Critical reviews in diagnostic imaging最新文献

Cardiac MR imaging to date has provided detailed information regarding cardiac structure and anatomy. Recent developments in imaging speed have broadened the applications of cardiac MR from the research laboratory to a wide variety of clinical applications involving assessment of both cardiac function and perfusion. In this review, we present methods used for MR evaluation of acquired cardiac disease in the adult. Applications to ischemic heart disease, cardiomyopathy, coronary imaging, myocardial perfusion, and pericardial disease are discussed.

The purpose of this pictorial review is to facilitate recognition and understanding of calcifications seen on conventional radiographs of the abdomen. Calcifications can be categorized by organ system and location in the abdomen. Both common and rare calcifications in the urinary tract, liver, gallbladder, spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands, digestive tract, genital tract, peritoneal cavity, and retroperitoneum are illustrated. Abnormal calcifications in the urinary tract are subcategorized by kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. The density, shape, size, margins, pattern, position, and mobility of calcifications are emphasized for differential diagnoses.

Postpartum patients rarely develop complications that require radiologic evaluation. When indicated, CT can provide a rapid and reliable examination of the major pelvic organs and enable diagnosis of a multitude of postpartum complications, including abscesses, endometritis, thrombophlebitis, as well as more serious and potentially life-threatening sequelae of toxemia, DIC, and HELLP syndrome. This pictorial essay illustrates the utility of CT in the postpartum patient and demonstrates the spectrum of complications evaluated with CT.

Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a reliable tool for the depiction of the thoracic aorta. By combining traditional T1-weighted spin echo pulse sequences with newer MR angiography techniques, MR imaging can provide both the structural and functional information necessary to manage most thoracic aortic abnormalities. This article reviews the various MR pulse sequences germane to aortography, highlighting their technical considerations and clinical applications. Newer MR techniques for vascular imaging are also introduced.

Despite an increasing incidence of melanoma in this country, innovative new therapies are allowing patients to receive aggressive experimental treatments. Diagnostic imaging remains crucial for tumor staging and for follow-up of patients being treated with these protocols. Because metastases occur in the abdomen and pelvis in approximately 60% of patients, it is important to accurately identify all sites of tumor spread. A variety of imaging techniques are used to image these patients, with CT currently being used for staging purposes and to guide diagnostic biopsies. Other imaging techniques, such as MR, ultrasound, and fluoroscopy, are currently reserved for investigating specific complications of melanoma, such as vascular invasion, hemorrhage from a tumor, and small bowel involvement, including intussusception. Recently, whole body positron emission tomography (PET) imaging using 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) has been shown to be highly accurate in assessing patients with metastatic malignant melanoma. This review illustrates the spectrum of manifestations of metastatic melanoma throughout the abdomen and pelvis, including solid organ, hollow lumen, and retroperitoneal involvement, and demonstrates some of the typical and atypical manifestations that may be identified.