Radiology - Research Publications

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    Avid F-FDG uptake of pectoralis major muscle: an equivocal sequela of strenuous physical exercise.
    Fathinul, F ; Lau, W (Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2009-04)
    Avid functional (18)F-FDG uptake of skeletal muscle is a known false positive finding of PET-CT study especially after involuntary muscle exercise just prior to the study. We describe the case of a 50-year-old man in whom the finding of avid (18)F-FDG uptake of pectoralis major muscle was encountered during investigation of metastatic melanoma.
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    Significance of subcentimetre F-FDG PET/CT pulmonary abnormality in patients with known extrapulmonary malignancy.
    Fathinul Fikri, A ; Lau, W (Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2010)
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    An intense F-FDG pulmonary microfocus on PET without detectable abnormality on CT: A manifestation of an iatrogenic FDG pulmonary embolus.
    Fathinul Fikri, A ; Lau, W (Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2010)
    An incidental finding of an intense focus of (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) pulmonary uptake on positron emission tomography (PET) without detectable lesions on computed tomography (CT) is highly suggestive of FDG microembolus. Its microscopic nature means it is undetectable on CT. It is an artefact attributable to (18)F-FDG-tracer contamination at the injection site. This paper reports a case of a 61 year-old lady with a past history of breast carcinoma, in whom follow-up PET/CT images demonstrated an incidental intense FDG pulmonary abnormality. A follow-up PET/CT seven months later demonstrated complete resolution of the abnormality.
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    Two decades of percutaneous transjejunal biliary intervention for benign biliary disease: a review of the intervention nature and complications.
    Fontein, DBY ; Gibson, RN ; Collier, NA ; Tse, GTW ; Wang, LLK ; Speer, TG ; Dowling, R ; Robertson, A ; Thomson, B ; de Roos, A (Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2011-10)
    OBJECTIVE: To assess outcomes of percutaneous transjejunal biliary intervention (PTJBI) in terms of success and effectiveness in patients with a Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy for benign biliary strictures and stones. METHODS: Clinical and radiographic records of 63 patients with a Roux-en-Y choledochojejunostomy or hepaticojejunostomy for benign disease who underwent at least one PTJBI between 1986 and 2007 were reviewed. Effectiveness was determined by successful access rate, rates of stricture dilatation and/or stone extraction, morbidity, complications and hospitalisation. RESULTS: PTJBI was attempted 494 times. Successful access to the Roux-en-Y was accomplished in 93% of interventions. After access to the Roux-en-Y was granted, all strictures were effectively dilated. Ninety-seven percent of extraction attempts of intrahepatic calculi were successful. The median number of interventions per patient was five. The median interval between interventions was 51.5 weeks (range 2.7-1,279.6 weeks). The early complication rate was 3%. Morbidity, measured in terms of cholangitis episodes was 14%, in 25 out of 63 patients. Mean hospitalisation was 4.1 nights per year. CONCLUSION: PTJBI is safe and effective in treating benign biliary strictures and/or calculi. High success rates and short hospitalisation periods, together with few complications make it a well-accepted and integral part of managing complex biliary problems.
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    Development and use of iron oxide nanoparticles (Part 1): Synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles for MRI.
    Lodhia, J ; Mandarano, G ; Ferris, N ; Eu, P ; Cowell, S (Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2010)
    Contrast agents, such as iron oxide, enhance MR images by altering the relaxation times of tissues in which the agent is present. They can also be used to label targeted molecular imaging probes. Unfortunately, no molecular imaging probe is currently available on the clinical MRI market. A promising platform for MRI contrast agent development is nanotechnology, where superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONS) are tailored for MR contrast enhancement, and/or for molecular imaging. SPIONs can be produced using a range of methods and the choice of method will be influenced by the characteristics most important for a particular application. In addition, the ability to attach molecular markers to SPIONS heralds their application in molecular imaging.There are many reviews on SPION synthesis for MRI; however, these tend to be targeted to a chemistry audience. The development of MRI contrast agents attracts experienced researchers from many fields including some researchers with little knowledge of medical imaging or MRI. This situation presents medical radiation practitioners with opportunities for involvement, collaboration or leadership in research depending on their level of commitment and their ability to learn. Medical radiation practitioners already possess a large portion of the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary for involvement in MRI development and molecular imaging. Their expertise in imaging technology, patient care and radiation safety provides them with skills that are directly applicable to research on the development and application of SPIONs and MRI.In this paper we argue that MRI SPIONs, currently limited to major research centres, will have widespread clinical use in the future. We believe that knowledge about this growing area of research provides an opportunity for medical radiation practitioners to enhance their specialised expertise to ensure best practice in a truly multi-disciplinary environment. This review outlines how and why SPIONs can be synthesised and examines their characteristics and limitations in the context of MR imaging.
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    Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the spleen: an introduction and pictorial essay
    Sutherland, T ; Temple, F ; Galvin, A ; Hennessy, O (SPRINGER HEIDELBERG, 2011-10)
    A wide variety of pathologies can produce focal lesions within the spleen. These are being more frequently encountered as imaging technology improves. It is vital that radiologists are aware of these pathologies to enable accurate diagnosis. The role of ultrasound contrast in splenic disease will be discussed and illustrated with cases likely to be encountered by general and abdominal radiologists.
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    Axillary lymphoma masquerading as inflammatory breast cancer.
    Taubman, K ; McKay, M (Department of Biomedical Imaging, University of Malaya, Malaysia, 2006-07)
    Primary non-Hodgkins lymphoma (NHL) of the breast, and its extranodal spread to the breast resulting from systemic lymphoma, are recognised albeit uncommon conditions. However, lymphoma involving the axilla, presenting with the clinical appearance of inflammatory breast carcinoma (IBC) without infiltration of breast dermal lymphatics has not been reported previously.As highlighted by the two cases presented here, this entity should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with clinical IBC. The cases highlight the importance of careful histological analysis to distinguish IBC from NHL, since management strategies and prognosis are quite different.
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    Lower digit symbol substitution score in the oldest old is related to magnetization transfer and diffusion tensor imaging of the white matter
    Venkatraman, VK ; Aizenstein, HJ ; Newman, AB ; Yaffe, K ; Harris, T ; Kritchevsky, S ; Ayonayon, HN ; Rosano, C (FRONTIERS RESEARCH FOUNDATION, 2011-09-27)
    BACKGROUND: Slowing information processing is common among community-dwelling elderly and it predicts greater mortality and disability risk. Slowing information processing is related to brain macro-structural abnormalities. Specifically, greater global atrophy and greater small vessel disease of the white matter (WM) have been associated with slower processing speed. However, community-dwelling elderly with such macro-structural abnormalities can maintain processing speed. The roles of brain micro-structure for slow processing in very old adults living in the community is uncertain, as epidemiological studies relating these brain markers to cognition and in the context of other health characteristics are sparse. HYPOTHESIS: Information processing is cross-sectionally associated with WM micro-structure independent of overt macro-structural abnormalities and also independent of health related characteristics. METHODS: Imaging indices of micro-structure diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and magnetization transfer imaging (MTI), macro-structure white matter hyperintensities (WMH), gray matter (GM) volume, digit symbol substitution test (DSST), and health characteristics were measured in 272 elderly (mean age 83 years old, 43% men, 40% black) living in the community. RESULTS: The DTI- and MTI-indices of micro-structure from the normal appearing WM and not from the normal appearing GM were associated with DSST score independent of WMH and GM volumes. Associations were also independent of age, race, gender, mini-mental score, systolic blood pressure, and prevalent myocardial infarction. INTERPRETATION: DTI and MTI-indices of normal appearing WM are indicators of information processing speed in this cohort of very old adults living in the community. Since processing slowing is a potent index of mortality and disability, these indices may serve as biomarkers in prevention or treatment trials of disability.
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    Social functioning in children with brain insult
    Greenham, M ; Spencer-Smith, MM ; Anderson, PJ ; Coleman, L ; Anderson, VA (FRONTIERS MEDIA SA, 2010-03)
    Social dysfunction is commonly reported by survivors of brain insult, and is often rated as the most debilitating of all sequelae, impacting on many areas of daily life, as well as overall quality of life. Within the early brain insult (EBI) literature, physical and cognitive domains have been of primary interest and social skills have received scant attention. As a result it remains unclear how common these problems are, and whether factors predictive of recovery (insult severity, lesion location, age at insult, environment) in other functional domains (motor, speech, cognition) also contribute to social outcome. This study compared social outcomes for children sustaining EBI at different times from gestation to late childhood to determine whether EBI was associated with an increased risk of problems. Children with focal brain insults were categorized according to timing of brain insult: (i) Congenital (n = 38): EBI: first-second trimester; (ii) Perinatal (n = 33); EBI: third trimester to 1-month post-natal; (iii) Infancy (n = 23): EBI: 2 months-2 years post-birth; (iv) Preschool (n = 19): EBI: 3-6 years; (v) Middle Childhood (n = 31): EBI: 7-9 years; and (vi) Late Childhood (n = 19): EBI: after age 10. Children's teachers completed questionnaires measuring social function (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, Walker-McConnell Scale of Social Competence and School Adjustment). Results showed that children with EBI were at increased risk for social impairment compared to normative expectations. EBI before age 2 years was associated with most significant social impairment, while children with EBI in the preschool years and in late childhood recorded scores closer to normal. Lesion location and laterality were not predictive of social outcome, and nor was social risk. In contrast, presence of disability (seizures) and family function were shown to contribute to aspects of social function.