Metabolic-associated fatty liver voxel-based quantification on CT images using a contrast adapted automatic tool.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Metabolic-dysfunction associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is highly prevalent and can lead to liver complications and comorbidities, with non-invasive tests such as vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and invasive liver biopsies being used for diagnosis The aim of the present study was to develop a new fully automatized method for quantifying the percentage of fat in the liver based on a voxel analysis on computed tomography (CT) images to solve previously unconcluded diagnostic deficiencies either in contrast (CE) or non-contrast enhanced (NCE) assessments. METHODS: Liver and spleen were segmented using nn-UNet on CE- and NCE-CT images. Radiodensity values were obtained for both organs for defining the key benchmarks for fatty liver assessment: liver mean, liver-to-spleen ratio, liver-spleen difference, and their average. VCTE was used for validation. A classification task method was developed for detection of suitable patients to fulfill maximum reproducibility across cohorts and highlight subjects with other potential radiodensity-related diseases. RESULTS: Best accuracy was attained using the average of all proposed benchmarks being the liver-to-spleen ratio highly useful for CE and the liver-to-spleen difference for NCE. The proposed whole-organ automatic segmentation displayed superior potential when compared to the typically used manual region-of-interest drawing as it allows to accurately obtain the percent of fat in liver, among other improvements. Atypical patients were successfully stratified through a function based on biochemical data. CONCLUSIONS: The developed method tackles the current drawbacks including biopsy invasiveness, and CT-related weaknesses such as lack of automaticity, dependency on contrast agent, no quantification of the percentage of fat in liver, and limited information on region-to-organ affectation. We propose this tool as an alternative for individualized MAFLD evaluation by an early detection of abnormal CT patterns based in radiodensity whilst abording detection of non-suitable patients to avoid unnecessary exposure to CT radiation. Furthermore, this work presents a surrogate aid for assessing fatty liver at a primary assessment of MAFLD using elastography data.

Identification of Precise 3D CT Radiomics for Habitat Computation by Machine Learning in Cancer.

Purpose To identify precise three-dimensional radiomics features in CT images that enable computation of stable and biologically meaningful habitats with machine learning for cancer heterogeneity assessment. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included 2436 liver or lung lesions from 605 CT scans (November 2010-December 2021) in 331 patients with cancer (mean age, 64.5 years ± 10.1 [SD]; 185 male patients). Three-dimensional radiomics were computed from original and perturbed (simulated retest) images with different combinations of feature computation kernel radius and bin size. The lower 95% confidence limit (LCL) of the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to measure repeatability and reproducibility. Precise features were identified by combining repeatability and reproducibility results (LCL of ICC ≥ 0.50). Habitats were obtained with Gaussian mixture models in original and perturbed data using precise radiomics features and compared with habitats obtained using all features. The Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) was used to assess habitat stability. Biologic correlates of CT habitats were explored in a case study, with a cohort of 13 patients with CT, multiparametric MRI, and tumor biopsies. Results Three-dimensional radiomics showed poor repeatability (LCL of ICC: median [IQR], 0.442 [0.312-0.516]) and poor reproducibility against kernel radius (LCL of ICC: median [IQR], 0.440 [0.33-0.526]) but excellent reproducibility against bin size (LCL of ICC: median [IQR], 0.929 [0.853-0.988]). Twenty-six radiomics features were precise, differing in lung and liver lesions. Habitats obtained with precise features (DSC: median [IQR], 0.601 [0.494-0.712] and 0.651 [0.52-0.784] for lung and liver lesions, respectively) were more stable than those obtained with all features (DSC: median [IQR], 0.532 [0.424-0.637] and 0.587 [0.465-0.703] for lung and liver lesions, respectively; P < .001). In the case study, CT habitats correlated quantitatively and qualitatively with heterogeneity observed in multiparametric MRI habitats and histology. Conclusion Precise three-dimensional radiomics features were identified on CT images that enabled tumor heterogeneity assessment through stable tumor habitat computation. Keywords: CT, Diffusion-weighted Imaging, Dynamic Contrast-enhanced MRI, MRI, Radiomics, Unsupervised Learning, Oncology, Liver, Lung Supplemental material is available for this article. © RSNA, 2024 See also the commentary by Sagreiya in this issue.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: A Useful Tool to Study and Monitor Hepatic Tumors Treated With Histotripsy.

Histotripsy is a novel noninvasive nonthermal, nonionizing, and precise treatment technique for tissue destruction. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) improves the detection, characterization, and follow-up of hepatic lesions because it depicts accurately the vascular perfusion of both normal hepatic tissue and hepatic tumors. We present the spectrum of imaging findings of CEUS after histotripsy treatment of hepatic tumors. CEUS provides real-time information, a close approximation to the dimension of the lesion, and a clear definition of its margins. Hepatic tumors detected by ultrasound can be potentially treated using B-mode ultrasound-guided histotripsy and characterized and monitored with CEUS. CEUS has shown to be very useful after tissue treatment to monitor and assess the evolution of the treated zone. Histotripsy treated zones are practically isoechogenic and slightly heterogeneous, and their limits are difficult to establish using standard B-mode ultrasound. The use of CEUS after histotripsy showing uptake of contrast protruding into the treated zone is clinically relevant to identify residual tumors and establish the most appropriate management strategy avoiding unnecessary treatments. We here describe CEUS findings after histotripsy for hepatic tumors.

A CT-based Radiomics Signature Is Associated with Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors in Advanced Solid Tumors.

Background Reliable predictive imaging markers of response to immune checkpoint inhibitors are needed. Purpose To develop and validate a pretreatment CT-based radiomics signature to predict response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in advanced solid tumors. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, a radiomics signature was developed in patients with advanced solid tumors (including breast, cervix, gastrointestinal) treated with anti-programmed cell death-1 or programmed cell death ligand-1 monotherapy from August 2012 to May 2018 (cohort 1). This was tested in patients with bladder and lung cancer (cohorts 2 and 3). Radiomics variables were extracted from all metastases delineated at pretreatment CT and selected by using an elastic-net model. A regression model combined radiomics and clinical variables with response as the end point. Biologic validation of the radiomics score with RNA profiling of cytotoxic cells (cohort 4) was assessed with Mann-Whitney analysis. Results The radiomics signature was developed in 85 patients (cohort 1: mean age, 58 years ± 13 [standard deviation]; 43 men) and tested on 46 patients (cohort 2: mean age, 70 years ± 12; 37 men) and 47 patients (cohort 3: mean age, 64 years ± 11; 40 men). Biologic validation was performed in a further cohort of 20 patients (cohort 4: mean age, 60 years ± 13; 14 men). The radiomics signature was associated with clinical response to immune checkpoint inhibitors (area under the curve [AUC], 0.70; 95% CI: 0.64, 0.77; P < .001). In cohorts 2 and 3, the AUC was 0.67 (95% CI: 0.58, 0.76) and 0.67 (95% CI: 0.56, 0.77; P < .001), respectively. A radiomics-clinical signature (including baseline albumin level and lymphocyte count) improved on radiomics-only performance (AUC, 0.74 [95% CI: 0.63, 0.84; P < .001]; Akaike information criterion, 107.00 and 109.90, respectively). Conclusion A pretreatment CT-based radiomics signature is associated with response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, likely reflecting the tumor immunophenotype. © RSNA, 2021 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Summers in this issue.

Minimizing acquisition-related radiomics variability by image resampling and batch effect correction to allow for large-scale data analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To identify CT-acquisition parameters accounting for radiomics variability and to develop a post-acquisition CT-image correction method to reduce variability and improve radiomics classification in both phantom and clinical applications. METHODS: CT-acquisition protocols were prospectively tested in a phantom. The multi-centric retrospective clinical study included CT scans of patients with colorectal/renal cancer liver metastases. Ninety-three radiomics features of first order and texture were extracted. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) between CT-acquisition protocols were evaluated to define sources of variability. Voxel size, ComBat, and singular value decomposition (SVD) compensation methods were explored for reducing the radiomics variability. The number of robust features was compared before and after correction using two-proportion z test. The radiomics classification accuracy (K-means purity) was assessed before and after ComBat- and SVD-based correction. RESULTS: Fifty-three acquisition protocols in 13 tissue densities were analyzed. Ninety-seven liver metastases from 43 patients with CT from two vendors were included. Pixel size, reconstruction slice spacing, convolution kernel, and acquisition slice thickness are relevant sources of radiomics variability with a percentage of robust features lower than 80%. Resampling to isometric voxels increased the number of robust features when images were acquired with different pixel sizes (p < 0.05). SVD-based for thickness correction and ComBat correction for thickness and combined thickness-kernel increased the number of reproducible features (p < 0.05). ComBat showed the highest improvement of radiomics-based classification in both the phantom and clinical applications (K-means purity 65.98 vs 73.20). CONCLUSION: CT-image post-acquisition processing and radiomics normalization by means of batch effect correction allow for standardization of large-scale data analysis and improve the classification accuracy. KEY POINTS: • The voxel size (accounting for the pixel size and slice spacing), slice thickness, and convolution kernel are relevant sources of CT-radiomics variability. • Voxel size resampling increased the mean percentage of robust CT-radiomics features from 59.50 to 89.25% when comparing CT scans acquired with different pixel sizes and from 71.62 to 82.58% when the scans were acquired with different slice spacings. • ComBat batch effect correction reduced the CT-radiomics variability secondary to the slice thickness and convolution kernel, improving the capacity of CT-radiomics to differentiate tissues (in the phantom application) and the primary tumor type from liver metastases (in the clinical application).

Morpho-metabolic post-surgical patterns of non-infected prosthetic heart valves by [18F]FDG PET/CTA: "normality" is a possible diagnosis.

AIMS: To define characteristic PET/CTA patterns of FDG uptake and anatomic changes following prosthetic heart valves (PVs) implantation over time, to help not to misdiagnose post-operative inflammation and avoid false-positive cases. METHODS AND RESULTS: Prospective evaluation of 37 post-operative patients without suspected infection that underwent serial cardiac PET/CTA examinations at 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery, in which metabolic features (FDG uptake distribution pattern and intensity) and anatomic changes were evaluated. Standardized uptake values (SUVs) were obtained and a new measure, the valve uptake index (VUI), (SUVmax-SUVmean)/SUVmax, was tested to homogenize SUV results.In total, 111 PET/CTA scans were performed in 37 patients (19 aortic and 18 mitral valves). FDG uptake was visually detectable in 79.3% of patients and showed a diffuse, homogeneous distribution pattern in 93%. Quantitative analysis yielded a mean maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) of 4.46 ± 1.50 and VUI of 0.35 ± 0.10. There were no significant differences in FDG distribution or uptake values between 1, 6, or 12 months. No abnormal anatomic changes or endocarditis lesions were detected in any patient during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: FDG uptake, often seen in recently implanted PVs, shows a characteristic pattern of post-operative inflammation and, in the absence of associated anatomic lesions, could be considered a normal finding. These features remain stable for at least 1 year after surgery, so questioning the recommended 3-month safety period. A new measure, the VUI, can be useful for evaluating the FDG distribution pattern.

Polimialgia reumática: Presentación de caso / Polymialgia Rheumatica: a Case Report

La polimialgia reumática es una enfermedad que generalmente afecta a los individuos mayores de 50 años. Desde 1963 se ha modificado su denominación y clasificación; en la actualidad, para su diagnóstico se cuentan con criterios clínicos e imagenológicos. Entre los criterios imagenológicos se considera especialmente el ultrasonido; sin embargo, la resonancia magnética permite descartar diagnósticos diferenciales y considerar en forma oportuna el diagnóstico de la polimialgia reumática. Esto se destaca en el presente artículo que describe el caso de una paciente de 56 años con antecedentes de perioniquia secundaria a pedicura y, como complicación, una espondilodiscitis. Posteriormente aparece dolor articular simétrico, matutino, en caderas y hombros; por medio de resonancia magnética se establece el diagnóstico del proceso infeccioso inicial y se descarta el compromiso infeccioso articular, lo cual se asocia a criterios clínicos y se diagnostica y trata la polimialgia reumática.

Polymyalgia rheumatica is a disease that usually affects people over 50 years old. Since 1963, its name and classification have been modified; at present, there are clinical and imaging data criteria for its diagnosis. Among the imaging criteria, ultrasound plays a pivotal role; however, magnetic resonance helps to rule out different diagnoses, as well as to clarify the diagnosis of polymyalgia rheumatica. This paper highlights this fact by presenting the case of a 56-year old female patient with a history of paronychia secondary to pedicure, and spondylodiscitis as a complication. Later, she reports symmetrical joint pain in hips and shoulders in the morning; magnetic resonance is used to establish the initial infective process, while infective joint involvement is discarded; it is associated with clinical criteria in order to establish the diagnosis and treatment of polymyalgia rheumatic.

Valoración psicométrica de los componentes físicos (CSF) y mentales (CSM) del SF-36 en pacientes insuficientes renales crónicos en tratamiento con hemodiálisis / Psychometric assessment of the physical and mental components of the SF-36 in chronic renal insufficiency failure patients in treatment with haemodyalisis

La calidad de vida relacionada con la salud es un constructo que se está utilizando cada vez con más frecuencia para evaluar las variables relacionadas con la salud desde la perspectiva del individuo. En este trabajo se analizaron las características descriptivas de las escalas resumidas de componentes de salud físico (CSF) y componentes de salud mental (CSM), provenientes del SF-36 V2 en pacientes insuficientes renales crónicos terminales sometidos a tratamiento con hemodiálisis. Se trata de un estudio cuantitativo de corte transversal cuya población estuvo compuesta por los pacientes de la patología antes citada controlados en los centros de diálisis de la Comuna de Concepción, Chile, en el año 2005. La muestra incluyó a 270 pacientes, que corresponden a un 65 por ciento del universo. El instrumento principal utilizado estuvo constituido por el SF-36, para medir la variable principal Calidad de Vida y se agregaron variables sociodemográficas. El instrumento demostró una alta confiabilidad para los componentes de salud física y mental con un alfa de Cronbach de 0,86 para cada uno. En términos generales los instrumentos CSF y CSM provenientes del SF-36 permiten capturar apropiadamente la situación de vida por la que están atravesando las personas, como es el caso de los pacientes nefrópatas en tratamiento con hemodiálisis, que fueron objeto de este estudio.

The quality of life related to health is a construct that is being used with increasing frequency to evaluate the variables related to health from the perspective of the individual. In this study we analyzed the characteristics of the summarized descriptive scales of physical health components (CSF) and mental health components (MSC) from the SF-36 V2 in terminal patients with chronic renal insufficiency treated with hemodialysis. This is a cross sectional quantitative study with a population of patients with the previously quoted pathology controlled in the dialysis facilities in the area of Concepción, Chile in 2005. The sample consisted of 270 patients, which is 65 percent of the universe. The main instrument was the SF-36 for measuring the quality of life main variable. Socio-demographic variables were added. The instrument showed a high reliability for the components of physical and mental health with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.86, for each one. In general terms, the instruments CSF and MSC from the SF-36 properly capture the life conditions that people are experiencing, as is the case with nephropathy patients undergoing hemodialysis treatment, who were the subject of this study.

Crecimiento de plantas de papa (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cv. Alpha, inducido por diversas soluciones salinas. / Growth of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cv. Alpha induced by diverse salinity solutions. / Crecimiento de plantas de batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) Cv. Alpha, inducido por diversas soluções salinas

Se estudió en macetas el crecimiento de plantas de papa (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Alpha, en condiciones de estrés inducido por sales (NaCl, NaHCO3, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, MgCl2·6H2O y MgSO4·7H2O) y por las salinidades sulfático-clorhídrica, clorhídrico-sulfática y sulfático-sódica, a concentraciones de 0,00 a 9,60g·l-1. Cada sal y tipo de salinidad produjo un retardo diferencial de la emergencia de brotes, en íntima relación con su porcentaje de brotación analizado en la fase experimental anterior. Dicho retraso obedece a 1) el efecto osmótico de NaCl, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, salinidades clorhídrico-sulfática y sulfático-clorhídrica, y 2) al efecto tóxico de MgCl2·6H2O, MgSO4·7H2O, NaHCO3 y salinidad sulfático-sódica. Ambos efectos incrementan el periodo de quiescencia de los tubérculos, siendo más agudo el efecto tóxico de las sales sódico-alcalinas. El estrés salino prolongó la duración de las etapas de crecimiento vegetativo y retrasó la iniciación de tubérculos. El escaso desarrollo foliar al momento de la iniciación de los tubérculos originó una lenta tasa de crecimiento de los mismos, produciendo papa pequeña. El fenómeno fue más pronunciado en las plantas sometidas a salinidad sulfático-sódica y NaHCO3, a concentraciones superiores a 3,84g·l-1, donde se formaron plantas con enanismo y ausencia de tubérculos.

The growth of potato plants (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Alpha was studied in stress conditions induced by salts (NaCl, NaHCO3, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, MgCl2·6H2O and MgSO4·7H2O) and by sulphatic-chlorhidric, chlorhidric-sulphatic and sulphatic-sodic salinities, in concentrations ranging from 0.00 to 9.60gl-1. Each salt and salinity produced a differential retardation in sprouts emergence, closely related with the sprouting percentage analyzed in a previous experiment. This retardation is due to 1) the osmotic effect of NaCl, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, sulphatic-chlorhidric salinity and chlorhidric-sulphatic salinity, and 2) the toxic effect of MgCl2·6H2O, MgSO4·7H2O, NaHCO3 and sulphatic-sodic salinity. Both effects increase the dormancy period of the tubers, and generally the toxic effect of alkaline-sodic salts is more intense. The saline effect extended the phase of vegetative growth and retarded tuber initiation. The poor development of leaves in the tubers initiation period caused a slow rate of growth of the potato tubers and small potatoes were produced. The phenomenon was more pronounced in plants subjected to sulphatic-sodic salinity and NaHCO3 in concentrations higher than 3.84g·l-1, when dwarf plants and plants without tubers were produced.

Foi estudado, em vasos experimentais, o crecimiento de plantas de batata (Solanum tuberosum L.) cv. Alpha, en condições de estresse inducido por sais de NaCl, NaHCO3, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, MgCl2·6H2O e MgSO4·7H2O e salinidades sulfático-clorhídrica, clorhídrico-sulfática y sulfático-sódica, em concentrações de 0.00 a 9.60 g L-1. Cada sal e tipo de salinidade produciu uma demora diferencial da emergência de rebentos ou brotos, em íntima relaçao com a sua percentagem de brotação, analisada na primeira fase experimental (Sánchez et al., 2003). Dita demora obedece a: 1) o efeito osmótico das sais NaCl, Na2SO4, CaCl2·2H2O, salinidades clorhídrico-sulfática e sulfático-clorhídrica, e 2) ao efeito tóxico das sais MgCl2·6H2O, MgSO4·7H2O, NaHCO3 e á salinidade sulfático-sódica; ambos efeitos vão incrementar o periodo de quiesencia dos tubérculos, tornando mais agudo o efeito tóxico das sais sódico-alcalinas. O estresse salino prolongou a duração das etapas de crescimento vegetativo, a de iniciación de tubérculos. O escaso desenvolvimiento foliar no momento da iniciação dos tubérculos, deu origem a uma lenta tasa de crecimiento dos mesmos, producindo batata pequena; o fenómeno foi mais pronunciado nas plantas sometidas a salinidade sulfático-sódica e NaHCO3, em concentrações superiores a 3,84g·l-1. aonde se formaram plantas con nanismo e ausênicia de tubérculos.