[Diagnostic value of a simple scoring system for the diagnosis and treatment of non-emergency small bowel obstruction].

In order to improve the diagnostic accuracy and treatment strategy for small bowel obstruction, we developed a non-emergency small bowel obstruction scoring system (0-4). We performed a retrospective analysis on 94 patients diagnosed with mechanical small bowel obstruction at our hospital. Anterior adhesion, small bowel feces sign, scoring system, and the usefulness of small bowel feces subtypes were examined.

[Efficacy of combined local therapy especially with hepatic arterial infusion for liver metastasis from gastric cancer].

Herein, we report four cases of a single liver metastasis after gastric cancer resection. Initially, we chose to perform hepatic arterial infusion( HAI) with high-dose 5-fluorouracil( 5-FU)( 6,000 mg/week) or weekly 500-750 mg of 5-FU. Three patients showed a partial response (PR) and one patient showed no change (NC).

Abdominal aortic aneurysmal and endovascular device infection with iliopsoas abscess caused by Mycobacterium bovis as a complication of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guérin therapy.

Vascular complications after the intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy are extremely rare. We experienced a case of abdominal aortic aneurysmal infection excluded by a stent graft with an iliopsoas abscess after intravesical instillation of BCG therapy that required reoperation. Five years ago, an 81-year-old man was diagnosed with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

In vivo evaluation of cisplatin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres for use in chemoembolization of VX2 liver tumors.

Purpose: To investigate the pharmacokinetics and efficacy of chemoembolization with a cisplatin-loaded superabsorbent polymer (SAP) suspension in a rabbit model with transplanted liver VX2 tumors.

Materials And Methods: VX2 tumors were implanted into the left lobe of the liver in eight rabbits. Embolization of the proper hepatic artery was performed with cisplatin-loaded or unloaded SAP.

Usefulness of contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography using time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics applied to description of Extracranial Arteriovenous Malformations: initial experience.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced three-dimensional MR angiography using time-resolved imaging of contrast kinetics (TRICKS-MRA) to demonstrate extracranial arteriovenous malformations (E-AVMs).

Materials And Methods: TRICKS-MRA was performed in 33 patients (adults; n = 30, children; n = 3) with E-AVMs. Four different scan protocols were arranged based on the size of E-AVM, and serial images were acquired from the start of contrast injection with a time frame ranging from 1.

Transarterial chemoembolization with cisplatin as second-line treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma unresponsive to chemoembolization with epirubicin-Lipiodol emulsion.

Purpose: The purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the efficacy of transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) using cisplatin as a second-line treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) unresponsive to TACE using epirubicin-Lipiodol emulsion at our institution.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2006 and March 2009, 51 patients with unresectable HCC underwent TACE using cisplatin. All patients had shown persistent viable tumor or tumor progression after at least 2 sessions of TACE using epirubicin-Lipiodol emulsion.

Uterine tumors: comparison of 3D versus 2D T2-weighted turbo spin-echo MR imaging at 3.0 T--initial experience.

Purpose: To compare a three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted turbo spin-echo (TSE) magnetic resonance (MR) sequence (VISTA; Philips Medical Systems, Best, the Netherlands) with a two-dimensional (2D) T2-weighted TSE sequence in terms of image quality, signal intensity (SI) difference ratios, conspicuity, and staging of uterine tumors.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was waived. Sixty-one women (mean age, 53.

Abdominal multi-detector row CT: effectiveness of determining contrast medium dose on basis of body surface area.

Purpose: To investigate the validity of determining the contrast medium dose based on body surface area (BSA) for the abdominal contrast-enhanced multi-detector row CT comparing with determining based on body weight (BW).

Materials And Methods: Institutional review committee approval was obtained. In this retrospective study, 191 patients those underwent abdominal contrast-enhanced multi-detector row CT were enrolled.

Comparative study of the diagnostic ability of magnetic resonance imaging and multidetector row computed tomography for anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) for an anomalous pancreaticobiliary ductal junction (PBJ).

Methods: This study included 26 patients who underwent MR imaging, MDCT, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Seventeen of the patients were diagnosed by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography as having an anomalous PBJ.

Correlations between aorto-popliteal bolus transit speed and aortic and popliteal bolus transit time during CT angiography of aortoiliac and lower extremity arteries.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate correlations between the aorto-popliteal bolus transit speed and aortic and popliteal bolus transit time in order to evaluate the possibility for prediction of bolus transit speed by single test injection technique.

Materials And Methods: Approval was obtained from our institutional review board for this study, which included 42 patients, from all of whom written informed consent was obtained. Low-dose serial CT scanning after injection of 12 ml contrast material (300 mg/ml) at a rate of 3 ml/s followed by saline flush was performed twice, first at the level of the upper abdomen and second at the level of the knee joint.

Hepatocellular carcinoma: hepatocyte-selective enhancement at gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging--correlation with expression of sinusoidal and canalicular transporters and bile accumulation.

Purpose: To investigate the mechanism of enhancement of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on gadoxetic acid-enhanced hepatobiliary phase magnetic resonance (MR) images and to characterize HCC thus enhanced.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and patient informed consent for research use of the resected specimen was obtained. MR images in 25 patients (20 men, five women; mean age, 68 years; range, 49-82 years) with 27 resected hypervascular HCCs (one well, 13 moderately, 13 poorly differentiated) that demonstrated hepatocyte-selective enhancement on gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR images, were quantitatively studied, and findings were correlated with results of immunohistochemical staining for a sinusoidal transporter, organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1B1 (OATP1B1) and/or OATP1B3 (OATP1B1 and/or -1B3), and a canalicular transporter, multidrug resistance-associated protein 2 (MRP2), and also with bile accumulation in tumors.

In vitro characterization of cisplatin-loaded superabsorbent polymer microspheres designed for chemoembolization.

Purpose: To find appropriate contrast media to load cisplatin into superabsorbent polymer (SAP) and to analyze the absorption and elution kinetics of cisplatin to and from SAP.

Materials And Methods: Three contrast media-ioxaglic acid 320 mg/mL, iohexol 300 mg/mL, and iopamidol 300 mg/mL-were tested for solubility of a new highly soluble cisplatin powder. The appropriate concentrations of cisplatin were predetermined according to the solubility in each contrast medium.

Salvage cystic duct anastomosis using a magnetic compression technique for incomplete bile duct reconstruction in living donor liver transplantation.

In living donor liver transplantation (LDLT), bile duct reconstruction is often technically demanding due to the frequently anomalous anatomy of the bile duct, as well as the high incidence of biliary complications. A bile duct branch may also be accidentally left without anastomosis at the time of LDLT and found to be obstructed after surgery. Surgical revision for such cases is sometimes not feasible because of the invasiveness of the procedure.

MR imaging of endometrial carcinoma for preoperative staging at 3.0 T: comparison with imaging at 1.5 T.

Purpose: To prospectively compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 3.0 T and 1.5 T in the same patients for preoperative evaluation of endometrial carcinoma.

MR cholangiopancreatography at 3.0 T: intraindividual comparative study with MR cholangiopancreatography at 1.5 T for clinical patients.

Objectives: To prospectively evaluate the image quality and diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) at 3.0 T compared with that at 1.5 T used for patients.

Effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide on tumor-to-liver contrast at T2*-weighted gradient-echo MRI: comparison between 3.0T and 1.5T MR systems.

Purpose: To compare 3.0T and 1.5T MR systems in terms of the effect of superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) on tumor-to-liver contrast in T2*-weighted gradient-echo MRI.

Uterine cervical carcinoma: preoperative staging with 3.0-T MR imaging--comparison with 1.5-T MR imaging.

Purpose: To prospectively evaluate the efficacy of 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the preoperative staging of cervical carcinoma compared with that at 1.5-T imaging, with surgery and pathologic analysis as the reference standards.

64-slice multidetector row computed tomographic angiography of aortoiliac and lower extremity arteries: efficacy of test injection using a monitoring scan at knee level.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of test injection technique using a monitoring scan at knee level for 64-slice multidetector row computed tomographic (MDCT) angiography of the abdominal and lower extremity arteries.

Methods: The test injection technique using low-dose serial CT scan at knee level was performed for 58 patients. Time elapsed from contrast material injection to peak enhancement for the popliteal arteries was applied to scan delay for CT angiography.

Differential diagnosis between metastatic tumors and nonsolid benign lesions of the liver using ferucarbotran-enhanced MR imaging.

Purpose: To evaluate ability of ferucarbotran-enhanced MR imaging (MRI) in differentiating metastases from nonsolid benign lesions of the liver according to signal-intensity characteristics.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-six consecutive patients, who had 138 focal hepatic lesions (26 cysts, 11 hemangiomas, and 101 metastases), underwent ferucarbotran-enhanced MRI. The signal-intensity pattern of each kind of lesion relative to the liver parenchyma on ferucarbotran-enhanced T2* and heavily T1-weighted gradient-echo images were assessed and categorized into the following three categories: high-intensity and iso-intensity, respectively (category A), high and low (category B), and iso- and low-intensity (category C).

Bland embolization of hepatocellular carcinoma using superabsorbent polymer microspheres.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical outcomes of bland embolization using superabsorbent polymer microspheres (SAP-TAE) as an initial therapeutic option for previously untreated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) ineligible for resection or ablation. Fifty-nine patients with previously untreated HCC unamenable to surgery or ablation underwent bland embolization using 100- to 200-mum reconstituted SAP particles (SAP-TAE) as the initial treatment. SAP-TAE was repeated as needed based on tumor response but was switched to chemoembolization when necessary to control residual or progressive tumor.

Angiographic evaluation of hepatic arterial damage after transarterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the incidence, degree, and predictors of hepatic arterial damage (HAD) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: A total of 33 patients with unresectable HCC underwent TACE alone using a mixture of iodized oil, epirubicin, and gelatin sponge. A follow-up angiogram was available for 76 of 109 sessions, and HAD was evaluated at each subsegment of the hepatic artery using a three-grade scale (1, no or slight wall irregularity; 2, overt stenosis; 3, occlusion).

Magnetic resonance imaging-guided focused ultrasound ablation of uterine fibroids: early clinical experience.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility and effectiveness of magnetic resonance (MRI)-guided focused ultrasound (MRIgFUS) ablation for uterine fibroids and to identify the candidates for this treatment.

Materials And Methods: A total of 48 patients with a symptomatic uterine fibroid underwent MRIgFUS. The percent ablation volume was calculated, and the patients' characteristics and the MR imaging features of the fibroids that might predict the effect of this treatment were assessed.

Isotropic diffusion-weighted MR imaging with tetrahedral gradients in the upper abdomen.

A tetrahedral gradient diffusion sequence for body imaging for a 1.5T scanner was implemented, and we compared the quality of images acquired with the new technique and with the conventional orthogonal technique. Image quality was better using the tetrahedral technique in terms of signal homogeneity in the right liver lobe and signal loss artifact in the left lobe, and the technique was considered useful for magnetic resonance imaging in the upper abdomen.

[A successful case of hepatocellular carcinoma with portal venous tumor thrombus (Vp2) treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization].

We reported a case of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal venous tumor thrombus (PVTT) (Vp2) successfully treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE), and the tumor showed complete response and the patient survived for 28 months. A 67-year-old male was diagnosed with HCC in the area of subsegment 5 with PVTT from the P5 to the posterior branch. He was treated by segmental TACE.

[The progress of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma].

Hepatic arterial infusion (HAI) chemotherapy has been selected as a therapeutic option for highly advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with tumor thrombi in major portal branches or intrahepatic metastases. Conventional therapies have no clinical effect on highly advanced HCC. Recent advances of an implanted portcatheter system have facilitated repeated arterial infusion of chemotherapeutic agents, and HAI chemotherapy with several anticancer drugs provides a useful choice for advanced HCC.