Tortuosity of the internal carotid artery and the formation of internal carotid aneurysms: an exploratory study based on propensity score method / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation between the tortuosity of the internal carotid artery and the formation of internal carotid aneurysms.Methods:The clinical data of patients with suspected cerebrovascular disease admitted to the Jinling Hospital from July 2009 to March 2017 were retrospectively collected. All patients underwent head CT angiography and digital subtraction angiography. Patients with single internal carotid artery aneurysm were classified as the aneurysm group, and patients without obvious abnormal vascular disease were classified as the control group. The demographic information of the patients, including age, gender, history of hypertension and diabetes, were collected. The size of the aneurysm and the tortuosity parameters of the internal carotid artery were measured, including the classification of the tortuosity of internal carotid artery, anterior genu angle (A angle), posterior genu angle (P angle), sum of the angles of A angle and P angle (AP angle) and height difference of anterior genu and posterior genu (D value). SPSS software was used for propensity score matching (PSM). Independent sample t test, Mann-Whitney U test or χ 2 test, Fisher exact test were used to compare the differences of each parameter between the two groups. Spearman analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the tortuosity and aneurysm size. A multivariate logistic regression was used to analyze the independent risk factors of aneurysm formation and to predict the formation of internal carotid aneurysm. The receiver operating characteristic curve and the area under the curve were used for model performance. Results:After PSM, 108 patients were included in each group. The proportion of tortuous internal carotid artery in the aneurysm group was lower than that in the control group [19.4% (21/108) vs. 32.4% (35/108), χ 2=4.72, P=0.030]. A, P and AP angles in the aneurysm group were significantly larger than those in the control group ( U=7 105.50, P=0.006; U=7 139.00, P=0.004; t=-3.14, P=0.002). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that AP angle (OR=1.010, 95%CI 1.003-1.016, P=0.002) was an independent risk factor for aneurysm formation. The area under the curves of logistic regression model based on AP angle was 0.624 (95%CI 0.549-0.699). There was a weak correlation between the size of internal carotid artery aneurysm and AP angle ( r=0.210, P=0.002). Conclusions:The tortuosity of the internal carotid artery is associated with the formation of internal carotid artery aneurysms, and the AP angle is an independent risk factor for the formation of internal carotid artery aneurysms, and a weak positive correlation with the size of the aneurysm is observed. It provides a new idea for understanding the formation of internal carotid artery aneurysms from the morphological characteristics of the parent artery.

Diagnostic value of dual-source CT angiography for assessment of the degree of coronary stenosis / 中国辐射卫生

Objective To evaluate the value of dual-source CT angiography for evaluating the degree of coronary stenosis. Methods A total of 110 patients with a high likelihood of coronary stenosis identified by dual-source CT angiography or conventional coronary angiography were enrolled. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of dual-source CT angiography for diagnosis of coronary stenosis were evaluated with conventional coronary angiography as a gold standard. The agreement between dual-source CT angiography and conventional coronary angiography for evaluation of coronary stenosis was evaluated using Kappa statistic. Results A total of 1 401 coronary artery segments from 110 patients were displayed on conventional coronary angiography, while 1 382 segments were successfully visualized in dual-source CT angiography (98.64%). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of dual-source CT angiography were 97.9%, 97.3%, 90.4% and 99.4% for diagnosis of coronary stenosis, and there was high consistence between dual-source CT angiography and conventional coronary angiography for grading coronary stenosis (Kappa statistic = 0.87, U = 58.36, P < 0.01). In addition, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of dual-source CT angiography were 94.7%, 96.8%, 83.7%, 99.0% and 96.5% for grading stenosis of coronary artery segments. Conclusion Dual-source CT angiography is accurate and reliable for diagnosis of coronary stenosis, which may be a non-invasive tool for assessment of coronary stenosis.

Clinical characteristics of cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease in children / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To summarize the clinical characteristics of cardiomyopathy with coronary artery disease in children and explore the application value of multi-slice spiral CT coronary angiography(MSCTA) in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiomyopathy in children.Methods:Patients diagnosed with cardiomyopathy who were hospitalized in the Department of Cardiology at Beijing Children′s Hospital from January 2016 to December 2022 and had complete cardiac imaging data were selected as the study subjects.The demographic characteristics, general clinical and cardiac imaging data of the patients were collected for systematic retrospective analysis.Results:Among 93 patients included in this study, dilated cardiomyopathy was the most common(34.4%, 32/93). MSCTA detected 17 cases(18.3%, 17/93) of high coronary opening, ten cases (10.8%, 10/93) of myocardial bridge, and nine cases (9.7%, 9/93) of coronary disease were detected by echocardiography.Compared with echocardiography, MSCTA had a higher detection rate of abnormal coronary artery origin and myocardial bridge, and the difference was statistically significant( P<0.05). Conclusion:Children′s cardiomyopathy can be complicated with coronary artery disease.MSCTA has great application value in the diagnosis of coronary artery disease.

Application of Biomechanical Stress from Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography in Coronary Plaque Assessment and Prediction of Adverse Cardiovascular Events / 医用生物力学

Long-term exposure to risk factors will lead to coronary atherosclerosis, which will lead to the formation and progression of coronary plaque. Early identification of high-risk plaque characteristics will help prevent plaque rupture or erosion, thus avoiding the occurrence of acute cardiovascular events. Biomechanical stress plays an important role in progression and rupture of atherosclerotic plaques. In recent years, non-invasive coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling has made it possible to acquire the corresponding biomechanical stress parameters. These coronary biomechanical stress parameters, especially wall shear stress (WSS), will aid in the development of a more accurate clinical model for predicting plaque progression and major adverse cardiovascular events ( MACE ). In this review, the biomechanical stress and the role of WSS from CCTA in atherosclerosis were introduced, and the researches on the relationship between biomechanical stress from CCTA and coronary artery diseases were discussed.

Quality of Images Reconstructed by Deep Learning Reconstruction Algorithm for Head and Neck CT Angiography at 100 kVp / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate the impact of deep learning reconstruction algorithm on the image quality of head and neck CT angiography (CTA) at 100 kVp. Methods CT scanning was performed at 100 kVp for the 37 patients who underwent head and neck CTA in PUMC Hospital from March to April in 2021.Four sets of images were reconstructed by three-dimensional adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR 3D) and advanced intelligent Clear-IQ engine (AiCE) (low,medium,and high intensity algorithms),respectively.The average CT value,standard deviation (SD),signal-to-noise ratio (SNR),and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the region of interest in the transverse section image were calculated.Furthermore,the four sets of sagittal maximum intensity projection images of the anterior cerebral artery were scored (1 point:poor,5 points:excellent). Results The SNR and CNR showed differences in the images reconstructed by AiCE (low,medium,and high intensity) and AIDR 3D (all P<0.01).The quality scores of the image reconstructed by AiCE (low,medium,and high intensity) and AIDR 3D were 4.78±0.41,4.92±0.27,4.97±0.16,and 3.92±0.27,respectively,which showed statistically significant differences (all P<0.001). Conclusion AiCE outperformed AIDR 3D in reconstructing the images of head and neck CTA at 100 kVp,being capable of improving image quality and applicable in clinical examinations.

Application of one-beat acquisition with wide detector CT in coronary artery CT angiography of patients with atrial fibrillation / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To evaluate the effect of one-beat acquisition with wide detector CT on the image quality and diagnostic efficiency of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) in patients with atrial fibrillation. 【Methods】 A total of 52 consecutive patients with atrial fibrillation, including 31 males, (67.32±11.45) years old, who underwent CCTA from July 2022 to February 2023, were analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent one-beat acquisition CCTA. The subjective and objective image quality of the coronary arteries was evaluated, and using invasive coronary catheter angiography as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of stenosis degrees above moderate and severe degrees was calculated, respectively. 【Results】 Subjective evaluation results: 92.31% (384/416) of the vascular segments were rated as excellent or good, and the diagnosable rate reached 98.08% (408/416, subjective score ≥3 points). Objective evaluation results: The CT value of the right coronary artery, anterior descending branch, and circumflex branch was (433.41±95.17)HU, (422.69±92.81)HU and (420.27±95.43)HU, respectively; the contrast-to-noise ratio was 38.46±7.54, 32.46±13.78 and 37.74±8.89, respectively. The total diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity was 94.71%, 87.9% and 96.62%, respectively, for moderate stenosis and 96.15%, 83.64% and 98.06% for severe stenosis. 【Conclusion】 One-beat acquisition with wide detector CT can obtain high-quality coronary artery images and high diagnostic accuracy for patients with atrial fibrillation without radiation dose increase to patients. It has good clinical application value for patients with atrial fibrillation.

A review of the clinical significance of lumbar puncture in the diagnostic approach of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH): A case report of CT-Negative and Lumbar Puncture–Positive SAH

@#Headaches are a common presentation in the emergency department (ED). Even though not all are potentially serious, some such as subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) can be more dangerous than others. SAH is a medical emergency with an almost 50% mortality rate. It is crucial not to miss the diagnosis of SAH, as a missed or delayed diagnosis can be severely detrimental. It classically presents as thunderclap headache, a severe, sudden-onset headache. There are various approaches in diagnosing or excluding SAH, which is classically done by performing a computed tomography (CT) scan followed by a lumbar puncture (LP). But with the improved sensitivity of more modern diagnostic tools, more physicians are in support of changing this classical teaching. The aim of this case report is to review the advantages and disadvantages of LP in diagnosing SAH, along with other diagnostic tools commonly used.

Frequency of Congenital Aortic Arch Anomaly in COVID-19 Patients

SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of aortic arch anomaly in COVID-19 patients and to determine whether it will be included in the risk classification. METHODS: The study was retrospectively conducted in a third-level hospital by scanning the contrast-enhanced thoracic computed tomography and thoracic computed tomography angiography examinations of patients who received PCR (+), hospitalization, and known COVID pneumonia between March 2020 and July 2021. The study consists of 88 cases and 88 control groups. RESULTS: The study found that the frequency of aortic arch anomaly was higher in patients with COVID-19 pneumonia and in male patients with bovine-type anomaly. CONCLUSIONS: The higher prevalence of bovine arch anomaly in COVID patients may be considered a risk factor for COVID-19 in individuals with this type of vascular anomaly.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy after heart transplantation: summary of a single-center long-term follow-up experience in Fuwai Hospital / 器官移植

Objective To summarize the incidence of cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) after heart transplantation and the effect on the long-term survival of recipients. Methods Clinical data of 1 006 heart transplant recipients were retrospectively analyzed. Of 48 CAV patients, 4 cases were not included in this analysis due to lack of imaging evidence. A total of 1 002 recipients were divided into the CAV group (n=44) and non-CAV group (n=958) according to the incidence of CAV. The incidence of CAV was summarized. Clinical data of all patients were statistically compared between two groups. Imaging diagnosis, coronary artery disease, drug treatment and complications, postoperative survival and causes of death of CAV patients were analyzed. Results Among 1 006 heart transplant recipients, 48 cases (4.77%) developed CAV. Compared with the non-CAV group, the proportion of preoperative smoking history, preoperative hypertension history, coronary artery disease and perioperative infection was significantly higher in the CAV group (all P < 0.05). Among 44 patients diagnosed with CAV by imaging examination, 24 cases were diagnosed with CAV by coronary CT angiography (CTA), 4 cases by coronary angiography (CAG), and 16 cases by coronary CTA combined with CAG. Among 44 patients, the proportion of grade Ⅰ CAV was 45% (20/44), 30% (13/44) for grade Ⅱ CAV and 25% (11/44) for grade Ⅲ CAV, respectively. All patients received long-term use of statins after operation, and 20 patients were given with antiplatelet drugs. Among 44 CAV patients, 11 patients underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, 6 cases received repeated heart transplantation, and 8 patients died. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated that there was no significant difference in the long-term survival rate between the CAV and non-CAV groups (P > 0.05), whereas the survival rate of patients tended to decline after the diagnosis of CAV (at postoperative 6-7 years). The long-term survival rates of patients with grade Ⅰ, grade Ⅱ and grade Ⅲ CAV showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). Even for patients with grade Ⅰ CAV, the long-term survival rate tended to decline. Conclusions CAV is a common and intractable complication following heart transplantation, and the long-term survival rate of patients after the diagnosis of CAV tended to decline. Deepening understanding of CAV, prompt prevention, diagnosis and treatment should be delivered to improve the long-term survival rate of patients after heart transplantation.

Clinical application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in hepatic artery thrombosis after pediatric liver transplantation / 器官移植

Objective To investigate the clinical application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hepatic artery thrombosis (HAT) after pediatric liver transplantation. Methods Clinical data of 126 pediatric recipients undergoing liver transplantation were retrospectively analyzed. The incidence of HAT after pediatric liver transplantation was summarized. Color Doppler ultrasound and CEUS manifestations of HAT were compared. Results According to color Doppler ultrasound, 17 cases were highly suspected with HAT. Nine cases were highly suspected with HAT by CEUS, who were subsequently confirmed by CT angiography (CTA) or surgery. CEUS manifestations of HAT showed that hepatic artery was not seen surrounding the portal vein during the arterial phase or even portal venous phase. Hepatocyte necrosis occurred in 4 patients with HAT, and no perfusion of intrahepatic contrast agent was observed on CEUS. Conclusions CEUS yields high clinical application value in the diagnosis of HAT after pediatric liver transplantation. It has significant advantages compared with traditional CTA, which could be widely applied in clinical practice.

Successful endovascular repair with coil embolization of ruptured right internal thoracic artery aneurysm / Reparo endovascular bem-sucedido de aneurisma da artéria torácica interna direita roto com embolização com molas

Abstract Internal thoracic artery aneurysms (ITAAs) are rare with wide variation in clinical presentation and a high risk of rupture. Endovascular techniques are increasingly being used for treatment of such aneurysms over surgical repair in recent times. A 34-year-old male presented with progressive swelling of the right anterior chest wall for 2 weeks and was diagnosed with right internal thoracic artery aneurysm with contained rupture. He underwent successful endovascular repair with coil embolization of ruptured right ITAA. Post intervention computed tomography (CT) angiography confirmed sealing of the ruptured aneurysm with no residual filling of the sac. At six months follow-up he is doing well with complete resolution of hematoma. This case demonstrates that an endovascular approach with coil embolization is a feasible and safe option for treating the rare ruptured ITAAs.

Resumo Os aneurismas da artéria torácica interna (ITAAs) são raros, com ampla variação na apresentação clínica e alto risco de ruptura. As técnicas endovasculares têm sido cada vez mais utilizadas para o tratamento desses aneurismas em relação ao reparo cirúrgico. Um homem de 34 anos de idade apresentou edema progressivo da parede torácica anterior direita por 2 semanas e foi diagnosticado com aneurisma da artéria mamária interna direita com ruptura contida. Ele foi submetido a reparo endovascular bem-sucedido, com embolização de ITAA direito roto. A angiotomografia computadorizada (angioTC) pós-intervenção confirmou o selamento do aneurisma rompido, sem enchimento residual do saco. No seguimento de 6 meses, ele estava bem, com resolução completa do hematoma. Este caso demonstra que a abordagem endovascular com embolização com molas é uma opção viável e segura no tratamento dos raros ITAAs rotos.

Variations of Arterial Supply of the Liver: C.T. Angiographic Study Among Sudanese Adults

Hepatobiliary surgery through laparoscopic approach is becoming a routine. Knowledge of extrahepatic arterial tree is essential for surgical and imaging procedures. Anatomical complexity is expected since the liver is developed by mergingof lobules with its separate blood supply. This makes a wide range of variations in the pattern of vascular arrangement and so reinforces the need for an accurate understanding of full spectrum of variations. This study aimed to investigate the variations in origin and distribution of extrahepatic arterial supply. Fifty volunteers (32 males and 18 females) aged 20­70 years were randomly recruited from the department of CT scan in Al Amal Hospital, Khartoum North, Sudan. The patients were already candidates for CT angiography with contrast for conditions other than hepatobiliary diseases. The reported data is related to those who accepted to participate in the study. Patients with history of hepatobiliary disease were excluded. 3D views of the scans were treated and the extrahepatic arterial tree was traced in a computer-based software. Key findings suggest that Michel's classification was considered the standard template for description ­ 76% of them showed Michel's type I classification. Types III and V constituted about 2%. About 4% of the cases were represented by types VI and IX. Other types of variations constituted about 12%. To conclude, although type I classification which describes the textbook pattern of hepatic artery distribution was significantly detected among the Sudanese population, other variants were to be considered since they are related to major arteries like aorta and superior mesenteric.

Force CT microvascular anatomical imaging technology and its clinical application / 中华显微外科杂志

Objective:To explore the scanning and image reconstruction parameters, post-processing technology and effect of clinical application of Force CT microvascular anatomy imaging technology.Methods:From April 2019 to June 2021, 50 cases of free tissue flap transfer were reviewed in Department of Hand and Foot Surgery of Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, including 34 males and 16 females in 3-67 (mean, 37) years old. In which, 33 cases were free flap, 10 were free composite tissue flap and 7 were digit reconstruction. CTA image score and clinical application evaluation were performed respectively. Follow-up was conducted by outpatient visit, telephone call and WeChat.Results:The qualified rate of Force CT microvascular anatomy imaging in 73 parts of 50 patients and the coincidence rate with clinical practice were 100%. All tissue flaps and reconstructed digits survived completely. No vascular compromise and other complicatiors occurred. The postoperative follow-up was 3 to 15 months, with an average of 11 months, and the flap healed well. Of the 7 reconstructed digits, 6 were satisfactory in appearance and 1 was reconstructed with flap plasty because of digit bloat.Conclusion:Force CT microvascular anatomical imaging technology can accurately display and reconstruct microvessels, and has guiding significance for the design and transfer of free tissue flap, which has a good promotion value.

Effect of internal carotid artery aberrations on the distance between styloid process and carotid artery / Efecto de las variaciones de la arteria carótida interna en la distancia entre el proceso estiloides y la arteria carótida

SUMMARY: The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of the variations of carotid artery course on the relationship between styloid process (SP) and internal carotid artery (ICA). Carotid CT angiography scans of 170 patients were retrospectively evaluated. The variability of the course of ICA were classified. The length and medial angulation of the SP were measured on coronal 3D images. On axial images, the shortest distance between the bone edge of the SP and ICA were measured. The distance between SP and ICA among the course patterns of carotid artery were compared statistically. In the comparison of distances between SP and ICA with respect to the course of ICA, the difference between straight and curving (p <0.001) was statistically significant. Curving caused the separation of ICA and SP. The highest and the shortest distance was at the curving and coiling group, respectively. We found that SP-ICA distance has a positive and negative correlation with SP angle (p<0.001) and SP length (p<0.001), respectively. The course of ICA is one of the major determinants affecting the relationship of ICA and SP. The curving pattern of ICA has a tendency to increase the distance between SP and ICA.

RESUMEN: El objetivo de este estudio fue evaluar el rol de las variaciones que tiene el curso de la arteria carótida en la relación entre el proceso estiloides (PE) y la arteria carótida interna (ACI). Se evaluaron retrospectivamente angiografías por tomografía computarizada carotídea de 170 pacientes. Se clasificó la variabilidad del curso de ACI. Se midieron en imágenes coronales y en 3D la longitud y la angulación medial del PE. En las imágenes axiales, se midió la distancia más corta entre el margen del PE y la ACI. Se comparó estadísticamente la distancia entre PE y la ACI entre los patrones de trayecto de la arteria carótida. La comparación de las distancias entre PE y la ACI respecto al curso de ACI, fue estadísticamente significativa, siendo la diferencia entre arterias recta y curva (p <0,001). La arteria curva provocó la separación de la ACI y del PE. Las mayores y menores distancias estaban en el grupo de arterias curvas y enrolladas, respectivamente. La distancia PE-ACI tiene una correlación positiva y negativa con el ángulo PE (p <0,001) y la longitud del PE (p <0,001), respectivamente. El curso de la arteria carótida interna es uno de los principales determinantes que afectan la relación con el proceso estiloides. El patrón de curva de la ACI tiende a aumentar la distancia entre PE y la propia arteria arteria.

Estimating organ dose and specific effective dose in coronary artery CT angiography based on size-specific dose estimation / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To study the feasibility that using size-specific dose estimation (SSDE) to estimate organ dose and effective dose in coronary CT angiography (CTA).Methods:Totally 421 consecutive patients with coronary artery CTA were included and retrospectively analized. All patients were scanned using the 3rd generation dual-source Force CT with prospectively ECG gated axis scan mode. The size specific dose estimation(SSDE) for each patient was conducted by calculate water equivalent diameters with Radimetrics. The organ doses of heart, lung, liver and breast, were estimated with Monte Carlo method. Patient-specific effective dose was calculated as a weighted sum of simulated organ doses with the coefficients from ICRP 103. Linear correlation analysis was used to validate the relationship between SSDE and organ doses as well as effective dose, and to derive coefficients for patient specific dose estimation. The mean error rate was used to evaluate estimation accuracy.Results:The CTDI vol, SSDE and effective dose were (16.8±8.7)mGy, (20.8±8.8)mGy and (4.4±2.9)mSv, respectively. The linear fitting formula for estimating organ dose based on SSDE were: Y=1.2 X-6.4 ( R2=0.91, P<0.05, mean error 0.1%) for heart, Y=1.4 X-7.4 ( R2=0.91, P<0.05, mean error 7.9%) for breast, Y=0.89 X-4.6 ( R2=0.86, P<0.05, mean error 8.3%) for lung, and Y=0.36 X-1.8 ( R2=0.64, P<0.05, mean error -17.9%) for liver. The linear fitting formula for estimating the individual effective dose based on SSDE were: Y=0.21 X-1.2 ( R2=0.92, P<0.05, mean error 0.2%) for men, Y=0.39 X-2.2 ( R2=0.93, P<0.05, mean error 1.7%) for women. Conclusions:In coronary artery CTA, the absorbed dose of the organs and patient specific effective dose could be estimated with SSDE and the corresponding conversion coefficients, which will help to achieve personalized assessment and precise management of patient radiation dose and risk in clinical practice.

Application of 10 s contrast agent injection protocol combined with 80 kV tube potential in carotid artery CTA procedure / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To investigate the feasibility of tube potential of 80 kV combined with personalized contrast agent protocol in carotid artery CT angiography (CTA).Methods:A total of 136 consecutive patients undergoing neck CTA were prospectively enrolled in this study. The patients were randomly divided into Groups A, B, C and D. Tube potential of 100 kV and 15 s contrast agent injection protocol was used for Group A (53 cases) as conventional group, while tube voltage of 80 kV and 10 s contrast agent injection protocol was used for Groups B, C and D as experimental groups, with the contrast agent dosages of 20, 25 and 30 ml used according to the body weights of ≤50 kg(Group B, 20 cases), 50-70 kg (Group C, 38 cases), and 70-90 kg (Group D, 25 cases), respectively. The subjective and objective evaluation results of image quality and the effective doses were compared among the four groups.Results:The effective doses in Groups B, C and D were 1.54±0.91, 1.89±1.08 and 2.14±1.27 mSv, respectively, significantly lower than that in Group A [(5.66±0.56) mSv] ( F=169.34, P<0.05). The image quality of four groups met the requirements of clinical diagnosis. No significant differences were found in subjective evaluation and diagnostic efficacy of the four groups ( P>0.05). The CT number of carotid artery, signal-to-noise ratio and contrast-to-noise ratio of the neck region were significantly lower in Groups B, C and D compared with Group A ( F=14.9, 12.94, 14.43, P<0.05). The CT numbers of target carotid vessel were all higher than 250 HU. Conclusions:The scanning protocol of low tube potential (80 kV) combined with 10 s contrast agent injection protocol could not only reduce the doses of radiation and contrast agent, but also preserve the diagnosis effect. Thus, this scanning protocol was feasible and valuable in clinical application.

The value of CT angiography in risk factor assessment of intracranial aneurysm rupture / 中国医师杂志

Objective:To evaluate the value of CT angiography (CTA) in the assessment of risk factors for rupture of intracranial aneurysm (IA).Methods:The clinical and CT imaging data of 46 patients with IA in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from January 2018 to June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The morphological parameters of aneurysm were analyzed by CTA post-processing images: aneurysm number, site, morphology, maximum diameter, height/neck width, maximum diameter/parent artery proximal diameter, aneurysm incidence angle. The morphological risk factors of aneurysm rupture were evaluated by univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. We used receiver operating characteristics curve (ROC) to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy in predicting aneurysm rupture.Results:A total of 58 aneurysms were detected by CTA, 30 ruptured aneurysms and 28 unruptured aneurysms. There was no statistically significant difference in gender and age between patients with ruptured and unruptured aneurysms ( P>0.05). In the morphological parameters of ruptured and unruptured aneurysms, there were no statistically significant differences in the number, site and height/neck width of aneurysms ( P>0.05), while there were statistically significant differences in aneurysm morphology, maximum diameter, maximum diameter/parent artery proximal diameter and aneurysm incidence angle ( P<0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that maximum diameter/parent artery proximal diameter and aneurysm incidence angle were independent risk factors for aneurysm rupture ( P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that when the maximum diameter of the tumor / the diameter of the proximal carrying artery >1.985, the area under the curve was 0.748, and the sensitivity and specificity were 76.7% and 64.3%, respectively; When the incidence angle of blood flow was >117.5°, the area under the curve was 0.673, and the sensitivity and specificity were 53.3% and 75.0% respectively. Conclusions:The maximum diameter/parent artery proximal diameter >1.985 and the aneurysm incidence angle >117.5° are independent risk factors for aneurysm rupture.

Success of uterine artery embolization in the management of postabortal arteriovenous malformations

Background: Uterine artery arteriovenous malformations are an abnormal and non-functional connection between the uterine arteries and veins. It may be congenital or acquired. AVM can cause heavy menstrual bleeding and may have an impact on infertility. Uterine artery embolization is an alternate method to hysterectomy preserving the menstrual and reproductive function. Objectives of this study was to diagnose Arterio-venous malformations after abortions in patients with heavy menstrual bleeding and treating these patients with UAE.Methods: The retrospective study of patients with postabortal arteriovenous malformations managed at Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, during January 2012 to December 2018 was done. Inclusion criteria for this study post abortal heavy menstrual bleeding patients in reproductive age group diagnosed to be having AV malformations on CT angiography. Exclusion criteria for this study were H/O AUB prior to abortion, patients with fibroids, PID, endometriosis, adenomyosis, genital tract malignancies. Patients who do not have AV malformations on CT angiography.Results: This is a retrospective seven years study between January 2012 to December 2018 during which we received 23 patients who developed arterio-venous fistula following an abortion. The patients had heavy menstrual bleeding. All the patients had taken some hormonal treatment before reporting to us. All these patients underwent CT angiography. After that they all were subjected to UAE. All these patients were followed up to 6 months where they showed improvement in the symptoms.Conclusions: Acquired AVM is rare disorder following an abortion or a caesarean section. Heavy menstrual bleeding is a common symptom often requiring hysterectomy but with the advent of uterine artery embolization by blocking the uterine artery we can conserve the uterus where a lady can have normal menstrual and reproductive functions.

In Vivo Detection of Lipid-Core Plaques by Coronary CT Angiography: A Head-to-Head Comparison with Histologic Findings

200 µm, a circumference > 60 degrees, and a cap thickness < 450 µm. The percentage distributions of CT pixel attenuation ≤ 20, 30, 40, and 50 HU were calculated using quantitative histogram analysis.RESULTS: A total of 271 transverse sections were co-registered between CCTA and pathological analysis. Overall, 26 lipid cores and 16 fibrous plaques were identified by pathological analysis. There was no significant difference in median CT attenuation between the lipid and fibrous plaques (51 HU [interquartile range, 46–63] vs. 57 HU [interquartile range, 50–64], p = 0.659). The median percentage of CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU accounted for 11% (5–17) of lipid-core plaques and 0% (0–2) of fibrous plaques (p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of the method for diagnosing lipid plaques by the average CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU were 80.8% and 87.5%, respectively. The area under the receiver operator characteristics curve was 0.898 (95% confidence interval: 0.765–0.970; 3.0% was the best cut-off value). The diagnostic performance was significantly higher than those of the average pixel CT attenuation percentages ≤ 20, 40, and 50 HU and the mean CT attenuation (p < 0.05).CONCLUSION: In in vivo conditions, with the pathological lipid core as the gold standard, quantification of the percentage of average CT pixel attenuation ≤ 30 HU in the histogram can be useful for accurate identification of lipid plaques.

Preliminary study on motion artifacts removal of coronary CT angiography using generative adversarial network / 上海交通大学学报（医学版）

Objective: To investigate the ability of generative adversarial network (GAN) to remove motion artifacts in coronary CT angiography (CTA) images. Methods: Subjects who underwent single-cardiac-cycle multi-phase CTA were included and divided into training and test group. The middle segment of the right coronary artery (RCA) was investigated because its motion artifact is the most prominent among all coronary branches. The patch image of the vessel with motion artifacts was extracted, and paired images without artifacts were considered as reference. The GAN model was established according to the training group. In the test group, vessel images were segmented out of the surrounding tissues by using ITK-SNAP software, including the vessel with artifacts, GAN-generated images and reference images. The Dice coefficients of the vessel with artifacts vs reference image (dice1) and GAN-generated images vs reference image (dice2) were cal-culated. By comparing the difference between dice1 and dice2, GAN's ability in removing motion artifacts was evaluated. Results: Ninety subjects were included. Seventy-one (11 000 images) were randomly selected as the training group, and the other 19 (3 006 images) were as the test group. Based on subjects, dice1 and dice2 of the middle segment of RCA were 0.38±0.19 and 0.50±0.23, re-spectively (P=0.006). Based on images, the values of the middle segment of RCA were 0.38±0.20 and 0.51±0.26, respectively (P=0.000). Conclusion: GAN can significantly reduce the motion artifacts of CTA in the middle segment of RCA and has the potential to act as a new method to remove motion artifacts of coronary CTA images.