European journal of radiology
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Transcutaneous ultrasound enables visualization of pleural-based lesions but with a poor correlation to specific pathology. Ultrasound contrast agents in conjunction with contrast-specific imaging techniques are increasingly accepted in clinical use. Based on the dual arterial supply of the lung, this organ is suited for evaluation of arterial vascularity by contrast-enhanced sonography (CES). This review will present first data about practise and clinical use of CES in patient with peripheral lung lesions. ⋯ : CES of the chest is limited to pleural-based lesions. CES enables to characterize lung lesions regarding TE and EE. The clinical benefit is yet unclear, but first results are encouraging.
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The goal of any imaging in the setting of a level 1 trauma center is to assess the injuries of a patient as fast as possible with the least amount of time spend to move the patients between rooms or scanners in order to reduce the time till final diagnosis. CT-angiography (CTA) has become increasingly used to analyze peripheral vascular lesions in blunt and penetrating trauma. ⋯ 3D-CTA with multislice CT (MSCT) can be used to replace the diagnostic angiography in patients with blunt or penetrating extremity injuries.
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To summarize current technical and biochemical aspects and clinical applications of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the human prostate in vivo. ⋯ Since it is non-invasive, reliable, radiation-free, and essentially repeatable, combined MR imaging and 3D-MRSI of the prostate lends itself to the planning of biopsy and therapy, and to post-therapeutic follow-up. For broad clinical acceptance, it will be necessary to facilitate MRS examinations and their evaluation and make MRS available to a wider range of institutions.
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Ionizing radiation is being regarded as life threatening. Therefore, accidents in nuclear power plants are considered equal threatening as nuclear bomb explosions, and attacks with dirty bombs are thought as dangerous as nuclear weapon explosions. However, there are differences between a nuclear bomb explosion, the largest imaginable accident in a nuclear power plant, and an attack with a dirty bomb. It is intended to point them out. ⋯ The differences are important between a nuclear weapon explosion, the largest imaginable accident in a nuclear power plant, and an attack with a dirty bomb. Nuclear weapons kill by heat and blast; in the largest imaginable accident in a nuclear power plant, they are less strong and limited to the plant; an attack with a dirty bomb is as life threatening as an ("ordinary") bomb attack, dispersed radiating material may be a risk for individuals.
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Stress fractures are fatigue injuries of bone usually caused by changes in training regimen in the population of military recruits and both professional and recreational athletes. Raised levels of sporting activity in today's population and refined imaging technologies have caused a rise in reported incidence of stress fractures in the past decades, now making up more than 10% of cases in a typical sports medicine practice. Background information (including etiology, epidemiology, clinical presentation and treatment and prevention) as well as state of the art imaging of stress fractures will be discussed to increase awareness amongst radiologists, providing the tools to play an important role in diagnosis and prognosis of stress fractures. ⋯ Radiographs are not reliable for detection of stress fractures and radiologists should not falsely be comforted by them, which could result in delayed diagnosis and possibly permanent consequences for the patient. Although radiographs are mandatory to rule out differentials, they should be followed through when negative, preferably by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as this technique has proven to be superior to bone scintigraphy. CT can be beneficial in a limited number of patients, but should not be used routinely.