Optimizing imaging of inferior vena cava by application of spectral CT single energy combined with ASIR-V / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective:To explore the application of energy spectrum CT single energy combined with adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-Veo (ASIR-V) for optimizing inferior vena cava imaging.Methods:Thirty patients with negative diagnosis or minimal inferior vena cava lesions who underwent CT venography (CTV) of inferior vena cava in the Second Hospital of Harbin Medical University from August 2021 to April 2022 were enrolled in the study, including 11 males and 19 females with the age of (55.4±8.8) years and the body mass index of (23.2±2.8) kg/m2. The mixed energy group images and 5 single energy groups of 50, 55, 60, 65 and 70 keV images were reconstructed from the images in the inferior vena cava phase. The subcutaneous fat noise, CT values, signal to noise ratio (SNR) and contrast to noise ratio (CNR) for each segment of the inferior vena cava in 5 sets of single-energy images were measured and evaluated subjectively to determine the best single energy level. The images were reconstructed by combining different weight ASIR-V (20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70% and 80%) algorithms, and images from different weight groups and mixed energy groups were evaluated objectively to determine the best ASIR-V weights which was matched with the best single energy level. All images were scored subjectively by 2 senior radiologists based on image noise, uniformity of vessel filling, sharpness of vessel margins and diagnostic confidence.Results:There were significant differences in subcutaneous fat noise and objective evaluation indexes of each segment of inferior vena cava among the monoenergetic groups (all P<0.05), each objective evaluation index increased with the decrease of energy level, the maximum value was obtained in the 50 keV group. The subjective scores of the 5 groups were consistent by the 2 radiologists(all κ≥0.75). The highest subjective scores were obtained in the 60 keV group, the best single energy level is 60 keV in a comprehensive analysis. The differences in objective evaluation indicators among the 7 groups of best single energy combined with different weights ASIR-V image group and the mixed energy group were all statistically significant (all P<0.01). Image noise decreased with increasing ASIR-V weights for different weight groups, all differences among groups were statistically significant (all P<0.01), and the minimum noise was minimal in 80% weight group. There was no significant change in CT value of each segment of inferior vena cava (all P>0.05). The SNR and CNR of each segment of inferior vena cava increased, all differences among groups were statistically significant (all P<0.01), and the SNR and CNR of 80% weight group was the highest. The subjective scores of the 8 groups were consistent evaluated by the 2 radiologists (all κ≥0.75), and the subjective score of 60% weight group was the highest, 60% was the best ASIR-V weight for matching 60 keV in a comprehensive analysis. Conclusions:The study indicates that the best energy level for optimizing energy spectrum CT single energy imaging of the inferior vena cava is 60 keV, on the basis of which the best weighting for combined ASIR-V is 60%.

Advances in the application of radiomics in predicting outcomes after transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华全科医师杂志

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the common malignant tumors, and most patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are already in the middle stage at the time of clinical detection, transarterial chemoembolization is the treatment of choice for mid-stage hepatocellular carcinoma.Due to the high degree of tumor heterogeneity, accurately predicting the outcome of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after transarterial chemoembolization remains one of the difficulties in clinical practice.As an emerging technology, radiomics can not only reflect tumor heterogeneity non-invasively, but also monitor, evaluate and predict tumor progression by analyzing changes in the tumor microenvironment to guide patients′ personalized treatment and prolong their survival time.This article reviews the progress of the application of radiomics in predicting the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Progress in the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of small renal cell carcinoma by CT texture analysis / 中华全科医师杂志

Small renal cell carcinoma refers to a renal malignant tumor with a maximum diameter of 4 cm.Due to the small size, its diagnosis and differential diagnosis have been difficult points in clinical work. CT texture analysis is an emerging technique, it determines the tumor heterogeneity by analyzing the distribution and relationship of pixel or voxel gray-scale levels in the CT images, it acts to more accurately predict the benign and malignant tumors and the classification of tumors.This paper reviews CT texture analysis on the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of small renal cell carcinoma, in order to guide the correct diagnosis of doctors and effectively clinical treatment.

Research progress of CT texture analysis in the diagnosis of renal tumors / 中华全科医师杂志

The classification and differentiation of renal tumors are related to the choice of therapeutic modalities and prognosis of patients. CT texture analysis is an objective and quantitative assessment of tumor heterogeneity based on the distribution and relationship characteristics of pixel or voxel gray levels in images, which can make up for the subjective limitations of traditional image visual analysis methods for diagnosis. In this article, CT texture analysis and its application in the diagnosis of renal tumors are reviewed and the limitations are also discussed.

Clinical value of CT and MRI multiple imaging techniques for differentiating pancreatic cancer from pancreatic inflammatory mass / 中华全科医师杂志

The differential diagnosis between pancreatic inflammatory mass and pancreatic cancer is difficult and is a challenge in clinical work. At present, a variety of CT and MRI imaging techniques have been applied in the differential diagnosis between these two conditions. This article reviews the progress in this aspect, as well as their advantages and disadvantages, to provide reference for clinical application.

Application of CT imaging in diagnosis of internal hernia / 中华全科医师杂志

Internal hernia is the protrusions of the viscera through the peritoneum or mesentery in the abdominal cavity.It lacks specific clinical symptoms and has a poor prognosis.According to the anatomical classification,the intra-abdominal hernia can be divided into Duodenal paralysis,Winslow hernia,mesenteric hernia and mesenteric hiatal hernia.Among various imaging methods,multi-slice spiral CT has a higher value for preoperative diagnosis of internal hernia.This article will focus on the imaging features of several intra-abdominal hernias under multi-slice spiral CT,and summarize the general diagnostic strategies of internal hernia.

Application of CT imaging in diagnosis of internal hernia / 中华全科医师杂志

Internal hernia is the protrusions of the viscera through the peritoneum or mesentery in the abdominal cavity. It lacks specific clinical symptoms and has a poor prognosis. According to the anatomical classification, the intra-abdominal hernia can be divided into Duodenal paralysis, Winslow hernia, mesenteric hernia and mesenteric hiatal hernia. Among various imaging methods, multi-slice spiral CT has a higher value for preoperative diagnosis of internal hernia. This article will focus on the imaging features of several intra-abdominal hernias under multi-slice spiral CT, and summarize the general diagnostic strategies of internal hernia.

Combination of multi-slice spiral CT with MRI in diagnosis of rare types of pancreatic tumors / 中华全科医师杂志

With the progress of pathology and imaging the detection rate of rare pancreatic tumors has gradually increased. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathology, imaging features and differential diagnosis of rare pancreatic tumors.

Application of CT and MRI in diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of periampullary carcinoma / 中华全科医师杂志

Periampullary carcinoma includes carcinoma of head of pancreas, carcinoma of lower common bile duct, ampullary carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of duodenum. Most of the periampullary cancers shows the same clinical symptoms their imaging manifestations are overlapping or non-specific. Accurate qualitative positioning and staging of periampullary cancers are of great value in guiding of treatment plan and evaluate postoperative outcomes. CT and MRI examination have made progress in the diagnosis of periampullary carcinoma. CT scan has a good spatial and temporal resolution, while MRI has a good tissue resolution. CT and MRI examination can be used for preoperative assessment of tumor resectability and invasion range, which is of certain value.

Application of CT and MRI in diagnosis and preoperative evaluation of periampullary carcinoma / 中华全科医师杂志

Periampullary carcinoma includes carcinoma of head of pancreas, carcinoma of lower common bile duct, ampullary carcinoma and adenocarcinoma of duodenum. Most of the periampullary cancers shows the same clinical symptoms their imaging manifestations are overlapping or non-specific . Accurate qualitative positioning and staging of periampullary cancers are of great value in guiding of treatment plan and evaluate postoperative outcomes. CT and MRI examination have made progress in the diagnosis of periampullary carcinoma. CT scan has a good spatial and temporal resolution, while MRI has a good tissue resolution. CT and MRI examination can be used for preoperative assessment of tumor resectability and invasion range, which is of certain value.

Combination of multi-slice spiral CT with MRI in diagnosis of rare types of pancreatic tumors / 中华全科医师杂志

With the progress of pathology and imaging the detection rate of rare pancreatic tumors has gradually increased.This article reviews the epidemiology,pathology,imaging features and differential diagnosis of rare pancreatic tumors.

Quantitative analysis and application value of CT spectral parameter in lung cancer / 中华全科医师杂志

Objective To analyze the characteristics and to evaluate the application of quantitative CT spectral parameters in patients with suspected lung cancer.Methods One hundred and thirty two patients with occupying lesions of the lung underwent chest plain and two-phase contrast enhanced CT scan with gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) mode.The CT images of patients with confirmed lung cancer by pathological evidence were analyzed with GSI viewer.Optimal energy value supplying optimal contrast-tonoise ratio (CNR) was recorded.The CT values of lesions at 40 keV,70 keY and optimal energy level were measured.Spectral curve slope at different intervals of 40-70 keV,40-100 keV and 40-140 keV was computed.Effective atomic number (Zeff),iodine concentration (IC) and water concentration (WC) were measured and analyzed by statistical methods.Results Sixty six patients with confirmed lung cancer were included in the analysis.The optimal energy values for optimal CNR on plain scan,arterial phase and venous phase were (63.09±5.33) keV,(52.65±6.44) keV and (54.06±5.53) keV,respectively.The difference of CT values at different energy levels on each scan phase was statistically significant (F=4.561,P=0.025).The spectral curve slope values among three different energy intervals were significantly different (F=2.137,P＜0.001).The differences of the slope between arterial phase and venous phase at same energy interval were not significant (40-70 keY:t=1.165,P=0.248;40-100 keV:t=1.102,P=0.274;40-140 keV:t=1.118,P=0.268).Zeff on plain scan,arterial phase and venous phase was 7.73±0.14,8.35±0.37 and 8.39±0.30,respectively.There was positive correlation between IC and Zeff on enhanced phase (arterial phase:r=0.998,P＜0.001;venous phase:r=0.998,P＜0.001).Conclusion CT spectral imaging can supply the optimal energy value for optimal CNR.CT value at optimal energy level and spectral curve slope at 40-140 keV are suitable for analysis.IC and Zeff can be used jointly in evaluation of patients with suspected lung cancer.

Effects of sensory and motor nerve homogenates at different concentrations on proliferation and osteogenesis differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of sensory and motor nerve homogenates at different concentrations on the proliferation and osteogenesis differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) in rats.Methods The saphenous nerve and the muscle branch of the sciatic nerve in rats were extracted surgically as sensory and motor nerve tissues,respectively.The primary nerve homogenates (10 mg/mL) were prepared as per 10 mg tissue with 1 mL osteoblast inducing conditional media,and 10 times diluted after filtration purification to prepare sensory and motor nerve homogenates at concentration gradients of 1.0,0.1,0.01,0.001 and 0.0001 mg/mL.Cultivation GFP ± rat pups BMSCs in vitro were trained to P3 generation.The experiment was carried out in 3 groups.The sensory and motor nerve homogenates of 500 μL at the above 6 concentration gradients were added during cultivation respectively in the sensory nerve group (n =18) and the motor nerve group(n =18) while 500 μL of osteoblast inducing conditional media was added in the control group(n =3).Cell proliferation quantity detection and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining were used to assess the proliferation and differentiation of BMSCs after 14 days.Results According to the results of CCK-8,the cellular absorbance values at concentrations of 1.0 and 0.1 mg/mL homogenate in the sensory nerve group (1.957 ±0.065 and 1.751±0.073) were significantly greater than in the control group (1.145±0.087) while the cellular absorbance value at concentration of 10.0 mg/mL homogenate in the motor nerve group (0.304 ± 0.619) was significandy smaller than in the control group (1.145 ± 0.087) (P ＜ 0.05).According to the ALP staining,the amounts of cellular calcium nodules in the sensory and motor nerve groups (2.667 ± 0.816 and 3.000 ± 0.632,respectively) were significantly smaller than in the control group (11.833 ± 1.471) (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusion Sensory nerve homogenate is different from motor nerve homogenate in that it may promote proliferation of BMSCs and inhibit osteogenesis differentiation of BMSCs in a certain rage of concentrations.

Hypoxia-induced tumor biological behavior changes and application of radiotracers for PET imaging of tumor hypoxia / 中华全科医师杂志

Hypoxia exists in a wide range of advanced solid tumors and is often associated with poor prognosis.Hypoxia can enhance tumor invasion, promote tumor angiogenesis, impact genomic stability and change the tumor microenvironment by activating expression of relevant genes through hypoxia-induced factors (HIFs).Hypoxia provides favorable conditions for tumor metastasis and relapse, and it is involved in all aspects of tumor development.The study of hypoxia in tumors may provide useful information for pre-clinical evaluation, individualized treatment and clinical prognosis.Positron emission tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging method, which can be used for assessing and quantifying tumor hypoxic microenvironment.This article reviews the mechanisms of hypoxia-induced tumor biological behavior changes and the research progress of the application of radiotracers for PET imaging of tumor hypoxia.

Prevascularization of tissue-engineered bone grafts promotes repair of femoral bone defects in rats / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of prevascularized tissue-engineered bone graft on regeneration of femoral bone defects in rats.Methods Models of femoral bone defect were created at the bilateral hind limbs of 20 healthy female 10 week-old rats which were divided into 2 even groups randomly (n =10).In group A,conventional tissue-engineered bone grafts were transplanted into the femoral bone defects;in group B,tissue-engineered bone grafts and vascular bundles were implanted into the femoral defects.At 1,4 and 8 weeks after operation,3 rats were sacrificed each time in each group to harvest samples.The remaining one in each group served as a spare animal.Regeneration of bone defects and degradation of scaffolds were assessed by radiologic modality and hematein eosin staining.Results At week 1,the new bone ratio (BV/TV) was 5.47％ ± 1.90％ in group A and 8.49％ ± 1.26％ in group B,showing no significant difference (P ＞ 0.05);at weeks 4 & 8,the BV/TV were 17.54％ ±2.04％ and 39.73％ ± 4.01％ in group A,significantly lower than those in group B (25.32％ ± 2.15％ and 53.22％ ± 2.94％) (P ＜ 0.05).At weeks 1 & 4,the scaffold degradation ratios (RSV/SV) were 97.33％ ± 2.52％ and 80.60％ ±4.00％,showing no significant differences from those in group B (95.67％ ±3.51％ and 75.22％ ±6.20％) (P ＞ 0.05).At week 8,the scaffold degradation ratio in group A (65.46％ ±4.51％) was significantly higher than that in group B (50.19％ ±4.91％) (P ＜ 0.05).At week 8,hematein eosin staining showed better integration of scaffolds with the femur,faster degradation of the interior scaffolds and greater osteogenetic activity in group B.Conclusion Prevascularization of tissue-engineered bone graft may increase new bone volume and scaffold degradation rate,promoting repair of femoral bone defects in rats.

Diagnostic value of different imaging methods for cholangiocarcinoma / 中华全科医师杂志

Cholangiocarcinoma is a malignant tumor that occurs in the bile duct epithelium,it is the second most common malignant tumor of the liver and bile duct after hepatocellular carcinoma.Imaging examination is an important method to detect bile duct cancer;the purpose of imaging is to determine the location of the tumor,and the extent of invasion and distant metastasis.Different imaging methods have their advantages and disadvantages,so they should be chosen based on the condition of patients,or be optimized as the combined detection.

Surgical treatment of substernal goiter : analysis of 102 patients / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To summarize surgical experience for the treatment of substernal goiter.Methods 102 cases of substernal goiter underwent surgical resection,in 74 by low collar incision,12 cases by larger low collar incision and pillowing the shoulder pad about 20 degrees for neck hyperextension,8 cases by unilateral or bilateral infrahyoid muscles transection,8 cases by low collar and up-mid-sternal incision plus horizontal sawing in 2 and 3 ribs.Results Resection was performed successfully in all cases.Hoarseness occurred in 7 cases,4 cases recovered after one month,3 cases did not improve because of tumor invasion of laryngeal recurrent nerve.Postoperative transient hypocalcemia in 9 cases recovered after 2 to 3 months.102 patients were followed up for 1 to 3 years without recurrence.Conclusions Substernal goiter can be resected successfully through a transcervical approach or mid-sternal incision.CT scanning and chest X radiograph are decisive for the surgical approach.

Protective effect of resveratrol on arsenic trioxide-induced nephrotoxicity in rats

BACKGROUD/OBEJECTIVES: Arsenic, which causes human carcinogenicity, is ubiquitous in the environment. This study was designed to evaluate modulation of arsenic induced cancer by resveratrol, a phytoalexin found in vegetal dietary sources that has antioxidant and chemopreventive properties, in arsenic trioxide (As2O3)-induced Male Wistar rats. MATERIALS/METHODS: Adult rats received 3 mg/kg As2O3 (intravenous injection, iv.) on alternate days for 4 days. Resveratrol (8 mg/kg) was administered (iv.) 1 h before As2O3 treatment. The plasma and homogenization enzymes associated with oxidative stress of rat kidneys were measured, the kidneys were examined histologically and trace element contents were assessed. RESULTS: Rats treated with As2O3 had significantly higher oxidative stress and kidney arsenic accumulation; however, pretreatment with resveratrol reversed these changes. In addition, prior to treatment with resveratrol resulted in lower blood urea nitrogen, creatinine and insignificant renal tubular epithelial cell necrosis. Furthermore, the presence of resveratrol preserved the selenium content (0.805 +/- 0.059 microg/g) of kidneys in rats treated with As2O3. However, resveratrol had no effect on zinc level in the kidney relative to As2O3-treated groups. CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that supplementation with resveratrol alleviated nephrotoxicity by improving antioxidant capacity and arsenic efflux. These findings suggest that resveratrol has the potential to protect against kidney damage in populations exposed to arsenic.

Recent progress on the differential diagnosis imaging tools and applications on pre-cancerous nodules and cancerous nodules of hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华肝胆外科杂志

In recent years,the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has increased with a higher mortality rate.Early detection and early treatment are essential to improving the patients' survival rate. Imaging is widely used HCC and is advantageous because it is non-invasive. The rapid development of imaging calls for higher standards in order to diagnosis hepatocarcinoma at an earlier stage so as to achieve complete treatment.This review describes the scientific progress on imaging differential diagnosis and application on pre-cancerous nodules (dysplastic nodule,DN) and small hepatocellular carcinoma (sHCC) related to hepatocarcinogenesis in cirrhotic livers.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia:a report of 63 cases / 中华普通外科杂志

Objective To summarize the diagnosis and surgical treatment of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). Methods The clinical data of 63 patients with FNH proved by pathology were analyzed retrospectively. Results The disease mainly affected young to middle aged, 50 cases (79. 4% )were of 31-50 years old. Male and female ratio was 2.94: 1. Fifty-six patients (89%) were asymptomatic, 3 cases were HBsAg positive (4.8%). Liver function was basically normal (92. 1%),5 cases (7.9%) were with elevated level of total bilirubin and rGT. AFP, CEA and CA19-9 was all negative. FNH occured as a single node in 95.2% cases, ranging from 1.5 cm to 17 cm in diameter ( average 4. 5 cm). Of these patients, 25 lesions were present in the left lobe, 29 in the right lobe, 6 in the mid lobe, and 3 in the caudate lobe. A big central artery was found in 2 cases (3. 2% ) as found by color Doppler ultrasound. CT scan showed transient immediate enhancement in 96. 8% (61/63) of patients, with central scar in 6 cases. MRI demonstrated early vigorous enhancement in 93. 7% (59/63) of patients, with central scar in 5 cases. All patients underwent surgical resection; including local resection in 34 cases;segmentectomy or hepatectomy in 13 cases; hemihepatectomy in 13 cases. There was no postoperative mortality and major complications. Conclusions FNH is a kind of hepatic benign disease and characteristic of high preoperative misdiagnosis rate (25. 4% ).