Vascular and Parenchymal Enhancement Assessment by Dual-Phase Dual-Energy CT in the Diagnostic Investigation of Pulmonary Hypertension.

Purpose: To evaluate pulmonary hypertension (PH) determination by dual-phase dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography vascular enhancement and perfused blood volume (PBV) quantification.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective study, consecutive participants who underwent both right heart catheterization and dual-phase dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography were included between 2012 and 2014. CT evaluation comprised a standard pulmonary arterial phase dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography acquisition (termed series 1) followed 7 seconds after series 1 completion by a second dual-energy CT pulmonary angiography acquisition limited to the central 10 cm of the pulmonary vasculature (termed series 2).

Dual-energy CT for imaging of pulmonary hypertension: challenges and opportunities.

Computed tomography (CT) is routinely used in the evaluation of patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) to assess vascular anatomy and parenchymal morphology. The introduction of dual-energy CT (DECT) enables additional qualitative and quantitative insights into pulmonary hemodynamics and the extent and variability of parenchymal enhancement. Lung perfusion assessed at pulmonary blood volume imaging correlates well with findings at scintigraphy, and pulmonary blood volume defects seen in pulmonary embolism studies infer occlusive disease with increased risk of right heart dysfunction.

Indications and interventional options for non-resectable tracheal stenosis.

Non-specific presentation and normal examination findings in early disease often result in tracheal obstruction being overlooked as a diagnosis until patients present acutely. Once diagnosed, surgical options should be considered, but often patient co-morbidity necessitates other interventional options. Non-resectable tracheal stenosis can be successfully managed by interventional bronchoscopy, with therapeutic options including airway dilatation, local tissue destruction and airway stenting.

Dual-energy computed tomography in the assessment of vascular and parenchymal enhancement in suspected pulmonary hypertension.

Purpose: To evaluate quantitative differences in central pulmonary artery (PA) and pulmonary global and regional enhancement in patients with and without pulmonary hypertension (PH) using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT).

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively studied 391 thoracic DECT studies and identified 89 patients with PA pressure (PAP) data and a pulmonary angiogram. PH was defined as a mean PAP of ≥25 mm Hg on right heart catheterization (RHC) (n=19) or a systolic PAP of ≥40 mm Hg on echocardiography (n=20).

The GH-2004 project: the response of IGF1 and type III pro-collagen to the administration of exogenous GH in non-Caucasian amateur athletes.

Context: The GH-2000 team proposed a method based on IGF1 and type III pro-collagen (P-III-P) to detect exogenously administered GH. As previous studies involved predominantly white European athletes, it is important to assess whether the response of these markers to recombinant human GH (rhGH) differs with ethnicity.

Objective: To examine the response of serum IGF1 and P-III-P and GH-2000 score to rhGH in non-Caucasian amateur athletes.