Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Practical Anatomy-Based Guide for Staging and Treatment Planning, From the Special Series on Critical Anatomy.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide and is rising in incidence. Treatment is complex and rapidly evolving but is also highly algorithmic. Radiologic imaging (primarily CT and MRI) guides treatment at each management step, and radiologists command a central role across the continuum of HCC care, from early detection during surveillance to diagnosis, staging, treatment, and response assessment.

Deep learning meets chest X-rays: a promising approach for predicting future compression fracture risk.

Background: Osteoporotic fractures are a significant global health concern, leading to disability and reduced quality of life. Existing diagnostic tools, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and the Fracture Risk Assessment Tool, have limitations, such as dependence on structured datasets and difficulty identifying all high-risk individuals.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop and validate an AI-enabled chest X-ray (AI-CXR) model for predicting osteoporotic fracture risk, offering a noninvasive, accessible alternative.

Case series of CT-fusion and real-time US-guidance in percutaneous RF thermocoagulation for trigeminal rhizotomy.

This case series evaluates the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of real-time computed tomography fusion with ultrasound guidance (CTF-USG) in percutaneous radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFT) for trigeminal rhizotomy. Traditional imaging modalities such as CT and fluoroscopy lack real-time visualization, increasing the risk of vascular injury and reducing procedural precision. The CTF-USG technique integrates CT imaging with real-time ultrasound via electromagnetic tracking, enabling accurate needle navigation and anatomical confirmation.

Altered electroencephalography-based source functional connectivity in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Objective: To explore the neurophysiological markers of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), we performed electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with GAD and assessed lagged phase synchronization (LPS), a measure of brain functional connectivity (FC).

Methods: Cortical EEG sources were modelled by exact low resolution brain electromagnetic tomography (eLORETA). Graph theory analyses were applied to undirected and weighted networks obtained by LPS to explore the FC differences between patients with GAD and controls.

The association between anhedonia and prefrontal cortex activation in patients with major depression: a functional near-infrared spectroscopy study.

This study investigated cerebral blood flow characteristics using functional nearinfrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) in agomelatine-treated depressed patients with anhedonia. The level of anhedonia was assessed by the Snaith Hamilton Rating Scale (SHAPS) and Montgomery Åsberg Depression Rating Scale 5-item (MADRS 5-item) score. All 84 patients were evaluated on the day of the study initiation and followed at week 1, 4 and 8 after the study initiation.

Frontal and Parietal Alpha Asymmetry as Biomarkers for Negative Symptoms in Schizophrenia.

Objective: Negative symptoms in schizophrenia indicate a poor prognosis. However, the mechanisms underlying the development of negative symptoms remain unclear. This study investigated the relationship between negative symptoms in schizophrenia and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA).

Prediction of Future Risk of Moderate to Severe Kidney Function Loss Using a Deep Learning Model-Enabled Chest Radiography.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) remains a major public health concern, requiring better predictive models for early intervention. This study evaluates a deep learning model (DLM) that utilizes raw chest X-ray (CXR) data to predict moderate to severe kidney function decline. We analyzed data from 79,219 patients with an estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) between 65 and 120, segmented into development (n = 37,983), tuning (n = 15,346), internal validation (n = 14,113), and external validation (n = 11,777) sets.

Novel ABCD1 and MTHFSD Variants in Taiwanese Bipolar Disorder: A Genetic Association Study.

In recent years, bipolar disorder (BD), a multifaceted mood disorder marked by severe episodic mood fluctuations, has been shown to have an impact on disability-adjusted life years (DALYs). The increasing prevalence of BD highlights the need for better diagnostic tools, particularly those involving genetic insights. Genetic association studies can play a crucial role in identifying variations linked to BD, shedding light on its genetic underpinnings and potential therapeutic targets.

Comparing Different Montages of Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Treating Treatment-Resistant Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized, Single-Blind Clinical Trial.

: Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation for treatment-resistant obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). We aim to compare the treatment outcomes of a newly developed dual-site cathodal tDCS method over the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) and two previously reported montages (cerebellum-OFC and pre-SMA) in patients with treatment-resistant OCD. : Eighteen OCD patients were randomly assigned to receive twice-daily 2 mA/20 min sessions for 10 consecutive weekdays, with the active cathode placed on the cerebellum-OFC, bilateral pre-SMA, or OFC-pre-SMA tDCS.

Improving the prediction of patient survival with the aid of residual convolutional neural network (ResNet) in colorectal cancer with unresectable liver metastases treated with bevacizumab-based chemotherapy.

Background: To verify overall survival predictions made with residual convolutional neural network-determined morphological response (ResNet-MR) in patients with unresectable synchronous liver-only metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) treated with bevacizumab-based chemotherapy (BBC).

Methods: A retrospective review of liver-only mCRC patients treated with BBC from December 2011 to Apr 2021 was performed. Patients who had metachronous liver metastases or received locoregional treatment before the initiation of BBC were excluded.

Altered electroencephalography-based source functional connectivity in drug-free patients with major depressive disorder.

Background: Compared to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), source localization of a scalp-recorded electroencephalogram (EEG) provides higher temporal resolution and frequency synchronization to better understand the potential neurophysiological origins of disrupted functional connectivity (FC) in major depressive disorder (MDD). The present study aimed to investigate EEG-sourced measures to examine the FC in drug-free patients with MDD.

Method: Resting-state 32-channel EEG were recorded in 84 drug-free patients with MDD and 143 healthy controls, and the cortical source signals were estimated.

Added value of 18Fluorine-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) PET/MRI for evaluation of failed back surgery syndrome: comparison with non-contrast MRI.

Objectives: Given increasing research suggesting the utility of positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) in identifying the pain generator of low back pain, our study aims to assess its effectiveness in evaluating the source of pain in patients with failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) by comparing the performance of fluorine-18-labeled fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/MRI with conventional MRI.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from patients with FBSS who underwent F-FDG PET and MRI of the lumbar vertebrae and lower extremities for undetermined sources of pain. We assessed 1) The diagnostic reliability and efficacy of MRI and F-FDG PET/MRI according to correct differential diagnosis, affected level, and affected side of the pain source compared to the findings of selective root or peripheral nerve block or revision lumbar spine surgery; and 2) The association between standardized uptake value (SUV) and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR) threshold and accuracy of the suspected pathology on F-FDG PET/MRI.

Identification of Schizophrenia Susceptibility Loci in the Urban Taiwanese Population.

: Genomic studies have identified several SNP loci associated with schizophrenia in East Asian populations. Environmental factors, particularly urbanization, play a significant role in schizophrenia development. This study aimed to identify schizophrenia susceptibility loci and characterize their biological functions and molecular pathways in Taiwanese urban Han individuals.

Heterogenous liver parenchymal enhancement in CT is a favorable prognosis of HCC after hepatic resection.

This study aimed to define the role of heterogeneity of liver parenchymal enhancement on computed tomography (CT) in the survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatic resection. The medical records of patients with HCCs and who had undergone hepatic resection were retrospectively reviewed. The standard deviation (SD) of three different enhanced CT scan images was used to estimate the heterogeneity of liver parenchymal enhancement: SD of > 5.

White matter alterations and their associations with biomarkers and behavior in subjective cognitive decline individuals: a fixel-based analysis.

Background: Subjective cognitive decline (SCD) is an early stage of dementia linked to Alzheimer's disease pathology. White matter changes were found in SCD using diffusion tensor imaging, but there are known limitations in voxel-wise tensor-based methods. Fixel-based analysis (FBA) can help understand changes in white matter fibers and how they relate to neurodegenerative proteins and multidomain behavior data in individuals with SCD.

Neurovascular coupling in eye-open-eye-close task and resting state: Spectral correspondence between concurrent EEG and fMRI.

Neurovascular coupling serves as an essential neurophysiological mechanism in functional neuroimaging, which is generally presumed to be robust and invariant across different physiological states, encompassing both task engagement and resting state. Nevertheless, emerging evidence suggests that neurovascular coupling may exhibit state dependency, even in normal human participants. To investigate this premise, we analyzed the cross-frequency spectral correspondence between concurrently recorded electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, utilizing them as proxies for neurovascular coupling during the two conditions: an eye-open-eye-close (EOEC) task and a resting state.

Cholecystoenteric fistula in a patient with advanced gallbladder cancer: A case report and review of literature.

Background: Cholecystoenteric fistula (CEF) involves the formation of a spontaneous anomalous tract between the gallbladder and the adjacent gastrointestinal tract. Chronic gallbladder inflammation can lead to tissue necrosis, perforation, and fistulogenesis. The most prevalent cause of CEF is chronic cholelithiasis, which rarely results from malignancy.

Safety evaluation of combination treatment of drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization and immune checkpoint inhibitors for hepatocellular carcinoma: An increased risk of liver abscess with treatment interval less than one month.

Purpose: To analyze the safety of combination treatment comprising drug-eluting bead transarterial chemoembolization (DEB-TACE) and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Method: In total, 208 HCC patients receiving DEB-TACE were enrolled for this retrospective single-institution study. Among them, 50 patients who received ICIs at an interval less than one month from DEB-TACE were categorized into the DEB-ICI group; the remaining 158 patients were categorized into the DEB group.

Efficacy and reliability of three-dimensional fusion guidance for fluoroscopic navigation in transarterial embolization for refractory musculoskeletal pain.

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and reliability of three-dimensional (3D) fusion guidance in roadmapping for fluoroscopic navigation during trans-arterial embolization for refractory musculoskeletal pain (TAE-MSK pain) in the extremities.

Methods: The included research patients were divided into two groups: group A-TAE-MSK pain performed without the use of 3D fusion guidance; group B-TAE-MSK pain performed with the use of 3D fusion guidance for fluoroscopic navigation. We compared the procedure time, radiation dose, visual analogue scale for pain scores, and adverse effects (before and 3 months after TAE-MSK pain) among the two groups.

Value of CT in targeted CT-guided epidural blood patching: Predictors for successful epidural punctures.

Background And Purpose: Differentiating epidural from intrathecal punctures before computed tomography (CT)-guided epidural blood patching (EBP) is subjective, relying on operator experience. This study aimed to investigate CT findings for epidural and intrathecal punctures and identify reliable predictors for successful epidural punctures before targeted CT-guided EBP.

Materials And Methods: We included 65 patients with low-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-pressure headache receiving targeted CT-guided EBP between January 2021 and October 2022 in this retrospective study.

The Value of F-FDG PET/MRI in Detecting Lumbar Radiculopathy for Selective Percutaneous Endoscopic Discectomy: a Case Report.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most popular imaging modality for investigating intervertebral disc herniation. However, it has a high chance for identifying incidental findings that are morphologically or structurally abnormal but not responsible for patients' symptoms. Although a previous study suggested that F-fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) may help identify neuroinflammation in lumbar radiculopathy, there is currently no direct evidence obtained from surgery.

Beneficial Effect of Combining Radiotherapy and Transarterial Chemoembolization on Patient Survival in Hepatocellular Carcinomas and Macrovascular Invasion Treated with Sorafenib.

Background: Approximately 10-40% of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients have definite vascular invasion at the time of diagnosis. Without curative treatment options, these patients have an abysmal prognosis with a median survival of only a few months following systemic therapy. However, supportive evidence of combining multiple locoregional treatments with systemic therapy is limited.

Drug-eluting beads loaded with irinotecan to treat synchronous liver-only metastases of colorectal cancer non-responsive to bevacizumab-based chemotherapy.

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of drug-eluting beads loaded with irinotecan (DEBIRI) in colorectal cancer (CRC) patients with synchronous liver-only metastases non-responsive to bevacizumab-based chemotherapy (BBC).

Methods: Fifty-eight patients were enrolled in this study. Treatment response to BBC and DEBIRI were determined by the morphological criteria and Choi's criteria, respectively.