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Objective To investigate the relationship between solid pulmonary nodules with maximum diameter≤2 cm and the bronchi in order to provide more valuable clues to differentiate benign and malignant solid pulmonary nodules. Methods The clinical and CT data of 776 patients with solid pulmonary nodule at a maximum diameter of not larger than 2 cm confirmed by pathology in our hospital from January 2014 to January 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. According to pathological types, the patients were divided into malignant nodule group(n=340) and benign nodule group(n=436), and those with benign nodules were further assigned into inflammatory nodule subgroup(n=299) and benign tumor subgroup(n=137). Bronchogram sign on CT images were classified into 4 types according to the relationship between pulmonary nodules and bronchi. The incidence and types of different bronchogram sign on CT images were compared between malignant nodule group and benign nodule group, and between inflammatory nodule subgroup and benign tumor subgroup. The diagnostic performance of bronchogram sign on CT images to differentiate benign and malignant solid pulmonary nodules was evaluated. Results ① The incidence of bronchogram sign on CT images was higher in the malignant nodule group than the benign nodule group(65.9% vs 31.4%, P < 0.001). Types Ⅰ and Ⅱ signs were more common in the benign nodule group, while Types Ⅲ and Ⅳ signs were more common in the malignant nodule group(all P < 0.01). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of bronchogram sign on CT images was 82.1%, 56.2%, and 72.3%, respectively in differentiation of benign and malignant solid pulmonary nodules. ②The incidence of bronchogram sign on CT images was statistically higher in the inflammatory nodule subgroup than the benign tumor subgroup(39.1% vs 14.6%, P < 0.001). Type Ⅳ was more common in inflammatory nodule subgroup(P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the other 3 types between the 2 subgroups (all P > 0.05). Conclusion Bronchogram sign on CT images is valuable in differentiation of benign and malignant solid pulmonary nodules measuring ≤2 cm in diameter. Irregular air bronchogram sign or truncation of bronchus in the margin of nodule is highly suggestive of malignancy.

Objective To quantitatively measure the morphological parameters of femoral condyle based on MRI images so as to determine the effect of anterior-posterior femoral condyle geometry on patellar instability (PI) in patients with high-grade femoral trochlear dysplasia. Methods A total of 82 series of knee joint MRI images from 74 patients with high-grade femoral trochlear dysplasia who underwent MRI scanning in our hospital from January 2014 to January 2021 were retrospectively selected. According to the results of clinical diagnosis and radiological imaging, they were further divided into patellar dislocation group (n=45) and non-patellar dislocation group (n=37). Subsequently, the morphological parameters related to the femoral condyle of knee joint were measured quantitatively in the MRI images, including posterior condylar angle (PCA), width of medial-lateral epicondyle (MLW), medial posterior condyle width (MPCW), lateral posterior condyle width (LPCW), medial anterior condyle length (MACL), lateral anterior condyle length (LACL), medial posterior condyle length (MPCL), and lateral posterior condyle length (LPCL). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess the intra- and inter-observer reliability of the quantitative MRI measurements. Results The MPCW and LACL values were significantly lower in the patellar dislocation group than the non-patellar dislocation group (P < 0.05), whereas there were no statistical differences in PCA, MLW, LPCW, MACL, MPCL and LPCL values between the 2 groups. The measurement results of all parameters had good consistency within and among the observers (ICC≥0.80). Conclusion The patients of patellar dislocation have shorter lateral anterior femoral condyle and narrower medial posterior femoral condyle, which may be risk factors for dislocation in those with high-grade trochlear dysplasia.

Objective To quantitatively measure and analyze the morphological features of posterior femoral condyle of anterolateral ligament (ALL) injury based on CT images. Methods A total of 41 knees with acute ALL injuries admitted in our hospital from January 2014 to April 2019 were retrospectively selected as the injury group, and the other 41 matched knee joints served as the control group. Their complete imaging data of the knee joints were collected, and the CT images were used to quantitatively measure the morphological parameters of knee joints in the 2 groups, including medial-lateral width of epicondyle (MLW), medial posterior condyle width (MPCW), and lateral posterior condyle width (LPCW), lateral condyle length (LCL), medial condyle length (MCL), lateral posterior condyle length (LPCL), medial posterior condyle length (MPCL), medial posterior condyle height (MPCH), and lateral posterior condyle height (LPCH). In addition, the ratios of posterior condyle widths (LPCW/MLW, MPCW/MLW) and those of lengths (LPCL/LCL, MPCL/MCL) was calculated to minimize individual differences. Statistical analysis was carried out for the differences of parameters between the 2 groups. Results The differences in width and length of posterior condyle between the 2 groups were statistically significant (P < 0.05). ① Width: MLW was greater (P=0.042), and the ratios of LPCW/MLW and MPCW/MLW were significantly lower in the ALL injury group than the control group (P < 0.05); ② Length: MCL, MPCL and LCL were larger (P < 0.05) and the ratio of LPCL/LCL was lower in ALL injury group than the control group (P < 0.01); ③ Height: There was no statistical difference in the height of medial and lateral posterior condyles between the 2 groups (P>0.05). Conclusion The medial posterior femoral condyle is narrower, and the lateral posterior femoral condyle is narrower and shorter. And shorter lateral posterior condyle increases the risk of ALL injury by changing the internal movement of knee joints.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of modified DIXON magnetic resonance angiography (mDIXON-MRA) in the possibility of axillary lymph node dissection for patients with breast cancer. Methods A retrospective case-control trial was conducted on 77 patients with breast cancer who underwent MRI examination in the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Chongqing University from December 2018 to January 2020. All the patients preoperatively received mDIXON-MRA, T1 weighted imaging (T1WI), T2 weighted imaging (T2WI), fat-suppressed T2-weighted imaging (T2WI-FS), and contrast-enhanced T1 weighted imaging (T1WI-CE) on the axillary region. After image post-processing and reconstruction, the obtained images were analyzed and scored by 2 radiologists respectively according to the film reviewing criteria. The resectability of lymph nodes was evaluated by judging the relationship between lymph nodes and peripheral blood vessels, and the difference of scoring the images from different sequences was compared and analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted based on the intraoperative judgment of the surgeon, and then the effectiveness of different sequences was analyzed in diagnosis of the resectability of enlarged lymph nodes in breast cancer patients. Results Mean score of the images from mDIXON-MRA, T1WI, T2WI, T2WI-FS and T1WI-CE were 2.01±0.97, 2.22±1.05, 2.22±1.07, 2.42±1.06, and 2.53±1.02, respectively. And significant differences were observed in the diagnostic effectiveness of axillary lymph nodes resectability based on the 5 sequences (P < 0.05). The area under the curve (AUC) of mDIXON-MRA sequence took the highest (0.854) among the 5 sequences, which was equivalent to the area after the combination of multiple sequences, showing the best evaluation efficiency. Conclusion mDIXON-MRA presents the highest clinical diagnostic value among various MRI sequences in the evaluation of the resectability of axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer patients, with its diagnostic efficiency similar to that of combined application of multiple sequences.