Postmortem drug concentrations do not necessarily reflect concentrations at the time of death, as drug levels may vary according to the sampling site and the interval between death and specimen collection. These site- and time-dependent variations are called "postmortem redistribution" (PMR). The underlying mechanisms are complex and of different types. Passive drug release from drug reservoirs such as the gastrointestinal tract, liver, lungs, and myocardium may occur immediately after death and, later on, cell autolysis and the putrefactive process participate in redistribution. There is evidence that basic lipophilic drugs with a large distribution volume are particularly susceptible to PMR. Nevertheless, this cannot explain the actual PMR of some nonbasic, nonlipophilic drugs. In addition, the persistence of drug metabolism immediately after death must be considered. Consequently, it is of great importance to analyze specimens from different sampling sites in order to detect potential PMR and avoid misinterpretation of results.

One-third of patients with symptomatic lumbar facet joint synovial cysts had long-lasting acceptable benefit from facet joint steroid injections in this study. Steroid injection should be indicated before surgery.

The aim of this study was to compare the clinical usefulness of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) MR contrast media (Sinerem, Guerbet Laboratories, Aulnay-sous-Bois, France) with precontrast MRI in the diagnosis of metastatic lymph nodes in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, using histology as gold standard. Eighty-one previously untreated patients were enrolled in a multicenter phase-III clinical trial. All patients had a noncontrast MR, a Sinerem MR, and surgery within a period of 15 days. The MR exams were analyzed both on site and by two independent radiologists (centralized readers). Correlation between histology and imaging was done per lymph node groups, and per individual lymph nodes when the short axis was > or = 10 mm. For individual lymph nodes, Sinerem MR showed a high sensitivity (> or = 88%) and specificity (> or = 77%). For lymph node groups, the sensitivity was > or = 59% and specificity > or = 81%. False-positive results were partially due to inflammatory nodes; false-negative results from the presence of undetected micrometastases. Errors of interpretation were also related to motion and/or susceptibility artifacts and problems of zone assignment. Sinerem MR had a negative predictive value (NPV) > or = 90% and a positive predictive value (PPV) > or = 51%. The specificity and PPV of Sinerem MR were better than those of precontrast MR. Precontrast MR showed an unexpectedly high sensitivity and NPV which were not increased with Sinerem MR. The potential contribution of Sinerem MR still remains limited by technical problems regarding motion and susceptibility artifacts and spatial resolution. It is also noteworthy that logistical problems, which could reduce the practical value of Sinerem MR, will be minimized in the future since Sinerem MR alone performed as good as the combination of precontrast and Sinerem MR.

The infrapatellar branch of the saphenous nerve can be depicted by ultrasonography. Precise mapping of its anatomical course may have significant clinical applications.

The experts and participating surgeons had comparable opinion on management of condylar fractures and complications of ORIF. Compared to the first Condylar Fracture Symposium 2007 in Strasbourg, ORIF may now be considered as the gold standard for both condylar base and neck fractures with displacement and dislocation. Although ORIF in condylar head fractures in adults and condylar fractures in children with mixed dentition is highly recommended, but this recommendation requires further investigations.

• CT-guided percutaneous cryoablation of osteoid osteoma is safe and effective • Cryoablation allows precise visual control of the aggregated iceball during procedure • Percutaneous cryoablation can be accomplished without general anaesthesia in selected cases • Another advantage of cryoablation is reduction of immediate postprocedural pain • Post-procedure MRI is helpful in the evaluation of technical success.

MDCT arthrography showed better accuracy than did MR arthrography in the detection of osseous, cartilage, and labroligamentous injuries related to anterior shoulder instability. Because MDCT arthrography was particularly reliable for the detection of glenoid rim fractures and humeral avulsion of the inferior glenohumeral ligament lesions, which represent crucial findings in the preoperative planning, this technique may beneficially affect treatment by means of selecting the proper surgical treatment.

The purpose of this study was to assess the radiological findings after surgical removal of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibromas (JNA). The postoperative CT and MRI scans of ten patients were reviewed. The cured group included six patients. The non-controlled group included six patients with eight recurrences. Two patients belonged to both groups as they were also followed and cured after surgery for relapse. Four recurrences were asymptomatic and diagnosed by imaging. The imaging patterns were matched to the patients clinical status and endoscopic findings. In the cured group, non-enhanced residual soft tissue masses were seen in all cases. In the non-controlled group, recurrence was always demonstrated on early postoperative CT or MR as a dramatically enhanced mass. The recurrence was located in the lateral or superior aspect of the nasopharynx (n = 3), deep to the fossa of Rosenmuller (n = 4) or out of the nasopharynx (n = 1). In two cases a remaining enhanced mass disappeared spontaneously on iterated examinations. Because of numerous asymptomatic relapses, a radiological workup is recommended four months after surgery, even in patients with normal endoscopy, to rule out posterolateral or extranasopharyngeal recurrences. Spontaneous evolution of residual masses must be appreciated on iterated imaging examinations.