Multidetector CT (multidetector + ct)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


NON-GYNAECOLOGICAL CYTOLOGY: THE CLINICIAN'S VIEW

CYTOPATHOLOGY, Issue 2006
I. Penman
There is increased recognition of the importance of accurate staging of malignancies of the GI tract and lung, greater use of neoadjuvant therapies and more protocol-driven management. This is particularly important where regional lymph node involvement significantly impacts on curability. Multidetector CT and PET scanning have resulted in greater detection of potential abnormalities which, if positive for malignancy, would change management. There is also a greater recognition that many enlarged nodes may be inflammatory and that size criteria alone are unreliable in determining involvement. In other situations, especially pancreatic masses, not all represent carcinoma as focal chronic pancreatitis, autoimmune pancreatitis etc can catch out the unwary. A preoperative tissue diagnosis is essential and even if unresectable, oncologists are increasingly reluctant to initiate chemotherapy or enroll patients into trials without this. The approach to obtaining tissue is often hampered by the small size or relative inaccessibility of lesions by percutaneous approaches. As such novel techniques such as endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) guided FNA have been developed. A 120cm needle is passed through the instrument and, under real-time visualisation, through the gastrointestinal wall to sample adjacent lymph nodes or masses. Multiple studies have demonstrated the safety and performance of this technique. In oesophageal cancer, confirmation of node positivity by has a major negative influence on curative resection rates and will often lead to a decision to use neoadjuvant chemotherapy or a non-operative approach. Sampling of lymph nodes at the true coeliac axis upstages the patient to M1a status (stage IV) disease and makes the patient incurable. In NSCLC, subcarinal lymph nodes are frequently present but may be inflammatory. If positive these represent N2 (stage IIIA) disease and in most centres again makes the patient inoperable. Access to these lymph nodes would otherwise require mediastinosocopy whereas this can be done simply, safely and quickly by EUS. Overall the sensitivity for EUS , FNA of mediastinal or upper abdominal lymph nodes is 83,90% with an accuracy of 80,90%. In pancreatic cancer performance is less good but pooled analysis of published studies indicates a sensitivity of 85% and accuracy of 88%. In a recent spin-off from EUS, endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) instruments have been developed and the ability to sample anterior mediastinal nodes has been demonstrated. It is likely that this EBUS , FNA technique will become increasingly utilised and may replace mediastinoscopy. The development of techniques such as EUS and EBUS to allow FNA sampling of lesions has increased the role of non-gynaecological cytology significantly in recent years. Cytology therefore remains important for a broad range of specialties and there is ongoing need for careful and close co-operation between cytologists and clinicians in these specialties. References:, 1. Williams DB, Sahai AV, Aabakken L, Penman ID, van Velse A, Webb J et al. Endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy: a large single centre experience. Gut. 1999; 44: 720,6. 2. Silvestri GA, Hoffman BJ, Bhutani MS et al. Endoscopic ultrasound with fine-needle aspiration in the diagnosis and staging of lung cancer. Ann Thorac Surg 1996; 61: 1441,6. 3. Rintoul RC, Skwarski KM, Murchison JT, Wallace WA, Walker WS, Penman ID. Endobronchial and endoscopic ultrasound real-time fine-needle aspiration staging of the mediastinum ). Eur Resp J 2005; 25: 1,6. [source]


Morphologic Characteristics of the Left Atrial Appendage, Roof, and Septum: Implications for the Ablation of Atrial Fibrillation

JOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 9 2006
WANWARANG WONGCHAROEN M.D.
Introduction: The left atrium (LA) ablation in different regions, including LA appendage (LAA), LA roof, and LA septum, has recently been proposed to improve the success rate of treating patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). The purpose of this study was to investigate the anatomy of LAA, LA roof, and LA septum, using computed tomography (CT). Methods and Results: Multidetector CT scan was used to depict the LA in 47 patients with drug-refractory paroxysmal AF (39 males, age = 50 ± 12 years) and 49 control subjects (34 males, age = 54 ± 11 years). The area of LAA orifice, neck, and the length of roof line were greater in AF group than in control subjects. Three types of LAA locations and two types of LAA ridges were observed. Higher incidence of inferior LAA was noted in AF patients. The different morphologies of LA roof were described. Roof pouches were revealed in 15% of AF and 14% of controls. Moreover, we found septal ridge in 32% of AF and 23% of controls. Conclusions: Considerable variations of LAA and LA roof morphologies were demonstrated. Peculiar structures, including roof pouches and septal ridges, were delineated by CT imaging. These findings were important for determining the strategy of AF ablation and avoiding the procedure-related complications. [source]


Radiation exposure and the justification of computed tomography scanning in an Australian hospital emergency department

INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2009
M. Street
Abstract In an emergency department (ED), computed tomography (CT) is particularly beneficial in the investigation of high-speed trauma patients. With the advent of multidetector CT (MDCT) scanners, it is becoming faster and easier to conduct scans. In recent years, this has become evident with an increasing number of CT requests. Patients who have multiple CT scans during their hospital stay can receive radiation doses that have an increased theoretical risk of induction of cancer. It is essential that the clinical justification for each CT scan be considered on an individual basis and that due consideration is given to the radiation risk and possible diagnostic benefit. The current lack of a central State or Commonwealth data repository for medical images is a contributing factor to excessive radiation dosage to the population. The principles of justification and radiation risks are discussed in this study. [source]


Primary hemangiopericytoma of the liver: Sonographic findings

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ULTRASOUND, Issue 5 2009
Settimo Caruso MD
Abstract Hemangiopericytoma (HP) is an uncommon vascular tumor that rarely develops in the liver. We present the case of a 68-year-old female with a primary HP involving the right lobe of the liver, detected during an abdominal screening sonography. The lesion was further evaluated using multidetector CT. The patient was treated with a right hepatectomy, and a pathologic diagnosis was made. Two years later, there was no evidence of recurrence. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2009 [source]


Effect of slice thickness on liver lesion detection and characterisation by multidetector CT

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2010
JT Smith
Summary The purpose of our study was to compare the effectiveness of 3.2 mm, 5 mm and 7.5 mm slice thicknesses in the detection and characterisation of liver lesions found on CT in patients with known or suspected malignant disease. 110 patients underwent portal phase imaging using four-slice MDCT. Two blinded observers independently read hard copy images at each slice thickness. The size and location of each lesion detected was recorded by each observer on a diagram of liver segmental anatomy. Each lesion was characterised as benign, malignant or indeterminate in nature. A diagnostic confidence score was allocated for each lesion on a scale of 1,4. The pathology or behaviour of lesions was assessed using surgery with intra-operative ultrasound (IOUS) and histology, or interval imaging with MRI, CT, or sonography. 294 lesions were detected, 64 (22%) of which were malignant. Both observers detected significantly more lesions on the 3.2 mm versus 7.5 mm slice thickness (p < 0.0001). Both observers detected more malignant lesions on 3.2 mm and 5 mm slice thicknesses versus 7.5 mm. As slice thickness decreased there was a significant increase in the sensitivity of malignant lesion detection for observer 1 (p < 0.001) and borderline significance for observer 2 (p = 0.07). As slice thickness decreased the proportion of lesions characterised as indeterminate by both observers fell. With thinner slices, both detection and characterisation of liver lesions were improved. A slice thickness no greater than 5 mm should be used to maximise both detection and correct characterisation of liver lesions. [source]


Multidetector CT portal venography in evaluation of portosystemic collateral vessels

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 1 2008
A Agarwal
Summary This essay shows the usefulness of multidetector CT angiography for evaluation of the splenoportal venous system, which is essential in the management of patients with portal hypertension and its complications, such as portal vein thrombosis. By providing scanning with reconstruction of thin axial source images and reformatting into thicker multiplanar reformats, multidetector CT can help to determine the extent and location of portosystemic collateral vessels in patients with portal hypertension and is probably the optimal imaging technique in this setting. [source]


Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome: Non-invasive diagnosis by MDCT and MRI

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 2007
D Utsunomiya
SUMMARY We present a case of a 19-year-old male patient complaining of right leg pain, which appeared after exercise and abated with rest. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) showed occlusion of right popliteal artery. Volume rendering CT image showed not only occlusion of right popliteal artery but also abnormal course of the medial head of the gastrocnemius muscle (MHG). CT and MR images of right popliteal fossa showed the abnormal anatomy that MHG coursed between popliteal artery with thrombus and popliteal vein. Popliteal artery entrapment syndrome was diagnosed non-invasively by multidetector CT and MRI. Sectional radiological and three-dimensional images are useful for not only depiction of the arterial changes but also identification of the abnormal anatomic structures responsible for the entrapment. [source]


Utility of multidetector CT and virtual bronchoscopy in tracheobronchial obstruction in children

ACTA PAEDIATRICA, Issue 7 2010
Kushaljit Singh Sodhi
Abstract Purpose:, The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of multidetector CT (MDCT) and virtual bronchoscopy (VB) in the evaluation of tracheobronchial patency in children with suspected bronchial obstruction and to compare its findings with fibreoptic/rigid bronchoscopy or surgery. Patients and methods:, A total of 43 children (15 girls, 28 boys) with clinically suspected bronchial obstruction underwent contrast enhanced MDCT, using an age- and weight- adjusted low dose protocol. Post-processing was performed and VB and multiplanar reformations (MPR) were obtained at the same sitting. Findings obtained at MDCT and VB were compared with fibreoptic/rigid bronchoscopy and surgery. Results:, Obstructive pathology was found in 26 children, which included endoluminal foreign body, mucus plugs in 13 children, endobronchial tumour in three children and extrinsic compression (lymph node, aberrant Vessels, mediastinal cysts/tumours) of the tracheobronchial tree in 10 children. In 17 children, no obstructive lesion was identified. Excellent positive correlation was obtained, between MDCT-VB and bronchoscopy/surgery, however, in one child with endobronchial obstruction caused by tracheitis, low dose MDCT-VB was normal, but bronchoscopy revealed granularity and plaques. Conclusion:, MDCT-Virtual bronchoscopy is useful in evaluating bronchial stenosis and obstruction caused by both endoluminal pathology and external compression and has the advantage of looking beyond stenosis. Its main application lies in providing the exact location of suspected foreign body, prior to bronchoscopy. However, it fails to disclose exact nature of obstructing pathology. [source]