'Classic papers' from the Acta Radiologica archives.

Abstract

Computer technology has revolutionized radiology with new modalities such as: computed tomography, ultrasound, magnetic resonance and positron emission tomography. The majority of today’s radiologists cannot even imagine how life in a radiological department could be prior to these modalities being introduced. Computed tomography was the first digital modality, with a prototype of a head scanner produced in 1971, followed by clinical production from 1973, and with the first body scanner on the market in 1974. The first head scanner was produced by the English company EMI, most probably based on money they had earned by selling music made by the Beatles. I would guess that no active radiologist today has worked in a department without using one of the digital modalities. In an editorial in this issue of Acta Radiologica (1), Jonn Terje Geitung presents his view on ‘‘Modern radiology and the use of resources. Too much technology (?)’’ and answers the question with a straightforward ‘‘Not at all’’. However, how was life in a radiological department in the first years of radiology; which examinations were performed, how were they performed, and what could be diagnosed? One old statement says that you cannot predict the future without knowing the past. From this issue of Acta Radiologica and in every issue this year, we will present two historical articles from the earliest year, starting with 1921. These articles will illustrate what could be done at that time, how they used X-rays, and what was possible to diagnose? The first issue of Acta Radiologica was published back in January 1921, and this series will therefore start with the presentation of two of the first articles presented to the radiological community. Professor Gosta Forssell from Stockholm founded Acta Radiologica in 1921 and became the first Chief Editor. It is therefore natural to start with his first publication in Acta Radiologica, the Editorial presenting the new journal. English was the official language from the beginning, but both German and French were official languages as well as English. In the beginning Acta Radiologica published articles in these three languages. We will also in every issue of the journal present a minor notice with actual information on articles and authors. The Editorial Board hope and believe that this series will present new knowledge to all of our readers, and increase the reputation of the pioneers of radiology in the early years taking into account what diagnostic possibilities they had compared to modern technology of today. The first of the two articles to be presented in this issue is the editorial written by Professor Forssell (2). Gosta Forsell was born in 1876 and died in 1950. He began as a student in Stockholm in 1895, and soon became assistant to the radiologist Thor Stenbech. Forssell performed in 1899 the first successful treatment of a cutaneous carcinoma by using radiation therapy. Forssell was educated as a MD in 1906 and received the PhD of that time in 1913. In 1916 he became Professor of Radiology at the Radiological Department of the Karolinska Institute. He founded the Swedish Society of Medical Radiology in 1918, The Nordic Society of Medical Radiology in 1919, and Acta Radiologica in 1921. He was Chief Editor until his death in 1950. A sum of money was given on his 65th birthday, and this sum of money has today materialized in the prize ‘‘Xenia Forsselliana’’ given to the first author of the best article from a Nordic institution presented in Acta Radiologica each year. As the second article in the first issue of 2016, we have chosen an article from Sabbatsbergs Hospital in Stockholm, written by the head of the radiological department, Dr M Simon (3). It is indeed interesting to read Dr Simon’s article of a 62-year-old man with