Category Archives: Fellows’ Journal Club

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Diagnostic Accuracy of PET for Recurrent Glioma Diagnosis: A Meta-Analysis • T. Nihashi, I.J. Dahabreh, and T. Terasawa
These authors compared the diagnostic accuracy of PET with that of CT and MRI in the diagnosis of recurrent glioma in 26 previously published articles. PET studies with either FDG or carbon methionine were obtained once glioma recurrence was suspected on CT and/or MRI. Diagnostic accuracies were heterogeneous and studies did not compare PET with other imaging modalities. Despite these limitations, PET with both tracers appears to have a moderately good accuracy as an add-on test for diagnosing recurrent glioma.… Continue reading >>

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Anatomic MR Imaging and Functional Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Peripheral Nerve Tumors and Tumorlike Conditions • A. Chhabra, R.S. Thakkar, G. Andreisek, M. Chalian, A.J. Belzberg, J. Blakeley, A. Hoke, G.K. Thawait, J. Eng, and J.A. Carrino
In this study 29 patients underwent anatomic and functional imaging (DWI and DTI) of peripheral nerve masses in an attempt to improve their characterization. ADC values were lower in malignant tumors, the involved nerves had lower fractional anisotropy, and DTI showed differences between benign and malignant tumors. The authors concluded that tractography and fractional anisotropy provide insight into neural integrity while … Continue reading >>

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Apolipoprotein E ε4 Does Not Modulate Amyloid-β–Associated Neurodegeneration in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease • R.S. Desikan, L.K. McEvoy, D. Holland, W.K. Thompson, J.B. Brewer, P.S. Aisen, O.A. Andreassen, B.T. Hyman, R.A. Sperling, A.M. Dale, and for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative
These authors investigated the relationship between amyloid-β, phosphorylated tau, and apolipoprotein E in preclinical Alzheimer disease in 170 patients and controls who had serial imaging up to 3.5 years after the initial study. Global volumes as well as volumes in brain regions known to be involved in the chronic stages of the disease were assessed. Their results … Continue reading >>

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Pipeline Embolization Device in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage • J.P. Cruz, C. O’Kelly, M. Kelly, J.H. Wong, W. Alshaya, A. Martin, J. Spears, and T.R. Marotta
The authors used the Pipeline device to treat 20 patients with acutely ruptured intracranial aneurysms. The most common types of aneurysms treated were blister and dysplastic/dissecting. Procedure-related morbidity/mortality overall was 15%, and 1 death directly related to the procedure occurred. Occlusion rates were 75% and 94% at 6 months and 12 months, respectively. The authors concluded that the Pipeline device offers a feasible treatment option in acute or subacute ruptured aneurysms, especially … Continue reading >>

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Combined Diffusion and Perfusion MR Imaging as Biomarkers of Prognosis in Immunocompetent Patients with Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma • F.E. Valles, C.L. Perez-Valles, S. Regalado, R.F. Barajas, J.L. Rubenstein, and S. Cha
Here, the authors sought to determine if ADC values and perfusion measurements provided prognostic information in 25 treatment-naïve immunocompetent patients with brain lymphoma. The studied parameters were obtained from the enhancing tumor regions. The results of this investigation reinforce the validity of ADC values as a prognostic biomarker and provide evidence of low tumor CBV as a novel risk factor for adverse prognosis in … Continue reading >>

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Association between Carotid Artery Plaque Type and Cerebral Microbleeds • L. Saba, R. Montisci, E. Raz, R. Sanfilippo, J.S. Suri, and M. Piga
This article explores the relationship between brain microbleeds and the type of plaque occurring in the carotid arteries of these patients. The authors assessed the plaques using CT and brain MRI with blood-sensitive gradient-echo sequences (they did not use SWI). Thirty percent of patients showed microbleeds; one-half were symptomatic. A statistically significant association between cerebral microbleeds and fatty carotid plaques was found.

Efficacy and Safety of Flow Diversion for Paraclinoid Aneurysms: A Matched-Pair Analysis … Continue reading >>

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Spinal Dural Fistulas without Swelling and Edema of the Cord as Incidental Findings • W.J. van Rooij, R.J. Nijenhuis, J.P. Peluso, M. Sluzewski, G.N. Beute, and B. van der Pol
This short report describes 5 patients with incidentally found spinal dural AVFs without cord edema. All patients were adults and were being imaged for nonspecific back pain. Four AVFs were conal and one was cervical. Generally, at the time of diagnosis, patients with spinal AVFs have long-standing symptoms and cord edema and the classic imaging triad of cord edema, dilated perimedullary veins, and, at times, contrast cord … Continue reading >>

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Closed-Cell Stent for Coil Embolization of Intracranial Aneurysms: Clinical and Angiographic Results • A.K. Wakhloo, I. Linfante, C.F. Silva, E.A. Samaniego, G. Dabus, V. Etezadi, G. Spilberg, and M.J. Gounis
Because recanalization is observed in 20–40% of endovascularly treated aneurysms, these authors report their experience using a closed-cell stent. They treated 161 wide-neck ruptured or unruptured aneurysms with the device and found a nearly 5% death rate and a 3.5% incidence of neurologic deficits. Of the ones available for follow-up, 10% of patients showed recanalization and 6% required retreatment. In-stent stenosis was seen in only 1 instance. Treatment … Continue reading >>

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Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaque Progression and Change in Plaque Composition Over Time: A 5-Year Follow-Up Study Using Serial CT Angiography • M.J. van Gils, D. Vukadinovic, A.C. van Dijk, D.W.J. Dippel, W.J. Niessen, and A. van der Lugt
These authors studied temporal changes in plaque size and composition using CTA. Their subjects were 109 patients who underwent baseline and follow-up CTA of the extracranial internal carotid arteries during an average 5-year period. When plaque volumes increased (69%) these did so at a rate of 1.2% per year. Composition changes included decreasing lipids (1.8%) and fibrous tissues (1.5%) … Continue reading >>