Publications by authors named "Michele Fusaro"
Purpose: The pancreatic cancer (PC) is the 4th leading cancer-related death, becoming the second one by 2030, with a 5 year survival rate of 8%. Considering its increased incidence in high-risk categories compared to the general population, we aimed to validate a non-contrast MR protocol, to detect PC in its earliest phase, which could be suitable as a screening tool in high-risk patients.
Materials And Methods: In this retrospective study, we selected 200 patients (> 40 years) from our radiological database, which performed upper abdominal MRI between 2012 and 2017.
Article Synopsis
- The study explores the role of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in patients with acute thrombotic events (ATEs) and their potential as predictors for future cardiovascular risks.
- Researchers analyzed serum levels of NET markers in patients with conditions like acute coronary syndrome, cerebrovascular accidents, and venous thromboembolism compared to control subjects.
- Findings showed elevated levels of MPO-DNA complexes in ATE patients, but these markers did not predict future cardiovascular events or survival rates during a follow-up period.
Neutrophils play a role in cardiovascular (CV) disease. However, relatively scant evidence exists in the setting of peripheral artery disease (PAD). The aims of this study were to measure biomarkers of neutrophil activation in patients with symptomatic chronic PAD compared with healthy controls, to assess their association with PAD severity, and to evaluate their prognostic value in patients with PAD.
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- SARS-CoV-2 can cause various respiratory issues, and this study focused on severe COVID-19 survivors who had chest CT scans during and after hospitalization.
- Out of 62 patients, 27% reported difficulty breathing during exertion, while 12% had a persistent cough, with both symptoms linked to specific lung function changes.
- Three months post-discharge, most patients had ongoing lung abnormalities on CT scans, with 85.5% showing ground-glass opacities and 46.7% displaying signs of fibrosis, indicating that longer hospital stays and mechanical ventilation were associated with these lingering respiratory issues.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare image quality and coronary interpretability of triple-rule-out systolic and diastolic protocols in patients with acute chest pain.
Materials And Methods: From March 2016 to October 2017 the authors prospectively enrolled patients with undifferentiated acute chest pain, who were at low to intermediate cardiovascular risk. Those with heart rate >75 bpm underwent a systolic prospectively triggered acquisition (systolic triggering [ST]), and in those with ≤75 bpm, end-diastolic triggering (DT) was instead performed.
Article Synopsis
- Coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA) has become the main noninvasive method for detecting and excluding coronary artery disease over the past ten years.
- This technique is significant for identifying patients who may be at a higher risk for heart failure due to the common occurrence of coronary artery disease among this group.
- Recent advancements in technology have improved the diagnostic accuracy of CCTA, making it more competitive with other functional imaging methods.
Article Synopsis
- - This study compared clinical and angiographic outcomes in patients with coronary chronic total occlusions (CTO) who underwent different recanalisation techniques: dissection and re-entry techniques (DART) and intraplaque techniques.
- - A total of 454 patients were included, with 403 using intraplaque techniques and 70 using DART. Follow-up angiographies and clinical evaluations were conducted over a span of 6 to 12 months.
- - Results showed no significant differences in major adverse cardiac events (MACE) or restenosis rates between the two techniques, indicating that contemporary DART techniques provide similar midterm outcomes to intraplaque techniques.
Article Synopsis
- * Imaging is necessary for patients with worsening respiratory symptoms, while those with mild symptoms and negative tests may not require it.
- * CT patterns specific to COVID-19, like ground-glass opacities, assist clinicians, and lung ultrasounds are emerging as useful diagnostic tools alongside traditional chest X-rays.
Drug-Coated Balloon Angioplasty for Femoropopliteal In-Stent Restenosis.
Salvatore Cassese Florian Wolf Maja Ingwersen Christian M Kinstner Michele Fusaro Massimiliano Fusaro
Circ Cardiovasc Interv
December 2018
Article Synopsis
- The study evaluates the effectiveness of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty in treating in-stent restenosis (ISR) in femoropopliteal arteries compared to standard balloon angioplasty.
- Data from three randomized trials involving 263 patients showed that DCB angioplasty significantly reduced the risk of target lesion revascularization and recurrent ISR after one year.
- The results suggest DCB angioplasty offers better clinical outcomes than traditional methods, even in high-risk patients, but further research is needed to assess its long-term benefits.
Article Synopsis
- The study compared deferred stenting against immediate stenting during primary PCI for STEMI patients to determine their effects on patient outcomes.
- Out of 1570 patients analyzed, those who received deferred stenting had a significantly lower risk of slow/no-reflow but similar rates of microvascular obstruction compared to those with immediate stenting.
- The results suggest that while deferred stenting may enhance angiographic outcomes, it doesn’t seem to improve imaging or clinical results and further research is needed to validate these findings.
Article Synopsis
- A 74-year-old woman with a history of hypertension presented with shortness of breath but no cough or fever.
- An ECG revealed she had atrial fibrillation with a rapid response, prompting a transoesophageal echocardiogram to check for blood clots before cardioversion.
- The echocardiogram showed an unusual echogenic structure near the left atrium, raising a question about the potential diagnosis, with options including endocarditis, thrombus, myxoma, or pulmonary embolism.
Article Synopsis
- The study aims to determine the necessary number of Cardiac-CT and Cardiac-MR examinations for sustainable investment in their exclusive cardiology use.
- Data was collected from Italian Radiology Departments between July 2013 and July 2014, focusing on direct costs related to these examinations to evaluate economic viability.
- To reach the Break Even Point (BEP), it was found that approximately 2641-2752 Cardiac-CT and 2435-3123 Cardiac-MR examinations per year are needed, requiring the equivalent effort of two medical doctors in each case.
Article Synopsis
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is crucial for cancer patient management, offering better contrast and sensitivity for identifying and staging tumors compared to other imaging techniques.
- About 40-50% of MRI scans use contrast agents, primarily based on the gadolinium ion, which is safely chelated to prevent toxicity.
- The effectiveness of these gadolinium-based contrast agents is influenced by factors like their molecular structure, concentration, and the conditions during imaging, affecting how they enhance visibility in scans.
Article Synopsis
- A significant number of patients with acute myocardial infarction show normal or nonsignificant coronary artery conditions, posing diagnostic challenges, which can be addressed using 64-slice computed tomography (CT) for plaque detection.
- The study compared 64-slice CT with coronary angiography in evaluating coronary atherosclerosis in patients who had an acute myocardial infarction but exhibited no significant stenosis.
- Results indicated that while CT showed a good correlation with angiography for measuring coronary reference diameters, it was better at identifying plaques, especially in nonstenotic arteries, suggesting its potential utility in better characterizing coronary disease that traditional methods may miss.
Article Synopsis
- The text reviews the current radiological methods and guidelines for staging and monitoring cancer, highlighting advancements in oncologic imaging technologies.
- It evaluates both official and unofficial guidelines, like those from the WHO and RECIST, to identify shortcomings and emphasize the importance of using quantitative measures in cancer assessment.
- The conclusion suggests that despite existing technical challenges, clinical trial designs should incorporate new volumetric techniques for better evaluation of treatment responses.
Article Synopsis
- The introduction of multislice computed tomography (MSCT) scanners has established a new area in clinical imaging focused on coronary angiography.
- While MSCT is known for its high accuracy in detecting significant artery blockages, implementing it in clinical practice remains challenging due to limited user experience.
- The paper aims to provide technical tips and tricks to enhance the quality of coronary imaging and minimize the risk of diagnostic errors.
Article Synopsis
- * A total of 543 patients were analyzed, revealing that most had a right coronary dominance pattern, with only a small percentage showing left or balanced patterns, alongside various branching patterns in the coronary arteries.
- * The findings showed that CT-CA is effective in visualizing complex coronary anatomy, including smaller branches, with a notable 18.4% of patients exhibiting single or multiple coronary anomalies.
Article Synopsis
- The study looked at how intra-coronary attenuation affects the accuracy of diagnosing coronary artery disease using 64-slice CT coronary angiography and standard coronary angiography as a comparison.
- 170 patients with suspected coronary issues were divided into two groups based on their average arterial attenuation, with group 1 having low and group 2 having high attenuation.
- Results showed that group 2 had significantly better sensitivity and specificity for detecting significant stenosis, especially in more distant coronary segments, indicating that higher intra-coronary attenuation leads to improved diagnostic accuracy.
Article Synopsis
- The study aimed to assess how effective ultrasonography (both standard and arthrosonography) is in diagnosing rotator cuff tears by injecting a saline solution into the shoulder joint.
- 40 patients scheduled for shoulder arthroscopy were evaluated using ultrasound before and after the saline injection, with arthroscopy serving as the standard for comparison.
- Results showed that arthrosonography was significantly more sensitive (96.8%) in detecting complete rotator cuff tears compared to standard ultrasound (81.2%), highlighting its potential as a more accurate diagnostic tool.