With advancements in central line procedures and corrective cardiac surgery, and the widespread use of noninvasive imaging techniques, the clinical importance of identification of the anomalous brachiocephalic vein is shown.

This study evaluated swallowing status and the factors influencing swallowing in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiation therapy. During the period from July 1995 to June 1999, this cross-sectional study used videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS) to evaluate 184 NPC patients who had completed radiation therapy [113 cases had completed radiation therapy < or = 12 months prior to evaluation (acute group) and 71 cases had completed radiation therapy > 12 months prior to evaluation (chronic group)]. The numbers of patients with tumors in each of the four stages were as follows: 24 in stage I, 45 in stage II, 41 in stage III, and 74 in stage IV. Swallowing abnormalities of the acute and chronic groups were correlated with multiple variables, including gender, age, the stage of the tumor, use of either neoadjuvant chemotherapy or radiosensitizer, and radiation modality. The analytical results indicated that the chronic group had a significantly higher proportion of swallowing abnormalities. Radiation modality, chemotherapy, and tumor staging were not significantly associated with swallowing dysfunction. Trend analysis revealed a progressive deterioration of most parameters of swallowing function in this group of patients. These findings indicate that swallowing function continues to deteriorate over time, even many years after radiation therapy in patients with NPC. Our results indicate that the time elapsed since radiation therapy correlates with the severity of dysphagia in NPC patients.

Differentiation of benign from malignant causes of vertebral compression fracture can be difficult at a single location. We studied 37 patients with solitary vertebral collapse (SVC) in the spine using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Sixteen of them were found to have a benign cause of SVC, while the remaining 21 were found to have malignancy. The following four MRI characteristics were investigated: ill‐ or well‐defined margin of the intravertebral lesion (P < 0.005); pedicle involvement (P < 0.05); MR enhancement pattern (P < 0.005); and paravertebral soft tissue lesion (PSL) (P < 0.025). It was found that cases of malignant SVC tended to have an ill‐defined margin, abnormal signal involvement of the pedicle, a marked and heterogenous MR enhancement pattern, and irregular nodular‐type PSL. Pedicle change with expansile lesion totally excluded a benign cause. By using these criteria, we were able to differentiate benign or malignant causes of SVC accurately.J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 1999;9:635–642. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

Most seminal vesicle cysts were asymptomatic and did not change during long-term follow-up. MRI is a powerful tool for detecting seminal vesicle cysts and in delineating associated congenital anomalies of the urogenital tract.