Microstructural mechanisms of analgesia in percutaneous cervical cordotomy revealed by diffusion tensor imaging.

The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the potential of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to reveal structural mechanisms underlying spinal ablative procedures, including percutaneous radiofrequency cordotomy (PRFC). PRFC is a surgical procedure that produces analgesia through focal ablation of the lateral spinothalamic tract (STT), thereby interrupting the flow of pain information from the periphery to the brain. To date, studies regarding mechanisms of analgesia after PRFC have been limited to postmortem cadaveric dissection and histology.

A Simplified Approach to Encephalitis and Its Mimics: Key Clinical Decision Points in the Setting of Specific Imaging Abnormalities.

Rationale And Objectives: Infectious encephalitis is a relatively common cause of morbidity and mortality. Treatment of infectious encephalitis with antiviral medication can be highly effective when administered promptly. Clinical mimics of encephalitis arise from a broad range of pathologic processes, including toxic, metabolic, neoplastic, autoimmune, and cardiovascular etiologies.

Diffuse pontine lesions in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: making a case for unidentified bright objects.

Using an illustrative case of a presumed pontine unidentified bright object (UBO) with spontaneous lesion regression over 2 years, we review the importance of including UBOs in the differential diagnosis of children with confirmed or possible neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) who present with diffuse pontine enlargement and T2-weighted changes on MRI. Asymptomatic children with presumed NF1 and diffuse pontine lesions should not be treated with radiation and should not be biopsied. Prior reports of good prognosis associated with pontine glioma in patients with NF1 may have been unrecognized UBOs in some cases.

Reduced Insular Glutamine and N-acetylaspartate in systemic lupus erythematosus: a single-voxel (1)H-MR spectroscopy study.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate for differences in metabolic concentrations and ratios between patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) without (group SLE) and those with neurological symptoms (group NPSLE) compared to a healthy control (group HC) in three normal-appearing brain regions: the frontal white matter, right insula (RI), and occipital gray matter and whether changes in any of the metabolites or metabolic ratios are correlated to disease activity and other clinical parameters.

Materials And Methods: Twenty patients with SLE (18 women and 2 men, age range 23.4-64.

Efficacy of a cartoon and photograph montage storybook in preparing children for voiding cystourethrogram.

Background: Undergoing voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG) can be distressing for children.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a cartoon and photograph montage storybook in preparing children for VCUG.

Materials And Methods: Outpatient children (ages 2-14 years) who had VCUGs between December 2011 and June 2012 were randomly assigned to two groups; one group received the storybook a week before the procedure.