Diagnostic accuracy of low-mA chest CT reconstructed with Model Based Iterative Reconstruction in the detection of early pleuro-pulmonary complications following a lung transplantation.

Objectives: To assess the accuracy of reduced-dose, low-mA chest CT (RD-CT) reconstructed with model-based iterative reconstruction (MBIR) in detecting usual early complications following pulmonary transplantation, as compared to standard-dose chest CT (SD-CT) reconstructed with adaptative statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR).

Methods: Our institutional review board approved this prospective study and patients provided written informed consent. Two thoracic radiologists independently evaluated 47 examinations performed routinely in 20 patients during 6 months following lung transplantation for the detection and/or evolution of usual pleuropulmonary complications and for subjective image quality.

Intratendinous injection of platelet-rich plasma under US guidance to treat tendinopathy: a long-term pilot study.

Purpose: To assess the potential therapeutic effect of intratendinous injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) under ultrasound (US) guidance to treat tendon tears and tendinosis in a pilot study with long-term follow-up.

Materials And Methods: The study included 408 consecutive patients referred for treatment by PRP injection of tendinopathy in the upper (medial and lateral epicondylar tendons) and the lower (patellar, Achilles, hamstring and adductor longus, and peroneal tendons) limb who received a single intratendinous injection of PRP under US guidance. Clinical and US data were retrospectively collected for each anatomic compartment for upper and lower limbs before treatment (baseline) and 6 weeks after treatment.

Comparison of apparent diffusion coefficient in spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory lesions and type 1 Modic changes.

Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate whether the values of ADC in spondylarthritis axial active inflammatory lesions are different from ADC values in type 1 Modic changes.

Subjects And Methods: 95 patients with recent lumbar pain, including 46 patients with diagnosed or suspected spondylarthritis and 49 patients with purely degenerative history, underwent spine MRI. T1w, STIR, and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) were obtained.

Acceleration of tendon healing using US guided intratendinous injection of bevacizumab: first pre-clinical study on a murine model.

Purpose: Tendinopathy shows early disorganized collagen fibers with neo-angiogenesis on histology. Peri-tendinous injection of corticosteroid is the commonly accepted strategy despite the abscence of inflammation in tendinosis. The aim of our study was to assess the potential of intratendinous injection of an anti-angiogenic drug (bevacizumab, AA) to treat tendinopathy in a murine model of patellar and Achilles tendinopathy, and to evaluate its local toxicity.

Efficacy of intra-tendinous injection of platelet-rich plasma in treating tendinosis: comprehensive assessment of a rat model.

Objectives: To assess the potential of intra-tendinous injection of platelet rich plasma (PRP) to treat tendinosis (T+) in a rat model of patellar and Achilles T+, and evaluate its local toxicity.

Methods: Thirty rats (120 patellar and Achilles tendons) were used. We induced T+ into 80 tendons (patellar = 40, Achilles = 40) by injecting collagenase at day 0 under ultrasound (US) guidance.

Cardiac diffusion-weighted MR imaging in recent, subacute, and chronic myocardial infarction: a pilot study.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to detect recent myocardial infarction (MI) and to differentiate it from subacute and chronic MI, with late-gadolinium enhancement (LGE) sequence as reference. Furthermore, to measure variation of the myocardial apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) according to the age of MI.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-four MI patients were separated in 3 groups.

Is intracerebral hemorrhage a time-dependent phenomenon after successful combined intravenous and intra-arterial therapy?

Background And Purpose: Onset-to-reperfusion time (ORT) has recently emerged as an essential prognostic factor in acute ischemic stroke therapy. Although favorable outcome is associated with reduced ORT, it remains unclear whether intracranial bleeding depends on ORT. We therefore sought to determine whether ORT influenced the risk and volume of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) after combined intravenous and intra-arterial therapy.

Blood-brain barrier disruption is associated with increased mortality after endovascular therapy.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence, baseline characteristics, and clinical prognosis of blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption after endovascular therapy in acute ischemic stroke patients.

Methods: A total of 220 patients treated with endovascular therapy between April 2007 and October 2011 were identified from a prospective, clinical, thrombolysis registry. All patients underwent a nonenhanced CT scan immediately after treatment.

Dramatic recovery in acute ischemic stroke is associated with arterial recanalization grade and speed.

Background And Purpose: Dramatic recovery (DR) is a predictor of stroke outcome among others. However, after successful recanalization, systematic favorable outcome is not the rule. We sought to analyze the impact of recanalization on DR in patients with acute ischemic stroke eligible for any revascularization strategies (either intravenous or endovascular).

Impact of a combined intravenous/intra-arterial approach in octogenarians.

Background: Intravenous (IV) alteplase is not currently recommended in octogenarian patients, and the benefit/risk ratio of endovascular (intra-arterial, IA) therapy remains to be determined. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of a combined IV-IA approach in octogenarians.

Methods: From a single-centre interventional study, we report age-specific outcomes of patients treated by a combined IV-IA thrombolytic approach.

Outcomes of mechanical endovascular therapy for acute ischemic stroke: a clinical registry study and systematic review.

Background And Purpose: Recanalization is a powerful predictor of stroke outcome in patients with arterial occlusion. Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator is limited by its recanalization rate, which may be improved with mechanical endovascular therapy (MET). However, the benefit and safety of MET remain to be determined.

Basilar artery atherosclerotic plaques in paramedian and lacunar pontine infarctions: a high-resolution MRI study.

Background And Purpose: Pontine infarction is most often related to basilar artery atherosclerosis when the lesion abuts on the basal surface (paramedian pontine infarction), whereas small medial pontine lesion is usually attributed to small vessel lipohyalinosis. A previous study has found that high-resolution MRI can detect basilar atherosclerotic plaques in up to 70% of patient with paramedian pontine infarction, even in patients with normal angiograms, but none has evaluated the presence of basilar artery plaque by high-resolution MRI in patients with small medial pontine lesion in the medial part of the pons.

Methods: Consecutive patients with pontine infarction underwent basilar angiography using time-of-flight and contrast-enhanced 3-dimensional MR angiography to assess the presence of basilar artery stenosis and high-resolution MRI to assess the presence of atherosclerotic plaque.

Comparison of intravenous alteplase with a combined intravenous-endovascular approach in patients with stroke and confirmed arterial occlusion (RECANALISE study): a prospective cohort study.

Background: The efficacy of intravenous (IV) alteplase is restricted by the speed of recanalisation and the site of the occlusion. The aim of this study was to ascertain the effect of a combined IV-endovascular approach (intra-arterial alteplase and, if required, additional thrombectomy) in patients with stroke due to arterial occlusion.

Methods: We compared recanalisation rates, neurological improvement at 24 h, and functional outcome at 3 months between two periods (February, 2002, to March, 2007, vs April, 2007, to October, 2008) in patients in a prospective registry who were treated with different regimens of alteplase within 3 h of symptom onset.

Classifying late-onset dementia with MRI: is arteriosclerotic brain degeneration the most common cause of Alzheimer's syndrome?

Our aim was to use early magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to investigate the causes of cognitive decline in elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Baseline structural and flow quantification MR sequences, and clinical and neuropsychological follow-up for at least two years, were performed on 62 elderly subjects with MCI. Of these subjects, 17 progressed to dementia, and 15 of these progressed to dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT).

Diffuse spine involvement in sarcoidosis with sternal lytic lesions: two case reports.

Study Design: Case report.

Objective: To report 2 cases of sarcoidosis with a diffuse vertebral involvement, associated with a rare location in the sternum.

Summary Of Background Data: Sarcoidosis is a systemic disease of unknown cause with various clinical and radiologic manifestations.

Accuracy of contrast-enhanced cine-MR sequences in the assessment of left ventricular function: comparison with precontrast cine-MR sequences. Results of a bicentric study.

The accuracy of contrast-enhanced cine magnetic resonance (cine-MR) imaging to determine left ventricular function was assessed by comparison with the established noncontrast cine-MR sequences. Contrast-enhanced balanced steady-state free precession (cine-SSFP) sequences were compared with precontrast cine-SSFP sequences in the assessment of left ventricular contractile function in 30 consecutive patients with various cardiac diseases. Five to eight short-axis image sections were obtained in each patient.

Comprehensive evaluation of preoperative patients with aortic valve stenosis: usefulness of cardiac multidetector computed tomography.

Background: Preoperative assessment of patients with aortic valve stenosis (AS) relies on the evaluation of AS severity (aortic valve area, AVA) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) by echocardiography, and of coronary artery anatomy by coronary angiography.

Aim: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of contrast-enhanced multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), as a single non-invasive preoperative test, for simultaneous evaluation of the AVA, LVEF and coronary status in patients with AS.

Methods: 40 consecutive patients with AS scheduled for aortic valve replacement underwent transthoracic echocardiography, electrocardiogram (ECG)-gated MDCT and coronary angiography within a time span of 1 week.

Magnetic resonance imaging in acute and chronic kidney diseases: present status.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of normal and diseased kidneys shows great promise because of the combined value of anatomical and functional information provided, as well as of specific contrast patterns that can be observed non-invasively. Multicontrast MRI is able to show infiltrative kidney disorders. Diffusion-weighted imaging can assess alterations in renal function and can suggest obstruction or inflammation when present.

Value of contrast-enhanced, balanced cine-MR sequences in the assessment of apparent infarct size after acute myocardial infarction: a prospective comparison with delayed-enhancement sequences.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced (CE) delayed cine steady-state free precession (SSFP) sequences in the assessment of apparent infarct size after acute myocardial infarction (MI).

Materials And Methods: Contrast-enhanced (CE) balanced cine-SSFP sequences were compared with delayed-enhancement (DE) T1 sequences for their ability to detect segmental abnormal enhancement in 29 consecutive patients with recent successfully reperfused acute MI.

Results: The extent of myocardial involvement revealed by postcontrast cine-SSFP sequences and DE images was closely correlated (Spearman r = 0.

Differentiating acute myocardial infarction from myocarditis: diagnostic value of early- and delayed-perfusion cardiac MR imaging.

Purpose: To prospectively determine whether early first-pass perfusion and delayed-enhancement magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences can enable differentiation of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) from myocarditis in patients with acute chest pain.

Materials And Methods: All examinations were performed according to guidelines of the institutional board on medical ethics and clinical investigation and after informed patient consent was obtained. Fifty-five patients with a clinical presentation suggestive but not typical of AMI were examined.