[en] Purpose: To improve the CT diagnostic accuracy of open-lip schizencephaly and porencephalic cyst. Materials and methods: The CT appearances of 36 patients with the cleft extending from the cortex toward the ventricle were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Open-lip schizencephaly had a large, more apparent gray matter-lined CSF cleft with concavoconcave margins, while porencephalic cyst appeared global or wedge shape with a bulge margin. Conclusion:There are significant CT imaging differences concerning the shape of open-lip schizencephaly and porencephalic cyst, which are very helpful to make a CT differential diagnosis

[en] Objective: To investigate the CT characteristics of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma and evaluate the diagnostic value of CT in this disease. Methods: The CT findings of 10 patients with pathologically proved anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were retrospectively reviewed. The patients included 7 females and 3 males. Their age ranged from 25.0 to 78 years with median of 61 years. Multi-slices plain and post contrast CT scans were performed in all patients. Results: Unilateral thyroid was involved in 6 patients. Unilateral thyroid and thyroid isthmus were both involved in 2 patients due to big size. Bilateral thyroid were involved in 2 patients. The maximum diameter of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma ranged from 2.9-12.8 cm with mean of (4.5 ± 1.4) cm. All lesions demonstrated unclear margins and envelope invasion. The densities of all lesions were heterogeneous and obvious necrosis areas were noted on precontrast images. Seven lesions showed varied calcifications, and coarse granular calcifications were found in 5 lesions among them. All lesions showed remarkable heterogenous enhancement on post-contrast CT. The CT value of solid portion of the tumor increased 40 HU after contrast media administration. The ratios of CT value which comparing of the tumor with contralateral sternocleidomastoid muscle were 0.69-0.82 (0.76 ± 0.18) and 1.25-1.41 (1.33 ± 0.28) on pre and post CT, respectively. Enlarged cervical lymph nodes were found in 6 cases (60.0%). It showed obvious homogeneous enhancement or irregular ring-like enhancement on post-contrast images and dot calcifications were seen in 1 case. Conclusions: Relative larger single thyroid masses with coarse granular calcifications, necrosis,envelope invasion, remarkable heterogeneous enhancing and enlarged lymph nodes on CT are suggestive of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma. (authors)

[en] Objective: To evaluate the feasibility and the clinical value of MRI in the diagnosis of small-bowel disease. Methods: Sixty-three patients with suspected small-bowel diseases and 3 volunteers without signs of small bowel disease underwent MRI examination. Thirty-one patients whose diagnoses were confirmed by pathology or clinical results were categorized into two groups (neoplastic and nonneoplastic). The conspicuity of bowel wall, the sensitivity of MRI in detecting small-bowel lesions, and the accuracy rate of diagnosis were calculated. The average bowel wall thickness between the two groups was assessed by using Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes, mesenteric infiltration, and small-bowel stenosis were analyzed by using Fisher's exact test in each group respectively. Results: MRI examinations of all 66 subjects were successfully performed. Images were rated on a continuous 4-point scale. Sixty-two cases (93.9%) were scored as 2 or 3. The diagnoses of 31 patients (neoplastic group (n=10) and nonneoplastic group (n=21) were confirmed by pathology or clinical results. The sensitivity, accuracy of MRI in identifying small bowel diseases were 100% (31/31) and 77.4% (24/31) respectively. The average bowel wall thickness of the two groups was 23 mm (7.0-65.0 mm) and 5 mm(2.0-35.0 mm) respectively, and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (Z=-2.949, P<0.01). Enlarged lymph nodes in mesentery were found in 7 cases in neoplastic group and 4 cases in nonneoplastic group, and there was a statistically significant difference between the two group (P<0.05). Small-bowel stenosis was depicted in 10 cases in both groups and there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P<0.01). The mesenteric infiltration sign was seen in 5 cases and 17 cases respectively, and showed no significant difference between the two groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: MRI can depict the location and extension of the small-bowel disease accurately and it is an effective method in the diagnosis of small-bowel disease. (authors)