Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and Surgery

BACKGROUND: To date, limited research has been conducted on the functionality of the glymphatic system during the recovery phase of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI). This study aimed to use a diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) to evaluate glymphatic system function in patients recovering from sTBI who underwent unilateral decompressive craniectomy, and to examine the correlation between the ALPS index and the size of the cranial defect. We hypothesized that assessments would reveal ongoing impairments in glymphatic system function among sTBI patients during the recovery phase...

BACKGROUND: In many clinical situations, it is critical to exclude or identify abnormally lymph nodes (LNs). The nature of superficial abnormally LNs is closely related to the stage, treatment, and prognosis of the disease. Ultrasound (US) is an important method for examining superficial LNs due to its cheap and safe characteristics. However, it is still difficult to determine the nature of some LNs with overlapping benign and malignant features in images. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can be used to evaluate the microperfusion status of tissues in real time, and it can improve diagnostic accuracy to a certain extent...

BACKGROUND: Focal signal loss of intracranial artery stenosis is commonly observed on three-dimensional time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (3D-TOF-MRA). We aimed to investigate the underlying pathophysiology of vessel signal loss observed on 3D-TOF-MRA and its relevance to recent ischemic stroke. METHODS: High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) was performed in 401 patients with unilateral or bilateral moderate-to-severe stenosis (50-99%) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) on TOF-MRA...

BACKGROUND: The link between glymphatic system function in the brain and alterations in white-matter microstructure among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) remains unclear. This study aimed to examine the assessment of glymphatic system function in patients with MDD using the diffusion tensor imaging along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS) index and to evaluate its association with cerebral-white-matter abnormalities and neuropsychological scores. METHODS: From February 2023 to November 2023, this cross-sectional study recruited 35 patients with MDD from the Psychosomatic Diseases Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University...

BACKGROUND: Targeted therapy with neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer has increased the rates of pathological complete response (pCR) and breast preservation surgery and improved the overall disease-free survival rate. This study aimed to determine whether tumor enhancement and shrinkage patterns in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) can predict the efficacy of targeted therapy in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer and differentiate pCR from non-pCR...

BACKGROUND: Congenital duodenal obstruction (CDO) is commonly detected antenatally through the presence of the "double bubble" sign on prenatal ultrasound, denoting dilatation of the stomach and duodenum. Subsequent postnatal ultrasonography plays a pivotal role in determining the causes of obstruction, thereby informing surgical strategies and neonatal management. The aim of this study was to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of postnatal ultrasonography in comparison to that of prenatal ultrasound and surgical findings in a cohort of 43 patients with fetal double bubble sign...

BACKGROUND: Dermal blood vessels beneath the epidermis play critical roles in epidermal homeostasis and are functionally divided into several types, such as capillaries. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a powerful tool for the non-invasive assessment of dermal vasculature. However, the classification of vessel types has been limited. To address this issue, we proposed an algorithm for diameter-dependent classification that preserves three-dimensional (3D) information using OCTA...

BACKGROUND: Prenatal ultrasound plays a crucial role in the diagnosis and classification of right aortic arch (AO) with mirror-image branching (RAA-MB). The recent research in this area has primarily focused on qualitative diagnosis, neglecting the quantitative analysis of ultrasound factors that impact RAA-MB outcomes. This study used echocardiography to measure prenatal ultrasound parameters for vascular ring and trachea in fetuses with RAA-MB, employing a nomogram model to evaluate factors influencing their prognosis, thereby providing a comprehensive characterization of potential outcomes...

BACKGROUND: The glymphatic system is essential for the maintenance of brain homeostasis. It may be impaired in patients with epilepsy, but its association with neurocognitive function remains unknown. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the association between changes in the glymphatic system and neurocognitive function in individuals diagnosed with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). METHODS: This retrospective case-control research engaged a group of patients with FLE and age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy volunteers...

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) has complex effects on bone health, and dual-energy spectral computed tomography (CT) has become increasingly valuable for bone quantification. However, the relationship between bone base material pairs (BMPs) and abdominal fat volume in patients with MetS remains underexplored. This study thus aimed to analyze the relationship between abdominal fat volume and various bone BMPs using dual-energy spectral CT in young and middle-aged patients with MetS...

BACKGROUND: Image-guided percutaneous lung biopsy (PLB) may lead to major complications requiring hospitalization. This study aims to evaluate the rate of major PLB complications and determine a predictive computed tomography (CT) score to define patients requiring hospitalization due to these complications. METHODS: This single-center retrospective study included all PLBs performed from July 2019 to December 2020 in Nimes University Hospital, France. Patients who were undergoing thermo-ablation during the same procedure or for whom PLB procedure data were not available were excluded...

BACKGROUND: With the advances in medical technology and materials, thoracic endovascular aortic repair has become the mainstay of treatment for aortic dissection. In situ fenestration (ISF) and single-branch stent graft (SBSG) implantation are commonly used methods, with each having its own advantages and disadvantages. The study aimed to compare the perioperative outcomes and one-year follow-up results of patients who underwent ISF or SBSG in the treatment of acute Stanford type B aortic dissection involving the left subclavian artery (LSA)...

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound is essential for detecting breast lesions. The American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification system is widely used, but its subjectivity can lead to inconsistency in diagnostic outcomes. Artificial intelligence (AI) models, such as ChatGPT-3.5, may potentially enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency in medical settings. This study aimed to assess the utility of the ChatGPT-3.5 model in generating BI-RADS classifications for breast ultrasound reports and its ability to replicate the "chain of thought" (CoT) in clinical decision-making to improve model interpretability...

BACKGROUND: Follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) and follicular thyroid adenoma (FTA) present diagnostic challenges due to overlapping clinical and ultrasound features. Improving the diagnosis of FTC can enhance patient prognosis and effectiveness in clinical management. This study seeks to develop a predictive model for FTC based on ultrasound features using machine learning (ML) algorithms and assess its diagnostic effectiveness. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with FTA or FTC based on surgical pathology between January 2009 and February 2023 at Zhejiang Provincial Cancer Hospital and Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital were retrospectively included...

BACKGROUND: Anthropomorphic phantoms play an important role in routine clinical practice. They can be used to calibrate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners, control the diagnostic equipment quality, and reduce the acquisition time. The latter is especially critical for diagnosing fetal anomalies, which requires optimal image quality within the shortest possible time. This paper aims to develop an MRI fetal phantom and determine the materials that best mimic the magnetic resonance (MR) characteristics of its internal organs...

BACKGROUND: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and megavoltage computed tomography (MVCT)-based images demonstrate measurable radiomics features that are potentially prognostic. This study aims to systematically synthesize the current research applying radiomics in head and neck cancers for outcome prediction and to assess the radiomics quality score (RQS) of the studies. METHODS: A systematic search was performed to identify available studies on PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus databases...

BACKGROUND: The hemodynamic pathogenesis of venous pulsatile tinnitus (VPT) is still unclear. This study aimed to explore the mechanism of bone morphology and hemodynamic changes in transverse sigmoid sinus (TSS) on VPT patients. METHODS: 49 patients with unilateral VPT, 26 patients with subjective tinnitus and 36 healthy controls were included in this retrospective clinical trial. Four-dimensional (4D) flow magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to evaluate the hemodynamics of the TSS...

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BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is commonly assessed by computed tomography (CT), but the associated radiation exposure is a major concern. This study aimed to quantitatively and qualitatively compare the image quality of virtual non-contrast (VNC) images reconstructed from arterial and portal venous phases with that of true non-contrast (TNC) images in patients with CRC to assess the potential of TNC images to replace VNC images, thereby reducing the radiation dose. METHODS: A total of 69 patients with postoperative pathologically confirmed CRC at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University between May 2022 and April 2023 were enrolled in this cross-sectional study...

BACKGROUND: Radiomics extracts specific quantitative data from medical images and explores the characteristics of tumors by analyzing these representations and making predictions. The purpose of this paper is to review computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics articles related to prognostic outcomes in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), assess their scientificity and quality by the latest radiomics quality score (RQS) 2.0 scoring criteria, and provide references for subsequent related studies...