Imaging of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) originates in the renal pelvis or ureters and typically affects elderly patients, with its incidence increasing over the past few decades. UTUC is a distinct clinical entity with more aggressive clinical behavior than that of lower tract urothelial carcinoma. Due to the significant challenge of acquiring an adequate tissue sample for biopsy, comprehensive risk stratification is required for treatment planning, including radical nephroureterectomy and kidney-sparing management.

Image quality comparison of 1.5T and 3T prostate MRIs of the same post-hip arthroplasty patients: multi-rater assessments including PI-QUAL version 2.

Objectives: To compare the image quality of 1.5T and 3T prostate MRIs of the same post-hip arthroplasty patients, with a specific focus on the degree of susceptibility artifacts.

Methods: This single-center retrospective study included post-hip arthroplasty patients who underwent 1.

MRI in Adult Patients with Active and Inactive Implanted MR-conditional, MR-nonconditional, and Other Devices.

Active implanted medical devices (AIMDs) enable therapy and patient monitoring by way of electrical activity and typically have a battery and electrical leads. The most common types of AIMDs include cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIEDs), spinal cord stimulators, deep brain stimulators, bone growth or fusion stimulators, other neurostimulators, and drug infusion pumps. As more patients with AIMDs undergo MRI, it is important to consider the safety of patients who have these implanted devices during MRI.

Peripheral (deep) but not periventricular MRI white matter hyperintensities are increased in clinical vascular dementia compared to Alzheimer's disease.

Background And Purpose: Vascular dementia (VAD) is a complex diagnosis at times difficult to distinguish from Alzheimer's disease (AD). MRI scans often show white matter hyperintensities (WMH) in both conditions. WMH increase with age, and both VAD and AD are associated with aging, thus presenting an attribution conundrum.

Diagnosis of Usual Interstitial Pneumonitis in the Absence of Honeycombing: Evaluation of Specific CT Criteria With Clinical Follow-Up in 38 Patients.

Objective: We sought to evaluate specific CT criteria for the diagnosis of usual interstitial pneumonitis (UIP) in the absence of honeycombing. These criteria included peripheral reticulation and lobular distortion; some upper lobe involvement, but a lower zone predominance; a heterogeneous appearance with areas of normal lung, minimal reticulation, and substantial distortion alternating throughout the study and often on an individual image; a nonsegmental distribution; and traction bronchiectasis.

Materials And Methods: We searched reports of CT studies performed between January 1, 2009, and January 1, 2012, to identify patients for whom UIP was a likely or probable diagnosis and reviewed the CT study for each case (n = 106).

Reducing body CT radiation dose: beyond just changing the numbers.

Objective: CT dose reduction has become a top priority for many radiology practices as a result of federal and state initiatives and public concern. Implementing this in practice, however, is difficult because of the variability between practices, CT scanners, radiologist preferences, and institutional capacity.

Conclusion: This article will discuss strategies for successful CT dose reduction instituted in multivendor practices.

An automated DICOM database capable of arbitrary data mining (including radiation dose indicators) for quality monitoring.

The U.S. National Press has brought to full public discussion concerns regarding the use of medical radiation, specifically x-ray computed tomography (CT), in diagnosis.

Extensive cardiac metastases secondary to uterine leiomyosarcoma.

Uterine leiomyosarcoma metastatic to multiple cardiac chambers occurs infrequently. Over the past 4 decades, there have been only 11 reported cases of cardiac metastasis secondary to uterine leiomyosarcoma. Metastatic cardiac tumors are commonly diagnosed postmortem, although it may be possible to diagnose them during life.

Radiation dose to the fetus for pregnant patients undergoing multidetector CT imaging: Monte Carlo simulations estimating fetal dose for a range of gestational age and patient size.

Purpose: To use Monte Carlo simulations of a current-technology multidetector computed tomographic (CT) scanner to investigate fetal radiation dose resulting from an abdominal and pelvic examination for a range of actual patient anatomies that include variation in gestational age and maternal size.

Materials And Methods: Institutional review board approval was obtained for this HIPAA-compliant retrospective study. Twenty-four models of maternal and fetal anatomy were created from image data from pregnant patients who had previously undergone clinically indicated CT examination.

Value of multislice computed tomography angiography of the thorax in preparation for catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation: the impact of unexpected cardiac and extracardiac findings on patient care.

Objective: In patients referred for catheter ablation for the treatment of atrial fibrillation, multislice computed tomography angiography of the thorax is routinely performed to assess pulmonary vein anatomy. We sought to investigate the incidence of unexpected cardiac and extracardiac findings in this select patient population and to establish how these findings influence subsequent patient care.

Methods: Ninety-five patients (mean age 62+/-10 years, 35% female) referred to our institution for ablation therapy for atrial fibrillation between July 2003 and October 2007 underwent multislice computed tomography angiography of the thorax.

Three-dimensional virtual dissection at CT colonography: unraveling the colon to search for lesions.

Computed tomographic (CT) colonography is a promising noninvasive examination for colorectal cancer screening; however, the optimal interpretation strategy remains undecided. Virtual dissection is an innovative technique whereby the three-dimensional (3D) model of the colon is virtually unrolled, sliced open, and displayed as a flat 3D rendering of the mucosal surface, similar to a gross pathologic specimen. This technique has the potential to reduce evaluation time by providing a more rapid 3D image assessment than is possible with an antegrade and retrograde 3D endoluminal fly-through.