The utility and algorithm of diagnostic and particularly radiological conventional and digital methods in diagnosis and staging of central and peripheral, non-small cell and small cell bronchogenic carcinoma are presented in this paper. Their sensitivity and specificity in the assessment of malignant mediastinal and hilar adenopathy, pleural and chest wall infiltration and tissue categorization of the solitary pulmonary nodule are discussed. It is concluded that digital methods - spiral CT, US and MRI, in spite of quoted limitations, have considerably improved the diagnosis and staging of bronchogenic carcinoma. Although CT is superior over conventional radiological methods, it should be used in definitive staging complimentary with the other imaging modalities, endoscopic and bioptic methods, as well as obligatory histological confirmation of the diagnosis.

The aim of this study is to review the contribution of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) as a screening tool for coronary artery disease by measuring quantity of coronary calcium. During the period of one year, 59 patients with clinical symptoms of cardiac disease were examined in our Institute of Radiology. The average age of the examined patients was 62 years. The youngest patient was 18 and the oldest 82 years old. 41 patients (69.5%) were male with average age of 62.7 years and 18 patients (30.5%) female with average age of 63 years. The CT examinations were performed with ECG gating MSCT “Somatom Volume Zoom” Siemens native and with intravenous contrast medium administration (140 ml Omnipaque with 50 ml physiological solution) and with 3 mm slice thickness. Special attention was paid to the coronary vessel calcification according to Agatston’s total calcium score(TCS) for account coronary calcification. Calcifications of coronary arteries were found in 52 patients and TCS was made according to Agatston’s method. Among these patients werel2 (20,3%) with mild coronary arthrosclerosis (total calcium scor -TCS 10-100), 11 (18,6%) with moderate coronary atherosclerosis (TCS 100-400), and 29 (49,1%) with severe coronary atherosclerosis (TCS > 400). 42 (71,2%) of these patients were smokers, 22 (37,3%) had hypertension, 9 (15,2%) diabetes, 6 (10,2%) hypercholesterolemia and 5 (6.8%) triglyceridemia, everybody with coronary calcifications. Only 24(40,7%) of these patients had symptoms of angina pectoris. Infarctus myocardii was found in 7 (11.9%) patients, among them 6(85,7%) with severe coronary atherosclerosis (TCS > 400). Calcifications of the coronary arteries are always connected with arthrosclerosis. For this reason, an early detection and quantification of coronary calcifications play an important role in the diagnosis and prognosis in patients with coronary artery disease. MSCT has shown to be the most sensitive modality for this purpose and enables, safe and non-invasive screening investigation of coronary arteries.

Magnetna rezonanca (MRI) i kompjuterizirana tomografija (CT) su komparirane u jednogodišnjoj retrospektivnoj studiji 17 pacijenata (9 muškog i 8 ženskog pola, prosječne dobi od 28,2 godina, 13 sa uputnom dijagnozom miastenija gravis i 4 perzistentni timus). Obje metode (CT i MRI) su potvrdile visoku senzitivnost i tačno identifikovale stanje timusa. CT nalazi su najčešće prikazali mekotkivnu masu ili nakupine masnog tkiva sa linearnim ili modularnim areama veće gustoće. MRI je obično prikazala aree nižeg intenziteta signala u TI i PD sekvencama, dok je u T2 signal bio nešto slabiji. TI i T2 Turbo Flash Breath Hold sekvence su se pokazale veoma korisnim u prikazu timusa sa mogućošću prikaza timusne kapsule. Radiološki nalazi su potvrđeni intraoperativno kod 12 pacijenata sa miastenijom gravis (11 pacijenata su imali timus perzistens i 1 pacijent timom). MRI i CT su veoma vrijedne komplementarne radiološke dijagnostičke metode vizuelizacije timusa. CT ima bolju prostornu rezoluciju i lakše prikazuje kalcifikacije. MRI jasno diferencira otočiće žljezdanog tkiva, osobito unutar masnog tkiva i timusnu kapsulu. Iako je MRI skuplja i pregled duže traje, ona je bez jonizirajućeg značenja i kao takva nije štetna.