[en] The amount of metallothionein in rat liver and kidney was increased 72 hr after irradiation by a high dose of X-irradiation (2,000 rad), but in other tissues the amount of metallothionein was not increased. An increase in metallothionein contents in rat liver and kidney was induced 72 hr after irradiation when rats were exposed to a single dose between 1,500 and 3,000 rad. Below a single 1,000-rad dose, the increase in metallothionein content was not observed. An increase in the metallothionein content in the liver was observed 6 hr after irradiation (2,000 rad). In kidney, the increase in the metallothionein content was observed 24 hr after irradiation. Although the zinc content in serum did not change significantly after irradiation (2,000 rad), the zinc content of the albumin fraction decreased slightly. (author)

[en] To investigate the correlation between nuclear medicine parameters determined by technetium-99m-DTPA-galactosyl-human serum albumin (Tc-99m-GSA) and liver function tests, canonical correlation analysis was performed. Tc-99m-GSA studies were performed on 47 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) who had undergone transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). The nuclear medicine parameters LU15, HH15 and LHL15, which are results of nuclear imaging tests, were chosen in combination with the following liver function tests: the serum bilirubin level (T.Bil), the serum albumin level (Alb), serum cholinesterase activity (Ch-E), the clearance rate of indocyanine green (KICG), the hepaplastin test (HPT) and the prothrombin time (PT). The canonical correlation coefficient was 0.7345 and the upper tail probability was 0.00167. A significant correlation was observed between the two sets of variables. The high structural coefficients of Ch-E, KICG and HPT indicated a close relationship with the nuclear medicine parameters, supporting the notion that these nuclear medicine parameters are useful for the estimation of liver damage. The structural coefficients of the nuclear medicine parameters were also high, with LU15 being a parameter as useful as both HH15 and LHL15. T.Bil may evaluate a liver function that is not measured by nuclear imaging techniques, so we should take T.Bil results into account before considering TAE. (author)

[en] A method of superimposing two images obtained by ⁶⁷Ga-SPECT and X-ray CT was applied in 29 cases of abnormal uptake on ⁶⁷ scintigraphy. Abnormal uptake was more clearly displayed by composite SPECT-CT image than by conventional methods. The superimposition of images was useful to obtain both morphological and qualitaive information. (author)

[en] From January through December, 1986, Tc-99m Sn colloid scintigraphy has been performed in a series of 392 patients. Lung and renal uptake of Tc-99m Sn colloid was observed in 9 (2.3 %) and 3 (0.8 %) patients, respectively. Lung uptake was likely due to liver diseases (n = 5), technical causes (n = 3), and malignant diseases (n = one). The occurrence of lung uptake tended to be associated with abnormally low serum levels of collinesterase and non-compensated liver cirrhosis coexisting with hypoproteinemia. There was no evidence of cardiac failure in 3 patients with renal uptake, thus leading to the suspicion for liver cirrhosis. The degree of abnormal renal uptake seemed to be unrelated to liver and renal function. (Namekawa, K.)

[en] The results of radiotherapy were investigated in 49 patients with lung cancer admitted to the Department of Radiology, Okayama University Hospital. Of the 26 patients not undergoing surgery, the one-year survival rate was 100 % in the stage I patients, 55 % in the stage III patients and 56 % in the stage IV patients, and the two-year survival rate was 50 % in the stage I patients, 0 % in the stage III patients and 9 % in the stage IV patients. A significant difference in survival between patients irradiated with over 60 Gy and patients irradiated with less than 60 Gy was recognized among those not undergoing surgery. However, with respect to the frequency of local recurrence and distant metastases, a correlation with the irradiated dose was not demonstrated. Local recurrence and distant metastases were not observed in 5 of 6 patients who received preventive irradiation after curative surgery was conducted. Concerning 11 patients after non-curative surgery, local recurrence and distant metastases were recognized in 3 of them, and 7 of them showed a favourable outcome brought about by the irradiation after surgery as expected. In 6 patients with local recurrence after surgery, the survival period after radiotherapy was less than 13 months. (author)

[en] A non-invasive method for measuring portal blood flow by magnetic resonance (MR) phase contrast was evaluated in a flow phantom and 20 healthy volunteers. In a flow phantom study, the flow volumes and mean flow velocities measured by MR phase contrast showed close correlations with those measured by electromagnetic flow-metry. In 20 healthy volunteers, the cross-sectional areas, flow volumes and mean flow velocities measured by MR phase contrast correlated well with those measured by the Doppler ultrasound method. Portal blood flow averaged during the imaging time could be measured under natural breathing conditions by using a large number of acquisitions without the limitations imposed on the Doppler ultrasound method. MR phase contrast is considered to be useful for the non-invasive measurement of portal blood flow. (author)

[en] A total of 124 lesions from 1 to 6 cm in diameter, including 31 cavernous hemangiomas, 32 metastases and 61 hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) were analyzed to study the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 0.5 Tesla to differentiate focal hepatic lesions on the basis of qualitative criteria. Each focal hepatic lesion was assessed for shape, internal architecture and signal intensity relative to normal liver parenchyma. While all cavernous hemangiomas and metastases except one lesion could be detected, detection rate of HCC was significantly inferior to that of the other two diseases. A tumor capsule and a hyperintense focus on T₁-weighted images were demonstrated in only HCC lesions in strong contrast with the other two diseases; however, metastases with slow-growing characteristics or subacute hematoma may appear as similar images. Cavernous hemangiomas appeared markedly hyperintense on T₂-weighted images in 23 of 31 lesions, but one metastasis and one HCC had similar images. A multivariate analysis of several MRI resulted in the following mean discriminant scores: cavernous hemangioma, -1.2652; metastasis, 0.1830; and HCC, 0.7138. It appeared to be possible to differentiate the three diseases with 84.4 percent accuracy. (author)

[en] In the field of radiology, new modalities have been developed and expanded. However, X-ray-based diagnostic imaging remains the main stream. Therefore, radiological technologists must provide dosimetry and other physical data related to radiation exposure. In this report, the basic information presented in our previous reports is supplemented with data regarding the relationships between exposure parameters and dose for inverter-type X-ray generators, which have been widely adopted in recent years. This report also describes the measurement of percentage depth dose. We also conducted a survey of medical facilities in Okayama prefecture to gather data concerning the radiographic parameters used for abdominal examinations, and calculated the patient dose from these data. We tabulated and calculated the patient dose for each hospital. The results showed a wide range of variation. The overall mean values were 0.337 cGy for the surface dose and 0.061 cGy for the dose at a depth of 9 cm. (author)

[en] Understanding the macrostructure of textile products is important for research & development and quality control, and observation of the surface and cut plane using optical microscopes and electron microscopes is widely performed. However, when soft organic fibers are cross-sectionally processed, there is a risk of deformation or damage. In addition, it is difficult to observe the internal fiber structure and adhesive layer under tension or other loads. Therefore, expectations are growing for X-ray CT, which allows observation through specimen material, and examples of three-dimensional observation and analysis of fibers have been reported. However, the device performance and CT scanning conditions suitable for fiber observation have not been clearly defined, making it difficult to obtain X-ray CT images with sufficient image quality. This paper focuses on three points to obtain high-quality X-ray CT images, such as spatial resolution, scan time, and sensitivity, and explains the necessary elements for each point. (A.O.)

[en] In the diagnostic imaging of female pelvic lesions, the recognition of the uterus is considered to be an essential step for analyzing the image. Ultrasonically, the presence of uterus can be confirmed by echo pattern and level of intensity, and in CT, by the pattern and density. In both modalities, the uterine image is widely accepted as smoothly outlined solid mass Nevertheless, pathological findings show a wide range of variety in the image. With some obstructive cause of cervical canal, uterine body is displayed to be cystic, that is ''cystic uterus''. The cystic uterus, especially associated with neoplasma, must be differentiated from other cystic lesions. In such cystic uterus, the following images in CT and US can usually be observed: (1) close-up of tumor with vagina, (2) positional relationship of tumor with pelvic structures, especially ureters, (3) characteristic shape-smoothly outlined, gourd-shaped cystic lesion, (4) homogeneously thick, ''high density'' mass wall. (5) Partial projection of mass wall into cavity, so called ''cervical sign'', (6) nature of accumulated fluid containing the necrotic debris, suggesting the endometrial neoplastic change, and (7) rule out the other solid mass from pelvic cavity. (author)