1. Greenberg BM. Treatment of Acute Transverse Myelitis and Its Early Complications. Continuum 2011;17(4):733-43.
Succinct review of ATM which helps to put this confusing topic into proper clinical prespective. In the end, the treatment revolves around corticosteroids, plasma exchange, IV immunoglobulin, and chemotherapeutic agents such as cyclophosphamide. There are no MR images in the review, so if you are looking for more examples of nonspecific cord T2 hyperintensity, stay away.
2. Teitelbaum J, Shemi SD. Neurologic Determination of Death. Neurologic Clinics 2011;29(4):787-99. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2011.08.003.
Very useful summary of the difficulties of defining brain death. Test commonly performed in Radiology are simply ancillary tests: Only 4-vessel cerebral angiography and radionuclide tests of blood flow/brain perfusion have been officially accepted as valid confirmatory tests. Computed tomographic (CT) angi- ography and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography have been subsequently found to be equally suitable. Transcranial Doppler is not suitable because of frequent problems with insonation and the variability among operators.
We perform a fair amount of angiography in this population, and I have been struck by the lack of uniform standards about what vessels are exactly is to be injected, where the catheter is placed, how much contrast to inject and under what force (power injector vs. hand injection). For such an important determination, you would think more precise standards would exist.
3. Flanagan EP, Lennon V, Pittock S. Autoimmune Myelopathies. Continuum 2011;17(4):776-99.
I have a sneaking suspicion that this diagnosis is much more common than is recognized. This is not an easy read, but it is well worth while.
4. Calamante F, Tournier J-D, Kurniawan ND, et al. Super-resolution track-density imaging studies of mouse brain: Comparison to histology. NeuroImage 2011;59(1):286-96. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.014.
Ex-vivo mouse brain track-density imaging at 16T. ‘nuff said.
5. Baroncini M, Jissendi P, Balland E, et al. MRI atlas of the human hypothalamus. NeuroImage 2011;59(1):168-80. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.07.013.
This is a good reference to have around. Print out a copy and have the abbreviations nearby (there are a lot of them). Good material to question the residents and fellows about.
6. Smucker JD, Ramme AJ, Leblond RF, Bruch L a, Bakhshandehpour G. Hypertrophic Spinal Pachymeningitis With Thoracic Myelopathy: The Initial Presentation of ANCA-related Systemic Vasculitis. J Spinal Disord Tech 2011;24(8):525-32. doi:10.1097/BSD.0b013e3182067abf.
This is one of those diagnoses that I have spent way to much time finding references on, given its rarity. HSP is probably the common end result of many different pathologies. The dura can only get angry in so many ways.
7. Nay Fellay C, Frappaz D, Sunyach MP, et al. Medulloblastomas in adults: prognostic factors and lessons from paediatrics. Curr Opin Neurol 2011;24(6):626-32. doi:10.1097/WCO.0b013e32834cd4b1
Gene profiling is critical, but too often ignored by the imager. At least read the conclusion and the key points box.
8. Hanak BW, Zada G, Nayar VV, et al. Cerebral aneurysms with intrasellar extension: a systematic review of clinical, anatomical, and treatment characteristics. J Neurosurg published online November 4, 2011. doi:10.3171/2011.9.JNS11380.
Meta-analysis of 31 studies with 40 cases. Infradiaphragmatic intrasellar aneurysms originate from the cavernous or clinoid segment of the ICA, project medially into the sella through the cavernous sinus dura, are smaller, and are more likely to cause hypopituitarism and cranial nerve paresis. Supradiaphragmatic intrasellar aneurysms originate from the ophthalmic segment of the ICA or the ACoA, are usually larger, and present with visual loss.
9. Cepoiu-Martin M, Faris P, Lorenzetti D, et al. Artificial Cervical Disc Arthroplasty (ACDA): a systematic review. Spine 2011;36(25):E1623-33. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182163814.
Systematic review of the literature. After 2 years of follow-up, the effectiveness of ACDA appears similar to that of cervical fusion. Weak evidence exists that ACDA may be superior to fusion for treating neck and arm pain.
10. Muralidharan R, Saladino A, Lanzino G, Atkinson JL, Rabinstein A a. The Clinical and Radiological Presentation of Spinal Dural Arteriovenous Fistula. Spine 2011;36(25):E1641-47. doi:10.1097/BRS.0b013e31821352dd.
Retrospective consecutive case series of 153 patient treated for spinal dural AV fistula (SDAVF). 10 of these patients had no T2 signal abnormality, and several of these also had no abnormal vessels on MRI. SDAVF was confirmed in all the cases by spinal angiography.
11. Lebow RL, Adogwa O, Parker SL, et al. Asymptomatic same-site recurrent disc herniation after lumbar discectomy: Results of a prospective longitudinal study with two-year serial imaging. Spine 2011;36(25):2147-2151. doi: 10.1097/BRS.0b013e3182054595.
Clinically silent recurrent disc herniation is common after lumbar discectomy. Nearly one-fourth of patients undergoing lumbar discectomy demonstrated radiographic evidence of recurrent disc herniation at the level of prior surgery. The majority of these were asymptomatic. No images shown, so I am not really sure what they are defining as herniation.
12. Bagert B a, Marder E, Stüve O. Chronic Cerebrospinal Venous Insufficiency and Multiple Sclerosis. Arch Neurol 2011;68(11):1379-84. doi:10.1001/archneurol.2011.179.
The current evidence calls into question whether CCSVI exists as an entity. It appears to be a further stretch to associate it with MS. Until and if the existence of CCSVI in MS is established by independent investigations, clinical trials of invasive treatments of CCSVI in MS are not appropriate.
13. Pandey P, Steinberg GK. Neurosurgical advances in the treatment of moyamoya disease. Stroke 2011;42(11):3304-10. doi:10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.598565.
Surgical revascularization with direct, indirect, and combined methods remains the procedure of choice in patients with MMD. Detailed clinical and surgical information, with no images.
14. Pang D, Thompson DNP. Embryology and bony malformations of the craniovertebral junction. Childs Nerv Syst 2011;27(4):523-64. doi:10.1007/s00381-010-1358-9.
Wow. Save this one for a raining night when you have nothing else on your plate. Incredibly detailed examination of the development of the CV junction. Heavy correlations to Hox genes in mouse and human with their phylogenetic counterparts in Drosophila.
