State governments unite to lower mortality
Australia - The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare has reported a 26% decrease in the breast cancer mortality rate among women aged 50-69 years between 1990 and 2004.
Three-Dimensional Angiographic Imaging of Intracranial Aneurysms
In the Caucasian population, subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to a ruptured intracranial aneurysm is seen with an incidence of 6 to 8 per 100,000. In some specific countries such as Finland and Japan these numbers rise to 20 per 100,000. 60% of patients presenting with an aneurysmal SAH are female. The presenting symptoms are: thunderclap headache in combination with (temporary) loss of…
Vantage for Advantage - Interview with Hans Baartman, MR specialist at Toshiba Medical Systems Europe
Toshiba introduces its new 1.5 MR system in Europe VISIONS: After a period of relative silence Toshiba' MRbusiness division is about to introduce a new system. What is the reason for this increased attention? Hans Baartman: In 2003 a new MRI product, the EXCELART Vantage, was introduced in Japan and the USA where it has become very successful. Because the MRI community is very internationally…
Experiences With the Aplio Ultrasound System in Pediatric Sonography
For the last six months we have been using the Aplio system in sonography for children and adolescents. The following report describes our experiences with this system using a wide range of probe and special applications.
Pancreatic Tumours and Echo-Enhanced Ultrasound
Echo-enhanced ultrasound is a newly available imaging modality for use in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic tumours. Ductal carcinomas are often hypovascularised compared with the surrounding tissue. On the other hand, neuroendocrine tumours ar hypervascularised lesions. Tumours associated with pancreatitis have a different vascularisation pattern depending upon their inflammation and…
Are New Techniques Needed in Modern Sonography?
Breast cancer is the most frequently occurring malignant tumour worldwide. Of the more than one million newly diagnosed cases each year, the incidence among women in Germany alone is more than 50,000. That means that every tenth woman is stricken by breast cancer at some point in her life. It numbers among the most frequent causes of death by cancer 1,2,3 , with the average age of onset being…
European Institute of Molecular Imaging founded in Münster, Germany
Besides sophisticated imaging technologies, biomarkers are the key to molecular medicine. Therefore, the development of new and more specific biomarkers is the primary aim of researchers around the world and - since this June - it is also the aim of the new founded European Institute of Molecular Imaging, a cooperation project of the University Münster, Germany and Siemens Medical Solutions.…
Evaluating breast tomosynthesis for the Netherlands
Combining a scientific research laboratory with specialised clinic, the Netherlands Cancer Institute, in the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital (NKI-AVL), in Amsterdam, aims for a unique interaction of scientific research and clinical application.
A Private Hospital Group Installs 64-Slice CT Scanners
BMI Healthcare is installing Toshiba's Aquilion 64-slice CT scanners in five of its 49 acute care private patient hospitals (The Alexandra Hospital, Cheadle; Bath Clinic, Bath; Blackheath Hospital, London; Meriden Hospital, Coventry; Priory Hospital, Birmingham) as part of a £7.5 million spend on diagnostic imaging technology.
Robust CT Protocols for Pediatric Cardiovascular Examinations
Pediatric cardiovascular disorders are extremely complex in nature and present with a widely variable array of abnormal anatomy. Imaging these disorders presents a unique set of challenges for the cardiovascular team. Complex anatomical variations require detailed volumetric image interpretation with high spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, the patients are invariably young. They may…
Welcome to Villach, Aquilion
A 152-bed private hospital in a small town as the first Austrian hospital to invest in an Aquilion 64 CT scanner for routine operations? That seems unusual - but only at first sight. So let's have a closer look and see what happened in scenic Villach in Carinthia. The investment by the Villach Private Hospital (Privatklinik Villach) - a member of the HUMANOMED Group - in state-of-the-art medical…
World Class Volleyball Set Against a Perfect Backdrop
It was the perfect tournament. The crowd cheered enthusiastically, the players gave their best, and there was no lack of celebrities. With a 93,000 strong audience, this year's Beach Volleyball A1 Grand Slam Tournament in Klagenfurt, Austria, proved to be a top-level sporting event. Top beach volleyball players such as Clemens Doppler delivered exciting games and ensured maximum audience…
Amsterdam Slotervaart Hospital with New MRI Technology
Patients of the Slotervaat Hospital in Amsterdam, Netherlands, now benefit from state-of-the-art Toshiba MRI technology: In May, the hospital commissioned a brand new MRI Vantage System and thus now disposes of premium technology the MRI market currently offers. For Toshiba this new installation is an excellent opportunity to present the companys most recent MRI development on the European market.…
Clinical Cases: LAD Stenosis and Anomaly
63-year-old male with stable angina. The coronary angiogram showed vessel disease with significant stenosis in the proximal LAD and in the middle of the LCX. PCI with stent performed the day before the CT Angio. The patient was referred to the Aquilion 64 for follow-up.
Diagnosis of Cardiac Diseases
For decades, non-invasive cardiac assessment has been at the center of interest. Non-invasive imaging modalities, such as MSCT, MRI, SPECT, PET, and echocardiography, provide valuable cardiac information, and all have been used to measure cardiac morphology, function, perfusion, viability of myocardium, and coronary anatomy for clinical management and research. The last decade brought major…
Value of Non-Invasine CT Coronary Angiography in Cardiology
Among invasive cardiac catheterization diagnostic methods selective coronary angiography is the gold standard for directly visualizing the coronary system. It allows a definitive and precise diagnosis of coronary heart disease and thus serves as the rational basis for further revascularization procedures.
Tissue Doppler Imaging of the Fetal Heart
In the last 25 years, fetal echocardiography has become established as an integral component of prenatal medicine. Structural heart defects are found in approx. 0.8% of all foetuses. They are consequently comparatively frequent and head the list of isolated fetal organ malformations. Routine screening of the four-chamber view and the outflow tract allows the experienced investigator to detect…
Sonography in Renal Disease
Ultrasound examination of the renal tract is one of the primary imaging methods to verify the presence of urinary obstruction, calculi, neoplasms, and other focal findings. This short article summarises important aspects of sonography for some typical renal abnormalities without claiming to be a comprehensive treatment. Since sonography is frequently nonspecific, clinical laboratory findings are…
25 Years of Toshiba Medical Systems Europe
In 1981 the company embarked on a path of very rapid growth. Already in the first year of operation 30 million euro were realized mainly with ultrasound equipment. At that time, 150 people were working for the company which was active in several European countries.
Aquilion Large Bore (LB) CT Scanner
The Aquilion LB (Large Bore) sets yet another milestone in the success story of computed tomography, providing a new dimension in diagnostics and treatment.
Central Patient Admissions - the new Task and Challenge for Ultrasound
In Germany, a comprehensive reimbursement system designed around Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) was introduced following the Health Reform Act of 2000. The previous method of payment, wherein the number of treatment days was multiplied by the amount allowed per treatment day, was discarded. The new DRG-based payment system requires the optimization of patient treatment, from admission to…
Ultra Low Dose CT of the Lungs
Excluding pulmonary coin lesions potentially caused by metastasis of extrathoracic malignant tumours or as the principal indication of early lung carcinomas is one of the most frequent tasks in plain film imaging and computed tomography examination of the thorax.
Stroke Imaging: The Procedure in Practice
In the past, native computed tomography of the neurocranium (CCT) was often the only procedure to diagnose a stroke. Technical limitations of previous generations of scanners made their use impractical for complementary methods of visualising blood vessels or for perfusion imaging. With the introduction of multi-slice spiral CT these technical limitations disappeared and both perfusion CT (PCT)…
Stroke Imaging: Foundations and Strategy
Diagnostic imaging is of particular value in investigating ischaemic cerebrovascular accidents since, due to the rapid progression of cell destruction in the region of the cerebral infarction, the radiologist is faced with urgent questions regarding a possible procedure. These questions may be answered particularly well using computed tomography (CT). The following article provides an overview…
CT Perfusion of the Brain
CT assisted dynamic perfusion imaging (perfusion CT, PCT) has evolved in recent years with the introduction of the multi-slice spiral technique, the use of study protocols with lower injection rates and improved evaluation programmes.
