A case of primary rectal angioleiomyoma: review of radiologic finding with histopathologic correlation.

Angioleiomyomas are benign smooth muscle tumors that originate from the tunica media of veins and arteries. They can occur anywhere in the body, but the preferential location of these tumors is the lower extremities. We describe a rare case of rectal angioleiomyoma and present our findings obtained by using computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and histopathological analysis.

Atypical Anterior Spinal Artery Infarction due to Left Vertebral Artery Occlusion Presenting with Bilateral Hand Weakness.

BACKGROUND: Infarct of the anterior spinal artery is the most common subtype of spinal cord infarct, and is characterized by bilateral motor deficits with spinothalamic sensory deficits. We experienced a case with atypical anterior-spinal-artery infarct that presented with bilateral hand weakness but without sensory deficits. CASE REPORT: A 29-year-old man presented with sudden neck pain and bilateral weakness of the hands. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain did not reveal any lesion. His motor symptoms improved rapidly except for mild weakness in his left wrist and fingers. Magnetic resonance angiography showed proximal occlusion of the left vertebral artery; a spine MRI revealed left cervical cord infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral or unilateral hand weakness can be the sole symptom of a cervical cord infarct.

Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of clinically suspected Marjolin ulcer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study is to retrospectively determine the diagnostic role of (18)F-FDG PET/CT at the primary lesion site in burned patients with chronic nonhealing ulcers who are suspected of having Marjolin ulcers. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three burn scar contractures with nonhealing chronic ulcer in 28 patients were included in this study. The lesions were sorted into two groups: 22 squamous cell carcinomas and one basal cell carcinoma were assigned to group 1 (Marjolin ulcer), and 10 lesions of chronic ulcer with inflammation and fibrosis were assigned to group 2. The maximum standardized uptake value (SUV(max)) and the lesion thickness and size for the two groups were evaluated. To determine the utility of PET/CT in the evaluation of invasion depth, we compared the imaging findings of PET/CT with surgical or pathologic results and the findings of additional imaging modalities, such as CT or MRI. RESULTS: The SUV(max) and the lesion thickness for group 1 were significantly higher than those for group 2 (p < 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 82.6%, 90%, and 0.900, respectively, for SUV(max) and 65.2%, 80%, and 0.741, respectively, for lesion thickness. PET/CT was helpful and showed quite good correlation with surgical or pathologic results in determining invasion depth. CONCLUSION: PET/CT is useful in differentiating Marjolin ulcer from benign inflammatory conditions of chronic nonhealing ulcer in burn scars. It is also useful in the evaluation of the depth of invasion in Marjolin ulcer cases.

Usefulness of stent implantation for treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenoses.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the usefulness of intracranial stent implantation for treating patients with atherosclerotic stenosis and with recurrent, ischemic, neurological symptoms despite having undergone medical therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2004 and April 2010, we attempted intracranial, stent-assisted angioplasty in 77 patients with 85 lesions (anterior circulation 73 cases, posterior circulation 12 cases) and who had ischemic neurological symptoms with more than 50% major cerebral artery stenosis. We analyzed the results regarding the technical success rate, complication rate, and restenosis rate during the mean 29.4 month follow-up period. RESULTS: Intracranial stent implantation was successfully performed in 74 cases (87.1%). In nine cases among the 11, failed cases, stent implantation failure was due to the tortuosity of the target vessel. One patient experienced middle cerebral artery rupture during the procedure, and we embolized the vessel using a microcoil. Five patients developed cerebral infarction in three weeks after the procedure, three of whom improved using conservative management, although the other, two patients expired. The mean number of residual stenoses decreased from 72.3% to 14.7%. Three patients demonstrated significant in-stent restenosis, i.e. more than 50%, during the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: As stent-assisted angioplasty in intracranial, atherosclerotic stenosis is effective and relatively safe, it can be considered as an alternative treatment for patients with recurrent, ischemic, neurologic symptoms despite having undergone medical therapy.

Foreign body removal by snare loop: during intracranial stent procedure.

We present a case of successful retrieval of an intracranial stent using a snare wire. A 52-year-old woman presented with left border zone infarction. On cerebral angiography, the C6 segment of the left internal carotid artery (ICA) showed significant stenosis. We attempted stenting of the lesion, although stent dislodgement occurred in the ICA C4 segment. We successfully removed it using a snare loop, and there were no complications during the procedure.

MR imaging findings of high-voltage electrical burns in the upper extremities: correlation with angiographic findings.

BACKGROUND: A high-voltage electrical burn is often associated with deep muscle injuries. Hidden, undetected deep muscle injuries have a tendency for progressive tissue necrosis, and this can lead to major amputations or sepsis. MRI has excellent soft tissue contrast and it may aid in differentiating the areas of viable deep muscle from the areas of non-viable deep muscle. PURPOSE: To describe the MR imaging findings of a high-voltage electrical burn in the upper extremity with emphasis on the usefulness of the gadolinium-enhanced MRI and to compare the MR imaging findings with angiography. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the imaging studies of six patients with high-voltage electrical burns who underwent both MRI and angiography at the burn center of our hospital from January 2005 to December 2009. The imaging features were evaluated for the involved locations, the MR signal intensity of the affected muscles, the MR enhancement pattern, the involved arteries and the angiographic findings (classified as normal, sluggish flow, stenosis or occlusion) of the angiography of the upper extremity. We assessed the relationship between the MR imaging findings and the angiographic findings. RESULTS: The signal intensities of affected muscles were isointense or of slightly high signal intensity as compared with the adjacent unaffected skeletal muscle on the T1-weighted MR images. Affected muscles showed heterogenous high signal intensity relative to the adjacent unaffected skeletal muscle on the T2-weighted images. The gadolinium-enhanced T1-weighted images showed diffuse inhomogeneous enhancement or peripheral rim enhancement of the affected muscles. The angiographic findings of the arterial injuries showed complete occlusion in three patients, severe stenosis in two patients and sluggish flow in one patient. Of these, the five patients with complete occlusion or severe stenosis on angiography showed non-perfused and non-viable areas of edematous muscle on MRI. On the other hand, one patient with sluggish flow on angiography showed a perfused and viable area of edematous muscle on MRI. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MRI is a useful non-invasive imaging modality to detect the site and extent of hidden, undetected deep muscle injuries in a group of patients with high-voltage electrical burns of the upper extremities.