Role of 18FFDG PET/CT in the treatment of head and neck cancers: principles, technique, normal distribution, and initial staging.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Vibhu Kapoor.
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Fetus in fetu is an extremely rare entity and refers to the growth of a "parasitic" twin within a more mature fetus due to its inclusion within cells of the blastocyst. The presence of a vertebral column is considered essential for the diagnosis of a fetus in fetu. The retroperitoneum is the most common location for a fetus in fetu and its location in the mouth is rare. We report a case of oropharyngeal mass detected on antenatal sonography with imaging features consistent with a fetus in fetu. Complete surgical removal of the mass was aided by imaging. Follow-up of these patients is recommended to detect the rare incidence of malignant degeneration.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to describe a new imaging finding observed on contrast-enhanced MDCT of discontinuity in the intimomedial flap seen with aortic dissection that may identify the level of intimomedial entrance tear and distinguish true from false lumen. CONCLUSION: Direct visualization of an intimomedial rupture on MDCT is a valuable cross-sectional imaging sign indicating direction of the intimomedial entrance tear from true to false lumen in cases of aortic dissection. The presence of this finding enables reliable distinction of the true lumen, where the tear is broad-based and erupts into the false lumen, which receives the evaginating tear. Improved scanning techniques through MDCT may have enabled recognition of this relatively infrequent, yet highly specific, finding.
A 55-yr-old female presented with a mass near the left adrenal gland detected on a CT scan performed for breast cancer staging. A CT-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) was performed and showed scattered ciliated cells, compatible with benign respiratory-type epithelial cells. CT-guided needle biopsy also showed fibrocollagenous and fibroadipose connective tissue with focal respiratory type epithelium with subepithelial mucus glands. A final diagnosis of extralobar pulmonary sequestration (ELS) was rendered after surgical resection. This uncommon benign congenital malformation should be considered in the differential diagnosis of FNA of an intraabdominal mass in an adult.
The radiologist can play a key role in diagnosis and management of many of the infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic processes that affect patients after liver transplantation. Familiarity and skill with the full range of diagnostic and interventional tools are essential for radiologists dealing with transplant patients, even outside the medical centers where the transplantation takes place.
OBJECTIVE: We sought to evaluate the usefulness of multidetector CT (MDCT) arteriography with volumetric three-dimensional (3D) rendering to depict the hepatic vascular anatomy. Our study population was patients who had undergone arterial mapping in preparation for placement of a hepatic arterial floxuridine infusion pump for treatment of metastatic hepatic colorectal carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 26 patients with hepatic colorectal metastases who had been scheduled for implantation of a hepatic artery pump. Before surgery, all patients underwent MDCT arteriography with volumetric 3D rendering of the hepatic vessels. The axial and 3D arteriograms were evaluated for their usefulness in depicting hepatic arterial anatomy. Subsequently, three patients also underwent catheter angiography. Twenty-two of the 26 patients imaged had a hepatic artery floxuridine infusion pump implanted. Results of the CT arteriography were correlated with findings at surgery or on catheter angiography if surgery was not performed. RESULTS: MDCT arteriography correctly revealed hepatic arterial anatomy in all 25 patients with angiographic or surgical confirmation. One patient with aberrant hepatic arterial anatomy did not have angiographic or surgical confirmation. Classic hepatic arterial anatomy was identified in 16 (64%) of 25 patients. The following hepatic arterial variants were found in one patient each: the common hepatic artery arising directly from the aorta; a replaced left hepatic artery; an accessory right hepatic artery; a replaced left hepatic artery and accessory right hepatic artery; a replaced right hepatic artery; a right hepatic arterial branch arising early (before the origin of the gastroduodenal artery); and replaced right and left hepatic arteries. Three patients were not suitable candidates for placement of a hepatic artery floxuridine pump. The patient who had no angiographic or surgical confirmation was also not considered a good surgical candidate because of replaced right and left hepatic arteries. Two patients (8%) had an accessory left hepatic artery. CONCLUSION: MDCT arteriography with volumetric 3D rendering is an accurate, noninvasive method of depicting hepatic arterial anatomy and, therefore, of selecting patients with colorectal metastatic disease who could benefit from hepatic artery pump implantation. Catheter angiography provides no additional information, and we have eliminated it as a routine preoperative imaging examination.
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OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to determine whether a method could be found to reduce iatrogenic radicular pain during needle placement in lumbar diskography. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After obtaining permission from the institutional review board at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, we conducted a study using medical records and existing data that were recorded for quality control during lumbar diskography. A coaxial technique was being used for lumbar diskography. We evaluated data for 71 intervertebral disks in 26 patients in which the needle placement was randomly high (superior) or low (inferior), and the associated pain response during needle placement was recorded. In an attempt to minimize iatrogenic pain during needle placement, we identified a potentially "safe window" for needle placement on MRI of the lumbar spine. On oblique fluoroscopy of the lumbar spine, the safe window is a triangle formed by the superior articular facet medially, the superior endplate of the lower vertebra inferiorly, and an imaginary line joining the tip of the superior articular facet and the superolateral tip of the vertebral body. This safe window was then used for needle placement in another 73 intervertebral disks in 27 patients. Pain response to needle placement was recorded for quality control, and the medical records were retrospectively compared with the initial 71 intervertebral disks in which needle placement was random. RESULTS: In the initial group with random needle placement, lower extremity radicular pain occurred in 13 (18.3%) of 71 intervertebral disks with superior needle placement and in 23 (32.4%) of 71 intervertebral disks with inferior needle placement (total, 50.7%). The pain responses of the superior and inferior groups were not significantly different (p = 0.27). On MRI, the average distances between the nerve ganglion-fascicle-rami and the superior articular facets at the superior disk level were 1.1, 1.4, and 2.5 mm at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1, respectively. The average distances between the nerve ganglion-fascicle-rami and the superior articular facets at the inferior disk level were 3.0, 3.6, and 6.6 mm at L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1, respectively. When the safe window was used, only five (6.8%) of 73 patients reported radicular pain. The decrease in radicular pain between the two groups was significant (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic lower extremity radicular pain is common during random needle placement at lumbar diskography. High or low needle placement in the intervertebral disk could not predict whether radicular pain would be averted. We identified a safe window that can be used for needle placement during lumbar diskography to minimize iatrogenic lower extremity radicular pain and thereby improve the reliability of the test.
OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to show the ability of three-dimensional multidetector CT angiography to display the angioarchitecture of focal nodular hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: CT angiography with volume rendering shows the anomalous feeding artery and hepatic draining veins that are characteristic of focal nodular hyperplasia. These features may be helpful in distinguishing focal nodular hyperplasia from other lesions.
OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to assess the usefulness of mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography for evaluating intrahepatic biliary anatomy of adult living liver donors and to correlate the results with intraoperative cholangiography. CONCLUSION: Mangafodipir trisodium-enhanced MR cholangiography accurately shows the biliary anatomy in the livers of donors. Noninvasive preoperative evaluation of the biliary anatomy in donor candidates is important for the detection of common anatomic variants that may require alternative graft-harvesting surgery.
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A 28-year-old woman presented with left-sided frontotemporal headache lasting 6 wk. Head CT and MR imaging revealed a clival mass, which was interpreted as a chondrosarcoma. The lesion was removed at endoscopic endonasal surgery; histologic and immunohistochemical findings proved it to be neurenteric cyst. On CT scans, the lesion was lytic, with an intact cortex; it was uniformly hyperintense relative to gray matter on T1-weighted MR images and iso- to hypointense relative to CSF on T2-weighted MR images.
Cancer is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in developed countries such as the United States. Complex clinical decisions about treatment of oncologic patients are largely guided by imaging findings, among other factors. Most radiologic procedures map the anatomy and morphology of tumors with little or no information about their metabolism. Positron emission tomography (PET) performed with 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) has proved valuable in providing important tumor-related qualitative and quantitative metabolic information that is critical to diagnosis and follow-up. PET-computed tomography (CT) is a unique combination of the cross-sectional anatomic information provided by CT and the metabolic information provided by PET, which are acquired during a single examination and fused. FDG PET-CT offers several advantages over PET alone; the most important is the ability to accurately localize increased FDG activity to specific normal or abnormal anatomic locations, which may be difficult or even impossible with PET alone. Understanding the principles of FDG PET-CT and the optimal scanning techniques and recognizing the potential pitfalls and limitations are important for advantageous use of this imaging modality.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Occipital neuralgia syndrome can cause severe refractory headaches. In a small percentage of people, these headaches can be devastating and debilitating, with the potential for complete relief following surgical rhizotomy. We describe CT fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous C2-C3 nerve block for the confirmation of diagnosis of occipital neuralgia and for demonstrating to patients the sensory effects of intradural cervical dorsal rhizotomy before the definitive surgical procedure. METHODS: Seventeen patients with occipital neuralgia underwent 32 CT fluoroscopy-guided C2 or C2 and C3 nerve root blocks. Of the 17 patients, nine had occipital neuralgia following prior neck or skull base surgeries. On the basis of the positive results of the nerve blocks in terms of temporary pain relief, all 17 patients underwent unilateral (n = 16) or bilateral (n = 1) intradural C1 (n = 9), C2 (n = 17), C3 (n = 17), or C4 (n = 7) dorsal rhizotomies. All patients were followed up for a mean of 20 months (range, 5-37 months) for assessment of pain relief. Sixteen patients were assessed for degree of satisfaction with and functional state after surgery. RESULTS: All patients had temporary relief of symptoms after percutaneous CT-guided block (positive result) and felt that occipital numbness was an acceptable alternative to pain. Immediately after surgery, all patients had complete relief from pain. At follow-up, 11 patients (64.7%) had complete relief of symptoms, two (11.8%) had partial relief, and four (23.5%) had no relief. Seven of eight (87.5%) patients without prior surgery had complete relief of symptoms and one (12.5%) patient had partial relief, as opposed to complete relief in four of nine (44.4%), partial relief in one of nine (11.2%), and no relief in four of nine (44.4%) patients with a history of prior surgery. Because of the small number of patients, this difference was not statistically significant (P =.110). Eleven of 16 (68.8%) patients stated that the surgery was worthwhile. Eight of 16 (50%) patients felt they were more active and functional after surgery, whereas 25% felt they were either unchanged or less functional than before surgery. None of the patients without a history of prior surgery reported a decreased sense of functional activity following rhizotomy. CONCLUSION: CT fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous cervical nerve block is useful for the confirmation of occipital neuralgia, for demonstrating to patients the sensory effects of nerve sectioning, and possibly as a guide for selection of patients for intradural cervical dorsal rhizotomy. Although not statistically significant, there was a trend toward better response to rhizotomy in patients without prior head or neck surgery.