European radiology
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Observational Study
Pain reduction after lumbar epidural injections using particulate versus non-particulate steroids: intensity of the baseline pain matters.
To compare pain relief after CT-guided lumbar epidural steroid injections (ESI) using particulate (triamcinolone) and non-particulate (dexamethasone) steroids, and to explore factors affecting the effectiveness of both steroid types. ⋯ • Triamcinolone is superior to dexamethasone for epidural treatment of severe lumbar radiculopathy. • For mild to moderate pain, dexamethasone could be equally effective. • Dexamethasone reduces pain caused by disc herniation much better than it does to pain caused by fixed stenotic spinal lesions.
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Comparative Study
Ultrasound- versus fluoroscopy-guided injections in the lower back for the management of pain: a systematic review.
Ultrasound-guided spinal injections are less common than fluoroscopy-guided injections. Although unable to penetrate bones, ultrasound guidance has a number of advantages including convenience and reduced exposure to ionizing radiation. However, it is not known how ultrasound-guided injections compare to fluoroscopy-guided injections in the management of lower back pain. Our objective is to systematically review the literature comparing ultrasound-guided injections to fluoroscopy-guided injections for the management of lower back pain. ⋯ • There were no differences in pain relief, procedure time, number of needle passes, changes in disability indices, complications or adverse events, post-procedure opioid consumption, or patient satisfaction between ultrasound- and fluoroscopy-guided injections for the management of lower back pain. • Given the lack of evidence to demonstrate superior efficacy and the added harms with fluoroscopic guidance, ultrasound guidance may be the preferred method of guidance for injections to manage lower back pain in appropriate patients. Further study is required to understand the exact role of ultrasound in image-guided injections.
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Multicenter Study
Patient preferences for whole-body MRI or conventional staging pathways in lung and colorectal cancer: a discrete choice experiment.
To determine the importance placed by patients on attributes associated with whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) and standard cancer staging pathways and ascertain drivers of preference. ⋯ • WB-MRI staging pathways are preferred to standard pathways by the majority of patients provided they at least match standard staging pathways for accuracy, total scan number, and time to diagnosis. • For patients with lung cancer, time to diagnosis was the attribute valued most highly, followed by accuracy, radiation dose, number of additional scans, and time in a scanner. Preference for patients with colorectal cancer was similar. • Most (63%) patients were willing to trade attributes, such as faster diagnosis, for improvements in pathway accuracy and reduced radiation exposure.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of T1 mapping and fixed T1 method for dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI perfusion in brain gliomas.
To compare dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) data obtained using different prebolus T1 values in glioma grading and molecular profiling. ⋯ • DCE-MRI data obtained with different prebolus T1 are significantly different, thus not comparable. • The definition of a prebolus T1 by T1 mapping is not mandatory since it does not improve the diagnostic accuracy of DCE-MRI for glioma grading. • The use of a fixed T1 value represents a valid alternative to T1 mapping for DCE-MRI analysis.
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Observational Study
Abdominal compartment syndrome and intra-abdominal hypertension in critically ill patients: diagnostic value of computed tomography.
The aims of the present work were to reevaluate, prospectively, the diagnostic value of already-described computed tomography (CT) landmarks of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) and abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS) and to study the diagnostic value of some undescribed CT signs for the diagnosis of IAH and ACS. ⋯ • CT is an efficient first-intention procedure to evaluate and follow up underlying conditions in critically ill patients at risk of IAH and ACS overcome. • Raising the possibility of an IAH on a CT examination is relevant information for the clinician. • The only factors associated with intra-abdominal hypertension were the peritoneal-to-abdominal height ratio (PAR) and the ratio of maximal anteroposterior to transverse abdominal diameter (which define the round belly sign when > 0.8).