Subject(s)
Death, Sudden/veterinary , Electric Injuries/veterinary , Paralysis/veterinary , Swine Diseases/etiology , Animals , Death, Sudden/etiology , Electric Injuries/etiology , Female , Femoral Fractures/etiology , Femoral Fractures/veterinary , Femoral Neck Fractures/etiology , Femoral Neck Fractures/veterinary , Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries , Paralysis/etiology , Pelvic Bones/injuries , Sacrum/injuries , Spinal Fractures/etiology , Spinal Fractures/veterinary , SwineABSTRACT
The authors describe a rectilinear scanner-head assembly containing an x-ray tube and a Si(Li) detector developed to stimulate and detect fluorescence from intrinsic iodine in the thyroid. Various operational parameters were evaluated. Because of the abundant supply of photons, a scanning distance of 3 inches (7.62 cm) could be used. The full width at half maximum at this distance was 0.52 cm. Optimal exposure was obtained at 80 kVp, 0.5 mA with a copper-aluminum filter combination. The scanner with an x-ray generator appears to be a workable alternative to imaging devices using long-lived radionuclide sources.
Subject(s)
Fluorescence , Technology, Radiologic/instrumentation , Humans , Radiography , Radionuclide Imaging , Technology, Radiologic/methods , Thyroid Gland/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Fluorescent imaging of the thyroid was performed successfully in 43 patients with incident low-energy photons generated by an x-ray tube. The images were comparable in quality and information content to those obtained with 123l or 99mTc pertechnetate. The estimated absorbed radiation dose to the gland is approximately 40 mrads. Fluorescent imaging is a clinically useful means of evaluating the thyroid.
