Shift in imaging modalities of the urinary tract over a 25-year period and its impact on ionizing radiation doses given to patients.

Objectives: To explore the shift in imaging modalities used when examining the urinary tract over the period 1979-2003 and to see how this shift, together with a radiation protection policy, have influenced the doses of ionizing radiation used.

Material And Methods: Activity reports from a department of radiology were reviewed. Relevant radiation dose estimates were obtained from the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority.

Shift in imaging modalities of gastrointestinal tract through 25 years and its impact on patient ionizing radiation doses.

We wanted to explore the shift in modalities when diagnosing the gastrointestinal tract through the last three decades and see how this has influenced on the radiation doses given to this patient population. Activity reports from a central hospital in the years of 1979-2003 have been reviewed. The x-ray based modalities have decreased, while there has been a marked increase in colonoscopies, gastroscopies, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography.

Shift in imaging modalities of the spine through 25 years and its impact on patient ionizing radiation doses.

Study Design: Retrospective.

Objective: To explore the shift in modalities when diagnosing the spine in the years 1979-2003. To see how this shift, together with a radiation protective policy, have influenced on the ionizing radiation doses.

Acute osteomyelitis as a complication of varicella.

Varicella is a common viral infection in childhood, and acute osteomyelitis is one of the rare but serious complications. We report two cases of osteomyelitis as a complication of varicella. The possibilities and limitations of the different imaging modalities are discussed, as well as imaging findings during the course of this condition.

The pathogenesis of gastrointestinal bacterial overgrowth.

The normal indigenous intestinal microflora consists of about 10(15) bacteria that under physiological conditions reside mainly in the lower gastrointestinal tract. Bacterial overgrowth implies abnormal bacterial colonization of the upper gut, resulting from failure of specific defense mechanisms restricting colonization under physiological conditions. At present two types of bacterial overgrowth with defined pathogenesis can be distinguished: (1) gastric overgrowth with upper respiratory tract microflora resulting from selective failure of the gastric acid barrier, and (2) gastrointestinal overgrowth with Gram-negative bacilli (enteric bacteria) resulting from failure of intestinal clearance.

Deep sclerectomy in patients with capsular glaucoma.

Purpose: To compare the results of deep sclerectomy in capsular glaucoma (CG) with those in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).

Methods: This consecutive, prospective study comprised 24 CG patients (28 eyes) and 25 POAG patients (29 eyes) who underwent deep sclerectomy. Two different implants were used: either an absorbable collagen implant (Aqua-Flow) or a non-absorbable hydrophilic acrylic implant (T-Flux).

Conversion from trabeculectomy to deep sclerectomy. Prospective study of the first 44 cases.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of conversion from trabeculectomy to deep sclerectomy with placement of a drainage implant.

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital of Buskerud, Drammen, Norway.

Methods: Deep sclerectomy was performed in 41 patients (44 eyes) from November 1999 to January 2002.

Long-term follow-up of secondary flexible, open-loop, anterior chamber intraocular lenses.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term results of secondary implantation of modern flexible, open-loop, anterior chamber intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Setting: Department of Ophthalmology, National University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Methods: This prospective study comprised 18 patients (20 aphakic eyes) who had secondary IOL implantation from January 1990 to May 1992.

A retrospective study of patients with retained nuclear fragments after cataract extraction.

Purpose: A registration and follow-up of patients who underwent pars plana vitrectomy after dislocated nuclear fragments to the vitreous following cataract extraction.

Material And Methods: A retrospective study of 125 patients referred to The National Hospital during the years 1991 to 1998. Phacoemulsification and extracapsular technique were used in 115 eyes and 10 eyes, respectively.

Eye injuries in sports.

In a retrospective study from 1988 to 1998, eye injuries were found in 553 patients. Seventy-six (13.7%) of these injuries were associated with sport.

Three dimensional CT evaluation of occipito-atlanto-axial dislocation in rheumatoid arthritis.

Involvement of the upper cervical spine, with possible instability and dislocation of the atlanto-axial-cervico-occipital joints in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), is routinely monitored with conventional radiographs. As disease progresses severe interpretation problems occur, especially when looking for cranial migration of the odontoid process. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether three dimensional CT examination should be considered for such monitoring.

Imaging routines for the esophagus, small bowel, abdomen, and liver in six Norwegian hospitals from 1975 to 1993.

The roles of liver scintigraphy in addition to other imaging modalities of the esophagus and the small bowel and the use of abdominal flat films were studied in six Norwegian hospitals between 1975 and 1993. Parallel to the introduction of ultrasonography, the use of liver scintigraphy disappeared almost completely. Barium studies of the esophagus, to some degree, have been replaced by endoscopy, whereas use of barium studies of the small bowel remained unchanged or increased.

Epidemiology of multiple sclerosis in the county of Vestfold, eastern Norway: incidence and prevalence calculations.

The county of Vestfold in the South-eastern part of Norway has undergone two incidence and prevalence surveys on multiple sclerosis. The prevalence of definite/probable MS on January 1, 1963 was 61.6/100,000.

Changes in radiological routines following the introduction of computed tomography. A retrospective study from two Norwegian hospitals.

Diagnostic imaging routines have changed rapidly during the last two decades. The real revolution started with the introduction of computed tomography into routine clinical work in the middle of the 1970s. Simultaneously, a tremendous sophistication of ultrasonography took place, and shortly later, magnetic resonance imaging started its "career.

Changes in diagnostic imaging routines of the stomach and the large bowel during the period between 1975 and 1992.

In a retrospective study on diagnostic imaging of the stomach and large bowel, we evaluated the examination routines in six Norwegian hospitals for the period between 1975 and 1992. For both organ systems, a shift in routines from radiological examination toward endoscopy was observed. For the stomach there was a significant correlation between an increase in the use of endoscopy and a decrease in the use of X-ray examinations.

Ultrasonography in medical imaging. Influence on diagnostic routines.

It has been assumed that the introduction of ultrasonography in diagnostic imaging has led to dramatic changes in imaging routines by replacing other modalities like angiography, intravenous urography, and computerized tomography in several diagnostic procedures. The present retrospective study from five Norwegian hospitals during the period from 1978 to 1991 confirm this assumption, showing how ultrasonographic examinations have influenced diagnostic routines.

Radiological examinations of the urinary tract. Changes during the last 24 years.

Procedures for imaging the urinary tract have been recorded in six Norwegian hospitals for the last 24 years. For three of the hospitals, data were collected from 1965 to 1989, and for the other three from 1966, 1971 and 1975, respectively. There was a significant reduction in the number of intravenous pyelograms, voiding cystograms, and renal angiograms, but the number of retrograde pyelograms and plain radiographs of the urinary tract remained constant.