Utility of an informational intranet in a radiology department.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: The authors performed this study to assess the usefulness of the various features of their radiology department intranet and to quantify its effect in facilitating intradepartmental information flow. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The number, length, and nature of visits to each directory on the intranet were recorded by a commercially available intranet analysis software package. RESULTS: During the last 6 months of 2001, 89,411 page views (mean, 485 per day) occurred during 26,344 visits to the radiology department intranet. The most commonly accessed features were billing code lists (29% of total views); the intranet home page (27%); faculty telephone and pager numbers (2.6%); digital dictation access codes (1.6%); and magnetic resonance imaging protocols (1.5%). A total of 32,408 files, including daily clinical assignments, monthly fellow and resident schedules, and protocol forms, were downloaded as portable document files by intranet users. CONCLUSION: The intranet has proved an invaluable addition to the authors' departmental infrastructure, as evidenced by its extensive use by the staff. It has facilitated the rapid dissemination of information without hard copy.

Is there an increased incidence of contralateral testicular cancer in patients with intratesticular microlithiasis?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine if there is an association between intratesticular microlithiasis and contralateral testicular cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective review of a radiology database revealed 156 men who had undergone testicular sonography and orchiectomy for testicular cancer. Sonographic abnormalities were correlated with medical records and histopathology. Statistical significance was assessed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Twenty-three (15%) of 156 patients with prior orchiectomy for testicular cancer had microlithiasis, and 133 (85%) did not have microlithiasis. Four of 23 patients with microlithiasis had masses, and eight had heterogeneous changes. Sonograms of 133 patients without microlithiasis revealed masses in seven and heterogeneous changes in 15 patients. Five patients with microlithiasis and six without microlithiasis underwent a second orchiectomy. Contralateral testicular cancer was confirmed in five (22%) of 23 patients with microlithiasis versus three (2%) of 133 men without microlithiasis. Microlithiasis was present in five (63%) of eight patients with bilateral testicular cancer, and microlithiasis was highly associated with confirmed bilateral testicular cancer (5/23 vs 3/133, odds ratio [OR] = 12.0, p = 0.002). Among the 34 patients who had either testicular masses or heterogeneous changes, microlithiasis had an OR of 4.5 (p = 0.10). CONCLUSION: In our study, contralateral testicular cancer was significantly associated with intratesticular microlithiasis. Nevertheless, there was not sufficient evidence that intratesticular microlithiasis adds independent diagnostic information for bilateral testicular cancer in the absence of a mass or heterogeneous changes.