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Seventeen male athletes (mean age, 16 years) underwent MR imaging before and after the football season. Changes in fractional anisotropy across the white matter skeleton were assessed with Tract-Based Spatial Statistics and ROI analysis. The mean number of impacts over a 10-g threshold sustained was 414. Voxelwise analysis failed to show significant changes in fractional anisotropy across the season or a correlation with impact frequency, after correcting for multiple comparisons. ROI analysis showed significant decreases in fractional anisotropy in the fornix-stria terminalis and cingulum hippocampus, which were related to impact frequency. The authors conclude that subclinical neurotrauma related to participation in American football may result in white matter injury and that alterations in white matter tracts within the limbic system may be detectable after only 1 season of play at the high school level.

A retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected lymphatic malformation data base was performed that included 16 patients (5 males, 11 females; mean age, 15 years; range, 1=47 years). Patients with at least 1 microcystic lymphatic malformation component demonstrated on MR imaging treated by lymphographic-like technique bleomycin infusion were included in the study. Patient interviews and MR imaging were performed to assess subjective and objective clinical improvement (microcystic lymphatic malformation size decrease of >30%). The authors observed no major and 3 minor complications: 1 eyelid infection, 1 case of severe postprocedural nausea and vomiting, and 1 case of skin discoloration. MR imaging objective improvement was observed in 5/16 (31%) patients; overall improvement of clinical symptoms was obtained in 93% of treated patients. Bleomycin lymphographic-like technique for microcystic lymphatic malformations was safe and feasible with objective improvement in about one-third of patients.