Antenatal Diagnosis of Congenital Anomalies on Ultrasound Screening

Congenital fetal anomalies contribute to the global burden of disease in children. Various screening programs have been used for antenatal screening of these anomalies. Screening targets low risk population and is usually done in the second trimester though some are done at the mother’s first antenatal visit especially in resource constrained setting. Mother’s who have had a previous pregnancy with congenital anomaly are given targeted elaborate screening. Early diagnosis of this anomalies can lead to early intervention and better outcomes. Diagnosis of the malformations also leads to clinical decision making on mode of delivery thereby avoiding birth related trauma to the mother and the baby. In case of lethal congenital anomalies early diagnosis aids in clinical decision making on the management of the pregnancy

Anaphylactic Reactions in Radiology Procedures

Reactions to contrast agents are uncommon but range from mild urticaria to life threatening anaphylactic reactions. Majority of these reactions occur due to intravenous administration of iodinated contrast media. Acute reactions to MRI gadolinium-based contrast are much less common but they do occur and thus have to be managed. Usual presentations include urticaria, nausea, vomiting, angioedema, bronchospasm, laryngospasm and systemic hypotension. Majority of these reactions occur within the first twenty minutes after administration of contrast. Therefore, their recognition and prompt treatment are critical for good patient outcome. Attendant to this the radiology department must be adequately prepared to handle these emergencies as and when they do occur. This means an up to date emergency tray must be checked regularly before the start of the procedure, ensure there is epinephrine, antihistamines, beta-2-agonists metered dose inhalers, IV fluids, and ready supply of oxygen. Close collaboration of radiology staff with the hospital emergency response team is critical since severe reactions will need the intervention of this team

Novel Multi-Linear Quantitative Brain Volume Formula For Manual Radiological Evaluation Of Brain Atrophy

This research article published by Research Square, 2020The brain is a dynamic organ that develops and involutes in volume. The process of volume loss known as brain atrophy commonly occurs in elderly. However, some conditions have been implicated to provoke this paradoxical process in childhood and making it important to have methods and techniques of quantifying brain volume. Automated quantitative methods are very important in brain atrophy assessment but these tools have limited availability in developing countries. The simplified linear radiological methods are poorly reproducible and hence there is a need to develop an alternative formula that is reproducible and applicable at all healthcare levels

Clinical Application of Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Diagnosis of Intracranial Mass Lesions

Introduction. Conventional MR imaging provides highly detailed anatomic information with unrivalled soft tissue contrast making it the mainstay in the diagnosis of suspected brain lesions. Despite this, MRI alone at times cannot answer the diagnostic questions in quite a few patients. Proton MR Spectroscopy (H-MRS) provides information on the metabolic composition within an area under interrogation. By comparing the relative concentrations of specific metabolites, the neuroradiologist can deduce critical information regarding neuronal cell density and integrity, cell membrane turnover, metabolic fuel, and possible necrosis in the region of interest. This provides a biochemical picture of the underlying pathology and thus aids in the diagnosis. Methods. This was a cross-sectional comparative study. Results. Of the 63 patients examined by MRI and MRS for intracranial mass lesions, the radiologists were able to offer a single imaging diagnosis based on MRI alone in only 15 patients (23.8%) while when MRI imaging was combined with MR spectroscopy, a single imaging diagnosis was offered in 47 patients (74.6%). This was an overall statistically significant improvement. Conclusion. MRS aided the radiologist in offering a single diagnosis in high versus low-grade gliomas, high-grade gliomas versus tuberculomas, and recurrent tumours versus radiation necrosis