The case report, which has a long history in medicine, has seen its fortune wax and wane with time. We discuss the challenges facing the continued survival of the case report, including the inability of journals to cope with the increased load and increased cost of publication, ethical issues, the impact factor and the rise of evidence-based medicine. We highlight the important role that the case report will continue to play in medical research and education, as a means of sharing information and detecting novelty through observations. Most importantly, the case report serves as a stepping stone for young physicians and practitioners into the world of medical writing.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic image quality between three different water soluble iodinated contrast media in hysterosalpingography (HSG). Material and method: In a prospective randomised study of 204 patients, the diagnostic quality of images obtained after hysterosalpingography were evaluated using Iopramide (106 patients) and Ioxaglate (98 patients). 114 patients who had undergone HSG examination using Iodamide were analysed retrospectively. Image quality was assessed by three radiologists independently based on an objective set of criteria. The obtained results were statistically analysed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Visualisation of fimbrial rugae was significantly better with Iopramide and Ioxaglate than Iodamide. All contrast media provided acceptable diagnostic image quality with regard to uterine, fallopian tubes outline and peritoneal spill. Uterine opacification was noted to be too dense in all three contrast media and not optimal for the assessment of intrauterine pathology. Higher incidence of contrast intravasation was noted in the Iodamide group. Similarly, the numbers of patients diagnosed with bilateral blocked fallopian tubes were also higher in the Iodamide group. Conclusion: HSG using low osmolar contrast media (Iopramide and Ioxaglate) demonstrated diagnostic image qualities similar to HSG using conventional high osmolar contrast media (Iodamide). However, all three contrast media were found to be too dense for the detection of intrauterine pathology. Better visualisation of the fimbrial outline using Ioxaglate and Iopramide were attributed to their low contrast viscosity. The increased incidence of contrast media intravasation and bilateral tubal blockage using Iodamide are probably related to the high viscosity.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) therapy is recognised as a safe and effective treatment option for osteoid osteoma. This case report describes a 27-year-old man who underwent computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous RFA for a femoral osteoid osteoma, which was diagnosed based on his clinical presentation and CT findings. The patient developed worsening symptoms complicated by osteomyelitis after the procedure. His clinical progression and subsequent MRI findings had led to a revised diagnosis of a Brodie’s abscess, which was further supported by the eventual resolution of his symptoms following a combination of antibiotics treatment and surgical irrigations. This case report illustrates the unusual MRI features of osteomyelitis mimicking soft tissue tumours following RFA of a misdiagnosed Brodie’s abscess and highlights the importance of a confirmatory histopathological diagnosis for an osteoid osteoma prior to treatment.

Background: Transcatheter uterine artery embolisation (UAE) for the treatment of symptomatic fibroids has been performed in several centres in the United States, Western Europe and Asia with promising results. This study reports the authors' experience with UAE at the University Malaya Medical Centre. Method: Fifty women with symptomatic uterine fibroids who declined surgery were treated by transcatheter UAE. The uterine arteries were selectively catheterised and embolised with polyvinyl alcohol particles. Post-procedure analgesia was administered via patientcontrolled analgesic pump. The patients were followed up at an interval of 6/12 clinically and with MRI. Results: Transcatheter UAE was performed on all 50 patients with no major complications. 49 patients had both uterine arteries embolised while 1 patient had only the right uterine artery embolised on account of hypoplasia of the left uterine artery due to previous myomectomy. The mean hospital stay was 3.5 days (range, 2 to 7). At a mean follow-up of 24/52, all patients reported improvements in their presenting symptoms. Objective improvement in terms of reduction of uterine and fibroid sizes was determined on MRI. One patient, who initially responded with a decrease in uterine and dominant fibroid size, became symptomatic (menorrhagia) after 6 months and subsequent endometrial sampling revealed cystic glandular hyperplasia for which total abdominal hysterectomy was performed. Two other patients had no change in symptoms and after hysterectomy, the pathology revealed concurrent adenomyosis. Another 2 patients with cervical fibroids were treated with hysterectomy as there was no gross reduction in the size of fibroid following UAE. Overall, 90% of the patients had dramatic improvement of anaemia and symptoms at 1 year follow-up. Conclusion: Out of the 50 patients, 17 patients had total disappearance of their fibroids and 28 patients had more than 50% reduction in the size of fibroids after 1 year. 5 patients ended up with total abdominal hysterectomy. These results suggest that UAE is an appealing alternative to hysterectomy or myomectomy for many women with symptomatic fibroids.

Objective: To optimize the delay time before the initiation of arterial phase scan in the detection of focal liver lesions in contrast enhanced 5 phase liver CT using the bolus tracking technique. Patients and Methods: Delay - the interval between threshold enhancement of 100 hounsfield unit (HU) in the abdominal aorta and commencement of the first arterial phase scan. Using a 16 slice CT scanner, a plain CT of the liver was done followed by an intravenous bolus of 120 ml nonionic iodinated contrast media (370 mg I/ml) at the rate of 4 mL/s. The second phase scan started immediately after the first phase scan. The portal venous and delay phases were obtained at a fixed delay of 60 s and 90 s from the beginning of contrast injection. Contrast enhancement index (CEI) and subjective visual conspicuity scores for each lesion were compared among the three groups. Results: 84 lesions (11 hepatocellular carcinomas, 17 hemangiomas, 39 other hypervascular lesions and 45 cysts) were evaluated. CEI for hepatocellular carcinomas appears to be higher during the first arterial phase in the 6 seconds delay group. No significant difference in CEI and mean conspicuity scores among the three groups for hemangioma, other hypervascular lesions and cysts. Conclusion: The conspicuity of hepatocellular carcinomas appeared better during the early arterial phase using a bolus tracking technique with a scan delay of 6 seconds from the 100 HU threshold in the abdominal aorta.

Magnetic Resonance-guided focused Ultrasound Surgery (MRgFUS) is gaining popularity as an alternative to medical and surgical interventions in the management of symptomatic uterine fibroids. Studies have shown that it is an effective non-invasive treatment with minimal associated risks as compared to myomectomy and hysterectomy. MRgFUS can be offered to a majority of patients suffering from symptomatic uterine fibroids. It has been suggested that the use of broader inclusion criteria as well as the mitigation techniques makes it possible to offer MRgFUS to a much larger subset of patients than previously believed. This paper will describe how MRgFUS treatment for uterine fibroids is performed at the University of Malaya Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In the current study, we report a new technique to place a tunnelled peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) at the upper arm of patient under real-time ultrasound-guided venipuncture using disposal equipment provided within a standard PICC set. The tunnelling of the PICC required an extra time of 5 minutes but was well tolerated by all patients involved in the study. The tunnelled PICC was applied on 50 patients and the infection rate as well its catheter dwell time were compared to another 50 patients with conventional PICC. The rate of patients who developed infection decreased from 34% for conventional PICC to 16% in tunnelled PICC patients. The central line-associated blood stream infections rate was also decreased from 4.4 per 1000 catheter-days for conventional PICC to 1.3 per 1000 catheter-days for tunnelled PICC. The mean time to infection development for tunnelled PICC (24 days) was longer than those observed with conventional PICC (19 days). Tunnelled PICC has also increased the mean catheter dwell time from 27 days (for conventional PICC) to 47 days. Tunnelling a PICC has the potential to reduce the infection rate while increase the catheter dwell time.

The study was taken to assess the feasibility of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) mapping using different b-values for magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment of uterine fibroid and adenomyoma. The contrast-enhanced T1-weighted image (cT1WI) as well as DWIs and ADC maps of different b-values (i.e. 200, 600 and 800 s/mm2) were obtained from nine fibroid and five adenomyoma patients, immediately after, and 12 months after MRgFUS treatment. The image contrast score, non-perfused volume (NPV) and NPV ratio obtained were compared to determine the feasibility of DWI and ADC mapping for MRgFUS treatment outcome evaluation. Our finding showed thatimmediately after MRgFUS treatment, the DWI acquired using 200 s/mm2 b-value gave the highest image contrast score among all other b-values. The NPV calculated from DWI of 200 s/mm2 showed the best correlation (R2 = 0.938) with post-contrast NPV. At 12 months follow-up, there was no specific b-value considered as significantly superior to others in terms of image contrast. However, the NPVs and NPV ratios obtained from all DWIs and ADC maps of different b-values were in good agreement with the post-contrast NPV and NPV ratio. We observed that the DWI, particularly obtained with a low b-value (i.e. 200 s/mm2), is feasible for delineation and quantitative volumetric evaluation of the ablated region immediately after the MRgFUS treatment. At 12 months follow-up, both DWIs and ADC maps are feasible for NPV and NPV ratio calculation.

To date, the College of Radiology (CoR) does not see any clear benefit in performing whole body screening computed tomography (CT) examinations in healthy asymptomatic individuals. There are radiation risk issues in CT and principles of screening should be adhered to. There may be a role for targeted cardiac screening CT that derives calcium score, especially for asymptomatic medium-risk individuals and CT colonography when used as part of a strategic programme for colorectal cancer screening in those 50 years and older. However, population based screening CT examinations may become appropriate when evidence emerges regarding a clear benefit for the patient outweighing the associated radiation risks.