Central nervous system lymphoma: magnetic resonance imaging features at presentation.

Objective: This paper aimed at studying presentations of the central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma using structural images obtained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: The MRI features at presentation of 15 patients diagnosed with CNS lymphoma in a university hospital, between January 1999 and March 2011, were analyzed by frequency and cross tabulation.

Results: All patients had supratentorial lesions; and four had infra- and supratentorial lesions.

Compartment syndrome after Bothrops jararaca snakebite: monitoring, treatment, and outcome.

Objective: To report the outcome of a patient who developed compartment syndrome after Bothrops jararaca snakebite.

Case Report: A 39-year-old male was admitted 5 h after being bitten on the lower right leg. Physical examination revealed tense swelling, ecchymosis, hypoesthesia, and intense local pain that worsened after passive stretching, limited right foot dorsiflexion, and gingival bleeding.

MRI findings in the diagnosis and monitoring of Rasmussen's encephalitis.

Rasmussen's encephalitis is a devastating syndrome of multifocal brain dysfunction and focal seizures. Magnetic resonance (MR) findings, associated with clinical data and electroencephalogram (EEG), may indicate the diagnosis and could be an indicative of prognosis. We studied 5 patients with Rasmussen's encephalitis, assessing clinical history and MR images.

Brainstem involvement in Sjögren's syndrome-related sensory neuronopathy.

Background And Purpose: Sensory neuronopathies (SN) are peripheral nervous system disorders associated with degeneration of dorsal root ganglion neurons. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have shown abnormalities limited to T2-weighted high signal intensity in the posterior columns.

Methods And Results: A 65-year-old woman with Sjögren syndrome had slowly progressive unsteadiness of gait and limb paresthesias.

Artifacts in brain magnetic resonance imaging due to metallic dental objects.

Objective: Artifacts caused by metallic objects, such as dental crowns, dental implants and metallic orthodontic appliances, are a common problem in head and neck MRI. The aim of this retrospective study was to identify the main metal dental objects that produce artifacts on brain MRIs.

Study Design: Imaged metallic artifacts and their sources were identified.

Vascular involvement of the central nervous system and systemic diseases: etiologies and MRI findings.

The objective of this study was to review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in patients with vascular involvement of the central nervous system (CNS) associated with systemic diseases. We reviewed the MRI findings in clinically suspected cases of vascular involvement of the CNS associated with systemic diseases. Vascular CNS involvement was considered in the presence of characteristic clinical, MRI and/or MR angiography findings.

MRI shows dorsal lesions and spinal cord atrophy in chronic sensory neuronopathies.

Background And Purpose: Sensory neuronopathies (SN) represent a specific subgroup of peripheral nervous system diseases, characterized by degeneration of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and its projections. We tried to estimate the frequency and extent of spinal cord MRI abnormalities in a group of patients with SN and correlate these with clinical and neurophysiological features.

Methods: We performed spinal cord MRI scans in 16 chronic SN patients.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the diagnosis and etiological definition of brain bacterial abscesses.

We report two patients with bacterial brain abscesses whose etiological diagnosis was correctly proposed by association of diffusion weighted images (DWI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with conventional MRI. Both patients presented ring enhancing lesions with evidences of restricted diffusion. On MRS, the abscess caused by aerobic bacteria presented lactate and aminoacids peaks and the abscess caused by anaerobic facultative bacteria showed also acetate and succinate peaks.

Imaging findings of Ewing's sarcoma in the mandible.

First described by James Ewing in 1921, Ewing's sarcoma (ES) or Ewing's tumor is one of the most aggressive bone tumors known. ES is an uncommon intra-osseous malignant tumor of questionable pathogenesis that occurs in children and young adults. Reports indicate that only 2 to 7% of cases involve the maxillofacial region, usually the mandible ramus, and few reported cases have involved the maxilla.

Dissemination patterns of pilocytic astrocytoma.

Two patients with multifocal pilocytic astrocytoma diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and confirmed by histopathological examination are reported. They presented distinct sites and mechanisms of metastasis: to distant ventricles through the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) in patient 1 and to contralateral parenchyma, possibly through white matter tracts, in patient 2, a pathway not so far reported in pilocytic astrocytoma. Early detection of multifocal pilocytic astrocytoma by MRI may change treatment strategies and improve prognosis.

Cerebellar involvement in midline facial defects with ocular hypertelorism.

Objective: Twenty-four patients were evaluated to better characterize neurological and neuroradiological aspects of midline facial defects with ocular hypertelorism.

Methods: After a clinical genetics evaluation, the individuals were divided into two groups: 12 isolated cases (group 1) and 12 associated with multiple congenital anomalies (group 2). The investigation protocol included medical and family history, as well as dysmorphological, neurological, and neuroradiological evaluations by magnetic resonance imaging or computed tomography scan.

Pulmonary involvement in ankylosing spondylitis.

This is a prospective study analyzing 52 asymptomatic, consecutive patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS), who submitted to a pulmonary investigation that included plain chest radiography, pulmonary function test (PFT), and thoracic high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). The results were compared according to sex, race, dorsal spine involvement, thoracic diameter, smoking status, and HLA-B27. There were four patients (8%) with an altered plain chest radiograph.

Central neurocytoma: report of two cases.

Introduction: Central neurocytomas are rare neuroectodermal tumors believed to arise from the subependymal matrix of the lateral ventricles.

Case Reports: A 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man each had a large, heterogeneous, contrast enhancing mass in the lateral ventricles at the foramen of Monro causing bilateral hydrocephalus. The woman died after surgery, but the man is asymptomatic after three years.

Brain tumor-like lesion in Behçet disease.

We report a patient with longstanding Behçet disease who presented sudden onset of headache and facial paresis. The magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed a mass in the right thalamus, extending to the lentiform nucleus, subthalamic area, right cerebral peduncle and deep subcortical white matter. Stereotactic brain biopsy disclosed gliosis with no signs of malignancy.

Imaging features and treatment of an intradural lumbar cystic schwannoma.

Spinal schwannomas are frequently observed among patients treated in a reference neurosurgery center. Cystic spinal schwannomas, however, are very scantly found. Due to its indolent behavior and benign course, the diagnosis of schwannomas may pose a challenge to the care giver, and the imaging findings can be misleading.

Cerebral venous thrombosis: influence of risk factors and imaging findings on prognosis.

Purpose: To investigate imaging findings, risk factors and outcome in patients with cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT).

Methods: Records of all patients with diagnosis of CVT between 1992 and 2002 were reviewed. Patients with CNS infection and with CVT secondary to invasive procedures were excluded.

Long term follow-up in a patient with papillary glioneuronal tumor.

We report a case of a young female patient with a rare and recently described form of brain tumor. This patient had a history of headache, hemiparesis and motor simple partial seizures. Her investigation revealed a brain tumor involving the left frontal and parietal lobes.