audit to evaluate the image quality of magnetic resonance of knee at radiology department of a tertiary care hospital

Objective: To evaluate the quality of MRI scans of knee, performed at Radiology Department of Jinnah Hospital in the light of recommendations of ACR

Study Design: A clinical audit

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Radiology, Jinnah Hospital, Lahore, from August 2015 to February 2016

Methodology: Scans of 20 patients who underwent MRI of knee in August 2015 were studied retrospectively to assess the quality of images obtained in the first audit. Based on the findings of this audit, recommendations were made and re audit was done 6 months later in February 2016 to look for improvement in local practice

Results: In the first audit, images were acquired in all the three necessary planes and the sagittal and coronal images had appropriate slice thickness, interslice gap as well as adequate anatomical coverage in all the patients. However, FOV [field of view] was appropriately set in 66% of cases in axial plane, 5% in sagittal plane, and 0% in coronal plane. Also, the anatomical coverage was not upto the mark in axial plane with 13 studies [66%] having adequate superior coverage, and 16 cases [80%] having recommended inferior anatomical coverage. The re audit performed 6 months later showed improvement with 100% compliance to standards

Conclusion: The first audit showed many shortcomings in acquiring of MRI data in patients undergoing knee MRI with FOV requiring a decrease in all planes and anatomical coverage increase in axial plane. These recommendations were made in departmental meetings and re-audit was done after 6 months. This second audit showed 100 % compliance

Impact of transarterial chemoembolization on 1 year survival rate of patients suffering from non-resectable hepatocellular carcinoma

Treatment of nonresectable HCC remains unsatisfactory and different therapeutic regimes have been tested. Transarterial chemoembolization [TACE] is the most promising palliative modality for unresectable HCC and determination of the survival rates of patients after TACE is important to guide clinicians for proper management of advanced HCC. So objective of our study was to determine 1 year survival rate in patients with unresectable HCC treated by TACE. Retrospective Study. This study was conducted at Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore from July 2009 to June 2010. 90 patients with unresectable HCC who underwent TACE treatment were identified from a prospectively collected database. Patient survival from the first TACE session was calculated at 6 and 12 months duration after TACE, with Kaplan-Meier analysis. A total of 90 patients were studied. All patients underwent TACE with appropriate technical measures. The age range of patients was 34 years to 84 years. Mean age of patients was calculated to be 59.67 years and median to be 58 yrs. 59 were males and 31 were females. In all 90 patients, none died because of the complications of TACE. 3 out of these 90 patients died within 6 months of procedure, while 11 died within 1 year. So this resulted in 14 patients out of 90 [15%], who could not survive after 1 year of TACE. 76 patients remained alive with survival rate of 84.4%. TACE is an effective treatment option for advanced unresectable HCC. Our study showed that, the overall survival benefit for such patients is tremendously improved if they are managed with TACE