Dear AuntMinnie Member,
Our shocking story from earlier in the week about a woman's death from genital plastic surgery -- and the role of CT in determining how she died -- was the most-read article of the week on AuntMinnie.com.
The article described the case of a 33-year-old woman in China who had received injections of hyaluronic acid and collagen into her vaginal wall in an effort to firm it after multiple childbirths. Sadly, the injections may have contributed to the formation of an acute pulmonary embolism, obstructive shock, and anaphylactic shock.
CT images showed fluid in the lower lobe of her left lung, enlargement of the right atrium and ventricle, and other symptoms, while pulmonary CT angiography demonstrated interruption of pulmonary artery branches of the posterior basal segment of the right lower lobe.
The case study demonstrates the risks behind what's becoming an increasingly common type of plastic surgery. It also illustrates what radiologists should look for in patients presenting with these types of symptoms.
MRI of brain microbleeds
MRI was more valuable than CT in detecting cerebral microbleeds -- small hemorrhages caused by damage to small blood vessels in the brain -- in patients who had sustained traumatic head injuries, according to another article that was one of our top stories for the week.
Researchers from the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke found evidence of microbleeds in 58% of patients with severe head injury. And 27% of patients with mild cases of head injury had the bleeds as well. The findings indicate that microbleeds could be a biomarker for identifying patients who might benefit from vascular therapy.
In other MRI news, the modality showed that the effects of concussion in athletes could last longer than previously thought, according to a study by Canadian researchers. They found reduced cerebral blood flow and increasing mean diffusivity 12 months after athletes had been cleared to play after their concussion -- an ominous finding. Also read about how functional MRI showed the spread of atrophy through different parts of the brain, a precursor to dementia.
These stories and more are available in our MRI Community.
Harms of steroid injections
Finally, many patients with osteoarthritis pain in the hip and knee have resorted to injections of corticosteroids to relieve their symptoms. But a new study indicates that this treatment may do more harm than good, based on x-ray images. Find out why in this story.
