Enhanced Computed Tomography Scan Research Articles

Multiple sarcomatoid carcinomas in the small intestine with perforation: A case report and literature review.

Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine is an exceedingly rare and aggressive malignancy, often diagnosed at advanced stages with a poor prognosis. This study documents a detailed case of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine, highlighting the diagnostic challenges and treatment approaches, underscored by a comprehensive review of related literature. Given the rarity of this condition, our report aims to enrich the existing diagnostic and treatment frameworks for this malignancy, emphasizing the necessity for early detection and intervention strategies. By presenting this case in conjunction with a literature review, we seek to shed light on the elusive nature of sarcomatoid carcinoma in the small intestine and propose avenues for improving patient outcomes. Case presentation A 61-year-old male patient initially presented with recurrent abdominal pain and gastrointestinal symptoms. Initial abdominal computed tomography (CT) scans and gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed only inflammatory and hyperplastic changes in the duodenum and jejunum, with a diagnosis of intestinal obstruction. Two years later, due to gastrointestinal perforation, the patient was hospitalized again. CT scans and other examinations revealed small intestinal lesions. Four small intestinal lesions were surgically removed, and pathology and immunohistochemistry confirmed sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine. A short time later, enhanced CT scans revealed metastatic lesions in the hepatic portal and adrenal glands. After surgery, the gastrointestinal function gradually recovered, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on a semiliquid diet. No further treatment such as radiotherapy or chemotherapy was administered postoperatively. Five months after the surgery, the patient died due to brain metastasis. The study outcomes reveal the aggressive nature of sarcomatoid carcinoma of the small intestine, characterized by rapid progression and poor prognosis despite surgical interventions. The patient condition rapidly deteriorated, leading to metastasis and death within 5 months postsurgery. These findings underscore the critical need for early detection and possibly innovative treatment approaches to improve survival rates. This case also highlights the potential for gastrointestinal sarcomatoid carcinoma to metastasize to distant organs, including the brain, suggesting a propensity for hematogenous spread.

A Retrospective Analysis of the Computed Tomography Findings and Diagnosis of 53 Cases of Elastofibroma in the Infrascapular Region.

In this work, we have used histopathology as the gold standard for the diagnosis, calculated the sensitivity and positive predictive value (PPV) of computed tomography (CT), and analyzed the CT and clinical characteristics of pathologically proven elastofibromas. A systematic retrospective analysis was performed on all patients with infrascapular lesions who were treated in the hospital from 2006 to 2018. CT and histopathological examinations were performed for all cases, and the CT sensitivity and PPV for the diagnosis of elastofibroma were calculated. 12 of 53 cases (20 lesions) underwent enhanced CT scan after CT plain scan, and the related clinical and CT features of elastofibromas have been discussed. Of the 54 patients treated during the study, CT diagnosis was consistent with histopathology in 53 cases. One was a false-positive patient. The PPV and sensitivity of the CT in the diagnosis of elastofibroma were 93.3% (95% CI 68.0%-99.8%) and 100%, respectively. The CT values of 12 patients with 20 lesions on plain and enhanced scans were statistically significant (P=0.001). The prevalence of elastofibromas in males and females was statistically significant (P=.000). There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of left and right elastofibromas (P=0.752). There was no significant difference in the volume of left and right lesions (P=0.209) and the volume of elastofibromas between males and females (P=.474). CT is the most practical tool for the evaluation of elastofibromas in the infrascapular region.

Focal hepatic hot spot sign: Clinical image

A 51‐year‐old women was hospitalized to start chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer diagnosed one months earlier. She underwent Computed Tomography (CT) of the chest and abdomen to re‐evaluate the progression of the lung tumour. Contrast-enhanced CT of the chest indicated an invasive anterior left lung tumour that caused an obstruction of the Superior Vena Cava (SVC) (Figure 1). Contrast-enhanced CT of the abdomen revealed an intense focal wedge-shaped homogeneous enhancement area in the quadrate lobe of the liver, which is known as the hot spot sign (Figure 2). Focal hepatic hot spot sign was first described by Ishikawa in 1983. The sign can be observed on technetium 99m (99mTc) Sulphur colloid scans or on contrast, material enhanced CT scans [1]. Hot spot sign is caused by portosystemic venous shunting between the superior vena cava and the left portal vein via the internal mammary and paraumbilical veins along the ligamentum teres, secondary to superior vena cava obstruction. The hot spot is created by areas of focally increased blood flow that result from this shunting [2]. Stanford and colleagues classified SVC syndrome into four types - type I and type II referred as supra-azygous partial and near complete obstruction of SVC with antegrade flow in azygous vein. Type III is defined as complete obstruction of SVC with reversal of azygous blood flow and type IV as complete obstruction of SVC and azygous system with development of chest wall collaterals [3]. This sign has been reported in Budd-Chiari syndrome, the causes of SVC syndrome (neoplasms of the thorax as lung carcinoma and lymphoma, Vasculo‐Behcet’s disease, fibrosing mediastinitis, and luetic aneurysm), and masses of the liver (abscess, haemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia, and hepatocellular carcinoma) [4].

Contrast enhanced computed tomography of small ruminants: Caprine and ovine.

The use of small ruminants, mainly sheep and goats, is increasing in biomedical research. Small ruminants are a desirable animal model due to their human-like anatomy and physiology. However, the large variability between studies and lack of baseline data on these animals creates a barrier to further research. This knowledge gap includes a lack of computed tomography (CT) scans for healthy subjects. Full body, contrast enhanced CT scans of caprine and ovine subjects were acquired for subsequent modeling studies. Scans were acquired from an ovine specimen (male, Khatadin, 30-35 kg) and caprine specimen (female, Nubian 30-35 kg). Scans were acquired with and without contrast. Contrast enhanced scans utilized 1.7 mL/kg of contrast administered at 2 mL/s and scans were acquired 20 seconds, 80 seconds, and 5 minutes post-contrast. Scans were taken at 100 kV and 400 mA. Each scan was reconstructed using a bone window and a soft tissue window. Sixteen full body image data sets are presented (2 specimens by 4 contrast levels by 2 reconstruction windows) and are available for download through the form located at: https://redcap.link/COScanData. Scans showed that the post-contrast timing and scan reconstruction method affected structural visualization. The data are intended for further biomedical research on ruminants related to computational model development, device prototyping, comparative diagnostics, intervention planning, and other forms of translational research.

Pulmonary extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma: clinical presentation, CT characteristics, and patient outcomes.

Due to the extreme rarity of pulmonary extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma (ENKTCL), studies on this lymphoma type are limited. We aimed to investigate the clinical presentations, computed tomography (CT) findings, CT dynamic changes, and outcomes of patients diagnosed with pulmonary ENKTCL. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on ENKTCL, nasal type, at West China Hospital, from January 2010 to January 2023. Out of 27 initial cases with pulmonary ENKTCL, we excluded 4 due to the lack of chest CT images, resulting in a final cohort of 23 patients. Our evaluation covered clinical features, laboratory findings, CT presentations, treatment strategies, and survival outcomes. Survival analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, with log-rank tests for survival curve comparisons. Given the small sample size, our interpretation of the data is mainly descriptive. The most common CT presentations in our institution was solitary or multiple nodules (7/23, 30.4%). The halo sign (78.3%) and floating vessels sign (83.3%) were commonly observed in pulmonary ENKTCL. Elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels were observed in 20 (86.9%) patients. The median overall survival (OS) for pulmonary ENKTCL patients was 1 month; 3 cases displayed a favorable prognosis, maintaining complete remission (CR) status for 1.5-7 years after receiving chemotherapy. Chemotherapy led to improved prognosis, with a median survival of 5 months seen in patients who received chemotherapy. Patients with bilateral lung involvement had worse outcomes compared to those with unilateral lesions. Pulmonary ENKTCL is a rare and aggressive disease, often misdiagnosed due to nonspecific clinical and CT features. Laboratory tests, failure of antibiotic treatment, and "floating vessels sign" on enhanced CT scans may aid in diagnosis. Timely chemotherapy may improve survival, emphasizing the importance of early detection and prompt treatment.

Application of CD34 expression combined with three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography scanning in preoperative staging of gastric cancer.

Accurate preoperative staging of gastric cancer (GC), a common malignant tumor worldwide, is critical for appropriate treatment plans and prognosis. Dynamic three-phase enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning for preoperative staging of GC has limitations in evaluating tumor angiogenesis. CD34, a marker on vascular endothelial cell surfaces, is promising in evaluating tumor angiogenesis. We explored the value of their combination for preoperative staging of GC to improve the efficacy and prognosis of patients with GC. To explore the evaluation value of CD34 expression + dynamic three-phase enhanced CT scanning in preoperative staging of GC. Medical records of 106 patients with GC treated at the First People's Hospital of Lianyungang between February 2021 and January 2023 were retrospectively studied. All patients underwent three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT scanning before surgery, and CD34 was detected in gastroscopic biopsy specimens. Using surgical and pathological results as the gold standard, the diagnostic results of three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT scanning at different T and N stages were analyzed, and the expression of CD34-marked microvessel density (MVD) at different T and N stages was determined. The specificity and sensitivity of three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and CD34 in T and N staging were calculated; those of the combined diagnosis of the two were evaluated in parallel. Independent factors affecting lymph node metastasis were analyzed using multiple logistic regression. The accuracy of three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT scanning in diagnosing stages T1, T2, T3 and T4 were 68.00%, 75.00%, 79.41%, and 73.68%, respectively, and for diagnosing stages N0, N1, N2, and N3 were 75.68%, 74.07%, 85.00%, and 77.27%, respectively. CD34-marked MVD expression increased with increasing T and N stages. Specificity and sensitivity of three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT in T staging were 86.79% and 88.68%; for N staging, 89.06% and 92.86%; for CD34 in T staging, 64.15% and 88.68%; and for CD34 in N staging, 84.38% and 78.57%, respectively. Specificity and sensitivity of joint diagnosis in T staging were 55.68% and 98.72%, and N staging were 75.15% and 98.47%, respectively, with the area under the curve for diagnosis improving accordingly. According to multivariate analysis, a longer tumor diameter, higher pathological T stage, lower differentiation degree, and higher expression of CD34-marked MVD were independent risk factors for lymph node metastasis in patients with GC. With high accuracy in preoperatively determining the invasion depth and lymph node metastasis of GC, CD34 expression and three-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced CT can provide a reliable basis for surgical resection.

Predicting acute pancreatitis severity with enhanced computed tomography scans using convolutional neural networks

This study aimed to evaluate acute pancreatitis (AP) severity using convolutional neural network (CNN) models with enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. Three-dimensional DenseNet CNN models were developed and trained using the enhanced CT scans labeled with two severity assessment methods: the computed tomography severity index (CTSI) and Atlanta classification. Each labeling method was used independently for model training and validation. Model performance was evaluated using confusion matrices, areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), accuracy, precision, recall, F1 score, and respective macro-average metrics. A total of 1,798 enhanced CT scans met the inclusion criteria were included in this study. The dataset was randomly divided into a training dataset (n = 1618) and a test dataset (n = 180) with a ratio of 9:1. The DenseNet model demonstrated promising predictions for both CTSI and Atlanta classification-labeled CT scans, with accuracy greater than 0.7 and AUC-ROC greater than 0.8. Specifically, when trained with CT scans labeled using CTSI, the DenseNet model achieved good performance, with a macro-average F1 score of 0.835 and a macro-average AUC-ROC of 0.980. The findings of this study affirm the feasibility of employing CNN models to predict the severity of AP using enhanced CT scans.

Radiomics nomogram for the prediction of Ki-67 index in advanced non-small cell lung cancer based on dual-phase enhanced computed tomography.

To develop a radiomics nomogram based on dual-phase enhanced computed tomography (CT) for predicting the Ki-67 index status in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). 137 patients with NSCLC who had undergone dual-phase enhanced CT scans and Ki-67 examination within 2weeks were retrospectively enrolled between January 2020 and December 2022. Clinical and laboratory data were collected, and the patients were categorized based on low or high expression of Ki-67 index, with a cut-off value of 40%. The cohort was randomly divided into a training group (n = 95) and a testing group (n = 42) at a ratio of 7:3. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm was employed to select the most valuable radiomics features from the dual-phase enhanced CT images. Subsequently, a nomogram that incorporated the radiomics score and clinical factors associated with Ki-67 index status was established through univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. The predictive performance of the nomogram was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). The AUC values of the radiomics features of artery phase and vein phase CT in the testing group were 0.748 and 0.758, respectively. The AUC of the dual-phase enhanced CT was 0.785, and the AUC of the developed nomogram was 0.859, which was higher than those of the radiomics (AUC, 0.785) and clinical models (AUC, 0.736). The radiomics nomogram based on dual-phase enhanced CT images provides a promising method for predicting the Ki-67 index status in patients with advanced NSCLC.

血胸を伴う出血性ショックを来した左胃動脈瘤破裂の1例(A ruptured aneurysm of left gastric artery that progressed to right hemothorax: a case report)

症例は50歳代女性，心窩部痛と呼吸苦で発症し，近医にて胸水を指摘されて前医を受診した。前医では，単純CT検査で血性胸腹水，食道壁肥厚，膵周囲の脂肪織濃度の上昇を認め，2日間加療したが改善を認めないため精査目的に当院へ紹介された。来院時，四肢末梢に湿潤を認め，脈拍110/分，血圧80/50mmHg（ドパミン9μg/kg/min）であった。造影CT検査で右血性胸水と食道裂孔ヘルニア，胸部中部以下の食道から胃噴門部小弯側にかけての血腫を認めたが，食道や肺野など胸部には出血源を認めなかった。腹腔内には血性腹水とともに，胸部中部食道周囲から胃小彎側に連続する血腫を認め，内部に直径1.5cmの左胃動脈瘤を認めた。左胃動脈瘤破裂による出血が，食道裂孔を介して縦隔へ進展し，胸腔内に穿破して血胸に至ったものと推測した。血胸に対して単回の胸腔穿刺，左胃動脈瘤破裂に対して血管造影による塞栓術を施行した。翌日から経口摂取を開始し，血胸が再燃することもなく経過は良好で，第22病日に自宅退院した。腹部内臓動脈瘤破裂による出血が食道裂孔を介して胸腔内に穿破し，血胸を契機に診断された稀な症例を経験したので報告する。 A 59–year–old woman visited her local hospital with dyspnea and epigastric pain. A chest X–ray showed a right pleural effusion. The patient consulted a second hospital where she was treated for two days, but due to her unstable vital signs, she was transferred to our hospital. A contrast–enhanced CT scan revealed a right hemothorax and esophageal hiatal hernia. While there was no source of bleeding in the thoracic cavity, there was an intra–abdominal hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm of the left gastric artery. The suspected cause of the hemothorax was bleeding from a ruptured aneurysm that entered the thoracic cavity through the esophageal hiatus. We performed a transcatheter arterial embolization for the ruptured aneurysm. After treatment, the patient recovered without significant incidents and was discharged on the 22nd day of hospitalization. We speculated that the hemorrhage from the rupture of the gastric aneurysm extended through the esophageal hiatus into the mediastinum and perforated into the thoracic cavity, resulting in a hemothorax. Since such conditions are rare, we will report this case with a review of the literature. 腹部内臓動脈瘤は破裂すれば出血性ショックにより致死的状況に至ることもある重篤な疾患である。本邦の腹部内臓動脈瘤破裂として報告されている症例の多くは腹腔内出血による出血性ショックを呈している 1, 2。しかし，今回我々は左胃動脈瘤破裂による出血が食道裂孔ヘルニアを介して縦隔，胸腔内へ進展し，出血性ショックを来した症例を経験したので，文献的考察を加えて報告する。 本論文は，個人情報保護法に基づいて匿名化がなされており，本人から論文報告に関する同意を得ている。また，本論文は倫理委員会の承諾を要する事項として該当しない。 症 例：50歳代の女性 主 訴：心窩部痛 現病歴：搬送6日前に突然の心窩部痛，呼吸困難感が出現し，食事摂取ができなくなった。搬送2日前に近医を受診したところ，胸水を指摘され前医を紹介された。前医受診時より血圧が低下しており，単純CT検査で血性胸腹水，食道壁肥厚，膵周囲の脂肪織濃度の上昇を認め急性膵炎などが疑われた。2日間の入院加療後も改善に乏しく，循環動態の維持にカテコラミン投与を要する状態となったため，当院救命救急センターへ搬送された。 既往歴：特記事項なし 生活歴：ビール１本/日，喫煙なし 来院時現症：意識清明。軽度の呼吸困難感の訴えを認めるが呼吸促拍はなく，呼吸数22/分，酸素飽和度97%（3L/min），顔面蒼白，四肢末梢に冷感湿潤を認め，脈拍110/分，血圧80/50mmHg（ドパミン 9µg/kg/min）。左背部痛の訴えがあるものの圧痛は認めなかった。 血液検査：RBC 213×104 /μL，Hb 6.7g/dL（前医受診時 Hb 9.8g/dL）と著明な貧血を認めた。血小板数や凝固検査には異常を認めなかった。 画像検査：胸腹部造影CT検査；胸部CTでは右血胸，滑脱型食道裂孔ヘルニアを認め，周囲に縦隔血腫，左少量胸水を認めた。腹部CTでは直径1.5cmの左胃動脈瘤を認め（Fig. 1a），周囲の血腫は胸部中部食道周囲から胃小弯側へ連続していた（Fig. 1b）。左肝動脈は左胃動脈から分岐しており，肝左葉外側区に微小動脈瘤を認めた。食道や肺野には出血源を認めなかった。 An enhanced CT scan of the abdomen revealed a pseudoaneurysm of the left gastric artery. Computed tomography (CT) of the chest showed a right massive hemothorax，a slipped esophageal hiatal hernia, and a mediastinal fluid collection (black arrow). 搬入後経過：乳酸リンゲル液の急速輸液を行うとともに輸血を開始した。搬入後より呼吸困難感が増悪し，仰臥位の維持が困難となったため，右血胸に対し慎重に胸腔穿刺を施行したところ，約830mLの血性排液を認めた。穿刺後，呼吸困難感の改善を認め，輸血投与後よりバイタルサインの安定を得た。左胃動脈瘤からの出血が食道裂孔ヘルニアを介して血胸に進展したものと推測し，動脈瘤に対して緊急interventional radiology（IVR）による止血術を行う方針とした。 腹部血管造影：腹腔動脈からの造影では，直径1.5cmの左胃動脈瘤を認め（Fig. 2a），瘤よりも近位より分岐する左胃動脈分枝，瘤末梢から分岐する左肝動脈を金属コイルでisolationし，瘤内をNBCA（n–butyl–2–cyanoacrylate）により塞栓した（Fig. 2b）。 Celiac artery angiography showed a pseudoaneurysm of the left gastric artery and left hepatic artery. Transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) was done successfully. Arterial flow for the aneurysm was shut out. 入院後経過：後日判明したmyeloperoxidase–anti–neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies（MPO–ANCA）や，proteinase–3–anti–neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies （PR3–ANCA）などの血管炎マーカーはいずれも陰性であり，微小動脈瘤形成の所見から，臨床的に節性動脈中膜壊死（segmental arterial mediolysis: SAM）と診断した。濃厚赤血球4単位の輸血投与と緊急IVR後は循環動態の安定が得られた。呼吸器症状も改善し第2病日から経口摂取を開始した。胸水の再貯留は認めず，その後も血胸が再燃することはなかった。IVR後大きな合併症なく経過は良好で，第22病日に独歩で退院した。その後発症から1年までの時点では，新たな動脈瘤の形成もなく経過している。 腹部内臓動脈瘤は比較的稀な疾患であり，その発生頻度は0.01～2%とされている。Stanleyらの腹部内臓動脈瘤1,118例の集計によると，脾動脈が最も多く656例（58.7%），次いで肝動脈が227例（20.2%），上腸間膜動脈瘤89例（7.9%）と続くのに対し，胃動脈瘤は53例（4.7%）であると報告されている 3。 腹部内臓動脈瘤の成因としては，動脈硬化，神経線維種症I型やEhlers–Danlos症候群などの先天性疾患，腹部外傷，ベーチェット病や高安病，多発血管炎などの膠原病，正中弓状靭帯圧迫症候群，慢性膵炎などの炎症性疾患などがあるが，近年画像診断の進歩に伴って，SAMが注目されている 4。SAMは1976年にSlavinらにより提唱された疾患概念 5で，腹部内臓動脈の中膜が分節性に融解し動脈瘤を呈する病態である。稲田らの報告によると，SAMと診断された患者の35.7%に多発動脈瘤を認めており，一般的には異所性，異時性に動脈瘤を形成することが多いとされている 6。 SAMの確定診断は切除標本からの病理学的診断によってなされていたが，近年，画像診断の進歩や開腹手術と比較して低侵襲であるIVRが動脈瘤治療の第一選択となってきており，病理学的確診が得られる機会が少なくなってきた。内山ら 7は腹部内臓動脈瘤の中で，①中高年の患者，②炎症性変化や動脈硬化性病変などの基礎疾患がない患者，③突然の腹腔内出血で発症，④血管造影で血管の数珠状の不正な拡張と狭小化を認める，の4項目をSAMの特徴とし，これに合致するものをSAMと診断する臨床的診断基準を提唱している。本症例においては，中年女性であること，非動脈硬化性，非炎症性であること，血管造影検査で左胃動脈だけでなく左肝動脈外側区領域にも動脈瘤を形成し，特徴的な数珠状変化も認めていたことから臨床的にSAMと診断した。 また，胃動脈瘤の中では左胃動脈瘤破裂が最も多く報告されている。医学中央雑誌による検索では，左胃動脈瘤破裂の本邦報告例は25例であり，いずれも腹腔内出血あるいは消化管出血によるショック症状で搬送されていた。海外においては，腹部内臓動脈瘤破裂に伴い胸水貯留を呈した症例についての報告 8, 9, 10が散見される。一般に，腹部内臓動脈瘤破裂は血性腹水の貯留を認めるが，本症例の場合は血胸を呈していた。横隔膜を隔てた液体成分の移動に関して，腹腔内圧の上昇に伴い，横隔膜小孔を通じて胸腔内へ液体成分が漏出した症例報告がみられる。本症例では，滑脱型食道裂孔ヘルニアが存在し，腹腔内における血腫が食道裂孔を介して腹腔から縦隔へ連続していた。食道裂孔は伸縮性を持つ約3cmの筋性管で，左右の横隔膜脚内側縁により境界される。食道裂孔を形成する筋束は右脚の内側部から送られ，これが食道を包むようにめぐっており，下部食道～胃噴門部は横隔食道膜という靭帯に固定されている。食道裂孔ヘルニアとは，加齢によりこの横隔食道膜が弛緩することにより胃の一部が胸腔側に逸脱した状態である。食道は漿膜を持たず，周囲は疎な結合組織と脂肪組織に覆われているため，食道胃接合部手術における剥離は容易である。また，右胸腔とは薄い食道臓器鞘で接していることから，剥離操作時には右胸腔開放に注意を要する。腹部内臓動脈瘤破裂症例で，合併する食道裂孔ヘルニアを通じて胸腔穿破，胸水貯留を来した報告は少数にみられ 11, 12，食道裂孔ヘルニア内の胃穿孔から縦隔気腫や膿瘍を形成した報告例 13もある。また，慢性膵炎における仮性膵嚢胞で，嚢胞が後腹膜を頭側へ進展することで食道裂孔を貫き，胸腔へ穿破，内瘻を形成したことで膵性胸水貯留を来した症例も報告されている 14。食道裂孔部が弛緩した状態では，食道周囲の結合組織が疎であることによる血腫の下縦隔への進展，そこに接する胸膜穿破が起こりうると考える。本症例は，画像診断では血胸の原因となる病変を肺，胸膜，食道に認めず，単回の胸腔穿刺ドレナージとIVRによる止血術で血胸の再燃を認めなかった。左胃動脈瘤破裂による出血が，腹腔内の圧が上昇したことで，最も抵抗の少ない食道裂孔ヘルニア部から疎な結合組織を通じて縦隔へ進展し，壁側胸膜を穿破して血胸に至ったものと推測した。 右血胸を伴い出血性ショックを呈した左胃動脈瘤破裂の症例を経験した。腹腔内を出血源とする血液が，食道裂孔ヘルニアを介して主に胸腔内へと進展した可能性が考えられた。 共著者全員が利益相反はない。

Impact of Denoising on Deep-Learning-Based Automatic Segmentation Framework for Breast Cancer Radiotherapy Planning.

Simple SummaryWe investigated the contouring data of organs at risk from 40 patients with breast cancer who underwent radiotherapy. The performance of denoising-based auto-segmentation was compared with manual segmentation and conventional deep-learning-based auto-segmentation without denoising. Denoising-based auto-segmentation achieved superior segmentation accuracy on the liver compared with AccuContourTM-based auto-segmentation. This denoising-based auto-segmentation method could provide more precise contour delineation of the liver and reduce the clinical workload.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the segmentation accuracy of organs at risk (OARs) when denoised computed tomography (CT) images are used as input data for a deep-learning-based auto-segmentation framework. Methods: We used non-contrast enhanced planning CT scans from 40 patients with breast cancer. The heart, lungs, esophagus, spinal cord, and liver were manually delineated by two experienced radiation oncologists in a double-blind manner. The denoised CT images were used as input data for the AccuContourTM segmentation software to increase the signal difference between structures of interest and unwanted noise in non-contrast CT. The accuracy of the segmentation was assessed using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), and the results were compared with those of conventional deep-learning-based auto-segmentation without denoising. Results: The average DSC outcomes were higher than 0.80 for all OARs except for the esophagus. AccuContourTM-based and denoising-based auto-segmentation demonstrated comparable performance for the lungs and spinal cord but showed limited performance for the esophagus. Denoising-based auto-segmentation for the liver was minimal but had statistically significantly better DSC than AccuContourTM-based auto-segmentation (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Denoising-based auto-segmentation demonstrated satisfactory performance in automatic liver segmentation from non-contrast enhanced CT scans. Further external validation studies with larger cohorts are needed to verify the usefulness of denoising-based auto-segmentation.

Multiorientation Simultaneous Computation of Back-Projection CT Image Reconstruction Algorithm in Staging Diagnosis of Bladder Cancer.

The objective of this research was to investigate the multidirectional synchronous calculation of the back-projection computed tomography (CT) image reconstruction algorithm (MSBP) in the staging diagnosis of bladder cancer. Sixty patients with bladder cancer admitted to the hospital were selected for enhanced CT scanning, all of which were randomly divided into control group (n = 30) and study group (n = 30). The filtered back-projection (FBP) algorithm was employed to reconstruct the scanned image, and the MSBP was additionally applied to the images of the study group. Fringe artifact (SA), overall mass (OQ), effective radiation dose (ED), CT dose-exponential volume (CTDI), and dose-length product (DLP) of the two groups of images were compared and analyzed. The results showed that the total time of the traditional algorithm was 5.473 s, and the total time of MSBP combined with FBP algorithm was 2.832 s, which was significantly higher than that of the traditional algorithm (P < 0.05). CT scan bladder cancer staging results of all patients were compared with surgical pathological staging results, and the results were evaluated according to the coincidence rate. SA in the study group was lower than that in the control group (P < 0.05), and OQ was not statistically significant. The ED of the study group was significantly lower than that of the control group by 33%. The coincidence rate of postoperative pathological staging results and CT staging results was 96%, and T1, T2a, and T4 coincidence rate was 100%, The coincidence rates of T2b, T3a, and T3b were 90%, 83.3%, and 66.67%, respectively. In summary, using MSBP method combined with FBP algorithm can improve OQ while reducing ED of patients. The introduction of MSBP into CT reconstruction image simplified the pixel location operation of projection calculation, showing an important application value in preoperative staging diagnosis of bladder cancer.

Computed Tomography Imaging under Artificial Intelligence Reconstruction Algorithm Used in Recovery of Sports Injury of the Knee Anterior Cruciate Ligament.

This study aimed to analyze the influence of artificial intelligence (AI) reconstruction algorithm on computed tomography (CT) images and the application of CT image analysis in the recovery of knee anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sports injuries. A total of 90 patients with knee trauma were selected for enhanced CT scanning and randomly divided into three groups. Group A used the filtered back projection (FBP) reconstruction algorithm, and the tube voltage was set to 120 kV during CT scanning. Group B used the iDose4 reconstruction algorithm, and the tube voltage was set to 120 kV during CT scanning. In group C, the iDose4 reconstruction algorithm was used, and the tube voltage was set to 100 kV during CT scanning. The noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), carrier-to-noise ratio (CNR), CT dose index volume (CTDI), dose length product (DLP), and effective radiation dose (ED) of the three groups of CT images were compared. The results showed that the noise of groups B and C was smaller than that of group A (P < 0.05), and the SNR and CNR of groups B and C were higher than those of group A. The images of patients in group A with the FBP reconstruction algorithm were noisy, and the boundaries were not clear. The noise of the images obtained by the iDose4 reconstruction algorithm in groups B and C was improved, and the image resolution was also higher. The agreement between arthroscopy and CT scan results was 96%. Therefore, the iterative reconstruction algorithm of iDose4 can improve the image quality. It was of important value in the diagnosis of knee ACL sports injury.

A NEW METHOD FOR ESTIMATING INCREASE IN RADIATION DOSE ASSOCIATED WITH IODINATED CONTRAST USE

This work investigates the impact of iodinated contrast medium (ICM) on radiation dose in computed tomography (CT) scans using linear models established through a phantom study. Thermoluminescence dosemeters (TLDs) were calibrated using semi-conductor X-ray dosemeters. An electron density phantom, with a vial containing TLDs and different concentrations of iodinated blood, were scanned at different tube voltages. Irradiated TLD outputs were measured and absorbed dose to iodinated blood calculated. CT numbers (tissue attenuation as measured by Hounsfield units) were plotted against absorbed doses to obtain linear models. Data from 49 real patient scans were used to validate the linear models. At each X-ray energy, CT numbers were linearly correlated with the absorbed doses, that is with the increase of blood iodine concentration, the CT number increased and the absorbed dose increased accordingly. ICM can cause an increase of organ dose; the average dose increases were 31.8±8.9% for thyroid, 37.1±9.2% for cardiac muscle, 77.7±14.0% for cardiac chamber, 7.1±2.3% for breast, 26.1±7.3% for liver, 39.8±11.8% for spleen, 96.3±12.2% for renal cortex and 82.4±11.6% for medulla nephrica. ICM used in enhanced CT scan resulted in increased organ doses. Our models for estimating organ dose based on CT number were established by experiment and verified in clinical use.

The Mechanism of Action of Nanomaterials Loaded with Clarithromycin after Sinusitis Surgery under the Guidance of Dynamic Enhanced Scanning.

This study was to explore the mechanism of action of nanomaterial-loaded clarithromycin (CLA) after sinusitis surgery. Under the guidance of dynamic enhanced scanning (DES). 120 patients with sinusitis admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University from July 2019 to March 2020 were selected and divided into a control group and an observation group according to the random number table method, with 60 cases in each group. Then, the CLA-containing nano-polylactic acid material was prepared, observed with the scanning electron microscope (SEM), and its drug release ability was tested. All patients underwent endoscopic sinus surgery under general anesthesia. After the surgery was completed, patients in the control group were given only CLA capsules, and patients in the observation group were given freshly prepared nanomaterial-loaded CLA, and both groups of patients were continuously observed for two weeks. After that, the patients were examined using the dynamic enhancement computed tomography (CT). The clinical efficacy, serum interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) levels of the two groups of patients were observed. The secretions of the patients' sinuses were performed with microbial bacterial culture, and the results were observed and recorded. Results showed that the characterization and analysis of the nano drug-carrying preparation suggested that the polylactic acid nanomembrane showed linear fiber morphology, relatively dense distribution, not greatly different fiber diameter, and small porosity. Characterization under a field of view (FOV) of 500 um showed that the fiber surface was smooth and rich in content. The release of CLA showed a gradual and steady upward trend. On the 25th day, nearly 50% of the dose had been released, and it had reached more than 90% of the total release on the 55th day. According to the statistics on the clinical efficacy of patients, it was found that the number of cured and effective patients in the observation group was higher than that of the control group, while the number of ineffective cases was much lower than that of the control group. The dynamic enhanced CT examination results of the patients in the control group after treatment showed that the soft tissue mass on the posterior right side of the nasopharynx was reduced, but the pharyngeal suture still existed; while those in the observation group showed that the plain scan density was uniform, and the mastoid air cells were clear on both sides. The number of cases with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Staphylococcus saprophyticus (S. saprophyticus), and Pasteurella multocida infections in the observation group were observably lower than those of the control group (P< 0.05), and it was the same case for the levels of serum IL-4, IL-8, and TNF-α. Conclusion: after dynamic enhanced CT scanning, it can be found that the nanomaterial-loaded CLA increased the utilization rate of the drug, showing good clinical efficacy, and effectively improved the clinical symptoms of patients, achieving the therapeutic effect.

The Effect of Enhanced Multislice Spiral Computed Tomography Scan in Nursing

Purpose. Side effects such as local pain and tissue swelling will affect the effect of enhanced multislice spiral computed tomography (CT) scan. The aim of this study was to explore the effect of imaging nursing in enhanced CT scan for heart patients. Method. We selected 86 heart patients to receive enhanced multislice spiral CT scan as the research objects and randomly divided them into the test group and the control group. Imaging nursing and traditional nursing intervention was taken to compare the nursing effects of the two groups. Results. The incidence of unpleasant mood in the test group was 9.3%, which was significantly lower than that in the control group. The nursing satisfaction of the test group was 97.7%, which was much higher than the 79.1% of the control group. At the same time, the visual analogue scale (VAS) score of the test group and the incidence of contrast agent extravasation were significantly lower than those of the control group. Conclusion. The use of imaging nursing for heart patients with enhanced multislice spiral CT scan can reduce the patient’s unhealthy mood and improve nursing satisfaction, and the nursing effect is ideal.

Differentiation Between Solitary Pulmonary Inflammatory Lesions and Solitary Cancer Using Gemstone Spectral Imaging.

The distinction between solitary inflammatory lesion and solitary lung cancer remains a challenge because of their considerable overlapping computed tomography (CT) imaging features. This study aimed to verify whether spectral CT parameters can differentiate solitary lung cancer from solitary inflammatory lesions and to find their correlations with lesion size. A total of 78 patients with solitary lung lesions were included in our study. All of them underwent enhanced CT scans with Gemstone Spectral Imaging (GSI) mode, which was one of the dual-energy imaging technologies. According to maximum diameter (Dmax) of the lesion, regions of interest were collected and divided into inflammatory (group I: <3 cm [IA], n = 17; ≥3 cm [IB], n = 14) and cancer groups (group II: <3 cm [IIA], n = 20; ≥3 cm [IIB], n = 27). Computed tomography values (HU40keV, HU70keV), effective atomic number (Zeff), iodine concentration (IC), normalized IC (NIC), and spectral curve slopes (λ30, λ40) of each region of interest were calculated. The NIC was defined as the IC ratio of the lesion to the descending aorta. Mann-Whitney U test was used for intergroup (I vs II, IA vs IIA, IB vs IIB) and intragroup (IA vs IB, IIA vs IIB) comparisons, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed. Correlation analysis was applied to find the relationship between Dmax and GSI parameters. No significant correlation was found between GSI parameters and Dmax in the inflammatory group, whereas inverse correlations were found in the cancer group. Gemstone spectral imaging parameters (except HU70keV) of group IIA were significantly higher than those of group IIB. There were significant differences in HU40keV, IC, NIC, λ30, and λ40 between groups IB and IIB under both arterial and venous phase (P values < 0.05), whereas the area under the curve for λ30 under venous phase was largest, and sensitivity and specificity were 96.32% and 85.71%, respectively. However, only HU40keV and HU70keV values under the arterial phase of IIA were significantly higher than those of IA. Quantitative parameters of GSI demonstrated an inverse correlation with the lesion size of solitary lung cancer, and GSI parameters can be new ways to differentiate solitary lung cancer from solitary inflammatory lesions.

A conventional-to-spectral CT image translation augmentation workflow for robust contrast injection-independent organ segmentation.

In computed tomography (CT) cardiovascular imaging, the numerous contrast injection protocols used to enhance structures make it difficult to gather training datasets for deep learning applications supporting diverse protocols. Moreover, creating annotations on noncontrast scans is extremely tedious. Recently, spectral CT's virtual-noncontrast images (VNC) have been used as data augmentation to train segmentation networks performing on enhanced and true-noncontrast (TNC) scans alike, while improving results on protocols absent of their training dataset. However, spectral data are not widely available, making it difficult to gather specific datasets for each task. As a solution, we present a data augmentation workflow based on a trained image translation network, to bring spectral-like augmentation to any conventional CT dataset. The conventional CT-to-spectral image translation network (HUSpectNet) was first trained to generate VNC from conventional housnfied units images (HU), using an unannotated spectral dataset of 1830 patients. It was then tested on a second dataset of 300 spectral CT scans by comparing VNC generated through deep learning (VNCDL ) to their true counterparts. To illustrate and compare our workflow's efficiency with true spectral augmentation, HUSpectNet was applied to a third dataset of 112 spectral scans to generate VNCDL along HU and VNC images. Three different three-dimensional (3D) networks (U-Net, X-Net, and U-Net++) were trained for multilabel heart segmentation, following four augmentation strategies. As baselines, trainings were performed on contrasted images without (HUonly) and with conventional gray-values augmentation (HUaug). Then, the same networks were trained using a proportion of contrasted and VNC/VNCDL images (TrueSpec/GenSpec). Each training strategy applied to each architecture was evaluated using Dice coefficients on a fourth multicentric multivendor single-energy CT dataset of 121 patients, including different contrast injection protocols and unenhanced scans. The U-Net++ results were further explored with distance metrics on every label. Tested on 300 full scans, our HUSpectNet translation network shows a mean absolute error of 6.70±2.83 HU between VNCDL and VNC, while peak signal-to-noise ratio reaches 43.89dB. GenSpec and TrueSpec show very close results regardless of the protocol and used architecture: mean Dice coefficients (DSCmean ) are equal with a margin of 0.006, ranging from 0.879 to 0.938. Their performances significantly increase on TNC scans (p-values<0.017 for all architectures) compared to HUonly and HUaug, with DSCmean of 0.448/0.770/0.879/0.885 for HUonly/HUaug/TrueSpec/GenSpec using the U-Net++ architecture. Significant improvements are also noted for all architectures on chest-abdominal-pelvic scans (p-values<0.007) compared to HUonly and for pulmonary embolism scans (p-values<0.039) compared to HUaug. Using U-Net++, DSCmean reaches 0.892/0.901/0.903 for HUonly/TrueSpec/GenSpec on pulmonary embolism scans and 0.872/0.896/0.896 for HUonly/TrueSpec/GenSpec on chest-abdominal-pelvic scans. Using the proposed workflow, we trained versatile heart segmentation networks on a dataset of conventional enhanced CT scans, providing robust predictions on both enhanced scans with different contrast injection protocols and TNC scans. The performances obtained were not significantly inferior to training the model on a genuine spectral CT dataset, regardless of the architecture implemented. Using a general-purpose conventional-to-spectral CT translation network as data augmentation could therefore contribute to reducing data collection and annotation requirements for machine learning-based CT studies, while extending their range of application.

Initial experiences with preoperative three-dimensional image reconstruction technology in laparoscopic pyeloplasty for ureteropelvic junction obstruction.

BackgroundTo explore the clinical value of three-dimensional image reconstruction technology (3DIT) on preoperative surgical planning and perioperative outcomes in laparoscopic pyeloplasty (LP).MethodsData of 25 patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) admitted to our hospital from January 2018 to January 2019 was analyzed retrospectively. All patients underwent preoperative enhanced computed tomography (CT) scanning. In the 12 cases in the 3DIT group, preoperative planning involved the use of virtual operation and morphometry based on reconstruction of the CT data into three-dimensional (3D) images. Surgery in the other 13 cases was performed with traditional CT examination. Demographic, surgical outcome, and postoperative parameters were compared between these two groups.ResultsReconstructed 3D images clearly showed the spatial structural relationships between the UPJO and surrounding blood vessels. In all 25 cases surgery was completed with no conversion to open surgery. Preoperative 3DIT analyses resulted in significant improvements to mean operation time (107.76 vs. 141.58 min, P=0.024), mean time of dissociating ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) (11.26 vs. 19.40 min, P=0.020), and mean estimated blood loss volume (23.84 vs. 49.16 mL, P=0.028). There were no statistically significant differences in perioperative complications, postoperative hospital stays or postoperative drainage time.Conclusions3DIT based on enhanced CT scans is of clinical value in the treatment of UPJO, as it can provide accurate anatomical information and reliable guidance for preoperative operation planning, and it facilitates image-guided LP.

Effects of Adaptive Statistical Iterative Reconstruction-V Technology on the Image Quality and Radiation Dose of Unenhanced and Enhanced CT Scans of the Piglet Abdomen.

To investigate the optimal pre- and post-adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction-V (ASiR-V) levels in pediatric abdominal computed tomography (CT) to minimize radiation exposure and maintain image quality using an animal model. A total of 10 standard piglets were selected and scanned to obtain unenhanced and enhanced images under different pre-ASiR-V conditions. The corresponding images were obtained using ASiR-V algorithm at different post-ASiR-V levels. CT value, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast noise ratio (CNR) of abdominal tissues, subjective image score, and radiation dose of unenhanced and enhanced scans were analyzed. With the increase of pre-ASiR-V level, the radiation dose in piglets gradually decreased (P < 0.05). Within the same group of pre-ASiR-V, the image noise was decreased (P < 0.05) by increasing post-ASiR-V level. There was no statistical difference between SNR and CNR values. In unenhanced CT, the subjective score of the images with the combination of 40% pre- and 60% post-ASiR-V levels had no statistical difference compared to the combination of 0% pre- and 60% post-ASiR-V levels, while the radiation dose decreased by 31.6%. In the enhanced CT, the subjective image score with the 60% pre- and 60% post-ASiR-V combination had no statistical difference compared to the 0% pre- and 60% post-ASiR-V combination, while the radiation dose was reduced by 48.9%. The combined use of pre- and post-ASiR-V maintains image quality at the reduced radiation dose. The optimal level for unenhanced CT is 40% pre-combined with 60% post-ASiR-V, while that for enhanced CT is 60% pre-combined with 60% post-ASiR-V in pediatric abdominal CT.

Clinical application of gelatin sponge microparticles combined with pirarubicin for hepatic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in breast cancer liver metastasis treatment: results of a single-center long-term study

ObjectiveTo retrospectively analyze the safety and long-term clinical efficacy of gelatin sponge microparticles combined with the chemotherapy drug pirarubicin for hepatic transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (GSMs-TACE) in order to treat breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM).MethodsTwenty-seven BCLM patients who underwent GSMs-TACE from July 2010 to July 2016 were enrolled. Tumor target blood vessels were slowly and regionally embolized with absorbable gelatin sponge particles and pirarubicin injections. Plain computed tomography (CT) scans and biochemical indexes were re-examined at 4 days after treatment, and enhanced CT scans or magnetic resonance images and biochemical indexes, 1 month later. For patients with stable tumors, the follow-up period was 2 to 3 months, and the tumor response was evaluated using Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. Adverse reactions, survival time, and prognostic factors were assessed.ResultsBy October 2019, 27 patients with BCLM had undergone GSMs-TACE, with an average of 2.44 ± 1.58 treatments. The 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 62.96%, 22.22%, and 14.81%, respectively, and the mOS was 22.0 months. No serious complications, such as acute liver failure and liver abscess, had occurred. There were two cases of acute cholecystitis that recovered after symptomatic treatment. Multivariate analysis of the prognosis showed that the primary tumor size, number of metastatic lymph nodes, estrogen receptor/progesterone receptor (ER/PR) status, and time to postoperative liver metastasis and combination therapy were statistically significant.ConclusionsThe overall prognosis of BCLM was poor. GSMs-TACE was safe and effective for BCLM treatment and could prolong the median survival time of patients. Therefore, it is worthy of widespread clinical application.