Delayed cerebral ischemia is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality after aneurysmal SAH, leading to poor outcomes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of CTP in ...determining delayed cerebral ischemia in patients with aneurysmal SAH.
We conducted a systematic review evaluating studies that assessed CTP in patients with aneurysmal SAH for determining delayed cerebral ischemia. Studies using any of the following definitions of delayed cerebral ischemia were included in the systematic review: 1) new onset of clinical deterioration, 2) cerebral infarction identified on follow-up CT or MR imaging, and 3) functional disability. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed assessing the strength of association between a positive CTP result and delayed cerebral ischemia.
The systematic review identified 218 studies that met our screening criteria, of which 6 cohort studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies encompassed a total of 345 patients, with 155 (45%) of 345 patients classified as having delayed cerebral ischemia and 190 (55%) of 345 patients as not having delayed cerebral ischemia. Admission disease severity was comparable across all groups. Four cohort studies reported CTP test characteristics amenable to the meta-analysis. The weighted averages and ranges of the pooled sensitivity and specificity of CTP in the determination of delayed cerebral ischemia were 0.84 (0.7-0.95) and 0.77 (0.66-0.82), respectively. The pooled odds ratio of 23.14 (95% CI, 5.87-91.19) indicates that patients with aneurysmal SAH with positive CTP test results were approximately 23 times more likely to experience delayed cerebral ischemia compared with patients with negative CTP test results.
Perfusion deficits on CTP are a significant finding in determining delayed cerebral ischemia in aneurysmal SAH. This may be helpful in identifying patients with delayed cerebral ischemia before development of infarction and neurologic deficits.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:There has been extensive interest in promoting gender equality within radiology, a predominately male field. In this study, our aim was to quantify gender representation in ...neuroradiology faculty rankings and determine any related factors that may contribute to any such disparity.MATERIALS AND METHODS:We evaluated the academic and administrative faculty members of neuroradiology divisions for all on-line listed programs in the US and Canada. After excluding programs that did not fulfill our selection criteria, we generated a short list of 85 US and 8 Canadian programs. We found 465 faculty members who met the inclusion criteria for our study. We used Elsevier's SCOPUS for gathering the data pertaining to the publications, H-index, citations, and tenure of the productivity of each faculty member.RESULTS:Gender disparity was insignificant when analyzing academic ranks. There are more men working in neuroimaging relative to women (χ2 = 0.46; P = .79). However, gender disparity was highly significant for leadership positions in neuroradiology (χ2 = 6.76; P = .009). The median H-index was higher among male faculty members (17.5) versus female faculty members (9). Female faculty members have odds of 0.84 compared with male faculty members of having a higher H-index, adjusting for publications, citations, academic ranks, leadership ranks, and interaction between gender and publications and gender and citations (9).CONCLUSIONS:Neuroradiology faculty members follow the same male predominance seen in many other specialties of medicine. In this study, issues such as mentoring, role models, opportunities to engage in leadership/research activities, funding opportunities, and mindfulness regarding research productivity are explored.
DCI is a serious complication following aneurysmal SAH leading to permanent neurologic deficits, infarction, and death. Our aim was to prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CTP and to ...determine a quantitative threshold for DCI in aneurysmal SAH.
Patients with SAH were prospectively enrolled in a protocol approved by the institutional review board. CTP was performed during the typical time period for DCI, between days 6 and 8 following SAH. Quantitative CBF, CBV, and MTT values were obtained by using standard region-of-interest placement sampling of gray matter. The reference standard for DCI is controversial and consisted of clinical and imaging criteria in this study. In a subanalysis of vasospasm, DSA was used as the reference standard. ROC curves determined the diagnostic accuracy by using AUC. Optimal threshold values were calculated by using the patient population utility method.
Ninety-seven patients were included; 41% (40/97) had DCI. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 93% for CBF, 88% for MTT, and 72% for CBV. Optimal threshold values were 35 mL/100 g/min (90% sensitivity, 68% specificity) for CBF and 5.5 seconds (73% sensitivity, 79% specificity) for MTT. In the subanalysis (n = 57), 63% (36/57) had vasospasm. Overall diagnostic accuracy was 94% for CBF, 85% for MTT, and 72% for CBV. Optimal threshold values were 36.5 mL/100 g/min (95% sensitivity, 70% specificity) for CBF and 5.4 seconds (78% sensitivity, 70% specificity) for MTT.
CBF and MTT have the highest overall diagnostic accuracy. Threshold values of 35 mL/100 g/min for CBF and 5.5-second MTT are suggested for DCI on the basis of the patient population utility method. Absolute threshold values may not be generalizable due to differences in scanner equipment and postprocessing methods.
Delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm are significant complications following SAH leading to cerebral infarction, functional disability, and death. In recent years, CTA and CTP have been used to ...increase the detection of delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm. Our aim was to perform comparative-effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses evaluating CTA and CTP for delayed cerebral ischemia and vasospasm in aneurysmal SAH from a health care payer perspective.
We developed a decision model comparing CTA and CTP with transcranial Doppler sonography for detection of vasospasm and delayed cerebral ischemia in SAH. The clinical pathways were based on the "Guidelines for the Management of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Guideline for Healthcare Professionals from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association" (2012). Outcome health states represented mortality and morbidity according to functional outcomes. Input probabilities of symptoms and serial test results from CTA and CTP, transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and digital subtraction angiography were directly derived from an SAH cohort by using a multinomial logistic regression model. Expected benefits, measured as quality-adjusted life years, and costs, measured in 2012 US dollars, were calculated for each imaging strategy. Univariable, multivariable, and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to determine the independent and combined effect of input parameter uncertainty.
The transcranial Doppler ultrasound strategy yielded 13.62 quality-adjusted life years at a cost of $154,719. The CTA and CTP strategy generated 13.89 quality-adjusted life years at a cost of $147,097, resulting in a gain of 0.27 quality-adjusted life years and cost savings of $7622 over the transcranial Doppler ultrasound strategy. Univariable and multivariable sensitivity analyses indicated that results were robust to plausible input parameter uncertainty. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis results yielded 96.8% of iterations in the right lower quadrant, representing higher benefits and lower costs.
Our model results suggest that CTA and CTP are the preferred imaging strategy in SAH, compared with transcranial Doppler ultrasound, leading to improved clinical outcomes and lower health care costs.
Neuroimaging plays a critical role in the evaluation of patients with traumatic brain injury, with NCCT as the first-line of imaging for patients with traumatic brain injury and MR imaging being ...recommended in specific settings. Advanced neuroimaging techniques, including MR imaging DTI, blood oxygen level-dependent fMRI, MR spectroscopy, perfusion imaging, PET/SPECT, and magnetoencephalography, are of particular interest in identifying further injury in patients with traumatic brain injury when conventional NCCT and MR imaging findings are normal, as well as for prognostication in patients with persistent symptoms. These advanced neuroimaging techniques are currently under investigation in an attempt to optimize them and substantiate their clinical relevance in individual patients. However, the data currently available confine their use to the research arena for group comparisons, and there remains insufficient evidence at the time of this writing to conclude that these advanced techniques can be used for routine clinical use at the individual patient level. TBI imaging is a rapidly evolving field, and a number of the recommendations presented will be updated in the future to reflect the advances in medical knowledge.
DCI is a serious complication following aneurysmal SAH and remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Our aim was to evaluate CTP in aneurysmal SAH by using outcome measures of DCI.
This was ...a retrospective study of consecutive patients with SAH enrolled in a prospective institutional review board-approved clinical accuracy trial. Qualitative CTP deficits were determined by 2 neuroradiologists blinded to clinical and imaging data. Quantitative CTP was performed by using a standardized protocol with region-of-interest placement sampling of the cortex. Primary outcome measures were permanent neurologic deficits and infarction. The secondary outcome measure was DCI, defined as clinical deterioration. CTP test characteristics (95% CI) were determined for each outcome measure. Statistical significance was calculated by using the Fisher exact and Student t tests. ROC curves were generated to determine accuracy and threshold analysis.
Ninety-six patients were included. Permanent neurologic deficits developed in 33% (32/96). CTP deficits were seen in 78% (25/32) of those who developed permanent neurologic deficits and 34% (22/64) of those without (P < .0001). CTP deficits had 78% (61%-89%) sensitivity, 66% (53%-76%) specificity, and 53% (39%-67%) positive and 86% (73%-93%) negative predictive values. Infarction occurred in 18% (17/96). CTP deficits were seen in 88% (15/17) of those who developed infarction and 41% (32/79) of those without (P = .0004). CTP deficits had an 88% (66%-97%) sensitivity, 59% (48%-70%) specificity, and 32% (20%-46%) positive and 96% (86%-99%) negative predictive values. DCI was diagnosed in 50% (48/96). CTP deficits were seen in 81% (39/48) of patients with DCI and in 17% (8/48) of those without (P < .0001). CTP deficits had 81% (68%-90%) sensitivity, 83% (70%-91%) specificity, and 83% (70%-91%) positive and 82% (69%-90%) negative predictive values. Quantitative CTP revealed significantly reduced CBF and prolonged MTT for DCI, permanent neurologic deficits, and infarction. ROC analysis showed that CBF and MTT had the highest accuracy.
CTP may add prognostic information regarding DCI and poor outcomes in aneurysmal SAH.
Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Imaging plays a critical role in evaluating patients suspected of acute stroke and transient ischemic attack, especially before initiating ...treatment. Over the past few decades, major advances have occurred in stroke imaging and treatment, including Food and Drug Administration approval of recanalization therapies for the treatment of acute ischemic stroke. A wide variety of imaging techniques has become available to assess vascular lesions and brain tissue status in acute stroke patients. However, the practical challenge for physicians is to understand the multiple facets of these imaging techniques, including which imaging techniques to implement and how to optimally use them, given available resources at their local institution. Important considerations include constraints of time, cost, access to imaging modalities, preferences of treating physicians, availability of expertise, and availability of endovascular therapy. The choice of which imaging techniques to employ is impacted by both the time urgency for evaluation of patients and the complexity of the literature on acute stroke imaging. Ideally, imaging algorithms should incorporate techniques that provide optimal benefit for improved patient outcomes without delaying treatment.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSEDelays to reperfusion negatively impact outcomes of patients with ischemic stroke, yet current guidelines recommend selective sequential imaging for thrombectomy candidates. We ...aimed to quantify and analyze time delays associated with rescanning in sequential acute stroke imaging. MATERIALS AND METHODSThis was a retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke who underwent imaging for treatment decision-making from January 1, 2017, to June 30, 2020. Rescan time delay was defined as ≥10-minute difference between initial NCCT and CTA ± CTP. Mean rescan time delays in comprehensive and primary stroke centers were compared. Bivariate and multivariable regression analyses assessed clinical and imaging factors associated with rescanning time delays and early outcomes. RESULTSA total of 588 patients with acute ischemic were included in statistical analyses. Rescanning occurred in 27.9% (164/588 patients), with a mean time delay of 53.7 (SD, 43.4) minutes. For patients presenting at primary compared with comprehensive stroke centers, rescan time delays were more common (59.6% versus 11.8%, P < .001), with longer delays (65.4 SD, 45.4 minutes versus 23.6 SD, 14.0 minutes, P < .001). Independent predictors of rescan time delays included primary stroke center presentation, intravenous thrombolysis administration, black race, admission NIHSS ≥10, baseline independent ambulation, and onset-to-comprehensive stroke center arrival in ≥6 hours. Protocols for early simultaneous comprehensive CT (NCCT + CTA + CTP) were associated with lower odds of time delays (OR = 0.34; 95% CI, 0.21-0.55). Rescanning was associated with lower odds of home discharge (OR = 0.53; 95% CI, 0.30-0.95). CONCLUSIONSA sequential approach to CT-based imaging may be significantly associated with prolonged acute stroke evaluations. Adoption of early simultaneous comprehensive CT could minimize treatment delays and improve outcomes.
Emerging evidence indicates that plaque imaging can improve stroke risk stratification in patients with carotid artery atherosclerosis. We studied the association between soft and hard (calcified) ...plaque thickness measurements on CTA and symptomatic disease status (ipsilateral stroke or TIA) in patients with moderate-grade carotid artery stenosis.
We measured soft-plaque and hard-plaque thickness on CTA axial source images in each carotid artery plaque in subjects with NASCET 50%-69% ICA stenosis. We used logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic analyses to assess the strength of the association between thickness measurements and prior stroke or TIA.
Twenty of 72 vessels studied (27.7%) had ischemic symptoms ipsilateral to the side of moderate-grade carotid stenosis. Each 1-mm increase in soft plaque resulted in a 3.7 times greater odds of a prior ipsilateral ischemic event (95% CI, 1.9-7.2). Conversely, for each 1-mm increase in hard plaque, the odds of being symptomatic decreased by approximately 80% (OR, 0.22; 95% CI, 0.10%-0.48%). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under the curve of 0.88 by using soft-plaque thickness measurements to discriminate between asymptomatic and symptomatic plaques. Sensitivity and specificity were optimized by using a maximum soft-plaque thickness of 2.2 mm, which provided a sensitivity of 85% and a specificity of 83%.
Simple CTA plaque-thickness measurements might differentiate symptomatic and asymptomatic moderate-grade carotid artery plaque. With further prospective validation, CTA plaque measures could function as an easily implementable tool for risk stratification in carotid artery disease.
Physician Quality Reporting System ANUMULA, N; SANELLI, P. C
American journal of neuroradiology,
12/2011, Volume:
32, Issue:
11
Journal Article
Peer reviewed
Open access
A brief review of the Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) is presented highlighting the program's legislative history, eligibility requirements and incentive payment plan. Specifically, PQRS ...measures applicable to neuroradiology practice are discussed. Several steps are suggested for individual physicians or group practices to start participation in the program. Resources are also provided for further information on the program requirements and PQRS measures.
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