PET/CT was able to depict more primary tumors, though not significantly, than either of the other imaging modalities, but larger patient cohorts are required to finally judge its value for revealing the primary tumor site.

The authors qualitatively and quantitatively assessed a solution containing 0.2% locust bean gum (LBG) and 2.5% mannitol (mannitol-LBG) dissolved in water to provide a negative oral contrast material in dual-modality positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) scanning. PET/CT was performed in 60 patients with cancer after oral administration of barium, water, or mannitol-LBG. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were conducted to determine bowel distention and a potential influence of the contrast agents on the PET data. Intestinal distention with mannitol-LBG proved superior to that with water or barium. Findings at both quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed apparently increased tracer uptake in the small bowel with barium in comparison to that with mannitol-LBG or water. Mannitol-LBG may, therefore, be used as a negative oral contrast agent at PET/CT scanning because it provides excellent bowel distention while avoiding contrast material-induced PET artifacts.

Cerebral protection with the filter device is technically feasible in most cases. DW-MRI demonstrated new cerebral lesions indicating the occurrence of cerebral microemboli during the protected procedures. Further investigations are necessary to determine whether the use of the cerebral protection device will improve the results of CAS.

The purpose of this study was to establish normal values for the volume of the uterus and cervix in MRI based on age and the menstrual cycle phase. We performed MRI of the pelvis in 100 healthy women. For the uterus, they were further divided into two groups: one with myomas and/or adenomyosis and one without either. The volume of the uterus and cervix and thickness of the uterine wall layers were analysed by age and the menstrual cycle phase. The mean volume of the uterus in both groups and the cervix significantly increased with age to reach its peak at 41-50 years, and then dropped. Likewise, the thickness of the endometrium and the junctional zone, but not the myometrium, significantly increased until 41-50 years, and then decreased. When we compared the volume of the uterus and cervix and the thickness of the uterine wall layers between the two phases of the menstrual cycle, we found no significant differences. The volume of the uterus and cervix and the thickness of the endometrium and junctional zone differ significantly with age, but not between the two phases of the menstrual cycle. Knowledge of MRI-related normal values can be expected to aid the early identification of uterine pathologies.

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