Multiple 3D inversion recovery imaging for volume T1 mapping of the heart.

In this article, a three-dimensional inversion recovery sequence was optimized with the aim of generating in vivo volume T(1) maps of the heart using a 1.5-T MR system. Acquisitions were performed before and after gadolinium diethylenetriamine penta-acetic acid (Gd-DTPA) administration in one patient with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and in two healthy volunteers. Data were acquired with a multishot fast field echo readout using both ECG and respiratory triggers. A dedicated phantom, composed of four solutions with different T(1) values, was positioned on the subjects' thoracic region to perform patient-specific calibration. Pixel based T(1) maps were calculated with a custom Matlab(®) code. Phantom measurements showed a good accuracy of the technique and in vivo T(1) estimation of liver, skeletal muscle, myocardium, and blood resulted in good agreement with values reported in the literature. Multiple three-dimensional inversion recovery technique is a feasible and accurate method to perform T(1) volume mapping.

Swelling of the submandibular glands after administration of low-osmolarity contrast agent: Ultrasound findings.

Swelling of the salivary glands occurring after injection of iodine based contrast agent is a rare late adverse reaction. Only a few cases in the literature report such diagnostic findings. We present our color Doppler ultrasound findings in a case of swelling of both submandibular glands occurring after administration of iodinated contrast agent.

[A new drug in the therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia: ST1571]. / La nuova realtà terapeutica della leucemia mieloide cronica: ST1571.

The therapy of chronic myeloid leukemia, characterized by the presence of the Philadelphia chromosome in the clonal hematopoietic stem cells, has changed dramatically in the last years with the development of a specific inhibitor of the BCR-ABL tyrosine kinase: tyrosine kinase inhibitor imatinib mesylate (formerly STI571, [Glivec]). Glivec selectively blocks cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis in Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) cells harbouring the Bcr-Abl tyrosine kinase. Clinical development of imatinib mesylate began with 3 large, multicenter, phase II trials. The majority (88%) of interferon-alpha-resistant or intolerant patients in chronic-phase CML, achieved a complete hematologic response to imatinib mesylate. More importantly, approximately half of the patients achieved a major cytogenetic response, a result historically associated with improved survival. Furthermore, 21% of patients in accelerated-phase CML and 13.5% of patients in blastic-phase CML (patient populations with typically poor prognosis before the advent of imatinib mesylate) achieved major cytogenetic responses.