Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (D-CEUS) for the early prediction of bevacizumab efficacy in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate early changes in tumour perfusion parameters by dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (D-CEUS) and to identify any correlation with survival and tumour response in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (CRC) treated with bevacizumab (B). METHODS: Thirty-seven patients randomized to either chemotherapy (C) plus B or C alone were considered for this study. D-CEUS was performed at baseline and after the first treatment cycle (day 15). Four D-CEUS perfusion parameters were considered: derived peak intensity (DPI), area under the curve (AUC), slope of wash-in (A) and time to peak intensity (TPI). RESULTS: In patients treated with C plus B, a ≥22.5 % reduction in DPI, ≥20 % increase in TPI and ≥10 % reduction in AUC were correlated with higher progression-free survival in the C+B arm (p = 0.048, 0.024 and 0.010, respectively) but not in the C arm. None of the evaluated parameter modifications had a correlation with tumour response or overall survival. CONCLUSIONS: D-CEUS could be useful for detecting and quantifying dynamic changes in tumour vascularity as early as 15 days after the start of B-based therapy. Although these changes may be predictive of progression-free survival, no correlation with response or overall survival was found. KEY POINTS: • D-CEUS showed early changes in liver metastasis perfusion in colorectal cancer. • A decrease in tumour perfusion was associated with longer progression-free survival. • The decrease in perfusion was not correlated with higher overall survival.

The role of DXA in sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is a condition characterized by progressive and generalized reduction in skeletal muscle mass and muscle strength, associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes (disability, hospitalization, death). The growing attention in the last years, aiming to establish a consensus definition and treatment, reflects the interest of the scientific community toward this complex condition, which has many implications in clinical practice and public health. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the gold-standard technique in the analysis of body composition at molecular level, providing assessment and quantification of fat mass, lean mass and bone mineral content, both in a single body region of interest and at whole-body level. In particular, through the assessment of non-bone lean mass parameters, such as appendicular lean mass adjusted for BMI or height (ALM/BMI and ALM/ht2, respectively), it is possible to discriminate subjects with "physiological" loss of muscle mass from those with "pathological" impoverishment of this compartment, referring to specific cutoff values validated in the literature, but keeping in mind the lack of standardization of DXA measures. In addition, it is useful in treatment planning, estimating resting energy expenditure, and in follow-up, because it allows quantifying with high reproducibility the modifications in BC, distinguishing when the change is biological (deterioration due to a progression of the disease or improvement due to treatment). Due to DXA favorability in terms of accuracy, simplicity, availability, low cost and low radiation exposure, its role in sarcopenia diagnosis is becoming increasingly important, emerging as reference assessment technique in muscle mass evaluation.

Rare causes of pulmonary hypertension: spectrum of radiological findings and review of the literature.

Following a brief introduction covering the clinical signs and symptoms of pulmonary hypertension (PH), its most recent classification into six groups, and the computed tomography (CT) features common to all forms of PH, this paper illustrates the typical patterns that can be found on chest radiography and CT in rare causes of PH. We present and compare with the existing literature our personal series of cases of rare forms of PH, found in the following diseases: veno-occlusive disease, pulmonary capillary haemangiomatosis, non-thrombotic pulmonary embolism (tumour embolism and carcinomatous lymphangitis, talcosis, hydatid disease), pulmonary artery sarcoma, neurofibromatosis, sarcoidosis, and Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Rare forms of PH show low incidence and prevalence, and are, therefore, poorly recognised. Their diagnosis is a challenge for clinicians, pathologists, and radiologists, and any additional knowledge about the CT findings may help the diagnosis in the case of patients affected by PH of unknown origin.

Upper and lower limbs composition: a comparison between anthropometry and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in healthy people.

The detection of changes in lean mass (LM) distribution can help to prevent disability. This study assessed the degree of association between anthropometric measurements and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) body composition (BC) parameters of the upper and lower limbs in a healthy general population and collected DXA age- and sex-specific values of BC that can be useful to build a reference standard. PURPOSE: The primary aim of this study was to investigate the reliability of some widely available anthropometric measurements in the assessment of body composition (BC) at the limbs, especially in terms of muscle mass, in a large sample of healthy subjects of different age bands and sex, using fat mass (FM) and lean mass (LM) parameters derived by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) as the gold standard. The secondary aim was to collect DXA age- and sex-specific values of BC of left and right limbs (upper and lower) in a healthy Italian population to be used as reference standards. METHODS: Two hundred fifty healthy volunteers were enrolled. Arm circumference (AC) and thigh circumference (ThC) were measured, and total and regional BC parameters were obtained by a whole-body DXA scan (Lunar iDXA, Madison, WI, USA; enCORE™ 2011 software version 13.6). RESULTS: FM/LM showed only fair correlation with AC and ThC in females (r = 0.649 and 0.532, respectively); in males and in the total population, the correlation was low (r = 0.360 or lower, and p non-statistically significant). AC and ThC were not well representative of arms LM in both genders (females r = 0.452, males r = 0.530) independently of age. In general, men of all age groups showed higher values of LM and lean mass index (LMI) in both total and segmental upper and lower limbs. In males, the maximum LM and LMI were achieved in the fifth decade in both upper and lower limbs and then started to decrease with aging. In females, no significant modification with aging was identified in LM and LMI. CONCLUSION: According to our results, anthropometry is not well representative of LM of arms in both genders, independently of age; therefore, a densitometric examination should be considered for a correct assessment of BC at limbs.

The role of ultrasonography in the evaluation of abdominal fat: analysis of technical and methodological issues.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Ultrasonography (US) is becoming popular for the assessment of adiposity, but no one has studied this tool in the light of its potential limitations. Our purpose was to investigate the impact of technical conditions on the evaluation of abdominal fat by US. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five healthy males and 45 healthy females were consecutively enrolled in the study, randomly assigned to three groups equally distributed by sex, and examined accordingly to three technical points: fasting state (before and after meal [A]), breathing (expiration and inspiration [B]), and US equipment from different generations: 2003 and 1998 (C). Two blinded radiologists performed US in the these opposite conditions, acquiring five parameters representative of subcutaneous and visceral adiposity in two times. Student's t-test and Lin's correlation coefficient were used for statistical analysis to assess differences in the measures as well as in inter- and intra-observer agreements. RESULTS: The maximum and the only statistically significant changes were observed for intra-abdominal fat thickness regarding fasting state and breathing (Δ% = 24.1 ± 21.3 and Δ% = 9.2 ± 20.4, respectively; P < .0001). Reproducibility and repeatability, especially for visceral fat, were proved more stable in the following conditions: fasting state, expiration, and newer machine (2003). CONCLUSION: This article provides essential information and "range of confidence" for variations that can be expected from using different conditions in the measurement of abdominal adiposity by US to be carefully addressed as well as considered by US users and by researchers involving this technique in the field of body composition.