Subject(s)
Nuclear Medicine/education , Physics/education , Societies, Scientific , Europe , Terminology as TopicSubject(s)
Dystonia/physiopathology , Evoked Potentials, Somatosensory/physiology , Mandibular Diseases/physiopathology , Mouth Diseases/physiopathology , Botulinum Toxins, Type A/therapeutic use , Dystonia/diagnostic imaging , Dystonia/drug therapy , Electromyography , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Mandibular Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Mandibular Diseases/drug therapy , Middle Aged , Mouth Diseases/diagnostic imaging , Mouth Diseases/drug therapy , Neuromuscular Agents/therapeutic use , Positron-Emission Tomography , Pterygoid Muscles/physiopathology , Trigeminal Nerve/physiologyABSTRACT
Two scientific committees (physics & dosimetry) of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) commented on the draft 'Radiation Protection 162: radiation criteria for acceptability of radiological equipment used in diagnostic radiology, nuclear medicine and radiotherapy' (RP 162). This document updates and extends the acceptability criteria mentioned in 'Radiation Protection 91' and is an important means to further improve the quality of medical procedures involving ionising radiation. While the EANM committees support the presented framework as described in the introductory chapter, they have suggested substantial changes to the specific suspension levels for nuclear medicine equipment. During the revision process, an agreed consensus position was reached. The EANM considers RP 162 a significant improvement of RP 91 and endorses the document.
Subject(s)
Radiation Protection/standards , Europe , Humans , Nuclear Medicine/methods , Nuclear Medicine/standards , Quality Control , Radiation Injuries/prevention & control , Radiation Protection/methods , Radiology/methods , Radiology/standards , Radiotherapy/methods , Radiotherapy/standards , Societies, MedicalABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now considered the gold standard in second-line imaging of patients with suspected scaphoid fracture and negative radiographs, bone scintigraphy can be used in patients with pacemakers, metallic implants, or other contraindications to MRI. Bone scintigraphy is highly sensitive for the detection of fractures, but exact localization of scintigraphic lesions may be difficult and can negatively affect diagnostic accuracy. PURPOSE: To investigate the influence of image fusion of planar bone scintigraphy and radiographs on image interpretation in patients with suspected scaphoid fracture. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In 24 consecutive patients with suspected scaphoid fracture, a standard planar bone scintigraphy of both hands was supplemented with fusion imaging of the injured wrist. Standard and fusion images were evaluated independently by three experienced nuclear medicine physicians. In addition to the diagnosis, the degree of diagnostic confidence was scored in each case. RESULTS: The addition of fusion images changed the interpretation of each of the three observers in seven, four, and two cases, respectively, reducing the number of positive interpretations of two of the observers from 11 and nine cases to six and seven cases, respectively. The degree of diagnostic confidence increased significantly in two observers, and interobserver agreement increased in all three pairs of observers from 0.83, 0.57, and 0.73 to 0.89, 0.8, and 0.9, respectively. CONCLUSION: Image fusion of planar bone scintigrams and radiographs has a significant influence on image interpretation and increases both diagnostic confidence and interobserver agreement.
Subject(s)
Fractures, Bone/diagnostic imaging , Scaphoid Bone/injuries , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Humans , Middle Aged , Radiographic Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted , Radionuclide Imaging , Radiopharmaceuticals , Scaphoid Bone/diagnostic imaging , Statistics, Nonparametric , Technetium Tc 99m MedronateABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with [123I]FP-CIT is a marker for loss of presynaptic dopamine transporters in the striatum in Parkinson's disease (PD). We used [123I]FP-CIT SPECT in order to evaluate binding to the dopamine transporter before and after neurosurgical treatment with bilateral stimulation in the subthalamic nucleus (STN). METHODS: Thirty-five patients with levodopa-responsive PD were examined with [123I]FP-CIT SPECT pre-operatively (baseline scan: mean 3 months before surgery), and 3 and 12 months after surgery. RESULTS: Pre-operatively, all patients already had substantial signs of severe nigrostriatal neuronal loss as determined from the [123I]FP-CIT SPECT scans. One year after surgery the specific [123I]FP-CIT binding to the striatum was significantly reduced by 10.3% compared with the pre-operative baseline scan. The mean time span from the baseline scan before surgery to the follow-up scan 1 year after surgery was 16.2 months. Hence, the rate of reduction equals a mean annual reduction of 7.7%. A comparable control group of patients with PD who did not undergo surgery was also examined longitudinally. In this group the specific binding of [123I]FP-CIT was reduced by 6.7% per year. CONCLUSION: The specific binding of [123I]FP-CIT was reduced equally in the STN-stimulated patients and a group of non-operated PD patients with advanced disease. Our study does not support the notion that electrode implantation and STN stimulation exert a neuroprotective effect by themselves.
