Comparison between pancreatoblastoma (PB) and solid pseudopapillary neoplasm (SPN) in pediatric patients with enhanced CT.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether computed tomography features can differentiate pancreatoblastoma (PB) from solid pseudopapillary tumor (SPN) in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Clinical and imaging data of 18 cases of PB and 61 cases of SPN confirmed by surgery or biopsy were retrospectively analyzed. All enrolled patients underwent 3 phases (non-contrast, arterial, and portal venous phases) of CT scanning. Qualitative CT analysis (location, margin, solid/cystic component proportion, calcification, hemorrhage, peritumoral vascularity, bile duct dilatation, pancreatic duct dilatation, pancreatic atrophy, vascular invasion, peripancreatic invasion, and distant metastases) and quantitative analysis (maximum tumor diameter, interface between tumor and parenchyma [delta], arterial enhancement ratio [AER], and portal enhancement ratio [PER]) were performed. The general CT morphologic features, age and tumor markers were compared also compared between the groups. Univariate analysis and the F test were conducted to identify features of PB. Then logistic Regression classifier was trained using the top five features with the highest F-value. Moreover, we used 5-fold cross-validation techniques for the validation of our model. RESULTS: PB exhibited a significantly higher frequency of location in the body/tail, larger tumor size, poorly defined margins, calcification, peritumoral vascularity, pancreatic atrophy, and less hemorrhage. In addition, PB had higher AER, PER and lower delta relative to SPN (p < 0.05). PB presented a younger age and higher levels of AFP. Results of the F test indicated that AFP, AER, Age, calcification and pancreatic atrophy were the top five features included in the model that could differentiate pediatric PB from SPN. The combined model of CT and clinical features performed well in differentiating PB from SPN, with an AUC of 0.981 in the training cohort and 0.953 in the validation cohort. CONCLUSIONS: AFP, AER, age, calcification and pancreatic atrophy are robust CT and clinical features for differentiating pediatric PB from SPN. A combination of qualitative and quantitative CT features may provide good diagnostic accuracy in differentiating PB from SPN in children.

Application of low dose pancreas perfusion CT combined with enhancement scanning in diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

PURPOSE: To explore the diagnostic value of pancreatic perfusion CT combined with contrast-enhanced CT in one-time scanning (PCECT) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) and to evaluate the difference of perfusion parameters between different grades of PNETs. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 2016 to December 2018, forty consecutive patients with histopathological-proven PNETs were identified retrospectively that received PCECT for the preoperative PNETs evaluation. Two board certified radiologists who were blinded to the clinical data evaluated the images independently. The image characters of PNETs vs. tumor-free pancreatic parenchymal and different grades of PNETs were analyzed. RESULTS: One-time PCECT scanning had a detection rate of 89.1% for PNETs, which was higher than the detection accuracy of the perfusion CT only (83.6%). The perfusion parameters of PNETs including blood volume (BV), blood flow (BF), mean slope of increase (MSI), and capillary surface permeability (PS) were significantly increased than those of tumor-free pancreatic parenchyma (p < 0.05, respectively). For differential comparison between grade I (G1) and grade II (G2) tumors, the parameters of BF and impulse residue function (IRF) of tumor tissue were significantly higher in the G2 tumors (p < 0.05, for both). In this study, the total radiation dose of the whole PCECT scan was 16.241 ± 2.289 mSv. CONCLUSION: The one-time PCECT scan may improve the detection of PNETs according to morphological features and perfusion parameters with a relative small radiation dose. The perfusion parameters of BF and IRF may be used to help distinguish G1 and G2 tumors in the preoperative evaluation.

Decreased Taurine and Creatine in the Thalamus May Relate to Behavioral Impairments in Ethanol-Fed Mice: A Pilot Study of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is highly prevalent, observed in up to 80% of patients with liver dysfunction. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is defined as hepatic encephalopathy with cognitive deficits and no grossly evident neurologic abnormalities. Clinical management may be delayed due to the lack of in vivo quantitative methods needed to reveal changes in brain neurobiochemical biomarkers. To gain insight into the development of alcoholic liver disease-induced neurological dysfunction (NDF), a mouse model of late-stage alcoholic liver fibrosis (LALF) was used to investigate changes in neurochemical levels in the thalamus and hippocampus that relate to behavioral changes. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the brain and behavioral testing were performed to determine neurochemical alterations and their relationships to behavioral changes in LALF. Glutamine levels were higher in both the thalamus and hippocampus of alcohol-treated mice than in controls. Thalamic levels of taurine and creatine were significantly diminished and strongly correlated with alcohol-induced behavioral changes. Chronic long-term alcohol consumption gives rise to advanced liver fibrosis, neurochemical changes in the nuclei, and behavioral changes which may be linked to NDF. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy represents a sensitive and noninvasive measurement of pathological alterations in the brain, which may provide insight into the pathogenesis underlying the development of MHE.

Quantitative energy spectrum CT in differential diagnosis of aldosterone-producing adenoma and cortisol-producing adenoma.

Background: Patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) show some similar clinical symptoms, and a large overlap of conventional imaging manifestations, which make the differentiation difficult. The purpose of our study was to explore the value of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differential diagnosis of APA and CPA, screen out meaningful energy spectral indicators and provide theoretical basis for the differential diagnosis of the two. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the imaging and clinical data of 30 patients with APA and 27 patients with CPA who underwent GSI DECT in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (a tertiary care institution). Patients were consecutively enrolled in this study, and the quantitative DECT parameters were compared between the APA and CPA groups by two-sample test. The diagnostic efficacies were evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: DECT parameters including CT (computed tomography) values at 40-70 keV in the arterial phase, concentrations of I (H2O) and fat (I) in the arterial phase, and the effective atomic number in the venous phase, were significantly different between the APA and CPA groups (all P<0.001), and the area under the curve (AUC) values are 0.80, 0.79, 0.88, 0.76, 0.82, 0.87, and 0.86. Conclusions: DECT quantitative parameters can effectively identify APA and CPA, the CT values at 40 and 60 keV in the arterial phase, the normalized CT value at 60 keV, the I (H2O), fat (I) concentration in the arterial phase and the effective atomic number parameter in the venous phase had valuable diagnostic performance.

Technical comparison of continuous versus intermittent perfusion computed tomography computed tomography scans of the human pancreas.

Background: Pancreatic perfusion computed tomography (CT) imaging is increasingly used for neoplastic grading, predicting prognosis, and evaluating the response to therapy. To optimize the clinical pancreatic CT perfusion imaging methods, we evaluated 2 different CT scanning protocols concerning pancreas perfusion parameters. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 40 patients who underwent whole pancreas CT perfusion scanning in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. Of these 40 patients, 20 patients in group A underwent continuous perfusion scanning, while 20 patients in group B underwent intermittent perfusion scanning. For group A, continuous axial scanning was performed 25 times, and the total scan time was 50 s. For group B, arterial phase helical perfusion scanning was performed 8 times, and then venous phase helical perfusion scanning was performed 15 times, with a total scan time of 64.6 to 70.0 s. A comprehensive list of perfusion parameters between different parts of the pancreas and the 2 groups were compared. The effective radiation dose for the 2 scanning methods was analyzed. Results: The parameter of the mean slope of increase (MSI) at different pancreatic parts in group A differed (P=0.028). The pancreas head had the lowest value, and the tail had the highest (about a 20% difference). In group A compared to group B, the blood volume of the pancreatic head was smaller (15.256±2.925 vs. 16.953±3.602), the positive enhanced integral was smaller (0.307±0.050 vs. 0.344±0.060) and the permeability surface was larger (34.205±9. 612 vs. 24.377±8.413); the blood volume of the pancreatic neck was smaller (13.940±2.691 vs. 17.173±3.918), the positive enhanced integral was smaller (0.304±0.088 vs. 0.361±0.051) and the permeability surface was larger (34.898±11.592 vs. 25. 794±8.149); the blood volume of the pancreatic body was smaller (16.142±4.006 vs. 18.401±2.513), the positive enhanced integral was smaller (0.305±0.093 vs. 0.342±0.048) and the permeability surface was larger (28.861±10.448 vs. 22.158±6. 017); the blood volume of the pancreatic tail was smaller (16.446±3.709 vs. 17.374±3.781), the positive enhanced integral was smaller (0.304±0.057 vs. 0.350±0.073) and the permeability surface was larger (27.823±8.228 vs. 21.509±7.768) (P<0.05). The effective radiation dose in the intermittent scan mode was slightly lower at 16.657±2.259 mSv than in the continuous scan mode (17.973±3.698 mSv). Conclusions: Different CT scanning intervals had a significant influence on whole pancreas blood volume, permeability surface, and positive enhanced integral. These demonstrate the high sensitivity of intermittent perfusion scanning for identifying perfusion abnormalities. Therefore, for the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases, intermittent pancreatic CT perfusion may be more advantageous.

Quantitative Assessment of Pancreatic Fat by Quantitative CT in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To characterize the pancreatic fat deposition (PFD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and investigate the relationship between PFD and clinical metabolic parameters and islet function. Materials and Methods: A total of 150 patients with T2DM and 93 age-matched healthy subjects underwent QCT to quantify PFD were included. PFD and various biochemical parameters were correlated by statistical methods and multiple stepwise linear regression modeling. Results: PFD measured by QCT in the T2DM group was statistically higher than that in the healthy control group, and the pancreatic CT value was statistically lower than that in the control group. The QCT measured PFD was negatively correlated with the pancreatic CT values (P < 0.001), and positively correlated with triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), visceral fat area (VAT) and insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) (P < 0.05) in the T2DM patients. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis identified PFD as the dependent variable factor for T2DM. Conclusion: This study suggests QCT as a reliable technique in measuring PFD in T2DM. High PFD is positively correlated with the degree of insulin resistance and may play an important role in islet cell dysfunction in T2DM.

Application of spectral CT combined with perfusion scan in diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are heterogeneous tumors from the pancreatic neuroendocrine system, and early diagnosis is important for tumor prognosis and treatment. In this study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic value of spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning in improving the detection rate of pNETs. METHODS: From December 2018 to December 2020, 58 patients with clinically suspected pNETs were prospectively enrolled in the study for one-stop spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning, 36 patients were confirmed with pNETs by histopathology. An independent cohort of 30 patients with pNETs who underwent routine pancreatic perfusion scanning in our hospital during the same period were retrospectively collected. The image characters of pNETs versus tumor-free pancreatic parenchymal were examined. RESULTS: The detection rate of spectral CT combined with perfusion was 83.1-96.2%. CT values of the pNETs lesions under each single energy in the arterial phase were statistically higher than those of the adjacent normal pancreatic parenchyma. IC, WC and NIC, in the arterial phase of pNETs lesion were all statistically higher than those of the adjacent normal pancreatic parenchyma. The perfusion parameters of pNETs including BF, BV and MSI were significantly higher than those in normal parenchyma. The average effective radiation dose during the perfusion combined energy spectrum enhanced scanning process was 17.51 ± 2.18 mSv. CONCLUSION: The one-stop spectral CT combined with perfusion scan improves the detection of pNETs according to morphological features, perfusion parameters and energy spectrum characters with a relatively small radiation dose.

Liver Fibrosis Conventional and Molecular Imaging Diagnosis Update.

Liver fibrosis is a serious, life-threatening disease with high morbidity and mortality that result from diverse causes. Liver biopsy, considered the "gold standard" to diagnose, grade, and stage liver fibrosis, has limitations in terms of invasiveness, cost, sampling variability, inter-observer variability, and the dynamic process of fibrosis. Compelling evidence has demonstrated that all stages of fibrosis are reversible if the injury is removed. There is a clear need for safe, effective, and reliable non-invasive assessment modalities to determine liver fibrosis in order to manage it precisely in personalized medicine. However, conventional imaging methods used to assess morphological and structural changes related to liver fibrosis, including ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), are only useful in assessing advanced liver disease, including cirrhosis. Functional imaging techniques, including MR elastography (MRE), US elastography, and CT perfusion are useful for assessing moderate to advanced liver fibrosis. MRE is considered the most accurate noninvasive imaging technique, and US elastography is currently the most widely used noninvasive means. However, these modalities are less accurate in early-stage liver fibrosis and some factors affect the accuracy of these techniques. Molecular imaging is a target-specific imaging mechanism that has the potential to accurately diagnose early-stage liver fibrosis. We provide an overview of recent advances in molecular imaging for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis which will enable clinicians to monitor the progression of disease and potentially reverse liver fibrosis. We compare the promising technologies with conventional and functional imaging and assess the utility of molecular imaging in precision and personalized clinical medicine in the early stages of liver fibrosis.

Gemstone spectral imaging dual-energy computed tomography for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma and minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the values of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI)-dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differentiation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma (MF-RAML). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-one patients with ischemic RCC and 19 patients with MF-RAML were enrolled in this study. GSI was performed on them, and the spectrum signs were analyzed. RESULTS: I(H2O), H2O(I), I(fat), and fat(I) concentrations, normalized I concentration, and effective atomic number of corticomedullary phase and parenchymal phase in enhanced GSI-DECT in ischemic RCC group were all significantly lower than those in MF-RAML group (P < 0.05). CT value and absolute slope rate of spectral attenuation curve in two phases in ischemic RCC group were also significantly lower than those in MF-RAML group (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: GSI-DECT has provided a new idea and method for differential diagnosis of ischemic RCC and MF-RAML, with high-clinical values.

Quantification of Hepatic Lipid Using 7.0T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computed Tomography in Mild Alcoholic Steatotic Mice.

BACKGROUND: In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS) has been used to semi-quantify hepatic lipids in preclinical and clinical studies of fatty liver disease. Quantifying absolute amount of liver lipids utilizing 1H MRS and computerized tomography (CT) is essential to accurately interpret hepatic steatosis. PURPOSE: To establish reliable parameters to convert relative hepatic lipid levels obtained by 1H-MRS and liver volumes by CT to the absolute amount of liver lipids in a mild hepatic steatosis, and to determinate the correlation between these absolute liver lipids with liver triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (Chol) measured by biochemistry assays. METHODS: Mild steatosis was induced in mice by a 3 week ethanol diet containing standard lipids. Evaporated liver water was measured after baking liver tissues and volume of liver was measured using water displacement. 1H MRS semiquantitation of hepatic lipids and CT measurement of liver volume were performed and then used to calculate amount of liver lipids. These data were compared with liver TG and Chol. RESULTS: Percentage of liver water and liver density were persistent in two groups and were used to convert the percentage of liver lipids to liver water by 1H-MRS to the absolute amount of liver lipids per gram of liver or per milliliter of CT volume. Using 1H-MRS and biochemical assays, an increase of liver lipids was confirmed in mild steatosis mice compared to controls (P<0.01). The amounts of imaging detected liver lipids were strongly correlated to liver TG and Chol measured by biochemical assays in mild steatosis mice. CONCLUSION: 1H MRS and CT liver imaging techniques are able to quantify absolute hepatic lipid levels utilizing relative persistent parameters percentage of liver water and liver density in a preclinical mild steatosis setting.

Confinement controlled mineralization of calcium carbonate within collagen fibrils.

Confinement is common in biological systems and plays a critical role in the structure-forming process of biominerals. However, the knowledge of confinement effects on biomineralization is limited due to the lack of specific chemical structures and elaborate spatial distribution. In this article, we explore the confined mineralization of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) within collagen fibrils. Three issues of the confined mineralization of ACC within collagen fibrils were investigated, including the morphology and characteristics of the confined mineralization of ACC within collagen fibrils; the initiation and development of the confined mineralization of ACC within collagen fibrils; and the driving mechanism of ACC infiltration into collagen fibrils. Results show that the negatively charged ACC droplets were attracted to positively charged gap regions of collagen fibrils through electrostatic interactions, infiltrated into collagen fibrils, and then transformed into the crystalline phase. The observation of juxtaposed crystalline and amorphous phases on the surface of fibrils indicates that a secondary nucleation mechanism may be responsible for the co-orientation of calcite nanocrystals. Through modifying the wettability of amorphous calcium carbonate with magnesium ions, it is verified that the infiltration of ACC into collagen fibrils was driven by capillary forces. The present study not only provides evidence of the confinement effects in biomineralization but also facilitates the understanding of the in vivo bone formation process. It may also open up a new avenue in the bioprocess-inspired synthesis of advanced materials.

Comparison of gastric vascular anatomy by monochromatic and polychromatic dual-energy spectral computed tomography imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of monochromatic and polychromatic dual-energy spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging for preoperative assessment of gastric vascular anatomy. METHODS: Patients with suspected gastric cancer underwent spectral CT to generate conventional 140 kVp polychromatic and monochromatic images with energy levels ranging from 40 to 140 keV during the late arterial and portal venous phases. Optimal monochromatic images were selected according to the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the gastric artery. Image quality was subjectively assessed. Display rates of the arteries were recorded. RESULTS: The study included 64 patients. Monochromatic images at 53 ± 3 keV provided the optimum CNR. At this energy level, subjective image scores were significantly higher for monochromatic images than polychromatic images. There were no significant differences in the display rates of arteries between polychromatic and optimal monochromatic images. CONCLUSIONS: Monochromatic images obtained with spectral CT can improve the visualization of gastric arteries.