A clinical study comparing polymer and gold fiducials for prostate cancer radiotherapy.

Introduction: Image guidance with gold fiducials improves outcomes of prostate radiotherapy. However, gold produces artefact on CT imaging, interfering with contouring and verification. The purpose of this study was to compare polymer to standard gold fiducials using radiotherapy imaging modalities to assess the visibility and artefact.

The effect of diabetes during pregnancy on fetal renal parenchymal growth.

Aims/hypothesis: Diabetes in pregnancy is thought to adversely affect the developing fetal kidneys. The rate of gestational diabetes is increasing globally with major consequences for future renal function. Very little is known about the impact of hyperglycaemia on the fetal renal parenchyma which contains the developing nephrons.

Ultrasound Screening for Adverse Local Tissue Reaction after Hip Arthroplasty.

Early detection of adverse local tissue reaction (ALTR) to prosthetic hip wear debris is vital to improve the success of revision surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging with metal artefact reduction sequencing (MARS MRI) is considered the modality of choice to provide cross-sectional imaging of the soft tissues. The areas adjacent to the prosthesis are, however, not readily imaged using these protocols.

Occupational burnout among radiographers, sonographers and radiologists in Australia and New Zealand: Findings from a national survey.

Introduction: Evidence demonstrates that health care professionals are more prone to burnout than other professionals due to the emotionally taxing interactions they have with their patients on a daily basis. The aims of this study were to measure occupational burnout levels among sonographers, radiographers and radiologists and to examine predictors of burnout according to demographic characteristics.

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was administered in 2010 to radiographers, sonographers and radiologists who were members of the following professional bodies: Australian Institute of Radiography, Australian Sonographers Association and The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists.

Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia: Detection of Abnormal Microanatomic Fiber Structures with Whole-Brain Diffusion MR Imaging Tractography.

Purpose To investigate whether it is possible in patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) to detect abnormal fiber projections that have only previously been reported in the histopathology literature. Materials and Methods Whole-brain diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging data from 14 patients with bilateral PVNH and 14 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were prospectively acquired by using 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging between August 1, 2008, and December 5, 2012.

Brain Surface Heating After Exposure to Ultrasound: An Analysis Using Thermography.

Ultrasound is the imaging modality of choice to monitor brain pathologies in neonates after complicated deliveries. Animal studies have indicated that ultrasound may cause heating of brain tissues. To date, no study has explored brain surface heating by ultrasound during clinically relevant exposure.

Sonoelastography of the Achilles Tendon: Prevalence and Prognostic Value Among Asymptomatic Elite Australian Rules Football Players.

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of sonographic abnormalities at the mid-Achilles tendon among a cohort of asymptomatic professional football players and to determine whether these sonographic abnormalities predict midportion Achilles tendon symptoms.

Design: Longitudinal study.

Setting: A single competitive season in the Australian Rules Football League.

An Online Survey Investigating Australian Radiation Therapists' Responses to Hypothetical Dilemmas Concerning Impaired Fitness to Practise.

Introduction: Impairment in health care professionals has been identified as one of the determinants of fitness to practise (FTP), and practitioners have a legal obligation to notify regulatory authorities if they experience it. However, there remains confusion as to how radiation therapists (RTs) discern what constitutes impaired practice and how they would respond to such dilemmas. The aim of this study was to identify the range of responses to hypothetical professional impairment dilemmas, which may inform an educational strategy for improving reporting occurrences.

A soft patellar tendon on ultrasound elastography is associated with pain and functional deficit in volleyball players.

Objectives: To investigate the diagnostic performance of grey scale Ultrasound (US), power Doppler (PD) and US elastography for diagnosing painful patellar tendinopathy, and to establish their relationship with Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella (VISA-P) scores in a group of volleyball players with and without symptoms of patellar tendinopathy.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Methods: Thirty-five volleyball players (70 patellar tendons) were recruited during a national university volleyball competition.

A prospective investigation into the clinical impact of 4D-PET/CT in the characterisation of solitary pulmonary nodules.

Background: While the effects of respiratory motion on measuring metabolic signal in PET/CT scanning are well known, it is still standard practice in most centres to scan patients while breathing freely with no correction for the effects of respiratory motion. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of 4D-PET/CT in classifying lesions in patients with a radiologically-indeterminate solitary pulmonary nodule.

Methods: Twenty consecutive patients with a solitary pulmonary nodule for investigation were prospectively recruited and completed a whole-body (WB)-PET/CT and 4D-PET/CT in the same session.

Geographic miss of lung tumours due to respiratory motion: a comparison of 3D vs 4D PET/CT defined target volumes.

Background: PET/CT scans acquired in the radiotherapy treatment position are typically performed without compensating for respiratory motion. The purpose of this study was to investigate geographic miss of lung tumours due to respiratory motion for target volumes defined on a standard 3D-PET/CT.

Methods: 29 patients staged for pulmonary malignancy who completed both a 3D-PET/CT and 4D-PET/CT were included.

Diagnostic performance of axial-strain sonoelastography in confirming clinically diagnosed Achilles tendinopathy: comparison with B-mode ultrasound and color Doppler imaging.

This primary aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of axial-strain sonoelastography (ASE), B-mode ultrasound (US) and color Doppler US in confirming clinically symptomatic Achilles tendinopathy. The secondary aim was to establish the relationship between the strain ratio during sonoelastography and Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) scores. The VISA-A questionnaire is a validated clinical rating scale that evaluates the symptoms and dysfunction of the Achilles tendon.

High-resolution imaging of pulmonary ventilation and perfusion with 68Ga-VQ respiratory gated (4-D) PET/CT.

Purpose: Our group has previously reported on the use of (68)Ga-ventilation/perfusion (VQ) PET/CT scanning for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism. We describe here the acquisition methodology for (68)Ga-VQ respiratory gated (4-D) PET/CT and the effects of respiratory motion on image coregistration in VQ scanning.

Methods: A prospective study was performed in 15 patients with non-small-cell lung cancer.

Sonographic response in the liver and urinary bladder of children 14 months after treatment for schistosomiasis.

After praziquantel treatment for schistosomiasis, parasitological cure rates of 60%-90% are usual. Does this response to treatment correlate with the improvement in liver and bladder changes seen on ultrasound in children? This study shows that ultrasound is an effective way to evaluate liver and bladder changes caused by schistosomiasis infection in children and to assess treatment effects after mass treatment programmes.