Effects of positive expiratory pressure on pulmonary clearance of aerosolized technetium-99m-labeled diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid in healthy individuals.

Objective:: To evaluate the effects of positive expiratory pressure (PEP) on pulmonary epithelial membrane permeability in healthy subjects.

Methods:: We evaluated a cohort of 30 healthy subjects (15 males and 15 females) with a mean age of 28.3 ± 5.

Correlation between Breslow thickness and Technetium-99m-sestamibi uptake in cutaneous melanoma.

Background: Technetium-99m-sestamibi (MIBI) is a radiopharmaceutical that has well-known tumor-seeking properties. We evaluated the correlation between Breslow thickness and MIBI uptake by cutaneous melanoma (CM).

Material And Methods: Patients with suspicious melanocytic lesions received intravenous injections of 740-1,110 Mbq of MIBI.

Perfused lung volume to thoracic gas volume ratio (perfused lung fraction) in patients with COPD and in controls.

Background: The deterioration of the ventilation-to-perfusion distribution in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) reflects structural changes affecting both the airways and the blood vessels. These changes result in lung perfusion abnormalities that may be quantified by lung perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

Objective: To compare the perfused lung fraction (PLF) in patients with airflow obstruction and controls.

Quantitative parameters for the assessment of renal scintigraphic images.

Renal scintigraphy is a well-established functional technique for the visual evaluation of the renal cortical mass. It allows the visualization of the radiopharmaceutical tracer distribution, the size, shape, symmetry, and position of the kidneys. However, the (visual) analysis of these images tend to be subjective, causing significant variability in the interpretation of findings.

Learning from panel boards: T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte self-tolerance game.

Immunology is a vast, complex and challenging subject. To facilitate students' understanding, the authors have created a T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte self-tolerance game. The T-lymphocyte self-tolerance game consisted of 24 cardboard pieces with illustrations and statements about self-tolerance mechanisms and one large panel board.