PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

F Giovagnorio

Publications and source records attributed to F Giovagnorio.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Lingual thyroid: value of integrated imaging.

Lingual thyroid is an uncommon cause of oropharyngeal mass, due to a congenital anomaly of thyroidal development and migration: It is defined precisely as the presence of thyroid tissue in the midline of the tongue base between circumvallatae papillae and the epiglottis. We report a case of lingual thyroid in which the integration of clinical data, sonography, color-duplex Doppler, MRI and scintigraphy was determinant in demonstrating the disease. A 22-year-old woman presented with a sensation of foreign body in the throat, dysphonia, dyspnoea and dysphagia; we performed sonography (7.5 MHz linear probe), color Doppler (7 MHz Doppler frequency, PRF 3500 Hz) and MRI (1.5 T, spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted images with administration of Gd-DTPA); a scan with 123I demonstrated a relevant uptake at the base of the tongue, but no uptake at the typical thyroid location. The gland was removed and partially transplanted in the strap muscles of the neck.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

HRCT evaluation of secondary lobules and acini of the lung.

We evaluated normal lung parenchyma with high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) to assess the visibility of lobular and sublobular structures. Series of HRCT slices were obtained using the usual parameters for HRCT examinations. We used a limited reconstruction field (4-10 cm) with a narrow window to increase visibility of small structures. The boundaries of normal secondary lobules are difficult to identify because the septa are very thin; interstitial disease may increase septal thickness so that more lobules become visible. Position and approximate morphology of lobules can be identified, however, by observing the centrolobular bundles. Normally, many acini are usually visible; their mean diameter (6 mm) and thickness of periacinar capillary net (approximately 0.3 mm) make them identifiable with modern CT scanners. In conclusion, a good knowledge of HRCT lung anatomy is essential to correctly evaluate early interstitial disease.

Humans↗
PubMed1995

Power Doppler sonography enhances visualization of orbital vessels.

Our study was intended to determine whether power Doppler sonography can be considered superior to color Doppler technique in depiction of normal orbital vasculature. Ten healthy volunteers (20 eyes) were examined with a 10 MHz linear probe; each orbital vessel was recorded with both color and power Doppler methods; the images were reviewed independently by all the observers, who agreed that power Doppler clearly is superior to color Doppler technique for evaluation of the anatomy of orbital arteries and veins.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Three-dimensional ultrasonography. Experience with a non-dedicated system].

The application of three-dimensional (3D) reconstructions to US has been recently proposed, but remains strongly limited by the difficulty to produce parallel and equidistant slices and by the obvious lack of method standardization. This work describes our experience with a workstation on the market in producing 3D images from US exams. Reconstruction involved the following steps: acquisition (US examinations of different organs--i.e. carotid artery, parotid gland, kidney, gallbladder, urinary bladder--were recorded on VHS tape; a small, self-built, motor-driven mechanical arm was used to move the probe along the selected axis of the organ: a 486-class computer with a framegrabbing card was used during the digitizing process to produce a set of slices, white were saved in 320 x 256 x 8 bit format), pre-processing and segmentation (we used interactive contrast enhancement as a pre-processing technique, to emphasize contrast between echoic and anechoic structures or between solid structures with a small difference in echogenicity; as a segmentation technique, we used autotracing with a selected seed point; in a small number of images, where the software could not provide an adequate delimitation, we had to operate manually) and rendering. A commercially available software for radiological use (Analyze-Mayo Foundation, USA) was used for processing, segmentation and rendering. The rendered images can be visualized with multiple zoom factors, rotated and cut on any plane, reconstructed from every user-definable point of view. The good results indicate that 3D acquisition and reconstruction will probably change the way to obtain, display and study US findings.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

Elevated doses of carmustine and mitomycin C, with lonidamine enhancement and autologous bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of advanced colorectal cancer: results from a pilot study.

10 patients with advanced colorectal cancer were treated with elevated doses of carmustine and mitomycin C. The regimen was potentiated by lonidamine and supported by autologous bone marrow transplantation. The results of this pilot study were encouraging, with a response rate of 50% and a significantly better survival for responders versus non-responders. No appreciable toxicity of the therapy was observed. This aspect, together with the simplicity of the procedure, calls for further investigations to confirm the good therapeutic index of the treatment.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

HRCT studies of lung anatomy.

An accurate definition of lung anatomy is the first, necessary step to obtain an accurate and early diagnosis of diffuse and focal lung disease with HRCT. Secondary lobules are visible with conventional CT and HRCT as polygonal portions of lung parenchyma, surrounded by thin and incomplete septa and centred by a dense dot; acini are sometimes visible as rounded structures with a central dot. Morphological definition of these structures in normal subjects will greatly help in characterizing early signs of parenchymal disease.

Humans↗
PubMed1994

[Color Doppler echography of the orbit. Its normal aspects and pathological conditions with vascular involvement].

This study was aimed at investigating the role of color-Doppler US in the assessment of orbital vasculature under normal conditions; the results were then applied to the flowmetric analysis of some vascular diseases of the orbit, i.e., retinitis pigmentosa, simple chronic glaucoma, low-tension glaucoma and carotid-cavernous fistulas. The study consisted of two phases: first, a group of 20 healthy volunteers was examined and then 39 patients were divided into 4 subgroups. The patients (18 men and 21 women, age range: 52-68 years) were further divided into 4 subgroups: 12 of them had retinitis pigmentosa, 15 simple chronic glaucoma, 8 low-tension glaucoma and 4 carotid-cavernous fistulas. Color-Doppler yielded useful pieces of information on the position of orbital vessels and flow direction, while pulsed Doppler allowed the measurement of several variables, i.e., time average velocity, protosystolic velocity, peak systolic velocity, mesodiastolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistive index and pulsatility index. The study of the 20 healthy volunteers yielded valuable information on the anatomy and flow patterns of some vessels, such as the ophthalmic artery, the central retinal artery, the lacrimal artery and the posterior ciliary arteries, all of them visible in 90-100% of patients; the central retinal vein, the superior ophthalmic vein and venae varicosae were demonstrated in about 10-30% of them. In the group of patients, the mean flow velocities of the examined arteries were significantly lower than those in the normal volunteers; in the patients with carotid-cavernous fistulas an ectasic superior ophthalmic vein was demonstrated, with its typical flow "arterialization" pattern. The results suggest that color-Doppler could play a mayor role in the study of ocular hemodynamics.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Color Doppler assessment of normal ocular blood flow.

The purpose of this study was to determine the role of CDI in the assessment of normal ocular vasculature. Color and pulsed Doppler examinations were performed in 20 healthy subjects. The principal orbital vessels were detected: ophthalmic, central retinal, lacrimal, and posterior ciliary arteries and, in a small percentage, superior ophthalmic, central retinal, and vortex veins; blood flow of arterial vessels was studied by measuring TAV, St, PS, MD, ED, PI, and RI; the morphology of the spectral waveform also was investigated. Our results suggest that duplex color Doppler may be of value in ocular vasculature examination.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1993

[Radiological reasoning and its computer-based simulation. Reasons to use computer-based diagnostic systems developed on shells].

Research on the medical applications of artificial intelligence has increased the knowledge of logical and methodological principles of clinical reasoning. Thus, computer-based diagnostic systems are developed on the basis of progress in this field, because thorough knowledge is necessary to obtain efficient simulation. This work was aimed at analyzing the structure of medical and radiological reasoning and at discussing the modalities to simulate it with computer-based diagnostic systems. The diagnostic process includes two steps: data collection and data interpretation; radiological reasoning involves the following 5 steps: procedural, executive, observative, interpretative and communicative. Each of them needs a different approach to simulation, considering, in its development, the different characteristics of each kind of reasoning. The expert system shells on the market are necessary tools to develop expert systems, but they cannot cover the whole of processes taking place during radiological work. Therefore, a particular, radiology-aimed shell should be developed to help the radiologist.

Artificial Intelligence↗
PubMed1993

[An expert system for the staging and therapy of carcinoma of the bladder].

Expert systems are application tools based on logic and containing a wide knowledge in a specific field; their aim is the simulation of an expert's behavior in reasoning and making decisions inherent a small cultural domain. Applications in medicine and radiology are numerous and constantly increasing. The possibility of their use in the application of diagnostic and staging protocols seems particularly interesting. The development and commercial availability of expert systems programming tools (called shells) make it certainly easier to develop consultations systems, even to non-experienced users. The purpose of this research is the definition and description of the stages encountered during the development of an expert system for diagnosis, staging and treatment of bladder cancer using self-developed shell, designed for radiological use, called Experto. The steps of knowledge collection, definition of diagnostic and therapeutic protocols and system development are described. The consultation system assessed the correct TNM stage of the 27 examined cases.

Decision Trees↗
PubMed1991

[A proposal of an original system of "voice-mediated input" in radiological reporting].

The recent introduction of vocal input systems in diagnostic radiology will produce many changes in reporting. Statistical analyses of the texts put in (the so-called "mediated vocal input") are an interesting possibility which allows the radiologist to evaluate both readability and efficacy of his reports. The structure of a vocal input system is also suitable to define standardized vocabularies of commonly used radiological terms. This paper describes the structure of an original system, built by assembling low-cost components, with a self-made software. The aim is the reduction of noise in the communication between the radiologist and the physician, by means of new solutions which will make the radiological report one of the key points of the diagnostic procedure.

Communication↗
PubMed1991

[Proposal of a conversion and processing system of digital images].

The digital format of diagnostic images is gradually replacing the analogic one, as expected, thanks to its diagnostic, gestional, and economic advantages. Digital radiology is expanding, crossing the borders of conventional radiology: the spread of photostimulable plates will cancel all differences, offering a "digital dimension" to conventional examinations, that will produce numeric images using the conventional method. Off-line systems are a most useful approach to numeric format, because they offer diagnostic and gestional advantages at a low price. Moreover, they allow analogic images to be put into the "digital flow" of radiological departments, thus making a format standardization possible between different types of images. The system proposed has advanced characteristics, such as acquisition, reconstruction and visualization of digital images with a 2560 x 2048 x 8 bit matrix. The use of two scanning systems (CCD and laser scanner) has proved to be the most effective way to acquire images with different resolution, while the use of a 2k x 2k monitor makes both observation and reporting at the workstation more reliable.

Computers↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Color and pulsed Doppler evaluation of benign and malignant adenopathy.

A color and pulsed Doppler evaluation of 140 benign and malignant lymphnodes in 85 patients has been performed: The nodes have been classified into non-vascularized (flow-), normal-vascularized (flow +), and hypervascularized (flow +2); we also considered the presence of central or peripheral flow. Resistivity index was also measured. The only parameters showing statistical significance were flow - and flow +. The authors conclude that there is a higher probability of benignancy than malignancy in an avascular node, while the opposite is true in a node with moderate flow.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Doppler ultrasonography of the upper mesenteric artery in chronic intestinal inflammation].

PURPOSE: We evaluated the importance of dynamic studies of the superior mesenteric artery in defining the abnormal parameters that could help diagnose an inflammatory bowel disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our patient population consisted of 10 normal subjects, 10 patients with active and 10 with inactive Crohn disease; 10 patients with celiac disease were also examined, before treatment and then after 6 months' dieting. We used a 5 MHz transducer, with 2.8 MHz Doppler frequency and PRF of 5 KHz; longitudinal scans were performed at 2-3 cm from the origin, with 50-60 degrees Doppler angle. The examination was performed after overnight fasting and at least 5 minutes' supine recumbency and then repeated 15 minutes after ingestion of a liquid meal. We measured the resistive index (RI) both on fasting and after the meal; the parameter defined as resistive difference (RD) was used to measure postprandial changes in resistance. RESULTS: In the healthy volunteers, RI on fasting was 0.81 +/- 0.02, versus 0.67 +/- 0.03 after the meal (RD 0.14 +/- 0.2). In the patients with inactive Crohn disease, RI on fasting was 0.82 +/- 0.03, versus 0.69 +/- 0.04 15 minutes after the meal (RD 0.13 +/- 0.3). In the patients with active Crohn disease, RI on fasting was 0.78 +/- 0.03, versus 0.70 +/- 0.02 after the meal (RD 0.08 +/- 0.03). In the patients with untreated celiac disease, RI on fasting was 0.78 +/- 0.05, versus 0.74 +/- 0.01 15 minutes after the meal (RD 0.04 +/- 0.01). In the patients with treated celiac disease, RI on fasting was 0.79 +/- 0.03, versus 0.70 +/- 0.02 after the meal (RD 0.09 +/- 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of postprandial flow changes in the mesenteric district is of more than physiologic interest because it can be the only way to detect an inflammatory disease which becomes apparent only during functional stress. Doppler US can therefore be proposed as a follow-up method to assess acute phase regression.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Role of echography in the preoperative evaluation of palpebral basal cell epithelioma].

The palpebral region is one of the commonest locations for basal cell epitheliomas of the face. The tumor can spread to both orbital cavity and its structures. Ten patients with basal cell epitheliomas of the face were studied with US to investigate its diagnostic accuracy; US findings were compared with CT ones. In all cases US allowed a complete study of both morphology and structure of the tumor; it precisely defined the status of the superficial structures of the orbital cavity (cornea and anterior chamber of the eye), differentiating between tumor contiguity, compression and infiltration. US seems therefore essential to the preoperative assessment of tumor spread and during the follow-up of patients with palpebral basaliomas.

Basal Cell Carcinoma↗