Brilliance 64 ct scanner

CT scans were acquired using a Philips Brilliance 64 CT scanner (Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands). The acquisition parameters were: effective dose 150: mAs/slice, rotation time: 0.75 s per 360°, pitch: 0.875, slice thickness: 0.6 mm, and ultra-high-resolution mode. Tomographic reconstructions were made with a field of view of 154 mm, a slice increment of 0.3 mm, and a matrix of 512 × 512 pixels. The voxel sizes were 0.3 mm × 0.3 mm × 0.3 mm.

Spiral-CT scans (120 kV, 120 mA) covering the complete lung tissue were performed during end-expiration and end-inspiration holds using a Brilliance 64 CT scanner (Philips Healthcare, Hamburg, Germany). Tidal volume was 6–8 mL/kg BW. Images were reconstructed in slices of 8 mm using a standard filter. Densitometric analysis of all pulmonary CT slices was performed using a computer program (Osiris, University of Geneva, Switzerland) as described previously [14 (link),15 (link)]. The amount of non-aerated lung tissue (defined as densities between −100 and +100 Hounsfield units) was derived from all CT slices. Tidal recruitment was calculated for the total lung as differences between amounts of non-aerated lung tissue at end-in- and end-expiration [14 (link),15 (link)].

In a fluoroscopy room, the patient is placed on a radiolucent table in the lateral decubitus position, with the right side up and knee flexed. Using a midline interlaminar approach between the third and fourth lumbar vertebrae under fluoroscopy guidance, a trained musculoskeletal radiologist inserts a 22-gauge spinal needle into the CSF space. Following the confirmation of CSF drainage via the spinal needle, 15 cc of contrast medium (OMNIPAQUE 300, Amersham Health, Princeton, NJ, USA) is slowly injected through the needle. When the contrast medium reached the spinal canal at the atlantooccipital level, the patients are transferred to the CT unit for whole-spine imaging, and the acquired data are presented in axial, sagittal, and coronal planes (Brilliance 64 CT scanner, Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands; helical; beam collimation, 64 × 0.625 mm; kVp, 120; mAs, 250; pitch, 0.798; rotation time, 0.5 s; thickness, 2 mm; increment, 1 mm).
Trained musculoskeletal radiologists immediately interpret the obtained images to confirm the presence of contrast media leakage (=CSF leak) exists. A positive CSF leak is defined as extrathecal CSF accumulation at any level. Meningeal diverticula are not considered as CSF leaks because single or multiple nerve root sleeve diverticula of various sizes and configurations can be seen as incidental findings [6 (link)].

CT was performed on anesthetized mice, in
the prone position, imaged on a 64-detector scanner (Brilliance 64
CT scanner, Philips Medical Systems, Cleveland, OH). Scans were performed
with the following parameters: 120 kV, 70 mAs, collimation 64 ×
0.625 slice thickness 0.9 mm, increment 0.45 mm, rotation time 0.5
s, and pitch of 0.641. Images were reconstructed using bone and soft
tissue algorithms. Follow-up scans were performed every 2 weeks, up
to 24 weeks.