[en] The new imaging techniques modify the diagnostic, or even sometimes therapeutic, decision lines. Their efficiency is much greater than that of the old techniques, while pretium doloris and side-effects are considerably reduced. Such advances are not without a major disadvantage: the ever increasing cost of imaging explorations. Radiological guidance (with conventional radiology, ultrasounds and computerized tomography) facilitates percutaneous procedures for diagnostic (biopsy) or therapeutic purposes (emptying of abscesses, chemonucleolysis of herniated lumbar disc, etc.)

[en] Twelve patients underwent biopsy of cervical vertebral bodies under CT guidance. An accurate diagnosis was obtained in 11. No complications were observed, except for a transitory recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Technical problems of the cervical spine biopsy are discussed and the utility of bone biopsy with a coaxial trephine system is emphasized. (orig.)

No abstract available

[en] Imaging plays a considerable role in the diagnosis and pretherapeutic assessment of intracerebral arteriovenous malformations. CT studies allow detection of most of angiomas and of recent hemorrhage. MRI is most sensitive than CT in determining precise location of the lesions and in detecting associated parenchymal abnormalities, especially subacute hemorrhage. Angiography remains the gold standard for the study of the angioarchitecture, the appreciation of the effects on the safe brain vascularisation and the detection of the associated vascular lesions. (authors). 70 refs., 9 figs

[en] A 53-year-old patient with Wilsons's disease and without autonomic dysfunction presented on T2-weighted MR study an atypical decreased signal intensity of the putamina and the caudate nuclei. Possible explanations of such a signal abnormalities are discussed. (orig.)

[en] 3D time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D TOF MRA) and 2D MRA with presaturation were evaluated in 18 patients with 21 giant intracranial aneurysms. 3D TOF MRA gave optimal images of proximal unruptured and nonthrombosed aneurysms. 2D MRA with presaturation was more informative in cases of distal, haemorrhagic or thrombosed aneurysms and in assessment of their components (thrombus, haemorrhage, patent residual lumen). (orig.)

[en] We report aqueduct compression by venous ectasia in a 65-year-old man with a dural arterio-venous fistula in the posterior cranial fossa draining into a superior vermian vein. Conventional and phase-contrast MRI showed the aqueduct stenosis and the causative dilated vein. (orig.)

[en] We report four cases of trigeminal neuroma. One of the patients had von Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis with plexiform neurofibromas of the branches of the trigeminal nerve. MRI provided more information than CT as regards the spread of tumor: extension to the mandibular and maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve was well demonstrated on sagittal and coronal sections. This examination yielded an accurate census of the intraocular plexiform neurofibromas and allowed a correct preoperative diagnosis to be obtained. With Gd-DOTA, better definition of the outline of the tumours and of cystic components was obtained. However, CT was better for demonstration of bone erosions. (orig.)

[en] The authors report and discuss some clinical, radiological, histological and ultrastructural aspects of an intracranial foreign body granuloma. This granuloma, which simulated a cavernoma, was due to a surgical swab forgotten during a previous neurosurgical evacuation of an intracerebral hematoma. (orig.)

[en] A prospective study of 58 patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) included both MRI and MRA in patients over 7 years of age and those with abnormal TCD. Arteriography was performed in cases where a stenosis was suspected on TCD. Middle cerebral artery (MCA) and basilar artery (BA) velocities were significantly higher in the sickle cell hemoglobin SS group than in the hemoglobin SC group. Patients with a MCA mean velocity of over 1.90 m/s had stenoses found by arteriography. Patients with unilaterally undetectable MCA flow had experienced a stroke and MCA thrombosis was confirmed at MRA and arteriography. We concluded that TCD is valuable in detecting arterial stenosis in SCD and will lead to consideration of these patients for intensive therapy, such as bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or transfusion regimes. (orig.)