Standardized reporting of spine and sacroiliac joints in axial spondyloarthritis MRI: from the ESSR-Arthritis Subcommittee.

Objectives: Apply a modified Delphi-based approach and produce a practical, radiology-specific set of definitions for interpretation and standardization of the multiple MRI findings in axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA), specifically to aid the general radiologist with a musculoskeletal interest, working with gold standard basic MRI protocols.

Materials And Methods: We report the results of a modified Delphi-based consensus of 35 experts from 13 countries in the Arthritis Subcommittee of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). Seventeen definitions were created (i.

Renal Failure: A Modern Semiology for an Old Disease.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a complex systemic disease that induces mineral metabolic dysfunction leading to bone fragility and tissue calcifications. Bone abnormalities in CKD can include increased bone turnover and resorption due to secondary hyperparathyroidism, decreased bone turnover and bone formation, defective bone mineralization, or a mixed pattern of these abnormalities. Other features of musculoskeletal involvement include synovial, tendon, and ligament thickening due to β2-microglobulin amyloidosis, soft tissue masses, or axial and peripheral arthropathies.

Diffusion tensor imaging in musculoskeletal disorders.

Diffusion tensor (DT) imaging is an emerging magnetic resonance (MR) imaging technique for evaluating the microstructure of well-organized biologic tissues such as muscles and nerves. DT imaging provides information about tissue microstructure by producing three-dimensional maps of water molecule movements. The two main parameters of measurement at DT imaging, fractional anisotropy and the apparent diffusion coefficient, allow quantitation of architectural changes occurring in tissue.

Bone marrow fat.

Bone marrow fat (BMF) results from an accumulation of fat cells within the bone marrow. Fat is not a simple filling tissue but is now considered as an actor within bone microenvironment. BMF is not comparable to other fat depots, as in subcutaneous or visceral tissues.

3 Tesla (1) H MR spectroscopy of hip bone marrow in a healthy population, assessment of normal fat content values and influence of age and sex.

Purpose: To evaluate in a healthy population normal spectroscopic fat content (FC) values of the hip bone marrow and to assess the influence of age and sex on bone marrow conversion.

Materials And Methods: Eighty volunteers (40 men; 40 women; ages: 20-60 years; divided into four consecutive groups) underwent acetabulum, femoral head, femoral neck, greater trochanter, and diaphysis localized (1) H MR spectroscopy. FC values of each anatomical site were obtained according to the following formula: Fat content = CH2 /(CH2  + Water)*100.

Comparison of two-dimensional fast Raman imaging versus point-by-point acquisition mode for human bone characterization.

Recent technical developments gave rise to a new technology for two-dimensional fast Raman imaging: the DuoScan averaging mode (DS-Avg). This technology allows the acquisition of a Raman spectrum over a rastered macro spot. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interest of the DS-Avg applied on trabecular human bone.

Reproducibility of 1H MR spectroscopy of hip bone marrow at 3 Tesla.

Purpose: To assess the reproducibility of fat content (FC) values in five different anatomical areas of proximal femur by the means of (1)H 3 Tesla MR spectroscopy and to evaluate if any statistical difference exists when comparing right side to left side FC values in the same individual.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-three volunteers underwent unilateral (1)H MR spectroscopy of the hip. From 1 to 4 weeks later, they repeat the MR examination of the same hip to assess the reproducibility of the technique.

Entrapment neuropathies of the shoulder.

Entrapment neuropathies are a rare but presumably underdiagnosed cause of shoulder pain and painful instability. Radiologists must be aware of the clinical presentations and imaging features of these neuropathies because they may be the first to suggest these diagnoses. In this article, instead of a classical nerve-by-nerve approach, entrapment neuropathies are deciphered according to the clinical situation: which anatomic structures may be involved, how to explore them, which imaging abnormalities can be expected, how to manage differential diagnoses, and which therapeutic options can be considered.

Anatomical study of the pisotriquetral joint ligaments using ultrasonography.

Objective: The aim of this study was to demonstrate that ultrasonography may allow a precise assessment of the primary stabilizers of pisotriquetral joint (pisohamate, pisometacarpal, and ulnar pisotriquetral ligaments).

Methods And Materials: This study was initially undertaken in eight cadavers. Metal markers were placed in the ligaments using ultrasonographic guidance, followed by the dissection of the wrists.

Use of tomosynthesis for erosion evaluation in rheumatoid arthritic hands and wrists.

Purpose: To compare tomosynthesis with radiography for the detection of hand and wrist bone erosions in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), using multidetector computed tomography (CT) as the reference method.

Materials And Methods: The study was approved by the local ethics committee, and written consent was obtained from all patients. From December 2008 to April 2009, 30 consecutive patients with RA were included in this prospective study.

Assessment of lobar perfusion in smokers according to the presence and severity of emphysema: preliminary experience with dual-energy CT angiography.

The purpose of the study was to assess pulmonary perfusion on a lobar level in smokers using dual-energy computed tomography (CT). Forty-seven smokers and ten non-smokers underwent a dual-energy multi-detector CT angiogram of the chest that allowed automatic quantification of emphysema and determination of the iodine content at the level of the microcirculation (i.e.

Lung perfusion with dual-energy multidetector-row CT (MDCT): feasibility for the evaluation of acute pulmonary embolism in 117 consecutive patients.

Rationale And Objectives: To investigate the accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography in the depiction of perfusion defects in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Materials And Methods: One hundred seventeen consecutive patients with clinical suspicion of acute PE underwent dual-energy multidetector computed tomographic (CT) angiography of the chest with a standard injection protocol. Two radiologists evaluated, by consensus, the presence of endoluminal clots on (1) transverse "diagnostic" scans (contiguous 1-mm-thick averaged images from tubes A and B) and (2) lung perfusion scans.

Thoracic applications of dual-source CT technology.

Among the various imaging modalities available, CT has remained over time the core imaging technique for the evaluation of respiratory disorders. The recent advent of dual-source CT offers innovative approaches to investigate thoracic diseases, based on the use of one or two tubes as well as single or dual energy to scan the entire thorax. Two major options can be used in clinical practice with promising results.

Screening for coronary artery disease in respiratory patients: comparison of single- and dual-source CT in patients with a heart rate above 70 bpm.

To evaluate the assessibility of coronary arteries in respiratory patients with high heart rates. This study was based on the comparative analysis of two paired populations of 54 patients with a heart rate >70 bpm evaluated with dual-source (group 1) and single-source (group 2) CT. The mean heart rate was 89.