Objective To explore the potential of a post-processing technique combining FLAIR and T 2 * (FLAIR*) to distinguish between lesions caused by multiple sclerosis (MS) from cerebral small vessel disease (SVD) in a clinical setting. Methods FLAIR and T 2 * head datasets acquired at 3T of 25 people with relapsing MS (pwRMS) and ten with pwSVD were used. After post-processing, FLAIR* maps were used to determine the proportion of white matter lesions (WML) showing the 'vein in lesion' sign (VIL), a characteristic histopathological feature of MS plaques. Sensitivity and specificity of MS diagnosis were examined on the basis of >45% VIL + and >60% VIL + WML, and compared with current dissemination in space (DIS) MRI criteria. Results All pwRMS had >45% VIL + WML (range 58-100%) whilst in pwSVD the proportion of VIL + WML was significantly lower (0-64%; mean 32±20%). Sensitivity based on >45% VIL + was 100% and specificity 80% whilst with >60% VIL + as the criterion, sensitivity was 96% and specificity 90%. DIS criteria had 96% sensitivity and 40% specificity.
Background
Pareidolic associations are commonly used in medical education to enhance perception of radiological abnormalities. A number of animal‐inspired neuroradiological pareidolias have been defined which should alert clinicians to specific movement disorder diagnoses.
Methods
A review of the published literature detailing neuroradiological abnormalities in movement disorder syndromes was conducted, looking specifically for established animal‐inspired pareidolic associations.
Results
A number of animal‐inspired neuroradiological patterns with specific movement disorder associations have been defined. These include eye of the tiger sign, face of the panda sign, swallow tail sign, hummingbird sign, Mickey Mouse sign, ears of the lynx sign, dragonfly cerebellum, tadpole sign, tigroid/leopard skin sign, and bat wing sign.
Conclusion
Pareidolias represent a quick and easy way of enhancing perception, thereby improving the efficiency and accuracy of image analysis. Movement disorder physicians should keep in mind these associations, given that they will likely facilitate scan analysis.
We present a case of a man with a background of myasthenia gravis who presented with a neck lump, which was diagnosed as thyrolipomatosis in continuity with a very large thymolipoma. Following removal of these lesions, the patient’s myaesthenic symptoms improved. While thymolipomas are often seen in the context of myasthenia gravis, thyrolipomatosis is a rare entity and to our knowledge the concurrent finding of both lesions with myasthenia gravis has never been reported. We highlight the important imaging features of both entities and the clinical importance of recognising them.
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