Effect of the CT table strap on radiation exposure and image quality during cervical spine CT.

Background And Purpose: The CT table strap may impair shoulder lowering during cervical spine CT. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the effect of the CT table strap on radiation exposure and image quality during CT of the cervical spine.

Materials And Methods: Patients undergoing cervical spine CT were prospectively randomized to having the CT table strap placed around the torso and arms (control group) or around the torso only (intervention group).

A novel, reproducible, and objective method for volumetric magnetic resonance imaging assessment of enhancing glioblastoma.

Object: Robust methodology that allows objective, automated, and observer-independent measurements of brain tumor volume, especially after resection, is lacking. Thus, determination of tumor response and progression in neurooncology is unreliable. The objective of this study was to determine if a semi-automated volumetric method for quantifying enhancing tissue would perform with high reproducibility and low interobserver variability.

Electrophysiological effects of right and left vagal nerve stimulation on the ventricular myocardium.

Vagal nerve stimulation (VNS) has been proposed as a cardioprotective intervention. However, regional ventricular electrophysiological effects of VNS are not well characterized. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of right and left VNS on electrophysiological properties of the ventricles and hemodynamic parameters.

Imaging-detected incidental thyroid nodules that undergo surgery: a single-center experience over 1 year.

Background And Purpose: Incidental thyroid nodules are commonly seen on imaging, and their work-up can ultimately lead to surgery. We describe characteristics and pathology results of imaging-detected incidental thyroid nodules that underwent surgery.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective review was performed of 303 patients who underwent thyroid surgery over a 1-year period to identify patients who presented with incidental thyroid nodules on imaging.

P-glycoprotein promotes epithelial T helper 2-associated cytokine secretion in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps.

Background: Sinonasal epithelial cells are recognized as drivers of inflammation in chronic sinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) through secretion of T helper 2 (Th2)-promoting cytokines. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) is overexpressed in nasal polyps and modulates epithelial cytokine secretion in healthy mucosa. The objective of this study is to determine whether P-gp overactivity promotes Th2-associated cytokine secretion in CRSwNP.

Applying the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound recommendations for fine-needle aspiration of thyroid nodules: effect on workup and malignancy detection.

Objective: The Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) recommendations on thyroid nodules are intended to "diagnose thyroid cancers that have reached clinical significance, while avoiding unnecessary tests and surgery in patients with benign nodules." The aim of our study was to determine the proportion of thyroid nodules undergoing ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) that do not meet SRU recommendations.

Materials And Methods: This study is a retrospective study of 400 consecutive ultrasound-guided thyroid FNA encounters from July 2010 through June 2011.

Thyroid cancers incidentally detected at imaging in a 10-year period: how many cancers would be missed with use of the recommendations from the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound?

Purpose: To estimate the prevalence of incidental thyroid cancer (ITC) among patients undergoing thyroid surgery and to apply the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) guidelines to ITC.

Materials And Methods: This HIPAA-compliant study was approved by the institutional review board, with waiver of the need to obtain informed consent. A retrospective review of data in patients who underwent thyroid surgery between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2012, was performed.

High variability in radiologists' reporting practices for incidental thyroid nodules detected on CT and MRI.

Background And Purpose: There are no guidelines for reporting incidental thyroid nodules seen on CT and MR imaging. We evaluated radiologists' current reporting practices for incidental thyroid nodules detected on these imaging modalities.

Materials And Methods: Radiologists were surveyed regarding their reporting practices by using 14 scenarios of incidental thyroid nodules differing in size, patient demographics, and clinical history.

Journal Club: incidental thyroid nodules detected at imaging: can diagnostic workup be reduced by use of the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound recommendations and the three-tiered system?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the number of thyroid nodule workups that could be eliminated and the number of malignant tumors that would be missed if the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) recommendations and the three-tiered system were applied to incidental thyroid nodules (ITN) detected at imaging.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included ITN in 390 consecutively registered patients who underwent ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration of one or more thyroid nodules from July 2010 to June 2011. Images were reviewed, and nodules were categorized according to two workup criteria: ITN seen on ultrasound images were categorized according to SRU recommendations, and those seen on CT, MR, or PET/CT images were classified according to the three-tiered risk-categorization system.

Trends in incidentally identified thyroid cancers over a decade: a retrospective analysis of 2,090 surgical patients.

Background: The aim of this study was to describe trends in the incidence of incidental thyroid cancers and compare their characteristics with clinically presenting cancers.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients with thyroid cancer who underwent thyroid surgery from 2003 to 2012. Patients' initial presentation was categorized as incidental (on imaging or final surgical pathology) or clinical (palpable or symptomatic) cancer.

How to perform parathyroid 4D CT: tips and traps for technique and interpretation.

Parathyroid four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) is an imaging technique for preoperative localization of parathyroid adenomas that involves multidetector CT image acquisition during two or more contrast enhancement phases. Four-dimensional CT offers an alternative or additional tool in the evaluation of primary hyperparathyroidism. The purpose of this article is to describe the 4D CT technique and provide a practical guide to the radiologist for imaging interpretation.

Multidetector CT of nasolacrimal canal morphology: normal variation by age, gender, and race.

Purpose: To accurately characterize anatomical age, gender, and racial differences in normal nasolacrimal canal morphology and to describe a new, accurate technique for measuring nasolacrimal canal parameters based on high-resolution CT.

Methods: The CT images of 72 patients were reviewed retrospectively and grouped according to age, gender, and race. Patients with history of long-term sinusitis, facial trauma, or nasolacrimal duct pathology were excluded from study.

An exponential growth in incidence of thyroid cancer: trends and impact of CT imaging.

Background And Purpose: Workup of incidental thyroid nodules detected on CT imaging could be contributing to the increased diagnosis of small thyroid cancers. The purpose of this study was to evaluate recent trends in the incidence of thyroid cancer, and to determine the relationship between annual CT imaging volume and rate of thyroid cancer diagnosis.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective cohort study used data bases for thyroid cancer and CT imaging volume.

Self-assembled monolayer films derived from tridentate cyclohexyl adsorbates with alkyl tailgroups of increasing chain length.

Tridentate cyclohexyl-based alkanethiolate SAMs generated from a series of adsorbates of the form R3C6H6(CH2SH)3, where R = -(CH2)nH and n = 3, 8, and 13 (3CnCyTSH), were examined. Characterization of the SAMs by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that all sulfur atoms of the tridentate adsorbates were bound to the surface of gold, and that the tailgroups were in general less densely packed than the SAM derived from octadecanethiol (C18SH). For each of the SAMs, the relative molecular coverage on the surface was estimated from the XPS-derived C1s/Au4f ratios.

Time-resolved surface infrared spectroscopy during atomic layer deposition.

This work presents a novel method for obtaining surface infrared spectra with sub-second time resolution during atomic layer deposition (ALD). Using a rapid-scan Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrometer, we obtain a series of synchronized interferograms (120 ms) during multiple ALD cycles to observe the dynamics of an average ALD cycle. We use a buried metal layer (BML) substrate to enhance absorption by the surface species.

Estimation of radiation exposure for brain perfusion CT: standard protocol compared with deviations in protocol.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to measure the organ doses and estimate the effective dose for the standard brain perfusion CT protocol and erroneous protocols.

Materials And Methods: An anthropomorphic phantom with metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) detectors was scanned on a 64-MDCT scanner. Protocol 1 used a standard brain perfusion protocol with 80 kVp and fixed tube current of 200 mA.

Prevalence of the polar vessel sign in parathyroid adenomas on the arterial phase of 4D CT.

Background And Purpose: The "polar vessel" sign has been previously described on sonography of parathyroid adenomas. We estimated the 4D CT prevalence of the polar vessel sign and determined features of parathyroid adenomas that are associated with this sign.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients with parathyroid adenomas underwent 4D CT between 2008 and 2012 at 2 institutions.

¹⁹F NMR studies of a desolvated near-native protein folding intermediate.

Although many proteins are recognized to undergo folding via an intermediate, the microscopic nature of folding intermediates is less understood. In this study, ¹⁹F NMR and near-UV circular dichroism (CD) are used to characterize a transition to a thermal folding intermediate of calmodulin, a water-soluble protein, which is biosynthetically enriched with 3-fluorophenylalanine (3F-Phe). ¹⁹F NMR solvent isotope shifts, resulting from replacing H₂O with D₂O, and paramagnetic shifts arising from dissolved O₂ are used to monitor changes in the water accessibility and hydrophobicity of the protein interior as the protein progresses from a native state to an unfolded state along a heat-denaturation pathway.

Optimal contrast concentration for CT-guided epidural steroid injections.

Background And Purpose: Contrast is used in CT-guided epidural steroid injections to ensure proper needle placement. Once injected, undiluted contrast often obscures the needle, hindering subsequent repositioning. The purpose of this investigation was to establish the optimal contrast dilution for CT-guided epidural steroid injections.

Concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery and bevacizumab in recurrent malignant gliomas: a prospective trial.

Purpose: Virtually all patients with malignant glioma (MG) eventually recur. This study evaluates the safety of concurrent stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and bevacizumab (BVZ), an antiangiogenic agent, in treatment of recurrent MG.

Methods And Materials: Fifteen patients with recurrent MG, treated at initial diagnosis with surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy/temozolomide and then at least 1 salvage chemotherapy regimen, were enrolled in this prospective trial.

Complications of vision loss and ophthalmoplegia during endoscopic sinus surgery.

Objective: To describe two rare cases of concurrent vision loss and external ophthalmoplegia following powered endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).

Design: Observational case report.

Results: The records of two patients who underwent powered ESS and developed multiple concurrent ophthalmic complications were retrospectively reviewed for clinical history, neuro-ophthalmologic examination, and imaging findings.

Lipids, LXRs and prostate cancer: are HDACs a new link?

Lipids play a complex role in prostate cancer (PCa). Increased de novo synthesis of fatty acids and/or cholesterol is associated with the development of prostate tumors. Liver X Receptors (LXRs) are members of the nuclear receptor family that regulates intracellular lipid homeostasis.

Incidental thyroid nodules on CT: evaluation of 2 risk-categorization methods for work-up of nodules.

Background And Purpose: Thyroid nodules are common incidental findings on CT, but there are no clear guidelines regarding their further diagnostic work-up. This study compares the performance of 2 risk-categorization methods of selecting CT-detected incidental thyroid nodules for work-up.

Materials And Methods: The 2 categorization methods were method A, based on nodule size ≥10 mm, and method B, a 3-tiered system based on aggressive imaging features, patient age younger than 35 years or nodule size of ≥15 mm.