Diagnostic ultrasound is changing dramatically because of the development of a variety of high resolution real-time scanning instruments. Until recently the standard instrument was the articulated arm contact scanner. Real-time scanners were viewed as adjunct instruments for specific and limited pur poses. The roles are reversing with real-time instruments more frequently accepted as the primary diagnostic tool and the contact scanner becoming the ancillary instrument for use mainly for viewing a large field that cannot be scanned with real-time instruments. Two recent editorials stated that real-time instruments were used as the sole diagnostic instrument for between 80% [Cooperberg (2)] and 98% [Bartrum and Crow (1)] of their abdominal examinations. This book introduces the reader to the field of real-time scanning in the abdomen. It presupposes an understanding of basic physical concepts of ultrasound, the appearance of both normal and pathologic conditions as produced by static articulated arm contact scanning, and a familiarity with the techniques of contact scanning. It is designed to acquaint the reader with the spectrum of real-time instrumentation, provide a basic understanding of the physics of ultrasound as related to these instruments, emphasize the special skills required in the use of this equipment, and describe applications of real-time scanning for various parts of the abdomen. While numerous illustrations of both normal and pathologic anatomy are shown, the book is an all-inclusive study of abdominal pathology as demonstrated by real-time imaging.

This open access book deals with imaging of the abdomen and pelvis, an area that has seen considerable advances over the past several years, driven by clinical as well as technological developments. The respective chapters, written by internationally respected experts in their fields, focus on imaging diagnosis and interventional therapies in abdominal and pelvic disease; they cover all relevant imaging modalities, including magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and positron emission tomography. As such, the book offers a comprehensive review of the state of the art in imaging of the abdomen and pelvis. It will be of interest to general radiologists, radiology residents, interventional radiologists, and clinicians from other specialties who want to update their knowledge in this area.

The present volume on basic physics of ultrasonographic imaging procedures provides clear and concise information on the physics behind ultrasound examinations in diagnostic imaging. It attempts to present the subject from a simple approach that should make it possible for the target groups to comprehend the important concepts which form the physical basis of ultrasonic imaging. The main target group of this manual is radiological technologists and radiographers working with diagnostic ultrasound in developing countries. Clinicians and nurse practitioners may also find the simple presentation appealing. A conscious effort has been made to avoid detailed mathematical treatment of the subject. The emphasis is on simplicity.

This book is a highly visual guide to the radiographic and advanced imaging modalities - such as computed tomography and ultrasonography - that are frequently used by physicians during the treatment of emergency patients. Covering practices ranging from ultrasound at the point of care to the interpretation of CT scan results, this book contains over 2,200 images, each with detailed captions and line-art that highlight key findings. Within each section, particular attention is devoted to practical tricks of the trade and tips for avoiding common pitfalls. Overall, this book is a useful source for experienced clinicians, residents, mid-level providers, or medical students who want to maximize the diagnostic accuracy of each modality without losing valuable time.

This open access book gives a complete and comprehensive introduction to the fields of medical imaging systems, as designed for a broad range of applications. The authors of the book first explain the foundations of system theory and image processing, before highlighting several modalities in a dedicated chapter. The initial focus is on modalities that are closely related to traditional camera systems such as endoscopy and microscopy. This is followed by more complex image formation processes: magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray projection imaging, computed tomography, X-ray phase-contrast imaging, nuclear imaging, ultrasound, and optical coherence tomography.

Emergency bedside ultrasound assessment is well established for adult patients, but has only recently been introduced into everyday clinical practice for the care of pediatric patients. Pediatric Emergency Critical Care and Ultrasound is a concise, practical text which explains the principles of ultrasound, its diagnostic application in all organ systems and its use as a procedural adjunct. Both well-established and innovative applications are described, assisting the practitioner in incorporating ultrasound into daily practice, facilitating patient care and decreasing radiation exposure. Case studies and abundant illustrations enable the reader to study the appropriate techniques in detail and learn from real examples from the pediatric emergency department and intensive care unit. Pediatric Emergency Critical Care and Ultrasound is the first comprehensive bedside ultrasonography resource focusing on pediatric patients and is essential reading not only for pediatric emergency medicine subspecialists but for all emergency physicians, intensivists/critical care physicians and pediatricians.

The 11th International Conference on Medical Imaging and Computer Assisted Intervention, MICCAI 2008, was held at the Helen and Martin Kimmel Center of New York University, New York City, USA on September 6–10, 2008. MICCAI is the premier international conference in this domain, with - depth papers on the multidisciplinary ?elds of biomedical image computing and analysis, computer assisted intervention and medical robotics. The conference brings together biological scientists, clinicians, computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians, physicists and other interested researchers and o?ers them a forum to exchange ideas in these exciting and rapidly growing ?elds. The conference is both very selective and very attractive: this year we - ceived a record number of 700 submissions from 34 countries and 6 continents, fromwhich258papers were selectedfor publication,whichcorrespondsto a s- cess rate of approximately 36%. Some interesting facts about the distribution of submitted and accepted papers are shown graphically at the end of this preface. The paper selection process this year was based on the following procedure, which included the introduction of several novelties over previous years. 1. A ProgramCommittee (PC) of 49 members was recruited by the Program Chairs,to getthenecessarybody ofexpertiseandgeographicalcoverage.All PC members agreed in advance to participate in the ?nal paper selection process. 2. Key words grouped in 7 categories were used to describe the content of the submissions and the expertise of the reviewers.