Concurrent spinal dural and intradural arteriovenous fistulas. Case report.

Among spinal arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs) should be distinguished from intradural AVMs. The authors report the unusual and well-documented case of a 49-year-old man who suffered from a rapidly progressive myelopathy. Two concurrent spinal AVMs (one DAVF and one intradural direct AVF [Anson-Spetzler Type IV-B AVM]) were found located in the midthoracic region and in the conus medullaris, respectively. Both AVMs were successfully treated by surgery. To the authors' knowledge, the association of these two pathological entities has not been previously described. Clinically, if the patient fails to improve or deteriorates after the treatment of a spinal AVM, the presence of another AVM should be investigated by repeated angiography, especially if a complete spinal angiography study was not initially performed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Swallowing, arterial pulsation, and breathing induce motion artifacts in carotid artery MRI

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Assessment of coronary artery stents by 16 slice computed tomography

OBJECTIVE: To analyse coronary stents with multislice spiral computed tomography (MSCT) in comparison with coronary angiography. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 310 patients referred for conventional coronary angiography underwent MSCT on the next day (16 × 0.75 mm cross section, 420 ms rotation, 110 ml contrast agent intravenously at 4 ml/s). Two independent blinded reviewers analysed the MSCT. RESULTS: 143 patients had previous stenting (232 stents) and 190 (82%) of the 232 stents were detected. Intrastent lumen was interpretable in 126 (64%) of the detected stents. Lumen interpretability depended on stent diameter: for stent diameter > 3 mm, 81% of lumens were interpretable, as against 51% with ⩽ 3 mm stent diameter (p < 0.001). Restenosis detection likewise depended on stent diameter: with small stents (⩽ 3 mm), sensitivity and specificity of MSCT were 54% and 100%, respectively; positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 94%. For stents with > 3 mm diameter, corresponding values were 86%, 100%, 100%, and 99%. CONCLUSION: 16 slice MSCT allows analysis of in‐stent lumen in about half of all stented angioplasties. It performs better when stent diameter is more than 3 mm and may offer a non‐invasive alternative to conventional coronary angiography for monitoring stented coronary arteries. Technical progress may improve interpretability and hence increase the yield of MSCT in this application

Characterization of the Physiological Displacement of the Aortic Arch Using Non-Rigid Registration and MR Imaging

International audienc

Iodixanol in multidetector-row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA): diagnostic accuracy for abdominal aorta and abdominal aortic major-branch diseases using four-, eight- and 16-detector-row CT scanners.

International audiencePURPOSE: To compare iodixanol-enhanced multidetector-row computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) with digital subtraction angiography (DSA), perioperative angiography, or surgical findings in the evaluation of the abdominal aorta and its main branches. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 173 patients with known or suspected aortic aneurysms or stenosis/occlusion of the abdominal aorta or its major branches were enrolled. The iso-osmolar contrast medium iodixanol (320 mg Iota/ml) was used, and data were acquired using four-, eight-, or 16-active-detector-row scanners. Reference diagnoses were provided by surgical findings, interventional findings, or DSA. Diagnostic accuracy was estimated with reference to surgery or interventional arteriography or DSA. Image quality was assessed as excellent, good, sufficient, or insufficient, and correlations were made with attenuation values in the aortic lumen. Tolerability of iodixanol was monitored during the injection for discomfort and other adverse events, and for 72 hours after contrast injection. RESULTS: In 132 of 136 evaluable cases, MDCTA diagnosis matched the reference diagnosis, yielding an agreement rate of 97.1% (95% CI 92.6-99.2%). The quality of most MDCTA scans (147/173) was rated as excellent. Overall mean attenuation was 305.7 HU. MDCTA appeared more accurate than DSA for identification of lesion calcification, thrombus, irregularity, and ulceration. Tolerability of iodixanol was good, and no serious adverse events were reported. CONCLUSION: MDCTA using iodixanol is a promising, noninvasive alternative for evaluating patients with abdominal aortic disease