FDG PET/CT Demonstrated Unilateral Striatum Hypometabolism in a Case of Advanced Nasopharyngeal Cancer.

A 79-year-old man with nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) presented with diplopia symptom and a history of diabetes mellitus was referred for an FDG PET/CT scan to determine the pretreatment staging. The FDG PET/CT scan revealed NPC with skull base invasion and decreased FDG uptake at the left striatum. A review of his clinical history and a brain MRI conducted 5 months ago confirmed a previous diagnosis of left hyperglycemic hemichorea.

Bladder Distention Demonstrating Vesicourachal Diverticulum on 18 F-FDG PET/CT Images of a Lung Cancer Patient.

A 58-year-old man with lung cancer was referred for an 18 F-FDG PET/CT scan for pretreatment staging. The FDG PET/CT scan revealed focal uptakes in the lower abdomen. We differentiated the etiology of the lesions by performing a delayed scan with urine retention and bladder distension.

The Impact of Oxygen Pulse and Its Curve Patterns on Male Patients with Heart Failure, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, and Healthy Controls-Ejection Fractions, Related Factors and Outcomes.

Oxygen pulse (OP) is a function of stroke volume and cellular oxygen extraction and OP curve pattern (OPCP) can provide continuous measurements of OP. However, measurements of these two components are difficult during incremental maximum exercise. As cardiac function is evaluated using ejection fraction (EF) according to the guidelines and EF can be obtained using first-pass radionuclide ventriculography, the aim of this study was to investigate associations of OP%predicted and OPCP with EF in patients with heart failure with reduced or mildly reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF/HFmrEF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and also in normal controls.

In vitro and in vivo osteogenesis of gelatin-modified calcium silicate cement with washout resistance.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the physicochemical properties and the in vitro and in vivo osteogenesis of the newly developed calcium silicate containing 5 wt% gelatin (CSG) cement compared with calcium silicate (CS) and calcium sulfate hemihydrate (CSH) cements. In addition to the phase composition and microstructure, washout resistance, setting time, and diametral tensile strength of the bone cements were also performed. In vitro examination of cell growth, differentiation, and mineralization were performed with macrophage cell line (RAW 264.

TLD environmental monitoring of new scanner facilities at the Nuclear Medicine Department of the Taiwan Medical University Hospital.

Objective: Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as well as dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanners were designed in July 2018 at the Nuclear Medicine Department (NM), of the Taiwan Medical University Hospital. These scanners emit substantial X-rays from the target, which are tungsten, iron. Therefore, patients undergoing SPECT and DXA diagnosis, in addition to medical personnel, are exposed to undesirable photon leakage.

Multicenter integrated positron emission tomography/computer tomography imaging quality assurance accreditation interobserver reliability study with the American College of Radiology phantom.

Background: Integrated positron emission tomography/computer tomography (PET/CT) image quality assurance ensures accurate, reproducible, and quantitative assessment of comparable scanner performance. We performed a preliminary multicenter PET/CT imaging quality assurance test with a fillable tomographic phantom in six medical centers in Taiwan.

Methods: The phantom was filled with fixed proportions of fluorine-18 radionuclide solution in the background and with different spheres to simulate cold and hot lesions, and body background radioactivity.

Prophylactic supplement with melatonin successfully suppresses the pathogenesis of periodontitis through normalizing RANKL/OPG ratio and depressing the TLR4/MyD88 signaling pathway.

Periodontitis (PD) is an inflammatory disease characterized by gingival inflammation and resorption of alveolar bone. Impaired receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand/osteoprotegerin (RANKL/OPG) signaling caused by enhanced production of pro-inflammatory cytokines plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of PD. Considering melatonin possesses significant anti-inflammatory property, this study aimed to determine whether prophylactic treatment with melatonin would effectively normalize RANKL/OPG signaling, depress toll-like receptor 4/myeloid differentiation factor 88 (TLR4/MyD88)-mediated pro-inflammatory cytokine activation, and successfully suppress the pathogenesis of PD.

The Incidence of Totally Implantable Venous Access Devices Insertion and the Associated Abnormalities in Patients With Cancer Revealed in F-FDG PET-CT Imaging.

Rationale And Objectives: The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the incidence of totally implantable venous access devices, also called ports, implantation and the associated abnormalities in 2-[F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) images for patients with cancer, and to determine the percentage of abnormalities identified in the original reports.

Materials And Methods: The study aimed to perform a retrospective review of all FDG PET-CT imaging in a 3-year period. Cases of port-associated abnormalities found on the FDG PET-CT images were identified and then correlated with X-ray reports and clinical treatment or follow-up.

The Relationship of Vocabulary Learning Strategies and Self-Efficacy with Medical English and Terminology.

This study examined the relationship between the use of vocabulary learning strategies and self-efficacy in medical English learning, and whether after an initial six-week course to master the basics of medical terminology, those with higher use of vocabulary learning strategies and those with a higher degree of self-efficacy would have significant score improvements in the medical English proficiency. Second-year medical students (N = 115; M age = 19.6, SD = 0.

Prostate Lymphoma Complicated With Prostatorectal Fistula and Multifocal Infection After Chemotherapy.

A 67-year-old man with a biopsy proving prostate diffuse large B-cell lymphoma was referred for an F-FDG PET/CT scan for postchemotherapy treatment monitoring. The FDG PET/CT scan revealed a significant reduction of prostate lymphoma and a prostatorectal fistula formation. The patient developed Klebsiella pneumoniae sepsis, and a follow-up FDG PET/CT 3 months later revealed multifocal lung, bone, and muscle infection.

Improving Bone Microarchitecture in Aging with Diosgenin Treatment: A Study in Senescence-Accelerated OXYS Rats.

Osteoporosis is a major disease associated with aging. We have previously demonstrated that diosgenin prevents osteoporosis in both menopause and D-galactose-induced aging rats. OXYS rats reveal an accelerated senescence and are used as a suitable model of osteoporosis.

Effects of chronic treatment with diosgenin on bone loss in a D-galactose-induced aging rat model.

D-galactose is known to cause oxidative stress and induce aging-related diseases. Our previous study demonstrated that diosgenin can prevent osteoporosis in menopausal rats. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of oral administration of diosgenin on bone loss in a D-galactose-induced aging rat model.

L-3,4-Dihydroxy-6-[F-18]fluorophenylalanine positron emission tomography demonstrating dopaminergic system abnormality in the brains of obsessive-compulsive disorder patients.

Aim: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic disabling neuropsychiatric disorder. Current treatment modalities, such as pharmacological and behavioral methods, are sometimes unsatisfactory. The mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway is supposed to have a role in the pathogenesis of OCD.

The value of pharyngeal scintigraphy in predicting videofluoroscopic findings.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between scintigraphy and videofluoroscopy (VFS) in swallowing evaluation and the ability of scintigraphy to predict penetration/aspiration in VFS.

Design: This is a case-control study enrolling 50 patients with dysphagia who received scintigraphy and VFS and 18 age-matched control subjects who received scintigraphy alone. Three parameters were compared between scintigraphy and VFS: premature pharyngeal entry, pharyngeal transit time, and postswallow pharyngeal stasis, with cutoff values defining dysfunction of 3% or greater, 1.

Automatic vertebral column extraction by whole-body bone SPECT scan.

Bone extraction and division can enhance the accuracy of diagnoses based on whole-body bone SPECT data. This study developed a method for using conventional SPECT for automatic recognition of the vertebral column. A novel feature of the proposed approach is a novel "bone graph" image description method that represents the connectivity between these image regions to facilitate manipulation of morphological relationships in the skeleton before surgery.

FDG PET/CT images demonstrating Fournier gangrene with bilateral pelvic muscle extension in a patient with recurrent rectosigmoid cancer.

A 71-year-old male patient with Parkinsonism was referred for an F-FDG PET/CT scan for suspicious recurrence of rectosigmoid adenocarcinoma. The FDG PET/CT scan revealed increased FDG uptakes in the lower pelvic region around the wall of the rectal stump, with extension to the bilateral pelvic sidewalls and the right gluteous minimus muscle. In addition, multiple small air bubbles were noted in the lesions on the attenuation CT images.

Dynamic FDG PET/CT imaging with diuresis demonstrates an enterovesical fistula in a lymphoma patient with repeated colon diverticulitis.

A 43-year-old male patient with follicular B-cell lymphoma was referred for a FDG PET/CT scan due to severe left lower abdominal pain to rule out recurrent cancer. These FDG PET/CT images and previous FDG PET/CT images 5 months ago both revealed an air bubble in the urinary bladder on the CT images. He had a recurrent urinary tract infection history for 6 months.

FDG PET/CT repeatedly demonstrated hepatic cyst infection in a patient with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

A 70-year-old man with a history of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease was referred for F-FDG PET/CT scans twice at 6-month intervals due to repeated fever with negative conventional imaging studies. The FDG PET/CT scans revealed different hepatic cyst lesions in the 2 scans, with a large infected cyst in the second study. After aspiration and intravenous antibiotics treatment, the patient was discharged and remained uneventful thereafter for 6 months.

The effects of perceived stress and life style leading to breast cancer.

Researchers conducted a study in a Taiwanese medical center from June 2009 to June 2011 to investigate the relations of perceived stress and lifestyle to breast cancer. A total of 157 cases and 314 controls completed a structured questionnaire. Using multiple logistic regression models, high perceived stress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.

Vesicovaginorectal fistula on a FDG PET/CT of a patient with recurrent cervical cancer and end-stage renal disease.

A 59-year-old woman with recurrent cervical cancer and end-stage renal disease was referred for FDG PET/CT for restaging. The patient had hemodialysis for 4 years and radiotherapy 3 years ago and 1 year ago. The PET/CT scan showed recurrent cervical cancer and intense FDG radioactivity in the urinary bladder, with a small air bubble in both the urinary bladder and the vagina.

The frequency and spectrum of thymus 2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose uptake patterns in hyperthyroidism patients.

Rationale And Objectives: Thymic hyperplasia is associated with hyperthyroidism. Increased thymus 2-[fluorine-18]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) uptake in hyperthyroidism patients has been reported. The aim of this study was to analyze the FDG positron emission tomography (PET) thymus uptake spectrum in patients with active hyperthyroidism with correlation with serum hormones.

Pituitary FDG uptake in a patient of lung cancer with bilateral adrenal metastases causing adrenal cortical insufficiency.

A 64-year-old woman with history of lung cancer and left adrenal gland metastasis was referred for FDG PET/CT to assess the response to target therapy and local radiotherapy treatment. In addition to bilateral adrenal gland FDG uptake lesions, the PET/CT also showed focal FDG uptake in pituitary gland with standardized uptake value of 3.9.

Diuresis makes vesicocolic fistula visible on FDG PET/CT.

A 71-year-old man with rectal cancer history was referred for FDG PET/CT due to serum carcinoembryonic antigen level elevation. In addition to rectal cancer recurrent lesion, the FDG PET/CT scan also showed homogeneous intense FDG accumulation in the whole segment of descending colon and a small air bubble in the urinary bladder. After furosemide injection, the vesicocolic fistula was confirmed by typical air pattern in the urinary bladder on attenuation CT images and the decrease FDG activity in the descending colon.