Articles
Articles are a collaborative effort to provide a single canonical page on all topics relevant to the practice of radiology. As such, articles are written and edited by countless contributing members over a period of time. A global group of dedicated editors oversee accuracy, consulting with expert advisers, and constantly reviewing additions.
2,648 results found
Article
CSF-venous fistula
CSF-venous fistulas are rare and only recently recognized causes of spontaneous intracranial hypotension. They are a direct communication between the spinal subarachnoid space and epidural veins allowing for the loss of CSF directly into the circulation and can be either iatrogenic or spontaneou...
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CT angiographic spot sign (intracerebral hemorrhage)
The spot sign is a CTA sign in acute intracerebral hemorrhage and representing the focal accumulation/pooling/extravasation of contrast containing blood within the hematomas. It is an important feature to identify during the evaluation of acute intracerebral hemorrhage as it significantly increa...
Article
CT angiography of the cerebral arteries (technique)
CT angiography of the cerebral arteries (also known as a CTA carotids or an arch to vertex angiogram) is a noninvasive technique allows visualization of the internal and external carotid arteries and vertebral arteries and can include just the intracranial compartment or also extend down to the ...
Article
CT angiography source image ASPECTS
CT angiography source image ASPECTS (CTA-SI ASPECTS) is a semiquantitative scoring system to characterize the extent and severity of mainly middle cerebral artery ischemic stroke, although it can be adapted to other vascular territories as well. The added value of CTA-SI ASPECTS is that it direc...
Article
CT cerebral venography (technique)
CT cerebral venography (also known as a CTV head or CT venogram) is a contrast-enhanced examination with an acquisition delay providing an accurate detailed depiction of the cerebral venous system.
NB: This article is intended to outline some general principles of protocol design. The specific...
Article
CT cisternography
Computed tomography (CT) cisternography is an imaging technique used to diagnose CSF rhinorrhea or CSF otorrhea (CSF leaks), as CT allows the assessment of the bones of the base of the skull.
Procedure
pre-contrast CT is performed with thin slices
3-10 mL of an iodinated non-ionic low-osmola...
Article
CT comma sign (head)
The CT comma sign is a characteristic sign seen in head trauma. It is the presence of concurrent epidural and subdural hematomas, which gives the characteristic appearance of this sign as a "comma" shape.
Article
CT head
CT head (sometimes termed CT brain), refers to a computed tomography examination of the brain and surrounding structures. It can be performed as a single non-contrast study or the combination of a non-contrast and post-contrast (delayed) study. This allows the identification of abnormal contrast...
Article
CT head (an approach)
The approach taken to interpreting a CT scan of the head is no doubt different depending on the circumstances and the reading clinician, however, most radiologists will go through the same steps, although order may vary. What follows is merely a suggested approach to interpreting a CT of the hea...
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CT head (standard report)
A CT head standard report may not be applicable in all situations, but gives an idea of some of the areas to cover when reporting a CT head.
Standardized reports are controversial and should be used with caution.
Report
Clinical details
Headache with photophobia.
Technique
CT head without ...
Article
CT head (subdural window)
The subdural (blood) window can be used when reviewing a CT brain as it makes intracranial hemorrhage more conspicuous, and may help in the detection of thin acute subdural hematomas that are against the calvaria that are similar density to adjacent bone. It is a wider setting than the standard ...
Article
CT head (technique)
CT head technique describes how a CT head is performed.
Technique
The technique for performing a CT of the head depends on the scanner available and fall into two broad camps:
step-and-shoot (sequential)
volumetric acquisition (helical)
Helical is the most common technique.
Step-and-sho...
Article
CT perfusion in ischemic stroke
CT perfusion in ischemic stroke has become established in most centers with stroke services as an important adjunct, along with CT angiography (CTA), to conventional unenhanced CT brain imaging.
It enables differentiation of salvageable ischemic brain tissue (the penumbra) from the irrevocably ...
Article
Cuneate fasciculus
The cuneate fasciculus, also known as the fasciculus cuneatus (plural: fasciculi cuneati) or column of Burdach, represents the lateral portion of the dorsal columns and carries input from between and including C1 and T6 1.
Function
The cuneate fasciculus is responsible for transmitting vibrat...
Article
Cuneus
The cuneus (plural: cunei) is a wedge-shaped region on the medial surface of the occipital lobe.
Gross anatomy
Relations
Anterosuperiorly the parieto-occipital sulcus separates the cuneus from the precuneus of the parietal lobe.
Posteroinferiorly the cuneus abuts the calcarine sulcus which s...
Article
Cushing response
The Cushing response or reflex occurs in the setting of raised intracranial pressure and is the triad of:
hypertension
bradycardia
apnea/irregular breathing
Article
Cyanide poisoning
Cyanide poisoning is a cause of an acute anoxic-ischemic encephalopathy that also has eventual chronic sequelae.
Epidemiology
Acute cyanide poisoning is rare and often occurs after suicidal oral ingestion of cyanide-containing compounds, however there are other sources such as after smoke inh...
Article
Cyclopia
Cyclopia refers to a rare fetal malformation characterized by a single palpebral fissure and a single midline orbit. This orbit may contain either a single globe or two separate globe.
Epidemiology
The condition is thought to affect approximately 1 in 40,000 to 95,000 births (inclusive of stil...
Article
Cystic glioblastoma
Cystic glioblastoma is a descriptive term for one form of glioblastoma that contains a large cystic component, rather than being a pathological subtype.
Please refer to the main article on glioblastoma for a broad discussion on this tumor.
Radiographic features
The main challenge in discrim...
Article
Cystic leukoencephalopathy without megalencephaly
Cystic leukoencephalopathy without megalencephaly, is an autosomal-recessive inherited condition that manifests in the early childhood with moderate to severe psychomotor retardation and spasticity.
On imaging, it is characterized by bilateral anterior subcortical temporal lobe cysts and extens...
Article
Cystic meningioma
The term cystic meningioma is applied to both meningiomas with intratumoral degenerative cyst formation as well as those with peritumoral arachnoid cysts or reactive intraparenchymal cysts.
They should not be confused with microcystic meningiomas, a distinct variant, in which the cysts are mic...
Article
Cystic spinal cord lesions
A cystic spinal lesion can result from a number of disease entities. They include:
Primary
Chiari malformations
Dandy walker malformation
diastematomyelia
spinal dysraphism
certain skeletal dysplasias 2
achondroplasia
tricho-rhino-phalangeal syndrome type I
ependymal cysts 4
Acquired
...
Article
Cyst of the medullary conus
Cyst of the medullary conus is a rare benign ependymal cyst of the conus medullaris which probably relates to abnormal persistence and cystic dilatation of the ventriculus terminalis or "5th ventricle". This entity can be symptomatic and present in adulthood with bladder or bowel sphincter distu...
Article
Cyst with dot sign (neurocysticercosis)
The cyst with dot sign is seen in neurocysticercosis and represents the parasitic cyst with, usually eccentric, scolex.
It can be seen on both MRI and CT at:
the vesicular stage (CSF density / intensity cyst - denser / hyperintense scolex) and
colloidal vesicular stage (enhancement of wall an...
Article
Cytomegalovirus encephalitis
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) encephalitis is a CNS infection that almost always develops in the context of profound immunosuppression.
This article focus on adult infection. CMV is also one of the most frequent prenatal infections, which is discussed separately: congenital CMV infection.
Epidemiolo...
Article
Cytotoxic cerebral edema
Cytotoxic cerebral edema refers to a type of cerebral edema, most commonly seen in cerebral ischemia, in which extracellular water passes into cells, resulting in their swelling.
The term is frequently used in clinical practice to denote the combination of true cytotoxic edema and ionic cerebr...
Article
Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCCs)
Cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCCs) represent a collection of disparate conditions that can cause signal change in the corpus callosum, usually involving the splenium.
Terminology
The term cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum (CLOCCs) has been proposed recently 12 as a more ...
Article
Dandy-Walker continuum
Dandy-Walker continuum, also referred to as Dandy-Walker spectrum or Dandy-Walker complex, corresponds to a group of disorders believed to represent a continuum spectrum of posterior fossa malformations, characterized by inferior vermian hypoplasia and incomplete formation of the fourth ventricl...
Article
Dandy-Walker malformation
Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) is the most common posterior fossa malformation, characterized by the triad of:
hypoplasia of the vermis and cephalad rotation of the vermian remnant
cystic dilatation of the fourth ventricle extending posteriorly
enlarged posterior fossa with torcular-lambdoi...
Article
Dandy-Walker variant
Dandy-Walker variant (DWv) is a less severe posterior fossa anomaly than the classic Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) and is considered being on the lesser end of the disease spectrum in the Dandy-Walker continuum.
Terminology
This term was created to include those malformations that do not mee...
Article
Dawson fingers
Dawson fingers are a radiographic feature of demyelination characterized by periventricular demyelinating plaques distributed along the axis of medullary veins, perpendicular to the body of the lateral ventricles and/or callosal junction. This is thought to reflect perivenular inflammation. They...
Article
Deafness
Deafness (also known as hearing loss or impairment) is the partial or complete loss of the sense of hearing.
It may be subdivided etiologically into
conductive: impairment of the passage of sound waves from the auricle to the inner ear
sensorineural: impairment localizes to the inner ear, in...
Article
Decompression sickness
Decompression sickness (DCS), also known as diver's disease, aerobullosis, the bends or caisson disease, is an uncommon diving-related decompression illness that is an acute neurological emergency typically occurring in deep sea divers.
Clinical Presentation
Decompression sickness can be furt...
Article
Deep brain stimulation
Deep brain stimulation is used in a variety of clinical settings, predominantly in patients with poorly controlled movement disorders. Although effective, its exact mode of function continues to be poorly understood 2.
Careful patient selection and target selection are essential if the proced...
Article
Deep cerebral veins
The deep cerebral veins drain the deep white matter and grey matter that surround the basal cisterns and ventricular system. The deep veins are responsible for the outflow of approximately the inner 80% of the hemisphere. They provide useful landmarks for skull base and intraventricular surgery ...
Article
Deep cerebral vein thrombosis
Deep cerebral vein thrombosis is a subset of cerebral venous thrombosis involving the internal cerebral veins, often coexisting with cortical vein thrombosis or dural venous sinus thrombosis, and with different clinical presentations relying on which segment is involved.
As such please refer to...
Article
Default mode network
The default mode network (DMN), is a group of specific brain regions that are functionally-connected. The regions become active in the resting state (not doing any active task), and inactive when someone is engaged in any attention-demanding tasks 1; this phenomenon has been termed task-induced ...
Article
Déjerine-Roussy syndrome
Déjerine-Roussy syndrome, or thalamic pain syndrome, is a type of central post-stroke pain syndrome caused by a stroke to the thalamus.
This syndrome should not be confused with Déjerine syndrome or Déjerine-Sottas syndrome.
Epidemiology
Approximately 25% of all patients with sensory strokes...
Article
Déjerine-Sottas disease
Déjerine-Sottas disease, also known as hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type III or hypertrophic interstitial polyneuritis, is a rare hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN).
This syndrome should not be confused with Déjerine syndrome or Déjerine-Roussy syndrome.
Clinical present...
Article
Delayed cerebral ischemia
Delayed cerebral ischemia (DCI) is a frequent complication of subarachnoid hemorrhage. It contributes substantially to the morbidity and mortality following subarachnoid hemorrhage. It is defined as symptomatic vasospasm related to subarachnoid hemorrhage or cerebral infarction demonstrated on i...
Article
Delirium
Delirium (also known as acute brain failure) is an acute syndrome characterized by impaired intellect, awareness and concentration. Typically, the cognitive impairment fluctuates throughout the day. In contrast to dementia, delirium tends to be reversible.
Terminology
The number of synonyms fo...
Article
Delta resistive index
The delta resistive index (delta RI or Δ RI) is a measurement that can be made when performing Doppler ultrasound.
In preterm babies who have hydrocephalus secondary to intraventricular hemorrhage, the delta RI can be used to determine whether decompression of the ventricular system with an...
Article
Delta sign (disambiguation)
The delta sign has been described in several different pathologies:
delta sign (brain)
empty delta sign (brain)
double delta sign (MSK)
Article
Dementia with Lewy bodies
Dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), also known as Lewy body disease, is a neurodegenerative disease (a synucleinopathy to be specific) related to Parkinson disease. It is reported as the second most common form of dementia following Alzheimer disease, accounting for 15-20% of cases at autopsy.
Ep...
Article
Demyelinating disorders
Demyelinating disorders are a subgroup of white matter disorders characterized by the destruction or damage of normally myelinated structures. These disorders may be inflammatory, infective, ischemic or toxic in origin and include 1-7:
autoimmune demyelination
multiple sclerosis (MS)
Marburg ...
Article
Demyelination
Demyelination is incorrectly often equated to multiple sclerosis, whereas in reality it is a generic pathological term simply describing, as the word suggests, the loss of normal myelin around axons in the central nervous system. This should be distinguished from dysmyelination where the formati...
Article
Demyelination protocol (MRI)
MRI protocol for demyelinating diseases is a group of MRI sequences put together to best approach these white matter disorders characterized by the destruction or damage of normally myelinated structures. These disorders may be inflammatory, infective, ischemic or toxic in origin.
Historically...
Article
Denervation changes in muscles
Denervation changes in muscles or denervation myopathy can be observed in a number of settings and results from partial or complete loss of innervation.
There is a wide spectrum of clinical manifestations:
temporary or permanent
symptomatic or asymptomatic.
Pathology
Causes include 2:
neur...
Article
Dense vein sign
The dense vein sign refers to hyperattenuating thrombus within a cortical vein or dural venous sinus due to acute venous thrombosis.
When located in the superior sagittal sinus, particularly posteriorly, it is sometimes referred to as the delta, triangle or pseudodelta sign. It is really the sa...
Article
Dentate gyrus
The dentate gyrus is located in the mesial temporal lobe and forms part of the hippocampal formation, along with the hippocampus proper and subiculum.
The dentate gyrus receives fibers from the entorhinal cortex via the perforant path and projects fibers to the CA3 portion of the hippocampus. ...
Article
Dentate nucleus
The dentate nucleus is the largest and most lateral of the cerebellar nuclei, located medially within each cerebellar hemisphere, just posterolateral to the fourth ventricle 1.
It is part of the triangle of Guillain and Mollaret, connected to the contralateral red nucleus via the superior cere...
Article
Dentatorubral–pallidoluysian atrophy
Dentatorubral–pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA) is a clinically heterogenous autosomal dominant CAG repeat expansion disorder that is particularly prevalent within the Japanese population.
Epidemiology
The majority of case reports are in patients of Japanese origin, where disease prevalence is 1...
Article
Denticulate ligaments
The denticulate ligaments are bilateral triangular lateral extensions of pia mater that anchor the spinal cord to the dura mater.
They are formed by pia mater of the spinal cord coursing in-between the dorsal and ventral nerve roots bilaterally. They function to provide stability to the spinal ...
Article
Denver criteria for blunt cerebrovascular injury
The Denver criteria are a set of screening criteria used to determine when CT angiography of the neck is indicated to detect blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI) in trauma patients.
Screening criteria
The Denver criteria were initially developed in 1996 1, modified in 2005 to limit the types o...
Article
Depth-of-fissure sign
The depth-of-fissure sign, also known as apex-of-fissure sign or bottom-of-fissure sign, is a radiographic sign that helps to recognize cerebellar infarcts in children as well as in adults 1-3.
Usage
The 'depth-of-fissure' sign is recognized on cross-sectional imaging studies of the brain, es...
Article
Desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma and ganglioglioma
Desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma and gangliogliomas are a rare intracranial tumor, which despite their aggressive appearances tend to have a good prognosis and are considered WHO grade I tumors.
Terminology
Previously considered separate entities, desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma and desm...
Article
Developmental venous anomaly
Developmental venous anomaly (DVA), also known as cerebral venous angioma, is a congenital malformation of veins which drain normal brain. They were thought to be rare before cross-sectional imaging but are now recognized as being the most common cerebral vascular malformation, accounting for ~5...
Article
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (more commonly known as the DSM) is published by the American Psychiatric Association and is the most widely used guide to psychiatric diseases in clinical practice and research globally. The first edition was published in 1952; the lates...
Article
Dialysis disequilibrium syndrome
The dialysis disequilibrium syndrome (DDS) is a situation characterized by development of neurological symptoms following the rapid removal of urea during hemodialysis. It develops primarily from an osmotic gradient that develops between the brain and the plasma as a result of rapid haemodialysi...
Article
Diaphragma sellae
The diaphragma sellae is one of the folds (or reflections) of the dura mater. It covers the sella turcica and forms the roof over the pituitary fossa 1.
Gross anatomy
The diaphragma sellae consists of two horizontal leaves of dura mater on the sphenoid bone. It extends from the tuberculum sell...
Article
Diastematomyelia
Diastematomyelia, also known as a split cord malformation, refers to a type of spinal dysraphism (spina bifida occulta) when there is a longitudinal split in the spinal cord.
Terminology
Although traditionally it has been distinguished from diplomyelia (in which the cord is duplicated rather ...
Article
Diencephalon
The diencephalon is connected above and in front with the cerebral hemispheres; behind with the mid-brain. Its upper surface is concealed by the corpus callosum, and is covered by a fold of pia mater, named the tela choroidea of the third ventricle; inferiorly it reaches to the base of the brain...
Article
Differential diagnoses for temporal lobe tumors
Most tumors of the CNS can potentially occur in the temporal lobe, but entities with a predilection for being diagnosed in this location include:
pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA)
ganglioglioma
pilocytic astrocytoma
dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET)
multinodular and vacuolatin...
Article
Diffuse astrocytoma
Diffuse astrocytomas, also referred to as low-grade infiltrative astrocytomas, are designated as WHO II tumors of the brain. The term diffuse infiltrating means there is no identifiable border between the tumor and normal brain tissue, even though the borders may appear well-marginated on imagin...
Article
Diffuse astrocytoma grading
Diffuse astrocytomas can be graded in according to a number of systems, the most popular being the WHO grading system. In general these grading systems focus on the presence or absence of a number of histological features 3:
cellular atypia/anaplasia
mitotic activity
microvascular proliferat...
Article
Diffuse axonal injury
Diffuse axonal injury (DAI), also known as traumatic axonal injury (TAI), is a severe form of traumatic brain injury due to shearing forces. It is a potentially difficult diagnosis to make on imaging alone, especially on CT as the finding can be subtle, however, it has the potential to result in...
Article
Diffuse axonal injury (grading)
Grading of diffuse axonal injury due to trauma is described according to the anatomic distribution of injury. Contrary to the implication of the word "diffuse," diffuse axonal injury has a topological predilection for focal involvement of certain sites in the brain. These sites, in turn, vary in...
Article
Diffuse bone marrow infiltration on MRI (mnemonic)
A mnemonic to remember differentials causing diffuse bone marrow infiltration on MRI. Diffuse bone marrow infiltration is best evaluated on T1 sequences and maybe focal or diffuse. Focal infiltration is seen in metastases and lymphoma. Diffuse pattern is seen more commonly in multiple myeloma, m...
Article
Diffuse brainstem gliomas
Diffuse brainstem gliomas, also known as diffuse intrinsic brainstem glioma (DIBG), is a term used to describe infiltrating astrocytomas, no longer recognized as a distinct entity in the 2016 update to the WHO classification of CNS tumors. It encompassed a variety of tumors, ranging from WHO gra...
Article
Diffuse cerebellar atrophy
Diffuse atrophy of the cerebellum refers to a progressive and irreversible reduction in cerebellar volume. It is a relatively common finding and found in a wide variety of clinical scenarios.
Terminology
Diffuse cerebellar atrophy can be difficult to distinguish from global cerebellar hypopla...
Article
Diffuse cutaneous neurofibroma
Diffuse cutaneous neurofibromas are a rare neurofibroma variant, similar to plexiform neurofibromas which may be co-existent. Both neurofibromas and plexiform neurofibromas are discussed separately.
Terminology
There are variable uses and some confusion about the distinction between plexiform...
Article
Diffuse dural calcification
Diffuse dural calcification can occur in a number of settings. These include
parathyroid abnormalities
hyperparathyroidism
secondary hyperparathyroidism 2
tertiary hyperparathyroidism 3
renal failure 6
nephrogenic systemic fibrosis 1
congenital syndromes
basal cell nevus syndrome
Differ...
Article
Diffuse glioma
Diffuse glioma is a term used to encompass a variety of tumors of the central nervous system, which histologically appear similar to glial cells, specifically astrocytomas, oligodendrogliomas and oligoastrocytomas, ranging from WHO grade II to grade IV tumors 1. Importantly, it does not include ...
Article
Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor
Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumor (also previously known as disseminated oligodendroglial-like leptomeningeal tumor of childhood) is a rare and only recently described tumor of the central nervous system included in the WHO classification of CNS tumors in the 2016 update 2,5. Morphologic...
Article
Diffuse midline glioma H3 K27M–mutant
Diffuse midline glioma H3 K27M–mutant is a specific entity added to the 2016 update of the WHO classification of CNS tumors, that represents the majority of diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas, although identical tumors are also found elsewhere in the midline (e.g. brainstem, spinal cord and thala...
Article
Diffusion kurtosis imaging
Diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) is an advanced neuroimaging modality which is an extension of diffusion tensor imaging by estimating the kurtosis (skewed distribution) of water diffusion based on a probability distribution function. It provides a high order diffusion of water distribution and a...
Article
Diffusion tensor imaging and fiber tractography
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an MRI technique that uses anisotropic diffusion to estimate the axonal (white matter) organization of the brain.
Fiber tractography (FT) is a 3D reconstruction technique to assess neural tracts using data collected by diffusion tensor imaging.
Diffusion-weigh...
Article
Diffusion weighted MRI in acute stroke
Diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is a commonly performed MRI sequence for evaluation of acute ischemic stroke, and is sensitive in the detection of small and early infarcts. Conventional MRI sequences (T1WI, T2WI) may not demonstrate an infarct for 6 hours, and small infarcts may be hard to appr...
Article
Diplomyelia
Diplomyelia is a rare spinal cord malformation in which the cord is duplicated. It should be distinguished from diastematomyelia in which a single cord is split. Having said that it has been proposed that the term be abandoned in favor of split cord malformation, which encompasses both diastemat...
Article
Disappearing basal ganglia sign
The disappearing basal ganglia sign is one of the early signs of a middle cerebral artery (MCA) infarction. It is defined as the loss of delineation of the basal ganglia, due to blurring of their grey-white matter interface and hypoattenuation, consequent to cytotoxic edema at the time of an isc...
Article
Disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH)
Disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH) is a pattern of communicating hydrocephalus characterized by crowding of the sulci superiorly near the vertex accompanied by enlargement of CSF spaces more inferiorly, particularly in the Sylvian fissures 1. It is a prominent fe...
Article
Distal dural ring
The distal dural ring is an anatomical landmark that separates the extradural from the intradural intracranial internal carotid artery (ICA). It is located at the junction of the cavernous, clinoid and ophthalmic segments of the ICA.
Gross anatomy
Anatomy of this region is complex and varied a...
Article
Divry van Bogaert syndrome
Divry van Bogaert syndrome is a familial juvenile-onset syndrome characterized by livedo racemosa, juvenile ischemic stroke, juvenile cerebral white matter disease leading to premature dementia, and epilepsy.
Clinical presentation
juvenile ischemic stroke
epilepsy
early-onset cognitive impai...
Article
Dolichoectasia
The term dolichoectasia means dilated and elongated. It is used to characterize arteries that have shown a significant deterioration of their tunica intima (and occasionally the tunica media), weakening the vessel walls and causing the artery to elongate and distend.
Epidemiology
Dolichoectasi...
Article
Dopaminergic pathways
Dopaminergic pathways include:
mesolimbic
mesocortical
striatonigral
tuberoinfundibular
Article
Dorsal brainstem syndrome
Dorsal brainstem syndrome is a rare subset of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy in neonates limited to the isolated involvement of the brainstem with sparing of the supratentorial brain. Due to its subtle imaging features, it is often undiagnosed.
Clinical presentation
Injuries involving the teg...
Article
Dorsal columns
The dorsal columns, or posterior columns, are ascending pathways primarily concerned with sensory function. They are responsible for transmitting vibration, conscious proprioception, and fine (discriminative) touch 1,2.
The dorsal columns are divided two tracts, which are discussed separately 2...
Article
Dorsal cord syndrome
Dorsal cord syndrome, also known as posterior spinal cord syndrome, is one of the incomplete cord syndromes resulting from pathology affecting the posterior part of the spinal cord, particularly the dorsal columns and potentially (in larger lesions) the lateral corticospinal tracts 1.
Clinical...
Article
Dorsal cyst of holoprosencephaly
The dorsal cyst of holoprosencephaly is a large cerebrospinal fluid cavity present in holoprosencephaly that occupies the area above the dorsocaudal aspect of the diencephalon. This communicates directly with the prosencephalic, telencephalic, or diencephalic ventricle. This cavity usually abuts...
Article
Dorsal dermal sinus
Dorsal dermal sinus is an epithelium-lined tract from the skin to the spinal cord, cauda equina, or arachnoid as in a form of spinal dysraphism.
Clinical presentation
A dorsal dermal sinus manifests as a small dimple or pinpoint ostium, which is often associated with an area of hyperpigmented...
Article
Dorsal horn
The dorsal horn of the spinal cord is one of the grey longitudinal columns found within the spinal cord. It primarily acts as the termination of primary afferent fibers via the dorsal roots of the spinal nerves.
Gross Anatomy
On transverse section of the spinal cord the spinal grey matter is d...
Article
Dorsal root ganglion
The dorsal root ganglia are an enlargement of the dorsal root of spinal nerves representing the cell bodies of the primary somatosensory neurons.
Gross anatomy
Each dorsal root ganglion is oval and proportional in size to its related root. They are usually found just distal to the intervertebr...
Article
Dorsal thoracic arachnoid web
Dorsal thoracic arachnoid web refers to a thickened band of arachnoid over the dorsal aspect of the cord. It usually causes a focal thoracic cord distortion with consequent neurological dysfunction.
On imaging, it is characterized by a focal dorsal indentation and anterior displacement of the ...