Congenital pancreatoblastoma: report of an atypical case and review of the literature.

Pancreatoblastoma is a rare malignant tumor of the pancreas mostly diagnosed in childhood. The clinical presentation and outcome of infantile and congenital pancreatoblastoma have not been clearly elucidated. This report describes our recent institutional experience with an unusual case of congenital pancreatoblastoma.

Scapular stress fracture initially masquerading as tumor or infection.

We present a case of a scapular stress fracture in a 17-year-old athletic male that was initially thought to be a neoplasm. Radiographs showed a lesion at the neck of the glenoid with aggressive features. A subsequent MRI and bone scan supported a diagnosis of either tumor or infection.

Magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging in pediatric white matter diseases.

The central nervous system undergoes profound and predictable developmental changes during the first few years of life that provide the structural and functional elements necessary for normal neurological development. The establishment and maturation of white matter pathways is a critical component of the developing nervous system. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) offers a noninvasive and quantitative means for the evaluation of white matter changes.

The effect of prior surgery on blood oxygen level-dependent functional MR imaging in the preoperative assessment of brain tumors.

Background And Purpose: Blood oxygen level-dependent functional MR imaging (BOLD fMRI) is a clinically useful technique for preoperative mapping of eloquent cortices in patients with brain tumors. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on BOLD fMRI accuracy of susceptibility artifacts caused by prior surgery by comparing volumes of activation in the primary motor cortex (PMC) of patients with and without prior brain surgery.

Methods: The volumes of fMRI activation of the PMC were measured for the tumor and nontumor sides in patients with (n = 13) and without (n = 30) prior neurosurgery.

Functional MRI in the brain tumor patient.

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has been adopted almost universally by disciplines that endeavor to understand how the brain works. As basic scientists tune the technique, clinicians are increasingly able to apply brain mapping with fMRI to their clinical practice. We present here a guide to using fMRI in a clinical setting.