Biomedical subjects

Ronit Agid

Publications and source records attributed to Ronit Agid.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Computed tomography screening for lung cancer: applicability of an international protocol in a single-institution environment.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to assess the applicability of an annual low-dose computed tomography (CT) screening program for lung cancer in a single institution in Israel, which has a relatively lower prevalence of lung cancer compared with other Western countries, and to examine stage distribution of detected lung cancers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A cohort of 842 former and current smokers underwent baseline low-dose CT screening and a total of 942 annual repeat screenings over a period of 68 months. The definition of positive results on baseline and repeat screening and their diagnostic workup were guided by the common International Early Lung Cancer Action Program protocol. Recommendations for biopsy of suspicious nodules were based on nodule size, nodule growth, non-resolution following antibiotic therapy, and positron emission tomography scan. RESULTS: The test result was positive in 102 of the 842 baseline screenings (12%) and in 45 of the 942 annual repeat screenings (5%), and biopsy was recommended in 12 baseline and 2 annual screenings. Twelve of the 14 cancers diagnosed (86%) were stage I tumors. CONCLUSION: Our study indicates that the adoption of a common international protocol is feasible, even in a very different clinical setting, yielding a high proportion of early-stage lung cancers.

Aged↗

PubMed2005

Sclerotherapy for venous malformations using a "negative subtraction" technique.

We describe a technique of injecting alcohol into venous malformations (VM) under slow digital subtraction angiography (DSA) which eliminates the need to pre-mix the alcohol with a contrast agent. The technique presented here is especially helpful when Metrizamide is not available or not permitted for use. It offers an elegant way to visualize, in real time, the alcohol injected into the VM, while preserving its high concentration and potency as a sclerosing agent.

Angiography, Digital Subtraction↗

PubMed2005

Prenatal MR diffusion-weighted imaging in a fetus with hemimegalencephaly.

We report a case of hemimegalencephaly diagnosed by prenatal MRI with an emphasis on its appearance on diffusion-weighted images. This case shows that in this condition the enlarged hemisphere may show restricted diffusion on prenatal MRI. In our opinion, this finding may result from a combination of increased cellularity and advanced myelination in the affected hemisphere. Restricted diffusion is an additional valuable indicator in the analysis of the fetal brain.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Limitations and technical considerations of endovascular treatment in neonates with high-flow arteriovenous shunts presenting with congestive heart failure: report of two cases.

CASE REPORT: We report two neonatal patients with high-flow intracranial or cervical arteriovenous (AV) shunts who presented with congestive heart failure and were successfully managed with endovascular treatment. One with vein of Galen malformation with body weight of only 2.0 kg is, to our knowledge, the smallest neonate successfully treated with endovascular treatment. The other neonate is, to our knowledge, the first vertebro-vertebral fistula patient presenting with heart failure and treated successfully with endovascular treatment. CONCLUSION: Even in neonates, endovascular treatment is the procedure of choice for high-flow AV shunts presenting with progressive congestive heart failure resistant to medical management. We discuss limitations and technical considerations of endovascular treatments in small neonates with high-flow AV shunts and congestive heart failure.

Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical↗

PubMed2005

The role of endovascular treatment for pediatric aneurysms.

OBJECTIVES: To review all cases of pediatric aneurysms, we treated and evaluated their characteristics. The objective of the study is to compare between surgical and endovascular approaches regarding treatment and outcome. METHODS: All cases of pediatric intracranial aneurysms diagnosed and managed by our team in the last 12 years were prospectively collected in our vascular malformation data base and reviewed. CONCLUSION: Pediatric aneurysms differ in their features when compared to adult aneurysms. Over the last years, there has been a gradual shift from traditional surgical approaches towards endovascular treatment of pediatric aneurysms. In our experience, patients treated by endovascular means had a better outcome than when treated by surgery. Whenever possible, endovascular treatment for pediatric aneurysms is the recommended approach. This offers both constructive and deconstructive techniques. Improved understanding with respect to the etiology of pediatric aneurysms will be the next step that will likely lead us to even better treatment decisions.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Microstent-assisted coiling for wide-necked intracranial aneurysms.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the results, technical feasibility, efficacy and challenges encountered in our preliminary experience using a self-expandable microstent, optimized for intracranial use, as an adjunct in the endovascular treatment of wide-necked aneurysms. METHODS: Only broad-necked aneurysms (dome-to-neck ratio < or = 2, or an isolated neck size > 4.5 mm) were treated with Neuroform microstent from July 2003 to May 2004. The techniques used for stent deployment were either parallel or sequential. Angiographic results were recorded immediately for all patients and classified as Class 1 (complete occlusion), Class 2 (neck remnant) or Class 3 (sac remnant) by three interventional neuroradiologists not involved in the procedure. Follow-up angiography at six months was obtained for one case. Modified Rankin Score scale was assessed for all patients. RESULTS: Seventeen intracranial aneurysms in a total of 18 patients were treated (mean age, 52.2 yr). Eight patients (44.4%) presented with acute subarachnoid hemorrhage. Eleven aneurysms (61.1%) were in the posterior circulation. Average dome size was 10.2 mm (range, 3.7-19.8 mm) and average neck size was 5.36 mm (range, 3.0-10.0 mm). Six out of seven aneurysms of the anterior circulation were approached with parallel technique. Eight aneurysms of the posterior circulation were approached with sequential technique. Average number of coils deployed was 9.64 (range, 4-23 coils). Eleven aneurysms (64.8%) resulted in Class 1 and/or Class 2. One technical failure was observed. Technical complications were recognized in four patients (23.5%), all of them with unruptured aneurysms in the anterior circulation. Two patients (11.7%) presented transient immediate clinical complications. One patient (5.8%) had minor permanent neurological complication. Neither major clinical complications nor death were encountered. Favorable clinical outcome (Modified Rankin Scale score 0-2) was observed in 88.2% of the patients (average follow-up time, 4.72 months). CONCLUSIONS: Absence of major permanent complications and satisfactory immediate obliteration degree in our preliminary experience indicates that microstent-assisted coiling technique is useful for the minimally invasive treatment of broad-necked complex aneurysms that are not ideal for conventional endovascular treatment and are at a high risk for conventional surgical treatment.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

Hepatic lymphoma: an imaging approach with emphasis on image-guided needle biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Involvement of the liver by lymphoma is almost always secondary. A definite diagnosis can be made only after histologic examination. Recently there has been a trend to replace surgical biopsies with percutaneous core-needle biopsies for the diagnosis of lymphoproliferative disorders. OBJECTIVES: To describe our experience with percutaneous image-guided needle biopsies of the liver in 15 cases of primary and secondary hepatic lymphoma. METHODS: Between 1997 and 2002, 15 of all the percutaneous computerized tomography-guided core-needle liver biopsies performed at our institution yielded the diagnosis of lymphoma. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of these patients. RESULTS: Seven patients had primary hepatic lymphoma (all non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) and eight had secondary (three Hodgkin's disease and five non-Hodgkin's lymphoma). No major complications were caused by the percutaneous biopsies, and all biopsies were diagnostic. The imaging findings were non-specific but were characteristic and similar to previously described series. Imaging demonstrated hypodense lesions by CT, or hypoechoic or anechoic lesions by ultrasound in all but two cases in which hilar lesions resulted in biliary dilatation, both demonstrated by ultrasound. CONCLUSIONS: Review of our primary cases indicated no association with cirrhosis or AIDS in contradistinction to the worldwide experience. There were no significant complications in the 15 patients in the study, and a definite diagnosis of lymphoma was made in all the cases with no need to proceed to surgical biopsy. We highly recommend image-guided core-needle biopsy of the liver as a reliable and useful tool for the diagnosis of hepatic lymphoma.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Mastoid effusion associated with dural sinus thrombosis.

We present a series of three patients with mastoid air cell effusions associated with adjacent lateral sinus thrombosis. In all of these cases, the findings support the hypothesis that the mastoid effusion is secondary to sinus thrombosis rather then the other way around. Also shown is the chronology and natural evolution of mastoid air cell effusion secondary to sinus thrombosis as seen on planar imaging.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

The endovascular management of superior cerebellar artery aneurysms.

BACKGROUND: Superior cerebellar artery aneurysms are rare. We present a clinical series of twelve of these aneurysms that were treated exclusively with endovascular coils. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database of cerebral aneurysms treated with coil embolization was performed. Clinical notes and radiological images were reviewed. RESULTS: Twelve superior cerebellar artery aneurysms were treated in eleven patients between 1992 and 2001. Seven patients presented with subarachnoid hemorrhage, two with neurologic deficit, and two had asymptomatic aneurysms. Coiling resulted in complete aneurysm obliteration in six patients and incomplete obliteration in the other six. No subsequent hemorrhage occurred with follow-up between 6 and 119 months (mean follow-up 50 months). Procedural morbidity was one superior cerebellar artery infarct with good recovery. Management morbidity was one middle cerebral artery embolus during a follow-up angiogram that required thrombolysis with a good clinical result. Nine out of 11 patients on follow-up were performing at Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) 5. One patient with GOS 3 presented with a poor grade subarachnoid hemorrhage and the other patient with GOS 4 presented with a parenchymal hemorrhage due to an arteriovenous malformation. CONCLUSION: Endovascular treatment of superior cerebellar artery aneurysms is an effective treatment strategy with low morbidity.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

T2-weighted image hyperintensities in major depression: focus on the basal ganglia.

A major focus of attention in structural brain-imaging research in major depression is the increased prevalence of T2-weighted image 'hyperintensities' (T2-WIH). Our aims in this study were to characterize the distribution and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) presentation of brain hyperintensities in major depression patients compared to healthy control subjects and to explore the association between the presence of T2-WIH and measures of clinical and cognitive state. Thirty-seven patients suffering from major depression and 27 age- and sex-matched healthy controls underwent brain MRI and were evaluated by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, the Mini Mental State Examination and the Haschinsky Ischaemia Index. T2-WIH (at least one) were found in 26 out of 37 major depression patients and 7 out of 27 controls (p=0.0001). The number of brain T2-WIH was significantly and positively correlated with age in depressed (p=0.001) but not in healthy subjects. Mean volume of T2-WIH was significantly greater (p=0.004) in depressed subjects. In the control group T2-WIH were exclusively located in the supratentorial hemispheral white matter while in the depressed group T2-WIH were also found in basal ganglia, temporal lobe, cerebellum and brainstem. More (52 vs. 20%; p=0.018) T2-WIH were demonstrable on T1 in depressed subjects. Depressed patients with T2-WIH in basal ganglia were clearly the most severely depressed and cognitively impaired subjects, and may constitute a clinically distinct subgroup within major depression.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Magnetic resonance imaging as a prenatal diagnostic tool supplementary to ultrasound in diagnosing fetal and gestational abnormalities].

The use of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as a prenatal and gestational imaging modality supplementary to ultrasound has become widespread with the advent of rapid MR sequences in the last few years. These sequences allow acquisition of high-resolution images of the fetus in a single breath-holding period of the mother, with minimal fetal motion artifacts. We describe our experience with this modality in the diagnosis of prenatal and gestational abnormalities. The study population consisted of 39 pregnant women who had a total of 40 MRI examinations from 7/1998 to 7/2000. The indication for all examinations was a suspected fetal or gestational abnormality as suggested by ultrasound scan, laboratory tests or by family history. In 31 cases (77.5%) a correlation was found between the ultrasound findings and the MR imaging, of which in 6 cases (15%) the MRI added new valuable information. In 9 cases (22.5%) the MRI ruled out findings suspected by ultrasound. The prenatal findings were compared with postnatal clinical follow-up, imaging or pathology report in 26 cases (66.6%). In two cases the clinical outcome and postnatal imaging were discordant with the prenatal imaging findings in ultrasound and MRI. Although not proven, MRI is considered safe during pregnancy because it does not use ionizing radiation. It depicts fetal anatomy and pathology well. Also uterine, placental and other maternal structures are well demonstrated. This tool is useful in cases in which there is a suspicion of a malformed fetus or abnormal placenta by an ultrasound examination or in cases in which an ultrasound examination is limited by technical factors. MRI was found to help parents and doctors decide about the fate of a suspected abnormal pregnancy by adding valuable information supplemental to ultrasound examination.

Congenital Abnormalities↗

PubMed1999

Esophageal Perforation After Transesophageal Echocardiogram.

Esophageal rupture after transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) is a rare but life-threatening complication. Risk factors for perforation include spasm or hypertrophy of the cricopharyngeal sphincter, cervical arthritis, forward and left lateral bending of the distal esophagus, and esophageal disease such as inflammation or neoplasm. We present the case of a 80-year-old woman who developed perforation of her esophagus after TEE. Prior irradiation to the chest due to treatment for breast cancer and subsequent fibrosis probably contributed to this complication. Physicians referring patients for a TEE and physicians performing this procedure should be aware for the risk of perforation. The identification of risk factors and gentle maneuvering of the probe may prevent this severe, life-threatening complication.

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Image-guided cutting-edge-needle biopsy of peripheral lymph nodes and superficial masses for the diagnosis of lymphoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of image-guided cutting-edge-needle biopsy of peripheral lymph nodes and superficial masses for the diagnosis of lymphoma, for which many still advocate open surgical resection. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed of the medical records of 114 lymphoma patients who presented with peripheral lymphadenopathy and superficial masses and who underwent diagnostic image-guided biopsy. There were 69 non-Hodgkin lymphoma patients, 38 Hodgkin lymphoma patients, and 7 patients who were evaluated for histologic transformation of CLL or high grade lymphoma. RESULTS: Image-guided needle biopsy was diagnostic in 96/114 (84.2%) patients. The procedure was diagnostic in 59/69 (85.5%) of NHL patients and in 30/38 of Hodgkin disease patients (79%). Diagnoses were achieved for all 7 cases where histologic transformation was suspected. CONCLUSION: Percutaneous image-guided needle biopsy is a safe and reliable procedure with a high diagnostic yield. It can be used as a first step in patients suspected of having lymphoma presenting with enlarged peripheral lymph nodes and superficial masses.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Does streaming affect the cerebral distribution of infraophthalmic intracarotid chemotherapy?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The development of new non-ocular-toxic drugs has enabled infraophthalmic chemotherapeutic infusion. We assessed whether streaming occurs with infraophthalmic, high cervical internal carotid artery (ICA) delivery of chemotherapeutic agents by means of conventional angiographic catheters. METHODS: Six patients with high-grade gliomas treated with monthly carotid intraarterial chemotherapy were studied. Chemotherapy delivery and distribution was modeled by technetium 99m hexylmethyl-propyleneamine oxine (HMPAO), a first-pass agent. Each patient received 0.5 mCi (18.5 MBq) of (99m)Tc-HMPAO in 50-mL of saline intraarterially in the ICA at the C1-C2 level. Injections were given twice, at two different injection rates: 0.08 mL/s at one therapeutic session and 6 mL/s a month later. The slow injection rate modeled the slowest rate used in the delivery of chemotherapy into the ICA. The higher rate was selected to avoid any possibility of uneven mixing, by replacing intracarotid blood completely and by using a turbulent injection rate that destroys laminar flow and intraarterial streaming. Single photon emission CT (SPECT) was performed 2 hours after injection. For each patient, the corresponding SPECT sections at the two injection rates were compared. RESULTS: No differences were noted in (99m)Tc-HMPAO distribution between the two injection rates in any of the patients. However, some of the rapid injection rate SPECT scans showed extension of the (99m)Tc-HMPAO uptake into adjacent watershed territories. CONCLUSION: There was no evidence, in humans, of substantial streaming during slow infraophthalmic intracarotid injections. Slow rates of infusion are as good as high rates for infraophthalmic intracarotid drug delivery. This is of special importance for drugs that are not tolerated at high injection rates. Moreover, infraophthalmic intracarotid chemotherapeutic infusion does not require special injectors or catheters.

Adult↗