[Radiologically-guided hysterosalpingography and tubal catheterization].

Radiological exploration of hypofertility by means of hysterosalpingography is a method still valid but no longer sufficient. Tubal catheterization has thus become a necessary complementary exam in order to eliminate the pseudo-obturations of hysterosalpingography and, in case of proximal tubal obstructions, to obtain pregnancies. The conditions for the realization of hysteroalpingography and tubal catheterization are hereby described, with emphasis on the rigorous technique that is required together with careful listening to the patients.

CT, endoscopic sonography, and a combined protocol for preoperative evaluation of pancreatic insulinomas.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the value of CT, endoscopic sonography, and a combined protocol for preoperative detection of insulinomas.

Materials And Methods: All patients treated in our institution for surgically proven insulinoma between 1987 and 2000 were retrospectively reviewed. Thirty patients with 32 pancreatic insulinomas underwent preoperative CT and endoscopic sonography and were included in the study.

Hepatofugal portal flow in advanced liver cirrhosis with spontaneous portosystemic shunts: effects on parenchymal hepatic enhancement at dual-phase helical CT.

Background: We investigated whether spontaneous hepatofugal portal flow in advanced cirrhosis affects hepatic enhancement on dual-phase helical computed tomography.

Methods: Fifteen patients with hepatofugal portal flow on Doppler sonography and angiography (group 1) and 15 age- and sex-matched patients with hepatopetal portal flow (control; group 2) underwent dual-phase helical computed tomography. Vascular and liver attenuation values were measured on unenhanced scans and scans obtained during hepatic arterial (HAP; 25 s) and portal venous (PVP; 70 s) phases.

Liver: T2-weighted MR imaging with breath-hold fast-recovery optimized fast spin-echo compared with breath-hold half-Fourier and non-breath-hold respiratory-triggered fast spin-echo pulse sequences.

At liver magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in 38 patients, a breath-hold T2-weighted fast spin-echo (SE) pulse sequence optimized with fast recovery was compared with a conventional respiratory-triggered fast SE sequence and a breath-hold single-shot fast SE sequence. Mean signal-to-noise ratios for liver and contrast-to-noise ratios for hepatic lesions were higher with the breath-hold fast-recovery fast SE sequence than with the respiratory-triggered fast SE sequence (P <.05).

Comparison of single-shot fast spin-echo and conventional spin-echo sequences for MR imaging of the heart: initial experience.

A conventional T1-weighted spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequence was compared with breath-hold and non-breath-hold half- Fourier single-shot fast SE MR sequences with black-blood preparation and high spatial resolution for imaging of various cardiac diseases. The optimized single-shot fast SE sequence provided better or equal image quality in less time. Breath-hold and non-breath-hold single-shot fast SE sequences may replace the conventional T1-weighted SE sequence for first-line cardiac MR imaging.