Background: Multiple sclerosis is often a longitudinal disease continuum with an initial relapsing-remitting phase (RRMS) and later secondary progression (SPMS). Most currently approved therapies are not sufficiently effective in SPMS. Early detection of SPMS conversion is therefore critical for therapy selection. Important decision-making tools may include testing of partial cognitive performance and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Aim of the work: To demonstrate the importance of cognitive testing and MRI for the prediction and detection of SPMS conversion. Elaboration of strategies for follow-up and therapy management in practice, especially in outpatient care. Material and methods: Review based on an unsystematic literature search. Results: Standardized cognitive testing can be helpful for early SPMS diagnosis and facilitate progression assessment. Annual use of sensitive screening tests such as Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT) and Brief Visual Memory Test-Revised (BVMT-R) or the Brief International Cognitive Assessment for MS (BICAMS) test battery is recommended. Persistent inflammatory activity on MRI in the first three years of disease and the presence of cortical lesions are predictive of SPMS conversion. Standardized MRI monitoring for features of progressive MS can support clinically and neurocognitively based suspicion of SPMS. Discussion: Interdisciplinary care of MS patients by clinically skilled neurologists, supported by neuropsychological testing and MRI, has a high value for SPMS prediction and diagnosis. The latter allows early conversion to appropriate therapies, as SPMS requires different interventions than RRMS. After drug switching, clinical, neuropsychological, and imaging vigilance allows stringent monitoring for neuroinflammatory and degenerative activity as well as treatment complications.

Cardiovascular imaging analysis is a useful tool for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of cardiovascular diseases. Imaging techniques allow non-invasive quantitative assessment of cardiac function, providing morphological, functional and dynamic information. Recent technological advances in ultrasound have made it possible to improve the quality of patient treatment, thanks to the use of modern image processing and analysis techniques. However, the acquisition of these dynamic three-dimensional (3D) images leads to the production of large volumes of data to process, from which cardiac structures must be extracted and analyzed during the cardiac cycle. Extraction, three-dimensional visualization, and qualification tools are currently used within the clinical routine, but unfortunately require significant interaction with the physician. These elements justify the development of new efficient and robust algorithms for structure extraction and cardiac motion estimation from three-dimensional images. As a result, making available to clinicians new means to accurately assess cardiac anatomy and function from three-dimensional images represents a definite advance in the investigation of a complete description of the heart from a single examination. The aim of this article is to show what advances have been made in 3D cardiac imaging by ultrasound and additionally to observe which areas have been studied under this imaging modality.

Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma (FAST) has been widely used and studied in blunt and penetrating trauma for the past 3 decades. Prior to FAST, invasive procedures such as diagnostic peritoneal lavage and exploratory laparotomy were commonly used to diagnose intra-abdominal injuries. Today, the FAST examination has evolved into a more comprehensive study of the abdomen, heart, thorax, inferior vena cava, among others, with many variations in technique, protocols and interpretation. Trauma management strategies such as laparotomy, endoscopy, computed tomography angiography, angiographic intervention, serial imaging and clinical observation have also changed over the years. This technique, at times, has managed to replace computed tomography and peritoneal lavage diagnosis, without producing delays in the surgical procedure. As such, the relationship between the patient’s clinical information and the results of the exam should be guided to guide therapeutic approaches in difficult to access settings such as intensive care units in war zones, rural or remote locations where other imaging methods are not available. This review will discuss the evolution of the FAST exam to its current status and evaluate its evolving role in the acute management of the trauma patient.

Infrared thermal imaging technology is another new branch for medical imaging after traditional medical imaging technologies such as X-ray, ultrasound and magnetic resonance (MRI). It has the advantages of noninvasive, nondestructive, simple and fast. Its application can radiate multiple clinical departments. This paper mainly expounds the principle, influencing factors of medical infrared thermography and its application in radiation protection and other medical fields.

Objective: To determine the presence of bacteria by means of microbiological analysis on the surfaces contacted by the operator during the taking and processing of intraoral radiographs at different times of the day in the Oral Radiology Service of the UPCH. Materials and methods: Nine surfaces of the oral radiology service were sampled. The samples were taken at two times by the same investigator; at the beginning and the end of the activities in the service, the surfaces were swabbed with Trypticase Soy Broth (TSB). The samples were inoculated and incubated in three culture media (Plate Count Agar, Lamb’s Blood Agar and Cetrimide Agar). Then the respective Colony Forming Unit (CFU) count was performed and Gram staining was also performed. Results: A high concentration of bacteria (4180 CFU/mL) and fungi was found in the oral radiology service. Gram-positive cocci were the most frequently found microorganisms and gram-negative bacilli were less frequently found. Conclusions: There is a high contamination of bacteria in the oral radiology service. When the activities are completed, the number of bacteria decreases, but the variety of bacteria increases.

The present work shows an application of the Chan-Vese algorithm for the semi-automatic segmentation of anatomical structures of interest (lungs and lung tumor) in 4DCT images of the thorax, as well as their three-dimensional reconstruction. The segmentation and reconstruction were performed on 10 CT images, which make up an inspiration-expiration cycle. The maximum displacement was calculated for the case of the lung tumor using the reconstructions of the onset of inspiration, the onset of expiration, and the voxel information. The proposed method achieves appropriate segmentation of the studied structures regardless of their size and shape. The three-dimensional reconstruction allows us to visualize the dynamics of the structures of interest throughout the respiratory cycle. In the future, it is expected to have more evidence of the good performance of the proposed method and to have the feedback of the clinical expert, since the knowledge of the characteristics of anatomical structures, such as their dimension and spatial position, helps in the planning of Radiotherapy (RT) treatments, optimizing the radiation dose to cancer cells and minimizing it in healthy organs. Therefore, the information found in this work may be of interest for the planning of RT treatments.