The Role of PET Imaging in Patients with Prion Disease: A Literature Review.

Prion diseases are rare, rapidly progressive, and fatal incurable degenerative brain disorders caused by the misfolding of a normal protein called PrPC into an abnormal protein called PrPSc. Their highly variable clinical presentation mimics various degenerative and non-degenerative brain disorders, making diagnosis a significant challenge for neurologists. Currently, definitive diagnosis relies on post-mortem examination of nervous tissue to detect the pathogenic prion protein.

Combined 18F-FDG PET-CT markers in dementia with Lewy bodies.

Introduction: F-Fluoro-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is a supportive biomarker in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) diagnosis and its advanced analysis methods, including radiomics and machine learning (ML), were developed recently. The aim of this study was to evaluate the FDG-PET diagnostic performance in predicting a DLB versus Alzheimer's disease (AD) diagnosis.

Methods: FDG-PET scans were visually and semi-quantitatively analyzed in 61 patients.

A Young Man with Cognitive Impairment and a Heart Condition.

A 43-year-old came to our observation for progressive cognitive impairment, confirmed by the neuropsychological evaluation. A diagnosis of multidomain amnestic mild cognitive impairment, due to unknown reasons, was posited at the first assessment. The patient's neurological exam was otherwise completely normal.

EEG Abnormalities During Delirium as a Prodromal Feature of Dementia with Lewy Bodies: A Case Report.

Background: A 79-year-old woman was admitted to the Neurology Clinic of the University of Chieti-Pescara for a syncope. At admission, the occurrence of an acute stroke was ruled out. Her cognitive status was unimpaired.

Automated detection and classification of tumor histotypes on dynamic PET imaging data through machine-learning driven voxel classification.

2-deoxy-2-fluorine-(F)fluoro-d-glucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (F-FDG-PET/CT) is widely used in oncology mainly for diagnosis and staging of various cancer types, including lung cancer, which is the most common cancer worldwide. Since histopathologic subtypes of lung cancer show different degree of F-FDG uptake, to date there are some diagnostic limits and uncertainties, hindering an F-FDG-PET-driven classification of histologic subtypes of lung cancers. On the other hand, since activated macrophages, neutrophils, fibroblasts and granulation tissues also show an increased F-FDG activity, infectious and/or inflammatory processes and post-surgical and post-radiation changes may cause false-positive results, especially for lymph-nodes assessment.

Dynamic C-Methionine PET-CT: Prognostic Factors for Disease Progression and Survival in Patients with Suspected Glioma Recurrence.

Purpose: The prognostic evaluation of glioma recurrence patients is important in the therapeutic management. We investigated the prognostic value of C-methionine PET-CT (MET-PET) dynamic and semiquantitative parameters in patients with suspected glioma recurrence.

Methods: Sixty-seven consecutive patients who underwent MET-PET for suspected glioma recurrence at MR were retrospectively included.

Biomarker-based stability in limbic-predominant amnestic mild cognitive impairment.

Background: The amnestic presentation of mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) represents the most common prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (AD) dementia. There is, however, some evidence of aMCI with typical amnestic syndrome but showing long-term clinical stability. The ability to predict stability or progression to dementia in the aMCI condition is important, particularly for the selection of candidates in clinical trials.

Usefulness of Brain Positron Emission Tomography with Different Tracers in the Evaluation of Patients with Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalous.

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is the only form of dementia that can be cured by surgery. Its diagnosis relies on clinical and radiological criteria. Identifying patients who can benefit from surgery is challenging, as other neurological diseases can be concomitant or mimic iNPH.

68Ga-DOTATATE and 123I-mIBG as imaging biomarkers of disease localisation in metastatic neuroblastoma: implications for molecular radiotherapy.

Purpose: Iodine-131-labelled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) and lutetium-177-labelled DOTATATE (Lu-DOTATATE) are used for molecular radiotherapy of metastatic neuroblastoma. These are taken up by the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) and the somatostatin receptor subtype 2 (SSTR-2), respectively. Scintigraphy of iodine-123-labelled meta-iodobenzylguanidine (I-mIBG) and gallium-68 DOTATATE (Ga-DOTATATE) PET are used to select patients for therapy.

Atypical Presentation of COVID-19 Incidentally Detected at 18F-FDG PET/CT in an Asymptomatic Oncological Patient.

The incidence of COVID-19, a severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by SARS-CoV-2, is rapidly growing worldwide. In this pandemic period, the chance of incidental pulmonary findings suggestive of COVID-19 at F-FDG PET/CT in asymptomatic oncological patients is not negligible. To suspect COVID-19 is more demanding whether its presentation is atypical.

The Additional Value of F-FDG PET and MRI in Patients with Glioma: A Review of the Literature from 2015 to 2020.

Aim: Beyond brain computed tomography (CT) scan, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) hold paramount importance in neuro-oncology. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss the literature from 2015 to 2020, showing advantages or complementary information of fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET imaging to the anatomical and functional data offered by MRI in patients with glioma.

Methods: A comprehensive Pubmed/MEDLINE literature search was performed to retrieve original studies, with a minimum of 10 glioma patients, published from 2015 until the end of April 2020, on the use of F-FDG PET in conjunction with MRI.

Diagnostic Performance and Prognostic Value of PET/CT with Different Tracers for Brain Tumors: A Systematic Review of Published Meta-Analyses.

Background: Several meta-analyses reporting data on the diagnostic performance or prognostic value of positron emission tomography (PET) with different tracers in detecting brain tumors have been published so far. This review article was written to summarize the evidence-based data in these settings.

Methods: We have performed a comprehensive literature search of meta-analyses published in the Cochrane library and PubMed/Medline databases (from inception through July 2019) about the diagnostic performance or prognostic value of PET with different tracers in patients with brain tumors.

Reliability of intraoperative ultrasound in detecting tumor residual after brain diffuse glioma surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Intraoperative ultrasonography (iUS) is considered an accurate, safe, and cost-effective tool to estimate the extent of resection of both high-grade (HGG) and low-grade (DLGG) diffuse gliomas (DGs). However, it is currently missing an evidence-based assessment of iUS diagnostic accuracy in DGs surgery. The objective of review is to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of iUS in detecting tumor residue after DGs resection.

How Often Do We Fail to Classify the Treatment Response with [F]FDG PET/CT Acquired on Different Scanners? Data from Clinical Oncological Practice Using an Automatic Tool for SUV Harmonization.

Purpose: Tumor response evaluated by 2-deoxy-2-[F]fluoro-D-glucose ([F]FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) with standardized uptake value (SUV) is questionable when pre- and post-treatment PET/CT are acquired on different scanners. The aims of our study, performed in oncological patients who underwent pre- and post-treatment [F]FDG PET/CT on different scanners, were (1) to evaluate whether EQ·PET, a proprietary SUV inter-exams harmonization tool, modifies the EORTC tumor response classification and (2) to assess which classification (harmonized and non-harmonized) better predicts clinical outcome.

Procedures: We retrospectively identified 95 PET pairs (pre- and post-treatment) performed on different scanners (Biograph mCT, Siemens; GEMINI GXL, Philips) in 73 oncological patients (52F; 57.

The kinetics of F-FDG in lung cancer: compartmental models and voxel analysis.

Background: The validation of the most appropriate compartmental model that describes the kinetics of a specific tracer within a specific tissue is mandatory before estimating quantitative parameters, since the behaviour of a tracer can be different among organs and diseases, as well as between primary tumours and metastases. The aims of our study were to assess which compartmental model better describes the kinetics of F-Fluorodeoxygluxose(F-FDG) in primary lung cancers and in metastatic lymph nodes; to evaluate whether quantitative parameters, estimated using different innovative technologies, are different between lung cancers and lymph nodes; and to evaluate the intra-tumour inhomogeneity.

Results: Twenty-one patients (7 females; 71 ± 9.

Neo-adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy followed by chemoradiation and radical surgery in locally advanced cervical cancer (Lacc) patients: A phase II study.

Purpose: The aim of this Phase II, non-randomized study was to assess activity and safety of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) before chemoradiation (CT/RT) followed by radical surgery (RS) in locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC) patients.

Methods And Materials: The primary end point was rate of pathologic complete response (pCR). FIGO Stage IB2-IVA patients were administered NACT chemotherapy (paclitaxel 80 mg/m, carboplatin AUC 2), for 6 weeks, followed by Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy plus simultaneous boost (total dose of 50.

Intranasal Nerve Growth Factor administration improves cerebral functions in a child with severe traumatic brain injury: A case report.

Background: Nerve growth factor (NGF) promotes neural recovery after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) supporting neuronal growth, differentiation and survival of brain cells and up-regulating the neurogenesis-associated protein Doublecortin (DCX). Only a few studies reported NGF administration in paediatric patients with severe TBI.

Methods: A four-year-old boy in a persistent unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (UWS) was treated with intranasal murine NGF administration 6 months after severe TBI.

The predictive value of F-FDG PET-CT for assessing the clinical outcomes in locally advanced NSCLC patients after a new induction treatment: low-dose fractionated radiotherapy with concurrent chemotherapy.

Background: Patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (LA-NSCLC) have poor prognosis despite several multimodal approaches. Recently, low-dose fractionated radiotherapy concurrent to the induction chemotherapy (IC-LDRT) has been proposed to further improve the effects of chemotherapy and prognosis. Until now, the predictive value of metabolic response after IC-LDRT has not yet been investigated.

Endometriosis-associated clear cell carcinoma arising in caesarean section scar: a case report and review of the literature.

Background: Malignant transformation has been reported in approximately 1% of the endometriosis cases; herein, we report a case of clear cell endometrial carcinoma arising from endometriosis foci located within a caesarean section scar.

Case Presentation: In November 2014, a Caucasian, 44-year-old woman was transferred to our institution because of severe respiratory failure due to massive lung embolism and rapid enlargement of a subcutaneous suprapubic mass. Abdomino-pelvic magnetic resonance showed a 10.

Cerebral metabolism and perfusion in MR-negative individuals with refractory focal epilepsy assessed by simultaneous acquisition of (18)F-FDG PET and arterial spin labeling.

The major challenge in pre-surgical epileptic patient evaluation is the correct identification of the seizure onset area, especially in MR-negative patients. In this study, we aimed to: (1) assess the concordance between perfusion, from ASL, and metabolism, from (18)F-FDG, acquired simultaneously on PET/MR; (2) verify the utility of a statistical approach as supportive diagnostic tool for clinical readers. Secondarily, we compared (18)F-FDG PET data from the hybrid PET/MR system with those acquired with PET/CT, with the purpose of validate the reliability of (18)F-FDG PET/MR data.

Diagnostic Performance of (18)F-Fluorodeoxyglucose in 162 Small Pulmonary Nodules Incidentally Detected in Subjects Without a History of Malignancy.

Background: Solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) still represents a diagnostic challenge. The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography in one of the largest samples of small SPNs, incidentally detected in subjects without a history of malignancy (nonscreening population) and undetermined at computed tomography.

Methods: One-hundred and sixty-two small (>0.

Decompressive craniectomy and hydrocephalus: proposal of a therapeutic flow chart.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) may be necessary to save the lives of patients suffering from intracranial hypertension. However, this procedure is not complication-free. Its two main complications are hydrocephalus and the sinking skin-flap syndrome (SSFS).

Physiological Activity of Spinal Cord in Children: An 18F-FDG PET-CT Study.

Study Design: Retrospective study.

Objective: To evaluate, in a pediatric population, F-Fluoro-deoxy-glucose (F-FDG) metabolic activity of normal spinal cord and to assess the correlation with demographic, clinical, and environmental variables.

Summary Of Background Data: F-FDG uptake of normal spinal cord is variable in children.