ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To study the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow through the aqueduct of sylvius in chronic tension-type headache patients with phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging.@*METHODS@#Phase contrast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the CSF flow through the aqueduct was obtained from 17 patients with chronic tension-type headache and 26 control subjects. A software for CSF flow was applied for MRI data analysis both qualitatively and quantitatively.@*RESULTS@#The CSF through the aqueduct flew in the caudal and cranial directions with the rhythm of the heartbeat in both groups. There were 2 types of flow curves: the smooth "U" and the wave, which were 25 vs 1 in the controls and 11 vs 6 in the patients (P<0.05), respectively. The mean caudocranial flow rate through the aqueduct was (0.235±0.157) mL/s vs (0.133±0.106) mL/s (P<0.05) and the velocity was (6.023±2.654) cm/s vs (3.479±2.364) cm/s (P<0.05), and the mean craniocaudal flow rate was (-0.358±0.201) mL/s vs (-0.190±0.141) mL/s (P<0.05) and the velocity was (-8.263±3.020) cm/s vs (-4.788±2.862) cm/s (P<0.05), respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#The CSF flow curve, rate and velocity through the aqueduct in the patients with chronic tension-type headache is anomalous in comparison with the controls.
Subject(s)
Humans , Case-Control Studies , Cerebral Aqueduct , Cerebrospinal Fluid , Physiology , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Tension-Type Headache , Cerebrospinal FluidABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE@#To diagnoze active ankylosing spondylitis (AAS) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).@*METHODS@#MRI of the sacroiliac joint (SIJ) was performed on 48 patients who were clinically diagnosed as probable AS without radiologic evidence of sacroiliitis. Among them 21 were diagnozed as active sacroiliitis with MRI, whose examination was terminated; 27 whose MRI of SIJ did not diagnoze as active sacroiliitis were performed MRI in the thoracic spine. The diagnostic criteria of MRI for AAS of SIJ and/or the thoracic spine were fomulated by consulting documents. The definite diagnosis of AAS was finally made after follow-up for half a year. The sensitivity and specificity of the MRI of SIJ and/or MRI of thoracic spine were assessed.@*RESULTS@#In the 48 patients without radiologic evidence of sacroiliitis, 38 were finally diagnosed as AAS, with established consensus criteria as reference standard. The sensitivity and specificity of the MRI of SIJ were 52.6% and 90.0%, and for the MRI of SIJ and/or the MRI of the thoracic spine 76.3% and 90.0%, respectively.@*CONCLUSION@#Clinically probable AS without MRI evidence of sacroiliitis, MRI of the thoracic spine can increase the sensitivity of AAS diagnosis.