Clinical application of 3.0 T MR imaging without contrast in coronary artery based on compressed SENSE technology / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the optimal acceleration factor and feasibility of the compressed SENSE (CS) technique in non-contrast MR coronary angiography (NMRCA) for clinical practice.Methods:The image data of completed coronary CTA and 3.0 T NMRCA sequence in 31 patients with suspected coronary heart disease were prospectively recruited at Fuyang People′s Hospital from August 2021 to November 2021. NMRCA sequences included conventional SENSE2 sequence and CS sequences with acceleration factors of 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The subjective scores of image quality and the objective scores, the contrast ratios between assessed coronaries and myocardium (CMCR) were compared among the 4 groups using the Friedman and Wilcoxon rank sum test.Results:Compared with the conventional SENSE2 [(343±46)s], the scan time of CS4 (269±36), CS5 (214±29) and CS6 (178±26) s were shortened by 21.5%, 37.5% and 48.0%, respectively. There was a good consistency between the subjective scores of the four groups (Kappa=0.769, 95% Cl 0.738-0.800). There was no significant difference in subjective score and CMCR value between CS4 and SENSE2 ( P>0.05). The coronary artery segments of CS5 and CS6 were significantly different from SENSE2 group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:For 3.0 T NMRCA, CS technology shows high feasibility. The CS4 can reduce imaging time while ensuring high-quality coronary arterial images, which has a well-established clinical application value for NMRCA.

A bio-inspired hierarchical spiking neural network with biological synaptic plasticity for event camera object recognition / 生物医学工程学杂志

With inherent sparse spike-based coding and asynchronous event-driven computation, spiking neural network (SNN) is naturally suitable for processing event stream data of event cameras. In order to improve the feature extraction and classification performance of bio-inspired hierarchical SNNs, in this paper an event camera object recognition system based on biological synaptic plasticity is proposed. In our system input event streams were firstly segmented adaptively using spiking neuron potential to improve computational efficiency of the system. Multi-layer feature learning and classification are implemented by our bio-inspired hierarchical SNN with synaptic plasticity. After Gabor filter-based event-driven convolution layer which extracted primary visual features of event streams, we used a feature learning layer with unsupervised spiking timing dependent plasticity (STDP) rule to help the network extract frequent salient features, and a feature learning layer with reward-modulated STDP rule to help the network learn diagnostic features. The classification accuracies of the network proposed in this paper on the four benchmark event stream datasets were better than the existing bio-inspired hierarchical SNNs. Moreover, our method showed good classification ability for short event stream input data, and was robust to input event stream noise. The results show that our method can improve the feature extraction and classification performance of this kind of SNNs for event camera object recognition.

Evaluation of correlation between left ventricular changes and left atrial function in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy based on quantitative cardiac MR / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore whether left ventricular interstitial fibrosis is associated with left atrial enlargement and left atrial dysfunction in patients of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM) with preserved ejection fraction.Methods:From October 2018 to September 2021, 59 HCM including 30 with enlarged maximal left artrial volume index (LAVI max), 29 with normal LAVI max and 28 age-and gender-matched controls were retrospectively enrolled. Imaging protocol included cine sequence, late gadolinium enhancement and T 1 mapping.The relationships between left ventricular mass index (LVMI), quantitative myocardial fibrosis and left atrial-related indexes were analyzed. One-way analysis of variance with Bonferroni post hoc correction or Kruskal-Wallis was performed for continuous variables. Categorical variables were assessed using the Chi-square test or Fisher′s exact test. Pearson or Spearman analysis was used for linear or monotonic nonlinear correlations. Results:The left ventricular end-diastolic volume index, left ventricular end-systolic volume index, left ventricular cardiac output and LVMI of HCM with enlarged LAVI max group were higher than HCM with normal LAVI max group and control group( P<0.05).Correlation analysis showed that LVMI correlated positively with LAVI max( r=0.780, P<0.001) and minimal left artrial volume index (LAVI min) ( r=0.816, P<0.001), extracellular volume correlated positively with LAVI max( r=0.462, P<0.001) and LAVI min( r=0.483, P<0.001),%LGE was correlated positively with LAVI max( r=0.311, P<0.05) and LAVI min( r=0.327, P<0.05),left ventricular index interstitial volume was correlated negatively with left atrial ejection fraction of reservoir ( r=-0.669, P<0.001),left atrial ejection fraction of conduit ( r=-0.472, P<0.001),left atrial ejection fraction of pump ( r=-0.518, P<0.001)and left atrial expansion index( r=-0.626, P<0.001). Conclusion:There is association between LVMI and fibrosis and left atrial enlargement and phases dysfunction in HCM with preserved ejection fraction.

Application value of cardiovascular MR T 1 mapping in patients recovered from COVID-19 / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the value of cardiovascular MR (CMR) T 1 mapping in evaluating myocardial injury in patients recovered from COVID-19. Methods:The clinical and image data of 15 patients with COVID-19 (9 with moderate clinical manifestation, 6 with severe clinical manifestation) who underwent CMR screening at 3 months after being discharged from the Second People′s Hospital of Fuyang City during May 2020 to June 2020 were prospective collected. Fifteen COVID-19 patients were selected as case group, and another 11 healthy volunteers were selected as control group. A standardized CMR protocol included cine, native and enhanced T 1 mapping, late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Cardiac functional parameters, native T 1 value of left ventricular and extracellular volume fraction (ECV) were measured. One way ANOVA was used to assess the difference between CMR parameters among moderate and severe manifestation groups and control group, and LSD- t was used to assess the difference between the three groups. Results:LGE value was negative in all subjects. ECV values were higher in recovered COVID-19 patients with either moderate (27.9%±2.7%) or severe manifestation (30.0%±3.7%) than control group (23.2±1.9%) ( P<0.05); there was no significant difference of ECV values between recovered COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe manifestation ( P=0.100). There was no difference of native T 1 values and other functional and morphologic parameters of left ventricular and right ventricular among recovered COVID-19 patients with moderate and severe manifestation and control group ( P>0.05). Conclusion:CMR myocardial tissue ECV increase in patients who recovered from COVID-19, suggesting subclinical myocardial injury.

Analysis of funded key projects on medical imaging and biomedical engineering by national natural science foundation of China from 2010 to 2019 / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To analyze the key projects in medical imaging and biomedical engineering area funded by national natural science foundation of China (NSFC) in the past ten years, so as to provide reference of application for scientific researchers.Methods:The funded projects through fund code H18 (medical imaging and biomedical engineering) of NSFC during 2010 to 2019 was analyzed. The funded fields, geographical distribution, research direction, applicants, supporting institutions, and the characteristics and trends of key researches were summarized.Results:A total of 68 projects were funded under H18, including 58 in projected area and 10 in non-projected area. The average funding rate was 19.0% (68/358) in the last ten years. Institutions of higher learning received 51 grants while scientific research institutes had 17. Thirty-seven supporting institutions received H18 key project funding, among which 22 received 1 grant and 15 received 2 or more. There were 51 (75%) male project leaders and 17 (25%) female leaders. The age of project leaders ranged from 35-66 years. Among the project leaders of H18 key funded projects, 52 leaders were approved once, and 8 were approved twice. The average interval between two approved key projects was 5.8 years.Conclusions:Since the establishment of the Department of Health Sciences in 2009, the sum of the fund and the number of the funded key projects in imaging medicine and biomedical engineering field have increased year by year. With the joint efforts of the majority of clinical workers and scientific researchers, research in this domain will achieve rapid development in our country.

Imaging dynamic observation of COVID-19 patients cured by imported coronavirus pneumonia / 中华放射学杂志

Objective@#To explore the imaging changes of lung lesions in patients with imported COVID-19 patients when reaching the discharge standard.@*Method@#The clinical and CT imaging data of 60 patients with imported COVID-19 cured and discharged from January to February 2020 in Anhui Province were retrospectively collected. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the characteristics of chest CT images at discharge were analyzed.@*Results@#Fever (57 cases) and cough (55 cases) were the main symptoms in 60 patients. At the initial diagnosis, 5 cases were mild, 53 were ordinary, and 2 were severe. In 5 light patients, 3 cases were negative in the whole course of CT examination, 2 cases were negative in the first time and abnormal in the second time. . The first CT imaging features of 55 patients (53 common type and 2 severe type)were mainly bilateral lung involvement (51 cases), multiple lesions (33 cases), more common under the pleura (40 cases), and ground glass opacities were the most common. (55 cases). The clinical features of chest CT in clinical outcomes are that the ground glass shadow in the lung gradually fades and was completely absorbed (19 cases); the scope of ground glass shadow in the lung expanded and progressed to crazy-paving, consolidation shadow, and the lesion gradually absorbs again followed by Fibrous cord shadows (27 cases); ground-glass opacities in the lungs quickly progressed to a consolidation and then slowly absorbed . Most of the lesions were accompanied by more residual fibrous cord shadows (4 cases). In 2 severe patients, the lesions in the lungs were larger ground glass, and a big amount of fibrous foci remained after slowly absorption.@*Conclusion@#Chest CT plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of imported COVID-19, and the degree of lung involvement seen on CT images is in good agreement with clinical outcome.

Imaging dynamic observation of cured COVID-19 patients with imported coronavirus pneumonia / 中华放射学杂志

Objective:To explore the imaging changes of lung lesions in patients with imported COVID-19 when reaching the discharge standard.Methods:The clinical and CT imaging data of 60 cured patients with imported COVID-19 and discharged from January to February 2020 in Anhui Province were retrospectively collected. At the initial diagnosis, 5 cases were mild, 53 were ordinary, and 2 were severe. The clinical characteristics of the patients and the characteristics of chest CT images at discharge were analyzed.Results:Fever (57 cases) and cough (55 cases) were the main symptoms in 60 patients. In 5 mild patients, 3 cases were negative in the whole course of CT examination, 2 cases were negative in the first time and abnormal in the second time. The first CT imaging features of 55 patients (53 common type and 2 severe type) were mainly bilateral lung involvement (51 cases), multiple lesions (33 cases), more common under the pleura (40 cases), and ground glass opacities were the most common (55 cases). The features of chest CT in clinical outcomes were that the ground glass shadow in the lung gradually faded and was completely absorbed (19 cases); the scope of ground glass shadow in the lung expanded and progressed to crazy-paving, consolidation shadow, and the lesion gradually absorbed again followed by fibrous cord shadows (27 cases); ground-glass opacities in the lungs quickly progressed to a consolidation and then slowly absorbed. Most of the lesions were accompanied by more residual fibrous cord shadows (4 cases). In 2 severe patients, the lesions in the lungs were larger ground glass, and a large amount of fibrous foci remained after slow absorption.Conclusions:Chest CT plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of imported COVID-19, and the degree of lung involvement seen on CT images is in good agreement with clinical outcome.

Application effect of dexmedetomidine combined with oxycodone in traditional lysis method of shoulder joint adhesions / 中国基层医药

Objective To observe the effect of dexmedetomidine ( Dex ) combined with oxycodone in the traditional lysis method of shoulder joint adhesions .Methods Sixty patients with shoulder joint adhesions in ASA Ⅰor Ⅱby the traditional lysis method were selected ,and they were randomly divided into control group and observation group,30 cases in each group.The control group was administered with Dex1.0μg/kg +fentanyl 1μg/kg.The observation group was administered with Dex1.0μg/kg+oxycodone 0.10mg/kg.The VAS scores and postoperative adverse reactions were compared .Results The VAS score of each group decreased with the prolong of postoperative analgesia time.The VAS scores in the observation group at postoperative 1h,4h,8h[(3.00 ±0.54)points,(1.98 ± 0.56)points,(1.55 ±0.36) points] were lower than those in the control group [(3.91 ±0.33) points,(2.88 ± 0.66)points,(2.26 ±0.77)points],the differences were statistically significant (t =3.42,4.11,2.43,all P <0.05).There was no statistically significant difference in VAS score between the two groups at postoperative 12h(P>0.05).The incidence rates of adverse reactions of respiratory depression ,tachycardia,intraoperative awareness in the control group were 26.7％(8/30),50.0％(15/30),13.3％(4/30),respectively,which in the observation group were 6.7％(2/30),20.0％(6/30),0.0(0/30),respectively,the differences were statistically significant between the two groups(χ2 =4.320,5.934,5.333,all P<0.05).Conclusion Dex combined with oxycodone can ensure good sedation and forgetting effect ,and the incidence rate of adverse reactions is low .

Value renal CT volumetric texture analysis with machine learning radiomics in assessment of pathological grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To investigate the value of renal CT volumetric texture analysis with machine learning radiomics in assessment of pathological grade of clear cell renal cell carcinoma(ccRCC). Methods Thirty-four biopsy-confirmed ccRCC subjects who had four-phase CT scanning (NC:non-contrast, CM: Corticomedullary, N: Nephrographic, E: Excretory) were collected retrospectively from June 2013 to October 2017 for the study.Non-rigid registration was performed on multi-phase CT images in reference to CM-phase.Each lesion was segmented on CM-phase CT images using our in-house volumetric image analysis platform,"3DQI".A set of fifty-nine volumetric textures,including histogram,gradient,gray level co-occurrence matrix(GLCM),run-length(RL),moments,and shape,was calculated for each segment lesion in each phase as parameters for the training/testing of Random Forest (RF) classifier. Four groups according to pathological Fuhrman grade on a scaleⅠtoⅣ,these tumors were then divided into low(Ⅰ+Ⅱ) and high grade ( Ⅲ + Ⅳ) groups. Feature selection was performed by Boruta algorithm. A 10-fold cross-validation method was applied to validate the RF performance by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of the model. Results Subjects were divided into four groups by Fuhrman grade on a scaleⅠtoⅣ:3 cases gradeⅠ,19 cases gradeⅡ,8 cases gradeⅢand 4 cases gradeⅣ.In CM-phase,kurtosis and long-run-emphasis(RLE)were selected the most important textures for ccRCC staging among 59 features. The area under curve (AUC) of ROC was 0.88 (79% sensitivity and 82% specificity)by using kurtosis and RLE textures.The mean values of kurtosis and RLE were(-20.00±22.00)×10-2and(3.00±0.40)×10-2for low group,whereas(31.00±32.00)×10-2and(5.00± 0.02)×10-2for high group.Within the mean±SD range of statistics,radiomics can distinguish between low and high grade tumors.In multi-phase analysis,three most important features were selected among 236(59× 4) textures: kurtosis (CM-phase), GLCM homogeneity I (HOMO 1) (E-phase), and GLCM homogeneity 2 (HOMO2)(E-phase).The mean values of HOMO 1(E-phase)and HOMO 2(E-phase)were(19.00±0.03)× 10-2and(11.00±0.02)×10-2for low group,whereas(22.00±0.03)×10-2and(14.00±0.02)×10-2for high group. The AUC was 0.92(93% sensitivity and 87% specificity)by using these three textures. Conclusion This study has demonstrated that renal CT volumetric texture analysis with machine learning radiomics could preoperative accurately perform cancer staging for ccRCC.

Prevalence of tonsilloliths and CT diagnosis / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

Objective@#To investigate the prevalence, gender and age distribution characteristics of tonsilloliths and its CT diagnosis, in order to improve the knowledge of clinicians.@*Methods@#The images of 2 710 patients who underwent head and neck CT scans from November 2015 to November 2016 were retrospectively reviewed, the prevalence, gender and age distribution of tonsilloliths and CT manifestation were analyzed. SPSS 18.0 was used for statistical analysis.@*Results@#Tonsilloliths were found in 383 (14.1%) of the 2 710 patients, including 217 men and 166 women. The prevalence was 15.1% in men and 13.1% in women, and no gender difference was seen. The age of patients with tonsilloliths ranged from 6-88 years, and the mean age was (51.1±16.8) years. The prevalence of tonsilloliths in patients 40 years and younger was significantly lower than in those who were over 40 years (χ2=15.201, P<0.001), and the prevalence of tonsilloliths was positively correlated with age(r=0.812, P=0.008). One hundred and twenty eight cases of tonsilloliths were located on the right side, and 157 were located on tleft side. Tonsilloliths were detected bilaterally in 98 patients. There was no significant difference between left and right sides(χ2=1.919, P=0.166). Most of tonsilloliths showed a single small tonsillolith, 60.6% of tonsilloliths showed only one tonsillolith, whereas 39.4% showed two or more. The size of tonsilloliths ranged from 1.0 to 10.0 mm, the mean maximum diameter was (2.3±1.2) mm, and 86.7% of tonsilloliths with a maximum diameter of no more than 3.0 mm. Tonsilloliths showed dot, round or oval hyperdense in tonsillar crypt or parenchyma. CT attenuation of majority tonsilloliths was over 120 Hu.@*Conclusion@#Tonsilloliths are more common than previously suggested, its CT diagnosis is not difficult, and the knowledge of clinician and radiologist needs to be improved.

Determination of the raw material feeding of honeysuchle flowers extract and baikal skullcap root extract in Yinhuang capsules by HPLC-MS/MS / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective To develop a HPLC-MS/MS method for comprehensive monitoring and control of the raw material feeding (honeysuchle flowers extract and baikal skullcap root extract) , and simultaneous determination of chlorogenic acid and baicalin in Yinhuang capsules. Methods The separation was performed on an Inertsil ODS-3 (2.1 mm × 150 mm, 5 μm) analytical column with the mobile phase consisting of methanol- 10 mmol/L ammonium acetate solution by gradient elution program, and the column temperature was 40 ℃. Active ingredients were separated by HPLC, and the Electrospray Ionization Mass (API) source was applied and operated in the negative ion mode, and reactions ion monitoring mode (MRM) for quantitative analysis were selected. Results The samples and the mixed Extract have the same characteristic peak in MS and MS/MS. According to the prescription feeding process, the proprietary Chinese medicine wasdetermined. The results showed that the palladium residue of 6 batches samples were up to the standard by HPLC/MS/MS chromatographic peak areas. The calibration cruve of chlorogenic acid and baicalin were linear: 0.60-4.80 μg/ml (r = 0.9989),2.87-14.40 μg/ml (r = 0.9986), with the relative standard deviation of repeatability by 0.69% and 0.69% respectively, and the mean recovery rate were 95%-102%, 95%-103%, respectively. Conclusions The method was proven to be simple, accurate, reliable, high sensitive and can be used for determination and control of the raw material feeding (honeysuchle flowers extract and baikal skullcap root extract) and quality in Yinhuang capsules.

Comparison of the effects of ropivacaine and sufentanil alone or in combination with continuous subarachnoid block for labor analgesia / 中国生化药物杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of ropivacaine and sufentanil alone or in combination with continuous subarachnoid block for labor analgesia.MethodsIn this experiment, 63 cases of spontaneous delivery of labor in First People's Hospital Jiande City from June 2015 to December 2016 were randomly divided into experimental group and control group according to the time of hospitalization.Each 21 cases.In the control group, 1 mg of ropivacaine was treated with 1 mg of ropivacaine (15 mg) and 5μL of sufentanil.The control group 1 was treated with 1% ropivacaine alone.The control group 2 was treated with 6μl of sufentanil.ResultsIn this experiment, the effect of subarachnoid analgesia was VAS score≤3 points, the experimental group was significantly faster than the control group 1, 2 (P<0.05), the first PCEA administration time is subarachnoid The effective duration of analgesia in the experimental group was statistically significant (P<0.05).In addition, VAS score was statistically significant.There was no significant difference between the three groups.In addition, the three groups of maternal active period, the second labor time difference was not statistically significant.ConclusionCompared with the original single use of agents, ropivacaine and sufentanil continuous subarachnoid analgesia for labor analgesia had better effects on maternal effects on labor.

Comprehensive monitoring of charge analysis and research of active pharmaceutical ingredients in Shedan-Chenpi tablet by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry / 国际中医中药杂志

Objective The monitoring of the feeding situation of active pharmaceutical ingredient in Shendan-Chenpi tablet by HPLC-MS/MS,and the content of sodium taurocholate and hesperidin.Methods Using ZORBAX Eclipse Plus C18(4.6 mm×250 mm, 5 μm)Column temperature 40 ℃, Mobile phase with acetonitrile-10 mmol/sodium acetate solution, using gradient elution program. Active ingredients were separated by HPLC, and the Electrospray Ionization Mass (ESI) source was applied and operated in the negative ion mode, and reactions ion monitoring mode(MRM) for quantitative analysis were selected. Results The proprietary Chinese medicine is judged by the prescription feeding process, through analysis and contrast of the medicinal materials, reference substance of primary mass spectrogram, secondary mass spectrogram of peak. The aurocholic acid sodium and hesperidin had a good linear relationship in 0.242×10-2-1.45×10-2μg(r=0.996 0), 0.688×10-2-10.30×10-2μg(r=0.999 2), and the precision test were 0.78% and 1.56%, and the recovery rate were 102%-103%,96%-109%. Conclusions The method was simple, accurate and reliable, high sensitive and fast. The comprehensive monitoring was applied to the Shedan-Chenpi tablet in feeding analysis and quality.

Tract-based spatial statistical analysis of Alzheimer's disease and its correlation with cognition scores / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To observe microstructural changes of white matter in Alzheimer's disease (AD),and to find out the relationship between white matters lesion and declined cognition.Methods Twenty-four AD patients and 24 controls with normal cognition performed diffusion tensor imaging MR scan.Tract-based spatial statistical analysis (TBSS) was used to investigate microstructural change of white matter,and then its correlation with Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores was analyzed.Results Fractional anisotropy (FA) values were decreased in corpus callosum,fornix,left corticospinal tract,bilateral cerebral peduncle,superior cerebellar peduncle,internal capsule,corona radiata,posterior thalamic radiation,sagittal stratum including inferior longitidinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,external capsule,cingulate gyrns,hippocampus,superior longitudinal fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus,while mean diffusivity (MD) values were increased in fornix,left hippocampus,bilateral internal capsule,corona radiata,posterior thalamic radiation,sagittal stratum including inferior longitidinal fasciculus and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus,external capsule,cingulate gyrus,superior longitudinal fasciculus,superior fronto-occipital fasciculus and uncinate fasciculus (all P ＜ 0.05,threshold-free cluster enhancement corrected).MMSE scores had a positive correlation with decreased FA values of left sagittal stratum (r =0.535,P =0.007) and negative correlations with increased MD values of left sagittal stratum (r =-0.427,P =0.037),left superior longitudinal fasciculus (r =-0.424,P =0.039) and left uncinate fasciculus (r =-0.505,P =0.012).Conclusions There exist widespread white matter lesions in AD with impairment of white matter connections of intra-and inter-hemispheres.Impaired white matters in left hemisphere may have close relationships with cognition decline.

Diagnostic value of CT for head and neck pilomatricoma / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the CT and pathological features of head and neck pilomatricoma.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We retrospectively analyzed the CT findings of 13 patients with head and neck pilomatricoma which were pathologically confirmed. Of them 7 patients received plain CT, 2 patients received contrast-enhancement, and 4 patients received plain CT plus contrast-enhancement.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the patients presented with solitary tumors, 9 of them occurred in the parotid gland region, one in the left occipital, one in the right forehead, one in the right parietal, and another one in the left eyelid. The maximal diameter of the tumors ranged from 0.6 to 2.3 cm with a mean of 1.5 cm. All lesions were well-circumscribed, with partial attachment to the overlying skin. Most of lesions were isodense relative to adjacent skeletal muscle on non-enhanced CT scans, sand-like or nodular calcifications within the masses were showed in 8 cases, and no cystic degeneration was found. On contrast-enhanced imaging, mild to moderate homogenous enhancement was showed in 3 cases, heterogeneous moderate enhancement with patchy nonenhancing necrosis area in one case, marked enhancement in one case, and complete calcification with no enhancement in one case.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Head and neck pilomatricoma presents with certain characteristics on CT, which are useful in the clinical diagnosis and differential diagnosis.</p>

Comparative study of peripartum cardiomyopathy and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy MRI / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To characterize the cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) features of peripartum cardiomyopathy(PPCM) and idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy(IDCM), and to explore the value of MRI in the diagnosis of PPCM. Methods Ten cases of PPCM and 10 cases of Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (IDCM) were included in this study. With 1.5 T MRI scanner, the heart shape (atrioventricular size, hypertrabeculation, thickness of the thinnest ventricular wall), function (ventricular wall movement and the overall function), cardiomyopathy perfusion were comprehensively evaluated. Paired samples t?test and Fisher exact probability method were used for statistical analysis. Results Between PPCM and IDCM group, there was no statistical significant difference in the atrioventricular size, cardiac output(CO), end diastolic volume(EDV), ejection fraction (EF), end systolic volume (ESV) and stroke volume (SV) (P>0.05). IDCM and PPCM group both showed ventricular wall thinning on MRI, with 4 cases of PPCM and 3 cases of IDCM presenting hypertrabeculation in the left ventricular apex. Seven cases of PPCM and 4 cases of IDCM depicted left ventricular local dysfunction, while 3 cases of PPCM and 6 cases of IDCM had abnormal integral movement. Two cases of PPCM appeared local delayed enhancement, while 4 cases of IDCM showed intramural delayed enhancement. After one year of follow?up, heart function recovered in 10 cases of PPCM and 4 cases of IDCM. Conclusions MRI diagnosis using multiple sequences is an ideal method in the evaluation of PPCM. Although there were no differences in cardiac morphology and function between PPCM and IDCM, the prognosis of PPCM is better than IDCM.

Acute Pancreatitis：A Quantitative Analysis of Iodine with Dual-energy Spectral Computed Tomography / 中国医学影像学杂志

PurposeTo investigate the correlation between iodine concentration and clinical severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) through the quantitative evaluation with dual-energy spectral computed tomography (DESCT), so as to find out an effective imaging technology in the evaluation of clinical severity of AP.Materials and Methods Sixty patients with AP confirmed clinically (AP group) and 30 patients with normal pancreas (control group) were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients underwent enhanced CT scan in the spectral imaging mode. Iodine concentration and normalized iodine concentration (NIC) were respectively measured during arterial phase and portal phase in the material-decomposition images by using a spectral imaging viewer (GSI Viewer). Results Iodine concentration and NIC were significantly higher in the control group than in the AP group (P<0.05,P<0.001). In the AP group, according to Ranson grading, 24 patients were in the mild grade, 20 patients were moderate, and 16 patients were severe. Iodine concentration and NIC decreased along with the increase of their Ranson grade. There were significant difference in iodine concentration and NIC among the three subgroups (iodine concentration on arterial phase:F=8.776,P<0.01; iodine concentration on portal phase:F=4.019,P<0.05; NIC on arterial phase:F=12.700,P<0.001; NIC on portal phase:F=8.732,P<0.01). Iodine concentration and NIC on arterial and portal phases in the mild grade group were both significantly higher than those in the moderate grade group (P<0.05); however, iodine concentration on arterial and portal phases, and NIC on arterial phase in the severe grade group were significantly lower than those in the moderate grade group (P<0.05).Conclusion DESCT can analyze hemodynamic changes in AP quantitatively, which is of great value in evaluating changes in AP of each grade.

CT findings of benign lymphoepithelial lesion of major salivary glands / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To analyze the CT findings of benign lymphoepithelial lesion (BLEL) of major salivary glands.Methods The CT findings of 11 cases with BLEL which were clinically and pathologically confirmed were analyzed.The relevant literatures were reviewed.All the patients received plain CT.Among them,5 patients had contrast CT as well.The location,number,shape,margin,density,and enhancement characteristics of the lesions were observed.Results Of 11 BLEL,8 lesions were located in the parotid gland,three in the submandibular gland.There were 7 cases with bilateral multiple lesions,and 4 cases with unilateral solitary lesion.BLEL of major salivary gland could be classified into three types according to the CT findings,including multinodular type,solitary mass type,and diffusely infiltrating type.Multinodular type was the most common type.The typical CT findings of the lesion included diffusely enlargement of bilateral parotids and (or) submandibular glands,heterogeneous increase of density of the parenchyma with multiple soft tissue density nodules,and multiple cystiform hypodense.On contrast-enhanced CT,the lesions mostly manifested as heterogeneous enhancement.The solid part of the nodules showed moderate or marked enhancement.However,the cystiform hypodense showed no enhancement.Conclusion Although the CT findings of BLEL of major salivary glands are variable,they still share some common characteristics,which are useful in the clinical diagnosis.

Spectral CT imaging in the evaluation of composition of kidney stones / 中华放射学杂志

ObjectiveTo evaluate the feasibility of determining the chemical composition of kidney stones using gemstone spectral imaging ( GSI ).Methods One hundred and sixty eight extracted human kidney stones immersed in a 10 cm deep water tank underwent CT (Discovery CT750 HD) scans with GSI mode and conventional polychromatic imaging ( CPI,120 kVp) mode.All GSI data were transferred to Workstation AW 4.4 to acquire monochromatic images of 50 keY,effective atomic number (Zeff) mapping images,water (calcium)-based images and calcium (Water)-based images with GSI Viewer.CT numbers of stones were measured and compared at 50 keV monochromatic images and 120 kVp polychromatic images,the mean Zeff,calcium density and water density were measured at Zeff mapping images,Calcium (Water) -based images and Water (Calcium)-based images,respectively.The mean Zeff,spectral HU curve slope and calcium water ratio (CWR) were compared with ANOVA and Wilcoxon test.The composition of kidney stones was determined by infrared spectrometer after CT examination.According to the result of stone composition determined by infrared spectroscopy,108 pure kidney stones were divided into five groups:Uric acid stones ( UA,n = 13 ),struvite stones ( STR,n = 24),cystine stones ( CYS,n = 14),calcium phosphate stones ( CaP,n = 18),and calcium oxalate stones ( COX,n = 39).ResultsThe mean Zeff,CWR,the mean CT numbers at 50 keV images,120 kVp images and spectral HU curve slope of each group were listed as the following:UA [ 7.4 ± 0.4,0.0085 ± 0.0021,( 503 ± 168 ) HU,(495 ± 106 ) HU and - 0.77 ] ; STR [ 11.8 ± 0.9,0.1743 ± 0.0677,( 1056 ± 290 ) HU,( 799 ± 165 ) HU and 18.72 ] ; CYS [ 11.2 ± 0.6,0.1253 ± 0.0297,( 740 ± 172 ) HU,( 565 ± 129 ) HU and 12.79 ] ; CaP [ 16.0 ± 0.4,0.6781 ± 0.0952,( 2567 ±178 ) HU,( 1602 ± 200 ) HU and 37.14 ] ; COX [ 15.4 ± 0.4,0.5683 ± 0.0759,( 2267 ± 385 ) HU,( 1489 ±284) HU and 36.36 ],there were significant differences among groups ( P ＜ 0.01 ).The differences in the mean Zeff,CRW,spectral HU curve slope were statistically significant among the five groups ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion Spectral CT imaging provides a new method to characterize the kidney stones with the information orovided by mean Zeff,CRW and the CT numbers at 50 keV.