Age- and Gender Dependent Liver Fat Content in a Healthy Normal BMI Population as Quantified by Fat-Water Separating DIXON MR Imaging

OBJECTIVES To establish age- and sex-dependent values of magnetic resonance (MR) liver fat-signal fraction (FSF) in healthy volunteers with normal body-mass index (BMI). METHODS 2-point mDIXON sequences (repetition time/echo time, 4.2msec/1.2msec, 3.1msec) at 3.0 Tesla MR were acquired in 80 healthy volunteers with normal BMI (18.2 to 25.7 kg/m2) between 20 and 62 years (10 men/10 women per decade). FSF was measured in 5 liver segments (segment II, III, VI, VII, VIII) based on mean signal intensities in regions of interest placed on mDIXON-based water and fat images. Multivariate general linear models were used to test for significant differences between BMI-corrected FSF among age subgroups. Pearson and Spearman correlations between FSF and several body measures were calculated. RESULTS Mean FSF (%) ± standard deviations significantly differed between women (3.91 ± 1.10) and men (4.69 ± 1.38) and varied with age for women/men (p-value: 0.002/0.027): 3.05 ± 0.49/3.74 ± 0.60 (age group 20-29), 3.75 ± 0.66/4.99 ± 1.30 (30-39), 4.76 ± 1.16/5.25 ± 1.97 (40-49) and 4.09 ± 1.26/4.79 ± 0.93 (50-62). FSF differences among age subgroups were significant for women only (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS MR-based liver fat content is higher in men and peaks in the fifth decade for both genders

Discovertebral (Andersson) lesions in severe ankylosing spondylitis: a study using MRI and conventional radiography

The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence of Andersson lesions (AL) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients who will start anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) treatment. Radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the spine were performed before therapy with anti-TNF. ALs were defined as discovertebral endplate destructions on MRI, associated with bone marrow edema and fat replacement or sclerosis, a decreased signal on T1, enhancement after contrast administration (gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA)), and increased signal on T2 and short tau inversion recovery (STIR). Additionally, conventional radiography showed a fracture line, irregular endplates, and increased sclerosis of adjacent vertebral bodies. Fifty-six AS patients were included, 68% males, mean age of 43 years, and mean disease duration of 11 years. The mean bath ankylosing spondylitis disease activity index was 6.4, and 24% of all patients had ankylosis. Only one patient showed a discovertebral abnormality with bone marrow edema of more than 50% of the vertebral bodies adjacent to the intervertebral disk of T7/T8 and T9/T10, a hypodense signal area on T1, and a high signal on STIR. Irregular endplates were depicted, and T1 after Gd-DTPA demonstrated high signal intensity around the disk margins. However, no fracture line was visible on conventional radiology, and therefore, this case was not considered to be an AL. No AL was detected in our AS patients, who were candidates for anti-TNF treatment. One patient showed a discovertebral abnormality on MRI, without a fracture line on conventional radiology. The relative small proportion of patients with a long-established disease might explain this finding for, particularly, an ankylosed spine is prone to develop an AL

Abscess of the lacrimal sac due to chronic or subacute dacryocystitis:Treatment with temporary stent placement in the nasolacrimal duct

Stents were placed temporarily in 10 obstructed lacrimal systems in patients with a chronic or subacute lacrimal abscess that did not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy. In all 10 cases, the abscess was treated successfully. Long-term patency of the lacrimal system was restored in five cases. Temporary stent placement appears to be a promising method to treat a chronic or subacute lacrimal abscess

Aortic aneurysm pulsatile wall motion imaged by cine MRI: A tool to evaluate efficacy of endovascular aneurysm repair?

Objectives: to evaluate cine MRI as a means of determining the two-dimensional pulsatile wall motion (2D-PWM) of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). Design: prospective study of 21 patients with AAA. 2D-PWM was defined as change in cross-sectional area. Results: the median diastolic area was 28cm 2 (intraquartile range, IQR, 22-31 cm2) and the median (IQR) 2D-PWM was 0.25 (0.10-0.40) cm2. Assuming that the AAA is circular in cross-section this represents a median (IQR) diameter increase of 0.3 (0.1-0.4) mm. However, local wall displacements up to 2 mm were present in varying directions, without significant change in surface area. Conclusion: AAA PWM is negligible and may not therefore be a potential tool to assess efficacy of endovascular aneurysm exclusion

Abscess of the lacrimal sac due to chronic or subacute dacryocystitis:Treatment with temporary stent placement in the nasolacrimal duct

Stents were placed temporarily in 10 obstructed lacrimal systems in patients with a chronic or subacute lacrimal abscess that did not respond to conventional antibiotic therapy. In all 10 cases, the abscess was treated successfully. Long-term patency of the lacrimal system was restored in five cases. Temporary stent placement appears to be a promising method to treat a chronic or subacute lacrimal abscess.</p