Long-Term Outcomes of Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Progressive or Unresectable Pilocytic Astrocytomas: Case Studies.

Background: Progressive and/or unresectable pilocytic astrocytomas (PAs) carry a poor prognosis compared to typical PA. Early radiotherapy (RT) may have severe long-term neurocognitive side effects in this patient population. Intra-arterial (IA) chemotherapy is a viable alternative or addition to intravenous (IV) chemotherapy, which may be beneficial in avoidance of early RT.

Material Suitability Testing for Nonmedical Grade Community Face Masks to Decrease Viral Transmission During a Pandemic.

Objectives: Cloth face covering has been recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to decrease community viral transmission. This study aims to determine the filtration efficiency and airflow resistance of common household materials available for homemade mask production by comparing numbers of fabrics, various layers, and manipulation.

Methods: Common household woven, knitted, and nonwoven fabrics were tested for filtration efficiency using a fit testing setup and airflow resistance with pressure gauge setup.

Distinguishing Extravascular from Intravascular Ferumoxytol Pools within the Brain: Proof of Concept in Patients with Treated Glioblastoma.

Background And Purpose: Glioblastoma-associated macrophages are a major constituent of the immune response to therapy and are known to engulf the iron-based MR imaging contrast agent, ferumoxytol. Current ferumoxytol MR imaging techniques for localizing macrophages are confounded by contaminating intravascular signal. The aim of this study was to assess the utility of a newly developed MR imaging technique, segregation and extravascular localization of ferumoxytol imaging, for differentiating extravascular-from-intravascular ferumoxytol contrast signal at a delayed 24-hour imaging time point.

Multicenter Safety and Practice for Off-Label Diagnostic Use of Ferumoxytol in MRI.

Background Ferumoxytol is approved for use in the treatment of iron deficiency anemia, but it can serve as an alternative to gadolinium-based contrast agents. On the basis of postmarketing surveillance data, the Food and Drug Administration issued a black box warning regarding the risks of rare but serious acute hypersensitivity reactions during fast high-dose injection (510 mg iron in 17 seconds) for therapeutic use. Whereas single-center safety data for diagnostic use have been positive, multicenter data are lacking.