[French radiotherapy database: results of a survey of French radiation oncology centers in 2007]. / Observatoire national de la radiothérapie: rapport de l'enquête conduite en 2008 sur l'année 2007.

For the second year, the French Radiotherapy Database presents information from French radiation oncology centers. Among 179 centers, 159 have participated (90 %). The number of accelerators increased from 371 to 384 between 2006 and 2007, 11 % of these machines are more than 15 years old. On average, centers are open 50 hours per week for treatment and 9.5 % more for maintenance. The lack of dedicated CT remains a difficulty: 158 from 159 centers have an access to a CT, but only 50 % have a dedicated scanner. There is no progress compared to 2006. The proportion of centers having a MU double calculation system has increased from 51 to 58 %. Two thirds of centers do not implement in vivo dosimetry. The activity is stable around 190 000 treatments per year. Three-dimension conformal radiotherapy is used for more than half of treatments in 77.2 % of private centers and 50 % of public hospitals. Intensity modulated radiotherapy remains rarely used. The number of radiation oncologists and technologists remains stable. The number of radiophysicists has increased from 7.6 %. Despite some progress, the difficulties of this speciality persist in France and are equally distributed across all regions, and between private and public centers. In 2009, the French Society for Radiation Oncology and the associated partners will continue this survey, which interest is recognized by both professionals and health administrations.

[Reproducibility of localized protein spectra with a 1.5 T whole body nuclear magnetic resonance scanner]. / Reproduzierbarkeit lokalisierter Protonenspektren mit einem 1.5 T Ganzkörper-Kernspintomographen.

The CODEX method was employed for volume selective proton NMR spectroscopy with a whole body imager in order to control the quality of reproduction with phantoms. The spectral resolution and time stability during typical measuring times are almost better than 3.10(-8) and are usually sufficient for the requirements of high resolution in vivo proton spectroscopy.

Range sensing based on shearing interferometry.

We report an optical range sensor that combines the advantages of focus sensing and interferometry. It works for specularly reflecting objects and for diffusely reflecting objects. The sensor is simple, robust against vibrations, and has high depth resolution. The aperture is very small, hence the sensor is small and minimizes shading problems. The sensor is based on the following principle: A light spot is projected onto the object under test. The radius of the wave that is scattered at the object is measured with high accuracy by shearing interferometry.

Significance of skeletal uptake detected on radionuclide renal perfusion studies.

Since the introduction of Tc-99m labeled radiopharmaceuticals, flow studies have become a useful and readily performed component of renal nuclear medicine examinations. In addition to detecting aberrations of renal perfusion, a number of extrarenal abnormalities may also be surreptitiously detected. Three cases of hyperperfused skeleton, an extremely unusual finding which complements two previous reports in the literature, have recently been observed. All three of the patients, as well as the two previously described, had underlying neoplastic abnormalities. The appearance of perfused skeleton should therefore be recognized as suggesting the presence of underlying neoplastic disease. Considerable interest as to the etiology and magnitude of the increased skeletal perfusion exists. Measurements of normal marrow and osseous perfusion have been reviewed in order to better appreciate the magnitude of increase required for skeletal visualization on renal flow studies. Some considerations as to the etiology of this increase are offered.

Detection of postcardiotomy bacterial pericarditis with gallium-67 citrate.

A 46-year-old man who had undergone apical cardiac aneurysmectomy with a ventriculotomy graft and implanted automatic cardioverter-defibrillator electrodes, presented with fever, left-sided pleuritic chest pain, and a draining sinus. A Ga-67 scan was performed to aid in determining whether the infection was limited to the chest wall or if it had penetrated deeper to the cardiac structures. Uptake of gallium within the cardiac region, in association with minimal rib uptake of Tc-99m MDP, strongly supported the existence of infection within the pericardium. CT scan demonstrated a pericardial collection which under CT-guided aspiration proved to be purulent. Definitive surgical drainage was performed, and the patient was discharged 4 weeks postoperatively. Ga-67 imaging can provide an accurate and relatively rapid means of localizing infection in the postcardiotomy patient. A thorough bibliography of pericardial gallium uptake is provided.

The early diagnosis of common bile duct obstruction using cholescintigraphy.

The technetium Tc 99m-labeled iminodiacetic acid cholescintigram is an extremely accurate examination for detecting early obstruction of the common bile duct in acutely ill patients suspected of having acute cholecystitis or possible obstruction days to years after cholecystectomy. The examination accurately detected common bile duct obstruction in 63 of 65 patients in these two diagnostic categories (positive predictive value, 96.9%). Sonographic evaluations in 43 of these patients failed to reveal ductal dilatation or other abnormality in 26 cases (false-negative rate, 63.4%), and was nondiagnostic because of overlying bowel gas in two cases. The success of the radionuclide examination is attributed to its ability to detect functional impedance to bile flow hours to days before anatomic ductal dilatation occurs, and occasionally even before the alkaline phosphatase level and other liver chemistry values suggest the presence of an obstruction.

The use of water ingestion to distinguish the gallbladder and duodenum on cholescintigrams.

Cholescintigraphic diagnosis of acute cholecystitis requires accurate assessment of gallbladder nonvisualization. Confusion may occur when the gallbladder overlies the duodenal sweep or when labeled bile pools in the duodenum. Gallbladder activity could not be differentiated from duodenal activity in 21 patients. The oral ingestion of 225 ml of water permitted successful differentiation of the gallbladder from the duodenum. In 25 control subjects, it was demonstrated that that volume of water did not have a cholecystokinetic effect.

Acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Sixty-eight patients with acute acalculous cholecystitis were reviewed. The results of history and physical examinations were usually nondiagnostic. IDA cholescintigraphy (93 per cent accuracy rate) was the only reliable diagnostic modality. The results of oral cholecystography, intravenous cholangiography and ultrasonography were considerably less reliable. One-half of the patients had gangrenous cholecystitis. Cholecystectomy was the preferred operation with an over-all mortality of 9 per cent. IDA cholescintigraphy is an important new modality for the diagnosis of acute acalculous cholecystitis which, in the past, has often been difficult to diagnose.

Gallstone ileus diagnosed by technetium-99m dimethyliminodiacetic acid cholescintigraphy. A case report.

Tc-99m IDA cholescintigraphy frequently provides information regarding nonbiliary pathology, such as small bowel obstruction. The cholescintigraphic finding of functional cystic duct obstruction concomitant with persistent small bowel dilatation and lack of progression of labeled bile suggests the diagnosis of gallstone ileus.

The radionuclide detection of lower gastrointestinal bleeding sites.

A retrospective review of two years' experience with radionuclide screening to detect lower gastrointestinal bleeding sites was conducted at New York's Montefiore Medical Center. Of 82 studies performed in 63 patients, 13 identified active bleeding sites. Only three of eight angiograms obtained in these 13 patients were positive. Thirteen contrast angiograms were performed in the group of 50 patients with negative radionuclide studies of which ten were negative and one was equivocal. The results of this study suggest that the Tc-99m sulfur colloid study for active lower gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding is an effective screening procedure. Positive studies help determine which vessel to catheterize selectively if an angiogram is to be performed. If vascular ectasis is still suspected following a negative radionuclide study, contrast angiography can be more efficaciously performed on a nonemergent basis.

Role of Tc-99m IDA scintigraphy in the evaluation of hepatobiliary trauma.

Each year approximately 52 million Americans are injured, of which 11 million require hospitalization and 110,000 die. This has an associated health care cost of 3 billion dollars. Hepatobiliary injuries have always constituted a significant area of involvement. They have become more easily detectable since the advent of technetium-99m analogs of iminodiacetic acid (IDA). Biliary leakage secondary to other causes, such as inflammation, neoplasm, and iatrogenic factors are also well demonstrated in a safe, simple, and rapid manner with radionuclide imaging. The relatively low patient radiation dose that is associated with these procedures permits follow-up studies when necessary.

The role of technetium-99m iminodiacetic acid (IDA) cholescintigraphy in acute acalculous cholecystitis.

Technetium-99m iminodiacetic acid (IDA) cholescintigraphy was performed in 15 patients with acute acalculous cholecystitis. Fourteen of the 15 patients with acute disease had positive findings, indicating the presence of cystic duct or common duct obstruction. One case in which the gallbladder was visualized failed to respond to sincalide stimulation; this was classified as a suggestive finding of disease. The diagnostic accuracy of 99mTc-IDA cholescintigraphy was far superior to the other imaging studies used (8 sonograms, 1 intravenous cholangiogram, 3 oral cholecystograms, 1 percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram). The 99mTc-IDA study is recommended as the imaging procedure of choice for examining patients with suspected acute acalculous cholecystitis.