Prevalence and clinical significance of incidental findings in chest and abdominopelvic CT scans of trauma patients; A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Imaging may inadvertently reveal pathologies unrelated to their performing purpose, known as incidental findings (IF). This study aimed to assess the prevalence, clinical significance, and documentation of IFs in chest and abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) scans of trauma patients. METHODS: This observational study was conducted at two urban level-1 trauma centers from March 2019 through April 2022. Official radiology reports of trauma patients who underwent chest and/or abdominopelvic CT scans at the emergency department (ED) were explored, and IF were extracted. Predictive factors of the presence of IFs and their documenting were investigated. RESULTS: Out of 656 chest and 658 abdominopelvic CT scans, 167 (25.37%) and 212 (32.31%) scans harbored at least one IF, respectively. Patients with IFs tended to be of higher age and female in both chest (age: 48 [IQR: 35-62] vs. 34 [IQR: 25-42.5]; female: 31.14% vs 14.66%, p < 0.001 for both) and abdominopelvic CT scans (age: 41 [IQR: 30-57.5] vs 33 [IQR: 25-43], female: 26.42% vs. 13.96%, p < 0.001 for both). As for documentation of significant IFs, only 49 of 112 chest IFs (43.8%) and 55 of 176 abdominopelvic IFs (31.3%) were documented. Investigating factors associated with documentation of clinically significant IFs, shorter length of hospital stay (1.5 (IQR: 0-4) vs. 3 (IQR: 2-8), p = 0.003), and discharging by ED physicians (documentation rate: 13.2% vs 42.6%, p < 0.001) were associated with poorer documentation of IFs only in abdominopelvic scans. CONCLUSION: CT imaging in ED trauma patients often reveals incidental findings, especially in older patients. Over 50% of these findings are clinically significant, yet they are frequently ignored and not documented. Physicians need to be more vigilant in recognizing and documenting these incidental findings and informing patients of the need for further evaluation.

Impaired language in Alzheimer's disease: A comparison between English and Persian implicates content-word frequency rather than the noun-verb distinction.

This study challenges the conventional psycholinguistic view that the distinction between nouns and verbs is pivotal in understanding language impairments in neurological disorders. Traditional views link frontal brain region damage with verb processing deficits and posterior temporoparietal damage with noun difficulties. However, this perspective is contested by findings from patients with Alzheimer's disease (pwAD), who show impairments in both word classes despite their typical temporoparietal atrophy. Notably, pwAD tend to use semantically lighter verbs in their speech than healthy individuals. By examining English-speaking pwAD and comparing them with Persian-speaking pwAD, this research aims to demonstrate that language impairments in Alzheimer's disease (AD) stem from the distributional properties of words within a language rather than distinct neural processing networks for nouns and verbs. We propose that the primary deficit in AD language production is an overreliance on high-frequency words. English has a set of particularly high-frequency verbs that surpass most nouns in usage frequency. Since pwAD tend to use high-frequency words, the byproduct of this word distribution in the English language would be an over-usage of high-frequency verbs. In contrast, Persian features complex verbs with an overall distribution lacking extremely high-frequency verbs like those found in English. As a result, we hypothesize that Persian-speaking pwAD would not have a bias toward the overuse of high-frequency verbs. We analyzed language samples from 95 English-speaking pwAD and 91 healthy controls, along with 27 Persian-speaking pwAD and 27 healthy controls. Employing uniform automated natural language processing methods, we measured the usage rates of nouns, verbs, and word frequencies across both cohorts. Our findings showed that English-speaking pwAD use higher-frequency verbs than healthy individuals, a pattern not mirrored by Persian-speaking pwAD. Crucially, we found a significant interaction between the frequencies of verbs used by English and Persian speakers with and without AD. Moreover, regression models that treated noun and verb frequencies as separate predictors did not outperform models that considered overall word frequency alone in classifying AD. In conclusion, this study suggests that language abnormalities among English-speaking pwAD reflect the unique distributional properties of words in English rather than a universal noun-verb class distinction. Beyond offering a new understanding of language abnormalities in AD, the study highlights the critical need for further investigation across diverse languages to deepen our insight into the mechanisms of language impairments in neurological disorders.

Diagnostic yield of prenatal exome sequencing in the genetic screening of fetuses with brain anomalies detected by MRI and ultrasonography: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Brain anomalies (BAs) have been the focus of research, as they have a high impact on fetal health but therapeutic and diagnostic approaches are limited. OBJECTIVES: In this study, the application and efficiency of exome sequencing (ES) in detecting different cases of BAs in fetuses were evaluated and compared with chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA). SEARCH STRATEGY: To conduct this study, three databases including PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were utilised with the keywords 'prenatal', 'diagnoses', 'brain anomalies' and 'exome sequencing'. SELECTION CRITERIA: Studies were included based on the STARD checklist, for which the ES and CMA diagnostic yields were calculated. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Meta-analysis was performed on the included studies using a random-effects model and subgroup analysis to define the risk difference between them. MAIN RESULTS: We included 11 studies representing 779 fetuses that implemented ES along with imaging techniques. The pooled ES diagnostic yield in fetuses with BAs detected through magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonography was 26.53%, compared with 3.46% for CMA. The risk difference between ES and CMA for complex BAs was 0.36 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24-0.47], which was higher than for single BAs (0.22; 95% CI 0.18-0.25]. CONCLUSIONS: ES is a useful method with a significantly higher diagnostic yield than CMA for genetic assessment of fetuses with complex BAs detected by imaging techniques. Moreover, ES could be applied to suspected fetuses with related family histories to predict congenital diseases with high efficiency.

A human pilot study on positive electrostatic charge effects in solid tumors of the late-stage metastatic patients.

Background: Correlative interactions between electrical charges and cancer cells involve important unknown factors in cancer diagnosis and treatment. We previously reported the intrinsic suppressive effects of pure positive electrostatic charges (PEC) on the proliferation and metabolism of invasive cancer cells without any effect on normal cells in cell lines and animal models. The proposed mechanism was the suppression of pro-caspases 3 and 9 with an increase in Bax/Bcl2 ratio in exposed malignant cells and perturbation induced in the KRAS pathway of malignant cells by electrostatic charges due to the phosphate molecule electrostatic charge as the trigger of the pathway. This study aimed to examine PECs as a complementary treatment for patients with different types of solid metastatic tumors, who showed resistance to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Methods: In this study, solid metastatic tumors of the end-stage patients (n = 41) with various types of cancers were locally exposed to PEC for at least one course of 12 days. The patient's signs and symptoms, the changes in their tumor size, and serum markers were followed up from 30 days before positive electrostatic charge treating (PECT) until 6 months after the study. Results: Entirely, 36 patients completed the related follow-ups. Significant reduction in tumor sizes and cancer-associated enzymes as well as improvement in cancer-related signs and symptoms and patients' lifestyles, without any side effects on other tissues or metabolisms of the body, were observed in more than 80% of the candidates. Conclusion: PECT induced significant cancer remission in combination with other therapies. Therefore, this non-ionizing radiation would be a beneficial complementary therapy, with no observable side effects of ionizing radiotherapy, such as post-radiation inflammation.

Usefulness of subtraction images for accurate diagnosis of pituitary microadenomas in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for the diagnosis of pituitary microadenomas; however, it may be associated with a relatively high false-negative rate, especially in small lesions. PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of subtraction images for enhancing the visual detection of pituitary microadenomas. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 50 patients with clinically established diagnosis hyperprolactinemia, acromegaly, and Cushing's disease were enrolled. Ten patients referred for brain MRI for reasons other than pituitary abnormality were selected as control group. Routine dynamic MRI of the pituitary gland and obtained subtraction MRI scans were scrutinized separately on different sessions by an experienced radiologist blinded to the study design and patient's data. The investigator's opinion on the presence or absence of a lesion and lesion size were collected. RESULTS: In patients with pituitary microadenoma, dynamic MRI images were reported positive in 42 (84%) patients and negative in 8 (16%). Subtraction images were described as positive in all patients (100%)-including all patients with negative dynamic MRI-and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.016). Undetected lesions on dynamic MRI had a mean size of 2.84 ± 1.79 mm (median= 2.20 mm, interquartile range=1.62-4.62 mm) and a significant inverse correlation was noted between lesion size and negative report of dynamic MRI (P=0.018). Brain MRI scans in the control group were reported negative for pituitary microadenoma in both dynamic contrast-enhanced and subtraction images. CONCLUSION: Subtraction images can successfully identify all lesions detectable with conventional dynamic MRI as well as improving visualization of lesions undetected on dynamic MRI, especially in small lesions.

Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging features of fetal intracranial cystic lesions: A pictorial essay.

This pictorial essay focuses on ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of fetal intracranial cysts. Intracranial cysts are common findings in prenatal imaging, and if great attention is paid to their size, location, and imaging features, they can be diagnosed accurately. They are usually detected by fetal ultrasound exams. However, when ultrasound data on cystic lesion characteristics is insufficient, MRI and fetal neurosonogram are the best options for detecting other associated anomalies. The prognosis is highly dependent on their location and whether they are associated with other fetal anomalies.

CSF rhinorrhea after nasopharyngeal swab testing for COVID-19: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: There are more than 206 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 infection globally. Nasopharyngeal swab testing is one of the widely used diagnostic methods for the initial diagnosis of such cases. With the growing diagnostic testing capacity, it is expected to observe an increased number of adverse events due to nasopharyngeal testing. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A middle-aged woman presented with unilateral rhinorrhea, started after nasopharyngeal swab test for Covid-19. She had no prior medical issues. Thorough examination and imaging showed the presence of cerebrospinal fluid leakage. CONCLUSION: Nasopharyngeal swab testing may lead to serious complications and taking a brief history might be helpful. Also, patients should be educated on different complications of nasopharyngeal swab testing and their associated symptoms.

Correlation Between Low-Dose Chest Computed Tomography and RT-PCR Results for the Diagnosis of COVID-19: A Report of 27,824 Cases in Tehran, Iran.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard for confirmation of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite having many disadvantages. Here, we investigated the diagnostic performance of chest computed tomography (CT) as an alternative to RT-PCR in patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 infection. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 27,824 patients with clinical suspicion of COVID-19 infection who underwent unenhanced low-dose chest CT from 20 February, 2020 to 21 May, 2020 were evaluated. Patients were recruited from seven specifically designated hospitals for patients with COVID-19 infection affiliated to Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences. In each hospital, images were interpreted by two independent radiologists. CT findings were considered as positive/negative for COVID-19 infection based on RSNA diagnostic criteria. Then, the correlation between the number of daily positive chest CT scans and number of daily PCR-confirmed cases and COVID-19-related deaths in Tehran province during this three-month period was assessed. The trends of admission rate and patients with positive CT scans were also evaluated. RESULTS: A strong positive correlation between the numbers of daily positive CT scans and daily PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases (r = 0.913, p < 0.001) was observed. Furthermore, in hospitals located in regions with a lower socioeconomic status, the admission rate and number of positive cases within this three-month period was higher as compared to other hospitals. CONCLUSION: Low-dose chest CT is a safe, rapid and reliable alternative to RT-PCR for the diagnosis of COVID-19 in high-prevalence regions. In addition, our study provides further evidence for considering patients' socioeconomic status as an important risk factor for COVID-19.

Real-time diagnosis of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in fresh sputum by electrochemical tracing; correlation between COVID-19 and viral-induced ROS in lung/respiratory epithelium during this pandemic.

COVID-19 is the shocking viral pandemics of this year which affected the health, economy, communications, and all aspects of social activities all over the world. Early diagnosis of this viral disease is very important since it can prevent lots of mortalities and care consumption. The functional similarities between COVID-19 and COVID-2 in inducing acute respiratory syndrome lightened our mind to find a diagnostic mechanism based on early traces of mitochondrial ROS overproduction as lung cells' dysfunctions induced by the virus. We designed a simple electrochemical sensor to selectively detect the intensity of ROS in the sputum sample (with a volume of less than 500 µl). Comparing the results of the sensor with clinical diagnostics of more than 140 normal and involved cases resulted in a response calibration with accuracy and sensitivity both 97%. Testing the sensor in more than 4 hospitals shed promising lights in ROS based real-time tracing of COVID-19 from the sputum sample.

Differentiating glioblastoma multiforme from cerebral lymphoma: application of advanced texture analysis of quantitative apparent diffusion coefficients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme from primary central nervous system lymphoma using the customised first and second-order histogram features derived from apparent diffusion coefficients.Methods and materials: A total of 82 patients (57 with glioblastoma multiforme and 25 with primary central nervous system lymphoma) were included in this study. The axial T1 post-contrast and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance images were used to delineate regions of interest for the tumour and peritumoral oedema. The regions of interest were then co-registered with the apparent diffusion coefficient maps, and the first and second-order histogram features were extracted and compared between glioblastoma multiforme and primary central nervous system lymphoma groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was performed to calculate a cut-off value and its sensitivity and specificity to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme from primary central nervous system lymphoma. RESULTS: Based on the tumour regions of interest, apparent diffusion coefficient mean, maximum, median, uniformity and entropy were higher in the glioblastoma multiforme group than the primary central nervous system lymphoma group (P ≤ 0.001). The most sensitive first and second-order histogram feature to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme from primary central nervous system lymphoma was the maximum of 2.026 or less (95% confidence interval (CI) 75.1-99.9%), and the most specific first and second-order histogram feature was smoothness of 1.28 or greater (84.0% CI 70.9-92.8%). Based on the oedema regions of interest, most of the first and second-order histogram features were higher in the glioblastoma multiforme group compared to the primary central nervous system lymphoma group (P ≤ 0.015). The most sensitive first and second-order histogram feature to differentiate glioblastoma multiforme from primary central nervous system lymphoma was the 25th percentile of 0.675 or less (100% CI 83.2-100%) and the most specific first and second-order histogram feature was the median of 1.28 or less (85.9% CI 66.3-95.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Texture analysis using first and second-order histogram features derived from apparent diffusion coefficient maps may be helpful in differentiating glioblastoma multiforme from primary central nervous system lymphoma.

Novel coronavirus disease 2019: predicting prognosis with a computed tomography-based disease severity score and clinical laboratory data.

INTRODUCTION: Currently, there are known contributing factors but no comprehensive methods for predicting the mortality risk or intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients with novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID­19). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore risk factors for mortality and ICU admission in patients with COVID­19, using computed tomography (CT) combined with clinical laboratory data. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed COVID­19 (n = 63) from university hospitals in Tehran, Iran, were included. All patients underwent CT examination. Subsequently, a total CT score and the number of involved lung lobes were calculated and compared against collected laboratory and clinical characteristics. Univariable and multivariable proportional hazard analyses were used to determine the association among CT, laboratory and clinical data, ICU admission, and in­hospital death. RESULTS: By univariable analysis, in­hospital mortality was higher in patients with lower oxygen saturation on admission (below 88%), higher CT scores, and a higher number of lung lobes (more than 4) involved with a diffuse parenchymal pattern. By multivariable analysis, in­hospital mortality was higher in those with oxygen saturation below 88% on admission and a higher number of lung lobes involved with a diffuse parenchymal pattern. The risk of ICU admission was higher in patients with comorbidities (hypertension and ischemic heart disease), arterial oxygen saturation below 88%, and pericardial effusion. CONCLUSIONS: We can identify factors affecting in­hospital death and ICU admission in COVID-19. This can help clinicians to determine which patients are likely to require ICU admission and to inform strategic healthcare planning in critical conditions such as the COVID­19 pandemic.

Cognitive functions and white matter lesions on magnetic resonance images in a sample of normal Iranian population with cardiovascular risk factors.

PURPOSE: Due to a suggestive three-way relationship between brain structural disorders, microvascular lesions, and cognitive impairments, we aimed to examine the association of the volume and number of white matter hyperintensity lesions and lacunar infarcts with cognitive impairment among patients with cardiovascular risk factors in a sample of the Iranian population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted on a total number of 156 normal subjects aged 30-74 years with cardiovascular risk factors. We used the Framingham general cardiovascular risk factors prediction model to calculate the likelihood of each risk factor. The total number of lacunar infarcts and the volume of white matter hyperintensity lesion were calculated in brain magnetic resonance imaging. Cognition status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment questionnaire. RESULTS: An adverse association was revealed between Montreal Cognitive Assessment score and different cardiovascular risk profiles including the Framingham body mass index score ( p < 0.001) and the Framingham lipid score ( p < 0.001). The total volume of white matter hyperintensity was negatively associated with total Montreal Cognitive Assessment cognition score ( p < 0.001). Our study also showed an adverse association between total number of lacunar infarcts and total Montreal Cognitive Assessment cognition score ( p = 0.038) and with some cognition components including memory ( p = 0.013), attention ( p = 0.037), abstraction ( p = 0.046), and orientation ( p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Periventricular lesions are associated with impaired memory, language, and visuoconstruction while subcortical lesions are associated with impairment in naming, attention, language, and abstraction functions in normal subjects with cardiovascular risk factors but without cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disorders.

Gonadal vein tumor thrombosis due to renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) had a tendency to extend into the renal vein and inferior vena cava, while extension into the gonadal vein has been rarely reported. Gonadal vein tumor thrombosis appears as an enhancing filling defect within the dilated gonadal vein anterior to the psoas muscle and shows an enhancement pattern identical to that of the original tumor. The possibility of gonadal vein thrombosis should be kept in mind when looking at an imaging study of patients with RCC.

Does intra articular platelet rich plasma injection improve function, pain and quality of life in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee? A randomized clinical trial.

We designed a randomized clinical trial with control group, to investigate the effects of platelet rich plasma (PRP) on pain, stiffness, function and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomly divided in two groups. For both groups of participants, therapeutic exercise was prescribed. In the PRP group, two courses of leukocyte rich PRP (5.6 fold higher platelet concentration) with a 4-week interval was injected. For each participant, Western Ontario and McMaster University's Arthritis Index (WOMAC) and the SF-36 questionnaire (Farsi version) were filled at the baseline and 6 months after treatments. Thirty-one patients in the PRP group and 31 patients in the control group were studied. Mean changes of total WOMAC, physical component summery and mental component summery of Short Form-36 in PRP group showed better improvement than control group (P<0.05). This study showed that intra articular PRP knee injection combined with therapeutic exercise can be more effective in pain reduction and improvement of stiffness and quality of life, compared with therapeutic exercise alone.

Uterine Doppler velocimetry of the uterine arteries in the second and third trimesters for the prediction of gestational outcome.

PURPOSE: The aim of this longitudinal study was to investigate the value of uterine artery Doppler sonography during the second and third trimesters in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcome in low-risk women. METHODS: From July 2011 to August 2012, a total of 205 singleton pregnant women presenting at our antenatal clinic were enrolled in this prospective study and were assessed for baseline demographic and obstetric data. They underwent ultrasound evaluation at the time of second and third trimesters, both included Doppler assessment of bilateral uterine arteries to determine the values of the pulsatility index (PI) and resistance index (RI) and presence of early diastolic notch. The endpoint of this study was assessing the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of Doppler ultrasonography of the uterine artery, for the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes including preeclampsia, stillbirth, placental abruption and preterm labor. RESULTS: The mean age of cases was 26.4±5.11. The uterine artery PI and RI values for both second (PI: 1.1±0.42 versus 1.53±0.59, p=0.002; RI: 0.55±0.09 versus 0.72±0.13, p=0.000 respectively) and third-trimester (PI: 0.77±0.31 versus 1.09±0.46, p=0.000; RI: 0.46±0.10 versus 0.60±0.14, p=0.010 respectively) evaluations were significantly higher in patients with adverse pregnancy outcome than in normal women. Combination of PI and RI >95th percentile and presence of bilateral notch in second trimester get sensitivity and specificity of 36.1 and 97% respectively, while these measures were 57.5 and 98.2% in third trimester. CONCLUSIONS: According to our study, it seems that uterine artery Doppler may be a valuable tool for the prediction of a variety of adverse outcomes in second and third trimesters.