Evaluation of four elastomeric interocclusal recording materials

Background: The fabrication of dental prosthesis requires the transfer of interocclusal records from patient's mouth to semiadjustable articulators using different kinds of recording media. Any inaccuracy in these interocclusal records leads to occlusal errors in the final prosthesis. This study was conducted to evaluate the dimensional changes occurring in the interocclusal recording material over a given period of time and the material's resistance to compression during the cast mounting on the articulator.     

Combined evaluation of first pass radionuclide angiography and equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease

Results of 203 patients who underwent first pass radionuclide angiography (FP) and quantitative equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (qERNV) were stored in a data base system and evaluated statistically. Eighty eight of these patients also underwent exercise equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography (E-qERNV). In patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) without previous myocardial infarction (MI), evaluation of global and regional ejection fraction (gEF, rEF) at rest revealed a poor sensitivity of 64%, the specificity was about 71% (qERNV). FP at rest revealed similar values of sensitivity (69%) and specificity (83%). Additional assessment of stress induced changes of gEF, significantly (P<0.05) improved sensitivity of qERNV in CAD patients without a history of previous MI to 84% (specificity 86%). In patients with one previous MI, however, similar values of sensitivity were found (RFP: 87%, R-qERNV: 84%, E-qERNV: 93%). In patients with several MI's, sensitivity was above 90% at rest and during exercise (R-FP: 96%, R-qERNV: 93%, E-qERNV: 100%).     

超声波在医疗领域中的应用及分析例举

本文简要介绍了超声波的三个特点，并从诊断、治疗、辅助用途三方面论述了超声波在临床的普遍应用，其中重点介绍了三维超声成像技术。     

三维适形与简化调强放疗技术在非小细胞肺癌放疗中的剂量学比较

目的 用剂量学方法比较三维适形(3D-CRT)和简化调强放疗(sIMRT)技术用于治疗非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)的差异.方法 选择接受放疗的10例NSCLC患者进行研究.对每例患者进行3D-CRT和sIMRT的治疗计划设计,处方剂量为60 Gy(2 Gy/次),所有计划都使95%靶区体积达到处方剂量要求.并用ADAC Pinnacle3计划系统提供的卷积或迭加算法对两种放疗技术的治疗计划进行剂量计算,比较靶区剂量分布均匀性和适形性,以及危及正常组织剂量体积直方图参数.结果 3D-CRT与sIMRT放疗计划的等剂量线和DVH相近,sIMRT计划的靶区剂量均匀性和适形性略优于3D-CRT计划,sIMRT放疗计划中肺的平均剂量、V5、V10、V20别比3D-CRT降低14.81%、17.88%、19.15%、27.78%,而食管、心脏、脊髓等危及器官的受量基本相同.结论 对于NSCLC,sIMRT放疗技术在某些方面具有3D-CRT无法替代的优势,值得在临床推广应用.     

翼腭窝的CT三维成像

目的：探讨CT三维成像评价翼腭窝解剖结构的价值。材料和方法：使用Philips Mx8000型多层CT检查仪对5个成人头颅标本进行准直1mm或0．5mm的容积采集，并将数据输入配套Mxview工作站（SGI02）进行三维重建处理，包括容积显示（VR）和三维正交多平面重建（MPR）。鼻腔内侧壁相关结构进行测量并与标本测量进行对比。结果：CT三维正交多平面重建图像可以十分清楚地显示翼腭窝结构及其6个通路结构，VR可以清楚、准确地显示鼻腔内侧壁结构，并均可以获得准确测量。结论：CT容积采集结合合理的三维重建可以直观、立体地显示翼腭窝解剖及其相关通连结构。     

Use of an aortic connector system for vein grafting

OBJECTIVE: The aortic connector system was used to minimize cerebrovascular complications when performing the proximal anastomosis of vein grafts during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). The goal of this study was to investigate the intermediate outcomes of patients undergoing CABG with the aortic connector system. METHODS: The aortic connector was used on nine patients undergoing CABG between November 2002 and July 2003. Intermediate outcomes of the patients were examined, and the results of coronary angiography, which were performed before patient discharge and at least 6 months after discharge, were evaluated. RESULTS: There were no operative deaths or cerebrovascular accidents. One patient died 9 months after discharge, one patient had angina, and the remaining seven patients were asymptomatic. When evaluating the results of angiography performed before patient discharge, two of the 21 distal vein graft anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 90.5%), but there was no stenosis or occlusion at the proximal anastomoses sites that were performed using the aortic connector. When evaluating the results of the second angiography performed after patient discharge, four of the eight proximal anastomoses were patent, one was completely occluded, two had 90% stenosis and one had 75% stenosis. Further, four of the 18 distal anastomoses were occluded (patency rate, 77.8%). There was no significant difference in graft flow or device size when comparing patients with patent vein grafts and those with stenotic or occluded vein grafts. CONCLUSION: Intermediate outcomes of vein grafting using the aortic connector were suboptimal. Long-term outcome data are forthcoming.     

16层螺旋CT冠状动脉造影伪影分析

目的：探讨16层螺旋CT冠状动脉造影伪影表现和成因，提高冠状动脉CT血管造影质量和诊断准确性。材料和方法：回顾性分析400例16层螺旋CT冠状动脉造影中失败及假狭窄诊断的38例图像，以DSA冠状动脉造影为金标准，分析上述病例中的伪影及假狭窄的CT表现。结果：伪影分为呼吸伪影、心律不齐伪影、冠状动脉搏动伪影、上腔静脉高浓度造影剂产生假斑块伪影、冠状动脉重度钙化产生的伪影，上述各种伪影均具有独特的影像特征。结论：准确分析CT冠状动脉成像伪影的影像表现及成因，对提高CT成像质量，减少诊断失误有很大的临床意义。     

三维CT脑血管造影在脑动脉瘤诊断中注意点

目的探讨三维CT脑血管造影(3D-CTA)在诊断脑动脉瘤时的注意事项。方法回顾总结3D-CTA检查的106例蛛网膜下腔出血(SAH)病例,其中14例初次3D-CTA显示动脉瘤不清或发现颅内非动脉瘤样血管异常者,对其进行DSA脑血管造影检查。结果初次3D-CTA检查正确诊断脑动脉瘤92例,其中16例为多发脑动脉瘤,共检出115个。余14例因诊断不明确进而实施DSA脑血管造影检查,其中确诊动脉瘤合并烟雾病2例、严重脑血管痉挛致动脉瘤显示不清2例、脑动静脉畸形1例(此5例与3D-CTA所见一致);在3D-CTA扫查范围外发现脑动脉瘤2例。对上述阳性诊断的99例进行手术,并得到证实。另7例在3D-CTA和DSA检查未发现引起SAH的原因病灶,给予保守治疗。结论在脑动脉瘤诊断中,3D-CTA具有较好的精确性。在判断动脉瘤与颅骨位置关系、操作的便捷性和经济性等方面明显优于DSA。在应用3D-CTA对脑动脉瘤进行诊断时,有必要根据患者和设备的具体情况进行个性化设计,方能减少漏诊、误诊。     

Fetal cardiac screening by three- and four-dimensional ultrasound

Objective. The objective of our paper is to show that the spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC) and tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) is very convenient and helpful for the fetal screening of complex congenital heart defects (CHD).

Methods. Ultrasound examinations were performed using a Voluson 730 EXPERT or PRO system (GE Medical system, Kretztechnik, Zipf, Austria), and the transabdominal probe (RAB 4-8 MHz or 1-5 MHz) was used to acquire the STIC volumes. Various complex CHD including heterotaxia, ventricular septal defect (VSD), atrio-ventricular septal defect (AVSD), tetralogy of fallot (TOF), transposition of great artery (TGA), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) were examined between 20 weeks and 35 weeks. After routine cardiac screening and examination by two-dimensional ultrasound, three- and four-dimensional ultrasound were performed by gray-scaled and color flow mapping. After the examination detailed analysis of CHD were performed by STIC and TUI.

Results. In the case of heterotaxia, STIC and TUI was useful for the detection of stomach and cardiac apex in the different slices. In the case of VSD and AVSD, they were useful for the exact determination of septal defect location. In the cases of TOF, TGA and HLHS, they were helpful for observation of outflow tract and exact diagnosis.

Conclusion. In the screening of complex CHD including heterotaxia, VSD, AVSD, TOF, TGA and HLHS, STIC is very useful and powerful tool.     

Combining spin echoes with gradient echoes in the context of the global coherent free precession pulse sequence.

To extend the signal longevity of magnetically excited spins in flowing fluids while in a state of global coherent free precession (GCFP), a refocusing radiofrequency (RF) pulse and bipolar gradient waveforms were combined with the GCFP sequence. The data demonstrate that RF refocusing in the presence of flowing blood is possible, but the improvement in signal amplitude depends on the static magnetic field homogeneity along the direction of motion and the displacement of the spins between the excitation and the RF refocusing pulse, as well as displacement during subsequent RF refocusing pulses. The least amount of phase dispersion and thus the longest lasting signal is obtained with the shortest echo spacing where only one line of data is recorded between two RF refocusing pulses. This approach was successfully used in a phantom and in vivo to image fast and slow blood flow. Depending on the experimental conditions, signal persistence is improved significantly compared to playing the same sequence without RF refocusing, but the improvement is limited by the product of blood flow velocity and the time between RF refocusing pulses.