Lhermitte-Duclos disease (dysplastic gangliocytoma of the cerebellum)

Summary The authors report the third published case of a Lhermitte-Duclos disease diagnosed preoperatively with the help of MRI, stressing its possible extension beyond the limits of the posterior fossa. The pertinent literature is reviewed concerning the clinical and radiological picture of this disease, as well as the different pathogenic hypothesis.     

老年人脑皮质下斑点状病灶的MRI病理基础研究

本文对29例脑标本行 MRI-病理对照研究,其中18例脑标本 MRI 检查阳性,发现脑皮质下斑点状病灶(Subcortical Patchy Lesions,SPLs)95个。该病灶分两大类:第一类(64个)位于脑皮层下白质、基底核、小脑和脑干,其病理基础主要为血管周围间隙扩大(83%),小梗塞灶(11%),其他还有小动、静脉畸形(AVM),脱髓鞘灶和胶质增生灶;第二类(31个)位于侧脑室周围白质内,其病理基础为局部组织结构疏松呈空泡状,病灶相应部位的室管膜大片脱落。     

System for prostate brachytherapy and biopsy in a standard 1.5 T MRI scanner.

A technique for transperineal high-dose-rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy and needle biopsy in a standard 1.5 T MRI scanner is demonstrated. In each of eight procedures (in four patients with intermediate to high risk localized prostate cancer), four MRI-guided transperineal prostate biopsies were obtained followed by placement of 14-15 hollow transperineal catheters for HDR brachytherapy. Mean needle-placement accuracy was 2.1 mm, 95% of needle-placement errors were less than 4.0 mm, and the maximum needle-placement error was 4.4 mm. In addition to guiding the placement of biopsy needles and brachytherapy catheters, MR images were also used for brachytherapy treatment planning and optimization. Because 1.5 T MR images are directly acquired during the interventional procedure, dependence on deformable registration is reduced and online image quality is maximized.     

Electrodynamics and ultimate SNR in parallel MR imaging.

The purpose of this article is to elucidate inherent limitations to the performance of parallel MRI. The study focuses on the ultimate signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), which refers to the maximum SNR permitted by the electrodynamics of the signal detection process. Using a spherical model object, it is shown that the behavior of the ultimate SNR imposes distinct limits on the acceleration rate in parallel imaging. For low and moderate acceleration, the ultimate SNR performance is nearly optimal, with geometry factors close to 1. However, for high reduction factors beyond a critical value, the ultimate performance deteriorates rapidly, corresponding to exponential growth of the geometry factor. The transition from optimal to deteriorating performance depends on the electrodynamic characteristics of the detected RF fields. In the near-field regime, i.e., for low B0 and small object size, the critical reduction factor is constant and approximately equal to four for 1D acceleration in the sphere. In the far-field wave regime the critical reduction factor is larger and increases both with B0 and object size. Therefore, it is concluded that parallel techniques hold particular promise for human MR imaging at very high field.     

High-resolution myocardial perfusion mapping in small animals in vivo by spin-labeling gradient-echo imaging.

An ECG and respiration-gated spin-labeling gradient-echo imaging technique is proposed for the quantitative and completely noninvasive measurement and mapping of myocardial perfusion in small animals in vivo. In contrast to snapshot FLASH imaging, the spatial resolution of the perfusion maps is not limited by the heart rate. A significant improvement in image quality is achieved by synchronizing the inversion pulse to the respiration movements of the animals, thereby allowing for spontaneous respiration. High-resolution myocardial perfusion maps (in-plane resolution=234 x 468 microm2) demonstrating the quality of the perfusion measurement were obtained at 4.7 T in a group of seven freely breathing Wistar-Kyoto rats under isoflurane anesthesia. The mean perfusion value (group average +/- SD) was 5.5 +/- 0.7 ml g(-1)min(-1). In four animals, myocardial perfusion was mapped and measured under cardiac dobutamine stress. Perfusion increased to 11.1 +/- 1.9 ml g(-1)min(-1). The proposed method is particularly useful for the study of small rodents at high fields.     

螺旋CT和MRI诊断肝内胆管细胞癌的价值

目的:探讨螺旋CT和MRI诊断肝内胆管细胞癌的价值。材料和方法:回顾性分析经病理证实的18例肝内胆管细胞癌CT平扫和三期增强扫描,9例MRI平扫和动态增强扫描。结果:CT平扫13个病灶呈低密度,2个病灶呈高密度,4个病灶未能显示,病变检出敏感性为78.9%;CT增强扫描动脉期10个病灶表现呈周边薄环状增强,3个病灶呈高密度,4个病灶无增强呈等密度,2个病灶未能检出,病变检出敏感性为89.4%:门脉期11个病灶呈厚环状增强,4个病灶呈等密度,3个病灶均匀增强,呈高密度,1个肿块未见显示,病变检出敏感性为94.7%;延迟期7个病灶呈不定形轻度增强,呈低密度,4个病灶呈等密度,8个病灶明显增强,呈高密度,病变敏感性为100%。9个病灶MR平扫T1WI呈低信号,T2WI呈高或略高信号,病变检出敏感性为100%动态增强扫描6个病灶表现为缓慢增强型:3个病灶表现为快速增强型:病变检出敏感性为100%。结论:肝内胆管细胞癌螺旋CT三期增强扫描及MR动态增强扫描均具有一定的特异性,对于肝内与其它常见病变的鉴别诊断均有重要价值。     

In vivo detection of single cells by MRI.

The use of high-relaxivity, intracellular contrast agents has enabled MRI monitoring of cell migration through and homing to various tissues, such as brain, spinal cord, heart, and muscle. Here it is shown that MRI can detect single cells in vivo, homing to tissue, following cell labeling and transplantation. Primary mouse hepatocytes were double-labeled with green fluorescent 1.63-microm iron oxide particles and red fluorescent endosomal labeling dye, and injected into the spleens of recipient mice. This is a common hepatocyte transplantation paradigm in rodents whereby hepatocytes migrate from the spleen to the liver as single cells. One month later the animals underwent in vivo MRI and punctuated, dark contrast regions were detected scattered through the livers. MRI of perfused, fixed samples and labeled hepatocyte phantoms in combination with histological evaluation confirmed the presence of dispersed single hepatocytes grafted into the livers. Appropriate controls were used to determine whether the observed contrast could have been due to dead cells or free particles, and the results confirmed that the contrast was due to disperse, single cells. Detecting single cells in vivo opens the door to a number of experiments, such as monitoring rare cellular events, assessing the kinetics of stem cell homing, and achieving early detection of metastases.     

动态增强MR灌注成像在脑胶质瘤诊断中的价值

目的　探讨动态增强T2 WMR灌注成像在脑胶质瘤术前分级预测及鉴别诊断中的价值。资料与方法　有病理或追踪结果的 4 8例脑病变患者 ,其中胶质瘤 2 5例 (高、低级别胶质瘤分别为 16例和 9例 ) ,非胶质瘤病变 2 3例。全部病例均行常规T1WI、T2 WI和EPI SE序列动态增强MR灌注成像。计算每个病灶的最大相对脑血容量 (rCBV)比值 (病灶最大rCBV/对侧正常脑白质rCBV)。分析胶质瘤的最大rCBV比值与其组织学级别的关系 ,并比较胶质瘤与非胶质瘤的灌注异常及常规MRI强化表现。结果　高级别胶质瘤 ( 16例 )的最大rCBV比值为4 .6 0± 1.98( 2 .5 5～ 9.2 2 ) ,低级别胶质瘤 ( 9例 )的最大rCBV比值为 1.86± 1.5 2 ( 0 .85～ 5 .72 ) ,经t检验 ,两组之间有显著统计学差异 (P <0 .0 1)。脑膜瘤、转移瘤、血管母细胞瘤、淋巴瘤均显示有局部高灌注 ,最大rCBV比值为5 .35± 2 .39( 3.15～ 12 .39) ,而有强化表现的脑梗死、脑炎性灶及放射性脑损伤表现为低、等灌注 ,最大rCBV比值为1.2 7± 0 .36 ( 0 .85～ 1.72 )。结论　MR灌注成像在胶质瘤的术前影像学分级预测上有重要价值 ,在脑胶质瘤的某些鉴别诊断上亦具有一定的参考价值     

Structural white matter abnormalities in patients with idiopathic dystonia

We investigated whether structural white matter abnormalities, in the form of disruption of axonal coherence and integrity as measured with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), constitute an underlying pathological mechanism of idiopathic dystonia (ID), independent of genotype status. We studied seven subjects with ID: all had cervical dystonia as their main symptom (one patient also had spasmodic dysphonia and two patients had concurrent generalized dystonia, both DYT1‐negative). We compared DTI MR images of patients with 10 controls, evaluating differences in mean diffusivity (MD) and fractional anisotropy (FA). ID was associated with increased FA values in the thalamus and adjacent white matter, and in the white matter underlying the middle frontal gyrus. ID was also associated with increase in MD in adjacent white matter to the pallidum and putamen bilaterally, left caudate, and in subcortical hemispheric regions, including the postcentral gyrus. Abnormal FA and MD in patients with ID indicate that abnormal axonal coherence and integrity contribute to the pathophysiology of dystonia. These findings suggest that ID is not only a functional disorder, but also associated with structural brain changes. Impaired connectivity and disrupted flow of information may contribute to the impairment of motor planning and regulation in dystonia. © 2006 Movement Disorder Society