Diagnostic Radiology
Introduction
The Division of Diagnostic Radiology is committed to improving health through excellence in image-oriented patient care and research. Our division performs more than 64,000 inpatient and outpatient procedures annually. The division also conducts clinical scientific research as well as basic scientific research, and the results translate directly into better patient care.
Routine Activities
Our division has three helical
computed tomography (CT) scanners, two 1.5T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
systems, two digital subtraction angiographic (DSA) systems, two gamma cameras
with the capacity for single photon emission CT (SPECT), two digital radiographic
(DR) systems for fluoroscopy, two mammography systems, and four computed radiographic
(CR) systems. One DSA system is equipped with helical CT and is also referred
to as an interventional radiology CT (IVR-CT) system. These all-digital image
systems enhance the efficacy of routine examination.
This division has six consulting
radiologists and fourteen technologists. As part of our routine work, every
effort is made to produce an integrated report covering all examinations,
including plain radio-graphic examinations (chest, abdomen, head, neck, breast,
bone, and other structures), contrast radiological procedures (digestive,
urinary, and respiratory tracts), CT, MRI, RI, angiography, and IVR, mainly
for trans-arterial embolization (TAE). The number of cases examined in 1999
is shown in the table below. We have noted that the main diagnostic modalities
for several cancers have been shifting from plain film to CT and MRI. Several
conferences are routinely held in our division, including teleradiologic,
pre-, and postoperative conferences.
Research Activities
Our division has been developing
a system of helical CT with the support of the Comprehensive 10-year Strategy
for Cancer Control and the new 10-year Strategy for Cancer Control. The prospective
study of helical CT-guided subsegmental TAE for the treatment of hepatocellular
carcinoma is ongoing. Helical CT is also applicable to screening for lung
cancers. A feasibility study is now ongoing in cooperation with the thoracic
oncology groups at the National Cancer Center Hospital (NCCH) and the Anti-Lung
Cancer Association. Using an exclusive optical fiber line between the Tsukiji
and Kashiwa campuses, regular and optional image conferences have been held.
By extension of this network, these conferences have been opened to other
cancer centers as well as other national hospitals. Using recent technological
advancements in computer graphics, our division has achieved great success
in obtaining three-dimensional displays of the internal body, based on imaging
data from helical CT and MRI. These images are useful for planning surgery
or radio-therapy, for physician training, and for patient education.
Full-field digital mammography
(FFD-MMG) is being developed. Sixty-three women who simul-taneously underwent
FFD-MMG, Fuji computed radiography (FCR)-MMG, and film-screen mammography
(FS-MMG) were studied. The subjects ranged in age from 30 to 79 years with
a mean of 52 years and included 41 patients with breast cancer. The matrix
size of FFD-MMG was 6400 x 4800, and the size of 1 pixel was 40 m. For FCR-MMG,
the size of 1 pixel was 100 m. FFD-MMG was superior to the other two methods
in detecting microcalcifications associated with breast cancer, and it provided
favorable outcomes in the overall detection of breast cancer.
The division introduced a new
computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system using FCR-MMG to study computerized
detection for breast cancerous masses and microcalcifications. We are also
developing CAD systems for lung cancer detection using CT images and for brain
tumor detection using MRI images. These CAD systems promise to have a great
influence on cancer diagnosis as well as on patient care in the near future.
New Developments
1. We added one radiologist and one technologist
to our permanent staff.
2. A clinical laboratory technician from NCCH has
been assigned to our MRI group. With his help, we have been able to use two
MRI units three days per week.
3. Our interventional radiology group developed
new methods for injecting bone cement under CT fluoroscopy in patients with
collapsed metastatic bones to reduce patient pain.
|
Number
of Cases Examined |
|
|
Plain
X-ray examination |
36,960 |
|
Mammography |
1,538 |
|
Fluorography
(GI-series, etc.) |
2,796 |
|
CT |
15,966 |
|
MRI |
3,739 |
|
RI |
2,828 |
|
Angiography |
633 |
|
Total |
64,460 |
(S. NAWANO)
