MR diffusion tensor imaging and MRI diffusion-tensor tracking of medial structures of the temporal lobe in the diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To investigate the parameter values and changes of local fiber bundles of the medial structures of the temporal lobe in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy(TLE) with MR diffusion tensor imaging(DTI)and MRI diffusion-tensor tracking(DTT),and evaluate the diagnostic value of DTI in the localization of seizure focus in patients with TLE:Methods Sixteen patients with TLE,admitted to our hospital from December 2010 to February 2011,and 20 healthy volunteers received conventional MRI and DTI.The values of apparent diffusion coefient(ADC),fractional anisotropy(FA)and relative anisotropy(RA) of the bilateral medial structures of the temporal lobe (including the amygdala,hippocampus and cortex)were measured,respectively.The differences of the fiber bundles between the epilepsy patients and the controls were observed with DTT.Results No significant differences in measured values of ADC,FA and RA were noted between the left and right medial structures of temporal lobe in the controls(P＞0.05).The values of ADC,FA and RA in the left/right medial structures of temporal lobe in TLE patients had significant differences as compred with those in controls(P＜ 0.05); the values of ADC showed gradual reduction in the ipsilateral side,contralateral side and controls,successively; and the changes in the hippocampus tail was the most obvious.The values of FA and RA showed gradual increment in the ipsilateral side,contralateral side and controls successively;the changes of parameters values in the amygdala and the hippocampus body were more remarkable than those in the hippocampus tail.Conclusion The DTI can show the micromechanics′ characteristics of the medial structures of the temporal lobe in patients with TLE,which can help the location of seizure focus in patients with TLE.Increasing the understanding of the medial structures of the temporal lobe will help the preoperative integral assessment and improve the surgical effect.

CT manifestations of the thymic carcinoid and literature review / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the CT manifestations of thymic carcinoid and assess the diagnostic value of CT for this disease.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>CT and clinical findings of 5 patients (4 males and 1 female, average age 41 years) with histologically confirmed thymic carcinoid were retrospectively analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The clinical findings of the 5 patients showed no specificity, and none of the patients presented with carcinoid syndrome. The tumors were relatively large (mean size on the largest planar of 11.7 cm x 7.6 cm) with heterogeneous density, and showed necrosis or cystic degeneration in the tumor. The lesions showed uneven enhancement in contrast-enhanced imaging and displayed linear enhancement of the blood vessels in the tumors in 3 cases with unclear tumor margins. The adjacent major vessels were displayed in 4 cases (the superior vena cava in 2 and brachiocephalic vein in 4 cases), and 5 showed mediastinal and/or root of the neck lymphatic metastasis. None of the cases have lung or other site metastasis.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The CT findings of the thymic carcinoid have some characteristics, and can be helpful in the diagnosis.</p>

Value of FLAIR pulse sequence in low-field MR in the diagnosis of acute myelitis / 中华神经医学杂志

Objective To study the clinical diagnostic value of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery(HAIR)pulse sequence in low-field MR for the acute myelitis.Methods Fifty-two healthy controls and 33 patients with acute myelitis were imaged with TIWI,T2WI and FLAIR imaging in a 0.5T superconducting MR SCalHler,and among them,23 patients were imaged with TlMI after the injection of Gd-DTPA.The detectable abilities of lesions with FLAIR and TSE-T2W1 were compared.Results The FLAIR imaging showed 33 lesions(100%),but the TSE-T2WI only showed 23 lesions (69.7%)inthe 33 cases;32 lesions were clear with FLAIR in demonstrating the border of lesions,and 13 lesions with TSE-T2WI Therefore,the FLAIR sequence were superior to TSE-T2WI in demonstrating the border of lesions and displaying the lesions(P<0.01).Conclusion FLAIR is a very useful sequence in the low-field MR for the acute myelitis.and it should be used as a routine diagnostic method for the acute myelitis.

Correlation between magnetic resonance imaging findings and proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression in peripheral lung cancer / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in peripheral lung cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of PCNA was detected by means of SABC immunohistochemistry in 45 cases of surgically and pathologically confirmed peripheral lung cancer. The correlation between PCNA expression in the tumors and the MRI findings was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>PCNA expression was correlated to the differentiation, tumor size, lobulation, and mediastinal lymph node metastasis of the tumors (P<0.05), but not to the histological type, clinical stage, pleural retraction, spiculation, or signal feature.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Correlations are found between MRI findings of lung cancer and abnormal expression of PCNA.</p>

The value of three-phase pulmonary helical CT in diagnosing peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the value of three-phase pulmonary helical CT in diagnosing peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter </= 3 cm).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Serial single-slice dynamic scans were obtained with helical CT before and after injection of 100 ml contrast material in 60 patients with solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs, diameter <or= 3 cm). The three-phase pulmonary helical CT was established by analyzing enhancement feature of thoracic aorta and pulmonary artery, and then the enhancement feature of three-phase pulmonary helical CT was analyzed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The delayed times of three-phase pulmonary helical CT were pulmonary artery phase (15 second), bronchial artery phase (36 second), equilibrium phase (90 second) respectively. The prevalence model of density change for three-phase pulmonary helical CT: no enhancement, marked enhancement, moderate-enhancement in pulmonary cancer; slight or moderate-enhancement, marked-enhancement, marked-enhancement in inflammatory nodules; no enhancement or light-enhancement in tuberculoma and metastatic nodules. The enhanced branch and small spot vessels were demonstrated by bronchial artery phase in 82.9% of pulmonary cancer nodules.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The three-phase pulmonary helical CT could reflect the enhancement feature, blood supply of bronchial artery in peripheral pulmonary cancer (diameter </= 3 cm), it is helpful in early diagnosis and differentiation.</p>

Helical dual-phase CT scan in evaluating blood supply of primary heptocellular carcinoma after transcatheter hepatic artery chemoembolization with lipiodol / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the blood supply of low density viable area of primary heptocellular carcinoma after transcatheter hepatic artery chemoembolization using lipiodol (LP-TACE), by helical dual-phase CT scanning and three dimensional CT (3DCT).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-four patients with primary heptocellular carcinoma after LP-TACE were examined by hepatic helical dual-phase CT. 3DCT model of the maximum intensity projection (MIP), surface shaded display (SSD) reconstruction of the hepatic artery and portal vein were simultaneously done in 5 cases.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Viable tumor areas of 34 cases of primary heptocellular carcinoma after LP-TACE were divided into four types: peripheral, lateral, central and diffused types. Enhanced tumor vessel or tissue in viable tumor area was found during hepatic dual-phase in 17 cases, during hepatic artery-phase only in 8 and hepatic portal vein-phase only in 3. The viable tumor areas were found to have blood supply from the hepatic vein in 2 cases. The viable tumor area unenhanced during hepatic dual-phase was found in 6 cases. In 5 cases, the relation between the viable tumor area and branches of hepatic artery and portal vein was showed by MIP and SSD of hepatic artery and portal vein.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Hepatic helical dual-phase CT scan with 3DCT is effective in evaluating the blood supply of viable tumor areas and the therapeutic effect of primary heptocellular carcinoma after LP-TACE.</p>