Objective: to assess the prevalence of incidental findings in pre-orthodontic orthopantomograms, the need for referral as a result of these findings and to evaluate the quality of the radiographs. Methods: 300 radiographs of males and females (10-60 years old) were analyzed. The PABAK test was used to calculate intra-rater reliability. The findings were recorded in a customized data entry form. Results: positioning errors were frequent, with the most common being the tongue dropping from the palate, presence of anatomical ghost images and chin positioning errors. 62.6% of the patients showed at least one incidental finding, with hypodontia, impacted third molars and other impacted teeth being the most common. 20% of the findings merited a referral. Conclusions: technical errors are common. The prevalence of incidental findings in this study was higher than previously reported. 20% of the findings needed a referral, with impacted teeth representing the most common cause for referral.

No description available.

No description available.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se a avaliação da cortical mandibular é um método confiável para predizer a densidade mineral óssea utilizando a Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular em radiografias panorâmicas. Métodos: Duzentos e doze mulheres na pós-menopausa (59,28 ± 4,99 anos) foram incluídas. Questionários estruturados foram aplicados para identificar fatores demográficos e fatores de risco para a osteoporose. A densidade mineral óssea foi medida por dupla absorção de raios-X. A osteoporose foi classificada de acordo com critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde (T-score -2,5) e foi o padrão ouro para seu diagnóstico. A Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular foram avaliadas baseadas em métodos validados para verificar as características radiográficas da mandíbula. Resultados: A sensibilidade, a especificidade, os valores preditivos e a acurácia para a identificação de osteoporose pelos parâmetros radiográficos foram analisadas. Resultados para a Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular foram os seguintes: sensibilidade de 58,33% e 50,00%; especificidade 91,86 e 91,25% e acurácia de 74,08% e 69,91%, respectivamente. A área sob a curva ROC foi de 0,74. O ponto de corte foi 3,4 mm para identificação de osteoporose por meio da Espessura da Cortical Mandibular. Conclusão: Este estudo demonstrou que radiografias panorâmicas são um procedimento confiável para excluir a osteoporose. / Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate if the assessment of the mandibular cortical is a reliable method to predict bone mineral density using Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width from panoramic radiographs. Methods: Two hundred and eleven postmenopausal women (59.28 ± 4.99 years) were enrolled, and structured questionnaires were administered to identify demographic and risk factors for osteoporosis. Bone mineral density was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Osteoporosis was classified according to the World Health Organization criteria (T-score -2.5) and it was reference gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis. Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were assessed based on validated methods for evaluating the radiographic characteristics of the mandible. Results: Sensitivities, specificities, predictive values and accuracies for osteoporosis identification by Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were evaluated. Respective results for Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were as follows: sensitivity 58.33% and 50.00%; specificity 91.86% and 91.25% and accuracy 74.08% and 69.91%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.74 and the cutoff point was 3,4mm to identify osteoporotic women with Mandibular Cortical Width. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that panoramic radiographs are a reliable procedure to exclude osteoporosis and suggests that this methodology could be used to diagnose normal bone density and exclude large populations from unnecessary Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Objetivo: O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar se a avaliação da cortical mandibular é um método confiável para predizer a densidade mineral óssea utilizando a Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular em radiografias panorâmicas. Métodos: Duzentos e doze mulheres na pós-menopausa (59,28 ± 4,99 anos) foram incluídas. Questionários estruturados foram aplicados para identificar fatores demográficos e fatores de risco para a osteoporose. A densidade mineral óssea foi medida por dupla absorção de raios-X. A osteoporose foi classificada de acordo com critérios da Organização Mundial da Saúde (T-score -2,5) e foi o padrão ouro para seu diagnóstico. A Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular foram avaliadas baseadas em métodos validados para verificar as características radiográficas da mandíbula. Resultados: A sensibilidade, a especificidade, os valores preditivos e a acurácia para a identificação de osteoporose pelos parâmetros radiográficos foram analisadas. Resultados para a Morfologia da Cortical Mandibular e a Espessura da Cortical Mandibular foram os seguintes: sensibilidade de 58,33% e 50,00%; especificidade 91,86 e 91,25% e acurácia de 74,08% e 69,91%, respectivamente. A área sob a curva ROC foi de 0,74. O ponto de corte foi 3,4 mm para identificação de osteoporose por meio da Espessura da Cortical Mandibular. Conclusão: Este estudo demonstrou que radiografias panorâmicas são um procedimento confiável para excluir a osteoporose. / Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate if the assessment of the mandibular cortical is a reliable method to predict bone mineral density using Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width from panoramic radiographs. Methods: Two hundred and eleven postmenopausal women (59.28 ± 4.99 years) were enrolled, and structured questionnaires were administered to identify demographic and risk factors for osteoporosis. Bone mineral density was measured by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Osteoporosis was classified according to the World Health Organization criteria (T-score -2.5) and it was reference gold standard for osteoporosis diagnosis. Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were assessed based on validated methods for evaluating the radiographic characteristics of the mandible. Results: Sensitivities, specificities, predictive values and accuracies for osteoporosis identification by Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were evaluated. Respective results for Mandibular Cortical Erosion and Mandibular Cortical Width were as follows: sensitivity 58.33% and 50.00%; specificity 91.86% and 91.25% and accuracy 74.08% and 69.91%. The area under the ROC curve was 0.74 and the cutoff point was 3,4mm to identify osteoporotic women with Mandibular Cortical Width. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that panoramic radiographs are a reliable procedure to exclude osteoporosis and suggests that this methodology could be used to diagnose normal bone density and exclude large populations from unnecessary Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Musculoskeletal injuries are the most common injuries sustained by athletes and military recruits and can result in decreased performance and lifelong disability. So common and costly are these injuries that the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons has provided guidelines for future research, including recommendations for the development of a large animal model of bone injury (USDA 2001). In human and veterinary medicine, digital radiography represents the primary diagnostic tool the physician uses to diagnose skeletal injury. Advances in digital radiography have provided the veterinarian with opportunities to make both simple and complex radiographic assessments. We investigated a simple quantitative measurement of the solar, concave aspect of the distal phalanx in the horse, termed the Palmar-Metric (PM). The PM was a significant predictor of solar cup volume (p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with age (r2 = 0.28, p < 0.05) as determined from 544 radiographs of the distal phalanx from the left and right front feet. Therefore, veterinarians should be aware of the age related change in the solar, concave aspect of the distal phalanx in the horse. We hypothesized that the decrease in the degree of concavity with age may be due to demineralization and subsequent loss of bone density along the solar margin of the distal phalanx. Therefore, we investigated the quantification of optical bone density (bone OD) via complex radiographic calibration. By developing a brightness/darkness index (BDI), the greyscale of radiographs, calibrated with an aluminum marker of varying known thickness, can be compared to the average density of a cross-section of bone. At varying radiographic exposure intensity (kV) and exposure time (mAs), Al BDI was a significant predictor of bone BDI (r2 = 0.960, p < 0.001) and bone OD (r2 = 0.971, p < 0.001). This method of calibration can be utilized by the radiologist to accurately assess bone OD regardless of technique, and allow direct comparison of radiographs taken under different exposure settings. This method successfully quantifies bone OD via measurement of BDI from standardized digital radiographs, allowing for the opacity of radiographs to be truly comparable when taken under different circumstances.

As computer technologies are developed rapidly in recent years, the ways to diagnose diseases also alter in clinical practice. Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) is an example that makes the diagnostic way for medical images change from view box to monitor. All types of medical images tend to be digitized and this makes it practical for helping doctor diagnose medical images via computer technologies. In this thesis, we propose a systemic approach to screen abnormalities in chest radiographs. First, a preprocess step identifying the view of chest radiographs is introduced. Second, a method is proposed for automated detection of gross abnormal opacity in chest radiographs. Third, computation time reduction is performed by subsampling. Finally, a computer-aided diagnosis system is implemented and evaluated in a clinical environment. Major technique used in this thesis is to analyze the projection profile obtained by projecting a chest image on to the mediolateral axis. The discriminant performance for each method is evaluated by using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. The results indicate that the proposed methods are potentially useful for screening abnormalities in chest radiographs.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:03Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2002-02-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:57:39Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 sakakura_ce_me_arafo.pdf: 293566 bytes, checksum: b59ebffa797d41b6f4b75aa3ce197b82 (MD5) / Com o advento do implantes, a precisa localização de estruturas anatômicas, dentre elas o canal da mandíbula e o forame mentual, tornou-se uma necessidade primordial para os implantodontistas. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar a reprodutibilidade diagnóstica da imagem panorâmica convencional e digitalizada invertida na detecção do teto do canal da mandíbula e do forame mentual. Foi utilizada uma amostra de setenta e sete radiografias panorâmicas de edentados totais. Estas foram digitalizadas por meio de um escaner, tendo o brilho e o contraste ajustado, bem como a transformação em negativo. A área posterior ao forame mentual foi dividida em três regiões e a presença do teto do canal foi classificada em uma escala de confiança de cinco pontos. O forame mentual foi classificado segundo os critérios propostos por Yosue et al.74 (1989). Tanto a panorâmica convencional, como a digitalizada invertida foram avaliadas por três implantodontistas, previamente calibrados, em duas ocasiões distintas com intervalo mínimo de dez dias. A reprodutibilidade intra-examinador foi avaliada empregando-se a estatística Kappa (k), segundo Light (kL). A concordância intra-examinador, segundo Landis & Kock31, variou em sofrível, regular e boa; entretanto, não houve diferença estatísticamente significante na maioria das situações. Concluímos que os valores foram de baixa concordância por ponto e por intervalo de confiança, quando os três examinadores avaliaram a presença do teto do canal da mandíbula e do forame mentual. / The knowledge of precise location of mandibular canal and mentual foramen are very important in mandibular implant surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic reproducibility of conventional and negative digitized conventional panoramic images of superior wall of mandibular canal and mentual foramen. A sample of 77 edentulous patient's panoramic radiographs was used. These radiographs were digitized by a scanner with adjusted bright and contrast and it showed in a negative mode. The posterior segment behind mentual foramen was divided into three parts and the presence of the superior wall of mandibular canal was classified according to five points scale. The mental foramen was classified according to criteria of Yosue et al,77 (1989). The conventional panoramic and digitized radiographies were evaluated twice by three previously calibrated implantodontits. The intra-observer reproducibility was found using Kappa's statistic, according Ligth. The intra-observer agreement varied between bearable and good according to Landis & Kock. However, there was no significant difference. We observed low agreement in the Kappa's values.

I studied the reproductive characteristics and mating systems of a central Florida population of gopher tortoises (Gopherus polyphemus). Using x-radiography, females were monitored for stage in egg-shelling and clutch size. Eggs began to appear on x-ray photographs in the first week of May in both 2001 and 2002; however, fully shelled eggs were not found before the end of May. In total 55% of the females x-rayed were gravid. Clutch sizes ranged from 4-12 with a mean of 7.29, with a mean clutch mass of 40.9 g. Clutch size increased with an increase in mean carapace length and mean plastron length. Mean clutch mass also increased with mean carapace length of females. Hatchlings began to emerge in late August, with incubation times ranging from 83 to 96 days. 50% of the eggs hatched, with 16.2% of the eggs showing no signs of development when opened. Hatchling mass averaged 30.7 g and was positively correlated with egg mass. DNA was extracted from blood samples obtained from females and their offspring, and from the sexually mature males in the population. Nine microsatellite loci were amplified and genotypes constructed for each individual. There is evidence for promiscuous mating in gopher tortoises. Multiple paternity was detected in two of the seven clutches (28.6 %). In the clutches with multiple fathers, fertilization was highly skewed to one male, with primary male fertilizing over 70% of the clutch. Females with multiple-sired clutches were significantly smaller than females with single-sired clutches. Among the clutches assayed only one male fertilized more than one clutch, indicating that insemination of females is evenly spread among males of similar sizes. However, males assigned as fathers were significantly larger than other sampled males which may mean that larger males have an advantage in fertilization of clutches. Conservation efforts should consider the impact of the mating system on reproduction in a population, and the possible impact of the relocation of larger males on recipient populations.

Undesirable work factors, such as awkward upper body postures and repetitive arm motion, in the workplace can lead to upper extremity pain. Research suggests that these work-related factors, and subsequent rotator cuff fatigue, may cause the subacromial space (the space between the inferior acromion surface and superior humerus) of the shoulder to decrease. Reducing this space can create impingement of the interposed tissues, which causes shoulder pain. The aim of this study was to examine superior humeral head excursion and changes in the width of the subacromial space (acromio-humeral interval) after fatiguing the rotator cuff musculature. Four anterior-posterior radiographs of the glenohumeral joint at arm abduction angles of 0˚, 45˚, 90˚ and 135˚ were taken before and after a fatiguing task. The fatiguing task was a simulated job task requiring shoulder flexion/abduction and internal/external rotation, with the intention of exhausting the entire rotator cuff. The position of the humeral head with respect to the glenoid cavity was significantly affected both by arm angle and fatigue state; the mean humeral superior excursion following fatigue was 0.63±1.76mm. In the pre-fatigued state, increasing arm angle was related to superior translation until 90˚, after which the humeral head moved inferiorly to a more central position. In the post-fatigued state, the inability of the rotator cuff to centralize the humeral head led to increasing translations with higher elevations. Although the magnitude of translation in this study was smaller than seen in patients with rotator cuff tears, continuous overhead work demonstrably created rotator cuff fatigue, which apparently inhibited the ability of the shoulder musculature to resist upward translation of the humerus. Therefore, jobs that require overhead and repetitive work arguably put the worker at greater risk for superior translation of the humerus and subsequent related tissue damage.