Kanji Egashira

MRI of bronchogenic cysts.

The MR appearance of eight bronchogenic cysts is reported. All the cysts appeared homogeneous and were of very high signal intensity, approximating that of CSF on spin-echo T2-weighted imaging, and of relatively high intensity, between that of muscle and subcutaneous fat on T1-weighted imaging. The cysts were round or ovoid and were well demarcated. These findings are consistent with the fluid-containing properties of cysts.

Bamboo foreign bodies in lung parenchyma: CT features

The computed tomography (CT) findings in two cases of posttraumatic bamboo foreign bodies imbedded for many years in lung parenchyma are presented. These foreign bodies consisted of relatively cylindrical structures of high density, and were highly suggestive of bamboo.

MR Imaging of Adult Glomerulocystic Kidney Disease: A case report

A 59-year-old man with hypertension and severe renal dysfunction was diagnosed as having adult glomerulocystic kidney disease. MR imaging of the kidney showed a diffuse reduction of the intensity of the renal cortex with a loss of normal cortico-medullary differentiation on T1-weighted images. Numerous small cortical cysts were also demonstrated. These MR findings complemented the results of the biopsy and were useful for making a definitive diagnosis.

CT and MRI manifestations of primary pulmonary plasmacytoma.

Primary pulmonary plasmacytoma (PPP) is rare and its radiographic appearances have been seldom described. We report on a patient with PPP presenting with a hilar mass on chest radiograph. The diagnosis was confirmed by immunohistochemical study of the resected specimen. The computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings are presented.

Clinical evaluation of irreversible data compression for computed radiography in excretory urography

Efficient data compression is required for practical daily use of digital images in computed radiography (CR). This study investigated the clinical utility of data compression in excretory urography using the FCR 9000 system (Fuji Photo Film, Tokyo, Japan). Type III data compression technique was used, which can achieve a 20∶1 to 25∶1 compression ratio. To evaluate the degradation of image quality, we compared paired original and compressed CR images. Although a slight deterioration of image quality was noted in the renal calyx including collecting tubules among various anatomical structures, the difference was not significant. Receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed no significant difference among the original and compressed images. We conclude that compressed CR images using Type III data compression technique in excretory urography appear to be clinically applicable and acceptable.

High-resolution computed tomography of Japanese summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis

The high-resolution computed tomographic (CT) manifestations of Japanese summer-type hypersensitivity pneumonitis in eight patients were correlated with those of their chest radiography and with their histological findings. Histologically proven small granulomas were clearly demonstrated on CT as miliary opacities in five patients whose chest radiographic findings were normal. In two patients, these abnormalities were observed both by CT and chest radiography. High-resolution CT provides detailed morphological information about the lung parenchyma; it is an excellent means of following the clinical courses of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. CT is particularly useful for detecting persistent granulomas when symptoms subside and chest radiography becomes normal or nearly so.

Cine MRI in the Evaluation of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Artery Invasion of Lung and Mediastinal Malignancies.

グラジエントエコー法を用いたcine MRIにより肺縦隔悪性腫瘍の心大血管浸潤の判定を試みた. 対象は原発性肺癌20例, 胸腺癌1例, 浸潤性胸腺腫1例の計22例である. 心大血管浸潤の判定では, 手術にて確認された浸潤例7例中6例では, 腫瘍と接する血管壁に可動性はなく, 腫瘍と血管との間の低信号帯も不明瞭であった. 非浸潤例10例中9例では腫瘍と血管との間に明瞭な可動性と低信号帯が認められた. これよりcine MRIでみる壁の可動性と低信号帯は, 肺縦隔悪性腫瘍の血管浸潤の判定に極めて有用な指標と考えられた. 肺門部肺癌の肺動脈浸潤の判定でも血管内腔が高信号として認められ, 狭窄や閉塞の評価が容易であった. cine MRIは原則として通常のスピンエコー法MRIに引き続いて施行し, 全体の検査時間は約40-50分程度で, 十分日常臨床で活用可能と考えられた.