Proposal of thermal imaging application in photodynamic therapy-Preliminary report.

There are many different skin lesions that manifest a skin temperature gradient. Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most frequently occurring type of malignant skin lesion (almost 95% of all skin tumors). BCC is sometimes treated by using photodynamic therapy which is very well tolerated by patients and provides good results, especially in superficial skin layer lesions. The results of our studies showed significant changes in the area of temperature gradient due to photodynamic therapy. It seems that the ability to acquire knowledge of such area changes may provide additional useful information to physicians. The increase of observed isotherm area in comparison to lesion size on the skin was a few times higher. It may suggest the range of areas where the metabolism processes take place. Due to the accumulation of photosensitivity only in tumor cells, we theorize that such a large region of increased metabolism observed during therapy may be connected with a larger range of tumor cells than was previously predicted through diagnosis. However, it should be noted that the region can be much bigger due to the existing heat transfer. The results obtained have a potential meaning in describing the range of chemical and physiological processes occurring during photodynamic therapy.

Extracolonic findings at CT colonography - additional advantage of the method.

BACKGROUND: In virtual colonoscopy (VC) we are capable to assess all organs located between a diaphragm and pelvic bottom. This report provides a breakdown of extracolonic pathological findings in VC performed in standard indications. MATERIAL/METHODS: We reviewed 71 consecutive VC (29 men and 42 women) performed using double-slice scanner General Electric High Speed NX/I Pro. Pathological findings were presented in a tabular form illustrated by sample images. RESULTS: Extracolonic findings were found in 53 cases (74.6%), and were equally frequent in subgroups with pathological colon and free from colon lesions. Renal cysts occurred most often. In 15 cases the extracolonic pathologies were clinically important, most of them tumors. CONCLUSIONS: VC is found to be a very useful tool in the detection and evaluation of extracolonic pathologies.