ABSTRACT
We present a patient with a so-called disc cyst. Its location in the ventrolateral epidural space and its communication with the herniated disc are clearly shown. The disc cyst developed rapidly and regressed spontaneously. This observation, which has not been reported until now, appears to support focal degeneration with cyst formation as the pathogenesis.
Subject(s)
Cysts/pathology , Spinal Diseases/pathology , Thoracic Vertebrae , Adult , Humans , Male , Remission, SpontaneousABSTRACT
Autoimmune pancreatitis is a relatively rare type of chronic pancreatitis that may be associated with other autoimmune disorders. The imaging features of this entity may be misleading and suggest the presence of a malignant tumour. We present a case in which MR imaging allowed us to diagnose autoimmune pancreatitis associated with primary sclerosing cholangitis, which is another autoimmune-related disease. Typical MR characteristics of autoimmune pancreatitis include focal or diffuse enlargement of the pancreas, the absence of parenchymal atrophy and significant dilation proximal to the site of stenosis, the absence of peripancreatic spread, the clear demarcation of the lesion and the presence of a peripancreatic rim.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases/diagnosis , Cholangitis, Sclerosing/complications , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Pancreatitis/diagnosis , Autoimmune Diseases/complications , Autoimmune Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Bile Duct Neoplasms/diagnosis , Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic , Cholangiocarcinoma/diagnosis , Cholangiopancreatography, Endoscopic Retrograde , Cholangitis, Sclerosing/diagnostic imaging , Chronic Disease , Common Bile Duct/pathology , Diagnosis, Differential , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pancreas/pathology , Pancreatic Ducts/pathology , Pancreatitis/complications , Pancreatitis/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
The purpose of this article is to review less common presentations of degenerative disc disease on MR imaging. The images of eight patients were retrospectively analyzed. Six of them had transligamentous (or noncontained) disc herniations, the fragments of which were located in the posterior epidural space in three of them. One patient had a transdural disc fragment and one patient had a disc cyst. The cyst was located in the ventrolateral epidural space. On T2-weighted images, the migrated disc fragment returned a higher signal than the disc of origin in 6 of 7 patients. The disc cyst returned a signal similar to that of cerebrospinal fluid. The MR appearances of disc fragments can be puzzling, particularly if they are located in the posterior epidural space. It is important to recognize the abnormalities in order to differentiate them from less common lesions such as hematoma, abscess and neurinoma.
Subject(s)
Intervertebral Disc Displacement/pathology , Lumbar Vertebrae , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Sacrum , Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Wegener's granulomatosis is a clinicopathological entity characterized by necrotizing granulomatous angiitis involving the upper- and/or lower respiratory tract and the kidneys. Renal involvement is usually characterized by a rapidly progressive necrotizing glomerulonephritis. A case is presented of a patient who developed renal failure and presented a solitary pseudotumoral lesion in the upper pole of the left kidney. Imaging characteristics on US, CT and MR imaging are discussed. The diagnosis was confirmed with ultrasound-guided needle biopsy.
