We evaluated the newly developed whole-brain, isotropic, 3-dimensional turbo spin-echo imaging with variable flip angle echo train (SPACE) for contrast-enhanced T(1)-weighted imaging in detecting brain metastases at 3 tesla (T). Twenty-two patients with suspected brain metastases underwent postcontrast study with SPACE, magnetization-prepared rapid gradient-echo (MP-RAGE), and 2-dimensional T(1)-weighted spin echo (2D-SE) imaging at 3T. We quantitatively compared SPACE, MP-RAGE, and 2D-SE images by using signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) for GM-to-WM, lesion-to-GM, and lesion-to-WM. Two blinded radiologists evaluated the detection of brain metastases by segment-by-segment analysis and continuously-distributed test. The CNR between GM and WM was significantly higher on MP-RAGE images than on SPACE images (P<0.01). The CNRs for lesion-to-GM and lesion-to-WM were significantly higher on SPACE images than on MP-RAGE images (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in each sequence in detection of brain metastases by segment-by-segment analysis and the continuously-distributed test. However, in some cases, the lesions were easier to detect in SPACE images than in other sequences, and also the vascular signals, which sometimes mimic lesions in MP-RAGE and 2D-SE images, were suppressed in SPACE images. In detection of brain metastases at 3T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, SPACE imaging may provide an effective, alternative approach to MP-RAGE imaging for 3D T(1)-weighted imaging.
The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization for ruptured pancreaticoduodenal artery (PDA) aneurysms associated with celiac axis stenosis (CS). Seven patients (four men and three women; mean age, 64; range, 43-84) were treated with transcatheter arterial embolization between 2002 and 2007. They were analyzed with regard to the clinical presentation, radiological finding, procedure, and outcome. All patients presented with sudden epigastric pain or abdominal discomfort. Contrast-enhanced CT showed a small aneurysm and retroperitoneal hematoma around the pancreatic head in all patients. The aneurysms ranged from 0.3 to 0.9 cm in size. In one patient, two aneurysms were detected. The aneurysms were located in the pancreaticoduodenal artery (n = 5) and the dorsal pancreatic artery (n = 3). Embolization was performed with microcoils in all aneurysms (n = 8). N-Butyl 2-cyanoacrylate (n = 1) and gelatine particle (n = 1) were also used. Complete occlusion was achieved in four patients. In the other three patients, a significantly reduced flow to the aneurysm remained at final angiography. However, these aneurysms were thrombosed on follow-up CT within 2 weeks. And there was no recurrence of the symptoms and bleeding during follow-up (mean, 28 months; range, 5-65 months) in all patients. In conclusion, transcatheter arterial embolization for PDA aneurysms associated with CS is effective. Significant reduction of the flow to the aneurysm at final angiography may be predictive of future thrombosis.
The BLADE and PROPELLER (periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction) techniques have been proposed to reduce the effect of head motion. Preliminary results have shown that BLADE also reduces pulsation artifacts from venous sinuses. The purpose of this study was to compare T1-weighted FLAIR acquired with BLADE (T1W-FLAIR BLADE) and T1-weighted spin-echo (T1W-SE) for the detection of contrast enhancement in a phantom and in patients with suspected brain lesions and to compare the degree of flow-related artifacts in the patients. A phantom filled with diluted Gd-DTPA was scanned in addition to 27 patients. In the phantom study, the peak contrast-to-noise ratio of T1W-FLAIR BLADE was larger than that of T1W-SE, and the position of the peak was shifted to a lower concentration. In patients, the degree of flow-related artifacts was significantly higher in T1W-SE. Among the 27 patients, 9 had metastatic tumor, and 18 did not. On a patient-by-patient basis, the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of metastatic lesions on axial T1W-SE were 100% and 55.6% respectively, while on axial T1W-FLAIR BLADE they were 100% and 100%. T1W-FLAIR BLADE seems to be capable of replacing T1W-SE, at least for axial post-contrast imaging to detect brain metastases.
We report two cases of intraperitoneal bleeding from superior mesenteric artery (SMA) pseudoaneurysm after pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic head carcinoma. In both cases, a stent-graft was deployed on the main SMA to exclude pseudoaneurysm and to preserve blood flow to the bowel. Bleeding stopped after the procedure. One patient was able to be discharged but died from carcinoma recurrence 4 months later. The other patient died of sepsis and stent-graft infection 5 months later. These patients remained free of intraperitoneal rebleeding during the follow-up period.
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