Head and neck arteriovenous malformations: results of ethanol sclerotherapy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Peripheral AVM is a locally aggressive disease with a high tendency to recur; its treatment is complex, especially in the anatomically delicate head and neck area. Here, we report results of ethanol sclerotherapy for head and neck AVM and discuss its potential use for peripheral AVM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed degree of AVM eradication, complications, and clinical or imaging signs of recurrence for 19 patients treated with ethanol sclerotherapy for head and neck AVM (1 intraosseous, 18 soft-tissue AVMs). RESULTS: Of the 19 patients, 11 had complete eradication of arteriovenous shunting at DSA, with 1 recurrence (mean follow-up 15 months), and for 7 patients, treatment is ongoing. During 59 treatment sessions, 12 patients experienced 14 complications, 1 leading to permanent functional damage. CONCLUSIONS: Ethanol sclerotherapy has potential for complete eradication of head and neck AVM with low recurrence within the first year after completion of treatment. Complete eradication may require several treatment sessions during which complications should be minimized with careful techniques.

Imaging of blood flow in cerebral arteries with dynamic helical computed tomography angiography (DHCTA) using a 64-row CT scanner.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral computed tomography angiography (CTA) depicts a structural image of intracranial arteries without providing much time-resolved information on blood flow dynamics. Current CT technology allows obtaining of rapidly repeated helical scans during the arterial contrast filling phase after an intravenous contrast injection. PURPOSE: To report our experience on dynamic CT imaging in determining the direction of contrast filling within proximal intracranial arteries of operated cerebral artery aneurysm patients. Such dynamic information can help detect vascular occlusion or severe spasm. The method is here referred to as dynamic helical CT angiography (DHCTA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected image and related technical data for 23 patients who underwent DHCTA and CTA during their first postoperative day after cerebral artery aneurysm surgery. For DHCTA, we had helically scanned a 4-cm tissue volume three times in succession with a 64-row CT scanner at intervals of 2.6 s during arterial contrast filling after an intravenous contrast injection. We assessed how well DHCTA succeeded in demonstrating the direction of contrast filling in the proximal intracranial arteries, evaluated clinically relevant structural information provided by DHCTA and CTA, and compared radiation doses for the two methods. RESULTS: For 21 patients, DHCTA outlined the direction of contrast filling in proximal intracranial arteries. As to arterial spasm and residual filling of the operated aneurysm, CTA and DHCTA gave similar information. Radiation doses were higher (P<0.000001) for DHCTA than for CTA at 120 kV tube voltage. At 100 kV, the difference was smaller, but doses for DHCTA still exceeded (P<0.05) those for CTA. CONCLUSION: DHCTA gave dynamic information unobtainable with CTA and could prove useful in selected clinical settings.

Lumbosacral radiographic signs in patients with previous enteroarthritis or uroarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if there are differences in radiological findings in lumbosacral spine radiographs between different subgroups of patients with previous reactive arthritis. METHODS: 95 patients with previous enteroarthritis (n = 53), uroarthritis (n = 37), or Reiter's syndrome, aetiology unknown (n = 5) were included in the study. Lumbosacral radiographs were taken 7 to 38 years after the initial arthritis. Three independent observers read the radiographs. Spinal changes included squaring of vertebrae, Romanus lesions, syndesmophytes, and osteophytes. Sacroiliitis was recorded according to the New York and Stoke methods. Signs of enthesitis in the iliac crest and disc space narrowing were recorded. Interobserver reliability and intraobserver reproducibility were determined. RESULTS: 23% of patients had grade 2-4 sacroiliitis (New York criteria) and 14% had syndesmophytes. There was more frequent sacroiliitis (32% v 13%) in uroarthritis than in enteroarthritis, and more syndesmophytes (mean 0.54 v 0.15 per patient; prevalence 24% v 6%, respectively). In other radiological features, no significant differences were present between the groups. In the material as a whole, patients with sacroiliitis of grade 2 or more had significantly less disc space narrowing both in patient comparisons (chi(2) test) and in numbers of spaces involved (Mann-Whitney test). Interobserver and intraobserver agreement, calculated using Cohen's kappa method, varied from 0.2 to 1. CONCLUSIONS: Syndesmophytes and sacroiliitis are more common in patients with previous uroarthritis than in those with previous enteroarthritis, but radiological findings in lumbosacral spine radiographs are characteristically similar.