CT virtual colonoscopy

CT Virtual Colonoscopy is a medical imaging procedure which uses x-rays and computers to produce two and three-dimensional images of the colon [large intestine] from the rectum, all the way to the lower end of the small intestine using only air as contrast medium and display them on a screen. The procedure is used to diagnose colon and bowel disease like polyps, diverticulosis and tumour. It also provides 3D reconstructed endoluminal views of the bowel. It holds significant promise for effective large-scale colorectal cancer screening. Although many radiologists continue to use the 2D images for polyp detection, more emphasis on the 3D images for primary detection of polyps has yielded the best results for screening. The primary target lesion for colorectal screening is the adenomatous polyp, since detection and removal of all larger or advanced lesions could potentially prevent approximately 95% or more of all colon cancers. A total of 13 cases were evaluated in our study. The patients presented with varying complaints ranging from abdominal pain to bloody diarrhoea. The age range was from 30-70 years. Eight cases turned out to be normal. One case showed synchronous carcinoma colon which was confirmed peroperatively and on histopathology. Two cases were of diverticulosis while one case showed inflammatory mass at the ilio cecal region while the other was of para rectal abscess. It is thus concluded that C. T. virtual colonoscopy is an excellent diagnostic modality for most of the co/owe lesions

Role of transvaginal ultrasound in cervical length changes during normal pregnancy

The objectives of this study was to examine the relationship between cervical length and gestational age in normal pregnancy in nulliparous versus parous women. We studied a cross-sectional sample of 321 pregnant women, including 185 nulliparous and 136 multiparous women. The inclusion criteria were sonographic confirmation of gestational age within the 12th week, the absence of any risk factors for preterm birth, and uncomplicated pregnancy with expected delivery during the 38th to 42nd weeks. Cervical length was measured in a straight line if the cervix did not show any curvature; in the presence of cervical curvature, the measurement was broken down into 2 or more segments. It was found that there was a relationship between gestational age and cervical length, which could be described with a linear function [R = 0.92; R2 = 0.85; P<001]. Moreover, there was no statistically significant difference between multiparous and nulliparous women. Our study shows that cervical length is comparable in nulliparous and multiparous women throughout pregnancy. In both groups, it actually shows a progressive, linear reduction between the 10th and 40th weeks. Reference ranges constructed for the whole gestational period might be more useful than a single cut off value for more efficient prevention and management of preterm birth