Fat-saturated MR imaging in the detection of inflammatory facet arthropathy (facet synovitis) in the lumbar spine.

Objective: The objectives of the study were: to illustrate the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging appearance of facet synovitis in the lumbar region using an MR fat-saturation technique; to determine how commonly facet synovitis is encountered when fat-saturation techniques are used; to classify the MR appearance of facet synovitis; and to test the correlation between the location of a lesion and the site of the patient's pain.

Design: In total, 209 consecutive MR studies of the lumbar spine were retrospectively reviewed to document the prevalence of lumbar facet synovitis in daily imaging practice. The degree of facet synovitis was graded.

Postoperative annular pseudocyst: report of two cases with an unusual complication after microdiscectomy, and successful treatment by percutaneous aspiration and steroid injection.

Background Context: After microdiscectomy for extruded disc fragments, patients may develop recurrent symptoms from numerous causes. Postoperative annular pseudocysts represent a unique entity not previously described in the medical literature.

Purpose: To report unique imaging findings in two patients who presented with recurrent radiculopathic symptoms after microdiscectomy.

Transient vertical diplopia and nystagmus associated with acute thalamic infarction.

We describe a patient who presented with a 1-h history of vertical diplopia and nystagmus and was found to have acute left ventrolateral thalamic infarction on the diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI MRI). This is the first case report demonstrating that vertical diplopia and nystagmus, which typically suggest a lesion in the brainstem or cerebellum, may also occur in acute thalamic infarction. DWI MRI can detect thalamic infarction as early as 1 h after its clinical manifestations.

Recombinant factor VIIa for rapid reversal of warfarin anticoagulation in acute intracranial hemorrhage.

Objective: To assess the effects of recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) on hemorrhage volume and functional outcomes in warfarin-related acute intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), which has a 30-day mortality of more than 50%.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the clinical, laboratory, and radiographic features of a consecutive series of 7 patients (median age, 87 years; 5 women) with symptomatic, nontraumatic warfarin-related acute ICH treated with intravenous rFVIIa at St. Luke's Hospital in Jacksonville, Fla, between December 2002 and September 2003.