1. Donahue MJ, Strother MK, Hendrikse J. Novel MRI Approaches for Assessing Cerebral Hemodynamics in Ischemic Cerebrovascular Disease. Stroke. 2012;43(3):903-915. Available at: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/doi/10.1161/STROKEAHA.111.635995.

The authors outline the current state-of-the-art MRI methods for measuring cerebral blood flow, cerebral blood volume, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen and provide practical tips to avoid imaging pitfalls.  CBF-weighted ASL approaches have undergone the most advanced clinical testing and have been cross- validated with Gd-DSC, PET and SPECT and applied in cerebrovascular disease (126 references).

2. Haidar R, Mhaidli H, Musallam KM, Taher AT. The Spine in β-Thalassemia Syndromes. Spine. 2012;37(4):334-9. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21494197.

The authors provide a comprehensive literature review of spinal involvement in patients with β-thalassemia, the most common monogenetic disease worldwide.  In patients with thalassemia major (TM), genetic and acquired risk factors lead to osteoporosis, pathologic fractures of the spine, back pain and characteristic intervertebral disc degeneration. Spinal asymmetry and scoliosis are common.

3. Hashizume K, Watanabe K, Kawaguchi M, et al. Comparison of computed tomography myelography and radioisotope cisternography to detect cerebrospinal fluid leakage in spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Spine. 2012;37(4):E237-42. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21857401.

Retrospective observational study of radioisotope cisternography (RIC) and CTM in 12 patients with spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) where the findings were compared to evaluate the usefulness of these 2 tests for the detection of CSF leak.  Detection rate of the feature expected to directly represent leakage was 67% on RIC (paraspinal accumulation) and 100% on CTM.  Patients were treated with targeted blood patches at C7-T2 level.

4. Hetts SW, Moftakhar P, English JD, et al. Spinal dural arteriovenous fistulas and intrathecal venous drainage: correlation between digital subtraction angiography, magnetic resonance imaging, and clinical findings. Journal of Neurosurgery – Spine. 2012:1-8. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22324803.

Retrospective review of 31 patients with SDAVFs who had undergone DSA and MRI examinations of the spine. The craniocaudal extent of enlarged intrathecal veins draining SDAVF correlates with patient functional status, with enlarged draining veins extending 10 or more spinal levels on DSA had worse Aminoff-Logue scale (ALS) scores.  The fistula location in patients with distended draining veins extending more than 10 spinal levels did not correspond to the side or level of the clinical symptoms.  There also was no correlation between the craniocaudal extent of dilated draining veins and interval between onset of symptoms and presentation.

5. Horie N, So G, Debata A, et al. Intra-arterial Indocyanine Green Angiography in the Management of Spinal Arteriovenous Fistulae: Technical Case Reports. Spine. 2012;37(4):E264-7. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21738090.

Intra-arterial ICG angiography is best for multiple, short-interval evaluations of the hemodynamics to confirm the complete obliteration of the fistula site. Technical and practical limitations of the technique are discussed.

6. Kato TS, Ota T, Schulze PC, et al. Asymmetric Pattern of Cerebrovascular Lesions in Patients After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation. Stroke. 2011:872-874. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22207509.

In 317 consecutive patients who underwent LVAD surgery, there were 46 strokes.  Approximately 60% occurred in the right hemisphere, and 30% in the left hemisphere.  Right-to-left propensity of stroke after LVAD is likely explained by anatomic alignment of the arteries arising from aortic arch and/or surgical manipulation of LVAD outflow cannula-to-ascending aorta anastomosis that directs embolic material toward the brachiocephalic trunk.  Concomitant infection increases the risk of right hemisphere stroke.

7. Kleiter I, Hellwig K, Berthele A, et al. Failure of Natalizumab to Prevent Relapses in Neuromyelitis Optica. Archives of Neurology. 2012;69(2):239-245. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22332191.

Retrospective case series of 5 patients who were initially diagnosed with MS and treated with natalizumab, but were ultimately diagnosed with NMO.  All the patients displayed persisting disease activity with 9 relapses occurring after the start of treatment.  Natalizumab appears to fail in controlling disease activity in patients with NMO.

8. Lavoie P, Gariépy J-L, Milot G, et al. Residual Flow After Cerebral Aneurysm Coil Occlusion: Diagnostic Accuracy of MR Angiography. Stroke. 2012:740-746. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22267824.

The authors found that the sensitivity (Se) and the specificity (Sp) of CE MRA to detect any residual flow into a previously coiled aneurysm was 88% (95% CI, 80–94) and 79% (95% CI, 67–88), respectively. MRA NPV for the absence of a Class 3 recanalization on DSA was high (93%; 95% CI, 86–97). MRA Se and Sp for the diagnosis of a Class 3 residual flow in small aneurysms is poor.  Approximately 12% (95% CI, 6–20) of all aneurysms with a residual flow will not be detected on MRA, and the probability of finding a Class 3 residual flow on DSA when MRA shows a Class 1 or 2 occlusion is approximately 7%.

9. Mandell DM, Matouk CC, Farb RI, et al. Vessel Wall MRI to Differentiate Between Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome and Central Nervous System Vasculitis: Preliminary Results. Stroke. 2011:860-862. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22156692.

Evaluation of 7 patients (3 with RCVS and 4 with CNSV) showing persistent narrowing and wall enhancement in the vasculitis group.  Vessel wall protocol included a time-of-flight MR angiography of the circle of Willis, T1-weighted black blood vessel wall sequence (single IR-prepared 2-D FSE with 2-3 mm slice thickness) before and after intravenous gadolinium.

10. Menezes AH. Craniovertebral junction abnormalities with hindbrain herniation and syringomyelia: regression of syringomyelia after removal of ventral craniovertebral junction compression. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2012;116(2):301-9. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22098202.

The author evaluated 84 patients with syringomyelia consisting of 69 individuals who had primary basilar invagination and 15 others who had secondary invagination or basilar impression.  Patients with symptomatic CVJ abnormalities have a 33%–38% incidence of hindbrain abnormalities. A syrinx is associated in half of these individuals. A ventral decompression of the cervicomedullary junction in irreducible pathology allows for regression of the syrinx.

11. Naismith RT, Xu J, Tutlam NT, et al. Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Acute Optic Neuropathies: Predictor of Clinical Outcomes. Archives of Neurology. 2011;69(1):65-71. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21911658.

The authors evaluated 25 individuals who presented within 31 days after acute visual symptoms consistent with optic neuritis.  They used an optic nerve imaging protocol with a 4-element surface receiver coil and single-shot, spin-echo, echo planar imaging sequence at 3T. Decreased axial diffusivity in acute optic neuritis was associated with a worse 6-month visual outcome.

12. Papagoras C, Drosos A. Seronegative Spondyloarthropathies : Evolving Concepts Regarding. J Spine. 2012;1(1):1-4.

Excellent succinct review.  Highly recommended.

13. Potts MB, Smith JS, Molinaro AM, Berger MS. Natural history and surgical management of incidentally discovered low-grade gliomas.  Journal of Neurosurgery. 2011;116 (February):365-372. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21999317.

Thirty-five patients with incidental LGGs were identified with the most common reasons for head imaging being headache without mass effect (31.4%) and trauma (20%).  Patients with incidental lesions were more likely to undergo gross-total resection and had improved overall survival on Kaplan-Meier analysis.

14. Spinner RJ, Scheithauer BW, Amrami KK, Wenger DE, Hébert-Blouin M-N. Adipose lesions of nerve: the need for a modified classification. Journal of Neurosurgery. 2012;116(2):418-31. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21981643.

Adipose lesions involving peripheral nerve represent a constellation of pathologies, whose nosology is evolving with the availability of new, sophisticated imaging and morphological analyses.  The authors maintain the simple categories of lipomatosis of nerve and lipoma, but the lesions are not mutually exclusive (16 figures and 87 references).

15. Zhu L, Liebeskind DS, Jahan R, et al. Thrombus Branching and Vessel Curvature Are Important Determinants of Middle Cerebral Artery Trunk Recanalization With Merci Thrombectomy Devices. Stroke. 2012:787-792. Available at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22282888.

In 65 patients, pretreatment MRI (gradient echo) showed susceptibility vessel signs in 45 (69%). Thrombus length averaged approximately 13 mm.  Extension of thrombus into middle cerebral artery division branches and curving shape of the middle cerebral artery stem, but not thrombus length, decrease technical and clinical success of Merci thrombectomy in M1 occlusions.