- T1-Weighted, Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MR Perfusion Imaging Can Differentiate between Treatment Success and Failure in Spine Metastases Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Routine MRI techniques are rather limited in assessing treatment response versus disease progression following radiation therapy as lesion size often fluctuates after both successful and unsuccessful treatment. In this study, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI perfusion parameters were used to predict treatment success or failure regarding spinal osseous metastases and to show the concordance with lesion-size measurements in the determination of treatment success or failure. The authors found there were significant differences in the change in plasma volume following radiation treatment between their clinical response and persistent disease groups. Additionally, they demonstrated that plasma volume had a higher specificity than size measurements.
- Monoclonal Antibodies: What the Diagnostic Neuroradiologist Needs to Know
The therapeutic use of monoclonal antibodies is rapidly expanding for a variety of diseases. This review article describes commonly used monoclonal antibody-targeted therapeutic agents, their mechanism of action, clinical applications, and major adverse events with a focus on neurologic and neuroimaging manifestations. For example, immunostimulating anticancer mAbs can lead to proinflammatory conditions, while immunosuppressive medications can lead to activation of underlying opportunistic infections. Amyloid-segregating mAbs can lead to amyloid-related imaging abnormalities, and TNF-inhibiting mAbs have a higher incidence of demyelinating abnormalities.