Laurel O. Marchinkow

Imaging of Sacral Fractures

The article discusses traumatic, insufficiency and pathological sacral fractures. Special attention is paid to the biomechanics and subsequent classification of traumatic sacral fractures.

MR imaging of brachial plexopathy in breast cancer patients without palpable recurrence.

Abstract  Objective. To investigate the role of MR imaging in detecting brachial plexus (BP) abnormalities in breast cancer patients with plexopathy but without palpable masses. Design. MR imaging of the BP was performed on 26 breast cancer patients with brachial plexopathy without palpable regional masses, using 0.5 T and 1.5 T imaging systems. Findings were correlated with the clinical diagnoses. Patients. Twenty-six patients with brachial plexopathy and history of breast cancer were enrolled in the study. All patients presented with plexopathy symptoms. Fourteen patients were positive and 12 patients were indeterminate for BP metastasis according to clinical criteria. Results and conclusion. MR imaging demonstrated masses involving the BP representing metastases in two patients. Nine patients had other regional abnormalities with a normal brachial plexus. It is concluded that MR imaging is useful in the assessment and direction of therapy of brachial plexopathy in breast cancer patients by detecting both metastases to the BP as well as other abnormalities, unrelated to the BP, which may explain the patient’s symptoms.

Management of Central Venous Stent Migration in a Patient with a Permanent Inferior Vena Cava Filter

Stent embolization is a rare complication in the treatment of central venous stenoses in patients receiving long-term hemodialysis. The authors report a case of nitinol stent embolization into the right atrium in which the stent could not be repositioned across an indwelling permanent inferior vena cava (IVC) filter. The migrated stent was managed by advancing the stent to the superior margin of the IVC filter and then deploying a second suprarenal IVC filter to prevent repeat embolization.

An Overview of Vertebroplasty: Current Status, Controversies, and Future Directions

Vertebroplasty is a cost-effective procedure for the relief of pain in appropriately selected patients when performed by a skilled practitioner. The currently accepted indications and contraindications for vertebroplasty are reviewed. The techniques routinely used by the authors are presented, including a discussion of recognized complications. Recent controversy has highlighted weaknesses in the practice of technology evaluation, and more robust studies will be required to address these issues across the board in the future more scientifically than has been done in the past.

Greening the Radiology Department: Not a Big Mountain to Climb

An environmental-friendly radiology department should be a requirement of the future era. The aim of this article is to make radiologists aware of their responsibilities for a greener world. We have suggested a number of minor but important changes in various sections of a radiology department that can make the radiology department more environmentally friendly. These small steps require relatively little effort on our part but cumulatively, may have a huge positive impact on our environment.