Purpose: To measure the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of normal and malignant prostate tissue at 3.0T using a phased-array coil and parallel imaging, and determine the utility of ADC values in differentiating tumor from normal peripheral zone (PZ).
Materials and Methods: ADC values were calculated for 49 patients (tumor and PZ) with evidence of prostate cancer. Additionally, for nine asymptomatic volunteers, ADC values were determined for apparently normal central gland and PZ. A single-shot EPI diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) technique with b ϭ 0 and 500 seconds/mm 2 was employed.Results: ADC values were significantly lower for tumor (1.38 Ϯ 0.32 ϫ 10 -3 mm 2 /second) than for patient PZ (1.95 Ϯ 0.50 ϫ 10 -3 mm 2 /second, P Ͻ 0.001) and volunteer PZ (1.60 Ϯ 0.25 ϫ 10 -3 mm 2 /second, P ϭ 0.031). A considerable overlap of ADC values was noted between patient tissue types.
Conclusion:DWI of the prostate at 3.0T in conjunction with a phased-array coil and parallel imaging allows ADC calculation of the prostate. ADC values were lower for tumors compared to normal-appearing PZ; however, there was considerable intersubject variability.
Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of an automated method of shape measurement for improving the discrimination of benign and malignant breast lesions.
Materials and Methods:A total of 47 breast lesions (32 malignant and 15 benign) were examined using a 1.5 Tesla system. Regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn and extracted from high-resolution, fat-suppressed, postcontrast images, or were extracted with the use of a semiautomated computer algorithm. Shape parameters (i.e., complexity, convexity, circularity, and degree of elongation) were determined to assess whether they could be used to discriminate breast lesions.Results: Convexity differed significantly between the benign and malignant groups for both ROI methods. In addition, the semiautomated method demonstrated significantly different values of complexity.
Conclusion:This work demonstrates the usefulness of several shape descriptors for characterizing breast lesions, and shows that the automated method of analysis improves the discrimination and standardization of data.
Background: Antibiotic prophylaxis is widely used in surgery for hip fractures.
Methods and Results:In a retrospective study of case notes of 100 patients, frequent inaccuracies in dose administration were observed. This was applicable to both the pre-operative and the postoperative doses. Longer time intervals between the doses, failure to administer the prescribed doses, and failure of proper documentation were observed. Conclusions: Improvement in the awareness of staff and timely administration of prophylactic antibiotic has resulted from this study.
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