[Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the abdominal aorta and its branches].

Technical aspects of 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography are exposed, detailing more particularly the pulse sequence used and the mode of injection of contrast agent. Then, various vascular territories are analyzed, and illustrated using various examples of main pathologies observed in routine clinical practice: abdominal aorta, renal arteries, pelvic and mesenteric vessels, and peripheral arteries.

Abdominal aortic aneurysms in sheep: prevention of rupture with endoluminal stent-grafts.

Purpose: The authors evaluated the ability of an aortic balloon-expandable endovascular stent-graft to prevent rupture in a model of spontaneously rupturing abdominal aortic aneurysms in sheep.

Materials And Methods: Aneurysms were created in 16 sheep by inserting a 60 x 18-mm segment of the left internal jugular vein, end-to-end anastomosed, to the sectioned infrarenal abdominal aorta. The sheep were randomly assigned into two groups; eight animals underwent endovascular implantation of an 80 x 12-mm balloon expandable stent-graft (group A), and eight were only followed up (group B).

Evaluation of magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of sacroiliitis in patients with early seronegative spondylarthropathy.

A prospective study was conducted in 23 patients to evaluate magnetic resonance imaging versus computed tomography and plain film radiography for the early detection of sacroiliitis in patients with spondylarthropathy and an Amor score of less than 6. Computed tomography was significantly better than the other two techniques despite some false-positive results, particularly in patients older than 40 years. Magnetic resonance imaging lacked sensitivity for detecting elementary lesions, particularly of the cartilage, but demonstrated clearly that the earliest abnormality was edema of the subchondral bone.

US and CT imaging features of intrapancreatic metastases.

Objective: Twenty-four patients with intrapancreatic metastases were retrospectively studied to identify diagnostic criteria on cross-sectional imaging.

Materials And Methods: Ultrasound and CT of the pancreas were reexamined by two radiologists who specified morphologic patterns.

Results: Metastases of the pancreas were found more often solitary (14 cases) than multiple (10 cases) and as homogeneous nodules hypoechoic on US (15 cases), hypodense on CT (11 cases), sometimes hypervascular (6 cases) or pseudocystic (4 cases).