OBJECTIVE:Pancreatic involvement in neuroblastoma is extremely rare, with few cases reported in the literature. We present imaging findings of pancreatic involvement in neuroblastoma with clinical and pathologic correlation in the largest documented series to date.SUBJECTS AND METHODS:We prospectively reported pancreatic involvement evident on multimodality imaging in neuroblastoma patients presenting to our institution from 1997 to 2011. Lesions were classified according to location within the pancreas, and imaging features were correlated with cytogenetic and surgicopathologic findings.RESULTS:Neuroblastoma involving the pancreas was evident on imaging of seven of 1031 patients (mean age, 6.6 years). One patient had pancreatic involvement at presentation, and six developed pancreatic disease at relapse or disease progression. Pancreatic lesions were most frequently initially identified on concurrent CT and (123)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine scintigraphy, and additional lesions initially were found on MRI and ultrasound. Five of seven patients had focal lesions, one had diffuse pancreatic involvement, and one had pancreatic extension from contiguous disease. The distribution of lesions favored the pancreatic body and tail. All patients had International Neuroblastoma Staging System stage 3 or 4 disease, Children's Oncology Group intermediate- or high-risk disease, and unfavorable histology at initial diagnosis. For the five patients with surgical correlation, pancreatic surgical specimens revealed neuroblastoma in three cases and ganglioneuroblastoma in two cases.CONCLUSION:Although rare, pancreatic involvement in neuroblastoma occurs. Its variable imaging appearance should be considered when evaluating the retroperitoneum in patients with known or suspected neuroblastoma, particularly because increased patient survival holds the potential for uncommon patterns of recurrence.

While more than 7000 rare diseases have been identified, only about 5 percent benefit from a licensed treatment. As the majority of these diseases is life threatening, these facts underscore the need for new drugs. Drug repositioning is an alternative strategy in drug development, which represents an attractive opportunity for rare diseases. Drug repositioning (also called drug repurposing, drug reprofiling or drug re-tasking) consists in identifying for an already approved or investigational drug a new use outside the scope of the original medical indication. Drug repositioning is considered in the field of orphan drugs as being a faster and somehow less costly strategy than traditional new drug development for pharmaceutical companies. While several successful repositioning cases have been discovered by serendipity, most successes straightly derive from the molecular characterization of the concerned disease. This short commentary is mainly dedicated to these rationally-based success stories.

Purpose: To report a combined procedure that opens the acutely thrombosed superior vena cava (SVC) to rapidly alleviate symptoms in seriously ill patients with SVC syndrome. Case Reports: Four patients aged 54 to 63 years old with underlying malignancies were referred for treatment of SVC syndrome. All received isolated pharmacomechanical thrombolysis (IPMT) with tissue plasminogen activator delivered in a Trellis Peripheral Infusion System that removed obstructive clot in minutes versus the 24 to 48 hours required for traditional catheter-directed thrombolysis. In each case, stents were inserted immediately following IPMT in a combined procedure lasting <1 hour. Patients exhibited near-immediate relief of debilitating symptoms; completion venography demonstrated patent vessels with excellent blood flow. Conclusion: Combining IPMT with immediate stenting during the same session is an effective method for managing acute thrombotic SVC syndrome and limiting the exposure time and number of interventions performed on seriously ill patients.

Purpose: To assess the normal small bowel parameters, namely bowel diameter, bowel wall thickness, number of folds (valvulae connivientes) per 2.5 cm (in.), fold thickness and interfold distance per small bowel segment (duodenum, jejunum, proximal ileum, distal ileum and terminal ileum) on MR enterography.Materials and methods: Between September 2003 and January 2008, 280 MR enterography examinations were performed for investigation of known or suspected mall bowel pathology. 120 of these examinations were normal. Sixty-five (m = 29, f = 36, mean age = 34 years, range = 17-73 years) of 120 examinations without a prior small bowel diagnosis, with no prior or subsequent abnormal radiology or endoscopy examinations, no prior small bowel surgery and with a minimum 3 years follow-up demonstrating normality were retrospectively evaluated for the described small bowel parameters.Results: We found the mean diameter of the duodenum to be 24.8 mm (S.D. = 4.5 mm), jejunum to be 24.5 mm (S.D. = 4.2 mm), proximal ileum to be 19.5 mm (S.D. = 3.6 mm), distal ileum to be 18.9 mm (S.D. = 4.2mm) and terminal ileum to be 18.7 mm (S.D. = 3.6 mm). The number of folds per 2.5 cm varied from 4.6 in the jejunum to 1.5 in the terminal ileum. The fold thickness varied from 2.1 mm in the duodenum to 1.8 mm in the terminal ileum. The small bowel parameters gradually decreased in size from the duodenum to the smallest measurements which were in the terminal ileum. The bowel wall is similar in size throughout the small bowel measuring 1.5 + 0.5 mm.Conclusion: These results provide the mean, range of normality and standard deviation of the small bowel parameters per segment on the current population on MR enterography. From our experience, knowledge of these parameters is extremely helpful and essential in the everyday assessment of MR enterography studies. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

To date, cross-sectional imaging of the duodenum has a number of inadequacies, most likely a reflection of its tortuous and complex anatomical course, resulting in somewhat suboptimal imaging. The purpose of this study was to describe and assess the feasibility of performing a 'tubeless', per-oral, single contrast, hypotonic magnetic resonance (MR) duodenography technique. Secondly, to assess the efficacy of intravenous Buscopan in facilitating duodenal distension at cross-sectional MR imaging. Ten healthy volunteers prospectively underwent MR imaging of the duodenum pre- and post-Buscopan immediately after consuming 1,000 ml of water. Images were qualitatively (using a visual assessment grading scale of 1-3) and quantitatively evaluated with regard to degree of small bowel distension by two observers. The contrast medium was successfully ingested and MR examination was completed in all participants. Quantitatively and qualitatively, the per-oral, hypotonic duodenography technique yielded superior distension scores and was significantly greater in diameter in comparison with the per-oral non-hypotonic duodenography technique (p < 0.003, p < 0.002). Per-oral, single-contrast, hypotonic MR duodenography is a feasible, simple, fast mode of investigation of the duodenum, which does not involve radiation and represents a useful technique in the armamentarium of the radiologist.

OBJECTIVE:The cross-sectional characterization of duodenal abnormalities is plagued with inadequacy, a reflection of the meandering course of this segment of the bowel. We consider the imaging appearance of such abnormalities at MRI small-bowel follow-through, illustrating the typical manifestations of each pathologically confirmed condition.CONCLUSION:MRI small-bowel follow-through allows confident duodenal evaluation because of a combination of sufficient luminal distention and multiplanar versatility. Diseases of the duodenum may have a variety of manifestations at MRI small-bowel follow-through, the knowledge of which may aid in confident noninvasive patient diagnosis.

The apparent incidence of iliopsoas muscle abnormalities is currently rapidly increasing secondary to the increased number of immuno-compromised patients, malignancies, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, multi-systemic disease and the wide availability of cross-sectional imaging. Disease of the iliopsoas compartment can present with non-specific or indolent clinical features, particularly where normal immune responses are attenuated. Delay in diagnosis can lead to inappropriate initial treatment and, in some cases, serious complications. Wider availability and application of modern cross-sectional imaging offers rapid, confident diagnosis. An understanding of iliopsoas compartment anatomy and pathways of disease spread are essential to recognising these clinically important conditions. We review the anatomy, clinical presentation and common imaging findings of iliopsoas disease as it presents through the emergency room.

The effect of inferior vena cava (IVC) stents crossing the ostia of the renal veins on renal function has not been reported. The purpose of this study is to report a single-institution experience with four cases of IVC stent implantation for malignant compression and/or invasion of the IVC causing severe lower-extremity edema. The patients' symptoms were successfully relieved, and follow-up imaging and serum creatinine measurements for the remainder of their lives revealed no evidence of renal impairment or renal vein thrombosis.