Publications by authors named "Bianka Bircakova"
Both decreased and increased grey-to-white matter attenuation ratio in the putamen and caudate on early head computed tomography differentiate patients with favorable and unfavorable outcomes after prolonged cardiac arrest-secondary analysis of the Prague OHCA study.
Quant Imaging Med Surg
September 2023
Article Synopsis
- - Neurological damage is a major cause of death in cardiac arrest victims, and early brain CT scans are crucial for predicting patient outcomes after out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA).
- - The study analyzed data from patients who had brain CTs within 36 hours of cardiac arrest, finding that brain edema was only present in those with poor outcomes (CPC 3-5), while specific ratios of grey-to-white matter provided insights into favorable outcomes.
- - Results showed significant distinctions in grey-to-white matter attenuation ratios between favorable (CPC 1-2) and unfavorable outcomes, aiding early neuroprognostication and demonstrating differences between patients treated with conventional CPR versus extracorporeal CPR.
Objectives: To assess the diagnostic performance and interobserver agreement of CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) in the detection of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and its features among radiologists of different levels of experience.
Materials And Methods: In this retrospective, single-center, single-blinded study, three radiologists with different levels of experience in CT imaging (R1:15 years, R2:6 years, and R3:3 years) evaluated CTPA of 51 patients ultimately diagnosed with CTEPH (European Society of Cardiology guidelines) and 49 patients without CTEPH in random order to assess the presence of CTEPH, its features in the pulmonary artery tree, proximal level of involvement, bronchial artery hypertrophy, mosaic perfusion, and right heart overload.
Results: CTPAs of 51 patients with CTEPH (median age, 66 years (IQR 56-72), 28 men) and 49 patients without CTEPH (median age, 65 years (IQR 50-74), 25 men) were evaluated.
Background: Morphology highlighted by diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) is the basis of whole-body MRI (wbMRI). The aim of this study was to analyze current knowledge on the diagnostic performance of wbMRI in the pretreatment staging of patients with lymphoma.
Methods: A search for original articles reporting the diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity) of pretreatment (first staging or staging in relapsed patients after complete remission) wbMRI in nodal and extranodal involvement by extracranial lymphoma and the agreement of stage by the Cotswolds-modified Ann Arbor classification in adult patients compared to the reference standard (PET/CT or enhanced reference standard) was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.
Objective: To determine the association between COVID-19 infection and peripancreatic changes on CT as a sign of acute pancreatic injury.
Methods: Retrospective analysis of CT examinations in patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection yielded 103 instances. An age- and gender-matched cohort of patients without COVID-19 was found.
Objectives: To review clinical and laboratory findings in patients with SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19) related acute pancreatitis.
Methods: This systematic review was based on a database search for articles of COVID-19 related acute pancreatitis in adult patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection that included age, gender, presenting symptoms, the onset of symptoms, laboratory values, imaging findings and exclusion of common causes of pancreatitis.
Results: Altogether 35 articles comprising 37 patients were included.
Background: Lung cancer screening in high-risk population increases the proportion of patients diagnosed at a resectable stage.
Aims: To optimize the selection criteria and quality indicators for lung cancer screening by low-dose CT (LDCT) in the Czech population of high-risk individuals. To compare the influence of screening on the stage of lung cancer at the time of the diagnosis with the stage distribution in an unscreened population.