• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.17 no.7
• /
• pp.3465-3468
• /
• 2016

Background: Fluorodeoxyglucose ($^{18}FDG$) PET/CT imaging has become an important component of the management paradigm in oncology. However, the significant imparted radiation exposure is a matter of growing concern especially in younger populations who have better odds of survival. The aim of this study was to estimate the effective dose received by patients having whole body $^{18}F$-FDG PET/CT scanning as per recent dose reducing guidelines at a tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: This prospective study covered 63 patients with different cancers who were referred for PET/CT study for various indications. Patients were prepared as per departmental protocol and 18FDG was injected at 3 MBq/Kg and a low dose, non-enhanced CT protocol (LD-NECT) was used. Diagnostic CT studies of specific regions were subsequently performed if required. Effective dose imparted by 18FDG (internal exposure) was calculated by using multiplying injected dose in MBq with coefficient $1.9{\times}10^{-2}mSv/MBq$ according to ICRP publication 106. Effective dose imparted by CT was calculated by multiplying DLP (mGy.cm) with ICRP conversion coefficient "k" 0.015 [mSv / (mG. cm)]. Results: Mean age of patients was $49{\pm}18$ years with a male to female ratio of 35:28 (56%:44%). Median dose of 18FDG given was 194 MBq (range: 139-293). Median CTDIvol was 3.25 (2.4-6.2) and median DLP was 334.95 (246.70 - 576.70). Estimated median effective dose imparted by $^{18}FDG$ was 3.69 mSv (range: 2.85-5.57). Similarly the estimated median effective dose by low dose (non-diagnostic) CT examination was 4.93 mSv (range: 2.14 -10.49). Median total effective dose by whole body 18FDG PET plus low dose non-diagnostic CT study was 8.85 mSv (range: 5.56-13.00). Conclusions: We conclude that the median effective dose from a whole body 18FDG PET/CT in our patients was significantly low. We suggest adhering to recently published dose reducing strategies, use of ToF scanner with CT dose reducing option to achieve the lower if not the lowest effective dose. This would certainly reduce the risk of second primary malignancy in younger patients with higher odds of cure from first primary cancer.

• Journal of Korean Medicine Rehabilitation
• /
• v.28 no.1
• /
• pp.73-84
• /
• 2018

Objectives While Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) is highly prevalent in Korea, studies examining its Korean medical treatment are currently lacking. The aim of this study was to assess current Korean medical treatment practice patterns for TMD. Methods A preliminary questionnaire was developed to investigate current practice patterns of TMD treatment and underwent further revision through external review. The final questionnaire was distributed as a web-based survey to 18,289 potential respondents by email. Results The response rate was 2.23%. Most participants replied that they received multiple Korean medicine interventions for TMD treatment consisting of such methods as acupuncture, chuna manipulation, electroacupuncture. The percentage of treatment services among uncovered services, which need to be covered by national health insurance was high in the order of pharmacopuncture, chuna manipulation, and herbal medicine. The most commonly used diagnostic examination tools for TMD was Physical examination and next was Imaging diagnosis. The frequency of TMD treatment was the highest at 2~3 times per week (76%) and the period was from 4 to 12 weeks (63%). Conclusions This survey study helps determine current practice patterns of TMD, and recognizes the need for use of diagnostic devices in TMD treatment. These results are further anticipated to provide basic data for clinical practice guide lines (CPGs).

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.13 no.2
• /
• pp.85-89
• /
• 2002

We authors developed a new small-size birdcage RF coil for animal MR images. And we compared signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the new small coil with a conventional knee coil. The dimension of the low-pass type birdcage coil with 12 elements at 37 MRI system are 13 cm outer diameter, 12 cm inner diameter and 20 cm length. For each element, the width of copper tape is 0.05 mm, thickness is 8 mm and length is 20 cm. The small birdcage coil with 12 elements exhibited 7 resonance modes. The isolation of the quadrature channel could be achieved more than 20 ㏈. The coil quality factor (Q value) was 98.6. The SNR of the animal coil was 243.2 on the average and was about twice as high as the conventional knee coil. The present study successfully demonstrated that the small birdcage coil could provide high quality animal MR images with the improved SNR. Therefore, it is expected that the small birdcage coil could be used in the clinical diagnosis and research studies for veterinary medicine in the near future.

• Progress in Medical Physics
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.52-58
• /
• 2015

The automated dental cavity detection program for a new concept intra-oral dental x-ray imaging device, an auxiliary diagnosis system, which is able to assist a dentist to identify dental caries in an early stage and to make an accurate diagnosis, was to be developed. The primary theory of the automatic dental cavity detection program is divided into two algorithms; one is an image segmentation skill to discriminate between a dental cavity and a normal tooth and the other is a computational method to analyze feature of an tooth image and take an advantage of it for detection of dental cavities. In the present study, it is, first, evaluated how accurately the DRLSE (Direct Regularized Level Set Evolution) method extracts demarcation surrounding the dental cavity. In order to evaluate the ability of the developed algorithm to automatically detect dental cavities, 7 tooth phantoms from incisor to molar were fabricated which contained a various form of cavities. Then, dental cavities in the tooth phantom images were analyzed with the developed algorithm. Except for two cavities whose contours were identified partially, the contours of 12 cavities were correctly discriminated by the automated dental caries detection program, which, consequently, proved the practical feasibility of the automatic dental lesion detection algorithm. However, an efficient and enhanced algorithm is required for its application to the actual dental diagnosis since shapes or conditions of the dental caries are different between individuals and complicated. In the future, the automatic dental cavity detection system will be improved adding pattern recognition or machine learning based algorithm which can deal with information of tooth status.

• Journal of Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Probes
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.53-61
• /
• 2015

Lutetium-177 ($T_{1/2}=6.71day$) is an adequate radionuclide for therapy, which has both beta emission ($E_{max}=497keV$) for therapeutic effect and gamma emission (113 and 208 keV) for imaging. $^{177}Lu$ labeled ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetrakis (methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraaminomethylenephosphonate (DOTMP) have been proposed as radiopharmaceuticals for bone pain palliation. In this study, we compared radiochemistry and biodistribution of $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP. EDTMP and DOTMP were synthesized, and 1 mg of each was labeled with $^{177}Lu$ at pH 7~8 with high efficiency (>98%). For comparative biodistribution studies, $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP or $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP were injected into ICR-mice through tail vein, and then biodistribution data were obtained as percentages of injected dose per gram of tissue (% ID/g). Urine excretions of both agents in mice were checked for 7 days. Rat images were also obtained after injection of $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP or $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP. $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP (100% at 1 min) showed faster labeling than $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP (100% at 30 min). Both of them were stable at least for 21 days at room temperature. High bone uptakes were found for both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP: 38.0 and 34.1% ID/g at 3 hr, respectively; and 33.2 and 18.8% ID/g at 7 day, respectively. Rapid excretions to urine were found for both agents ($^{177}Lu$-EDTMP: 56%, $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP: 63% at 1 day). Other organs showed very low uptakes. Rat images of both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP showed high bone uptakes and low soft tissue uptakes. In conclusion, both $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP and $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP showed high potential as bone pain palliation agents. $^{177}Lu$-EDTMP showed higher bone uptake and slower bone clearance in mice than those of $^{177}Lu$-DOTMP.

• Childhood Kidney Diseases
• /
• v.18 no.2
• /
• pp.92-97
• /
• 2014

Purpose: Bisphosphonates are widely used for the management steroid-induced osteoporosis (SIO) in children. With the increasing use of bisphosphonates, there have been reports of abnormal radiological findings in the growing skeleton. Therefore, their use in pediatric patients remains controversial. The present study was conducted to evaluate the long-term follow-up radiographic features, particularly metaphyseal sclerotic lines, in children who receive pamidronate therapy for nephropathy. Methods: Twenty-four children with nephropathy treated with oral calcium and pamidronate (mean duration, 9 months; dose, 100 mg daily), were evaluated retrospectively. All patients had SIO secondary to chronic glucocorticoid therapy for treating nephropathy. Long bone radiographic imaging was performed before treatment with pamidronate, and at follow-up, several years later. Physeal growth rates were estimated by measuring the distance that the sclerotic lines moved on the radiographs during the corresponding time intervals. Results: The mean follow-up period was 138 months. Long bone radiographs showed well-defined sclerotic lines at the metaphyseal ends, progressively moving from the physeal plate to the diaphysis, in all patients. The mean rate of movement of the sclerotic line was 6.21 mm per year. In 12 patients, the lines disappeared. The mean rate of growth in height was 7.33 cm per year. Conclusions: Results of long-term follow-up suggest that the metaphyseal sclerotic lines associated with pamidronate treatment tend to disappear without affecting overall skeletal growth. Bisphosphonate treatment for SIO in children with nephropathy seems to be safe, although further studies in larger number of patients are needed.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
• /
• v.40 no.4
• /
• pp.200-204
• /
• 2006

Purpose: Determination of pulmonary to systemic blood flow ratio (QP/QS) is important for the management of patients with left-to-right shunt. This study was performed to assess the agreement of Qp/Qs ratio using the radionuclide method and oxymetry, to investigate the factors influencing the agreement, and to know how interchangeable the results of each technique. Materials and Methods: We compared the Qp/Qs measured by single-pass radionuclide angiocardiography and oxymetry during catheterization in 207 patients who underwent both studies. In radionuclide method, Qp/Qs was calculated from the pulmonary time-activity curves using a gamma variate fit. The correlation and Bland-Altman analysis were performed according to the levels of shunt and associated lesions. Results: The mean Qp/Qs was $1.83{\pm}0.50$ by radionuclide, and $1.74{\pm}0.51$ by oxymetry. The overall correlation coefficient was 0.86(p<0.001), and Bland-Altman range of agreement encompassing 4SD was 1.05. For atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, tricuspid and mitral insufficiency, the correlation coefficient was 0.78, 0.90, 0.84, 0.63 and 0.44, and Bland-Altman range was 1.51, 0.74, 0.96, 1.57, and 1.50, respectively. Conclusion: There is good agreement but wide variance between the Qp/Qs ratios by radionuclide method and oxymetry. Associated atrioventricular valvar insufficiency decreases the correlation coefficient and widens the variance. Wide overall variance suggests that Qp/Qs measurements by two techniques should not be used interchangeably.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
• /
• v.31 no.1
• /
• pp.33-40
• /
• 2015

For the globalization of Korean food restaurants, the kitchens should be equipped with proper ventilation systems and space to keep clean and ensure food safety. This study aimed to examine the ratio of kitchen to total space of restaurant and the suitability of the ventilation systems employed at Korean food restaurants. Data were collected by on-site survey of 12 Korean foods restaurants in Seoul. Length and width of the restaurants were measured with scale. Temperatures and air velocity around the heating equipment, working area, and hood were measured with a thermal imaging camera anemometer and thermometer. Statistical analyses were conducted with the SPSS program. The average space of the restaurants was $25.7m^2$. The ratio of kitchen to space was 0.22 for restaurants sized $32m^2$, 0.28 for $33-66m^2$, 0.21 for $66.1-99m^2$, 0.16 for $99.1-148.5m^2$, and 0.35 for those above $148.5m^2$. Average maximum and minimum air velocity around the hood were 0.28 m/sec and 0.22 m/sec, respectively. Under these conditions, the temperature of the working area was $41^{\circ}C$, presenting an uncomfortable indoor temperature for kitchen employees to work. When classifying 3 groups based on the minimum and maximum air velocity, the temperatures near the cooking area and in the hood of the restaurants showed significant differences among the three groups. When the maximum air velocity was over 0.3 m/sec, the temperature of the cooking area was as $30.1^{\circ}C$, showing a significantly lower temperature (p<0.01). Based on these results, the kitchen space rate of 0.25 to the total space and a ventilation system maintaining a maximum air velocity over 0.3 m/sec were recommended for ensuring the food safety of Korean foods restaurants sized 66 to $99m^2$.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.24 no.2
• /
• pp.229-236
• /
• 1990

Perfusion and ventilaion imagings of the lung are well established procedure for diagnosing pulmonary embolism, differentiation it from chronic obstructive lung disease, and making an early detection of chronic obstructive lung disease. To evaluate the usefulness of radioaerosol inhalation imaging (RII) in chronic obstructive lung disease, especially pulmonary emphysema, we analyzed RIIs of five normal adult non-smokers, five asymptomatic smokers (age 25-42 years with the mean 36), and 21 patients with pulmonry emphysema (age 59-78 years with the mean 67). Scintigrams were obtained with radioaerosol produced by a BARC nebulizer with 15 mCi of Tc-99m-phytate. Scanning was performed in the anterior, posterior, and lateral projections after five to 10-minute inhalation of the radioaerosol on sitting position. The scans were analyzed and correlated with the results of pulmonary function studies and chest radiographs. Also lung perfusion scan with $^{99m}Tc-MAA$ was performed in 12 patients. In five patients, we performed follow-up scans for the evaluation of the effects of a bronchodilator. Based on the X-ray findings and clinical symptoms, pulmonary emphysema was classified into four types: centrilobular (3 patients), panlobular (4 patients), intermediate (10 patients), and combined (4 patients). RII findings were patternized according to the type, extent, and intensity of the aerosol deposition in the central bronchial and bronchopulmonary system and lung parenchyma. 10 controls, normal five non-smokers and three asymptomatic smokers revealed homogeneous parenchymal deposition in the entire lung fields without central bronchial deposition. The remaining two of asymptomatic smokers revealed mild central airway deposition. The great majority of the patients showed either central (9/21) or combined type (10/21) of bronchopulmonary deposition and the remaining two patients peripheral bronchopulmonary deposition. Parenchymal aerosol deposition in pulmonary emphysema was diffuse (6/21), discrete(6/21), intermediate (3/21), or combined (6/21). In 12 patients studied also with perfusion scans, perfusion defects matched closely with ventilation defects in location and configuration. But the size of the ventilation defects was generally larger than the perfusion defects. In all four patients treated with bronchodilators, the follow-up study demonstrated decrease in abnormal of radioaerosol deposition in the central airway with improvement of ventilation defects. RII was useful technique for the evaluation of regional ventilatory abnormality and the effects of treatment with bronchodilators in pulmonary emphysema.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.22-30
• /
• 1995

To predict preoperatively the safety of permanent occlusion of an internal carotid artery with $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain single photon emission computed tomography(SPECT) from an objective point of view, Twenty-four patients underwent balloon test occlusion (BTO) of the internal carotid arteries because of neck and skull base tumors. The authors assessed the uptake of both middle cerebral artery territories before and during BTO with $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain SPECT using semiquantitative analysis method and compared the results with other factors(neurologic examination, arterial stump pressure and electroenceph-alogram). Nineteen patients had not experienced neurological deteriorating or any problem during BTO. Their comparative uptakes of the middle cerebral artery territories were 95 to 101% of the pre-BTO state. The remaining five patients showed severe neurologic symptoms such as transient hemiplegia and unconsciousness. Their comparative uptake of the middle cerebral artery territories were 77 to 85% of the pre-BTO state, and were well matched with other factors. $^{99m}Tc$-HMPAO brain SPECT before and during BTO seems to be a simple and objective method for prediction of permanent neurologic deficits when the comparative uptake of middle cerebral artery territories during BTO is lower than 85% of that before BTO.