Young Professionals in Neuroradiology: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions.

The Young Professionals Committee of the American Society of Neuroradiology identifies and serves the interests of young professionals in neuroradiology, defined as those still in training or within 5 years of its completion. Being a young professional is an exciting, dynamic, and demanding stage of one's professional career. As the landscape of neuroradiology practice changes, new opportunities and challenges occur for those in the early stage of their career. It is important to recognize and support the needs of young professionals because an investment in their professional development is an investment in the future of our specialty. In this article, we aimed to address the most notable developments relevant to current and future young professionals in neuroradiology as well as highlight the work done by the Young Professionals Committee of the American Society of Neuroradiology in serving the needs of these young professionals, focusing on early neuroradiology engagement, flexible work arrangements, private practice, social media, artificial intelligence, and international collaborations.

Enhancing Radiology Education With Social Media.

Social media plays a significant role in many of our daily lives, both personally and professionally. This article will focus on the ways in which social media can be used to enhance radiology education today. These educational opportunities include, but are not limited to, RadDiscord, sharing interesting cases, X chats, virtual lectures, and grand rounds.

Practical Tips and a Template for Developing Your Curriculum Vitae.

The Alliance of Leaders in Academic Affairs in Radiology (ALAAR) advocates for a Universal Curriculum Vitae for all medical institutions and to that end, we have developed a template that can be downloaded on the AUR website (ALAAR CV template) that includes all of the elements required by many academic institutions. Members of ALAAR represent multiple academic institutions and have spent many hours reviewing and providing input on radiologists' curricula vitae. The purpose of this review is to help academic radiologists accurately maintain and optimize their CVs with minimal effort and to clarify common questions that arise at many different institutions in the process of constructing a CV.

Using a Nationwide Virtual Radiology Student Interest Group to Expand Medical Students' General Awareness, Drive Greater Interest, and Achieve Uniform National Messaging in the Field of Radiology.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Many medical schools offer minimal exposure to radiology, leading to a decreased understanding of the field and negative perceptions among medical students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a radiology intensive series piloted by a novel virtual radiology interest group. Specifically, we were interested in how radiologists and medical educators can expand students' general awareness, drive greater interest in the field, and achieve more uniform national messaging across all trainees. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We launched a national/international interest group called Radiology Student Interest Group (RadSIG) and piloted the RadSIG Intensive, a series of five events aimed at increasing awareness and dispelling misconceptions among preclinical medical students. Validated pre-intensive and post-intensive surveys were used to ascertain the students' baseline and changed perspectives, respectively. A separate faculty survey was also distributed to understand how they perceived our events. Statistical analysis was carried out on the collected data to identify trends and assess the utility of our programming. RESULTS: 205 students completed the pre-intensive survey, and 61 students completed the post-intensive survey. Of the pre-intensive survey respondents, 51.7% (106/205) indicated that they had a limited understanding of what a career in radiology entails. Of those who completed the entire RadSIG Intensive, average 5-point Likert scale scores for understanding of a radiology career rose from 3.30 to 4.38 respectively pre- to post-completion. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test revealed that this difference was statistically significant (Z=-5.95, p<0.001), and that the RadSIG Intensive significantly improved perceptions of radiologists across every single question measured, except for perception of long hours worked (Z=-0.20, p=0.841). The results also showed increased student comfort in reaching out to radiology attendings (Z=-4.30, p<0.001) and residents (Z=-5.12, p<0.001). Faculty survey results indicated positive perceptions of the series. CONCLUSION: Our results show that the RadSIG Intensive was effective in increasing students' understanding of radiology as a field and a potential career. Online outreach can also lower the resistance and improve student comfort in reaching out for mentorship, which may provide a new pathway to reach underserved students with a unifying message. By furthering a platform based on voluntary and supplemental resources, we see a far greater potential of impacting the perception and known role of the imager in patient care among our next generation of physicians.

Imaging of Hypoxic-Ischemic Injury (in the Era of Cooling).

Hypoxic-ischemic injury (HII) is a major worldwide contributor of term neonatal mortality and long-term morbidity. At present, therapeutic hypothermia is the only therapy that has demonstrated efficacy in reducing severe disability or death in infants with moderate to severe encephalopathy. MRI and MRS performed during the first week of life are adequate to assess brain injury and offer prognosis. Patterns of injury will depend on the gestation age of the neonate, as well as the degree of hypotension.

Update of the AMSER National Medical Student Curriculum.

Since the first steps of creating the Alliance of Medical Student Educators in Radiology (AMSER) curriculum 20 years ago, dramatic advances in medical imaging, patient care, and medical education have occurred necessitating an update of this valuable resource. The 2020 update of the AMSER curriculum aims to address as many of these changes while providing a succinct resource that will hopefully remain useful for years to come. The updated AMSER curriculum document is freely available for download via the AMSER website at https://www.aur.org/en/affinity-groups/amser/curriculum.

Rate of Leptomeningeal Enhancement in Pediatric Myelin Oligodendrocyte Glycoprotein Antibody-Associated Encephalomyelitis.

INTRODUCTION: Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibodies (MOG-abs) are associated with demyelinating diseases. Leptomeningeal enhancement occurs in 6% of adult MOG-abs patients but rates in pediatric MOG-abs patients are unknown. METHODS: Retrospective review of pediatric MOG-abs patients was performed. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients (7 boys, 14 girls) were included with an average age of 8.6 years (range 2-15 years). Seven of 21 (33%) pediatric MOG-abs patients had leptomeningeal enhancement. Two patients' relapses were manifested by leptomeningeal enhancement alone and another patient presented with seizures, encephalopathy, and aseptic meningitis without demyelinating lesions. Cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis was seen in both leptomeningeal (4/7 patients) and nonleptomeningeal enhancement (10/14 patients). Interestingly, 3 patients with leptomeningeal enhancement had normal cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count. Cortical edema was more likely in patients with leptomeningeal enhancement (P = .0263). CONCLUSION: We expand the clinical spectrum of anti-MOG antibody-associated disorder. Patients with recurrent leptomeningeal enhancement without demyelinating lesions should be tested for MOG antibodies.

Aseptic meningitis and leptomeningeal enhancement associated with anti-MOG antibodies: A review.

BACKGROUND: Aseptic meningitis can be caused by autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and sarcoidosis. Aseptic meningitis with leptomeningeal enhancement can be the initial presentation of a neuroinflammatory syndrome associated with antibodies to myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG-abs). MOG-abs is a serum biomarker for MOG-associated disorder (MOG-AD), an acquired demyelinating syndrome that includes features of neuromyelitis optica, multiple sclerosis, optic neuritis, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The purpose of this study is to review cases of aseptic meningitis and leptomeningeal enhancement associated with MOG-abs. METHODS: Systematic review using PubMed, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, and Google Scholar up to December 2020 was performed. Cases of MOG-AD were included if they met the following criteria: 1) Initial clinical presentation of aseptic meningitis; 2) positive leptomeningeal enhancement and 3) MOG-Ab seropositivity. Descriptive statistics were used. This analysis was limited to the cases available in the literature. RESULTS: 11 total cases of aseptic meningitis and leptomeningeal enhancement in setting of MOG-ab were identified. Demyelinating type T2 lesions were also present at time of presentation in 6/11; however, 5/11 of patients had leptomeningeal enhancement alone without demyelinating lesions. All 5 patients required immunotherapy for improvement, including one patient with symptoms for 28 days, with 4/5 receiving steroids and 1/5 receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG). CONCLUSIONS: Aseptic meningitis with leptomeningeal enhancement can be the initial presenting symptom of MOG-AD. MOG-ab testing should be considered in a patient presenting with aseptic meningitis and leptomeningeal enhancement of unknown etiology.

A Presentation of Pediatric Sjögren's Syndrome with Abducens Nerve Palsy.

Sjögren's syndrome is a systemic autoimmune disease that classically presents with xerophthalmia and xerostomia. However, neurological manifestations occur in 10 to 60% of patients with Sjögren's syndrome and can often precede classic sicca symptoms in Sjögren's syndrome in some cases up to several years. Rarely, cranial neuropathy can be the initial presentation. Here, we present the first case of a 15-year-old girl with left abducens palsy in the setting of a new diagnosis of Sjögren's syndrome. Comprehensive evaluation revealed elevated Sjögren's syndrome-related antigen A-60 antibody. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis was unremarkable. Radiological studies demonstrated evidence of chronic parotitis. Acute treatment included high-dose methylprednisolone and rituximab, and symptoms resolved by follow-up at 2 weeks. The most common neurological disorder of Sjögren's syndrome is pure sensory neuropathy. In pediatric Sjögren's syndrome, neurological complications are rare but include aseptic meningoencephalitis, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, transverse myelitis, optic neuritis, and cranial neuropathies. In the circumstance of a cranial neuropathy, the trigeminal nerve is most commonly involved but oculomotor nerves can occasionally be affected. Abducens palsies have been described in four patients with Sjögren's syndrome, typically women and all middle aged or older, with our patient being the first pediatric case. Thus, it is important to consider screening for Sjögren's syndrome in the evaluation of pediatric patients with new onset of isolated cranial neuropathy even in the absence of classic sicca symptoms.

Very late recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia masquerading as a pituitary tumor.

Involvement of the pituitary gland by leukemic infiltration is exceedingly rare. Here, we describe a very late recurrence of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia masquerading as a pituitary tumor and review the literature for previously reported cases. Our female patient presented 13 years after completion of therapy for B-ALL with headache, amenorrhea, galactorrhea and a pituitary mass. Subsequent studies revealed recurrence of her leukemia, and the pituitary lesion resolved after induction chemotherapy. Our case highlights the importance of considering leukemic infiltrate in the differential diagnosis of pituitary mass, particularly in a patient with a history of hematologic malignancy, sparing unnecessary surgical intervention and informing endocrine evaluation. In addition, the case also highlights difficulties with characterizing this recurrence as a very late relapse or clonal evolution of the original leukemia.

Congenital Toxoplasmosis Presenting as Eosinophilic Encephalomyelitis With Spinal Cord Hemorrhage.

A 4-week-old male neonate with a history of intermittent hypothermia in the newborn nursery presented with an acute onset of bilateral lower extremity paralysis and areflexia. Extensive workup demonstrated eosinophilic encephalomyelitis and multifocal hemorrhages of the brain and spinal cord. Funduscopic examination revealed bilateral chorioretinitis with macular scarring. The laboratory values were notable for peripheral eosinophilia and cerebrospinal fluid eosinophilic pleocytosis (28 white blood cells/µL, 28% eosinophils), markedly elevated protein (1214 mg/dL), and hypoglycorrhachia (20 mg/dL). Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin M (IgM) test result was positive. Reference testing obtained at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Toxoplasma Serology Laboratory confirmed the diagnosis of congenital toxoplasmosis in the infant with a positive immunoglobulin G (IgG) dye test result, immunoglobulin A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and IgM immunosorbent agglutination assay. The diagnosis of an infection acquired during gestation in the mother was established by a positive maternal IgG dye test result, IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin E, and low IgG avidity. At 6-month follow-up, the infant had marginal improvement in his retinal lesions and residual paraplegia with hyperreflexia and clonus of the lower extremities. A repeat MRI demonstrated interval development of encephalomalacia with suspected cortical laminar necrosis and spinal cord atrophy in the areas of previous hemorrhage. Clinicians should be aware of this severe spectrum of congenital toxoplasmosis disease and should remain vigilant for subtler signs that may prompt earlier testing, diagnosis, and treatment.

Neuroimaging of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit: Pearls and Pitfalls.

A brief introduction is provided of the different imaging modalities encountered in the intensive care unit (ICU). The spectrum of intracranial pathology as well as potential postsurgical complications is reviewed, with a focus on pearls and pitfalls. A brief overview also is provided of imaging of the spine in an ICU patient.