Liver Nodes Research Articles

Induction of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Conventional Domestic Swine Using N-Diethylnitrosamine and Phenobarbital.

Large animal models are still used in many studies because of their likeness to humans. It has not been documented that regular-sized conventional farm-breed pigs, generally bred for meat production, can be used to generate hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) animal models. The goal of this study was to investigate how N-diethylnitrosamine (DENA) and phenobarbital (PB) together can generate HCC in ordinary farmed pigs. Conventional domestic swine (Sus scrofa domesticus) were used. DENA 15 mg/kg was intraperitoneally injected weekly for 12 weeks, while PB tablets (4 mg/kg) were also administered through food for 16 weeks. Blood testing and ultrasonography evaluation were performed to monitor the progress. Subsequently, computed tomography was conducted in cases with suspected nodules, followed by histopathological examination to confirm the diagnosis. Ten swine (seven males, three females; age: 2 months; weight: 9-15 kg) were included in the study and followed up for 25 months; nine were experimental, and one was control for ethical considerations. The maximum weight of animals during this study reached 162-228 kg. The weight gain seen in the intervention swine was predominantly lower than that documented in the control. The laboratory analysis revealed no notable abnormalities in liver function markers but did demonstrate statistically significant changes in urea (p = 0.028) and creatinine (p = 0.003) levels. Ultrasonography and computed tomography showed multiple liver nodules with characteristics resembling HCC. Serial imaging screening and more extended observations revealed that all animals eventually developed tumors. Histopathological confirmation at 15-22 weeks post-induction revealed that all intervened swine developed multiple nodules of well-differentiated HCC and some with hepatic angiosarcoma. This study successfully generated HCC in conventional domestic swine with a DENA and PB combination. This investigation required at least 15 months to develop tumors. This model will be beneficial for future investigations of HCC in large animals.

A159 MALIGNANT PERITONEAL MESOTHELIOMA: A CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY

Abstract Background In the Western hemisphere, cirrhosis is the most common cause of ascites. One of the least common causes is malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM), which occurs in one in one million cases. MPM can be a diagnostic challenge due to its rarity and features that mimic other causes of ascites. Aims To describe a complex case of MPM, highlighting the diagnostic dilemma stemming from the subtleties of presentation, confounders in ascites diagnostic criteria, and indeterminate testing. Methods We performed a detailed retrospective chart review of a patient who presented with ascites. He was initially given the diagnosis of decompensated cirrhosis and eventually was diagnosed with MPM. He provided his consent for this case report. Results A 37-year-old male presented with progressive ascites and peripheral edema. He had no known exposure to asbestos and consumed 6 standard drinks a day for 2 years; with a prior history of 10 standard drinks a week for over 3 years. His physical examination was unremarkable for cardiac, renal or liver disease. His transthoracic echocardiogram and urinalysis were normal. Abdominal ultrasound showed features of liver cirrhosis with large-volume ascites and a FIB-4 score of 0.34, excluding advanced fibrosis Laboratory investigations including liver tests were normal; with a platelet count of 568 x 109/L. Viral, metabolic and autoimmune liver disease were excluded. A diagnostic paracentesis demonstrated a serum albumin-ascites gradient (SAAG) of 1.3 g/dL. Due to his history of alcohol misuse, imaging findings and high SAAG, he was diagnosed with alcohol-related cirrhosis. His repeat abdominal ultrasound showed multiple liver nodules. Magnetic resonance imaging was done to investigate for hepatocellular carcinoma; revealing diffuse peritoneal carcinomatosis, cirrhosis and large-volume ascites. Investigations to identify the primary malignancy included a computed tomography chest, colonoscopy and EGD. His EGD was the only positive test; showing a 2cm submucosal gastric lesion with normal gastric mucosa pathology. An endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) with fine needle aspiration was then performed; the lesion appearance in keeping with a gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST). Pathology favored a diagnosis of poorly differentiated gastric carcinoma. Cytology was positive for malignancy, with the differential being mesothelioma or adenocarcinoma and a repeat SAAG was 1.0 g/dL. Given the discordances, an ultrasound-guided core biopsy was performed of the peritoneal lesions. Pathology revealed features of poorly differentiated epithelioid mesothelioma. A subsequent review of his gastric biopsies revealed similar cells in retrospect were in keeping with mesothelioma. Conclusions The presentation of MPM is not easily distinguishable from other causes of ascites. There must be a high degree of suspicion for malignant ascites in the face of inconsistent clinical and diagnostic findings. Funding Agencies None

RADIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF GIANT HEMANGIOMA WITH ATYPICAL ENHANCEMENT PATTERN ON IMAGING STUDIES: A CASE REPORT

Hemangiomas are considered the most common benign liver tumors, have vascular origin and in the vast majority of cases are asymptomatic. Its prevalence is estimated to be 1.4 to 20% in the general population. Objective: To present the case of a 37-year-old patient, who despite having a giant hepatic hemangioma, remained under conservative treatment, without the need for surgical intervention. Case report: Female patient, 37 years old, comes to the service for an MRI after accidentally discovering a liver nodule through an abdominal ultrasound. The patient denied the presence of any type of symptom. The imaging examination revealed a giant hemangioma, measuring 14x8cmx8cm in its longest axis. Conclusion: Even given the situation described, there are no consistent reasons in the literature for performing surgeries with preventive intent. The patient continues to be monitored by a specific team with no surgical proposal to date.

Clinical impact of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on indeterminate or non-characterizable liver nodules on CT/MRI: sub-analysis from a prospective multicenter trial

Clinical impact of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on indeterminate or non-characterizable liver nodules on CT/MRI: sub-analysis from a prospective multicenter trial

Tumour-associated macrophage-derived DOCK7-enriched extracellular vesicles drive tumour metastasis in colorectal cancer via the RAC1/ABCA1 axis.

Metastasis accounts for the majority of deaths among patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Here, the regulatory role of tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs) in CRC metastasis was explored. Immunohistochemical (IHC) analysis of the TAM biomarker CD163 was conducted to evaluate TAM infiltration in CRC. Transwell assays and an ectopic liver metastasis model were established to evaluate the metastatic ability of tumour cells. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) were applied to identify the differentially expressed genes and proteins in CRC cells and in TAM-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs). Cholesterol content measurement, a membrane fluidity assay and filipin staining were performed to evaluate cholesterol efflux in CRC cells. Our results showed that TAM infiltration is positively correlated with CRC metastasis. TAMs can facilitate the migration and invasion of MC-38 and CT-26 cells via EVs. According to the RNA-seq data, TAM-EVs increase cholesterol efflux and enhance membrane fluidity in CRC cells by regulating ABCA1 expression, thus affecting the motility of CRC cells. Mechanistically, DOCK7 packaged in TAM-EVs can activate RAC1 in CRC cells and subsequently upregulate ABCA1 expression by phosphorylating AKT and FOXO1. Moreover, IHC analysis of ABCA1 in patients with liver-metastatic CRC indicated that ABCA1 expression is significantly greater in metastatic liver nodules than in primary CRC tumours. Overall, our findings suggest that DOCK7 delivered via TAM-EVs could regulate cholesterol metabolism in CRC cells and CRC cell metastasis through the RAC1/AKT/FOXO1/ABCA1 axis. DOCK7 could thus be a new therapeutic target for controlling CRC metastasis.

Decoding hepatorenal tyrosinemia type 1: Unraveling the impact of early detection, NTBC, and the role of liver transplantation.

Hepatorenal tyrosinemia type 1 (HT-1) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that results from a deficiency of fumaryl acetoacetate hydrolase (FAH), a critical enzyme in the catabolic pathway for tyrosine. This leads to the accumulation of toxic metabolites such as fumaryl and maleylacetoacetate, which can damage the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. The discovery of 2-[2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl]-1,3-cyclohexanedione (NTBC or nitisinone) has significantly improved the management of HT-1, particularly when initiated before the onset of symptoms. Therefore, newborn screening for HT-1 is essential for timely diagnosis and prompt treatment. The analysis of succinyl acetone (SA) in dried blood spots of newborns followed by quantification of SA in blood or urine for high-risk neonates has excellent sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of HT-1. NTBC combined with dietary therapy, if initiated early, can provide liver transplant (LT) free survival and reduce the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Patients failing medical treatment (eg, due to non-adherence), and who develop acute liver failure (ALF), have HCC or evidence of histologically proven dysplastic liver nodule(s), or experience poor quality of life secondary to severe dietary restrictions are currently indicated for LT. Children with HT-1 require frequent monitoring of liver and renal function to assess disease progression and treatment compliance. They are also at risk of long-term neurocognitive impairment, which highlights the need for neurocognitive assessment and therapy.

Pulmonary hypertension associated with congenital portosystemic shunts as a new form of portopulmonary hypertension in children and adults

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) associated with portal hypertension, or portopulmonary hypertension, is a severe, life-threatening complication of portal hypertension and/or portocaval shunt surgery. Congenital portocaval shunts (CPSSs) are rare vascular anomalies of the portal system, leading to severe pathophysiological reactions and multisystem damage, including PAH, liver nodules, cognitive, metabolic, immune, hematological and hormonal disorders. Severe cardiopulmonary complications are detected in more than a third of patients with CPSSs, which is the main cause of their death. The article describes the pathophysiology, clinical characteristics, diagnostic features and possibilities of modern targeted therapy for CPSS-associated PAH. Patients with CPSS-associated PAH require comprehensive specialized care in an expert center. For long-term successful management of patients, continuous targeted therapy for PAH, in combination with surgical treatment of CPSSs, is crucial.

Evaluation of the Time Difference Method in Identifying Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Current CEUS LR-M Category Nodules

ObjectiveTo explore a potential method for improving the diagnostic detection hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) version 2017. MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated 585 liver nodules in 427 patients with HCC risk from December 2020 to March 2023. The nodules were categorized as LR-1 to LR-M based on CEUS LI-RADS version 2017 and were randomly subclassified into a developmental cohort (DC) and a validation cohort (VC) at 3:1. In the DC, the cutoff value of the time difference (∆T) for differentiating HCC from other malignancies in LR-M was calculated, which was used to reclassify nodules in the VC. The diagnostic effect on HCC detection before and after reclassification was further assessed. ResultsAccording to the current CEUS LI-RADS, 140 of 426 (32.9%) confirmed HCC nodules were misclassified as LR-M. In the DC (439 nodules), the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the cutoff value of ∆T (washout onset time minus contrast arrival time) recommended for HCC diagnosis was greater than 21 s. In the VC (146 nodules), 34 HCCs were correctly categorized as LR-5 according to the cutoff value and after reclassification LR-5 had higher accuracy (67.1% vs. 89.0%, p < 0.001) and sensitivity (56.0% vs. 87.2%, p < 0.001) for HCC diagnosis with high specificity (100% vs. 94.6%, p = 0.500) remained. ConclusionUsing the time difference method could identify HCC nodules misdiagnosed as LR-M and improve the diagnostic performance for current CEUS LI-RADS.

An overview of risk assessment and monitoring of malignant transformation in cirrhotic nodules.

Cirrhotic liver nodules can progress to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) through a multi-step carcinogenesis model, with dysplastic nodules being particularly high risk. Currently, monitoring the progression of non-HCC cirrhotic nodules is primarily through dynamic observation, but there is a lack of sensitive, efficient, and convenient methods. Dynamic monitoring and risk evaluation of malignant transformation are essential for timely treatment and improved patient survival rates. Routine liver biopsies are impractical for monitoring, and imaging techniques like ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging are not suitable for all patients or for accurately assessing subcentimeter nodules. Identifying serum biomarkers with high sensitivity, specificity, and stability, and developing a multi-index evaluation model, may provide a more convenient and efficient approach to monitoring pathological changes in cirrhotic nodules.

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma associated with WRN gene variant presenting as chronic dyspnea and pathologic cervical fracture: a case report and review of the literature

BackgroundSclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma is an aggressive sarcoma subtype with poor prognosis and limited response to conventional chemotherapy regimens. Diagnosis can be difficult owing to its variable presentation, and cases of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma are rare. Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma typically affects middle-aged individuals, with studies inconsistently citing gender predominance. Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma typically arises from the bones and soft tissues and often has local recurrence after resection and late metastases. Immunohistochemical staining typically is positive for mucin-4. Werner syndrome is due to an autosomal recessive mutation in the WRN gene and predisposes patients to malignancy.Case presentationA 37-year-old Caucasian female presented to the emergency department with 4 months of dyspnea and back pain. She had been treated for pneumonia but had persistent symptoms. A chest, abdomen, and pelvis computed tomography showed near-complete right upper lobe collapse and consolidation, mediastinal lymphadenopathy, lytic spinal lesions, and a single 15-mm hypodense liver nodule. The patient underwent a transthoracic right upper lobe biopsy, bronchoscopy, endobronchial ultrasound with transbronchial lymph node sampling, and bronchoalveolar lavage of the right upper lobe. The bronchoalveolar lavage cytology was positive for malignant cells compatible with poorly differentiated non-small cell carcinoma; however, the cell block materials were insufficient to run immunostains for further investigation of the bronchoalveolar lavage results. Consequently, the patient also underwent a liver biopsy of the liver nodule, which later confirmed a diagnosis of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma. Next-generation sequencing revealed a variant of unknown significance in the WRN gene. She was subsequently started on doxorubicin.ConclusionSclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma is a very rare entity, only cited approximately 100 times in literature to date. Physicians should be aware of this disease entity and consider it in their differential diagnosis. Though pulmonary involvement has been described in the context of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma, this malignancy may affect many organ systems, warranting extensive investigation. Through our diagnostic workup, we suggest a possible link between sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma and the WRN gene. Further study is needed to advance our understanding of sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma and its clinical associations as it is an exceedingly rare diagnosis.

Prospective Exploratory Phase I Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety of Preoperative Marking for Small Liver Tumors.

Background Small tumors in liver cirrhosis are difficult to distinguish using intraoperative ultrasonography. In addition, preoperative chemotherapy for metastatic liver cancer may diminish tumor size, thus making tumors difficult to identify intraoperatively. To address such difficulties, we devised a method to mark liver tumors preoperatively to facilitate intraoperative identification. This study aimed to investigate the safety of a preoperative liver tumor marking method. Methodology This exploratory prospective clinical trial included patients with liver tumors measuring ≤20 mm requiring resection. Preoperative marking was performed by placing a coil for embolization of blood vessels near the tumor using either the transcatheter or percutaneous approach. The tumor was identified and resected by intraoperative ultrasonography based on the marker. The study was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN000028608). Results Overall, 19 patients (9 with primary liver cancer and 10 with metastatic tumors) were recruited. The transcatheter and percutaneous methods were used in 13 and 6 patients, respectively. Marking was not possible in two patients in the transcatheter group because the catheter could not be guided to the vicinity of the tumor. There were no marking-related complications. Hepatectomy was performed in all but one patient who was not fit for hepatectomy owing to the development of a metastatic liver tumor. The markers were adequately identified during hepatectomy. Additionally, there were no difficulties in the surgical procedure or postoperative complications. Conclusions Preoperative marking with embolization coils can be performed safely for intraoperative identification of liver nodules.

Deep learning approach for discrimination of liver lesions using nine time-phase images of contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) shows different enhancement patterns depending on the time after administration of the contrast agent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of liver nodule characterization using our proposed deep learning model with input of nine CEUS images. A total of 181 liver lesions (48 benign, 78 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and 55 non-HCC malignant) were included in this prospective study. CEUS were performed using the contrast agent Sonazoid, and in addition to B-mode images before injection, image clips were stored every minute up to 10min. A deep learning model was developed by arranging three ResNet50 transfer learning models in parallel. This proposed model allowed inputting up to nine datasets of different phases of CEUS and performing image augmentation of nine images synchronously. Using the results, the correct prediction rate, sensitivity, and specificity between "benign" and "malignant" cases were analyzed for each combination of the time phase. These accuracy values were also compared with the washout score judged by a human. The proposed model showed performance superior to the referential standard model when the dataset from B-mode to the 10-min images were used (sensitivity: 93.2%, specificity: 65.3%, average correct answer rate: 60.1%). It also maintained 90.2% sensitivity and 61.2% specificity even when the dataset was limited to 2min after injection, and this accuracy was equivalent to or better than human scoring by experts. Our proposed model has the potential to identify tumor types earlier than the Kupffer phase, but at the same time, machine learning confirmed that Kupffer-phase Sonazoid images contain essential information for the classification of liver nodules.

Adrenocortical carcinoma: A tumor with poor answer to classic chemotherapy

Abstract Introduction: Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) represents a rare endocrine malignancy being the second most aggressive endocrine cancer after anaplastic thyroid cancer. [1]. While most of them arise sporadically, up to 15% of adult ACC patients are related to germline mutations associated with familial cancer syndromes.[1,2]. Current treatment strategies include surgery as well as systemic therapy with mitotane and chemotherapy. Case report: A 60-year-old female patient with a family history of colon cancer, multinodular goiter, hypothyroidism treated with substitutive therapy, uterine fibroids, and hypertension, was diagnosed with adrenocortical carcinoma. No distant metastasis were present at the moment of diagnosis so an adrenalectomy was performed. Due to postoperative complications, a total nephrectomy was also needed. Adjuvant Mitotane treatment was given. A CT exam performed 5 months after the resection showed multiple pulmonary metastasis, a liver nodule and peritoneal carcinomatosis. The standard first-line chemotherapy of choice was Carboplatin and Etoposide. After completing 3 cycles of chemotherapy the imaging reassessment show the progression of liver and peritoneal lesions and the quasi-complete regression of lung lesions. Currently, the Mitotate treatment was stopped due to severe adverse reactions. Conclusions: Adrenocortical carcinoma is a rare endocrine malignancy with a poor prognosis. The recruitment of ACC patients for new clinical trials to investigate new treatment strategies is needed because currently, no significant therapeutic breakthrough is emerging.

Concurrent metastatic melanoma and follicular lymphoma diagnosis on liver fine needle aspiration and biopsy

Abstract Introduction/Objective The liver is commonly involved in metastatic neoplasms, such as colorectal, breast, esophageal, stomach, pancreatic, lung, and kidney. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) and core needle biopsy (CNB) are frequently used to establish an accurate diagnosis of liver masses. Here we report the coexistence of metastatic malignant melanoma (MM) and follicular lymphoma (FL) involving the liver. To our knowledge, This is the first reported case, and we hope to add to the literature. Methods/Case Report The patient is a 75 -year-old woman diagnosed with stage I skin melanoma in 2004, and systemic low-grade FL in 2009. She presented with fatigue, weight loss, and difficulty swallowing. CT scan showed new pulmonary, hepatic, and splenic nodules with stable abdominal lymphadenopathy. Smears from the liver nodule FNA showed numerous single tumor cells with moderate cytoplasm and eccentrically located hyperchromatic nuclei. CNB showed fragments of liver parenchyma infiltrated by metastatic melanoma and a focal portal area with expansile lymphoid aggregates of small lymphocytes. The lymphoid cells were positive for CD10, CD20, PAX5, and BCL2 and negative for CD3, CD5, BCL6 and BCL1, with a low Ki-67 proliferative index (&amp;lt;5%). Although not characteristic of an FL, this immunophenotype was most consistent with FL given her clinical history. The metastatic MM was positive for SOX10 and Melan-A, while negative for CD45 and CK AE1/AE3. Despite neoadjuvant therapy, the patient died just two months after diagnosis. Results (if a Case Study enter NA) NA Conclusion A tremendous variety of neoplasms can occur in the liver. Different morphologies under a microscope should broaden the list of differential diagnoses. Familiarizing with morphological features and using ancillary studies are essential for accurate diagnosis and proper patient management. FNA and CNB combined with ancillary studies can successfully establish the diagnosis of malignancies involving the liver.

Alagille syndrome and liver: an adult case report

BackgroundAlagille syndrome is a rare autosomal-dominant disorder, representing 10 to 15% of the causes of neonatal cholestasis with no gender predominance. The diagnosis is based on the association of liver, heart, eye, skeleton abnormalities, and characteristic facial appearance.Case presentationAn 18-year-old male patient, with a family history of benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis in a brother, was diagnosed at birth with bile duct paucity. He consulted in adulthood for cholestatic jaundice and pruritus. Physical exam found cutaneous jaundice, particular face, skeletal abnormality of fingers, posterior embryotoxon, and splenomegaly. An echocardiogram found cardiovascular abnormalities. The diagnosis of Alagille syndrome was made in front of five major criteria. A liver biopsy revealed a cirrhosis liver. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed grade II esophageal varices of portal hypertension. Laboratory tests revealed bicytopenia related to hypersplenism, hypoferritinemia, cytolysis with cholestasis, high bilirubin levels, low prothrombin time, hypoalbuminemia, decreased factor V activity, and hypocholesterolemia. The patient had vitamin K supplementation and was put on ursodeoxycholic acid, propranolol for the liver disease, a high protein hypercaloric diet for malnutrition, vitamin D supplementation and bisphosphonate for the osteoporosis, therapeutic abstention with monitoring for the asymptomatic cardiac disease. After a year of treatment, the patient had an overall health status improvement. Abdominal ultrasound found liver nodules. A biliary MRI showed a multinodular liver. The complement by CT hepatic angiography did not show any nodules while the MRI angiography revealed multiple dysplastic nodules. A liver biopsy was performed and found regenerative nodules.ConclusionThe treatment of Alagille syndrome is based on managing the cholestasis and its complications, especially pruritus because it can have a significant impact on quality of life. Due to the complexity of presentation and multi-organ involvement, management of cases with Alagille syndrome should be done by a multidisciplinary team. Liver disease is responsible for morbidity while cardiac disease is a mortality risk factor in this population.

Development and evaluation of an integrated liver nodule diagnostic method by combining the liver segment division and lesion localization/classification models for enhanced focal liver lesion detection.

The purpose of the study was to develop a liver nodule diagnostic method that accurately localizes and classifies focal liver lesions and identifies the specific liver segments in which they reside by integrating a liver segment division algorithm using a four-dimensional (4D) fully convolutional residual network (FC-ResNet) with a localization and classification model. We retrospectively collected data and divided 106 gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance examinations into Case-sets 1, 2, and 3. A liver segment division algorithm was developed using a 4D FC-ResNet and trained with semi-automatically created silver-standard annotations; performance was evaluated using manually created gold-standard annotations by calculating the Dice scores for each liver segment. The performance of the liver nodule diagnostic method was assessed by comparing the results with those of the original radiology reports. The mean Dice score between the output of the liver segment division model and the gold standard was 0.643 for Case-set 2 (normal liver contours) and 0.534 for Case-set 1 (deformed liver contours). Among the 64 lesions in Case-set 3, the diagnostic method localized 37 lesions, classified 33 lesions, and identified the liver segments for 30 lesions. A total of 28 lesions were true positives, matching the original radiology reports. The liver nodule diagnostic method, which integrates a liver segment division algorithm with a lesion localization and classification model, exhibits great potential for localizing and classifying focal liver lesions and identifying the liver segments in which they reside. Further improvements and validation using larger sample sizes will enhance its performance and clinical applicability.

Diagnosis and management of indeterminate liver nodules in patients with cirrhosis.

Diagnosis and management of indeterminate liver nodules in patients with cirrhosis.

Effects of metronidazole on colorectal cancer occurrence and colorectal cancer liver metastases by regulating Fusobacterium nucleatum in mice.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) represents a leading cause of cancer-related deaths. Metronidazole (MNZ) is exceedingly implicated in CRC. This study explored the roles of MNZ in mouse CRC occurrence and liver metastasis (CRLM). Male BALB/c nude mice were subjected to CRC and CRLM modeling, orally administration with MNZ (1 g/L) 1 week before modeling, and disease activity index (DAI) evaluation. Fresh stool and anal swab samples were collected on the morning of the 28th day after modeling. The relative expression of Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) DNA was assessed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction. After euthanasia, tumor tissues and liver tissues were separated and the tumor volume and weight change were measured. The liver tissues were stained with hematoxylin-eosin to quantitatively analyze the metastatic liver nodules. Malignant tumor biomarker Ki67 protein levels in liver tissues/DNA from stool samples were detected by immunohistochemistry/high-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Bioinformatics analysis was performed on the raw sequence data to analyze microbial community richness (Chao1 index, ACE index) and microbial community diversity (Shannon index). The DAI and F. nucleatum DNA relative expression in feces and anal swabs of the CRC and CRLM groups were raised and repressed after MNZ intervention. MNZ repressed tumor occurrence and growth in mice to a certain extent, alleviated CRLM malignant degree (reduced liver metastases and Ki67-positive cell density/number), and suppressed CRC liver metastasis by regulating intestinal flora structure, which affected the intestinal characteristic flora of CRC and CRLM mice. MNZ suppressed CRC occurrence and CRLM in mice by regulating intestinal F. nucleatum.

Assessment of LI-RADS efficacy in classification of hepatocellular carcinoma and benign liver nodules using DCE-MRI features and machine learning

PurposeThe current study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI visual features in classifying benign liver nodules and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using a machine learning model. Methods115 LI-RADS3, 137 LI-RADS4, and 140 LI-RADS5 nodules were included (392 nodules from 245 patients), which were evaluated by follow-up imaging for LR-3 and pathology results for LR-4 and LR-5 nodules. Data was collected retrospectively from 3 T and 1.5 T MRI scanners. All the lesions were categorized into 124 benign and 268 HCC lesions. Visual features included tumor size, arterial-phase hyper-enhancement (APHE), washout, lesion segment, mass/mass-like, and capsule presence. Gini-importance method extracted the most important features to prevent over-fitting. Final dataset was split into training(70%), validation(10%), and test dataset(20%). The SVM model was used to train the classifying algorithm. For model validation, 5-fold cross-validation was utilized, and the test data set was used to assess the final accuracy. The area under the curve and receiver operating characteristic curves were used to assess the performance of the classifier model. ResultsFor test dataset, the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values for classifying benign and HCC lesions were 82%,84%, and 81%, respectively. APHE, washout, tumor size, and mass/mass-like features significantly differentiated benign and HCC lesions with p-value < .001. ConclusionsThe developed classification model employing DCE-MRI features showed significant performance of visual features in classifying benign and HCC lesions. Our study also highlighted the significance of mass and mass-like features in addition to LI-RADS categorization. For future work, this study suggests developing a deep-learning algorithm for automatic lesion segmentation and feature assessment to reduce lesion categorization errors.

Multi-scale context UNet-like network with redesigned skip connections for medical image segmentation

Background and ObjectiveMedical image segmentation has garnered significant research attention in the neural network community as a fundamental requirement for developing intelligent medical assistant systems. A series of UNet-like networks with an encoder-decoder architecture have achieved remarkable success in medical image segmentation. Among these networks, UNet2+ (UNet++) and UNet3+ (UNet+++) have introduced redesigned skip connections, dense skip connections, and full-scale skip connections, respectively, surpassing the performance of the original UNet. However, UNet2+ lacks comprehensive information obtained from the entire scale, which hampers its ability to learn organ placement and boundaries. Similarly, due to the limited number of neurons in its structure, UNet3+ fails to effectively segment small objects when trained with a small number of samples. MethodIn this study, we propose UNet_sharp (UNet#), a novel network topology named after the “#” symbol, which combines dense skip connections and full-scale skip connections. In the decoder sub-network, UNet# can effectively integrate feature maps of different scales and capture fine-grained features and coarse-grained semantics from the entire scale. This approach enhances the understanding of organ and lesion positions and enables accurate boundary segmentation. We employ deep supervision for model pruning to accelerate testing and enable mobile device deployment. Additionally, we construct two classification-guided modules to reduce false positives and improve segmentation accuracy. ResultsCompared to current UNet-like networks, our proposed method achieves the highest Intersection over Union (IoU) values ((92.67±0.96)%, (92.38±1.29)%, (95.36±1.22)%, (74.01±2.03)%) and F1 scores ((91.64±1.86)%, (95.70±2.16)%, (97.34±2.76)%, (84.77±2.65)%) on the semantic segmentation tasks of nuclei, brain tumors, liver, and lung nodules, respectively. ConclusionsThe experimental results demonstrate that the reconstructed skip connections in UNet successfully incorporate multi-scale contextual semantic information. Compared to most state-of-the-art medical image segmentation models, our proposed method more accurately locates organs and lesions and precisely segments boundaries.