Radiological evaluation of vasculo-Behcet's disease

In order to study the vascular manifestation of Behcet's disease, authors analized retrospectively the radiological and clinical features of 22 patients who were diagnosed as vasculo-Behcet's disease. The angiographic findings were aneurysm formation and occlusion of artery and vein, Aneurysm formations were found at common carotid artery (3 cases), abdominal aorta (2 cases), aortic arch (2 cases), innominate artery (2 cases) etc. Arterial occlusions were found at pulmonary artery (2 cases), subclavian artery (1 cases), brachial artery (1 case), common femoral artery (1 case) etc. Venous occlusions were found at the veins of the lower extremities including superficial femoral vein (18 cases), IVC (2 cases), SVC (1 case), and lateral sinus (1 case). The clinical features were similar to that of Behcet's disease without vascular involvement, but incidence of vascular involvement was more common in men and interval between the onset of the disease and vascular symptoms was 1-16 years(77%) and common associated symptoms were oral ulcers(59%) and skin lesions(55%). Angiographically the morphological featured of vasculo-Behcet's disease are not specific, but vascular radiologist must be aware of vascular involvement by Behcet's disease in differential diagnosis when occlusive changes in the venous or arterial tree, or aneurysm formation are seen in young patients.

Brain MR imaging in systemic lupus erythematous

To present MR imaging findings of intracranial lesions in systemic lupus erythematosus(SLE), a retrospective study was performed on MR images of 33 SLE patients with neurologic symptoms and signs. MR imaging was performed on either a 0.5T (21 patients) or 2.0T unit (12 patients), using T1-weighted, proton-density-weighted, and T2-weighted spin echo sequences in all patients. In seven patients, post-contrast T1-weighted images were also obtained after administration of gadopentetate dimeglumine. The main MR findings consisted of focal lesions suggesting ischemia/infarct (15 patients), diffuse brain atrophy (8), and findings associated with infection (4). The MR findings were normal in 11 patients(33%). The focal lesions suggesting ischemia/infarcts presumably secondary to vasculitis were distributed in the cortex or subcortical white matter (7 patients), deep periventricular white matter (3), or in both areas(5). Most of the focal lesions were multiple and small in size. The findings associated with infection were variable and included communicating hydrocephalus, meningeal enhancement, granuloma, etc. MR findings of SLE were non-specific and therefore clinical correlation is needed when evalating SLE in MR.