Decreased Quantitative Cerebral Blood Volume Is Associated With Poor Outcomes in Large Core Patients.

BACKGROUND: Recent large core trials have highlighted the effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in acute ischemic stroke with large vessel occlusion. Variable perfusion-imaging thresholds and poor Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score reliability underline the need for more standardized, quantitative ischemia measures for MT patient selection. We aimed to identify the computed tomography perfusion parameter most strongly associated with poor outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke-large vessel occlusion with significant ischemic cores. METHODS: In this study from 2 comprehensive stroke centers from 2 comprehensive stroke centers within the Johns Hopkins Medical Enterprise (Johns Hopkins Hospita-East Baltimore and Bayview Medical Campus) from July 29, 2019 to January 29, 2023 in a continuously maintained database, we included patients with acute ischemic stroke-large vessel occlusion with ischemic core volumes defined as relative cerebral blood flow <30% and ≥50 mL on computed tomography perfusion or Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score <6. We used receiver operating characteristics to find the optimal cutoff for parameters like cerebral blood volume (CBV) <34%, 38%, 42%, and relative cerebral blood flow >20%, 30%, 34%, 38%, and time-to-maximum >4, 6, 8, and 10 seconds. The primary outcome was unfavorable outcomes (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 4-6). Multivariable models were adjusted for age, sex, diabetes, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, intravenous thrombolysis, and MT. RESULTS: We identified 59 patients with large ischemic cores. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that CBV<42% ≥68 mL is associated with unfavorable outcomes (90-day modified Rankin Scale score 4-6) with an area under the curve of 0.90 (95% CI, 0.82-0.99) in the total and MT-only cohorts. Dichotomizing at this CBV threshold, patients in the ≥68 mL group exhibited significantly higher relative cerebral blood flow, time-to-maximum >8 and 10 seconds volumes, higher CBV volumes, higher HIR, and lower CBV index. The multivariable model incorporating CBV<42% ≥68 mL predicted poor outcomes robustly in both cohorts (area under the curve for MT-only subgroup was 0.87 [95% CI, 0.75-1.00]). CONCLUSIONS: CBV<42% ≥68 mL most effectively forecasts poor outcomes in patients with large-core stroke, confirming its value alongside other parameters like time-to-maximum in managing acute ischemic stroke-large vessel occlusion.

What Is Diagnostic Excellence? AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Episode 1.

In this episode of the AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Francis Deng, MD, introduces the concept of diagnostic excellence and its relevance to radiologists. Patient-centered definitions of diagnostic error and conceptualizations of the diagnostic process are discussed.

In this episode of the AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Francis Deng, MD, introduces the concept of diagnostic excellence and its relevance to radiologists. Patient-centered definitions of diagnostic error and conceptualizations of the diagnostic process are discussed.

Screening Mammography Utilization Among Women With Visual or Hearing Impairment: Results From the 2019 NHIS.

To evaluate for differences in breast cancer screening among women with visual or hearing impairment, the 2019 National Health Interview Survey was analyzed for mammography use in the past 2 years among women age 50-74, adjusting for demographic characteristics, health care access, and comorbidities. Visual impairment was independently associated with decreased likelihood of recent mammography (odds ratio [OR], 0.71; 95% CI, 0.59-0.85; p < .001). Hearing impairment was not independently associated with mammography use (OR, 0.91; 95% CI, 0.75-1.11; p = .37).

2021 Top Images in Radiology: Radiology In Training Editors' Choices.

Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Disease Severity on Admission Chest Radiographs among Patients Admitted with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background Disease severity on chest radiographs has been associated with higher risk of disease progression and adverse outcomes from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Few studies have evaluated COVID-19-related racial and/or ethnic disparities in radiology. Purpose To evaluate whether non-White minority patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection presented with increased severity on admission chest radiographs compared with White or non-Hispanic patients. Materials and Methods This single-institution retrospective cohort study was approved by the institutional review board. Patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 infection between March 17, 2020, and April 10, 2020, were identified by using the electronic medical record (n = 326; mean age, 59 years ±17 [standard deviation]; male-to-female ratio: 188:138). The primary outcome was the severity of lung disease on admission chest radiographs, measured by using the modified Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema (mRALE) score. The secondary outcome was a composite adverse clinical outcome of intubation, intensive care unit admission, or death. The primary exposure was the racial and/or ethnic category: White or non-Hispanic versus non-White (ie, Hispanic, Black, Asian, or other). Multivariable linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the association between mRALE scores and race and/or ethnicity. Results Non-White patients had significantly higher mRALE scores (median score, 6.1; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.4, 6.7) compared with White or non-Hispanic patients (median score, 4.2; 95% CI: 3.6, 4.9) (unadjusted average difference, 1.8; 95% CI: 0.9, 2.8; P < .01). For both White (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.3; 95% CI: 1.2, 1.4; P < .001) and non-White (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.2; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.3; P < .001) patients, increasing mRALE scores were associated with a higher likelihood of experiencing composite adverse outcome with no evidence of interaction (P = .16). Multivariable linear regression analyses demonstrated that non-White patients presented with higher mRALE scores at admission chest radiography compared with White or non-Hispanic patients (adjusted average difference, 1.6; 95% CI: 0.5, 2.7; P < .01). Adjustment for hypothesized mediators revealed that the association between race and/or ethnicity and mRALE scores was mediated by limited English proficiency (P < .01). Conclusion Non-White patients hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 infection were more likely to have a higher severity of disease on admission chest radiographs than White or non-Hispanic patients, and increased severity was associated with worse outcomes for all patients. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Diagnostic Stewardship: AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Episode 3.

In this episode of the AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Francis Deng, MD, and Daniel J. Morgan, MD, MS, discuss diagnostic stewardship. They explore how improving diagnostic test ordering, processing, and reporting can reduce error and improve outcomes and address practical strategies and radiologists' role in implementing stewardship.

Understanding Diagnostic Errors: AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Episode 2.

In this episode of the AJR Podcast Series on Diagnostic Excellence and Error, Francis Deng, MD, and David Newman-Toker, MD, PhD, discuss the prevalence and harms of diagnostic error in medicine; the role and causes of error in diagnostic radiology; and disease-specific examples, including in patients with stroke who present with dizziness.

Differentiated human stem cells resemble fetal, not adult, ß cells.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have the potential to generate any human cell type, and one widely recognized goal is to make pancreatic ß cells. To this end, comparisons between differentiated cell types produced in vitro and their in vivo counterparts are essential to validate hPSC-derived cells. Genome-wide transcriptional analysis of sorted insulin-expressing (INS(+)) cells derived from three independent hPSC lines, human fetal pancreata, and adult human islets points to two major conclusions: (i) Different hPSC lines produce highly similar INS(+) cells and (ii) hPSC-derived INS(+) (hPSC-INS(+)) cells more closely resemble human fetal ß cells than adult ß cells. This study provides a direct comparison of transcriptional programs between pure hPSC-INS(+) cells and true ß cells and provides a catalog of genes whose manipulation may convert hPSC-INS(+) cells into functional ß cells.