Objective: to give an X-ray pattern of single lung foci revealed by computed tomography (CT) in children and adolescents examined for tuberculosis. Material and methods. The results of CT in 52 children and adolescents infected by Mycobacterium tuberculosis were analyzed. All the followed up children and adolescents underwent X-ray study using a two-slice spiral Somatom Emotion Duo (Siemens). The study used first the conventional chest spiral CT scanning procedure for children according to the Thorax Routine program and then reconstruction. Target spiral scanning of the area of interest was, if needed, carried out by employing high resolution CT with 2-mm thick images taken at 1.5-mm spacing. A maximal intensity project program was used to separate vessels and foci. Results. The single foci were encountered frequently in the lung of the examinees and characterized by a perilymphatic site; in 88.0% they were connected with the interlobular interstitium, interlobar fissure, and paracostal pleura; in 92.2% the foci were detectable in the subpleural and cortical parts of the lung, had a moderate intensity, well-defined outlines, and were 2–6 mm in size. At the same time, there were no pathological changes in the lymph nodes of the lung roots and mediastinum. The long-term (2-month-to-5-year) followup in this group of children indicated that there were no X-ray changes in the lung foci revealed by CT. Conclusion. The single foci in the lung of Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected children without X-ray changes in the lymph nodes of the lung roots and mediastinum may be manifestations of the normal lung structure – these may be intrapulmonary lymph nodes. Further follow-up in this group of these children must be in agreement with the management tactics of those infected with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

Objective: to study the main computed tomography (CT) signs of primary pulmonary vasculitis at different stages of disease development. Material and methods. Eighty-nine patients, including those with Wegener’s granulomatosis (WG) (n = 60), Churg–Strauss syndrome (CSS) (n = 24), or microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) (n = 5), were examined. Vasculitis was diagnosed on the basis of comprehensive clinical, X-ray, and morphological examination. CT study was performed in 40 (85.1%) patients over time. Radiography encompassed chest X-ray and computed tomography. Results. The CT signs of WG were as follows: parenchymal infiltrates in 41 (68.3%) patients, vast zones of ground glass and consolidation in 16 (21.6%), and bronchial wall thickening in 27 (46.7%). The infiltrates showed aseptic decay cavities in 26 (63.4%) cases. In CSS, the CT changes included ground glass symptom (100%), consolidation symptom (54.2%), bronchial wall thickening concurrent with bronchial dilatation (87.5%), and increased peripheral pulmonary vessel diameter (45.8%). CSS was typified by migratory infiltrates. The pulmonary manifestations of MPA were characterized by the regions of alveolar infiltration of varying intensity and extent. Conclusion. The use of CT in pulmonary vasculitis makes it possible to reliably detect and differentiate pathological changes in the lung, to estimate their extent and monitor the efficiency of treatment.

Objective: to assess the capabilities of multislice spiral computed tomography coronary angiography (MSCT-CA) to visualize the anatomy of the sinus node artery (SNA). Material and methods. The retrospective analysis of coronary artery examinations covered 46 patients with the referral diagnosis of coronary heart disease. MSCT-CA showed no evidence of coronary artery stenosis. This sample included 23 (50%) men and 23 (50%) women; the mean age of the patients was 52.4±9.1 years; the mean height was 170±6.67 cm; the mean weight was 80.7±12.1 kg. X-ray computed tomography was carried out using a SOMATOM Definition AS+ 128-slice computed tomography scanner with retrospective ECG synchronization, reconstructed slice thicknesses of 1 and 3-mm. The Spearman correlation test was used for statistical data analysis. Results. The SNA was visualized in 83% of the patients. It originated from the right coronary artery (RCA) and the circumflex branch of the left coronary artery in 84 and 16% of cases, respectively. No significant association was found between the type of heart blood supply and that of sinus node one (r = 0.06). In 18% of cases, the SNA was visualized only at the level of the ostium, allowing the assessment of the origin of the artery, and at the level of its mid-third in 32%; the distal SNA bed was visualized up to its division; in 10% of them the artery could be visualized all the way, including the division (the dissipation site). Unclear visualization of the proximal SNA was observed among 17% of the patients in whom the SNA could not be visualized with a heart rate (HR) of more than 80 beats/min in 62.5% of the patients, less than 41 beats/min in 12.5%, and 60–61 beats/min in 25%. HR was not found to be associated with the quality of SNA visualization (r = 0.09). Conclusion. MSCT can assess the anatomy of SNA up to the distal bed and dissipation site. In the overwhelming majority of the patients, the SNA
 originated from the RCA (84%) regardless of the type of heart blood supply. The best SNA visualization was noted with a HR of 50 to 80 beats per minute. There was no statistical relationship of the quality of visualization to HR.

Objective: to assess the capabilities of and the first experience with an ACUSON S2000 automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) (Siemens, Germany) to detect abnormal breast lumps. Material and methods. Examinations were made in 97 patients who underwent radiological studies encompassing digital mammography, B-mode ultrasonography of the breast, and its pathomorphological examination. All the cases were classified according to the BI-RADS system. Abnormal breast lumps (BI-RADS 1) were not found in 27 cases; clearly defined benign masses (BI-RADS 2) were detected in 18, and pathomorphologically verified breast cancer (BC) (BI-RADS 5) in 29 cases. All the patients also underwent breast ultrasonography using an ACUSON S2000 system (Siemens, Germany). The results of ABVS examination were compared with those of standard comprehensive breast radiologic examination. Having no preliminary additional information on each patient, an independent expert – a radiologic diagnostician appraised all ultrasound scanning data at a special review station. Results. The sensitivity of the automated scanning assay in detecting breast abnormalities was 100%; its specificity and diagnostic accuracy were 40 and 88%, respectively. The independent expert established the diagnosis of BC in 26 (90%) of the 29 cases. According to the results of automated breast scanning, pre-examination using a set of radiation methods was recommended in 66 (66%) cases. The hyperdiagnosis was 24%. Conclusion. Taking into consideration the fact that none of the BC case was overlooked, the first experience with ABVS showed encouraging results and the need for further clinical tests of the automated breast scanning system.

Cystic adenomatoid malformations of the lung belong to a group of abnormalities, the only treatment is surgery. This raises the question as to the earliest detection of this lung abnormality in children. Up to the present, there have been cases of late diagnosis of this abnormality masked by an inflammatory process in the lung, its abscess, and even tuberculosis lesion of lung tissue. We describe a case of cystic adenomatoid malformation of the lung in a child, by discussing the capabilities of chest computed tomography in the diagnosis of lung malformations in children. When inflammatory lung changes are found in children, it is necessary to keep in mind that these alterations may develop in the presence of the malformation. To clarify the pattern of the disease, by applying current radiodiagnostic techniques, allows the choice of optimal treatment policy and the time and volume of surgical intervention.

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a noninvasive technique to measure the concentration of chemical substances, which estimates biochemical changes in health and different diseases in vivo. The technique opens up a wide range of possibilities for both primary diagnosis and evaluation of the efficiency of further treatment – medical or surgical one. This review of literature is dedicated to proton MRS used in different tumors of the brain, its tunics, and adjacent nerves. It contains and systematizes data related to the problems of primary diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and evaluation of the efficiency of treatment for tumors and gives references to both basic researches in this area and recent investigations.

No-reflow phenomenon is a complication of percutaneous coronary intervention and is the absence of distal coronary bed filling. The main cause of this phenomenon is distal embolism of the coronary artery by atheromatous and thrombotic masses. The paper gives different classifications for evaluation of myocardial and coronary reperfusion. The use of aspiration catheters, glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors and other drugs that affect prognosis in patients with this phenomenon is also touched upon.

The use of the radial artery as an approach to percutaneous coronary interventions is becoming increasing popular now. The success of this approach depends on both the accumulated experience of an operator and a health care facility. The paper analyzes an investigation of the comparative characteristics of both a transradial approach and a transfemoral one and the impact of the former on the success of the procedure. It considers the role of the transradial approach in the present-day practice of X-ray endovascular diagnosis and treatment specialists and discusses the problems of education and choice of optimal clinical indications.

Computed tomographic colonography (CTC) is a noninvasive diagnostic method for significantly identifying clinically relevant colonic and rectal tumors. Good colonic preparation that includes laxatives or residue-free diet, as well as labelling the intestinal contents is needed to adequately interpret CTC data. However, errors in interpreting the results of CTС can be associated with not only the imperfections of large bowel preparation for examination, but also due to those of the latter and because of the anatomic features of the colon. The paper describes difficulties and the most common errors in CTC, including own experience.