Subjective quality assessment of computed radiography hand images.

To evaluate the sensitivity of a non-receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) study in assessing small differences of perceived image quality of hand images acquired by computed radiography (CR) and conventional screen-film systems, hand images were acquired on 12 patients with both conventional screen-film and CR. Each CR image was then processed with three different edge-enhancement algorithms. One conventional film and four CR images were then viewed side by side by five radiologists.

MRI of unilateral facial hypertrophy.

Unilateral hypertrophy of facial muscles is an uncommon phenomenon with few reported cases in the worldwide literature. The few that have been reported have usually been associated with accompanying disease processes and clinical findings. In this paper, we describe a case of idiopathic hemihypertrophy of facial muscles and the MRI findings which were seen in this case.

Middle ear prosthesis: significance in magnetic resonance imaging.

The Armstrong model of the Schuknecht gel foam and wire prosthesis was tested in the magnetic field of a 1.5 Tesla magnet. The wire component of the prosthesis was found to be non-magnetic.

"High spinal" dysrhaphism. Case report of a complex cervical meningocele.

"High spinal" (cervical and upper thoracic) dysrhaphism usually involves either a meningocele or a dermal sinus tract. These high spinal lesions can have a complex intradural anatomy at the level of the lesion (as this case reports) and are associated with an increased incidence of lower spinal occult dysrhaphic anomalies. It is therefore recommended that patients with "high spinal" dysrhaphism undergo radiological evaluation of the entire spine to identify those patients with intradural anomalies, define the anatomy for surgery, and investigate the lower spine for associated occult anomalies.

The prone position for CT of the lumbar spine.

In scanning the L5-S1 disk space, the known technical difficulty is limitation of the gantry angle. A prone scanning technique used to examine the lumbar spine may help to overcome or lessen this problem. A prospective CT scanning of the L5-S1 level was performed in both the prone and supine positions on 25 patients who had low back pain and who had not undergone previous laminectomy or fusion.

Afferent loop syndrome: diagnostic features with new imaging methods.

A patient had afferent loop obstruction with primary carcinoma of the gastric remnant and nonjaundiced biliary obstruction. We have presented the diagnostic features of ultrasonography, computed tomography, radionuclide studies, and fine-needle aspiration with injection of contrast material.

Intra-articular calcified bodies: detection by computed arthrotomography.

We used computed tomography (CT) in six cases to detect and localize intra-articular calcified bodies after double-contrast arthrography and pneumoarthrography . The cases consisted of one wrist, three ankles, and two knees. In one knee, one wrist, and two ankles, CT scanning after double-contrast arthrogram or air arthrogram accurately diagnosed and localized the intra-articular nature of the calcified bodies.

A preliminary report of percutaneous cholecystostomy under ultrasonography and fluoroscopy guidance.

We carried out percutaneous cholecystostomy and cholangiography without incident under guidance of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy in three patients with obstructive jaundice, cholangitis, and acute cholecystitis. The technique appears to be safe and can be performed at the patient's bedside, which gives it an advantage over surgical drainage. Moreover, the percutaneous route can be used for biliary drainage when the transhepatic approach is not possible.

Percutaneous nephrostomy under guidance of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy using a pigtail catheter.

Percutaneous nephrostomy using a pigtail catheter was performed in 37 patients under the guidance of ultrasonography and fluoroscopy. The only failure in 60 attempts was due to a subcapsular haematoma. The catheter appears to be well tolerated and is large enough for good drainage.

Comparison of various methods of diagnosis of renal cystic masses.

Two hundred fifty patients with renal cystic masses were evaluated by several diagnostic modalities, including sonography, angiography, cystography, and cytology. This presentation demonstrates the relative advantages of these methods as well as their relative level of confidence and diagnostic accuracy. When the lesion fulfilled all of the sonographic criteria for a cyst, no further diagnostic evaluation was warranted.

Cholecystosonography in detection of acute cholecystitis: the halo sign--a significant sonographic finding.

To evaluate the efficacy of ultrasonography in detecting acute cholecystitis, we retrospectively reviewed the ultrasonic findings after cholecystectomy in 34 patients with acute cholecystitis and 90 patients with chronic cholecystitis. The sonographic findings evaluated included the length and width of the gallbladder, thickening of the gallbladder wall, good identification of the wall, and the presence or absence of sludge or stone. A "halo" sign (an echo-free space around the gallbladder wall) was seen in 26% of the patients with acute cholecystitis.

Comparison of radionuclide imaging and ultrasonography of the liver.

Radionuclide liver scans and gray scale ultrasonography of the liver were compared in 456 patients with various abnormalities including normal variants, jaundice, abscesses, and metastatic diseases. In general the better resolution of sonography detected smaller and deeper focal lesions than nuclide scans, but nuclide studies were more informative in hepatocellular disorders. Nuclide studies frequently demonstrated lesions that could be further delineated by sonography as either cystic or solid.

Percutaneous nephrostomy and antegrade ureteral stent insertion.

Sixty consecutive percutaneous nephrostomies were attempted in 37 patients with a 97-per cent success rate. The patients ranged in age from three to seventy-three years. Twenty-eight attempted nephrostomies were bilateral and 32 unilateral.

Facilitation of difficult percutaneous ureteral stent insertion.

Attempts to convert percutaneous nephrostomies into internal ureteral stents were done by antegrade techniques in 26 patients in whom a retrograde approach for stent placement previously had been unsuccessful. There appeared to be complete obstruction of the ureter on antegrade urography in 8 patients but the area of the obstruction was traversed and a ureteral stent was inserted. Dilation of malignant or benign ureteral strictures followed by ureteral stent placement was done in 15 patients.

Ultrasonography and alpha-fetoprotein determination for antenatal detection of neural tube defects.

We review our experience in the antenatal detection of neural tube defects in a collaborative study between the prenatal diagnostic program of the Section of Medical Genetics and the Ultrasound Laboratory at the West Virginia University. In West Virginia the incidence of neural tube defects is two to three times the national average. The patients were referred to the sonic laboratory for a variety of reasons, even though they had not been classified in the high risk category.

Aspiration of thoracic masses and fluid collections under guidance of ultrasonography.

Successful ultrasonic detection and fine needle aspiration of pleural effusions, loculated fluid, and peripheral lung masses were done in 115 patients. No complications, eg, pneumothorax or hematoma, were caused by the fine needle aspirations. There was no false-negative or false-positive cytology because of excellent localization by ultrasound and adequate tissue samples.

Radionuclide determination of individual kidney function in the treatment of chronic renal obstruction.

Differential radionuclide renal scans can be useful in the management of patients with chronic partial obstruction of 1 kidney. The 99mtechnetium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid perfusion scan can be used to assess glomerular blood flow. The 131iodine orthoiodohippurate renal scan provides qualitative functional information from scintigrams and quantitative evaluation of effective renal plasma flow to each kidney, as well as a total excretory index.