To evaluate the efficacy of STIR (short tau inversio recovery) image in the diagnosis of orbital diseases, we compared the STIR images with conventional SE(spin-echo) images in 17 patients. The fat signal was reliably nulled at inversion time of approximately 160-170 msec in all cases. We analyzed all the cases in the aspects of the detection of lesion and the lesion-to-back ground contrast retrospectively. Regarding lesion, the detection rates of STIR, T1 and T2-weighted images were 89, 88 and 83% respectively. In the aspect of lesion-to-background contrast, the contrast ratios of STIR and T1, T2-weighted image were 87% and 64, 56%, respectively. In conclusion, STIR images were similar to T1-and T2-weighted images in the detection of lesion, but superior in the aspect of lesion-to-background contrast. So the STIR images may be a useful adjunct to conventional SE images for the diagnosis of orbital disease.
Diagnosis* ; Humans ; Orbit* ; Orbital Diseases* ; Retrospective Studies

Diabetes insipidus(DI) of central origin is a clinical syndrome resulting from low blood levels of antidiuretic hormone secreted from the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland, which is usually caused by lesions involving the hypothalamus-neurohypophyseal axis. MR imaging can reveal absence of the posterior pituitary bright signal(PPBS)in DI. The authors reviewed four patients with intracranial germinomas who had DI due to hypothalamus involvement. All patients before radiotherapy revealed absence of PPBS on MRI. Three cases recovered from DI after radiotherapy and showed reappearance of PPBS. Another one patients who continued DI didn't show signal change of the posterior pituitary gland. Ws speculated that the reappearance of PPBS is related to clinical improvement of DI.
Diabetes Insipidus* ; Follow-Up Studies* ; Germinoma* ; Humans ; Hypothalamus ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Pituitary Gland ; Pituitary Gland, Posterior ; Radiotherapy*

PURPOSE: To investigate the localization and functional lateralization of the supplementary motor area (SMA) in motor activation tests in comparison to that of the primary motor area. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seven healthy volunteers obtained echoplanar imaging blood oxygen level dependent technique. This study was carried on 1.5T Siemens Magneton Vision system with the standard head coil. Parameters of EPI were followed as ; TR/TE; 1.0/66.0 msec. flip angle : 90degree, field of view : 22cmx22cm, matrix : 128x128, slice number/slice thickness/gap : 10/4mm/0.8mm with fat suppression technique. Motor task as finger opposition in each hand consisted of 3 sets of alternative rest and activation periods. Postprocessing were done on Stimulate 5.0 by using cross-correlation statistics. To compare the functional lateralization of the SMA in the right and left hand tests, each examination was evaluation for the percent change of signal intensity and the number of activated voxels both in the SMA and in the primary motor area. Hemispheric asymmetry was defined as difference of summation of the activated yokels between each hemisphere. RESULTS: Percent change of signal intensity in the SMA (2.49-3.06%) is lower than that of primary motor area(4.4-7.23%). Percent change of signal intensity including activated voxels were observed almost equally in the right and left SMA. As for summation of activated voxels primary motor area had significant difference between each hemisphere but not did the SMA. CONCLUSION: Preferred contralateral dominant hemisphere and hemispheric asymmetry were detected in the primary motor area but not in the SMA.
Echo-Planar Imaging ; Fingers ; Hand* ; Head ; Healthy Volunteers ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Oxygen

No abstract available.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Brain ; Child ; Deception ; Dermis ; Facial Bones ; Female ; Hair ; Humans ; Melanins ; Neurofibromatoses* ; Scalp ; Skin ; Temporal Muscle ; Zygoma

The real time high resolution mechanical neurosonographic sector scanner is a convenient and useful instrumentfor detection of intracranial lesions in premature infants as well as low birth weight. From this experience,authors report with 104 neonates and infants who had been suspected intracranial hemorrhage and had been detectedand graded by sonography. The results were as followed: 1. The incidence of intracranial hemorrhage is 20 of 46(43.5%) neonates who had been studied before 3 days of age. But 7 of 16(43.7%) neonates showed ICH between the 4-7days of age. 2. There was no difference of prevalence in sex ratio in neonates with ICH. 3. There was closerelationship between ICH and gestational weeks. 15 of 27 (55.6%) neonates who were born under 32 gestational weeksshowed ICH was graded as 3 or 4 in 7 of 10. 4. 10 of 16(62.5%) neonate who were born under 1,500 gram body weighthad ICH within first 4 days. The severity of ICH was graded as 3 or 4 in 7 of 10. 5. The mode of deliveryinfluenced neonatal ICH incase of difficulty delivery such as forcep(4/4, 100%), vacuum (7/10, 70%), breech (3/3,100%), and C/S(13/33, 39.4%). 6. Incidence of ICH in neonates with pathologica lung conditions (29/40, 72.5%) washigher than ICH with normal chest findins(15/64, 23.4%). 7. For frequent follow up study of brain, neurosonographywas very helpul and economic in case of ICH, and could find congenital glioblastoma multiformed(1), and low gradeastrocytoma(1) incidentally.
Brain ; Follow-Up Studies ; Glioblastoma ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Infant, Low Birth Weight ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Intracranial Hemorrhages ; Lung ; Prevalence ; Sex Ratio ; Thorax ; Vacuum

PURPOSE: Functional MR imaging is the method of demonstrating changes in regional cerebral blood flow produced by sensory, motor, and any other tasks. Functional MR of visual cortex os performed as a patient stares a photic stimulation, so adaptable photic stimulation is necessary. The purpose of this study to evaluate whether the size of photic stimulation can affect the degree of visual cortex activation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Functional MR imaging was performed in 5 volunteers with normal visual acuity. Photic stimulator was made by 39 light-emitting diodes on a plate ,operating at 8 Hz. The sizes of photic stimulator were full field, half field and focal central field. The MR imager was Siemens 1.5-T Magenton Vision system, using standard head coil. Functional MRI utilized EPI sequence (TR/TE=1.0/51. 0msec, matrix No.=98x128, slice thickness=8mm) with 3sets of 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during stimulation and 6 imaging during rest, all 36 scanning were obtained. Activated images were obtained using postprocessing software(statistical analysis by Z-zone, and these images were combined with T-1 weighted anatomical images. The activated signals were quantified by numbering the activated pixels, and activation index was obtained by dividing the pixel number of each stimulator size with the sum of the pixel number of 3 study using 3 kinds of stimulators. The correlation between the activation index and the stimulation size was analysed. RESULTS: Mean increase of signal intensities on the activation area using full field photic stimulator was about 9.6%. The activation index was greatest on full field. second on half field and smallest in focal central field in 4, The index of half field was greater than that of full field in 1. The ranges of activation index were full field 43-73%(mean 55%), half field 22-40%(mean 32%), and focal central field 5-24%(13%). CONCLUSION: The degree of visual cortex activation increases with the size of photic stimulator.
Head ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Photic Stimulation ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Cortex* ; Volunteers

No abstract available.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the indication for intracavitary Urokinase(UK) in the treatment of Ioculated pleural effusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed CT and US in 31 patients who were treated with intracavitary UK in Ioculated pleural effusion. In each patient, a single chest catheter (10-12F) was insected under imaging guidance. When the amount of drainage was less than 100ml/day, UK was instilled through the catheter until less than 50ml/day was drained. On follow-up chest radiographs of more than 1 month, we classified the results of treatment into 3 groups:(1) completely effective (lung expansion, over 80%);(2) partially effective (20-80%); (3) ineffective (below 20%) group. Sonographic pattern of pleural fluid was classified into anechoic, septated, and honeycomb appearances and the thickness of parietal pleura was measured on CT. RESULTS: Sixteen patients were completely effective, nine were partially effective, and six were ineffective. patients with completely or partially effective outcome had anechoic and linear septated appearance on had less than 4mm of parietal pleural thickness on CT. Of six ineffective patients, US showed linear septated in one patient and honeycomb appearance in five patients and the thickness of parietal pleura on CT was 3 mm in one patient, 4ram in two patients, 5mm in one patient, and 6mm in two patients. CONCLUSION: UK instillation through percutaneous catheter was an effective method in the treatment of Ioculated pleural effusion. However, we found near complete reaccumulation of pleural fluid when honeycomb appearance of pleural fluid on US or more than 5mm parietal pleural thickness on CT was observed, which might suggest that we should consider the other kinds of treatment method in those patients.
Catheters ; Drainage ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Insects ; Pleura ; Pleural Effusion* ; Rabeprazole ; Radiography, Thoracic ; Thorax ; Ultrasonography ; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator*

PURPOSE: A common finding of carotid artery on magnetic resonance angiograms(MRAs) is a signal dropout along the posterior wall of carotid bulb due to reverse flow. The purpose of this study is to evaluate variable flow patterns on bifurcated carotid arterial phantoms using steady-state flow. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed phantoms of a bifurcated carotid artery with acrylic materials. Flow patterns were evaluated with axial and coronal imaging of MRA(2D-TOF, 3D-TOF), color Doppler imaging, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) within the phantoms constructed of an automated closed-type circulatory system filled with 4% sugar solution. These findings were compared with findings obtained from normal volunteers. RESULTS: Axial 3D-TOF MRA images exhibited closer resemblance to the contour of the inner wall of phantoms when compared to coronal 2D-TOF MRA imaging. However, 2D-TOF MRA showed good contrast difference of signal intensities between forward flow area and reverse flow area. Dark zones with reduced signal intensities due to reversed flow were separated from the outer wall of the internal and external carotid arteries by a thin layer of forward flow along the wall on the source slice image of MRA. The general hemodynamics of the phantoms on MRA were identical to hemodynamics on color Doppler imaging and CFD. The results obtained with the phantoms matched the findings on normal volunteers. CONCLUSION: Although representations of bifurcated carotid arterial phantoms on axial 3D-TOF MRA were excellent if ideally desinged, the zone of reversed flow could be a significant factor in creating distorted image when the zone of reversed flow contacted directly with curved or deformed arterial wall.
Carotid Arteries ; Carotid Artery, External ; Healthy Volunteers ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hydrodynamics ; Magnetic Resonance Angiography* ; Patient Dropouts

A 55 year old male complain right shoulder pain and right upper quadrant pain about three months. He was a heavy alcoholism. Highly selective angiography, CT scan and operation findings suggest primary malignant neoplasm of the liver. Right hepatic lobectomy and partial diaphragmectomy was done under impression of heaptocellular carcinoma. The specimen measured 15x11x9 cm and disclose relatively hard and nodular mass devoid of cirrhotic changes. Cut surface show unilobar large mass measuring 11x8x6 cm and bearing brightly yellow discoloration and multifocal hemorrhagic necrosis. Histological characteristics were diffuse proliferation of large neoplastic cells with ample cytoplasm, containing granular materials, erythrophagocytosis, neutrophagocytosis and hemosiderin pigments. Atypical and bizarre mitosis and multinucleated giant cells bearing abundant erythro and neutrophagocytosis were frequently seen. The large or vesicular nuclei were irregular, with occasional deep indentations and revealed sharply defined nuclear membrane, coarse chromatin and conspicious nucleoli. Ultrastructurally the cytoplasm of neoplasltic cells had lysosomal granule, phagolysosome, phagocytized material and residual bodies. Immunohistochemical stains for alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, vimentin and lysozyme showed positive reactions, but, alpha fetoprotein, cytokeratin, S-100 protein, factor VIII, complement 3 receptor and carcinoembryonic antigen were negative. Alpha-naphtyl acetate esterase activity in paraffin embedded tissue ribbon showed negative reaction. These findings show compatible with primary malignant lymphoma, true histiocytic type, (histiocytic sarcoma, Kupffer cell carcinoma) of the liver.
Male ; Humans