An Initial miRNA Profile of Persons With Persisting Neurobehavioral Impairments and States of Disordered Consciousness After Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: To examine the merits of using microRNAs (miRNAs) as biomarkers of disorders of consciousness (DoC) due to traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Settings: Acute and subacute beds.

Participants: Patients remaining in vegetative and minimally conscious states (VS, MCS), an average of 1.

Testicular Pain and Mesenteric Adenitis as an Atypical Presentation of COVID-19.

A 21-year-old Caucasian male with no past medical history presented to the emergency department with right lower quadrant pain radiating to the right testicle for two days. He reported an occasional dry cough that day but denied any fever or other infectious symptoms. The patient was afebrile with a normal physical examination.

Safety Considerations for the Use of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as Treatment for Coma Recovery in People With Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Objective: For persons in states of disordered consciousness (DoC) after severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI), we report cumulative findings from safety examinations, including serious adverse events (AEs) of a repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) parameter protocol in 2 different studies.

Participants: Seven persons in states of DoC after sTBI with widespread neuropathology, but no large lesions in proximity to the site of rTMS. One participant had a ventriculoperitoneal shunt with programmable valve.

A Pilot Trial Examining the Merits of Combining Amantadine and Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation as an Intervention for Persons With Disordered Consciousness After TBI.

Objective: Report pilot findings of neurobehavioral gains and network changes observed in persons with disordered consciousness (DoC) who received repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or amantadine (AMA), and then rTMS+AMA.

Participants: Four persons with DoC 1 to 15 years after traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Design: Alternate treatment-order, within-subject, baseline-controlled trial.

Placebo-Controlled Trial of Familiar Auditory Sensory Training for Acute Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A Preliminary Report.

Background: Sensory stimulation is often provided to persons incurring severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), but therapeutic effects are unclear.

Objective: This preliminary study investigated neurobehavioral and neurophysiological effects related to sensory stimulation on global neurobehavioral functioning, arousal, and awareness.

Methods: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial where 15 participants in states of disordered consciousness (DOC), an average of 70 days after TBI, were provided either the Familiar Auditory Sensory Training (FAST) or Placebo of silence.

Accurate detection of metabolically active "brown" and "white" adipose tissues with computed tomography.

Background: Adipose tissues (AT) are highly metabolically active complex endocrine organs and are classified into white (WAT) and brown AT (BAT) with proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory characteristics. The current study investigated the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) to quantitatively detect BAT and WAT based on Hounsfield unit (HU) threshold compared to standardized uptake values (SUVs) of corresponding AT with the use of positron emission tomography (PET).

Methods: One hundred twenty-four patients who underwent whole-body (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) PET/CT were studied.

Radiologic appearance of chronic parapharyngeal Teflon granuloma.

Although Teflon has been used for almost 5 decades to provide tissue augmentation in various surgical indications, including head and neck surgery, its use has significantly declined in the last 2 decades, primarily because of its implication in granuloma formation. Teflon granulomas have been shown to cause false positives on positron emission tomography imaging and have been reported to have a characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance. We report a patient with a large chronic Teflon granuloma of the parapharyngeal space that caused significant bony erosion of the atlas vertebra.

Radiologic case study. Cervical spine trauma: unstable fractures, C2-C7 injuries, and imaging guidelines.

Enhance your diagnostic skills with this "test yourself" monthly column, which features a radiograph and challenges you to make a diagnosis.

Glossopharyngeal schwannoma of the suprahyoid carotid space: case report and discussion of the relationship to the carotid artery.

Background: The distinction between lesions of the deep parotid space and those of the carotid space has been greatly facilitated by cross-sectional imaging, particularly magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), due to 1) good assessment of parapharyngeal fat displacement, and 2) reliable and consistent identification of the carotid artery. While masticator space masses consistently displace the carotid artery posteriorly, it is generally assumed that carotid space masses, particularly schwannomas, displace the carotid artery anteriorly. We report on a patient with a rare glossopharyngeal schwannoma of the carotid space that caused posterior displacement of the carotid artery.

Magnetic resonance imaging of the orbit.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) employs the nuclear resonance phenomenon to produce images of living tissues. Unlike computed tomography (CT), which relies solely on differences in the propensity of tissues to absorb X-rays to produce various contrasts, MRI offers a wide variety of pulse sequences, each of which exploits differences in the magnetic properties of protons in living tissue to produce contrast resolution. When optimal protocols are used, MRI contrast resolution in the orbital soft tissues is superior to that provided by any other imaging modality.

Culture-Negative intracerebral abscesses in children and adolescents from Streptococcus anginosus group infection: a case series.

We report the use of 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplification and sequencing to diagnose culture-negative intracerebral abscesses in younger patients. These 3 cases demonstrate the optimal application of gene sequencing from direct specimens for patients with negative culture results compromised by antibacterial therapy but histories highly suggestive of acute bacterial infection.

Interventional neuroradiology for the ophthalmologist.

The past two decades have witnessed major advances in diagnosing vascular conditions that affect blood supply and hemorrhagic risk to the brain and the eye. Technological improvements have resulted in the ability to better radiologically image the cerebrovascular system and to deliver pharmacological and embolic agents that have high specificity. Neuroradiological interventional therapy has become the preferred option in managing many conditions that were previously treated by standard neurosurgical procedures.

Orbital rhabdomyosarcoma and simulating lesions.

The appropriate diagnosis and treatment of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma requires close cooperation and communication between the radiologist, the ophthalmologist, and the medical and radiation oncologists. The clinical presentation, imaging characteristics, and staging of orbital rhabdomyosarcoma are discussed. A discussion of several important simulating lesions and their distinguishing characteristics follows.