Colorectal carcinoma: radiological diagnosis and staging.

Colorectal carcinomas are the most common gastrointestinal tract tumors. 50-60% of the colorectal carcinomas originate in rectum and sigmoid colon. The new developments in imaging modalities have brought improvements in therapeutic aspects. The survival rates in these patients depend on the tumor penetration and the presence of regional lymph node or distant metastasis. The recurrence rates have decreased with the new operation techniques and preoperative radiotherapy, thus increasing the importance of accurate tumor staging. Double contrast barium enema studies enable the diagnosis while staging and follow-up is best done by topographic imaging techniques.

Doppler sonographic diagnosis of primary transitional cell carcinoma of the ureter.

Primary carcinoma arising in the urothelium of the ureter is rare, accounting for only 1% of all cancers of the upper urinary tract. We describe a case in which primary transitional cell carcinoma of the right ureter was sonographically detected in a 45-year-old woman. The mass exhibited tumoral vascularity on power Doppler sonography and spectral analysis.

Doppler sonography of the native liver.

Doppler sonography is being used routinely in evaluating the vascular structures of the native liver because of its ease of use, lower cost, easier availability, lack of need for X-ray and accuracy. Doppler sonography can well demonstrate the vascularization of liver tumors, portal vein thrombosis, portal vein abnormalities in patients with portal hypertension and hepatic venous findings in patients with Budd Chiari syndrome. The purpose of this article is to present information about Doppler sonography of the native liver and to show its usefulness in the evaluation of hepatic vascular diseases.