Dynamic analysis of lumbar spine cerebrospinal fluid flow during deep respiration using a modified time-spatial labeling inversion pulse: technical feasibility in a healthy volunteer.

Objective: The objective of this study is to investigate the lumbar cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) movement using the modified Time-Spatial Inversion Pulse (Time-SLIP) method.

Materials And Methods: This single-case experimental study was approved by the institutional ethics committee. The participant was a healthy 42-year-old male volunteer who provided written informed consent.

A non-invasive, reference region-based method for quantification of cerebral blood flow and oxygen metabolism using oxygen-15 labeled gases and positron emission tomography.

Objectives: Measurement of cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO) by positron emission tomography (PET) with oxygen-15 labeled gases is widely used for investigation into the pathophysiology of occlusive cerebrovascular disease. However, all methods for quantification of CBF, CBV, OEF, and CMRO by PET with oxygen-15 labeled gases require invasive arterial blood sampling. The present study developed a reference region-based method for quantification of CBF, CBV, OEF, and CMRO using PET and oxygen-15 labeled gases based on the steady-state method without invasive arterial blood sampling.

Detection of amyloid deposition in the hip and shoulder joints on CT scans as indicative of ATTR-type cardiac amyloidosis.

BackgroundAmyloid deposition manifests as thickening and calcification of the joints on computed tomography (CT) images.PurposeTo investigate the diagnostic potential of thickening and calcification of the shoulder and hip joints for the detection of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM).Material and MethodsWe included 19 patients who had been assessed using Tc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy between January 2019 and December 2022 and diagnosed with ATTR-CM.

Comparison and cutoff values of two amyloid PET scaling methods: centiloid scale and amyloid-β load.

Objective: To enhance amyloid-β (Aβ) positron emission tomography (PET) diagnostic accuracy and adjust for tracer differences, the amyloid-β load (Aβ) and centiloid (CL) scale were developed. However, the correlation and superiority of these indicators remain unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the correlation and determine cutoff values.

Left ventricular diastolic inflow and myocardial flow reserve in patients with coronary artery disease: simultaneous analysis of 4D-Flow and myocardial perfusion using hybrid PETMR.

Purpose: This study aimed to simultaneously evaluate the association between diastolic left ventricular (LV) inflow and myocardial flow reserve (MFR) using a hybrid PET/MR system in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods: Sixty-seven patients (mean 66 ± 15 years, male 55) with CAD who underwent rest-pharmacological stress N-ammonia PET/MR were included. MFR, perfusion defect, and peak filling rate (PFR) were obtained through rest-stress PET.

Analysis of clinical factors associated with incomplete standard protocol Lu-DOTATATE treatment in neuroendocrine tumor patients.

Purpose: To investigate the clinical features of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) who could not complete the standard protocol (4 cycles of 7.4 GBq per 8 weeks) Lu-DOTATATE treatment.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective single-center analysis was conducted on 26 patients who underwent Lu-DOTATATE treatment between December 2021 and August 2024.

Comparison of visual interpretation of [I-123] FP-CIT SPECT scans versus reference-based quantitative analysis utilizing a Japanese normal database.

Objective: Dopamine transporter single-photon emission computed tomography (DAT-SPECT) plays an important role in diagnosing parkinsonism. Recently, a reference-based quantitative analysis utilizing a Japanese normal database for DAT-SPECT was developed. This study aimed to investigate the frequency and trends of cases wherein the analysis- and physician-based diagnoses diverged.

Cauda equina movements during the Valsalva maneuver in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: introducing a novel method for redundant nerve evaluations.

Objective: To investigate whether inchworm-like cauda equina movements can be observed in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis using a novel Valsalva maneuver cine MRI (cMRI) protocol.

Materials And Methods: Fifteen lumbar spinal stenosis patients (11 males; mean age, 73.9 years) underwent lumbar static MRI (sMRI) and sagittal 60-s cMRI.

Aortomesenteric angle: A contrast-enhanced computed tomography analysis of respiratory phase and visceral fat impact.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between the aortomesenteric angle at end-inspiration and end-expiration and its variation rate with several anthropometric parameters.

Material And Methods: Sagittal reconstructed computed tomography (CT) images of 59 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT at end-inspiration and end-expiration between 2015 and 2020 were reviewed. All these patients underwent dynamic contrast CT during both inspiration and expiration for adrenal venous sampling purposes.

Three cases of gastrointestinal stromal tumors with metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) accumulation.

Meta-iodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) is an analog of norepinephrine and guanethidine, and MIBG scintigraphy is useful to diagnose tumors of the sympathetic nervous system, such as pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, and neuroblastoma.　To date, there have been few reports of MIBG accumulation in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), so the mechanism and frequency of MIBG accumulation in GISTs are unknown.　Herein, we report and discuss three cases of GIST in which scintigraphy that was performed to exclude pheochromocytoma showed MIBG accumulation.

Global and Regional Reduction of Myocardial Perfusion in Patients with Transthyretin Type of Cardiac Amyloidosis: A Dual SPECT Study Using Tc Pyrophosphate and Thallium.

: We aimed to clarify the clinical characteristics of global and regional myocardial perfusion in patients with transthyretin type of cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR) using dual single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with Tc pyrophosphate (PYP) and TL (TL). : Consecutive 178 (mean age 78±12, male 79) patients known or suspect of ATTR who underwent PYP-TL dual SPECT were retrospectively enrolled. Patients were categorized according to the visual grading for planar PYP uptake using Perugini grading, and the patients with grade greater than or equal to 2 were analyzed.

A Quantitative Diagnostic Method Using Tc-pyrophosphate Lateral Planar Images to Distinguish Between Transthyretin Amyloid Cardiomyopathy and False-Positive Images Due to Blood Pools.

: This study investigated the feasibility of using a quantitative diagnostic method based on Tc-pyrophosphate scintigraphy (PYP) lateral planar images to differentiate between PYP-positive (myocardial uptake) and false-positive (blood pool uptake) scans. : The study included 93 consecutive patients with suspected transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (ATTR-CM) who underwent PYP between April 2022 and December 2023. Patients were categorized using planar anterior PYP images according to the Perugini visual grading system; patients with grades ≥ 2 were analyzed.

Impact of uterine displacement on T-weighted image quality in the female pelvic MRI.

Despite the importance of T-weighted image in clinical practice, artifacts can significantly degrade image quality and affect diagnosis. This study quantitatively analyzed uterine displacement and surveyed the relationship between the image quality of fast-spin-echo-T-weighted image of the female pelvis and quantitative value of uterine displacement. Overall, 147 women (mean age, 46.

Reduced dopamine transporter availability in drug-naive adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the abnormalities in dopamine transporter (DAT) availability in drug-naive adult patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the relationship between ADHD symptoms and abnormalities in DAT availability.

Methods: Single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) was performed using iodine-123-β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyltropane) (I-123 β CIT) as a tracer to measure in vivo DAT availability in 20 drug-naive patients with ADHD [mean age ± standard deviation (SD)]: 25 ± 3.44 years; male:female = 11:9] and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HCs) (mean age ± SD: 23.

Impact of iodine contrast media on gamma camera-based GFR and factors affecting the difference between serum creatinine-based estimated GFR and Gate's GFR.

Objective: We aimed to elucidate the factors underlying the difference between estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated from serum creatinine and Gate's GFR (gGFR) measured using technetium-99m diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid ( 99m Tc-DTPA) scintigraphy.

Methods: This study was based on consecutive patients who underwent 99m Tc-DTPA scintigraphy at our hospital between January 2021 and December 2022 and whose blood serum creatinine data were obtained on the same day as the 99m Tc-DTPA scintigraphy. Relationships between the ratio of gGFR and eGFR (gGFR/eGFR) and age, sex, BMI, visceral fat, psoas muscle index (PMI), serum blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine level were investigated based on 75 patients.

Coil embolization of a celiac artery pseudoaneurysm under balloon-assisted flow control: A case report.

Coil migration can occur when coil embolization is used for treating pseudoaneurysms associated with large arteries. The double microcatheter technique is useful for preventing coil migration; the balloon catheter can reduce blood flow and active bleeding upon balloon inflation, and can also compress the bleeding point and arrest bleeding temporarily. We report a case describing the management of a pseudoaneurysm with coil embolization using double microcatheters and a balloon catheter to control blood flow and prevent coil migration.

Investigation of factors affecting CT attenuation and glucose metabolism of bone marrow as seen on PET/CT scans.

The aim of this study is to determine the factors affecting the CT attenuation of bone marrow, and its correlation with F-FDG uptake. The mean standardized uptake value (SUV) of vertebral bone marrow (Vertebral-SUV) and femoral bone marrow (Femoral-SUV) as well as CT number of bone marrow (BM-CT number) were measured in 243 patients who had undergone F-FDG PET/CT. The correlations among BM-CT number, Femoral-SUV, and Vertebral-SUV were investigated.

Prognostic significance of left atrial strain combined with left ventricular strain using cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

We aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LVGLS) and left atrial strain (LAS) obtained from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) feature tracking in patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF). We retrospectively enrolled consecutive patients with HFpEF admitted to our hospital who underwent cardiac MRI. LVGLS and LAS were obtained from cine MRI by feature tracking.

The Relationship Between Conventionally Obtained Serum-Based Liver Function Indices and Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Elastography in Patients With Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate the relationship between conventionally obtained serum-based biochemical indices and intravoxel incoherent motion imaging (IVIM) parameters compared with magnetic resonance elastography (MRE).

Methods: Patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent ≥2 liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, including IVIM and MRE, between 2017 and 2020 and biochemical testing within 1 week before or after MRI were included in this study. Biochemical tests were performed to determine the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score and modified ALBI (mALBI) grade, aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), and fibrosis-4 index (FIB-4).

Complete response of glottic cancer to intra-arterial infusion chemotherapy combined with radiotherapy: A report of 4 cases.

Surgical resection is recommended for advanced-stage, resectable glottic cancer. However, total laryngectomy results in the loss of vocal function and reduces patients' quality of life. At our institution, patients with cT3N0M0 stage III resectable glottic cancer who wish to preserve their larynx are treated with super-selective cisplatin infusion with concomitant radiotherapy (RADPLAT) to improve local control over systemic chemotherapy.

Oxygen extraction fraction is not uniform in human brain: a positron emission tomography study.

The regional differences in cerebral oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) in brain were investigated using positron emission tomography (PET) in detail with consideration of systemic errors in PET measurement estimated by simulation studies. The cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), OEF, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO) were measured on healthy men by PET with O-labeled gases. The OEF values in the pons and the parahippocampal gyrus were significantly smaller than in the other brain regions.

Prediction of Anemia From Cerebral Venous Sinus Attenuation on Deep-Learning Reconstructed Brain Computed Tomography Images.

Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate whether the prediction of anemia is possible using quantitative analyses of unenhanced cranial computed tomography (CT) with deep learning reconstruction (DLR) compared with conventional methods.

Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study included 116 participants (76 males; mean age, 66.7) who had hemoglobin (Hb) levels obtained within 24 hours of unenhanced cranial CT, which included 2 reconstruction methods: DLR and hybrid iterative reconstruction.