Academic radiology
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The US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) recommends that Internet-based patient education materials (IPEMs) be written below the sixth-grade reading level to target the average American adult. This study was designed to determine the readability of IPEMs regarding mammography for breast cancer screening. ⋯ IPEMs related to mammography are written well above the recommended sixth-grade level and likely reflect other IPEMs in diagnostic radiology.
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Comparative Study
Free-breathing pulmonary 1H and Hyperpolarized 3He MRI: comparison in COPD and bronchiectasis.
In this proof-of-concept demonstration, we aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively compare pulmonary ventilation abnormalities derived from Fourier decomposition of free-breathing (1)H magnetic resonance imaging (FDMRI) to hyperpolarized (3)He MRI in subjects with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and bronchiectasis. ⋯ FDMRI and (3)He MRI VDP were strongly related in COPD but not in bronchiectasis subjects. In COPD only, FDMRI ventilation defects were spatially related with (3)He ventilation defects and emphysema.
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To evaluate paired inspiratory/expiratory computed tomography (CT; iCT/eCT) and deformable image registration for quantitative and qualitative assessment of airflow limitation in smokers. ⋯ Air trapping images yielded more accurate quantitative and qualitative evaluation of airflow limitation than did LAV%, PRMe, PRMs, and Goddard classification.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Low-concentration contrast medium for 128-slice dual-source CT coronary angiography at a very low radiation dose using prospectively ECG-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition.
To assess the impact of low-concentration contrast medium on vascular enhancement, image quality, and radiation dose of coronary computed tomography (CT) angiography (CCTA) by using prospectively electrocardiography (ECG)-triggered high-pitch spiral acquisition with low tube voltage in combination with iterative reconstruction. ⋯ Combining IRT with high-pitch spiral acquisition mode and low-tube-voltage technique, a low-concentration contrast medium of 270 mg I/mL can still maintain the contrast enhancement in coronary arteries without impairing image quality and significantly lower the radiation dose.
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The longitudinal relationship between regional air trapping and emphysema remains unexplored. We have sought to demonstrate the utility of parametric response mapping (PRM), a computed tomography (CT)-based biomarker, for monitoring regional disease progression in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, linking expiratory- and inspiratory-based CT metrics over time. ⋯ PRM of lung CT scans in COPD patients provides an opportunity to more precisely characterize underlying disease phenotypes, with the potential to monitor disease status and therapy response.