Water flush technique: a noninvasive method of optimizing visualization of the distal esophagus in patients with primary achalasia.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the use of a water flush technique to optimize visualization of the distal esophageal mucosa during barium esophagography of patients with moderate to severe primary achalasia. The water flush consists of having patients drink tap water at end esophagography in an attempt to clear the standing barium column.

Conclusion: The water flush technique is a simple, noninvasive maneuver that improves the extent of diagnostic visualization of the distal esophageal mucosa in patients with moderate to severe primary achalasia.

Duodenal switch gastric bypass surgery for morbid obesity: imaging of postsurgical anatomy and postoperative gastrointestinal complications.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the normal postsurgical findings and appearance of gastrointestinal tract complications in patients who have undergone biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch bariatric surgery. We performed a 4-year retrospective review of 218 patients who underwent duodenal switch surgery.

Conclusion: The most common complications of duodenal switch surgery were bowel obstruction, followed by ventral hernias and anastomotic leaks.

Imaging findings in Roux-en-O and other misconstructions: rare but serious complications of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to present the clinical and imaging findings of Roux-en-O and other misconstructions of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery. The more common complications of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass have been described in the literature. Complications secondary to misconstructions are rare and difficult to diagnose.

Atypical complications of gastric bypass surgery.

Although gastric bypass surgery continues to grow in popularity for weight loss and weight maintenance in the morbidly obese, there has been little attention given to the imaging of complications associated with these surgeries. The purpose of our study is to demonstrate the variety of gastric bypass surgery complications that can be identified radiographically, with attention to the more unusual complications. This study was performed with institutional Internal Review Board approval.

Semiquantitative analysis of dynamic contrast enhanced MRI in cancer patients: Variability and changes in tumor tissue over time.

Purpose: To evaluate variability of a simplified method for measuring semiquantitative DCE-MRI parameters in patients with cancer and to explore effects of treatment with a putative anti-angiogenic compound.

Materials And Methods: A total of 19 patients enrolled on treatment trials with the putative anti-angiogenic agent SU5416 underwent contrast enhanced examinations, and 11 had a second examination eight weeks post therapy. Contrast media concentration as a function of time was calculated using changes in signal and literature baseline T(1) values in normal muscle or liver reference tissue.

Update on magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.

MRCP is a useful tool in the diagnosis of a wide variety of pathologic entities including congenital anomalies, biliary obstruction and stricture, biliary calculi, pancreatitis, neoplasms, and trauma. ERCP and MRCP both have important roles in the management of patients with suspected pancreaticobiliary disease. Knowledge of the advantages and disadvantages of each technique is needed to determine the appropriate work-up of patients with these pathologies.