Advances In Diagnostic Imaging Technology Research Articles

Penetrating neck trauma with common carotid artery injury caused by a percussive drill

Rationale:Penetrating neck traumas are dangerous and have a high mortality rate, particularly in patients with common carotid artery injuries. Advances in diagnostic imaging technology have shifted management of penetrating neck injuries from mandatory exploration to selective management. The question is now regarding optimal selection of auxiliary examinations to assess “stability” rapidly and guide clinics in managing such patients.Patient concerns:A 56-year-old man suffered neck trauma with the right common carotid artery caused by a percussive drill. The carotid artery could not be clearly displayed in computed tomography (CT) angiography imaging.Diagnoses:Penetrating neck trauma due to percussive drill bit with common carotid artery injury.Interventions:X-ray and bedside duplex ultrasound with color Doppler flow imaging were used to assess the state of trauma and the foreign body was removed under general anesthesia.Outcomes:The patient was discharged at postoperative day 10 with no complication. The patient had no sequelae from this injury at 6-month follow up.Lessons:X-ray provides a comprehensive assessment of damage, and can efficiently detect foreign bodies in the skull and cervical vertebrae. Duplex ultrasound to be a viable method to exclude macrovascular injury in unstable patients who are not eligible for computed tomography angiography (CTA) or catheter angiography imaging. Widely available duplex ultrasound and x-ray should be considered in emergency situations.

Congenital abnormalities of the aortic arch: revisiting the 1964 Stewart classification.

The traditional classification of congenital aortic arch abnormalities was described by James Stewart and colleagues in 1964. Since that time, advances in diagnostic imaging technology have led to better delineation of the vasculature anatomy and the identification of previously unrecognized and unclassified anomalies. In this manuscript, we review the existing literature and propose a series of modifications to the original Stewart classification of congenital aortic arch abnormalities to incorporate this new knowledge. In brief, we propose the following modifications: (1) In Group I, we further divide subgroup B into left arch atretic and right arch atretic; (2) In Group II, we add three more subgroups, including aberrant right innominate artery, "isolated" right innominate artery (RIA), "isolated" right carotid artery with aberrant right subclavian artery; (3) In Groups I, II, and III, we add a subgroup of absence of both ductus arteriosus; and (4) In Group IV, we add three subgroups, including circumflex retro-esophageal aorta arch, persistent V aortic arch, and anomalous origin of pulmonary artery from ascending aorta.

Treatment Modalities for Leptomeningeal Metastases

Secondary involvement of the leptomeninges represents an infrequent but devastating (and nearly always fatal) complication of solid tumors, hematologic malignancies (both leukemia and lymphoma), and primary brain tumors. Clinical suspicion of neoplastic meningitis (NM) may be raised by the appearance of multivariate neurological symptoms; however, a definitive diagnosis is often difficult to obtain. Improved treatments for primary malignancies and advances in diagnostic imaging technology have led to an apparent increase in the number of patients diagnosed with NM. Unfortunately, therapeutic options remain limited, particularly for patients with chemoresistant tumors. Optimized treatment remains controversial and may rely upon a combination of chemotherapy (intrathecal and/or intravenous) and concurrent focal radiotherapy. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of intra-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) versus systemic strategies for treating NM. Clinical trial evidence is presented for the different treatment modalities. In addition, the therapeutic potential of intra-CSF therapy for cancer prophylaxis is discussed. Earlier diagnosis and more aggressive preventive treatment regimens may provide substantial increases in survival and favorably affect quality of life. Additional data from large-scale, well-controlled trials are required to more accurately assess the efficacy of intra-CSF versus systemic treatment in NM. Future treatment options using novel targets for intra-CSF therapy will be addressed as well.

Introduction to Radiology Day—Peninsula Radiology Academy

There have been great advances in diagnostic imaging technology over the past three decades. These changes include improvements in imaging technology such as ultrasound, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine. Meanwhile the techniques in interventional radiology are expanding rapidly and allow minimally invasive procedures as well as lifesaving treatments to be performed in high risk patients. Although clinical radiology plays an essential role in medicine, it has not always been popular compared with other specialties. The Introduction to Radiology Day has provided me with an excellent opportunity to understand the role of the radiologist and to choose radiology as a career. Foundation doctors, …

El diagnóstico de la lesión traumática cervical: una década de cambios basados en la evidencia

The growing awareness of the need for emergency centers specializing in the care of trauma patients, together with advances in diagnostic imaging technology, have led to the occasional indiscriminate use of diagnostic methods to the detriment of ordering diagnostic tests based on the risk of fracture and of the clinical examination itself. In many institutions, this practice is carried out without appropriate controls and without analyzing the risks and benefits of a particular clinical conduct. This is particularly true in cases of multiple trauma with suspected traumatic lesions of the cervical spine. For many years, radiological examination was based on plain-film radiography, with CT playing a complementary role. Over the last decade, since the introduction of helical CT, and more recently multidetector CT scanners, the diagnostic approach has undergone rapid, significant changes. This article summarizes the experience based on publications centered on establishing the diagnostic effectiveness of CT in comparison to plain-film radiography and the importance of recognizing risk factors when determining the diagnostic strategy. On the other hand, the importance of avoiding unnecessary tests and excessive radiation in providing appropriate and efficient medical care is stressed. In general, the evidence indicates that CT should be the first-line approach in high-risk patients and plain-film radiography should be reserved for the initial evaluation of patients with a low risk of traumatic lesions.

Trends in veterinary cancer imaging

With the recent advances in diagnostic imaging technology, cancer imaging in veterinary medicine has become more specific for disease diagnosis, more accurate for determining tumour margins and more sensitive for detecting metastatic disease. Ultrasound provides highly detailed images of parenchymal masses and infiltrative lesions while providing a means for aspiration or biopsy using real-time image guidance. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance-imaging techniques provide exquisite anatomical resolution that improves diagnostic accuracy, provides an accurate means of radiation or surgical treatment planning and a quantitative means for monitoring response to therapy. In addition to traditional anatomic imaging, new techniques are being developed for estimating functional parameters such as tumour perfusion, cell metabolism and gene expression. While conventional planar scintigraphy has been available for some time, newer nuclear imaging modalities such as positron emission tomography promise to further improve the accuracy of initial tumour diagnosis and staging and determination of response to therapy. Although many of these functional techniques are not yet clinically available, it is highly likely that some will be integrated into routine clinical practice in the near future.

PET imaging in pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Advances in diagnostic imaging technology, especially functional imaging modalities like positron emission tomography (PET), have significantly influenced the staging and treatment approaches used for pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma. Today, the majority of children and adolescents diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma will be cured following treatment with non-cross-resistant combination chemotherapy alone or in combination with low-dose, involved-field radiation. This success produced a greater appreciation of long-term complications related to radiation, chemotherapy, and surgical staging that prompted significant changes in staging and treatment protocols for children and adolescents with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Contemporary treatment for pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma uses a risk-adapted approach that reduces the number of combination chemotherapy cycles and radiation treatment fields and doses for patients with localized favorable disease presentation. Advances in diagnostic imaging technology have played a critical role in the development of these risk-adapted treatment regimens. The introduction of computed tomography (CT) provided an accurate and non-invasive modality to define nodal involvement below the diaphragm that motivated the change from surgical to clinical staging. The introduction of functional imaging modalities, like positron emission tomography (PET) scanning, provided the means to correlate tumor activity with anatomic features generated by CT and modify treatment based on tumor response. For centers with access to this modality, PET imaging plays an important role in staging, evaluating tumor response, planning radiation treatment fields, and monitoring after completion of therapy for pediatric Hodgkin's lymphoma. This trend will likely increase in the future as a result of PET's superior sensitivity in correlating sites of tumor activity compared to other available functional imaging modalities. Ongoing prospective studies of PET in pediatric patients will increase understanding about the optimal use of this modality in children with cancer and define the characteristics of FDG-avid nonmalignant conditions that may be problematic in the interpretation of tumor activity.

Management of Pediatric Liver Tumors

Historically, children with liver tumors were uniformly considered to have a poor prognosis and were approached warily by pediatric surgeons and oncologists. Over the last decade, however, advances in diagnostic imaging technology, discovery of effective chemotherapy, and improved surgical techniques have greatly facilitated the management of children with hepatic tumors. Although orthotopic liver transplantation has emerged as a viable treatment option in the management of hepatic malignancies, including hepatoblastoma and hepatocellular carcinoma, its use is still controversial.

Modern imaging of the masseter muscle: Normal anatomy and pathosis on CT and MRI

Tremendous advances in diagnostic imaging technology have produced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging—new ways to depict the normal anatomy and pathosis of the masseter muscle. This article reviews the masseter muscle's normal appearance on CT and MR images and demonstrates the clarity with which CT, in particular, is able to depict soft tissue lesions and neighboring bony involvement. Analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and availability of these new techniques leads to the conclusion that CT is currently the test of choice for imaging masseteric lesions but that MR shows greater promise for the future.