Case-Based Collaborative Learning in Undergraduate Radiology Teaching-Are Essential Conditions for Group Discussions Met?

Background: Delivering case-based collaborative learning (cCBL) at scale using technology that both presents the clinical problem authentically and seeks to foster quality group discussion is a challenge, especially argumentation which is critical for effective learning. The aim of this study was to investigate the presence of essential conditions to capitalize on a technology-enhanced cCBL scenario for teaching radiology and facilitating quality group discussion.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 114 fourth-year medical students who completed a technology-enhanced cCBL scenario for teaching neuroradiology.

In Vitro Evaluation of Balloon-Expandable Chimney Grafts in the Renal Arteries Combined With the Endurant Endograft.

To compare balloon-expandable covered stents (BECS) available for use as renal chimney grafts to the Advanta V12 approved for use with the Endurant endograft. A silicone model was manufactured based on preoperative computed tomography angiography (CTA) scans of a patient with a 7-cm juxtarenal aneurysm treated with an Endurant bifurcated endograft and an Advanta V12 covered stent for the 6-mm-diameter right renal artery. The model was placed in a flow box filled with a 37°C blood-mimicking solution equipped with a pulsatile pumping system (140/60 mm Hg).

Applied anatomy of screw placement via the posterior arch of the atlas and anatomy-based refinements of the technique.

Purpose: To present a method of posterior arch and lateral mass screw (PALMS) insertion and to prove its feasibility.

Methods: Four formalin-fixed specimens and 40 macerated atlas vertebras were used to describe the relevant anatomy. The height of the posterior arch was measured on 42 consecutive patients using standard CT of the cervical spine.

[Ganglion block. Celiac plexus neurolysis].

Background: Pain originating from the organs of the upper abdomen, especially in patients suffering from inoperable carcinoma of the pancreas or advanced inflammatory conditions, is difficult to treat in a significant number of patients.

Standard Radiological Procedures: Computed tomography (CT) guided neurolysis is the most commonly used technique for neurolysis of the celiac plexus. Ethanol is used to destroy the nociceptive fibers passing through the plexus and provides an effective means of diminishing pain arising from the upper abdomen.

Correlation of concentrations of high-sensitivity troponin T and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein with plaque progression as measured by CT coronary angiography.

Background: Elevated levels of inflammatory biomarkers are associated with increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

Objective: We sought to determine whether elevated concentrations of high-sensitivity troponin T (hs-TnT) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) predict progression of coronary artery disease (CAD) as determined by coronary CT angiography (coronary CTA).

Methods: Patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest pain who initially showed no evidence of an acute coronary syndrome underwent baseline and follow-up coronary CTA (median follow-up, 23.

Coronary stent imaging with dual-source CT: assessment of lumen visibility using different convolution kernels and postprocessing filters.

Background: Assesment of the coronary arteries after stent placement using coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) currently requires reconstruction of images with soft kernels for the assessment of atherosclerotic plaques and dedicated edge enhancing kernels for the evaluation of the stent lumen.

Purpose: To evaluate a two-dimensional filter tool that provides instant postprocessing of images reconstructed with soft kernels into edge-enhanced images and vice versa and thus may eliminate the need for two separate reconstrcutions for the assessment of coronary artery stents using CCTA.

Material And Methods: Twenty stents with a diameter of 3.

Coronary artery stent imaging with CT using an integrated electronics detector and iterative reconstructions: first in vitro experience.

Background: Despite continuous improvements in CT technology, accurate stent lumen delineation remains challenging.

Purpose: The aim was to evaluate the quality of coronary stent lumen delineation with CT using a detector with integrated electronics.

Methods: Twelve coronary stents placed in plastic tubes and filled with contrast agent (CT number 250 HU) were imaged with either a 128-section dual-source CT machine equipped with conventional detector or with integrated electronics.

Weekly dose reports: the effects of a continuous quality improvement initiative on coronary computed tomography angiography radiation doses at a tertiary medical center.

Rationale And Objectives: Numerous protocols have been developed to reduce cardiac computed tomography angiography (cCTA) radiation dose while maintaining image quality. However, cCTA practice is highly dependent on physician and technologist experience and education. In this study, we sought to evaluate the incremental value of real-time feedback via weekly dose reports on a busy cCTA service.

Histogram analysis of lipid-core plaques in coronary computed tomographic angiography: ex vivo validation against histology.

Purpose: In coronary computed tomographic angiography (CTA), low attenuation of coronary atherosclerotic plaque is associated with lipid-rich plaques. However, an overlap in Hounsfield units (HU) between fibrous and lipid-rich plaque as well as an influence of luminal enhancement on plaque attenuation was observed and may limit accurate detection of lipid-rich plaques by CTA. We sought to determine whether the quantitative histogram analysis improves accuracy of the detection of lipid-core plaque (LCP) in ex vivo hearts by validation against histological analysis.

Classification of coronary atherosclerotic plaques ex vivo with T1, T2, and ultrashort echo time CMR.

Objectives: This study sought to determine whether the classification of human coronary atherosclerotic plaques with T1, T2, and ultrashort echo time (UTE) cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) would correlate well with atherosclerotic plaque classification by histology.

Background: CMR has been extensively used to classify carotid plaque, but its ability to characterize coronary plaque remains unknown. In addition, the detection of plaque calcification by CMR remains challenging.

[Dual-Energy CT in the follow-up after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair].

Purpose: This study investigates the dual-energy procedure for postoperative CT follow-up scans after endovascularly treated abdominal aortic aneurysms. The procedure is analyzed with respect to its sensitivity and specificity as well as the associated radiation exposure.

Materials And Methods: 51 examinations were carried out on 47 patients between February 2009 and March 2010.

The napkin-ring sign indicates advanced atherosclerotic lesions in coronary CT angiography.

Objectives: This study sought to determine the accuracy of plaque pattern assessment by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) to differentiate between early and advanced atherosclerotic lesions as defined by histology.

Background: A ringlike attenuation pattern of coronary atherosclerotic plaques termed as napkin-ring sign (NRS) was described in CCTA of patients who had acute coronary syndrome.

Methods: All procedures were performed in accordance with local and federal regulations and the Declaration of Helsinki.

Differentiation of early from advanced coronary atherosclerotic lesions: systematic comparison of CT, intravascular US, and optical frequency domain imaging with histopathologic examination in ex vivo human hearts.

Purpose: To establish an ex vivo experimental setup for imaging coronary atherosclerosis with coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography, intravascular ultrasonography (US), and optical frequency domain imaging (OFDI) and to investigate their ability to help differentiate early from advanced coronary plaques.

Materials And Methods: All procedures were performed in accordance with local and federal regulations and the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval of the local Ethics Committee was obtained.

Histopathological correlates of the napkin-ring sign plaque in coronary CT angiography.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to identify histologic characteristics of advanced coronary atherosclerotic plaques that are related with the detection of the napkin-ring sign (NRS) in coronary CT angiography (CCTA).

Methods: CCTA was performed in 7 human donor hearts. Histological slicing and stainings were performed in 1 mm increments of each major coronary artery.

Differentiation of malignant and benign cardiac tumors using 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Unlabelled: In the diagnostic algorithm of cardiac tumors, the noninvasive determination of malignancy and metastatic spread is of major interest to stratify patients and to select and monitor therapies. In the diagnostic work-up, morphologic imaging modalities such as echocardiography or magnetic resonance tomography offer information on, for example, size, invasiveness, and vascularization. However, preoperative assessment of malignancy may be unsatisfactory.

Cardiac CT in the emergency department.

Current triage strategies are not effective in correctly identifying patients suffering from acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The diagnostic workup of patients presenting with acute chest pain continues to represent a major challenge for emergency department (ED) personnel. This statement holds especially true for patients with a low to intermediate likelihood for ACS.

Reperfusion by combined thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy in acute stroke: effect of collateralization, mismatch, and time to and grade of recanalization on clinical and tissue outcome.

Background And Purpose: Our research focuses on interventional neuroradiology (stroke treatment including imaging methods) and general neuroimaging with an emphasis on functional MR imaging. Our aim was to determine the efficacy of revascularization (TIMI) of middle cerebral and/or carotid artery occlusion by means of mechanical recanalization techniques and to evaluate the impact of collateralization, mismatch in perfusion CT, time to revascularization, grade of revascularization on tissue, and clinical outcome in patients with acute ischemic stroke.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-one patients with MCA and/or ICA occlusion were included.

MR Angiography of Peripheral Arterial Stents: In Vitro Evaluation of 22 Different Stent Types.

Purpose. To evaluate stent lumen visibility of a large sample of different peripheral arterial (iliac, renal, carotid) stents using magnetic resonance angiography in vitro. Materials and Methods.

Dual-Source CT Angiography of Peripheral Arterial Stents: In Vitro Evaluation of 22 Different Stent Types.

Purpose. To test different peripheral arterial stents using four image reconstruction approaches with respect to lumen visualization, lumen attenuation and image noise in dual-source multidetector row CT (DSCT) in vitro. Methods and Materials.

Liver lesion segmentation in MSCT: effect of slice thickness on segmentation quality, measurement precision and interobserver variability.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of slice thickness on semi-automated liver lesion segmentation.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, liver MSCT scans from 60 patients were reconstructed at a slice thickness of 1.5 mm, 3 mm and 5 mm.

High-pitch 128-slice dual-source CT for the assessment of coronary stents in a phantom model.

Rationale And Objectives: To evaluate the quality of stent lumen delineation using dual-source computed tomography (DSCT) in the standard-pitch mode (SP) as compared to the high-pitch mode (HP) in a phantom study.

Materials And Methods: Forty different coronary stents placed in plastic tubes filled with contrast agent were imaged with a second generation DSCT system in a SP (pitch 0.23) and HP (pitch 3.

T1-weighted MRI for the detection of coronary artery plaque haemorrhage.

Objective: Hyperintense areas in atherosclerotic plaques on pre-contrast T1-weighted MRI have been shown to correlate with intraplaque haemorrhage. We evaluated the presence of T1 hyperintensity in coronary artery plaques in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients and correlated results with multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) findings.

Methods: Fifteen patients with CAD were included.

Prediction of lymph node manifestations in malignant lymphoma: significant role of volumetric compared with established metric lymph node analysis in multislice computed tomography.

Objective: Comparison of 2-dimensional and semiautomated 3-dimensional (3D) measurements to distinguish between benign and malignant lymph nodes in patients with malignant lymphoma.

Methods: Whole-body positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) was performed in 33 patients before therapy for malignant lymphoma. Two hundred fifty-seven peripheral lymph nodes (mean size, 13.

Imaging decision-making for transfemoral or transapical approach of transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been shown to be a feasible alternative to surgical aortic valve replacement in selected high-risk patients. Although, being less invasive, catheter techniques remain associated with the potential of serious complications. Procedural success and avoidance of such complications critically depends on careful patient selection and comprehensive preprocedural evaluation of vascular access, cardiac and aortic root anatomy.

[Imaging of coronary stents using multislice computed tomography].

Coronary artery stenting has become the most important form of coronary revascularization. With the introduction of drug-eluting stents (DES) the rate of restenosis has declined but due to the delayed formation of intimal tissue the incidence of late (>30 days after stent placement) and very late thrombosis of the stents is higher for DES. Visualization of the stent lumen is possible with multislice computed tomography (MSCT) but blooming artifacts hamper the delineation of the stent lumen.