Prophylactic oral administration of the antioxidant acetylcysteine, along with hydration, prevents the reduction in renal function induced by contrast agents in patients with chronic renal insufficiency.

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The accuracy of stereoscopic and standard three-dimensional (3D) CT in the classification of acetabular fractures was compared. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed by two radiologists and two surgeons blinded to the presence of acetabular fractures in an animal model (a total of 62 porcine hips, 40 with artificial acetabular fractures). Classification of acetabular fractures was adopted from the literature. Interpretation was performed on a workstation using two specific volume rendering algorithms; unshaded and shaded bone. The ROC analysis did not demonstrate any benefit in stereoscopic 3D CT compared with standard 3D CT.

CTF-guided initial puncture of bile ducts allowed a significantly reduced number of punctures and puncture times compared with puncture under conventional fluoroscopic guidance for placement of percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage catheters.

An 8-year-old boy presenting with intermittent haematuria and dysuria was investigated with voiding cystourethrography (VCUG), urethroscopy and perineal MRI. VCUG and urethroscopy did not provide a definitive diagnosis, while MRI clearly demonstrated a homogeneous, oval cystic lesion extending from the bulbourethral glands and slightly impressing the bulbous urethra. The patient was found to have an imperforate Cowper's syringocele. Treatment consisted of marsupialisation and the patient became symptom free. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of the MRI characteristics of an imperforate Cowper's syringocele in a paediatric patient.

CT fluoroscopy (CTF) facilitates guidance of percutaneous biopsies and other interventional procedures. We wished to demonstrate the usefulness of CTF for the puncture of an unenhanced isodense liver lesion during continuous injection of intravenous contrast medium. We performed CTF-guided puncture of a 2-cm lesion in the liver of a patient suffering from lung cancer. CTF enables puncture of liver foci even if they are unenhanced and isodense with the surrounding parenchyma.