- Cavitary Plaques in Otospongiosis: CT Findings and Clinical Implications
Cross-sectional CT images and clinical records of 47 patients (89 temporal bones) were evaluated for the presence, location, and imaging features of cavitary and noncavitaryotospongiotic plaques, as well as clinical symptoms and complications in those who underwent cochlear implantation. Noncavitaryotospongiotic plaques were present in 86 (97%) temporal bones and cavitary plaques in 30 (35%). Cavitary plaques predominated with increasing age, mostly involving the anteroinferior wall of the internal auditory canal, and their presence was not associated with a higher grade of otospongiosis by imaging or with a specific type of hearing loss. The authors conclude that cavitary plaques occurred in one-third of patients with otospongiosis.
- Evaluation of the Normal Cochlear Second Interscalar Ridge Angle and Depth on 3D T2-Weighted Images: A Tool for the Diagnosis of Scala Communis and Incomplete Partition Type II
The second interscalar ridge notch angle and depth were measured on MR imaging in normal ears by a single experienced neuroradiologist. The images of normal ears were then randomly mixed with images of ears with incomplete partition II malformation for 2 novice evaluators to measure both the second interscalar ridge notch angle and depth in a blinded manner. For the mixed group, interobserver agreement was calculated, normal and abnormal ear measurements were compared, and receiver operating characteristic curves were generated. The 94 normal ears had a mean second interscalar ridge angle of 80.86° and depth of 0.54mm with the 98th percentile for an angle of 101° and a depth of 0.3 mm. In the mixed group, agreement between the 2 readers was excellent, with significant differences found between normal and incomplete partition type II ears for angle and depth on average. The authors conclude that a measured angle of >114° and a depth of the second interscalar ridge notch of ≤0.31 mm suggest the diagnosis of incomplete partition type II malformation and scalacommunis.
- MRI with DWI for the Detection of Posttreatment Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Why Morphologic MRI Criteria Matter
The authors analyzed 1.5T MRI examinations of 100 consecutive patients treated with radiation therapy with or without additional surgery for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. MRI examinations included morphologic sequences and DWI. Histology and follow-up served as the standard of reference. Two readers, blinded to clinical/histologic/ follow-up data, evaluated images according to clearly defined criteria for the diagnosis of recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma/second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma occurring after treatment, post-radiation therapy inflammatory edema, and late fibrosis. They conclude that adding precise morphologic MRI criteria to quantitative DWI enables reproducible and accurate detection of recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma/second primary head and neck squamous cell carcinoma occurring after treatment.
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