It is a great pleasure for me to introduce this issue of Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI, titled “The Fascinating Centimeter: From Skin to Meninges.” This issue concentrates on anatomy based on geometry rather than a specific organ system. Such a distinction is something of a departure from the conventional approach taken in previous topic-based reviews.
The concept of the “Fascinating Centimeter” was initially considered by Dr. Philip Anslow, who throughout the years has been an inspiration and mentor to many of us. It relates to the multiple and complex anatomical layers and potential spaces that reside within the single centimeter spanning the skin to the meninges. Such a short-distance can contain a wide range of fascinating pathologies with each layer having a predilection for different types of disease process. Normally, the layers are so tightly packed that they generally cannot be distinguished on standard imaging grounds alone. Pathologic processes often allow distinction between the layers that aids localization. These reviews aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the pathologies that affect the “Fascinating Centimeter” and demonstrate the utility of imaging in characterizing and localizing them.
This issue is structured with articles starting superficially and ending with the deepest layers of the “Fascinating Centimeter”. Thus, it is no surprise that the first article lead by Dr. Anna Sharman is focused on the scalp, illustrating its anatomy and reminding us of its relationship with disease processes. The following section on the calvarium is divided in two articles. The first, by Dr. Ranjana Carter, is a thorough review of bone disease accompanied by state-of-the-art images. The second article dealing with congenitally fused sutures has been written by my colleagues and me from both a radiological and surgical perspective. The complexity of surgical reconstruction is simplified with some beautiful CT based illustrations that will enable the reader to understand the basis of the specific remodeling performed in surgery. Anatomy of the cerebral sinuses and the meninges is complex, and therefore is reviewed by Dr. Neel Patel in two articles with simplifying illustrations. Intersecting these two anatomy articles is a review by Dr. Fintan Sheerin on pathology of the cerebral venous sinuses, with some breathtaking examples of patho-anatomy, made possible by advances on imaging techniques. Concluding the issue is an article, by my colleagues and me, on the meninges and the extraaxial spaces with special focus on the meninges, which pose more of a diagnostic challenge.
The purpose of this issue is two-fold. First, it is hoped that this issue will provide a comprehensive review of the “Fascinating Centimeter”. Second, it is hoped that this issue will provide the reader with some of the best patho-anatomical images and computer rendered illustrations in the current radiological literature. I would like to thank all the authors involved for providing such high quality papers and their valuable time. The authors and me also thank Philip Anslow for his continuous support, and Dr. Joel Swartz for giving us the opportunity to write this issue.
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