Publications by authors named "Johny Verschakelen"

Members of the Fleischner Society have compiled a glossary of terms for thoracic imaging that replaces previous glossaries published in 1984, 1996, and 2008, respectively. The impetus to update the previous version arose from multiple considerations. These include an awareness that new terms and concepts have emerged, others have become obsolete, and the usage of some terms has either changed or become inconsistent to a degree that warranted a new definition.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The assessment of donor lungs for transplantation is mostly subjective and varies greatly, lacking standardized criteria; researchers explored using a CT-based machine learning algorithm to evaluate donor lungs before surgery.
  • - The study collected clinical data and CT scans from 100 cases, training a machine learning method called dictionary learning to identify specific image patterns related to lung health.
  • - The algorithm successfully detected lung abnormalities, highlighting patients with a higher risk of complications post-transplant and emphasizing the need for objective screening methods as the use of less-than-ideal donor lungs increases.
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Background: Assessment and selection of donor lungs remains largely subjective and experience based. Criteria to accept or decline lungs are poorly standardized and are not compliant with the current donor pool. Using ex vivo CT images, we investigated the use of a CT-based machine learning algorithm for screening donor lungs prior to transplantation.

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Background Interstitial lung abnormalities (ILAs) reflect imaging features on lung CT scans that are compatible with (early) interstitial lung disease. Despite accumulating evidence regarding the incidence, risk factors, and prognosis of ILAs, the histopathologic correlates of ILAs remain elusive. Purpose To determine the correlation between radiologic and histopathologic findings in CT-defined ILAs in human lung explants.

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  • In patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD), surgical lung biopsy (SLB) is the standard for diagnosis but has risks and challenges, leading to the exploration of transbronchial lung cryobiopsy (TBLC) as an alternative diagnostic method.
  • The European Respiratory Society guidelines suggest TBLC as a viable option for obtaining tissue samples in patients both eligible and ineligible for SLB, while emphasizing the necessity of operator training.
  • Although TBLC has a lower diagnostic yield than SLB, it presents fewer serious adverse events and shorter hospital stays, although the overall certainty of evidence is considered "very low."
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To characterize computed tomography (CT) findings of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia and their value in outcome prediction.Chest CTs of 182 patients with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19 infection by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were evaluated for the presence of CT-abnormalities and their frequency. Regarding the patient outcome each patient was categorized in 5 progressive stages and the duration of hospitalization was determined.

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Fibrotic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (fHP) is an interstitial lung disease caused by sensitization to an inhaled allergen. To identify the molecular determinants associated with progression of fibrosis. Nine fHP explant lungs and six unused donor lungs (as controls) were systematically sampled (4 samples/lung).

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Randomized placebo-controlled trials demonstrated the efficacy of antifibrotic treatment in non-IPF progressive fibrosing ILD (fILD). Currently, there is no consensus on how progression should be defined and clinical data of non-IPF fILD patients in a real-world setting are scarce. Non-IPF fILD patients presenting at the University Hospitals Leuven between 2012 and 2016 were included.

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Objectives: To analyze computed tomography (CT) characteristics predictive for diagnostic accuracy and pneumothorax in CT fluoroscopy-guided transthoracic biopsy (CTF-TTB) of lung lesions using non-coaxial biopsy needle technique.

Methods: Retrospectively 274 lung lesion biopsies with confirmed histology were included in our study. CTF-TTB was done using an 18-gauge non-coaxial cutting needle.

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Objectives: Fast diagnosis of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), and the detection of high-risk patients are crucial but challenging in the pandemic outbreak. The aim of this study was to evaluate if deep learning-based software correlates well with the generally accepted visual-based scoring for quantification of the lung injury to help radiologist in triage and monitoring of COVID-19 patients.

Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, the lobar analysis of lung opacities (% opacities) by means of a prototype deep learning artificial intelligence (AI)-based software was compared to visual scoring.

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Background: The transition from normal lung anatomy to minimal and established fibrosis is an important feature of the pathology of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The purpose of this report is to examine the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with this transition.

Methods: Pre-operative thoracic Multidetector Computed Tomography (MDCT) scans of patients with severe IPF (n = 9) were used to identify regions of minimal(n = 27) and established fibrosis(n = 27).

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Published reports suggest that nonoptimal visual search behavior is associated with false negatives in chest x-ray interpretation. Eye movement modeling example (EMME)-based training interventions, that is, interventions showing models of visual search to trainees, have been shown to improve visual search as well as task accuracy. We examined the detection of focal lung pathology on chest x-rays before and after two different EMME training interventions that have been shown to be efficient: (i) an EMME showing moving fixations on a blurred background (spotlight group) and (ii) an EMME showing moving fixations on a nonblurred background (circle group).

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Purpose: To investigate the role of low-dose chest computed tomography (CT) imaging in the triage of patients suspected of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in an emergency setting.

Materials And Methods: Data from 610 patients admitted to our emergency unit from March 20, 2020, until April 11, 2020, with suspicion of COVID-19 were collected. Diagnostic values of low-dose chest CT for COVID-19 were calculated using consecutive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) as reference.

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Article Synopsis
  • The use of molecular targeting agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer treatment has led to an increase in lung toxicity, particularly drug-related pneumonitis (DRP).
  • Diagnosing DRP involves ruling out other causes, with symptoms varying from mild to potentially fatal, and the assessment of lung imaging can reveal different radiologic patterns indicative of DRP severity.
  • Treatment typically includes stopping the offending drug, administering immunosuppressive therapy, and providing supportive care, with recommendations for diagnosis and management aimed at various healthcare professionals.
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Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disease that in most patients affects the lung. Pulmonary fibrotic sarcoidosis is clinically, radiologically, and pathologically a heterogeneous condition. Although substantial indirect evidence suggests small airways involvement, direct evidence currently is lacking.

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Article Synopsis
  • The use of molecular targeting agents and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in cancer treatment has led to increased lung toxicity, specifically drug-related pneumonitis (DRP), highlighting the importance of recognizing its incidence and risk factors.
  • Diagnosis of DRP typically involves ruling out other causes, and symptoms can vary significantly, from mild to potentially life-threatening.
  • Imaging features of DRP can include various radiological patterns, and treatment usually involves stopping the offending drug, administering immunosuppressive therapy, and providing supportive care, including oxygen if needed.
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Background: Ex vivo lung perfusion (EVLP) is a widespread accepted platform for preservation and evaluation of donor lungs prior to lung transplantation (LTx). Standard lungs are ventilated using volume-controlled ventilation (VCV). We investigated the effects of flow-controlled ventilation (FCV) in a large animal EVLP model.

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This report discusses 3 bilateral lung transplant recipients (2 female, 1 male) who presented with late hemoptysis (10 y, 18 y, and 19 y after transplantation). All patients had a history of pulmonary infections, bronchiectasis, and/or Aspergillus infection. Arteriography, through catherization of the common femoral artery, demonstrated spontaneous bronchial and systemic neovascularization arising from the thyrocervical trunk, internal thoracic artery, intercostal arteries, and dorsal scapular artery.

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Background: Physiological lung ageing is associated with a gradual decline in dynamic lung volumes and a progressive increase in residual volume due to diminished elastic recoil of the lung, loss of alveolar tissue, and lower chest wall compliance. However, the effects of ageing on the small airways (ie, airways <2·0 mm in diameter) remain largely unknown. By using a combination of ex-vivo conventional CT (resolution 1 mm), whole lung micro-CT (resolution 150 μm), and micro-CT of extracted cores (resolution 10 μm), we aimed to provide a multiresolution assessment of the small airways in lung ageing in a large cohort of never smokers.

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Lung diseases such as fibrosis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, infection and cancer are life-threatening conditions that slowly deteriorate quality of life and for which our diagnostic power is high, but our knowledge on etiology and/or effective treatment options still contains important gaps. In the context of day-to-day practice, clinical and preclinical studies, clinicians and basic researchers team up and continuously strive to increase insights into lung disease progression, diagnostic and treatment options. To unravel disease processes and to test novel therapeutic approaches, investigators typically rely on end-stage procedures such as serum analysis, cyto-/chemokine profiles and selective tissue histology from animal models.

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