Differentiation of giant cell tumours of bone, primary aneurysmal bone cysts, and aneurysmal bone cysts secondary to giant cell tumour of bone: using whole-tumour CT texture analysis parameters as quantitative biomarkers.

AIM: To determine whether computed tomography (CT) texture analysis parameters can be used as quantitative biomarkers to help differentiate giant cell tumour of bones (GCTs), primary aneurysmal bone cysts (PABCs), and aneurysmal bone cysts (ABCs) secondary to giant cell tumours of bone (GABCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred and seven patients with 63 GCTs, 31 PABCs, and 13 GABCs were analysed retrospectively. All patients underwent preoperative CT. Two radiologists independently evaluated the qualitative features of the CT images and extracted texture parameters. Patient demographics, qualitative features, and texture parameters among GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs were compared statistically. Differences in these parameters between ABCs and GCTs were also assessed. ROC curves were obtained to determine optimal parameter values. RESULTS: The best preoperative CT parameters to differentiate GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs included one qualitative feature (location around the knee) and four texture parameters (95th percentile, maximum intensity, skewness, and kurtosis). Age and three texture parameters (5th percentile, inhomogeneity, and kurtosis) enabled statistically significant differentiation between GCTs and ABCs. Combination of the above four parameters generated the largest area under the ROC curve (AUC) for the differentiation of GCTs and ABCs. CONCLUSION: CT texture analysis parameters can be used as quantitative biomarkers for preoperative differentiation among GCTs, PABCs, and GABCs.

Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 October 2009-30 November 2009.

This article documents the addition of 411 microsatellite marker loci and 15 pairs of Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Acanthopagrus schlegeli, Anopheles lesteri, Aspergillus clavatus, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus terreus, Branchiostoma japonicum, Branchiostoma belcheri, Colias behrii, Coryphopterus personatus, Cynogolssus semilaevis, Cynoglossus semilaevis, Dendrobium officinale, Dendrobium officinale, Dysoxylum malabaricum, Metrioptera roeselii, Myrmeciza exsul, Ochotona thibetana, Neosartorya fischeri, Nothofagus pumilio, Onychodactylus fischeri, Phoenicopterus roseus, Salvia officinalis L., Scylla paramamosain, Silene latifo, Sula sula, and Vulpes vulpes. These loci were cross-tested on the following species: Aspergillus giganteus, Colias pelidne, Colias interior, Colias meadii, Colias eurytheme, Coryphopterus lipernes, Coryphopterus glaucofrenum, Coryphopterus eidolon, Gnatholepis thompsoni, Elacatinus evelynae, Dendrobium loddigesii Dendrobium devonianum, Dysoxylum binectariferum, Nothofagus antarctica, Nothofagus dombeyii, Nothofagus nervosa, Nothofagus obliqua, Sula nebouxii, and Sula variegata. This article also documents the addition of 39 sequencing primer pairs and 15 allele specific primers or probes for Paralithodes camtschaticus.