CT protocols and radiation doses for hematuria and urinary stones: Comparing practices in 20 countries.

Purpose: Patients with hematuria and renal colic often undergo CT scanning. The purpose of our study was to assess variations in CT protocols and radiation doses for evaluation of hematuria and urinary stones in 20 countries.

Method: The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) surveyed practices in 51 hospitals from 20 countries in the European region according to the IAEA Technical cooperation classification and obtained following information for three CT protocols (urography, urinary stones, and routine abdomen-pelvis CT) for 1276 patients: patient information (weight, clinical indication), scanner information (scan vendor, scanner name, number of detector rows), scan parameters (such as number of phases, scan start and end locations, mA, kV), and radiation dose descriptors (CTDI, DLP).

Comparison of whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging and PET/CT in lymphoma staging.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of whole-body MRI-DWI and PET/CT in lymphoma staging.

Methods: A prospective study enrolled 92 patients with lymphoma. Prior to treatment, all patients underwent whole-body MRI-DWI and PET-CT.

[Quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images during chemoradiation therapy for cancer of the cervix uteri: Prognostic role of pretreatment diffusion coefficient values].

Objective: to carry out a quantitative analysis of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance images (DWI) in cancer of the cervix uteri (CCU) and to estimate the possibility of using pretreatment measured diffusion coefficient (MDC) to predict chemoradiation therapy (CRT).

Material And Methods: The investigation prospectively enrolled 46 women with morphologically verified Stages IB-IVB CCU. All the women underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of pelvic organs before and after treatment.

Response monitoring in follicular lymphoma by synchronous evaluation of minimal residual disease and diffusion-weighted MRI.

Aim: To demonstrate quantitative assessment of tumor response to treatment in patients with follicular lymphoma using parallel monitoring of minimal residual disease (MRD) and diffusion-weighted MRI (MRI-DWI) derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC).

Materials And Methods: Two patients with follicular lymphoma were undergone synchronous evaluation of MRD and MRI-DWI at definite time points before, during and after chemotherapy. MRD level was calculated in diagnostic and follow up samples relative to the highest level of amplification of the target.

[Use of BI-RADS to interpret magnetic resonance mammography for breast cancer].

The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) is a practical tool developed by the American College of Radiology to standardize the description of mammography, ultrasound study, and magnetic resonance mammography. BI-RADS includes recommendations for the structure of a protocol to describe radiologic studies; terminology to characterize three major types of lesions (focus, mass, contrasting area); as well as assessment categories and their corresponding recommendations for further patient management. The publication gives general information on the new edition of BI-RADS (2013) and illustrates its use to interpret magnetic resonance mammograms in breast cancer.