Measurement of the distance and angle between the aorta and superior mesenteric artery and correlation to body-mass index in adolescents

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the variations in the angle and distance values between the superior mesenteric artery and abdominal aorta with body mass index in healthy adolescents

Importance of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of the treatment efficacy in multiple sclerosis patients with acute attacks

BACKGROUND: We planned to investigate contribution of DWMR to the treatment efficacy with ADC values which were measured in acute and chronic plaque before and after MS treatment. ADC changes in normal appearing white matter (NAWM) in patients with MS and healthy volunteers were also evaluated in this study. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 25 patients with MS and 30 healthy subjects with normal brain MR findings were included to our study. Contrast enhancement in plaque was evaluated as an acute, and non-contrast enhancement in plaque was evaluated as a chronic. Also, ADC measurements were performed using the same parameters in NAWM in plaque neighborhood and volunteers. Results were compared with appropriate statistical methods. RESULTS: ADC values in acute and chronic plaques were decreased after the treatment, and these reductions were statistically significant for acute plaqus in b500 and for chronic plaques in b500 and b1000. The mean ADC values were measured as 1.53±0.49×10–3 and 1.43±0.58×10–3 in acute plaques and 1.40±0.35×10–3 and 1.34±0.36×10–3 mm2/sec in chronic plaques before and after the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: We think that DWMR have important role due to quantitative measurement ability in the evaluation of the treatment efficacy of the MS patients with acute attack in addition to contrast-enhanced MR sequence

Comparison of dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and PET/CT in the evaluation of laryngeal cancer after inadequate CT results

BACKGROUND: To investigate the diagnostic value of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for laryngeal cancers after inadequate CT results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study comprised 45 patients investigated for primary laryngeal cancer or recurrence-residue in which CT was considered inadequate. A mass was found in 20 patients. Dynamic MRI and PET/CT were compared for diagnosis of mass, lymph node involvement, recurrence and residue. The dynamic curves formed in dynamic MRI were investigated for diagnostic contributions. RESULTS: The sensitivity and specificity of the dynamic MRI, for supraglottic, glottic and subglottic location, was 100%, 80%, and 92%; 100%, 85%, and 100%, respectively. In PET/CT the sensitivity and specificity were 100% for all of those localizations. For lymph node involvement, the sensitivity of dynamic MRI and PET/CT was 100%, the specificity was 100% and 93%, respectively. For recurrence-residue, the sensitivity and specificity of dynamic MRI were 86% and 67%, respectively, with 100% sensitivity and specificity in PET/CT. The sensitivity of type A curve for detection of malignancy was 40%, and specificity was 100%. When type A and B curves were included, the sensitivity was 100%. CONCLUSIONS: For patients investigated for laryngeal cancer in which CT is considered inadequate, dynamic MRI or PET/CT is useful

Evaluation of Parotid Glands With Real-time Ultrasound Elastography in Children

Objectives-The aim of this study was to determine the strain index for parotid glands in children by using ultrasound elastography. Methods-In this prospective study, apparently healthy children were referred from the ear-nose-throat clinic to the radiology clinic for elastographic examinations. Conventional sonographic and elastographic examinations of the parotid glands were performed. A linear 5-12-MHz transducer was used to obtain the images. Results-A total of 54 children were enrolled in this prospective study. The normal mean strain index value +/- SD for the parotid glands was 1.24 +/- 0.67 (range, 0.29-1.39) regardless of sex. The mean age of girls was 7.42 +/- 2.94 years (range, 3-14 years), and the age of boys was 8.50 +/- 3.46 years (range, 4-16 years). The strain index values for the parotid glands in boys was 1.25 +/- 0.76, and in girls it was 1.22 +/- 0.55. There was no statistically significant difference in the strain index values between girls and boys (P=.986). There was no correlation between the strain index and age (r = 0.026) or body mass index (r = 0.066). Conclusions-This study determined the mean strain index values for apparently healthy children. Such information can serve as a baseline from which pathologic parotid diseases can be diagnosed with ultrasound elastography in combination with other sonographic criteria