Quantification of tortuosity and fractal dimension of the lung vessels in pulmonary hypertension patients.

Unlabelled: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) can result in vascular pruning and increased tortuosity of the blood vessels. In this study we examined whether automatic extraction of lung vessels from contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography (CT) scans and calculation of tortuosity as well as 3D fractal dimension of the segmented lung vessels results in measures associated with PH. In this pilot study, 24 patients (18 with and 6 without PH) were examined with thorax CT following their diagnostic or follow-up right-sided heart catheterisation (RHC).

Non-invasive determination of pulmonary hypertension with dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography: a pilot study.

Objectives: In this pilot study we explored whether contrast-material bolus propagation time and speed in the pulmonary arteries (PAs) determined by dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (DCE-CT) can distinguish between patients with and without pulmonary hypertension (PH).

Methods: Twenty-three patients (18 with and 5 without PH) were examined with a DCE-CT sequence following their diagnostic or follow-up right-sided heart catheterisation (RHC). X-ray attenuation over time curves were recorded for regions of interest in the main, right and left PA and fitted with a spline fit.

Determination of cardiac output with dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography.

Cardiac output (CO) is an important diagnostic and prognostic factor in the haemodynamic evaluation of patients. The gold standard for CO measurement, thermodilution, requires an invasive right-heart catheterisation (RHC). In this pilot study we aimed to determine the accuracy of non-invasive CO determination from dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) compared to thermodilution.

Application of computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) in MR-mammography (MRM): do we really need whole lesion time curve distribution analysis?

Rationale And Objectives: The identification of the most suspect enhancing part of a lesion is regarded as a major diagnostic criterion in dynamic magnetic resonance mammography. Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) software allows the semi-automatic analysis of the kinetic characteristics of complete enhancing lesions, providing additional information about lesion vasculature. The diagnostic value of this information has not yet been quantified.

[Clinical value of computer-assisted analysis in MR mammography. A comparison between two systems and three observers with different levels of experience].

Purpose: The value of computer-assisted detection (CAD) used in magnetic resonance (MR) mammography in a clinical setting is currently a subject of controversy. This study evaluated the extent to which color-coded CAD systems aid radiologists with different levels of experience in their reading of MR mammographies.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, 48 patients with a total of 88 lesions (43 malignant, 45 benign) were included.