mri links and cool other thingsmri links and cool other thingsThis is a Medical blog dealing with Diagnostic Imaging, Surgery, Anatomy, Virtual 3d recunstruction of Cat Scan and MRI images, and Many links to medical websites. 
Articles
MRI Safetey
2007-09-04 22:44:00 In the MRI field Safety is of Highest priority. We take great care when talking to our patients to find out what type of medical procedures and surgeries they have had in the past. Some Surgeries will stop the technologist from doing the MRI or the MRA exam. If you have had recent surgery, within the last two months it is important to tell the MRI technologist that will be doing the procedure on you. If you have a pacemaker, aneurysm clips, neurostimulator, or metal in your eyes, please let the technologist know. Some of the devices may be scanned with proper documentation. Many coronary artery stents and peripheral stents can be scanned upon implantation, but some must wait 6-8 weeks. All bullets and shrapnel must be assumed to be ferromagnetic and treated as such. If they are near any critical anatomy such as Spinal cord, then the radiologist and the referring physician should be consulted as to benefit vs. risk of procedure.Here are a few Questions you may be asked when having an...
MedCalc cool stuff
2007-09-03 23:34:00 Caseblog has a post about MedCalc, a free medical calculator for handheld devices, is now available for Windows Mobile (aka Pocket PC). The application includes more than 80 formulas and has these additional features:* formulas sorted by categories* units available either in S.I. or local units (defaults can be set for each item)* most formulas come with bibliographic references and clinical tips* results can be saved for later retrieval (Palm OS only)* available in English and French versions (French version for Palm OS only)MedCalc home page...(hat tip: Clinical Cases and Images...)Other Free Stuff More About: Cool
What is Kleine-Levin Syndrome?
2007-08-31 02:28:00 Rip Van Winkle Disease, also known as Klein e-Levin syndrome is a rare disorder that causes recurring periods of excessive drowsiness and sleep (up to 20 hours per day). Symptoms, which may last for days to weeks, include excessive food intake, irritability, disorientation, lack of energy, and hypersensitivity to noise. Some patients may also experience hallucinations and an abnormally uninhibited sex drive. Affected persons are normal between episodes, although depression and amnesia may be noted temporarily after an attack. It may be weeks or more before symptoms reappear. Onset is typically around adolescence to the late teens. The disorder is 4 times more common in males than in females. Symptoms may be related to malfunction of the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that governs appetite and sleep. In KLS, the association of an infection before the onset of a disease, a young age at onset, a recurrence of symptoms and possible genetic predisposition is suggestive of an autoimmu... More About: Syndrome
Fear of Electric Shock to Pac-Man Game.
2007-08-25 17:03:00 Researchers at University College London look to have taken a slightly unconventional approach in their studies on fear, with the BBC reporting that they've crafted a "Pac-Man-like" game that boasts the added risk of electric shock. Apparently, volunteers play the game while an MRI scanner monitors them, moving a blue triangle through a 2D maze while trying to avoid a red dot "predator." If that dot catches them, they receive an electric shock. As that danger neared , the researchers found that players stopped using their their prefrontal cortex in their forebrain and instead relied on their midbrain area, which controls "gut-level reflexes." At least that's what they're saying. We have a sneaking suspicion it may all just be an elaborate trick the researchers play on freshman students.Via The InquirerThe forebrain is active during periods of anxiety, and helps coordinate escape strategies to avoid the threat, he said.But when the computer game predator moved nearer, blood flow s... More About: Shock , Game , Fear , Electric
220 Million Pixels on New System at UCSD
2007-08-25 16:12:00 A new super high resolution display system developed at UCSD is going to allow scientists to visualize data like never before.Engineers at the University of California, San Diego have constructed the highest-resolution computer display in the world - with a screen resolution up to 220 million pixels.The processing power will come in handy for the kinds of large-scale applications that are likely to make use of the HIPerSpace system. Calit2 will make the displays available to teams of scientists or engineers dealing with very large data sets, from multiple gigabytes to terabytes, notably in the Earth sciences, climate prediction, biomedical engineering, genomics, and brain imaging. "The higher-resolution displays allow researchers to take in both the broad view of the data and the minutest details, all at the same time," said Kuester. "HIPerSpace also allows us to experiment on the two campuses with distributed teams that can collaborate and share insights derived from a better under... More About: System , Million , Stem , Pixels
Chaga's Disease
2007-08-25 15:32:00 Chagas' disease shown on MRI. Contrast-enhanced axial and coronal T1-weighted images of brain show multiple enhancing lesions (arrows) without significant mass effect. Involved areas include corpus callosum, periventricular white matter, deep white matter, subcortical regions, and cerebellum.What is Chagas? Disease ?Also called American trypanosomiasis (tri-PAN-o-so-MY-a-sis), Chagas? disease is an infection caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. It is estimated that as many as 11 million people in Mexico, Central America, and South America have Chagas disease, most of whom do not know they are infected. If unrecognized and untreated, even silent infection is life long and can be life threatening. The most recognized marker of acute Chagas disease is called Romaña's sign, which includes swelling of the eyelids on the side of the face near the bite wound or where the bug feces were deposited or accidentally rubbed into the eye. Even if symptoms develop during the acute phase, the... More About: Seas
11.7 Tesla Bruker BioSpin MRI
2007-08-24 01:06:00 Well I thought 3 Tesla was alot, but at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD they has just installed a 11.7 Tesla Ultra Shielded Refrigerated (USR) system, a device simply called BioSpec 117/16 USR. This system doesn't scan humans, it enables reserchers to take highly resolved routine images of the rat brain leading to outstanding quality. The signal-to-noise ratio obtained at this field strength allows one to acquire high resolution images of the microscopic structures in the brain!
Other Cool Things
2007-08-23 01:53:00 Behold: Dell's XPS 420Should anyone be wondering what Dell's got up its sleeve with its next-gen XPS system, here's the scoop: the XPS 420 will be appropriately bigger, badder, better equipped, and even have fun features like a hardware MPEG-4 encoder and SideShow display up top.Core 2 Duo, Extreme, or Quad (up to 8MB) processor optionsIntel X38 Express chipset, DDR2 800 (up to 8GB)MiniView LCD 3 x 2-inch QVGA display (runs SideShow on the front, picture after the break)Dell Xcelerator - dedicated media coprocessor for transcoding video streams to MPEG-4 formats. Can cut encode time on a 2 hour HD movie in half and use far fewer CPU cycles.SATA II (with RAID 0 or 1 support)PCI Express x16, gigabit Ethernet(2) front USB, (6) rear, (2) internal; one front and rear 1394; one eSATA, frontal audio portsSome MiniView display modesDefault - shows time, date, month calendar, and system stats (including number of users connected)PC monitoring - Shows detailed system stats like CPU speed /... More About: Cool , Things
Nearly half of early breast cancers missed
2007-08-23 00:26:00 Cancer screening programmes are failing to detect nearly half of the earliest cases of breast cancer according to research which suggests women's lives could be saved if all were offered hi-tech MRI scans.The study in the Lancet medical journal found that x-ray based mammograms detect only 56% of early lesions in high risk women compared with 92% when magnetic resonance imaging scans (MRI), more commonly used for brain scans, are used. (SOURCE)Christiane Kuhl, the lead researcher at the University of Bonn said: "If you picked up all cases of ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS] you would prevent virtually all cases of breast cancer. Our finding that MRI is superior to mammography in detecting it turns things upside down."Polly Curtis, health correspondentFriday August 10, 2007The Guardian The Lancet study trialled MRI and mammography in 7,319 women referred from screening programmes, after having had a breast cancer or because there was a familial trait of cancer. Some 167 women were di... More About: Breast , Early , Half , Brea , Earl
Epilert
2007-08-22 23:55:00 The Epilert is a simple system, still in development stage, that comes with a sensor that is worn by an epileptic around the wrist or foot, and will detect vibrations that are typical in an epileptic seizure. A warning can be sent to family members or a medical facility through the telephone system.EPILERT is an Alert device that warns parents andcaregivers of an on going epileptic seizure, especiallywhen the patient is alone and unattended (sleeping,alone in room, outdoors etc.).EPILERT is a watch-like Sensor Unit worn by the patienton the hand or the foot. Epilert detects and processesthe specific vibrations of epileptic seizures and transmitsan alarm to Alert Units of caregivers with options forauto-call for medical help services.EPILERT will also record data of all the Epileptic Eventsfor further medical treatment.EPILERT is designed to be very reliable. Advanced digitalsignal processing assures accurate detection of attacksthus eliminating annoying false alarms.The Epilert prog...
Healing Enviroments
2007-08-22 23:11:00 At Parrish Medical Center, CEO George Mikitarian, with his usual speed at implementing good ideas at America's top-ranked Heal ing Hospital, worked with his team in designing a card similar to the one in this picture. They decided they only needed the image in the center to symbolize the trinity of symbols that mark Radical Loving Care - The Golden Thread of the healing tradition, the intersecting circles of the Sacred Encounter, and Servant's Heart. The nice thing about this is that each caregiver is taught the significance of the symbol without words. What a beautiful message to give to caregivers - to stop a moment and touch the card before washing their hands and entering the patient's room. To remember the sacred nature of work... Check out:Radical Loving Care: Building the Healing Hospital in America By Erie Chapman(amazon)preview (google books) More About: Envi
The CyberKnife Robotic Radiosurgery System is the...
2007-08-21 23:27:00 The CyberKnife Robo tic Radiosurgery System is the world?s only radiosurgery system that utilizes intelligent robotics. This enables the CyberKnife to ablate tumors anywhere in the body with sub-millimeter accuracy. The CyberKnife System treats patients in single or staged (typically 2-5) sessions by delivering multiple beams of precisely directed radiation that converge upon the tumor while minimizing injury to surrounding healthy tissue. The CyberKnife uses a combination of image guidance and computer controlled robotics to continuously track, detect and correct for tumor and patient movements throughout the treatment with pinpoint sub-millimeter accuracy. Because of the extreme precision and accuracy of the CyberKnife, no head or body frame is required. CyberKnife has proven to attract a new patient population to a physician?s practice and complements existing radiation therapy, IMRT or IGRT programs. With over 120 systems sold and a large body of peer-reviewed publications suppor... More About: Adio , Stem
Epilepsy..........The Chronic Seizure Disorder
2007-05-31 01:49:00 There has always been a sort of stigma about Epilepsy and seizures, dating far back into our history. People thought that patients experienceing seizures were possesed. It is the their lack of understanding that leads them to this belief, like all other things. Seizure can be cuased by many things. For the people suffering from them the cause is not as important as a cure or treatment. I know this from a very personal level, as I too have Epilepsy. I am one of the most fortunate, my seizure disorder is very controlable. I take medication that allows me to work and function at a very high level. This is certainly not the case for everyone. The Epilepsy Foundation is continually doing research to find better ways to help thoose who need it. One of the leaders in reaserch is Shands at Jacksonville, FL. When my mother , who was working for the epilepsy fondation of Brevard County, in Florida went to Shands to see there research she was amazed at the progress and the knowledge they had a... More About: Order , Diso
FDA gadolinium alert
2007-05-24 01:53:00 The FDA along with the ACR has stayed on top of the Gadolinium concerns of many, in the last year. This latest update is now asking all of the Gadolinium pharmaceutical companies to change the packaging to warn about NSF. The FDA has provided some information for Healthcare Providers to better understand and to handle the complexities of this patient population. They have also set-up some FAQ for people. More About: Alert
Please take this survey....Thank You
2007-05-19 21:19:00 If you took my earlier survery thanks but I had to start this new one, so please retake it. I appreciate your patients with me. If you are using differnt contrast than the list leave me a comment please. If you are thinking about changing contrast due to nsf I would be intrested in hearing from you also. Thank you Chris.What type of Gadolinium are you using?OmniscanOptimarkMagnevistMultihance ProhanceOtherDisplay Poll Results More About: Survey , Please , Thank You , Lease , Ease
Science of Death
2007-05-05 23:05:00 I read this article today. I sounded like pretty cool stuff. I hope one day we can get to this point. Check out this article at Newsweek. I love to hear what think. send me your coments....... More About: Science , Death
Sturge-Weber syndrome
2007-05-05 15:51:00 What is SWS? Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) is the association of a facial port-wine stain with abnormal vessels on the surface of the brain (leptomeningeal angioma), ,-->glaucoma , or both. Some people have an isolated intracranial variant, meaning abnormal brain blood vessels with no skin or eye symptoms. SWS does NOT generally run in families. It can affect one side (in about 85%) or both sides (in about 15%) of the body. The presence of a port-wine stain involving the forehead or eyelids raises the suspicion of SWS. These infants and children must be followed closely for other medical issues, including vision problems, epilepsy, and developmental delays. MR perfusion imaging and MR spectroscopic imagingcan be safely used to characterize the earlyhemodynamic and metabolic changes in Sturge-Webersyndrome. A better understanding of the naturalprogression of disease may aid in early diagnosis,perhaps before development of symptoms and directappropriate therapeutic intervention.Here is ... More About: Syndrome , Urge
Erdheim Chester histocytosis
2007-05-02 23:28:00 Today, I scanned a pt who I have been scanning for the last couple of years. We scan her every 3-6months or so. She has been trying different therapy for her Erdheim Chest er disease. The most recent, a 6 month course of Chemo. I can say that her scans are markedly improved over the last time we scanned her. I was very impressed. I can say this is the best part about what I do . When I see some one getting better it is a great feeling. When I first saw this patient I was not sure what to think, I know i was worried for her. The Radiologist working that night said to me a few words I'll always remember. He said, " this is the rarest case you will see over and over and over again." I thought it was wierd at the time becuase I knew how true it was. I knew I would be seeing this patient again and again for follow up scans, but I will probally never see another case on non-langerhans histocytosis or Erdheim Chester s Disease. Being in the medical feild is sometimes a double edge sword. W... More About: Hist , Este
RESOLUTION OF CHIARI MALFORMATION AFTER REPAIR
2007-05-02 05:25:00 A baby girl born at termto a 23-year-oldmother was noted to have alarge fluid-filled, skincoveredsoft tissue massprotruding from themidthoracic region in the dorsal midline. Birth weight was 3.5kg, and the baby had Apgar scores of 9 at 1 and 5 minutes.Examination revealed the anterior fontanelle to be soft andflat, and the patient?s head size was normal. No dysmorphicfeatures were noted. There was a small sacral dimple. Theinfant had no obvious neurological deficits, moved all extremitiesequally, and had normal reflexes.A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan of the brain andspinal cord revealed a posterior thoracic meningocele withdisplacement of the spinal cord into the base of the sac, whichotherwise seemed to be devoid of neural elements. AnMRI scan of the brain and craniocervical junction revealed anassociated Chiari malformation with herniation of the caudalcerebellum down to the midportion of C1 . The ventricleswere of normal size and configuration.A repair of the thoracic me... More About: After , Pair , Form , Format , Repair
THROMBOSIS OF A FUSIFORM INTRACRANIAL ANEURYSM IN...
2007-04-26 14:34:00 THROMBOSIS OF A FUSIFORM INTRACRANIAL ANEURYSM INDUCED BY OVERLAPPING NEUROFORM STENTS: CASE REPORT.(Neurosurgery. 60(5):E950-E951, May 2007.Ansari, Sameer A. M.D., Ph.D.; Lassig, Jeffrey P. M.D.; Nicol, Ewen M.S., P.A-C.; Thompson, B. Gregory M.D.; Gemmete, Joseph J. M.D.; Gandhi, Dheeraj M.D. )This was a very intresting article in which the doctors were attempting to embolize this anuerism in the basilar artery. The were not able to do that but they put two Neuroform stents inplace. They found six weeks later after doing MRI and MRA's the pt. had developed a thrombis in the Anuerysm sac, and the vessel was very patent. A DSA Cerebral Arteriogram confirmed this at 12 months.CONCLUSION: Overlapping Neuroform stents may induce spontaneous thrombosis of intracranial aneurysms and facilitate parent artery reconstruction through flow remodeling and stent endothelialization. Double stent placement may be a viable option in dissecting or fusiform intracranial aneurysms that are not amena... More About: Ombo , Form , Thrombosis , Trac , Rani
Medical devices that make like easier.
2007-04-26 12:33:00 I-stat is a revolutionary hand held micro lab. I allows you to test lab values very quickly.I have heard of many Radiology departments going to this device to check Creatine levels on their patients. Once a Creatine level is established you can go to Nephron.com to get a EGFR level on any patient. This is a great this for renal failure patients, with the new concerns of NSF and the managing renal insuficient pt.neuroArmThe world?s first MRI-compatible surgical robot, unveiled today, is the creation of neurosurgeon Dr. Garnette Sutherland and his team. Dr. Sutherland has spent the last six years leading a team of Canadian scientists, in cooperation with MacDonald, Dettwiler and Associates Ltd. (MDA), to design a machine ?that represents a milestone in medical technology.? Quick, Cheap & Easy Bedside Diagnosis of Brain InjuryInfrascanner?is a hand-held, non-invasive, near-infrared (NIR) based mobile imaging device to detect brain hematoma at the site of injury. It is being tested ... More About: Medical , Devices , Make , Device , That
Imaging the renally impaired: NSF
2007-04-21 15:42:00 This is a great video presented by a Dermatologist, a Nephrologist, and a RadiologistIt explaines the history of NSF, and give differential diagnosis of the disease. It also has some pictures of what the process looks like. Imaging the renally impaired: NSF More About: Aging , Pair , Ally
Central Pontine Myelinolysis
2007-03-23 03:14:00 Central pontine mylineolysisI was given the request last night to scan this womans brain. She was a young lady with a history of alcohol abuse and seizures. I talked to her over the phone to make sure we could get a good medical history before the MRI scan. Her speech was very slurred and she told me she had difficulty swallowing. To my supprise she said she had been in the hospital for 2 weeks, with these symptoms for 3 weeks. I imediatelly thought she infarcted her pons becuase she had no physical weakness in her arms or legs. I figured possible lacunar infarct. To my suprise she was Diagnosed with Central Pont ine Mylineolysis from the MRI scan by our Radiologist. This was the first time I had heard of this . I learn Something new everyday. The following is Information on the topic:Adams et al described central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) as a unique clinical entity. They published their findings in 1958, observing that patients who suffered from alcoholism or malnutrition develop... More About: Central
MS of the nervous system
2007-03-08 15:00:00 Multiple sclerosis (MS) is one of the most common diseases of the central nervous system. Today over 2,500,000 people around the world have MS.MS is the result of damage to myelin - a protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system. When myelin is damaged, this interferes with messages between the brain and other parts of the bodySymptoms vary widely and include blurred vision, weak limbs, tingling sensations, unsteadiness and fatigue. For some people, MS is characterised by periods of relapse and remission while for others it has a progressive pattern. For everyone, it makes life unpredictable.SourceResearch has been difficult to do on patients with MS for many reasons. One reason is the area is often inaccessible because MS occurs is the Brain and Cervical spinal cord. Antoher important reason is that every patient disease does not follow the same pattern of progression. This is why comparing patients can be so difficult. MS is also very unpredictable, whi... More About: System , The N , Stem
I'm giving away money.
2007-03-08 01:14:00 If that doesn't get your attention I don't know what will. I am Donating everything I make from my Blogs for the next 3 Months to the American Stroke Association, American Heart Association and, The American Cancer Society. I hope I can raise a good amount of money so please reach deep into your pockets and help out. I know most of you , like me, do this on a daily basis, to that I say thank you. I say thank you for all the patients that can't. If you can help in any way please do so or feel free to donate directly. Thank you Chris "> More About: Money , Giving , Away , Ving
Single-Molecule Magnet Fe8 for MRI Contrast Agent.
2007-03-04 16:39:00 Published: 14 February 2007 11:50 AMIndustry Channel: Medical & PharmaceuticalSource: The Engineer OnlineA Florida State University researcher has collaborated in a research project that could lead to ways of producing even sharper magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images.Naresh Dalal, the Dirac Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at FSU, recently conducted experiments with other researchers from FSU, the University of Colorado and the National Institute of Standards and Technology that uncovered unique properties in a molecular magnet, properties that could significantly increase the resolution of MRIs. Their paper, ‘Efficacy of the Sing le-Molecule Magnet Fe8 for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Contra st Agent Over a Broad Range of Concentration,’ was published in the current issue of Polyhedron.‘There are continual efforts to enhance the level of image clarity found in today's MRI devices,’ Dalal said. ‘MRIs utilise injectable dyes, but those in current use, while easy... More About: Single
ACR guidence document for safe mr practices:2007
2007-02-28 13:44:00 The ACR is Revising their "whitepaper" on safety and it should be out later this week. Here is a small summary of the Contrast safety issues. This was recently summerized by Dr. Emanuel Kanal. Here is the Email as follows:OK - I'll try to summarize off the cuff as best as I can some of the salient points that will be covered in the upcoming document:1. The ACR does NOT recommend prospectively checking serum creatinines or GFRs on all potential MR patients. Instead it is recommended that we verbally query each potential patient (as we do now regarding pacemakers, metallic implants, etc.) if they have a history of "Kidney disease or are on dialysis". If not, no special handling is recommended at this time. If the answer is in the affirmative, then each such case is forwarded to a radiologist for further evaluation and decision making (is contrast indicated for their MR study, if so, how much, which agent, for what sequence(s), etc.) We continue to recommend that if any renal disease ... More About: Men , Practice , Guide , Document , Safe
Double Aortic Arch
2007-02-10 04:35:00 Double Aortic ARCH Background: Double aortic arch is one of the two most common forms of vascular ring, a class of congenital anomalies of the aortic arch system, in which the trachea and esophagus are completely encircled by connected segments of the aortic arch and its branches. Although various forms of double aortic arch exist, the common defining feature is that both the left and right aortic arches are present.EmbryologyThe simplest way to understand the anatomy and development of double aortic arch and other forms of vascular ring is to begin by considering the bilateral system of pharyngeal arch vessels in the early embryo.Early in the course of embryonic morphogenesis, 6 pairs of pharyngeal arch arteries develop in conjunction with the branchial pouches. The first through sixth arches appear in a more or less sequential fashion, with left-to-right symmetry, and constitute the primitive vascular supply to the brachiocephalic structures, running from the aortic sac to the pai... More About: Double , Double A
CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE WORKSHEET
2007-02-05 16:13:00 Here is a website that will help you calculate GFR on Renal failure patients, from only knowing a creatinine and a little medical history. I hope you find it usefull.CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE WORKSHEET More About: Work , Sheet , Disease , Works , Ease
Acoustic Neuroma Surgery at Waukesha Memorial
More articles from this author:2007-01-31 14:49:00 .Tonight At 7:00 pm live, they will be removing an acoustic neuroma from a patient. Kenneth Reichert, MD, and Steven Harvey, MD, will be performing the procedure. Acoustic Neuroma's are found in the internal auditory canal, they affect hearing, balance, are slow growing and usually benign. Source: Mayo Clinic Neuroscience Update.When the risk of surgery is high because of other medical problems, or where the patient simply refuses surgery, the "gamma knife" procedure may be used. This is a method of irradiating the tumor, invented by Lars Leksell in 1971. This procedure avoids surgery with its risks. In the past, this option was usually recommended only for higher risk surgical cases because of the possibilities of late radiation complications, and the need for ongoing MRI monitoring of the results of the procedure. Today Gamma Knife has come a long way, and can be used when surgery is not an option. More About: Euro , Roma , Surgery , Mori 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 |
|
 |
|
 |
