A case with good response to belimumab for lupus nephritis complicated by IgG4-related disease.

Immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is an unusual complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We report a case in which belimumab proved efficacious for not only SLE, but also IgG4-RD. A 58-year-old Japanese woman had suffered from photodermatosis and erythema on the limbs for 20 years. She presented in slight fever and fatigue since 2016. Laboratory data showed hypergammaglobulinemia, proteinuria and positive results for anti-nuclear antibody and anti-double-stranded DNA antibody. Furthermore, elevated levels of serum IgG4 were detected. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography disclosed multiple areas of poor enhancement in the kidneys. The patient was diagnosed with lupus nephritis and IgG4-RD from renal biopsy. Treatment was started with prednisolone at 40 mg/day and mycophenolate mofetil. Proteinuria and serological findings improved initially, but tapering the dose of glucocorticoid proved difficult. After treatment was started with belimumab, clinical symptoms and proteinuria resolved completely. The dose of glucocorticoid was successfully tapered and serum concentration of IgG4 fell further. This appears to represent the first report of a case in which both SLE and IgG4-RD were effectively treated using belimumab.

Epidemiological and spatial factors for tuberculosis: a matched case-control study in Nagata, Japan.

SETTING AND OBJECTIVE: Several studies have found a significant association between tuberculosis (TB) and spatial factors. We wished to determine the effect of host-related factors and spatial factors associated with an increased risk of TB, and to assess spatial clustering. DESIGN: A hospital-based case-control study using medical records was conducted. A total of 103 age- and sex-matched TB patients (cases) and 299 patients without TB (controls) were recruited from January 2000 to December 2016 in a hospital in Nagata, Kobe, Japan. Logistic regression, kernel density estimation, Cross L function and a Poisson regression model were applied. RESULTS: The epidemiological factors associated with TB were being a health care worker (OR 10.1) and lower serum albumin level (OR 0.5). Spatial analyses revealed TB to be positively associated with population density (risk ratio [RR] 32.1), the proportion of single households (RR -1.85) and persons aged 65 years (RR 2.65) and one spatial clustering. CONCLUSION: Our findings could help in the identification of high TB risk individuals and districts.

Condyloma Acuminata of the Urethra in a Male Renal Transplant Recipient: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Condyloma acuminatum (CA) is a common sexually transmitted disease associated with human papilloma virus (HPV). CA occurring in the urethra is rare and has not been reported in male renal transplant recipients. In addition, despite immunosuppressive conditions and increased risk of HPV-related malignant neoplasms in transplant recipients, HPV testing in male transplant recipients has been uncommon. Here we report a case of urethral CA in a male deceased donor renal transplantation recipient and discuss the importance of HPV testing in male transplant recipients. CASE PRESENTATION: A 33-year-old male deceased donor renal transplant recipient presented with miction pain 5 years after the transplantation. He reported repeated urinary tract infections with no sexual contact since the renal transplantation. Multiple papillary tumors in his penile urethra were detected by cystoscopy, and a biopsy sample was pathologically diagnosed with CA. Transurethral tumor resection was performed, and the tumors were completely resected. Additional HPV risk type screening with a urethral smear sample showed the prevalence of low-risk HPV. Although tacrolimus was switched to everolimus and imiquimod cream was administered, the tumors recurred 6 months after the resection, and a second resection was performed. No further recurrence has been observed for 1 year to date. CONCLUSION: As the urethral CA was possibly related to immunosuppressive conditions and a risk for HPV-related malignant neoplasm, the case required careful diagnosis, including HPV risk type. The methodology of sampling for HPV testing in men has not been established. This case suggests the necessity for further discussion about HPV testing in male transplant recipients.

Partial Cystectomy of Paraganglioma of the Urinary Bladder Before Living Kidney Transplantation: Case Report.

BACKGROUND: Paraganglioma (extra-adrenal pheochromocytoma) of the bladder is a very rare disease, accounting for 0.06% of all bladder tumors. Optimal management of bladder paraganglioma before kidney transplantation is unknown. We report a case of partial cystectomy for urinary bladder paraganglioma before living kidney transplantation. CASE PRESENTATION: A 59-year-old man with a 27-year history of hemodialysis was referred to our department for further examination of a bladder tumor detected during pre-transplantation testing. Cystoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor on the right side of the bladder. The patient experienced a hypertensive crisis during transurethral resection of the bladder tumor. Endocrinologic and pathologic examinations confirmed the diagnosis of paraganglioma in the urinary bladder. A partial cystectomy was performed before kidney transplantation. Nine months after partial cystectomy, the patient underwent AB0-incompatible living kidney transplantation from his spouse. No disease recurrence or graft rejection was observed 12 months after the transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this is the 1st report on the management of paraganglioma in the urinary bladder before living kidney transplantation. Kidney transplantation after partial cystectomy is an option that may be considered in patients with paraganglioma of the urinary bladder, with careful observations of bladder function and vesicoureteral reflux to the grafts.

Slow Progression of Aortic Calcification Is a Potential Benefit of Pre-emptive Kidney Transplantation.

PURPOSE: Pre-emptive kidney transplantation (PKT) is expected to improve graft and cardiovascular event-free survival compared with standard kidney transplantation. Aortic calcification is reported to be closely associated with renal dysfunction and cardiovascular events; however, its implication in PKT recipients remains incompletely explored. This aim of this study was to evaluate whether PKT confers a protective effect on aortic calcification, renal function, graft survival, and cardiovascular event-free survival. METHODS: One hundred adult patients who underwent renal transplantation between January 1996 and March 2016 at Hirosaki University Hospital and Oyokyo Kidney Research Institute were included. Among them, 19 underwent PKT and 81 patients underwent pretransplant dialysis. We retrospectively compared pretransplant and post-transplant aortic calcification index (ACI), renal function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR]), and graft and cardiovascular event-free survivals between the 2 groups. RESULTS: The median age of this cohort was 45 years. Preoperative ACI was significantly lower in PKT recipients. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups regarding postoperative eGFR, graft survival, and cardiovascular event-free survival. However, the ACI progression rate (ΔACI/y) was significantly lower in PKT recipients than in those who underwent pretransplant dialysis. Higher ACI was significantly associated with poor cardiovascular event-free survival. CONCLUSIONS: PKT is beneficial in that it contributes to the slow progression of after transplantation. Although we could not observe significant differences in graft and cardiovascular event-free survivals between the 2 groups, slow progression of aortic calcification showed a potential to decrease cardiovascular events in PKT recipients during long-term follow-up.

Prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement: retrospective analysis of patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma.

We retrospectively evaluated the prognostic impact of the level of nodal involvement in patients with advanced oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Between 2005 and 2010, 105 patients with clinical stage III or IV oral SCC had chemoradiotherapy preoperatively. Clinical (cN) and pathological nodal (pN) involvement was primarily at levels Ib and II. We defined nodal involvement at levels Ia and III-V as anterior and inferior extensions, respectively, and recorded such findings as extensive. With respect to pretreatment variables (age, clinical stage, clinical findings of the primary tumour, and nodal findings), univariate analysis showed that extensive cN was the only significant factor for overall survival (hazard ratio [HR], 3.27; 95% CI 1.50 to 7.13; p=0.001). Univariate analysis showed that all pN findings, including the nodal classification (invaded nodes, multiple, and contralateral) and extensive involvement were significant, and multivariate analysis confirmed that extensive pN (HR 4.71; 95% CI 1.85 to 11.97; p=0.001) and multiple pN (HR 2.59; 95% CI 1.10 to 6.09; p=0.029) were independent predictors of overall survival. Assessment based on the level of invaded neck nodes may be a better predictor of survival than the current nodal classification.

Safety and Effectiveness of Marginal Donor in Living Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: We evaluated the safety and feasibility of living kidney transplantation from marginal donors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 2006 and March 2015, we performed 61 living related renal transplantations at two renal transplantation centers. Marginal donors were defined as those who were older than 70 years or who had hypertension, reduced renal function, body mass index greater than 30 kg/m(2), or mildly impaired glucose tolerance. We retrospectively compared renal function and graft survival between marginal and standard living donor kidney transplantations. To evaluate renal function, creatinine clearance (CCr) was preoperatively used for donors, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was postoperatively used for donors and recipients. RESULTS: Among 61 donors, 14 (23%) met the marginal criteria, the major reason being hypertension (91%). The mean age tended to be higher in the marginal group. Preoperative eGFR was significantly lower in the marginal group, whereas postoperative renal function decline ratio at two years was not significantly different between the groups (67% vs 67%, P = .960). Five-year graft survival rates were not significantly different between the two groups. However, recipient eGFR 1 year after kidney transplantation was lower in the marginal group than in the standard group (44 ± 8 vs 55 ± 9 in eGFR, P = .003). CONCLUSIONS: No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding donor renal function. Careful marginal donor selection can be safe and feasible for donors and recipients of living kidney transplantation; however, it may have a negative impact on recipient renal function.

IFN-γ from lymphocytes induces PD-L1 expression and promotes progression of ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: PD-L1 (programmed cell death 1 ligand 1) on tumour cells suppresses host immunity through binding to its receptor PD-1 on lymphocytes, and promotes peritoneal dissemination in mouse models of ovarian cancer. However, how PD-L1 expression is regulated in ovarian cancer microenvironment remains unclear. METHODS: The number of CD8-positive lymphocytes and PD-L1 expression in tumour cells was assessed in ovarian cancer clinical samples. PD-L1 expression and tumour progression in mouse models under conditions of altering IFN-γ signals was assessed. RESULTS: The number of CD8-positive cells in cancer stroma was very high in peritoneally disseminated tumours, and was strongly correlated to PD-L1 expression on the tumour cells (P<0.001). In mouse models, depleting IFNGR1 (interferon-γ receptor 1) resulted in lower level of PD-L1 expression in tumour cells, increased the number of tumour-infiltrating CD8-positive lymphocytes, inhibition of peritoneal disseminated tumour growth and longer survival (P=0.02). The injection of IFN-γ into subcutaneous tumours induced PD-L1 expression and promoted tumour growth, and PD-L1 depletion completely abrogated tumour growth caused by IFN-γ injection (P=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Interferon-γ secreted by CD8-positive lymphocytes upregulates PD-L1 on ovarian cancer cells and promotes tumour growth. The lymphocyte infiltration and the IFN-γ status may be the key to effective anti-PD-1 or anti-PD-L1 therapy in ovarian cancer.

Outcome comparison of ABO-incompatible kidney transplantation with low-dose rituximab and ABO-compatible kidney transplantation: a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: The development of immunosuppressive techniques has helped overcome the ABO incompatibility barrier. However, the outcomes of ABO-incompatible (ABOi) kidney transplantation remain a controversial issue with the advent of the anti-CD20 chimeric antibody rituximab. Herein, we report the outcomes of ABOi kidney transplantation with low-dose rituximab. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 2006 and April 2013, 42 patients underwent living-related kidney transplantation at our hospital. The patients were divided into 2 groups: ABO-compatible (ABOc; n = 29) and ABOi kidney transplants using low-dose rituximab (100 mg/m(2)) without splenectomy (n = 13). The basic immunosuppression regimen (calcineurin inhibitor [CNI], mycophenolate mofetil [MMF], and steroids) was the same for both groups, except for the use of rituximab and therapeutic apheresis in the ABOi group. We compared post-transplantation renal function, incidents of virus infection, episodes of rejection, and graft survival between the 2 groups. RESULTS: In our hospital, 30% of recipients received ABOi kidney transplants. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) did not differ between the groups. Rejection episodes confirmed by biopsy in the ABOc and ABOi groups were 8 (28%) and 4 (31%) patients (P = .833), acute antibody-mediated rejection was observed in 1 (3.5%) and 2 (15%) patients (P = .165), and virus infection was observed in 14 (48%) and 3 (23%) patients (P = .252), respectively. The 5-year patient survival rate was 100% in both groups, and the 5-year graft survival rates were 95% for ABOc and 100% for ABOi transplants (P = .527). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that the outcomes of ABOi kidney transplantation with low-dose rituximab are similar to those of ABOc kidney transplantation. Further study is necessary to address the efficacy and safety of ABOi kidney transplantation.

Post-transplant renal function and cardiovascular events are closely associated with the aortic calcification index in renal transplant recipients.

INTRODUCTION: The aortic calcification index (ACI) is reported to be closely associated with renal dysfunction and cardiovascular events; however, its implication in renal transplant recipients has not been well examined. In this study, we investigated the relationship between pretransplant ACI, ACI progression, post-transplant renal function, and post-transplant cardiovascular events in renal transplant recipients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study from June 1996 to Jan 2012 included 61 renal transplant recipients (living donors, 47; cadaveric donors, 14). The median follow-up period was 60 months. ACI was quantitatively measured on abdominal computed tomography. The relationship between age, dialysis period, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and pre- and post-transplant ACI was longitudinally evaluated. Risk factors for post-transplant ACI progression were determined by logistic regression analysis. Patient background and the incidence of post-transplant cardiovascular events were also assessed. RESULTS: The pretransplant ACI (median 4.2%) significantly correlated with age at transplant, dialysis period, and diabetes mellitus. ACI gradually increased up to 2.8 times at 10 years after transplantation. Post-transplant eGFR significantly correlated with ACI progression in patients with chronic kidney disease of stage ≥ 3. Logistic regression analyses showed that age at transplantation, post-transplant period, cadaveric donors, and post-transplant chronic kidney disease stage 3 were risk factors for post-transplant ACI progression. The pretransplant ACI was higher (median 66%) in 3 patients who experienced post-transplant cardiovascular events. CONCLUSIONS: ACI progression closely correlates with age and post-transplant renal function. A high pretransplant ACI is a risk factor for post-transplant cardiovascular events in renal transplant recipients.

BK virus-associated urothelial carcinoma of a ureter graft in a renal transplant recipient: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Urothelial carcinomas of ureter grafts in renal transplant patients are rare. Here we report our experience with a case of BK virus-associated urothelial carcinoma in a ureter graft. CASE REPORT: A 47-year-old man developed chronic renal failure secondary to diabetes mellitus and started maintenance hemodialysis in September 2007. Two months later, the patient received a renal transplant from his 70-year-old mother. The patient developed BK virus-associated nephropathy 1 year after transplantation and presented with a decline in renal function and hydronephrosis in the transplanted kidney 4 years 6 months after transplantation. Cystoscopy and retrograde pyelography revealed an irregular filling defect in the ureter graft. Cytologic diagnosis of his urine revealed a high-grade urothelial carcinoma. Computerized tomography showed a cT2 ureteral tumor and no involvement of other organs. The patient subsequently underwent a transplant nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff resection. Histopathologic findings revealed a high-grade urothelial carcinoma, pT2, in the ureter graft with SV40-positive staining. The patient was closely observed without adjuvant chemotherapy therapy and remained disease free 1 year after surgery. Renal transplant recipients with BK virus infection are at high risk of developing urologic malignancies. Close attention is necessary to diagnose post-transplantation urologica malignancies as early as possible.

Can 3T MR angiography replace DSA for the identification of arteries feeding intracranial meningiomas?

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: For identifying the arterial feeders of meningiomas, the usefulness of 3D TOF MRA at 3T has not been systematically investigated. This study was intended to assess whether unenhanced 3D TOF MRA at 3T can replace DSA for the identification of arteries feeding intracranial meningiomas and whether it is useful for assessing their dural attachment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-one consecutive patients with intracranial meningiomas (18 women, 3 men; aged 42-77 years, mean 57 years) underwent DSA, conventional MR imaging, and 3D TOF MRA. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the primary and secondary feeders of each tumor on maximum-intensity-projection and source MRA images. They also identified the location of dural attachments based on information from MR imaging/MRA images. Interobserver and intermodality agreement was determined by calculating the κ coefficient. RESULTS: For the identification of primary and secondary feeders on MRA images, interobserver agreement was very good (κ=0.83; 95% CI, 0.66-1.00) and moderate (κ=0.58; 95% CI, 0.34-0.82) and intermodality agreement (consensus reading of MRA versus DSA findings) was excellent (κ=0.94; 95% CI, 0.84-1.00) and good (κ=0.72; 95% CI, 0.51-0.93), respectively. With respect to the dural attachment of meningiomas, interobserver agreement was very good (κ=0.95; 95% CI, 0.84-1.00). The agreement in the diagnosis between MR imaging/MRA and surgery was excellent (κ=1.00). CONCLUSIONS: Unenhanced 3D TOF MRA at 3T cannot at present supplant DSA for the identification of the feeding arteries of intracranial meningiomas. This information may be useful for evaluating their dural attachment.

Evaluation of brain and head and neck tumors with 4D contrast-enhanced MR angiography at 3T.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Systematic assessment of brain and head and neck tumors with 4D-CE-MRA at 3T has not been investigated. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that 4D-CE-MRA at 3T can replace DSA in the identification of feeding arteries and tumor stain to plan interventional procedures in hypervascular brain and head and neck tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen consecutive patients with brain and head and neck tumors underwent 4D-CE-MRA at 3T and DSA. 4D-CE-MRA combined randomly segmented central k-space ordering, keyhole imaging, SENSE, and half-Fourier imaging. We obtained 30 dynamic scans every 1.9 seconds at an acquired spatial resolution of 0.9 × 0.9 × 1.5 mm; the matrix was 256 × 256. Two independent observers inspected the 4D-CE-MRA images for the main arterial feeders and tumor stain. Interobserver and intermodality agreement was assessed by κ statistics. RESULTS: For 4D-CE-MRA, the interobserver agreement was fair with respect to the main arterial feeders and very good for the degree of tumor stain (κ = 0.28 and 0.87, respectively). Intermodality agreement was moderate for the main arterial feeders (κ = 0.45) and good for the tumor stain (κ = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: Although 4D-CE-MRA may be useful for evaluating tumor stain in hypervascular brain and head and neck tumors, it is not able to replace DSA in planning interventional procedures.

Detection of small pulmonary nodules on chest radiographs: efficacy of dual-energy subtraction technique using flat-panel detector chest radiography.

AIM: To investigate the effect of a double-exposure dual-energy subtraction (DES) technique on the diagnostic performance of radiologists detecting small pulmonary nodules on flat-panel detector (FPD) chest radiographs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using FPD radiography 41 sets of chest radiographs were obtained from 26 patients with pulmonary nodules measuring

Evaluation of dural arteriovenous fistulas with 4D contrast-enhanced MR angiography at 3T.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Four-dimensional contrast-enhanced MR angiography (4D-CE-MRA) at 3T may replace digital subtraction angiography (DSA) for certain diagnostic purposes in patients with intracranial dural arteriovenous fistula (DAVF). The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that 4D-CE-MRA at 3T enables the same characterization of intracranial DAVFs as DSA. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study population consisted of 18 consecutive patients with intracranial DAVFs (11 women, 7 men; age range, 35-82 years; mean age, 64.8 years). They underwent 4D-CE-MRA at 3T and DSA. The 4D-CE-MRA series combined randomly segmented central k-space ordering, keyhole imaging, sensitivity encoding, and half-Fourier imaging. We obtained 30 dynamic scans every 1.9 seconds with a spatial resolution of 1 x 1 x 1.5 mm. Two independent readers reviewed the 4D-CE-MRA images for main arterial feeders, fistula site, and venous drainage. Interobserver and intermodality agreement was assessed by kappa statistics. RESULTS: At DSA, 8 fistulas were located at the transverse sigmoid sinus; 8, at the cavernous sinus; and 2, at the sinus adjacent to the foramen magnum. Interobserver agreement was fair for the main arterial feeders (kappa = 0.59), excellent for the fistula site (kappa = 0.91), and good for venous drainage (kappa = 0.86). Intermodality agreement was moderate for the main arterial feeders (kappa = 0.68) and excellent for the fistula site (kappa = 1.0) and venous drainage (kappa = 1.0). CONCLUSIONS: The agreement between 4D-CE-MRA and DSA findings was good to excellent with respect to the fistula site and venous drainage.

Assessment of vascular supply of hypervascular extra-axial brain tumors with 3T MR regional perfusion imaging.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The vascular supply of extra-axial brain tumors provided by the external carotid artery has not been studied with RPI. The purpose of this work was to determine whether RPI assessment is feasible and provides information on the vascular supply of hypervascular extra-axial brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Conventional ASL and RPI studies were performed at 3T in 8 consecutive patients with meningioma. On the basis of MRA results, we performed RPI by placing a selective labeling slab over the external carotid artery. Five patients underwent DSA before surgery. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated the overall image quality, the degree of tumor perfusion, and the extent of the tumor vascular territory on conventional ASL and RPI. RESULTS: In overall quality of conventional ASL and RPI, no images interfered with interpretation. In comparisons of the vascular tumor territory identified by the conventional ASL and RPI techniques, the territories coincided in 3 cases, were partially different in 4, and completely different in 1. The interobserver agreement was very good (kappa = 0.82). In 5 patients who underwent DSA, the 4 patients in whom the dominant supply was the external carotid artery were scored as coincided or partially different. The 1 patient in whom the vascular supply was from the internal carotid artery was scored as completely different. CONCLUSIONS: RPI with selective labeling of the external carotid artery is feasible and may provide information about the vascular supply of hypervascular extra-axial brain tumors.

Comparison of the added value of contrast-enhanced 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery and magnetization-prepared rapid acquisition of gradient echo sequences in relation to conventional postcontrast T1-weighted images for the evaluation of leptomeningeal diseases at 3T.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The usefulness of contrast-enhanced 3D T2-FLAIR MR imaging for the evaluation of leptomeningeal diseases has not been systematically investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess the value added by contrast-enhanced 3D T2-FLAIR and MPRAGE sequences to conventional postcontrast T1-weighted images in the evaluation of leptomeningeal diseases. We also undertook in vitro studies in attempts to understand the consequences of our patient study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients with confirmed leptomeningeal diseases underwent postcontrast T1-weighted, MPRAGE, and 3D T2-FLAIR imaging at 3T. Two radiologists independently assessed the presence of additional information on postcontrast 3D MR images compared with postcontrast T1-weighted images. The effect of different Gd concentrations and flow velocities on the signal intensity on 3D T2-FLAIR images was investigated in vitro. RESULTS: According to both reviewers, 3D T2-FLAIR images yielded significantly more information than did MPRAGE images (P < .05 and P < .01, respectively). In the in vitro study, 3D T2-FLAIR was more highly sensitive to low Gd concentrations and less sensitive to high Gd concentrations than were T1-weighted or MPRAGE sequences. On 3D T2-FLAIR sequences, at a flow velocity exceeding 1.0 cm/s, the signal intensity of blood-mimicking fluids at concentrations of 0 and 0.1 mmol/L was as low as at 1.3 mmol/L. CONCLUSIONS: For the depiction of leptomeningeal diseases, postcontrast 3D T2-FLAIR provides more additional information than postcontrast MPRAGE imaging. The superiority of the 3D T2-FLAIR sequence is associated with its high sensitivity to flow.

Prognostic value of perfusion MR imaging of high-grade astrocytomas: long-term follow-up study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although the prognostic value of perfusion MR imaging in various gliomas has been investigated, that in high-grade astrocytomas alone has not been fully evaluated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate retrospectively whether the tumor maximum relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) on pretreatment perfusion MR imaging is of prognostic value in patients with high-grade astrocytoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 1999 and December 2002, 49 patients (30 men, 19 women; age range, 23-76 years) with supratentorial high-grade astrocytoma underwent MR imaging before the inception of treatment. The patient age, sex, symptom duration, neurologic function, mental status, Karnofsky Performance Scale, extent of surgery, histopathologic diagnosis, tumor component enhancement, and maximum rCBV were assessed to identify factors affecting survival. Kaplan-Meier survival curves, the logrank test, and the multivariate Cox proportional hazards model were used to evaluate prognostic factors. RESULTS: The maximum rCBV was significantly higher in the 31 patients with glioblastoma multiforme than in the 18 with anaplastic astrocytoma (P < .03). The 2-year overall survival rate was 67% for 27 patients with a low (< or =2.3) and 9% for 22 patients with a high (>2.3) maximum rCBV value (P < .001). Independent important prognostic factors were the histologic diagnosis (hazard ratio = 9.707; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.163-29.788), maximum rCBV (4.739; 95% CI, 1.950-11.518), extent of surgery (2.692; 95% CI, 1.196-6.061), and sex (2.632; 95% CI, 1.153-6.010). CONCLUSION: The maximum rCBV at pretreatment perfusion MR imaging is a useful clinical prognostic biomarker for survival in patients with high-grade astrocytoma.

Impact of FDG-PET/CT fused imaging on tumor volume assessment of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma: intermethod and interobserver variations.

BACKGROUND: Although gross tumor volume (GTV) at the primary site can predict local control of head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in patients who are treated with organ-preservation therapy, GTV assessment does not eliminate substantial interobserver variation. PURPOSE: To evaluate whether F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT) fused imaging provides additional information for GTV assessment. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We obtained FDG-PET/CT fused images on 20 patients with head-and-neck SCC. All had undergone preoperative conventional workup, including contrast-enhanced CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The GTV of the primary tumors was designed by two independent observers who used routine clinical data. Observer A was a radiologist and observer B a radiation oncologist. GTV1 and GTV2 were designed without and with FDG-PET/CT, respectively. For geometric interobserver comparison, we calculated the concordance rate as the ratio of the intersection (AxB) of the GTVs to their union (AxB). Intermethod (GTV1 vs. GTV2) and interobserver (A vs. B) differences in the GTVs were assessed by Bland-Altman analysis and the Spearman rank-correlation test. The interobserver concordance rates for GTV1 and GTV2 were compared using a two-tailed paired-samples t test. RESULTS: On FDG-PET/CT, all primary tumors were visualized. There was no systemic trend for a volume difference between GTV1 and GTV2. Although the 95% limits of agreement were wider for interobserver than intermethod differences, the 95% limits of interobserver agreement were narrower for GTV2 than GTV1. The mean interobserver concordance rate for GTV2 was higher than for GTV1 (54.5% vs. 39.1%, P=0.0002). CONCLUSION: FDG-PET/CT is a useful modality for consistent GTV assessment, which should not be used as a single modality but rather to obtain supplemental information in patients with head-and-neck SCC.