Correlation between dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and quantitative histopathologic microvascular parameters in organ-confined prostate cancer.

Objectives: To correlate pharmacokinetic parameters of 3-T dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE-)MRI with histopathologic microvascular and lymphatic parameters in organ-confined prostate cancer.

Methods: In 18 patients with unilateral peripheral zone (pT2a) tumours who underwent DCE-MRI prior to radical prostatectomy (RP), the following pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed: permeability surface area volume transfer constant (K (trans)), extravascular extracellular volume (Ve) and rate constant (K ep). In the RP sections blood and lymph vessels were visualised immunohistochemically and automatically examined and analysed.

An anatomically shaped lower body model for CT scanning of cadaver femurs.

Bone specific, CT-based finite element (FE) analyses have great potential to accurately predict the fracture risk of deteriorated bones. However, it has been shown that differences exist between FE-models of femora scanned in a water basin or scanned in situ within the human body, as caused by differences in measured bone mineral densities (BMD). In this study we hypothesized that these differences can be reduced by re-creating the patient CT-conditions by using an anatomically shaped physical model of the lower body.

Computerized whole slide quantification shows increased microvascular density in pT2 prostate cancer as compared to normal prostate tissue.

Background: Contrast enhanced imaging enables powerful, non-invasive diagnostics, important for detection and staging of early prostate cancer. The uptake of contrast agent is increased in prostate cancer as compared to normal prostate tissue. To reveal the underlying physiological mechanisms, quantification of tissue components in pathology specimens may yield important information.

Correction of an image size difference between positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) improves image fusion of dedicated PET and CT.

Aim: Clinical work in software positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) image fusion has raised suspicion that the image sizes of PET and CT differ slightly from each other, thus rendering the images suboptimal for image fusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate the extent of the relative image size difference between PET and CT and the impact of the correction of this difference on the accuracy of image fusion.

Methods: The difference in real image size between PET and CT was evaluated using a phantom study.