Mark J. Lee

Imaging of soft tissue infections.

Imaging of soft tissue infections has traditionally been a challenging and difficult undertaking. With the advent of cross-sectional imaging it has improved dramatically. Ultrasound, CT, and particularly MR imaging have greatly improved the ability to evaluate infectious conditions of soft tissue. This article outlines and provides examples of some of the cardinal manifestations of soft tissue infections as seen using a spectrum of different imaging modalities including plain radiography, nuclear medicine, and the cross-sectional imaging techniques mentioned previously. The soft tissue infections can be categorized in a number of different fashions. Discussed are soft tissue infections under the following headings: 1 Primary soft tissue infections: This category includes such entities as abscesses, pyomyositis, cellulitis, and other superficial infections, in particular necrotizing fasciitis 2 Soft tissue infection associated with joint infections: This includes extension of infection from septic joints and the surrounding soft tissues; septic tenosynovitis; infected bursa, either associated with joints or separate from them; and paraspinal abscesses 3 Soft tissue infections related to underlying or associated osteomyelitis 4 The diabetic foot 5 Parasitic infestations 6 Miscellaneous

MR imaging features of bizarre parosteal osteochondromatous proliferation of bone (Nora's lesion)

The purpose of this study was to review the imaging findings of three patients with bizarre parosteal osteochrondromatous proliferation of bone (BPOP). The plain radiographs and MRI images of three patients with BPOP were obtained and retrospectively reviewed. In two cases, BPOP involved the feet. In one case BPOP involved the hand. In all three cases, plain radiographs showed a well-defined calcium containing mass adjacent to the cortical surface of the adjacent bone. The underlying bone appeared normal in all cases. On MRI, the lesion was of low signal intensity on T1 weighted sequences in all cases. On FSE T2 weighted and STIR sequences, the lesion was of high signal in all cases. The cortex, medullary cavity and adjacent soft tissues appeared normal in all cases. While BPOP is rare and often confused with a variety of both benign and malignant lesions, there are specific radiological findings that may help to distinguish BPOP from many of its mimickers.

Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma of Soft Tissue Imaging with Emphasis on MRI

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adults. This pictorial essay describes and illustrates the clinical, pathologic, and radiologic features of MFH. The cross-sectional imaging features on CT and MRI are emphasized in relation to the diagnosis and staging of MFH.

Pictorial review: Giant cell tumours of bone

Giant cell tumour of bone is a relatively common neoplasm with limited potential for metastatic spread. These tumours usually occur at the ends of bones with their epicentre in the epiphysis. This essay will review the various common and some of the less frequently encountered manifestations of giant cell tumours at multiple different sites, as well as postoperative recurrence. Different imaging modalities including plain film, tomography, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are shown.

Candida osteomyelitis and disc space infection of the lumbar spine

Abstract Candida osteomyelitis is an uncommon complication of immunosuppressive therapy. Its radiographic manifestations are similar to those of other relatively indolent infectious agents. We report the CT and MR findings in a patient who developed this condition following treatment for acute myelogenous leukemia, and review the imaging literature covering similar cases.

Neurocarta: aggregating and sharing disease-gene relations for the neurosciences

BackgroundUnderstanding the genetic basis of diseases is key to the development of better diagnoses and treatments. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the existing data linking genes to phenotypes is available through online public resources and, when available, it is scattered across multiple access tools.DescriptionNeurocarta is a knowledgebase that consolidates information on genes and phenotypes across multiple resources and allows tracking and exploring of the associations. The system enables automatic and manual curation of evidence supporting each association, as well as user-enabled entry of their own annotations. Phenotypes are recorded using controlled vocabularies such as the Disease Ontology to facilitate computational inference and linking to external data sources. The gene-to-phenotype associations are filtered by stringent criteria to focus on the annotations most likely to be relevant. Neurocarta is constantly growing and currently holds more than 30,000 lines of evidence linking over 7,000 genes to 2,000 different phenotypes.ConclusionsNeurocarta is a one-stop shop for researchers looking for candidate genes for any disorder of interest. In Neurocarta, they can review the evidence linking genes to phenotypes and filter out the evidence they’re not interested in. In addition, researchers can enter their own annotations from their experiments and analyze them in the context of existing public annotations. Neurocarta’s in-depth annotation of neurodevelopmental disorders makes it a unique resource for neuroscientists working on brain development.

Giant cell tumor of bone with selective metastases to mediastinal lymph nodes.

Abstract We report an unusual case of a recurrent giant cell tumor of the patella which presented with metastatic disease to the posterior mediastinal lymph nodes with no evidence of pulmonary metastases. The patient underwent chemotherapy with subsequent successful removal of the mediastinal mass. A review of the reported cases of mediastinal giant cell tumor metastases is provided.

Soft tissue osteosarcoma with telangiectatic features: MR imaging findings in two cases

Abstract Extraskeletal osteosarcomas are rare tumors, and the telangiectatic variety is the least common histological variety in this group. This report describes the clinical and MR imaging findings in two cases arising in the pretibial soft tissues. Both tumors demonstrated marked inhomogeneity with T2-weighted spin echo and STIR sequences. One of the tumors revealed numerous fluid levels within the lesion. A review of the MRI features of these tumors is provided. Osteosarcoma with telangiectatic features should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a soft tissue mass with fluid-fluid levels in patients 40 years of age or older.

Popliteal vascular malformation simulating a soft tissue sarcoma

Abstract Differentiation of vascular abnormalities from soft tissue sarcomas may be difficult on clinical grounds, but is usually possible on imaging criteria. We report the MRI and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) findings in a patient presenting with a mass behind the knee. We discuss differentiating features and review the literature of similar cases.

Malignant degeneration of an osteochondroma with unusual intra-bursal invasion

Abstract Multiple hereditary osteochondromatosis is an uncommon autosomal dominant condition in which patients are predisposed to the development of chondrosarcoma. We report a case of a patient who developed a secondary low-grade chondrosarcoma in this setting. The tumor was associated with an unusual multinodular invasive growth pattern into a pre-existing bursa that was present overlying the osteochondroma.