[The differential diagnosis of prescalene soft tissue shadows. A clinical-anatomical contribution].

In CT examination of a female patient of 72 years of age, a prescalenic soft tissue shadow situated unilaterally on the left side was seen. 3D reconstruction revealed a course of the relevant structure that would correspond to a variation of the muscle of the neck. This is presented briefly in the following article and discussed within the framework of soft tissue shadows due to muscular variations.

[Possibilities and relevance of three-dimensional reconstruction of the sacroiliac joint].

The sacroiliacal joint is difficult to evaluate clinically due to its complex form and its topographical position, deep in the body and surrounded by other skeletal structures. We evaluated the potential role of three-dimensional reconstruction and segmentation of CT data of this joint. A total of five patients were examined (age range 24-60 years).

Semiautomated ROI analysis in dynamic MR studies. Part II: Application to renal function examination.

Fast MR techniques and the application of water-soluble contrast agents allow the simultaneous examination of renal morphology and the functional aspects of glomerular filtration using bolus injections of Gd-DTPA. Spatial resolution is sufficient to resolve individual renal pyramids, but the quantitative examination of regions of interest (ROIs) is severely impeded by organ movements due to variations of the end-inspiratory position. A new image-processing scheme has been used and tested in 23 normal volunteers and patients.

Semiautomated ROI analysis in dynamic MR studies. Part I: Image analysis tools for automatic correction of organ displacements.

The most important problem in the analysis of time sequences is the compensation for artifactual motion. Owing to motion, medical images of the abdominal region do not represent organs with fixed configuration. Analysis of organ function with dynamic contrast medium studies using regions of interest (ROIs) is thus not readily accomplished.

Normal and hydronephrotic kidney: evaluation of renal function with contrast-enhanced MR imaging.

Four healthy volunteers and six patients with hydronephrosis underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after the injection of gadolinium-diethylenetriaminepenta-aceticacid for the assessment of renal function. Coronal angulated 10-second images were obtained during suspended respiration (inspiratory apnea) and showed excellent anatomic detail. In healthy volunteers, the renal cortex showed an increase in signal intensity after Gd-DTPA injection, and the renal medulla showed a precipitous decrease in intensity approximately 1 minute after injection, followed by a gradual increase in intensity.