CT colonography has the potential to become an accepted technique for evaluation of the nonvisualized part of the colon after incomplete colonoscopy, and it can increase the diagnostic yield of masses and clinically important polyps in this part of the colon.

Treatment of sleep apnea can improve liver enzyme abnormalities in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, the effect of continuous positive airway pressure therapy for sleep apnea on liver fat accumulation was not assessed. Liver biopsy is the "gold standard" for determining and quantifying liver fat accumulation; however, obtaining two separate liver biopsies is challenging. We examined, using a newly described computerized tomography method to quantify liver fat accumulation, whether treatment of sleep apnea improves liver steatosis. In a prospective cohort study, patients diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea, at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center's sleep laboratory, were identified. Patients completed a questionnaire and underwent blood tests for liver enzymes and lipid profile, and computed tomography scans to determine the liver attenuation index. Patients with liver attenuation index or=30%) were treated with continuous positive airway pressure for 2-3 years. Subsequently, patients underwent repeat blood tests and tomography scans. Of 47 patients who were analyzed, 16 had a low liver attenuation index (

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Accurate diagnosis of acute myocarditis is important for the prognosis and risk stratification of these patients. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has become a major modality for diagnosis of myocarditis, but not widely available. In this study, we tried to evaluate regional and global longitudinal strain by speckle tracking echocardiography in patients with acute inflammatory myocardial diseases in correlation with CMR. Patients with suspected acute myocarditis were recruited prospectively. Clinical diagnosis was established based on clinical, electrocardiographic, laboratory and conventional echocardiographic data. All patients underwent CMR and repeat echocardiographic examination within 24 h of CMR. Echocardiographic examinations were analyzed offline with speckle tracking imaging software. Thirty-two patients with acute perimyocarditis and myopericarditis were included. Mean age was 29 ± 8, 30 males. All patients presented with chest pain and an abnormal electrocardiogram, in 28 ST elevation was found. Troponin was elevated in 30 and was 0.7 ± 0.5 ng/ml. Creatine kinase was 487 ± 319 U. LVEF was 56 ± 5%. Wall motion abnormalities were present in postero-lateral (53%), and inferior wall (21%). Delayed enhancement on CMR was found in 29 patients. Echocardiographic EF based on speckle tracking imaging correlated with CMR calculated EF. There was a positive correlation between the amplitude of regional strain and delayed enhancement, r = 0.52. Sensitivity and specificity of regional strain for prediction of delayed enhancement was 85 and 73% respectively. Speckle tracking imaging can help in the diagnosis of acute myocarditis when CMR is not readily available. Speckle tracking imaging based EF correlates with CMR calculated LVEF and with global strain.