Computed tomographic mammography. Diagnosis of mammographically and clinically occult carcinoma of the breast

If breast cancer can be detected early, while it is still localized and before it can be palpated, the prognosis for cure is excellent. Heretofore, conventional mammography has been the only means available to detect cancer at such an early stage. Two cases of minimal breast carcinoma measuring less than 5 mm in diameter have been detected and correctly diagnosed using computed tomographic mammography (CT/M). Both cases occurred in fatty breasts and were clinically and mammographically occult. These cases demonstrate the value of CT/M in the diagnosis of minimal breast carcinoma that would have been missed otherwise.     

The diagnosis of the site of upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage in patients with established portal hypertension.

Seventy-five endoscopies were performed in 60 patients known to have oesophageal varices presenting with further upper gastrointestinal haemorrhage during the previous 72 hours. A site of active bleeding was found at 50 of 75 examinations (67 percent) including all 21 patients endoscoped within three hours of the last haemorrhage. Variceal bleeding alone was seen in 40 of these 50 examinations (80%) and both varices and mucosal lesions were bleeding in 4 patients; mucosal lesions were an uncommon cause of haemorrhage and only 6 patients were bleeding from these alone. The adult GIF-D2 endoscope was used for 45 examinations. Variceal bleeding was restarted on three occasions and prolonged unconsciousness induced by intravenous diazepam in one patient. In contrast, the paediatric GIF-P endoscope (30 examinations) was easily tolerated with little or no sedation, did not impair diagnostic accuracy and was not associated with any complications.