Phantom-based image quality assessment of clinical F-FDG protocols in digital PET/CT and comparison to conventional PMT-based PET/CT.

Background: We assessed and compared image quality obtained with clinical F-FDG whole-body oncologic PET protocols used in three different, state-of-the-art digital PET/CT and two conventional PMT-based PET/CT devices. Our goal was to evaluate an  improved trade-off between administered activity (patient dose exposure/signal-to-noise ratio) and acquisition time (patient comfort) while preserving diagnostic information achievable with the recently introduced digital detector technology compared to previous analogue PET technology.

Methods: We performed list-mode (LM) PET acquisitions using a NEMA/IEC NU2 phantom, with activity concentrations of 5 kBq/mL and 25 kBq/mL for the background (9.

Determination of Cutoff Values for DEXA-Based Body Composition Measurements for Determining Metabolic and Cardiovascular Health.

The two components of the body weight (i.e., fat mass and muscle mass) appeared to be of high interest to consider in predicting metabolic health related risks.

Impact of vesicoureteral reflux on the size of renal lesions after an episode of acute pyelonephritis.

Purpose: We determined the impact of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) on the size of renal lesions in children after an episode of acute pyelonephritis.

Materials And Methods: A total of 161 children (mean age 2.44 years) with acute pyelonephritis were studied.

Prediction of pulmonary embolism extent by clinical findings, D-dimer level and deep vein thrombosis shown by ultrasound.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) may encompass a wide spectrum of severity. To determine whether clinical findings, D-dimer (DD) concentration, and deep vein thrombosis (DVT) shown by lower-limb venous compression ultrasonography (US) might predict the scintigraphic extent of PE, we studied 104 hemodynamically stable consecutive outpatients with acute PE diagnosed by a high-probability ventilation-perfusion lung scan. Scintigraphic extent of PE was classified into three categories: perfusion defects corresponding to <30%, 30-50%, or >50% of the total lung area.