Neuroimaging in Parkinson's Disease: necessity or exaggeration?

Introduction: Neuroimaging plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of parkinsonian syndromes.

Aim Of The Study: In this paper, the authors elaborate on the necessity of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in Parkinson's Disease (PD) and its potential role in differential diagnosis versus other neurodegenerative parkinsonian syndromes such as dementia with Lewy bodies, multiple system atrophy, progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome.

State Of The Art: The currently known characteristic abnormalities are listed and tabulated, current recommendations are summarised and sample images are provided.

The role of preoperative imaging for auditory implants in children.

<b>Introduction:</b> Preoperative imaging, besides audiological evaluation, plays a major role in evaluation of candidacy for auditory implants, and in particular cochlear implants. It is essential to assess whether the basic criteria necessary for implantation are met. Diagnostic imaging is crucial not only in determining candidacy, but also determining the feasibility of cochlear implantation as it allow to anticipate surgical difficulties which could preclude or complicate the implantation of the device.

Pneumatosis cystoides interstitialis: A complication of graft-versus-host disease. A report of two cases.

Background: Pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis (PCI) is a rare disorder characterized by the presence of multiple gas collections in the subserosal or submucosal intestinal wall of the large or small intestine. We report two cases of PCI in the course of chronic graft-versus-host disease.

Case Report: A 5-year-old girl was treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

[Marchiafava-Bignami disease].

Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is a rare central nervous system disorder of an unknown etiology strongly associated with alcoholism. MBD primarily affects the corpus callosum leading to confusion, dysarthria, seizures and frequently to death. About 250 cases of different races and nationalities, mostly alcoholics have been reported.

[Ultrasonography in sternal fractures].

Conventional radiography is the widely accepted diagnostic method in patients after the sternal trauma, but the fracture cannot always be detected. Sonography, that is not able to demonstrate deeper portions of the bone, allows imaging its cortex proximal to the transducer as an intense hyperechoic interface with distal shadowing. Its disruption as a result of the trauma can be well seen, especially in flat bones.