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— BUSM researchers develop blood test to detect membranous nephropathy — Research conducted by a pair of physicians at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston Medical Centre (BMC) has led to the development of a test that can help diagnose…
— New hip implants no better than traditional implants — New hip implants appear to have no advantage over traditional implants, suggests a review of the evidence published on bmj.com today…
— Action needed to improve men's health in Europe — Policies aimed specifically at men are urgently needed to improve the health of Europe's men, say experts on bmj.com today…
— Probiotics reduce infections for patients in intensive care — Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection. At the same time the patient also often suffers hyper-inflammation, due…
— High blood sugar levels in older women linked to colorectal cancer — Elevated blood sugar levels are associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to a study led by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.…
— Engineered botulism toxins could have broader role in medicine — The most poisonous substance on Earth - already used medically in small doses to treat certain nerve disorders and facial wrinkles - could be re-engineered for an expanded role in helping…
MRI: Non-invasive diagnostic tool for diagnosing testicular cancer
Researchers have found that non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a good diagnostic tool for the evaluation and staging of testicular cancer and may improve patient care by sparing some men unnecessary surgery, according to a study in the March issue of the American Journal of Roentgenology (www.ajronline.org).
'Medical imaging plays an important role in the investigation of testicular masses,' said Athina C. Tsili, MD, lead author of the study. 'Sonography, although the primary imaging technique for the evaluation of scrotal contents, does not always allow confident characterisation of the nature of a testicular mass. The purpose of our study was to assess the role of MRI in the preoperative characterisation and local staging of testicular masses,' said Tsili.
Prior surgery and histological examination revealed 28 malignant and 8 benign lesions in 33 patients. 'Of those 36 lesions, MRI correctly identified all 28 malignant lesions and 7/8 benign lesions,' she said.
'A possible diagnosis of benign lesion based on MRI features may improve patient care and decrease the number of unnecessary surgical procedures,' said Tsili.
'MRI is an efficient diagnostic tool for the evaluation of testicular masses. It is accurate in the preoperative differentiation of benign and malignant masses, facilitating accurate estimation of the local extent of disease in patients with malignant tumours,' she said.
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