CT imaging findings of invasive pulmonary fungal infections in hemato-oncologic children.

Hemato-oncologic children form a heterogeneous group with a wide spectrum of ages, malignancy types, and immunosuppression grades during the different phases of their treatment. Immunosuppression is caused by multiple factors, including the malignancy itself, bone marrow suppression secondary to therapy, and wide use of steroids and antibiotics, among others. At the same time, the risk of infections in these patients remains high because of prolonged hospitalizations or the need for long-timing implanted devices between other features.

Development of a user-friendly calculator for a pediatric split-bolus polytrauma computed tomography protocol.

We present here a user-friendly calculator for the setting of a pediatric split-bolus polytrauma computed tomography (CT) protocol with a mixed arterial and venous phase, aiming to both reduce radiation dose and improve workflow while assuring optimal image quality. All the different parameters are calculated based on patient's weight with rapid computation of the injected contrast media and saline volumes, injection's flow rate, injection's timing, and optimal acquisition time. The designed calculator is built in a widely available Google Sheets file, accessible by a quick response (QR) code.

Similarity-driven motion-resolved reconstruction for ferumoxytol-enhanced whole-heart MRI in congenital heart disease.

A similarity-driven multi-dimensional binning algorithm (SIMBA) reconstruction of free-running cardiac magnetic resonance imaging data was previously proposed. While very efficient and fast, the original SIMBA focused only on the reconstruction of a single motion-consistent cluster, discarding the remaining data acquired. However, the redundant data clustered by similarity may be exploited to further improve image quality.

Intra-bin correction and inter-bin compensation of respiratory motion in free-running five-dimensional whole-heart magnetic resonance imaging.

Background: Free-running cardiac and respiratory motion-resolved whole-heart five-dimensional (5D) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) can reduce scan planning and provide a means of evaluating respiratory-driven changes in clinical parameters of interest. However, respiratory-resolved imaging can be limited by user-defined parameters which create trade-offs between residual artifact and motion blur. In this work, we develop and validate strategies for both correction of intra-bin and compensation of inter-bin respiratory motion to improve the quality of 5D CMR.

Gated cardiac CT in infants: What can we expect from deep learning image reconstruction algorithm?

Background: ECG-gated cardiac CT is now widely used in infants with congenital heart disease (CHD). Deep Learning Image Reconstruction (DLIR) could improve image quality while minimizing the radiation dose.

Objectives: To define the potential dose reduction using DLIR with an anthropomorphic phantom.

Combined free-running four-dimensional anatomical and flow magnetic resonance imaging with native contrast using Synchronization of Neighboring Acquisitions by Physiological Signals.

Background: Four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) often relies on the injection of gadolinium- or iron-oxide-based contrast agents to improve vessel delineation. In this work, a novel technique is developed to acquire and reconstruct 4D flow data with excellent dynamic visualization of blood vessels but without the need for contrast injection. Synchronization of Neighboring Acquisitions by Physiological Signals (SyNAPS) uses pilot tone (PT) navigation to retrospectively synchronize the reconstruction of two free-running three-dimensional radial acquisitions, to create co-registered anatomy and flow images.

Pulse Oximetry as an Aid to Rule Out Pneumonia among Patients with a Lower Respiratory Tract Infection in Primary Care.

Guidelines recommend chest X-rays (CXRs) to diagnose pneumonia and guide antibiotic treatment. This study aimed to identify clinical predictors of pneumonia that are visible on a chest X-ray (CXR+) which could support ruling out pneumonia and avoiding unnecessary CXRs, including oxygen saturation. A secondary analysis was performed in a clinical trial that included patients with suspected pneumonia in Swiss primary care.

Focused navigation for respiratory-motion-corrected free-running radial 4D flow MRI.

Purpose: To validate a respiratory motion correction method called focused navigation (fNAV) for free-running radial whole-heart 4D flow MRI.

Methods: Using fNAV, respiratory signals derived from radial readouts are converted into three orthogonal displacements, which are then used to correct respiratory motion in 4D flow datasets. Hundred 4D flow acquisitions were simulated with non-rigid respiratory motion and used for validation.

Necrotizing pneumonia in children: Chest computed tomography vs. lung ultrasound.

Background: The utilization of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) of the chest for the diagnosis of necrotizing pneumonia (NP), a complication of community-acquired pneumonia, is controversial because of the inherent ionizing radiation involved. Over the past few years, the growing availability of bedside Lung Ultrasound (LUS) devices has led to increased use of this nonionizing imaging method for diagnosing thoracic pathology, including pneumonia.

Objective: The objectives of this study were as follows: first, to compare the performance of LUS vs.

Clinical sign and biomarker-based algorithm to identify bacterial pneumonia among outpatients with lower respiratory tract infection in Tanzania.

Background: Inappropriate antibiotics use in lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) is a major contributor to resistance. We aimed to design an algorithm based on clinical signs and host biomarkers to identify bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) among patients with LRTI.

Methods: Participants with LRTI were selected in a prospective cohort of febrile (≥ 38 °C) adults presenting to outpatient clinics in Dar es Salaam.

Abbreviated MRI for Preoperative Assessment of Breast Cancer: is Maximal Intensity Projection (MIP) of the First Post Contrast Acquisition Subtracted (Fast) Sequence Sufficient for Disease Evaluation?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of abbreviated MRI (AMRI) using the maximal intensity projection (MIP) reconstruction of the first post-contrast acquisition subtracted (FAST) compared with MIP+FAST and full-protocol MRI (fpMRI) for the preoperative assessment of breast cancer (BC) in a biopsy-proven cancer population.

Methods: In this monocentric retrospective study, two readers consensually assessed two AMRI protocols consisting of MIP reconstruction of the FAST (MIP) and MIP+FAST. 228 patients were included with a breast MRI performed between 2013 and 2014, 207 of them (90.

Use of an Online Ultrasound Simulator to Teach Basic Psychomotor Skills to Medical Students During the Initial COVID-19 Lockdown: Quality Control Study.

Background: Teaching medical ultrasound has increased in popularity in medical schools with hands-on workshops as an essential part of teaching. However, the lockdown due to COVID-19 kept medical schools from conducting these workshops.

Objective: The aim of this paper is to describe an alternative method used by our medical school to allow our students to acquire the essential psychomotor skills to produce ultrasound images.

Revising the classification of lung sequestrations.

Purposes: The classification of lung sequestrations distinguishes between extralobar and intralobar types, according to their venous drainage - systemic vs pulmonary - and the presence or absence of independent pleura. However, imaging, surgical and/or pathological findings often differ from this description. The objectives of this article are to quantify the percentage of lung sequestrations that do not fit the classic description of extra- and intralobar types and to evaluate the accuracy of the currently used classification.

Prenatal imaging of anorectal malformations - 10-year experience at a tertiary center in Switzerland.

Background: Anorectal malformation is a spectrum of congenital defects of the distal bowel, mostly diagnosed at birth.

Objective: To describe the prenatal imaging findings of anorectal malformations, explore the causes of the low rates of prenatal diagnosis, compare the accuracy of prenatal ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonnance imaging [MRI] and evaluate the relevance of information obtained at MRI.

Materials And Methods: Children treated for anorectal malformation at our hospital and with available prenatal studies were retrospectively identified and included in the study.

Significance of lung anomalies in fetuses affected by tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome.

Objectives: Tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve syndrome is a rare form of tetralogy of Fallot with dilatation of large pulmonary arteries. Prognosis is related to the severity of the cardiac malformation and to bronchial tree compression by dilated pulmonary arteries. This study analyses the prenatal echographic lung appearance in fetuses with tetralogy of Fallot with absent pulmonary valve and discusses its significance.

MR and CT imaging of pulmonary valved conduits in children and adolescents: normal appearance and complications.

Background: The Contegra® is a conduit made from the bovine jugular vein and then interposed between the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery. It is used for cardiac malformations in the reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract.

Objective: To describe both normal and pathological appearances of the Contegra® in radiological imaging, to describe imaging of complications and to define the role of CT and MRI in postoperative follow-up.