Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to L H Jacobs.
A case of neuropathic arthropathy of the shoulder secondary to syringomyelia is presented. The classic clinical and radiographic features of the entity are illustrated. Emphasis is made on the use of magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation. Neuropathic arthropathy should be considered in the evaluation of shoulder pain or instability.
Twenty patients with surgically proved neoplasms of the parotid gland were evaluated in order to compare contrast material-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. In 14 patients both CT and MR imaging examinations were performed, while in six only MR imaging was performed. Because contrast resolution is better with MR imaging, it appears to be superior to CT in distinguishing the parotid gland from surrounding structures. Four intraparotid lesions were more conspicuous on T2-weighted MR images than on CT scans. MR imaging appears to be superior to CT for evaluating parotid masses and for distinguishing neoplasms of the parotid gland from those originating within the parapharyngeal space.
Congenital clefts of the anterior and posterior arches of the atlas were demonstrated in a cervical spine CT performed in a case of suspected trauma. Intact cortical margins and lack of adjacent soft tissue swelling are CT indices distinguishing congenital clefts from fractures.
MR imaging is considered by many to be the procedure of choice in imaging the spinal cord; yet we encountered an important pitfall of this procedure in the form of a patient with retained intraspinal Pantopaque. The results of this case are presented as well as those obtained in another patient with retained Pantopaque. Also described is the behavior of this contrast material when using in vitro imaging data obtained from a CSF/Pantopaque phantom. When T1-weighted imaging sequences are used, Pantopaque gives a high signal and CSF gives a low signal. With long repetition time, (e.g., 4000 ms), the CSF signal is high and the Pantopaque signal is not. With repetition time around 1000 to 2000, both may be isointense. The implications of these findings are discussed.