Lung CT stabilization with high-frequency non-invasive ventilation (HF-NIV) and breath-hold (BH) in lung nodule assessment by PET/CT.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of lung stabilization using high-frequency non-invasive ventilation (HF-NIV) and breath-hold (BH) techniques on lung nodule detection and texture assessment in PET/CT compared to a free-breathing (FB) standard lung CT acquisition in PET/CT.

Materials And Methods: Six patients aged 65 ± 7 years, addressed for initial assessment of at least one suspicious lung nodule with F-FDG PET/CT, underwent three consecutive lung PET/CT acquisitions with FB, HF-NIV and BH. Lung nodules were assessed on all three CT acquisitions of the PET/CT and characterized for any size, volume and solid/sub-solid nature.

Comparison Between Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computed Tomography in the Detection and Volumetric Assessment of Lung Nodules: A Prospective Study.

Rationale And Objectives: Computed tomography (CT) lung nodule assessment is routinely performed and appears very promising for lung cancer screening. However, the radiation exposure through time remains a concern. With the overall goal of an optimal management of indeterminate lung nodules, the objective of this prospective study was therefore to evaluate the potential of optimized ultra-short echo time (UTE) MRI for lung nodule detection and volumetric assessment.

Lung MRI assessment with high-frequency noninvasive ventilation at 3 T.

Purpose: To investigate three MR pulse sequences under high-frequency noninvasive ventilation (HF-NIV) at 3 T and determine which one is better-suited to visualize the lung parenchyma.

Methods: A 3D ultra-short echo time stack-of spirals Volumetric Interpolated Breath-hold Examination (UTE Spiral VIBE), without and with prospective gating, and a 3D double-echo UTE sequence with spiral phyllotaxis trajectory (3D radial UTE) were performed at 3 T in ten healthy volunteers under HF-NIV. Three experienced radiologists evaluated visibility and sharpness of normal anatomical structures, artifacts assessment, and signal and contrast ratio computation.

Percussion assisted radiation therapy in Hodgkin lymphoma allows a marked reduction in heart dose.

Background And Purpose: Early-stage Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a highly curable disease but the treatment can induce late complications many years later. Irradiation of the healthy heart is inevitable during radiation treatment of mediastinal sites. We developed a novel method to induce a prolonged apnea-like state that can help decrease the dose to organs at risk during radiation therapy.

Ultrashort echo time imaging of the lungs under high-frequency noninvasive ventilation: A new approach to lung imaging.

Background: Although ultrashort echo time (UTE) sequences allow excellent assessment of lung parenchyma, image quality remains lower than that of computed tomography (CT).

Purpose: To investigate a high-frequency noninvasive ventilation (HF-NIV) technique allowing a stabilized inspiration and to compare image quality with current dedicated MR sequences.

Study Type: Prospective.

MR Volumetry of Lung Nodules: A Pilot Study.

Computed tomography (CT) is currently the reference modality for the detection and follow-up of pulmonary nodules. While 2D measurements are commonly used in clinical practice to assess growth, increasingly 3D volume measurements are being recommended. The goal of this pilot study was to evaluate preliminarily the capabilities of 3D MRI using ultra-short echo time for lung nodule volumetry, as it would provide a radiation-free modality for this task.

Chest-MRI under pulsatile flow ventilation: A new promising technique.

Objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the chest has long suffered from its sensitivity to respiratory and cardiac motion with an intrinsically low signal to noise ratio and a limited spatial resolution. The purpose of this study was to perform chest MRI under an adapted non invasive pulsatile flow ventilation system (high frequency percussive ventilation, HFPV®) allowing breath hold durations 10 to 15 times longer than other existing systems.

Methods: One volunteer and one patient known for a thymic lesion underwent a chest MRI under ventilation percussion technique (VP-MR).

Apnea-like suppression of respiratory motion: First evaluation in radiotherapy.

Background And Purpose: Compensation for respiratory motion is needed while administering radiotherapy (RT) to tumors that are moving with respiration to reduce the amount of irradiated normal tissues and potentially decrease radiation-induced collateral damages. The purpose of this study was to test a new ventilation system designed to induce apnea-like suppression of respiratory motion and allow long enough breath hold durations to deliver complex RT.

Material And Methods: The High Frequency Percussive Ventilation system was initially tested in a series of 10 volunteers and found to be well tolerated, allowing a median breath hold duration of 11.