Diagnostic imaging modalities in head and neck disease.

Background: Because of the complex anatomy of the head and neck region, conventional projection radiography alone is unreliable and carries a high risk of misdiagnosis. The poor risk-benefit ratio of conventional radiography has led to their replacement by tomographic imaging for nearly all studies in this region.

Method: This review is based on pertinent articles retrieved by a selective search in the PubMed database (January 1980 to May 2013) as well as on the relevant guidelines from Germany and abroad.

Impact of increasing levels of advanced iterative reconstruction on image quality in low-dose cardiac CT angiography.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of an advanced iterative reconstruction (IR) technique on subjective and objective image quality (IQ) in low-dose cardiac CT angiography (CCTA).

Materials And Methods: 30 datasets of prospectively triggered "step-and-shoot" CCTA scans acquired on a 256-slice CT scanner with optimized exposure settings were processed on a prototype IR system using filtered back-projection (FBP) and 4 levels of advanced IR (iDose4, Philips) providing incremental rates of IR (level 2, 4, 6, 7). In addition, the effects of different reconstruction kernels (semi-smooth [CB], standard with edge-enhancement [XCB]) and a "multi-resolution" feature [MR] to preserve the noise power spectrum were evaluated resulting in a total of n = 480 image sets.

Structural white matter changes in adolescents and young adults with maple syrup urine disease.

Objective: To get insight into the nature of magnetic resonance (MR) white matter abnormalities of patients with classic maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) under diet control.

Methods: Ten patients with classic MSUD and one with a severe MSUD variant (mean age 21.5 ± 5.

[Radiological diagnosis of the paranasal sinuses].

Although diseases of the paranasal sinuses have a relatively homogeneous clinical presentation, their causes can vary considerably. Radiological imaging only became relevant in paranasal sinus diagnostics following the introduction of cross-sectional imaging. In addition to technical details on imaging procedures and the individual criteria of the different modalities, anatomic details and congenital variations are presented.

Minimally invasive application of thrombin in the treatment of pseudoaneurysms following open aortic surgery.

Background: Anastomotic leaks are uncommon complications following aortic surgery. To avoid the morbidity associated with a second surgical procedure, minimally invasive techniques have become increasingly popular.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of thrombin in interventional treatment of postoperative pseudoaneurysms.

Embryonic stem cells induce ectopic bone formation in rats.

Background: Surgery often leads to massive destruction of the skeleton. Cell-based bone reconstruction therapies promise new therapeutic opportunities for the repair of bone. Embryonic stem cells (ESCs) can be differentiated into osteogenic cells and are a potential cell source for bone tissue engineering.

[Image quality in multidetector CT of paranasal sinuses: potential of dose reduction using an adaptive post-processing filter].

Purpose: Evaluation of subjective image quality in dose-reduced multi-detector CT (MDCT) of paranasal sinuses using a 2D non-linear adaptive post-processing filter (2D-NLAF).

Materials And Methods: MDCT of paranasal sinuses was simulated using a human head phantom at a Somatom Sensation Cardiac 64 (Siemens, Erlangen). At constant collimation (64 × 0.

The relation of regional cerebral perfusion and atrophy in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's dementia.

The spatial and temporal relations between regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and brain volume (rVOL) changes in incipient and early Alzheimer's dementia (AD) are not fully understood. The participants comprised 30 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 15 with mild AD who were examined using structural and perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 1.5 Tesla.

A novel MRI-biomarker candidate for Alzheimer's disease composed of regional brain volume and perfusion variables.

Background: Earlier evidence indicates that regional cerebral volume (rVOL) and blood flow (rCBF) variables carry independent information on incipient and early Alzheimer's disease (AD) and combining these modalities may increase discriminant performance. We compared single variables and combinations regarding their power for optimizing diagnostic accuracy.

Methods: Twelve cognitively normal elderly controls (CN), 30 subjects with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 15 with mild AD were examined by structural and perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in single sessions at 1.

[Radiological diagnosis of the paranasal sinuses].

Although diseases of the paranasal sinuses have a relatively homogeneous clinical presentation, their causes can vary considerably. Radiological imaging only became relevant in paranasal sinus diagnostics following the introduction of cross-sectional imaging. In addition to technical details on imaging procedures and the individual criteria of the different modalities, anatomic details and congenital variations are presented.

[Dose reduction and image quality in MDCT of the upper abdomen: potential of an adaptive post-processing filter].

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of a 2D non-linear adaptive post-processing filter (2D-NLAF) on image quality in dose-reduced multi-detector CT (MDCT) of the upper abdomen.

Materials And Methods: MDCT of the upper abdomen was simulated on a 64-slice scanner using a multi-modal anthropomorphic phantom (CIRS, Norfolk, USA). While keeping the collimation (64 x 0.

Voxel-based analyses of magnetization transfer imaging of the brain in hepatic encephalopathy.

Aim: To evaluate the spatial distribution of cerebral abnormalities in cirrhotic subjects with and without hepatic encephalopathy (HE) found with magnetization transfer imaging (MTI).

Methods: Nineteen cirrhotic patients graded from neurologically normal to HE grade 2 and 18 healthy control subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging. They gave institutional-review-board-approved written consent.

Surgical management of retropharyngeal abscesses.

Conclusion: Retropharyngeal abscess (RPA) is a rare, potentially life-threatening disease, requiring appropriate otorhinolaryngologic as well as radiologic diagnostics, and medical and surgical intervention by a transoral, transcervical or transnasal approach in a multidisciplinary setting.

Objectives: The risks and benefits of surgical intervention in patients with RPA were assessed. The main outcome measure was the clinical resolution of the abscess.

Leser-Trélat sign presenting in a patient with ovarian cancer: a case report.

Introduction: Seborrheic keratoses are very common findings in elderly patients. However, a sudden onset and dramatic increase in the number and size of these benign lesions deserves special attention, since this may represent the Leser Trélat sign, a rare paraneoplastic cutaneous syndrome.

Case Presentation: A 92-year-old female presented to our clinic with multiple eruptive seborrheic keratoses, which had dramatically increased in size and number over the past two years.

[Angiosarcoma of the temporal bone].

Angiosarcoma of the temporal bone is an extremely rare malignant tumor, which originates from vascular endothelium. We describe a case of a 57-year-old woman, initially presenting with progressive hearing loss, otorrhea as well as facial palsy diagnosed as a mastoiditis elsewhere. After subtotal mastoidectomy histological examination revealed an angiosarcoma of the mastoid.

Modern therapy of rectal carcinoma.

Throughout the past decade the treatment of rectal carcinoma has improved remarkably. Today, individualized multimodality treatment allows local and distant tumor freedom with preservation of anorectal and genitourinary function in a majority of patients. Radiotherapy is elementary in reducing the risk of local recurrence whereas chemotherapy including promising novel agents prevents or eliminates distant metastases.

Systemic thrombolysis based on CT or MRI stroke imaging.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are tools of investigation in acute stroke. We wondered if the additional information offered by MRI outweighs the disadvantage of its longer scanning duration for systemic thrombolysis.

Methods: Two hundred ninety-four consecutive patients (66 +/- 13 years) were subjected to thrombolysis between 1999 and 2004.

Myocardial delayed contrast enhancement in patients with arterial hypertension: initial results of cardiac MRI.

Purpose: In arterial hypertension left ventricular hypertrophy comprises myocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis and structural alterations of the coronary microcirculation. MRI enables the detection of myocardial fibrosis, infarction and scar tissue by delayed enhancement (DE) after contrast media application. Aim of this study was to investigate patients with arterial hypertension but without known coronary disease or previous myocardial infarction to detect areas of DE.