Advanced Techniques in Musculoskeletal Oncology: Perfusion, Diffusion, and Spectroscopy.

The imaging characterization of musculoskeletal tumors can be challenging, and a significant number of lesions remain indeterminate when conventional imaging protocols are used. In recent years, clinical availability of functional imaging methods has increased. Functional imaging has the potential to improve tumor detection, characterization, and follow-up. The most frequently used functional methods are perfusion imaging, diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and MR proton spectroscopy (MRS). Each of these techniques has specific protocol requirements and diagnostic pitfalls that need to be acknowledged to avoid misdiagnoses. Additionally, the application of functional methods in the MSK system has various technical issues that need to be addressed to ensure data quality and comparability. In this article, the application of contrast-enhanced perfusion imaging, DWI, and MRS for the evaluation of bone and soft tissue tumors is discussed, with emphasis on acquisition protocols, technical difficulties, and current clinical indications.

The expression of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase in the esophageal carcinoma tissues and its clinical significance / 中国医师进修杂志

Objective To investigate the expression of membrane type 1 matrix metalloproteinase(MT1-MMP) in the esophageal carcinoma tissues and in normal periearcinomatous tissues and its clinical significance. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to study the expression of MT1-MMP in esophageal carcinoma tissues and normal tissues in distance for 5-7 em from tumor. Results Among 54esophageal carcinoma specimens, the positive expression rate of MT1-MMP was 87.0%, while all of themwere expressed a small quantity in normal esophageal epithelial tissues, the expression in the esophageal carcinoma tissues was significantly higher than those in normal esophageal epithelial tissues (P ＜ 0.01 ).The degree of MT1-MMP expressions was associated with the depth of tumor invasion (P ＜ 0.01 ), the invasion of the lymph nodes(P ＜ 0.01 ) and the relapse and/or metastasis of the tumors for three years after surgery(P ＜0.01 ), and was also related to differentiation of tumor cells (P ＜ 0.01 ). Conclusions The expression of MT1-MMP in the esophageal carcinoma tissues is well associated with the depth of tumor invasion, the invasion of the lymph nodes, the differentiation of tumor cells and relapse and/or metastasis of the tumors for three years after surgery. MT1-MMP plays an important rote in the invasion and metastasis in the patients with esophageal carcinoma.