Corrigendum: Towards automatic pulmonary nodule management in lung cancer screening with deep learning.

This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/srep46479.

Long-term effects of lung cancer computed tomography screening on health-related quality of life: the NELSON trial.

The long-term effects of lung cancer computed tomography (CT) screening on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have not yet been investigated. In the Dutch-Belgian Randomised Lung Cancer Screening Trial (NELSON trial), 1,466 participants received questionnaires before randomisation (T0), 2 months after baseline screening (screen group only; T1) and at 2-yr follow-up (T2). HRQoL was measured as generic HRQoL (12-item short-form questionnaire and EuroQoL questionnaire), anxiety (Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory) and lung cancer-specific distress (impact of event scale (IES)). Repeated measures of ANOVA were used to analyse differences between the screen and control groups, and between indeterminate (requiring a follow-up CT) and negative screening result groups. At T0 and T2 there were no significant differences in HRQoL scores over time between the screen and control groups, or between the indeterminate or negative second-round screening result group. There was a temporary increase in IES scores after an indeterminate baseline result (T0: mean 4.0 (95% CI 2.8-5.3); T1: mean 7.8 (95% CI 6.5-9.0); T2: mean 4.5 (95% CI 3.3-5.8)). At 2-yr follow-up, the HRQoL of screened subjects was similar to that of control subjects, the unfavourable short-term effects of an indeterminate baseline screening result had resolved and an indeterminate result at the second screening round had no impact on HRQoL.

CT before and after ERCP: detection of pancreatic pseudotumor, asymptomatic retroperitoneal perforation, and duodenal diverticulum.

BACKGROUND: A prospective study was done to investigate the occurrence of morphologic changes after ERCP that present as pancreatic pseudotumor on CT scan. Fifty-eight patients underwent CT before and after ERCP. In addition, post-ERCP complications and the value of routinely obtained CT before ERCP were assessed. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients could be fully analyzed; 12 underwent a papillotomy (group 1). Pseudotumor of the pancreatic head was demonstrated on CT after ERCP in them (17%). No changes were seen in the 27 patients who underwent diagnostic ERCP (group 2) (p = 0.048). Asymptomatic retroperitoneal perforation after papillotomy was diagnosed in 3 patients (13%). Routinely obtained CT scans before ERCP defined a specific etiology of the biliary obstruction in 12% of patients not suggested by ultrasound. Duodenal diverticulum was found in 4 patients, resulting in a sensitivity of 36% and a specificity of 100% for CT. Oral contrast (600 ml) administered a few hours before endoscopy never hampered the endoscopist. CONCLUSION: Pancreatic pseudotumor on CT after ERCP occurred only when papillotomy was performed. CT remains a valuable diagnostic tool after diagnostic ERCP. Asymptomatic perforation may occur following ERCP with papillotomy. Routinely obtained CT before ERCP was not profitable for the endoscopist in more than 80% of our patients.

Computed tomography of the large bowel wall. Choice of slice thickness and intraluminal contrast medium.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative contribution of slice thickness and intraluminal contrast density to imaging of the large bowel wall. METHODS: The authors used phantom experiments to evaluate the partial volume averaging of 2-, 4-, and 8-mm slices on imaging a single density interface (320/-100 HU) and 5 dual-density interfaces (320/50/-100 HU, 160/50/-100 HU, 0/50/-100 HU, -100/50/100 HU, and -1000/50/100 HU). For the experiments with a dual-density interface, which simulated the bowel wall, the phantom was scanned at an angle 45 degrees to the scan plane. RESULTS: The most accurate display of interfaces was obtained with a slice thickness of 2 mm. When using 8-mm slices, walls can appear to be much thinner or thicker than normal or not even recognizable as a wall depending on the densities in the interface. Adjusting the density of the intraluminal contrast medium to within the range of the mean and window setting will improve the representation of the bowel wall. CONCLUSIONS: Slice thickness has a significant influence on the true representation of the bowel wall using computed tomography. This effect is greater than the effect of the intraluminal contrast medium density.

Computed tomography with multiplanar reconstruction of acetabular fractures.

Computed tomography of acetabular fractures, using 3 mm thick continuous slices, was routinely supplemented with reformatted images in the coronal and sagittal plane. We have found this to be helpful in the preoperative evaluation of our cases for insight into these often complex fractures. Three representative case reports are presented.

Radiation exposure and image quality in computed tomography for hip joint measurements in children.

Computed tomography (CT) is considered a useful modality in the diagnosis of hip abnormalities in children. In this article a procedure is described, using low dose CT with thick slices and integration of different images, in which radiation exposure is in ranges equal to the conventional methods. This makes CT the method of choice for routine examination.

Digital subtraction arthrography of hip joint prostheses.

Digital subtraction arthrography (DSA) was performed in 14 patients in the evaluation of painful hip prostheses. Information about component loosening seems to be as reliable as with conventional arthrography. The examination time is very short, and results are immediately available. Electronic image manipulation allows the examiner to produce optimal picture quality.

Computed multiplanar reconstructions of the thorax using thin transverse-axial slices. A preliminary study.

By reducing cut thickness to 3 mm, spatial resolution of transverse axial and reformatted images of the thorax is markedly improved at the cost of slightly decreased contrast resolution as compared to standard 9 mm CT pictures when using the same dose. Reformatte4d CT pictures of the thorax in coronal sagittal and oblique planes made from thin slices offer a unique way of studying normal and pathological anatomy in vivo. It is further concluded that, although with present reconstruction times this method is as yet not suited for routine use, it might prove to be useful in investigations where high spatial resolution is of prime importance.

Role of computed tomography in the diagnosis and radiotherapy planning of recurrent rectal carcinoma.

The incidence of local recurrences after surgical treatment forms one of the main problems in the treatment of rectal carcinoma. Computer tomography is of great help in these cases not only for diagnosis, but also in radiotherapy planning procedures. Diagnostic and radiotherapeutic aspects will be discussed.

Computed tomography of the adrenals.

A survey of computed tomographic (CT) findings in adrenal pathology is given based on a series of 50 patients examined over a period of 18 months. CT is an accurate non-invasive method of adrenal imaging and is the method of choice as primary radiological investigation in patients suspected of having adrenal disease or recurrent adrenal tumor.

Visualization of the craniocervical subarachnoid spaces.

A very simple procedure is described which leads to adequate visualization of the structures in the craniocervical area that are otherwise often very insufficiently investigated during myelography routinely performed with metrizamide.

Distribution of lung metastases in the axial plane. A combined radiological-pathological study.

The appearance of lung metastases and their distribution in the axial plane was studied on radiographs of formalin-vapour inflated fixed lungs. The results show that the vast majority of lung metastases are to be found at the periphery of the lung, irrespective of cavitation or of their shape or size. This distribution cannot be explained by hydro-dynamic factors, but may be related to the susceptibility of metastases in different parts of the lung. the metastases were also analysed as to their appearances, namely well-defined nodular, star-like, ill-defined edge and cavitating. No definite correlation with distribution was apparent but when extremely numerous, metastases were usually less than 1 cm in diameter with ill-defined margins. This could be due to their rapidity of growth.