Academic radiology
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Contrast/Noise ratio on conventional MRI and choline/creatine ratio on proton MRI spectroscopy accurately discriminate low-grade from high-grade cerebral gliomas.
Histopathology is the gold standard to establish the grade of brain tumors but biopsy and/or surgery are not always possible. The aim of this study is to determine whether histological grade of tumors may be predicted by means of conventional gadolinium-enhanced MRI and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). ⋯ The intensity of contrast enhancement measured with the CNR, the choline/creatine ratio, and the presence of lactate were the most powerful variables to predict malignancy in brain tumors. The CNR is a simple, objective, and useful tool in the initial assessment of gliomas and metastases.
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The aim of the study is to evaluate the effectiveness of an Emergency Radiology (ER) Core Curriculum training module and a Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM)-based interactive examination system to prepare first-year (postgraduate year 2 [PGY-2]) radiology residents and assess their readiness for taking overnight radiology call. ⋯ First-year radiology residents who underwent 6 months of formal radiology training followed by an intensive ER lecture series before taking overnight call had scores similar to upper-level colleagues on an interactive computer-based ER simulation module.
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The imaging systems and protocols used during ventilation-perfusion lung (V-P) scintigraphy and computed tomographic (CT) pulmonary angiography (CTPA) can affect diagnostic performance. We investigated the level of awareness of these factors among US clinicians who refer patients for imaging for suspected acute pulmonary embolism. ⋯ Although state-of-the-art equipment is important to them, clinicians practicing in the United States have limited knowledge of the equipment being used during CTPA and V-P scintigraphy scanning in their communities. Radiologists should intensify efforts to familiarize their clinical colleagues with the equipment they use.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Enhancing lesions of the brain: intraindividual crossover comparison of contrast enhancement after gadobenate dimeglumine versus established gadolinium comparators.
Gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) possesses a two-fold higher T1 relaxivity compared to other available gadolinium contrast agents. The study was conducted to evaluate the benefits of this increased relaxivity for MR imaging of intracranial enhancing brain lesions. ⋯ The greater T1 relaxivity of Gd-BOPTA permits improved visualization of intracranial enhancing lesions compared to conventional gadolinium agents.
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Controlled Clinical Trial
Inversion recovery MRI in idiopathic Parkinson disease is a very sensitive tool to assess neurodegeneration in the substantia nigra: preliminary investigation.
Segmented inversion recovery (IR) ratio imaging (SIRRIM) has been established as a sensitive tool to assess neurodegeneration of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN(C)) in patients with idiopathic Parkinson disease (IPD). The obtained results suggest the possibility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a biological marker for IPD. The strength and a parsimonious analysis of the technique are discussed to assess the potential of using MRI as a biological marker for IPD and improve the differential diagnosis of sporadic Parkinson disease. Our hypothesis states that the magnetic resonance SIRRIM technique allows direct visualization and quantitation of neural cell loss in the SN(C) and therefore could become a reliable biological marker for Parkinson disease. To achieve this goal, some key aspects of data acquisition and data analysis need to be addressed. The clinical impact of the SIRRIM technique could be considerable, considering that it might become a viable surrogate to other techniques. ⋯ The hypothesis of using SIRRIM as a biological marker to assess IPD is supported by excellent correlation with clinical UPDRS scoring and has proved useful for the evaluation and quantitation of neurodegeneration with our SIRRIM technique, showing, in addition, that the differential diagnosis of IPD can be improved. Technical aspects of acquisition and data processing that need to be addressed can be overcome. It ultimately confirms that our objectives can be achieved and allows us to expect assessment of the progressive development of neurodegeneration in longitudinal studies and the putative neuroprotective approaches taken during the evolution of the disease.