Fundamentals of multichannel CT

Multichannel CT has become a very valuable tool in diagnostic imaging. It provides a combination of fast and long coverage in conjunction with thin slices. The fast scanning allows for single-breathhold scanning, fewer motion artifacts, and better use of intravenous contrast media. The brains of the MCCT scanners are the sophisticated detector arrays packed with electronics to handle the flow of image information. The submillimeter detectors rows offer isotropic properties to the image voxels, thereby creating viewing in any plane and better three-dimensional renderings.     

Imaging of the wrist with multichannel CT

Multichannel computed tomography (MCCT) can produce extremely thin, overlapping slices. This capability allows for the acquisition of essentially isotropic data sets. These isotropic data sets can be used to produce reformatted images in any plane with virtually no loss of spatial resolution. This, imaging can be done with a single acquisition. This high-resolution technique is particularly useful in the imaging of small body parts, such as the wrist, where fine detail in essential. Drawing on clinical examples, this article reviews the use of isotropic imaging in the wrist.     

CT arthrography and postoperative musculoskeletal imaging with multichannel computed tomography

Multichannel computed tomography (MCCT) allows for rapid, thin slice acquisition and the ability to generate high mAs. This combination of features makes the modality ideal for MCCT arthrography, which requires thin, overlapping slices for robust reformatted images, and for imaging in the presence of orthopedic hardware, which necessitate high mAs. This article will explore these uses of MCCT.     

Fundamentals of ICANL accreditation

The Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Nuclear Medicine Laboratories (ICANL) has become a nationally recognized accreditation program with the primary goal of providing a multidisciplinary peer review program. The purpose of this paper is to review the structure and mission of the ICANL to help increase awareness of the importance of voluntary accreditation. Included is a broad review of the ICANL standards and their relationship to other nationally published standards and guidelines. A mandatory site visit is an integral part of the program, and specifics of the site visit are discussed along with a summary of the strengths and weaknesses of applicant laboratories. The benefits of voluntary accreditation will become clear as more facilities participate in the program.     

Fundamentals of positron emission tomography

Positron emission tomography is a modern radionuclide method of measuring physiological quantities or metabolic parameters in vivo. The method is based on: (1) radioactive labelling with positron emitters; (2) the coincidence technique for the measurement of the annihilation radiation following positron decay; (3) analysis of the data measured using biological models. The basic aspects and problems of the method are discussed. The main fields of future research are the synthesis of new labelled compounds and the development of mathematical models of the biological processes to be investigated.     

Fundamentals of coding and reimbursement

After completing this introduction to radiology coding and reimbursement, readers will: Understand how health care reimbursement evolved over the past 50 years. Know the importance of documenting the patient's history. Have an overall picture of the standardized numerical coding system. Understand how accurate coding affects reimbursement. Understand coding functions as they pertain to regulatory compliance in the radiology department. Be familiar with the U.S. Justice Department's use of coding in tracking health care fraud.     

Fundamentals and hemodynamics of penile erection

Human penile erection is a complex phenomenon mediated through the coordinated interaction among the nervous, vascular, and musculosystems. For social and ethical reasons, the mechanism and hemodynamics of this essential human function remained speculative and controversial for many years. In the past decade, however, advances in technology, together with a marked increase in clinical and research activity, have resolved some of the controversy and have provided a better understanding of erectile physiology. In this essay, we will review traditional concepts, as well as the new and exciting findings from many different research centers, concerning the physiologic mechanisms of penile erection that involve the arterial, venous, and nervous systems.