Comparison between SeHCAT test and clinical response to cholestyramine in patients with chronic diarrhea and high suspicion of bile acid malabsorption: A single-center prospective study.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the clinical response to cholestyramine in patients with functional chronic diarrhea and a high clinical suspicion of bile-acid diarrhea (BAD) investigated with 75-selenium homocholic acid taurine (SeHCAT) test.

Methods: Adult patients attending our outpatient clinic between January and December 2021 for chronic diarrhea with suspicion of BAD were proposed SeHCAT testing and a therapeutic trial of cholestyramine 4-8 g daily. Clinical response to cholestyramine was evaluated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.

Presynaptic Dopaminergic Imaging Characterizes Patients with REM Sleep Behavior Disorder Due to Synucleinopathy.

Objective: To apply a machine learning analysis to clinical and presynaptic dopaminergic imaging data of patients with rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD) to predict the development of Parkinson disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB).

Methods: In this multicenter study of the International RBD study group, 173 patients (mean age 70.5 ± 6.

[F]-Fluciclovine PET/CT for preoperative nodal staging in high-risk primary prostate cancer: final results of a prospective trial.

Purpose: The conventional imaging flowchart for prostate cancer (PCa) staging may fail in correctly detecting lymph node metastases (LNM). Pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) represents the only reliable method, although invasive. A new amino acid PET compound, [F]-fluciclovine, was recently authorized in suspected PCa recurrence but not yet included in the standard staging work-up of primary PCa.

Clinical Outcome and Striatal Dopaminergic Function After Shunt Surgery in Patients With Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Objective: To determine changes in clinical features and striatal dopamine reuptake transporter (DAT) density after shunt surgery in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH).

Methods: Participants with probable iNPH were assessed at baseline by means of clinical rating scales, brain MRI, and SPECT with [I]-N-ω-fluoropropyl-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)nortropane (FP-CIT). Levodopa responsiveness was also evaluated.

The Role of [F]Fluciclovine PET/CT in the Characterization of High-Risk Primary Prostate Cancer: Comparison with [C]Choline PET/CT and Histopathological Analysis.

The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the role of [F]Fluciclovine PET/CT in the characterization of intra-prostatic lesions in high-risk primary PCa patients eligible for radical prostatectomy, in comparison with conventional [C]Choline PET/CT and validated by prostatectomy pathologic examination. Secondary aims were to determine the performance of PET semi-quantitative parameters (SUVmax; target-to-background ratios [TBRs], using abdominal aorta, bone marrow and liver as backgrounds) for malignant lesion detection (and best cut-off values) and to search predictive factors of malignancy. A six sextants prostate template was created and used by PET readers and pathologists for data comparison and validation.

Dopaminergic imaging and clinical predictors for phenoconversion of REM sleep behaviour disorder.

This is an international multicentre study aimed at evaluating the combined value of dopaminergic neuroimaging and clinical features in predicting future phenoconversion of idiopathic REM sleep behaviour (iRBD) subjects to overt synucleinopathy. Nine centres sent 123I-FP-CIT-SPECT data of 344 iRBD patients and 256 controls for centralized analysis. 123I-FP-CIT-SPECT images were semiquantified using DaTQUANTTM, obtaining putamen and caudate specific to non-displaceable binding ratios (SBRs).

Obesity and Monitoring Iodine Nutritional Status in Schoolchildren: is Body Mass Index a Factor to Consider?

The frequency of overweight (OW) and obese (OB) children has increased worldwide, particularly in economically developed countries. No studies have been conducted to verify whether the increasing frequency of OW and obesity in schoolchildren may affect the evaluation of iodine nutritional status in populations. The aim of this study was to verify whether urinary iodine concentration (UIC), thyroid volume (TV), and thyroid hypoechoic pattern may be affected by body mass index (BMI) in schoolchildren.

Striatal Dopamine Deficit and Motor Impairment in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus.

Background: Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus can present with parkinsonism. However, abnormalities of the striatal dopamine reuptake transporter are unclear.

Objectives: To explore presence and features of striatal dopaminergic deficit in subjects with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus as compared to Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and healthy controls.

PETC/CT with F-Choline localizes hyperfunctioning parathyroid adenomas equally well in normocalcemic hyperparathyroidism as in overt hyperparathyroidism.

Purpose: Identification of pathologic parathyroid glands in primary hyperparathyroidism, traditionally based on neck ultrasound (US) and/or Tc-Sestamibi scintigraphy, can be challenging. PET/CT with F-Fluorocholine (F-FCH) might improve the detection of pathologic parathyroid glands. We aimed at comparing the diagnostic performance of F-FCH-PET/CT with that of dual-phase dual-isotope parathyroid scintigraphy and neck US.

A review discussing fluciclovine (F) PET/CT imaging in the detection of recurrent prostate cancer.

A significant number of patients radically treated for prostate cancer (PCa) will develop prostate-specific antigen recurrence (27-53%). Localizing the anatomical site of relapse is critical, in order to achieve the optimal treatment management. To date the diagnostic accuracy of standard imaging is low.

Liver metastases from prostate cancer at 11C-Choline PET/CT: a multicenter, retrospective analysis.

Aim: During our daily clinical practice using 11C-Choline PET/CT for restaging patients affected by relapsing prostate cancer (rPCa) we noticed an unusual but significant occurrence of hypodense hepatic lesions with a different tracer uptake. Thus, we decided to evaluate the possible correlation between rPCa and these lesions as possible hepatic metastases.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 542 patients diagnosed with rPCa in biochemical relapse after a radical treatment (surgery and/or radiotherapy).

Differentiated Thyroid Cancer lymph-node relapse. Role of adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy after lymphadenectomy.

Purpose: Our purpose as to evaluate the impact of adjuvant radioactive iodine therapy (RAI) on prognosis, as assessed by progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), in patients affected by differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) lymph-node relapse and previously treated with lymphadenectomy.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated DTC patients treated with lymph-node dissection for disease relapse. All patients had previously undergone total thyroidectomy and radioiodine remnant ablation (RRA).

Standardized Uptake Value Ratio-Independent Evaluation of Brain Amyloidosis.

The assessment of in vivo18F images targeting amyloid deposition is currently carried on by visual rating with an optional quantification based on standardized uptake value ratio (SUVr) measurements. We target the difficulties of image reading and possible shortcomings of the SUVr methods by validating a new semi-quantitative approach named ELBA. ELBA involves a minimal image preprocessing and does not rely on small, specific regions of interest (ROIs).

Comparisons between glucose analogue 2-deoxy-2-((18)F)fluoro-D-glucose and (18)F-sodium fluoride positron emission tomography/computed tomography in breast cancer patients with bone lesions.

Aim: To compare 2-deoxy-2-((18)F)fluoro-D-glucose((18)F-FDG) and (18)F-sodium ((18)F-NaF) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) accuracy in breast cancer patients with clinically/radiologically suspected or known bone metastases.

Methods: A total of 45 consecutive patients with breast cancer and the presence or clinical/biochemical or radiological suspicion of bone metastatic disease underwent (18)F-FDG and (18)F-fluoride PET/CT. Imaging results were compared with histopathology when available, or clinical and radiological follow-up of at least 1 year.

Mapping brain morphological and functional conversion patterns in predementia late-onset bvFTD.

Purpose: The diagnosis of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD) is challenging during the predementia stage when symptoms are subtle and confounding. Morphological and functional neuroimaging can be particularly helpful during this stage but few data are available.

Methods: We retrospectively selected 25 patients with late-onset probable bvFTD.

Nigro-caudate dopaminergic deafferentation: a marker of REM sleep behavior disorder?

Forty-nine consecutive, drug naïve outpatients with de novo Parkinson's disease (PD) and 12 patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) underwent clinical examination and dopamine transporter single photon emission computed tomography with [(123)I]-2β-carbomethoxy-3β-(4-iodophenyl)-N-(3-fluoropropyl)nortropane as a biomarker of nigro-striatal function. PD patients were grouped into rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD) negative (PD-RBD-) and RBD positive (PD-RBD+). Repeated measures and univariate analysis of variance were used to compare dopaminergic and clinical impairment among groups.

Brain (18)F-DOPA PET and cognition in de novo Parkinson's disease.

Purpose: The role of mesocortical dopaminergic pathways in the cognitive function of patients with early Parkinson's disease (PD) needs to be further clarified.

Methods: The study groups comprised 15 drug-naive patients with de novo PD and 10 patients with essential tremor (controls) who underwent (18)F-DOPA PET (static acquisition, normalization on mean cerebellar counts) and an extended neuropsychological test battery. Factor analysis with varimax rotation was applied to the neuropsychological test scores, to yield five factors from 16 original scores, which explained 82 % of the total variance.

Contrast-enhanced [18 F] fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography in clinical oncology: tumor-, site-, and question-based comparison with standard positron emission tomography/computed tomography.

Background: The present study aimed to evaluate the added value of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (ceCT) in comparison to standard, non-enhanced CT in the context of a combined positron emission tomography (PET)/CT examination by means of a tumor-, site-, and clinical question-based approach.

Methods: Analysis was performed in 202 patients undergoing PET/CT consisting of a multiphase CT protocol followed by a whole-body PET. The Cochran Q test was performed, followed by a multiple comparisons correction (McNemar test and Bonferroni adjustment), to compare standard and contrast-enhanced PET (cePET/CT).

Visual versus semi-quantitative analysis of 18F-FDG-PET in amnestic MCI: an European Alzheimer's Disease Consortium (EADC) project.

We aimed to investigate the accuracy of FDG-PET to detect the Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain glucose hypometabolic pattern in 142 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) and 109 healthy controls. aMCI patients were followed for at least two years or until conversion to dementia. Images were evaluated by means of visual read by either moderately-skilled or expert readers, and by means of a summary metric of AD-like hypometabolism (PALZ score).

Systemic vascular inflammation in abdominal aortic aneurysm patients: a contrast-enhanced PET/CT study.

Aim: The aim of this paper was to investigate the presence of systemic vascular inflammation and its relationship with risk factors and biomarkers of systemic inflammation related to atherosclerosis in asymptomatic abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients.

Methods: Thirty AAA patients and 30 age-matched controls underwent contrast-enhanced 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG) PET/CT. C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, white blood cell count and differential, serum fibrinogen, D-dimer and full lipid panel were also evaluated.

Plasma antioxidants and brain glucose metabolism in elderly subjects with cognitive complaints.

Purpose: The role of oxidative stress is increasingly recognized in cognitive disorders of the elderly, notably Alzheimer's disease (AD). In these subjects brain(18)F-FDG PET is regarded as a reliable biomarker of neurodegeneration. We hypothesized that oxidative stress could play a role in impairing brain glucose utilization in elderly subjects with increasing severity of cognitive disturbance.

Metabolic correlates of Rey auditory verbal learning test in elderly subjects with memory complaints.

We evaluated the brain metabolic correlates of main indexes of a widely used word list learning test, the Rey Auditory Verbal Memory Test (RAVLT), in a group of elderly subjects with memory complaints. Fifty-four subjects (age: 72.02 ± 7.

1,25-Dihydroxy vitamin D and coronary microvascular function.

Purpose: The active form of vitamin D (1,25(OH)(2)D) contributes to blood flow regulation in skeletal muscle. The aim of the present study was to determine whether this hormone also modulates coronary physiology, and thus whether abnormalities in its bioavailability contribute to excess cardiovascular risk in patients with disorders of mineral metabolism.

Methods: As a clinical model of the wide variability in 1,25(OH)(2)D bioavailability, we studied 23 patients (62 ± 8 years) with suspected primary hyperparathyroidism referred for myocardial perfusion imaging because of atypical chest pain and at least one cardiovascular risk factor.

A study of the efficacy of radioiodine therapy with individualized dosimetry in Graves' disease: need to retarget the radiation committed dose to the thyroid.

Although Iodine-131 (131I) therapy is fully validated for Graves' disease (GD), there is debate about radioiodine amount to be administered (prescribed activity), as well as the use of individualized dosimetry vs fixed 131I activity. The clinical outcome of 119 GD patients treated with 131I from 2003 to 2008 has been evaluated. The prescribed activity was calculated according to a dosimetric protocol taking into account several variables, including thyroid volume reduction during treatment.