade from high-grade clear cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). Forty-six patients with pathologically confirmed clear cell RCC underwent preoperative BOLD and DWI MRI of the kidneys. ADCs based on the entire tumor volume were calculated with b value combinations of 0 and 800 s/mm(2). ROI-based R2* was calculated with eight TE combinations of 6.7-22.8 milliseconds. Histogram analysis of tumor ADCs and R2* values was performed to obtain mean; median; width; and fifth, 10th, 90th, and 95th percentiles and histogram inhomogeneity, kurtosis, and skewness for all lesions. Thirty-three low-grade and 13 high-grade clear cell RCCs were found at pathologic examination. The TNM classification and tumor volume of clear cell RCC significantly correlated with histogram ADC and R2* (ρ = -0.317 to 0.506; p < 0.05). High-grade clear cell RCC had significantly lower mean, median, and 10th percentile ADCs but higher inhomogeneity and median R2* than low-grade clear cell RCC (all p < 0.05). Compared with other histogram ADC and R2* indexes, 10th percentile ADC had the highest accuracy (91.3%) in discriminating low- from high-grade clear cell RCC. R2* in discriminating hemorrhage was achieved with a threshold of 68.95 Hz. At this threshold, high-grade clear cell RCC had a significantly higher prevalence of intratumor hemorrhage (high-grade, 76.9%; low-grade, 45.4%; p < 0.05) and larger hemorrhagic area than low-grade clear cell RCC (high-grade, 34.9% ± 31.6%; low-grade, 8.9 ± 16.8%; p < 0.05). A close relation was found between MRI indexes and pathologic findings. Histogram analysis of ADC and R2* allows differentiation of low- from high-grade clear cell RCC with high accuracy.

  14. Patterns of Failure After Concurrent Bevacizumab and Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Recurrent High-Grade Glioma

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Shapiro, Lauren Q.; Beal, Kathryn, E-mail: bealk@mskcc.org; Goenka, Anuj

    2013-03-01

    Purpose: Concurrent bevacizumab with hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (HSRT) is safe and effective for the treatment of recurrent high-grade gliomas (HGG). The objective of this study was to characterize the patterns of failure after this treatment regimen. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients with recurrent enhancing HGG were previously treated on an institutional review board-approved protocol of concurrent bevacizumab and reirradiation. Patients received 30 Gy in 5 fractions to the recurrent tumor with HSRT. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed every 2 cycles, and bevacizumab was continued until clinical or radiographic tumor progression according to the criteria of Macdonald etmore » al. MRI at the time of progression was fused to the HSRT treatment plan, and the location of recurrence was classified on the basis of volume within the 95% isodose line. Outcomes based on patient characteristics, tumor grade, recurrence pattern, and best response to treatment were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: Twenty-two patients experienced either clinical or radiographic progression. Recurrent tumor was enhancing in 15 (71.4%) and nonenhancing in 6 (28.6%) patients. Eleven patients (52.4%) had recurrence within the radiation field, 5 patients (23.8%) had marginal recurrence, and 5 patients had recurrence outside the radiation field. Pattern of enhancement and location of failure did not correlate with overall survival or progression-free survival. Radiographic response was the only variable to significantly correlate with progression-free survival. Conclusions: Despite the promising initial response seen with the addition of HSRT to bevacizumab as salvage treatment for recurrent HGG, approximately half of patients ultimately still experience failure within the radiation field. The rate of local failure with the addition of HSRT seems to be lower than that seen with bevacizumab alone in the salvage setting. Our data underscore the radioresistance of HGG and the need for better salvage treatments.« less

  15. Advancing The Cancer Genome Atlas glioma MRI collections with expert segmentation labels and radiomic features

    PubMed Central

    Bakas, Spyridon; Akbari, Hamed; Sotiras, Aristeidis; Bilello, Michel; Rozycki, Martin; Kirby, Justin S.; Freymann, John B.; Farahani, Keyvan; Davatzikos, Christos

    2017-01-01

    Gliomas belong to a group of central nervous system tumors, and consist of various sub-regions. Gold standard labeling of these sub-regions in radiographic imaging is essential for both clinical and computational studies, including radiomic and radiogenomic analyses. Towards this end, we release segmentation labels and radiomic features for all pre-operative multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (n=243) of the multi-institutional glioma collections of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), publicly available in The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA). Pre-operative scans were identified in both glioblastoma (TCGA-GBM, n=135) and low-grade-glioma (TCGA-LGG, n=108) collections via radiological assessment. The glioma sub-region labels were produced by an automated state-of-the-art method and manually revised by an expert board-certified neuroradiologist. An extensive panel of radiomic features was extracted based on the manually-revised labels. This set of labels and features should enable i) direct utilization of the TCGA/TCIA glioma collections towards repeatable, reproducible and comparative quantitative studies leading to new predictive, prognostic, and diagnostic assessments, as well as ii) performance evaluation of computer-aided segmentation methods, and comparison to our state-of-the-art method. PMID:28872634

  16. Therapeutic Ultrasound in Navicular Stress Injuries in Elite Track and Field Athletes.

    PubMed

    Malliaropoulos, Nikolaos; Alaseirlis, Dimosthenis; Konstantinidis, George; Papalada, Agapi; Tsifountoudis, Ioannis; Petras, Kosmas; Maffulli, Nicola

    2017-05-01

    To ascertain whether therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) can be used to assess the progression of conservative management in navicular stress injuries. This is a prospective, clinical case series. Level of evidence IV. All participants were examined and followed up in a private Sports Injury Clinic. Ten elite track and field athletes with severe dorsal midfoot pain over the navicular bone participated in this study. All patients underwent both TUS and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation. The painful threshold of TUS on initial evaluation was a mean of 0.707 ± 149 W/cm, and MRI detected a navicular stress injury in all patients. The athletes received conservative treatment and underwent sequential TUS evaluations at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks. Therapeutic ultrasound pain threshold values were recorded, and the patients were additionally asked to grade local tenderness on a Visual Analogue Scale. Time to return to play was also recorded. The level of pain produced by the application of TUS on a navicular stress fracture seemed to correlate well with Visual Analogue Scale scores and the grade of fracture demonstrated on MRI. The initial low TUS painful mean value increased to a normal mean value of 1.97 ± 0.067 W/cm by 16 weeks. When clinical and TUS findings had returned to normal, the patients were allowed to return to sports activities, with no recurrences experienced during the study period. The production of pain associated with the application of TUS on a navicular stress fracture is a safe and reproducible method of monitoring the resolution of these fractures. We have used it successfully in making return-to-play decisions for elite level track and field athletes.

  17. Frequent Detection of Pancreatic Lesions in Asymptomatic High-Risk Individuals

    PubMed Central

    Canto, Marcia Irene; Hruban, Ralph H.; Fishman, Elliot K.; Kamel, Ihab R.; Schulick, Richard; Zhang, Zhe; Topazian, Mark; Takahashi, Naoki; Fletcher, Joel; Petersen, Gloria; Klein, Alison P.; Axilbund, Jennifer; Griffin, Constance; Syngal, Sapna; Saltzman, John R.; Mortele, Koenraad J.; Lee, Jeffrey; Tamm, Eric; Vikram, Raghunandan; Bhosale, Priya; Margolis, Daniel; Farrell, James; Goggins, Michael

    2012-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS The risk of pancreatic cancer is increased in patients with a strong family history of pancreatic cancer or a predisposing germline mutation. Screening can detect curable, non-invasive pancreatic neoplasms, but the optimal imaging approach is not known. We determined the baseline prevalence and characteristics of pancreatic abnormalities using 3 imaging tests to screen asymptomatic, high-risk individuals (HRI). METHODS We screened 225 asymptomatic adult HRI at 5 academic US medical centers once, using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS). We compared results in a blinded, independent fashion. RESULTS Ninety-two of 216 HRI (42%) were found to have at least 1 pancreatic mass (84 cystic, 3 solid) or a dilated pancreatic duct (n=5) by any of the imaging modalities. Fifty-one of the 84 HRI with a cyst (60.7%) had multiple lesions, typically small (mean 0.55 cm, range 2–39 mm), in multiple locations. The prevalence of pancreatic lesions increased with age; they were detected in 14% of subjects <50 years old, 34% of subjects 50–59 years old, and 53% of subjects 60–69 years old (P<.0001). CT, MRI, and EUS detected a pancreatic abnormality in 11%, 33.3%, and 42.6% of the HRI, respectively. Among these abnormalities, proven or suspected neoplasms were identified in 85 HRI (82 intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms [IPMN] and 3 pancreatic endocrine tumors). Three of 5 HRI who underwent pancreatic resection had high-grade dysplasia in <3 cm IPMNs and in multiple intraepithelial neoplasias. CONCLUSIONS Screening of asymptomatic HRI frequently detects small pancreatic cysts, including curable, non-invasive high-grade neoplasms. EUS and MRI detect pancreatic lesions better than CT. PMID:22245846

  18. Magnetic Resonance Imaging More Accurately Classifies Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Than Transient Elastography.

    PubMed

    Imajo, Kento; Kessoku, Takaomi; Honda, Yasushi; Tomeno, Wataru; Ogawa, Yuji; Mawatari, Hironori; Fujita, Koji; Yoneda, Masato; Taguri, Masataka; Hyogo, Hideyuki; Sumida, Yoshio; Ono, Masafumi; Eguchi, Yuichiro; Inoue, Tomio; Yamanaka, Takeharu; Wada, Koichiro; Saito, Satoru; Nakajima, Atsushi

    2016-03-01

    Noninvasive methods have been evaluated for the assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We compared the ability of transient elastography (TE) with the M-probe, and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to assess liver fibrosis. Findings from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based proton density fat fraction (PDFF) measurements were compared with those from TE-based controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) measurements to assess steatosis. We performed a cross-sectional study of 142 patients with NAFLD (identified by liver biopsy; mean body mass index, 28.1 kg/m(2)) in Japan from July 2013 through April 2015. Our study also included 10 comparable subjects without NAFLD (controls). All study subjects were evaluated by TE (including CAP measurements), MRI using the MRE and PDFF techniques. TE identified patients with fibrosis stage ≥2 with an area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve value of 0.82 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.74-0.89), whereas MRE identified these patients with an AUROC curve value of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.86-0.96; P = .001). TE-based CAP measurements identified patients with hepatic steatosis grade ≥2 with an AUROC curve value of 0.73 (95% CI: 0.64-0.81) and PDFF methods identified them with an AUROC curve value of 0.90 (95% CI: 0.82-0.97; P < .001). Measurement of serum keratin 18 fragments or alanine aminotransferase did not add value to TE or MRI for identifying nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. MRE and PDFF methods have higher diagnostic performance in noninvasive detection of liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with NAFLD than TE and CAP methods. MRI-based noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis is a potential alternative to liver biopsy in clinical practice. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry No. UMIN000012757. Copyright © 2016 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Ex vivo assessment of polyol coated-iron oxide nanoparticles for MRI diagnosis applications: toxicological and MRI contrast enhancement effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bomati-Miguel, Oscar; Miguel-Sancho, Nuria; Abasolo, Ibane; Candiota, Ana Paula; Roca, Alejandro G.; Acosta, Milena; Schwartz, Simó; Arus, Carles; Marquina, Clara; Martinez, Gema; Santamaria, Jesus

    2014-03-01

    Polyol synthesis is a promising method to obtain directly pharmaceutical grade colloidal dispersion of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs). Here, we study the biocompatibility and performance as T2-MRI contrast agents (CAs) of high quality magnetic colloidal dispersions (average hydrodynamic aggregate diameter of 16-27 nm) consisting of polyol-synthesized SPIONs (5 nm in mean particle size) coated with triethylene glycol (TEG) chains (TEG-SPIONs), which were subsequently functionalized to carboxyl-terminated meso-2-3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) coated-iron oxide nanoparticles (DMSA-SPIONs). Standard MTT assays on HeLa, U87MG, and HepG2 cells revealed that colloidal dispersions of TEG-coated iron oxide nanoparticles did not induce any loss of cell viability after 3 days incubation with dose concentrations below 50 μg Fe/ml. However, after these nanoparticles were functionalized with DMSA molecules, an increase on their cytotoxicity was observed, so that particles bearing free terminal carboxyl groups on their surface were not cytotoxic only at low concentrations (<10 μg Fe/ml). Moreover, cell uptake assays on HeLa and U87MG and hemolysis tests have demonstrated that TEG-SPIONs and DMSA-SPIONs were well internalized by the cells and did not induce any adverse effect on the red blood cells at the tested concentrations. Finally, in vitro relaxivity measurements and post mortem MRI studies in mice indicated that both types of coated-iron oxide nanoparticles produced higher negative T2-MRI contrast enhancement than that measured for a similar commercial T2-MRI CAs consisting in dextran-coated ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles (Ferumoxtran-10). In conclusion, the above attributes make both types of as synthesized coated-iron oxide nanoparticles, but especially DMSA-SPIONs, promising candidates as T2-MRI CAs for nanoparticle-enhanced MRI diagnosis applications.

  20. Cervical facet oedema: prevalence, correlation to symptoms, and follow-up imaging.

    PubMed

    Nevalainen, M T; Foran, P J; Roedl, J B; Zoga, A C; Morrison, W B

    2016-06-01

    To evaluate the prevalence of cervical facet oedema in patients referred for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate neck pain and/or radiculopathy, and to investigate whether there is a correlation between the presence of oedema and patients' symptoms. A retrospective report review of 1885 patients undergoing cervical spine MRI between July 2008 and June 2015 was performed. Exclusion criteria included acute trauma, surgery, neoplastic disease, or infection in the cervical spine. One hundred and seventy-three MRI studies with cervical facet oedema were evaluated by each of the two radiologists. In these patients, the grade of bone marrow oedema (BMO) and corresponding neuroforaminal narrowing at the cervical facets was assessed. Correlation with symptoms was performed based on pre-MRI questionnaire. The prevalence of cervical facet oedema was 9%; the most commonly affected levels were C3-4, C4-5, and C2-3. A total of 202 cervical facets were evaluated: mild BMO was seen in 35%, moderate in 41%, and severe in 24% of cases. Surrounding soft-tissue oedema was observed in 36%, 69%, and 92% of the BMO grades, respectively. The correlations between unilateral radiculopathy and ipsilateral facet BMO grades were 79%, 83%, and 73% (chi-square, p<0.001), respectively. Furthermore, neuroforaminal narrowing on the corresponding level was found in 35%, 38%, and 11% of cases, respectively. At follow-up imaging, facet oedema was most likely to remain unchanged or to decrease. The prevalence of cervical facet oedema is 9%. Cervical facet oedema is associated with ipsilateral radiculopathy. Neuroforaminal narrowing, however, is not associated with facet oedema. Copyright © 2016 The Royal College of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. Characterization of cartilage defects detected by MRI in Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0 or 1 knees.

    PubMed

    Taguchi, Kenji; Chiba, Ko; Okazaki, Narihiro; Kido, Yasuo; Miyamoto, Takashi; Yonekura, Akihiko; Tomita, Masato; Uetani, Masataka; Osaki, Makoto

    2017-09-01

    Osteoarthritis of the knee is generally evaluated by plain X-rays, which are incapable of detecting small cartilage damage. There are some patients who have small cartilage defects on MRI with no abnormal findings on plain X-rays. In this study, the prevalence and regional characteristics of cartilage defects detected by MRI were studied in cases with normal X-ray findings (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0 and 1). Relationships between the cartilage defects and OA risk factors such as obesity and leg alignment were also investigated. A total of 51 knees of Kellgren-Lawrence grade 0 or 1 without knee joint pain were included. Fat-suppressed spoiled-gradient recalled (SPGR) sagittal images were scanned by 3 T MRI, and the presence of cartilage damage was confirmed. Cartilage damage was visualized three-dimensionally, and its location and morphology were analyzed. On a full length standing radiograph of the lower extremities, leg alignment and other parameters were measured, and their associations with cartilage damage were analyzed. Cartilage defects were detected in 26% of women aged >50 years. Cartilage damage was located on the medial femoral condyle near the intercondylar notch, and was mostly elliptically shaped in the anteroposterior direction. Subjects with damaged cartilage were not obese and did not have abnormal leg alignment. It should be borne in mind that some elderly women may have damaged cartilage on the intercondylar notch side of the medial joint, even though plain X-rays appear normal, and this cannot be predicted by obesity or leg alignment. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Magnetic resonance imaging classification of haemodialysis-related amyloidosis of the shoulder: risk factors and arthroscopic treatment.

    PubMed

    Ando, Akira; Hagiwara, Yoshihiro; Sekiguchi, Takuya; Koide, Masashi; Kanazawa, Kenji; Watanabe, Takashi; Itoi, Eiji

    2017-07-01

    This study proposed new magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of haemodialysis shoulders (HDS) focusing on the changes of the rotator cuff, and rotator interval and risk factors for the development of HDS were examined. Eighty-five shoulders in 72 patients with a chief complaint of shoulder pain during haemodialysis and at least 10 years of haemodialysis were included. They were classified into 5 groups based on the thickness of the rotator cuff and conditions of rotator interval. Clinical and radiological findings in each grade were examined, and risk factors for the development of HDS were evaluated. Arthroscopic surgeries were performed on 22 shoulders in 20 patients, and arthroscopic findings were also evaluated. Positive correlations for the development of HDS were observed in duration of haemodialysis, positive hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, and previous haemodialysis-related orthopaedic surgery (P < 0.001, respectively). Strong correlations were observed between positive HCV and the progression of HDS (odds ratio 24.8, 95 % confidence interval 5.7-107.6). Arthroscopically, progression of the surrounding soft tissue degeneration was observed, and operative times were lengthened depending on the progression of MRI grading. A new MRI classification of HDS which may be helpful when considering arthroscopic surgeries has been proposed. Positive HCV infection was strongly associated with the progression of HDS on MRI. Conditions of the rotator interval and the rotator cuff based on the MRI classification should be examined when treating HDS patients. III.

  3. MRI signal distribution within the intervertebral disc as a biomarker of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and spondylolisthesis.

    PubMed

    Gervais, Julien; Périé, Delphine; Parent, Stefan; Labelle, Hubert; Aubin, Carl-Eric

    2012-12-03

    Early stages of scoliosis and spondylolisthesis entail changes in the intervertebral disc (IVD) structure and biochemistry. The current clinical use of MR T2-weighted images is limited to visual inspection. Our hypothesis is that the distribution of the MRI signal intensity within the IVD in T2-weighted images depends on the spinal pathology and on its severity. Therefore, this study aims to develop the AMRSID (analysis of MR signal intensity distribution) method to analyze the 3D distribution of the MR signal intensity within the IVD and to evaluate their sensitivity to scoliosis and spondylolisthesis and their severities. This study was realized on 79 adolescents who underwent a MRI acquisition (sagittal T2-weighted images) before their orthopedic or surgical treatment. Five groups were considered: low severity scoliosis (Cobb angle ≤50°), high severity scoliosis (Cobb angles >50°), low severity spondylolisthesis (Meyerding grades I and II), high severity spondylolisthesis (Meyerding grades III, IV and V) and control. The distribution of the MRI signal intensity within the IVD was analyzed using the descriptive statistics of histograms normalized by either cerebrospinal fluid or bone signal intensity, weighted centers and volume ratios. Differences between pathology and severity groups were assessed using one- and two-way ANOVAs. There were significant (p < 0.05) variations of indices between scoliosis, spondylolithesis and control groups and between low and high severity groups. The cerebrospinal fluid normalization was able to detect differences between healthy and pathologic IVDs whereas the bone normalization, which reflects both bone and IVD health, detected more differences between the severities of these pathologies. This study proves for the first time that changes in the intervertebral disc, non visible to the naked eye on sagittal T2-weighted MR images of the spine, can be detected from specific indices describing the distribution of the MR signal intensity. Moreover, these indices are able to discriminate between scoliosis and spondylolisthesis and their severities, and provide essential information on the composition and structure of the discs whatever the pathology considered. The AMRSID method may have the potential to complement the current diagnostic tools available in clinics to improve the diagnostic with earlier biomarkers, the prognosis of evolution and the treatment options of scoliosis and spondylolisthesis.

  4. Cancer of the Anal Canal: Diagnosis, Staging and Follow-Up with MRI.

    PubMed

    Durot, Carole; Dohan, Anthony; Boudiaf, Mourad; Servois, Vincent; Soyer, Philippe; Hoeffel, Christine

    2017-01-01

    Although a rare disease, anal cancer is increasingly being diagnosed in patients with risk factors, mainly anal infection with the human papilloma virus. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with external phased-array coils is recommended as the imaging modality of choice to grade anal cancers and to evaluate the response assessment after chemoradiotherapy, with a high contrast and good anatomic resolution of the anal canal. MRI provides a performant evaluation of size, extent and signal characteristics of the anal tumor before and after treatment, as well as lymph node involvement and extension to the adjacent organs. MRI is also particularly helpful in the assessment of complications after treatment, and in the diagnosis for relapse of the diseases.

  5. The Clinical Utility and Diagnostic Performance of MRI for Identification of Early and Advanced Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Quatman, Carmen E.; Hettrich, Carolyn M.; Schmitt, Laura C.; Spindler, Kurt P.

    2013-01-01

    Background Current diagnostic strategies for detection of structural articular cartilage abnormalities, the earliest structural signs of osteoarthritis, often do not capture the condition until it is too far advanced for the most potential benefit of non-invasive interventions. Purpose Systematically review the literature relative to the following questions: (1) Is MRI a valid, sensitive, specific, accurate and reliable instrument to identify knee articular cartilage abnormalities compared to arthroscopy? (2) Is MRI a sensitive tool that can be utilized to identify early cartilage degeneration? Study Design Systematic Review Methods A systematic search was performed in November 2010 using PubMed MEDLINE (from 1966), CINAHL (from 1982), SPORTDiscus (from 1985), and SCOPUS (from 1996) databases. Results Fourteen level I and 13 level II studies were identified that met inclusion criteria and provided information related to diagnostic performance of MRI compared to arthroscopic evaluation. The diagnostic performance of MRI demonstrated a large range of sensitivities, specificities, and accuracies. The sensitivity for identifying articular cartilage abnormalities in the knee joint was reported between 26–96%. Specificity and accuracy was reported between 50–100% and 49–94%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for identifying early osteoarthritis were reported between 0–86%, 48–95%, and 5–94%, respectively. As a result of inconsistencies between imaging techniques and methodological shortcomings of many of the studies, a meta-analysis was not performed and it was difficult to fully synthesize the information to state firm conclusions about the diagnostic performance of MRI. Conclusions There is evidence in some MRI protocols that MRI is a relatively valid, sensitive, specific, accurate, and reliable clinical tool for identifying articular cartilage degeneration. Due to heterogeneity of MRI sequences it is not possible to make definitive conclusions regarding its global clinical utility for guiding diagnosis and treatment strategies. Clinical Relevance Traumatic sports injuries to the knee may be significant precursor events to early onset of posttraumatic osteoarthritis. MRI may aid in early identification of structural injuries to articular cartilage as evidenced by articular cartilage degeneration grading. PMID:21730207

  6. Phase congruency map driven brain tumour segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Szilágyi, Tünde; Brady, Michael; Berényi, Ervin

    2015-03-01

    Computer Aided Diagnostic (CAD) systems are already of proven value in healthcare, especially for surgical planning, nevertheless much remains to be done. Gliomas are the most common brain tumours (70%) in adults, with a survival time of just 2-3 months if detected at WHO grades III or higher. Such tumours are extremely variable, necessitating multi-modal Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI). The use of Gadolinium-based contrast agents is only relevant at later stages of the disease where it highlights the enhancing rim of the tumour. Currently, there is no single accepted method that can be used as a reference. There are three main challenges with such images: to decide whether there is tumour present and is so localize it; to construct a mask that separates healthy and diseased tissue; and to differentiate between the tumour core and the surrounding oedema. This paper presents two contributions. First, we develop tumour seed selection based on multiscale multi-modal texture feature vectors. Second, we develop a method based on a local phase congruency based feature map to drive level-set segmentation. The segmentations achieved with our method are more accurate than previously presented methods, particularly for challenging low grade tumours.

  7. Detailed magnetic resonance imaging features of a case series of primary gliosarcoma.

    PubMed

    Sampaio, Luísa; Linhares, Paulo; Fonseca, José

    2017-12-01

    Objective We aimed to characterise the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of a case series of primary gliosarcoma, with the inclusion of diffusion-weighted imaging and perfusion imaging with dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI. Materials and methods We conducted a retrospective study of cases of primary gliosarcoma from the Pathology Department database from January 2006 to December 2014. Clinical and demographic data were obtained. Two neuroradiologists, blinded to diagnosis, assessed tumour location, signal intensity in T1 and T2-weighted images, pattern of enhancement, diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI studies on preoperative MRI. Results Seventeen patients with primary gliosarcomas had preoperative MRI study: seven men and 10 women, with a mean age of 59 years (range 27-74). All lesions were well demarcated, supratentorial and solitary (frontal n = 5, temporal n = 4, parietal n = 3); 13 tumours abutted the dural surface (8/13 with dural enhancement); T1 and T2-weighted imaging patterns were heterogeneous and the majority of lesions (12/17) showed a rim-like enhancement pattern with focal nodularities/irregular thickness. Restricted diffusion (mean apparent diffusion coefficient values 0.64 × 10 -3 mm 2 /s) in the more solid/thick components was present in eight out of 11 patients with diffusion-weighted imaging study. Dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI study ( n = 8) consistently showed hyperperfusion in non-necrotic/cystic components on relative cerebral volume maps. Conclusions The main distinguishing features of primary gliosarcoma are supratentorial and peripheral location, well-defined boundaries and a rim-like pattern of enhancement with an irregular thick wall. Diffusion-weighted imaging and relative cerebral volume map analysis paralleled primary gliosarcoma with high-grade gliomas, thus proving helpful in differential diagnosis.

  8. The efficacy of the modified classification system of soft tissue injury in extension injury of the lower cervical spine.

    PubMed

    Song, Kyung-Jin; Kim, Gyu-Hyung; Lee, Kwang-Bok

    2008-07-01

    To classify comprehensively the severity of soft tissue injury for extension injuries of the lower cervical spine by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To investigate severity of extension injuries using a modified classification system for soft tissue injury by MRI, and to determine the possibility of predicting cord injury by determining the severity of soft tissue injury. It is difficult to diagnose extension injuries by plain radiography and computed tomography. MRI is considered to be the best method of diagnosing soft tissue injuries. The authors examined whether an MRI based diagnostic standard could be devised for extension injuries of the cervical spine. MRI was performed before surgery in 81 patients that had experienced a distractive-extension injury during the past 5 years. Severities of soft tissue injury were subdivided into 5 stages. The retropharyngeal space and the retrotracheal space were measured, and their correlations with the severity of soft tissue injury were examined, as was the relation between canal stenosis and cord injury. Cord injury developed in injuries greater than Grade III (according to our devised system) accompanied by posterior longitudinal ligament rupture (P < 0.01). As the severity of soft tissue injury increased, the cord signal change increased (P < 0.01), the retropharyngeal space and the retrotracheal space increased, and swelling severity in each stage were statistically significant (P < 0.01). In canal stenosis patients, soft tissue damage and cord injury were not found to be associated (P = 0.45). In cases of distractive-extension injury, levels of soft tissue injury were determined accurately by MRI. Moreover, the severity of soft tissue injury was found to be closely associated with the development of cord injury.

  9. The Role of Endorectal Coil MRI in the management of patients with prostate cancer and in determining radical prostatectomy surgical margin status: A report of a single surgeon's practice

    PubMed Central

    Zhang, Jianqing; Loughlin, Kevin R.; Zou, Kelly H.; Haker, Steven; Tempany, Clare M.C.

    2009-01-01

    Objective To evaluate the role of combination of endorectal coil and external multicoil array MRI in the management of prostate cancer and predicting the surgical margin status in a single surgical practice. Materials and Methods We reviewed all patients referred by a single surgeon from January 1993 to May 2002 for staging prostate MRI prior to selecting treatment. All MRI examinations were performed using 1.5T (Signa; GE Medical Systems) with a combination of endorectal and pelvic multi-coil array. The tumor size, stage and total gland volume on MR, PSA and Gleason grade were all compared with the pathological stage and diagnosis of positive surgical margin (PSM). Result A total of 232 patients were evaluated, of which 110 underwent radical prostatectomy all performed by one surgeon (Group 1), and 122 did not (Group 2). The results showed MRI stage, PSA and age, all significantly different (P<0.001). In Group 1, the results showed a high specificity (99%) and accuracy (91%) of the MRI staging T3. Post-surgical follow up (median 4.5 years) showed 90% of men had PSA levels below 0.1ng/ml. The positive surgical margin (PSM) rate was 16%. There was no significant difference found on MR imaging between PSM group and non-PSM group. A single tumor length above 1.8cm was the cut point above which there was PSM (P=0.002). Conclusion In conclusion, the combined use of clinical data and endorectal MR imaging can help optimize patient management and selection for surgery, and in a single surgeon's practice lead to successful outcomes. PMID:17572201

  10. [The heterogeneity of blood flow on magnetic resonance imaging: a biomarker for grading cerebral astrocytomas].

    PubMed

    Revert Ventura, A J; Sanz Requena, R; Martí-Bonmatí, L; Pallardó, Y; Jornet, J; Gaspar, C

    2014-01-01

    To study whether the histograms of quantitative parameters of perfusion in MRI obtained from tumor volume and peritumor volume make it possible to grade astrocytomas in vivo. We included 61 patients with histological diagnoses of grade II, III, or IV astrocytomas who underwent T2*-weighted perfusion MRI after intravenous contrast agent injection. We manually selected the tumor volume and peritumor volume and quantified the following perfusion parameters on a voxel-by-voxel basis: blood volume (BV), blood flow (BF), mean transit time (TTM), transfer constant (K(trans)), washout coefficient, interstitial volume, and vascular volume. For each volume, we obtained the corresponding histogram with its mean, standard deviation, and kurtosis (using the standard deviation and kurtosis as measures of heterogeneity) and we compared the differences in each parameter between different grades of tumor. We also calculated the mean and standard deviation of the highest 10% of values. Finally, we performed a multiparametric discriminant analysis to improve the classification. For tumor volume, we found statistically significant differences among the three grades of tumor for the means and standard deviations of BV, BF, and K(trans), both for the entire distribution and for the highest 10% of values. For the peritumor volume, we found no significant differences for any parameters. The discriminant analysis improved the classification slightly. The quantification of the volume parameters of the entire region of the tumor with BV, BF, and K(trans) is useful for grading astrocytomas. The heterogeneity represented by the standard deviation of BF is the most reliable diagnostic parameter for distinguishing between low grade and high grade lesions. Copyright © 2011 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  11. USE OF THE PROSTATE HEALTH INDEX FOR DETECTION OF PROSTATE CANCER: RESULTS FROM A LARGE ACADEMIC PRACTICE

    PubMed Central

    Tosoian, Jeffrey J.; Druskin, Sasha C.; Andreas, Darian; Mullane, Patrick; Chappidi, Meera; Joo, Sarah; Ghabili, Kamyar; Agostino, Joseph; Macura, Katarzyna J.; Carter, H. Ballentine; Schaeffer, Edward M.; Partin, Alan W.; Sokoll, Lori J.; Ross, Ashley E.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND The Prostate Health Index (phi) outperforms PSA and other PSA derivatives for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa). The impact of phi testing in the real-world clinical setting has not been previously assessed. METHODS In a single, large, academic center, phi was tested in 345 patients presenting for diagnostic evaluation for PCa. Findings on prostate biopsy (including Grade Group [GG], defined as GG1: Gleason score [GS] 6, GG2: GS 3+4=7, GG3: GS 4+3=7, GG4: GS 8, and GG5: GS 9-10), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and radical prostatectomy (RP) were prospectively recorded. Biopsy rates and outcomes were compared to a contemporary cohort that did not undergo phi testing (n=1318). RESULTS Overall, 39% of men with phi testing underwent prostate biopsy. No men with phi<19.6 were diagnosed with PCa, and only 3 men with phi<27 had cancer of GG≥2. Phi was superior to PSA for the prediction of any PCa (AUC 0.72 vs. 0.47) and GG≥2 PCa (AUC 0.77 vs. 0.53) on prostate biopsy. Among men undergoing MRI and phi, no men with phi<27 and PI-RADS≤3 had GG≥2 cancer. For those men proceeding to RP, increasing phi was associated with higher pathologic GG (p=0.002) and stage (p=0.001). Compared to patients who did not undergo phi testing, the use of phi was associated with a 9% reduction in the rate of prostate biopsy (39% vs. 48%; p<0.001). Importantly, the reduction in biopsy among the phi population was secondary to decreased incidence of negative (8%) and GG1 (1%) biopsies, while the proportion of biopsies detecting GG≥2 cancers remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS In this large, real-time clinical experience, phi outperformed PSA alone, was associated with high-grade PCa, and provided complementary information to MRI. Incorporation of phi into clinical practice reduced the rate of unnecessary biopsies without changing the frequency of detection of higher grade cancers. PMID:28117387

  12. Anterior cruciate ligament tears treated with percutaneous injection of autologous bone marrow nucleated cells: a case series

    PubMed Central

    Centeno, Christopher J; Pitts, John; Al-Sayegh, Hasan; Freeman, Michael D

    2015-01-01

    Introduction This was a prospective case series designed to investigate treatment for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears using an injection of autologous bone marrow concentrate. Methods Consecutive adult patients presenting to a private outpatient interventional musculoskeletal and pain practice with knee pain, ACL laxity on exam, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evidence of a grade 1, 2, or 3 ACL tears with less than 1 cm retraction were eligible for this study. Eligible patients were treated with an intraligamentous injection of autologous bone marrow concentrate, using fluoroscopic guidance. Pre- and postprocedural sagittal MRI images of the ACLs were analyzed using ImageJ software to objectively quantify changes between pre- and posttreatment scans. Five different types of measurement of ACL pixel intensity were examined as a proxy for ligament integrity. In addition pain visual analog scale (VAS) and Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) values were recorded at baseline and at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and annually postinjection. Objective outcomes measured were pre- to post-MRI measurement changes, as analyzed by the ImageJ software. Subjective outcomes measured were changes in the VAS and LEFS, and a self-rated percentage improvement. Results Seven of ten patients showed improvement in at least four of five objective measures of ACL integrity in their postprocedure MRIs. In the entire study group, the mean gray value, median, raw integrated density, and modal gray value all decreased toward low-signal ACLs (P=0.01, P=0.02, P=0.002, and P=0.08), indications of improved ligament integrity. Seven of ten patients responded to the self-rated metrics follow up. The mean VAS change was a decrease of 1.7 (P=0.25), the mean LEFS change was an increase of 23.3 (P=0.03), and mean reported improvement was 86.7%. Conclusion Based on this small case series, autologous bone marrow concentrate shows promise in the treatment of grade 1, 2, and possibly grade 3 ACL tears without retraction. Further investigation using a controlled study design is warranted. PMID:26261424

  13. Mathematical modeling of energy metabolism and hemodynamics of WHO grade II gliomas using in vivo MR data.

    PubMed

    Guillevin, Rémy; Menuel, Carole; Vallée, Jean-Noël; Françoise, Jean-Pierre; Capelle, Laurent; Habas, Christophe; De Marco, Giovanni; Chiras, Jacques; Costalat, Robert

    2011-01-01

    Therapeutic management of low-grade gliomas (LGG) is a challenge because they have undergone anaplastic transformation with variable delay. Today, only progressive volume growth on successive MRI allows an in vivo monitoring of this evolution. On the other hand, multinuclear spectroscopy and perfusion available during MRI may also provide assessment of metabolic changes underlying morphological modifications. To overcome this drawback, we developed a mathematical model of the metabolism and the hemodynamic of gliomas, based on a physiological model previously published, and including the MR parameters. This allows us to suggest that some specific profiles of metabolic and hemodynamic changes would be good indicators of potential anaplastic transformation. Copyright © 2010 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

  14. Graded motor imagery and the impact on pain processing in a case of CRPS.

    PubMed

    Walz, Andrea D; Usichenko, Taras; Moseley, G Lorimer; Lotze, Martin

    2013-03-01

    Graded motor imagery (GMI) shows promising results for patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). In a case with chronic unilateral CRPS type I, we applied GMI for 6 weeks and recorded clinical parameters and cerebral activation using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI; pre-GMI, after each GMI block, and after 6 mo). Changes in fMRI activity were mapped during movement execution in areas associated with pain processing. A healthy participant served as a control for habituation effects. Pain intensity decreased over the course of GMI, and relief was maintained at follow-up. fMRI during movement execution revealed marked changes in S1 and S2 (areas of discriminative pain processing), which seemed to be associated with pain reduction, but none in the anterior insula and the anterior cingulate cortex (areas of affective pain processing). After mental rotation training, the activation intensity of the posterior parietal cortex was reduced to one third. Our case report develops a design capable of differentiating cerebral changes associated with behavioral therapy of CRPS type I study.

  15. Characteristic MR image finding of squatting exercise-induced rhabdomyolysis of the thigh muscles

    PubMed Central

    Yeon, Eung K; Kang, Hye J; Yoon, So H; Park, So Y; Park, Ji S; Jin, Wook

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To describe the characteristic MRI appearance of squatting-induced rhabdomyolysis involving the thigh muscles. Methods: This study consisted of 10 cases obtained at 3 institutions from 2005 to 2015. A retrospective review was performed to obtain clinical information and MR scans for rhabdomyolysis of the thigh muscles. MRI was analyzed according to the distribution and degree of muscle involvement; the degree was assessed and graded as normal, mild or prominent. Results: The mean patient age was 20.2 years (range, 15–24 years), and 7 of the 10 patients were male. All patients had history of excessive squatting action, suffered clinically from bilateral thigh pain and were confirmed to have rhabdomyolysis through analysis of serum creatine kinase (CK) levels. All of the patients (10/10) exhibited diffuse mild to prominent degree involvement of the anterior thigh muscles according to fluid-sensitive MR sequences. Among the anterior thigh muscles, the rectus femoris was spared in 8 patients (8/10) and mild degree involved in 2 patients (2/10). Thus, no cases exhibited prominent degree involvement of the rectus femoris muscle. Conclusion: Preservation of the rectus femoris muscle on MRI in squatting-induced rhabdomyolysis may be useful for differentiating rhabdomyolysis from other aetiologies. Advances in knowledge: Preservation of rectus femoris on MRI is distinguishable finding in squatting-induced rhabdomyolysis and reflects the functional anatomy of anterior thigh muscles. PMID:28181821

  16. Articular cartilage grading of the knee: diagnostic performance of fat-suppressed 3D volume isotropic turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA) compared with 3D T1 high-resolution isovolumetric examination (THRIVE).

    PubMed

    Lee, Young Han; Hahn, Seok; Lim, Daekeon; Suh, Jin-Suck

    2017-02-01

    Background Conventionally, two-dimensional (2D) fast spin-echo (FSE) sequences have been widely used for clinical cartilage imaging as well as gradient (GRE) sequences. Recently, three-dimensional (3D) volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been introduced with one 3D volumetric scan, and this is replacing slice-by-slice 2D MR scans. Purpose To evaluate the image quality and diagnostic performance of two 3D sequences for abnormalities of knee cartilage: fat-suppressed (FS) FSE-based 3D volume isotropic turbo spin-echo acquisition (VISTA) and GRE-based 3D T1 high-resolution isovolumetric examination (THRIVE). Material and Methods The institutional review board approved the protocol of this retrospective review. This study enrolled 40 patients (41 knees) with arthroscopically confirmed abnormalities of cartilage. All patients underwent isovoxel 3D-VISTA and 3D-THRIVE MR sequences on 3T MRI. We assessed the cartilage grade on the two 3D sequences using arthroscopy as a gold standard. Inter-observer agreement for each technique was evaluated with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Differences in the area under the curve (AUC) were compared between the 3D-THRIVE and 3D-VISTA. Results Although inter-observer agreement for both sequences was excellent, the inter-observer agreement for 3D-VISTA was higher than for 3D-THRIVE for cartilage grading in all regions of the knee. There was no significant difference in the diagnostic performance ( P > 0.05) between the two sequences for detecting cartilage grade. Conclusion FSE-based 3D-VISTA images had good diagnostic performance that was comparable to GRE-based 3D-THRIVE images in the evaluation of knee cartilage, and can be used in routine knee MR protocols for the evaluation of cartilage.

  17. Characterization of breast lesion using T1-perfusion magnetic resonance imaging: Qualitative vs. quantitative analysis.

    PubMed

    Thakran, S; Gupta, P K; Kabra, V; Saha, I; Jain, P; Gupta, R K; Singh, A

    2018-06-14

    The objective of this study was to quantify the hemodynamic parameters using first pass analysis of T 1 -perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data of human breast and to compare these parameters with the existing tracer kinetic parameters, semi-quantitative and qualitative T 1 -perfusion analysis in terms of lesion characterization. MRI of the breast was performed in 50 women (mean age, 44±11 [SD] years; range: 26-75) years with a total of 15 benign and 35 malignant breast lesions. After pre-processing, T 1 -perfusion MRI data was analyzed using qualitative approach by two radiologists (visual inspection of the kinetic curve into types I, II or III), semi-quantitative (characterization of kinetic curve types using empirical parameters), generalized-tracer-kinetic-model (tracer kinetic parameters) and first pass analysis (hemodynamic-parameters). Chi-squared test, t-test, one-way analysis-of-variance (ANOVA) using Bonferroni post-hoc test and receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve were used for statistical analysis. All quantitative parameters except leakage volume (Ve), qualitative (type-I and III) and semi-quantitative curves (type-I and III) provided significant differences (P<0.05) between benign and malignant lesions. Kinetic parameters, particularly volume transfer coefficient (K trans ) provided a significant difference (P<0.05) between all grades except grade-II vs III. The hemodynamic parameter (relative-leakage-corrected-breast-blood-volume [rBBVcorr) provided a statistically significant difference (P<0.05) between all grades. It also provided highest sensitivity and specificity among all parameters in differentiation between different grades of malignant breast lesions. Quantitative parameters, particularly rBBVcorr and K trans provided similar sensitivity and specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions for this cohort. Moreover, rBBVcorr provided better differentiation between different grades of malignant breast lesions among all the parameters. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

  18. MRI findings and return to play in football: a prospective analysis of 255 hamstring injuries in the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study.

    PubMed

    Ekstrand, Jan; Lee, Justin C; Healy, Jeremiah C

    2016-06-01

    The present study evaluated whether the MRI parameters of hamstring injuries in male professional football players correlate with time to return to play (RTP). 46 elite European football teams were followed prospectively for hamstring injuries between 2007 and 2014. Club medical staff recorded individual player exposure and time-loss after hamstring injury. MRI parameters were evaluated by two independent radiologists and correlated with the RTP data. A total of 255 grade 1 and 2 injuries were evaluated in this study. RTP was longer for grade 2 than grade 1 injuries (24±13, 95% CI 21 to 26 days vs 18±15, 95% CI 16 to 20 days; mean difference: 6, 95% CI 2 to 9 days, p=0.004, d=0.39). 84% of injuries affected the biceps femoris (BF) muscle, whereas 12% and 4% affected the semimembranosus (SM) and semitendinosus (ST), respectively. No difference in lay-off time was found for injuries to the three different muscles (BF 20±15 days, SM 18±11 days, ST 23±14 days; p=0.83). The recurrence rate was higher for BF injuries than for SM and ST injuries combined (18% vs 2%, p=0.009). The size of the oedema weakly correlated with time to RTP (r(2)=6-12%). No correlation was found between location of injury and time to RTP. The majority of the intramuscular injuries affected the MT junction (56% in grade 1 and 2 injuries), but no difference in lay-off time was found between the different types of injuries. The radiological grade and size of the oedema correlate with time to RTP for both, grade 1 and 2 injuries. No correlations were found between time to RTP and the location and type of injury. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

  19. Amide proton transfer imaging of adult diffuse gliomas: correlation with histopathological grades.

    PubMed

    Togao, Osamu; Yoshiura, Takashi; Keupp, Jochen; Hiwatashi, Akio; Yamashita, Koji; Kikuchi, Kazufumi; Suzuki, Yuriko; Suzuki, Satoshi O; Iwaki, Toru; Hata, Nobuhiro; Mizoguchi, Masahiro; Yoshimoto, Koji; Sagiyama, Koji; Takahashi, Masaya; Honda, Hiroshi

    2014-03-01

    Amide proton transfer (APT) imaging is a novel molecular MRI technique to detect endogenous mobile proteins and peptides through chemical exchange saturation transfer. We prospectively assessed the usefulness of APT imaging in predicting the histological grade of adult diffuse gliomas. Thirty-six consecutive patients with histopathologically proven diffuse glioma (48.1 ± 14.7 y old, 16 males and 20 females) were included in the study. APT MRI was conducted on a 3T clinical scanner and was obtained with 2 s saturation at 25 saturation frequency offsets ω = -6 to +6 ppm (step 0.5 ppm). δB0 maps were acquired separately for a point-by-point δB0 correction. APT signal intensity (SI) was defined as magnetization transfer asymmetry at 3.5 ppm: magnetization transfer ratio (MTR)asym = (S[-3.5 ppm] - S[+3.5 ppm])/S0. Regions of interest were carefully placed by 2 neuroradiologists in solid parts within brain tumors. The APT SI was compared with World Health Organization grade, Ki-67 labeling index (LI), and cell density. The mean APT SI values were 2.1 ± 0.4% in grade II gliomas (n = 8), 3.2 ± 0.9% in grade III gliomas (n = 10), and 4.1 ± 1.0% in grade IV gliomas (n = 18). Significant differences in APT intensity were observed between grades II and III (P < .05) and grades III and IV (P < .05), as well as between grades II and IV (P < .001). There were positive correlations between APT SI and Ki-67 LI (P = .01, R = 0.43) and between APT SI and cell density (P < .05, R = 0.38). The gliomas with microscopic necrosis showed higher APT SI than those without necrosis (P < .001). APT imaging can predict the histopathological grades of adult diffuse gliomas.

  20. Structure-borne sound from magnetic resonance imaging systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ungar, Eric E.; Zapfe, Jeffrey A.

    2003-10-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems are known to produce a considerable amount of audible noise. The recent tendency to install such systems on above-grade floors has led to increasing concerns about structure-borne noise transmission from the MRI to adjacent occupied areas. This paper presents the results of a study in which structure-borne noise forces produced by two operational MRI systems were determined via measurement of the floor vibrations induced by the systems and of the impedance of their supporting floors. Forces with known spectra were applied to the floors of planned MRI suites in a hospital extension and the corresponding noise in adjacent areas was measured. Similarly, airborne noise was introduced in the planned suites and the related noise in adjacent areas was measured. The results then were scaled to correspond to the measured MRI forces and airborne noise. It was found that in areas below the planned MRI installations structure-borne noise would predominate, unless it is mitigated. Structure-borne noise isolation of MRI systems, whose environments must meet stringent vibration criteria, is discussed briefly.

  1. A Modified Radiosurgery-Based Arteriovenous Malformation Grading Scale and Its Correlation With Outcomes

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Wegner, Rodney E.; Oysul, Kaan; Pollock, Bruce E.

    Purpose: The Pittsburgh radiosurgery-based arteriovenous malformation (AVM) grading scale was developed to predict patient outcomes after radiosurgery and was later modified with location as a two-tiered variable (deep vs. other). The purpose of this study was to test the modified radiosurgery-based AVM score in a separate set of AVM patients managed with radiosurgery. Methods and Materials: The AVM score is calculated as follows: AVM score = (0.1)(volume, cc) + (0.02)(age, years) + (0.5)(location; frontal/temporal/parietal/occipital/intraventricular/corpus callosum/cerebellar = 0, basal ganglia/thalamus/brainstem = 1). Testing of the modified system was performed on 293 patients having AVM radiosurgery from 1992 to 2004 at themore » University of Pittsburgh with dose planning based on a combination of stereotactic angiography and MRI. The median patient age was 38 years, the median AVM volume was 3.3 cc, and 57 patients (19%) had deep AVMs. The median modified AVM score was 1.25. The median patient follow-up was 39 months. Results: The modified AVM scale correlated with the percentage of patients with AVM obliteration without new deficits ({<=}1.00, 62%; 1.01-1.50, 51%; 1.51-2.00, 53%; and >2.00, 32%; F = 11.002, R{sup 2} = 0.8117, p = 0.001). Linear regression also showed a statistically significant correlation between outcome and dose prescribed to the margin (F = 25.815, p <0.001). Conclusions: The modified radiosurgery-based AVM grading scale using location as a two-tiered variable correlated with outcomes when tested on a cohort of patients who underwent both angiography and MRI for dose planning. This system can be used to guide choices among observation, endovascular, surgical, and radiosurgical management strategies for individual AVM patients.« less

  2. Interstitial photodynamic therapy and glioblastoma: light fractionation study on a preclinical model: preliminary results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leroy, Henri-Arthur; Vermandel, Maximilien; Tétard, Marie-Charlotte; Lejeune, Jean-Paul; Mordon, Serge; Reyns, Nicolas

    2015-03-01

    Background Glioblastoma is a high-grade cerebral tumor with local recurrence and poor outcome. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a local treatment based on the light activation of a photosensitizer (PS) in the presence of oxygen to form cytotoxic species. Fractionation of light delivery may enhance treatment efficiency by restoring tissue oxygenation. Objectives To evaluate the efficiency of light fractionation using MRI imaging, including diffusion and perfusion, compared to histological data. Materials and Methods Thirty-nine "Nude" rats were grafted with human U87 cells into the right putamen. After PS precursor intake (5-ALA), an optic fiber was introduced into the tumor. The rats were randomized in three groups: without illumination, with monofractionated illumination and the third one with multifractionated light. Treatment effects were assessed with early MRI including diffusion and perfusion sequences. The animals were eventually sacrificed to perform brain histology. Results On MRI, we observed elevated diffusion values in the center of the tumor among treated animals, especially in multifractionated group. Perfusion decreased around the treatment site, all the more in the multifractionated group. Histology confirmed our MRI findings, with a more extensive necrosis and associated with a rarified angiogenic network in the treatment area, after multifractionated PDT. However, we observed more surrounding edema and neovascularization in the peripheral ring after multifractionated PDT. Conclusion Fractionated interstitial PDT induced specific tumoral lesions. The multifractionated scheme was more efficient, inducing increased tumoral necrosis, but it also caused significant peripheral edema and neovascularization. Diffusion and perfusion MRI imaging were able to predict the histological lesions.

  3. Increased extrusion and ICRS grades at 2-year follow-up following transtibial medial meniscal root repair evaluated by MRI.

    PubMed

    Kaplan, Daniel J; Alaia, Erin F; Dold, Andrew P; Meislin, Robert J; Strauss, Eric J; Jazrawi, Laith M; Alaia, Michael J

    2017-11-02

    The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the short-term results of meniscal root repair surgery, assessing clinical and radiographic outcomes, utilizing MRI to assess root healing and extent of post-operative extrusion. This was a single-center, retrospective study evaluating patients who had undergone a medial meniscus posterior root repair using a transtibial pullout technique with two locking cinch sutures. Demographic data were collected from patient charts. Clinical outcomes were assessed with pre- and post-operative IKDC and Lysholm scores. Pre-op scores were taken at the patients' initial clinical visit, mean 1.55 months prior to surgery (± 1.8 months, min 0.3, max 7.3). Radiographic outcomes were assessed with MRI evaluation of root healing, meniscal extrusion, and cartilage degeneration using ICRS criteria. Tunnel placement was evaluated and compared to the anatomic footprint. Eighteen patients (47.2 years ± 11.9) were evaluated at mean follow-up of 24.9 months (± 7.2, min 18.4, max 35.6). The IKDC score significantly increased from 45.9 (± 12.6) pre-operatively to 76.8 (± 14.7) post-operatively (p < 0.001). Lysholm scores also increased from 50.9 (± 7.11) to 87.1 (± 9.8) (p < 0.001). Mean tunnel placement was 5.3 mm (± 3.5, range 0-11.8) away from the anatomic footprint. Mean extrusion increased from 4.74 mm (± 1.7) pre-operatively to 5.98 (± 2.8) post-operatively (p < 0.02). No patients with > 3 mm of extrusion on pre-operative MRI had < 3 mm of extrusion on post-operative MRI. Both medial femoral condyle and medial tibial plateau ICRS grades worsened significantly (p < 0.02 and p < 0.01, respectively). On MRI, one root appeared completely healed, 16 partially healed, and one not healed. Patients treated with the transtibial suture pull-out technique with two locking cinch sutures had improved clinical outcomes, but only partial healing in the majority of cases, increased extrusion, and progression of medial compartment cartilage defect grade on follow-up MRI. Patients should be counseled that although clinical outcomes in the short term may be optimistic, long-term outcomes regarding progression to degenerative arthritis may not be as predictable. III.

  4. Non-invasive methods for the determination of body and carcass composition in livestock: dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasound: invited review.

    PubMed

    Scholz, A M; Bünger, L; Kongsro, J; Baulain, U; Mitchell, A D

    2015-07-01

    The ability to accurately measure body or carcass composition is important for performance testing, grading and finally selection or payment of meat-producing animals. Advances especially in non-invasive techniques are mainly based on the development of electronic and computer-driven methods in order to provide objective phenotypic data. The preference for a specific technique depends on the target animal species or carcass, combined with technical and practical aspects such as accuracy, reliability, cost, portability, speed, ease of use, safety and for in vivo measurements the need for fixation or sedation. The techniques rely on specific device-driven signals, which interact with tissues in the body or carcass at the atomic or molecular level, resulting in secondary or attenuated signals detected by the instruments and analyzed quantitatively. The electromagnetic signal produced by the instrument may originate from mechanical energy such as sound waves (ultrasound - US), 'photon' radiation (X-ray-computed tomography - CT, dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry - DXA) or radio frequency waves (magnetic resonance imaging - MRI). The signals detected by the corresponding instruments are processed to measure, for example, tissue depths, areas, volumes or distributions of fat, muscle (water, protein) and partly bone or bone mineral. Among the above techniques, CT is the most accurate one followed by MRI and DXA, whereas US can be used for all sizes of farm animal species even under field conditions. CT, MRI and US can provide volume data, whereas only DXA delivers immediate whole-body composition results without (2D) image manipulation. A combination of simple US and more expensive CT, MRI or DXA might be applied for farm animal selection programs in a stepwise approach.

  5. Ultrasound evaluation of cortical brain development in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction.

    PubMed

    Businelli, Caterina; de Wit, Charlotte; Visser, Gerard H A; Pistorius, Lourens R

    2014-09-10

    Abstract Objective: We evaluated the ultrasound appearance of brain volume and cortical development in fetuses with early growth restriction and placental insufficiency. Methods: We examined a cohort of 20 fetuses with severe intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and evidence of placental insufficiency by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound between 24 and 34 weeks. We graded cortical development and measured the supratentorial intracranial volume. The cortical grading and volume were compared to data obtained from a reference population of 28 adequate for gestational age (AGA) fetuses. Results: Ultrasound examinations were performed in 20 fetuses with IUGR. The biometry and brain volume were significantly reduced in IUGR fetuses. There was evidence of accelerated cortical development in IUGR fetuses. Conclusion: This study confirms that the smaller brain volume in IUGR fetuses, with normal or accelerated cortical maturation as previously depicted with postnatal MRI examination, can be demonstrated by prenatal 3D ultrasound.

  6. Relationship Between Audio-Vestibular Functional Tests and Inner Ear MRI in Meniere's Disease.

    PubMed

    Quatre, Raphaële; Attyé, Arnaud; Karkas, Alexandre; Job, Agnès; Dumas, Georges; Schmerber, Sébastien

    2018-04-25

    Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder generally attributed to an endolymphatic hydrops. Different electrophysiological tests and imaging techniques have been developed to improve endolymphatic hydrops diagnosis. The goal of our study was to compare the sensitivity and the specificity of delayed inner ear magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after intravenous injection of gadolinium with extratympanic clicks electrocochleography (EcochG), phase shift of distortion product otoacoustic emissions (shift-DPOAEs), and cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP) for the diagnosis of Meniere's disease. Forty-one patients, with a total of 50 affected ears, were included prospectively from April 2015 to April 2016 in our institution. Patients included had definite or possible Meniere's disease based on the latest American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery guidelines revised in 2015. All patients went through delayed inner ear MRI after intravenous injection of gadolinium (three dimension-fluid attenuated inversion recovery sequences), pure-tone audiometry, extratympanic clicks EcochG, shift-DPOAEs, and cVEMP on the same day. Endolymphatic hydrops was graded on MRI using the saccule to utricle ratio inversion defined as when the saccule appeared equal or larger than the utricle. Abnormal EcochG and shift-DPOAEs in patients with definite Meniere's disease (DMD) were found in 68 and 64.5%, respectively. The two methods were significantly associated in DMD group. In DMD group, 25.7% had a positive MRI. The correlation between MRI versus EcochG and MRI versus shift-DPOAEs was not significant. MRI hydrops detection was correlated with hearing loss. Finally, 22.9% of DMD group had positive cVEMP. EcochG and shift-DPOAEs were both well correlated with clinical criteria of Meniere's disease. Inner ear MRI showed hydrops when hearing loss was higher than 35 dB. The shift-DPOAEs presented the advantage of a rapid and easy measurement if DPOAEs could be recorded (i.e., hearing threshold <60dB). In contrast, EcochG can be performed regardless of hearing loss. In combination with shift-DPOAEs, it enhances the chances to confirm the diagnosis with a better confidence.

  7. A rectal cancer feasibility study with an embedded phase III trial design assessing magnetic resonance tumour regression grade (mrTRG) as a novel biomarker to stratify management by good and poor response to chemoradiotherapy (TRIGGER): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

    PubMed

    Battersby, Nick J; Dattani, Mit; Rao, Sheela; Cunningham, David; Tait, Diana; Adams, Richard; Moran, Brendan J; Khakoo, Shelize; Tekkis, Paris; Rasheed, Shahnawaz; Mirnezami, Alex; Quirke, Philip; West, Nicholas P; Nagtegaal, Iris; Chong, Irene; Sadanandam, Anguraj; Valeri, Nicola; Thomas, Karen; Frost, Michelle; Brown, Gina

    2017-08-29

    Pre-operative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for MRI-defined, locally advanced rectal cancer is primarily intended to reduce local recurrence rates by downstaging tumours, enabling an improved likelihood of curative resection. However, in a subset of patients complete tumour regression occurs implying that no viable tumour is present within the surgical specimen. This raises the possibility that surgery may have been avoided. It is also recognised that response to CRT is a key determinant of prognosis. Recent radiological advances enable this response to be assessed pre-operatively using the MRI tumour regression grade (mrTRG). Potentially, this allows modification of the baseline MRI-derived treatment strategy. Hence, in a 'good' mrTRG responder, with little or no evidence of tumour, surgery may be deferred. Conversely, a 'poor response' identifies an adverse prognostic group which may benefit from additional pre-operative therapy. TRIGGER is a multicentre, open, interventional, randomised control feasibility study with an embedded phase III design. Patients with MRI-defined, locally advanced rectal adenocarcinoma deemed to require CRT will be eligible for recruitment. During CRT, patients will be randomised (1:2) between conventional management, according to baseline MRI, versus mrTRG-directed management. The primary endpoint of the feasibility phase is to assess the rate of patient recruitment and randomisation. Secondary endpoints include the rate of unit recruitment, acute drug toxicity, reproducibility of mrTRG reporting, surgical morbidity, pathological circumferential resection margin involvement, pathology regression grade, residual tumour cell density and surgical/specimen quality rates. The phase III trial will focus on long-term safety, regrowth rates, oncological survival analysis, quality of life and health economics analysis. The TRIGGER trial aims to determine whether patients with locally advanced rectal cancer can be recruited and subsequently randomised into a control trial that offers MRI-directed patient management according to radiological response to CRT (mrTRG). The feasibility study will inform a phase III trial design investigating stratified treatment of good and poor responders according to 3-year disease-free survival, colostomy-free survival as well as an increase in cases managed without a major resection. ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02704520 . Registered on 5 February 2016.

  8. Automated grading of lumbar disc degeneration via supervised distance metric learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    He, Xiaoxu; Landis, Mark; Leung, Stephanie; Warrington, James; Shmuilovich, Olga; Li, Shuo

    2017-03-01

    Lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) is a commonly age-associated condition related to low back pain, while its consequences are responsible for over 90% of spine surgical procedures. In clinical practice, grading of LDD by inspecting MRI is a necessary step to make a suitable treatment plan. This step purely relies on physicians manual inspection so that it brings the unbearable tediousness and inefficiency. An automated method for grading of LDD is highly desirable. However, the technical implementation faces a big challenge from class ambiguity, which is typical in medical image classification problems with a large number of classes. This typical challenge is derived from the complexity and diversity of medical images, which lead to a serious class overlapping and brings a great challenge in discriminating different classes. To solve this problem, we proposed an automated grading approach, which is based on supervised distance metric learning to classify the input discs into four class labels (0: normal, 1: slight, 2: marked, 3: severe). By learning distance metrics from labeled instances, an optimal distance metric is modeled and with two attractive advantages: (1) keeps images from the same classes close, and (2) keeps images from different classes far apart. The experiments, performed in 93 subjects, demonstrated the superiority of our method with accuracy 0.9226, sensitivity 0.9655, specificity 0.9083, F-score 0.8615. With our approach, physicians will be free from the tediousness and patients will be provided an effective treatment.

  9. Muscle MRI in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Evidence of a distinctive pattern.

    PubMed

    Polavarapu, Kiran; Manjunath, Mahadevappa; Preethish-Kumar, Veeramani; Sekar, Deepha; Vengalil, Seena; Thomas, PriyaTreesa; Sathyaprabha, Talakad N; Bharath, Rose Dawn; Nalini, Atchayaram

    2016-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to describe the pattern of muscle involvement using MRI findings and correlate with functional as well as muscle strength measurements. Fifty genetically confirmed DMD children with a mean age of 7.6 ± 2.8 (4-15 years) underwent muscle MRI and qualitative assessment was done for muscle changes using Mercuri staging for fibro-fatty replacement on T1 sequence and Borsato score for myoedema on STIR sequence. Detailed phenotypic characterisation was done with Manual muscle testing (modified MRC grading) and Muscular Dystrophy Functional Rating Scale (MDFRS). Mercuri scoring showed severe fibro-fatty changes in Gluteus medius, minimus and Adductor magnus followed by moderate to severe changes in Gluteus maximus and Quadriceps muscles. Total sparing of Gracilis, Sartorius and Semimembranosus muscles was observed. Superficial posterior and lateral leg muscles were preferentially involved with sparing of deep posterior and anterior leg muscles. Myoedema showed significant inverse correlation with fatty infiltration in thigh muscles. Similarly, significant inverse correlation was observed between Mercuri scores and MRC grading as well as MDFRS scores. A direct linear correlation was observed between duration of illness and fibro-fatty changes in piriformis, quadriceps and superficial posterior leg muscles. There was no correlation between MRI findings and genotypic characteristics. However, this specific pattern of muscle involvement in MRI could aid in proceeding for genetic testing when clinical suspicion is high, thus reducing the need for muscle biopsy. Fibro fatty infiltration as measured by Mercuri scoring can be a useful marker for assessing the disease severity and progression. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Arthroscopic repair of partial-thickness and small full-thickness rotator cuff tears: tendon quality as a prognostic factor for repair integrity.

    PubMed

    Chung, Seok Won; Kim, Jae Yoon; Yoon, Jong Pil; Lyu, Seong Hwa; Rhee, Sung Min; Oh, Se Bong

    2015-03-01

    The healing failure rate is high for partial-thickness or small full-thickness rotator cuff tears. To retrospectively evaluate and compare outcomes after arthroscopic repair of high-grade partial-thickness and small full-thickness rotator cuff tears and factors affecting rotator cuff healing. Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Included in the study were 55 consecutive patients (mean age, 57.9 ± 7.2 years) who underwent arthroscopic repair for high-grade partial-thickness (n = 34) and small full-thickness (n = 21) rotator cuff tears. The study patients also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) preoperatively and computed tomography arthrography (CTA) at least 6 months postoperatively, and their functional outcomes were evaluated preoperatively and at the last follow-up (>24 months). All partial-thickness tears were repaired after being converted to full-thickness tears; thus, the repair process was almost the same as for small full-thickness tears. The tendinosis of the torn tendon was graded from the MRI images using a 4-point scale, and the reliabilities were assessed. The outcomes between high-grade partial-thickness tears that were converted to small full-thickness tears and initially small full-thickness tears were compared, and factors affecting outcomes were evaluated. The inter- and intraobserver reliabilities of the tendinosis grade were good (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.706 and 0.777, respectively). Failure to heal as determined by CTA was observed in 12 patients with a high-grade partial-thickness tear (35.3%; complete failure in 4 and partial failure in 8) and in 3 patients with a small full-thickness tear (14.3%; complete failure in 1 and partial failure in 2). The patients with high-grade partial-thickness rotator cuff tears showed a higher tendinosis grade than did those with small full-thickness tears (P = .014), and the severity of the tendinosis was related to the failure to heal (P = .037). Tears with a higher tendinosis grade showed a 7.64-times higher failure rate (95% CI, 1.43-36.04) than did those with a lower tendinosis grade (P = .013). All functional outcome scores improved after surgery (all P < .001); however, there was no difference between groups. The high-grade partial-thickness rotator cuff tears showed more severe tendinosis compared with the small full-thickness tears in this study. Contrary to previous impressions that tear size or fatty infiltration is the factor that most influences healing, tendinosis severity assessed by preoperative MRI was the only factor associated with failure to heal, given the numbers available for analysis, in patients with partial-thickness and small full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Surgeons should pay more attention to tendon quality during repair surgery or rehabilitation in smaller rotator cuff tears, especially in high-grade partial-thickness tears with severe tendinosis. © 2014 The Author(s).

  11. Changes of Visual Pathway and Brain Connectivity in Glaucoma: A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Nuzzi, Raffaele; Dallorto, Laura; Rolle, Teresa

    2018-01-01

    Background: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The increasing interest in the involvement of the cortical visual pathway in glaucomatous patients is due to the implications in recent therapies, such as neuroprotection and neuroregeneration. Objective: In this review, we outline the current understanding of brain structural, functional, and metabolic changes detected with the modern techniques of neuroimaging in glaucomatous subjects. Methods: We screened MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, CENTRAL, LILACS, Trip Database, and NICE for original contributions published until 31 October 2017. Studies with at least six patients affected by any type of glaucoma were considered. We included studies using the following neuroimaging techniques: functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), voxel- based Morphometry (VBM), surface-based Morphometry (SBM), diffusion tensor MRI (DTI). Results: Over a total of 1,901 studies, 56 case series with a total of 2,381 patients were included. Evidence of neurodegenerative process in glaucomatous patients was found both within and beyond the visual system. Structural alterations in visual cortex (mainly reduced cortex thickness and volume) have been demonstrated with SBM and VBM; these changes were not limited to primary visual cortex but also involved association visual areas. Other brain regions, associated with visual function, demonstrated a certain grade of increased or decreased gray matter volume. Functional and metabolic abnormalities resulted within primary visual cortex in all studies with fMRI and MRS. Studies with rs-fMRI found disrupted connectivity between the primary and higher visual cortex and between visual cortex and associative visual areas in the task-free state of glaucomatous patients. Conclusions: This review contributes to the better understanding of brain abnormalities in glaucoma. It may stimulate further speculation about brain plasticity at a later age and therapeutic strategies, such as the prevention of cortical degeneration in patients with glaucoma. Structural, functional, and metabolic neuroimaging methods provided evidence of changes throughout the visual pathway in glaucomatous patients. Other brain areas, not directly involved in the processing of visual information, also showed alterations. PMID:29896087

  12. Magnetic resonance imaging-detected tumor response for locally advanced rectal cancer predicts survival outcomes: MERCURY experience.

    PubMed

    Patel, Uday B; Taylor, Fiona; Blomqvist, Lennart; George, Christopher; Evans, Hywel; Tekkis, Paris; Quirke, Philip; Sebag-Montefiore, David; Moran, Brendan; Heald, Richard; Guthrie, Ashley; Bees, Nicola; Swift, Ian; Pennert, Kjell; Brown, Gina

    2011-10-01

    To assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and pathologic staging after neoadjuvant therapy for rectal cancer in a prospectively enrolled, multicenter study. In a prospective cohort study, 111 patients who had rectal cancer treated by neoadjuvant therapy were assessed for response by MRI and pathology staging by T, N and circumferential resection margin (CRM) status. Tumor regression grade (TRG) was also assessed by MRI. Overall survival (OS) was estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine associations between staging of good and poor responders on MRI or pathology and survival outcomes after controlling for patient characteristics. On multivariate analysis, the MRI-assessed TRG (mrTRG) hazard ratios (HRs) were independently significant for survival (HR, 4.40; 95% CI, 1.65 to 11.7) and disease-free survival (DFS; HR, 3.28; 95% CI, 1.22 to 8.80). Five-year survival for poor mrTRG was 27% versus 72% (P = .001), and DFS for poor mrTRG was 31% versus 64% (P = .007). Preoperative MRI-predicted CRM independently predicted local recurrence (LR; HR, 4.25; 95% CI, 1.45 to 12.51). Five-year survival for poor post-treatment pathologic T stage (ypT) was 39% versus 76% (P = .001); DFS for the same was 38% versus 84% (P = .001); and LR for the same was 27% versus 6% (P = .018). The 5-year survival for involved pCRM was 30% versus 59% (P = .001); DFS, 28 versus 62% (P = .02); and LR, 56% versus 10% (P = .001). Pathology node status did not predict outcomes. MRI assessment of TRG and CRM are imaging markers that predict survival outcomes for good and poor responders and provide an opportunity for the multidisciplinary team to offer additional treatment options before planning definitive surgery. Postoperative histopathology assessment of ypT and CRM but not post-treatment N status were important postsurgical predictors of outcome.

  13. Fish consumption and risk of subclinical brain abnormalities on MRI in older adults.

    PubMed

    Virtanen, J K; Siscovick, D S; Longstreth, W T; Kuller, L H; Mozaffarian, D

    2008-08-05

    To investigate the association between fish consumption and subclinical brain abnormalities. In the population-based Cardiovascular Health Study, 3,660 participants age > or =65 underwent an MRI scan in 1992-1994. Five years later, 2,313 were scanned. Neuroradiologists assessed MRI scans in a standardized and blinded manner. Food frequency questionnaires were used to assess dietary intakes. Participants with known cerebrovascular disease were excluded from the analyses. After adjustment for multiple risk factors, the risk of having one or more prevalent subclinical infarcts was lower among those consuming tuna/other fish > or =3 times/week, compared to <1/month (relative risk 0.74, 95% CI = 0.54-1.01, p = 0.06, p trend = 0.03). Tuna/other fish consumption was also associated with trends toward lower incidence of subclinical infarcts. Additionally, tuna/other fish intake was associated with better white matter grade, but not with sulcal and ventricular grades, markers of brain atrophy. No significant associations were found between fried fish consumption and any subclinical brain abnormalities. Among older adults, modest consumption of tuna/other fish, but not fried fish, was associated with lower prevalence of subclinical infarcts and white matter abnormalities on MRI examinations. Our results add to prior evidence that suggest that dietary intake of fish with higher eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid content, and not fried fish intake, may have clinically important health benefits.

  14. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced 3.0-Tesla MRI findings for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions: Comparison with iodine-enhanced multi-detector computed tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Park, Hyong-Hu; Goo, Eun-Hoe; Im, In-Chul; Lee, Jae-Seung; Kim, Moon-Jib; Kwak, Byung-Joon; Chung, Woon-Kwan; Dong, Kyung-Rae

    2012-12-01

    The safety of gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine-pentaacetic-acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA) has been confirmed, but more study is needed to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) for whom surgical treatment is considered or with a metastatic hepatoma. Research is also needed to examine the rate of detection of hepatic lesions compared to multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT), which is used most frequently to localize and characterize a HCC. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI and iodine-enhanced MDCT imaging were compared for the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions. The clinical usefulness of each method was examined. The current study enrolled 79 patients with focal liver lesions who preoperatively underwent MRI and MDCT. In these patients, there was less than one month between the two diagnostic modalities. Imaging data were taken before and after contrast enhancement in both methods. To evaluate the images, we analyzed the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) in the lesions and the liver parenchyma. To compare the sensitivity of the two methods, we performed a quantitative analysis of the percentage signal intensity of the liver (PSIL) on a high resolution picture archiving and communication system (PACS) monitor (paired-samples t-test, p < 0.05). The enhancement was evaluated based on a consensus of four observers. The enhancement pattern and the morphological features during the arterial and the delayed phases were correlated between the Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI findings and the iodine-enhanced MDCT by using an adjusted x2 test. The SNRs, CNRs, and PSIL all had a greater detection rate in Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI than in iodine-enhanced MDCT. Hepatocyte-selective uptake was observed 20 minutes after the injection in the focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH, 9/9), adenoma (9/10), and highly-differentiated HCC (grade G1, 27/30). Rim enhancement was detected in all metastases (30/30). During the arterial and the delayed phases, good overall agreement between the gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MR and CT was observed (x2 test, p < 0.05). For the preoperative detection of focal liver lesions, Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI had a higher diagnostic value and higher detection rate than iodine-enhanced MDCT. The arterial and the delayed dynamic enhancement patterns, and the gadoxetic-acid-enhanced MR imaging can provide information on the possible degree of cellular differentiation of a HCC, adenoma or metastatic tumor.

  15. Development of a transplantable glioma tumour model from genetically engineered mice: MRI/MRS/MRSI characterisation.

    PubMed

    Ciezka, Magdalena; Acosta, Milena; Herranz, Cristina; Canals, Josep M; Pumarola, Martí; Candiota, Ana Paula; Arús, Carles

    2016-08-01

    The initial aim of this study was to generate a transplantable glial tumour model of low-intermediate grade by disaggregation of a spontaneous tumour mass from genetically engineered models (GEM). This should result in an increased tumour incidence in comparison to GEM animals. An anaplastic oligoastrocytoma (OA) tumour of World Health Organization (WHO) grade III was obtained from a female GEM mouse with the S100β-v-erbB/inK4a-Arf (+/-) genotype maintained in the C57BL/6 background. The tumour tissue was disaggregated; tumour cells from it were grown in aggregates and stereotactically injected into C57BL/6 mice. Tumour development was followed using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), while changes in the metabolomics pattern of the masses were evaluated by Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy/Spectroscopic Imaging (MRS/MRSI). Final tumour grade was evaluated by histopathological analysis. The total number of tumours generated from GEM cells from disaggregated tumour (CDT) was 67 with up to 100 % penetrance, as compared to 16 % in the local GEM model, with an average survival time of 66 ± 55 days, up to 4.3-fold significantly higher than the standard GL261 glioblastoma (GBM) tumour model. Tumours produced by transplantation of cells freshly obtained from disaggregated GEM tumour were diagnosed as WHO grade III anaplastic oligodendroglioma (ODG) and OA, while tumours produced from a previously frozen sample were diagnosed as WHO grade IV GBM. We successfully grew CDT and generated tumours from a grade III GEM glial tumour. Freezing and cell culture protocols produced progression to grade IV GBM, which makes the developed transplantable model qualify as potential secondary GBM model in mice.

  16. Acute posterior cruciate ligament injuries: effect of location, severity, and associated injuries on surgical management.

    PubMed

    Anderson, Mark A; Simeone, F Joseph; Palmer, William E; Chang, Connie Y

    2018-06-01

    To correlate MRI findings of patients with posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury and surgical management. A retrospective search yielded 79 acute PCL injuries (36 ± 16 years old, 21 F, 58 M). Two independent readers graded PCL tear location (proximal, middle, or distal third) and severity (low-grade or high-grade partial/complete) and evaluated injury of other knee structures. When available, operative reports were examined and the performed surgical procedure was compared with injury grade, location, and presence of associated injuries. The most commonly injured knee structures in acute PCL tears were posterolateral corner (58/79, 73%) and anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) (48/79, 61%). Of the 64 patients with treatment information, 31/64 (48%) were managed surgically: 12/31 (39%) had PCL reconstruction, 13/31 (42%) had ACL reconstruction, 10/31 (32%) had posterolateral corner reconstruction, 9/31 (29%) had LCL reconstruction, 8/31 (26%) had meniscectomy, and 8/31 (26%) had fixation of a fracture. Proximal third PCL tear and multiligamentous injury were more commonly associated with surgical management (P < 0.05). Posterolateral and posteromedial corner, ACL, collateral ligament, meniscus, patellar retinaculum, and gastrocnemius muscle injury, and fracture were more likely to result in surgical management (P < 0.05). Patients with high-grade partial/complete PCL tear were more likely to have PCL reconstruction as a portion of surgical management (P < 0.05). Location of PCL tear and presence of other knee injuries were associated with surgical management while high-grade/complete PCL tear grade was associated with PCL reconstruction. MRI reporting of PCL tear location, severity, and of other knee structure injuries is important for guiding clinical management.

  17. Differentiating between Central Nervous System Lymphoma and High-grade Glioma Using Dynamic Susceptibility Contrast and Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MR Imaging with Histogram Analysis.

    PubMed

    Murayama, Kazuhiro; Nishiyama, Yuya; Hirose, Yuichi; Abe, Masato; Ohyu, Shigeharu; Ninomiya, Ayako; Fukuba, Takashi; Katada, Kazuhiro; Toyama, Hiroshi

    2018-01-10

    We evaluated the diagnostic performance of histogram analysis of data from a combination of dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)-MRI and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI for quantitative differentiation between central nervous system lymphoma (CNSL) and high-grade glioma (HGG), with the aim of identifying useful perfusion parameters as objective radiological markers for differentiating between them. Eight lesions with CNSLs and 15 with HGGs who underwent MRI examination, including DCE and DSC-MRI, were enrolled in our retrospective study. DSC-MRI provides a corrected cerebral blood volume (cCBV), and DCE-MRI provides a volume transfer coefficient (K trans ) for transfer from plasma to the extravascular extracellular space. K trans and cCBV were measured from a round region-of-interest in the slice of maximum size on the contrast-enhanced lesion. The differences in t values between CNSL and HGG for determining the most appropriate percentile of K trans and cCBV were investigated. The differences in K trans , cCBV, and K trans /cCBV between CNSL and HGG were investigated using histogram analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of K trans , cCBV, and K trans /cCBV ratio was performed. The 30 th percentile (C30) in K trans and 80 th percentile (C80) in cCBV were the most appropriate percentiles for distinguishing between CNSL and HGG from the differences in t values. CNSL showed significantly lower C80 cCBV, significantly higher C30 K trans , and significantly higher C30 K trans /C80 cCBV than those of HGG. In ROC analysis, C30 K trans /C80 cCBV had the best discriminative value for differentiating between CNSL and HGG as compared to C30 K trans or C80 cCBV. The combination of K trans by DCE-MRI and cCBV by DSC-MRI was found to reveal the characteristics of vascularity and permeability of a lesion more precisely than either K trans or cCBV alone. Histogram analysis of these vascular microenvironments enabled quantitative differentiation between CNSL and HGG.

  18. Correlation of probability scores of placenta accreta on magnetic resonance imaging with hemorrhagic morbidity.

    PubMed

    Lim, Grace; Horowitz, Jeanne M; Berggruen, Senta; Ernst, Linda M; Linn, Rebecca L; Hewlett, Bradley; Kim, Jennifer; Chalifoux, Laurie A; McCarthy, Robert J

    2016-11-01

    To evaluate the hypothesis that assigning grades to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of suspected placenta accreta will correlate with hemorrhagic outcomes. We chose a single-center, retrospective, observational design. Nulliparous or multiparous women who had antenatal placental MRI performed at a tertiary level academic hospital were included. Cases with antenatal placental MRI were included and compared with cases without MRI performed. Two radiologists assigned a probability score for accreta to each study. Estimated blood loss and transfusion requirements were compared among groups by the Kruskal-Wallis H test. Thirty-five cases had placental MRI performed. MRI performance was associated with higher blood loss compared with the non-MRI group (2600 [1400-4500]mL vs 900[600-1500]mL, P<.001). There was no difference in estimated blood loss (P=.31) or transfusion (P=.57) among the MRI probability groups. In cases of suspected placenta accreta, probability scores for antenatal placental MRI may not be associated with increasing degrees of hemorrhage. Continued research is warranted to determine the effectiveness of assigning probability scores for antenatal accreta imaging studies, combined with clinical indices of suspicion, in assisting with antenatal multidisciplinary team planning for operative management of this morbid condition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Cerebral schistosomiasis: diffusion-weighted imaging helps to differentiate from brain glioma and metastasis.

    PubMed

    Huang, Jinbai; Luo, Jing; Peng, Jie; Yang, Tao; Zheng, Huanghua; Mao, Chunping

    2017-11-01

    Background Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was introduced into clinical use some years ago. However, its use in the diagnosis of cerebral schistosomiasis has not been reported. Purpose To investigate the ability of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of DWI in the diagnosis of cerebral schistosomiasis, and to differentiate it from brain high-grade gliomas and metastasis. Material and Methods Conventional brain MRI with pre-contrast, post-contrast, and DWI was performed on 50 cases of cerebral schistosomiasis, high-grade glioma, and brain metastasis. The ADC values of the three lesions, the proximal and the distal perifocal edema were measured. In order to remove the individual difference effect of ADC values, relative ADC (rADC) values were calculated through dividing the ADC value of the lesion area by that of the contralateral normal white matter. rADC values were used to evaluate the differences among cerebral schistosomiasis, brain high-grade gliomas, and metastasis. Results rADC of cerebral schistosomiasis was significantly lower than rADC of brain metastasis ( P < 0.05), without any significant differences when compared with high-grade gliomas. rADC of proximal perifocal edema in cerebral schistosomiasis was significantly higher than in high-grade gliomas ( P < 0.010), but not different compared with brain metastasis. Conclusion DWI examination with ADC values of lesions and proximal perifocal edema might be helpful in the exact diagnosis of cerebral schistosomiasis.

  20. MR arthrography in chondromalacia patellae diagnosis on a low-field open magnet system.

    PubMed

    Harman, Mustafa; Ipeksoy, Umit; Dogan, Ali; Arslan, Halil; Etlik, Omer

    2003-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic efficacy conventional MRI and MR arthrography (MRA) in the diagnosis of chondromalacia patella (CP) on a low-field open magnet system (LFOMS), correlated with arthroscopy. Forty-two patients (50 knees) with pain in the anterior part of the knee were prospectively examined with LFOMS, including T1-weighted, proton density-weighted and T2-weighted sequences. All were also examined T1-weighted MRI after intraarticular injection of dilue gadopentetate dimeglumine. Two observers, who reached a consensus interpretation, evaluated each imaging technique independently. Thirty-six of the 50 facets examined had chondromalacia shown by arthroscopy, which was used as the standard of reference. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of each imaging technique in the diagnosis of each stage of CP were determined and compared by using the McNemar two-tailed analysis. Arthroscopy showed that 16 facets were normal. Four (30%) of 13 grade 1 lesions were detected with T1. Four lesions (30%) with T2 and three lesions (23%) with proton-weighted images were detected. Seven (53%) of 13 grade 1 lesions were detected with MRA. Grade 2 abnormalities were diagnosed in two (33%) of six facets with proton density-weighted pulse sequences, two (33%) of six facets with T1-weighted pulse sequences, in three (50%) of six facets with T2-weighted pulse sequences, in five (83%) of six facets with MRA sequences. Grade 3 abnormalities were diagnosed in three (71%) of seven facets with proton density- and T1-weighted images, five (71%) of seven facets with T2-weighted pulse sequences, six (85%) of seven facets with MRA sequences. Grade 4 CP was detected with equal sensitivity with T1-, proton density- and T2-weighted pulse sequences, all showing seven (87%) of the eight lesions. MRA again showed these findings in all eight patients. All imaging techniques were insensitive to grade 1 lesions and highly sensitive to grade 4 lesion, so that no significant difference among the techniques could be shown. All imaging technique studied had high specificity and accuracy in the detection and grading of CP; however, MRA was more sensitive than T1-weighted and proton density-weighted MR imaging on a LFOMS. Although the arthrographic techniques were not significantly better than T2-weighted imaging, the number of false-positive diagnosis was greatest with T2-weighted MRI.

  1. Quantitative evaluation of treatment related changes on multi-parametric MRI after laser interstitial thermal therapy of prostate cancer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Viswanath, Satish; Toth, Robert; Rusu, Mirabela; Sperling, Dan; Lepor, Herbert; Futterer, Jurgen; Madabhushi, Anant

    2013-03-01

    Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) has recently shown great promise as a treatment strategy for localized, focal, low-grade, organ-confined prostate cancer (CaP). Additionally, LITT is compatible with multi-parametric magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) which in turn enables (1) high resolution, accurate localization of ablation zones on in vivo MP-MRI prior to LITT, and (2) real-time monitoring of temperature changes in vivo via MR thermometry during LITT. In spite of rapidly increasing interest in the use of LITT for treating low grade, focal CaP, very little is known about treatment-related changes following LITT. There is thus a clear need for studying post-LITT changes via MP-MRI and consequently to attempt to (1) quantitatively identify MP-MRI markers predictive of favorable treatment response and longer term patient outcome, and (2) identify which MP-MRI markers are most sensitive to post-LITT changes in the prostate. In this work, we present the first attempt at examining focal treatment-related changes on a per-voxel basis (high resolution) via quantitative evaluation of MR parameters pre- and post-LITT. A retrospective cohort of MP-MRI data comprising both pre- and post- LITT T2-weighted (T2w) and diffusion-weighted (DWI) acquisitions was considered, where DWI MRI yielded an Apparent Diffusion Co-efficient (ADC) map. A spatially constrained affine registration scheme was implemented to first bring T2w and ADC images into alignment within each of the pre- and post-LITT acquisitions, following which the pre- and post-LITT acquisitions were aligned. Pre- and post-LITT MR parameters (T2w intensity, ADC value) were then standardized to a uniform scale (to correct for intensity drift) and then quantified via the raw intensity values as well as via texture features derived from T2w MRI. In order to quantify imaging changes as a result of LITT, absolute differences were calculated between the normalized pre- and post-LITT MRI parameters. Quantitatively combining the ADC and T2w MRI parameters enabled construction of an integrated MP-MRI difference map that was highly indicative of changes specific to the LITT ablation zone. Preliminary quantitative comparison of the changes in different MR parameters indicated that T2w texture may be highly sensitive as well as specific in identifying changes within the ablation zone pre- and post-LITT. Visual evaluation of the differences in T2w texture features pre- and post-LITT also appeared to provide an indication of LITT-related effects such as edema. Our preliminary results thus indicate great potential for non-invasive MP-MRI imaging markers for determining focal treatment related changes, and hence long- and short-term patient outcome.

  2. Validation of goose liver fat measurement by QCT and CSE-MRI with biochemical extraction and pathology as reference.

    PubMed

    Xu, Li; Duanmu, Yangyang; Blake, Glen M; Zhang, Chenxin; Zhang, Yong; Brown, Keenan; Wang, Xiaoqi; Wang, Peng; Zhou, Xingang; Zhang, Manling; Wang, Chao; Guo, Zhe; Guglielmi, Giuseppe; Cheng, Xiaoguang

    2018-05-01

    This study aimed to validate the accuracy and reliability of quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and chemical shift encoded magnetic resonance imaging (CSE-MRI) to assess hepatic steatosis. Twenty-two geese with a wide range of hepatic steatosis were collected. After QCT and CSE-MRI examinations, the liver of each goose was removed and samples were taken from the left lobe, upper and lower half of the right lobe for biochemical measurement and histology. Fat percentages by QCT and proton density fat fraction by MRI (MRI-PDFF) were measured within the sample regions of biochemical measurement and histology. The accuracy of QCT and MR measurements were assessed through Spearman correlation coefficients (r) and Passing and Bablok regression equations using biochemical measurement as the "gold standard". Both QCT and MRI correlated highly with chemical extraction [r = 0.922 (p < 0.001) and r = 0.949 (p < 0.001) respectively]. Chemically extracted triglyceride was accurately predicted by both QCT liver fat percentages (Y = 0.6 + 0.866 × X) and by MRI-PDFF (Y = -1.8 + 0.773 × X). QCT and CSE-MRI measurements of goose liver fat were accurate and reliable compared with biochemical measurement. • QCT and CSE-MRI can measure liver fat content accurately and reliably • Histological grading of hepatic steatosis has larger sampling variability • QCT and CSE-MRI have potential in the clinical setting.

  3. Quantitative T2 magnetic resonance imaging compared to morphological grading of the early cervical intervertebral disc degeneration: an evaluation approach in asymptomatic young adults.

    PubMed

    Chen, Chun; Huang, Minghua; Han, Zhihua; Shao, Lixin; Xie, Yan; Wu, Jianhong; Zhang, Yan; Xin, Hongkui; Ren, Aijun; Guo, Yong; Wang, Deli; He, Qing; Ruan, Dike

    2014-01-01

    The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of quantitative T2 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for quantifying early cervical intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration in asymptomatic young adults by correlating the T2 value with Pfirrmann grade, sex, and anatomic level. Seventy asymptomatic young subjects (34 men and 36 women; mean age, 22.80±2.11 yr; range, 18-25 years) underwent 3.0-T MRI to obtain morphological data (one T1-fast spin echo (FSE) and three-plane T2-FSE, used to assign a Pfirrmann grade (I-V)) and for T2 mapping (multi-echo spin echo). T2 values in the nucleus pulposus (NP, n = 350) and anulus fibrosus (AF, n = 700) were obtained. Differences in T2 values between sexes and anatomic level were evaluated, and linear correlation analysis of T2 values versus degenerative grade was conducted. Cervical IVDs of healthy young adults were commonly determined to be at Pfirrmann grades I and II. T2 values of NPs were significantly higher than those of AF at all anatomic levels (P<0.000). The NP, anterior AF and posterior AF values did not differ significantly between genders at the same anatomic level (P>0.05). T2 values decreased linearly with degenerative grade. Linear correlation analysis revealed a strong negative association between the Pfirrmann grade and the T2 values of the NP (P = 0.000) but not the T2 values of the AF (P = 0.854). However, non-degenerated discs (Pfirrmann grades I and II) showed a wide range of T2 relaxation time. T2 values according to disc degeneration level classification were as follows: grade I (>62.03 ms), grade II (54.60-62.03 ms), grade III (<54.60 ms). T2 quantitation provides a more sensitive and robust approach for detecting and characterizing the early stage of cervical IVD degeneration and to create a reliable quantitative in healthy young adults.

  4. [A Case of Subcortical Intracerebral Hemorrhage Caused by Underlying Oligodendroglioma Diagnosed through Long-Term Follow-Up].

    PubMed

    Kidoguchi, Masamune; Isozaki, Makoto; Hirose, Satoshi; Kitai, Ryuhei; Kikuta, Ken-Ichiro

    2017-03-01

    We report on a case of an oligodendroglioma that caused intracerebral hemorrhage, which was diagnosed by long-term follow-up. An 82-year-old man with underlying hypertrophic cardiomyopathy presented with weakness in the right upper extremity. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)showed intracerebral hemorrhage and focal brain edema. Since there was a discrepancy between hematoma and focal brain edema, we first diagnosed cardiogenic cerebral embolism. Six months later, MRI results showed an improvement of the brain edema; however, the lesion developed after a year. We suspected that this lesion included a brain tumor and performed an open surgical biopsy. Pathological examination revealed that the tumor was an oligodendroglioma(World Health Organization grade 2). Because brain tumors that are complicated with intratumoral bleeding are often highly malignant and the lesions gradually increase in size, it is relatively easy to make a precise diagnosis. However, in low-grade gliomas, the intracerebral hemorrhage and brain edema may occasionally improve in the short term. We show that a case with a discrepancy between hematoma and brain edema should be followed up for at least more than a year, even when initial MRI does not reveal a brain tumor .

  5. A urinary biomarker-based risk score correlates with multiparametric MRI for prostate cancer detection.

    PubMed

    Hendriks, Rianne J; van der Leest, Marloes M G; Dijkstra, Siebren; Barentsz, Jelle O; Van Criekinge, Wim; Hulsbergen-van de Kaa, Christina A; Schalken, Jack A; Mulders, Peter F A; van Oort, Inge M

    2017-10-01

    Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnostics would greatly benefit from more accurate, non-invasive techniques for the detection of clinically significant disease, leading to a reduction of over-diagnosis and over-treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the association between a novel urinary biomarker-based risk score (SelectMDx), multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) outcomes, and biopsy results for PCa detection. This retrospective observational study used data from the validation study of the SelectMDx score, in which urine was collected after digital rectal examination from men undergoing prostate biopsies. A subset of these patients also underwent a mpMRI scan of the prostate. The indications for performing mpMRI were based on persistent clinical suspicion of PCa or local staging after PCa was found upon biopsy. All mpMRI images were centrally reviewed in 2016 by an experienced radiologist blinded for the urine test results and biopsy outcome. The PI-RADS version 2 was used. In total, 172 patients were included for analysis. Hundred (58%) patients had PCa detected upon prostate biopsy, of which 52 (52%) had high-grade disease correlated with a significantly higher SelectMDx score (P < 0.01). The median SelectMDx score was significantly higher in patients with a suspicious significant lesion on mpMRI compared to no suspicion of significant PCa (P < 0.01). For the prediction of mpMRI outcome, the area-under-the-curve of SelectMDx was 0.83 compared to 0.66 for PSA and 0.65 for PCA3. There was a positive association between SelectMDx score and the final PI-RADS grade. There was a statistically significant difference in SelectMDx score between PI-RADS 3 and 4 (P < 0.01) and between PI-RADS 4 and 5 (P < 0.01). The novel urinary biomarker-based SelectMDx score is a promising tool in PCa detection. This study showed promising results regarding the correlation between the SelectMDx score and mpMRI outcomes, outperforming PCA3. Our results suggest that this risk score could guide clinicians in identifying patients at risk for significant PCa and selecting patients for further radiological diagnostics to reduce unnecessary procedures. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. T1-weighted dual-echo MRI for fat quantification in pediatric nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Pacifico, Lucia; Martino, Michele Di; Catalano, Carlo; Panebianco, Valeria; Bezzi, Mario; Anania, Caterina; Chiesa, Claudio

    2011-07-07

    To determine in obese children with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in assessing liver fat concentration. A case-control study was performed. Cases were 25 obese children with biopsy-proven NAFLD. Controls were 25 obese children matched for age and gender, without NAFLD at ultrasonography and with normal levels of aminotransferases and insulin. Hepatic fat fraction (HFF) by MRI was obtained using a modification of the Dixon method. HFF ranged from 2% to 44% [mean, 19.0% (95% CI, 15.1-27.4)] in children with NAFLD, while in the controls this value ranged from 0.08% to 4.69% [2.0% (1.3-2.5), P < 0.0001]. HFF was highly correlated with histological steatosis (r = 0.883, P < 0.0001) in the NAFLD children. According to the histological grade of steatosis, the mean HFF was 8.7% (95% CI, 6.0-11.6) for mild, 21.6% (15.3-27.0) for moderate, and 39.7% (34.4-45.0) for severe fatty liver infiltration. With a cutoff of 4.85%, HFF had a sensitivity of 95.8% for the diagnosis of histological steatosis ≥ 5%. All control children had HFF lower than 4.85%; thus, the specificity was 100%. After 12 mo, children with weight loss displayed a significant decrease in HFF. MRI is an accurate methodology for liver fat quantification in pediatric NAFLD.

  7. Intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging in pediatric neurosurgery: safety and utility.

    PubMed

    Giordano, Mario; Samii, Amir; Lawson McLean, Anna C; Bertalanffy, Helmut; Fahlbusch, Rudolf; Samii, Madjid; Di Rocco, Concezio

    2017-01-01

    OBJECTIVE The use of high-field intraoperative MRI has been largely studied for the treatment of intracranial tumors in adult patients. In this study, the authors investigated the safety, advantages, and limitations of high-field iMRI for cranial neurosurgical procedures in pediatric patients, with particular attention to craniopharyngiomas and gliomas. METHODS The authors performed 82 surgical procedures in patients under 16 years of age (range 0.8-15 years) over an 8-year period (2007-2014) using iMRI. The population was divided into 3 groups based on the condition treated: sellar region tumors (Group 1), gliomas (Group 2), and other pathological entities (Group 3). The patients' pre- and postoperative neurological status, the presence of residual tumor, the number of intraoperative scans, and complications were evaluated. RESULTS In Group 1, gross-total resection (GTR) was performed in 22 (88%) of the procedures and subtotal resection (STR) in 3 (12%). In Group 2, GTR, STR, and partial resection (PR) were performed, respectively, in 15 (56%), 7 (26%), and 5 (18%) of the procedures. In Group 3, GTR was performed in 28 (93%) and STR in 2 (7%) of the procedures. In cases of craniopharyngioma (Group 1) and glioma (Group 2) in which a complete removal was planned, iMRI allowed localization of residual lesions and attainment of the surgical goal through further resection, respectively, in 18% and 27% of the procedures. Moreover, in gliomas the resection could be extended from partial to subtotal in 50% of the cases. In 17% of the patients in Group 3, iMRI enabled the identification and further removal of tumor remnants. There was no intra- or postoperative complication related to the use of iMRI despite special technical difficulties in smaller children. CONCLUSIONS In this study, the use of iMRI in children proved to be safe. It was most effective in increasing the extent of tumor resection, especially in patients with low-grade gliomas and craniopharyngiomas. The most prominent disadvantage of high-field iMRI was the limitation with respect to operative positioning due to the configuration of the surgical table.

  8. Magnetic resonance imaging of pelvic endometriosis.

    PubMed

    Méndez Fernández, R; Barrera Ortega, J

    Endometriosis is common in women of reproductive age; it can cause pelvic pain and infertility. It is important to diagnose endometriosis and to thoroughly evaluate its extension, especially when surgical treatment is being considered. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with careful examination technique and interpretation enables more accurate and complete diagnosis and staging than ultrasonography, especially in cases of deep pelvic endometriosis. Furthermore, MRI can identify implants in sites that can be difficult to access in endoscopic or laparoscopic explorations. In this article, we describe the appropriate MRI protocol for the study of pelvic endometriosis and the MRI signs of pelvic organ involvement. It is necessary to know the subtle findings and to look for them so we can ensure that they are not overlooked. We describe clinical grading systems for endometriosis and review the diagnostic efficacy of MRI in comparison with other imaging techniques and surgery. Copyright © 2017 SERAM. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  9. Muscle MRI STIR signal intensity and atrophy are correlated to focal lower limb neuropathy severity.

    PubMed

    Deroide, N; Bousson, V; Mambre, L; Vicaut, E; Laredo, J D; Kubis, Nathalie

    2015-03-01

    The objective is to determine if muscle MRI is useful for assessing neuropathy severity. Clinical, MRI and electromyography (EMG) examinations were performed in 17 patients with focal lower limb neuropathies. MRI Short Tau Inversion Recovery (STIR) signal intensity, amyotrophy, and muscle fatty infiltration measured after T1-weighted image acquisition, EMG spontaneous activity (SA), and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) were graded using semiquantitative scores and quantitative scores for STIR signal intensity and were correlated to the Medical Research Council (MRC) score for testing muscle strength. Within this population, subgroups were selected according to severity (mild versus severe), duration (subacute versus chronic), and topography (distal versus proximal) of the neuropathy. EMG SA and MVC MRI amyotrophy and quantitative scoring of muscle STIR intensity were correlated with the MRC score. Moreover, MRI amyotrophy was significantly increased in severe, chronic, and proximal neuropathies along with fatty infiltration in chronic lesions. Muscle MRI atrophy and quantitative evaluation of signal intensity were correlated to MRC score in our study. Semiquantitative evaluation of muscle STIR signal was sensitive enough for detection of topography of the nerve lesion but was not suitable to assess severity. Muscle MRI could support EMG in chronic and proximal neuropathy, which showed poor sensitivity in these patients.

  10. Mid-Term Vascular Safety of Renal Denervation Assessed by Follow-up MR Imaging

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schmid, Axel, E-mail: axel.schmid@uk-erlangen.de; Schmieder, Raphael; Lell, Michael

    Background/AimsRenal denervation (RDN) emerged as a treatment option for reducing blood pressure (BP) in patients with treatment-resistant hypertension (TRH). However, concerns have been raised regarding the incidence of late renal artery stenosis or thromboembolism after RDN. The goal of the current study was, therefore, to conduct a prospective clinical trial on the mid-term vascular integrity of the renal arteries and the perfusion of the renal parenchyma assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the follow-up after catheter-based RDN.MethodsIn our single-centre investigator initiated study, 51 patients with true TRH underwent catheter-based RDN using the Symplicity Flex{sup TM} catheter (Medtronic Inc., Palomore » Alto, CA). Follow-up MRI was performed at a median of 11 months (interquartile range 6–18 months) after RDN on a 1.5T MR unit. High-resolution MR angiography (MRA) and MRI results were compared to the baseline digital angiography of renal arteries obtained at time of RDN. In case of uncertainties (N = 2) catheter angiography was repeated.ResultsBoth office and 24-h ambulatory BP were significantly reduced 6 and 12 months after RDN. Renal function remained unchanged 6 and 12 months after RDN. In all patients, MRA excluded new or progression of pre-existing low grade renal artery stenosis as well as focal aneurysms at the sites of radiofrequency ablation. In none of the patients new segmental perfusion deficits in either kidney were detected on MRI.ConclusionsNo vascular or parenchymal complications after radiofrequency-based RDN were detected in 51 patients followed up by MRI.« less

  11. HR 3 Tesla MRI for the diagnosis of endolymphatic hydrops and differential diagnosis of inner ear tumors--demonstrated by two cases with similar symptoms.

    PubMed

    Homann, G; Fahrendorf, D; Niederstadt, T; Nagelmann, N; Heindel, W; Lütkenhöner, B; Böckenfeld, Y; Basel, T; Vieth, V

    2014-03-01

    The synchronous appearance of different inner ear pathologies with a nearly equivalent clinical manifestation such as Menière's disease and vestibular schwannoma is very rare but leads to a relevant dilemma concerning therapy options. MRI is the method of choice to detect intralabyrinthine tumors. Since endolymphatic hydrops is considered the morphological equivalent of Menière's disease, magnetic resonance imaging including hT2w-FLAIR sequences 4 h after i. v. administration of gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCA) allows the diagnosis and grading of endolymphatic hydrops in vivo synchronous to diagnosis and monitoring of ILT. To this day, only a few cases of intralabyrinthine schwannoma could be shown to appear simultaneously with endolymphatic hydrops by MRI, but to our knowledge the dedicated distinction of endolymphatic space has not been previously demonstrated. The aim of this work was not only to detect the coincidence of endolymphatic hydrops and vestibular schwannoma, but also to differentiate tumor tissue from endolymphatic space by 3 Tesla MRI. This enables therapy options that are originally indicated for Menière's disease. The aim of this work was to describe the feasibility and usefulness of endolymphatic hydrops MRI on intralabyrinthal tumors in a special case of intravestibular schwannoma to demonstrate the high clinical relevance and impact in therapeutic decision-making for the synchronous appearance of endolymphatic hydrops and intralabyrinthine tumors. Therefore, we present a typical case of Menière's disease in contrast to a patient with an intralabyrinthine schwannoma and Menière-like symptoms. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  12. Comparing the efficacy and safety between propofol and dexmedetomidine for sedation in claustrophobic adults undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (PADAM trial).

    PubMed

    Loh, Pui-San; Ariffin, Mohd Azlan; Rai, Vineya; Lai, Lee-Lee; Chan, Lucy; Ramli, Norlisah

    2016-11-01

    To determine the efficacy of sedation with dexmedetomidine compared to propofol for claustrophobic adults undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in our institution. Randomized, prospective, double-blinded study. University-based tertiary referral center. Thirty claustrophobic adults with American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status I and II who were planned for MRI. Patients were randomly assigned to target-controlled infusion propofol or dexmedetomidine loading followed by maintenance dose for procedural sedation. The primary end point was adequate reduction in patient anxiety levels to allow successful completion of the MRI sequence. Both methods of sedation adequately reduced anxiety levels in visual analog scale scores and Spielberger Strait Test Anxiety Inventory (P<.001). Dexmedetomidine required a longer time to achieve anxiolysis, 7.36minutes (SD, 2.59), and required increasing maintenance dose to induce sleep compared to 10.71minutes (SD, 4.63) for propofol. In terms of image quality, 2 patients (16.67%) in the dexmedetomidine group were satisfactory, whereas all with propofol were graded as good to excellent. Adverse effects were seen in patients sedated with dexmedetomidine with number needed to harm 8 for hypotension and 15 for bradycardia compared to none recorded in the propofol arm. There was no significant difference in patient satisfaction scores or home readiness after the MRI. Both dexmedetomidine and propofol can effectively reduce anxiety levels of claustrophobic adults undergoing MRI, but dexmedetomidine takes longer to achieve adequate anxiolysis and sleep and may have an effect on image quality. Hypotension and bradycardia are common adverse effects observed with dexmedetomidine. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Structural abnormalities and persistent complaints after an ankle sprain are not associated: an observational case control study in primary care

    PubMed Central

    van Ochten, John M; Mos, Marinka CE; van Putte-Katier, Nienke; Oei, Edwin HG; Bindels, Patrick JE; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita MA; van Middelkoop, Marienke

    2014-01-01

    Background Persistent complaints are very common after a lateral ankle sprain. Aim To investigate possible associations between structural abnormalities on radiography and MRI, and persistent complaints after a lateral ankle sprain. Design and setting Observational case control study on primary care patients in general practice. Method Patients were selected who had visited their GP with an ankle sprain 6–12 months before the study; all received a standardised questionnaire, underwent a physical examination, and radiography and MRI of the ankle. Patients with and without persistent complaints were compared regarding structural abnormalities found on radiography and MRI; analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index. Results Of the 206 included patients, 98 had persistent complaints and 108 did not. No significant differences were found in structural abnormalities between patients with and without persistent complaints. In both groups, however, many structural abnormalities were found on radiography in the talocrural joint (47.2% osteophytes and 45.1% osteoarthritis) and the talonavicular joint (36.5% sclerosis). On MRI, a high prevalence was found of bone oedema (33.8%) and osteophytes (39.5) in the talocrural joint; osteophytes (54.4%), sclerosis (47.2%), and osteoarthritis (55.4%, Kellgren and Lawrence grade >1) in the talonavicular joint, as well as ligament damage (16.4%) in the anterior talofibular ligament. Conclusion The prevalence of structural abnormalities is high on radiography and MRI in patients presenting in general practice with a previous ankle sprain. There is no difference in structural abnormalities, however, between patients with and without persistent complaints. Using imaging only will not lead to diagnosis of the explicit reason for the persistent complaint. PMID:25179068

  14. Muscle atrophy and metal-on-metal hip implants: a serial MRI study of 74 hips.

    PubMed

    Berber, Reshid; Khoo, Michael; Cook, Erica; Guppy, Andrew; Hua, Jia; Miles, Jonathan; Carrington, Richard; Skinner, John; Hart, Alister

    2015-06-01

    Muscle atrophy is seen in patients with metal-on-metal (MOM) hip implants, probably because of inflammatory destruction of the musculo-tendon junction. However, like pseudotumors, it is unclear when atrophy occurs and whether it progresses with time. Our objective was to determine whether muscle atrophy associated with MOM hip implants progresses with time. We retrospectively reviewed 74 hips in 56 patients (32 of them women) using serial MRI. Median age was 59 (23-83) years. The median time post-implantation was 83 (35-142) months, and the median interval between scans was 11 months. Hip muscles were scored using the Pfirrmann system. The mean scores for muscle atrophy were compared between the first and second MRI scans. Blood cobalt and chromium concentrations were determined. The median blood cobalt was 6.84 (0.24-90) ppb and median chromium level was 4.42 (0.20-45) ppb. The median Oxford hip score was 34 (5-48). The change in the gluteus minimus mean atrophy score between first and second MRI was 0.12 (p = 0.002). Mean change in the gluteus medius posterior portion (unaffected by surgical approach) was 0.08 (p = 0.01) and mean change in the inferior portion was 0.10 (p = 0.05). Mean pseudotumor grade increased by 0.18 (p = 0.02). Worsening muscle atrophy and worsening pseudotumor grade occur over a 1-year period in a substantial proportion of patients with MOM hip implants. Serial MRI helps to identify those patients who are at risk of developing worsening soft-tissue pathology. These patients should be considered for revision surgery before irreversible muscle destruction occurs.

  15. 3D Ultrashort TE MRI for Evaluation of Cartilaginous Endplate of Cervical Disk In Vivo: Feasibility and Correlation With Disk Degeneration in T2-Weighted Spin-Echo Sequence.

    PubMed

    Kim, Yeo Ju; Cha, Jang Gyu; Shin, Yoon Sang; Chaudhari, Akshay S; Suh, Young Ju; Hwan Yoon, Seung; Gold, Garry E

    2018-05-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of 3D ultrashort TE (UTE) MRI in depicting the cartilaginous endplate (CEP) and its abnormalities and to investigate the association between CEP abnormalities and disk degeneration on T2-weighted spin-echo (SE) MR images in cervical disks in vivo. Eight healthy volunteers and 70 patients were examined using 3-T MRI with the 3D UTE cones trajectory technique (TR/TE, 16.1/0.032, 6.6). In the volunteer study, quantitative and qualitative assessments of CEP depiction were conducted for the 3D UTE and T2-weighted SE imaging. In the patient study, CEP abnormalities were analyzed. Intersequence agreement between the images obtained with the first-echo 3D UTE sequence and the images created by subtracting the second-echo from the first-echo 3D UTE sequence (subtracted 3D UTE) and the intraobserver and interobserver agreements for 3D UTE overall were also tested. The CEP abnormalities on the 3D UTE images correlated with the Miyazaki grading of the T2-weighted SE images. In the volunteer study, the CEP was well visualized on 3D UTE images but not on T2-weighted SE images (p < 0.001). In the patient study, for evaluation of CEP abnormalities, intersequence agreements were substantial to almost perfect, intraobserver agreements were substantial to almost perfect, and interobserver agreements were moderate to substantial (p < 0.001). All of the CEP abnormalities correlated with the Miyazaki grade with statistical significance (p < 0.001). Three-dimensional UTE MRI feasibly depicts the CEP and CEP abnormalities, which may be associated with the severity of disk degeneration on T2-weighted SE MRI.

  16. Evaluation of liver function using gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging based on a three-dimensional volumetric analysis system.

    PubMed

    Kudo, Masashi; Gotohda, Naoto; Sugimoto, Motokazu; Kobayashi, Tatsushi; Kojima, Motohiro; Takahashi, Shinichiro; Konishi, Masaru; Hayashi, Ryuichi

    2018-06-02

    Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (EOB-MRI) is a diagnostic modality for liver tumors. Three-dimensional (3D) volumetric analysis systems using EOB-MRI data are used to simulate liver anatomy for surgery. This study was conducted to investigate clinical utility of a 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI to evaluate liver function. Between August 2014 and December 2015, 181 patients underwent laboratory and radiological exams as standardized preoperative evaluation for liver surgery. The liver-spleen contrast-enhanced ratio (LSR) was measured by a semi-automated 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI. First, the inter-evaluator variability of the calculated LSR was evaluated. Additionally, a subset of liver surgical specimens was evaluated histologically by using immunohistochemical staining. Finally, the correlations between the LSR and grading systems of liver function, laboratory data, or histological findings were analyzed. The inter-evaluator correlation coefficient of the measured LSR was 0.986. The mean LSR was significantly correlated with the Child-Pugh score (p = 0.014) and the ALBI score (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were also observed between the LSR and indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (r = - 0.601, p < 0.001), between the LSR and liver fibrosis stage (r = - 0.556, p < 0.001), and between the LSR and liver steatosis grade (r = - 0.396, p < 0.001). The LSR calculated by a 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI was highly reproducible and was shown to be correlated with liver function parameters and liver histology. These data suggest that this imaging modality can be a reliable tool to evaluate liver function.

  17. Cortical and subcortical mapping of language areas: correlation of functional MRI and tractography in a 3T scanner with intraoperative cortical and subcortical stimulation in patients with brain tumors located in eloquent areas.

    PubMed

    Jiménez de la Peña, M; Gil Robles, S; Recio Rodríguez, M; Ruiz Ocaña, C; Martínez de Vega, V

    2013-01-01

    To describe the detection of cortical areas and subcortical pathways involved in language observed in MRI activation studies and tractography in a 3T MRI scanner and to correlate the findings of these functional studies with direct intraoperative cortical and subcortical stimulation. We present a series of 14 patients with focal brain tumors adjacent to eloquent brain areas. All patients underwent neuropsychological evaluation before and after surgery. All patients underwent MRI examination including structural sequences, perfusion imaging, spectroscopy, functional imaging to determine activation of motor and language areas, and 3D tractography. All patients underwent cortical mapping through cortical and subcortical stimulation during the operation to resect the tumor. Postoperative follow-up studies were done 24 hours after surgery. The correlation of motor function and of the corticospinal tract determined by functional MRI and tractography with intraoperative mapping of cortical and subcortical motor areas was complete. The eloquent brain areas of language expression and reception were strongly correlated with intraoperative cortical mapping in all but two cases (a high grade infiltrating glioma and a low grade glioma located in the frontal lobe). 3D tractography identified the arcuate fasciculus, the lateral part of the superior longitudinal fasciculus, the subcallosal fasciculus, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and the optic radiations, which made it possible to mark the limits of the resection. The correlation with the subcortical mapping of the anatomic arrangement of the fasciculi with respect to the lesions was complete. The best treatment for brain tumors is maximum resection without associated deficits, so high quality functional studies are necessary for preoperative planning. Copyright © 2011 SERAM. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  18. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Characterization of Perianal Fistulous Disease in a Rural Based Tertiary Hospital of North India.

    PubMed

    Chauhan, Narvir Singh; Sood, Dinesh; Shukla, Anurag

    2016-01-01

    To diagnose and characterize the perianal fistulous disease using Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a hilly and rural area of North India. This prospective hospital based study was conducted for a period of one year from April 2014 to April 2015 in the departments of Radiodiagnosis and Surgery of our institute. A total of 50 consecutive patients presenting with perianal fistulous disease fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria were included in the study and taken up for MRI. The perianal fistulae were classified according to St James University hospital classification and tracks were assessed with regard to anatomical plane, length, ramifications, abscess formation, enteric communication, external cutaneous opening, enhancement and suprasphincteric extension. Surgical correlation was done in 31 patients who opted for surgical treatment. Rest of the 19 patients preferred alternative medicine for treatment or chose to postpone their surgery. The disease was much more prevalent in males in comparison to females with male to female ratio of 24:1. Grade 4 was the most common type of fistula (34%) while Grade 5 was the least common type (4%).MRI showed a high sensitivity of 93.7% and positive predictive value (PPV) of 96.7% when correlated with surgical findings. A substantial number of patients (38%) preferred alternative medicine or non surgical form of treatment. MRI is a very sensitive modality for the evaluation of perianal fistula. In our study group, the disease predominantly affected middle aged men. Ramifications and abscesses were commonly seen, affecting nearly half of the patients and majority of the patients had active fistulous tracks with posteriorly located enteric opening. Overall, transsphincteric fistulae were most common. Significant number of patients avoided surgery or showed preference for non surgical treatment.

  19. Quantitative assessment of fat infiltration in the rotator cuff muscles using water-fat MRI.

    PubMed

    Nardo, Lorenzo; Karampinos, Dimitrios C; Lansdown, Drew A; Carballido-Gamio, Julio; Lee, Sonia; Maroldi, Roberto; Ma, C Benjamin; Link, Thomas M; Krug, Roland

    2014-05-01

    To evaluate a chemical shift-based fat quantification technique in the rotator cuff muscles in comparison with the semiquantitative Goutallier fat infiltration classification (GC) and to assess their relationship with clinical parameters. The shoulders of 57 patients were imaged using a 3T MR scanner. The rotator cuff muscles were assessed for fat infiltration using GC by two radiologists and an orthopedic surgeon. Sequences included oblique-sagittal T1-, T2-, and proton density-weighted fast spin echo, and six-echo gradient echo. The iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) was used to measure fat fraction. Pain and range of motion of the shoulder were recorded. Fat fraction values were significantly correlated with GC grades (P < 0.0001, κ >0.9) showing consistent increase with GC grades (grade = 0, 0%-5.59%; grade = 1, 1.1%-9.70%; grade = 2, 6.44%-14.86%; grade = 3, 15.25%-17.77%; grade = 4, 19.85%-29.63%). A significant correlation between fat infiltration of the subscapularis muscle quantified with IDEAL versus 1) deficit in internal rotation (Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient [SRC] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.13-0.60, P < 0.01) and 2) pain (SRC coefficient = 0.313, 95% CI 0.049-0.536, P = 0.02) was found but was not seen between the clinical parameters and GC grades. Additionally, only quantitative fat infiltration measures of the supraspinatus muscle were significantly correlated with a deficit in abduction (SRC coefficient = 0.45, 95% CI 0.20-0.60, P < 0.01). An accurate and highly reproducible fat quantification in the rotator cuff muscles using water-fat magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques is possible and significantly correlates with shoulder pain and range of motion. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Evaluation of the chondromalacia patella using a microscopy coil: comparison of the two-dimensional fast spin echo techniques and the three-dimensional fast field echo techniques.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyun-joo; Lee, Sang Hoon; Kang, Chang Ho; Ryu, Jeong Ah; Shin, Myung Jin; Cho, Kyung-Ja; Cho, Woo Shin

    2011-01-01

    We wanted to compare the two-dimensional (2D) fast spin echo (FSE) techniques and the three-dimensional (3D) fast field echo techniques for the evaluation of the chondromalacia patella using a microscopy coil. Twenty five patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were included in this study. Preoperative MRI evaluation of the patella was performed using a microscopy coil (47 mm). The proton density-weighted fast spin echo images (PD), the fat-suppressed PD images (FS-PD), the intermediate weighted-fat suppressed fast spin echo images (iw-FS-FSE), the 3D balanced-fast field echo images (B-FFE), the 3D water selective cartilage scan (WATS-c) and the 3D water selective fluid scan (WATS-f) were obtained on a 1.5T MRI scanner. The patellar cartilage was evaluated in nine areas: the superior, middle and the inferior portions that were subdivided into the medial, central and lateral facets in a total of 215 areas. Employing the Noyes grading system, the MRI grade 0-I, II and III lesions were compared using the gross and microscopic findings. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were evaluated for each sequence. The significance of the differences for the individual sequences was calculated using the McNemar test. The gross and microscopic findings demonstrated 167 grade 0-I lesions, 40 grade II lesions and eight grade III lesions. Iw-FS-FSE had the highest accuracy (sensitivity/specificity/accuracy = 88%/98%/96%), followed by FS-PD (78%/98%/93%, respectively), PD (76%/98%/93%, respectively), B-FFE (71%/100%/93%, respectively), WATS-c (67%/100%/92%, respectively) and WATS-f (58%/99%/89%, respectively). There were statistically significant differences for the iw-FS-FSE and WATS-f and for the PD-FS and WATS-f (p < 0.01). The iw-FS-FSE images obtained with a microscopy coil show best diagnostic performance among the 2D and 3D GRE images for evaluating the chondromalacia patella.

  1. Prognostic factors of arthroscopic pull-out repair for a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus.

    PubMed

    Moon, Hong-Kyo; Koh, Yong-Gon; Kim, Yong-Chan; Park, Young-Sik; Jo, Seung-Bae; Kwon, Sae-Kwang

    2012-05-01

    Repair of a posterior root tear of the medial meniscus (MRT) decreases peak contact pressure by restoring hoop tension and is expected to prevent progression to osteoarthritis. The purposes of this study were (1) to report the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of arthroscopic pull-out repair of the MRT and (2) to identify prognostic factors of poor outcome. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Fifty-one patients (47 women, 4 men) who underwent arthroscopic pull-out repair of the MRT by a single surgeon were enrolled. Mean follow-up after surgery was 33 months (range, 24-44 months). To identify factors affecting final outcome, patient-specific factors, such as gender, age, body mass index, meniscus extrusion, extrusion increase, subchondral edema, degree of varus alignment (<5° or >5°), and cartilage status in the medial compartment (Outerbridge grade 1 or 2 lesion vs grade 3 or 4 lesion), were investigated. Final clinical outcomes were determined using a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and patient satisfaction scores, American Knee Society (AKS) scores, and Lysholm scores, and MRI outcomes were determined by evaluating meniscus extrusion and articular cartilage status. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify variables that independently affected clinical and MRI-determined outcomes. All clinical outcome measures significantly improved after surgery. Patients with Outerbridge grade 3 or 4 chondral lesions had poorer results than those with grade 1 or 2 lesions in terms of AKS function and Lysholm scores. Patients with varus alignment of >5° had poorer results than those with varus alignment of <5° in terms of VAS satisfaction, AKS function, and Lysholm scores. Mean meniscus extrusion increased from 3.6 mm preoperatively to 5.0 mm postoperatively. Chondral lesions progressed in 3 (9.7%) of 31 patients. Preoperative meniscus extrusion was found to be positively correlated with final extrusion. At a mean follow-up of 33 months after pull-out repair, extrusion of the meniscus was found to have progressed. Nevertheless, this technique provided patients with a clinical benefit. Outerbridge grade 3 or 4 chondral lesions and varus alignment of >5° were found to independently predict an inferior clinical outcome.

  2. Clinical application of a color map pattern on shear-wave elastography for invasive breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Lee, Seokwon; Jung, Younglae; Bae, Youngtae

    2016-03-01

    The aim of this study was to classify the color map pattern on shear-wave elastography (SWE) and to determine its association with clinicopathological factors for clinical application in invasive breast cancer. From June to December 2014, 103 invasive breast cancers were imaged by B-mode ultrasonography (US) and SWE just before surgery. The color map pattern identified on the SWE could be classified into three main categories: type 1 (diffuse pattern), increased stiffness in the surrounding stroma and the interior lesion itself; type 2 (lateral pattern), marked peri-tumoral stiffness at the anterior and lateral portions with no or minor stiffness at the posterior portion; and type 3 (rim-off pattern), marked peri-tumoral stiffness at the anterior and posterior portion with no or minor stiffness at both lateral portions. High-grade density on mammography (grade 3-4) was more frequent in the type 1 pattern than the other pattern types (80.5% in high-grade density vs. 19.5% in low-grade density). For type 1 tumors, the extent of synchronous non-invasive cancers (pT0), ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), was 1.8-2.0 times wider than that measured by US or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For type 2 tumors, the invasive tumor components (pT size) size was 1.3 times greater than measured by MRI (p = 0.049). On the other hand, the pT size and pT0 extent of type 3 tumors were almost equal to the preoperative US and MRI measurements. In terms of immunohistochemical (IHC) profiles, type 3 tumors showed a high histologic grade (p = 0.021), poor differentiation (p = 0.009), presence of necrosis (p = 0.018), and high Ki-67 (p = 0.002). The percentage of HER2-positive cancers was relatively high within the type 2 group, and the percentage of triple negative breast cancer was relatively high in the type 3 group (p = 0.011). We expect that assessments of the SWE color map pattern will prove useful for surgical or therapeutic plan decisions and to predict prognosis in invasive breast cancer patients. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Patients With Mechanical Low Back Pain Using a Novel Rapid-Acquisition Three-Dimensional SPACE Sequence at 1.5-T: A Pilot Study Comparing Lumbar Stenosis Assessment With Routine Two-Dimensional Magnetic Resonance Sequences.

    PubMed

    Swami, Vimarsha G; Katlariwala, Mihir; Dhillon, Sukhvinder; Jibri, Zaid; Jaremko, Jacob L

    2016-11-01

    To minimize the burden of overutilisation of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a resource-constrained public healthcare system, it may be helpful to image some patients with mechanical low-back pain (LBP) using a simplified rapid MRI screening protocol at 1.5-T. A rapid-acquisition 3-dimensional (3D) SPACE (Sampling Perfection with Application-optimized Contrasts using different flip angle Evolution) sequence can demonstrate common etiologies of LBP. We compared lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS) and neural foraminal stenosis (LNFS) assessment on 3D SPACE against conventional 2-dimensional (2D) MRI. We prospectively performed 3D SPACE and 2D spin-echo MRI sequences (axial or sagittal T1-weighted or T2-weighted) at 1.5-T in 20 patients. Two blinded readers assessed levels L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 using: 1) morphologic grading systems, 2) global impression on the presence or absence of clinically significant stenosis (n = 60 disc levels for LSCS, n = 120 foramina for LNFS). Reliability statistics were calculated. Acquisition time was ∼5 minutes for SPACE and ∼20 minutes for 2D MRI sequences. Interobserver agreement of LSCS was substantial to near perfect on both sequences (morphologic grading: kappa [k] = 0.71 SPACE, k = 0.69 T2-weighted; global impression: k = 0.85 SPACE, k = 0.78 T2-weighted). LNFS assessment had superior interobserver reliability using SPACE than T1-weighted (k = 0.54 vs 0.37). Intersequence agreement of findings between SPACE and 2D MRI was substantial to near perfect by global impression (LSCS: k = 0.78 Reader 1, k = 0.85 Reader 2; LNFS: k = 0.63 Reader 1, k = 0.66 Reader 2). 3D SPACE was acquired in one-quarter the time as the conventional 2D MRI protocol, had excellent agreement with 2D MRI for stenosis assessment, and had interobserver reliability superior to 2D MRI. These results justify future work to explore the role of 3D SPACE in a rapid MRI screening protocol at 1.5-T for mechanical LBP. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Degeneration of the long biceps tendon: comparison of MRI with gross anatomy and histology.

    PubMed

    Buck, Florian M; Grehn, Holger; Hilbe, Monika; Pfirrmann, Christian W A; Manzanell, Silvana; Hodler, Jürg

    2009-11-01

    The objective of our study was to relate alterations in biceps tendon diameter and signal on MR images to gross anatomy and histology. T1-weighted, T2-weighted fat-saturated, and proton density-weighted fat-saturated spin-echo sequences were acquired in 15 cadaveric shoulders. Biceps tendon diameter (normal, flattened, thickened, and partially or completely torn) and signal intensity (compared with bone, fat, muscle, and joint fluid) were graded by two readers independently and in a blinded fashion. The distance of tendon abnormalities from the attachment at the glenoid were noted in millimeters. MRI findings were related to gross anatomic and histologic findings. On the basis of gross anatomy, there were six normal, five flattened, two thickened, and two partially torn tendons. Reader 1 graded nine diameter changes correctly, missed two, and incorrectly graded four. The corresponding values for reader 2 were seven, one, and five, respectively, with kappa = 0.75. Histology showed mucoid degeneration (n = 13), lipoid degeneration (n = 7), and fatty infiltration (n = 6). At least one type of abnormality was found in each single tendon. Mucoid degeneration was hyperintense compared with fatty infiltration on T2-weighted fat-saturated images and hyperintense compared with magic-angle artifacts on proton density-weighted fat-saturated images. MRI-based localization of degeneration agreed well with histologic findings. Diameter changes are specific but not sensitive in diagnosing tendinopathy of the biceps tendon. Increased tendon signal is most typical for mucoid degeneration but should be used with care as a sign of tendon degeneration.

  5. Intra-articular pathology associated with isolated posterior cruciate ligament injury on MRI.

    PubMed

    Ringler, Michael D; Shotts, Ezekiel E; Collins, Mark S; Howe, B Matthew

    2016-12-01

    Unlike with anterior cruciate ligament injury, little is known about the prevalence of intra-articular pathology associated with isolated posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury in the knee. The objectives of this study were to characterize and identify the frequency of meniscal tears and osteochondral injuries in these patients, and to see if management might be affected. Altogether, 48 knee MRI exams with isolated PCL tears were evaluated for the presence of: grade and location of PCL tear, meniscal tear, articular chondral lesion, bone bruise, and fracture. Comparisons between PCL tear grade and location, as well as mechanism of injury when known, with the presence of various intra-articular pathologies, were made using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test as appropriate. In all, 69 % of isolated PCL tears occur in the midsubstance, 27 % proximally. Meniscal tears were seen in 25 % of knees, involving all segments of both menisci, except for the anterior horn medial meniscus. Altogether, 23 % had focal cartilage lesions, usually affecting the central third medial femoral condyle and medial trochlea, while 12.5 % of knees had fractures, and 48 % demonstrated bone bruises, usually involving the central to anterior tibiofemoral joint. The presence of a fracture (p = 0.0123) and proximal location of PCL tear (p = 0.0016) were both associated with the hyperextension mechanism of injury. There were no statistically significant associations between PCL tear grade and presence of intra-articular abnormality. Potentially treatable meniscal tears and osteochondral injuries are relatively prevalent, and demonstrable on MRI in patients with isolated acute PCL injury of the knee.

  6. Natural history of de novo High Grade Glioma: first description of growth parabola.

    PubMed

    Altieri, Roberto; Hirono, Seiichiro; Duffau, Hugues; Ducati, Alessandro; Fontanella, Marco; LA Rocca, Giuseppe; Melcarne, Antonio; Panciani, Pier P; Spena, Giannantonio; Garbossa, Diego

    2017-07-26

    Etiopathogenesis and physiopathology of gliomas are largely unknown. Recently, many authors have proved a strict correlation between the velocity of diametric expansion (VDE) on the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and the biological behavior of these tumors, especially in Low Grade Gliomas (LGGs). Unfortunately, natural history of High Grade Gliomas (HGGs) has not been well clarified because of its fast progression, late diagnoses and early surgical intervention. We describe, for the first time to our knowledge, the case of asymptomatic patient with an incidentally discovered de novo HGG with a total of 17 months of follow-up. A male patient was referred to our consultation for routinely follow-up after meningioma resection 5 years before. He underwent MRI every year without any neuroradiological alterations. A new MRI image presented a non-enhancing lesion in the right temporal lobe with 3.55 cm of Mean Tumor Diameter (MTD) and 35.6 mm/year of VDE. After two months interval, the lesion had 3.97 cm of MTD and 27.8 mm/year of VDE. Although we have strongly suggested surgical resection, patient have delayed the operation for personal issues. After other 3 months, the tumor showed enhancement with 4.5 of MTD and 17.4 mm/year of VDE. We speculate that the descending parabola is due to initial mass effect and hypoxia of the tumor core. We also underline the crucial role of the VDE determining, in order to predict the nature of the lesion and address the most effective treatment for each patient.

  7. Noninvasive Assessment of Biochemical and Mechanical Properties of Lumbar Discs Through Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Asymptomatic Volunteers.

    PubMed

    Foltz, Mary H; Kage, Craig C; Johnson, Casey P; Ellingson, Arin M

    2017-11-01

    Intervertebral disc degeneration is a prevalent phenomenon associated with back pain. It is of critical clinical interest to discriminate disc health and identify early stages of degeneration. Traditional clinical T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), assessed using the Pfirrmann classification system, is subjective and fails to adequately capture initial degenerative changes. Emerging quantitative MRI techniques offer a solution. Specifically, T2* mapping images water mobility in the macromolecular network, and our preliminary ex vivo work shows high predictability of the disc's glycosaminoglycan content (s-GAG) and residual mechanics. The present study expands upon this work to predict the biochemical and biomechanical properties in vivo and assess their relationship with both age and Pfirrmann grade. Eleven asymptomatic subjects (range: 18-62 yrs) were enrolled and imaged using a 3T MRI scanner. T2-weighted images (Pfirrmann grade) and quantitative T2* maps (predict s-GAG and residual stress) were acquired. Surface maps based on the distribution of these properties were generated and integrated to quantify the surface volume. Correlational analyses were conducted to establish the relationship between each metric of disc health derived from the quantitative T2* maps with both age and Pfirrmann grade, where an inverse trend was observed. Furthermore, the nucleus pulposus (NP) signal in conjunction with volumetric surface maps provided the ability to discern differences during initial stages of disc degeneration. This study highlights the ability of T2* mapping to noninvasively assess the s-GAG content, residual stress, and distributions throughout the entire disc, which may provide a powerful diagnostic tool for disc health assessment.

  8. [The application of stereology in radiology imaging and cell biology fields].

    PubMed

    Hu, Na; Wang, Yan; Feng, Yuanming; Lin, Wang

    2012-08-01

    Stereology is an interdisciplinary method for 3D morphological study developed from mathematics and morphology. It is widely used in medical image analysis and cell biology studies. Because of its unbiased, simple, fast, reliable and non-invasive characteristics, stereology has been widely used in biomedical areas for quantitative analysis and statistics, such as histology, pathology and medical imaging. Because the stereological parameters show distinct differences in different pathology, many scholars use stereological methods to do quantitative analysis in their studies in recent years, for example, in the areas of the condition of cancer cells, tumor grade, disease development and the patient's prognosis, etc. This paper describes the stereological concept and estimation methods, also illustrates the applications of stereology in the fields of CT images, MRI images and cell biology, and finally reflects the universality, the superiority and reliability of stereology.

  9. Rotator cuff muscle degeneration and tear severity related to myogenic, adipogenic, and atrophy genes in human muscle.

    PubMed

    Shah, Shivam A; Kormpakis, Ioannis; Cavinatto, Leonardo; Killian, Megan L; Thomopoulos, Stavros; Galatz, Leesa M

    2017-12-01

    Large rotator cuff tear size and advanced muscle degeneration can affect reparability of tears and compromise tendon healing. Clinicians often rely on direct measures of rotator cuff tear size and muscle degeneration from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine whether the rotator cuff tear is repairable. The objective of this study was to identify the relationship between gene expression changes in rotator cuff muscle degeneration to standard data available to clinicians. Radiographic assessment of preoperative rotator cuff tear severity was completed for 25 patients with varying magnitudes of rotator cuff tears. Tear width and retraction were measured using MRI, and Goutallier grade, tangent (tan) sign, and Thomazeau grade were determined. Expression of myogenic-, adipogenic-, atrophy-, and metabolism-related genes in biopsied muscles were correlated with tear width, tear retraction, Goutallier grade, tan sign, and Thomazeau grade. Tear width positively correlated with Goutallier grade in both the supraspinatus (r = 0.73) and infraspinatus (r = 0.77), along with tan sign (r = 0.71) and Thomazeau grade (r = 0.68). Decreased myogenesis (Myf5), increased adipogenesis (CEBPα, Lep, Wnt10b), and decreased metabolism (PPARα) correlated with radiographic assessments. Gene expression changes suggest that rotator cuff tears lead to a dramatic molecular response in an attempt to maintain normal muscle tissue, increase adipogenesis, and decrease metabolism. Fat accumulation and muscle atrophy appear to stem from endogenous changes rather than from changes mediated by infiltrating cells. Results suggest that chronic unloading of muscle, induced by rotator cuff tear, disrupts muscle homeostasis. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 35:2808-2814, 2017. © 2017 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Mapping the Multiple Graded Contributions of the Anterior Temporal Lobe Representational Hub to Abstract and Social Concepts: Evidence from Distortion-corrected fMRI.

    PubMed

    Binney, Richard J; Hoffman, Paul; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A

    2016-09-06

    A growing body of recent convergent evidence indicates that the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) has connectivity-derived graded differences in semantic function: the ventrolateral region appears to be the transmodal, omni-category center-point of the hub whilst secondary contributions come from the peripheries of the hub in a manner that reflects their differential connectivity to different input/output modalities. One of the key challenges for this neurocognitive theory is how different types of concept, especially those with less reliance upon external sensory experience (such as abstract and social concepts), are coded across the graded ATL hub. We were able to answer this key question by using distortion-corrected fMRI to detect functional activations across the entire ATL region and thus to map the neural basis of social and psycholinguistically-matched abstract concepts. Both types of concept engaged a core left-hemisphere semantic network, including the ventrolateral ATL, prefrontal regions and posterior MTG. Additionally, we replicated previous findings of weaker differential activation of the superior and polar ATL for the processing of social stimuli, in addition to the stronger, omni-category activation observed in the vATL. These results are compatible with the view of the ATL as a graded transmodal substrate for the representation of coherent concepts. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  11. Mapping the Multiple Graded Contributions of the Anterior Temporal Lobe Representational Hub to Abstract and Social Concepts: Evidence from Distortion-corrected fMRI

    PubMed Central

    Binney, Richard J.; Hoffman, Paul; Lambon Ralph, Matthew A.

    2016-01-01

    A growing body of recent convergent evidence indicates that the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) has connectivity-derived graded differences in semantic function: the ventrolateral region appears to be the transmodal, omni-category center-point of the hub whilst secondary contributions come from the peripheries of the hub in a manner that reflects their differential connectivity to different input/output modalities. One of the key challenges for this neurocognitive theory is how different types of concept, especially those with less reliance upon external sensory experience (such as abstract and social concepts), are coded across the graded ATL hub. We were able to answer this key question by using distortion-corrected fMRI to detect functional activations across the entire ATL region and thus to map the neural basis of social and psycholinguistically-matched abstract concepts. Both types of concept engaged a core left-hemisphere semantic network, including the ventrolateral ATL, prefrontal regions and posterior MTG. Additionally, we replicated previous findings of weaker differential activation of the superior and polar ATL for the processing of social stimuli, in addition to the stronger, omni-category activation observed in the vATL. These results are compatible with the view of the ATL as a graded transmodal substrate for the representation of coherent concepts. PMID:27600844

  12. The first study on therapeutic efficacies of a vascular disrupting agent CA4P among primary hepatocellular carcinomas with a full spectrum of differentiation and vascularity: Correlation of MRI-microangiography-histopathology in rats.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yewei; De Keyzer, Frederik; Wang, Yixing; Wang, Fengna; Feng, Yuanbo; Chen, Feng; Yu, Jie; Liu, Jianjun; Song, Shaoli; Swinnen, Johan; Bormans, Guy; Oyen, Raymond; Huang, Gang; Ni, Yicheng

    2018-04-29

    To better inform the next clinical trials of vascular disrupting agent Combretastatin-A4-phosphate (CA4P) in patients with hepatic malignancies, this preclinical study aimed at evaluating CA4P therapeutic efficacy in rats with primary hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) of a full spectrum of differentiation and vascularity by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), microangiography and histopathology. Ninety-six HCCs were raised in 25 rats by diethylnitrosamine gavage. Tumor growth was monitored by T2-/T1-weighted-MRI (T2WI, T1WI) using a 3.0T scanner. Early vascular response and later intratumoral necrosis were detected by dynamic-contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI and diffusion-weighted-imaging (DWI) before, 1h and 12h after CA4P iv-administration. In-vivo MRI-findings were validated by postmortem-techniques. Multi-parametric MRI revealed rapid CA4P-induced tumor vascular shutdown within 1h, followed by variable intratumoral necrosis at 12h. Tumor volumes decreased by 10% at 1h (P<0.05), but resumed at 12h. Correlations of semi-quantitative DCE parameter initial-area-under-the-gadolinium-curve (IAUGC30) with histopathology proved partial vascular closure and compensational reopening (P<0.05). The higher grades of vascularity prevented those residual tumor tissues from CA4P-caused ischemic necrosis. By histopathology using a 4-scale cellular-differentiation criteria and a 4-grade tumor-vascularity classification, percentage of CA4P-induced necrosis negatively correlated with HCC differentiation (r=-0.404, P<0.001) and tumor vascularity (r=-0.370, P<0.001). Ordinal-logistic-regression helped to predict early tumor responses to CA4P in terms of tumoral differentiation and vascularity. This study demonstrated that CA4P could induce vascular shutdown in primary HCCs within 1h, resulting in various degrees of tumor necrosis at 12h. MRI as a real-time imaging biomarker may help to define tumor vascularity and differentiation and further to predict CA4P therapeutic outcomes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 UICC.

  13. Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) Consult Series #45: Mild fetal ventriculomegaly: Diagnosis, evaluation, and management.

    PubMed

    Fox, Nathan S; Monteagudo, Ana; Kuller, Jeffrey A; Craigo, Sabrina; Norton, Mary E

    2018-04-26

    Ventriculomegaly is defined as dilation of the fetal cerebral ventricles and is a relatively common finding on prenatal ultrasound. The purpose of this document is to review the diagnosis, evaluation, and management of mild fetal ventriculomegaly. When enlargement of the lateral ventricles (≥10 mm) is identified, a thorough evaluation should be performed, including detailed sonographic evaluation of fetal anatomy, amniocentesis for karyotype and chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA), and a workup for fetal infection. In some cases, fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may identify other central nervous system abnormalities and should be considered when this technology as well as expert interpretation is available. Follow-up ultrasound examination should be performed to assess for progression of the ventricular dilation. In the setting of isolated ventriculomegaly of 10 to 12 mm, the likelihood of survival with normal neurodevelopment is greater than 90%. With moderate ventriculomegaly (13-15 mm), the likelihood of normal neurodevelopment is 75-93%. The following are Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recommendations: we suggest that ventriculomegaly be characterized as mild (10-12 mm), moderate (13-15 mm), or severe (>15 mm) for the purposes of patient counseling, given that the chance of an adverse outcome and potential for other abnormalities are higher when the ventricles measure 13-15 mm versus 10-12 mm (GRADE 2B); we recommend that diagnostic testing (amniocentesis) with CMA should be offered, when ventriculomegaly is detected (GRADE 1B); we recommend testing for CMV and toxoplasmosis when ventriculomegaly is detected, regardless of known exposure or symptoms (GRADE 1B); we suggest that MRI be considered in cases of mild or moderate fetal ventriculomegaly when this modality and expert radiologic interpretation are available; an MRI is likely to be of less value if the patient has had a detailed ultrasound performed by an individual with specific experience and expertise in sonographic imaging of the fetal brain (GRADE 2B); we recommend that timing and mode of delivery be based on standard obstetric indications (GRADE 1C); we recommend that with isolated mild ventriculomegaly of 10 mm to 12 mm, after a complete evaluation, women be counseled that the outcome is favorable, and the infant is likely to be normal (GRADE 1B); we recommend that with isolated moderate ventriculomegaly of 13 mm to 15 mm, after a complete evaluation, women be counseled that the outcome is likely to be favorable but that there is an increased risk of neurodevelopmental disabilities (GRADE 1B). Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  14. Altered Effective Connectivity Network of the Basal Ganglia in Low-Grade Hepatic Encephalopathy: A Resting-State fMRI Study with Granger Causality Analysis

    PubMed Central

    Zhong, Jianhui; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Ni, Ling; Jiao, Qing; Liao, Wei; Zheng, Gang; Lu, Guangming

    2013-01-01

    Background The basal ganglia often show abnormal metabolism and intracranial hemodynamics in cirrhotic patients with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Little is known about how the basal ganglia affect other brain system and is affected by other brain regions in HE. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the effective connectivity network associated with the basal ganglia is disturbed in HE patients by using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methodology/Principal Findings Thirty five low-grade HE patients and thirty five age- and gender- matched healthy controls participated in the rs-fMRI scans. The effective connectivity networks associated with the globus pallidus, the primarily affected region within basal ganglia in HE, were characterized by using the Granger causality analysis and compared between HE patients and healthy controls. Pearson correlation analysis was performed between the abnormal effective connectivity and venous blood ammonia levels and neuropsychological performances of all HE patients. Compared with the healthy controls, patients with low-grade HE demonstrated mutually decreased influence between the globus pallidus and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), cuneus, bi-directionally increased influence between the globus pallidus and the precuneus, and either decreased or increased influence from and to the globus pallidus in many other frontal, temporal, parietal gyri, and cerebellum. Pearson correlation analyses revealed that the blood ammonia levels in HE patients negatively correlated with effective connectivity from the globus pallidus to ACC, and positively correlated with that from the globus pallidus to precuneus; and the number connectivity test scores in patients negatively correlated with the effective connectivity from the globus pallidus to ACC, and from superior frontal gyrus to globus pallidus. Conclusions/Significance Low-grade HE patients had disrupted effective connectivity network of basal ganglia. Our findings may help to understand the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the HE. PMID:23326484

  15. Motor testing at 1 year improves the prediction of motor and mental outcome at 2 years after perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy.

    PubMed

    van Schie, Petra E M; Becher, Jules G; Dallmeijer, Annet J; Barkhof, Frederik; Van Weissenbruch, Mirjam M; Vermeulen, R Jeroen

    2010-01-01

    To investigate the predictive value of motor testing at 1 year for motor and mental outcome at 2 years after perinatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) in term neonates. Motor and mental outcome at 2 years was assessed with the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd edition (BSID-II) in 32 surviving children (20 males, 12 females; mean gestational age 40.2 wk, SD 1.4; mean birthweight 3217g, SD 435) participating in a prospective cohort study of HIE. The predictive value of three motor tests (Alberta Infant Motor Scale [AIMS], BSID-II, and the Neurological Optimality Score [NOS]) at 1 year was analysed, in addition to predictions based on neonatal Sarnat staging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Poor motor test results were defined as an AIMS z-score of <-2, a psychomotor developmental index of the BSID-II of <70, or a NOS of <26. Poor motor and poor mental outcome at 2 years was defined as a psychomotor developmental index or mental developmental index of the BSID-II of <70. Twelve children, all with Sarnat grade II, had a poor motor outcome and 12 children, of whom one had Sarnat grade I, had a poor mental outcome at 2 years. Nine children had cerebral palsy, of whom five had quadriplegia, three had dyskinesia, and one had hemiplegia. Poor motor tests at 1 year increased the probability of a poor motor outcome from 71% (range 92 to 100%), and a poor mental outcome from 59% (range 77 to 100%) in children with Sarnat grade II and abnormal MRI, assessed with the AIMS and BSID-II or NOS respectively. Additional motor testing at 1 year improves the prediction of motor and mental outcome at 2 years in children with Sarnat grade II and abnormal MRI.

  16. Application of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System Version 2 (PI-RADS v2): Interobserver Agreement and Positive Predictive Value for Localization of Intermediate- and High-Grade Prostate Cancers on Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    PubMed

    Chen, Frank; Cen, Steven; Palmer, Suzanne

    2017-09-01

    To evaluate interobserver agreement with the use of and the positive predictive value (PPV) of Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) for the localization of intermediate- and high-grade prostate cancers on multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI). In this retrospective, institutional review board-approved study, 131 consecutive patients who had mpMRI followed by transrectal ultrasound-MR imaging fusion-guided biopsy of the prostate were included. Two readers who were blinded to initial mpMRI reports, clinical data, and pathologic outcomes reviewed the MR images, identified all prostate lesions, and scored each lesion based on the PI-RADS v2. Interobserver agreement was assessed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and PPV was calculated for each PI-RADS category. PI-RADS v2 was found to have a moderate level of interobserver agreement between two readers of varying experience, with ICC of 0.74, 0.72, and 0.67 for all lesions, peripheral zone lesions, and transitional zone lesions, respectively. Despite only moderate interobserver agreement, the calculated PPV in the detection of intermediate- and high-grade prostate cancers for each PI-RADS category was very similar between the two readers, with approximate PPV of 0%, 12%, 64%, and 87% for PI-RADS categories 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. In our study, PI-RADS v2 has only moderate interobserver agreement, a similar finding in studies of the original PI-RADS and in initial studies of PI-RADS v2. Despite this, PI-RADS v2 appears to be a useful system to predict significant prostate cancer, with PI-RADS scores correlating well with the likelihood of intermediate- and high-grade cancers. Copyright © 2017 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Utility of preoperative ferumoxtran-10 MRI to evaluate retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis in advanced cervical cancer: Results of ACRIN 6671/GOG 0233☆

    PubMed Central

    Atri, Mostafa; Zhang, Zheng; Marques, Helga; Gorelick, Jeremy; Harisinghani, Mukesh; Sohaib, Aslam; Koh, Dow-Mu; Raman, Steven; Gee, Michael; Choi, Haesun; Landrum, Lisa; Mannel, Robert; Chuang, Linus; Yu, Jian Qin (Michael); McCourt, Carolyn Kay; Gold, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Rationale and objectives To assess if ferumoxtran-10 (f-10) improves accuracy of MRI to detect lymph node (LN) metastasis in advanced cervical cancer. Materials and methods F-10 MRI component of an IRB approved HIPAA compliant ACRIN/GOG trial was analyzed. Patients underwent f-10 MRI followed by extra-peritoneal or laparoscopic pelvic and abdominal lymphadenectomy. F-10-sensitive sequences were T2* GRE sequences with TE of 12 and 21. Seven independent blinded readers reviewed f-10-insensitive sequences and all sequences in different sessions. Region correlations were performed between pathology and MRI for eight abdomen and pelvis regions. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated at participant level. Reference standard is based on pathology result of surgically removed LNs. Results Among 43 women enrolled in the trial between September 2007 and November 2009, 33 women (mean age 49 ± 11 years old) with advanced cervical cancer (12 IB2, 3 IIA, 15 IIB and 3 IIIB, 29 squamous cell carcinomas, 32 grade 2 or 3) were evaluable. Based on histopathology, LN metastasis was 39% in abdomen and 70% in pelvis. Sensitivity of all sequence review in pelvis, abdomen, and combined were 83%, 60%, and 86%, compared with 78%, 54%, and 80% for f-10 insensitive sequences (P: 0.24, 0.44 and 0.14, respectively). Mean diameter of the largest positive focus on histopathology was 13.7 mm in abdomen and 18.8 mm in pelvis (P = 0.018). Specificities of all sequence review in pelvis, abdomen, and combined were 48%, 75%, and 43%, compared with 75%, 83%, and 73% (P: 0.003, 0.14, 0.002 respectively) for f-10 insensitive sequences. Conclusion Addition of f-10 increased MRI sensitivity to detect LN metastasis in advanced cervical cancer. Increased sensitivity did not reach statistical significance and was at the expense of lower specificity. PMID:25774381

  18. Comparing the MRI-based Goutallier Classification to an experimental quantitative MR spectroscopic fat measurement of the supraspinatus muscle.

    PubMed

    Gilbert, Fabian; Böhm, Dirk; Eden, Lars; Schmalzl, Jonas; Meffert, Rainer H; Köstler, Herbert; Weng, Andreas M; Ziegler, Dirk

    2016-08-22

    The Goutallier Classification is a semi quantitative classification system to determine the amount of fatty degeneration in rotator cuff muscles. Although initially proposed for axial computer tomography scans it is currently applied to magnet-resonance-imaging-scans. The role for its clinical use is controversial, as the reliability of the classification has been shown to be inconsistent. The purpose of this study was to compare the semi quantitative MRI-based Goutallier Classification applied by 5 different raters to experimental MR spectroscopic quantitative fat measurement in order to determine the correlation between this classification system and the true extent of fatty degeneration shown by spectroscopy. MRI-scans of 42 patients with rotator cuff tears were examined by 5 shoulder surgeons and were graduated according to the MRI-based Goutallier Classification proposed by Fuchs et al. Additionally the fat/water ratio was measured with MR spectroscopy using the experimental SPLASH technique. The semi quantitative grading according to the Goutallier Classification was statistically correlated with the quantitative measured fat/water ratio using Spearman's rank correlation. Statistical analysis of the data revealed only fair correlation of the Goutallier Classification system and the quantitative fat/water ratio with R = 0.35 (p < 0.05). By dichotomizing the scale the correlation was 0.72. The interobserver and intraobserver reliabilities were substantial with R = 0.62 and R = 0.74 (p < 0.01). The correlation between the semi quantitative MRI based Goutallier Classification system and MR spectroscopic fat measurement is weak. As an adequate estimation of fatty degeneration based on standard MRI may not be possible, quantitative methods need to be considered in order to increase diagnostic safety and thus provide patients with ideal care in regard to the amount of fatty degeneration. Spectroscopic MR measurement may increase the accuracy of the Goutallier classification and thus improve the prediction of clinical results after rotator cuff repair. However, these techniques are currently only available in an experimental setting.

  19. TH-A-BRF-09: Integration of High-Resolution MRSI Into Glioblastoma Treatment Planning

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Schreibmann, E; Cordova, J; Shu, H

    2014-06-15

    Purpose: Identification of a metabolite signature that shows significant tumor cell infiltration into normal brain in regions that do not appear abnormal on standard MRI scans would be extremely useful for radiation oncologists to choose optimal regions of brain to treat, and to quantify response beyond the MacDonald criteria. We report on integration of high-resolution magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (HR-MRSI) with radiation dose escalation treatment planning to define and target regions at high risk for recurrence. Methods: We propose to supplement standard MRI with a special technique performed on an MRI scanner to measure the metabolite levels within defined volumes.more » Metabolite imaging was acquired using an advanced MRSI technique combining 3D echo-planar spectroscopic imaging (EPSI) with parallel acquisition (GRAPPA) using a multichannel head coil that allows acquisition of whole brain metabolite maps with 108 μl resolution in 12 minutes implemented on a 3T MR scanner. Elevation in the ratio of two metabolites, choline (Cho, elevated in proliferating high-grade gliomas) and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA, a normal neuronal metabolite), was used to image infiltrating high-grade glioma cells in vivo. Results: The metabolite images were co-registered with standard contrast-enhanced T1-weighted MR images using in-house registration software and imported into the treatment-planning system. Regions with tumor infiltration are identified on the metabolic images and used to create adaptive IMRT plans that deliver a standard dose of 60 Gy to the standard target volume and an escalated dose of 75 Gy (or higher) to the most suspicious regions, identified as areas with elevated Cho/NAA ratio. Conclusion: We have implemented a state-of-the-art HR-MRSI technology that can generate metabolite maps of the entire brain in a clinically acceptable scan time, coupled with introduction of an imaging co-registration/ analysis program that combines MRSI data with standard imaging studies in a clinically useful fashion.« less

  20. SU-D-207A-02: Possible Characterization of the Brain Tumor Vascular Environment by a Novel Strategy of Quantitative Analysis in Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MR Imaging: A Combination of Both Patlak and Logan Analyses

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Yee, S; Chinnaiyan, P; Wloch, J

    Purpose: The majority of quantitative analyses involving dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI have been performed to obtain kinetic parameters such as Ktrans and ve. Such analyses are generally performed assuming a “reversible” tissue compartment, where the tracer is assumed to be rapidly equilibrated between the plasma and tissue compartments. However, some tumor vascular environments may be more suited for a “non-reversible” tissue compartment, where, as with FDG PET imaging, the tracer is continuously deposited into the tissue compartment (or the return back to the plasma compartment is very slow in the imaging time scale). Therefore, Patlak and Logan analyses, whichmore » represent tools for the “non-reversible” and “reversible” modeling, respectively, were performed to better characterize the brain tumor vascular environment. Methods: A voxel-by-voxel analysis was performed to generate both Patlak and Logan plots in two brain tumor patients, one with grade III astrocytoma and the other with grade IV astrocytoma or glioblastoma. The slopes of plots and the r-square were then obtained by linear fitting and compared for each voxel. Results: The 2-dimensional scatter plots of Logan (Y-axis) vs. Patlak slopes (X-axis) clearly showed increased Logan slopes for glioblastoma (Figure 3A). The scatter plots of goodness-of-fit (Figure 3B) also suggested glioblastoma, relative to grade III astrocytoma, might consist of more voxels that are kinetically Logan-like (i.e. rapidly equilibrated extravascular space and active vascular environment). Therefore, the enhanced Logan-like behavior (and the Logan slope) in glioblastoma may imply an increased fraction of active vascular environment, while the enhanced Patlak-like behavior implies the vascular environment permitting a relatively slower washout of the tracer. Conclusion: Although further verification is required, the combination of Patlak and Logan analyses in DCE MRI may be useful in characterizing the tumor vascular environment, and thus, may have implications in tumor grading and monitoring response to anti-vascular therapy.« less

  1. Comparison of 7T and 3T MRI in patients with moyamoya disease.

    PubMed

    Oh, Byeong Ho; Moon, Hyeong Cheol; Baek, Hyeon Man; Lee, Youn Joo; Kim, Sang Woo; Jeon, Young Jai; Lee, Gun Seok; Kim, Hong Rae; Choi, Jai Ho; Min, Kyung Soo; Lee, Mou Seop; Kim, Young Gyu; Kim, Dong Ho; Kim, Won Seop; Park, Young Seok

    2017-04-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography (MRI/MRA) are widely used for evaluating the moyamoya disease (MMD). This study compared the diagnostic accuracy of 7Tesla (T) and 3T MRI/MRA in MMD. In this case control study, 12 patients [median age: 34years; range (10-66years)] with MMD and 12 healthy controls [median age: 25years; range (22-59years)] underwent both 7T and 3T MRI/MRA. To evaluate the accuracy of MRI/MRA in MMD, five criteria were compared between imaging systems of 7T and 3T: Suzuki grading system, internal carotid artery (ICA) diameter, ivy sign, flow void of the basal ganglia on T2-weighted images, and high signal intensity areas of the basal ganglia on time-of-flight (TOF) source images. No difference was observed between 7T and 3T MRI/MRA in Suzuki stage, ICA diameter, and ivy sign score; while, 7T MRI/MRA showed a higher detection rate in the flow void on T2-weighted images and TOF source images (p<0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curves of both T2 and TOF criteria showed that 7T MRI/MRA had higher sensitivity and specificity than 3T MRI/MRA. Our findings indicate that 7T MRI/MRA is superior to 3T MRI/MRA for the diagnosis of MMD in point of detecting the flow void in basal ganglia by T2-weighted and TOF images. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  2. Background parenchymal enhancement in preoperative breast MRI.

    PubMed

    Kohara, Satoko; Ishigaki, Satoko; Satake, Hiroko; Kawamura, Akiko; Kawai, Hisashi; Kikumori, Toyone; Naganawa, Shinji

    2015-08-01

    We aimed to assess the influence of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on surgical planning performed using preoperative MRI for breast cancer evaluation. Between January 2009 and December 2010, 91 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (mean age, 55.5 years; range, 30-88 years) who underwent preoperative bilateral breast MRI followed by planned breast conservation therapy were retrospectively enrolled. MRI was performed to assess the tumor extent in addition to mammography and breast ultrasonography. BPE in the contralateral normal breast MRI at the early dynamic phase was visually classified as follows: minimal (n=49), mild (n=27), moderate (n=7), and marked (n=8). The correlations between the BPE grade and age, menopausal status, index tumor size, changes in surgical management based on MRI results, positive predictive value (PPV) of MRI, and surgical margins were assessed. Patients in the strong BPE groups were significantly younger (p=0.002) and generally premenopausal (p<0.001). Surgical treatment was not changed in 67 cases (73.6%), while extended excision and mastectomy were performed in 12 cases (13.2%), each based on additional lesions on MRI. Six of 79 (7.6%) patients who underwent breast conservation therapy had tumor-positive resection margins. In cases where surgical management was changed, the PPV for MRI-detected foci was high in the minimal (91.7%) and mild groups (66.7%), and 0% in the moderate and marked groups (p=0.002). Strong BPE causes false-positive MRI findings and may lead to overly extensive surgery, whereas MRI may be beneficial in select patients with weak BPE.

  3. Synovitis assessed on static and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and its association with pain in knee osteoarthritis: A cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Riis, Robert G C; Gudbergsen, Henrik; Henriksen, Marius; Ballegaard, Christine; Bandak, Elisabeth; Röttger, Diana; Bliddal, Henning; Hansen, Bjarke Brandt; Hangaard, Stine; Boesen, Mikael

    2016-06-01

    To investigate the association between pain and peripatellar-synovitis on static and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in knee osteoarthritis. In a cross-sectional setting, knee synovitis was assessed using 3-Tesla MRI and correlated with pain using the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS). Synovitis was assessed in the peripatellar recesses with: (i) dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI, using both pharmacokinetic and heuristic models, (ii) contrast-enhanced (CE)-MRI, and (iii) non-CE-MRI. The DCE-MRI variable IRExNvoxel was chosen as the primary variable in the analyses. Valid data were available in 94 persons with a mean age of 65 years, a BMI of 32.3kg/m(2) and a mean Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 2.5. IRExNvoxel showed a statically significant correlation with KOOS-Pain (r=-0.34; p=0.001), as was the case with all DCE-variables but one. Correlations between static MRI-variables and KOOS-Pain ranged between -0.21

  4. Novel Application of Time-Spatial Labeling Inversion Pulse Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Diagnosis of External Hydrocephalus.

    PubMed

    Nakae, Shunsuke; Murayama, Kazuhiro; Adachi, Kazuhide; Kumai, Tadashi; Abe, Masato; Hirose, Yuichi

    2018-01-01

    Although a subdural fluid collection frequently is observed, diagnostic methods that differentiate between the subdural collection caused by external hydrocephalus and that caused by subdural hygroma have not been established. Here, we report a case of external hydrocephalus caused by Gliadel-induced eosinophilic meningitis that has been previously reported in only 1 case and can be diagnosed by time-spatial labeling inversion pulse magnetic resonance imaging (time-SLIP MRI). A tumor located in the left temporal was detected incidentally in an 81-year-old man by examination of a head injury. The tumor was surgically resected and diagnosed as a high-grade glioma during the surgery; Gliadel wafers subsequently were implanted. Three weeks after the resection, the patient showed disturbed consciousness, and computed tomography revealed a subdural fluid collection. The out-flow of cerebrospinal through the resection cavity was detected by time-SLIP MRI. Cerebrospinal tests indicated high white blood cell counts and high protein levels, with more than 90% of the white blood cell count comprising eosinophils. Therefore, we suspected that the subdural fluid collection was caused by external hydrocephalus because of Gliadel-induced eosinophilic meningitis. We surgically removed the Gliadel wafers and subsequently performed a surgery to insert a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. Histologic examination indicated eosinophilic accumulation around the Gliadel wafers. The patient's symptoms improved after the insertion of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt. In the present case, time-SLIP MRI was a useful and noninvasive method for diagnosing external hydrocephalus which was caused by eosinophilic meningitis because of Gliadel-induced eosinophilic meningitis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Prognostic significance of MRI findings in patients with myxoid-round cell liposarcoma.

    PubMed

    Tateishi, Ukihide; Hasegawa, Tadashi; Beppu, Yasuo; Kawai, Akira; Satake, Mitsuo; Moriyama, Noriyuki

    2004-03-01

    The aims of this study were to determine the prognostic significance of MRI findings in patients with myxoid-round cell liposarcomas and to clarify which MRI features best indicate tumors with adverse clinical behavior. The initial MRI studies of 36 pathologically confirmed myxoid-round cell liposarcomas were retrospectively reviewed, and observations from this review were correlated with the histopathologic features. MR images were evaluated by two radiologists with agreement by consensus, and both univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to evaluate survival with a median clinical follow-up of 33 months (range, 9-276 months). Statistically significant MRI findings that favored a diagnosis of intermediate- or high-grade tumor were large tumor size (> 10 cm), deeply situated tumor, tumor possessing irregular contours, absence of lobulation, absence of thin septa, presence of thick septa, absence of tumor capsule, high-intensity signal pattern, pronounced enhancement, and globular or nodular enhancement. Of these MRI findings, thin septa (p < 0.05), a tumor capsule (p < 0.01), and pronounced enhancement (p < 0.01) were associated significantly, according to univariate analysis, with overall survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that pronounced enhancement was associated significantly with overall survival (p < 0.05). Contrast-enhanced MRI findings can indicate a good or adverse prognosis in patients with myxoid-round cell liposarcomas.

  6. Simultaneous quantification of hepatic MRI-PDFF and R2* in a rabbit model with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiaomin; Zhang, Xiaojing; Ma, Lin; Li, Shengli

    2018-06-20

    Quantification of hepatic fat and iron content is important for early detection and monitoring of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. This study evaluated quantification efficiency of hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) by MRI using NAFLD rabbits. R2* was also measured to investigate whether it correlates with fat levels in NAFLD. NAFLD rabbit model was successfully established by high fat and cholesterol diet. Rabbits underwent MRI examination for fat and iron analyses, compared with liver histological findings. MR examinations were performed on a 3.0T MR system using multi-echo 3D gradient recalled echo (GRE) sequence. MRI-PDFF showed significant differences between different steatosis grades with medians of 3.72% (normal), 5.43% (mild), 9.11% (moderate) and 11.17% (severe), whereas this was not observed in R2*. Close correlation between MRI-PDFF and histological steatosis was observed (r=0.78, P=0.000). Hepatic iron deposit was not found in any rabbits. There was no correlation between R2* and either liver MRI-PDFF or histological steatosis. MR measuring MRI-PDFF and R2* simultaneously provides promising quantification of steatosis and iron. Rabbit NAFLD model confirmed accuracy of MRI-PDFF for liver fat quantification. R2* measurement and relationship between fat and iron of NAFLD liver need further experimental investigation.

  7. Fluoroscopy-guided retrograde core drilling and cancellous bone grafting in osteochondral defects of the talus.

    PubMed

    Anders, Sven; Lechler, Philipp; Rackl, Walter; Grifka, Joachim; Schaumburger, Jens

    2012-08-01

    In undetached osteochondral lesions (OCL) of the talus both revitalisation of the subchondral necrosis and cartilage preservation are essential. For these cases, we assess the results of minimally invasive retrograde core drilling and cancellous bone grafting. Forty-one osteochondral lesions of the talus (12x grade I, 22x grade II and 7x grade III according to the Pritsch classification, defect sizes 7-14 mm) in 38 patients (mean age 33.2 years) treated by fluoroscopy-guided retrograde core drilling and autologous cancellous bone grafting were evaluated by clinical scores and MRI. The mean follow-up was 29.0 (±13) months. The AOFAS score increased significantly from 47.3 (±15.3) to 80.8 (±18.6) points. Lesions with intact cartilage (grades I and II) had a tendency to superior results than grade III lesions (83.1 ± 17.3 vs. 69.4 ± 22.2 points, p = 0.07). First-line treatments and open distal tibial growth plates led to significantly better outcomes (each p < 0.05). Age, gender, BMI, time to follow-up, defect localisation or a traumatic origin did not influence the score results. On a visual analogue scale pain intensity reduced from 7.5 (±1.5) to 3.7 (±2.6) while subjective function increased from 4.6 (±2.0) to 8.2 (±2.3) (each p < 0.001). In MRI follow-ups, five of the 41 patients showed a complete bone remodelling. In two cases demarcation was detectable. The technique reported is a highly effective therapeutic option in OCL of the talus with intact cartilage grades I and II. However, second-line treatments and grade III lesions with cracked cartilage surface can not be generally recommended for this procedure.

  8. Validation of DWI pre-processing procedures for reliable differentiation between human brain gliomas.

    PubMed

    Vellmer, Sebastian; Tonoyan, Aram S; Suter, Dieter; Pronin, Igor N; Maximov, Ivan I

    2018-02-01

    Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) is a powerful tool in clinical applications, in particular, in oncology screening. dMRI demonstrated its benefit and efficiency in the localisation and detection of different types of human brain tumours. Clinical dMRI data suffer from multiple artefacts such as motion and eddy-current distortions, contamination by noise, outliers etc. In order to increase the image quality of the derived diffusion scalar metrics and the accuracy of the subsequent data analysis, various pre-processing approaches are actively developed and used. In the present work we assess the effect of different pre-processing procedures such as a noise correction, different smoothing algorithms and spatial interpolation of raw diffusion data, with respect to the accuracy of brain glioma differentiation. As a set of sensitive biomarkers of the glioma malignancy grades we chose the derived scalar metrics from diffusion and kurtosis tensor imaging as well as the neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI) biophysical model. Our results show that the application of noise correction, anisotropic diffusion filtering, and cubic-order spline interpolation resulted in the highest sensitivity and specificity for glioma malignancy grading. Thus, these pre-processing steps are recommended for the statistical analysis in brain tumour studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  9. MRI volumetry for prediction of tumour response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy in locally advanced rectal cancer

    PubMed Central

    Seierstad, T; Hole, K H; Grøholt, K K; Dueland, S; Ree, A H; Flatmark, K

    2015-01-01

    Objective: To investigate if MRI-assessed tumour volumetry correlates with histological tumour response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and subsequent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Methods: Data from 69 prospectively enrolled patients with LARC receiving NACT followed by CRT and radical surgery were analysed. Whole-tumour volumes were contoured in T2 weighted MR images obtained pre-treatment (VPRE), after NACT (VNACT) and after the full course of NACT followed by CRT (VCRT). VPRE, VNACT and tumour volume changes relative to VPRE, ΔVNACT and ΔVCRT were calculated and correlated to histological tumour regression grade (TRG). Results: 61% of good histological responders (TRG 1–2) to NACT followed by CRT were correctly predicted by combining VPRE < 10.5 cm3, ΔVNACT > −78.2% and VNACT < 3.3 cm3. The highest accuracy was found for VNACT, with 55.1% sensitivity given 100% specificity. The volume regression after completed NACT and CRT (VCRT) was not significantly different between good and poor responders (TRG 1–2 vs TRG 3–5). Conclusion: MRI-assessed small tumour volumes after NACT correlated with good histological tumour response (TRG 1–2) to the completed course of NACT and CRT. Furthermore, by combining tumour volume measurements before, during and after NACT, more good responders were identified. Advances in knowledge: MRI volumetry may be a tool for early identification of good and poor responders to NACT followed by CRT and surgery in LARC in order to aid more individualized, multimodal treatment. PMID:25899892

  10. The association between histological, macroscopic and magnetic resonance imaging assessed synovitis in end-stage knee osteoarthritis: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Riis, R G C; Gudbergsen, H; Simonsen, O; Henriksen, M; Al-Mashkur, N; Eld, M; Petersen, K K; Kubassova, O; Bay Jensen, A C; Damm, J; Bliddal, H; Arendt-Nielsen, L; Boesen, M

    2017-02-01

    To investigate the association between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), macroscopic and histological assessments of synovitis in end-stage knee osteoarthritis (KOA). Synovitis of end-stage osteoarthritic knees was assessed using non-contrast-enhanced (CE), contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI prior to (TKR) and correlated with microscopic and macroscopic assessments of synovitis obtained intraoperatively. Multiple bivariate correlations were used with a pre-specified threshold of 0.70 for significance. Also, multiple regression analyses with different subsets of MRI-variables as explanatory variables and the histology score as outcome variable were performed with the intention to find MRI-variables that best explain the variance in histological synovitis (i.e., highest R 2 ). A stepped approach was taken starting with basic characteristics and non-CE MRI-variables (model 1), after which CE-MRI-variables were added (model 2) with the final model also including DCE-MRI-variables (model 3). 39 patients (56.4% women, mean age 68 years, Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade 4) had complete MRI and histological data. Only the DCE-MRI variable MExNvoxel (surrogate of the volume and degree of synovitis) and the macroscopic score showed correlations above the pre-specified threshold for acceptance with histological inflammation. The maximum R 2 -value obtained in Model 1 was R 2  = 0.39. In Model 2, where the CE-MRI-variables were added, the highest R 2  = 0.52. In Model 3, a four-variable model consisting of the gender, one CE-MRI and two DCE-MRI-variables yielded a R 2  = 0.71. DCE-MRI is correlated with histological synovitis in end-stage KOA and the combination of CE and DCE-MRI may be a useful, non-invasive tool in characterising synovitis in KOA. Copyright © 2016 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. ADC texture—An imaging biomarker for high-grade glioma?

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Brynolfsson, Patrik; Hauksson, Jón; Karlsson, Mikael

    2014-10-15

    Purpose: Survival for high-grade gliomas is poor, at least partly explained by intratumoral heterogeneity contributing to treatment resistance. Radiological evaluation of treatment response is in most cases limited to assessment of tumor size months after the initiation of therapy. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its estimate of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) has been widely investigated, as it reflects tumor cellularity and proliferation. The aim of this study was to investigate texture analysis of ADC images in conjunction with multivariate image analysis as a means for identification of pretreatment imaging biomarkers. Methods: Twenty-three consecutive high-grade glioma patients were treatedmore » with radiotherapy (2 Gy/60 Gy) with concomitant and adjuvant temozolomide. ADC maps and T1-weighted anatomical images with and without contrast enhancement were collected prior to treatment, and (residual) tumor contrast enhancement was delineated. A gray-level co-occurrence matrix analysis was performed on the ADC maps in a cuboid encapsulating the tumor in coronal, sagittal, and transversal planes, giving a total of 60 textural descriptors for each tumor. In addition, similar examinations and analyses were performed at day 1, week 2, and week 6 into treatment. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to reduce dimensionality of the data, and the five largest components (scores) were used in subsequent analyses. MRI assessment three months after completion of radiochemotherapy was used for classifying tumor progression or regression. Results: The score scatter plots revealed that the first, third, and fifth components of the pretreatment examinations exhibited a pattern that strongly correlated to survival. Two groups could be identified: one with a median survival after diagnosis of 1099 days and one with 345 days, p = 0.0001. Conclusions: By combining PCA and texture analysis, ADC texture characteristics were identified, which seems to hold pretreatment prognostic information, independent of known prognostic factors such as age, stage, and surgical procedure. These findings encourage further studies with a larger patient cohort.« less

  12. An illustrative overview of semi-quantitative MRI scoring of knee osteoarthritis: lessons learned from longitudinal observational studies.

    PubMed

    Roemer, F W; Hunter, D J; Crema, M D; Kwoh, C K; Ochoa-Albiztegui, E; Guermazi, A

    2016-02-01

    To introduce the most popular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) osteoarthritis (OA) semi-quantitative (SQ) scoring systems to a broader audience with a focus on the most commonly applied scores, i.e., the MOAKS and WORMS system and illustrate similarities and differences. While the main structure and methodology of each scoring system are publicly available, the core of this overview will be an illustrative imaging atlas section including image examples from multiple OA studies applying MRI in regard to different features assessed, show specific examples of different grades and point out pitfalls and specifics of SQ assessment including artifacts, blinding to time point of acquisition and within-grade evaluation. Similarities and differences between different scoring systems are presented. Technical considerations are followed by a brief description of the most commonly utilized SQ scoring systems including their responsiveness and reliability. The second part is comprised of the atlas section presenting illustrative image examples. Evidence suggests that SQ assessment of OA by expert MRI readers is valid, reliable and responsive, which helps investigators to understand the natural history of this complex disease and to evaluate potential new drugs in OA clinical trials. Researchers have to be aware of the differences and specifics of the different systems to be able to engage in imaging assessment and interpretation of imaging-based data. SQ scoring has enabled us to explain associations of structural tissue damage with clinical manifestations of the disease and with morphological alterations thought to represent disease progression. Copyright © 2015 Osteoarthritis Research Society International. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. An illustrative overview of semi-quantitative MRI scoring of knee osteoarthritis: Lessons learned from longitudinal observational studies

    PubMed Central

    Roemer, Frank W.; Hunter, David J.; Crema, Michel D.; Kwoh, C. Kent; Ochoa-Albiztegui, Elena; Guermazi, Ali

    2015-01-01

    Objective To introduce the most popular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) osteoarthritis (OA) semi-quantitative (SQ) scoring systems to a broader audience with a focus on the most commonly applied scores, i.e. the MOAKS and WORMS system and illustrate similarities and differences. Design While the main structure and methodology of each scoring system are publicly available, the core of this overview will be an illustrative imaging atlas section including image examples from multiple osteoarthritis studies applying MRI in regard to different features assessed, show specific examples of different grades and point out pitfalls and specifics of SQ assessment including artifacts, blinding to time point of acquisition and within-grade evaluation. Results Similarities and differences between different scoring systems are presented. Technical considerations are followed by a brief description of the most commonly utilized SQ scoring systems including their responsiveness and reliability. The second part is comprised of the atlas section presenting illustrative image examples. Conclusions Evidence suggests that SQ assessment of OA by expert MRI readers is valid, reliable and responsive, which helps investigators to understand the natural history of this complex disease and to evaluate potential new drugs in OA clinical trials. Researchers have to be aware of the differences and specifics of the different systems to be able to engage in imaging assessment and interpretation of imaging-based data. SQ scoring has enabled us to explain associations of structural tissue damage with clinical manifestations of the disease and with morphological alterations thought to represent disease progression. PMID:26318656

  14. The correlation of background parenchymal enhancement in the contralateral breast with patient and tumor characteristics of MRI-screen detected breast cancers.

    PubMed

    Vreemann, Suzan; Gubern-Mérida, Albert; Borelli, Cristina; Bult, Peter; Karssemeijer, Nico; Mann, Ritse M

    2018-01-01

    Higher background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) could be used for stratification of MRI screening programs since it might be related to a higher breast cancer risk. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to correlate BPE to patient and tumor characteristics in women with unilateral MRI-screen detected breast cancer who participated in an intermediate and high risk screening program. As BPE in the affected breast may be difficult to discern from enhancing cancer, we assumed that BPE in the contralateral breast is a representative measure for BPE in women with unilateral breast cancer. This retrospective study was approved by our local institutional board and a waiver for consent was granted. MR-examinations of women with unilateral breast cancers screen-detected on breast MRI were evaluated by two readers. BPE in the contralateral breast was rated according to BI-RADS. Univariate analyses were performed to study associations. Observer variability was computed. Analysis included 77 breast cancers in 76 patients (age: 48±9.8 years), including 62 invasive and 15 pure ductal carcinoma in-situ cases. A negative association between BPE and tumor grade (p≤0.016) and a positive association with progesterone status (p≤0.021) was found. The correlation was stronger when only considering invasive disease. Inter-reader agreement was substantial. Lower BPE in the contralateral breast in women with unilateral breast cancer might be associated to higher tumor grade and progesterone receptor negativity. Great care should be taken using BPE for stratification of patients to tailored screening programs.

  15. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound as a New Investigative Tool in Diagnostic Imaging of Muscle Injuries-A Pilot Study Evaluating Conventional Ultrasound, CEUS, and Findings in MRI.

    PubMed

    Hotfiel, Thilo; Heiss, Rafael; Swoboda, Bernd; Kellermann, Marion; Gelse, Kolja; Grim, Casper; Strobel, Deike; Wildner, Dane

    2018-07-01

    To emphasize the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the imaging of muscle injuries with different degrees of severity by comparing findings to established imaging modalities such as conventional ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Case series. Institutional study. Conventional ultrasound and CEUS were performed in the Department of Internal Medicine. Magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in the Department of Radiology within the Magnetom Avanto 1.5T and Magnetom Skyra fit 3T (Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany) and in the Institution of Imaging Diagnostics and Therapy (Magnetom Avanto 1.5T; Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Fifteen patients who underwent an acute muscle injury were recruited. The appearance and detectable size of muscle injuries were compared between each imaging modality. The injuries were assessed by 3 independent observers and blinded between imaging modalities. All 15 injuries were identified on MRI and CEUS, whereas 10 injuries showed abnormalities in conventional ultrasound. The determination and measurement revealed significant differences between conventional ultrasound and CEUS depending on injury severity. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed an impairment of microcirculation in grade I lesions (corresponding to intramuscular edema observed in MRI), which was not detectable using conventional ultrasound. Our results indicate that performing CEUS seems to be a sensitive additional diagnostic modality in the early assessment of muscle injuries. Our results highlight the advantages of CEUS in the imaging of low-grade lesions when compared with conventional ultrasound, as this was the more accurate modality for identifying intramuscular edema.

  16. Early postoperative repair status after rotator cuff repair cannot be accurately classified using questionnaires of patient function and isokinetic strength evaluation.

    PubMed

    Colliver, Jessica; Wang, Allan; Joss, Brendan; Ebert, Jay; Koh, Eamon; Breidahl, William; Ackland, Timothy

    2016-04-01

    This study investigated if patients with an intact tendon repair or partial-thickness retear early after rotator cuff repair display differences in clinical evaluations and whether early tendon healing can be predicted using these assessments. We prospectively evaluated 60 patients at 16 weeks after arthroscopic supraspinatus repair. Evaluation included the Oxford Shoulder Score, 11-item version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand, visual analog scale for pain, 12-item Short Form Health Survey, isokinetic strength, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Independent t tests investigated clinical differences in patients based on the Sugaya MRI rotator cuff classification system (grades 1, 2, or 3). Discriminant analysis determined whether intact repairs (Sugaya grade 1) and partial-thickness retears (Sugaya grades 2 and 3) could be predicted. No differences (P < .05) existed in the clinical or strength measures. Although discriminant analysis revealed the 11-item version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand produced a 97% true-positive rate for predicting partial thickness retears, it also produced a 90% false-positive rate whereby it incorrectly predicted a retear in 90% of patients whose repair was intact. The ability to discriminate between groups was enhanced with up to 5 variables entered; however, only 87% of the partial-retear group and 36% of the intact-repair group were correctly classified. No differences in clinical scores existed between patients stratified by the Sugaya MRI classification system at 16 weeks. An intact repair or partial-thickness retear could not be accurately predicted. Our results suggest that correct classification of healing in the early postoperative stages should involve imaging. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. A review of MRI evaluation of demyelination in cuprizone murine model

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Krutenkova, E.; Pan, E.; Khodanovich, M.

    2015-11-01

    The cuprizone mouse model of non-autoimmune demyelination reproduces some phenomena of multiple sclerosis and is appropriate for validation and specification of a new method of non-invasive diagnostics. In the review new data which are collected using the new MRI method are compared with one or more conventional MRI tools. Also the paper reviewed the validation of MRI approaches using histological or immunohistochemical methods. Luxol fast blue histological staining and myelin basic protein immunostaining is widespread. To improve the accuracy of non-invasive conventional MRI, multimodal scanning could be applied. The new quantitative MRI method of fast mapping of the macromolecular proton fraction is a reliable biomarker of myelin in the brain and can be used for research of demyelination in animals. To date, a validation of MPF method on the CPZ mouse model of demyelination is not performed, although this method is probably the best way to evaluate demyelination using MRI.

  18. 'Telangiectatic' transformation in soft tissue sarcomas. a clinicopathology analysis of an aggressive feature of high-grade sarcomas.

    PubMed

    Sternheim, Amir; Jin, Xiaolong; Shmookler, Barry; Jelinek, James; Malawer, Martin M

    2008-01-01

    'Telangiectatic' change, which contains a large fluid hemorrhagic component, occurs in a variety of high-grade soft tissue sarcomas. In a retrospective database review, we identified 20 consecutive patients (3%) with 'telangiectatic' change in soft tissue sarcomas. Tumors were located in the thigh (55%), shoulder (15%), calf (15%), upper arm (10%), and buttock in one patient. All 20 tumors were high grade. Histological diagnoses were MFH (40%), leiomyosarcoma (15%), synovial sarcoma (10%), and one each of seven other sarcomas (35%). Tumor size was often large-more than 10 cm (35%), between 5 and 10 cm (60%), and less than 5 cm in one case. A history of contusion to the tumor site followed by swelling was recorded in 30% of patients and 80% presented with a painful mass. On MRI imaging, 60% of tumors appeared to contain more than 50% blood, 50% had a hemosiderin-laden rim, and 55% had well-defined tumor nodules within the wall of the hematoma. Limb-sparing surgery was carried out in 90% of patients, the other 10% underwent primary amputation. The 5-year, event-free survival rate was 30%. Of the patients, 15% presented initially with metastatic disease; in 53%, it developed within 2 years of diagnosis. The overall local recurrence rate was 30%. Telangiectatic transformation in soft tissue sarcomas is a rare feature of aggressive high-grade soft tissue sarcomas and is unique in its clinical presentation, MRI characteristics, pathological pattern, and a tendency for a worse-off prognosis.

  19. Nuclear Potential Clustering As a New Tool to Detect Patterns in High Dimensional Datasets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tonkova, V.; Paulus, D.; Neeb, H.

    2013-02-01

    We present a new approach for the clustering of high dimensional data without prior assumptions about the structure of the underlying distribution. The proposed algorithm is based on a concept adapted from nuclear physics. To partition the data, we model the dynamic behaviour of nucleons interacting in an N-dimensional space. An adaptive nuclear potential, comprised of a short-range attractive (strong interaction) and a long-range repulsive term (Coulomb force) is assigned to each data point. By modelling the dynamics, nucleons that are densely distributed in space fuse to build nuclei (clusters) whereas single point clusters repel each other. The formation of clusters is completed when the system reaches the state of minimal potential energy. The data are then grouped according to the particles' final effective potential energy level. The performance of the algorithm is tested with several synthetic datasets showing that the proposed method can robustly identify clusters even when complex configurations are present. Furthermore, quantitative MRI data from 43 multiple sclerosis patients were analyzed, showing a reasonable splitting into subgroups according to the individual patients' disease grade. The good performance of the algorithm on such highly correlated non-spherical datasets, which are typical for MRI derived image features, shows that Nuclear Potential Clustering is a valuable tool for automated data analysis, not only in the MRI domain.

  20. Coil compression in simultaneous multislice functional MRI with concentric ring slice-GRAPPA and SENSE.

    PubMed

    Chu, Alan; Noll, Douglas C

    2016-10-01

    Simultaneous multislice (SMS) imaging is a useful way to accelerate functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). As acceleration becomes more aggressive, an increasingly larger number of receive coils are required to separate the slices, which significantly increases the computational burden. We propose a coil compression method that works with concentric ring non-Cartesian SMS imaging and should work with Cartesian SMS as well. We evaluate the method on fMRI scans of several subjects and compare it to standard coil compression methods. The proposed method uses a slice-separation k-space kernel to simultaneously compress coil data into a set of virtual coils. Five subjects were scanned using both non-SMS fMRI and SMS fMRI with three simultaneous slices. The SMS fMRI scans were processed using the proposed method, along with other conventional methods. Code is available at https://github.com/alcu/sms. The proposed method maintained functional activation with a fewer number of virtual coils than standard SMS coil compression methods. Compression of non-SMS fMRI maintained activation with a slightly lower number of virtual coils than the proposed method, but does not have the acceleration advantages of SMS fMRI. The proposed method is a practical way to compress and reconstruct concentric ring SMS data and improves the preservation of functional activation over standard coil compression methods in fMRI. Magn Reson Med 76:1196-1209, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. Structural changes in white matter are uniquely related to children’s reading development

    PubMed Central

    Myers, Chelsea A.; Vandermosten, Maaike; Farris, Emily A.; Hancock, Roeland; Gimenez, Paul; Black, Jessica M.; Casto, Brandi; Drahos, Miroslav; Tumber, Mandeep; Hendren, Robert L.; Hulme, Charles; Hoeft, Fumiko

    2014-01-01

    This study examined whether variations in brain development between kindergarten and Grade 3 predicted individual differences in reading ability at the latter time point. Structural MRI measurements indicated that increases in volume of two left temporo-parietal white matter clusters are unique predictors of reading outcome at Grade 3. Using diffusion MRI, the larger of these two clusters was identified as a location where fibers of the long segment of arcuate fasciculus and superior corona radiata intersect, and the smaller cluster as the posterior arcuate fasciculus. Bias-free regression analyses using regions-of-interest from prior literature revealed white matter volume changes in temporo-parietal white matter, together with preliteracy measures, predicted 56% of the variance in reading outcomes. Our findings demonstrate the important contribution of developmental differences in areas of left dorsal white matter, often implicated in phonological processing, as a sensitive early biomarker for later reading abilities, and by extension, reading difficulties. PMID:25212581

  2. Association of functional magnetic resonance imaging indices with postoperative language outcomes in patients with primary brain tumors.

    PubMed

    Kundu, Bornali; Penwarden, Amy; Wood, Joel M; Gallagher, Thomas A; Andreoli, Matthew J; Voss, Jed; Meier, Timothy; Nair, Veena A; Kuo, John S; Field, Aaron S; Moritz, Chad; Meyerand, M Elizabeth; Prabhakaran, Vivek

    2013-04-01

    Functional MRI (fMRI) has the potential to be a useful presurgical planning tool to treat patients with primary brain tumor. In this study the authors retrospectively explored relationships between language-related postoperative outcomes in such patients and multiple factors, including measures estimated from task fMRI maps (proximity of lesion to functional activation area, or lesion-to-activation distance [LAD], and activation-based language lateralization, or lateralization index [LI]) used in the clinical setting for presurgical planning, as well as other factors such as patient age, patient sex, tumor grade, and tumor volume. Patient information was drawn from a database of patients with brain tumors who had undergone preoperative fMRI-based language mapping of the Broca and Wernicke areas. Patients had performed a battery of tasks, including word-generation tasks and a text-versus-symbols reading task, as part of a clinical fMRI protocol. Individually thresholded task fMRI activation maps had been provided for use in the clinical setting. These clinical imaging maps were used to retrospectively estimate LAD and LI for the Broca and Wernicke areas. There was a relationship between postoperative language deficits and the proximity between tumor and Broca area activation (the LAD estimate), where shorter LADs were related to the presence of postoperative aphasia. Stratification by tumor location further showed that for posterior tumors within the temporal and parietal lobes, more bilaterally oriented Broca area activation (LI estimate close to 0) and a shorter Wernicke area LAD were associated with increased postoperative aphasia. Furthermore, decreasing LAD was related to decreasing LI for both Broca and Wernicke areas. Preoperative deficits were related to increasing patient age and a shorter Wernicke area LAD. Overall, LAD and LI, as determined using fMRI in the context of these paradigms, may be useful indicators of postsurgical outcomes. Whereas tumor location may influence postoperative deficits, the results indicated that tumor proximity to an activation area might also interact with how the language network is affected as a whole by the lesion. Although the derivation of LI must be further validated in individual patients by using spatially specific statistical methods, the current results indicated that fMRI is a useful tool for predicting postoperative outcomes in patients with a single brain tumor.

  3. Pediatric cranio-vertebral junction tuberculosis: management and outcome.

    PubMed

    Mehrotra, Anant; Das, Kuntal Kanti; Nair, Anup P; Kumar, Rajan; Srivastava, A K; Sahu, Rabi Narayan; Kumar, Raj

    2013-05-01

    Tuberculosis (TB) of the cranio-vertebral junction (CVJ) is a rare condition, accounting for 0.3 % to 1 % of all cases of spinal TB. Early diagnosis and treatment are important in preventing long-term neurological sequelae. Management protocol of this rare site of TB is yet to be conclusively established. This holds particularly true for pediatric age group in which this condition is infrequently encountered. A total of 29 consecutive pediatric patients presented to the Department of Neurosurgery at Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, from January 1997 to October2011 with clinical and/or radiological features suggestive of CVJ TB. A clinical grading system to evaluate the neurological status was developed, and all patients were evaluated using this scoring system. Patients were radiologically evaluated with computed tomography (CT) of CVJ and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadolinium enhancement. These cases were managed according to their grade and followed up. Out of a total of 29 cases, 18 were females and 11 males. Age range was 4 to 18 years with mean age 9 ± 3.8 years. The follow-up period ranged from 2 months to 7.5 years with mean follow-up of 2.7 years. Eleven cases were of grades 1 and 2, and 18 cases were of higher grade (grades 3 and 4). Predominantly conservative approach was utilized in cases with better clinical status, and grade (grades 1 and 2) and surgical intervention was needed in the more severe grades. All cases had significant improvement at the last follow-up. One needs to have a high index of suspicion of CVJ TB if one encounters a case with neck pain, neck restriction, and raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate. CT CVJ and MRI with gadolinium contrast enhancement are the investigations of choice for both establishing a diagnosis and planning the management. For cases with mild neurological deficit, conservative approach would work for majority of cases, and for severe cases, initial conservative approach may be tried, failing which surgical intervention would be needed.

  4. Association of physical examination knee effusion with bone marrow lesions: cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of a population-based cohort.

    PubMed

    Cibere, Jolanda; Guermazi, Ali; Nicolaou, Savvas; Esdaile, John M; Thorne, Anona; Singer, Joel; Wong, Hubert; Kopec, Jacek A; Sayre, Eric C

    2018-04-12

    To determine the association of physical examination (PE) effusion with prevalence of bone marrow lesions (BML) on MRI, and incidence/progression of BML over 3 years in knee osteoarthritis (OA). A population-based cohort with knee pain (N=255) was assessed for PE effusion. On MRI, BML was graded 0-3 (none, mild, moderate, severe), incidence/progression defined as a worsening in the sum of BML scores over six surfaces by ≥1 grade. We analyzed the full cohort and mild disease subsample with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grade <3. Cross-sectional logistic and longitudinal exponential regression analyses were performed, adjusted for age, sex, BMI and pain. We calculated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for PE effusion vs. BML (prevalence and incidence/progression). Weighted mean age was 56.7 years, mean BMI 26.5, 56.3% were female, 20.1% had PE effusion and 80.7% had KL<3. PE effusion was significantly associated with prevalent BML in the full cohort (OR 6.10; 95% CI 2.77, 13.44) and KL<3 cohort (OR 6.88, 95% CI 2.76, 17.15). Sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV were respectively 34.6/92.5/79.9/62.1% and 31.7/94.0/75.5/70.1%. Longitudinally, PE effusion was not significantly associated with BML incidence/progression in the full cohort (HR 1.83, 95% CI 0.95, 3.52) or KL<3 cohort (HR 1.73, 95% CI 0.69, 4.33). Sensitivity/specificity/PPV/NPV were respectively 32.0/82.2/42.2/74.9% and 21.2/85.6/30.1/78.8%. BMLs on MRI can be predicted from PE effusion cross-sectionally with high PPV of 79.9%. Assessment for knee effusion on physical examination is useful for determining potential candidates with BML before costly MRI screening for recruitment into clinical trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  5. Low Field Squid MRI Devices, Components and Methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hahn, Inseob (Inventor); Penanen, Konstantin I. (Inventor); Eom, Byeong H. (Inventor)

    2013-01-01

    Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods are disclosed. They include a portable low field (SQUID)-based MRI instrument and a portable low field SQUID-based MRI system to be operated under a bed where a subject is adapted to be located. Also disclosed is a method of distributing wires on an image encoding coil system adapted to be used with an NMR or MRI device for analyzing a sample or subject and a second order superconducting gradiometer adapted to be used with a low field SQUID-based MRI device as a sensing component for an MRI signal related to a subject or sample.

  6. Low Field Squid MRI Devices, Components and Methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Penanen, Konstantin I. (Inventor); Eom, Byeong H. (Inventor); Hahn, Inseob (Inventor)

    2014-01-01

    Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods are disclosed. They include a portable low field (SQUID)-based MRI instrument and a portable low field SQUID-based MRI system to be operated under a bed where a subject is adapted to be located. Also disclosed is a method of distributing wires on an image encoding coil system adapted to be used with an NMR or MRI device for analyzing a sample or subject and a second order superconducting gradiometer adapted to be used with a low field SQUID-based MRI device as a sensing component for an MRI signal related to a subject or sample.

  7. Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Penanen, Konstantin I. (Inventor); Eom, Byeong H. (Inventor); Hahn, Inseob (Inventor)

    2011-01-01

    Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods are disclosed. They include a portable low field (SQUID)-based MRI instrument and a portable low field SQUID-based MRI system to be operated under a bed where a subject is adapted to be located. Also disclosed is a method of distributing wires on an image encoding coil system adapted to be used with an NMR or MRI device for analyzing a sample or subject and a second order superconducting gradiometer adapted to be used with a low field SQUID-based MRI device as a sensing component for an MRI signal related to a subject or sample.

  8. Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Penanen, Konstantin I. (Inventor); Eom, Byeong H (Inventor); Hahn, Inseob (Inventor)

    2010-01-01

    Low field SQUID MRI devices, components and methods are disclosed. They include a portable low field (SQUID)-based MRI instrument and a portable low field SQUID-based MRI system to be operated under a bed where a subject is adapted to be located. Also disclosed is a method of distributing wires on an image encoding coil system adapted to be used with an NMR or MRI device for analyzing a sample or subject and a second order superconducting gradiometer adapted to be used with a low field SQUID-based MRI device as a sensing component for an MRI signal related to a subject or sample.

  9. The Pfirrmann classification of lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration: an independent inter- and intra-observer agreement assessment.

    PubMed

    Urrutia, Julio; Besa, Pablo; Campos, Mauricio; Cikutovic, Pablo; Cabezon, Mario; Molina, Marcelo; Cruz, Juan Pablo

    2016-09-01

    Grading inter-vertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is important in the evaluation of many degenerative conditions, including patients with low back pain. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the best imaging instrument to evaluate IDD. The Pfirrmann classification is commonly used to grade IDD; the authors describing this classification showed an adequate agreement using it; however, there has been a paucity of independent agreement studies using this grading system. The aim of this study was to perform an independent inter- and intra-observer agreement study using the Pfirrmann classification. T2-weighted sagittal images of 79 patients consecutively studied with lumbar spine MRI were classified using the Pfirrmann grading system by six evaluators (three spine surgeons and three radiologists). After a 6-week interval, the 79 cases were presented to the same evaluators in a random sequence for repeat evaluation. The intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) and the weighted kappa (wκ) were used to determine the inter- and intra-observer agreement. The inter-observer agreement was excellent, with an ICC = 0.94 (0.93-0.95) and wκ = 0.83 (0.74-0.91). There were no differences between spine surgeons and radiologists. Likewise, there were no differences in agreement evaluating the different lumbar discs. Most differences among observers were only of one grade. Intra-observer agreement was also excellent with ICC = 0.86 (0.83-0.89) and wκ = 0.89 (0.85-0.93). In this independent study, the Pfirrmann classification demonstrated an adequate agreement among different observers and by the same observer on separate occasions. Furthermore, it allows communication between radiologists and spine surgeons.

  10. Novel Semiquantitative Bone Marrow Oedema Score and Fracture Score for the Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of the Active Charcot Foot in Diabetes

    PubMed Central

    Meacock, L.; Donaldson, Ana; Isaac, A.; Briody, A.; Ramnarine, R.; Edmonds, M. E.; Elias, D. A.

    2017-01-01

    There are no accepted methods to grade bone marrow oedema (BMO) and fracture on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans in Charcot osteoarthropathy. The aim was to devise semiquantitative BMO and fracture scores on foot and ankle MRI scans in diabetic patients with active osteoarthropathy and to assess the agreement in using these scores. Three radiologists assessed 45 scans (Siemens Avanto 1.5T, dedicated foot and ankle coil) and scored independently twenty-two bones (proximal phalanges, medial and lateral sesamoids, metatarsals, tarsals, distal tibial plafond, and medial and lateral malleoli) for BMO (0—no oedema, 1—oedema < 50% of bone volume, and 2—oedema > 50% of bone volume) and fracture (0—no fracture, 1—fracture, and 2—collapse/fragmentation). Interobserver agreement and intraobserver agreement were measured using multilevel modelling and intraclass correlation (ICC). The interobserver agreement for the total BMO and fracture scores was very good (ICC = 0.83, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.76, 0.91) and good (ICC = 0.62; 95% CI 0.48, 0.76), respectively. The intraobserver agreement for the total BMO and fracture scores was good (ICC = 0.78, 95% CI 0.6, 0.95) and fair to moderate (ICC = 0.44; 95% CI 0.14, 0.74), respectively. The proposed BMO and fracture scores are reliable and can be used to grade the extent of bone damage in the active Charcot foot. PMID:29230422

  11. Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma: Radiological features, prognostic factors and survival statistics in 23 patients

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Chenglei; Xi, Yan; Li, Mei; Jiao, Qiong; Zhang, Huizhen; Yang, Qingcheng; Yao, Weiwu

    2017-01-01

    Background Dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma is a rare, highly malignant tumor with a poor survival. There are many confusing issues concerning the imaging feature that can facilitate early diagnosis and the factors that might be related to outcomes. Methods Twenty-three patients with dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma confirmed by pathology were retrospectively reviewed from 2008 to 2015. The patients’ clinical information, images from radiographs (n = 17), CT (n = 19), and MRI (n = 17), histological features, treatment and prognosis were analyzed. Results There were 12 males and 11 females, and the mean age was 50.39 years old. Fourteen cases affected the axial bone (pelvis, spine), and 9 cases involved the appendicular bone. Seven (41.17%), 9 (47.36), and 12 (66.66%) lesions showed a biphasic nature on radiograph, CT and MRI, respectively. Of the lesions, 17.39% (4/23) were accompanied by pathological fractures. Histologically, the cartilage component was considered histological Grade1 in 12 patients and Grade 2 in 11 patients. The dedifferentiated component showed features of osteosarcoma in 8 cases, malignant fibrous histiocytoma in3 cases, myofibroblastic sarcoma in 1 case and spindle cell sarcoma in 11cases. Twenty-two cases were treated with surgical resection, and 17 cases achieved adequate (wide or radical) surgical margin. In 8 cases, surgery was combined with adjuvant chemotherapy. The overall median survival time was nine months; 17.4% of patients survived to five years. Conclusion Axial bone location, lung metastasis at diagnosis, inadequate surgical margin, incorrect diagnosis before surgery and pathological fractures was related to poorer outcome. Pre- or postoperative chemotherapy had no definitively effect on improved survival. PMID:28301537

  12. Evaluation of prognostic factors on recurrence after curative resections for hepatocellular carcinoma

    PubMed Central

    Han, Jae Hyun; Kim, Dong Goo; Na, Gun Hyung; Kim, Eun Young; Lee, Soo Ho; Hong, Tae Ho; You, Young Kyoung

    2014-01-01

    AIM: To select appropriate patients before surgical resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), especially those with advanced tumors. METHODS: From January 2000 to December 2012, we retrospectively analyzed the medical records of 298 patients who had undergone surgical resections for HCC with curative intent at our hospital. We evaluated preoperative prognostic factors associated with histologic grade of tumor, recurrence and survival, especially the findings of pre-operative imaging studies such as positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). And then, we established a scoring system to predict recurrence and survival after surgery dividing the patients into two groups based on a tumor size of 5 cm. RESULTS: Of the 298 patients, 129 (43.3%) developed recurrence during the follow-up period. The 5 year disease free survival and overall survival were 47.0% and 58.7% respectively. In multivariate analysis, a serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level of > 100 ng/mL and a standardized uptake value (SUV) of PET-CT of > 3.5 were predictive factors for histologic grade of tumor, recurrence, and survival. Tumor size of > 5 cm and a relative enhancement ratio (RER) calculated from preoperative MRI were also significantly associated with prognosis in univariate analysis. We established a scoring system to predict prognosis using AFP, SUV, and RER. In those with tumors of > 5 cm, it showed predicted both recurrence (P = 0.005) and survival (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The AFP, tumor size, SUV and RER are useful for prognosis preoperatively. An accurate prediction of prognosis is possible using our scoring system in large size tumors. PMID:25493027

  13. ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Breast Cancer Screening.

    PubMed

    Mainiero, Martha B; Moy, Linda; Baron, Paul; Didwania, Aarati D; diFlorio, Roberta M; Green, Edward D; Heller, Samantha L; Holbrook, Anna I; Lee, Su-Ju; Lewin, Alana A; Lourenco, Ana P; Nance, Kara J; Niell, Bethany L; Slanetz, Priscilla J; Stuckey, Ashley R; Vincoff, Nina S; Weinstein, Susan P; Yepes, Monica M; Newell, Mary S

    2017-11-01

    Breast cancer screening recommendations are based on risk factors. For average-risk women, screening mammography and/or digital breast tomosynthesis is recommended beginning at age 40. Ultrasound (US) may be useful as an adjunct to mammography for incremental cancer detection in women with dense breasts, but the balance between increased cancer detection and the increased risk of a false-positive examination should be considered in the decision. For intermediate-risk women, US or MRI may be indicated as an adjunct to mammography depending upon specific risk factors. For women at high risk due to prior mantle radiation between the ages of 10 to 30, mammography is recommended starting 8 years after radiation therapy but not before age 25. For women with a genetic predisposition, annual screening mammography is recommended beginning 10 years earlier than the affected relative at the time of diagnosis but not before age 30. Annual screening MRI is recommended in high-risk women as an adjunct to mammography. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer reviewed journals and the application of well-established methodologies (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method and Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances where evidence is lacking or equivocal, expert opinion may supplement the available evidence to recommend imaging or treatment. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Assessment of Myometrial Invasion in Premenopausal Grade 1 Endometrial Carcinoma: Is Magnetic Resonance Imaging a Reliable Tool in Selecting Patients for Fertility-Preserving Therapy?

    PubMed

    Sakane, Makoto; Hori, Masatoshi; Onishi, Hiromitsu; Tsuboyama, Takahiro; Ota, Takashi; Tatsumi, Mitsuaki; Ueda, Yutaka; Kimura, Toshihiro; Kimura, Tadashi; Tomiyama, Noriyuki

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in premenopausal women with G1 endometrial carcinoma. Twenty-six patients underwent T2W, diffusion weighted, and dynamic contrast-enhanced 3-T MRI. The degree of myometrial invasion was pathologically classified into no invasion, shallow (3 mm or less), and more. Two radiologists assessed myometrial invasion on MRI. Diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, AUC, and interobserver agreement were analyzed. For assessing myometrial invasion, mean accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, and AUC, respectively, were as follows: 63%, 42%, 85%, 79%, 47%, and 0.75. Mean interobserver agreement was fair (k = 0.36). Shallow invasions were underestimated as no invasion on MRI in all 6 cases. Magnetic resonance imaging produced false-negative result on half of patients. The misjudgments tended to happen in patients with shallow invasion.

  15. T1 mapping combined with Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in predicting the pathologic grading of hepatocellular carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Chen, C Y; Chen, J; Xia, C C; Huang, Z X; Song, B

    2017-01-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the value of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI on hepatobiliary phase (HBP) imaging and T1 mapping sequence in the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 45 patients with HCC who were to undergo a resection were enrolled in this study. Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced magnetic resonance examination was performed prior to resection. T1 mapping was performed before and 20 min after injection of Gd-EOB-DTPA. T1 values of the lesions were measured on pre-contrast (T1p) and during HBP (T1-HBP) on T1 maps. The signal intensity, the diameter and the margin of HCC lesions on HBP images were analyzed. The reduction in T1 value (T1d) and the reduction rate (ΔT1%) of T1 mapping between pre-contrast and HBP were calculated. The Edmondson-Steiner classification of each lesion was made after surgery. The SPSS software package was used for statistical analysis and the analysis of receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve and area under the curve (AUC) were carried out by using MedCalc software package. Mean values of T1p and T1-HBP were 1935.4±730.8 ms and 1257.1±529.1 ms, respectively. T1p accuracy (AUC = 0.685, p = 0.037) in predicting pathological grading was similar to that of T1-HBP (AUC = 0.751, p = 0.005). A T1p of 1648.2 ms or greater had a sensitivity and specificity of 85.19% and 61.11%, respectively. A T1-HBP of 1006 ms or greater had a sensitivity and specificity of 81.84% and 61.11%, respectively. The number of HCCs with a non-smooth tumor margin was 20 (44.4%), and a non-smooth tumor margin correlated moderately with the Edmondson-Steiner grade (Spearman r = 0.491, p = 0.041). There was no significant correlation between T1d, ΔT1%, HCC signal intensity on HBP image and lesion diameter with pathologic grading. T1 mapping in pre-contrast and HBP of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI, a non-smooth tumor margin in the HBP of Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI, are useful in predicting the pathologic grading of HCC.

  16. A False-Negative Case of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma on 11C-Methionine PET and Intense 18F-FDG Uptake.

    PubMed

    García-Garzon, J R; Villasboas-Rosciolesi, Diego; Baquero, Miguel; Bassa, Pere; Soler, Marina; Riera, Eduard

    2016-08-01

    We report a case of a 44-year-old man with neurological symptoms and MRI findings, which were unable to differentiate between glioma and lymphoma. Metabolic characterization by means of PET imaging with F-FDG and C-methionine is proposed to determine the benign or tumor (high- and low-grade) origin of brain lesions. In this case, the MRI lesion corresponded with an inconclusive metabolic pattern of intense F-FDG uptake and no significant C-methionine uptake. Pathological study revealed a false-negative case of C-methionine due to lymphoma.

  17. Prediction of outcome in asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia: Is a MRI scoring system described before the cooling era still useful?

    PubMed

    Al Amrani, Fatema; Marcovitz, Jaclyn; Sanon, Priscille-Nice; Khairy, May; Saint-Martin, Christine; Shevell, Michael; Wintermark, Pia

    2018-05-01

    To determine whether an MRI scoring system, which was validated in the pre-cooling era, can still predict the neurodevelopmental outcome of asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia at 2 years of age. We conducted a retrospective cohort study of asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia. An MRI scoring system, which was validated in the pre-cooling era, was used to grade the severity of brain injury on the neonatal brain MRI. Their neurodevelopment was assessed around 2 years of age; adverse outcome included cerebral palsy, global developmental delay, and/or epilepsy. One hundred and sixty-nine newborns were included. Among the 131 newborns who survived and had a brain MRI during the neonatal period, 92% were evaluated around 2 years of age or later. Of these newborns, 37% displayed brain injury, and 23% developed an adverse outcome. Asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia who had an adverse outcome had a significantly higher MRI score (p <0.001) compared to those without an adverse outcome. An MRI scoring system that was validated before the cooling era is still able to reliably differentiate which of the asphyxiated newborns treated with hypothermia were more prone to develop an adverse outcome around 2 years of age. Copyright © 2018 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Clinical usefulness of the ablative margin assessed by magnetic resonance imaging with Gd-EOB-DTPA for radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

    PubMed

    Koda, Masahiko; Tokunaga, Shiho; Okamoto, Toshiaki; Hodozuka, Masanori; Miyoshi, Kennichi; Kishina, Manabu; Fujise, Yuki; Kato, Jun; Matono, Tomomitsu; Sugihara, Takaaki; Oyama, Kenji; Hosho, Keiko; Okano, Jun-ichi; Murawaki, Yoshikazu; Kakite, Suguru; Yamashita, Eijiro

    2015-12-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of ablative margin (AM) grading by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with Gd-EOB-DTPA administered prior to radiofrequency ablation (RFA), and to identify factors for achieving a sufficient AM and predictors for local tumor progression. A total of 124 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) were treated by RFA after Gd-EOB-DTPA administration. MRI and enhanced CT were performed within seven hours and one month after RFA. The AM assessment was categorized using three grades: AM (+), low-intensity area with continuous high-intensity rim; AM zero, low-intensity area with discontinuous high-intensity rim; and AM (-), low-intensity area extends beyond the high-intensity rim. Patients were followed and local tumor progression was observed. AM (+), AM zero, AM (-), and indeterminate were found in 34, 33, 26, and 31 nodules, respectively. The overall agreement rate between MRI and enhanced CT for the diagnosis of AM was 56.8%. The κ coefficient was 0.326 (p<0.001), indicating moderate agreement. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that a significant factor for the achievement of AM (+) on MRI was no contiguous vessels. The cumulative local tumor progression rates (0% at 1, 2, and 3 years) in 33 AM (+) nodules were significantly lower than those (3.6%, 11.5%, and 18.3% at 1, 2, and 3 years respectively) in 32 AM zero nodules. A multivariate Cox proportional hazards model identified tumor size as an independent predictor for local tumor progression. Gd-EOB-DTPA-MRI enabled an early assessment of RFA effectiveness in the majority ofHCC nodules. Local tumor progression was not detected in AM (+) nodules during the follow-up. Copyright © 2015 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Usefulness of intraoperative ultra low-field magnetic resonance imaging in glioma surgery.

    PubMed

    Senft, Christian; Seifert, Volker; Hermann, Elvis; Franz, Kea; Gasser, Thomas

    2008-10-01

    The aim of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of a mobile, intraoperative 0.15-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in glioma surgery. We analyzed our prospectively collected database of patients with glial tumors who underwent tumor resection with the use of an intraoperative ultra low-field MRI scanner (PoleStar N-20; Odin Medical Technologies, Yokneam, Israel/Medtronic, Louisville, CO). Sixty-three patients with World Health Organization Grade II to IV tumors were included in the study. All patients were subjected to postoperative 1.5-T imaging to confirm the extent of resection. Intraoperative image quality was sufficient for navigation and resection control in both high- and low-grade tumors. Primarily enhancing tumors were best detected on T1-weighted imaging, whereas fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences proved best for nonenhancing tumors. Intraoperative resection control led to further tumor resection in 12 (28.6%) of 42 patients with contrast-enhancing tumors and in 10 (47.6%) of 21 patients with noncontrast-enhancing tumors. In contrast-enhancing tumors, further resection led to an increased rate of complete tumor resection (71.2 versus 52.4%), and the surgical goal of gross total removal or subtotal resection was achieved in all cases (100.0%). In patients with noncontrast-enhancing tumors, the surgical goal was achieved in 19 (90.5%) of 21 cases, as intraoperative MRI findings were inconsistent with postoperative high-field imaging in 2 cases. The use of the PoleStar N-20 intraoperative ultra low-field MRI scanner helps to evaluate the extent of resection in glioma surgery. Further tumor resection after intraoperative scanning leads to an increased rate of complete tumor resection, especially in patients with contrast-enhancing tumors. However, in noncontrast- enhancing tumors, the intraoperative visualization of a complete resection seems less specific, when compared with postoperative 1.5-T MRI.

  20. Magnetic resonance imaging of osteophytic, chondral, and subchondral structures in a surgically-induced osteoarthritis rabbit model.

    PubMed

    Jia, Lang; Chen, Jinyun; Wang, Yan; Liu, Yingjiang; Zhang, Yu; Chen, Wenzhi

    2014-01-01

    This study aimed to assess changes in osteophytic, chondral, and subchondral structures in a surgically-induced osteoarthritis (OA) rabbit model in order to correlate MRI findings with the macroscopic progress of OA and to define the timepoint for disease status in this OA model. The OA model was constructed by surgery in thirty rabbits with ten normal rabbits serving as controls (baseline). High-resolution three-dimensional MRI using a 1.5-T coil was performed at baseline, two, four, and eight weeks post-surgery. MRIs of cartilage lesions, subchondral bone lesions, and osteophyte formations were independently assessed by two blinded radiologists. Ten rabbits were sacrificed at baseline, two, four, and eight weeks post-surgery, and macroscopic evaluation was independently performed by two blinded orthopedic surgeons. The signal intensities and morphologies of chondral and subchondral structures by MRI accurately reflected the degree of OA. Cartilage defects progressed from a grade of 0.05-0.15 to 1.15-1.30 to 1.90-1.97 to 3.00-3.35 at each successive time point, respectively (p<0.05). Subchondral bone lesions progressed from a grade of 0.00 to 0.78-0.90 to 1.27-1.58 to 1.95-2.23 at each successive time point, respectively (p = 0.000). Osteophytes progressed from a size (mm) of 0.00 to 0.87-1.06 to 1.24-1.87 to 2.21-3.21 at each successive time point, respectively (p = 0.000). Serial observations revealed that MRI can accurately detect the progression of cartilage lesions and subchondral bone edema over an eight-week period but may not be accurate in detecting osteophyte sizes. Week four post-surgery was considered the timepoint between OA-negative and OA-positive status in this OA model. The combination of this OA model with MRI evaluation should provide a promising tool for the pre-clinical evaluation of new disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs.

  1. Diagnostic evaluations of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in mammary duct ectasia and breast cancer

    PubMed Central

    Song, Lei; Li, Liang; Liu, Bin; Yu, Dexin; Sun, Fengguo; Guo, Mingming; Ruan, Zhengmin; Zhang, Feixue

    2018-01-01

    The objective of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of mammary duct ectasia (MDE) and breast cancer. This retrospective study was performed on 35 patients with MDE and 105 patients with breast cancer using US and MRI. Imaging features, semi-quantitative and quantitative parameters were analyzed to determine their diagnostic value for MDE and breast cancer. The average age of patients with breast cancer was increased compared with that of patients with MDE. There were no significant differences in local packages with or without tenderness ratio (P=0.259) and grade of color Doppler flow imaging (P=0.273) between the two groups. However, the morphological changes were significantly increased in breast cancer compared with MDE. In addition, there were significant diagnostic differences in US and MRI between breast cancer and MDE, including resistance index, US elastography, time-signal intensity curve, apparent diffusion coefficient, early-stage enhancement ratio, peak-of-enhancement ratio and Tpeak (P<0.05). However, there were no observable significant diagnostic differences between US, MRI and US with MRI for MDE and breast cancer (P=0.103, P=0.263 and P=0.403 respectively). Diagnosis of MDE and breast cancer requires full evaluation of multiple parameters and morphological changes of US and MRI to increase the diagnostic efficiency. US, MRI and US with MRI were all of diagnostic value for MDE and breast cancer, while US with MRI had the highest efficacy. PMID:29434865

  2. Added Value of Breast MRI for Preoperative Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Diagnostic Performance on 362 Patients.

    PubMed

    Petrillo, Antonella; Fusco, Roberta; Petrillo, Mario; Triunfo, Flavia; Filice, Salvatore; Vallone, Paolo; Setola, Sergio Venanzio; Rubulotta, Mariarosaria; Di Bonito, Maurizio; Rinaldo, Massimo; D'Aiuto, Massimiliano; Brunetti, Arturo

    2017-06-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the added value of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preoperative diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We reviewed our institution database of 3499 consecutive patients treated for breast cancer. A total of 362 patients with histologically proven DCIS were selected from the institutional database. Of these, 245 (67.7%) preoperatively underwent conventional imaging (CI) (mammography/ultrasonography) (CI group), and 117 (32.3%) underwent CI and dynamic MRI (CI + MRI group). The pathology of surgical specimens served as a reference standard. The Mann-Whitney U, χ 2 test, and Spearman correlation coefficient were performed. The CI + MRI group showed a sensitivity of 98.5% with an increase of 10.1% compared with the CI group to detect pure DCIS. Dynamic MRI identified 19.7% (n = 13) additional pure DCIS compared with CI. In the CI + MRI group, a single (1.5%) false negative was reported, whereas in the CI group, 11 (11.6%) false negatives were reported. Moreover, the CI + MRI group showed a sensitivity of 98.0% to detect DCIS + small invasive component. In this group, dynamic MRI identified 21.6% (n = 11) additional DCIS and a single (2.0%) false negative compared with the CI group, whereas in the CI group, 7 (4.7%) false negatives were reported. MRI and histopathologically measured lesion sizes, Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System MRI assessment categories, and enhancement signal intensity curve types showed a significant correlation. The MRI detection rate of DCIS increased significantly with increasing nuclear grade. Preoperative breast MRI showed a better accuracy then CI in preoperative diagnosis for both pure DCIS and DCIS + small invasive component with a precise assessment of lesion size. This can provide a more appropriate management of DCIS patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. 18F-FDG PET/MRI fusion in characterizing pancreatic tumors: comparison to PET/CT.

    PubMed

    Tatsumi, Mitsuaki; Isohashi, Kayako; Onishi, Hiromitsu; Hori, Masatoshi; Kim, Tonsok; Higuchi, Ichiro; Inoue, Atsuo; Shimosegawa, Eku; Takeda, Yutaka; Hatazawa, Jun

    2011-08-01

    To demonstrate that positron emission tomography (PET)/magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) fusion was feasible in characterizing pancreatic tumors (PTs), comparing MRI and computed tomography (CT) as mapping images for fusion with PET as well as fused PET/MRI and PET/CT. We retrospectively reviewed 47 sets of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F -FDG) PET/CT and MRI examinations to evaluate suspected or known pancreatic cancer. To assess the ability of mapping images for fusion with PET, CT (of PET/CT), T1- and T2-weighted (w) MR images (all non-contrast) were graded regarding the visibility of PT (5-point confidence scale). Fused PET/CT, PET/T1-w or T2-w MR images of the upper abdomen were evaluated to determine whether mapping images provided additional diagnostic information to PET alone (3-point scale). The overall quality of PET/CT or PET/MRI sets in diagnosis was also assessed (3-point scale). These PET/MRI-related scores were compared to PET/CT-related scores and the accuracy in characterizing PTs was compared. Forty-three PTs were visualized on CT or MRI, including 30 with abnormal FDG uptake and 13 without. The confidence score for the visibility of PT was significantly higher on T1-w MRI than CT. The scores for additional diagnostic information to PET and overall quality of each image set in diagnosis were significantly higher on the PET/T1-w MRI set than the PET/CT set. The diagnostic accuracy was higher on PET/T1-w or PET/T2-w MRI (93.0 and 90.7%, respectively) than PET/CT (88.4%), but statistical significance was not obtained. PET/MRI fusion, especially PET with T1-w MRI, was demonstrated to be superior to PET/CT in characterizing PTs, offering better mapping and fusion image quality.

  4. A review of MRI evaluation of demyelination in cuprizone murine model

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Krutenkova, E., E-mail: len--k@yandex.ru; Pan, E.; Khodanovich, M., E-mail: khodanovich@mail.tsu.ru

    The cuprizone mouse model of non-autoimmune demyelination reproduces some phenomena of multiple sclerosis and is appropriate for validation and specification of a new method of non-invasive diagnostics. In the review new data which are collected using the new MRI method are compared with one or more conventional MRI tools. Also the paper reviewed the validation of MRI approaches using histological or immunohistochemical methods. Luxol fast blue histological staining and myelin basic protein immunostaining is widespread. To improve the accuracy of non-invasive conventional MRI, multimodal scanning could be applied. The new quantitative MRI method of fast mapping of the macromolecular protonmore » fraction is a reliable biomarker of myelin in the brain and can be used for research of demyelination in animals. To date, a validation of MPF method on the CPZ mouse model of demyelination is not performed, although this method is probably the best way to evaluate demyelination using MRI.« less

  5. SU-D-303-03: Impact of Uncertainty in T1 Measurements On Quantification of Dynamic Contrast Enhanced MRI

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Aryal, M; Cao, Y

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Quantification of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI requires native longitudinal relaxation time (T1) measurement. This study aimed to assess uncertainty in T1 measurements using two different methods. Methods and Materials: Brain MRI scans were performed on a 3T scanner in 9 patients who had low grade/benign tumors and partial brain radiotherapy without chemotherapy at pre-RT, week-3 during RT (wk-3), end-RT, and 1, 6 and 18 months after RT. T1-weighted images were acquired using gradient echo sequences with 1) 2 different flip angles (50 and 150), and 2) 5 variable TRs (100–2000ms). After creating quantitative T1 maps, average T1 wasmore » calculated in regions of interest (ROI), which were distant from tumors and received a total of accumulated radiation doses < 5 Gy at wk-3. ROIs included left and right normal Putamen and Thalamus (gray matter: GM), and frontal and parietal white matter (WM). Since there were no significant or even a trend of T1 changes from pre-RT to wk-3 in these ROIs, a relative repeatability coefficient (RC) of T1 as a measure of uncertainty was estimated in each ROI using the data pre-RT and at wk-3. The individual T1 changes at later time points were evaluated compared to the estimated RCs. Results: The 2-flip angle method produced small RCs in GM (9.7–11.7%) but large RCs in WM (12.2–13.6%) compared to the saturation-recovery (SR) method (11.0–17.7% for GM and 7.5–11.2% for WM). More than 81% of individual T1 changes were within T1 uncertainty ranges defined by RCs. Conclusion: Our study suggests that the impact of T1 uncertainty on physiological parameters derived from DCE MRI is not negligible. A short scan with 2 flip angles is able to achieve repeatability of T1 estimates similar to a long scan with 5 different TRs, and is desirable to be integrated in the DCE protocol. Present study was supported by National Institute of Health (NIH) under grant numbers; UO1 CA183848 and RO1 NS064973.« less

  6. Diagnostic accuracy of CTA and MRI/MRA in the evaluation of the cortical venous reflux in the intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula DAVF.

    PubMed

    Lin, Yen-Heng; Wang, Yu-Fen; Liu, Hon-Man; Lee, Chung-Wei; Chen, Ya-Fang; Hsieh, Hong-Jen

    2018-01-01

    Computed tomography angiography (CTA) and magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/MRA) are used for the diagnosis of intracranial dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs). The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of CTA and magnetic resonance imaging/angiography (MRI/MRA) for detection of cortical venous reflux (CVR) in intracranial DAVFs. The records of patients with angiography-confirmed intracranial DAVFs who also received CTA and MRI/MRA from January 2008 to July 2016 were reviewed. CTA and MRI/MRA were reviewed for signs of CVR, and the diagnostic accuracy of individual signs was evaluated by receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis. A total 108 patients were included in this study. CTA signs of CVR included abnormal dilatation, early enhancement, and the presence of a medullary or pial vein. MRI/MRA signs of CVR included abnormal dilatation, early enhancement, flow-related enhancement, flow void, and medullary or pial venous collaterals. The sensitivity of individual CTA signs ranged from 62 to 96%, and specificities from 79 to 94%. The sensitivities of individual MRI/MRA signs ranged from 58 to 83%, and specificities from 77 to 93%. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of CTA and MRI/MRA were 0.91 and 0.87, respectively (P = 0.04 in direct comparison). In subgroup analysis, CTA had better diagnostic accuracy for higher grade disease (P = 0.05) and non-aggressive manifestation (P = 0.04). Both CTA and MRI/MRA have good diagnostic accuracy for detection of CVR in patients with intracranial DAVFs. There is modest evidence that CTA is better than MRI/MRA.

  7. 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT vs. mpMRI for locoregional prostate cancer staging: correlation with final histopathology.

    PubMed

    Berger, I; Annabattula, C; Lewis, J; Shetty, D V; Kam, J; Maclean, F; Arianayagam, M; Canagasingham, B; Ferguson, R; Khadra, M; Ko, R; Winter, M; Loh, H; Varol, C

    2018-06-01

    Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) positron emission tomography (PET) can be used to locate lesions based on PSMA avidity, however guidelines on its use are limited by its infancy. We aimed to compare multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) and PSMA PET/CT to prostatectomy histopathology. We conducted a chart review from February 2015 to January 2017 of 50 male patients staged for prostate cancer using PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI who then underwent radical prostatectomy. Pre-operative PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI were paired with corresponding histopathology. Correlations, sensitivity, and specificity were used for comparisons. A total of 81 lesions were confirmed by histopathology. Fifty index lesions were detected by histopathology, all of which were detected by PSMA PET/CT (100% detection), and 47 by mpMRI (94% detection). Thirty-one histologically confirmed secondary lesions were detected, 29 of which were detected by PSMA PET/CT (93.5% detection), and 16 by mpMRI (51.6% detection). PSMA had better sensitivity for index lesion localization than mpMRI (81.1 vs. 64.8%). Specificity was similar for PSMA PET/CT and mpMRI (84.6 vs. 82.7%). SUV max of index lesions ranged from 2.9 to 39.6 (M = 9.27 ± 6.41). Index lesion SUV max was positively correlated with PSA (rho = 0.48, p < 0.001) and ISUP grade (rho = 0.51, p < 0.001). PSMA-PET/CT provided superior detection of prostate cancer lesions with better sensitivity than mpMRI. PSMA-PET/CT can be used to enhance locoregional mpMRI to provide improved detection and characterization of lesions.

  8. The prospective evaluation of changes in fatty infiltration and shoulder strength in nonsurgically treated rotator cuff tears.

    PubMed

    Nakamura, Yoshihiro; Yokoya, Shin; Harada, Yohei; Shiraishi, Katsunori; Adachi, Nobuo; Ochi, Mitsuo

    2017-07-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship of fatty infiltration in rotator cuff muscles and shoulder strength in rotator cuff tears and these changes during nonsurgical treatment. Fifty-three shoulders from 47 patients (mean age: 69.9 years) diagnosed with rotator cuff tears by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were treated nonsurgically. The degrees of fatty infiltration in supraspinatus (SSP) and infraspinatus (ISP) muscles were graded by the modified Goutallier classification (grade 0-1, grade 2-3, or grade 4). The isometric strength of the abductors (Abd) and external rotators (ER) were examined with a hand dynamometer. We analyzed the correlation of the modified Goutallier classification in SSP and ISP muscles with the strength of Abd and ER at initial visit. In addition, MRI and strength tests were repeated after 24 ± 6 months, and changes in fatty infiltration and strength were examined. Fatty infiltration of SSP and ISP muscles had a negative correlation with the strengths of Abd and ER at initial visit, respectively. Six of 45 shoulders (SSP grade: 0-3) and 7 of 43 shoulders (ISP grade: 0-3) had progression of fatty infiltration. Predictive factor of a progression of fatty infiltration during follow-up was decreased initial strength of Abd. There was no significant change in the strength of Abd, and the strength of ER showed significant improvement between the initial and post-treatment measurements. Even in the subgroup that had progression of fatty infiltration at follow-up, the strength of Abd and ER did not decrease significantly. Although fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff muscles exhibited a negative correlation with muscle strength, fatty infiltration and muscle weakness did not progress at the same rate. Copyright © 2017 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Multiparametric Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Active Surveillance of Prostate Cancer.

    PubMed

    An, Julie Y; Sidana, Abhinav; Choyke, Peter L; Wood, Bradford J.; Pinto, Peter A; Türkbey, İsmail Barış

    2017-09-29

    Active surveillance has gained popularity as an acceptable management option for men with low-risk prostate cancer. Successful utilization of this strategy can delay or prevent unnecessary interventions - thereby reducing morbidity associated with overtreatment. The usefulness of active surveillance primarily depends on correct identification of patients with low-risk disease. However, current population-wide algorithms and tools do not adequately exclude high-risk disease, thereby limiting the confidence of clinicians and patients to go on active surveillance. Novel imaging tools such as mpMRI provide information about the size and location of potential cancers enabling more informed treatment decisions. The term "multiparametric" in prostate mpMRI refers to the summation of several MRI series into one examination whose initial goal is to identify potential clinically-significant lesions suitable for targeted biopsy. The main advantages of MRI are its superior anatomic resolution and the lack of ionizing radiation. Recently, the Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System has been instituted as an international standard for unifying mpMRI results. The imaging sequences in mpMRI defined by Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 includes: T2-weighted MRI, diffusion-weighted MRI, derived apparent-diffusion coefficient from diffusion-weighted MRI, and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. The use of mpMRI prior to starting active surveillance could prevent those with missed, high-grade lesions from going on active surveillance, and reassure those with minimal disease who may be hesitant to take part in active surveillance. Although larger validation studies are still necessary, preliminary results suggest mpMRI has a role in selecting patients for active surveillance. Less certain is the role of mpMRI in monitoring patients on active surveillance, as data on this will take a long time to mature. The biggest obstacles to routine use of prostate MRI are quality control, cost, reproducibility, and access. Nevertheless, there is great a potential for mpMRI to improve outcomes and quality of treatment. The major roles of MRI will continue to expand and its emerging use in standard of care approaches becomes more clearly defined and supported by increasing levels of data.

  10. Is dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI useful for assessing proximal fragment vascularity in scaphoid fracture delayed and non-union?

    PubMed

    Ng, Alex W H; Griffith, James F; Taljanovic, Mihra S; Li, Alvin; Tse, W L; Ho, P C

    2013-07-01

    To assess dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE MRI) as a measure of vascularity in scaphoid delayed-union or non-union. Thirty-five patients (34 male, one female; mean age, 27.4 ± 9.4 years; range, 16-51 years) with scaphoid delayed-union and non-union who underwent DCE MRI of the scaphoid between September 2002 and October 2012 were retrospectively reviewed. Proximal fragment vascularity was classified as good, fair, or poor on unenhanced MRI, contrast-enhanced MRI, and DCE MRI. For DCE MRI, enhancement slope, Eslope comparison of proximal and distal fragments was used to classify the proximal fragment as good, fair, or poor vascularity. Proximal fragment vascularity was similarly graded at surgery in all patients. Paired t test and McNemar test were used for data comparison. Kappa value was used to assess level of agreement between MRI findings and surgical findings. Twenty-five (71 %) of 35 patients had good vascularity, four (11 %) had fair vascularity, and six (17 %) had poor vascularity of the proximal scaphoid fragment at surgery. DCE MRI parameters had the highest correlation with surgical findings (kappa = 0.57). Proximal scaphoid fragments with surgical poor vascularity had a significantly lower Emax and Eslope than those with good vascularity (p = 0.0043 and 0.027). The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and accuracy of DCE MRI in predicting impaired vascularity was 67, 86, 67, 86, and 80 %, respectively, which was better than that seen with unenhanced and post-contrast MRI. Flattened time intensity curves in both proximal and distal fragments were a feature of protracted non-union with a mean time interval of 101.6 ± 95.5 months between injury and MRI. DCE MRI has a higher diagnostic accuracy than either non-enhanced MRI or contrast enhanced MRI for assessing proximal fragment vascularity in scaphoid delayed-union and non-union. For proper interpretation of contrast-enhanced studies in scaphoid vascularity, one needs to incorporate the time frame between injury and MRI.

  11. Quantitative T2 evaluation at 3.0T compared to morphological grading of the lumbar intervertebral disc: a standardized evaluation approach in patients with low back pain.

    PubMed

    Stelzeneder, David; Welsch, Goetz Hannes; Kovács, Balázs Krisztián; Goed, Sabine; Paternostro-Sluga, Tatjana; Vlychou, Marianna; Friedrich, Klaus; Mamisch, Tallal Charles; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2012-02-01

    The purpose of our investigation was to compare quantitative T2 relaxation time measurement evaluation of lumbar intervertebral discs with morphological grading in young to middle-aged patients with low back pain, using a standardized region-of-interest evaluation approach. Three hundred thirty lumbar discs from 66 patients (mean age, 39 years) with low back pain were examined on a 3.0T MR unit. Sagittal T1-FSE, sagittal, coronal, and axial T2-weighted FSE for morphological MRI, as well as a multi-echo spin-echo sequence for T2 mapping, were performed. Morphologically, all discs were classified according to Pfirrmann et al. Equally sized rectangular regions of interest (ROIs) for the annulus fibrosus were selected anteriorly and posteriorly in the outermost 20% of the disc. The space between was defined as the nucleus pulposus. To assess the reproducibility of this evaluation, inter- and intraobserver statistics were performed. The Pfirrmann scoring of 330 discs showed the following results: grade I: six discs (1.8%); grade II: 189 (57.3%); grade III: 96 (29.1%); grade IV: 38 (11.5%); and grade V: one (0.3%). The mean T2 values (in milliseconds) for the anterior and the posterior annulus, and the nucleus pulposus for the respective Pfirrmann groups were: I: 57/30/239; II: 44/67/129; III: 42/51/82; and IV: 42/44/56. The nucleus pulposus T2 values showed a stepwise decrease from Pfirrmann grade I to IV. The posterior annulus showed the highest T2 values in Pfirrmann group II, while the anterior annulus showed relatively constant T2 values in all Pfirrmann groups. The inter- and intraobserver analysis yielded intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) for average measures in a range from 0.82 (anterior annulus) to 0.99 (nucleus). Our standardized method of region-specific quantitative T2 relaxation time evaluation seems to be able to characterize different degrees of disc degeneration quantitatively. The reproducibility of our ROI measurements is sufficient to encourage the use of this method in future investigations, particularly for longitudinal studies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Advanced MRI in Blast-related TBI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-07-01

    test two advanced MRI methods, DTI and resting-state fMRI, in active-duty military blast-related TBI patients acutely after injury and correlate...Introduction: The purpose of the research effort was to test two advanced MRI methods, DTI and resting-state fMRI, in active-duty military blast-related TBI...clinical follow-up assessments and repeat scans on 78 subjects with TBI and 18 controls. 9) We extensively analyzed DTI , resting-state fMRI, and

  13. NEUROSARCOIDOSIS MASQUERADING AS A CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMOR.

    PubMed

    Elia, Maxwell; Kombo, Ninani; Huang, John

    2017-01-01

    To report a case of neurosarcoidosis with an isolated brain lesion mimicking a low-grade glioma. A 38-year-old woman presented with 2 weeks of blurry vision in the left eye. Ophthalmic examination, visual field testing, fluorescein angiography, laboratory testing, and MRI of the brain were performed. Ophthalmic examination revealed left-sided optic nerve infiltration, and MRI of the brain demonstrated a solitary lesion in the brain. The visual symptoms and ophthalmic examination improved significantly with initiation of high-dose oral prednisone. Because the MRI appearance was concerning for malignancy, a brain biopsy was performed. Pathology demonstrated gliosis consistent with a low-grade central nervous system (CNS) glioma. One year later, after initial loss to ophthalmic follow-up, the right optic nerve became involved, and the patient was again treated successfully for presumed ocular sarcoidosis. At this time, serial neuroimaging demonstrated enlargement of the CNS lesion, prompting rebiopsy. Rebiopsy demonstrated a noncaseating granuloma, confirming the diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis. The patient was treated with 20 mg of methotrexate weekly and a prednisone taper with improvement in visual and neurologic symptoms. The authors present an unusual case of neurosarcoidosis masquerading as a CNS glioma. In cases of solitary CNS granulomas, radiographically differentiating neurosarcoidosis from a glioma can be challenging. In this case, serial ophthalmic examination identifying sequential involvement of both optic nerves helped to identify the underlying cause of the CNS disease as sarcoidosis.

  14. Assessment of mediastinal tumors with diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar MRI.

    PubMed

    Razek, Ahmed Abdel; Elmorsy, Ahmed; Elshafey, Mohsen; Elhadedy, Tamer; Hamza, Osama

    2009-09-01

    To assess the role of diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with mediastinal tumors. Prospective study was conducted on 45 consecutive patients (29 male, 16 female, age 22-66 years, mean 41 years) with mediastinal tumor. They underwent diffusion-weighted single-shot echo-planar MRI of the mediastinum with a b-factor of 0, 300, and 600 sec/mm(2). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value of the mediastinal tumor was correlated with the histopathological findings. The mean ADC value of malignant mediastinal tumors was 1.09 +/- 0.25 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec, and of benign tumors was 2.38 +/- 0.56 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec. There was a significant difference in the mean ADC value between malignant and benign tumors (P = 0.001) and within different grades of malignancy (0.001). When an ADC value of 1.56 x 10(-3) mm(2)/sec was used as a threshold value for differentiating malignant from benign tumor, the best results were obtained with an accuracy of 95%, sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 94%, positive predictive value of 94%, negative predictive value of 96%, and area under the curve of 0.938. The ADC value is a noninvasive parameter that can be used for differentiation of malignant from benign mediastinal tumors and grading of mediastinal malignancy.

  15. Assessing the predictability of IDH mutation and MGMT methylation status in glioma patients using relaxation-compensated multi-pool CEST MRI at 7.0 Tesla.

    PubMed

    Paech, Daniel; Windschuh, Johannes; Oberhollenzer, Johanna; Dreher, Constantin; Sahm, Felix; Meissner, Jan-Eric; Goerke, Steffen; Schuenke, Patrick; Zaiss, Moritz; Regnery, Sebastian; Bickelhaupt, Sebastian; Bäumer, Philipp; Bendszus, Martin; Wick, Wolfgang; Unterberg, Andreas; Bachert, Peter; Ladd, Mark Edward; Schlemmer, Heinz-Peter; Radbruch, Alexander

    2018-05-04

    Early identification of prognostic superior characteristics in glioma patients such as Isocitrate dehydrogenase(IDH)-mutation and O6-methylguanine-DNA-methyltransferase (MGMT) promotor methylation status is of great clinical importance. The study purpose was to investigate the non-invasive predictability of IDH-mutation status, MGMT promotor methylation, and differentiation of lower versus higher grade glioma (LGG vs. HGG) in newly-diagnosed patients employing relaxation-compensated multi-pool Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer (CEST) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7.0 Tesla (7T). Thirty-one newly-diagnosed glioma patients were included in this prospective study. CEST MRI was performed at a 7T whole-body scanner. Nuclear Overhauser Effect (NOE) and isolated amide proton transfer (APT, downfield NOE-suppressed APT=dns-APT) CEST signals (mean value and 90th signal percentile) were quantitatively investigated in the whole tumor area with regard to predictability of IDH-mutation, MGMT promotor methylation status, and differentiation of LGG vs. HGG. Statistics were performed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and area under the curve (AUC) analysis. Results were compared to advanced MRI methods (apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) ROC/AUC analysis) obtained at 3T. dns-APT CEST contrasts yielded highest AUCs in IDH-mutation status prediction (dns-APTmean=91.84%, p<0.01; dns-APT90=97.96%, p<0.001). Furthermore, dns-APT metrics enabled significant differentiation of LGG vs. HGG (AUC: dns-APTmean=0.78, p<0.05; dns-APT90=0.83, p<0.05). There was no significant difference regarding MGMT promotor methylation status at any contrast (p>0.05). Relaxation-compensated multi-pool CEST MRI, particularly dns-APT imaging, enabled prediction of IDH-mutation status and differentiation of LGG vs. HGG and should therefore be considered as non-invasive MR biomarker in the diagnostic workup.

  16. Racial differences in biochemical knee cartilage composition between African-American and Caucasian-American women with 3Tesla MR-based T2 relaxation time measurements – Data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

    PubMed Central

    YU, A.; Heilmeier, U.; Kretzschmar, M.; Joseph, G.B.; Liu, F.; Liebl, H.; McCulloch, C.E.; Nevitt, M.C.; Lane, Nancy E.; Link, T.M.

    2015-01-01

    Objective To determine whether knee cartilage composition differs between African-American and Caucasian-American women at risk for Osteoarthritis using in-vivo 3 Tesla MRI T2 relaxation time measurements. Methods Right knee MRI studies of 200 subjects (100 African-American women, and 100 closely matched Caucasian-American women) were selected from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Knee cartilage was segmented in the patellar (PAT), medial and lateral femoral (MF/LF), and medial and lateral tibial compartments (MT/LT)). Mean T2 relaxation time values per compartment and per whole joint cartilage were generated and analyzed spatially via laminar and grey-level co-occurrence matrix texture methods. Presence and severity of cartilage lesions per compartment were graded using a modified WORMS grading. Statistical analysis employed paired t- and McNemar testing. Results While African-American women and Caucasian-Americans had similar WORMS cartilage lesion scores (p=0.970), African-Americans showed significantly lower mean T2 values (~1ms difference; ~0.5SD) than Caucasian-Americans in the whole knee cartilage (p<0.001), and in the subcompartments (LF: p=0.001, MF: p<0.001, LT: p=0.019, MT: p=0.001) and particularly in the superficial cartilage layer (whole cartilage: p<0.001, LF: p<0.001, MF: p<0.001, LT: p=0.003, MT: p<0.001). T2 texture parameters were also significantly lower in the whole joint cartilage of African-Americans than in Caucasian-Americans (variance: p=0.001; contrast: p=0.018). In analyses limited to matched pairs with no cartilage lesions in a given compartment, T2 values remained significantly lower in African-Americans. Conclusion Using T2 relaxation time as a biomarker for the cartilage collagen network, our findings suggest racial differences in the biochemical knee cartilage composition between African-American and Caucasian-American women. PMID:25937026

  17. Preliminary validation of the Knee Inflammation MRI Scoring System (KIMRISS) for grading bone marrow lesions in osteoarthritis of the knee: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative

    PubMed Central

    Jeffery, Dean; Buller, M; Wichuk, Stephanie; McDougall, Dave; Lambert, Robert GW; Maksymowych, Walter P

    2017-01-01

    Objective Bone marrow lesions (BML) are an MRI feature of osteoarthritis (OA) offering a potential target for therapy. We developed the Knee Inflammation MRI Scoring System (KIMRISS) to semiquantitatively score BML with high sensitivity to small changes, and compared feasibility, reliability and responsiveness versus the established MRI Osteoarthritis Knee Score (MOAKS). Methods KIMRISS incorporates a web-based graphic overlay to facilitate detailed regional BML scoring. Observers scored BML by MOAKS and KIMRISS on sagittal fluid-sensitive sequences. Exercise 1 focused on interobserver reliability in Osteoarthritis Initiative observational data, with 4 readers (two experienced/two new to KIMRISS) scoring BML in 80 patients (baseline/1 year). Exercise 2 focused on responsiveness in an open-label trial of adalimumab, with 2 experienced readers scoring BML in 16 patients (baseline/12 weeks). Results Scoring time was similar for KIMRISS and MOAKS. Interobserver reliability of KIMRISS was equivalent to MOAKS for BML status (ICC=0.84 vs 0.79), but consistently better than MOAKS for change in BML: Exercise 1 (ICC 0.82 vs 0.53), Exercise 2 (ICC 0.90 vs 0.32), and in new readers (0.87–0.92 vs 0.32–0.51). KIMRISS BML was more responsive than MOAKS BML: post-treatment BML improvement in Exercise 2 reached statistical significance for KIMRISS (SRM −0.69, p=0.015), but not MOAKS (SRM −0.12, p=0.625). KIMRISS BML also more strongly correlated to WOMAC scores than MOAKS BML (r=0.80 vs 0.58, p<0.05). Conclusions KIMRISS BML scoring was highly feasible, and was more reliable for assessment of change and more responsive to change than MOAKS BML for expert and new readers. PMID:28123780

  18. Effect of traction on wrist joint space and cartilage visibility with and without MR arthrography

    PubMed Central

    Griffith, James F; Tang, W K; Ng, Alex W H; Yeung, David K W

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To compare the effect of traction during non-arthrographic and arthrographic MR examination of the wrist with regard to joint space width, joint fluid dispersion and cartilage surface visibility. Methods: Prospective 3-T MRI study of 100 wrists in 96 patients. The first 50 wrists underwent MR arthrography first without traction and then with traction. The following 50 wrists underwent standard MR first without traction and then with traction. On these examinations, two radiologists independently measured (i) joint space width, semi-quantitatively graded (ii) joint fluid dispersion between opposing cartilage surfaces and (iii) articular cartilage surface visibility. The three parameters were compared between the two groups. Results: Traction led to an increase in joint space width at nearly all joints in all patients (p < 0.05), although more so in the arthrography (∆ = 0.08–0.79 mm, all p < 0.05) than in the non-arthrography (∆ = 0.001–0.61 mm, all p < 0.05) group. Joint fluid dispersion and cartilage surface visibility improved after traction in nearly all joints (p < 0.05) in all patients and more so in the arthographic than in the non-arthrography group. Conclusion: Traction did significantly improve cartilage surface visibility for standard MRI of the wrist although the effect was not as great as that seen with MR arthography or MR arthrography with traction. Advances in knowledge: This is the first study to show the beneficial effect of traction during standard non-arthrography MRI of the wrist and compare the effect of traction between non-arthrographic and arthrographic MRI of the wrist. PMID:28181830

  19. The relationship of antiresorptive drug use to structural findings and symptoms of knee osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Carbone, Laura D; Nevitt, Michael C; Wildy, Kathryn; Barrow, Karen D; Harris, Fran; Felson, David; Peterfy, Charles; Visser, Marjolein; Harris, Tamara B; Wang, Benjamin W E; Kritchevsky, Stephen B

    2004-11-01

    To examine the cross-sectional association between use of medications that have a bone antiresorptive effect (estrogen, raloxifene, and alendronate) and both the structural features of knee osteoarthritis (OA), assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and radiography, and the symptoms of knee OA in elderly women. Women in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study underwent MRI and radiography of the knee if they reported symptoms of knee OA, and women without significant knee symptoms were selected as controls. MR images of the knee were assessed for multiple features of OA using the Whole-Organ MRI scoring method, and radiographs were read for Kellgren and Lawrence grade and individual features of OA. Concurrent medication use and knee symptoms were assessed by interview, and knee pain severity was evaluated using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). There were 818 postmenopausal women from whom we obtained MR images of the knee and data on medication use. Among these women, 214 (26.2%) were receiving antiresorptive drugs. We found no significant association between overall use of antiresorptive drugs and the presence of knee pain and radiographic changes of OA of the knee. Use of alendronate, but not estrogen, was associated with less severity of knee pain as assessed by WOMAC scores. Both alendronate use and estrogen use were associated with significantly less subchondral bone attrition and bone marrow edema-like abnormalities in the knee as assessed by MRI, as compared with women who had not received these medications. Elderly women being treated with alendronate and estrogen had a significantly decreased prevalence of knee OA-related subchondral bone lesions compared with those reporting no use of these medications. Alendronate use was also associated with a reduction in knee pain according to the WOMAC scores.

  20. SU-G-IeP1-13: Sub-Nyquist Dynamic MRI Via Prior Rank, Intensity and Sparsity Model (PRISM)

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Jiang, B; Gao, H

    Purpose: Accelerated dynamic MRI is important for MRI guided radiotherapy. Inspired by compressive sensing (CS), sub-Nyquist dynamic MRI has been an active research area, i.e., sparse sampling in k-t space for accelerated dynamic MRI. This work is to investigate sub-Nyquist dynamic MRI via a previously developed CS model, namely Prior Rank, Intensity and Sparsity Model (PRISM). Methods: The proposed method utilizes PRISM with rank minimization and incoherent sampling patterns for sub-Nyquist reconstruction. In PRISM, the low-rank background image, which is automatically calculated by rank minimization, is excluded from the L1 minimization step of the CS reconstruction to further sparsify themore » residual image, thus allowing for higher acceleration rates. Furthermore, the sampling pattern in k-t space is made more incoherent by sampling a different set of k-space points at different temporal frames. Results: Reconstruction results from L1-sparsity method and PRISM method with 30% undersampled data and 15% undersampled data are compared to demonstrate the power of PRISM for dynamic MRI. Conclusion: A sub- Nyquist MRI reconstruction method based on PRISM is developed with improved image quality from the L1-sparsity method.« less

  1. [Low field intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging for brain tumour surgery: preliminary experience].

    PubMed

    Roldán, Pedro; García, Sergio; González, Josep; Reyes, Luis Alberto; Torales, Jorge; Valero, Ricard; Oleaga, Laura; Enseñat, Joaquim

    Intra-operative magnetic resonance imaging (iMRI) is a recently introduced tool in the most advanced neurosurgical operating rooms worldwide. We present our preliminary experience in brain tumour surgery with low field PoleStar N30® intraoperative MRI since its introduction in 2013 in the Barcelona Clinic Hospital. A prospective non-randomised study was conducted on cases operated on using iMRI and intention of complete removal up to October 2015. A record was made of the data as regards surgical times, resection rates, histological diagnosis, hospital stay, and survival rates during follow-up. The study included 50 patients, with a mean age of 55 years (±13.7), a preoperative mean Karnofsky of 92 (being 81 post-operatively), and a mean follow-up of 10.5 months (±6.5). There were 26% re-operations due to recurrence. High-grade gliomas were reported in 56%, low-grade gliomas in 24%, and 20% "Other" tumours. Overall hospital stay was 10 days (±4.5). Depending on the histologiacl diagnosis, the "Others" group had a longer hospital stay. Overall, there were 52% complete removal, 18% of maximum removals, and 30% of partial removals. The overall survival rates during follow-up was 84%. iMRI is a safe and effective tool for brain tumour surgery. Its use allows an increase in resection rates, and minimises post-operative complications. Its implementation involves an increase in surgical time, which improves with the characteristic learning curve. More studies are needed to establish its role in the long-term survival of patients. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Neurocirugía. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  2. Evidence and recommendations for imaging liver fat in children, based on systematic review.

    PubMed

    Awai, Hannah I; Newton, Kimberly P; Sirlin, Claude B; Behling, Cynthia; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B

    2014-05-01

    Fatty liver is a common problem in children and increases their risk for cirrhosis, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Liver biopsy is the clinical standard for diagnosing and grading fatty liver. However, noninvasive imaging modalities are needed to assess liver fat in children. We performed a systematic review of studies that evaluated imaging liver fat in children. We searched PubMed for original research articles in peer-reviewed journals from January 1, 1982, through December 31, 2012, using the key words "imaging liver fat." Studies included those in English, and those performed in children from birth to 18 years of age. To be eligible for inclusion, studies were required to measure hepatic steatosis via an imaging modality and a quantitative comparator as the reference standard. We analyzed 9 studies comprising 610 children; 4 studies assessed ultrasonography and 5 studies assessed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Ultrasonography was used in the diagnosis of fatty liver with positive predictive values of 47% to 62%. There was not a consistent relationship between ultrasound steatosis score and the reference measurement of hepatic steatosis. Liver fat as measurements by MRI or by spectroscopy varied with the methodologies used. Liver fat measurements by MRI correlated with results from histologic analyses, but sample size did not allow for an assessment of diagnostic accuracy. Available evidence does not support the use of ultrasonography for the diagnosis or grading of fatty liver in children. Although MRI is a promising approach, the data are insufficient to make evidence-based recommendations regarding its use in children for the assessment of hepatic steatosis. Copyright © 2014 AGA Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. Asymptomatic Elite Adolescent Tennis Players' Signs of Tendinosis in Their Dominant Shoulder Compared With Their Nondominant Shoulder

    PubMed Central

    Johansson, Fredrik R.; Skillgate, Eva; Adolfsson, Anders; Jenner, Göran; DeBri, Edin; Swärdh, Leif; Cools, Ann M.

    2015-01-01

    Context Tennis is an asymmetric overhead sport with specific muscle-activation patterns, especially eccentrically in the rotator cuff. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in asymptomatic adolescent elite tennis players have not previously been reported. Objective The first aim of the study was to describe MRI findings regarding adaptations or abnormalities, as well as muscle cross-sectional area (CSA), of the rotator cuff. The second aim of the study was to investigate the rotator cuff based on the interpretation of the MRI scans as normal versus abnormal, with the subdivision based on the grade of tendinosis, and its association with eccentric rotator cuff strength in the dominant arm (DA) of the asymptomatic elite adolescent tennis player. Setting Testing environment at the radiology department of Medicinsk Röntgen AB. Patients or Other Participants Thirty-five asymptomatic elite tennis players (age = 17.4 ± 2.7 years) were selected based on ranking and exposure time. Intervention(s) We assessed MRI scans and measured the CSA of the rotator cuff muscle. The non-DA (NDA) was used as a control. In addition, eccentric testing of the external rotators of the DA was performed with a handheld dynamometer. Results The DA and NDA displayed different frequencies of infraspinatus tendinosis (grade 1 changes) (P < .05). Rotator cuff measurements revealed larger infraspinatus and teres minor CSA (P < .05) in the DA than in the NDA. Mean eccentric external-rotation strength in the DA stratified by normal tendon and tendinosis was not different between groups (P = .723). Conclusions Asymptomatic adolescent elite tennis players demonstrated infraspinatus tendinosis more frequently in the DA than in the NDA. Clinicians must recognize these tendon changes in order to modify conditioning and performance programs appropriately. PMID:26651279

  4. Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma of the Uterus: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings Including Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Value and Its Correlation With Ki-67 Expression.

    PubMed

    Li, Hai Ming; Liu, Jia; Qiang, Jin Wei; Gu, Wei Yong; Zhang, Guo Fu; Ma, Feng Hua

    2017-11-01

    This study aimed to investigate the conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) features of endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) including a preliminary investigation of the correlation between the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value and Ki-67 expression. The clinical and MRI data of 15 patients with ESS confirmed by surgery and pathology were analyzed retrospectively. The conventional MR morphological features, signal intensity on DWI, ADC value (n = 14), and clinicopathological marker Ki-67 (n = 13) were evaluated. Of 15 patients with ESS, 13 tumors were low-grade ESS (LGESS), and the remaining 2 were high-grade ESS (HGESS); 9 tumors were located in the myometrium, 5 were located in the endometrium and/or cervical canal, and 1 was located in extrauterine. Thirteen (87%) of 15 tumors showed a homo- or heterogeneous isointensity on T1-weighted imaging and a heterogeneous hyperintensity on T2-weighted imaging. The hypointense bands were observed in 11 tumors (73%) on T2-weighted imaging. The degenerations (cystic/necrosis/hemorrhage) were observed in 7 LGESS tumors and 2 HGESS tumors. The DWI hyperintensity was observed in 13 tumors (93%) and isointensity in remaining 1. The mean ADC value of the solid components in 14 ESSs was (1.05 ± 0.20) × 10mm/s. The contrast-enhanced MRI showed an obvious enhancement in 14 tumors (93%) (heterogeneous in 7 LGESSs and 2 HGESSs; homogeneous in 5 LGESSs). The ADC value was inversely correlated with the Ki-67 expression (r = -0.613, P = 0.026). Patients with ESS showed some characteristics on conventional MRI and DWI, and there was an inverse correlation between the ADC value and Ki-67 expression.

  5. [Features of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in oral and maxillofacial region and MRI analysis of facial muscles].

    PubMed

    Liu, Y H; Ma, Y X; Hu, J; Gao, G D; Wu, Y K; Zhang, Z Y

    2016-12-09

    Objective: To investigate the manifestation of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) in oral and maxillofacial region. Methods: A total of 12 patients diagnosed as FSHD and 20 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Their medical history was collected from these patients. The decayed missing filled teeth (DMFT), calculus index-simplified (CI-S), occlusal relationship, maximal opening of mouth and maximum bite force were recorded. The impressions were taken to measure the maximal hight of palate and the width of palate. The lateral cephalometric radiographs were also taken to measure the mandibular plane-frankfurt horizontal plane angle (MP-FH). They finally received oral and maxillofacial region MRI examination to observe the masseter muscle, medial pterygoid muscle and lateral pterygoid muscle. The data were analyzed by t -test or Wilcoxon signed ranks test. Results: There was no significant gender difference in FSHD group. The average age of treatment was (27.5 ± 8.1) years and the average age of onset was (15.7±7.5) years. Nine patients liked to eat soft foods, 4 patients had difficulties of closing eyes, 8 patients had difficulties of cheek-bulging, 10 patients showed pouty lips and 9 patients had mesio-malocclusion. DMFT (4.0±2.3), CI-S (5.8±2.1), male maximal hight of palate (20.5±2.1) mm , female maximal hight of palate (17.9±1.6) mm, MP-FH (31.8°±2.2°) of FSHD group were greater than those of the control group. Male width of palate (34.8±1.4) mm, female width of palate (33.7±1.5) mm, male maximum bite force (451.7 ± 39.0) N, female maximum bite force (326.7 ± 21.6) N, maximal opening of mouth (3.5 ± 0.4) cm of FSHD group were less than those of the control group ( P <0.05). Maxillofacial MRI showed muscle asymmetr in 11 cases of masseter and 6 cases of medial pterygoid muscle, 5 cases of lateral pterygoid, and these muscle showed mild fatty infiltration mainly concentrating in the grade 0, grade 1 and grade 2. Conclusions: The FSHD patients have poor oral hygiene, low masticatory function, limited mouth opening, high palate and narrow arch and different degree of malocclusion. The patients' masseter muscle, medial pterygoid muscles and lateral pterygoid muscles exhibit asymmetrical atrophy and fatty infiltration.

  6. Predicting the outcome of grade II glioma treated with temozolomide using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy

    PubMed Central

    Guillevin, R; Menuel, C; Taillibert, S; Capelle, L; Costalat, R; Abud, L; Habas, C; De Marco, G; Hoang-Xuan, K; Chiras, J; Vallée, J-N

    2011-01-01

    Background: This study was designed to evaluate proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) for monitoring the WHO grade II glioma (low-grade glioma (LGG)) treated with temozolomide (TMZ). Methods: This prospective study included adult patients with progressive LGG that was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Temozolomide was administered at every 28 days. Response to TMZ was evaluated by monthly MRI examinations that included MRI with volumetric calculations and 1H-MRS for assessing Cho/Cr and Cho/NAA ratios. Univariate, multivariate and receiver-operating characteristic statistical analyses were performed on the results. Results: A total of 21 LGGs from 31 patients were included in the study, and followed for at least n=14 months during treatment. A total of 18 (86%) patients experienced a decrease in tumour volume with a greater decrease of metabolic ratios. Subsequently, five (28%) of these tumours resumed growth despite the continuation of TMZ administration with an earlier increase of metabolic ratios of 2 months. Three (14%) patients did not show any volume or metabolic change. The evolutions of the metabolic ratios, mean(Cho/Cr)n and mean(Cho/NAA)n, were significantly correlated over time (Spearman ρ=+0.95) and followed a logarithmic regression (P>0.001). The evolutions over time of metabolic ratios, mean(Cho/Cr)n and mean(Cho/NAA)n, were significantly correlated with the evolution of the mean relative decrease of tumour volume, mean(ΔVn/Vo), according to a linear regression (P<0.001) in the ‘response/no relapse' patient group, and with the evolution of the mean tumour volume (meanVn), according to an exponential regression (P<0.001) in the ‘response/relapse' patient group. The mean relative decrease of metabolic ratio, mean(Δ(Cho/Cr)n/(Cho/Cr)o), at n=3 months was predictive of tumour response over the 14 months of follow-up. The mean relative change between metabolic ratios, mean((Cho/NAA)n−(Cho/Cr)n)/(Cho/NAA)n, at n=4 months was predictive of tumour relapse with a significant cutoff of 0.046, a sensitivity of 60% and a specificity of 100% (P=0.004). Conclusions: The 1H-MRS profile changes more widely and rapidly than tumour volume during the response and relapse phases, and represents an early predictive factor of outcome over 14 months of follow-up. Thus, 1H-MRS may be a promising, non-invasive tool for predicting and monitoring the clinical response to TMZ. PMID:21610707

  7. Patch-based generation of a pseudo CT from conventional MRI sequences for MRI-only radiotherapy of the brain

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Andreasen, Daniel, E-mail: dana@dtu.dk; Van Leemput, Koen; Hansen, Rasmus H.

    Purpose: In radiotherapy (RT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the only modality, the information on electron density must be derived from the MRI scan by creating a so-called pseudo computed tomography (pCT). This is a nontrivial task, since the voxel-intensities in an MRI scan are not uniquely related to electron density. To solve the task, voxel-based or atlas-based models have typically been used. The voxel-based models require a specialized dual ultrashort echo time MRI sequence for bone visualization and the atlas-based models require deformable registrations of conventional MRI scans. In this study, we investigate the potential of amore » patch-based method for creating a pCT based on conventional T{sub 1}-weighted MRI scans without using deformable registrations. We compare this method against two state-of-the-art methods within the voxel-based and atlas-based categories. Methods: The data consisted of CT and MRI scans of five cranial RT patients. To compare the performance of the different methods, a nested cross validation was done to find optimal model parameters for all the methods. Voxel-wise and geometric evaluations of the pCTs were done. Furthermore, a radiologic evaluation based on water equivalent path lengths was carried out, comparing the upper hemisphere of the head in the pCT and the real CT. Finally, the dosimetric accuracy was tested and compared for a photon treatment plan. Results: The pCTs produced with the patch-based method had the best voxel-wise, geometric, and radiologic agreement with the real CT, closely followed by the atlas-based method. In terms of the dosimetric accuracy, the patch-based method had average deviations of less than 0.5% in measures related to target coverage. Conclusions: We showed that a patch-based method could generate an accurate pCT based on conventional T{sub 1}-weighted MRI sequences and without deformable registrations. In our evaluations, the method performed better than existing voxel-based and atlas-based methods and showed a promising potential for RT of the brain based only on MRI.« less

  8. The diagnostic accuracy of multiparametric MRI to determine pediatric brain tumor grades and types.

    PubMed

    Koob, Mériam; Girard, Nadine; Ghattas, Badih; Fellah, Slim; Confort-Gouny, Sylviane; Figarella-Branger, Dominique; Scavarda, Didier

    2016-04-01

    Childhood brain tumors show great histological variability. The goal of this retrospective study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of multimodal MR imaging (diffusion, perfusion, MR spectroscopy) in the distinction of pediatric brain tumor grades and types. Seventy-six patients (range 1 month to 18 years) with brain tumors underwent multimodal MR imaging. Tumors were categorized by grade (I-IV) and by histological type (A-H). Multivariate statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of single and combined MR modalities, and of single imaging parameters to distinguish the different groups. The highest diagnostic accuracy for tumor grading was obtained with diffusion-perfusion (73.24%) and for tumor typing with diffusion-perfusion-MR spectroscopy (55.76%). The best diagnostic accuracy was obtained for tumor grading in I and IV and for tumor typing in embryonal tumor and pilocytic astrocytoma. Poor accuracy was seen in other grades and types. ADC and rADC were the best parameters for tumor grading and typing followed by choline level with an intermediate echo time, CBV for grading and Tmax for typing. Multiparametric MR imaging can be accurate in determining tumor grades (primarily grades I and IV) and types (mainly pilocytic astrocytomas and embryonal tumors) in children.

  9. SU-E-J-264: Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Derived Features to Quantify Radiotherapy-Induced Normal Tissue Morbidity

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thor, M; Tyagi, N; Deasy, J

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-derived features as indicators of Radiotherapy (RT)-induced normal tissue morbidity. We also investigate the relationship between these features and RT dose in four critical structures. Methods: We demonstrate our approach for four patients treated with RT for base of tongue cancer in 2005–2007. For each patient, two MRI scans (T1-weighted pre (T1pre) and post (T1post) gadolinium contrast-enhancement) were acquired within the first six months after RT. The assessed morbidity endpoint observed in 2/4 patients was Grade 2+ CTCAEv.3 trismus. Four ipsilateral masticatory-related structures (masseter, lateralmore » and medial pterygoid, and the temporal muscles) were delineated on both T1pre and T1post and these scans were co-registered to the treatment planning CT using a deformable demons algorithm. For each structure, the maximum and mean RT dose, and six MRI-derived features (the second order texture features entropy and homogeneity, and the first order mean, median, kurtosis, and skewness) were extracted and compared structure-wise between patients with and without trismus. All MRI-derived features were calculated as the difference between T1pre and T1post, ΔS. Results: For 5/6 features and all structures, ΔS diverged between trismus and non-trismus patients particularly for the masseter, lateral pterygoid, and temporal muscles using the kurtosis feature (−0.2 vs. 6.4 for lateral pterygoid). Both the maximum and mean RT dose in all four muscles were higher amongst the trismus patients (with the maximum dose being up to 25 Gy higher). Conclusion: Using MRI-derived features to quantify RT-induced normal tissue complications is feasible. We showed that several features are different between patients with and without morbidity and that the RT dose in all investigated structures are higher amongst patients with morbidity. MRI-derived features, therefore, has the potential to improve predictions of normal tissue morbidity.« less

  10. Surface-Based fMRI-Driven Diffusion Tractography in the Presence of Significant Brain Pathology: A Study Linking Structure and Function in Cerebral Palsy

    PubMed Central

    Cunnington, Ross; Boyd, Roslyn N.; Rose, Stephen E.

    2016-01-01

    Diffusion MRI (dMRI) tractography analyses are difficult to perform in the presence of brain pathology. Automated methods that rely on cortical parcellation for structural connectivity studies often fail, while manually defining regions is extremely time consuming and can introduce human error. Both methods also make assumptions about structure-function relationships that may not hold after cortical reorganisation. Seeding tractography with functional-MRI (fMRI) activation is an emerging method that reduces these confounds, but inherent smoothing of fMRI signal may result in the inclusion of irrelevant pathways. This paper describes a novel fMRI-seeded dMRI-analysis pipeline based on surface-meshes that reduces these issues and utilises machine-learning to generate task specific white matter pathways, minimising the requirement for manually-drawn ROIs. We directly compared this new strategy to a standard voxelwise fMRI-dMRI approach, by investigating correlations between clinical scores and dMRI metrics of thalamocortical and corticomotor tracts in 31 children with unilateral cerebral palsy. The surface-based approach successfully processed more participants (87%) than the voxel-based approach (65%), and provided significantly more-coherent tractography. Significant correlations between dMRI metrics and five clinical scores of function were found for the more superior regions of these tracts. These significant correlations were stronger and more frequently found with the surface-based method (15/20 investigated were significant; R2 = 0.43–0.73) than the voxelwise analysis (2 sig. correlations; 0.38 & 0.49). More restricted fMRI signal, better-constrained tractography, and the novel track-classification method all appeared to contribute toward these differences. PMID:27487011

  11. Cavum Septum Pellucidum in Retired American Pro-Football Players.

    PubMed

    Gardner, Raquel C; Hess, Christopher P; Brus-Ramer, Marcel; Possin, Katherine L; Cohn-Sheehy, Brendan I; Kramer, Joel H; Berger, Mitchel S; Yaffe, Kristine; Miller, Bruce; Rabinovici, Gil D

    2016-01-01

    Previous studies report that cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is frequent among athletes with a history of repeated traumatic brain injury (TBI), such as boxers. Few studies of CSP in athletes, however, have assessed detailed features of the septum pellucidum in a case-control fashion. This is important because prevalence of CSP in the general population varies widely (2% to 85%) between studies. Further, rates of CSP among American pro-football players have not been described previously. We sought to characterize MRI features of the septum pellucidum in a series of retired pro-football players with a history of repeated concussive/subconcussive head traumas compared with controls. We retrospectively assessed retired American pro-football players presenting to our memory clinic with cognitive/behavioral symptoms in whom structural MRI was available with slice thickness ≤2 mm (n=17). Each player was matched to a memory clinic control patient with no history of TBI. Scans were interpreted by raters blinded to clinical information and TBI/football history, who measured CSP grade (0-absent, 1-equivocal, 2-mild, 3-moderate, 4-severe) and length according to a standard protocol. Sixteen of 17 (94%) players had a CSP graded ≥2 compared with 3 of 17 (18%) controls. CSP was significantly higher grade (p<0.001) and longer in players than controls (mean length±standard deviation: 10.6 mm±5.4 vs. 1.1 mm±1.3, p<0.001). Among patients presenting to a memory clinic, long high-grade CSP was more frequent in retired pro-football players compared with patients without a history of TBI.

  12. Advanced MRI in Acute Military TBI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-11-01

    advanced MRI methods, DTI and resting-state fMRI correlation analysis, in military TBI patients acutely after injury and correlate findings with TBI...14 4 Introduction The objective of the project was to test two advanced MRI methods, DTI and resting-state fMRI correlation analysis, in...of Concussion Exam (MACE )(44) were reviewed. This brief cognitive test 279 assesses orientation, immediate verbal memory , concentration, and short

  13. Comparison of the diagnostic efficacy between ultrasound elastography and magnetic resonance imaging for breast masses

    PubMed Central

    Cheng, Rong; Li, Jing; Ji, Li; Liu, Huining; Zhu, Limin

    2018-01-01

    The present study compared the efficacy of ultrasound elastography (UE), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the combination of the two methods (UE+MRI) in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors. In total, 86 patients with breast masses were recruited and evaluated by UE, MRI and UE+MRI. Strain ratios of UE were calculated for the breast mass and adjacent normal tissues. In addition, the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was obtained, while the sensitivity and specificity were calculated to determine the optimal cut-off point for the differential diagnosis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was also calculated to evaluate the diagnostic performance of these methods. The results indicated that the diagnostic accuracy of UE+MRI was significantly higher compared with the UE or MRI methods in the differential diagnosis of invasive ductal, invasive lobular, intraductal papillary, medullary and mucinous carcinomas (all P<0.05). The optimal cut-off points of ROC curve of the Strain Ratio in the diagnosis of breast lesions were 2.81, 3.76 and 3.42 for UE, MRI and UE+MRI, respectively. Furthermore, the AUC values were 86.7, 79.2 and 91.4%, while the diagnostic accuracy rates were 82.5, 75.5 and 95.3%, for UE, MRI and UE+MRI, respectively. Accuracy rate differences between UE and MRI or between UE and UE+MRI were statistically significant (P<0.05), whereas no significant difference existed between MRI and UE+MRI (P>0.05). Finally, the diagnostic consistency of the UE+MRI method with the pathological diagnosis was higher compared with UE or MRI alone. In conclusion, the combination of UE and MRI is superior to the use of UE or MRI alone in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast masses. PMID:29456656

  14. Fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy in patients with benign or atypical intracranial meningioma: Long-term experience and prognostic factors

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Milker-Zabel, Stefanie; Zabel, Angelika; Schulz-Ertner, Daniela

    Purpose: To analyze our long-term experience and prognostic factors after fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy (FSRT) in patients with benign or atypical intracranial meningioma. Methods and materials: Between January 1985 and December 2001, 317 patients with a median age of 55.7 years were treated with FSRT for intracranial meningioma. The tumor distribution was World Health Organization (WHO) Grade 1 in 48.3%, WHO Grade 2 in 8.2%, and unknown in 43.5%. Of the 317 patients, 97 underwent RT as their primary treatment, 79 underwent postoperative RT (subtotal resection in 38 and biopsy only in 41), and 141 were treated for recurrent disease. Themore » median target volume was 33.6 cm{sup 3} (range, 1.0-412.6 cm{sup 3}). The median total dose was 57.6 Gy at 1.8 Gy/fraction five times weekly. Results: The median follow-up was 5.7 years (range, 1.2-14.3 years). The overall local tumor control rate was 93.1% (295 of 317). Of the 317 patients, 72 had a partial response on CT/MRI and 223 (70.4%) remained stable. At a median of 4.5 years after FSRT, 22 patients (6.9%) had local tumor progression on MRI. Local tumor failure was significantly greater in patients with WHO Grade 2 meningioma (p < 0.002) than in patients with WHO Grade 1 or unknown histologic features. Patients treated for recurrent meningioma showed a trend toward decreased progression-free survival compared with patients treated with primary therapy, after biopsy, or after subtotal resection (p < 0.06). Patients with a tumor volume >60 cm{sup 3} had a recurrence rate of 15.5% vs. 4.3% for those with a tumor volume of {<=}60 cm{sup 3} (p < 0.001). In 42.9% of the patients, preexisting neurologic deficits improved. Worsening of preexisting neurologic symptoms occurred in 8.2%. Eight patients developed new clinical symptoms, such as reduced vision, trigeminal neuralgia, and intermittent tinnitus located at the side of the irradiated meningioma after FSRT. Conclusion: These data have demonstrated that FSRT is an effective and safe treatment modality for local control of meningioma with a low risk of significant late toxicity. We identified the tumor volume, indication for FSRT, and histologic features of the meningioma as statistically significant prognostic factors.« less

  15. High-grade malignant transformation of a radiation-naïve nasopharyngeal angiofibroma.

    PubMed

    Allensworth, Jordan J; Troob, Scott H; Lanciault, Christian; Andersen, Peter E

    2016-04-01

    Nasopharyngeal angiofibromas are typically considered benign vascular neoplasms, with descriptions of high-grade sarcomatous change found only in lesions with prior radiotherapy. We describe the first reported case of high-grade malignant change in a nasopharyngeal angiofibroma naive to radiation. A 45-year-old man presented with left-sided nasal congestion and fullness and was found to have a left-sided nasopharyngeal mass with intracranial extension on CT scan. A biopsy of the mass revealed nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. The patient opted for MRI surveillance, which revealed interval growth 3 years later. Decompression surgery revealed only angiofibroma, but resection 9 months later demonstrated high-grade sarcoma and concomitant angiofibroma. The patient had residual disease which progressed through chemoradiation, and is now pursuing clinical trial enrollment. Malignant transformation of nasopharyngeal angiofibroma is extremely rare. As highlighted by this report, high-grade undifferentiated lesions may arise in tumors without previous radiation. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E2425-E2427, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. WE-FG-202-07: An MRI-Based Approach to Quantify Radiation-Induced Normal Tissue Injury Applied to Trismus After Head and Neck Cancer Radiotherapy

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Thor, M; Tyagi, N; Saleh, Z

    Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate if quantitative MRI-derived metrics from four masticatory muscles could explain mouth-opening limitation/trismus following intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). Methods: Fifteen intensity-based MRI metrics were derived from the masseter, lateral and medial pterygoid, and temporalis in T1-weighted scans acquired pre- and post gadolinium injection (T1Pre, T1Post) of 16, of in total 20, patients (8 symptomatic; 8 asymptomatic age/sex/tumor location-matched) treated with IMRT to 70 Gy (median) for HNC in 2005–2009. Trismus was defined as “≥decreased range of motion without impaired eating” (CTCAE.v.3: ≥Grade 1). Trismus status was monitoredmore » and MRI scans acquired within 1y post-RT. All MRI-derived metrics were assessed as ΔS=S(T1Pre)-S(T1Post)/S(T1Pre), and were normalized to the corresponding metric of a non-irradiated volume defined in each scan. The T1Pre structures were propagated onto the RT dose distribution, and the max and mean dose (Dmax, Dmean) were extracted. The MRI-derived metrics, Dmax, and Dmean were compared between trismus and non-trismus patients. A two-sided Wilcoxon Signed rank test-based p-value≤0.05 denoted significance. Results: For all four muscles the population mean of Dmax and Dmean was higher for patients with trismus compared to patients without trismus (ΔDmax=2.3–4.9 Gy; ΔDmean=and 2.0–3.8 Gy). The standard deviation (SD), the variance, and the minimum value (min) of ΔS were significantly (p=0.04–0.05) different between patients with and without trismus with trismus patients having significantly lower SD (population median: −0.53 vs. −0.31) and variance (−2.09 vs. −0.73) of the masseter, and significantly lower min of the medial pterygoid (−0.36 vs. −0.19). Conclusion: Quantitative MRI-derived metrics of two masticatory muscles were significantly different between patients with and without trismus following RT for HNC. These metrics could serve as image-based biomarkers to better understand the RT-induced etiology behind trismus, but should be further investigated in the complete cohort.« less

  17. Neuroimaging of the Wernicke–Korsakoff Syndrome

    PubMed Central

    Sullivan, Edith V.; Pfefferbaum, Adolf

    2009-01-01

    Aim: Presented is the neuroradiological signature of acute Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE), derived from different types of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences. WE results from thiamine depletion, and its most typical antecedent is chronic alcohol dependence. Brain regions observed with in vivo MRI affected in acute WE include the mammillary bodies, periaqueductal and periventricular gray matter, collicular bodies and thalamus. These affected areas are usually edematous and are best visualized and quantified with MRI sequences that highlight such tissue. Following the acute WE phase and resolution of edema and inflammation of affected brain tissue, WE, if not adequately treated with thiamine repletion, can herald Korsakoff's syndrome (KS), with its symptomatic hallmark of global amnesia, that is, the inability to commit newly encountered (episodic) information to memory for later recall or recognition. Methods: Neuropathology of KS detectable with MRI has a different neuroradiological signature from the acute stage and can be observed as tissue shrinkage or atrophy of selective brain structures, including the mammillary bodies and thalamus and ventricular expansion, probably indicative of atrophy of surrounding gray matter nuclei. Quantification of these and additional gray matter structures known to underlie global amnesia reveal substantial bilateral volume deficits in the hippocampus, in addition to the mammillary bodies and thalamus, and modest deficits in the medial septum/diagonal band of Broca. The infratentorium is also affected, exhibiting volume deficits in cerebellar hemispheres, anterior superior vermis and pons, contributing to ataxia of gait and stance. Results: Consideration of WKS structural brain changes in the context of the neuropathology of non-WKS alcoholism revealed a graded pattern of volume deficits, from mild in non-WKS alcoholics to moderate or severe in WKS, in the mammillary bodies, hippocampus, thalamus, cerebellum and pons. The development and resolution of brain structures affected in acute, chronic and treated WE was verified in longitudinal MRI study of rats that modeled of the interaction of extensive alcohol consumption and thiamine depletion and repletion. Conclusions: Thus, neuroradiological examination with MRI is valuable in the diagnosis of acute WE and enables in vivo tracking of the progression of the brain pathology of WE from the acute pathological phase to resolution with thiamine treatment or to progression to KS without treatment. Further, in vivo MRI facilitates translational studies to model antecedent conditions contributing to the development, sequelae and treatment of WE. PMID:19066199

  18. MRI assessment and outcomes in patients receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy only for primary rectal cancer: long-term results from the GEMCAD 0801 trial.

    PubMed

    Patel, U B; Brown, G; Machado, I; Santos-Cores, J; Pericay, C; Ballesteros, E; Salud, A; Isabel-Gil, M; Montagut, C; Maurel, J; Ramón-Ayuso, J; Martin, N; Estevan, R; Fernandez-Martos, C

    2017-02-01

    Primary chemotherapy has been tested as a possible approach for patients with high risk features but predicted clear mesorectal margins on preoperative MRI assessment. This study investigates the prognostic relevance of baseline and post-treatment MRI and pathology staging in rectal cancer patients undergoing primary chemotherapy. Forty-six patients with T3 tumour > =2 mm from the mesorectal fascia were prospectively treated with Neoadjuvant Capecitabine, Oxaliplatin and Bevacizumab prior to surgery between 2009 and 2011. The baseline and post-treatment MRI: T, Nodal and Extra-mural venous invasion (EMVI) status were recorded as well as post-treatment MRI Tumour regression grade (TRG) and modified-RECIST assessment of tumour length. The post-treatment pathology (yp) assessments of T3 substage, N, EMVI and TRG status were also recorded. Three-year disease-free survival (DFS) and cumulative incidence of recurrence were estimated by using the Kaplan-Meier product-limit method, and Cox proportional hazards models were used to determine associations between staging and response on MRI and pathology with survival outcomes. About 46 patients underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone for high risk margin safe primary rectal cancer. The median follow-up was 41 months, 5 patients died and 11 patients experienced relapse (2 local, 8 distant and 1 both). In total 23/46 patients were identified with MRI features of EMVI at baseline. mrEMVI positive status carried independent prognostic significance for DFS (P = 0.0097) with a hazard ratio of 31.33 (95% CI: 2.3-425.4). The histopathologic factor that was of independent prognostic importance was a final ypT downstage of ypT3a or less, hazard ratio: 14.0 (95% CI: 1.5-132.5). mrEMVI is an independent prognostic factor at baseline for poor outcomes in rectal cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy while ≤ypT3a is associated with an improvement in DFS. Future preoperative therapy evaluation in rectal cancer patients will need to stratify treatment according to baseline EMVI status as a crucial risk factor for recurrence in patients with predicted CRM clear rectal cancer. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society for Medical Oncology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. CT versus MR Techniques in the Detection of Cervical Artery Dissection.

    PubMed

    Hanning, Uta; Sporns, Peter B; Schmiedel, Meilin; Ringelstein, Erich B; Heindel, Walter; Wiendl, Heinz; Niederstadt, Thomas; Dittrich, Ralf

    2017-11-01

    Spontaneous cervical artery dissection (sCAD) is an important etiology of juvenile stroke. The gold standard for the diagnosis of sCAD is convential angiography. However, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/MR angiography (MRA) and computed tomography (CT)/CT angiography (CTA) are frequently used alternatives. New developments such as multislice CT/CTA have enabled routine acquisition of thinner sections with rapid imaging times. The goal of this study was to compare the capability of recent developed 128-slice CT/CTA to MRI/MRA to detect radiologic features of sCAD. Retrospective review of patients with suspected sCAD (n = 188) in a database of our Stroke center (2008-2014), who underwent CT/CTA and MRI/MRA on initial clinical work-up. A control group of 26 patients was added. All Images were evaluated concerning specific and sensitive radiological features for dissection by two experienced neuroradiologists. Imaging features were compared between the two modalities. Forty patients with 43 dissected arteries received both modalities (29 internal carotid arteries [ICAs] and 14 vertebral arteries [VAs]). All CADs were identified in CT/CTA and MRI/MRA. The features intimal flap, stenosis, and lumen irregularity appeared in both modalities. One high-grade stenosis was identified by CT/CTA that was expected occluded on MRI/MRA. Two MRI/MRA-confirmed pseudoaneurysms were missed by CT/CTA. None of the controls evidenced specific imaging signs for dissection. CT/CTA is a reliable and better available alternative to MRI/MRA for diagnosis of sCAD. CT/CTA should be used to complement MRI/MRA in cases where MRI/MRA suggests occlusion. Copyright © 2017 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  20. Topical Review: Unique Contributions of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Pediatric Psychology Research

    PubMed Central

    Duraccio, Kara M.; Carbine, Kaylie M.; Kirwan, C. Brock

    2016-01-01

    Objective This review aims to provide a brief introduction of the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods in pediatric psychology research, describe several exemplar studies that highlight the unique benefits of MRI techniques for pediatric psychology research, and detail methods for addressing several challenges inherent to pediatric MRI research. Methods Literature review. Results Numerous useful applications of MRI research in pediatric psychology have been illustrated in published research. MRI methods yield information that cannot be obtained using neuropsychological or behavioral measures. Conclusions Using MRI in pediatric psychology research may facilitate examination of neural structures and processes that underlie health behaviors. Challenges inherent to conducting MRI research with pediatric research participants (e.g., head movement) may be addressed using evidence-based strategies. We encourage pediatric psychology researchers to consider adopting MRI techniques to answer research questions relevant to pediatric health and illness. PMID:26141118

  1. P16.30 4th ventricle glioblastoma

    PubMed Central

    Unal, E.; Isik, S.; Gurbuz, M.; Kilic, K.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Introduction: We present the 2nd case ever known in English literature describing a glioblastoma of the fourth ventricle originating from cerebellar peduncle. CASE DESCIPTION: A 66 years old woman was admitted to hospital with dizziness and nausea for four months. An MRI scan showed fourth ventricle mass. First impression was an ependymoma due to MRI scan characteristics. Results: A surgery was performed and histopathology revealed Grade IV glial tumor. Radiotherapy was done. CONCLUSION: This report suggests that GBM can mimic every tumor in the CNS. Surgery is the best option for these tumors not only for aggressive behaviour of glioblastoma but also to prevent hydrocephalus and associated symptoms.

  2. Magnetic Resonance Imaging Currently Fails to Fully Evaluate the Biceps-Labrum Complex and Bicipital Tunnel.

    PubMed

    Taylor, Samuel A; Newman, Ashley M; Nguyen, Joseph; Fabricant, Peter D; Baret, Nikolas J; Shorey, Mary; Ramkumar, Prem; O'Brien, Stephen J

    2016-02-01

    To determine the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for biceps-labrum complex (BLC) lesions, including the extra-articular bicipital tunnel. A retrospective review of 277 shoulders with chronic refractory BLC symptoms that underwent arthroscopic subdeltoid transfer of the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) to the conjoint tendon was conducted. Intraoperative lesions were categorized as "inside" (labral tears and dynamic LHBT incarceration), "junctional" (LHBT partial tears, LHBT subluxation, and biceps chondromalacia), or "bicipital tunnel" (extra-articular bicipital tunnel scar/stenosis, loose bodies, LHBT instability, and LHBT partial tears) based on anatomic location. Attending radiologist-generated MRI reports were graded dichotomously as positive or negative for biceps and labral damage and then compared with intraoperative findings. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) were calculated for MRI with respect to intraoperative findings. With regard to inside lesions, MRI had an overall sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for labrum lesions of 77.3%, 68.2%, 57.3%, and 84.5% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MRI for junctional lesions were 43.3%, 55.6%, 73.1%, and 26.0%, respectively. For the bicipital tunnel, MRI had a sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of 50.4%, 61.4%, 48.7%, and 63.0%, respectively. MRI was unreliable for ruling out BLC lesions among chronically symptomatic patients, including when the bicipital tunnel was affected. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. DCE-MRI of the prostate using shutter-speed vs. Tofts model for tumor characterization and assessment of aggressiveness.

    PubMed

    Hectors, Stefanie J; Besa, Cecilia; Wagner, Mathilde; Jajamovich, Guido H; Haines, George K; Lewis, Sara; Tewari, Ashutosh; Rastinehad, Ardeshir; Huang, Wei; Taouli, Bachir

    2017-09-01

    To quantify Tofts model (TM) and shutter-speed model (SSM) perfusion parameters in prostate cancer (PCa) and noncancerous peripheral zone (PZ) and to compare the diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) to Prostate Imaging and Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) classification for the assessment of PCa aggressiveness. Fifty PCa patients (mean age 60 years old) who underwent MRI at 3.0T followed by prostatectomy were included in this Institutional Review Board-approved retrospective study. DCE-MRI parameters (K trans , v e , k ep [TM&SSM] and intracellular water molecule lifetime τ i [SSM]) were determined in PCa and PZ. Differences in DCE-MRI parameters between PCa and PZ, and between models were assessed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for differentiation between PCa and PZ was performed for individual and combined DCE-MRI parameters. Diagnostic performance of DCE-MRI parameters for identification of aggressive PCa (Gleason ≥8, grade group [GG] ≥3 or pathology stage pT3) was assessed using ROC analysis and compared with PI-RADSv2 scores. DCE-MRI parameters were significantly different between TM and SSM and between PZ and PCa (P < 0.037). Diagnostic performances of TM and SSM for differentiation of PCa from PZ were similar (highest AUC TM: K trans +k ep 0.76, SSM: τ i +k ep 0.80). PI-RADS outperformed TM and SSM DCE-MRI for identification of Gleason ≥8 lesions (AUC PI-RADS: 0.91, highest AUC DCE-MRI: K trans +τ i SSM 0.61, P = 0.002). The diagnostic performance of PI-RADS and DCE-MRI for identification of GG ≥3 and pT3 PCa was not significantly different (P > 0.213). SSM DCE-MRI did not increase the diagnostic performance of DCE-MRI for PCa characterization. PI-RADS outperformed both TM and SSM DCE-MRI for identification of aggressive cancer. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:837-849. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  4. Analysis of histological findings obtained combining US/mp-MRI fusion-guided biopsies with systematic US biopsies: mp-MRI role in prostate cancer detection and false negative.

    PubMed

    Faiella, Eliodoro; Santucci, Domiziana; Greco, Federico; Frauenfelder, Giulia; Giacobbe, Viola; Muto, Giovanni; Zobel, Bruno Beomonte; Grasso, Rosario Francesco

    2018-02-01

    To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of mp-MRI correlating US/mp-MRI fusion-guided biopsy with systematic random US-guided biopsy in prostate cancer diagnosis. 137 suspected prostatic abnormalities were identified on mp-MRI (1.5T) in 96 patients and classified according to PI-RADS score v2. All target lesions underwent US/mp-MRI fusion biopsy and prostatic sampling was completed by US-guided systematic random 12-core biopsies. Histological analysis and Gleason score were established for all the samples, both target lesions defined by mp-MRI, and random biopsies. PI-RADS score was correlated with the histological results, divided in three groups (benign tissue, atypia and carcinoma) and with Gleason groups, divided in four categories considering the new Grading system of the ISUP 2014, using t test. Multivariate analysis was used to correlate PI-RADS and Gleason categories to PSA level and abnormalities axial diameter. When the random core biopsies showed carcinoma (mp-MRI false-negatives), PSA value and lesions Gleason median value were compared with those of carcinomas identified by mp-MRI (true-positives), using t test. There was statistically significant difference between PI-RADS score in carcinoma, atypia and benign lesions groups (4.41, 3.61 and 3.24, respectively) and between PI-RADS score in Gleason < 7 group and Gleason > 7 group (4.14 and 4.79, respectively). mp-MRI performance was more accurate for lesions > 15 mm and in patients with PSA > 6 ng/ml. In systematic sampling, 130 (11.25%) mp-MRI false-negative were identified. There was no statistic difference in Gleason median value (7.0 vs 7.06) between this group and the mp-MRI true-positives, but a significant lower PSA median value was demonstrated (7.08 vs 7.53 ng/ml). mp-MRI remains the imaging modality of choice to identify PCa lesions. Integrating US-guided random sampling with US/mp-MRI fusion target lesions sampling, 3.49% of false-negative were identified.

  5. [MRI-Based Ratio of Fetal Lung to Body Volume as New Prognostic Marker for Chronic Lung Disease in Patients with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia].

    PubMed

    Winkler, Melissa M; Weis, Meike; Henzler, Claudia; Weiß, Christel; Kehl, Sven; Schoenberg, Stefan O; Neff, Wolfgang; Schaible, Thomas

    2017-03-01

    Background Our aim was to evaluate the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based ratio of fetal lung volume (FLV) to fetal body volume (FBV) as a marker for development of chronic lung disease (CLD) in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Patients and Methods FLV and FBV were measured and the individual FLV/FBV ratio was calculated in 132 fetuses. Diagnosis of CLD was established following prespecified criteria and graded into mild/moderate/severe if present. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the probability of postnatal development of CLD in dependence of the FLV/FBV ratio. Receiver operating characteristic curves were analysed by calculating the area under the curve to evaluate the prognostic accuracy of this marker. Results 61 of 132 fetuses developed CLD (46.21%). The FLV/FBV ratio was significantly lower in fetuses with CLD (p=0.0008; AUC 0.743). Development of CLD was significantly associated with thoracic herniation of liver parenchyma (p<0.0001), requirement of extracorporal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) (p<0.0001) and gestational age at delivery (p=0.0052). Conclusion The MRI-based ratio of FLV to FBV is a highly valuable prenatal parameter for development of CLD. The ratio is helpful for early therapeutic decisions by estimating the probability to develop CLD. Perinatally, gestational age at delivery and ECMO requirement are useful additional parameters to further improve prediction of CLD. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  6. Individual preferences modulate incentive values: Evidence from functional MRI

    PubMed Central

    Koeneke, Susan; Pedroni, Andreas F; Dieckmann, Anja; Bosch, Volker; Jäncke, Lutz

    2008-01-01

    Background In most studies on human reward processing, reward intensity has been manipulated on an objective scale (e.g., varying monetary value). Everyday experience, however, teaches us that objectively equivalent rewards may differ substantially in their subjective incentive values. One factor influencing incentive value in humans is branding. The current study explores the hypothesis that individual brand preferences modulate activity in reward areas similarly to objectively measurable differences in reward intensity. Methods A wheel-of-fortune game comprising an anticipation phase and a subsequent outcome evaluation phase was implemented. Inside a 3 Tesla MRI scanner, 19 participants played for chocolate bars of three different brands that differed in subjective attractiveness. Results Parametrical analysis of the obtained fMRI data demonstrated that the level of activity in anatomically distinct neural networks was linearly associated with the subjective preference hierarchy of the brands played for. During the anticipation phases, preference-dependent neural activity has been registered in premotor areas, insular cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and in the midbrain. During the outcome phases, neural activity in the caudate nucleus, precuneus, lingual gyrus, cerebellum, and in the pallidum was influenced by individual preference. Conclusion Our results suggest a graded effect of differently preferred brands onto the incentive value of objectively equivalent rewards. Regarding the anticipation phase, the results reflect an intensified state of wanting that facilitates action preparation when the participants play for their favorite brand. This mechanism may underlie approach behavior in real-life choice situations. PMID:19032746

  7. Developing 3D microscopy with CLARITY on human brain tissue: Towards a tool for informing and validating MRI-based histology.

    PubMed

    Morawski, Markus; Kirilina, Evgeniya; Scherf, Nico; Jäger, Carsten; Reimann, Katja; Trampel, Robert; Gavriilidis, Filippos; Geyer, Stefan; Biedermann, Bernd; Arendt, Thomas; Weiskopf, Nikolaus

    2017-11-28

    Recent breakthroughs in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enabled quantitative relaxometry and diffusion-weighted imaging with sub-millimeter resolution. Combined with biophysical models of MR contrast the emerging methods promise in vivo mapping of cyto- and myelo-architectonics, i.e., in vivo histology using MRI (hMRI) in humans. The hMRI methods require histological reference data for model building and validation. This is currently provided by MRI on post mortem human brain tissue in combination with classical histology on sections. However, this well established approach is limited to qualitative 2D information, while a systematic validation of hMRI requires quantitative 3D information on macroscopic voxels. We present a promising histological method based on optical 3D imaging combined with a tissue clearing method, Clear Lipid-exchanged Acrylamide-hybridized Rigid Imaging compatible Tissue hYdrogel (CLARITY), adapted for hMRI validation. Adapting CLARITY to the needs of hMRI is challenging due to poor antibody penetration into large sample volumes and high opacity of aged post mortem human brain tissue. In a pilot experiment we achieved transparency of up to 8 mm-thick and immunohistochemical staining of up to 5 mm-thick post mortem brain tissue by a combination of active and passive clearing, prolonged clearing and staining times. We combined 3D optical imaging of the cleared samples with tailored image processing methods. We demonstrated the feasibility for quantification of neuron density, fiber orientation distribution and cell type classification within a volume with size similar to a typical MRI voxel. The presented combination of MRI, 3D optical microscopy and image processing is a promising tool for validation of MRI-based microstructure estimates. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Indian Hedgehog signaling pathway members are associated with magnetic resonance imaging manifestations and pathological scores in lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis.

    PubMed

    Shuang, Feng; Zhou, Ying; Hou, Shu-Xun; Zhu, Jia-Liang; Liu, Yan; Zhang, Chun-Li; Tang, Jia-Guang

    2015-05-20

    Indian Hedgehog (HH) has been shown to be involved in osteoarthritis (OA) in articular joints, where there is evidence that Indian HH blockade could ameliorate OA. It seems to play a prominent role in development of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and in postnatal maintenance. There is little work on IHH in the IVD. Hence the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of Indian Hedgehog in the pathology of facet joint (FJ) OA. 24 patients diagnosed with lumbar intervertebral disk herniation or degenerative spinal stenosis were included. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) histopathology grading system was correlated to the mRNA levels of GLI1, PTCH1, and HHIP in the FJs. The Weishaupt grading and OARSI scores showed high positive correlation (r = 0.894) (P < 0.01). MRI Weishaupt grades showed positive correlation with GLI1 (r = 0.491), PTCH1 (r = 0.444), and HHIP (r = 0.654) mRNA levels (P < 0.05 in each case). OARSI scores were also positively correlated with GLI1 (r = 0. 646), PTCH1 (r = 0. 518), and HHIP (r = 0.762) mRNA levels (P < 0.01 in each case). Cumulatively our findings indicate that Indian HH signaling is increased in OA and is perhaps a key component in OA pathogenesis and progression.

  9. Endometrial stromal sarcoma mimicking submucosal myoma protruding to the vagina: MRI findings.

    PubMed

    Chien, J C W; Hsieh, S C; Lee, R C; Chen, C Y; Cheng, C J; Chan, W P

    2005-01-01

    A 46-year-old woman complained of persistent abnormal vaginal bleeding over ten days. Her intrauterine device had been removed two years before. Soon after, she suffered from menorrhagia and metrorrhagia. An incidental finding of severe anemia was also noted. In this admission, our initial T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a well-demarcated mass predominantly in the uterine cavity. The mass was depicted by an isointense signal relative to the myometrium on T1-weighted images, high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, and slightly heterogeneous enhancement on post-contrast images. The patient refused surgery. After two years, follow-up MRI showed a pedunculated mass protruding into the upper third of the vagina with a stalk connecting to the posterior wall of the uterine cavity, simulating submucosal myoma. Histological diagnosis was compatible with low-grade endometrial stromal sarcoma.

  10. MRI-detectable pH nanosensors incorporated into hydrogels for in vivo sensing of transplanted-cell viability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chan, Kannie W. Y.; Liu, Guanshu; Song, Xiaolei; Kim, Heechul; Yu, Tao; Arifin, Dian R.; Gilad, Assaf A.; Hanes, Justin; Walczak, Piotr; van Zijl, Peter C. M.; Bulte, Jeff W. M.; McMahon, Michael T.

    2013-03-01

    Biocompatible nanomaterials and hydrogels have become an important tool for improving cell-based therapies by promoting cell survival and protecting cell transplants from immune rejection. Although their potential benefit has been widely evaluated, at present it is not possible to determine, in vivo, if and how long cells remain viable following their administration without the use of a reporter gene. Here, we report a pH-nanosensor-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that can monitor cell death in vivo non-invasively. We demonstrate that specific MRI parameters that change on cell death of microencapsulated hepatocytes are associated with the measured bioluminescence imaging radiance. Moreover, the readout from this pH-sensitive nanosensor can be directly co-registered with high-resolution anatomical images. All of the components of these nanosensors are clinical grade and hence this approach should be a translatable and universal modification of hydrogels.

  11. Primary central nervous system lymphoma in childhood presenting as progressive panhypopituitarism.

    PubMed

    Silfen, M E; Garvin, J H; Hays, A P; Starkman, H S; Aranoff, G S; Levine, L S; Feldstein, N A; Wong, B; Oberfield, S E

    2001-02-01

    We report a 15-year-old boy who had isolated central diabetes insipidus initially diagnosed at age 11 years. A brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was normal at the time. At age 12 years, growth hormone (GH) testing was performed because of a decline in linear growth rate and demonstrated GH deficiency. After a repeat normal brain MRI, GH therapy was begun. Three years later, hormonal testing revealed prepubertal gonadotropins and low testosterone levels, free thyroxine index, and morning cortisol levels. Repeat brain MRI demonstrated a 9-mm enhancing lesion in the region of the pituitary stalk. The pathologic diagnosis was that of a high-grade malignant B-cell lymphoma, suggestive of Burkitt Lymphoma. Growth hormone therapy has not been associated with an increased incidence of lymphoma. This report underscores the need for vigilance in follow-up brain imaging and hormonal evaluation in children with diabetes insipidus, especially those with evolving anterior hormone deficiencies.

  12. A Novel Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Paradigm for the Preoperative Assessment of Auditory Perception in a Musician Undergoing Temporal Lobe Surgery.

    PubMed

    Hale, Matthew D; Zaman, Arshad; Morrall, Matthew C H J; Chumas, Paul; Maguire, Melissa J

    2018-03-01

    Presurgical evaluation for temporal lobe epilepsy routinely assesses speech and memory lateralization and anatomic localization of the motor and visual areas but not baseline musical processing. This is paramount in a musician. Although validated tools exist to assess musical ability, there are no reported functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) paradigms to assess musical processing. We examined the utility of a novel fMRI paradigm in an 18-year-old left-handed pianist who underwent surgery for a left temporal low-grade ganglioglioma. Preoperative evaluation consisted of neuropsychological evaluation, T1-weighted and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, and fMRI. Auditory blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI was performed using a dedicated auditory scanning sequence. Three separate auditory investigations were conducted: listening to, humming, and thinking about a musical piece. All auditory fMRI paradigms activated the primary auditory cortex with varying degrees of auditory lateralization. Thinking about the piece additionally activated the primary visual cortices (bilaterally) and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Humming demonstrated left-sided predominance of auditory cortex activation with activity observed in close proximity to the tumor. This study demonstrated an fMRI paradigm for evaluating musical processing that could form part of preoperative assessment for patients undergoing temporal lobe surgery for epilepsy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Advanced magnetic resonance imaging of the physical processes in human glioblastoma.

    PubMed

    Kalpathy-Cramer, Jayashree; Gerstner, Elizabeth R; Emblem, Kyrre E; Andronesi, Ovidiu; Rosen, Bruce

    2014-09-01

    The most common malignant primary brain tumor, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a devastating disease with a grim prognosis. Patient survival is typically less than two years and fewer than 10% of patients survive more than five years. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can have great utility in the diagnosis, grading, and management of patients with GBM as many of the physical manifestations of the pathologic processes in GBM can be visualized and quantified using MRI. Newer MRI techniques such as dynamic contrast enhanced and dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI provide functional information about the tumor hemodynamic status. Diffusion MRI can shed light on tumor cellularity and the disruption of white matter tracts in the proximity of tumors. MR spectroscopy can be used to study new tumor tissue markers such as IDH mutations. MRI is helping to noninvasively explore the link between the molecular basis of gliomas and the imaging characteristics of their physical processes. We, here, review several approaches to MR-based imaging and discuss the potential for these techniques to quantify the physical processes in glioblastoma, including tumor cellularity and vascularity, metabolite expression, and patterns of tumor growth and recurrence. We conclude with challenges and opportunities for further research in applying physical principles to better understand the biologic process in this deadly disease. See all articles in this Cancer Research section, "Physics in Cancer Research." ©2014 American Association for Cancer Research.

  14. DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Sommer, Karsten, E-mail: sommerk@uni-mainz.de, E-mail: Schreiber-L@ukw.de; Bernat, Dominik; Schmidt, Regine

    Purpose: The extent to which atherosclerotic plaques affect contrast agent (CA) transport in the coronary arteries and, hence, quantification of myocardial blood flow (MBF) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is unclear. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the influence of plaque induced stenosis both on CA transport and on the accuracy of MBF quantification. Methods: Computational fluid dynamics simulations in a high-detailed realistic vascular model were employed to investigate CA bolus transport in the coronary arteries. The impact of atherosclerosis was analyzed by inserting various medium- to high-grade stenoses in the vascular model. The influence of stenosis morphologymore » was examined by varying the stenosis shapes but keeping the area reduction constant. Errors due to CA bolus transport were analyzed using the tracer-kinetic model MMID4. Results: Dispersion of the CA bolus was found in all models and for all outlets, but with a varying magnitude. The impact of stenosis was complex: while high-grade stenoses amplified dispersion, mild stenoses reduced the effect. Morphology was found to have a marked influence on dispersion for a small number of outlets in the post-stenotic region. Despite this marked influence on the concentration–time curves, MBF errors were less affected by stenosis. In total, MBF was underestimated by −7.9% to −44.9%. Conclusions: The presented results reveal that local hemodynamics in the coronary vasculature appears to have a direct impact on CA bolus dispersion. Inclusion of atherosclerotic plaques resulted in a complex alteration of this effect, with both degree of area reduction and stenosis morphology affecting the amount of dispersion. This strong influence of vascular transport effects impairs the accuracy of MRI-based MBF quantification techniques and, potentially, other bolus-based perfusion measurement techniques like computed tomography perfusion imaging.« less

  15. Optimized cartilage visualization using 7-T sodium ((23)Na) imaging after patella dislocation.

    PubMed

    Widhalm, Harald K; Apprich, Sebastian; Welsch, Goetz H; Zbyn, Stefan; Sadoghi, Patrick; Vekszler, György; Hamböck, Martina; Weber, Michael; Hajdu, Stefan; Trattnig, Siegfried

    2016-05-01

    Retropatellar cartilage lesions often occur in the course of recurrent patella dislocation. Aim of this study was to develop a more detailed method for examining cartilage tissue, in order to reduce patient discomfort and time of care. For detailed diagnosing, a 7-T MRI of the knee joint and patella was performed in nine patients, with mean age of 26.4 years, after patella dislocation to measure the cartilage content in three different regions of interest of the patella. Axial sodium ((23)Na) images were derived from an optimized 3D GRE sequence on a 7-T MR scanner. Morphological cartilage grading was performed, and sodium signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) values were calculated. Mean global sodium values and SNR were compared between patients and volunteers. Two out of nine patients showed a maximum cartilage defect of International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grade 3, three of grade 2, three of  grade 1, and one patient showed no cartilage defect. The mean SNR in sodium images for cartilage was 13.4 ± 2.5 in patients and 14.6 ± 3.7 in volunteers (n.s.). A significant negative correlation between age and global sodium SNR for cartilage was found in the medial facet (R = -0.512; R (2) = 0.26; p = 0.030). Mixed-model ANOVA yielded a marked decrease of the sodium SNR, with increasing grade of cartilage lesions (p < 0.001). Utilization of the (23)Na MR imaging will make earlier detection of alterations to the patella cartilage after dislocation possible and will help prevent subsequent disease due to start adequate therapy earlier in the rehabilitation process. II.

  16. Brain MRI signal abnormalities and right-to-left shunting in asymptomatic military divers.

    PubMed

    Gempp, Emmanuel; Sbardella, Fabrice; Stephant, Eric; Constantin, Pascal; De Maistre, Sebastien; Louge, Pierre; Blatteau, Jean-Eric

    2010-11-01

    We conducted a controlled study to assess the prevalence of brain MRI hyperintense signals and their correlation with right-to-left shunting (RLS) in military divers. We prospectively enrolled 32 asymptomatic military divers under 41 yr of age and 32 non-diving healthy subjects matched with respect to age and vascular disease risk factors. We examined both groups with a 3-Tesla brain MRI; RLS was detected using transcranial pulsed Doppler in divers only. Hyperintense spots were observed in 43.7% of the divers and 21.8% of the control subjects. In particular, divers with significant shunting exhibited a higher prevalence of hyperintensities compared to those with slight or no RLS (75% vs. 25%, respectively). Linear trend analysis also revealed a positive correlation between focal white matter changes, determined using a validated visual rating scale and the RLS grade. Healthy military divers with a hemodynamically relevant RLS have an increased likelihood of cerebral hyperintense spots compared to age-matched normal subjects. The clinical relevance of these MRI signal abnormalities and their causal relationship with diving remain unclear.

  17. Gadobutrol Versus Gadopentetate Dimeglumine or Gadobenate Dimeglumine Before DCE-MRI in Diagnosing Patients With Multiple Sclerosis, Grade II-IV Glioma, or Brain Metastases

    ClinicalTrials.gov

    2017-03-22

    Adult Anaplastic (Malignant) Meningioma; Adult Anaplastic Astrocytoma; Adult Anaplastic Ependymoma; Adult Anaplastic Oligodendroglioma; Adult Brain Stem Glioma; Adult Choroid Plexus Neoplasm; Adult Diffuse Astrocytoma; Adult Ependymoblastoma; Adult Ependymoma; Adult Giant Cell Glioblastoma; Adult Glioblastoma; Adult Gliosarcoma; Adult Grade II Meningioma; Adult Medulloblastoma; Adult Mixed Glioma; Adult Oligodendroglioma; Adult Papillary Meningioma; Adult Pineal Gland Astrocytoma; Adult Pineoblastoma; Adult Primary Melanocytic Lesion of Meninges; Adult Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Malignant Adult Intracranial Hemangiopericytoma; Metastatic Malignant Neoplasm in the Brain; Multiple Sclerosis; Recurrent Adult Brain Neoplasm

  18. Cerebral infarction caused by traumatic carotid artery dissection.

    PubMed

    Bayır, Ayşegül; Aydoğdu Kıreşi, Demet; Söylemez, Ali; Demirci, Osman

    2012-07-01

    Traumatic carotid artery dissection, if not diagnosed and treated early, is a serious problem with permanent neurological deficit and a high mortality rate of up to 40%. We present a case with delayed diagnosis of traumatic carotid artery dissection in a 21-year-old female. While there were no ischemic infarct findings on the admission cerebral computerized tomography (CT), such findings were observed on two cerebral CTs taken because of the left hemiplegia noticed seven days later when the patient regained consciousness. The patient was referred to our emergency service, and definitive diagnosis was achieved with arterial Doppler ultrasonography, cerebral magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion MRI, and MR angiography. We did not consider invasive treatment since the neurological damage was permanent and dissection grade was IV according to angiography findings. The case was discharged within a week and physiotherapy was advised. Despite the advances in diagnostic methods, diagnosis of traumatic carotid artery dissection is still missed or delayed, as in the case presented here. Early diagnosis can ameliorate permanent neurological damage or even prevent it. However, the vital factors for early diagnosis are the obtained anamnesis leading to appropriate radiological examinations, detailed physical examination and high clinical suspicion.

  19. An Automated Method for Identifying Artifact in Independent Component Analysis of Resting-State fMRI

    PubMed Central

    Bhaganagarapu, Kaushik; Jackson, Graeme D.; Abbott, David F.

    2013-01-01

    An enduring issue with data-driven analysis and filtering methods is the interpretation of results. To assist, we present an automatic method for identification of artifact in independent components (ICs) derived from functional MRI (fMRI). The method was designed with the following features: does not require temporal information about an fMRI paradigm; does not require the user to train the algorithm; requires only the fMRI images (additional acquisition of anatomical imaging not required); is able to identify a high proportion of artifact-related ICs without removing components that are likely to be of neuronal origin; can be applied to resting-state fMRI; is automated, requiring minimal or no human intervention. We applied the method to a MELODIC probabilistic ICA of resting-state functional connectivity data acquired in 50 healthy control subjects, and compared the results to a blinded expert manual classification. The method identified between 26 and 72% of the components as artifact (mean 55%). About 0.3% of components identified as artifact were discordant with the manual classification; retrospective examination of these ICs suggested the automated method had correctly identified these as artifact. We have developed an effective automated method which removes a substantial number of unwanted noisy components in ICA analyses of resting-state fMRI data. Source code of our implementation of the method is available. PMID:23847511

  20. Computer aided detection in prostate cancer diagnostics: A promising alternative to biopsy? A retrospective study from 104 lesions with histological ground truth.

    PubMed

    Thon, Anika; Teichgräber, Ulf; Tennstedt-Schenk, Cornelia; Hadjidemetriou, Stathis; Winzler, Sven; Malich, Ansgar; Papageorgiou, Ismini

    2017-01-01

    Prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis by means of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is a current challenge for the development of computer-aided detection (CAD) tools. An innovative CAD-software (Watson Elementary™) was proposed to achieve high sensitivity and specificity, as well as to allege a correlate to Gleason grade. To assess the performance of Watson Elementary™ in automated PCa diagnosis in our hospital´s database of MRI-guided prostate biopsies. The evaluation was retrospective for 104 lesions (47 PCa, 57 benign) from 79, 64.61±6.64 year old patients using 3T T2-weighted imaging, Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) maps and dynamic contrast enhancement series. Watson Elementary™ utilizes signal intensity, diffusion properties and kinetic profile to compute a proportional Gleason grade predictor, termed Malignancy Attention Index (MAI). The analysis focused on (i) the CAD sensitivity and specificity to classify suspect lesions and (ii) the MAI correlation with the histopathological ground truth. The software revealed a sensitivity of 46.80% for PCa classification. The specificity for PCa was found to be 75.43% with a positive predictive value of 61.11%, a negative predictive value of 63.23% and a false discovery rate of 38.89%. CAD classified PCa and benign lesions with equal probability (P 0.06, χ2 test). Accordingly, receiver operating characteristic analysis suggests a poor predictive value for MAI with an area under curve of 0.65 (P 0.02), which is not superior to the performance of board certified observers. Moreover, MAI revealed no significant correlation with Gleason grade (P 0.60, Pearson´s correlation). The tested CAD software for mpMRI analysis was a weak PCa biomarker in this dataset. Targeted prostate biopsy and histology remains the gold standard for prostate cancer diagnosis.

  1. Correction of MRI-induced geometric distortions in whole-body small animal PET-MRI

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Frohwein, Lynn J., E-mail: frohwein@uni-muenster.de; Schäfers, Klaus P.; Hoerr, Verena

    Purpose: The fusion of positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data can be a challenging task in whole-body PET-MRI. The quality of the registration between these two modalities in large field-of-views (FOV) is often degraded by geometric distortions of the MRI data. The distortions at the edges of large FOVs mainly originate from MRI gradient nonlinearities. This work describes a method to measure and correct for these kind of geometric distortions in small animal MRI scanners to improve the registration accuracy of PET and MRI data. Methods: The authors have developed a geometric phantom which allows themore » measurement of geometric distortions in all spatial axes via control points. These control points are detected semiautomatically in both PET and MRI data with a subpixel accuracy. The spatial transformation between PET and MRI data is determined with these control points via 3D thin-plate splines (3D TPS). The transformation derived from the 3D TPS is finally applied to real MRI mouse data, which were acquired with the same scan parameters used in the phantom data acquisitions. Additionally, the influence of the phantom material on the homogeneity of the magnetic field is determined via field mapping. Results: The spatial shift according to the magnetic field homogeneity caused by the phantom material was determined to a mean of 0.1 mm. The results of the correction show that distortion with a maximum error of 4 mm could be reduced to less than 1 mm with the proposed correction method. Furthermore, the control point-based registration of PET and MRI data showed improved congruence after correction. Conclusions: The developed phantom has been shown to have no considerable negative effect on the homogeneity of the magnetic field. The proposed method yields an appropriate correction of the measured MRI distortion and is able to improve the PET and MRI registration. Furthermore, the method is applicable to whole-body small animal imaging routines including different standard MRI sequences.« less

  2. All over the map: An interobserver agreement study of tumor location based on the PI-RADSv2 sector map.

    PubMed

    Greer, Matthew D; Shih, Joanna H; Barrett, Tristan; Bednarova, Sandra; Kabakus, Ismail; Law, Yan Mee; Shebel, Haytham; Merino, Maria J; Wood, Bradford J; Pinto, Peter A; Choyke, Peter L; Turkbey, Baris

    2018-01-17

    Prostate imaging reporting and data system version 2 (PI-RADSv2) recommends a sector map for reporting findings of prostate cancer mulitparametric MRI (mpMRI). Anecdotally, radiologists may demonstrate inconsistent reproducibility with this map. To evaluate interobserver agreement in defining prostate tumor location on mpMRI using the PI-RADSv2 sector map. Retrospective. Thirty consecutive patients who underwent mpMRI between October, 2013 and March, 2015 and who subsequently underwent prostatectomy with whole-mount processing. 3T mpMRI with T 2 W, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) (apparent diffusion coefficient [ADC] and b-2000), dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE). Six radiologists (two high, two intermediate, and two low experience) from six institutions participated. Readers were blinded to lesion location and detected up to four lesions as per PI-RADSv2 guidelines. Readers marked the long-axis of lesions, saved screen-shots of each lesion, and then marked the lesion location on the PI-RADSv2 sector map. Whole-mount prostatectomy specimens registered to the MRI served as ground truth. Index lesions were defined as the highest grade lesion or largest lesion if grades were equivalent. Agreement was calculated for the exact, overlap, and proportion of agreement. Readers detected an average of 1.9 lesions per patient (range 1.6-2.3). 96.3% (335/348) of all lesions for all readers were scored PI-RADS ≥3. Readers defined a median of 2 (range 1-18) sectors per lesion. Agreement for detecting index lesions by screen shots was 83.7% (76.1%-89.9%) vs. 71.0% (63.1-78.3%) overlap agreement on the PI-RADS sector map (P < 0.001). Exact agreement for defining sectors of detected index lesions was only 21.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 14.4-27.7%) and rose to 49.0% (42.4-55.3%) when overlap was considered. Agreement on defining the same level of disease (ie, apex, mid, base) was 61.4% (95% CI 50.2-71.8%). Readers are highly likely to detect the same index lesion on mpMRI, but exhibit poor reproducibility when attempting to define tumor location on the PI-RADSv2 sector map. The poor agreement of the PI-RADSv2 sector map raises concerns its utility in clinical practice. 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018. © 2018 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  3. PET/CT imaging of the diapeutic alkylphosphocholine analog 124I-CLR1404 in high and low-grade brain tumors

    PubMed Central

    Hall, Lance T; Titz, Benjamin; Robins, H Ian; Bednarz, Bryan P; Perlman, Scott B; Weichert, Jamey P; Kuo, John S

    2017-01-01

    CLR1404 is a cancer-selective alkyl phosphocholine (APC) analog that can be radiolabeled with 124I for PET imaging, 131I for targeted radiotherapy and/or SPECT imaging, or 125I for targeted radiotherapy. Studies have demonstrated avid CLR1404 uptake and prolonged retention in a broad spectrum of preclinical tumor models. The purpose of this pilot trial was to demonstrate avidity of 124I-CLR1404 in human brain tumors and develop a framework to evaluate this uptake for use in larger studies. 12 patients (8 men and 4 women; mean age of 43.9 ± 15.1 y; range 23-66 y) with 13 tumors were enrolled. Eleven patients had suspected tumor recurrence and 1 patient had a new diagnosis of high grade tumor. Patients were injected with 185 MBq ± 10% of 124I-CLR1404 followed by PET/CT imaging at 6-, 24-, and 48-hour. 124I-CLR1404 PET uptake was assessed qualitatively and compared with MRI. After PET image segmentation SUV values and tumor to background ratios were calculated. There was no significant uptake of 124I-CLR1404 in normal brain. In tumors, uptake tended to increase to 48 hours. Positive uptake was detected in 9 of 13 lesions: 5/5 high grade tumors, 1/2 low grade tumors, 1/1 meningioma, and 2/4 patients with treatment related changes. 124I-CLR1404 uptake was not detected in 1/2 low grade tumors, 2/4 lesions from treatment related changes, and 1/1 indeterminate lesion. For 6 malignant tumors, the average tumor to background ratios (TBR) were 9.32 ± 4.33 (range 3.46 to 15.42) at 24 hours and 10.04 ± 3.15 (range 5.17 to 13.17) at 48 hours. For 2 lesions from treatment related change, the average TBR were 5.05 ± 0.4 (range 4.76 to 5.33) at 24 hours and 4.88 ± 1.19 (range 4.04 to 5.72) at 48 hours. PET uptake had areas of both concordance and discordance compared with MRI. 124I-CLR1404 PET demonstrated avid tumor uptake in a variety of brain tumors with high tumor-to-background ratios. There were regions of concordance and discordance compared with MRI, which has potential clinical relevance. Expansion of these studies is required to determine the clinical significance of the 124I-CLR1404 PET findings. PMID:28913154

  4. Advancements in Orthopedic Intervention: Retrograde Drilling and Bone Grafting of Osteochondral Lesions of the Knee Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging Guidance

    DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

    Seebauer, Christian J., E-mail: christian.seebauer@charite.d; Bail, Hermann J., E-mail: hermann-josef.bail@klinikum-nuernberg.d; Rump, Jens C., E-mail: jens.rump@charite.de

    Computer-assisted surgery is currently a novel challenge for surgeons and interventional radiologists. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided procedures are still evolving. In this experimental study, we describe and assess an innovative passive-navigation method for MRI-guided treatment of osteochondritis dissecans of the knee. A navigation principle using a passive-navigation device was evaluated in six cadaveric knee joint specimens for potential applicability in retrograde drilling and bone grafting of osteochondral lesions using MRI guidance. Feasibility and accuracy were evaluated in an open MRI scanner (1.0 T Philips Panorama HFO MRI System). Interactive MRI navigation allowed precise drilling and bone grafting of osteochondral lesionsmore » of the knee. All lesions were hit with an accuracy of 1.86 mm in the coronal plane and 1.4 mm the sagittal plane. Targeting of all lesions was possible with a single drilling. MRI allowed excellent assessment of correct positioning of the cancellous bone cylinder during bone grafting. The navigation device and anatomic structures could be clearly identified and distinguished throughout the entire drilling procedure. MRI-assisted navigation method using a passive navigation device is feasible for the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the knee under MRI guidance and allows precise and safe drilling without exposure to ionizing radiation. This method may be a viable alternative to other navigation principles, especially for pediatric and adolescent patients. This MRI-navigated method is also potentially applicable in many other MRI-guided interventions.« less

  5. Comparison between target magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in-gantry and cognitively directed transperineal or transrectal-guided prostate biopsies for Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) 3-5 MRI lesions.

    PubMed

    Yaxley, Anna J; Yaxley, John W; Thangasamy, Isaac A; Ballard, Emma; Pokorny, Morgan R

    2017-11-01

    To compare the detection rates of prostate cancer (PCa) in men with Prostate Imaging-Reporting and Data System (PI-RADS) 3-5 abnormalities on 3-Tesla multiparametric (mp) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using in-bore MRI-guided biopsy compared with cognitively directed transperineal (cTP) biopsy and transrectal ultrasonography (cTRUS) biopsy. This was a retrospective single-centre study of consecutive men attending the private practice clinic of an experienced urologist performing MRI-guided biopsy and an experienced urologist performing cTP and cTRUS biopsy techniques for PI-RADS 3-5 lesions identified on 3-Tesla mpMRI. There were 595 target mpMRI lesions from 482 men with PI-RADS 3-5 regions of interest during 483 episodes of biopsy. The abnormal mpMRI target lesion was biopsied using the MRI-guided method for 298 biopsies, the cTP method for 248 biopsies and the cTRUS method for 49 biopsies. There were no significant differences in PCa detection among the three biopsy methods in PI-RADS 3 (48.9%, 40.0% and 44.4%, respectively), PI-RADS 4 (73.2%, 81.0% and 85.0%, respectively) or PI-RADS 5 (95.2, 92.0% and 95.0%, respectively) lesions, and there was no significant difference in detection of significant PCa among the biopsy methods in PI-RADS 3 (42.2%, 30.0% and 33.3%, respectively), PI-RADS 4 (66.8%, 66.0% and 80.0%, respectively) or PI-RADS 5 (90.5%, 89.8% and 90.0%, respectively) lesions. There were also no differences in PCa or significant PCa detection based on lesion location or size among the methods. We found no significant difference in the ability to detect PCa or significant PCa using targeted MRI-guided, cTP or cTRUS biopsy methods. Identification of an abnormal area on mpMRI appears to be more important in increasing the detection of PCa than the technique used to biopsy an MRI abnormality. © 2017 The Authors BJU International © 2017 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Effect of Lumbar Disc Degeneration and Low-Back Pain on the Lumbar Lordosis in Supine and Standing: A Cross-Sectional MRI Study.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Bjarke B; Bendix, Tom; Grindsted, Jacob; Bliddal, Henning; Christensen, Robin; Hansen, Philip; Riis, Robert G C; Boesen, Mikael

    2015-11-01

    Cross-sectional study. To examine the influence of low-back pain (LBP) and lumbar disc degeneration (LDD) on the lumbar lordosis in weight-bearing positional magnetic resonance imaging (pMRI). The lumbar lordosis increases with a change of position from supine to standing and is known as an essential contributor to dynamic changes. However, the lordosis may be affected by disc degeneration and pain. Patients with LBP >40 on a 0 to 100 mm Visual Analog Scale (VAS) both during activity and rest and a sex and age-decade matching control group without LBP were scanned in the supine and standing position in a 0.25-T open MRI unit. LDD was graded using Pfirrmann's grading-scale. Subsequently, the L2-to-S1 lumbar lordosis angle (LA) was measured. Thirty-eight patients with an average VAS of 58 (±13.8) mm during rest and 75 (±5.0) mm during activities, and 38 healthy controls were included. MRI findings were common in both groups, whereas, the summation of the Pfirrmann's grades (LDD-score) was significantly higher in the patients [(MD 1.44; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.80 to 2.10; P < 0.001]. The patients were less lordotic than the controls in both the supine (MD -6.4°; 95% CI -11.4 to -1.3), and standing position (MD -5.6°; 95% CI -10.7 to -0.7); however, the changes between the positions (ΔLA) were the same (MD 0.8°; 95% CI -1.8 to 3.3). Using generalized linear model the LDD-score was associated with age (P < 0.001) for both groups. The LDD-score and ΔLA were negatively associated in the control group (P < 0.001), also after adjustments for gender and age (β-coefficient: -2.66; 95% CI -4.3 to -1.0; P = 0.002). Patients may be less lordotic in both the supine and standing position, whereas, change in the lordosis between the positions may be independent of pain. Decreasing lordosis change seems to be associated with age-related increasing disc degeneration in healthy individuals. 2.

  7. Results of surgery in symptomatic non-hydrocephalic pineal cysts: role of magnetic resonance imaging biomarkers indicative of central venous hypertension.

    PubMed

    Eide, Per Kristian; Ringstad, Geir

    2017-02-01

    We have previously proposed that pineal cysts (PCs) may result in crowding of the pineal recess, causing symptoms due to compression of the internal cerebral veins and central venous hypertension. In the present study, we compared clinical outcome of different treatment modalities in symptomatic individuals with non-hydrocephalic PCs. The study included all patients managed surgically for non-hydrocephalic PCs in our Department of Neurosurgery over a 10-year period. We applied a questionnaire to determine occurrence of symptoms before and after surgery, which allowed the use of a grading scale for symptom severity. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) biomarkers indicative of central venous hypertension were assessed before and after surgery. Relief of symptoms after surgery was most efficiently obtained by complete microsurgical cyst removal [n = 15; no (0/15), some (1/15) or marked (14/15) improvement], and to a lesser extent by microsurgical cyst fenestration [n = 6; no (2/6), some (4/6) or marked (0/6) improvement]. Shunt surgery was not successful [n = 6; no (5/6), some (1/6) or marked (0/6) improvement]. In all patients, the proposed MRI biomarkers gave evidence of central venous hypertension (PC grades 2-4). Microsurgical cyst removal provided marked symptom relief in symptomatic individuals with non-hydrocephalic PCs and MRI biomarkers of central venous hypertension. The hypothesis that PC-induced crowding of the pineal recess may compromise venous run-off and induce a central venous hypertension syndrome deserves further study.

  8. Ligamentous Injuries and the Risk of Associated Tissue Damage in Acute Ankle Sprains in Athletes: A Cross-sectional MRI Study.

    PubMed

    Roemer, Frank W; Jomaah, Nabil; Niu, Jingbo; Almusa, Emad; Roger, Bernard; D'Hooghe, Pieter; Geertsema, Celeste; Tol, Johannes L; Khan, Karim; Guermazi, Ali

    2014-07-01

    Ankle joint injuries are extremely common sports injuries, with the anterior talofibular ligament involved in the majority of ankle sprains. There have been only a few large magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies on associated structural injuries after ankle sprains. To describe the injury pattern in athletes who were referred to MRI for the assessment of an acute ankle sprain and to assess the risk of associated traumatic tissue damage including lateral and syndesmotic ligament involvement. Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. A total of 261 ankle MRI scans of athletes with acute ankle sprains were evaluated for: lateral and syndesmotic ligament injury; concomitant injuries to the deltoid and spring ligaments and sinus tarsi; peroneal, flexor, and extensor retinacula and tendons; traumatic and nontraumatic osteochondral and osseous changes; and joint effusion. Patients were on average 22.5 years old, and the average time from injury to MRI was 5.7 days. Six exclusive injury patterns were defined based on lateral and syndesmotic ligament involvement. The risk for associated injuries was assessed by logistic regression using ankles with no or only low-grade lateral ligament injuries and no syndesmotic ligament damage as the reference. With regard to the injury pattern, there were 103 ankles (39.5%) with complete anterior talofibular ligament disruption and no syndesmotic injury, and 53 ankles (20.3%) had a syndesmotic injury with or without lateral ligament damage. Acute osteochondral lesions of the lateral talar dome were seen in 20 ankles (7.7%). The percentage of chronic lateral osteochondral lesions was 1.1%. The risk for talar bone contusions increased more than 3-fold for ankles with complete lateral ligament ruptures (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 3.43; 95% CI, 1.72-6.85) but not for ankles with syndesmotic involvement. The risk for associated deltoid ligament injuries increased for ankles with complete lateral ligament injuries (aOR, 4.04; 95% CI, 1.99-8.22) compared with patients with no or only low-grade lateral ligament injuries. About 20% of athletes referred for MRI after suffering an acute ankle sprain had evidence of a syndesmotic injury regardless of lateral ligament involvement, while more than half had evidence of any lateral ligament injury without syndesmotic involvement. Concomitant talar osseous and deltoid ligament injuries are common. © 2014 The Author(s).

  9. A comparison of MRI and clinical examination of acute lateral ankle sprains.

    PubMed

    Frey, C; Bell, J; Teresi, L; Kerr, R; Feder, K

    1996-09-01

    Because of its excellent soft tissue contrast and ability to demonstrate soft tissue structures, magnetic resonance imaging is ideally suited to the evaluation of the soft tissues surrounding the ankle, including the lateral collateral ligaments. This study was undertaken to compare the clinical evaluation of 15 patients who suffered inversion injuries of the ankle with the results found on magnetic resonance imaging within 48 hours of the injury. Physical examination was found to be 100% accurate in the diagnosis of grade III ligament injuries but only 25% accurate in the diagnosis of grade II injuries. Clinicians most often underestimate the damage with a grade II ligament tear. Furthermore, other associated injuries, such as significant capsule ruptures and tendon damage, were often overlooked at physical examination.

  10. Topical Review: Unique Contributions of Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Pediatric Psychology Research.

    PubMed

    Jensen, Chad D; Duraccio, Kara M; Carbine, Kaylie M; Kirwan, C Brock

    2016-03-01

    This review aims to provide a brief introduction of the utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods in pediatric psychology research, describe several exemplar studies that highlight the unique benefits of MRI techniques for pediatric psychology research, and detail methods for addressing several challenges inherent to pediatric MRI research. Literature review. Numerous useful applications of MRI research in pediatric psychology have been illustrated in published research. MRI methods yield information that cannot be obtained using neuropsychological or behavioral measures. Using MRI in pediatric psychology research may facilitate examination of neural structures and processes that underlie health behaviors. Challenges inherent to conducting MRI research with pediatric research participants (e.g., head movement) may be addressed using evidence-based strategies. We encourage pediatric psychology researchers to consider adopting MRI techniques to answer research questions relevant to pediatric health and illness. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  11. Atlas-based fuzzy connectedness segmentation and intensity nonuniformity correction applied to brain MRI.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yongxin; Bai, Jing

    2007-01-01

    A framework that combines atlas registration, fuzzy connectedness (FC) segmentation, and parametric bias field correction (PABIC) is proposed for the automatic segmentation of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). First, the atlas is registered onto the MRI to initialize the following FC segmentation. Original techniques are proposed to estimate necessary initial parameters of FC segmentation. Further, the result of the FC segmentation is utilized to initialize a following PABIC algorithm. Finally, we re-apply the FC technique on the PABIC corrected MRI to get the final segmentation. Thus, we avoid expert human intervention and provide a fully automatic method for brain MRI segmentation. Experiments on both simulated and real MRI images demonstrate the validity of the method, as well as the limitation of the method. Being a fully automatic method, it is expected to find wide applications, such as three-dimensional visualization, radiation therapy planning, and medical database construction.

  12. A voxel-based investigation for MRI-only radiotherapy of the brain using ultra short echo times

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Edmund, Jens M.; Kjer, Hans M.; Van Leemput, Koen; Hansen, Rasmus H.; Andersen, Jon AL; Andreasen, Daniel

    2014-12-01

    Radiotherapy (RT) based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the only modality, so-called MRI-only RT, would remove the systematic registration error between MR and computed tomography (CT), and provide co-registered MRI for assessment of treatment response and adaptive RT. Electron densities, however, need to be assigned to the MRI images for dose calculation and patient setup based on digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs). Here, we investigate the geometric and dosimetric performance for a number of popular voxel-based methods to generate a so-called pseudo CT (pCT). Five patients receiving cranial irradiation, each containing a co-registered MRI and CT scan, were included. An ultra short echo time MRI sequence for bone visualization was used. Six methods were investigated for three popular types of voxel-based approaches; (1) threshold-based segmentation, (2) Bayesian segmentation and (3) statistical regression. Each approach contained two methods. Approach 1 used bulk density assignment of MRI voxels into air, soft tissue and bone based on logical masks and the transverse relaxation time T2 of the bone. Approach 2 used similar bulk density assignments with Bayesian statistics including or excluding additional spatial information. Approach 3 used a statistical regression correlating MRI voxels with their corresponding CT voxels. A similar photon and proton treatment plan was generated for a target positioned between the nasal cavity and the brainstem for all patients. The CT agreement with the pCT of each method was quantified and compared with the other methods geometrically and dosimetrically using both a number of reported metrics and introducing some novel metrics. The best geometrical agreement with CT was obtained with the statistical regression methods which performed significantly better than the threshold and Bayesian segmentation methods (excluding spatial information). All methods agreed significantly better with CT than a reference water MRI comparison. The mean dosimetric deviation for photons and protons compared to the CT was about 2% and highest in the gradient dose region of the brainstem. Both the threshold based method and the statistical regression methods showed the highest dosimetrical agreement. Generation of pCTs using statistical regression seems to be the most promising candidate for MRI-only RT of the brain. Further, the total amount of different tissues needs to be taken into account for dosimetric considerations regardless of their correct geometrical position.

  13. Correlation Between Expression of High Temperature Requirement Serine Protease A1 (HtrA1) in Nucleus Pulposus and T2 Value of Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

    PubMed

    Li, Dapeng; Yue, Jiawei; Jiang, Lu; Huang, Yonghui; Sun, Jifu; Wu, Yan

    2017-04-22

    BACKGROUND Degrading enzymes play an important role in the process of disc degeneration. The objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between the expression of high temperature requirement serine protease A1 (HtrA1) in the nucleus pulposus and the T2 value of the nucleus pulposus region in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIAL AND METHODS Thirty-six patients who had undergone surgical excision of the nucleus pulposus were examined by MRI before surgery. Pfirrmann grading of the target intervertebral disc was performed according to the sagittal T2-weighted imaging, and the T2 value of the target nucleus pulposus was measured according to the median sagittal T2 mapping. The correlation between the Pfirrmann grade and the T2 value was analyzed. The expression of HtrA1 in the nucleus pulposus was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. The correlation between the expression of HtrA1 and the T2 value was analyzed. RESULTS The T2 value of the nucleus pulposus region was 33.11-167.91 ms, with an average of 86.64±38.73 ms. According to Spearman correlation analysis, there was a rank correlation between T2 value and Pfirrmann grade (P<0.0001), and the correlation coefficient (rs)=-0.93617. There was a linear correlation between the mRNA level of HtrA1 and T2 value in nucleus pulposus tissues (a=3.88, b=-0.019, F=112.63, P<0.0001), normalized regression coefficient=-0.88. There was a linear correlation between the expression level of HtrA1 protein and the T2 value in the nucleus pulposus tissues (a=3.30, b=-0.016, F=93.15, P<0.0001) and normalized regression coefficient=-0.86. CONCLUSIONS The expression of HtrA1 was strongly related to the T2 value, suggesting that HtrA1 plays an important role in the pathological process of intervertebral disc degeneration.

  14. MRI appearance of surgically proven abnormal accessory anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament (Bassett's ligament).

    PubMed

    Subhas, Naveen; Vinson, Emily N; Cothran, R Lee; Santangelo, James R; Nunley, James A; Helms, Clyde A

    2008-01-01

    A thickened accessory anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament (Bassett's ligament) of the ankle can be a cause of ankle impingement. Its imaging appearance is not well described. The purpose of this study was to determine if the ligament could be identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), to determine associated abnormalities, and to determine if MRI could be used to differentiate normal from abnormal. Eighteen patients with a preoperative ankle MRI and an abnormal Bassett's ligament reported at surgery were found retrospectively. A separate cohort of 18 patients was selected as a control population. The presence of Bassett's ligament and its thickness were noted. The integrity and appearance of the lateral ankle ligaments, talar dome cartilage, and anterolateral gutter were also noted. In 34 of the 36 cases (94%), Bassett's ligament was identified on MRI. The ligament was seen in all three imaging planes and most frequently in the axial plane. The mean thickness of the ligament in the surgically abnormal cases was 2.37 mm, compared with 1.87 mm in the control with a p value=0.015 (t test). Nine of the 18 abnormal cases (50%) had talar dome cartilage lesions as a result of contact with the ligament at surgery, with only 3 cases of high-grade defects seen on MRI. Fourteen of the 18 abnormal cases (78%) had of synovitis or scarring in the lateral gutter at surgery, with only 5 cases with scarring seen on MRI. The anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament was abnormal or torn in 8 of the 18 abnormal cases (44%) by MRI and confirmed in only 3 cases at surgery. Bassett's ligament can be routinely identified on MRI and was significantly thicker in patients who had it resected at surgery. An abnormal Bassett's ligament is often present in the setting of a normal anterior-inferior tibiofibular ligament. The cartilage abnormalities and synovitis associated with an abnormal Bassett's ligament are poorly detected by conventional MRI.

  15. Evaluation of MRI-US Fusion Technology in Sports-Related Musculoskeletal Injuries.

    PubMed

    Wong-On, Manuel; Til-Pérez, Lluís; Balius, Ramón

    2015-06-01

    A combination of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with real-time high-resolution ultrasound (US) known as fusion imaging may improve visualization of musculoskeletal (MSK) sports medicine injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the applicability of MRI-US fusion technology in MSK sports medicine. This study was conducted by the medical services of the FC Barcelona. The participants included volunteers and referred athletes with symptomatic and asymptomatic MSK injuries. All cases underwent MRI which was loaded into the US system for manual registration on the live US image and fusion imaging examination. After every test, an evaluation form was completed in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and anatomic fusion landmarks. From November 2014 to March 2015, we evaluated 20 subjects who underwent fusion imaging, 5 non-injured volunteers and 15 injured athletes, 11 symptomatic and 4 asymptomatic, age range 16-50 years, mean 22. We describe some of the anatomic landmarks used to guide fusion in different regions. This technology allowed us to examine muscle and tendon injuries simultaneously in US and MRI, and the correlation of both techniques, especially low-grade muscular injuries. This has also helped compensate for the limited field of view with US. It improves spatial orientation of cartilage, labrum and meniscal injuries. However, a high-quality MRI image is essential in achieving an adequate fusion image, and 3D sequences need to be added in MRI protocols to improve navigation. The combination of real-time MRI and US image fusion and navigation is relatively easy to perform and is helping to improve understanding of MSK injuries. However, it requires specific skills in MSK imaging and still needs further research in sports-related injuries. Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.

  16. Portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis: indirect assessment of hepatic venous pressure gradient by measuring azygos flow with 2D-cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

    PubMed

    Gouya, Hervé; Grabar, Sophie; Vignaux, Olivier; Saade, Anastasia; Pol, Stanislas; Legmann, Paul; Sogni, Philippe

    2016-07-01

    To measure azygos, portal and aortic flow by two-dimensional cine phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (2D-cine PC MRI), and to compare the MRI values to hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements, in patients with cirrhosis. Sixty-nine patients with cirrhosis were prospectively included. All patients underwent HVPG measurements, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and 2D-cine PC MRI measurements of azygos, portal and aortic blood flow. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate the correlation between the blood flow and HVPG. The performance of 2D-cine PC MRI to diagnose severe portal hypertension (HVPG ≥ 16 mmHg) was determined by receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, and area under the curves (AUC) were compared. Azygos and aortic flow values were associated with HVPG in univariate linear regression model. Azygos flow (p < 10(-3)), aortic flow (p = 0.001), age (p = 0.001) and presence of varices (p < 10(-3)) were independently associated with HVPG. Azygos flow (AUC = 0.96 (95 % CI [0.91-1.00]) had significantly higher AUC than aortic (AUC = 0.64 (95 % CI [0.51-0.77]) or portal blood flow (AUC = 0.40 (95 % CI [0.25-0.54]). 2D-cine PC MRI is a promising technique to evaluate significant portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis. • Noninvasive HVPG assessment can be performed with MRI azygos flow. • Azygos MRI flow is an easy-to-measure marker to detect significant portal hypertension. • MRI flow is more specific that varice grade to detect portal hypertension.

  17. Depiction of lower limb venous anatomy in patients undergoing interventional deep venous reconstruction-the role of balanced steady state free precession MRI.

    PubMed

    Helyar, Vincent G; Gupta, Yuri; Blakeway, Lyndall; Charles-Edwards, Geoff; Katsanos, Konstantinos; Karunanithy, Narayan

    2018-02-01

    This study evaluates the use of balanced steady-state free precession MRI (bSSFP-MRI) in the diagnostic work-up of patients undergoing interventional deep venous reconstruction (I-DVR). Intravenous digital subtraction angiography (IVDSA) was used as the gold-standard for comparison to assess disease extent and severity. A retrospective comparison of bSSFP-MRI to IVDSA was performed in all patients undergoing both examinations for treatment planning prior to I-DVR. The severity of disease in each venous segment was graded by two board-certified radiologists working independently, according to a predetermined classification system. In total, 44 patients (225 venous segments) fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 156 abnormal venous segments were diagnosed using bSSFP-MRI compared with 151 using IVDSA. The prevalence of disease was higher in the iliac and femoral segments (range, 79.6-88.6%). Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and the diagnostic ratio for bSSFP-MRI were 99.3%, 91.9%, 12.3, 0.007 and 1700, respectively. This study supports the use of non-contrast balanced SSFP-MRI in the assessment of the deep veins of the lower limb prior to I-DVR. The technique offers an accurate, fast and non-invasive alternative to IVDSA. Advances in Knowledge: Although balanced SSFP-MRI is commonly used in cardiac imaging, its use elsewhere is limited and its use in evaluating the deep veins prior to interventional reconstruction is not described. Our study demonstrates the usefulness of this technique in the work-up of patients awaiting interventional venous reconstruction compared with the current gold standard.

  18. Diffusion-weighted imaging for evaluating inflammatory activity in Crohn's disease: comparison with histopathology, conventional MRI activity scores, and faecal calprotectin.

    PubMed

    Pendsé, D A; Makanyanga, J C; Plumb, A A; Bhatnagar, G; Atkinson, D; Rodriguez-Justo, Manuel; Halligan, S; Taylor, S A

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate whether the extent of enteric diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) signal abnormality reflects inflammatory burden in Crohn's disease (CD), and to compare qualitative and quantitative grading. 69 CD patients (35 male, age 16-78) undergoing MR enterography with DWI (MRE-D) and the same-day faecal calprotectin (cohort 1) were supplemented by 29 patients (19 male, age 16-70) undergoing MRE-D and terminal ileal biopsy (cohort 2). Global (cohort 1) and terminal ileal (cohort 2) DWI signal was graded (0 to 3) by 2 radiologists and segmental apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) calculated. Data were compared to calprotectin and a validated MRI activity score [MEGS] (cohort 1), and a histopathological activity score (eAIS) (cohort 2) using nonparametric testing and rank correlation. Patients with normal (grades 0 and 1) DWI signal had lower calprotectin and MEGS than those with abnormal signal (grades 2 and 3) (160 vs. 492 μg/l, p = 0.0004, and 3.3 vs. 21, p < 0.0001), respectively. Calprotectin was lower if abnormal DWI affected <10 cm of small bowel compared to diffuse small and large bowel abnormality (236 vs. 571 μg, p = 0.009). The sensitivity and specificity for active disease (calprotectin > 120 μg/l) were 83% and 52%, respectively. There was a negative correlation between ileal MEGS and ADC (r = -0.41, p = 0.017). There was no significant difference in eAIS between qualitative DWI scores (p = 0.42). Mean ADC was not different in those with and without histological inflammation (2077 vs. 1622 × 10 -6 mm 2 /s, p = 0.10) CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative grading of DWI signal has utility in defining the burden of CD activity. Quantitative ADC measurements have poor discriminatory ability for segmental disease activity.

  19. Optimization of DSC MRI Echo Times for CBV Measurements Using Error Analysis in a Pilot Study of High-Grade Gliomas.

    PubMed

    Bell, L C; Does, M D; Stokes, A M; Baxter, L C; Schmainda, K M; Dueck, A C; Quarles, C C

    2017-09-01

    The optimal TE must be calculated to minimize the variance in CBV measurements made with DSC MR imaging. Simulations can be used to determine the influence of the TE on CBV, but they may not adequately recapitulate the in vivo heterogeneity of precontrast T2*, contrast agent kinetics, and the biophysical basis of contrast agent-induced T2* changes. The purpose of this study was to combine quantitative multiecho DSC MRI T2* time curves with error analysis in order to compute the optimal TE for a traditional single-echo acquisition. Eleven subjects with high-grade gliomas were scanned at 3T with a dual-echo DSC MR imaging sequence to quantify contrast agent-induced T2* changes in this retrospective study. Optimized TEs were calculated with propagation of error analysis for high-grade glial tumors, normal-appearing white matter, and arterial input function estimation. The optimal TE is a weighted average of the T2* values that occur as a contrast agent bolus transverses a voxel. The mean optimal TEs were 30.0 ± 7.4 ms for high-grade glial tumors, 36.3 ± 4.6 ms for normal-appearing white matter, and 11.8 ± 1.4 ms for arterial input function estimation (repeated-measures ANOVA, P < .001). Greater heterogeneity was observed in the optimal TE values for high-grade gliomas, and mean values of all 3 ROIs were statistically significant. The optimal TE for the arterial input function estimation is much shorter; this finding implies that quantitative DSC MR imaging acquisitions would benefit from multiecho acquisitions. In the case of a single-echo acquisition, the optimal TE prescribed should be 30-35 ms (without a preload) and 20-30 ms (with a standard full-dose preload). © 2017 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

  20. Two-dimensional XD-GRASP provides better image quality than conventional 2D cardiac cine MRI for patients who cannot suspend respiration.

    PubMed

    Piekarski, Eve; Chitiboi, Teodora; Ramb, Rebecca; Latson, Larry A; Bhatla, Puneet; Feng, Li; Axel, Leon

    2018-02-01

    Residual respiratory motion degrades image quality in conventional cardiac cine MRI (CCMRI). We evaluated whether a free-breathing (FB) radial imaging CCMRI sequence with compressed sensing reconstruction [extradimensional (e.g. cardiac and respiratory phases) golden-angle radial sparse parallel, or XD-GRASP] could provide better image quality than a conventional Cartesian breath-held (BH) sequence in an unselected population of patients undergoing clinical CCMRI. One hundred one patients who underwent BH and FB imaging in a midventricular short-axis plane at a matching location were included. Visual and quantitative image analysis was performed by two blinded experienced readers, using a five-point qualitative scale to score overall image quality and visual signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) grade, with measures of noise and sharpness. End-diastolic and end-systolic left ventricular areas were also measured and compared for both BH and FB images. Image quality was generally better with the BH cines (overall quality grade for BH vs FB images 4 vs 2.9, p < 0.001; noise 0.06 vs 0.08 p < 0.001; SNR grade 4.1 vs 3, p < 0.001), except for sharpness (p = 0.48). There were no significant differences between BH and FB images regarding end-diastolic or end-systolic areas (p = 0.35 and p = 0.12). Eighteen of the 101 patients had poor BH image quality (grade 1 or 2). In this subgroup, the quality of the FB images was better (p = 0.0032), as was the SNR grade (p = 0.003), but there were no significant differences regarding noise and sharpness (p = 0.45 and p = 0.47). Although FB XD-GRASP CCMRI was visually inferior to conventional BH CCMRI in general, it provided improved image quality in the subgroup of patients with respiratory-motion-induced artifacts on BH images.

  1. Cross-sectional and Longitudinal Associations between Knee Joint Effusion Synovitis and Knee Pain in Older Adults.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xia; Jin, Xingzhong; Han, Weiyu; Cao, Yuelong; Halliday, Andrew; Blizzard, Leigh; Pan, Faming; Antony, Benny; Cicuttini, Flavia; Jones, Graeme; Ding, Changhai

    2016-01-01

    To describe the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between knee regional effusion synovitis and knee pain in older adults. Data from a population-based random sample (n = 880, mean age 62 yrs, 50% women) were used. Baseline knee joint effusion synovitis was graded (0-3) using T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the suprapatellar pouch, central portion, posterior femoral recess, and subpopliteal recess. Effusion synovitis of the whole joint was defined as a score of ≥ 2 in any subregion. Other knee structural (including cartilage, bone marrow, and menisci) lesions were assessed by MRI at baseline. Knee pain was assessed by the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire at baseline and 2.6 years later. Multivariable analyses were performed after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and other structural lesions. The prevalence of effusion synovitis was 67%. Suprapatellar pouch effusion synovitis was significantly and independently associated with increased total and nonweight-bearing knee pain in both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (for an increase in total knee pain of ≥ 5, RR 1.26 per grade, 95% CI 1.04-1.52), and increased weight-bearing knee pain in longitudinal analysis only. Effusion synovitis in posterior femoral recess and central portion were independently associated with increases in nonweight-bearing pain (RR 1.63 per grade, 95% CI 1.32-2.01 and RR 1.29 per grade, 95% CI 1.01-1.65, respectively) in longitudinal analyses only. Knee joint effusion synovitis has independent associations with knee pain in older adults. Suprapatellar pouch effusion synovitis is associated with nonweight-bearing and weight-bearing knee pain, while posterior femoral recess and central portion effusion synovitis are only associated with nonweight-bearing pain.

  2. Hamstring Reinjuries Occur at the Same Location and Early After Return to Sport: A Descriptive Study of MRI-Confirmed Reinjuries.

    PubMed

    Wangensteen, Arnlaug; Tol, Johannes L; Witvrouw, Erik; Van Linschoten, Robbart; Almusa, Emad; Hamilton, Bruce; Bahr, Roald

    2016-08-01

    Despite relatively high reinjury rates after acute hamstring injuries, there is a lack of detailed knowledge about where and when hamstring reinjuries occur, and studies including imaging-confirmed reinjuries are scarce. To investigate the location, radiological severity, and timing of reinjuries on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with the index injury. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. A MRI scan was obtained ≤5 days after an acute hamstring index injury in 180 athletes, and time to return to sport (RTS) was registered. Athletes with an MRI-confirmed reinjury in the same leg ≤365 days after RTS were included. Categorical grading and standardized MRI parameters of the index injury and reinjury were scored by a single radiologist (with excellent intraobserver reliability). To determine the location of the reinjury, axial and coronal views of the index injury and reinjury were directly compared on proton density-weighted fat-suppressed images. In the 19 athletes included with reinjury, 79% of these reinjuries occurred in the same location within the muscle as the index injury. The median time to RTS after the index injury was 19 days (range, 5-37 days; interquartile range [IQR], 15 days). The median time between the index injury and reinjury was 60 days (range, 20-316 days; IQR, 131 days) and the median time between RTS after the index injury and the reinjury was 24 days (range, 4-311 days; IQR, 140 days). More than 50% of reinjuries occurred within 25 days (4 weeks) after RTS from the index injury and 50% occurred within 50 days after the index injury. All reinjuries with more severe radiological grading occurred in the same location as the index injury. The majority of the hamstring reinjuries occurred in the same location as the index injury, early after RTS and with a radiologically greater extent, suggesting incomplete biological and/or functional healing of the index injury. Specific exercise programs focusing on reinjury prevention initiated after RTS from the index injury are highly recommended. © 2016 The Author(s).

  3. Advanced MRI Methods for Assessment of Chronic Liver Disease

    PubMed Central

    Taouli, Bachir; Ehman, Richard L.; Reeder, Scott B.

    2010-01-01

    MRI plays an increasingly important role for assessment of patients with chronic liver disease. MRI has numerous advantages, including lack of ionizing radiation and the possibility of performing multiparametric imaging. With recent advances in technology, advanced MRI methods such as diffusion-, perfusion-weighted MRI, MR elastography, chemical shift based fat-water separation and MR spectroscopy can now be applied to liver imaging. We will review the respective roles of these techniques for assessment of chronic liver disease. PMID:19542391

  4. PET/MR Synchronization by Detection of Switching Gradients

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weissler, Bjoern; Gebhardt, Pierre; Lerche, Christoph W.; Soultanidis, Georgios M.; Wehner, Jakob; Heberling, Dirk; Schulz, Volkmar

    2015-06-01

    The full potential of simultaneous Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) acquisition, such as dynamic studies or motion compensation, can only be explored if the data of both modalities is temporally synchronized. As such hybrid imaging systems are commonly realized as custom-made PET inserts for commercially available MRI scanner, a synchronization solution has to be implemented (depending on the vendor of the MRI system). In contrast, we demonstrate a simple method for temporal synchronization, which does not require a connection to the MRI. It uses the normally undesired effect of induced voltages on the PET electronics from switching MRI gradients. The electronic circuit needs very few components and the gradient pick-up coils are made from PCB traces and vias on the PET detector boards. Neither programming the MRI nor any physical connection to the MR scanner is needed, thus avoiding electromagnetic compatibility problems. This method works inherently with most MRI sequences and is a vendor- independent solution. A characterization of the sensors in an MRI scanner showed that the MRI gradients are detected with a precision of 120 μs (with the current implementation). Using different trigger thresholds, it is possible to trigger selectively on certain MRI sequences, depending on their gradient slew rate settings. Timings and pulse diagrams of MRI sequences can be recognized from the generated data. The method was successfully used for temporal alignment between PET and MRI in an MRI-based PET-motion-compensation application.

  5. Clinical practice guidelines from the French College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF): benign breast tumors - short text.

    PubMed

    Lavoué, Vincent; Fritel, Xavier; Antoine, Martine; Beltjens, Françoise; Bendifallah, Sofiane; Boisserie-Lacroix, Martine; Boulanger, Loic; Canlorbe, Geoffroy; Catteau-Jonard, Sophie; Chabbert-Buffet, Nathalie; Chamming's, Foucauld; Chéreau, Elisabeth; Chopier, Jocelyne; Coutant, Charles; Demetz, Julie; Guilhen, Nicolas; Fauvet, Raffaele; Kerdraon, Olivier; Laas, Enora; Legendre, Guillaume; Mathelin, Carole; Nadeau, Cédric; Naggara, Isabelle Thomassin; Ngô, Charlotte; Ouldamer, Lobna; Rafii, Arash; Roedlich, Marie-Noelle; Seror, Jérémy; Séror, Jean-Yves; Touboul, Cyril; Uzan, Catherine; Daraï, Emile

    2016-05-01

    Screening with breast ultrasound in combination with mammography is needed to investigate a clinical breast mass (Grade B), colored single-pore breast nipple discharge (Grade C), or mastitis (Grade C). The BI-RADS system is recommended for describing and classifying abnormal breast imaging findings. For a breast abscess, a percutaneous biopsy is recommended in the case of a mass or persistent symptoms (Grade C). For mastalgia, when breast imaging is normal, no MRI or breast biopsy is recommended (Grade C). Percutaneous biopsy is recommended for a BI-RADS category 4-5 mass (Grade B). For persistent erythematous nipple or atypical eczema lesions, a nipple biopsy is recommended (Grade C). For distortion and asymmetry, a vacuum core-needle biopsy is recommended due to the risk of underestimation by simple core-needle biopsy (Grade C). For BI-RADS category 4-5 microcalcifications without any ultrasound signal, a minimum 11-G vacuum core-needle biopsy is recommended (Grade B). In the absence of microcalcifications on radiography cores additional samples are recommended (Grade B). For atypical ductal hyperplasia, atypical lobular hyperplasia, lobular carcinoma in situ, flat epithelial atypia, radial scar and mucocele with atypia, surgical excision is commonly recommended (Grade C). Expectant management is feasible after multidisciplinary consensus. For these lesions, when excision margins are not clear, no new excision is recommended except for LCIS characterized as pleomorphic or with necrosis (Grade C). For grade 1 phyllodes tumor, surgical resection with clear margins is recommended. For grade 2 phyllodes tumor, 10mm margins are recommended (Grade C). For papillary breast lesions without atypia, complete disappearance of the radiological signal is recommended (Grade C). For papillary breast lesions with atypia, complete surgical excision is recommended (Grade C). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Accurate and simple method for quantification of hepatic fat content using magnetic resonance imaging: a prospective study in biopsy-proven nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.

    PubMed

    Hatta, Tomoko; Fujinaga, Yasunari; Kadoya, Masumi; Ueda, Hitoshi; Murayama, Hiroaki; Kurozumi, Masahiro; Ueda, Kazuhiko; Komatsu, Michiharu; Nagaya, Tadanobu; Joshita, Satoru; Kodama, Ryo; Tanaka, Eiji; Uehara, Tsuyoshi; Sano, Kenji; Tanaka, Naoki

    2010-12-01

    To assess the degree of hepatic fat content, simple and noninvasive methods with high objectivity and reproducibility are required. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is one such candidate, although its accuracy remains unclear. We aimed to validate an MRI method for quantifying hepatic fat content by calibrating MRI reading with a phantom and comparing MRI measurements in human subjects with estimates of liver fat content in liver biopsy specimens. The MRI method was performed by a combination of MRI calibration using a phantom and double-echo chemical shift gradient-echo sequence (double-echo fast low-angle shot sequence) that has been widely used on a 1.5-T scanner. Liver fat content in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD, n = 26) was derived from a calibration curve generated by scanning the phantom. Liver fat was also estimated by optical image analysis. The correlation between the MRI measurements and liver histology findings was examined prospectively. Magnetic resonance imaging measurements showed a strong correlation with liver fat content estimated from the results of light microscopic examination (correlation coefficient 0.91, P < 0.001) regardless of the degree of hepatic steatosis. Moreover, the severity of lobular inflammation or fibrosis did not influence the MRI measurements. This MRI method is simple and noninvasive, has excellent ability to quantify hepatic fat content even in NAFLD patients with mild steatosis or advanced fibrosis, and can be performed easily without special devices.

  7. QUESPOWR MRI: QUantification of Exchange as a function of Saturation Power On the Water Resonance

    PubMed Central

    Randtke, Edward A.; Pagel, Mark D.; Cárdenas-Rodríguez, Julio

    2018-01-01

    QUantification of Exchange as a function of Saturation Power On the Water Resonance (QUESPOWR) MRI is a new method that can estimate chemical exchange rates. This method acquires a series of OPARACHEE MRI acquisitions with a range of RF powers for the WALTZ16* pulse train, which are applied on the water resonance. A QUESPOWR plot can be generated from the power dependence of the % water signal, which is similar to a QUESP plot that is generated from CEST MRI acquisition methods with RF saturation applied off-resonance from water. A QUESPOWR plot can be quantitatively analyzed using linear fitting methods to provide estimates of average chemical exchange rates. Analyses of the shapes of QUESPOWR plots can also be used to estimate relative differences in average chemical exchange rates and concentrations of biomolecules. The performance of QUESPOWR MRI was assessed via simulations, an in vitro study with iopamidol, and an in vivo study with a mouse model of mammary carcinoma. The results showed that QUESPOWR MRI is especially sensitive to chemical exchange between water and biomolecules that have intermediate to fast chemical exchange rates and chemical shifts that are close to water, which are notoriously difficult to assess with other CEST MRI methods. In addition, in vivo QUESPOWR MRI detected acidic tumor tissues relative to normal tissues that are pH-neutral, and therefore may be a new paradigm for tumor detection with MRI. PMID:27404128

  8. Double temporal sparsity based accelerated reconstruction of compressively sensed resting-state fMRI.

    PubMed

    Aggarwal, Priya; Gupta, Anubha

    2017-12-01

    A number of reconstruction methods have been proposed recently for accelerated functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) data collection. However, existing methods suffer with the challenge of greater artifacts at high acceleration factors. This paper addresses the issue of accelerating fMRI collection via undersampled k-space measurements combined with the proposed method based on l 1 -l 1 norm constraints, wherein we impose first l 1 -norm sparsity on the voxel time series (temporal data) in the transformed domain and the second l 1 -norm sparsity on the successive difference of the same temporal data. Hence, we name the proposed method as Double Temporal Sparsity based Reconstruction (DTSR) method. The robustness of the proposed DTSR method has been thoroughly evaluated both at the subject level and at the group level on real fMRI data. Results are presented at various acceleration factors. Quantitative analysis in terms of Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and other metrics, and qualitative analysis in terms of reproducibility of brain Resting State Networks (RSNs) demonstrate that the proposed method is accurate and robust. In addition, the proposed DTSR method preserves brain networks that are important for studying fMRI data. Compared to the existing methods, the DTSR method shows promising potential with an improvement of 10-12 dB in PSNR with acceleration factors upto 3.5 on resting state fMRI data. Simulation results on real data demonstrate that DTSR method can be used to acquire accelerated fMRI with accurate detection of RSNs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Optshrink LR + S: accelerated fMRI reconstruction using non-convex optimal singular value shrinkage.

    PubMed

    Aggarwal, Priya; Shrivastava, Parth; Kabra, Tanay; Gupta, Anubha

    2017-03-01

    This paper presents a new accelerated fMRI reconstruction method, namely, OptShrink LR + S method that reconstructs undersampled fMRI data using a linear combination of low-rank and sparse components. The low-rank component has been estimated using non-convex optimal singular value shrinkage algorithm, while the sparse component has been estimated using convex l 1 minimization. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the existing state-of-the-art algorithms on real fMRI dataset. The proposed OptShrink LR + S method yields good qualitative and quantitative results.

  10. Comparison among T1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Modified Dixon Method, and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Measuring Bone Marrow Fat

    PubMed Central

    Shen, Wei; Gong, Xiuqun; Weiss, Jessica; Jin, Ye

    2013-01-01

    Introduction. An increasing number of studies are utilizing different magnetic resonance (MR) methods to quantify bone marrow fat due to its potential role in osteoporosis. Our aim is to compare the measurements of bone marrow fat among T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), modified Dixon method (also called fat fraction MRI (FFMRI)), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Methods. Contiguous MRI scans were acquired in 27 Caucasian postmenopausal women with a modified Dixon method (i.e., FFMRI). Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) of T1-weighted MRI and bone marrow fat fraction of the L3 vertebra and femoral necks were quantified using SliceOmatic and Matlab. MRS was also acquired at the L3 vertebra. Results. Correlation among the three MR methods measured bone marrow fat fraction and BMAT ranges from 0.78 to 0.88 (P < 0.001) in the L3 vertebra. Correlation between BMAT measured by T1-weighted MRI and bone marrow fat fraction measured by modified FFMRI is 0.86 (P < 0.001) in femoral necks. Conclusion. There are good correlations among T1-weighted MRI, FFMRI, and MRS for bone marrow fat quantification. The inhomogeneous distribution of bone marrow fat, the threshold segmentation of the T1-weighted MRI, and the ambiguity of the FFMRI may partially explain the difference among the three methods. PMID:23606951

  11. A Novel Marker Based Method to Teeth Alignment in MRI

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luukinen, Jean-Marc; Aalto, Daniel; Malinen, Jarmo; Niikuni, Naoko; Saunavaara, Jani; Jääsaari, Päivi; Ojalammi, Antti; Parkkola, Riitta; Soukka, Tero; Happonen, Risto-Pekka

    2018-04-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can precisely capture the anatomy of the vocal tract. However, the crowns of teeth are not visible in standard MRI scans. In this study, a marker-based teeth alignment method is presented and evaluated. Ten patients undergoing orthognathic surgery were enrolled. Supraglottal airways were imaged preoperatively using structural MRI. MRI visible markers were developed, and they were attached to maxillary teeth and corresponding locations on the dental casts. Repeated measurements of intermarker distances in MRI and in a replica model was compared using linear regression analysis. Dental cast MRI and corresponding caliper measurements did not differ significantly. In contrast, the marker locations in vivo differed somewhat from the dental cast measurements likely due to marker placement inaccuracies. The markers were clearly visible in MRI and allowed for dental models to be aligned to head and neck MRI scans.

  12. Custom fit 3D-printed brain holders for comparison of histology with MRI in marmosets.

    PubMed

    Guy, Joseph R; Sati, Pascal; Leibovitch, Emily; Jacobson, Steven; Silva, Afonso C; Reich, Daniel S

    2016-01-15

    MRI has the advantage of sampling large areas of tissue and locating areas of interest in 3D space in both living and ex vivo systems, whereas histology has the ability to examine thin slices of ex vivo tissue with high detail and specificity. Although both are valuable tools, it is currently difficult to make high-precision comparisons between MRI and histology due to large differences inherent to the techniques. A method combining the advantages would be an asset to understanding the pathological correlates of MRI. 3D-printed brain holders were used to maintain marmoset brains in the same orientation during acquisition of ex vivo MRI and pathologic cutting of the tissue. The results of maintaining this same orientation show that sub-millimeter, discrete neuropathological features in marmoset brain consistently share size, shape, and location between histology and ex vivo MRI, which facilitates comparison with serial imaging acquired in vivo. Existing methods use computational approaches sensitive to data input in order to warp histologic images to match large-scale features on MRI, but the new method requires no warping of images, due to a preregistration accomplished in the technique, and is insensitive to data formatting and artifacts in both MRI and histology. The simple method of using 3D-printed brain holders to match brain orientation during pathologic sectioning and MRI acquisition enables rapid and precise comparison of small features seen on MRI to their underlying histology. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  13. Print-specific multimodal brain activation in kindergarten improves prediction of reading skills in second grade.

    PubMed

    Bach, Silvia; Richardson, Ulla; Brandeis, Daniel; Martin, Ernst; Brem, Silvia

    2013-11-15

    Children who are poor readers usually experience troublesome school careers and consequently often suffer from secondary emotional and behavioural problems. Early identification and prediction of later reading problems thus are critical in order to start targeted interventions for those children with an elevated risk for emerging reading problems. In this study, behavioural precursors of reading were assessed in nineteen (aged 6.4 ± 0.3 years) non-reading kindergarteners before training letter-speech sound associations with a computerized game (Graphogame) for eight weeks. The training aimed to introduce the basic principles of letter-speech sound correspondences and to initialize the sensitization of specific brain areas to print. Event-related potentials (ERP) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were recorded during an explicit word/symbol processing task after the training. Reading skills were assessed two years later in second grade. The focus of this study was on clarifying whether electrophysiological and fMRI data of kindergarten children significantly improve prediction of future reading skills in 2nd grade over behavioural data alone. Based on evidence from previous studies demonstrating the importance of initial print sensitivity in the left occipito-temporal visual word form system (VWFS) for learning to read, the first pronounced difference in processing words compared to symbols in the ERP, an occipito-temporal negativity (N1: 188-281 ms) along with the corresponding functional activation in the left occipito-temporal VWFS were defined as potential predictors. ERP and fMRI data in kindergarteners significantly improved the prediction of reading skills in 2nd grade over behavioural data alone. Together with the behavioural measures they explained up to 88% of the variance. An additional discriminant analysis revealed a remarkably high accuracy in classifying normal (n=11) and poor readers (n=6). Due to the key limitation of the study, i.e. the small group sizes, the results of our prediction analyses should be interpreted with caution and regarded as preliminary despite cross-validation. Nevertheless our results indicate the potential of combining neuroimaging and behavioural measures to improve prediction at an early stage, when literacy skills are acquired and interventions are most beneficial. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. A new method based on Dempster-Shafer theory and fuzzy c-means for brain MRI segmentation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Jie; Lu, Xi; Li, Yunpeng; Chen, Xiaowu; Deng, Yong

    2015-10-01

    In this paper, a new method is proposed to decrease sensitiveness to motion noise and uncertainty in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) segmentation especially when only one brain image is available. The method is approached with considering spatial neighborhood information by fusing the information of pixels with their neighbors with Dempster-Shafer (DS) theory. The basic probability assignment (BPA) of each single hypothesis is obtained from the membership function of applying fuzzy c-means (FCM) clustering to the gray levels of the MRI. Then multiple hypotheses are generated according to the single hypothesis. Then we update the objective pixel’s BPA by fusing the BPA of the objective pixel and those of its neighbors to get the final result. Some examples in MRI segmentation are demonstrated at the end of the paper, in which our method is compared with some previous methods. The results show that the proposed method is more effective than other methods in motion-blurred MRI segmentation.

  15. Novel MRI tests of orocecal transit time and whole gut transit time: studies in normal subjects

    PubMed Central

    Chaddock, G; Lam, C; Hoad, C L; Costigan, C; Cox, E F; Placidi, E; Thexton, I; Wright, J; Blackshaw, P E; Perkins, A C; Marciani, L; Gowland, P A; Spiller, R C

    2014-01-01

    Background Colonic transit tests are used to manage patients with Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. Some tests used expose patients to ionizing radiation. The aim of this study was to compare novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests for measuring orocecal transit time (OCTT) and whole gut transit time (WGT), which also provide data on colonic volumes. Methods 21 healthy volunteers participated. Study 1: OCTT was determined from the arrival of the head of a meal into the cecum using MRI and the Lactose Ureide breath test (LUBT), performed concurrently. Study 2: WGT was assessed using novel MRI marker capsules and radio-opaque markers (ROMs), taken on the same morning. Studies were repeated 1 week later. Key Results OCTT measured using MRI and LUBT was 225 min (IQR 180–270) and 225 min (IQR 165–278), respectively, correlation rs = 0.28 (ns). WGT measured using MRI marker capsules and ROMs was 28 h (IQR 4–50) and 31 h ± 3 (SEM), respectively, correlation rs = 0.85 (p < 0.0001). Repeatability assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.45 (p = 0.017) and 0.35 (p = 0.058) for MRI and LUBT OCTT tests. Better repeatability was observed for the WGT tests, ICC being 0.61 for the MRI marker capsules (p = 0.001) and 0.69 for the ROM method (p < 0.001) respectively. Conclusions & Inferences The MRI WGT method is simple, convenient, does not use X-ray and compares well with the widely used ROM method. Both OCTT measurements showed modest reproducibility and the MRI method showed modest inter-observer agreement. PMID:24165044

  16. Regional brain injury on conventional and diffusion weighted MRI is associated with outcome after pediatric cardiac arrest.

    PubMed

    Fink, Ericka L; Panigrahy, A; Clark, R S B; Fitz, C R; Landsittel, D; Kochanek, P M; Zuccoli, G

    2013-08-01

    To assess regional brain injury on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after pediatric cardiac arrest (CA) and to associate regional injury with patient outcome and effects of hypothermia therapy for neuroprotection. We performed a retrospective chart review with prospective imaging analysis. Children between 1 week and 17 years of age who had a brain MRI in the first 2 weeks after CA without other acute brain injury between 2002 and 2008 were included. Brain MRI (1.5 T General Electric, Milwaukee, WI, USA) images were analyzed by 2 blinded neuroradiologists with adjudication; images were visually graded. Brain lobes, basal ganglia, thalamus, brain stem, and cerebellum were analyzed using T1, T2, and diffusion-weighted images (DWI). We examined 28 subjects with median age 1.9 years (IQR 0.4-13.0) and 19 (68 %) males. Increased intensity on T2 in the basal ganglia and restricted diffusion in the brain lobes were associated with unfavorable outcome (all P < 0.05). Therapeutic hypothermia had no effect on regional brain injury. Repeat brain MRI was infrequently performed but demonstrated evolution of lesions. Children with lesions in the basal ganglia on conventional MRI and brain lobes on DWI within the first 2 weeks after CA represent a group with increased risk of poor outcome. These findings may be important for developing neuroprotective strategies based on regional brain injury and for evaluating response to therapy in interventional clinical trials.

  17. MR Imaging-based Semi-quantitative Methods for Knee Osteoarthritis

    PubMed Central

    JARRAYA, Mohamed; HAYASHI, Daichi; ROEMER, Frank Wolfgang; GUERMAZI, Ali

    2016-01-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based semi-quantitative (SQ) methods applied to knee osteoarthritis (OA) have been introduced during the last decade and have fundamentally changed our understanding of knee OA pathology since then. Several epidemiological studies and clinical trials have used MRI-based SQ methods to evaluate different outcome measures. Interest in MRI-based SQ scoring system has led to continuous update and refinement. This article reviews the different SQ approaches for MRI-based whole organ assessment of knee OA and also discuss practical aspects of whole joint assessment. PMID:26632537

  18. The evolving role of MRI in the assessment of coronary artery disease.

    PubMed

    Blackwell, G G; Pohost, G M

    1995-04-13

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods are positioned to make a major impact in the care of patients with ischemic heart disease. Further advances are to be expected in the area of myocardial perfusion imaging and noninvasive MRI coronary "angiography." Work also continues in determining quantitative flow via MRI. Although expensive, the unique ability of MRI methods to provide multiple pieces of information in a single examination may make this technology cost effective. The concept of a "one-step shop" is progressing steadily toward a clinical reality.

  19. Accuracy of PDFF estimation by magnitude-based and complex-based MRI in children with MR spectroscopy as a reference.

    PubMed

    Haufe, William M; Wolfson, Tanya; Hooker, Catherine A; Hooker, Jonathan C; Covarrubias, Yesenia; Schlein, Alex N; Hamilton, Gavin; Middleton, Michael S; Angeles, Jorge E; Hernando, Diego; Reeder, Scott B; Schwimmer, Jeffrey B; Sirlin, Claude B

    2017-12-01

    To assess and compare the accuracy of magnitude-based magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-M) and complex-based MRI (MRI-C) for estimating hepatic proton density fat fraction (PDFF) in children, using MR spectroscopy (MRS) as the reference standard. A secondary aim was to assess the agreement between MRI-M and MRI-C. This was a HIPAA-compliant, retrospective analysis of data collected in children enrolled in prospective, Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved studies between 2012 and 2014. Informed consent was obtained from 200 children (ages 8-19 years) who subsequently underwent 3T MR exams that included MRI-M, MRI-C, and T 1 -independent, T 2 -corrected, single-voxel stimulated echo acquisition mode (STEAM) MRS. Both MRI methods acquired six echoes at low flip angles. T2*-corrected PDFF parametric maps were generated. PDFF values were recorded from regions of interest (ROIs) drawn on the maps in each of the nine Couinaud segments and three ROIs colocalized to the MRS voxel location. Regression analyses assessing agreement with MRS were performed to evaluate the accuracy of each MRI method, and Bland-Altman and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) analyses were performed to assess agreement between the MRI methods. MRI-M and MRI-C PDFF were accurate relative to the colocalized MRS reference standard, with regression intercepts of 0.63% and -0.07%, slopes of 0.998 and 0.975, and proportion-of-explained-variance values (R 2 ) of 0.982 and 0.979, respectively. For individual Couinaud segments and for the whole liver averages, Bland-Altman biases between MRI-M and MRI-C were small (ranging from 0.04 to 1.11%) and ICCs were high (≥0.978). Both MRI-M and MRI-C accurately estimated hepatic PDFF in children, and high intermethod agreement was observed. 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2017;46:1641-1647. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  20. Indian Hedgehog signaling pathway members are associated with magnetic resonance imaging manifestations and pathological scores in lumbar facet joint osteoarthritis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shuang, Feng; Zhou, Ying; Hou, Shu-Xun; Zhu, Jia-Liang; Liu, Yan; Zhang, Chun-Li; Tang, Jia-Guang

    2015-05-01

    Indian Hedgehog (HH) has been shown to be involved in osteoarthritis (OA) in articular joints, where there is evidence that Indian HH blockade could ameliorate OA. It seems to play a prominent role in development of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and in postnatal maintenance. There is little work on IHH in the IVD. Hence the aim of the current study was to investigate the role of Indian Hedgehog in the pathology of facet joint (FJ) OA. 24 patients diagnosed with lumbar intervertebral disk herniation or degenerative spinal stenosis were included. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) histopathology grading system was correlated to the mRNA levels of GLI1, PTCH1, and HHIP in the FJs. The Weishaupt grading and OARSI scores showed high positive correlation (r = 0.894) (P < 0.01). MRI Weishaupt grades showed positive correlation with GLI1 (r = 0.491), PTCH1 (r = 0.444), and HHIP (r = 0.654) mRNA levels (P < 0.05 in each case). OARSI scores were also positively correlated with GLI1 (r = 0. 646), PTCH1 (r = 0. 518), and HHIP (r = 0.762) mRNA levels (P < 0.01 in each case). Cumulatively our findings indicate that Indian HH signaling is increased in OA and is perhaps a key component in OA pathogenesis and progression.

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