Mutational Status of FGFR3 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer in the human population. Despite significant efforts committed in treatment of OSCC the overall survival rate of OSCC has not improved significantly. Activating mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) genes are responsible for some human cancers, including bladder and cervical carcinoma. Despite a high frequency in some benign skin disorders, FGFR3 mutations have not been reported in cutaneous malignancies. Therefore, FGFR3 gene may play a role in epithelial biology and mutations of FGFR3 gene may contribute to the development of OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, DNA was extracted and purified from snap frozen tissue biopsy sections of 20 OSCC cases. Exons 7 and 15 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequenced in both directions. RESULTS: In three cases silent mutations were identified in exon 7 (882 T to C) which may be introduced as Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) and no mutation was identified in exon 15. CONCLUSION: FGFR3 gene mutation in exon 7 and 15 has no significant role in the development and progression of OSCC. Analyzing other exons or considering other advanced gene mutation assessment techniques may clarify the role of this receptor mutation in OSCC pathogenesis.

[Imaging mechanical complications of inferior vena cava filters]. / Imagerie des complications mécaniques des filtres caves inférieurs.

Filter placement within the inferior vena cava is performed to prevent pulmonary embolism in patients with contraindications or failure of anticoagulant therapy. Several complications of vena cava filters have been described. However, mechanical complications related to IVC filters may not be of any clinical significance. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to present the imaging features of complications related to inferior vena cava filter placement.

Clinical value of thin collimation in the diagnostic workup of pulmonary embolism.

OBJECTIVE: We report our experience with thin-collimation helical CT in a population of patients suspected of having pulmonary embolism. CONCLUSION: Thin-collimation helical CT provided technically acceptable examinations for pulmonary embolism in 360 patients (97%). In this population, CT revealed pulmonary embolism in 104 patients (29%), negative findings in 217 patients (59%), indeterminate findings in 39 patients (10%), and alternative diagnoses in 65% of patients with negative or inconclusive findings. Ventilation-perfusion scanning and Doppler sonography of the lower extremities were performed in 158 (44%) and 133 patients (37%), respectively, whereas pulmonary angiography was performed in 27 patients (7.5%). The estimated false-negative rate of helical CT was 5%.

Thoracic helical CT: influence of subsecond scan time and thin collimation on evaluation of peripheral pulmonary arteries.

The objective of this study was to analyze the influence of collimation on the identification of peripheral pulmonary arteries on helical CT scans. Three hundred sixty of 370 consecutive helical CT angiograms of the pulmonary circulation obtained during an 18-month investigation period were considered as technically acceptable for the detection of acute pulmonary embolism and were retrospectively analyzed. Patients in group A (n = 274) underwent CT with 2-mm collimation and pitch of 2; those in group B (n = 86) underwent CT with 3-mm collimation and pitch 1.7; a 0.75-s rotation time was systematically used. A total of 2160 segmental (six arterial zones per patient) and 2160 subsegmental (six arterial zones per patient) arterial zones were assessed. Whereas the percentage of segmental arteries was not significantly different between group A (86%) and group B (89%), the percentage of analyzable subsegmental arteries was greater in group A (65%) than in group B (43 %) (P<0.001). The causes of inadequately depicted subsegmental arterial zones were partial-volume effects (group A, n = 302; 52%; group B, n = 197; 67%; P<0.001), suboptimal enhancement (group A, n = 145; 25%; group B, n = 43; 15%; P<0.05), motion artifacts (group A, n = 113; 20%; group B, n = 30; 10%), and unincluded arteries (group A, n = 20; 3%; group B, n = 25; 8%). Helical CT with 2-mm collimation at 0.75 s per revolution enables marked improvement in the analysis of subsegmental arteries in routine clinical practice.