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Purpose@#Prognostic Index for Natural Killer Lymphoma (PINK) is the most widely accepted prognostic model for patients withextranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTL) treated with non-anthracycline–based therapy. We aimed to evaluate the prognostic implications of serum β-2 microglobulin (β2M) in the context of PINK and proposed a new prognostic model. @*Materials and Methods@#A total of 138 patients who were newly diagnosed with ENKTL and treated with non-anthracycline-based chemotherapy were identified. The cut-off value of high serum β2M was calculated by maximal-chi square methods (4.1 mg/L). A new prognostic model incorporating serum β2M into PINK was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=88). @*Results@#The patients’ median age was 53.5 years (range, 19 to 80 years). Patients with high serum β2M levels had significantly worse overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). In multivariate analysis, high serum β2M was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS. A new PINK-B (Prognostic Index for Natural Killer Lymphoma-serum β-2 microglobulin) model stratifiedpatients into three groups with distinct OS and PFS in the training cohort (3-year OS, 84.1% [95% confidence interval, 75.1 to 94.2], 46.8% [36.1 to 60.8] and 17.6% [6.3 to 49.2] for the low-, intermediate, and high-risk groups, respectively; 3-year PFS, 70.6% [59.4 to 83.8], 35.9% [25.9 to 49.8], and 7.35% [1.1 to 46.7] for the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups, respectively). The PINK-B model was further validated in an independent cohort. @*Conclusion@#Serum β2M is an independent prognostic factor for ENKTL patients. The new serum β2M-based prognostic model may be useful for identifying ultra-high-risk patients, and it can easily be adopted into daily clinical practice.
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Purpose@#We compared the feasibility of quantitative analysis methods using bone SPECT/CT with those using planar bone scans to assess active sacroiliitis. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed whole-body bone scans and pelvic bone SPECT/CTs of 8 patients who had clinically confirmed sacroiliitis and enrolled 24 patients without sacroiliitis as references. The volume of interest of each sacroiliac joint, including both the ilium and sacrum, was drawn. Active arthritis zone (AAZ) was defined as the zone of voxels with higher SUV than sacral mean SUV within the VOI of SI joint. Then, the following SPECT/CT quantitative parameters, SUVmax (maximum SUV), SUV50% (mean SUV in highest 50% of SUV), and SUV-AAZ, and the ratio of those values to sacral mean SUV (SUVmax/S, SUV50%/S, SUV-AAZ/S) were calculated. For the planar bone scan, the mean count ratio of SI joint/sacrum (SI/S) was conventionally measured. @*Results@#Most of the SPECT/CT parameters of the sacroiliitis group were significantly higher than the normal group, whereas SI/S of the planar bone scan was not significantly different between the two groups. In receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, SUV-AAZ/S showed the highest AUC of 0.992, followed by SUV50%/S and SUVmax/S. All ratio parameters of the SPECT/CT showed higher AUC values than the SUV parameters of SI joint or SI/S of the planar scan. @*Conclusions@#The quantitative analyses of bone SPECT/CT showed better performance in assessing active sacroiliitis than the planar bone scan. SPECT/CT parameters using the ratio of the SI joint to sacrum showed more favorable results than SUV parameters such as SUVmax, SUV50%, and SUV-AAZ.
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Background@#Several parameters are useful for assessing disease severity in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF); however, the role of 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) is not well-defined. We aimed to evaluate the value of 18 F-FDG PET/CT for assessing disease severity and prognosis in IPF patients. @*Methods@#Clinical data of 89 IPF patients (mean age: 68.1 years, male: 94%) who underwent18 F-FDG PET/CT for evaluation of lung nodules or cancer staging were retrospectively reviewed. Mean and maximal standardized uptake values (SUV mean , SUV max , respectively) were measured in the fibrotic area. Adjusted SUV, including SUV ratio (SUVR, defined as SUV max -to-liver SUV mean ratio), tissue fraction-corrected SUV mean (SUV meanTF ), and SUVR (SUVRTF ), and tissue-to-blood ratio (SUV max /SUV mean venous; TBR blood ) were obtained. Death was defined as the primary outcome, and associations between other clinical parameters (lung function, exercise capacity, C-reactive protein [CRP] level) were also investigated. @*Results@#All SUV parameters were inversely correlated with the forced vital capacity, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide, and positively correlated with CRP level and the gender-agephysiology index. The SUV mean , SUV max , and SUV meanTF were associated with changes in lung function at six months. The SUVR (hazard ratio [HR], 1.738; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.011–2.991), SUVR TF (HR, 1.441; 95% CI, 1.000–2.098), and TBR blood (HR, 1.377; 95% CI, 1.038–1.827) were significant predictors for mortality in patients with IPF in the univariate analysis, but not in the multivariate analysis. @*Conclusion@#18 F-FDG PET/CT may provide additional information on the disease severity and prognosis in IPF patients, and the SUVR may be superior to other SUV parameters.
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The diagnostic and treatment methods of multiple myeloma (MM) have been rapidly evolving owing to advances in imaging techniques and new therapeutic agents. Imaging has begun to play an important role in the management of MM, and international guidelines are frequently updated. Since the publication of 2015 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for the diagnosis of MM, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or low-dose whole-body computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT have entered the mainstream as diagnostic and treatment response assessment tools. The 2019 IMWG guidelines also provide imaging recommendations for various clinical settings. Accordingly, radiologists have become a key component of MM management. In this review, we provide an overview of updates in the MM field with an emphasis on imaging modalities.
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Purpose@#We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum β2-microglobulin for patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to propose a risk-stratifying classification system. @*Materials and Methods@#A prospective registry-based cohort study of BL patients treated with dose-intensive or effective dose-adjusted chemotherapies (n=81) was conducted. Survival outcomes were compared based on previously reported risk groups and/or serum β2-microglobulin levels. A risk-stratifying classification system incorporating serum β2-microglobulin levels was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=60). @*Results@#The median age was 47 years, and 57 patients (70.4%) were male. Patients with high serum β2-microglobulin levels (> 2 mg/L) had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p 2 mg/L) was independently associated with a shorter PFS (hazards ratio [HR], 3.56; p=0.047) and OS (HR, 4.66; p=0.043). The new classification system incorporating the serum β2-microglobulin level allowed the stratification of patients into three distinct risk subgroups with 5-year OS rates of 100%, 89.5%, and 62.5%. In an independent cohort of BL, the system was validated by stratifying patients with different survival outcomes. @*Conclusion@#Serum β2-microglobulin level is an independent prognostic factor for BL patients. The proposed β2-microglobulin–based classification system could stratify patients with distinct survival outcomes, which may help define appropriate treatment approaches for individual patients.
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The diagnostic and treatment methods of multiple myeloma (MM) have been rapidly evolving owing to advances in imaging techniques and new therapeutic agents. Imaging has begun to play an important role in the management of MM, and international guidelines are frequently updated. Since the publication of 2015 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for the diagnosis of MM, whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or low-dose whole-body computed tomography (CT) and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT have entered the mainstream as diagnostic and treatment response assessment tools. The 2019 IMWG guidelines also provide imaging recommendations for various clinical settings. Accordingly, radiologists have become a key component of MM management. In this review, we provide an overview of updates in the MM field with an emphasis on imaging modalities.
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Purpose@#We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of serum β2-microglobulin for patients with Burkitt lymphoma (BL) and to propose a risk-stratifying classification system. @*Materials and Methods@#A prospective registry-based cohort study of BL patients treated with dose-intensive or effective dose-adjusted chemotherapies (n=81) was conducted. Survival outcomes were compared based on previously reported risk groups and/or serum β2-microglobulin levels. A risk-stratifying classification system incorporating serum β2-microglobulin levels was proposed and validated in an independent validation cohort (n=60). @*Results@#The median age was 47 years, and 57 patients (70.4%) were male. Patients with high serum β2-microglobulin levels (> 2 mg/L) had significantly worse progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) (p 2 mg/L) was independently associated with a shorter PFS (hazards ratio [HR], 3.56; p=0.047) and OS (HR, 4.66; p=0.043). The new classification system incorporating the serum β2-microglobulin level allowed the stratification of patients into three distinct risk subgroups with 5-year OS rates of 100%, 89.5%, and 62.5%. In an independent cohort of BL, the system was validated by stratifying patients with different survival outcomes. @*Conclusion@#Serum β2-microglobulin level is an independent prognostic factor for BL patients. The proposed β2-microglobulin–based classification system could stratify patients with distinct survival outcomes, which may help define appropriate treatment approaches for individual patients.
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68 Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT is a valuable tool for diagnosing neuroendocrine tumors (NET). Various tumors and normal human tissue express the somatostatin receptor (SSTR), warranting attention to positive findings on 68 Ga-DOTA-peptide PET/CT. However, overexpression of SSTR in glomus tumors has not yet been reported. Gastric glomus tumors show many similar features of NET and are often misdiagnosed. We present the case of a 61-year-old male with a glomus tumor who underwent distal gastrectomy under the pretense of an NET grade 1 because the nodule showed focal intense uptake on preoperative 68 Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT.
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Background@#The optimal dose of radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy for N1b papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is controversial. We evaluated the clinical outcome of N1b PTC patients treated with either 100 or 150 mCi of RAI. @*Methods@#We retrospectively analyzed N1b PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy and postoperative RAI therapy at a tertiary referral center between 2012 and 2017. As the baseline characteristics differed between treatment groups, we performed exact matching for various pathological factors according to RAI dose. We evaluated the response to therapy and recurrence-free survival (RFS) in the matched patients. Structural recurrent/persistent disease was defined as new structural disease detected after initial therapy, which was confirmed by cytology or pathology. @*Results@#Of the total 436 patients, 37 (8.5%) received 100 mCi of RAI and 399 (91.5%) received 150 mCi of RAI. After an exact 1:3 matching, 34 patients in the 100 mCi group and 100 patients in the 150 mCi group remained. There was no significant difference in response to therapy between the groups in the matched population (P=0.63). An excellent response was achieved in 70.6% (n=24) of patients in the 100 mCi group and 76.0% (n=76) in the 150 mCi group. Two (5.9%) patients in the 100 mCi group and four (4.0%) in the 150 mCi group had recurrence and there was no significant difference in RFS between the groups in the matched population (P=0.351). @*Conclusion@#There were no differences in response to therapy and RFS in N1b PTC patients according to RAI dose.
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Background@#The clinical outcomes of delayed radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) therapy in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of the interval between total thyroidectomy (TT) and RRA therapy in patients with low-risk PTC. @*Methods@#We included 526 patients who underwent TT and RRA for low-risk PTC with a primary tumor size of >1 cm between 2000 and 2012. Patients were divided into the early (3 months after TT considering other prognostic factors.
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Background@#The clinical outcomes of delayed radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA) therapy in patients with low-risk papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) are unclear. We aimed to evaluate the clinical impact of the interval between total thyroidectomy (TT) and RRA therapy in patients with low-risk PTC. @*Methods@#We included 526 patients who underwent TT and RRA for low-risk PTC with a primary tumor size of >1 cm between 2000 and 2012. Patients were divided into the early (3 months after TT considering other prognostic factors.
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Purpose@#We aimed to evaluate the performance of hybrid bone single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)/computed tomography (CT) in predicting bone graft viability after maxillary or mandibular reconstructive surgery with vascularized bone grafts. @*Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 46 bone planar scintigraphy and SPECT/CT images of 45 adult patients taken at 1 week (5–8 days) after maxillary or mandibular reconstructive surgery with vascularized bone grafts. By visual analysis, two nuclear medicine physicians scored the uptake degrees of each bone graft segment compared with the calvarium uptake on planar bone scintigraphy and SPECT/CT, respectively (0 = absence of uptake, 1 = less uptake, 2 = similar uptake, and 3 = more uptake). The imaging results were compared with clinical follow-up for assessing bone graft viability. @*Results@#During follow-up, five bone graft segments were surgically removed and confirmed as nonviable—one had a score of 0, although the other four had a score of 1–3 on planar bone scintigraphy. All five bone graft segments were scored 0 on SPECT/CT and eventually confirmed as nonviable. All other graft segments with a score of > 1 on SPECT/CT were viable and uneventful.The anatomical CT information on SPECT/CT images was helpful in discriminating bone graft uptake from adjacent bone or soft tissue uptake. @*Conclusions@#The absence of tracer uptake by the vascularized bone graft on bone SPECT/CT at 1 week after maxillary or mandibular reconstructive surgery can predict graft failure. Bone SPECT/CT can be used to predict vascularized bone graft viability postoperatively.
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The diagnosis and management of pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) have evolved significantly in recent years. There are several diagnostic and therapeutic challenges and controversies regarding the management of these lesions. In this review, we focus on the recent significant changes and controversial issues regarding the diagnosis and management of NENs and discuss the role of imaging in the multidisciplinary team approach.
Subject(s)
Diagnosis , Global Health , Joints , Neoplasm Staging , Neuroendocrine Tumors , Pancreas , World Health OrganizationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Levothyroxine (L-T4) monotherapy to normalize TSH level might be not sufficient to restore serum free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels in hypothyroid patients. This study aimed to compare the thyroid hormone levels in euthyroid L-T4 treated athyreotic patients and euthyroid healthy control subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We included 69 euthyroid L-T4 treated athyreotic female patients after total thyroidectomy and radioactive iodine ablation therapy and 90 euthyroid healthy female. Serum fT3 and free thyroxine (fT4) levels were simultaneously measured using two different assay kits (A and B). RESULTS: The serum fT4 level was higher in the athyreotic patients (kit A: p<0.001, kit B: p=0.046), and the serum fT3 level was higher in control subjects (kit A: p=0.047, kit B: p=0.102). In the control group, the serum fT3 level was stable and not correlated with the TSH level (kit A: tau=−0.10, p=0.18, kit B: tau=−0.06, p=0.40). However, in the patient group, the serum fT3 level was negatively correlated with the TSH level (kit A: tau=−0.22, p=0.012, kit B: tau=−0.31, p<0.001). All thyroid hormone parameters measured by kit A showed higher area under the curve values than those measured by kit B for distinguishing the patients from the control subjects. CONCLUSION: The serum fT3 levels in L-T4 treated athyreotic euthyroid patients were significantly lower than and varied from those of euthyroid healthy control subjects. Thus, L-T4 monotherapy might not be appropriate for some athyreotic patients to maintain optimal T3 levels.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Healthy Volunteers , Iodine , Thyroid Gland , Thyroid Hormones , Thyroidectomy , Thyroxine , TriiodothyronineABSTRACT
Diagnosing tumor-induced osteomalacia is often challenging because conventional imaging modalities may fail to locate the responsible tumor. This report describes the ability of ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT to successfully distinguish between the responsible phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor and concurrent lymphoma lesions. A 52-year-old man with bone pain for several years was diagnosed with a vitamin D-resistant hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. Whole body ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT revealed multiple enlarged hypermetabolic lymph nodes in his bilateral cervical, axillary, mediastinal, abdominal, pelvic, and inguinal regions. Core needle biopsy of the right cervical lymph node confirmed the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma. However, lymphoma was not considered the cause of osteomalacia. ⁶⁸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT before chemotherapy showed a small nodule with intensely increased uptake in the right inguinal region, which was distinguished from the other enlarged lymph nodes. The nodule was surgically removed and histopathologically consistent with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor. After surgery, the patient's serum phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase levels normalized without nutritional supplement.
Subject(s)
Humans , Middle Aged , Alkaline Phosphatase , Biopsy, Large-Core Needle , Diagnosis , Drug Therapy , Hypophosphatemia , Lymph Nodes , Lymphoma , Lymphoma, Follicular , Osteomalacia , Phosphorus , Positron Emission Tomography Computed Tomography , VitaminsABSTRACT
Diagnosing tumor-induced osteomalacia is often challenging because conventional imaging modalities may fail to locate the responsible tumor. This report describes the ability of â¶â¸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT to successfully distinguish between the responsible phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor and concurrent lymphoma lesions. A 52-year-old man with bone pain for several years was diagnosed with a vitamin D-resistant hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. Whole body ¹â¸F-FDG PET/CT revealed multiple enlarged hypermetabolic lymph nodes in his bilateral cervical, axillary, mediastinal, abdominal, pelvic, and inguinal regions. Core needle biopsy of the right cervical lymph node confirmed the diagnosis of follicular lymphoma. However, lymphoma was not considered the cause of osteomalacia. â¶â¸Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT before chemotherapy showed a small nodule with intensely increased uptake in the right inguinal region, which was distinguished from the other enlarged lymph nodes. The nodule was surgically removed and histopathologically consistent with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor. After surgery, the patient's serum phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase levels normalized without nutritional supplement.
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We report a casewith altered biodistribution of (99m)Tc-dicarboxypropane diphosphonate ((99m)Tc-DPD) on whole body bone scan after intravenous iron supplement therapy. A 47-year-old male patient who had recently been detected with a hepatic mass suggestive of hepatocellular carcinoma underwent bone scan as staging work-up before surgery. Bone scan images at 3 h after injection of (99m)Tc-DPD demonstrated unusually increased blood pool activities in the heart, liver, and spleen with usual skeletal uptakes. The patient had been treated for severe anemia from hemorrhoid with two intravenous administration of ferric hydroxide carboxymaltose complex at approximately 22 h and 2 h prior to the (99m)Tc-DPD injection, which we consider as themost probable cause of altered biodistribution of (99m)Tc-DPD.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Administration, Intravenous , Anemia , Carcinoma, Hepatocellular , Heart , Hemorrhoids , Iron , Liver , SpleenABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a major complication after internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and determines the functional prognosis. We investigated postoperative bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for assessing the risk of femoral head AVN.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 53 consecutive patients who underwent bone SPECT/CT within 2 weeks of internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and follow-up serial hip radiographs over at least 12 months.RESULTS: Nine patients developed femoral head AVN. In 15 patients who showed normal uptake on immediate postoperative SPECT/CT, no AVN occurred, whereas 9 of 38 patients who showed cold defects of the femoral head later developed AVN. The negative predictive value of immediate postoperative SPECT/CT for AVN was 100 %, whereas the positive predictive value was 24 %. Among 38 patients with cold defects, 1 developed AVN 3 months postoperatively. A follow-up bone SPECT/CT was performed in the other 37 patients at 2??0 months postoperatively. The follow-up bone SPECT/CT revealed completely normalized femoral head uptake in 27, partially normalized uptake in 8, and persistent cold defects in 2 patients. AVN developed in 3.7 % (1/27), 62.5 % (5/8), and 100 % (2/2) of each group, respectively.CONCLUSION: According to the time point of imaging, radiotracer uptake patterns of the femoral head on postoperative bone SPECT/CT indicate the risk of AVN after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures differently. Postoperative bone SPECT/CT may help orthopedic surgeons determine the appropriate follow-up of these patients.
Subject(s)
Humans , Femoral Neck Fractures , Femur Neck , Follow-Up Studies , Head , Hip , Necrosis , Orthopedics , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , SurgeonsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: While cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisolone (CHOP) is the most commonly used chemotherapeutic regimen for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs), elderly patients are more vulnerable to associated toxicities. We evaluated the efficacy and safety of dose-attenuated CHOP in elderly patients with PTCL. METHODS: Patients with PTCL aged >70 years or 65–70-years with comorbidities were treated with dose-attenuated CHOP (cyclophosphamide: 562.5 mg/m2, doxorubicin: 37.5 mg/m2, vincristine: 1.4 mg/m2, and prednisolone: 100 mg for five days; 25% reduced dose of cyclophosphamide and doxorubicin vs. full-dose CHOP) as first-line therapy were included. RESULTS: Forty-four patients (median age, 74 yr) were analyzed. The majority (N=42, 95.5%) had advanced stage disease and 36 (81.8%) were classified as high/high-intermediate risk by the international prognostic index. The overall response rate was 61.4%, and 21 patients achieved complete response (47.7%). With median follow-up period of 28.8 months, the estimated two-year progression-free and overall survival rates were 36.7% and 46.6%, respectively. Grade 3/4 neutropenia and thrombocytopenia occurred in 26.9% and 7.4% of 204 total cycles, which affected 76.7% and 25.6% of the patients, respectively. Nineteen patients (44.2%) experienced febrile neutropenia, and six died due to treatment-related toxicities. High lactate dehydrogenase levels and an involvement of >1 extranodal sites were prognostic indicators of poor survival. CONCLUSION: Dose-attenuated CHOP does not compromise treatment efficacy but retains significant toxicity. Our results suggest that some patients can be effectively treated with dose-attenuated CHOP, however a novel therapy for elderly patients with PTCL is required.