AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Apr 2009
Comparative StudyRespiratory-triggered versus breath-hold diffusion-weighted MRI of liver lesions: comparison of image quality and apparent diffusion coefficient values.
The purpose of our study was to compare respiratory-triggered and breath-hold diffusion-weighted liver MRI and to assess the agreement in the apparent diffusion co-efficient (ADC) values between the two sequences. ⋯ Respiratory-triggered DWI should be preferred over breath-hold DWI for the evaluation of focal liver lesions because it provides better image quality and SNR without any compromise in the calculated ADC values.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Apr 2009
Freehand real-time MRI-guided lumbar spinal injection procedures at 1.5 T: feasibility, accuracy, and safety.
The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that freehand real-time MRI-guided lumbar spinal injection procedures are feasible, accurate, and safe when performed with a clinical open-bore 1.5-T MRI system. ⋯ We accept the hypothesis that freehand real-time MRI-guided lumbar spinal injection procedures are feasible, accurate, and safe when performed with a clinical open-bore 1.5-T MRI system. We note that real-time MRI guidance has the additional advantage of a complete absence of patient and operator exposure to ionizing radiation.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Apr 2009
Radiation dose in a "triple rule-out" coronary CT angiography protocol of emergency department patients using 64-MDCT: the impact of ECG-based tube current modulation on age, sex, and body mass index.
"Triple rule-out" coronary CT angiography (CTA) using 64-MDCT technology is a new approach for evaluating emergency department patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Our objective was to evaluate the reduction in effective radiation dose through the use of tube current modulation in patients who underwent a triple rule-out coronary CTA evaluation and to document how effective radiation dose was impacted by patient age, sex, and body mass index (BMI). ⋯ The overall effective radiation dose for triple rule-out coronary CTA was reduced by more than 50% with ECG-based tube current modulation without loss of image quality. Tube current modulation should be used for triple rule-out coronary CTA examinations whenever possible.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Apr 2009
Automated algorithm for quantifying the extent of cystic change on volumetric chest CT: initial results in Lymphangioleiomyomatosis.
The purpose of our study was to develop a new method for quantifying the severity of cystic lung disease using chest CT and to evaluate this method in patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM). ⋯ A new method for quantifying cyst volume as a percentage of total lung volume using chest CT correlates with pulmonary function parameters in patients with LAM and may have utility in the assessment of disease severity and progression of cystic lung diseases.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Apr 2009
Fluoroscopic and sonographic guidance to place peritoneal catheters: how we do it.
The purpose of this article is to detail a percutaneous approach to placing peritoneal catheters using sonographic and fluoroscopic guidance. Fluoroscopic-assisted placement of these catheters has been previously described in the literature. We emphasize the use of additional sonographic guidance, including color Doppler sonography, to determine the safest puncture site and to guide the initial needle puncture to avoid bowel perforation and injury to the epigastric artery. ⋯ Imaging-guided-that is, sonography plus fluoroscopy-percutaneous placement of peritoneal catheters is a safe, minimally invasive, and effective alternative to blind or open surgical placement. The use of sonographic guidance together with fluoroscopic assistance makes placement of peritoneal catheters a safer and effective alternative to blind or open surgical placement.