“The number and complexity of recognized congenital brain anomalies have steadily increased and techniques such as fetal MRI allow us not only to refine or correct diagnosis, but also to recognize different phenotypes that may exist within a group of malformations,” said Huisman and Poretti. The articles they included illustrate the improved identification and imaging of malformations that have guided genetic analysis and understanding of the inner neuro-architecture and functional relationships of the developing brain. “This information may help to better categorize various brain malformations that may look similar on conventional imaging but have different etiologies,” they explained.

In an accompanying podcast, Drs. Huisman and Poretti discuss the collection and their multidisciplinary approach to pediatric imaging and diagnosis with AJNR’s Podcast Editor C. Douglas Phillips. This special podcast is posted along with Dr. Phillips’ regular summaries of each issue’s highlights and is available to download from the AJNR Website or the iTunes Store.

AJNR’s Special Collections are intended to provide a comprehensive source of imaging-related articles on a single topic and are released biannually on an open-access basis. Previous Collections include “Imaging Acute Stroke and its Consequences” edited by Pamela W. Schaefer and R. Gilberto González, “Acute Stroke Intervention” edited by Colin P. Derdeyn and Avi Mazumdar, “Percutaneous Vertebroplasty” edited by Mary E. Jensen and Joshua A. Hirsch, “Radiation Dose in Neuroradiology CT Protocols” edited by Max Wintermark and Michael H. Lev, and “Brain Tumor Imaging, Volume 1: Pretherapy” and “Brain Tumor Imaging, Volume 2: Posttherapy” both edited by Soonmee Cha, and “Head and Neck Neoplasms” edited by Christine M. Glastonbury. All are available through AJNR’s print-on-demand service (Brightdoc), where readers can order a full-color hard copy for just US $50.00, plus shipping.

The collection is arranged in three parts reflecting the core of head and neck imaging: squamous cell carcinoma, other malignant and benign neck neoplasms, and advanced imaging techniques including CT perfusion, dynamic contrast-enhanced MR imaging, MR diffusion, and MR spectroscopy. “Over the next decade, these techniques are likely to dramatically influence how we image and treat head and neck tumors,” said Dr. Glastonbury. “All the authors of these articles are giants in head and neck radiology and we owe so much to their contributions to advancing our field. I hope readers enjoy learning and wondering a little more about the future of head and neck imaging.”

In an accompanying podcast, Dr. Glastonbury and AJNR’s Podcast Editor C. Douglas Phillips discuss the challenges in head and neck imaging and the ways in which advanced techniques are fostering the move from diagnosis to prognosis in this realm. This special podcast is posted along with Dr. Phillips’ regular summaries of each issue’s highlights and is available to download from the AJNR Website or the iTunes Store.

AJNR’s Special Collections are intended to provide a comprehensive source of imaging-related articles on a single topic and are released biannually on an open-access basis. Previous Collections include “Imaging Acute Stroke and its Consequences” edited by Pamela W. Schaefer and R. Gilberto González, “Acute Stroke Intervention” edited by Colin P. Derdeyn and Avi Mazumdar, “Percutaneous Vertebroplasty” edited by Mary E. Jensen and Joshua A. Hirsch, “Radiation Dose in Neuroradiology CT Protocols” edited by Max Wintermark and Michael H. Lev, and “Brain Tumor Imaging, Volume 1: Pretherapy” and “Brain Tumor Imaging, Volume 2: Posttherapy” both edited by Soonmee Cha. All are available through AJNR’s print-on-demand service (Brightdoc), where readers can order a full-color hard copy for just US $50.00, plus shipping.

In a timely fashion that only electronic publication allows, Drs. Max Wintermark and Mike Lev, experts on CT perfusion, have put together a wonderful editorial (to appear in the print edition of AJNR, too) and an informative Special Collection on radiation exposure-related articles. Our series of Special Collections is biannual but when we believe that our readers and society constituency need further information, we can rapidly act and deploy educational materials that will keep us all well versed and up-to-date.

Additionally at www.ajnr.org you will be able to find our first podcast.  Our podcast editor is Dr. Doug Phillips from Cornell University.  This podcast is a group discussion regarding radiation exposure and CT scanning.  The group participants are Drs. Wintermark, Lev, Schaefer and Sanelli all experts in this field.  Before this podcast was recorded I invited all editorial board members of AJNR to send us their questions in order to assure a balanced point of view.  The discussants did a great job trying to address the most important issues.

Listen to the Podcast (opens as a mp3).

View the Special Collection.

“Few would argue that percutaneous vertebroplasty announced its birth and found its voice on the pages of AJNR. No other publication has been more crucial to the discussion, dissection, and dissemination of technical and clinical research as it relates to this procedure,” said Collection editors Mary E. Jensen and Joshua A. Hirsch. “The sheer number of positive outcomes in patients debilitated by their disease, catalogued on these pages stand as testimony to the benefits of vertebroplasty over best medical therapy.”

“Little did all of us know that destiny would ‘throw us a curve ball’ on August 6 when the New England Journal published the now famous (or infamous?) articles that attempted to debunk vertebroplasty as treatment for painful osteoporotic spinal fractures,” explained AJNR’s Editor-in-Chief Mauricio Castillo. “These events make this compilation of articles even more pertinent. Now is the time for the reader to decide if the procedure is beneficial or not, and to act accordingly.”

AJNR Special Collections are released biannually on an open-access basis to provide a comprehensive source of imaging-related articles that are convenient, valuable, and quotable. Previous Collections include “Imaging Acute Stroke and its Consequences,” edited by Pamela W. Schaefer and R. Gilberto González, and “Acute Stroke Intervention” edited by Colin P. Derdeyn and Avi Mazumdar. All are available through AJNR’s print-on-demand service (Brightdoc), allowing readers to order a full-color hard copy for just US $50.00, plus shipping.

Be sure to bookmark the latest Special Collection link or connect through the AJNR homepage on your next visit.

We now have print on demand capabilities. After our first Special Collection was published online about 6 months ago we received several requests from individuals wanting print copies of it. Now, on the welcome page of each collection users will find a link that takes them to this exclusive service.  For $50.00 US you can order a printed issue of all of the contents in each collection.  The printed issue arrives in few days later by mail and has a nice glossy cover (similar to AJNR).  The cover design changes with each issue.  This a great opportunity to have in your hands these fantastic collections of the ANJRs best articles.

Our first special collection issue, edited by Dr. Schaefer and Gonzalez from the MGH has been a success. You can look at it by clicking the right hand column on our website.  We continue with this service and our second issue is currently being prepared.  The editor will be Dr. Colin Derdeyn from the Mallinckrodt Institute.  Its topic is arterial and venous recanalization which I think will nicely complement the first issue which was on imaging of stroke and its consequences.  We have it planned for April of this year so come back and visit our website often!  Special collections issues will continue to be published twice per year.