Coronavirus Disease: Subacute to Chronic Neuroimaging Findings.

Several neurologic disorders are associated with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this article, clinical syndromes typically occurring in the subacute to chronic phase of illness and their neuroimaging findings are described with discussion of their COVID-19 specific features and prognosis. Proposed pathogenic mechanisms of these neuroimaging findings and challenges in determining etiology are reviewed.

Is a Close Follow-Up Computed Tomography Necessary for Acute Falcine and Tentorial Subdural Hematoma?

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to assess the changes and values on follow-up computed tomography (F/U-CT) for isolated falcine (F-SDH) and tentorial (T-SDH) subdural hematomas (SDHs). METHOD: Fifty-four cases of isolated F-SDH and/or T-SDH were retrospectively reviewed. Subdural hematoma morphology, mass effect on the adjacent parenchyma, and interval change at F/U-CT were evaluated. Subdural hematoma size was measured parallel and perpendicular to the falx/tentorium (long or short axis, respectively). RESULTS: Short-axis increase on F/U-CT was seen only in 5 F-SDHs (16%) and 7 T-SDHs (19%), with a maximum of a 2-mm increase. Long-axis growth was more prominent and frequent, seen in 18 F-SDH patients (56.2%) and 19 T-SDH patients (51.4%), with maximum change of up to 43 mm. Falcine SDH and T-SDH were ipsilateral and contiguous in 77.8% of patients. Minimal mass effect was seen in 13 patients (24.1%), which was resolved or stable on F/U-CT. Anticoagulation did not affect SDH size. No patients required neurosurgery or died. CONCLUSIONS: Based on our limited data, the current standard of F/U-CT may be unnecessary in patients with isolated F-SDH and/or T-SDH, which expand minimally along the short axis without a significant mass effect. Characteristic anatomic structure of the tentorium and falx, and their connectivity may direct SDH expansion and limit mass effect as well as injury to the adjacent parenchyma.

The Current State of Gender Discrimination and Sexual Harassment in the Radiology Workplace: A Survey.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Our objectives were (1) to determine the extent to which gender discrimination and sexual harassment are experienced by female radiologists and trainees; (2) to examine whether experiencing harassment or discrimination influences perceptions of gender parity; and (3) to explore whether the existence of either formal institutional policies or the number of women in the workplace and/or in leadership positions influences perceptions of having achieved gender equity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An online anonymous questionnaire, developed through an Association of University Radiologists (AUR) - affiliated 2019-2020 Task Force, was used to assess participant demographics, perceptions of gender parity, and experiences of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. RESULTS: A total of 375 complete responses were collected. All respondents were female with most practices consisting of fewer than 25% female radiologists. The majority of respondents reported having been a victim of sexual harassment (n = 226, 60.3%) and gender discrimination (n = 318, 84.8%) in the workplace. Approximately 87.5% of participants believed workplace gender parity would take longer than 10 years to achieve; 26.9% responded that it will never happen. Experiencing gender discrimination or harassment in the workplace was significantly associated with a negative outlook on achieving gender parity. Conversely, the presence and number of adequate formal institutional policies to address workplace gender equity and harassment were significantly associated with optimistic views on achieving gender parity. Higher percentages of women in one's practice as well as number of women in leadership positions were also significantly associated with more optimistic expectations. CONCLUSION: Gender discrimination and sexual harassment are common in the field of radiology and influence victims' outlook on achieving gender parity in the workplace. Perceptions can be improved by implementing adequate institutional training policies on harassment and increasing the representation of female radiologists.

You Too? Female Radiologists' Narratives on Discrimination and Harassment.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of examples of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. This lack of knowledge can limit radiologists' ability to relate to this topic, acknowledge its importance and impact, and take actions toward improvement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a qualitative analysis using the model of thematic analysis developed by Braun and Clarke of narrative responses to a survey on the topic of #MeToo, which was distributed to a social media group of female radiologists. RESULTS: In all, 575 anonymous survey responses from 3,265 social media group members were analyzed. Among these responses, the study team identified important themes with examples, including Victims and Perpetrators, Acts of Gender Discrimination, Inequalities, Sexual Harassment and Assault, and Microaggressions. CONCLUSION: The narratives provide relatable examples of gender discrimination and sexual harassment in radiology. These may spark discussions that raise awareness among radiologists and result in interventions geared toward improvement.

Hemorrhagic choroidal detachment as the presenting sign of uveal melanoma.

PURPOSE: To describe two cases of medium-sized uveal melanoma presenting with hemorrhagic choroidal detachments. OBSERVATIONS: The first case is a 39-year-old man who presented with choroidal hemorrhage and angle closure glaucoma. The second case is a 42-year-old man who presented with choroidal hemorrhage and posterior scleritis. Vitrectomy with transvitreous fine needle aspiration biopsy was ultimately required to diagnose malignant uveal melanoma in each case. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Intraocular hemorrhage is a rare presenting sign of uveal melanoma. When it does occur, it is typically associated with large tumors. Hemorrhagic choroidal detachments are particularly rare in uveal melanoma, and can limit the diagnostic utility of clinical exam, B-scan ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Although it is uncommon, it is important to maintain a high index of suspicion for choroidal melanoma in any patient with unexplained choroidal hemorrhage.

Special report of the RSNA COVID-19 task force: systematic review of outcomes associated with COVID-19 neuroimaging findings in hospitalized patients.

OBJECTIVE: We reviewed the literature to describe outcomes associated with abnormal neuroimaging findings among adult COVID-19 patients. METHODS: We performed a systematic literature review using PubMed and Embase databases. We included all studies reporting abnormal neuroimaging findings among hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 and outcomes. Data elements including patient demographics, neuroimaging findings, acuity of neurological symptoms and/or imaging findings relative to COVID-19 onset (acute, subacute, chronic), and patient outcomes were recorded and summarized. RESULTS: After review of 775 unique articles, a total of 39 studies comprising 884 COVID-19 patients ≥ 18 years of age with abnormal neuroimaging findings and reported outcomes were included in our analysis. Ischemic stroke was the most common neuroimaging finding reported (49.3%, 436/884) among patients with mortality outcomes data. Patients with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) had the highest all-cause mortality (49.7%, 71/143), followed by patients with imaging features consistent with leukoencephalopathy (38.5%, 5/13), and ischemic stroke (30%, 131/436). There was no mortality reported among COVID-19 patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis without necrosis (0%, 0/8) and leptomeningeal enhancement alone (0%, 0/12). Stroke was a common acute or subacute neuroimaging finding, while leukoencephalopathy was a common chronic finding. CONCLUSION: Among hospitalized COVID-19 patients with abnormal neuroimaging findings, those with ICH had the highest all-cause mortality; however, high mortality rates were also seen among COVID-19 patients with ischemic stroke in the acute/subacute period and leukoencephalopathy in the chronic period. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Specific abnormal neuroimaging findings may portend differential mortality outcomes, providing a potential prognostic marker for hospitalized COVID-19 patients.

Radiology, Sexual Harassment, and the #MeToo Movement.

The rise of the #MeToo movement has sparked renewed conversations about sexual harassment in the workplace. All medical fields, including radiology, can benefit from reflecting on workplace culture, reviewing policies, and committing to change. This review provides an overview of the #MeToo movement, describes the prevalence of sexual harassment in medicine and radiology, summarizes barriers to reporting incidents of sexual harassment, evaluates the backlash to the #MeToo movement, and discusses policies and procedures to aid in preventing sexual harassment in the #MeToo era.

Clinical applications of diffusion tensor imaging.

Advancements in diffusion-weighted imaging during the past decade have led to the use of diffusion tensor imaging to further characterize the structural integrity of neural tissue and to noninvasively trace neuronal tracts in the brain and spine. This has led to many clinical applications that have aided in surgical planning for brain and spinal cord tumors and has increased the diagnostic potential of magnetic resonance imaging in disorders such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer disease, and traumatic brain injury.

Radiation dose from medical imaging: a primer for emergency physicians.

INTRODUCTION: Medical imaging now accounts for most of the US population's exposure to ionizing radiation. A substantial proportion of this medical imaging is ordered in the emergency setting. We aim to provide a general overview of radiation dose from medical imaging with a focus on computed tomography, as well as a literature review of recent efforts to decrease unnecessary radiation exposure to patients in the emergency department setting. METHODS: We conducted a literature review through calendar year 2010 for all published articles pertaining to the emergency department and radiation exposure. RESULTS: The benefits of imaging usually outweigh the risks of eventual radiation-induced cancer in most clinical scenarios encountered by emergency physicians. However, our literature review identified 3 specific clinical situations in the general adult population in which the lifetime risks of cancer may outweigh the benefits to the patient: rule out pulmonary embolism, flank pain, and recurrent abdominal pain in inflammatory bowel disease. For these specific clinical scenarios, a physician-patient discussion about such risks and benefits may be warranted. CONCLUSION: Emergency physicians, now at the front line of patients' exposure to ionizing radiation, should have a general understanding of the magnitude of radiation dose from advanced medical imaging procedures and their associated risks. Future areas of research should include the development of protocols and guidelines that limit unnecessary patient radiation exposure.

Influence of fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery on stroke apparent diffusion coefficient measurements and its clinical application.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The application of a fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery pulse with a conventional diffusion-weighted MRI sequence (FLAIR DWI) decreases the partial volume effects from cerebrospinal fluid on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements. For this reason, FLAIR DWI may be more useful in the evaluation of ischemic stroke, but few studies have looked at the effect of FLAIR on ADC measurements in this setting. This study quantitatively compares FLAIR DWI and conventional DWI in ischemic stroke of varying ages to assess the potential advantages of this technique. METHODS: We respectively analyzed 139 DWI studies in patients with ischemic stroke with and without FLAIR at varying time points ranging from hyperacute to chronic. ADC values were measured in each lesion, as well as in the contralateral normal side. Comparisons were made between the ADC values obtained from the DWI sequences with and without FLAIR for both the lesion and the normal contralateral side. RESULTS: The ADC measurements within the ischemic lesion were very similar on FLAIR DWI and conventional DWI for lesions less than 14 days old (p>0.05), but were significantly decreased on FLAIR DWI for lesions between 15 and 30 days old and in lesions >31 days old (chronic stage) (p<0.01). The contralateral ADC values were all significantly decreased on the FLAIR DWI sequence compared with conventional DWI (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The application of an inversion pulse does not significantly affect the ADC values for early stage ischemic stroke (less than 14 days from symptom onset), but results in a more accurate relative ADC measurement by reducing the cerebrospinal fluid partial volume effects of the normal contralateral side. In addition, combined with the conventional DWI, FLAIR DWI may be helpful in determining the age of ischemic lesions.

Transparent rendering of intraluminal contrast for 3D polyp visualization at CT colonography.

We developed a classifier that permits transparent rendering of both tagging material and air to facilitate interpretation of tagged computed tomographic (CT) colonography. With this technique, a reader can simultaneously appreciate polyps on endoluminal views both covered with tagging material and against air, along with unmodified 2-dimensional CT images. Evaluated with 49 polyps from 26 patients (data from public National Library of Medicine, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act compliant), 3 readers were able to determine the presence/absence of polyps in tagged locations with equivalent accuracy compared with polyps in air. This method offers an alternative way to visualize tagged CT colonography.