Der Radiologe
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Fluoroscopy-guided interventions on facet joints have been used for decades for the symptomatic management of pain in spinal disorders. A large number of imaging techniques are used to achieve a precise and safe needle placement in interventional procedures. Pulsed fluoroscopy is one of the most widely used and well-accepted tools for these procedures. This article presents a technical overview of commonly used fluoroscopy-guided interventions on the facet joints of the cervical and lumbar spine, such as facet joint injection, blockade of the medial nerve branches and radiofrequency ablation.
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Due to their thermal energy, water molecules in tissue are in continuous random motion called diffusion. Water diffusion in pathologically modified tissue (e. g. ischemia, inflammation and neoplasia) is different from normal conditions. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (DWI) can measure the local strength and main direction of the diffusional motion in any picture element, thus providing diagnostic tissue information exceeding the morphological depiction. ⋯ Diffusion-weighted MRI is an established technique for the assessment of pathological processes. Although DWI is mainly applied in stroke diagnostics, it is increasingly being used to detect and characterize various lesions in the brain as well as in the whole body. With new sequence techniques imaging artefacts can be significantly reduced. In addition, DTI allows the reconstruction and 3-dimensional visualization of tissue fibre structure. This method has proven to be clinically important primarily for the depiction of nerve tracts in the brain and spinal cord when planning surgical interventions and radiation therapy.
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Pediatric lung diseases are a common clinical problem. Besides the clinical examination and laboratory tests, imaging studies are the mainstay in the diagnostics of pediatric lung diseases. Thorough consideration of radiation protection based on optimized equipment also includes the protection of relatives and medical staff. ⋯ Fluoroscopy is used in older children with suspected ingestion and/or aspiration of foreign bodies and CT is mostly used for staging and follow-up of thoracic and pulmonary structures in pediatric oncology. Recent technical advances, e.g. iterative reconstruction, have dramatically reduced the CT dosage. Apart from some indications (e.g. tumors and sequestration) MRI is rarely used in children; however, its potential for functional analyses (e.g. perfusion and ventilation) may increase the application in the near future.
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In the autonomic nerve system most sympathetic neurons synapse peripherally in the ganglia of the sympathetic trunk. A reduction in sympathicotonia by partial elimination of these ganglia is a therapeutic approach that has been used for more than 100 years. In the early 1920s the first attempts at percutaneous sympathicolysis (SL) were carried out. Nowadays, minimally invasive image-guided SL has become an integral part of interventional radiology. Established indications for SL are hyperhidrosis, critical limb ischemia and the complex regional pain syndrome. ⋯ After the introduction of CT guidance, major complications have become rare events. In addition to the usual risks of percutaneous interventions there are, however, a number of specific complications, such as syncope caused by irritation of cardiac sympathetic nerves in thoracic SL and ureteral injury in lumbar SL.
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Pain originating from the organs of the upper abdomen, especially in patients suffering from inoperable carcinoma of the pancreas or advanced inflammatory conditions, is difficult to treat in a significant number of patients. ⋯ The CT-guided procedure for neurolysis of the celiac plexus is safe and effective in diminishing pain especially in patients suffering from tumors of the upper abdomen. The procedure can be repeated if the effect is only temporary.