Pulmonary vascular density: comparison of findings on computed tomography imaging with histology.

Background: Exposure to cigarette smoke has been shown to lead to vascular remodelling. Computed tomography (CT) imaging measures of vascular pruning have been associated with pulmonary vascular disease, an important morbidity associated with smoking. In this study we compare CT-based measures of distal vessel loss to histological vascular and parenchymal changes.

Prognostic role of the histological subtype of melanoma on the hands and feet in Caucasians.

Acral melanoma (AM) is associated with a poor prognosis in part because of delayed diagnosis, but probably also because of other intrinsic characteristics of location. The aim of this study was to review the specific characteristics and outcome of AM in Caucasians. This was a cross-sectional retrospective clinical-pathological study of 274 patients identified with AM in the database of a referral unit in Europe from 1986 to 2010.

Performance of diagnostic tests in an intensive follow-up protocol for patients with American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage IIB, IIC, and III localized primary melanoma: A prospective cohort study.

Background: There is no international consensus on optimal follow-up schedules and which supplementary tests should be used after resection of a primary melanoma.

Objective: We sought to analyze the performance of the follow-up components and identify procedures that detect melanoma metastasis earlier.

Methods: This was a prospective cohort from 290 consecutive patients given a diagnosis of stage IIB, IIC, and III melanoma.

Safety and Tolerability of Alveolar Type II Cell Transplantation in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a progressive and fatal lung disease with limited response to currently available therapies. Alveolar type II (ATII) cells act as progenitor cells in the adult lung, contributing to alveolar repair during pulmonary injury. However, in IPF, ATII cells die and are replaced by fibroblasts and myofibroblasts.

Dual time-point (18)F-FDG PET/CT to assess response to radiofrequency ablation of lung metastases.

Aim: To establish the usefulness of dual time-point PET/CT imaging in determining the response to radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of solitary lung metastases from gastrointestinal cancer.

Materials And Methods: This prospective study included 18 cases (3 female, 15 male, mean age 71±15 yrs) with solitary lung metastases from malignant digestive tract tumors candidates for RFA. PET/CT images 1h after injection of 4.

Effect of glucocorticoid treatment on computed tomography angiography detected large-vessel inflammation in giant-cell arteritis. A prospective, longitudinal study.

Computed tomography angiography (CTA) detects signs of large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) in about 67.5% of patients with giant-cell arteritis (GCA) at the time of diagnosis and early aortic dilatation in 15%. The outcome of CTA-findings of LVV upon glucocorticoid treatment has not been prospectively evaluated.

Imaging in systemic vasculitis.

Purpose Of Review: Imaging is becoming a relevant tool for the assessment of patients with systemic vasculitis. This review focuses on recently generated data with potential clinical impact in the diagnosis, evaluation of disease extent and management of systemic vasculitis.

Recent Findings: Temporal artery examination by color duplex ultrasonography (CDUS) is a valuable approach to the diagnosis of giant-cell arteritis.

Single reading with computer-aided detection performed by selected radiologists in a breast cancer screening program.

Objectives: To assess the impact of shifting from a standard double reading plus arbitration protocol to a single reading by experienced radiologists assisted by computer-aided detection (CAD) in a breast cancer screening program.

Methods: This was a prospective study approved by the ethics committee. Data from 21,321 consecutive screening mammograms in incident rounds (2010-2012) were read following a single reading plus CAD protocol and compared with data from 47,462 consecutive screening mammograms in incident rounds (2004-2010) that were interpreted following a double reading plus arbitration protocol.

Prospective long term follow-up of a cohort of patients with giant cell arteritis screened for aortic structural damage (aneurysm or dilatation).

Background: Aortic structural damage (ASD) may complicate the course of patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). However the frequency and outcome of ASD has not been assessed in long term prospective studies.

Methods: In a previous screening of 54 biopsy proven GCA patients, significant ASD was detected in 12 (22.

Comparative study of NOTES alone versus NOTES guided by a new image registration system for navigation in the mediastinum: a study in a porcine model.

Background: Natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) mediastinoscopy (MED) through the esophagus has proved to be feasible in the animal model. However, injury of the adjacent pleura and pneumothorax has been reported as a frequent adverse event when using a blind access.

Objective: To assess the utility and safety of a CT-based image registration system (IRS) for navigation in the mediastinum.

[Locating pulmonary nodules with a computed axial tomography-guided harpoon prior to videothoracoscopic resection. Experience with 52 cases].

Objective: Videothoracoscopic (VTC) resection of peripheral pulmonary nodules (PN) occasionally requires performing a mini-thoracotomy to locate them using palpation. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of inserting a CT-guided harpoon as a method for locating PN prior to surgery.

Material And Methods: A study was conducted on a total of 52 patients who were scheduled for locating 55 PN prior to surgery by inserting a CT-guided harpoon, from November 2004 to January 2011.

Role of computer-aided detection in very small screening detected invasive breast cancers.

This study aims to assess computer-aided detection (CAD) performance with full-field digital mammography (FFDM) in very small (equal to or less than 1 cm) invasive breast cancers. Sixty-eight invasive breast cancers less than or equal to 1 cm were retrospectively studied. All cases were detected with FFDM in women aged 49-69 years from our breast cancer screening program.

False-negative rate after positron emission tomography/computer tomography scan for mediastinal staging in cI stage non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objectives: To assess the false-negative (FN) rate of positron emission tomography (PET)-chest computed tomography (CT) scan in clinical non-central cIA and cIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) for mediastinal staging.

Methods: Between January 2007 and December 2010, 402 patients with potentially operable NSCLC were assessed by thoracic CT scan and 18-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET-CT for mediastinal staging and to detect extrathoracic metastases, of which 153 surgically treated patients (79 cIA and 74 cIB cases) were prospectively included in the study. Central tumours were excluded on the basis of CT scan criteria, defined as contact with the intrapulmonary main bronchi, pulmonary artery, pulmonary veins or the origin of the first segmental branches.

Large vessel involvement in biopsy-proven giant cell arteritis: prospective study in 40 newly diagnosed patients using CT angiography.

Background: Necroscopic and surgical studies have suggested that giant cell arteritis (GCA) may target the aorta and its main branches. Imaging techniques are able to detect large vessel vasculitis (LVV) non-invasively in patients, but the prevalence of LVV in GCA has not been clearly established.

Objective: To assess prospectively the prevalence, characteristics and topography of LVV in patients with newly diagnosed GCA and to determine the associated clinical and laboratory features.

Mammographic features of screening detected pT1 (a-b) invasive breast cancer using BI-RADS lexicon.

Aim: To describe mammographic features in screening detected invasive breast cancer less than or equal to 10mm using Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon in full-field digital mammography.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of 123 pT1 (a-b) invasive breast cancers in women aged 50-69 years from our screening program. Radiologic patterns were: masses, calcifications, distortions, asymmetries and mixed.

Assessment of radiofrequency ablation of lung metastasis from colorectal cancer using dual time-point PET/CT.

A 70-year-old man with operated colorectal cancer relapsed with a solitary lung metastasis. Dual time-point PET/CT performed at 60' (standard images) and after 2 hours (delayed images) showed focal uptake in the lung nodule. A second uptake in the liver dome was also visualized only in the delayed images.

Significance of the presence of lymphocytes in the cytological analysis of transbronchial needle aspiration.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical relevance of the presence of lymphocytes in transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) samples from pathological mediastinal lymph nodes in patients with suspected lung cancer.

Methods: Retrospective observational study evaluating the negative predictive value (NPV) of TBNA samples containing lymphocytes but not malignant cells.

Results: A total of 266 TBNA were performed in 252 patients with pathological lymph nodes.

Determining the appropriate sleeve lobectomy versus pneumonectomy ratio in central non-small cell lung cancer patients: an audit of an aggressive policy of pneumonectomy avoidance.

Objective: To study the outcomes of broncho ± angioplastic sleeve lobectomy (SL) versus pneumonectomy (PN), and the PN:SL ratio after an aggressive policy of parenchyma-sparing surgery to improve postoperative complications rate and long-term quality of life (QoL).

Methods: A prospective study was conducted in 490 patients with non-small cell lung cancer between 2005 and 2009. All patients not suitable for standard lobectomy were scheduled for SL, if possible, or for PN; eight patients with functional impairment were directly scheduled for SL.