2/Older pt w/lower extremity numbness. MRI showed intradural, extra-axial rounded lesions in the lower thoracic region that avidly enhanced on post-contrast imaging—like gang busters enhancement
3/On the T2 weighted images, the lesions showed a very distinct donut-like appearance, with a very dark, almost black rim and a bright center.
4/On contrast imaging, the donuts were connected as twisty, tubular structures—my fellow said they looked like crinkle fries! (and yes, I know McDonald’s doesn’t serve crinkle fries as illustrated, but it’s just an illustration—there aren’t fries in the spine either 😉)
5/Tubular sounds like a vessel! And these did empty out into the neural foramina. But the spinal angio was negative for a vascular lesion (not all images shown—normal studies don’t make for good twitter images)
6/These are intradural varices! B/c of slow flow, they may not fill on angiography & lose their flow void centrally—causing a“donut sign.” Etiology is unclear, but likely acquired
So the next time you see donuts & fries in the spine—you can be sure you've got the right diagnosis
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1/Does your ability to remember temporal lobe anatomy seem, well, temporary?
Or are you feeling temporally challenged when it comes to this complex region?
Here’s a thread to help you remember the structures of the temporal lobe!
2/Temporal lobe can be divided centrally & peripherally.
Centrally is the hippocampus.
It’s a very old part of the brain & is relatively well preserved going all the way back to rats.
Its main function is memory—getting both rats & us through mazes—including the maze of life
3/Peripherally is the neocortex.
Although rats also have neocortex, theirs is much different structurally than humans.
So I like to think of neocortex as providing the newer (neo) functions of the temporal lobes seen in humans: speech, language, visual processing/social cues