Ischemic Optic Neuropathy Secondary to Varicella-Zoster Vasculitis Mimicking Giant Cell Arteritis: Case Report.

Differentiating GCA from its many mimickers remains a challenge in the daily clinical practice, especially in patients presenting with unspecific manifestations. We present the case of an 82-year-old woman who presented with a 3-week history of left eye vision loss secondary to bilateral edema and hemorrhage of the optic discs. Despite negative bilateral temporal artery biopsies, the elevation of the inflammatory markers and brain MRA findings suggestive of temporal arteritis as well as stenosis of the basilar artery led us to initiate treatment with high-dose steroids.

Determination of posterolateral oropharyngeal wall thickness and the potential implications for transoral surgical margins in tonsil cancer.

Background: Margins in transoral surgery for tonsil cancer can be limited by oropharyngeal wall thickness (OWT), but the normal range is not well established.

Methods: In 240 noncancer subjects, OWT was measured bilaterally in the vicinity of the tonsils with MRI. Statistical analysis was performed to assess for interaction of age, sex, location, and obesity.

Analysis of MRI Volumetric Changes After Hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiation Therapy for Benign Intracranial Neoplasms.

Purpose: To quantitatively assess volumetric changes after hypofractionated stereotactic radiation therapy (HFSRT) in patients treated for vestibular schwannomas and meningiomas.

Methods And Materials: We retrospectively reviewed records of patients treated with HFSRT at our institution from 2002 to 2014. Patients received a median dose of 25 Gy in 5 fractions.

Normal Variant Occipital Pneumatization.

Objective: Evaluate prevalence and pattern of occipital pneumatization (OP).

Patients: Individuals with imaging evidence of OP on computed tomography (CT).

Intervention(s): High resolution CT scans of the temporal bone.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Assessment of Vascular Contact of the Facial Nerve in the Asymptomatic Patient.

 The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of facial nerve vascular contact on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients without hemifacial spasm (HFS).  Our radiology database was queried to identify consecutive adult patients without a history of HFS, intracranial tumor, brain radiation therapy, intracranial surgery, traumatic brain injury, or trigeminal nerve vascular compression. One hundred high-resolution MRIs of the posterior fossa were independently reviewed by two neuroradiologists for facial nerve vascular contact (200 sides).

PET/CT imaging of conus medullaris metastasis from lung cancer.

An intradural extramedullary metastasis is usually detected at an advanced stage of the disease or during workup for manifestations of spinal cord compression. Early diagnosis of such a lesion is rare and mostly fortuitous. The authors present a case of treated nonsmall cell lung carcinoma with an asymptomatic conus medullaris metastasis, which was demonstrated by PET/CT imaging during restaging evaluation.