A Segmentation-based Automated Calculation of Patient Size and Size-specific Dose Estimates in Pediatric Computed Tomography Scans.

Background And Purpose: Size-specific dose estimates (SSDE) have been introduced into computed tomography (CT) dosimetry to tailor patients' unique sizes to facilitate accurate CT radiation dose quantification and optimization. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an automated algorithm for the determination of patient size (effective diameter) and SSDE.

Materials And Methods: A MATLAB platform was used to develop software of algorithms based on image segmentation techniques to automate the calculation of patient size and SSDE.

ESTIMATION OF PEDIATRIC DOSE DESCRIPTORS ADAPTED TO INDIVIDUAL SPECIFIC SIZE FROM CT EXAMINATIONS.

Clinical challenges in pediatrics dose estimation by the displayed computed tomography (CT) dose indices may lead to inaccuracy, and thus size-specific dose estimate (SSDE) is introduced for better-personalized dose estimation. This study aims to estimate pediatric dose adapted to specific size. This retrospective study involved pediatric population aged 0-12 y.

Influence of postural changes on haemodynamics in internal carotid artery bifurcation aneurysm using numerical methods.

Cerebral intracranial aneurysms are serious problems that can lead to stroke, coma, and even death. The effect of blood flow on cerebral aneurysms and their relationship with rupture are unknown. In addition, postural changes and their relevance to haemodynamics of blood flow are difficult to measure in vivo using clinical imaging alone.

OPTIMIZATION OF RADIATION DOSE IN CT IMAGING: ESTABLISHING THE INSTITUTIONAL DIAGNOSTIC REFERENCE LEVELS AND PATIENT DOSE AUDITING.

The aim of this study was to propose local diagnostic reference levels (LDRLs) for the most common computed tomography (CT) examinations (including contrast and non-contrast scan phase) performed at Advanced Medical and Dental Institute (AMDI), Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), Malaysia. A retrospective CT dose survey of 1488 subjects from January 2015 until December 2018 was performed at AMDI USM, Malaysia. The proposed DRLs were established at 50th and 75th percentile of dose distribution for all dose metrics (CT dose index [CTDI]; CTDIvol, CTDIw and dose-length product).

Efficacy of Oral Mixed Tocotrienols in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Management of painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy remains challenging. Most therapies provide symptomatic relief with varying degrees of efficacy. Tocotrienols have modulatory effects on the neuropathy pathway and may reduce neuropathic symptoms with their antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities.

Investigation of mass attenuation coefficient of almond gum bonded Rhizophora spp. particleboard as equivalent human tissue using XRF technique in the 16.6-25.3 keV photon energy.

This paper reports the novel use of almond gum as a binder in manufacturing Rhizophora spp. particleboard. X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy was employed for analysis under photon energy range of 16.

Erratum to: Diagnostic Performance of (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (131)I-MIBG Scintigraphy in Mapping Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s13139-015-0339-z.].

Erratum to: Diagnostic Performance of (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (131)I-MIBG Scintigraphy in Mapping Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s13139-015-0331-7.].

Diagnostic Performance of (68)Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT, (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (131)I-MIBG Scintigraphy in Mapping Metastatic Pheochromocytoma and Paraganglioma.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of (68)Ga-DOTATATE (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT), (18)F-FDG PET/CT and (131)I-MIBG scintigraphy in the mapping of metastatic pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma.

Materials And Methods: Seventeen patients (male = 8, female = 9; age range, 13-68 years) with clinically proven or suspicious metastatic pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma were included in this prospective study. Twelve patients underwent all three modalities, whereas five patients underwent (68)Ga-DOTATATE and (131)I-MIBG without (18)F-FDG.

Alpha shape theory for 3D visualization and volumetric measurement of brain tumor progression using magnetic resonance images.

Resection of brain tumors is a tricky task in surgery due to its direct influence on the patients' survival rate. Determining the tumor resection extent for its complete information via-à-vis volume and dimensions in pre- and post-operative Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) requires accurate estimation and comparison. The active contour segmentation technique is used to segment brain tumors on pre-operative MR images using self-developed software.

Clinical determinants of fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography in differentiated thyroid cancer patients with elevated thyroglobulin and negative (131)iodine whole body scans after (131)iodine therapy.

Background: A cross-sectional prospective study has been conducted on differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients using negative (131)Iodine ((131)I) whole body scans and elevated thyroglobulin (Tg) levels. The main objective of this research was to determine the prevalence of the conversion of differentiated to dedifferentiated thyroid cancer patients during follow up at the Hospital Kuala Lumpur. It has been demonstrated that fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake is inversely proportional to the iodine concentration and to differentiation of the cells.

Clinical investigation of the protective effects of palm vitamin E tocotrienols on brain white matter.

Background And Purpose: Previous cell-based and animal studies showed mixed tocotrienols are neuroprotective, but the effect is yet to be proven in humans. Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate the protective activity of mixed tocotrienols in humans with white matter lesions (WMLs). WMLs are regarded as manifestations of cerebral small vessel disease, reflecting varying degrees of neurodegeneration and tissue damage with potential as a surrogate end point in clinical trials.

Tocotrienols for normalisation of hepatic echogenic response in nonalcoholic fatty liver: a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the commonest liver disorders. Obesity, insulin resistance, lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress have been identified amongst the possible hits leading to the onset and progression of this disease. Nutritional evaluation of NAFLD patients showed a lower-than-recommended intake of vitamin E.

Computer aided detection of breast density and mass, and visualization of other breast anatomical regions on mammograms using graph cuts.

Breast cancer mostly arises from the glandular (dense) region of the breast. Consequently, breast density has been found to be a strong indicator for breast cancer risk. Therefore, there is a need to develop a system which can segment or classify dense breast areas.

Computer-aided segmentation system for breast MRI tumour using modified automatic seeded region growing (BMRI-MASRG).

In this paper, an automatic computer-aided detection system for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tumour segmentation will be presented. The study is focused on tumour segmentation using the modified automatic seeded region growing algorithm with a variation of the automated initial seed and threshold selection methodologies. Prior to that, some pre-processing methodologies are involved.

Automatic white matter lesion segmentation using an adaptive outlier detection method.

White matter (WM) lesions are diffuse WM abnormalities that appear as hyperintense (bright) regions in cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). WM lesions are often observed in older populations and are important indicators of stroke, multiple sclerosis, dementia and other brain-related disorders. In this paper, a new automated method for WM lesions segmentation is presented.

Wavelet energy-guided level set-based active contour: a segmentation method to segment highly similar regions.

This paper introduces an approach to perform segmentation of regions in computed tomography (CT) images that exhibit intra-region intensity variations and at the same time have similar intensity distributions with surrounding/adjacent regions. In this work, we adapt a feature computed from wavelet transform called wavelet energy to represent the region information. The wavelet energy is embedded into a level set model to formulate the segmentation model called wavelet energy-guided level set-based active contour (WELSAC).

The hyoid bone in malay infants with cleft lip and palate.

Objective: To compare morphological and positional variations of the hyoid bone in unoperated infants with cleft lip and palate (CL/P) with those in noncleft infants.

Design: Retrospective, cross sectional.

Patients And Methods: Three-dimensional computed tomography scans were obtained from 29 unoperated CL/P infants of Malay origin aged between 0 and 12 months and from 12 noncleft infants in the same age range.

A three-dimensional computed tomographic analysis of the cervical spine in unoperated infants with cleft lip and palate.

Objective: To investigate anatomical variations and abnormalities of cervical spine morphology in unoperated infants with cleft lip and palate.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional investigation of infants born with nonsyndromic cleft lip and palate using computed tomography scans acquired for investigation of a spectrum of clinical conditions.

Setting: Computed tomography scan data were obtained from 29 unoperated cleft lip and palate infants and 12 noncleft infants of Malay origin, ages 0 to 12 months.

Perforation of oesophagus and aorta by an unusual migratory fish bone: case report.

This report describes a migratory fish bone which was not found during 1st surgery causing perforation to the superior part of the arch of aorta. The patient presented with feeling of something stucked in her throat after eating fish subsequently followed by progressive excruciating pain in the neck. During 2nd surgery the fish bone was found to have migrated from the superior aspect of the arch of aorta to the anterolateral aspect of the arch of aorta after piercing the aortic lumen.

Diagnostic cerebral angiography in spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage: a guide for developing countries.

Objective: Spontaneous intracranial haemorrhage constitutes 18-40% of all stroke cases. Indications for cerebral angiography to find underlying potentially treatable vascular abnormalities are not clear. This study determined which intracranial haemorrhage patients need cerebral angiography by correlating computed tomography (CT) findings, age and hypertension history with cerebral angiography findings.

Analysis of pediatric subdural empyema outcome in relation to computerized tomography brain scan.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to predict the outcome in patients with subdural empyema, using initial and post-treatment CT scan brain parameters. Data collection was done on those children who were diagnosed to have subdural empyema by CT scan of the brain with contrast, who underwent burrhole evacuation, from February 2000 until April 2002. Numerous factors, such as coma or loss of unconsciousness at diagnosis, age, types of antibiotic, microbiology, extension of empyema, associated cerebral infarction and ventriculitis, were analyzed.

The incidence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis in general surgical patients of hospital universiti sains malaysia.

The incidence of deep vein thrombosis is believed to be rare in Asians. During recent years, a few reports have appeared with high incidence in orthopaedic patients comparable to Western studies. This study was carried out to find out the incidence of post-operative deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after major surgical procedures in general surgical patients in an Asian population.

Comparison Between 3D TOF Magnetic Resonance Angiography and Intraarterial Digital Subtraction Angiography in Imaging the Circle of Willis.

This study was done compare the accuracy of non-contrast enhanced 3D time of flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D TOF MRA) with intraarterial digital subtraction angiography (IADSA) in depicting the arterial segments of the circle of Willis. 398 arterial segments were analysed from 38 patients who underwent both non-contrast enhanced 3D TOF MRA and IADSA examinations in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia from November 1998 to December 2000. Two observers performed blinded retrospective analysis of the IADSA images and Maximum Intensity Projection display of the 3D TOF MRA of the circle of Willis on separate sessions.