Rheumatoid arthritis disease activity significantly impacts on the severity of interstitial lung disease.

OBJECTIVES: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) related interstitial lung disease (ILD) impacts on the treatment strategy and its prognosis in patients with RA. However, the relationship between RA disease activity and the severity of comorbid ILD has not been fully investigated. This study aimed to investigate the impact of RA disease activity on the severity of comorbid ILD in detail based on currently established visual scoring method along with physiological severity. METHODS: Consecutive patients with RA visiting to our Rheumatology Centre between December 2020 and December 2023 were analysed. The radiological severity of ILD was evaluated by averaging the extent of the combined lesion of ground glass opacity, reticulation and honeycombing in 5% increments in six representative high-resolution computed tomography slices ranging from 0% (no involvement) to 100% (all lung fields affected) according to Goh and Walsh's method. Associations between the radiological and physiological severity of ILD and patients' features were investigated using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: Among 124 patients (32 men, 92 women), the median age was 70 years, and the median disease duration was 2.92 years. Radiological severity of ILD was 0% (without ILD) in 107 (86.2%), ILD with extent < 10% in nine (7.2%), ILD with extent ≥10% and < 20% in three (2.4%), ILD with extent ≥20% in five (4.0%). Both disease activity score (DAS)28-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (standardized coefficient = 0.199, P = 0.03) and rheumatoid factor titre (standardized coefficient = 0.247, P = 0.01) were significantly associated with the radiological quantitative severity of ILD in multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, disease duration, smoking status and anti-citrullinated peptide antibody titre. DAS28-ESR was significantly associated with forced vital capacity% predicted (standardized coefficient = -0.230, P = 0.047). CONCLUSIONS: Disease activity of RA was significantly associated with the severity of RA-ILD both radiologically and physiologically.

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Radiomics to Identify Components of the Extracellular Matrix in Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

BACKGROUND: Current cardiovascular magnetic resonance sequences cannot discriminate between different myocardial extracellular space (ECSs), including collagen, noncollagen, and inflammation. We sought to investigate whether cardiovascular magnetic resonance radiomics analysis can distinguish between noncollagen and inflammation from collagen in dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: We identified data from 132 patients with dilated cardiomyopathy scheduled for an invasive septal biopsy who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance at 3 T. Cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging protocol included native and postcontrast T1 mapping and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE). Radiomic features were computed from the midseptal myocardium, near the biopsy region, on native T1, extracellular volume (ECV) map, and LGE images. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the number of radiomic features to 5 principal radiomics. Moreover, a correlation analysis was conducted to identify radiomic features exhibiting a strong correlation (r>0.9) with the 5 principal radiomics. Biopsy samples were used to quantify ECS, myocardial fibrosis, and inflammation. RESULTS: Four histopathological phenotypes were identified: low collagen (n=20), noncollagenous ECS expansion (n=49), mild to moderate collagenous ECS expansion (n=42), and severe collagenous ECS expansion (n=21). Noncollagenous expansion was associated with the highest risk of myocardial inflammation (65%). Although native T1 and ECV provided high diagnostic performance in differentiating severe fibrosis (C statistic, 0.90 and 0.90, respectively), their performance in differentiating between noncollagen and mild to moderate collagenous expansion decreased (C statistic: 0.59 and 0.55, respectively). Integration of ECV principal radiomics provided better discrimination and reclassification between noncollagen and mild to moderate collagen (C statistic, 0.79; net reclassification index, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.45-1.22]; P<0.001). There was a similar trend in the addition of native T1 principal radiomics (C statistic, 0.75; net reclassification index, 0.93 [95% CI, 0.56-1.29]; P<0.001) and LGE principal radiomics (C statistic, 0.74; net reclassification index, 0.59 [95% CI, 0.19-0.98]; P=0.004). Five radiomic features per sequence were identified with correlation analysis. They showed a similar improvement in performance for differentiating between noncollagen and mild to moderate collagen (native T1, ECV, LGE C statistic, 0.75, 0.77, and 0.71, respectively). These improvements remained significant when confined to a single radiomic feature (native T1, ECV, LGE C statistic, 0.71, 0.70, and 0.64, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Radiomic features extracted from native T1, ECV, and LGE provide incremental information that improves our capability to discriminate noncollagenous expansion from mild to moderate collagen and could be useful for detecting subtle chronic inflammation in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy.

Radiomics-based prediction of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease following pancreatoduodenectomy.

PURPOSE: Predicting nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) is challenging, which delays therapeutic intervention and makes its prevention difficult. We conducted this study to assess the potential application of preoperative computed tomography (CT) radiomics for predicting NAFLD. METHODS: The subjects of this retrospective study were 186 patients with PD from a single institution. We extracted the predictors of NAFLD after PD statistically from conventional clinical and radiomic features of the estimated remnant pancreas and whole liver region on preoperative nonenhanced CT images. Based on these predictors, we developed a machine-learning predictive model, which integrated clinical and radiomic features. A comparative model used only clinical features as predictors. RESULTS: The incidence of NAFLD after PD was 43.5%. The variables of the clinicoradiomic model included one shape feature of the pancreas, two texture features of the liver, and sex; the variables of the clinical model were age, sex, and chemoradiotherapy. The accuracy%, precision%, recall%, F1 score, and area under the curve of the two models were 75.0, 72.7, 66.7, 69.6, and 0.80; and 69.6, 68.4, 54.2, 60.5, and 0.69, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative CT-derived radiomic features from the pancreatic and liver regions are promising for the prediction of NAFLD post-PD. Using these features enhances the predictive model, enabling earlier intervention for high-risk patients.

Usefulness of second-generation motion correction algorithm in improving delineation and reducing motion artifact of coronary computed tomography angiography.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate the usefulness of second-generation intra-cycle motion correction algorithm (SnapShot Freeze 2, GE Healthcare, MC2) in improving the delineation and interpretability of coronary arteries in coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) compared to first-generation intra-cycle motion correction algorithm (SnapShot Freeze, GE Healthcare, MC1). METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease who underwent CCTA on a 256-slice CT scanner were retrospectively studied. CCTA were reconstructed with three different algorithms: no motion correction (NMC), MC1, and MC2. The delineation of coronary arteries on CCTA was qualitatively rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (nondiagnostic) to 5 (excellent) by two radiologists blinded to the reconstruction method and the patient information. RESULTS: On a per-vessel basis, the delineation scores of coronary arteries were significantly higher on MC2 images compared to MC1 images (median [interquartile range], right coronary artery, 5.0 [4.5-5.0] vs 4.5 [4.0-5.0]; left anterior descending artery, 5.0 [4.5-5.0] vs 4.5 [3.5-5.0]; left circumflex artery, 5.0 [4.5-5.0] vs 4.5 [3.9-5.0]; all p â€‹< â€‹0.05). On a per-segment basis, for both 2 observers, the delineation scores on segment 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 12 and 13 on MC2 images were significantly better than those on MC1 images (p â€‹< â€‹0.05). The percentage of interpretable segments (rated score 3 or greater) on NMC, MC1, and MC2 images was 90.5-91.9%, 97.4-97.9%, and 100.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Second-generation intra-cycle motion correction algorithm improves the delineation and interpretability of coronary arteries in CCTA compared to first-generation algorithm.

Epipericardial fat necrosis diagnosed by cardiac CT in a patient with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Epipericardial fat necrosis (EFN) is a rare benign cause of chest pain, that is frequently overlooked. EFN involves the necrosis of fat tissue in the mediastinum, and presents on computed tomography (CT) as an ovoid lesion of fat attenuation surrounded by a rim of soft tissue attenuation. This case report describes a case of a 50-year-old man diagnosed with EFN on cardiac CT, which was incidentally associated with apical hypertrophic myocardiopathy. Notably, the detection of EFN proved difficult on arterial phase images during coronary CT angiography, whereas it was much easier to detect on delayed phase images. EFN should be considered in the differential diagnosis of chest pain, and careful examination of mediastinal fat is crucial for accurate diagnosis.

Optimal Protocol for Contrast-enhanced Free-running 5D Whole-heart Coronary MR Angiography at 3T.

Free-running 5D whole-heart coronary MR angiography (MRA) is gaining in popularity because it reduces scanning complexity by removing the need for specific slice orientations, respiratory gating, or cardiac triggering. At 3T, a gradient echo (GRE) sequence is preferred in combination with contrast injection. However, neither the injection scheme of the gadolinium (Gd) contrast medium, the choice of the RF excitation angle, nor the dedicated image reconstruction parameters have been established for 3T GRE free-running 5D whole-heart coronary MRA. In this study, a Gd injection scheme, RF excitation angles of lipid-insensitive binominal off-resonance RF excitation (LIBRE) pulse for valid fat suppression and continuous data acquisition, and compressed-sensing reconstruction regularization parameters were optimized for contrast-enhanced free-running 5D whole-heart coronary MRA using a GRE sequence at 3T. Using this optimized protocol, contrast-enhanced free-running 5D whole-heart coronary MRA using a GRE sequence is feasible with good image quality at 3T.

Cortical Brush Sign: A Novel Finding on Thin-slice 3T Susceptibility-weighted Imaging in Acute Cerebral Infarct and Cerebral Venous Thrombosis.

We observed a new SWI finding, "cortical brush sign," that represents prominent venous structures in the cortex of patients with acute cerebral infarct with or without moyamoya disease and cerebral venous thrombosis. The cortical brush sign disappeared on follow-up SWI in all cases. Cortical brush sign may help to understand the pathophysiology of venous structures in the cortex at acute phase.

Hemolytic Anemia Caused by Graft Kinking Following Ascending Aortic Replacement: Endovascular Treatment With a Palmaz XL Stent.

A 66-year-old man presented with hemolytic anemia, which required frequent blood transfusion, 6 months after surgical repair of an ascending aortic pseudoaneurysm. Hemolysis was attributed to luminal stenosis caused by graft kinking by laboratory test, CT and four-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging. First, an Excluder cuff was placed at the stenotic site under rapid pacing, but it migrated distally. Thereafter a Palmaz XL stent was placed at the stenotic site, which led to resolution of anemia. In this case, a Palmaz XL stent was successfully used to treat hemolytic anemia caused by graft kinking following ascending aortic surgery.

Differentiating Macrovascular and Microvascular Ischemia Using Fractal Analysis of Dynamic Myocardial Perfusion Stress-CT.

OBJECTIVES: Fractal analysis of dynamic myocardial stress computed tomography perfusion imaging (4D-CTP) has shown potential to noninvasively differentiate obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary microvascular disease (CMD). This study validates fractal analysis of 4D-CTP in a multicenter setting and assesses its diagnostic accuracy in subgroups with ischemia and nonobstructed coronary arteries (INOCA) and with mild to moderate stenosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From the AMPLIFiED multicenter trial, patients with suspected or known chronic myocardial ischemia and an indication for invasive coronary angiography were included. Patients underwent dual-source CT angiography, 4D-CTP, and CT delayed-enhancement imaging. Coronary artery disease, CMD, and normal perfusion were defined by a combined reference standard comprising invasive coronary angiography with fractional flow reserve, and absolute or relative CT-derived myocardial blood flow. Nonobstructed coronary arteries were defined as ≤25% stenosis and mild to moderate stenosis as 26%-80%. RESULTS: In 127 patients (27% female), fractal analysis accurately differentiated CAD (n = 61, 23% female), CMD (n = 23, 30% female), and normal perfusion (n = 34, 35% female) with a multiclass area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.92 and high agreement (multiclass κ = 0.89). In patients with ischemia (n = 84), fractal analysis detected CAD (n = 61) over CMD (n = 23) with sensitivity of 95%, specificity of 74%, accuracy of 89%, and AUC of 0.83. In patients with nonobstructed coronary arteries (n = 33), INOCA (n = 15) was detected with sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 78%, accuracy of 88%, and AUC of 0.94. In patients with mild to moderate stenosis (n = 27), fractal analysis detected CAD (n = 19) over CMD with sensitivity of 84%, specificity of 100%, accuracy of 89%, and AUC of 0.95. CONCLUSIONS: In this multicenter study, fractal analysis of 4D-CTP accurately differentiated CAD and CMD including subgroups with INOCA and with mild to moderate stenosis.

Two-dimensional phase-contrast MRI reveals changes in uterine arterial blood flow in pregnant women administered tadalafil for fetal growth restriction.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to examine the effect of uterine arterial (UtA) blood flow changes after tadalafil treatment for fetal growth restriction (FGR) using two-dimensional (2D) phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI). METHODS: We recruited 14 pregnant women with FGR aged 20-44 years, at ≥20 weeks' gestation, between May 2019 and July 2020. They underwent 2D PC-MRI for UtA blood flow measurement 3 days (interquartile range: 2-4) after diagnosis. This group (FGR group) was compared with 14 gestational age (GA)-matched healthy pregnant women (control group). Six patients in the FGR group received treatment with tadalafil administered at 20 mg twice daily after the first MRI until delivery. They underwent a second MRI a week later. RESULTS: The median total UtA blood/body surface area was 420 mL/min/m2 (290-494) in the FGR group and 547 mL/min/m2 (433-681) in the control group (p = 0.01). Percent increase in blood flow were significantly different between the FGR cases treated with tadalafil and control at 15.8 % (14.3-21.3) and 4.2 % (3.6-8.7), respectively (p = 0.03). DISCUSSION: UtA blood flow in pregnant women with FGR was significantly lower than that in healthy pregnant women. Tadalafil is expected to improve UtA blood flow, thereby improving placental function in pregnant patients with FGR.

COVID-19 during pregnancy could potentially affect placental function.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 is an ongoing pandemic and has been extensively studied. However, the effects of COVID-19 during pregnancy, particularly on placental function, have not been verified. In this study, we used blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD-MRI) to evaluate whether COVID-19 incidence during pregnancy has any lasting effects with respect to placental oxygenation. METHODS: This is a case-control study, in which eight cases of singleton pregnancies before 30 weeks gestation with COVID-19 mothers were included. Placental oxygenation was evaluated using BOLD-MRI after 32 weeks of gestation. BOLD-MRI was consecutively performed under normoxia (21% O2), hyperoxia (100% O2), and normoxia for 4 min each. Individual placental time-activity curves were evaluated to calculate the peak score (peakΔR2*) and the time from the start of maternal oxygen administration to the time of peakΔR2* (time to peakΔR2*). Eighteen COVID-19-free normal pregnancies from a previous study were used as the control group. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the two groups regarding maternal background, number of days of delivery, birth weight, and placental weight. The parameter peakΔR2* was significantly decreased in the COVID-19 group (8 ± 3 vs. 5 ± 1, p < .001); however, there was no significant difference in time to peakΔR2* (458 ± 74 s vs. 471 ± 33 s, p = .644). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, BOLD-MRI was used to evaluate placental oxygenation during pregnancy in COVID-19-affected patients. COVID-19 during pregnancy decreased placental oxygenation even post-illness, but had no effect on fetal growth; further investigation of the possible effects of COVID-19 on the fetus and mother is warranted.

Super-Resolution Deep Learning Reconstruction for Improved Image Quality of Coronary CT Angiography.

Purpose: To investigate image noise and edge sharpness of coronary CT angiography (CCTA) with super-resolution deep learning reconstruction (SR-DLR) compared with conventional DLR (C-DLR) and to evaluate agreement in stenosis grading using CCTA with that from invasive coronary angiography (ICA) as the reference standard. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 58 patients (mean age, 69.0 years ± 12.8 [SD]; 38 men, 20 women) who underwent CCTA using 320-row CT between April and September 2022. All images were reconstructed with two different algorithms: SR-DLR and C-DLR. Image noise, signal-to-noise ratio, edge sharpness, full width at half maximum (FWHM) of stent, and agreement in stenosis grading with that from ICA were compared. Stenosis was visually graded from 0 to 5, with 5 indicating occlusion. Results: SR-DLR significantly decreased image noise by 31% compared with C-DLR (12.6 HU ± 2.3 vs 18.2 HU ± 1.9; P < .001). Signal-to-noise ratio and edge sharpness were significantly improved by SR-DLR compared with C-DLR (signal-to-noise ratio, 38.7 ± 8.3 vs 26.2 ± 4.6; P < .001; edge sharpness, 560 HU/mm ± 191 vs 463 HU/mm ± 164; P < .001). The FWHM of stent was significantly thinner on SR-DLR (0.72 mm ± 0.22) than on C-DLR (1.01 mm ± 0.21; P < .001). Agreement in stenosis grading between CCTA and ICA was improved on SR-DLR compared with C-DLR (weighted κ = 0.83 vs 0.77). Conclusion: SR-DLR improved vessel sharpness, image noise, and accuracy of coronary stenosis grading compared with the C-DLR technique.Keywords: CT Angiography, Cardiac, Coronary Arteries Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2023.

Microvascular Dysfunction in Patients with Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Quantitative Assessment with Phase Contrast Cine MR Imaging of the Coronary Sinus.

PURPOSE: The purposes of this study were to compare global coronary flow reserve (CFR) between patients with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) and risk-matched controls using cardiac MRI (CMR), and to evaluate the relationship between global CFR and CMR left ventricular (LV) parameters. METHODS: Twenty-six patients with DCM and 26 risk-matched controls who underwent comprehensive CMR examination, including stress-rest coronary sinus flow measurement by phase contrast (PC) cine CMR were retrospectively studied. LV peak global longitudinal, radial, and circumferential strains (GLS, GRS, and GCS) were determined by feature tracking. RESULTS: Patients with DCM had significantly lower global CFR compared with the risk-matched controls (2.87 ± 0.86 vs. 4.03 ± 1.47, P = 0.001). Among the parameters, univariate linear regression analyses revealed significant correlation of global CFR with LV end-diastolic volume index (r = -0.396, P = 0.045), LV mass index (r = -0.461, P = 0.018), GLS (r = -0.558, P = 0.003), and GRS (r = 0.392, P = 0.047). Multiple linear regression analysis revealed GLS as the only independent predictor of global CFR (standardized ß = -0.558, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Global CFR was significantly impaired in patients with idiopathic DCM and independently associated with LV GLS, suggesting that microvascular dysfunction may contribute to deterioration of LV function in patients with idiopathic DCM.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor of the kidney with long-term imaging follow-up.

Mixed epithelial and stromal tumor (MEST) of the kidney is a rare benign tumor with malignant potential, and is characterized by epithelial and stromal proliferation with a variety of cellularity and growth pattern. MEST of the kidney is often depicted as a well-defined, solid mass with a cystic component. However, due to the rarity of the disease, there are no reports of its progression in serial imaging examinations. This report presents the case of a 68-year-old woman with MEST who was followed for 13 years by computed tomography (CT). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of image findings of MEST of the kidney over a follow-up period longer than 10 years.

Advanced multiparametric MRI and FDG-PET/CT in multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor: A pathologically confirmed case.

Multinodular and vacuolating neuronal tumor (MVNT) is a relatively new disease concept proposed in 2013 and was classified as a separate tumor type in 2021 by the World Health Organization (WHO) classification. MVNT can cause seizures but is a benign disease, with no cases of enlargement or postoperative recurrence reported. Recent reports described advanced MRI features in MVNT cases, but the diagnosis of MVNT is usually based on characteristic MRI findings of clusters of nodules. Here, we report advanced multiparametric MRI and FDG-PET/CT findings in a case of MVNT with epileptiform symptoms that was pathologically confirmed by surgery.

Effect of Gaussian Smoothing Filter Size for CT-Based Attenuation Correction on Quantitative Assessment of Bone SPECT/CT: A Phantom Study.

This study aims to determine the effect of Gaussian filter size for CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) on the quantitative assessment of bone SPECT. An experiment was performed using a cylindrical phantom containing six rods, of which one was filled with water and five were filled with various concentrations of K2HPO4 solution (120-960 mg/cm3) to simulate different bone densities. 99mTc-solution of 207 kBq/ml was also included within the rods. SPECT data were acquired at 120 views for 30 s/view. CT for attenuation correction were obtained at 120 kVp and 100 mA. Sixteen different CTAC maps processed with different Gaussian filter sizes (ranging from 0 to 30 mm in 2 mm increments) were generated. SPECT images were reconstructed for each of the 16 CTAC maps. Attenuation coefficients and radioactivity concentrations in the rods were compared with those in the water-filled rod without K2HPO4 solution as a reference. Gaussian filter sizes below 14-16 mm resulted in an overestimation of radioactivity concentrations for rods with high concentrations of K2HPO4 (≥ 666 mg/cm3). The overestimation of radioactivity concentration measurement was 3.8% and 5.5% for 666 mg/cm3 and 960 mg/cm3 K2HPO4 solutions, respectively. The difference in radioactivity concentration between the water rod and the K2HPO4 rods was minimal at 18-22 mm. The use of Gaussian filter sizes smaller than 14-16 mm caused an overestimation of radioactivity concentration in regions of high CT values. Setting the Gaussian filter size to 18-22 mm enables radioactivity concentration to be measured with the least influence on bone density.