Breast-specific gamma imaging: correlations with mammographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the correlations between breast-specific gamma imaging (BSGI) findings and mammographic and clinicopathologic characteristics of breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study included 56 breast cancers that had undergone BSGI between August 2010 and December 2012. We reviewed imaging findings (BSGI and mammography) with histopathologic findings, including tumor size, histologic type, nuclear grade, presence of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and presence of extensive intraductal component (EIC); and immunochemical features, including estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (ERBB2, formerly HER2), Ki67, and p53. We classified cancers into positive or negative groups on the basis of BSGI visibility and investigated the statistical differences in mammographic and histopathologic characteristics between the BSGI-positive and -negative groups. RESULTS: Among 56 malignancies, 48 (85.7%) were shown to be BSGI positive. Patients in the BSGI-positive group were statistically significantly older than those in the BSGI-negative group (p = 0.027). BSGI-positive cancers were statistically significantly larger than BSGI-negative cancers (p = 0.002). Cancers 1.0 cm or larger, unlike those of subcentimeter size, were statistically significantly more visible on BSGI (p = 0.004). The mammographic findings and mammographic densities did not statistically significantly differ between the BSGI-positive and -negative groups. Invasiveness of cancer showed no statistically significant difference on BSGI finding. Cancers with a DCIS component tended to be BSGI positive, but without statistical significance (p = 0.051). Visibility on BSGI was not statistically significantly associated with EIC, nuclear grade, ER, PR, ERBB2, Ki67, and p53. CONCLUSION: The sensitivity of BSGI for breast cancer was 85.7%. Breast cancers in older patients, cancers larger than 1.0 cm, and cancers with the DCIS component tended to be visible on BSGI. BSGI was an equally sensitive tool to detect the breast cancer in women with fatty and dense breast.

Diagnostic value of peritumoral minimum apparent diffusion coefficient for differentiation of glioblastoma multiforme from solitary metastatic lesions.

OBJECTIVE: In glioblastoma multiforme, the peritumoral region may be infiltrated with malignant cells in addition to vasogenic edema, whereas in a metastatic deposit, the peritumoral areas comprise predominantly vasogenic edema. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the minimum apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) can be used to differentiate glioblastoma from solitary metastasis on the basis of cellularity levels in the enhancing tumor and in the peritumoral region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-three patients underwent conventional MRI and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) before undergoing treatment. The minimum ADC was measured in the enhancing tumor, peritumoral region, and contralateral normal white matter. To determine whether there was a statistical difference between metastasis and glioblastoma, we analyzed patient age and sex, minimum ADC value, and ADC ratio of the two groups. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the cutoff value of the minimum ADC that had the best combination of sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing between glioblastoma and metastasis. RESULTS: The mean minimum ADC values and mean ADC ratios in the peritumoral regions of glioblastomas were significantly higher than those in metastases. However, the mean minimum ADC values and mean ADC ratios in enhancing tumors showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. According to ROC curve analysis, a cutoff value of 1.302 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s for the minimum peritumoral ADC value generated the best combination of sensitivity (82.9%) and specificity (78.9%) for distinguishing between glioblastoma and metastasis. CONCLUSION: Although the characteristics of solitary metastasis and glioblastoma multiforme may be similar on conventional MRI, DWI can offer diagnostic information to distinguish between the tumors.

Facile approach to optically active alpha-alkylidene-beta-amino esters by thermal Overman rearrangement.

A convenient synthetic method for enantioenriched (E)-alpha-alkylidene-beta-amino esters has been developed through thermal Overman rearrangement. Readily accessible (Z)-beta-branched Morita-Baylis-Hillman esters serve as chiral pool precursors. Thermal rearrangement proceeded through a concerted pseudopericyclic transition state to produce (E)-stereoselective products. We expanded the synthetic utilities of alpha-alkylidene-beta-amino esters via preparation of alpha-alkylidene-beta-lactam derivatives.