title: Whole body computed tomography in the diagnosis of abdominal and thoracic malignancy: review of 600 cases.
abstract: Whole-body computed tomography (CT) was performed on 600 patients with known or suspected malignancy at the National Institutes of Health. This new diagnostic modality utilizes a finely columnated X-ray source mounted opposite a computer-linked detector bank to generate anatomic cross-sectional images of the body part being scanned. CT proved valuable in defining many pathologic processes and was, at times, deemed the only test short of exploratory surgery that yielded diagnostic information. This latter benefit was most acutely emphasized in lesions affecting the retroperitoneum, adrenal glands, pelvis, liver, and immediate subpleural pulmonary parenchyma.
mesh_terms: D000008:Abdominal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000293:Adolescent; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002648:Child; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010386:Pelvic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012186:Retroperitoneal Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013899:Thoracic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed