Non-invasive detection of biliary tract cancer by low-coverage whole genome sequencing from plasma cell-free DNA: A prospective cohort study.

Background: The diagnosis of biliary tract cancer (BTC) is challenging in clinical practice. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the value of plasma copy number variation (CNV) assays in diagnosing BTC.

Methods: 47 treatment-naïve patients with suspicious biliary lesions were recruited.

The utility of MRI for measuring hematocrit in fetal anemia.

Background: Doppler ultrasound measurements of the peak systolic velocity of the middle cerebral artery can be used to noninvasively diagnose fetal anemia but are less precise following fetal blood transfusion and in late gestation. We have previously demonstrated the feasibility of estimating fetal hematocrit in vitro using magnetic resonance imaging relaxation times. Here we report the use of magnetic resonance imaging as a noninvasive tool to accurately detect fetal anemia in vivo.

Feasibility of phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance imaging for measuring blood flow in the sheep fetus.

Phase-contrast cine MRI (PC-MRI) is the gold-standard noninvasive technique for measuring vessel blood flow and has previously been applied in the human fetal circulation. We aimed to assess the feasibility of using PC-MRI to define the distribution of the fetal circulation in sheep. Fetuses were catheterized at 119-120 days of gestation (term, 150 days) and underwent MRI at ∼123 days of gestation under isoflurane anesthesia, ventilated at a of 1.

Feasibility of detecting myocardial infarction in the sheep fetus using late gadolinium enhancement CMR imaging.

Background: Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging has enabled the accurate assessment of myocardial infarction (MI). However, LGE CMR has not been performed successfully in the fetus, where it could be useful for animal studies of interventions to promote cardiac regeneration. We believe that LGE imaging could allow us to document the presence, extent and effect of MI in utero and would thereby expand our capacity for conducting fetal sheep MI research.