Pre- and Post-Operative Cone Beam Computed Tomography Assessment of the Temporomandibular Joint in Patients with Orthognathic Surgery.

This study aimed to compare the pre- and post-operative temporomandibular joint (TMJ) condylar position in dentofacial deformity (DFD) patients who had orthognathic surgeries using cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). A retrospective study evaluating the pre- and post-operative CBCT for 79 DFD patients (equivalent to 158 TMJs) (mean age = 26.62 ± 9.

Interventional Treatments of Colorectal Liver Metastases Using Thermal Ablation and Transarterial Chemoembolization: A Single-Center Experience over 26 Years.

The aim of this study was to analyze the long-term results of different locoregional treatments for colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM), including transarterial chemoembolization (TACE), laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) and microwave ablation (MWA). A total of 2140 patients with CRLM treated at our department between 1993 and 2020 were included in this retrospective study. The patients were divided into the following groups: LITT (573 patients; median age: 62 years), TACE + LITT (346 patients; median age: 62 years), MWA (67 patients; median age: 59 years), TACE + MWA (152 patients; median age: 65 years), and TACE (1002 patients; median age: 62 years).

Retrospective Long-Term Evaluation of Conventional Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatocellular Carcinoma over 20 Years.

The aim of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the effects of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma over 20 years regarding overall survival (OS) and prognostic factors for OS. During the period from 1996 to 2016, 836 patients with HCC were treated with cTACE. Data evaluation was performed on the basis of pre- and postinterventional MRI and CT scans.

Comparison of Microwave and Radiofrequency Ablation for the Treatment of Small- and Medium-Sized Hepatocellular Carcinomas in a Prospective Randomized Trial.

Purpose: To compare the therapeutic response and clinical outcome of CT-guided percutaneous microwave (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of small- and medium-sized HCC.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective trial, 50 patients with HCC were randomly assigned to MWA or RFA treatment. MRI was performed 24 h before and after ablation and subsequently in 3-month intervals.

Interventional oncological treatment of breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM): single center long-term evaluation over 26 years using thermoablation techniques like LITT, MWA and TACE in a multimodal application.

The purpose of the study is to retrospectively evaluate the development and technological progress in local oncological treatments of patients with breast cancer liver metastasis (BCLM) using LITT (laser interstitial thermotherapy), MWA (microwave ablation) and TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) ablation techniques in a multimodal application. The study uses data generated between 1993 and 2020. Therapy results were evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier survival estimate, Cox proportional hazard regression and log-rank test.

Homoarginine in the cardiovascular system: Pathophysiology and recent developments.

Upcoming experimental and epidemiological data have identified the endogenous non-proteinogenic amino acid L-homoarginine (L-hArg) not only as a novel biomarker for cardiovascular disease but also as being directly involved in the pathogenesis of cardiac dysfunction. The association of low L-hArg levels with adverse cardiovascular events and mortality has proposed the idea of nutritional supplementation to rescue pathways inversely associated with cardiovascular health. Subsequent clinical and experimental studies contributed significantly to our knowledge of potential effects on the cardiorenal axis, acting either as a biomarker or a cardiovascular active agent.

Long-term outcomes following percutaneous microwave ablation for colorectal cancer liver metastases.

Purpose: To evaluate the overall survival (OS), local progression-free survival (PFS) and prognostic factors of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRLM) undergoing microwave ablation (MWA).

Method: A total of 132 patients were retrospectively enrolled who had been treated between 2010 and 2018. For the evaluation of survival rates, all patients were divided according to their indications (curative  = 57 and debulking (patients with additional non-target extrahepatic metastases)  = 75).

Lung Opacity and Coronary Artery Calcium Score: A Combined Tool for Risk Stratification and Outcome Prediction in COVID-19 Patients.

Purpose: To assess and correlate pulmonary involvement and outcome of SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia with the degree of coronary plaque burden based on the CAC-DRS classification (Coronary Artery Calcium Data and Reporting System).

Methods: This retrospective study included 142 patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia (58 ± 16 years; 57 women) who underwent non-contrast CT between January 2020 and August 2021 and were followed up for 129 ± 72 days. One experienced blinded radiologist analyzed CT series for the presence and extent of calcified plaque burden according to the visual and quantitative HU-based CAC-DRS Score.

Percutaneous Thermal Ablation Therapy of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC): Microwave Ablation (MWA) versus Laser-Induced Thermotherapy (LITT).

The purpose of this study is to compare the efficacy and safety of microwave ablation (MWA) versus laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) as a local treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC,) with regard to therapy response, survival rates, and complication rates as measurable outcomes. This retrospective study included 250 patients (52 females and 198 males; mean age: 66 ± 10 years) with 435 tumors that were treated by MWA and 53 patients (12 females and 41 males; mean age: 67.5 ± 8 years) with 75 tumors that were treated by LITT.

Potential of pre-interventional magnetic resonance angiography for optimization of workflow and clinical outcome of prostatic arterial embolization.

Purpose: Impact of pre-interventional magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) on prostatic artery embolization (PAE) regarding workflow, radiation dose, and clinical outcome.

Method: Retrospective evaluation of 259 patients (mean age 68 ± 9, range 41-92) with benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH) undergoing PAE between January 2017 and December 2020. MRA was performed in 137 cases.

A prospective randomized trial comparing microwave and radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of liver metastases using a dual ablation system ─ The Mira study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to prospectively compare the therapy response and safety of microwave (MWA) and radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for the treatment of liver metastases using a dual ablation system.

Methods: Fifty patients with liver metastases (23 men, mean age: 62.8 ± 11.

Feasibility of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in evaluation of early therapeutic response after CT-guided microwave ablation of inoperable lung neoplasms.

Objective: To determine the early treatment response after microwave ablation (MWA) of inoperable lung neoplasms using the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value calculated 24 h after the ablation.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective study included 47 patients with 68 lung lesions, who underwent percutaneous MWA from January 2008 to December 2017. Evaluation of the lesions was done using MRI including DWI sequence with ADC value calculation pre-ablation and 24 h post-ablation.

MR angiography-planned prostatic artery embolization for benign prostatic hyperplasia: single-center retrospective study in 56 patients.

Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the advantages of magnetic resonance angiography (MRA)-planned prostatic artery embolization (PAE) for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods: In this retrospective study, MRAs of 56 patients (mean age, 67.23±7.

Postoperative radiological assessment of the mastoid facial canal in cochlear implant patients in correlation with facial nerve stimulation.

Objectives: To correlate the radiological assessment of the mastoid facial canal in postoperative cochlear implant (CI) cone-beam CT (CBCT) and other possible contributing clinical or implant-related factors with postoperative facial nerve stimulation (FNS) occurrence.

Methods: Two experienced radiologists evaluated retrospectively 215 postoperative post-CI CBCT examinations. The mastoid facial canal diameter, wall thickness, distance between the electrode cable and mastoid facial canal, and facial-chorda tympani angle were assessed.

Microwave Ablation (MWA) of Pulmonary Neoplasms: Clinical Performance of High-Frequency MWA With Spatial Energy Control Versus Conventional Low-Frequency MWA.

The objective of our study was to evaluate the clinical performance of a new high-frequency (HF) microwave ablation (MWA) technology with spatial energy control for treatment of lung malignancies in comparison with a conventional low-frequency (LF) MWA technology. In this retrospective study, 59 consecutive patients (mean age, 58.9 ± 12.

Traumatic bone marrow edema of the calcaneus: Evaluation of color-coded virtual non-calcium dual-energy CT in a multi-reader diagnostic accuracy study.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of dual-energy computed tomography (CT) virtual non-calcium (VNCa) reconstructions for the depiction of traumatic bone marrow edema of the calcaneus.

Method: Data from 62 patients (33 women, 29 men; mean age: 41 years, range: 19-84 years) with acute tarsal trauma who had undergone third-generation dual-source dual-energy CT and 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) within seven days between January 2017 and July 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. Five radiologists, blinded to clinical and MRI information, independently assessed conventional grayscale dual-energy CT series for the presence of fractures; after at least eight weeks, readers re-evaluated all cases using color-coded VNCa reconstructions for the presence of bone marrow edema.

Patient radiation dose in percutaneous biliary interventions: recommendations for DRLs on the basis of a multicentre study.

Objective: Percutaneous biliary interventions (PBIs) can be associated with a high patient radiation dose, which can be reduced when national diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are kept in mind. The aim of this multicentre study was to investigate patient radiation exposure in different percutaneous biliary interventions, in order to recommend national DRLs.

Methods: A questionnaire asking for the dose area product (DAP) and the fluoroscopy time (FT) in different PBIs with ultrasound- or fluoroscopy-guided bile duct punctures was sent to 200 advanced care hospitals.

The value of different F-FDG PET/CT baseline parameters in risk stratification of stage I surgical NSCLC patients.

Objective: Administration of postoperative chemotherapy to patients with completely resected stage I NSCLC is still a matter of debate. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the value of different baseline F-FDG PET parameters in identifying surgical stage I NSCLC patients who are at high risk of recurrence, and thus are indicated for further postoperative treatment.

Methods: This is a retrospective study, which included 49 patients (28 males, 21 females) with the median age of 69 years (range 28-84), who had pathologically proven stage I NSCLC.

The portal vein as a distinct immunological compartment - A comprehensive immune phenotyping study.

Advanced liver diseases are associated with impaired intestinal barrier function, which results in bacterial influx via the portal vein to the liver, causing hepatic and systemic inflammation. Little is known about possible concomitant trafficking of immune cells from the intestines to the liver. We therefore performed a comprehensive immunophenotyping study of the portal venous versus peripheral blood compartment in patients with liver cirrhosis who received a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt (TIPS).

Dynamic 4D-CT Angiography for Guiding Transarterial Chemoembolization: Impact on the Reduction of Contrast Material, Operator Radiation Exposure, Catheter Consumption, and Diagnostic Confidence.

Purpose:  This study was carried out to investigate the impact of abdominal dynamic four-dimensional CT angiography (4D-CTA) for guiding transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) on the amount of contrast material used, operator radiation exposure, catheter consumption, and diagnostic confidence.

Materials And Methods:  Written consent was waived for this IRB-approved retrospective study. 29 patients (20 men; mean age: 65.

Purse-string closure technique reduces the incidence of incisional hernias following the reversal of temporary ileostomy.

Purpose: The incidence of incisional hernia (IH) at ileostomy closure site has not been sufficiently evaluated. Temporary loop ileostomy is routinely used in patients after low anterior resection for rectal cancer. The goal of this study was to compare the IH rates of standard suture skin closure and purse-string skin closure techniques.

A comparison between 915 MHz and 2450 MHz microwave ablation systems for the treatment of small diameter lung metastases.

Purpose: We aimed to retrospectively compare the local tumor control rates between low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) microwave ablation devices in the treatment of <3 cm lung metastases.

Methods: A total of 36 patients (55 tumors) were treated with the LF system (915 MHz) and 30 patients (39 tumors) were treated with the HF system (2450 MHz) between January 2011 and March 2016. Computed tomography (CT) scans performed prior to and 24 hours after the ablation were used to measure the size of the ablation zone and to calculate the ablation margin.

Microwave ablation of pancreatic tumors.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical performance of percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) for treatment of locally-advanced-pancreatic-cancer (LAPC).

Material And Methods: Twenty-two MWA sessions (August 2015-March 2017) in 20 patients with primary pancreatic cancer (13 men, 7 women, mean-age: 59.9 ± 8.