Interobserver agreement on MRI evaluation of patients with cervical radiculopathy.

AIM: To evaluate the interobserver agreement on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of herniated discs, spondylotic neuroforaminal stenosis, and root compression in patients with recent onset cervical radiculopathy and in addition, to assess the added value of disclosure of clinical information to interobserver agreement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The MRI images of 82 patients with less than 1 month of symptoms and signs of cervical radiculopathy were evaluated independently by two neuroradiologists who were unaware of clinical findings. MRI analysis was repeated after disclosure of clinical information. Interobserver agreement was calculated using kappa statistics. RESULTS: The kappa score for evaluation of herniated discs and of spondylotic foramen stenosis was 0.59 and 0.63, respectively. A kappa score of 0.67 was found for the presence of root compression. After disclosure of clinical information kappa scores increased slightly: from 0.59 to 0.62 for the detection of herniated discs, from 0.63 to 0.66 for spondylotic foramen stenosis, and from 0.67 to 0.76 for root compression. CONCLUSION: Interobserver reliability of MRI evaluation in patients with cervical radiculopathy was substantial for root compression, with or without clinical information. Agreement on the cause of the compression, i.e., herniated disc or spondylotic foraminal stenosis, was lower.

Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review.

Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: clinical diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review. To provide a state-of-the-art assessment of diagnosis and non-surgical treatment of degenerative cervical radiculopathy a literature search for studies on epidemiology, diagnosis including electrophysiological examination and imaging studies, and different types of conservative treatment was undertaken. The most common causes of cervical root compression are spondylarthrosis and disc herniation. Diagnosis is made mainly on clinical grounds, although there are no well-defined criteria. Provocative tests like the foraminal compression test are widely used but not properly evaluated. The clinical diagnosis of degenerative cervical radiculopathy can be confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging. The role of electromyography is mainly to rule out other conditions. Cervical radiculopathy is initially treated conservatively, although no treatment modality has been evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Degenerative cervical radiculopathy: diagnosis and conservative treatment. A review.

Troponin I in predicting cardiac or pulmonary complications and outcome in subarachnoid haemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) are at risk of cardiac and pulmonary complications. Troponin I (cTnI), a reliable marker of myocardial injury, is frequently raised after SAH. AIMS: To investigate the additional value of (cTnI) in predicting cardiac or pulmonary complications and outcome in patients with SAH. METHODS: Admission cTnI was measured in a prospective series of patients admitted within 24 hours of SAH. By means of univariate and multivariate logistic regression models the additional prognostic value of raised cTnI (>0.3 microg/litre) was investigated compared with established prognosticators (clinical condition on admission, age, and amount of blood on admission computed tomography) for predicting the occurrence of pulmonary oedema, pulmonary gas exchange abnormalities, rhythm disturbances, inadequate cardiac performance, a combination of these complications, and poor outcome. Area under the operator characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) was used to assess additional prognostic value. RESULTS: Abnormal cTnI concentrations were found on admission in 35 of 68 patients. Abnormal cTnI concentrations and poor clinical condition independently predicted cardiac or pulmonary complications. After extending the model with World Federation of Neurological Surgeons scale and age in addition to abnormal cTnI, the AUC-ROC improved from 0.70 (95% confidence interval (CI), 0.57 to 0.83) to 0.83 (95% CI, 0.72 to 0.93). Abnormal cTnI also independently predicted poor outcome. The additional prognostic value of cTnI for poor outcome is limited. CONCLUSIONS: cTnI measurement is a powerful predictor for the occurrence of pulmonary and cardiac complications, but does not carry additional prognostic value for clinical outcome in patients with aneurysmal SAH.

How to select patients with normal pressure hydrocephalus for shunting.

The objective was to compare predictive values of clinical and CT findings, co-existing cerebrovascular disease (CVD) and CSF outflow resistance (Rcsf) for outcome of shunting in NPH. A group of 95 NPH patients was shunted and followed for one year. Gait disturbance and dementia were quantified by an NPH scale (NPHS) and handicap by the modified Rankin scale (MRS). Improvement was defined as a change of at least 15% in NPHS and one grade in MRS at last follow-up. Clinical and CT findings at entry were classified as typical or not typical for NPH. CVD was defined as a history of stroke or CT-scans showing infarcts or moderate to severe white matter hypodense lesions. Clinical and CT findings typical for NPH, absence of CVD and Rcsf > 18 mmHg/ml/min were positive tests and the reciprocal outcomes negative tests. Typical clinical and CT findings were found in 69% and 68%, CVD (history of stroke n = 14, infarcts on CT n = 13, leucoaraiosis n = 32) in 47% and Rcsf > 18 in 38% of patients. The ratio of patients classified as improved in both scales was significantly greater for those with positive than negative tests. Mean improvement differed the most between patients with and without CVD. Using logistic regression analysis Rcsf > 18 was the only significant predictor of improvement in NPHS (OR 4.4, 95% CI 1.3-16.7) and typical CT findings in MRS (OR 5.6, 95% CI 1.8-17.9). We conclude that CVD is an important predictor of poor outcome. The best strategy is to shunt NPH patients if Rcsf is > 18 mmHg/ml/min or, when Rcsf is lower, if CT findings are typical for NPH and there is no or limited CVD.