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One of the major projects supported by the Universal PACS is the
West Nile digital image database. The West Nile Virus (WNV) MRI
Registry was formed jointly by the Centers for Disease Control and
the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans
to collect and study MRI images of serologically proven cases of
West Nile virus meningoencephalomyelitis. The scan images are stored
on a secure WebPACS system after the
deletion of all confidential information. Each case is identified
only by a randomly selected number sequence. The images are accessed
and studied separately by three senior neuroradiologists. The imaging
findings will undergo statistical analysis to determine the frequency
and specificity of the findings in WNV infection. It is critical
to define the imaging characteristics of this disease while it exists
in almost epidemic frequency. Minimal information is available on
the imaging characteristics of several varieties of recurrent encephalitis
in the United States. The WNV imaging study may be helpful in the
study of other encephalitides.
Physicians who are aware of patients with WNV infection with MRI
scan imaging are requested to contact the Registry at: westnile@unipacs.com.
The contribution of WNV cases to the Registry is requested even
if such cases are used in case reports in the medical literature.
Donors of cases will be acknowledged in any subsequent scientific
publication from the WNV MRI Registry.
West Nile Virus MRI Registry FAQs:
I. How can I submit the images to the database?
The images can be submitted in several ways depending on how you
can access them.
1. DICOM files. This is the optimal way of storing the images
with us, since it preserves the original image quality, grayscale
depth, and the other study-related parameters. It is also the best
format for viewing and processing the images. If you have any means
of obtaining the original DICOM images from your imaging system,
please do so. Then you can burn them on a CD (many imaging systems
offer this feature) and mail the CD to us. We can also provide direct
FTP upload, or direct DICOM connection to your PACS. You can download
our DICOM Anonymizer to strip any private
information from these images, or we can do it for you.
Any options for direct DICOM file transfer can be discussed with
us at: westnile@unipacs.com.
2. Original hard copy films. These can be mailed to us, and
we will convert them back to DICOM. If you submit hard copy film,
please remove all private patient information first.
We will ask you to fill in the
clinical data form and we will assign to your study/patient
a unique WNV ID number, to replace the original patient identity
data. All original confidential patient information will thus be
deleted and the study will be referenced only by its new WNV ID
number.
All CDs, films and completed clinical data forms should be mailed
to:
West Nile Virus MRI Registry
Radiology Department, Room 212
LSU School of Medicine,
1542 Tulane Avenue,
New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
II. Can WNV images be viewed online?
Limited selected database cases are available online for public
viewing. These sample images can be viewed and studied with our
WebPACS interface (please read
this about how to use it). Click here
to view the images.
III. Is the database secure?
Yes, our WebPACS database is secure and HIPPA-compliant. We remove
any private information before we add data to the database. We keep
a log of all database transactions.
IV. Why should I send the images to you?
Because you will contribute appreciably to the study of diagnostic
imaging in West Nile Virus infection. Our database is a non-commercial,
free-will project and we rely on your cooperation.
We will be happy to reward you with a free CD, which will include
your images and a copy of our DICOM viewer
software to view them.
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