European journal of radiology
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Comparative Study
Are Modic changes related to outcomes in lumbar disc herniation patients treated with imaging-guided lumbar nerve root blocks?
To compare outcomes after imaging-guided transforaminal lumbar nerve root blocks in MRI confirmed symptomatic disc herniation patients with and without Modic changes (MC). ⋯ Patients with MRI confirmed symptomatic lumbar disc herniations and MC report significantly lower levels of pain reduction after a lumbar nerve root block compared to patients without MC.
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Computed tomography currently accounts for the majority of radiation exposure related to medical imaging. Although technological improvement of CT scanners has reduced the radiation dose of individual examinations, the benefit was overshadowed by the rapid increase in the number of CT examinations. Radiation exposure from CT examination should be kept as low as reasonably possible for patient safety. ⋯ Improvement in image production, especially the introduction of iterative reconstruction methods, is expected to lower radiation dose significantly. Radiation dose reduction in CT is a multifaceted issue. Understanding these aspects leads to an optimal solution for various indications of chest CT.
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Cerebral vasospasm (CV) following subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) implies high risk for secondary ischemia. It requires early diagnosis to start treatment on time. We aimed to assess the utility of "whole brain" VPCT for detecting localization and characteristics of arterial vasospasm. ⋯ VPCT is a non-invasive method with the ability to detect focal perfusion deficits almost in the whole brain. While DSA remains to be the gold standard for detection of CV, VPCT has the potential to improve noninvasive diagnosis and treatment decisions.