CONTRAST-ENHANCED COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHIC CHOLANGIOGRAPHY IN DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS OF THE MALIGNANT AND BENIGN CAUSES OF BILIARY OBSTRUCTION

Introduction. Determination of the cause of cholestasis and treatment of patients with obstructive jaundice syndrome remains challenging owing to the steady rise in diseases of the hepatopancreatoduodenal zone and the high frequency of diagnostic errors. In the differential diagnosis of the causes of obstructive jaundice, diagnostic imaging techniques are of the greatest importance. In the world literature, there are few reports on the assessment of the diagnostic potential of multispiral computed tomography under conditions of direct contrasting of the biliary tree using endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, or through pre-installed palliative drainage in the bile ducts. There is no generally accepted algorithm for determining the causes of biliary obstruction. It leads to ineffective use of various diagnostic imaging techniques, complicating the diagnostic process.The purpose of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of contrast-enhanced ct cholangiography (ct-cg) in the differential diagnosis of causes of malignant and benign biliary obstruction in cases with obstructive jaundice syndrome.Material and methods. The study included 55 patients with obstructive jaundice, who were treated in a surgical hospital from july 2016 to july 2019.Results. It was found that contrast ct-cg in diagnosing the causes of biliary obstruction of both malignant and benign genesis is more informative than x-ray endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. The diagnostic efficacy of ct-cg in detecting causes of malignant biliary obstruction was: 93.3% sensitivity, 92.9% specificity, and 93.1% accuracy. The diagnostic efficacy of ct-cg in detecting causes of benign biliary obstruction was: 92.9%, 93.3% and 93.1%, respectively.Conclusion. Based on the high accuracy, contrast-enhanced ct-cg is a promising imaging technique in cases with bile duct obstruction.

Medical Imaging in the Diagnosis of Schistosomiasis: A Review

Schistosomiasis is one of the most important parasitic diseases and it is endemic in tropical and subtropical areas. Clinical and laboratory data are fundamental for the diagnosis of schistosomiasis, but diagnostic imaging techniques such as x-rays, ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) may be helpful in the evaluation of disease severity and complications. In this context, the aim of this review is to explore the actual role of diagnostic imaging in the diagnosis of schistosomiasis, underlining advantages and drawbacks providing information about the utilization of diagnostic imaging techniques in this context. Furthermore, we aim to provide a useful guide regarding imaging features of schistosomiasis for radiology and nuclear medicine physicians of non-endemic countries: in fact, in the last years non-endemic countries have experienced important flows of migrants from endemic areas, therefore it is not uncommon to face cases of this disease in daily practice.

Estimation Accuracy of Root Canal Curvatures from Different Dental Diagnostic Imaging Techniques: An In Vitro Experimental Study

In clinical endodontics, preoperative estimation of root canal curvature is crucial regarding the prevention of iatrogenic errors. Reproduction of the two-dimensional radiographic images causes certain proximal view curvatures not seen. Therefore, the present study is aimed at investigating the degree of root canal curvature identified in different radiographic views. A total of 60 human permanent single-rooted teeth with varying degrees of curvature were selected. The root canal curvature for each tooth was measured on cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) images (clinical view), standard digital periapical view (0° angle), digital periapical horizontal parallax view (30° angle), and digital periapical proximal view (0° angle), by using the Schneider method. No statistically significant difference was found in the degree of curvatures estimated on CBCT images and standard digital periapical view (0° angle) in the same tooth. The results revealed a significant difference between the proximal view and the other three groups ( p < 0.05 ). There was no significant difference in this respect between the horizontal parallax view (30° angle), clinical view (CBCT images), and standard digital periapical view ( p > 0.05 ). Proximal view curvatures cannot be predicted or estimated only from examining a clinical view radiograph. A horizontal parallax view (30° angle) is highly recommended as specific guidelines on how to estimate root canal curvature in case difficulty assessment protocols.

MODERN IMAGING TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATION OF DISTRACTIONAL REGENERATE BONE

The review presents the results of diagnostic imaging techniques for evaluation of distractional regenerate bone starting from classical polypositional radiography to modern imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography. There are described the modifications of the known techniques for evaluation of regeneration bone with quantitative and qualitative analysis, the opinions of different authors about possibilities and problems of imaging practices. There are presented the problems and goals for more effective evaluation of new bone at different stages of limb lengthening with the focus on a wider application of modern imaging modalities at medical institutions. The review is based on dissertation work of K. A. Diachkov «Diagnostic imaging for detection of the rules of distractional regenerate bone formation and bone quality during limb lengthening». Literature review was performed using database of PubMed, Medline, Embase 12 Russian journals on traumatology and orthopaedics, diagnostic imaging 2007–2016. All articles on evaluation of distractional bone regeneration were reviewed.