Pelvic MRI in spinal cord injury patients: incidence of muscle signal change and early heterotopic ossification.

Study Design: Prospective observational study.

Objective: To evaluate pelvic MRI muscle signal changes and their association with early heterotopic ossification (HO) in patients with spinal cord injuries.

Setting: National Spinal Injuries Unit, Stoke Mandeville, UK.

Conus infarction after non-guided transcoccygeal ganglion impar block using particulate steroid for chronic coccydynia.

Introduction: Ganglion impar block (GIB) is a well-recognised treatment for chronic coccydynia. Several side effects have previously been described with this procedure, including transient motor dysfunction, bowel, bladder, and sexual dysfunction, neuritis, rectal perforation, impingement of the sciatic nerve, cauda equina syndrome, and infection.

Case Presentation: We describe the first report of imaging-documented conus infarction after an unguided-GIB performed in theatre using particulate steroids for a 17-year-old patient with coccydynia.

Acquired Chiari malformation following spinal cord injury-a case series.

Introduction: Chiari malformation is characterized by caudal descent of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum. Acquired Chiari malformations (ACM) have previously been described after a variety of pathologies including lumbar puncture, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) drainage, lumboperitoneal shunts, and conditions causing craniocephalic disproportion.

Case Presentation: We present four cases of ACM following spinal cord injury (SCI), which has not previously been described in the literature.

Non-traumatic myelopathy associated with prolonged hyperextension during swimming: an unusual variation of Surfer's Myelopathy.

Introduction: Surfer's myelopathy (SM) is a rare cause on non-traumatic acute myelopathy. This has classically been described in novice surfers however has been reported in other scenarios.

Case Presentation: We present a case of non-traumatic paraparesis associated with prolonged cervical hyperextension during swimming with imaging characteristics consistent with an unusual variation of SM in a swimmer.

Co-existing Paget's disease and ankylosing spondylitis resulting in panthoracic pagetic vertebral ankylosis.

Pagetic vertebral ankylosis is an uncommon presentation and occurs when Paget's disease is associated with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis and ankylosing spondylitis. In these cases, the pagetic trait extends from one vertebra to another by invasion of the intervertebral disc space. Such acquired vertebral ankylosis is extremely uncommon but possible when bony bridging syndesmophytes or osteophytes are present.

Polyarticular extension of pigmented villonodular synovitis to contiguous joints via pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis is an uncommon benign neoplastic process that affects synovial-lined joints, bursae and tendon sheaths. We describe polyarticular extension of pigmented villonodular synovitis across joints secondary to pigmented villonodular tenosynovitis. Given that treatment is required to prevent progressive destruction of the involved joint, tendon or bursa, radiologists must be vigilant for diffuse polyarticular or extrasynovial involvement to optimize patient care and initiate appropriate therapy.

MRI of aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis-associated lesions in metal-on-metal hip replacements.

Objective: The aim of this review is to describe the clinical, histopathologic, and MRI features of aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis-associated lesions in total hip replacements.

Conclusion: The introduction of modern metal-on-metal hip arthroplasty has been accompanied by a newly described disease, aseptic lymphocytic vasculitis-associated lesions, which is characterized histologically by bland necrosis and dense perivascular lymphocytic infiltrates. Conventional radiographic findings are often normal, but the typical MRI findings include periprosthetic fluid collections, soft-tissue masses, gluteal tendon avulsion, bone loss, periosteal stripping, neurovascular involvement, and periprosthetic fractures.

Advantages of blood pool contrast agents in MR angiography: a pictorial review.

Gadofosveset trisodium (Ablavar®, formerly Vasovist®) is the first intravascular contrast agent approved for clinical use in peripheral vascular disease. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the clinical uses of gadofosveset-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography in patients referred for assessment of arteriovenous disease. Superior T1 shortening enables first pass renal and peripheral arteriography of quality comparable with larger doses of extracellular agents.

MR patterns of denervation around the shoulder.

Objective: The diagnosis of denervation injury as a cause of shoulder pain is conventionally based on clinical findings and electrophysiologic studies. MRI has an important role in identifying direct and indirect signs of neuropathy and can confirm the presence of nerve compression, depict space-occupying lesions, and exclude other intrinsic lesions of the shoulder. In this article, the relevant anatomy, causes, clinical features, and MR appearances of nerve injury and muscle denervation of the shoulder girdle are presented.