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Behcet's disease is a complex multisystemic chronic inflammatory disease that is characterized by oral and genital aphtous ulcers and vasculitis. Aneurysms of major arteries are the most important cause of mortality in Behcet's disease. Four patients with superior mesenteric artery (SMA) aneurysms related to Behcet's disease have been reported in the literature. We report here the first successful endovascular treatment of a giant, wide-necked SMA aneurysm secondary to Behcet's disease. We performed a balloon-assisted embolization technique using ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer (Onyx, ev3, Irvine, CA, USA). There were no signs of recurrence during 2-year follow-up.

We report a 19-year-old girl, who presented with headache and tonic/clonic seizures. Imaging revealed a lytic parietal skull lesion with an adjacent epidural mass, masses in the right parietal lobe and a posterior skull-base mass. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made after resection of the extradural mass and later verified with culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The parenchymal and skull-base lesions resolved following antituberculous treatment. We present CT, scintigraphic, angiographic and MRI findings.

In this study, technetium-99 ((99)Tc)-hexamethylpropyleneamine-oxine single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed on 13 children with classic lissencephaly (nine with epileptic seizures, four without seizures). Focal or multifocal hypoperfusions were observed in 12 patients. The hypoperfused areas observed on SPECT scanning did not correlate with the localization of agyric-pachygyric regions in all patients. The distribution of perfusion abnormalities by SPECT and the localization of agyria-pachygyria as detected by magnetic resonance imaging did not correlate strongly. All nine patients with seizures and three of the four patients without seizures had focal or multifocal cerebral blood flow abnormalities on the SPECT scans. The presence of brain perfusion abnormalities detected by SPECT and the occurrence of epileptic seizures did not have a significant relationship. These results suggest that the role of SPECT studies in classic lissencephaly is not clearly defined. More sophisticated methods are needed to clarify the correlation between structural and functional abnormalities of patients diagnosed with lissencephaly.

A series of moyamoya patients is presented. Angiographic findings, outcome of revascularization surgery and a young case with moyamoya disease and hyperphosphatemia are reported. Thirteen patients (6 males and 7 females; age range 2-50 years) were included in the study group. Findings of the patients at presentation were intracranial haemorrhage in two adult cases and sequelae of cerebral ischemia in the rest of the group. One young girl had hyperphosphataemia. Angiography showed distal internal carotid or proximal anterior and middle cerebral artery stenosis, unique collaterals, microaneurysm of the posterior lateral choroidal artery and flow-related changes in the posterior circulation. In 3 patients, encephalo-duro-arterio-synangiosis (EDAS) and burrholes were performed at surgery. Follow-up angiograms of these patients showed revascularization. Moyamoya, a rare but potentially devastating disease, must be addressed as a cause of haemorrhagic and ischaemic cerebral events.

Cyclosporin encephalopathy is a well-known entity, which is clinically characterized by altered mental status, vision problems, focal neurological deficits and seizures. The exact pathophysiology of the cyclosporin encephalopathy has not yet been defined. We report the diffusion-weighted MR imaging and proton MR spectroscopy findings in a case of cyclosporin encephalopathy. The white-matter lesions with reversible restricted diffusion supported the hypothesis of reversible vasospasm induced by the cyclosporin.

The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of a new staging scheme for alveolar echinoccocosis un of the liver. A total of 28 patients with hepatic alveolar echinococcosis underwent CT examinations and were staged according to the proposed staging scheme (stage 1: lesion measuring less than 3 cm in diameter; stage 2: lesion greater than 3 cm, confined to less than three hepatic segments; stage 3 a: lesion with invasion of more than three hepatic segments; stage 3 b: invasion of liver hilum or suprahepatic vena cava; stage 4: invasion of surrounding organs and/or distant metastasis). Of the patients 16 underwent laparotomy, and results of the radiologic staging were correlated with surgical data. The CT findings correlated well with surgical findings. Patients were followed-up for a period of 6 months to 7 years. We concluded that the proposed staging scheme seemed to be useful for the therapeutic planning of patients with alveolar echinococcosis of the liver.

Split notochord syndrome is a spectrum of congenital spinal malformations that develops due to an adhesion between endoderm and ectoderm causing the “splitting” of notochord. Neurenteric cyst is one of the components of split notochord syndrome. We report CT and MRI findings of an unusual case with thoracal spinal cord herniation into a mediastinal neurenteric cyst.

Congenital dermal sinus is a type of closed spinal dysraphism. Cervical and thoracic regions are the rare sites for dorsal dermal sinuses. Dermal sinuses are frequently associated with dermoid or epidermoid tumor and osseous abnormalities such as bifid spinous process. The association of dorsal dermal sinuses with vertebral body anomalies is very rare. We present MR imaging features of a case of thoracocervical dorsal dermal sinus associated with multiple vertebral body anomalies.

A 79-year-old woman was presented with a 6-month history of painless proptosis in the left eye. On examination, there was a palpable superotemporal mass displacing the left eye inferomedially. Orbital CT revealed a heterogeneous, lobulated mass occupying the left orbital space with no bone erosion or destruction. MRI showed an extraconal, heterogenous, lobulated orbital mass in the lacrimal gland region of the left eye. The lesion was excised, and the diagnosis of leiomyosarcoma was made by histopathologic examination and immunohistochemistry. Systemic examinations were negative for a primary or a metastatic tumor. There was no evidence of tumor recurrence after 12 months of follow-up. Primary orbital leiomyosarcoma is a rare tumor that mainly occurs in older women and presents with painless proptosis. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of superotemporal extraconal lesions.

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are an abnormal collection of blood vessels. They are extremely rare congenital or acquired abnormalities in the structure of blood vessels. These malformations have been associated with severe hemorrhage resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. Gingival bleeding seems to be a common symptom of most documented cases of AVM, and radiographs most often appear normal. A 12-year-old girl who was first examined by a general dentist for occasional bleeding associated with the right mandibular teeth was referred to the University of Istanbul, Faculty of Dentistry. During the suturing process to stop the leakage around the mandibular right first molar, uncontrollable hemorrhage began. Magnetic resonance imaging and angiogram revealed the AVM of the right mandibular body. After embolization with an injection of a mixture of cyanoacrylate and lipiodol, the tooth was extracted and initial periodontal therapy performed. The patient has maintained a satisfactory gingival and oral condition since the completion of dental treatment and establishment of oral hygiene. Clinicians should be aware of these lesions and the impact they can have on routine procedures. Proper recognition and therapeutic intervention can help to avoid serious complications and potentially tragic outcomes.

Type 4 spinal vascular malformations are called perimedullary arteriovenous fistulae, in which there is a shunt between a radicular artery and intradural veins. We report the spinal MR imaging and angiography findings of the angiography-induced closure of a type 4 spinal vascular malformation.

Major bleeding during stapes surgery is a rare condition. The anterior course of the sigmoid sinus is comparatively common in contracted mastoid bones, but rare in good pneumatized temporal bones. We report a case of an unusual anterior course of the vertical segment of the sigmoid sinus, which led to profuse bleeding during a stapedotomy operation. The 34-year-old female patient presented with conductive-type hearing loss in the right ear. During the operation, the unintentional sliding movement of a blunt curette caused injury to the anteriorly positioned sigmoid sinus, which was separated from the posterior wall of the external auditory canal by an extremely thin shell of bone. Profuse bleeding from the sigmoid sinus was controlled by pushing the middle part of the oxidised regenerated cellulose inside the lumen, without compromising the sinus flow. After bleeding was restrained, the stapedotomy operation was completed successfully. During the 1-year follow-up, there was neither an air-bone gap nor a sensorineural hearing loss in pure tone audiogram.

Our purpose was to evaluate the utility of intrathecal gadopentetate dimeglumine -enhanced magnetic resonance cisternography (GdMRC). We injected 0.5 ml contrast medium into the subarachnoid space via lumbar puncture in 20 patients with suspected cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea. MRC showed CSF leakage in 14 patients with rhinorrhoea at the time of the examination, into the ethmoid air cells in nine, the sphenoid sinus in three and the frontal sinus in two cases. In 12 of these the site leakage was confirmed during surgical repair of the fistula. No leakage was observed in four patients with intermittent rhinorrhoea, not present at the time of the examination. GdMRC showed leakage in two patients with negative CT cisternography. GdMRC may prove better than CT cisternography, especially with slow CSF flow. We also showed low-dose GdMRC to be a feasible and relative safe way of confirming the presence of and localising active CSF leaks prior to surgical repair.

In cross section, extraocular muscles are more or less elliptical, with short and long diameters. We studied the ratio (R) of short to long diameter and investigated its use in quantitative assessment of the extraocular muscles in patients with Graves's disease. We measured the diameters on T1-weighted axial and coronal MRI and computed R for each extraocular muscle in 80 patients without and 40 with Graves's disease. We compared the measurements and R of the right and left orbits, and of men and women. The short diameter of all extraocular muscles apart from the superior oblique showed significant differences between men and women, and that of the inferior rectus varied significantly with age. R, however, was unrelated to sex or age. All patients with Graves's disease and an increased short diameter also had an increased R, but 6% of the muscles showed an increase in R, even though their short diameter was within the normal range.

Simultaneous occurrence of an intracranial meningioma and a growth hormone (GH)-producing pituitary adenoma is exceedingly rare, as is coexistence of an empty sella and acromegaly. We report all these rare entities in the same patient. We evaluated the role of inferior petrosal sinus sampling for lateralisation of an adenoma in this patient.

We reviewed the CT findings of 13 patients with histologically proved alveolar echinococcosis of the liver. Seven of these patients had hilar involvement, which caused dilatation of intrahepatic bile ducts and invasion of the portal vein or portal branches. In two of these patients we found marked atrophy of the right lobe and in one patient marked atrophy of the left lobe in addition to various CT findings previously reported for alveolar echinococcosis of the liver. The occurrence of lobar atrophy of the liver caused by alveolar echinococcosis has not been previously reported. We concluded that, when a mass lesion with hilar infiltration causing lobar atrophy is found in endemic areas, alveolar echinococcosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis in addition to malignant neoplasms.

Percutaneous aspiration of purely cystic liver lesions was performed in 15 patients aged 11-56 years. After aspiration under guidance with computed tomography (CT) in 12 patients, a membrane that is diagnostic for hydatid disease was visible in the lumen of the cyst on CT scans. Hypertonic saline was injected in the cystic cavities of these patients as a scolecidal agent. No major complications occurred during or after the procedures. In the follow-up period of 6-16 months, control CT and ultrasound scans revealed a progressive decrease in the size of the lesions and no evidence of peritoneal seeding. It is concluded that percutaneous aspiration and hypertonic saline injection for purely cystic hydatid disease of the liver seem to be an effective form of treatment and may eventually prove to be an alternative to surgical intervention.

We evaluated the incidence and history of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) after kidney biopsy and assessed the use of superselective embolization for treatment.During the last 10 years, 896 kidney biopsies (age range of the patients: 1 month-18.6 years) have been performed in our institution under real-time ultrasonographic guidance with a 14 gauge cutting biopsy needle, and 32 of the patients had renal allografts (3.4%). We observed three cases of AVF (two in allograft kidneys, one in a native kidney) among all biopsies (0.34%), and the incidence of developing AVF after renal allograft biopsy was 6.3%. All three patients with AVF were symptomatic, and intravascular therapy was indicated.An angiographic study combined with endovascular treatment of the intrarenal AVF and pseudoaneurysm was performed in all three patients. Embolization was performed with bucrylate and lipiodol in two patients and with micro-coils in one. After successful embolization, all three patients became asymptomatic (in two renal bleeding stopped, in one patient with severe uncontrollable hypertension blood pressure returned to normal limits). No complications were observed secondary to the embolization procedure.The technique of superselective embolization using a coaxial catheter is an effective and safe method in the treatment of post-biopsy AVFs and pseudoaneurysm.

The availability of different therapeutic alternatives in hydatid liver disease necessitates a comprehensive classification system in order to evaluate indications and monitor results. We have proposed a new scheme in which lesions are graded 1–5 according to the morphology of the cyst and the presence of findings in favour of cyst rupture. Ultrasound (US), CT and cholangiographic findings in 214 hydatid liver lesions in 152 patients who underwent surgery within 15 days of their radiological examinations were evaluated retrospectively. Results of the radiological classification were correlated with surgical data. We found that purely cystic unilocular lesions never ruptured, that dilatation of biliary canaliculi around a lesion with a complex morphological appearance is a non-specific finding and that there was no reliable radiological sign for a simple biliary communication. US, CT and cholangiography were reliable in diagnosing intra-biliary and direct ruptures. We conclude that the proposed grading scheme could be useful in monitoring the results of different therapeutic modalities for hydatid disease of the liver and, with the accumulation of further data, could be helpful in allocating patients to therapeutic alternatives.

Editor: We describe a case of internal mammary artery pseudoaneurysm as a complication of the insertion of a hemodialysis catheter into the subclavian vein and subsequent endovascular treatment. To our knowledge, this complication has not been previously reported. A 23-year-old man with a 10-year history of HenochSchonlein nephritis underwent renal transplantation due to end-stage renal disease 2 years prior to presentation. In June 1997, because of chronic rejection, hemodialysis was restarted with the placement of a left subclavian catheter. Three weeks after the placement, the patient was readmitted to the hospital with left shoulder pain, shortness of breath, fever, cough, and hemoptysis. Laboratory test revealed leukocytosis (white blood cell count, 26,000/mm3 [26 x 1O3IpL]) and increased sedimentation rate. Plain chest radiographs showed dense consolidation in left upper lung zone, diffuse acinar pattern in the middle and lower zones, and left pleural effusion. Computed tomography (CT) revealed a mass in eurysm was suspected and the patient was referred for arteriography to search for the origin. A selective left internal mammary arteriogram confirmed this finding (Figure, part b). A total of two 0.018-inch-diameter complex helical platinum microcoils (Target Therapeutics, Fremont, CA) were deposited. The pseudoaneurysm occluded after coil deployment with preserved patency of distal portion of the artery (Figure, part c) . The pa