Clinical physiology and functional imaging
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Clin Physiol Funct Imaging · Mar 2012
Atherosclerotic plaques in the internal carotid artery and associations with lung function assessed by different methods.
Previous studies on associations between reduced lung function and cardiovascular disease (CVD) have mainly been based on forced expiratory volume in 1-s (FEV(1) ) and vital capacity (VC). This study examined potential associations between five different lung function variables and plaques in the internal carotid artery (ICA). ⋯ The occurrence of plaques in the ICA was associated with low D(L,CO) and high RV, but not significantly with FEV(1) or COPD status. The results suggest that the relationships between reduced lung function, COPD and CVD are complex and not only linked to bronchial obstruction and low-grade systemic inflammation.
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Clin Physiol Funct Imaging · Mar 2012
The washout rate of a subcutaneous 99mTc-HSA depot in lower extremity lymphoedema.
Lymphoscintigraphy is currently the leading diagnostic modality of lower extremity lymphoedema but has been criticized for being unreliable. Washout rate constants have been investigated and proven to be of diagnostic value in several studies of breast-cancer-related lymphoedema; however, the applicability in lower extremity lymphoedema needs further evaluation. The aim of the study was to verify if washout of (99m) Tc-human serum albumin ((99m) Tc-HSA) is a reliable diagnostic tool in lower extremity lymphoedema. ⋯ The washout rate of a subcutaneous (99m) Tc-HSA depot is not a reliable diagnostic tool in examination of lower extremity lymphoedema. Additional examinations revealed in vivo instability of the utilized (99m) Tc-HSA as the likely reason.