[Gastric mesenchymal tumours (GIST)].

The incidence of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GIST) has increased in recent years. A number of authors have attempted to define the actual nature of these tumours. Immunohistochemistry highlighting the positivity of tyrosine-kinase (CD117/c-Kit) has revealed the difference between gastrointestinal stromal tumours and other mesenchymal tumours and, therefore, the possibility of medical rather than surgical therapy.

MR angiography versus intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography of the lower extremities: activity-based cost analysis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the costs pertaining to the radiology department of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) and intra-arterial digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in the evaluation of arterial disease of the lower limbs.

Materials And Methods: The differential cost of the two procedures, i.e.

Cost analysis of equipment failure of a radiology department and possible choices about maintenance.

Purpose: Our aim was to evaluate the economic impact of equipment failures in a radiology department with a view to guiding maintenance policy decisions.

Material And Methods: We assessed the negative economic impact caused by the interruption of activity of a radiodiagnostics section due to equipment failure, taking into account: the effects occurring during the first day of equipment down-time (assuming that the equipment failure occurs in the middle of the shift) and the effects during the following days until the repair of the failure; the effects occurring in the short- and long-term. To exemplify the negative impact of inactivity due to equipment failure, we chose three radiology sections with different levels of technological and operational complexity (chest radiology, gastrointestinal radiology and remote-controlled diagnostics).

[A PACS system in clinical reality: the Trieste project].

The authors report on their experience gained during 5 years' use of a PACS Comm View (AT & T and Philips) in daily clinical practice. The system proved to be very effective in the preparation phase (retrieval of previous investigations), with major advantages over the conventional retrieval modality. The rate of unretrieved images is < 2% and their retrieval times are 10-210 seconds according to different archiving systems.