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Pulmonary hypertension is a menacing complication of a number of diseases, which is responsible for high mortality rates and considerably poorer quality of life in a patient. The timely detection for pulmonary hypertension allows timely initiation of treatment, thus improvement in prognosis in the patient. Chest X-ray is the most commonly used radiographic technique for various causes. Physicians’ awareness about the radiographic manifestations of pulmonary hypertension may contribute to the earlier detection of this severe disease. Owing to the natural contrast of reflected structures, a chest X-ray film gives a unique opportunity to assess pulmonary circulation vessels, to reveal the signs ofpulmonary hypertension, and to estimate trends in the course of the disease.The paper details a procedure for analysis and the normal radiographic anatomy of pulmonary circulation vessels, gives the present classification of pulmonary hypertension, and sets forth its X-ray semiotics.

Objective: to determine whether the lower-density pancreatic parenchymal areas detected by a computed tomography (CT) study in patients with acute pancreatitis correspond to the necrotic portions of the gland or whether these changes may be reversal.Material and methods. The investigation covered 25 patients who had undergone or dynamic CT studies made at different time intervals. Two independent investigators with 4 and 19 years of experience retrospectively analyzed the results of both CT studies. Target estimation was made of the extent (volume) of and CT density changes in the hypodense areas of the gland parenchyma.Results. Seven (28%) of the 25 patients were noted to have higher CT density in the areas that had decreased density during primary CT studies (more than a 30 HU increase was rated as significant). There was a statistically significant difference between the patient groups when comparing the extent of hypodense areas and the difference in CT density (t-test, p=0.006); Mann–Whitney U-test, p=0.01 for extent difference and t-test, p=0.00; Mann–Whitney U-test, p=0.00 for CT density difference. There was also a correlation between the extent of hypodense areas and the difference in their CT density (Pearson: r=-0.533, p=0.006; Spearman: r=-0.636, p=0.001).Conclusion. The results of our investigation may suggest that the lower-density pancreatic parenchymal areas cannot always correspond to necrotic changes and may be reversible.

Objective: to study the diagnostic capabilities of diffusionweighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the efficiency of treatment, the presence of progressive or recurrent prostate cancer (PC).Material and methods. The results of small pelvic MRI in 44 patients who had medical (26 (59.1%) patients) or surgical (18 (40.9%) patients) treatment for PC were analyzed. Examinations were performed on a 1.5-Tesla superconducting MRI scanner with a multichannel phased array surface coil. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) at b values of 1000 s/mm–2 was used in addition to the standard MRI protocol in all the cases. The measurable diffusion coefficient (MDC) was calculated when estimating DWI.Results. Analysis of the results of DWI MRI has indicated that the criteria for the positive impact of medical treatment are a progressive decrease in the prostate volume, a reduction in a MRI signal of a tumor on isotropic DWI, and an increase in MDC. Progressive PC is suggested by a local increase in the MRI signal of a tumor on isotropic DWI and a low MDC. The study has establishes that after radical prostate vesiculectomy, the pattern of tissue masses at the site of cystourethral anastomosis should be assessed not earlier than 6 months postsurgery.Conclusion. The performed studies have shown that DWI MRI is an objective technique to assess medical and surgical treatment for PC.

The paper sets forth the basic provisions of the accreditation of healthcare workers, the principles of a new approach to continuing postgraduate education, by introducing the storage system of credit units, and the tasks of educational establishments to form self-education motivation and to master novel competences.