European radiology
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Minimally invasive resection of brain tumours aims at removing as much pathological tissue as possible while preserving essential brain functions. Therefore, the precise spatial relationship between the lesion and adjacent functionally essential brain parenchyma needs to be known. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is increasingly being used for this purpose because of its non-invasiveness, its relatively high spatial resolution and the preoperative availability of the results. ⋯ Further, several practical aspects associated with fMRI for motor and language functioning are summarised, and the validation of the fMRI results with standard invasive mapping techniques is addressed. Next, several important pitfalls and limitations that warrant careful interpretations of the fMRI results are highlighted. Finally, two important future perspectives of presurgical fMRI are emphasised.
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Review Meta Analysis Comparative Study
The value of postmortem computed tomography as an alternative for autopsy in trauma victims: a systematic review.
The aim of this study was to assess the role of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) as an alternative for autopsy in determining the cause of death and the identification of specific injuries in trauma victims. A systematic review was performed by searching the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases. Articles were eligible if they reported both PMCT as well as autopsy findings and included more than one trauma victim. ⋯ This systematic review provides inconsistent evidence as to whether PMCT is a reliable alternative for autopsy in trauma victims. PMCT has promising features in postmortem examination suggesting PMCT is a good alternative for a refused autopsy or a good adjunct to autopsy because it detects extra injuries overseen during autopsies. To examine the value of PMCT in trauma victims there is a need for well-designed and larger prospective studies.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A hand-held ultrasound machine vs. conventional ultrasound machine in the bedside assessment of post-liver transplant patients.
The purpose was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of a hand-held Doppler ultrasound (US) machine for the bedside detection of liver and vascular abnormalities after liver transplantation in the intensive care unit. The IRB approved this study, and written informed consent was obtained from all patients or the patient's legal representative. Any liver transplant recipient at our institution who needed a bedside Doppler US examination in the intensive care unit was eligible. ⋯ There was no abnormal hepatic arterial flow with the conventional machine in any of the patients, and the results were the same with the hand-held machine. Total examination time was significantly longer with the hand-held machine. The hand-held US machine had a high diagnostic accuracy for both parenchymal and vascular analyses compared with a conventional US machine in the bedside assessment of post-liver transplant patients.