Lucent Patellar Lesions: A Pictorial Review.

A radiographically lucent patellar lesion may represent a variety of etiologies, ranging from more commonly seen degenerative, metabolic, infectious, developmental, posttraumatic, postoperative causes to rarer benign and malignant neoplasms. Clinical symptoms, surgical history, laboratory values, and radiographic features may help narrow the differential. In addition, radiographic features such as circumscribed borders and sharply delineated margins favor benign lesions while ill-defined margins suggest malignant etiologies.

Sonographic morphological and qualitative deficits in the elbow ulnar collateral ligament and ulnohumeral joint in throwing arms of asymptomatic collegiate baseball pitchers.

Objective: The ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) supports the medial elbow against valgus torque and is commonly injured in baseball pitchers. Changes in UCL morphology and pathology occur with long-term pitching, with more severe findings at higher competition levels. We examined the bilateral differences and the relationship between UCL morphology, pathology, and ulnohumeral joint laxity in asymptomatic collegiate pitchers using ultrasound.

Avoiding peripheral nerve injury in arterial interventions.

Although peripheral nerve injuries secondary to angiography and endovascular interventions are uncommon and usually not permanent, they can result in significant functional impairment. Most arteries used in access for angiography and endovascular therapies lie in close proximity to a nerve. The nerve may be injured by needle puncture, or by compression from hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, hemostasis devices, or by manual compression with incidence in literature ranging from as low as 0.

Supraspinatus tendon micromorphology in individuals with subacromial pain syndrome.

Study Design: Cross-sectional cohort.

Introduction: Tendon collagen organization can be estimated by peak spatial frequency radius (PSFR) on ultrasound images. Characterizing PSFR can define the contribution of collagen disruption to shoulder symptoms.

The Morel-Lavallée lesion: pathophysiology, clinical presentation, imaging features, and treatment options.

Morel-Lavallée lesions are posttraumatic hemolymphatic collections related to shearing injury and disruption of interfascial planes between subcutaneous soft tissue and muscle. We review the pathophysiology of Morel-Lavallée lesions, clinical presentation, and potential sites of involvement. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for characterization.

CT of rib lesions.

Objective: This article discusses how ribs are involved in a variety of traumatic, metabolic, inflammatory, neoplastic, and congenital disorders.

Conclusion: We review the normal anatomy pertinent to rib imaging and illustrate the key features of a variety of rib lesions, emphasizing the diagnostic value of CT.

FDG-PET/CT imaging predicts histopathologic treatment responses after the initial cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas.

Purpose: In patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS), the early assessment of treatment responses is important. Using positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), we determined whether changes in tumor FDG uptake predict histopathologic treatment responses in high-grade STS after the initial cycle of neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Experimental Design: From February 2006 to March 2008, 50 patients with resectable high-grade STS scheduled for neoadjuvant therapy and subsequent tumor resection were enrolled prospectively.

Does dual-energy CT of lower-extremity tendons incur penalties in patient radiation exposure or reduced multiplanar reconstruction image quality?

Objective: The purposes of this study were to evaluate the quality and radiation exposure of data acquired with dual-energy CT compared with single-energy MDCT in the depiction of lower-extremity tendons and to assess whether a dual-energy CT voltage exists at which the quality of tendon depiction is optimal.

Subjects And Methods: Eleven healthy volunteers and seven clinically referred patients (10 men, eight women; mean age, 43.1 years; range, 20-71 years) underwent conventional single-energy CT and dual-energy CT examinations of both lower extremities with a dual-source CT scanner.

Reduction of glucose metabolic activity is more accurate than change in size at predicting histopathologic response to neoadjuvant therapy in high-grade soft-tissue sarcomas.

Purpose: Change in tumor size as classified by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors poorly correlates with histopathologic response to neoadjuvant therapy in patients with soft-tissue sarcomas. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate whether positron emission tomography with (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG-PET) allows for a more accurate evaluation of histopathologic response.

Experimental Design: From January 2005 to January 2007, 42 patients with resectable biopsy-proven high-grade soft-tissue sarcoma underwent a FDG-PET/computed tomography scan before and after neoadjuvant treatment.

Ultrasound of the knee.

Ultrasound of the knee is best suited for the evaluation of tendons, fluid collections and effusion, synovitis, periarticular soft tissue masses, muscles, and the collateral ligaments. Advantages of sonographic evaluation include the lack of ionizing radiation, the noninvasive nature of the examination, focused evaluation correlated with the specific site of pain, multiplanar capability, and utility in patients for whom magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is contraindicated. The ability to visualize the microanatomy of tendons, ligaments, nerves, and muscles is also an advantage over MRI.

Ultrasonography of the elbow.

Ultrasonography (US) of the elbow is an increasingly utilized modality for a variety of diagnoses. US is advantageous in many cases because of the ability to perform a dynamic examination while obtaining patient feedback. Furthermore, US is cost effective, widely available, and beautifully demonstrates superficial soft tissue structures.

Gradient-recalled echo sequences in direct shoulder MR arthrography for evaluating the labrum.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of fat-suppressed gradient-recalled echo (GRE) compared with conventional spin echo T1-weighted (T1W) sequences in direct shoulder MR arthrography for evaluating labral tears.

Materials And Methods: Three musculoskeletal radiologists retrospectively reviewed MR arthrograms performed over a 12-month period for which surgical correlation was available. Of 180 serial arthrograms, 31 patients had surgery with a mean of 48 days following imaging.

Abdominal visceral findings in patients with Marfan syndrome.

Purpose: Marfan syndrome is an autosomal dominant disorder historically defined by well-characterized features in the cardiovascular, ocular, and skeletal systems. To date, there have been no reports concerning abdominal visceral findings in this disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of abdominal visceral findings in patients with Marfan syndrome.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm size regression after endovascular repair is endograft dependent.

Objective: This study was performed to determine whether abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) regression is different with various endografts after endovascular repair.

Methods: A four-center retrospective review of size change after endovascular AAA repair was performed. Consecutive patients with at least 1-year follow-up and available imaging studies were included.