Saturday, 29 June 2013

Cowper's duct cysts

T1 sagittal

T2 axial

T2 coronal

T2 sagittal

30 year old presented with dysuria and occassional hematuria.

MRI of the pelvis demonstrated:

- a well defined hyperintense cystic lesion on T1 and T2
- Lesion lies in the midline in close approximation to the bulbous urethra and just below the prostate.


Diagnosis: Cowper's duct cyst.

Cowper's duct cyst:


  • Cowpers glands - found in the urogenital diaphragm below the prostate
  • Drains into the bulbar urethra
  • Obstruction results in retention cysts
  • Cowper's gland cysts are probably secondary to trauma or infection
  • Large cysts can cause urinary obstruction, hematuria or infertility.
  • Treated by marsupialisation or endoscopic incision.
References:







Tuesday, 25 June 2013

Perineal injury - Foreign body in the obturator externus - Ouch!!!







12 year old presented with a focal wound in the left aspect of the perineum.

According to the mother the boy came back from school with a perineal injury with no clear history or cause -said to be a fall. The boy initilally appeared hesitant to reveal the exact cause.

A few days later mother noticed fluid oozing from the wound with pieces of lead being extruded.

Boy was seen by a surgeon who referred him for an MRI.


Images demonstrates a linear hypointense signal structure (arrow) lying in the left obturator externus with surrounding muscle edema.

Further history according to the boy then revealed that at school an upright pencil was placed on the seat of the boy's chair by the adjacent student  as a prank just prior to the boy attempting to sit down - thus pierced through the left perineum - Ouch!!!





Friday, 21 June 2013

Osteopoikilosis - MRI features

Coronal IR

Coronal T1

Coronal T1

Rorschach




Young patient who presented with low back ache and came in for an MRI of the lumbar spine.

Lumbar spine images demonstrated a marked posterior disc extrusion at L4/5 accounting for the patient’s symptoms.

However on the routine coronal IR images multiple well defined ovoid hypointense foci were noticed in the pelvic girdle and femur.

An additional coronal T1 was acquired which demonstrates multiple numerous dark foci representing bone islands

Reminded me of the facial features of Rorshach from the cult graphic novel “The  Watchmen”

Diagnosis: Osteopoikilosis

Osteopoikilosis:  

- is a sclerosing bone dysplasia with multiple 
        enostoses
- develop during childhood and do not regress and 
        therefore are seen in all age groups
- asymptomatic 
- often found concurrently with osteopathia striata, 
        and melorheostosis 
- bone islands of osteopoikilosis are typically 
        clustered around joints and align themselves        
        parallel to surrounding trabeculae
- found in the appendicular skeleton and pelvis
- axial skelton is largely spared. It is rare for the 
        skull vault to be involved 
- is one of the skeletal “Don’t touch” lesions.

References:








Thursday, 20 June 2013

Large Degenerative Hemorrhagic Sessile Subserosal Uterine Fibroid

35 year old female patient presenting with abdominal distention and  pain.


Axial T2


Axial T1


Axial T2 fat saturation


Axial T1 Fat saturation

Coronal T2



Sagittal T2


Large lobulated heterogeneous mass filling the pelvis and extending into the abdomen lying in close approximation to the anterior aspect of the uterus. 

The mass demonstrates multiple large cystic components – high signal on T2 and low signal on T1.

Mass also demonstrates central large hyperintense component on T1 and T2 (*) that does not show drop in signal on T1 & T2 fat saturation sequences indicative of hemorrhagic component.

Multiple flow voids seen along the interface of the fibroid and the uterus.


Diagnosis: Large anterior sessile subserosal fibroid with cystic and hemorrhagic degeneration.










Extensor Carpi Ulnaris Tenosynovitis

Axial PDFS

Axial T1

Coronal PDFS

Sagittal T1



Patient presented with pain along the ulnar aspect of the wrist. No history of trauma.


Left extensor carpi ulnaris tendon appears swollen with diffuse hyperintense tendon sheath with fluid best seen on the PDFS images.

Hypointense thickening seen around the tendon on the T1 images.

Appearances are indicative of extensor carpi ulnaris tenosynovitis.