Radiation medicine
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The reproducibility of short echo time proton MR spectroscopy (1H-MRS) in normal human brains was examined. Thirteen healthy volunteers were studied, and each underwent three MRS examinations. Second and third measurements were done on the same day, about two months after the first measurement, and interday and intraday reproducibility were evaluated. ⋯ Their normal range and reproducibility were measured. For each metabolite ratio, there was no significant difference between interday difference and intraday difference, suggesting that the interval of two months has minimal effect on MRS measurements. MRS may be utilized for the observation of central nervous system diseases.
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A total of 74 patients with intussusception were divided into two groups: 43 cases in 39 patients between April 1974 and June 1988 were treated under general anesthesia, and 39 cases in 35 patients between July 1988 and January 1994 were treated without it. We compared the success rates of barium reduction of intussusception in the two groups and used Fisher's exact probability test to assess whether they differed significantly. ⋯ The use of general anesthesia for hydrostatic barium reduction of intussusception did not improve the success rate of this procedure. Therefore we recommend that, in view of its associated disadvantages, general anesthesia should not be used during this procedure.
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To prevent micrometastasis at an earlier stage and to increase the lateral or circumferential tumor free margins, there is a rationale for neo-adjuvant chemo-radiotherapy in patients with colorectal cancer. In order to investigate the effects of such a protocol on colonic anastomotic healing, an experimental study resembling the clinical use of neo-adjuvant concomitant 5-FU+ irradiation treatment of colorectal cancer was conducted. ⋯ Preoperative pelvic fractionated irradiation and concomitant 5-FU delays anastomotic healing.