Current Medical Imaging - Volume 4, Issue 4, 2008

Computed tomography (CT) has already been proven reliable in the evaluation of various mass lesions, and multidetector CT allows the entire organ to be imaged during a single breath hold with thin collimation. The near isotropic pixels also enable the production of multiplanar reformatted images and three-dimensional renderings. CT urography before and after injection of iodinated contrast agent has been pr Read More

Cancer of the urinary bladder is one of the most common urothelial neoplasms. Conventional cystoscopy is the mainstay in the diagnosis of urinary bladder malignancies. But, it is an invasive and uncomfortable procedure, associated with possible complications. Computed tomographic virtual cystoscopy has been proposed as an alternative technique for the evaluation of patients with urinary bladder tumors, with satisfactory p Read More

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common form of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer related mortality in the United States. Most cases of CRC however can be prevented through early detection and removal of pre-cancerous adenomatous polyps. This strategy is based on the “polyp-to-cancer” sequence suggested by Vogelstein. Even though the American Cancer Society (ACS) began advocating CRC pre Read More

Alzheimer's disease is the most common neurodegenerative disease that features mainly memory impairment. The results of several pathologic and radiologic studies suggest that the brain damage in Alzheimer's disease extends well beyond the medial temporal lobes. The recent development of diffusion magnetic resonance imaging allows for measuring the diffusion of water molecules in the brain. The apparent Read More

Objectives: Interbody spacers for anterior spine fusion are made of different materials, which can affect the post-fusion MRI scans. Susceptibility artifacts specially for metallic implants can decrease the image quality. This study focused on the influence of determined implant parameters like shape and implant volume in MRI artifacting independent from selected MRI-sequences and implant materials. Material and methods: In Read More

In this educational review the relative merits and current status of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in the planning of radiotherapy are discussed. Following a general introduction to the requirements of medical imaging in this context each imaging modality is described in turn. Computed tomography is by far the most widely used, being fast, geo Read More

In primary hyperparathyroidism, one or more of the parathyroid glands are either enlarged or hyperactive. While medical management is possible for selected patients, surgical excision remains the only definitive treatment. Recently, improved radiographic techniques have fostered the widespread adoption of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). Patients undergoing MIP benefit from improved cosmesis, reduced Read More

18F-Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) has demonstrated high accuracy in the staging and evaluation of colorectal and esophageal carcinomas. Current data supports the emerging use for staging and evaluation of recurrence in a number of other gastrointestinal tumors including pancreatic, hepatocellular, and gastric carcinomas, as well as gastrointestinal stromal tumors, cholangi Read More

Recently emerging non-invasive imaging modality - optical coherence tomography (OCT) - is becoming an increasingly important diagnostic tool in various medical applications. One of its main limitations is the presence of speckle noise which obscures small and low-intensity features. The use of multiresolution techniques has been recently reported by several authors with promising results. These approaches take into account Read More