Simultaneous Integrated Boost Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy for Middle or Lower Esophageal Cancer Using Elective Nodal Irradiation: Comparison with 3D Conformal Radiotherapy.

We investigated the feasibility of simultaneous integrated boost (SIB) volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) using elective nodal irradiation (ENI) for middle or lower esophageal cancer and compared it with three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT). The study included 15 patients. The prescribed doses included a standard dose (50.4 Gy) and a high dose (60 Gy) for the planning target volume (PTV) of the involved lesions. The objective of the whole lung volume receiving ≥ 20 Gy (V20Gy) was < 30%, and the mean lung dose (MLD) was < 20 Gy. The volumes of the lung receiving 5 Gy (V5Gy) and the heart receiving 30-50 Gy (V30-50Gy) were kept as low as reasonably achievable. As a result, SIB-VMAT showed superior dose conformity for the PTV (p<0.001). Although the lung V5Gy was significantly increased (p<0.001), the V20Gy and MLD showed no significant increase. The heart V30-50Gy showed a > 20% reduction in the mean against 3D-CRTs. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of SIB-VMAT for the treatment of middle or lower esophageal cancer with ENI. Although attention should be paid to the low-dose area of the lungs, SIB-VMAT would be a promising treatment option with improved outcomes for esophageal cancer.

An Adult Case of Nasal Chondromesenchymal Hamartoma: Imaging Characteristics Including Diffusion-Weighted Images.

Nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma (NCMH), a rare, benign, nasal cavity tumor, typically occurs in children. Differential diagnosis is difficult because NCMH often presents with non-specific findings, including cystic components and invasion of the surrounding area on T2-weighted magnetic resonance images. Here, we present a rare adult case of NCMH, with no clear hyperintensity on diffusion-weighted images (DWI), and bone remodeling on the tumor margins on computed tomography. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of DWI on NCMH, and these findings, which suggest benign disease, may be useful in diagnosing NCMH.

Percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy in patients with malignant pharyngoesophageal obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy is widely practiced, but we use interventional radiology techniques to perform percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy in cancer patients with conditions that prevent endoscope insertion due to pharyngoesophageal obstruction. This study retrospectively investigated the effectiveness of percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy at our hospital. METHODS: We investigated the medical records of 105 patients who underwent percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy between 2001 and 2011. The technique used for percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy comprised insufflation to dilate the stomach via a nasogastric tube, followed by fluoroscopically guided puncture and gastrostomy tube placement. In patients for whom a nasogastric tube could not be inserted, the stomach was punctured with a fine needle under ultrasonographic guidance and insufflated via this puncture needle to achieve dilation. RESULTS: Patients comprised 75 men and 30 women (mean age, 63 years). A nasogastric tube was used during percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy in 81 cases, but could not be used in 24. The percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy procedure was successful in all cases. Serious post-percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy complications comprised one case each of decreased hemoglobin requiring blood transfusion, pneumoperitonitis that was treated by a laparotomy and infected fistula requiring tube removal (3/105, 2.9%). Duration of gastrostomy tube placement was 1-731 days, and the outcome was death in 59 cases, hospital transfer in 23, tube removal in 18 and survival with gastrostomy tube in place in 5. CONCLUSIONS: Serious complications requiring treatment occurred in 2.9% of cases in which percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy was performed, with mostly good effectiveness. Percutaneous radiologic gastrostomy is feasible even for patients in whom a nasogastric tube cannot be inserted.

Incidence of and risk factors for pneumothorax and chest tube placement after CT fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous lung biopsy: retrospective analysis of the procedures conducted over a 9-year period.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the incidence of and the risk factors for pneumothorax and chest tube placement after CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed 1,098 CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsies conducted with 20-gauge coaxial cutting needles for 1,155 lesions in 1,033 patients. Apart from evaluating the incidence of pneumothorax and chest tube placement, the independent risk factors for pneumothorax and chest tube placement for pneumothorax were determined using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall incidence of pneumothorax was 42.3% (464/1,098). Chest tube placement was required for 11.9% (55/464) of pneumothoraces (5.0% [55/1,098] of the total number of procedures). The significant independent risk factors for pneumothorax were no prior pulmonary surgery (p = 0.001), lesions in the lower lobe (p < 0.001), greater lesion depth (p < 0.001), and a needle trajectory angle of < 45 degrees (p = 0.014); those for chest tube placement for pneumothorax were pulmonary emphysema (p < 0.001) and greater lesion depth (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Pneumothorax frequently occurred and placement of a chest tube was occasionally required for pneumothorax after CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy. To reduce the risk of pneumothorax necessitating chest tube placement, physicians should adopt the shortest needle path to the lesion.

Plan quality comparison between 4-arc and 6-arc noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc stereotactic radiotherapy for the treatment of multiple brain metastases.

To compare the plans of 4-arc and 6-arc noncoplanar volumetric modulated arc stereotactic radiotherapy (VMA-SRT) for multiple brain metastases and to investigate the cutoff value for the tumor number and volume for 6-arc rather than 4-arc VMA-SRT. We identified 24 consecutive multiple-target cases (3 to 19 targets in each case) with 189 total targets. We constructed plans using both 4- and 6-arc noncoplanar VMA-SRT. The prescribed dose was 36 Gy/6 fr, and it was delivered to 95% of the planning target volume (PTV). The plans were evaluated for the dose conformity using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and Paddick conformity indices (RCI and PCI), fall-off (Paddick gradient index [PGI]), and the normal brain dose. The median (range) RCI, PCI, and PGI was 0.94 (0.92 to 0.99), 0.89 (0.77 to 0.94), and 3.75 (2.24 to 6.54) for the 4-arc plan and 0.94 (0.91 to 0.98), 0.89 (0.76 to 0.94), and 3.65 (2.24 to 6.5) for the 6-arc plan, respectively. The median (range) of the normal brain dose was 910.3 cGy (381.4 to 1268.9) for the 4-arc plan and 898.8 cGy (377 to 1252.9) for the 6-arc plan. The PGI of the 6-arc plan was significantly superior to that of the 4-arc plan (p = 0.0076), and the optimal cutoff values for the tumor number and volume indicative of 6-arc (and not 4-arc) VMA-SRT were cases with ≥ 5 metastases and a PTV of ≥ 12.9 mL, respectively. The PCI values, however, showed no significant difference between the 2 plans. We believe these results will help in considering the use of 6-arc VMA-SRT for multiple brain metastases.

CT fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy of focal pure ground-glass opacity lung lesions: diagnostic yield in 83 lesions.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to retrospectively determine the diagnostic yield of CT fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy of focal pure ground-glass opacity lung lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Biopsies were performed using 20-G coaxial cutting needles for 83 focal pure ground-glass opacity lung lesions (mean lesion size, 12.1mm). After excluding the lesions for which biopsy specimens were unobtainable and final diagnoses were undetermined, the diagnostic yield, including sensitivity and specificity for a diagnosis of malignancy and accuracy, was calculated. The lesions were then divided into 2 groups: the diagnostic failure group, comprising lesions with false-negative results and for which a biopsy specimen was unobtainable; and the diagnostic success group, comprising lesions with true-negative results and true-positive results. Various variables were compared between the 2 groups by univariate analysis. RESULTS: Biopsy specimens were obtained from 82 lesions, while specimens could not be obtained from 1 lesion. Final diagnosis was undetermined in 16 lesions. The sensitivity and specificity for a diagnosis of malignancy were 95% (58/61) and 100% (5/5), respectively. Diagnostic accuracy was 95% (63/66). The 4 lesions in diagnostic failure group were smaller, deeper, and more likely to be located in the lower lobe and further, for those lesions, number of specimens obtained was smaller, compared with 63 lesions in diagnostic success group. However, none of the differences were statistically significant. CONCLUSION: CT fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy provided high diagnostic yield for focal pure ground-glass opacity lung lesions.

Role of computed tomography fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy of lung lesions after transbronchial examination resulting in negative diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Computed tomography (CT)-guided lung biopsy is occasionally used for the lesions that were diagnosed as nonmalignant by transbronchial examination despite the fact that other clinical data suggested those as malignant. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the outcomes of CT fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy of lung lesions after transbronchial examination resulting in negative diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy for 351 lesions (mean size, 2.8 cm) that were found to be nonmalignant by transbronchial examination. Diagnostic yield, including sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignancy, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were calculated. Various variables were analyzed to determine the factors for diagnostic failure. RESULTS: The biopsy result was nondiagnostic, true-positive, true-negative, false-positive, or false-negative for 2, 262, 70, 0, or 17 lesions, respectively. Thus, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy of CT fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle biopsy was found to be 93% (262/281), 100% (70/70), 100% (262/262), 80% (70/87), and 94% (332/351), respectively. There was no significant risk factor for diagnostic failure. CONCLUSION: Computed tomography fluoroscopy-guided cutting needle lung biopsy is a useful technique to correct or confirm negative diagnosis by transbronchial examination.

Percutaneous transhepatic sclerotherapy for bleeding ileal varices associated with portal hypertension and previous abdominal surgery.

A 75-year-old man with portal hypertension was referred to our institution because he suddenly began to pass a large amount of tarry stool. Arterial portography and computed tomography (CT) during arterial portography via the superior mesenteric artery, using a unified 64-slice multidetector row CT and angiography system, revealed bleeding ileal varices. The varices were supplied blood by a single ileal vein and drained by dilated veins in the abdominal wall. The bleeding was successfully arrested by performing percutaneous transhepatic sclerotherapy with 12 ml of 5% ethanolamine oleate. The blood flow to the varices was controlled by balloon occlusion, and microcoils were inserted into the varices and supplying vein. No complications or rebleeding occurred during the 13-month follow-up period, and CT images obtained during follow-up showed that the varices had disappeared.

Systemic air embolism during preoperative pulmonary marking with a short hook wire and suture system under CT fluoroscopy guidance.

We encountered a case of systemic air embolism during preoperative pulmonary marking with a short hook wire and suture system under CT fluoroscopy guidance. The pulmonary tumor was present in the right S3, and the procedural position was supine. The patient experienced cardiac symptoms, and systemic air embolism was confirmed on CT images. With the patient in the Trendelenburg position, 100% oxygen was immediately administered as therapy for the embolism. Subsequently, the symptoms and systemic air embolism were resolved. The patient underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic wedge resection after 5 days and was then discharged without any sequelae.

CT fluoroscopy-guided biopsy of 1,000 pulmonary lesions performed with 20-gauge coaxial cutting needles: diagnostic yield and risk factors for diagnostic failure.

BACKGROUND: Although conventional CT scan-guided needle biopsy is an established diagnostic method for pulmonary lesions, few large studies have been conducted on the diagnostic outcomes of CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy. We have conducted a retrospective analysis to evaluate the diagnostic outcomes of 1,000 CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsies performed with 20-gauge coaxial cutting needles. METHODS: We determined the diagnostic yield of CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsies performed with 20-gauge coaxial cutting needles for 1,000 lesions in 901 patients. Independent risk factors for diagnostic failure (ie, nondiagnostic, false-positive, and false-negative results) were determined with multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The biopsy results were nondiagnostic in 0.6% of the lesions (6 of 1,000 lesions). The sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of malignancy was 94.2% (741 of 787 lesions) and 99.1% (211 of 213 lesions), respectively; diagnostic accuracy was 95.2% (952 of 1,000 lesions). For lesions measuring or= 3.1 cm (OR, 4.32; p = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS: CT fluoroscopy-guided lung biopsy performed with 20-gauge coaxial cutting needles resulted in a high diagnostic yield, even in the case of small lesions. Factors such as the acquisition of two or fewer specimens, lesions in the lower lobe, malignant lesions, and lesions measuring or= 3.1 cm significantly increased the rate of diagnostic failure.