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Keywords: Colorectal cancer; Cancer surveillance; Cancer recurrence; Physical examination EN Colorectal cancer Cancer surveillance Cancer recurrence Physical examination 290 292 3 02/03/21 20210101 NES 210101 This study was conducted to evaluate how cancer recurrence was initially suspected/diagnosed for all colorectal cancer (CRC) patients from the National University Hospital, Singapore over a 5-year period, with the aim of exploring the role of community-based CRC surveillance. Colorectal cancer, Cancer surveillance, Cancer recurrence, Physical examination. [Extracted from the article]

In this paper, combined with physiological anatomy knowledge, the complete finite element model of L3-L4 lumbosacral segment of human lumbar was established by using the 3D graphic of human spine L3-L4 segment, which is obtained by image diagnosis technique (CT scan). This model includes the sections of the bones, the intervertebral disc and the anterior ligament, the posterior ligament, the ligamentum flavum, the fibrous ring and other major spine attached soft tissue. Then the finite element model meshing and the material properties of the corresponding part setting were done on the constructed model, and different loads and boundary conditions were imposed to simulate the displacement and stress and strain nephogram of the normal model and intervertebral disc herniation, senile degeneration and other models in different movement states. And the effectiveness of model data is verified by analyzing its biomechanical properties. The biomechanical properties of the spine obtained by the finite element method can be used to provide biomechanical basis for the diagnosis and treatment of intervertebral disc herniation and degeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the annual effective dose per capita attributed to computed tomography (CT) examinations in 2013 and to predict the population effective dose from 2000 to 2013 in Taiwan. Methods: A CT examination database collected from 30 hospitals was divided into 22 procedures and classified into six regions: head, neck, chest, abdomen, pelvis, and other, respectively. The effective doses in different regions were evaluated by dose-length product (DLP) multiplied by conversion factors. Results: The CT scan dose parameters were collected from 4,407 patients. For the six scanned regions, the percentages of patients scanned were: head (39.8%), neck (3.9%), chest (23.3%), abdomen (26.7%), pelvis (4.8%), and other (1.6%), respectively. The DLPs per patient (mGy·cm/patient) were head (1,071±225), neck (1,103±615), chest (724±509), abdomen (1,315±550), pelvis (1,231±620) and other (1,407±937), respectively. The number of CT examinations increased rapidly, with an average annual growth rate of 7.6%. The number of CT examinations in 2013 was 2.6 times that in 2000. The population effective dose was 0.30 mSv per capita in 2000 and increased to 0.74 mSv per capita in 2013, with an annual growth rate of 7.2%. The growth trend indicates that the effective dose will continue to rise in Taiwan. Conclusion: Some strategies should be applied to cope with this growth. Defining the CT dose reference level stipulated in official recommendations and encouraging the use of iterative reconstruction imaging instead of filtered back-projection imaging could be a useful method for optimizing the effective dose and image quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A prospective cohort study was performed to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes following posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) in patients treated with a PEEK cage compared to those treated with an autologous cage using the lumbar spinous process and laminae (ACSP).Methods: Sixty-nine consecutive patients with lumbar degenerative disc disease were randomly assigned to either a PEEK cage (group A, n = 34) or an ACSP (group B, n = 35). Monosegmental PLIF was performed in all patients. Mean lumbar lordosis, mean disc height, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, functional outcomes, fusion rates and complication rates were recorded and compared. The patients were followed postoperatively for a minimum of 2 years.Results: Successful radiographic fusion was documented in all patients. No flexion-extension hypermobility or pedicle screw loosening or breakage occurred during the follow-up period. No significant difference existed between the 2 groups when comparing the mean lumbar lordosis, mean disc height, visual analog scale (VAS) scores, functional outcomes, fusion rates or complication rates. Overall satisfactory results were achieved in both groups.Conclusions: The results suggest that the ACSP appears to be equally as safe and effective as the PEEK cage.Trial Registration: ISRCTN25558534 . Retrospectively registered 16/02/2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) is an extremely rare lung disease affecting females of a childbearing age. The condition occurs sporadically or in association with tuberous sclerosis complex. The diagnosis of LAM is often delayed since the clinical symptoms and signs are non-specific. The present study reports the a case of a patient with LAM, in which bloody sputum was presented as the initial symptom. The 43-year-old female had experienced a small amount of bloody sputum over the previous five years. The patient was admitted to the Department of Respiratory Medicine at Taizhou People's Hospital (Taizhou, China) in 2012, reporting symptoms of a cough, shortness of breath and bloody sputum over the previous 10 days. A high-resolution computed tomography scan revealed multiple small circular thin-walled translucent areas in both lung fields. The initial diagnosis of the patient was LAM. A biopsy was performed using a video-assisted thoracoscopy. In conclusion, increased awareness and early diagnosis and treatment were determined to be key factors in ensuring a satisfactory prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Objective criteria are currently not available for assessing the extent of ablation by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). A retrospective review was conducted in Chinese patients with late-stage pancreatic body carcinoma treated with 1 h/d intermittent HIFU at a single center. Clinical and procedure-related characteristics were examined in relation to tumor posterior depth. Clinically, tumor ablation was negatively correlated with posterior tumor depth, with a 1-cm increase in depth decreasing ablation by 30.7%. At a computed tomography (CT)-determined 7-cm posterior tumor depth (considered the critical value for the procedure), ablation sensitivity and specificity were 77.8% and 72.7%, respectively. Tumor ablation >30% in patients with a CT-determined posterior tumor depth ≤7 cm was 9.333 times better than that in patients with a CT-determined posterior tumor depth >7 cm. Adverse effects did not affect the efficacy of HIFU. Tumors with posterior depths <7 cm may effectively be treated with HIFU-induced ablation with minimal adverse events. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) is an uncommon type of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. The majority of PPLs are of low-grade, mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue type. Primary pulmonary diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is extremely rare, and prompt diagnosis may be challenging since its clinical symptoms and signs are nonspecific. Although the clinical features, diagnostic procedures, optimal management and prognostic factors of this disease have not yet been well defined, open thoracotomy and chest computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous biopsy are the preferred methods used in previous studies. In the present case report, the diagnosis and management of a patient with primary pulmonary DLBCL is reported. A 68-year-old patient was admitted to hospital in May 2013, with complaints of shortness of breath and intermittent wheezing and a cough associated with the production of small amounts of phlegm. Following admission, chest CT scans revealed a mass in the right middle lobe with ground-glass opacities at the lesion margins, as well as air bronchograms in the areas of consolidation. Bronchoscopy was performed and revealed an endobronchial lesion and partial stenosis in the distal end of the middle segment bronchus. Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) of the right hilar lymph node, as well as endobronchial biopsy, was performed. The patient was diagnosed with primary pulmonary DLBCL by subsequent histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of biopsy specimens collected via TBNA. Following the final diagnosis, standard treatment with CHOP chemotherapy resulted in significant clinical and radiological response and the patient remained in remission 8 months later. These results indicate that TBNA may be an effective method for the diagnosis of primary pulmonary DLBCL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The diagnostic yield of peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) using radial endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) remains challenging without navigation systems. Cone-beam computed tomography-derived augmented fluoroscopy (CBCT-AF) represents a recently developed technique, and its clinical utility remains to be investigated. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic yield of transbronchial biopsy (TBB) using a combination of CBCT-AF and radial EBUS. Methods: We recruited consecutive patients with PPLs who underwent radial EBUS-guided TBB, with or without AF, between October 2018 and July 2019. Following propensity score 1:1 matching, we recorded the procedure-related data and measured their efficacy and safety. Results: While 72 patients received EBUS-plus-AF, 235 patients received EBUS only. We included 53 paired patients following propensity score matching. The median size of lesions was 2.8 and 2.9 cm in the EBUS-plus-AF group and EBUS-only group, respectively. Diagnostic yield was higher in the former group (75.5 vs. 52.8%; p = 0.015). The diagnostic yield for the EBUS-plus-AF group was significantly higher for lesions ≤30 mm (73.5 vs. 36.1%; p = 0.002). Moreover, there was no significant difference in the complication rates (3.8 vs. 5.7%; p = 1.000). Twenty-four nodules (45.3%) were invisible by fluoroscopy in the EBUS-plus-AF group. All of them were identifiable on CBCT images and successfully annotated for AF. The mean radiation dose of total procedure, CBCT, and fluoroscopy was 19.59, 16.4, and 3.17 Gy cm2, respectively. Conclusions: TBB using a combination of CBCT-AF and EBUS resulted in a satisfactory diagnostic yield and safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Coronary artery calcification (CAC) may be quantified on low-dose computed tomography (CT) of the lung (LDCT). This study aims to evaluate the effects of filter convolution (FC) and displayed field of view (dFOV) in a Toshiba 320-row CT scanner in quantifying CAC, and to compare the CAC scores obtained by LDCT with standard cardiac CT. Methods Fifty subjects (52 to 85 years, mean 68.5, 36 males) with visible CAC underwent both standard cardiac CT and LDCT. CAC scores were obtained from standard cardiac CT using conventional FC12(22) (FC12 with 22-cm dFOV) and four different LDCT protocols: FC02(22), FC02(40), FC08(22), and FC08(40). CAC scores obtained by each LDCT protocol were compared with those obtained by standard cardiac CT. Results CAC scores obtained by all four LDCT protocols were well correlated with those by standard protocol (Pearson's coefficient = 0.978 to 0.987, p < 0.001; kappa = 0.731 to 0.836, p < 0.001). CAC scores obtained by FC08(22) showed the best agreement with standard cardiac CT (kappa = 0.836, p < 0.001). Under fixed dFOV, CAC scores in FC08 were significantly higher than in FC02 (p < 0.001). Under fixed FC, CAC scores were significantly higher in 22-cm dFOV than in 40-cm dFOV (p ≤ 0.006). Conclusions Both FC and dFOV have significant impact on CAC scoring. To obtain reliable data, consistent parameters should be employed when quantifying CAC using LDCT. In a Toshiba 320-row CT scanner, CAC scores obtained by FC08(22) agree well with standard cardiac CT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Evaluate the performance of Adaptive Iterative Dose Reduction 3D (AIDR 3D) and compare with filtered-back projection (FBP) regarding radiation dosage and image quality for an 80-kVp abdominal CT.Materials and Methods: An abdominal phantom underwent four CT acquisitions and reconstruction algorithms (FBP; AIDR 3D mild, standard and strong). Sixty-three patients underwent unenhanced liver CT with FBP and standard level AIDR 3D. Further post-acquisition reconstruction with strong level AIDR 3D was made. Patients were divided into two groups (< and ≧29cm) based on the abdominal effective diameter (Deff) at T12 level. Quantitative (attenuation, noise, and signal-to-noise ratio) and qualitative (image quality, noise, sharpness, and artifact) analysis by two readers were assessed and the interobserver agreement was calculated.Results: Strong level AIDR 3D reduced radiation dose by 72% in the phantom and 47.1% in the patient study compared with FBP. There was no difference in mean attenuations. Image noise was the lowest and signal-to-noise ratio the highest using strong level AIDR 3D in both patient groups. For Deff<29cm, image sharpness of FBP was significantly different from those of AIDR 3D (P<0.05). For Deff ≧29cm, image quality of AIDR 3D was significantly more favorable than FBP (P<0.05). Interobserver agreement was substantial.Conclusions: Integrated AIDR 3D allows for an automatic reduction in radiation dose and maintenance of image quality compared with FBP. Using AIDR 3D reconstruction, patients with larger abdomen circumference could be imaged at 80kVp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The identification of the dorsal sector of the liver and its detailed vascular anatomy is of primary importance for surgical practice and segmental transcatheter arterial chemoembolization. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the feeding arteries of tumors in dorsal sector of the liver. Patients and Methods: Computed tomography (CT) and digital subtraction angiography (DSA) images of eleven patients with tumors of the dorsal sector of the liver were analyzed retrospectively. The hepatic arteries that probably supplied the tumors were observed in DSA images. The case number of each hepatic artery feeding to the tumors was calculated. A scoring method was used to estimate each hepatic artery contribution to the tumor stain in DSA images. The accumulative scores were employed to evaluate the blood supply of feeding arteries of the tumors. Results: The data of the study revealed that right posterior hepatic artery (RPHA) (n = 9), middle hepatic artery (MHA) (n = 8), left medial hepatic artery (LMHA) (n = 6), right anterior hepatic artery (RAHA) (n = 5), and caudate hepatic artery (CaHA) (n = 3) were the feeding arteries of the tumors in dorsal sector in eleven patients. The accumulative scores of RPHA, MHA, RAHA, and LMHA were 23,17,11, and 7 points, respectively (χ2 = 6.827, P = 0.078, Friedman test). The total scores of right hepatic artery (RHA) branches and left hepatic artery (LHA) branches were 51 and 11 points, respectively (Z =-2.764, P= 0.006, Wilcoxon rank test). Conclusion: The RPHA, MHA, RAHA, and LMHA might be the main feeding arteries of the tumors in dorsal sector of the liver. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of volume scan tube current modulation (VS-ATCM) with adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR3D) technique in abdomen CT examinations. We scanned an elliptical cone-shaped phantom utilizing AIDR3D technique combined with VS-ATCM mode in a 320-detector row CT scanner. The image noise distributions with conventional filtered back-projction (FBP) technique and those with AIDR3D technique were compared. The radiation dose profile and tube current time product (mAs) in three noise levels of VS-ATCM modes were compared. The radiation beam profiles of five preset scan lengths were measured using Gafchromic film strips to assess the effects of overbeaming and everlapping. The results indicated that the image noises with AIDR3D technique was 13-74% lower than those in FBP technique. The mAs distributions can be a prediction for various abdominal sizes when undergoing a VS-ATCM mode scan. Patients can receive the radiation dose of overbeaming and overlapping during the VS-ATCM mode scans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) serves as the first-line imaging modality for breast cancer follow-up. To investigate the imaging characteristics and diagnostic accuracy of WBCT for incidental ovarian tumors in patients with prior breast cancer, we retrospectively reviewed a consecutive cohort of 13,845 patients with breast cancer, of whom 149 had pathologically-proven ovarian lesions. We excluded patients with ovarian diagnosis before breast cancer, CT scan not including ovary, CT-pathology interval >30 days, and severe CT artifact. Among our 60 breast cancer patients (median age, 46 years) with pathologically proven ovarian lesions, 49 patients had benign diseases, seven had primary ovarian cancer and four had ovarian metastasis from breast cancer. The histologic types of breast cancer with ovarian metastases included invasive ductal carcinoma, lobular carcinoma and angiosarcoma. Cystic ovarian lesions identified on WBCT during the breast cancer follow-up are more likely to be benign, while solid-cystic lesions are likely to be primary ovarian cancers, and solid lesions may indicate ovarian metastasis. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of WBCT were 98.3%, 100.0%, 98.0%, and 0.99 (malignant vs. benign); 90.0%, 100.0%, 85.7%, and 0.93 (metastasis vs. primary ovarian cancer), respectively. The only false positive solid lesion was a Sertoli–Leydig tumor. In conclusion, WBCT may help diagnose incidental ovarian tumors in patients with prior breast cancers and guide disease management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate CT aortography at reduced tube voltage and contrast medium dose while maintaining image quality through iterative reconstruction (IR). Methods: The Institutional Review Board approved a prospective study of 48 patients who underwent follow-up CT aortography. We performed intra-individual comparisons of arterial phase images using 120 kVp (standard tube voltage) and 80 kVp (low tube voltage). Low-tube-voltage imaging was performed on a 320-detector CT with IR following injection of 40 ml of contrast medium. We assessed aortic attenuation, aortic attenuation gradient, image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), volume CT dose index (CTDI), and figure of merit (FOM) of image noise and CNR. Two readers assessed images for diagnostic quality, image noise, and artefacts. Results: The low-tube-voltage protocol showed 23-31 % higher mean aortic attenuation and image noise (both P < 0.01) than the standard-tube-voltage protocol, but no significant difference in the CNR and aortic attenuation gradients. The low-tube-voltage protocol showed a 48 % reduction in CTDI and an 80 % increase in FOM of CNR. Subjective diagnostic quality was similar for both protocols, but low-tube-voltage images showed greater image noise ( P = 0.01). Conclusions: Application of IR to an 80-kVp CT aortography protocol allows radiation dose and contrast medium reduction without affecting image quality. Key Points: • CT aortography at 80 kVp allows a significant reduction in radiation dose. • Addition of iterative reconstruction reduces image noise and improves image quality. • The injected contrast medium dose can be substantially reduced at 80 kVp. • Aortic enhancement is uniform despite a reduced volume of contrast medium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The positional distribution and size of the weight-bearing area of the femoral head in the standing position as well as the direct active surface of joint force can directly affect the result of finite element (FE) stress analysis. However, the division of this area was vague, imprecise, and un-individualized in most studies related to separate FE models of the femur. The purpose of this study was to quantify the positional distribution and size of the weight-bearing area of the femoral head in standing position by a set of simple methods, to realize individualized reconstruction of the proximal femur FE model. Methods: Five adult volunteers were recruited for an X-ray and CT examination in the same simulated bipedal standing position with a specialized patented device. We extracted these image data, calculated the 2D weight-bearing area on the X-ray image, reconstructed the 3D model of the proximal femur based on CT data, and registered them to realize the 2D weight-bearing area to 3D transformation as the quantified weight-bearing surface. One of the 3D models of the proximal femur was randomly selected for finite element analysis (FEA), and we defined three different loading surfaces and compared their FEA results. Results: A total of 10 weight-bearing surfaces in 5 volunteers were constructed, and they were mainly distributed on the dome and anterolateral of the femoral head with a crescent shape, in the range of 1218.63–1,871.06 mm2. The results of FEA showed that stress magnitude and distribution in proximal femur FE models among three different loading conditions had significant differences, and the loading case with the quantized weight-bearing area was more in accordance with the physical phenomenon of the hip. Conclusion: This study confirmed an effective FE modeling method of the proximal femur, which can quantify the weight-bearing area to define a more reasonable load surface setting without increasing the actual modeling difficulty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effective doses received by donors and recipients, identify effective dose contributions, and make risk assessments.Materials and Methods: It was a retrospective study. 100 Donors and 100 recipients were enrolled with an operative day from March 2016 to August 2017. The dose was analyzed for all radiation-related examinations over a period of 2 years, 1 year before and 1 year after the LDLT procedure. The effective doses of plain X-rays, CT, fluoroscopy, and nuclear medicine per patient were simulated by a Monte Carlo software, evaluated by the dose-length product conversion factors, evaluated by the dose-area product conversion factors, and evaluated by the activity conversion factors, respectively. The risks of radiation-induced cancer were assessed on the basis of the ICRP risk model.Results: The median effective doses were 71 (range: 30-186) mSv for donors and 147 (32-423) mSv for recipients. The radiation examinations were mainly performed in the last three months of preoperative period to first month of postoperative period for recipients and donors. The HCC recipients received a higher effective dose, 195 (64-423) mSv, than those with other indications. The median radiation-induced cancer risk was 0.38 % in male and 0.48 % in female donors and was 0.50 % in male and 0.58 % in female recipients.Conclusion: Donors and recipients received a large effective dose, mainly from the CT scans. To reduce effective doses should be included in future challenges in some living donor liver transplants centers that often use CT examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]