CT diagnosis of acute flank pain from urolithiasis.

The use of noncontrast helical CT (NHCT) to assess patients with acute flank pain and hematuria for potential urinary tract stone disease was first reported in 1995. After several years of experience with the technique, sensitivity and specificity of NHCT has proven to be better than intravenous urography for evaluating ureteral stones. NHCT imaging findings for urinary calculi and the differential diagnosis are discussed in this article.

Acute pancreatitis: the role of diagnostic imaging.

In the U.S., acute pancreatitis is usually caused by excessive consumption of ethanol or by biliary stone disease.

Overview of imaging in colorectal cancer.

Accurate staging of colorectal carcinoma (CRC) at initial diagnosis is critical for proper management of this disease. Computed tomography (CT) is often used for preoperative staging and is complementary to the clinical assessment of the patient and to the use of other imaging techniques, such as endoluminal ultrasound (US). CT can identify those patients who may benefit from local radiation therapy, hepatic resection or cryoablation, or intra-arterial chemotherapy.

Interpretation of abdominal CT: analysis of errors and their causes.

Purpose: Our goal was to analyze those factors contributing to the error rate in the interpretation of abdominal CT scans at an academic medical center.

Method: From a total of 694 consecutive patients (329 male, 365 female), we evaluated the error rates of interpreting abdominal CT studies. The average patient age was 54 years.

Assessment of rectal tumor infiltration utilizing endorectal MR imaging and comparison with endoscopic rectal sonography.

Background: The preoperative assessment of depth of invasion of rectal carcinoma is increasingly important as new treatment methodologies are developed. Accuracy of preoperative endorectal MR imaging was therefore compared with that of the endoscopic rectal sonography in determining depth of invasion of rectal carcinomas.

Method: From March 1993 to April 1994, 10 consecutive patients with biopsy-proven rectal carcinomas were imaged with both endorectal MR imaging and endoscopic rectal sonography.