Abdominal imaging
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Comparative Study
Low-tube voltage 100 kVp MDCT in screening of cocaine body packing: image quality and radiation dose compared to 120 kVp MDCT.
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a reduced tube potential (100 kVp) for non-enhanced abdominal low-dose CT on radiation dose and image quality (IQ) in the detection of body packing. ⋯ Low-tube voltage 100 kVp MDCT with automated tube current modulation in screening of illegal drugs leads to a diagnostic IQ and significant dose reduction compared to 120 kVp low-tube voltage protocols. Despite lower radiation dose, liquid and solid cocaine containers retain high attenuation and are easily detected.
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The purpose of our study was to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound (US) as compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in pregnant patients with suspected appendicitis for visualization of the appendix, accuracy at diagnosing acute appendicitis, the ability of each modality to identify alternate diagnoses of pain and whether gestational age (GA) has an association with appendix identification rates. ⋯ Given the low likelihood of visualization of the appendix at US, the excellent accuracy of MRI and the ability of MRI to identify alternate diagnoses, we suggest that at certain institutions MRI may be considered a first-line imaging modality for pregnant patients of any GA with suspected appendicitis.
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Computed tomographic (CT) fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous cryoablation is an effective therapeutic method used to treat focal renal masses. The purpose of this study is to quantify the radiation dose to the patient and interventional radiologist during percutaneous cryoablation of renal masses using CT fluoroscopic guidance. ⋯ The radiation risk to the patient during CT fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous renal mass cryoablation is, as expected, related to procedure complexity. Quantification of patient organ radiation dose was estimated using an anthropomorphic model. This information, along with the associated relative risk of malignancy, may assist in evaluating risks of the procedure, particularly in younger patients. The radiation dose to the interventionist is low regardless of procedure complexity, but highlights the importance of lead shielding.
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The purpose of the study is to evaluate the influence of the adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR 3D) algorithm on the detectability of low-contrast focal liver lesions (FLLs) and the radiation dose repeatability of automatic tube current modulation (ATCM) in abdominal CT scans using anthropomorphic phantoms. ⋯ By applying AIDR 3D, half-dose CT scans may be achievable in small-sized patients without hampering diagnostic performance, while it may improve diagnostic performance in medium- and large-sized patients without increasing the radiation dose.
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The purpose of this study is to compare diagnostic performances of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) visual score, maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), ratio of adrenal SUVmax to liver SUVmax (A/L SUVmax), apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) from diffusion-weighted imaging, and SUVmax/ADC ratio to differentiate adrenal pheochromocytoma from other benign tumors. ⋯ FDG-based indices and ADC appear comparably useful for differentiating pheochromocytoma from other benign adrenal tumors.