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Nine patients with suspected elevated intracranial pressure and 9 healthy control patients were included in this prospective study. Control patients underwent DENSE MR imaging through the midsagittal brain while patients underwent DENSE MR imaging followed immediately by lumbar puncture with opening pressure measurement, CSF removal, closing pressure measurement, and immediate repeat DENSE MR imaging. All patients had elevated opening pressure (median, 36.0 cm water), decreased by the removal of CSF to a median closing pressure of 17.0 cm water. Measured CSF pressure in patients pre= and post=lumbar puncture correlated significantly with pontine displacement. The authors conclude that DENSE MR imaging may providing a method to noninvasively assess intracranial pressure status in idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

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.