Exploratory clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbon dioxide paste in healthy people.

Introduction: Scarring and pain are postoperative complications in patients after head and neck cancer treatment; however, there is no effective treatment. These complications are affected by local blood flow disorders, and it is well known that the transcutaneous application of carbon dioxide (CO2) improves local blood flow. Previously, we have shown that the transcutaneous application of carbon dioxide causes absorption of CO2 and increase the oxygen (O2) pressure in the treated tissue; it is expected that the application of CO2 may reduce scarring and pain caused by cancer treatment.

Visualization of Inflammation After Cryoballoon Ablation in Atrial Fibrillation Patients - Protocol for Proof-of-Concept Feasibility Trial.

Atrial fibrosis and inflammation play important roles in perpetuating and initiating atrial fibrillation (AF). Although the fibrotic area can be visualized as a delayed enhancement area on late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI), atrial inflammation has not yet been visualized on any imaging modality. We describe the protocol for a feasibility study to visualize atrial inflammation on positron emission tomography/MRI (PET/MRI).

Visualization of intensive atrial inflammation and fibrosis after cryoballoon ablation: PET/MRI and LGE-MRI analysis.

Background: Atrial inflammation plays an important role in initiating atrial fibrosis, which could perpetuate atrial fibrillation (AF). However, the method of visualization of atrial inflammation has not been established. We sought to investigate whether the intensive atrial inflammation caused by cryoballoon ablation (CBA) could be detected by positron emission tomography/ magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI) and whether the atrial inflammation could be associated with consequent fibrosis.

Feasibility of catheter ablation in patients with persistent atrial fibrillation guided by fragmented late-gadolinium enhancement areas.

Background: A computer simulation model has demonstrated that atrial fibrillation (AF) driver can be attached to heterogeneous fibrosis assessed by late gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI). However, it has not been well elucidated in patients with persistent AF. The aim of this study was to investigate whether radiofrequency (RF) applications in the fragmented LGE area (FLA) could terminate AF or convert it to atrial tachycardia (AT) and improve the rhythm outcome.

Glioma cells require one-carbon metabolism to survive glutamine starvation.

Cancer cells optimize nutrient utilization to supply energetic and biosynthetic pathways. This metabolic process also includes redox maintenance and epigenetic regulation through nucleic acid and protein methylation, which enhance tumorigenicity and clinical resistance. However, less is known about how cancer cells exhibit metabolic flexibility to sustain cell growth and survival from nutrient starvation.

Lesion characteristics between cryoballoon ablation and radiofrequency ablation with a contact force-sensing catheter: Late-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging assessment.

Background: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) lesions after cryoballoon ablation (CBA) are characterized as a wider and more continuous than that after conventional radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) without the contact force (CF)-sensing technology. However, the impact on the lesion characteristics of ablation with a CF-sensing catheter has not been well discussed. We sought to assess the lesions using late-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (LGE-MRI) and to compare the differences between the two groups (CB group vs.

Intraoperative 3-T Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy for Detection of Proliferative Remnants of Glioma.

Background: Few studies have examined the usefulness of intraoperative magnetic resonance spectroscopy (iMRS) for identifying abnormal signals at the resection margin during glioma surgery. The aim of this study was to assess the value of iMRS for detecting proliferative remnants of glioma at the resection margin.

Methods: Fifteen patients with newly diagnosed glioma underwent single-voxel 3-T iMRS concurrently with intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging-assisted surgery.

Lesion distribution after cryoballoon ablation and hotballoon ablation: Late-gadolinium enhancement magnetic resonance imaging analysis.

Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) lesions after cryoballoon ablation (CBA) are wide and continuous, however, the distribution can depend on the pulmonary vein (PV) size. We sought to assess the relationship between the lesion distribution and PV size after CBA and hotballoon ablation (HBA).

Methods And Results: A total of 80 consecutive patients who underwent PVI were enrolled (40 with CBA).

Pencil Beam Presaturation Magnetic Resonance Imaging Helps to Identify Patients at Risk for Intolerance to Temporary Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion During Carotid Endarterectomy and Carotid Artery Stenting.

Background: There has been no effective method to predict ischemic intolerance to temporary internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion during carotid artery reconstruction. Pencil beam presaturation (BeamSAT) pulse suppresses the flow signal of the target vessel in magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Applying this method, we constructed ICA-selective MRA images.

Influence of arm position and respiration technique during liver examinations on the detectability of mammary lesions.

During liver computed tomography (CT), scanning is performed with the raised arm position and an inhalation technique. However, for liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the arms are placed at the sides of the body and an exhalation technique is used. This study was aimed at evaluating the effect that the patient's arm position and respiration technique had on the ability to detect mammary glands in the scan range to discover unexpected mammary lesions during the liver MRI examination.

The lesion characteristics assessed by LGE-MRI after the cryoballoon ablation and conventional radiofrequency ablation.

Background: Rhythm outcomes after the pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) using the cryoballoon (CB) are reported to be excellent. However, the lesions after CB ablation have not been well discussed. We sought to characterize and compare the lesion formation after CB ablation with that after radiofrequency (RF) ablation.

Comparison of dosimetric parameters in the treatment planning of magnetic resonance imaging-based intracavitary image-guided adaptive brachytherapy with and without optimization using the central shielding technique.

This study aimed to compare dosimetric parameters between non-optimized and optimized treatment planning (NOP and OP, respectively) of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) -based intracavitary (IC) image-guided adaptive brachytherapy (IGABT) using the central shielding (CS) technique for cervical cancer. Fifty-three patients treated with external beam radiotherapy using CS and MRI-based IGABT with the IC approach alone were evaluated. The total high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) D90 was aimed at >70 Gy equivalent dose in 2 Gy fractions (EQD2).

Assessment of the Quality of Breast MR Imaging Using the Modified Dixon Method and Frequency-Selective Fat Suppression: A Phantom Study.

To obtain objective and concrete data by physically assessing the quality of breast magnetic resonance images based on the fat-suppression effect by the modified Dixon method (mDixon) and frequency-selective fat suppression (e-Thrive) using an original lipid-content breast phantom that could easily reveal the influence of non-uniform fat suppression in breast magnetic resonance imaging. The fat-suppression uniformity was approximately seven times superior when using mDixon compared with when using e-Thrive. mDixon appears to have a significant advantage.

Comparison of fat suppression capability for chest MR imaging with Dixon, SPAIR and STIR techniques at 3 Tesla MR system.

Purpose: To directly compare fat suppression efficacy of Dixon, spectral attenuated inversion recovery (SPAIR) and short tau inversion recovery (STIR) techniques for a 3T MR system.

Materials And Methods: Nineteen consecutive patients (11 men, 8 women; mean age 67.9years) underwent chest MR imaging.

Myo-inositol concentration in MR spectroscopy for differentiating high grade glioma from primary central nervous system lymphoma.

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish gliomas from other tumors on routine imaging. In this study, we assessed whether 3-T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) with LCModel software might be useful for discriminating glioma from other brain tumors, such as primary central nervous system lymphomas (PCNSLs) and metastatic tumors. A total of 104 cases of brain tumor (66 gliomas, 20 PCNSLs, 6 metastatic tumors, 12 other tumors) were preoperatively investigated with short echo time (35 ms) single-voxel 3-T MRS.

Value of three-dimensional T2-weighted turbo spin-echo imaging with tissue-specific variable refocusing flip angle for 3-T magnetic resonance imaging of prostate cancer: comparison with conventional two- and three-dimensional T2-weighted turbo spin-echo imaging.

Purpose: To investigate the impact of three-dimensional (3D) T2-weighted turbo spin-echo imaging (TSE-T2WI) with tissue-specific variable refocusing flip angle (TS-VRFA) on image quality and prostate cancer (PCa) detection and extraprostatic extension (EPE) evaluation compared to 2D TSE-T2WI and conventional 3D TSE-T2WI with volume isotropic TSE acquisition (VISTA).

Materials And Methods: Image data sets of 40 patients who underwent 3-T MRI before prostatectomy, including multiplane 2D T2WI, 3D T2WI with TS-VRFA and VISTA, and diffusion-weighted images were independently evaluated by two radiologists. The detectability of PCa and EPE of each sequence was assessed using areas by the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) analysis.

Pancreatic fat content assessed by H magnetic resonance spectroscopy is correlated with insulin resistance, but not with insulin secretion, in Japanese individuals with normal glucose tolerance.

Aims/introduction: Whereas some clinical studies have shown that excessive fat accumulation in the pancreas is associated with impairment of insulin secretion, others have not found such an association. H magnetic resonance spectroscopy allows quantitative fat analysis in various tissues including the pancreas. The pathological relevance of pancreatic fat content (PFC) in Japanese individuals remains unclear, however.

Diagnostic value of glutamate with 2-hydroxyglutarate in magnetic resonance spectroscopy for IDH1 mutant glioma.

Background: Mutations in the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 (IDH1) gene that are frequently observed in low-grade glioma are strongly associated with the accumulation of 2-hydroxyglutarate (2HG), which is a valuable diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of IDH1 mutant glioma. However, conventional MR spectroscopy (MRS)-based noninvasive detection of 2HG is challenging. In this study, we aimed to determine the additional value of other metabolites in predicting IDH1 mutations with conventional MRS.

Triexponential function analysis of diffusion-weighted MRI for diagnosing prostate cancer.

Background: To evaluate more detailed information noninvasively through on diffusion and perfusion in prostate cancer (PCa) using triexponential analysis of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Methods: Sixty-three prostate cancer patients underwent preoperative 3.0 Tesla MRI including eight b-values DWI.

Radiofrequency-shielding Effect of a Titanium Mesh Implanted for Cranioplasty.

Purpose: After cranioplasty with a titanium mesh, radiofrequency (RF)-shielding images appear during magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. To clarify their influence, we evaluated the effect of mesh position, phase-encoding direction, and type of coil employed.

Materials And Methods: On a 1.

Evaluation of blood volume by use of blood oxygen level-dependent magnetic resonance imaging in a cuff-compression model: usefulness of calculated echo time image.

Purpose: Separate assessment of changes in blood oxygenation and blood volume is required in blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) imaging. We developed a calculated echo time (TE) imaging technique designed to minimize effects of blood oxygenation and to evaluate blood volume specifically.

Materials And Methods: Dynamic 3T multi-echo BOLD images of calf muscle were acquired from six healthy volunteers by use of a cuff-compression model.

Dynamic Blood Oxygen Level-dependent MR Imaging of Muscle: Comparison of Postocclusive Reactive Hyperemia in Young Smokers and Nonsmokers.

Purpose: The role of early stage functional assessment of muscle blood flow response (MFR) by dynamic muscle blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is unknown. We investigated the effect of smoking on vascular function according to MFR derived from dynamic muscle BOLD MR imaging during postocclusive reactive hyperemia in young smokers and nonsmokers.

Methods: Sixteen healthy male volunteers (8 smokers, 8 nonsmokers; mean age, 30.

Compensatory glutamine metabolism promotes glioblastoma resistance to mTOR inhibitor treatment.

The mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) is hyperactivated in many types of cancer, rendering it a compelling drug target; however, the impact of mTOR inhibition on metabolic reprogramming in cancer is incompletely understood. Here, by integrating metabolic and functional studies in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) cell lines, preclinical models, and clinical samples, we demonstrate that the compensatory upregulation of glutamine metabolism promotes resistance to mTOR kinase inhibitors. Metabolomic studies in GBM cells revealed that glutaminase (GLS) and glutamate levels are elevated following mTOR kinase inhibitor treatment.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance tagging imaging correlates with myocardial dysfunction and T2 mapping in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

To evaluate the details of myocardial dysfunction in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients using tagging images and the correlation of tagging imaging with tissue characteristics. Circumferential strain (Ecc) derived from tagging images was measured in 15 normal (NML) subjects (15 males; mean age 28.5 years) and 12 DCM patients (7 males; mean age 48.

Cardiovascular magnetic resonance T2 mapping can detect myocardial edema in idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy.

Myocardial edema and inflammation play an important role in dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). This pathologic condition can be identified noninvasively using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of T2 values obtained with T2 mapping in the detection of edema in DCM patients, compared with that of conventional T2-weighted imaging (T2WI).