Comparison of AI software tools for automated detection, quantification and categorization of pulmonary nodules in the HANSE LCS trial.

Participant management in a lung cancer screening (LCS) depends on the assigned Lung Imaging Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) category, which is based on reliable detection and measurement of pulmonary nodules. The aim of this study was to compare the agreement of two AI-based software tools for detection, quantification and categorization of pulmonary nodules in an LCS program in Northern Germany (HANSE-trial). 946 low-dose baseline CT-examinations were analyzed by two AI software tools regarding lung nodule detection, quantification and categorization and compared to the final radiologist read.

[Management of adult bronchiectasis - Consensus-based Guidelines for the German Respiratory Society (DGP) e. V. (AWMF registration number 020-030)].

Bronchiectasis is an etiologically heterogeneous, chronic, and often progressive respiratory disease characterized by irreversible bronchial dilation. It is frequently associated with significant symptom burden, multiple complications, and reduced quality of life. For several years, there has been a marked global increase in the prevalence of bronchiectasis, which is linked to a substantial economic burden on healthcare systems.

[Radiology of bronchiectasis].

Bronchiectasis is an irreversible bronchial dilatation. It is chronically progressive through a vicious circle of secretion retention, infection, inflammation and structural damage. The underlying causes are diverse and the severity of the disease is variable, which makes both the diagnostics and treatment challenging.

Evaluation of treatment response with serial CT in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease.

Objectives: In patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD), the response to treatment is evaluated based on microbiological, clinical, and radiological data. However, little is known about the dynamics of CT findings. The aim of this study was to evaluate CT changes in NTM-PD in order to define radiological criteria for treatment success.

[Interstitial lung abnormalities : What the radiologist needs to know].

Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILA) are incidental findings on computed tomography (CT), particularly in elderly patients and smokers. They describe mild interstitial abnormalities that can be progressive and turn into overt interstitial lung disease (ILD). In recent years, ILA have increasingly come into focus because several large cohort studies have shown poorer clinical outcomes and increased mortality for patients with ILA compared to those without ILA.

Clinical Features, Diagnostics, Etiology, and Outcomes of Hospitalized Solid Organ Recipients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort Analysis.

Background: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Limited evidence is available on the most effective diagnostic approaches, management strategies, and long-term outcomes for CAP in patients who have undergone solid organ transplantation.

Research Question: What is the acute and long-term morbidity and mortality after CAP in organ transplant recipients?

Study Design And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed hospitalizations for CAP in solid organ recipients at the largest German transplant center.

Photon Counting Computed Tomography with the Radiation Dose of a Chest X-Ray: Feasibility and Diagnostic Yield.

Introduction: Photon counting (PC) detectors allow a reduction of the radiation dose in CT. Chest X-ray (CXR) is known to have a low sensitivity and specificity for detection of pneumonic infiltrates. The aims were to establish an ultra-low-dose CT (ULD-CT) protocol at a PC-CT with the radiation dose comparable to the dose of a CXR and to evaluate its clinical yield in patients with suspicion of pneumonia.

Qualitative and quantitative evaluation of computed tomography changes in adults with cystic fibrosis treated with elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor: a retrospective observational study.

The availability of highly effective triple () modulator combination therapy with elexacaftor-tezacaftor-ivacaftor (ETI) has improved pulmonary outcomes and quality of life of people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF). The aim of this study was to assess computed tomography (CT) changes under ETI visually with the Brody score and quantitatively with dedicated software, and to correlate CT measures with parameters of clinical response. Twenty two adult pwCF with two consecutive CT scans before and after ETI treatment initiation were retrospectively included.

Organometallic Pillarplexes That Bind DNA 4-Way Holliday Junctions and Forks.

Holliday 4-way junctions are key to important biological DNA processes (insertion, recombination, and repair) and are dynamic structures that adopt either open or closed conformations, the open conformation being the biologically active form. Tetracationic metallo-supramolecular pillarplexes display aryl faces about a cylindrical core, an ideal structure to interact with open DNA junction cavities. Combining experimental studies and MD simulations, we show that an Au pillarplex can bind DNA 4-way (Holliday) junctions in their open form, a binding mode not accessed by synthetic agents before.

Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography.

Background: Approximately 21 900 women and 35 300 men developed lung cancer in Germany in 2018, and 16 514 women and 28 365 men died of it. The outcome mainly depends on the tumor stage. In early stages (stage I or II), treatment can be curative; unfortunately, because early-stage lung cancers are generally asymptomatic, 74% of women and 77% of men already have advanced-stage disease (stage III or IV) at the time of diagnosis.

CoRad-19 - Modular Digital Teaching during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

Purpose: During the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, higher education worldwide had to switch to digital formats. The purpose of this study was to evaluate CoRad-19, a digital teaching tool created by the German Radiological Society for medical students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials And Methods: A total of 13 German-speaking universities implemented CoRad-19 in their curriculum and partially or completely replaced their classes with the online courses.

From Macroscopy to Ultrastructure: An Integrative Approach to Pulmonary Pathology.

Pathology and radiology are complimentary tools, and their joint application is often crucial in obtaining an accurate diagnosis in non-neoplastic pulmonary diseases. However, both come with significant limitations of their own: Computed Tomography (CT) can only visualize larger structures due to its inherent-relatively-poor resolution, while (histo) pathology is often limited due to small sample size and sampling error and only allows for a 2D investigation. An innovative approach of inflating whole lung specimens and subjecting these subsequently to CT and whole lung microCT allows for an accurate matching of CT-imaging and histopathology data of exactly the same areas.

[Diseases of the pleura, thoracic wall and diaphragm].

In the case of lesions of the pleura, the thoracic wall and the diaphragm, chest x‑ray is of great relevance in everyday clinical practice. In many clinical situations, it is already sufficient for the initial diagnosis or for monitoring the course of the disease; these include, for example, pleural effusion and pneumothorax. In some cases, however, supplementary cross-sectional imaging may be necessary, e.

ROSE: radiology, obstruction, symptoms and exposure - a Delphi consensus definition of the association of COPD and bronchiectasis by the EMBARC Airways Working Group.

Introduction: The coexistence of COPD and bronchiectasis seems to be common and associated with a worse prognosis than for either disease individually. However, no definition of this association exists to guide researchers and clinicians.

Methods: We conducted a Delphi survey involving expert pulmonologists and radiologists from Europe, Turkey and Israel in order to define the "COPD- [bronchiectasis] BE association".

White Paper: Radiology Curriculum for Undergraduate Medical Education in Germany and Integration into the NKLM 2.0.

Objective:  The aim was to develop a new curriculum for radiology in medical studies, to reach a national consensus and to integrate it into the new national competence-based learning objectives catalog (NKLM 2.0). In this statement of the German Radiological Society (DRG), the process of curriculum development is described and the new curriculum is presented together with suggestions for practical implementation.

Pulmonary Fibroelastotic Remodelling Revisited.

Pulmonary fibroelastotic remodelling occurs within a broad spectrum of diseases with vastly divergent outcomes. So far, no comprehensive terminology has been established to adequately address and distinguish histomorphological and clinical entities. We aimed to describe the range of fibroelastotic changes and define stringent histological criteria.

Computed Tomography in Adults with Bronchiectasis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Pulmonary Disease: Typical Imaging Findings.

Among patients with bronchiectasis, nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) ranged between 1 and 6% and it is suspected that its prevalence is underestimated. Our aim was to evaluate differences in computed tomography (CT) features in patients with bronchiectasis, with and without NTM-PD, in order to facilitate earlier diagnosis in the future. In addition, we evaluated longitudinal changes after successful NTM-PD treatment.

Quantification of dual-energy CT-derived functional parameters as potential imaging markers for progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Objectives: The individual course of disease in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is highly variable. Assessment of disease activity and prospective estimation of disease progression might have the potential to improve therapy management and indicate the onset of treatment at an earlier stage. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether regional ventilation, lung perfusion, and late enhancement can serve as early imaging markers for disease progression in patients with IPF.

Gender and career in cardiology-a cross-sectional study.

Background: The proportion of women as leading physicians in cardiology in university medicine has stagnated and the share of women in senior positions in cardiology is low compared with other medical specialist fields. Here, we analyze the typical barriers for women as doctors in cardiology and point to issues that make the discipline less attractive for both genders.

Methods: In a cross-sectional study, a standardized online questionnaire was sent to 3873 members of the German Cardiac Society (DGK).

[Radiological features of interstitial lung diseases].

In addition to pneumology and pathology, radiology is an essential discipline in the interdisciplinary diagnosis of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The gold standard for diagnosis of ILD is computed tomography. Diagnostic findings are based on specific radiological signs such as interlobular septal thickening and nodular changes.