Study of the relationship between the acupoints of Zhongzhu (TE 3), Yanglingquan (GB 34) and their corresponding cortical areas with the functional MRI / 中国针灸

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>Using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe the distributed characteristic of excited cerebral cortical areas that induced by acupuncture-stimulating the Zhongzhu (TE 3) of the meridian of Hand-Shaoyang and Yanglingquan (GB 34) of the meridian of Foot-Shaoyang, and investigate the central neural mechanism on the effect of meridians and acupoints.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Forty-two right handed healthy volunteers were randomly divided into Zhongzhu (TE 3) group and Yanglingquan (GB 34) group. The functional cortical changes during acupuncture-stimulating the Zhongzhu (TE 3) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) were successively scanned with fMRI, and the effected areas were determined through analysing the obtained data with SPM2 software.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The main excited areas were bilateral frontal lobes, temporal lobes, cerebellum and occipital lobes successively in Zhongzhu (TE 3) group, and bilateral occipital lobes, cerebellum, frontal lobes and temporal lobes in Yanglingquan (GB 34) group in contrast.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Acupuncture-stimulating both Zhongzhu (TE 3) and Yanglingquan (GB 34) can excite bilateral acoustic, visual and somatomotor cortices, which might be the central neural basis for clinical treatment on related diseases.</p>

Evaluation of cirrhotic liver with perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging: a preliminary experimental study in animal models with half-liver cirrhosis / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the role of perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluation of cirrhotic liver.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>With a 4F catheter, 1% diluted carbon tetrachloride (1 ml/kg) was selectively injected into right or left hepatic artery of 12 dogs fortnightly. The half liver into which carbon tetrachloride was injected was called as study side (SS), while the other half liver without carbon tetrachloride injection was called as study control side (SCS). Conventional and perfusion-weighted MRI were performed in every 4 weeks. Via a 4F catheter, 5ml gadolinium diethylentriamine pentaaceti acid (Gd-DTPA) dilution was injected into superior mesenteric artery at the 5th scan. The signal intensity-time curves of SS, SCS, and portal vein were completed in MR workstation. The maximal relative signal increase (MRSI), peak time (tp), and slope of the curves were measured.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>On conventional MR images, no abnormalities of externality and signal intensity were observed in both SS and SCS of liver at each stage. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope of intensity-time curves in normal liver were 10.56 seconds, 1.01, and 10.23 arbitrary unit (au)/s, respectively. Three parameters of curves didn't show obvious change in SCS of liver at every stage. Abnormal perfusion curves occurred in SS of liver at the 12th week after the 1st injection. The abnormality of perfusion curve in SS was more and more serious as the times of injection increased. The mean tp, MRSI, and slope intensity-time curves in SS of liver were 19.45 seconds, 0.43, and 3.60 au/s respectively at the 24th week.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Perfusion-weighted imaging can potentially provide information about portal perfusion of hepatic parenchyma, and to some degree, reflect the severity of cirrhosis.</p>

Differentiation between malignant and benign ovarian tumors by magnetic resonance imaging / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To determine the magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings of an ovarian mass which are most predictive of malignancy and assess the value of intravenous gadolinium administration in the characterization of an ovarian mass.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 74 consecutive patients with a clinically or sonographically indeterminate adnexal mass underwent MR imaging, of whom 59 had subsequent surgical resection of 70 adnexal masses. These 59 patients formed the study population. MR imaging studies were prospectively and independently reviewed by a senior and a junior radiologist. The senior radiologist also reevaluated the studies in a blind fashion after a minimum 6 months interval. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of contrast-enhanced and unenhanced MR imaging were evaluated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The most predictive MR imaging findings for malignancy were presence of vegetations in a cystic lesion and presence of necrosis in a solid lesion. The odds ratio was even higher when the ancillary finding of peritoneal metastasis or ascites was present. Contrast media contributed significantly to lesion characterization. Total 70 ovarian masses were detected by contrast-enhanced MR imaging including 37 malignant ovarian masses and 33 benign ovarian masses with 87% (61/70) accuracy, 86% (32/37) sensitivity, 88% (29/33) specificity, 89% (32/36) positive predictive value, and 85% (29/34) negative predictive value, whereas 70 ovarian masses were detected by unenhanced MR imaging with 74% (52/70) accuracy, 73% (27/37) sensitivity, 76% (25/33) specificity, 77% (27/35) positive predictive value, and 71% (25/35) negative predictive value. There were significant differences in accuracy (P < 0.01), sensitivity (P < 0.01), specificity (P < 0.01) between contrast-enhanced and unenhanced MR imaging.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Contrast-enhanced MR imaging is highly accurate in detection and characterization of complex adnexal masses.</p>

Imaging characteristics of autoimmune pancreatitis / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the imaging characteristics of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP).Methods MR imaging was performed in 12 patients with AIP proved histopathologically or clinically,of them CT was scanned in 10 patients and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)in 3.All imaging data were reviewed retrospectively.Results All 12 patients had enlargement of the pancreas either diffusely(n=9)or focally(n=3).The swollen pancreas was hypointense on T_1-weighted images and mildly hyperintense on T_2-weighted images.It also demonstrated decreased enhancement on artery phase of dynamic imaging and moderate enhancement on delayed phase images. Capsule-like enhanced rim was found around the swollen pancreas in 11 patients.Stricture of the distal common bile duct was found in 9 patients,and ERCP showed diffuse and irregular narrowing of the main pancreatic duct in 3 cases.At follow-up,pancreatic abnormalities and common bile duct stricture resolved after steroid therapy in 7 patients.Conclusion AIP showed some characteristic imaging findings,and imaging examinations will play an important role in the diagnosis of AIP.