Clinical significance of pancreatic calcifications: a 15-year single-center observational study.

OBJECTIVES: Pancreatic calcifications (PC) are considered specific for chronic pancreatitis (CP), but PC may also be present in non-CP diseases. The aims are to understand the pattern of calcifications in different diseases and to determine they were related to malignant diseases. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed including patients with PC or CP undergoing surgery in the Department of General Surgery of Ruijin Hospital from January 2003 to June 2018. RESULTS: PC were observed in 168 (4.5%) of the 3755 patients with pancreatic lesions treated during the study period. The majority of patients with PC had three kinds of CP (73.2%) while 26.8% had other five kinds of non-CP diseases. In patients with non-CP diseases, the incidence of PC in malignant intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) was significantly higher than benign IPMN (8.3% vs. 0.7%, p = 0.004). In patients of CP with pancreatic mass (n = 81), PC (Odds ratio = 28.6, p = 0.000), advanced age (> 55 years) and parenchymal atrophy were independent predictors for malignancy. In patients of CP without pancreatic mass (n = 110), there were 82 cases (74.5%) with PC and 5 cases (4.5%) with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The regression model of risk factors was not successful. CONCLUSIONS: The disease spectrum with PC was very diverse. PC may be related to malignant IPMN in non-CP diseases and is related to malignancy in the patients of CP with pancreatic mass and indications for resection.

Assessment of Malignancy Potential in Intraductal Papillary Mucinous Neoplasms of the Pancreas on MDCT.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVE: To assess the malignancy potential of intraduct papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) on multidetector-row computerized tomography according to the 2012 International Consensus Guidelines (ICG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively collected IPMNs confirmed by surgery from 2016 to 2019. The imaging findings of IPMNs were analyzed. IPMNs were classified as malignancy in the presence of high-grade dysplasia or invasive carcinoma and began in the presence of low- and intermediate-grade dysplasia. RESULTS: A total of 207 patients (mean age: 63.7 ± 7.9 years) were included, and the prevalence of malignancy was 28.0% (58 of 207). According to the 2012 ICG, the imaging findings of IPMNs were divided into worrisome features (WFs) and high-risk stigmata (HRS). The malignancy of IPMN with only one WF was relatively low (1.4%, 3 of 207). In multivariate regression analyses, the independent factors of IPMNs were enhanced mural nodule ≥5 mm (odds ratio [OR] = 19.5, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.8-55.4), abrupt change in the main pancreatic duct caliber with distal pancreatic atrophy (OR = 4.6, 95%CI 1.67-12.71), and thickened enhanced cyst walls (OR = 2.9, 95%CI 1.1-8.2). When the presence of more than two WFs or HRS (score ≥ 3) was regarded as indicating the malignancy potential of IPMNs on multidetector-row computerized tomography, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 89.7%, 75.8%, 79.7%, 59.1%, and 95.0%, respectively. CONCLUSION: According to the ICG in 2012, patients with IPMNs with only one WF have a low risk for malignancy, and the presence of at least two WFs or any HRS (score ≥3) suggests malignant IPMNs.

Comparison between robot-assisted middle pancreatectomy and robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy for benign or low-grade malignant tumours located in the neck of the pancreas: A propensity score matched study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term and long-term outcomes between robot-assisted middle pancreatectomy (RMP) and robot-assisted distal pancreatectomy (RDP). METHODS: From August 2010 to May 2018, more than 800 patients were diagnosed with benign or low-grade malignant pancreatic tumours. According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 164 patients were included in our study. Among them 123 patients received RMP and 41 patients received RDP with spleen-preserving. These patients were divided into two groups, and propensity score matching (PSM) was used to minimize bias. Short-term and long-term outcomes were recorded and analysed. RESULTS: After 1:1 matching, 38 cases of RMP and RDP were recorded and the baseline data was balanced. In the RMP group, 14 patients (36.8%) were female. In the RDP group, 13 patients (34.2%) were female. RDP had advantages in short-term outcomes including overall morbidity (28.9% vs. 60.5%, p = 0.011), Severe morbidity (0 vs. 10.5%, p = 0.017), clinical-relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) rate (10.5% vs. 36.8%, p = 0.007) and postoperative length of hospital stay (16.5 ± 8.6 days vs. 23.6 ± 12.9 days, p = 0.006). The operative time was similar; however, there were less estimated blood loss (EBL) in RMP group (31.3 ± 33.0 ml vs. 62.3 ± 38.2 ml, p<0.001). Patients in these two groups had a similar result in preservation of the pancreatic function. There was no statistic difference in incidence rate of exocrine and endocrine insufficiency between two groups (2.6% vs. 7.9%, p = 0.608; 5.3% vs. 10.5%, p = 0.671). CONCLUSION: For benign or low-grade malignant tumours located at the neck of the pancreas, RMP and RDP could both be considered. The morbidity especially CR-POPF rate after RDP would be lower, but RMP would be more helpful in reducing EBL. RMP should be chosen with caution as it did not show a huge advantage in preserving normal pancreatic function. Further prospective randomised studies should be designed to compare these two types of surgery.

Left ventricular myocardial deformation: a study on diastolic function in the Chinese male population and its relationship with fat distribution.

BACKGROUND: Obesity has become an epidemic in China with its increased prevalence, especially in the male population. Disparities in fat distribution rather than increasing body mass index (BMI) confer the risk of different diseases, including cardiac abnormalities. Therefore, early detection of cardiac abnormalities is important for treatment to reverse the progression to heart failure. Nowadays, strain analysis based on cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has been established to assess myocardial function in diverse cardiac diseases. We aimed to assess the relationship between fat distribution and subclinical diastolic dysfunction in obese Chinese men assessed by deformation registration algorithm (DRA)-based myocardial strain rate (SR) analysis. METHODS: A total of 115 male participants with different BMI underwent CMR scanning using a 1.5T MAGNETOM Aera (Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) and computed tomography (CT) scan. All the participants were enrolled from September 2017 to April 2018. They were classified into 3 groups according to their BMIs with 23 and 27.5 kg/m2 being the cutoff values. A Trufi-Strain prototype software (version 2.0, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany) was used to quantify SR in both early and late diastole from CMR cine images. Ratios of early and late SRs were calculated. Areas of epicardial and pericardial adipose tissue (EAT and PAT) were measured on a single 4-chamber-view slice of cine images. Volumes of visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (VAT and SAT) were acquired semi-automatically from CT images using the dedicated software Cardiac Risk2.0 (Siemens Healthcare). Waist and hip circumferences were manually measured (WC and HC). Analysis of variance or nonparametric tests, along with correlation and stepwise multivariate regression analysis models, was applied for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Peak late diastolic SRs were higher in obese men compared with their lean counterparts [-36.25±10.46 vs. -29.46±8.17, 66.97±18.58 vs. 45.62 (42.44, 55.96), and 56.81±15.07 vs. 41.40±6.41 for radial, circumferential, and longitudinal SRs, respectively; P<0.05]. All SR ratios in the obese subgroups were lower than those of lean men (3.12±1.14 vs. 4.63±1.24, 2.12±0.58 vs. 2.96±0.62 and 1.63±0.50 vs. 2.20±0.63 for radial, circumferential, and longitudinal directions, respectively; P<0.05). EAT was a significant predictor of diastolic function assessed by radial and circumferential SR ratios (ß=-0.439 and -0.337 respectively; all P<0.001), while VAT was a significant predictor of circumferential and longitudinal SR ratios (ß=-0.216 and -0.355, respectively, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased LV diastolic function assessed by DRA-based SR analysis in obesity is associated with fat distribution. Furthermore, EAT and VAT might be better predictors of a decrease of diastolic function in obese Chinese men than BMI.

Impact of nasopharyngeal irradiation and gadolinium administration on changes in T1 signal intensity of the dentate nucleus in nasopharyngeal malignancy patients without intracranial abnormalities.

BACKGROUND: Irradiation has been found to increase T1 signal intensity (SI) of the dentate nucleus (DN) by accelerating the gadolinium deposition in patients after multiple gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA) administrations. Several reports have focused on this phenomenon in patients with brain tumors; however, data in patients receiving irradiation with no intracranial abnormalities (NIAs) are lacking. PURPOSE: To explore how nasopharyngeal irradiation affected SI changes on unenhanced T1 -weighted imaging (T1 WI) in the DN in nasopharyngeal malignancy (NPM) patients who presented with NIAs and who had multiple injection doses (IDs) of linear GBCAs. STUDY TYPE: Single-center, retrospective, case-control study. POPULATION: In all, 132 subjects: 66 NPM patients, 66 matched controls. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5T and 3T/T1 WI, T2 WI, and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR). ASSESSMENT: Radiation doses (RDs) were calculated by a radiotherapy technician. SIs were measured by a radiologist. The DN-to-cerebellar white matter (CWM) SI ratios and their relative percentage change (Rchange ) were compared. STATISTICAL TESTS: Shapiro-Wilk test, paired t-test, independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U-test, Pearson and Spearman correlation. RESULTS: DN/CWM b ratios or R change from the NPM group were significantly higher than those from the control group (P < 0.001). No significant difference of DN/CWM a ratios was found between the two groups (P > 0.05). Positive correlations between R change , DN/CWM b ratio, and the number of IDs were found in both the NPM and control groups (P < 0.01). The overall changes of DN/CWM b ratio or R change between NPM and control groups were higher for the higher-IDs subgroup (≥10) than for the lower-IDs subgroup (<10). DATA CONCLUSION: Nasopharyngeal irradiation appeared to increase SI in T1 WI in NPM patients with NIAs and repeated GBCA administrations relative to control patients who also underwent GBCA administrations, especially when IDs ≥10. However, no significant association between R change and RDs to the DNs was found. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2020;51:250-259.