Organ-specific dose coefficients derived from Monte Carlo simulations for historical (1930s to 1960s) fluoroscopic and radiographic examinations of tuberculosis patients.

This work provides dose coefficients necessary to reconstruct doses used in epidemiological studies of tuberculosis patients treated from the 1930s through the 1960s, who were exposed to diagnostic imaging while undergoing treatment. We made use of averaged imaging parameters from measurement data, physician interviews, and available literature of the Canadian Fluoroscopy Cohort Study and, on occasion, from a similar study of tuberculosis patients from Massachusetts, United States, treated between 1925 and 1954. We used computational phantoms of the human anatomy and Monte Carlo radiation transport methods to compute dose coefficients that relate dose in air, at a point 20 cm away from the source, to absorbed dose in 58 organs. We selected five male and five female phantoms, based on the mean height and weight of Canadian tuberculosis patients in that era, for the 1-, 5-, 10-, 15-year old and adult ages. Using high-performance computers at the National Institutes of Health, we simulated 2,400 unique fluoroscopic and radiographic exposures by varying x-ray beam quality, field size, field shuttering, imaged anatomy, phantom orientation, and computational phantom. Compared with previous dose coefficients reported for this population, our dosimetry system uses improved anatomical phantoms constructed from computed tomography imaging datasets. The new set of dose coefficients includes tissues that were not previously assessed, in particular, for tissues outside the x-ray field or for pediatric patients. In addition, we provide dose coefficients for radiography and for fluoroscopic procedures not previously assessed in the dosimetry of this cohort (i.e. pneumoperitoneum and chest aspirations). These new dose coefficients would allow a comprehensive assessment of exposures in the cohort. In addition to providing newly derived dose coefficients, we believe the automation and methods developed to complete these dosimetry calculations are generalizable and can be applied to other epidemiological studies interested in an exposure assessment from medical x-ray imaging. These epidemiological studies provide important data for assessing health risks of radiation exposure to help inform the current system of radiological protection and efforts to optimize the use of radiation in medical studies.

[Mobile miniature X-ray evaluation and pneumoconiosis: the role of the Clinica del Lavoro in Milan (1941-1948)]. / La valutazione schermografica delle pneumoconiosis (1941-1948): il ruolo della Clinica del Lavoro di Milano.

Since the end of the 19th century, X-rays have been used to detect lung diseases. In Italy, 207,096 miniature chest radiographs were taken from 1941 to 1948. Traditional radiographs gave better results, but miniature chest radiographs were useful for screening. Indeed, the development of mobile miniature chest radiography units resulted in an improvement in mass X-rays screening for the detection of penumoconiosis. These mobile miniature units were mounted on a bus chassis, a solution that allowed to easily reach workers. The authors analyze some models of X-ray wagon units used by the "Clinica del Lavoro" in Milan in the 1950s. From the point of view of medical museology, the preservation of these devices requires appropriate spaces.

Between Donor Interest, Global Models and Local Conditions: Treatment and Decision-Making in the Somalia-Finland Tuberculosis Control Project, 1981-3.

Despite numerous global health initiatives after World War II, tuberculosis still poses a major threat in sub-Saharan Africa. This article examines one attempt to tackle this problem: the Somalia-Finland Tuberculosis Control Project. Conducted in the 1980s as a bilateral development aid project between the two countries, it became the most extensive - and expensive - tuberculosis initiative in Somalia in that decade. An interesting feature of the project is that, despite a lack of previous experience in tuberculosis work in developing countries, the Finnish partner decided not to follow the WHO global guidelines designed to standardise tuberculosis activities across the developing world. Instead, Finns established their own treatment programme based on X-ray and short-course chemotherapy - otherwise rarely used in clinical practice in Africa. Through a close reading and comparison of the correspondence, project plans, memos and minutes, the article analyses the formation of this strategy. Focusing on ground-level decision-making, it argues that the decisions were based not only on a belief in the superior clinical effectiveness of these methods, but also on the fact that they better suited Finnish ambitions and project logic. Thus, the article supports the notion that donor perspectives on resources and project objectives determined what was seen as feasible treatment in a developing country. By shedding light on the debate between the supporters of short-course chemotherapy and the WHO standard treatment strategy, it also contributes to the early history of DOTS (directly observed treatment, short course).

Dr. Hyacinthe Guilleminot and the first respiratory and cardiac synchronisation systems for obtaining radiological images. / El Dr. Hyacinthe Guilleminot y los primeros sistemas de sincronización respiratoria y cardíaca para obtención de imagen radiológica.

In an era when it was not possible to achieve quality x-rays with short exposure times, the need to obtain chest images without movement led the French doctor Emré Hyacinthe Guilleminot to construct a machine that repeatedly emitted x-rays only when desired during the respiratory cycle. His aim was to create a satisfactory radiograph from multiple short bursts performed at the moment of inhalation or exhalation, based on Charles Bouchard's research on heart disease. He extended his idea to radiography of the heart, creating a system that enabled images to be obtained disassociating the phases of heartbeat. This article seeks to explain the basic functioning of these mechanisms, and to recover previous research papers that led to their creation. We will also retrieve biographical and personal data of the two people involved - one directly, the other indirectly - in these novel inventions.

Boerhaave Syndrome - over 290 years of surgical experiences. Can the disorder recur?

Spontaneous perforation of the esophagus (Boerhaave syndrome) is a rare disease that poses a serious surgical challenge. The analysis of literature concerning the Boerhaave syndrome reveled cases of recurrent spontaneous perforation of the esophagus. The incidental nature of this condition calls for more accurate assessment of all such cases. The authors made a detailed evaluation of the data obtained from eight reports of recurrent Boerhaave syndrome. The data is presented as a summary table comparing the clinical course and outcomes of patients with the primary Boerhaave syndrome as well as recurrent Boerhaave syndrome.

[Radioscopy and radiography of the thorax. Birth and maturation of an ever-current technique]. / Radioscopie et radiographie du thorax. Naissance et maturation d'une technique toujours d'actualité.

There are three milestones in the history of thoracic radiology. Thoracic radiology started in 1897 when Williams developed thoracic fluoroscopy and introduced the basic concepts of roentgenologic interpretation. At the same time, the first chest films were performed allowing decisive improvement in the diagnosis of many chest diseases. Continuous technical improvement is responsible for the fact that, even today, the conventional chest film remains a highly accurate and frequently used imaging modality. A third milestone was the development of digital radiography and its use in the chest. Computerised tomography changed thoracic imaging dramatically; in a first step mainly as a tool to visualise soft tissue abnormalities and, later on, also as a modality to study lung disease. The recent development of the digital chest radiograph has again added new perspectives to the approach and diagnosis of chest disease.

Eponyms in cardiothoracic radiology: part III--interstitium.

Eponyms serve the purpose of honoring individuals who have made important observations and discoveries. As with other fields of medicine, eponyms are frequently encountered in radiology, particularly in chest radiology. However, inappropriate use of an eponym may lead to potentially dangerous miscommunication. Moreover, an eponym may honor the incorrect person or a person who falls into disrepute. Despite their limitations, eponyms are still widespread in the medical literature. Furthermore, in some circumstances, more than one individual may have contributed to the description or discovery of a particular anatomical structure or disease, whereas in others, an eponym may have been incorrectly applied initially and propagated for years in the medical literature. Nevertheless, radiologic eponyms are a means of honoring those who have made lasting contributions to the field of radiology, and familiarity with these eponyms is critical for proper reporting and accurate communication. In addition, the acquisition of some historical knowledge about those whose names are associated with various structures or pathologic conditions conveys a sense of humanity in the science of medicine. In this third installment of this series, the authors discuss a number of chest radiology eponyms as they relate to the pulmonary interstitium, including relevant clinical and imaging features, as well biographical information of the respective eponym's namesake.

Lung cancer screening: past, present and future.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for men and women. Most lung cancer cases are diagnosed at an advanced stage, when cure is no longer an option; this heavily influences mortality. Historically, attempts at lung cancer screening using chest x-rays and sputum cytology have failed to influence lung cancer mortality. However, the recent National Lung Screening Trial demonstrated that low-dose computed tomography screening for lung cancer decreases mortality. This article outlines the history of lung cancer screening, the current state of screening and possible future adjuncts to screening.

The Beatles, the Nobel Prize, and CT scanning of the chest.

From its first test scan on a mouse, in 1967, to current medical practice, the CT scanner has become a core imaging tool in thoracic diagnosis. Initially financed by money from Beatles' record sales, the first patient scan was performed in 1971. Only 8 years later, a Nobel Prize in Physics and Medicine was awarded to Hounsfield and Cormack for their discovery. This article traces the history of CT scanner development and how each technical advance expanded chest diagnostic frontiers. Chest imaging now accounts for 30% of all CT scanning.

The role of radiology in influenza: novel H1N1 and lessons learned from the 1918 pandemic.

The pandemic of swine-origin H1N1 influenza that began in early 2009 has provided evidence that radiology can assist in the early diagnosis of severe cases, raising new opportunities for the further development of infectious disease imaging. To help define radiology's role in present and future influenza outbreaks, it is important to understand how radiologists have responded to past epidemics and how these outbreaks influenced the development of imaging science. The authors review the role of radiology in the most severe influenza outbreak in history, the "great pandemic" of 1918, which arrived only 23 years after the discovery of x-rays. In large part because of the coincidental increase in the radiologic capacity of military hospitals for World War I, the 1918 pandemic firmly reinforced the role of radiologists as collaborators with clinicians and pathologists at an early stage in radiology's development, in addition to producing a radical expansion of radiologic research on pulmonary infections. Radiology's solid foundation from the 1918 experience in medical practice and research now affords significant opportunities to respond to the current H1N1 pandemic and future epidemics through similar interdisciplinary strategies that integrate imaging science with pathology, virology, and clinical studies. The broad range of current imaging capabilities will make it possible to study influenza at the cellular level, in animal models, and in human clinical trials to elucidate the pathogenesis of severe illness and improve clinical outcomes.