Patterns of vascular graft infection in 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Background: 18F-FDG PET/CT has become an important tool in diagnosis of prosthetic vascular graft infections (PVGI). The aim of the study was to identify the patterns of vascular graft infection in 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Material And Methods: The study was performed in 24 patients with vascular graft infection, in 17 patients implanted in an open surgery mode and in 7 patients by endovascular aortic repair (EVAR).

Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in the diagnosis of inflammatory and infectious vascular disease.

This review article discusses the utility of 18F-FDG PET/CT in diagnosis and management of vascular disease. We stress usefulness of this method in large vessel inflammation and infection. In our work we based on the literature analysis and clinical cases diagnosed in our institution by use of 18F-FDG PET/CT.

Evaluation of somatostatin receptors in large cell pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma with 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC scintigraphy.

Objective: Large cell pulmonary neuroendocrine carcinoma (LCNEC) is a poorly differentiated and high-grade neoplasm. It is positioned between an atypical carcinoid and small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung in a distinct family of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors. The aim of our study was to detect somatostatin receptors in this uncommon malignancy and to evaluate the sensitivity of somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) in LCNEC staging.

99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC somatostatin receptor scintigraphy in daily clinical practice.

Background: This study aimed to assess the impact of 99mTc-EDDA/HYNIC-TOC (99mTc-TOC) somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) in clinical practice.

Material/methods: One hundred seventeen patients were divided into 6 groups: 1, initial detection and localization of suspected neuroendocrine tumor (NET); 2, tumor staging before therapy; 3, staging of NET of unknown origin, 4, restaging after surgery of primary tumor; 5, diagnosis of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs), and 6, follow-up after "cold" somatostatin analogues treatment.

Results: In group 1, clinical suspicions were not confirmed in any of the patients; in group 2, most of the primary lesions showed overexpression of somatostatin receptors (SSRT); in group 3, the primary tumor was not identified in any of the patients; in group 4, recurrences were depicted in 7 out of 47 patients; in group 5, only 1 malignant SPN was detected, and in group 6, regression of primary mass and metastases were seen on follow-up SRS in 1 patient.

[Algorithms of artificial neural networks--practical application in medical science].

Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) may be a tool alternative and complementary to typical statistical analysis. However, in spite of many computer applications of various ANN algorithms ready for use, artificial intelligence is relatively rarely applied to data processing. This paper presents practical aspects of scientific application of ANN in medicine using widely available algorithms.

[Relationship between plasma brain natriuretic peptide level and left ventricular systolic function in coronary artery disease].

Unlabelled: THE AIM of the study was to assess the brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) plasma concentrations in patients with CAD and to evaluate the relationships between BNP levels and such parameters of the left ventricular (LV) systolic function as ejection fraction (LVEF) and peak LV emptying rates (PER).

Material And Methods: The study population comprised 69 patients with CAD, aged 30-79 years. All subjects underwent gated equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography at rest.

Relationship between plasma BNP levels and left ventricular diastolic function as measured by radionuclide ventriculography in patients with coronary artery disease.

Background: Radionuclide ventriculography enables such parameters of the left ventricular (LV) function as the ejection fraction (EF), ejection rate (ER) and filling rate (FR) to be measured correctly. The impairment of the LV function in coronary artery disease (CAD) results in an increase in plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP). The aim of this study was to check whether the reduction of the average filling rate (AFR) leads to an increase in plasma BNP levels in patients with CAD and nEF and whether that increase is comparable to that occurring in subjects with a reduced PER.

Prediction of left ventricular ejection fraction in patients with coronary artery disease based on an analysis of perfusion patterns at rest. Assessment by an artificial neural network.

Background: In CAD, left ventricular function depends on the condition of myocardial perfusion, hence it may be presumed that blood flow abnormalities may enable the LVEF to be predicted. The aim of the study was to apply an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) to investigate the relationships between myocardial perfusion and LVEF, measured simultaneously.

Material And Methods: gSPECT examinations were performed in 95 patients with CAD, divided into training (n = 50) and testing (n = 45) groups.

Diagnosis and staging of children's lymphoma using the technetium-labelled somatostatin analogue, 99mTc-depreotide.

Somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) is useful in diagnosing tumours with increased expression of somatostatin receptors. Lymphoma cells are known to express somatostatin receptors; however, the application of indium-labelled analogues in children is limited. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the technetium-labelled somatostatin analogue, depreotide, may be useful in diagnosing and staging malignant lymphoma in children.

Application of artificial neural network algorithm to detection of parathyroid adenoma.

Background: The most common radionuclide procedures for parathyroid imaging are (99m)Tc-MIBI/ (99m)Tc pertechnetate subtraction scintigraphy and (99m)Tc-MIBI double-phase imaging, with estimation of MIBI wash-out rate. Those two methods are by some authors regarded as complementary techniques, yielding the best evaluation of parathyroid gland if performed conjointly. By such an approach it seems reasonable to substitute the visual assessment of neck scintigrams and semiquantitative evaluation of MIBI wash-out rate with a single, common procedure.

Long lasting effect of physical stress on the LVEF.

Background: Animal and clinical studies have shown that exercise can deteriorate myocardial contractile function. The aim of this study was to examine whether the decrease of LVEF measured with gated SPECT lasts as long as 3 hours after exercise.

Material And Methods: 46 patients with CAD and a control group comprising 10 healthy subjects were studied.

Effect of biventricular pacing on heart function evaluated by gated blood pool study in patients with end-stage heart failure.

Background: Biventricular cardiac pacing has been used as a complementary form of therapy in patients with severe heart failure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the synchronous stimulation of both ventricles on the heart function measured by gated blood pool study (GBP).

Material And Methods: Ten patients (9 men and 1 woman aged 53-74 years) with end-stage heart failure (HF) were studied.

The influence of nitroglycerin on myocardial 99mTc-Tetrofosmin uptake defects in coronary artery disease.

Nitroglycerin (Ntg) is known to increase blood flow to the hypoperfused myocardial area and thus to reduce regional ischaemia of the heart muscle in coronary artery disease (CAD). The aim of this study was to assess the effect of a therapeutic dose of Ntg on 99mTc-Tetrofosmin uptake defects occurring in patients (pts) with CAD in myocardial SPECT at rest. The study population comprised 34 pts with CAD.