BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Previous studies of geometric and morphologic parameters of intracranial aneurysms have been conducted to determine rupture risk, which remains incompletely defined due to patient-specific risk factors, such as sex, hypertension, and age. To this end, we compared characteristics of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms in the same patients with symmetric bilateral intracranial aneurysms.
The changes in FA and λ⊥ of distal portions of injured sciatic nerves correlate well with functional recovery and histology. Therefore, FA and λ⊥ of distal portions of injured sciatic nerves can be used as a marker to monitor Wallerian degeneration and regeneration of crushed sciatic nerves.
Lumbosacral degenerative disc disease is a common cause of lower back and leg pain. Conventional T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) scans are commonly used to image spinal cord degeneration. However, these modalities are unable to image the entire lumbosacral spinal nerve roots. Thus, in the present study, we assessed the potential of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for quantitative assessment of compressed lumbosacral spinal nerve roots. Subjects were 20 young healthy volunteers and 31 patients with lumbosacral stenosis. T2WI showed that the residual dural sac area was less than two-thirds that of the corresponding normal area in patients from L3 to S1 stenosis. On T1WI and T2WI, 74 lumbosacral spinal nerve roots from 31 patients showed compression changes. DTI showed thinning and distortion in 36 lumbosacral spinal nerve roots (49%) and abruption in 17 lumbosacral spinal nerve roots (23%). Moreover, fractional anisotropy values were reduced in the lumbosacral spinal nerve roots of patients with lumbosacral stenosis. These findings suggest that DTI can objectively and quantitatively evaluate the severity of lumbosacral spinal nerve root compression.
To investigate the characteristics of spiral computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET/CT) and clinical manifestations of talaromycosis to improve the diagnostic level and deepen its recognition in radiology.
Radiological, clinical, and pathological manifestations of 15 patients of non-HIV talaromycosis confirmed by bronchofiberscope lung biopsy and/or abscess puncture fluid culture and/or blood culture and/or sputum culture were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent chest CT, among them, six had a brain MRI, and six had a PET/CT scan before treatment.
On plain CT scan, there were multiple patches and massive consolidation in 6 patients, multiple patchy consolidations and patchy ground-glass opacities in 3 patients, solitary or multiple nodules and masses in 3 patients, multiple cavities and small nodules in 3 patients. Multiple lymphadenectasis appeared in bilateral hila, mediastinum, and neck in 10 patients. In contrast CT scan, the parenchyma of the lesions had a slight enhancement in 10 patients, moderate enhancement in 3 patients, obvious enhancement in 2 patients. Seven cases had bone destruction and hyperplasia, cranial involvement in 1 patient and liver involvement in 3 patients, respectively. On PET/CT, five patients showed elevated standard uptake value (SUV).
The radiological manifestations of non-HIV talaromycosis show multiple consolidations, ground-glass opacities, multiple nodules or masses in bilateral lungs, deep-seated enlarged lymph nodes and bone destruction in multiple systems. The final diagnosis should be based on the culture of talaromycosis.
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