Pleural Nodules Research Articles

Ultrasonographic Presentation and Anatomic Distribution of Lung Involvement in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic auto-immune disease, typically affecting the joints, which can also present with lung involvement (pleuritis, interstitial lung disease, pulmonary nodules, etc.). Lung ultrasound (LUS) is an upcoming tool in the detection of these pulmonary manifestations. We performed a 72-window LUS in 75 patients presenting to the outpatient rheumatology clinic and describe the abnormalities (presence of B-lines (vertical comet-tail artefacts), pleural abnormalities, pleural effusions, and subpleural nodules) on lung ultrasound. We created a topological mapping of the number of B-lines per intercostal zone. We observed pleural effusions, pleural abnormalities, and pleural nodules in, respectively, 1.3%, 45.3%, and 14% of patients. There were 35 (46.7%) patients who had less than 5 B-lines, 15 (20%) patients who had between 5 and 10 B-lines, 11 (14.6%) between 10 and 20, 10 (13.3%) between 20 and 50, 1 (1.3%) between 50 and 100, and 3 (4%) of patients who had more than 100 B-lines. LUS in patients with RA shows an array of abnormalities ranging from interstitial syndromes to pleural abnormalities, subpleural nodules, and pleural effusions. Hotspots for the presence of B-lines are situated bilaterally in the posterior subscapular regions, as well as the anterior right mid-clavicular region.

Assessment of computed tomography for the diagnosis of exudative and transudative pleural effusion

Introduction: The basic computed tomography (CT) characteristics of pleural effusion (PE) were analyzed, and the association between demographic factors and prominent CT findings with different types of PE was assessed. The individual CT characteristics and Light’s criteria for exudative PE were also evaluated. In addition, a cutoff for attenuation values of CT scans for exudative PE was determined. Methods: A cross-sectional study among 92 participants with PE was carried out at Bir Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal. The χ2 test, logistic regression analysis, and diagnostic statistics were calculated. The ethical clearance was obtained from the institutional review committee of Institutional review board of National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Bir Hospital (Ref. 876/076/77). Results: The study examined 92 cases of PE, with 78.3% occurring in males and the majority affecting individuals aged 55–74 years old. Results showed that on CT scans, pleural thickening [odds ratio (OR): 13.89, 95% CI: 4.96–38.86, P < 0.05], pleural nodules (OR: 12.72, 95% CI: 2.64–61.18, P < 0.05) and loculations (OR: 13.46, 95% CI: 4.03–44.89, P < 0.05) were significantly associated with exudative PE. Of these, pleural nodules had the highest specificity (96.4%) and positive likelihood ratio (9), whereas pleural thickening had the highest sensitivity (70.3%). When using the criterion “pleural fluid Lactate Dehydrogenase concentration as positive if it was over two-thirds of the upper limit of normal serum Lactate Dehydrogenase,” the CT scan had a positive likelihood ratio of 22.52. The study also found that an attenuation value ≥9.70 HU could indicate an exudative PE (area under the curve: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70–0.90, P < 0.05). Conclusion: The CT characteristics, such as pleural thickening, pleural nodules, and loculations, were more likely to be present in exudative PE. In addition, the attenuation values of PE could also determine its nature as either exudate or transudate, with an attenuation value of >9.70 HU indicating an exudative PE.

Long-Term Survival of American Joint Committee on Cancer 8th Edition Staging Descriptors for Clinical M1a Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

The American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) 8th Edition TNM staging manual for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) M1a descriptors includes tumors seen with malignant pleural or pericardial effusion (ie, M1a-Effusion), pleural or pericardial nodule(s) (ie, M1a-Pleural), or separate tumor nodule(s) in a contralateral lobe (ie, M1a-Contralateral). Is M1a NSCLC seen with malignant pleural or pericardial effusion associated with worse survival compared with other types of M1a NSCLC? Patients with cT1-4, N0-3, M1a NSCLC (satisfying a single M1a descriptor of M1a-Effusion, M1a-Pleural, or M1a-Contralateral), according to AJCC 8th edition staging criteria, in the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2015 were included. Overall survival was evaluated by using Kaplan-Meier analysis, multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards modeling, and propensity score matching. Of the 25,716 patients who met study eligibility criteria, 12,756 (49.6%) presented with M1a-Effusion tumors, 3,589 (14.0%) with M1a-Pleural tumors, and 9,371 (36.4%) with M1a-Contralateral tumors. In multivariable-adjusted analysis, M1a-Effusion tumors were associated with worse overall survival than M1a-Pleural tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 1.48; 95%CI, 1.40-1.56; P< .001) and M1a-Contralateral tumors (HR: 1.51; 95%CI, 1.46-1.57; P< .001). No significant differences were found in overall survival between patients with M1a-Pleural tumors vsM1a-Contralateral tumors (HR, 0.98; 95%CI, 0.93-1.03; P= .42). In a propensity score-matched analysis of 5,581 patients with M1a-Effusion tumors and 5,581 patients with other M1a tumors (ie, M1a-Contralateral or M1a-Effusion), those with M1a-Effusion tumors had worse 5-year overall survival than patients with other M1a tumors (M1a-Effusion 6.4%[95%CI, 5.7-7.1] vsM1a-Other 10.6%[95%CI, 9.7-11.5]; P< .001). In this national analysis of AJCC 8th Edition cT1-4, N0-3, M1a NSCLC, tumors with malignant pleural or pericardial effusion were associated with worse overall survival than those with either pleural or contralateral pulmonary nodules. These findings may be taken into consideration for the upcoming 9th edition of the lung cancer staging guidelines.

A PET-CT score for discriminating malignant from benign pleural effusions

Background and objectivesThe results of previous PET-CT studies are contradictory for discriminating malignant from benign pleural effusions. We purpose to develop a PET-CT score for differentiating between benign and malignant effusions. Patients and methodsWe conducted a prospective study of consecutive patients with pleural effusions undergoing PET-CT from October 2013 to October 2019 (referral cohort). PET-CT scan features evaluated using the SUV were: linear thickening; nodular thickening; nodules; masses; circumferential thickening; mediastinal and fissural pleural involvement; intrathoracic lymph nodes; pleural loculation; inflammatory consolidation; pleural calcification; cardiomegaly; pericardial effusion; bilateral effusion; lung mass; liver metastasis and other extra-pleural malignancy. The results were validated in an independent prospective cohort from November 2019 to June 2021. ResultsOne hundred and ninety-nine patients were enrolled in the referral cohort (91 with malignant effusions and 108 benign). The most useful parameters for the development of a PET-CT score were: nodular pleural thickening, pleural nodules with SUV>7.5, lung mass or extra pleural malignancy (10 points each), mammary lymph node with SUV>4.5 (5 points) and cardiomegaly (−1 point). With a cut-off value of >9 points in the referral cohort, the score established the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion with sensitivity 87.9%, specificity 90.7%, positive predictive value 88.9%, negative predictive value 89.9%, positive likelihood ratio 7.81 and negative likelihood ratio 0.106. These results were validated in an independent prospective cohort of 75 patients. ConclusionsPET-CT score was shown to provide relevant information for the identification of malignant pleural effusion.

Contribución de PET/CT a la diferenciación de derrame pleural benigno y maligno en pacientes con cáncer de ovario

ObjectiveThe present study investigates the ability of non-invasive contribution of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to distinguish between benign pleural effusions (BPE) and malignant pleural effusions (MPE) in patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma (OC). Material and methodIncluded in the study were 32 OC patients with a PE diagnosis. The cases with BPE and MPE were compared in terms of the PE maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), PE SUVmax/mean standardized uptake (SUVmean) value of the mediastinal blood pool (TBRp), the presence of pleural thickening, the presence of supradiaphragmatic lymph node, unilateral or bilateral PE, pleural effusion diameter, patient age and CA125 value. ResultsThe mean age of the 32 patients was 57±2.8 years. TBRp>1.1, pleural thickening and supradiaphragmatic lymph node were observed significantly more frequently in the MPE than the BPE cases. While no pleural nodules were detected in patients with BPE, they were present in 7 of the patients with MPE. The rates of distinction between the MPE and BPE cases were as follows: the sensitivity of the TBRp value was 95.2% and specificity was 72.7%; the sensitivity of pleural thickness was 80.9% and specificity was 81.8%; the sensitivity of supradiaphragmatic lymph node was 38% and specificity was 90.9%; and the sensitivity of the pleural nodule was 33.3% and specificity was 100%. There were no significant differences between two groups in any other factors. ConclusionPleural thickening and TBRp values ascertained through PET/CT may aid the distinction between MPE-BPE, especially in patients with advanced stage OC with a poor general condition, or those who cannot undergo surgery.

Primary epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas and angiosarcomas of the pleura: a clinicopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of 13 cases

Thirteen cases of primary epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas (EHE) and epithelioid angiosarcomas (EA) of the pleura are presented. The patients were 7 men and 6 women between the ages of 34 and 65 years (mean: 47 years). The patients presented with non-specific symptoms of cough, dyspnea, and chest pain. Diagnostic imaging revealed the presence of either diffuse pleural thickening or pleural nodules involving the serosal surfaces. Open surgical biopsies were obtained in all cases. Histologically, eight tumors were characterized by the presence of a cellular proliferation composed of medium-sized epithelioid cells embedded in a myxohyaline stroma and a variable spindle cell component. Cellular atypia was mild to moderate and mitotic activity ranged from 1 to 2 per 2mm2. Immunohistochemical stains for vascular markers, including CAMTA1 were positive, confirming a diagnosis of EHE. Five cases of epithelioid angiosarcomas were characterized by a neoplastic cellular proliferation admixed with areas of necrosis and hemorrhage and characterized by medium-sized epithelioid to spindle-shaped cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm, round to oval nuclei and prominent nucleoli. In addition, marked cytologic atypia and a mitotic activity ranging from 3 to 5 per 2mm2 were identified. Immunohistochemical studies demonstrated positive staining for vascular markers; however, CAMTA1 was negative. Clinical follow-up obtained in eleven cases showed that all patients had died within 30 months post diagnosis. The current study highlights that even though it may be important to histologically separate EHE from EA for academic purposes, primary pleural origin of these tumors appears to portent an aggressive clinical behavior.

Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor Involving Serous Fluid: Cytologic Features and Diagnostic Pitfalls: A Series of 8 Cases.

When desmoplastic small round cell tumor (DSRCT) is present in serous fluid, the cytomorphology can be diverse and can mimic metastatic carcinomas and thus present a diagnostic challenge. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytomorphologic and immunocytochemical features of this rare tumor in serous effusion specimens. Demographic, clinical, radiologic, and pathologic information from patients who had a DSRCT diagnosis on body fluid specimens was collected and cytologic slides were reviewed. Nine specimens were identified (5 pleural fluid and 4 ascitic fluid specimens) from 8 patients (5 male and 3 female). The mean patient age at diagnosis was 26 years. The most common symptoms were abdominal distension and pain, with 5 patients having abdominal masses. Other findings included peritoneal carcinomatosis, liver masses, ascites, and pleural nodules. The predominant cytomorphology was loose cellular clusters, followed by tight clusters of small cells with scant occasional vacuolated cytoplasm and a sphere-like pattern. Serous fluid may be the first available specimen to diagnose DSRCT. In young patients with no history of malignancy and radiologic finding of peritoneal implants, DSRCT should be considered a possibility in the differential diagnosis, and sensitive markers should be used for accurate diagnosis.

Sintilimab, SBRT and GM-CSF for metastatic NSCLC: A prospective, multicenter, phase II trial.

e21172 Background: PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors have transformed the therapeutic landscape in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the objective response rate (ORR) remains limited in unselected population. Incorporating SBRT to PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors may improve treatment efficacy and the anti-tumor immunity induced by SBRT may be enhanced by GM-CSF, which plays a pivotal role in dendritic cell differentiation and maturation. The current trial (NCT04106180) is the first prospective, multicenter, phase II study assessing the safety and efficacy of a PD-1 inhibitor (Sintilimab), SBRT and GM-CSF in metastatic NSCLC patients without sensitizing driver mutations. Methods: Metastatic EGFR/ALK negative NSCLC pts who had failed first-line standard chemotherapy were eligible. Pts received SBRT (8 Gy*3) to one lesion, followed by Sintilimab (200 mg d1, every 3 weeks) and GM-CSF (125 μg/m2 d1-d14, cycle 1) within 3 weeks after SBRT. Sintilimab would be given continuously until disease progression, unacceptable toxicity, or up to 35 cycles. Primary end point is ORR. Secondary end points are safety, out-of-field response rate, overall survival (OS), progression free survival (PFS). The trial was designed to enroll 56 patients and if ≥17 pts evaluated had an objective response, it was regarded as positive. Results: By the time of 2022/10/30, the trial was early closed after 18 of the 51pts enrolled from 6 academic centers documented PR. The majority of pts were male, ECOG 1 and non-squamous NSCLC, having more than 5 lesions at baseline, with a median age of 62 (range, 32-74). The sites of SBRT included lung (n = 20), regional lymph node (n = 16), pleural nodule (n = 5), vertebra (n = 3), distant lymph node (n = 3), liver (n = 2) and others (n = 2). Treatment-related adverse event (TRAE) occurred in most pts and grade 3 TRAE occurred in 6 (11.8%) pts. No grade 4-5 TRAE occurred and the most common grade 3 TRAEs were ALT/AST elevation (n = 2), transient acute heart failure (recovered within 7 days) (n = 1), leucopenia/neutropenia (n = 2), pneumonitis (n = 1) and creatinine elevation (n = 1). With a median follow-up of 19.2 (range, 4.6-35.4) months, 49 pts had evaluable efficacy, with 18 PR, 15 SD and 16 PD. Median PFS and OS were 5.9 (95% CI, 3.9-9.2) and 16.2 (95% CI, 12.6-34.1) months, respectively. The results of biomarker testing will also be presented. Conclusions: Triple combination of Sintilimab, SBRT and GM-CSF is safe and shows promising efficacy in metastatic EGFR/ALK negative NSCLC. Clinical trial information: NCT04106180 .

Phase II study of hemithoracic intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy (IMPRINT) for patients with pleural metastases from thymic malignancies.

TPS8616 Background: Pleural metastases are common sites for recurrence and progression in patients with thymic malignancies. The management of pleural metastases typically involves surgical resection with or without neoadjuvant or adjuvant systemic therapy. After surgical resection of pleural metastases, the 5-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate is about 29-45%. While radiation therapy (RT) is standardly used in the management of locally-advanced thymic malignancies, the role of RT in patients with pleural metastases in unclear. Intensity-modulated pleural radiation therapy (IMPRINT) is a RT technique currently being used to treat malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) patients with 2 intact lungs at centers that specialize in MPM treatment. This IMPRINT technique can potentially be extrapolated to thymic patients with pleural metastases. Because the risk of toxicity is of greater concern for thymic patients given their overall relatively favorable prognosis, the rate of toxicity, particularly radiation pneumonitis, needs to be established in the thymic patient population. Methods: This is a single-arm, single institution Phase II study of hemithoracic IMPRINT for patients with pleural metastases from thymic malignancies. The primary endpoint of this study is grade 3 or higher radiation pneumonitis within 4 months of completing RT. Secondary endpoints include any toxicity, progression-free survival, patterns of failure and overall survival. Patients must have a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of a thymic malignancy with radiologic or pathologic evidence of pleural metastases. Thymoma or thymic carcinoma are allowed. Patients may have de novo stage IVA disease or recurrent disease in the pleura. There must be no evidence of extrathoracic metastatic disease or contralateral pleural/pericardial disease. Surgical resection of the pleural nodules (ex: pleurectomy/decortication, debulking/metastasectomy) are allowed. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is not allowed. Patients are excluded if they have undergone prior thoracic radiation therapy preventing hemithoracic pleural IMRT, whereas prior thymic bed radiation and/or prior pleural SBRT are allowed. RT will be administered to the ipsilateral pleura to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. An optional dose-painting boost to gross disease up to 60 Gy while respecting normal tissue constraints is allowed. Patients can be treated with photon or proton therapy. Simulation, contouring and RT planning guidelines have been developed. Patients will be followed per protocol at regular intervals for at least 12 months following RT. The expected accrual is 36 patients over 4 years. Further information can be found on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05354570). Clinical trial information: NCT05354570 .

The contribution of PET/CT to the differentiation of benign and malignant pleural effusion in patients with ovarian carcinoma

ObjectiveThe present study investigates the ability of non-invasive contribution of positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to distinguish between benign pleural effusions (BPE) and malignant pleural effusions (MPE) in patients diagnosed with ovarian carcinoma (OC). Material and methodsIncluded in the study were 32 OC patients with a PE diagnosis. The cases with BPE and MPE were compared in terms of the PE maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), PE SUVmax/mean standardized uptake (SUVmean) value of the mediastinal blood pool (TBRp), the presence of pleural thickening, the presence of supradiaphragmatic lymph node, unilateral or bilateral PE, pleural effusion diameter, patient age and CA125 value. ResultsThe mean age of the 32 patients was 57±2.8 years. TBRp>1.1, pleural thickening and supradiaphragmatic lymph node were observed significantly more frequently in the MPE than the BPE cases. While no pleural nodules were detected in patients with BPE, they were present in 7 of the patients with MPE. The rates of distinction between the MPE and BPE cases were as follows: the sensitivity of the TBRp value was 95.2% and specificity was 72.7%; the sensitivity of pleural thickness was 80.9% and specificity was 81.8%; the sensitivity of supradiaphragmatic lymph node was 38% and specificity was 90.9%; and the sensitivity of the pleural nodule was 33.3% and specificity was 100%. There were no significant differences between two groups in any other factors. ConclusionsPleural thickening and TBRp values ascertained through PET/CT may aid the distinction between MPE-BPE, especially in patients with advanced stage OC with a poor general condition, or those who cannot undergo surgery.

Rare Case of Mantle Cell Lymphoma Presented as Malignant Pleural Effusion and Pleural Nodules

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Abstract #1409027: Paraneoplastic Hyperthyroidism

Non-seminomatous germ cell tumors producing human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) were first described in 1964. HCG is capable of inducing hyperthyroidism by stimulating the TSH receptor, due to its identical alpha subunit. We report a case of HCG-mediated hyperthyroidism in the setting of a choriocarcinoma. A 28-year-old man presented with a 3-week history of unintentional weight loss, cough, hemoptysis, palpitations, shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting. Chest x-ray showed a large pleural effusion and multifocal nodular opacities on lungs measuring up to 4 cm. CT abdomen/pelvis showed a 1.4 cm left renal mass concerning for metastasis, and hepatomegaly. CT chest demonstrated a 16 cm heterogeneous enhancing mass in the mediastinum, a large pericardial effusion, moderate left pleural effusion and metastatic pulmonary nodules. Laboratory results showed elevated HCG of 947,825 mIU/mL, AFP 25 ng/ml, LDH 1,394 U/L, TSH 0.011 mcIU/mL, FT4 2.0 ng/dL, Ferritin 2680 ng/mL, CRP 118 mg/L. Testicular ultrasound was unremarkable. Biopsy of mediastinal mass was consistent with choriocarcinoma. Endocrinology was consulted for evaluation of abnormal thyroid function. He was tachycardic, without other overt symptoms of hyperthyroidism and no clinical findings of Graves’ Disease. TRAB, TSI, TPO antibodies were negative. Propylthiouracil (PTU) 100mg every 8 hours and low dose propranolol were started. Chemotherapy with Etoposide, Ifosfamide, and Cisplatin was initiated. Thyroid function improved 5 days after initiation of therapy. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, his TSH and Free T4 levels normalized and the HCG level decreased to 1,521 mIU/mL. His most recent thyroid function tests were TSH 5.8 mcIU/ml and Free T4 level 1.1 ng/dL and the decision was made to stop PTU. HCG is a heterodimer with an alpha subunit identical to that of TSH, LH and FSH. High HCG levels can stimulate the TSH receptor and cause hyperthyroidism. Hyperthyroidism has been reported in trophoblastic tumors when HCG levels are >200,000 mIU/mL. Initiation of chemotherapy produces rapid decline in HCG levels and improvement of Free T4 levels. Diagnosis of paraneoplastic hyperthyroidism is challenging, as symptoms of hyperthyroidism may overlap with those of metastatic disease. Symptomatic patients should be started on thianomide and beta blocker which improve well-being and tolerance to chemotherapy. We illustrated the challenge of diagnosing hyperthyroidism in HCG-secreting choriocarcinoma and the importance of initiating chemotherapy and anti-thyroidal medication in symptomatic patients to improve outcomes.

Ultrasonic Elastography-guided Pleural Biopsy for the Diagnosis of Pleural Effusion: A Multicenter Prospective Study of Diagnostic Test Performance.

The diagnostic yields of traditional ultrasound-guided pleural biopsy remain unsatisfactory, especially when the pleural thickness is ≤ 5 mm and/or no pleural nodules are detected. Pleural ultrasound elastography has a better diagnostic yield than traditional ultrasound for malignant pleural effusion. However, studies of ultrasound elastography-guided pleural biopsy are lacking. To evaluate the feasibility and safety of ultrasound elastography -guided pleural biopsies. In this multicenter prospective single-arm trial, patients with pleural effusion whose pleural thickness ≤ 5 mm and no pleural nodules were enrolledbetween July 2019 and August 2021. Ultrasound elastography-guided pleural biopsy diagnostic yield for pleural effusion and sensitivity for malignant pleural effusion were evaluated. Ninety-eight patients (mean age, 62.4±13.2 years; 65 men) were prospectively enrolled. The diagnostic yield of ultrasound elastography-guided pleural biopsy for making any diagnosis was 92.9% (91/98), and the sensitivity of ultrasound elastography-guided pleural biopsy for malignant pleural effusion was 88.7% (55/62). In additional, the sensitivity of ultrasound elastography-guided pleural biopsy for pleural tuberculosis was 69.6% (16/23). The rate of postoperative chest pain was acceptable, and there was no pneumothorax in patients. Elastography-guided pleural biopsy is a novel technique for diagnosing malignant pleural effusion with a good diagnostic yield and sensitivity. Clinical trial registered at https://www.chictr.org.cn (ChiCTR2000033572).

Diagnostic Accuracy of Ultrasound and Computed Tomography in Differentiating Transudate from Exudate in Patients with Pleural Effusion

Objective: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of Computed Tomography and Ultrasonography in differentiating trans-dative and exudative pleural effusion.&#x0D; Study Design: Cross-sectional study.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: Radiology Department of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Islamabad Pakistan, from Jul to Oct 2021.&#x0D; Methodology: Patients suffering (n=80) from pleural effusion were involved, and all were assessed with ultrasound and computed Tomography along with diagnostic thoracocentesis. In addition, we investigated pleural thickening, pleural nodules, and loculations along with the USG signs and Computed Tomography attenuation values to detect transudate and exudate in individuals suffering from pleural effusion.&#x0D; Results: Participants had a mean age of 36.20±6.67 years, ranging from 25 to 49 years. Out of 80 patients, 50(62.5 %) were males, and 30(37.5%) were females. Of the eighty patients with pleural effusion, 29 were transudative 36(25%), and 51 were exudative 63(75%). Overall, USG showed better results for loculations, while CT showed better results for pleural thickeningand nodules.&#x0D; Conclusion: Attenuation values of Computed Tomography play an essential role in differentiating the type of pleural effusion. In addition, ultrasound is a supporting non-invasive imaging modality that helps define the characteristics of pleural effusion.

Single-institution experience of 500 pulmonary resections guided by intraoperative molecular imaging

ObjectiveIntraoperative molecular imaging (IMI) using tumor-targeted optical contrast agents can improve thoracic cancer resections. There are no large-scale studies to guide surgeons in patient selection or imaging agent choice. Here, we report our institutional experience with IMI for lung and pleural tumor resection in 500 patients over a decade. MethodsBetween December 2011 and November 2021, patients with lung or pleural nodules undergoing resection were preoperatively infused with 1 of 4 optical contrast tracers: EC17, TumorGlow, pafolacianine, or SGM-101. Then, during resection, IMI was used to identify pulmonary nodules, confirm margins, and identify synchronous lesions. We retrospectively reviewed patient demographic data, lesion diagnoses, and IMI tumor-to-background ratios (TBRs). ResultsFive hundred patients underwent resection of 677 lesions. We found that there were 4 types of clinical utility of IMI: detection of positive margins (n = 32, 6.4% of patients), identification of residual disease after resection (n = 37, 7.4%), detection of synchronous cancers not predicted on preoperative imaging (n = 26, 5.2%), and minimally invasive localization of nonpalpable lesions (n = 101 lesions, 14.9%). Pafolacianine was most effective for adenocarcinoma-spectrum malignancies (mean TBR, 2.84), and TumorGlow was most effective for metastatic disease and mesothelioma (TBR, 3.1). False-negative fluorescence was primarily seen in mucinous adenocarcinomas (mean TBR, 1.8), heavy smokers (>30 pack years; TBR, 1.9), and tumors greater than 2.0 cm from the pleural surface (TBR, 1.3). ConclusionsIMI may be effective in improving resection of lung and pleural tumors. The choice of IMI tracer should vary by the surgical indication and the primary clinical challenge.

Palliative surgery for malignant superior vena cava obstruction resistant to immunotherapy: a case report

A disease progression pattern in a limited number of sites, called oligoprogression, is relatively common in patients with lung cancer during immunotherapy. It is controversial how to manage clinically problematic oligoprogressive lesions, such as superior vena cava (SVC) obstruction resistant to immunotherapy. We present a case of a 43-year-old man who presented with facial swelling and pain in the right shoulder. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) revealed a tumor at the apex of the right lung, pulmonary and pleural nodules, and swollen mediastinal lymph nodes. A swollen mediastinal lymph node directly invaded into the SVC. Pathological diagnosis of the lymph node revealed adenocarcinoma. On the basis of these findings, the patient was diagnosed with lung adenocarcinoma with SVC obstruction (cT3N2M1c; stage IVB). First-line chemotherapy with carboplatin, pemetrexed, and pembrolizumab reduced the size of the primary tumor, pulmonary and pleural metastases, and most mediastinal lymph node metastases after four cycles of treatment, but one lesion invading the SVC increased. Therefore, surgical resection of the lesion and vascular replacement were performed. At present, 22 months have passed since the surgery, and maintenance therapy with pemetrexed and pembrolizumab is ongoing, without disease progression nor any adverse events. The clinical course of the case presented here suggests that palliative surgery may be an effective management option for a clinically problematic lesion, such as SVC obstruction, which increases during immunotherapy.

Lung Cancer Segmentation with Three-Parameter Logistic Type Distribution燤odel

Lung cancer is the leading cause of mortality in the world affecting both men and women equally. When a radiologist just focuses on the patient’s body, it increases the amount of strain on the radiologist and the likelihood of missing pathological information such as abnormalities are increased. One of the primary objectives of this research work is to develop computer-assisted diagnosis and detection of lung cancer. It also intends to make it easier for radiologists to identify and diagnose lung cancer accurately. The proposed strategy which was based on a unique image feature, took into consideration the spatial interaction of voxels that were next to one another. Using the U-NET+Three parameter logistic distribution-based technique, we were able to replicate the situation. The proposed technique had an average Dice co-efficient (DSC) of 97.3%, a sensitivity of 96.5% and a specificity of 94.1% when tested on the Luna-16 dataset. This research investigates how diverse lung segmentation, juxta pleural nodule inclusion, and pulmonary nodule segmentation approaches may be applied to create Computer Aided Diagnosis (CAD) systems. When we compared our approach to four other lung segmentation methods, we discovered that ours was the most successful. We employed 40 patients from Luna-16 datasets to evaluate this. In terms of DSC performance, the findings demonstrate that the suggested technique outperforms the other strategies by a significant margin.

Dual-energy spectral CT in assessment of pleural effusion

Background: Pleural effusion is a common clinical problem. The ability to differentiate between benign and malignant pleural effusions has many clinical benefits. However, few studies have investigated the diagnostic value of dual-energy spectral computed tomography (DECT) in pleural effusion. Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic values of DECT for assessment of pleural effusion. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from 87 patients presenting with pleural effusion who underwent chest DECT from October 2019 to November 2020. Two reviewers blindly reviewed the CT images of pleural effusion in consensus. The pleural fluid attenuation in standard conventional CT images and monoenergetic images, at 40 keV, 100 keV and 140 keV, were recorded. Data pertaining to the effective atomic number, the iodine concentration (IC)and associated CT findings including pleural thickening, pleural nodules and extrapleural fat clouding was analyzed. Results: Of 87 patients, 44 were presented with benign effusions and the remaining 43 were presented with malignancy.There were no statistically significant differences in differentiating between benign and malignant pleural effusions by using the attenuation values, the effective atomic number or the IC. Irregular pleural thickening and pleural nodules were detected statistically significant in the patients with malignant pleural effusions with moderate accuracy, (48.83%; p &lt; 0.01; AuROC 0.7103 and 34.88%; p &lt; 0.01; AuROC 0.654 respectively). Conclusion: DECT attenuation values did not show any reliable clinical value in the differentiation between benign and malignant pleural effusions. The presence of pleural nodules or irregular pleural thickening would suggest malignant pleural effusion with moderate accuracy.

Practice toward standardized performance testing of computer-aided detection algorithms for pulmonary nodule.

This study aimed at implementing practice to build a standardized protocol to test the performance of computer-aided detection (CAD) algorithms for pulmonary nodules. A test dataset was established according to a standardized procedure, including data collection, curation and annotation. Six types of pulmonary nodules were manually annotated as reference standard. Three specific rules to match algorithm output with reference standard were applied and compared. These rules included: (1) "center hit" [whether the center of algorithm highlighted region of interest (ROI) hit the ROI of reference standard]; (2) "center distance" (whether the distance between algorithm highlighted ROI center and reference standard center was below a certain threshold); (3) "area overlap" (whether the overlap between algorithm highlighted ROI and reference standard was above a certain threshold). Performance metrics were calculated and the results were compared among ten algorithms under test (AUTs). The test set currently consisted of CT sequences from 593 patients. Under "center hit" rule, the average recall rate, average precision, and average F1 score of ten algorithms under test were 54.68, 38.19, and 42.39%, respectively. Correspondingly, the results under "center distance" rule were 55.43, 38.69, and 42.96%, and the results under "area overlap" rule were 40.35, 27.75, and 31.13%. Among the six types of pulmonary nodules, the AUTs showed the highest miss rate for pure ground-glass nodules, with an average of 59.32%, followed by pleural nodules and solid nodules, with an average of 49.80 and 42.21%, respectively. The algorithm testing results changed along with specific matching methods adopted in the testing process. The AUTs showed uneven performance on different types of pulmonary nodules. This centralized testing protocol supports the comparison between algorithms with similar intended use, and helps evaluate algorithm performance.

PULMONARY INVOLVEMENT WITH PLEOMORPHIC ADENOMA: 30-YEAR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS RARE ENTITY AT A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTER

PULMONARY INVOLVEMENT WITH PLEOMORPHIC ADENOMA: 30-YEAR EXPERIENCE WITH THIS RARE ENTITY AT A TERTIARY REFERRAL CENTER