SCRAPS: Introducing a Student-Centered Resident-Administered PACS Simulator for Medical Student Radiology Education.

Rationale And Objectives: Traditional medical student radiology experiences often lack interactivity and fail to replicate the clinical experience of being a radiologist. This study introduces SCRAPS, a novel simulation-based paradigm designed to improve the medical student experience and provide an active learning opportunity as part of their radiology rotation.

Materials And Methods: SCRAPS utilizes a consumer-grade laptop, common word processing software, a free to use PACS and resident instructors to place students in a simulated reading-room environment.

CT Esophagography for Evaluation of Esophageal Perforation.

Esophageal emergencies such as rupture or postoperative leak are uncommon but may be life threatening when they occur. Delay in their diagnosis and treatment may significantly increase morbidity and mortality. Causes of esophageal injury include iatrogenic (including esophagogastroduodenoscopy and stent placement), foreign body ingestion, blunt or penetrating trauma to the chest or abdomen, and forceful retching, also called Boerhaave syndrome.

Informatics in radiology: radiology gamuts ontology: differential diagnosis for the Semantic Web.

The Semantic Web is an effort to add semantics, or "meaning," to empower automated searching and processing of Web-based information. The overarching goal of the Semantic Web is to enable users to more easily find, share, and combine information. Critical to this vision are knowledge models called ontologies, which define a set of concepts and formalize the relations between them.

Update on multidetector computed tomography angiography of the abdominal aorta.

Multidetector computed tomography angiography (MDCTA) allows high spatial resolution, including nearly isotropic submillimeter resolution in the X, Y, and Z planes, and rapid image acquisition in a single breath hold, with greatly enhanced diagnostic capabilities over conventional CT. MDCTA has largely replaced digital subtraction angiography because it is faster, less invasive, and provides more information. When technical parameters are optimized, it provides the radiologist with the information needed to diagnose life threatening diseases of the aortoiliac system, gives critical information for the vascular surgeon or interventional radiologist to treat that disease, and identifies subsequent complications related to therapy.

Evidence-based radiology: a primer in reading scientific articles.

Objective: In this article we provide a basic guide to reading scientific articles that we hope will improve the reader's ability to read and critically appraise the primary literature.

Conclusion: We provided a series of guidelines and questions to consider when reading the primary literature. This guide is intended to help individuals read and critically appraise the primary literature and participate more fully in journal clubs and evidence-based radiology.

Prospective and retrospective ECG gating for thoracic CT angiography: a comparative study.

Objective: The objective of our study was to compare radiation dose, contrast load, thoracic aortic attenuation value, and image quality parameters of MDCT thoracic aortography performed with prospective and retrospective cardiac gating.

Materials And Methods: Studies were performed on 80 patients (prospective ECG gating, n = 40; retrospective ECG gating, n = 40) either being evaluated for thoracic aortic aneurysm (n = 23) or aortic dissection (n = 36) or undergoing postsurgical or postintervention follow-up (n = 21). Image acquisition parameters and radiation dose (CT dose index volume [CTDI(vol)] and dose-length product [DLP]) were obtained from image archival data.

Sonographic differentiation of digital tendon rupture from adhesive scarring after primary surgical repair.

Purpose: After the surgical repair of finger tendons finger range of motion may be limited by tendon rupture or adhesive scarring. Differentiating tendon rupture from adhesive scarring may be difficult clinically. Digital tendon sonography allows the evaluation of tendon integrity in a dynamic setting.