AJR. American journal of roentgenology
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jun 2004
Comparative Study Clinical TrialConventional open surgery versus percutaneous catheter drainage in the treatment of cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis.
The purpose of our study was to determine the clinical usefulness of percutaneous catheter drainage compared with conventional surgical drainage for cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Thirty-one patients with cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis were included. Twenty consecutive patients were treated by percutaneous catheter drainage. Catheters were introduced into the infected space from the neck, under the guidance of sonography and X-ray fluoroscopy. The results of the treatment were compared with those of 11 patients treated previously by surgical drainage. ⋯ Percutaneous catheter drainage for cervical necrotizing fasciitis and descending necrotizing mediastinitis was less invasive than conventional surgical drainage but produced a similar outcome.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jun 2004
Discrimination of tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis on MRI.
The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of MRI for discrimination between tuberculous spondylitis and pyogenic spondylitis. ⋯ MRI was accurate for differentiation of tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis.
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CT in positron emission tomography (PET)-CT imaging is often performed as a single scan from the base of the skull to the groin, potentially resulting in degradation of the quality of CT scans depending on the position of the patient's arms and mode of breathing and the use and timing of IV contrast injection. The aim of our study was to assess the impact of artifacts on the diagnostic quality of CT scans using a single-detector helical CT scanner in PET-CT imaging. ⋯ The use of a single-detector CT scanner in whole-body PET-CT decreases the image quality of CT scans because of streak artifacts that occur predominantly in scans of the upper abdomen. Scanning with the patient's arms raised eliminates the streak artifacts in scans of the abdominal region. With the new generation of PET-CT devices equipped with MDCT scanners, breathing motion artifacts can be expected to be eliminated if protocols for breath-hold CT are applied. Reversing the direction of CT scanning allows one to avoid imaging the thoracic region at a time when undiluted IV contrast material is still present in the upper thoracic veins.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jun 2004
Comparative StudyOral contrast agents for CT of abdominal trauma in pediatric patients: a comparison of dilute hypaque and water.
Dilute Hypaque Sodium is generally well accepted as an oral contrast agent for CT of pediatric patients who have experienced recent blunt abdominal trauma. However, Hypaque can cause complications. Using water as a substitute contrast agent eliminates these potential complications. The purpose of our study was to compare the performance of water with that of dilute Hypaque as an oral contrast agent. Our hypothesis was that we would find no significant difference in performance between the two agents in defining anatomic details of the hollow gastrointestinal tract. ⋯ In defining anatomic details of the hollow gastrointestinal tract, water is as effective as dilute Hypaque as an oral contrast agent for CT in the setting of acute blunt abdominal trauma in pediatric patients.
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AJR Am J Roentgenol · Jun 2004
Role of a quantitative D-dimer assay in determining the need for CT angiography of acute pulmonary embolism.
Our goal was to use the results of a quantitative D-dimer assay to determine the need for pulmonary CT angiography in patients suspected of having acute pulmonary embolism. ⋯ A quantitative D-dimer assay was effective in excluding the need for pulmonary CT angiography and had high negative predictive value when the D-dimer level was less than 1.0 microg/mL.