CT-derived lung vessel morphology correlates with prognostic markers in precapillary pulmonary hypertension.

Background: While computed tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA) is an integral part of the work-up in patients with suspected pulmonary hypertension (PH), there is no established CTPA-derived prognostic marker. We aimed to assess whether quantitative readouts of lung vessel morphology correlate with established prognostic indicators in PH.

Methods: We applied a fully-automatic in-house developed algorithm for segmentation of arteries and veins to determine lung vessel morphology in patients with precapillary PH who underwent right heart catheterization and CTPA between May 2016 and May 2019.

Metal artifact reduction in patients with total hip replacements: evaluation of clinical photon counting CT using virtual monoenergetic images.

Objectives: To investigate photon-counting CT (PCCT)-derived virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) for artifact reduction in patients with unilateral total hip replacements (THR).

Methods: Forty-two patients with THR and portal-venous phase PCCT of the abdomen and pelvis were retrospectively included. For the quantitative analysis, region of interest (ROI)-based measurements of hypodense and hyperdense artifacts, as well as of artifact-impaired bone and the urinary bladder, were conducted, and corrected attenuation and image noise were calculated as the difference of attenuation and noise between artifact-impaired and normal tissue.

Association between pouch morphology, cardiovascular risk factors and ischemic brain lesions in patients with left-sided septal pouches.

Background: Left atrial outpouching structures such as left atrial diverticula (LADs) and left-sided septal pouches (LSSPs) might be a source of cryptogenic stroke. This imaging study evaluates the association between pouch morphology, patient comorbidities and ischemic brain lesions (IBLs).

Methods: This is a retrospective single-center analysis of 195 patients who received both a cardiac CT and a cerebral MRI.

Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology - Status Quo and Future Perspectives.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is an emerging technology in healthcare and holds the potential to disrupt many arms in medical care. In particular, disciplines using medical imaging modalities, including e.g.

Is there an association between left atrial outpouching structures and recurrence of atrial fibrillation after catheter ablation?

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of left atrial diverticula (LADs), left sided septal pouches (LSSPs) and middle right pulmonary veins (MRPVs) on recurrent atrial fibrillation (rAF) in patients undergoing laser pulmonary vein isolation procedure (PVI).

Material And Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 139 patients with pre-procedural multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) imaging and 12 months follow-up examination. LADs, LSSPs and MRPV were identified by two radiologists on a dedicated workstation using multiplanar reconstructions and volume rendering technique.

Two-dimensional CT measurements enable assessment of body composition on head and neck CT.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether simple 2D measurements in axial slices of head and neck CT examinations correlate with generally established measurements of body composition in abdominal CT at the height of the third lumbar vertebra and thus allow for an estimation of muscle and fat masses.

Methods: One hundred twenty-two patients who underwent concurrent CT of the head and neck and the abdomen between July 2016 and July 2020 were retrospectively included. For a subset of 30 patients, additional bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was available.

Dual-Energy CT, Virtual Non-Calcium Bone Marrow Imaging of the Spine: An AI-Assisted, Volumetric Evaluation of a Reference Cohort with 500 CT Scans.

Virtual non-calcium (VNCa) images from dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) have shown high potential to diagnose bone marrow disease of the spine, which is frequently disguised by dense trabecular bone on conventional CT. In this study, we aimed to define reference values for VNCa bone marrow images of the spine in a large-scale cohort of healthy individuals. DECT was performed after resection of a malignant skin tumor without evidence of metastatic disease.

Value of spectral detector computed tomography to differentiate infected from noninfected thoracoabominal fluid collections.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic value of spectral detector CT (SDCT)-derived virtual non-contrast (VNC), virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) and iodine overlays (IO) for distinguishing infected from noninfected fluid collections (FC) in the chest or abdomen.

Method: This retrospective study included 58 patients with venous phase SDCT with 77 FC. For all included FC, microbiological analysis of aspirated fluid served as reference.

Manual kidney stone size measurements in computed tomography are most accurate using multiplanar image reformatations and bone window settings.

Computed tomography in suspected urolithiasis provides information about the presence, location and size of stones. Particularly stone size is a key parameter in treatment decision; however, data on impact of reformatation and measurement strategies is sparse. This study aimed to investigate the influence of different image reformatations, slice thicknesses and window settings on stone size measurements.

Generally applicable window settings of low-keV virtual monoenergetic reconstructions in dual-layer CT-angiography of the head and neck.

Background: Increased vessel contrast in low-keV virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) in spectral detector CT angiography of the head and neck requires adaption of window settings. Aim of this study was to define generally applicable window settings of low-keV VMI.

Methods: Two radiologists determined ideal subjective window settings for VMI in 54 patients.

[Imaging in the acute abdomen-part 2 : Case examples of frequent organ-specific causes: gastrointestinal tract and urogenital system].

The acute abdomen is a potentially life-threatening condition and requires a rapid diagnosis. After clinical inspection and in cases with unclear ultrasound findings or unclear serious symptoms computed tomography (CT) and in pregnant women and children magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is usually necessary. This second part of "Imaging in the acute abdomen" focuses on frequent organ specific causes of the gastrointestinal tract and the urogenital system.

Value of spectral detector computed tomography for the early assessment of technique efficacy after microwave ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objectives: To investigate whether virtual monoenergetic images (VMI) and iodine maps derived from spectral detector computed tomography (SDCT) improve early assessment of technique efficacy in patients who underwent microwave ablation (MWA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver cirrhosis.

Methods: This retrospective study comprised 39 patients with 49 HCC lesions treated with MWA. Biphasic SDCT was performed 7.

[Imaging in the acute abdomen - part 1 : Case examples of frequent organ-specific causes: liver, gallbladder, pancreas, spleen and vessels].

The acute abdomen is characterized by acute abdominal pain with defensive muscular tension, can be triggered by a variety of diseases and sometimes represents a life-threatening condition. After clinical inspection, in most cases dedicated imaging should be performed immediately. The frequently causal appendicitis and cholecystitis can mostly be diagnosed with ultrasound.

Lymph Node Assessment in Prostate Cancer: Evaluation of Iodine Quantification With Spectral Detector CT in Correlation to PSMA PET/CT.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate spectral detector CT (SDCT)-derived iodine concentration (IC) of lymph nodes diagnosed as metastatic and benign in prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT and to assess its potential use for lymph node assessment in prostate cancer.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-four prostate cancer patients were retrospectively included: 16 patients with and 18 without lymph node metastases as determined by PSMA PET/CT. Patients underwent PSMA PET/CT as well as portal venous phase abdominal SDCT for clinical cancer follow-up.

Quantitative distribution of iodinated contrast media in body computed tomography: data from a large reference cohort.

Objectives: Dual-energy computed tomography allows for an accurate and reliable quantification of iodine. However, data on physiological distribution of iodine concentration (IC) is still sparse. This study aims to establish guidance for IC in abdominal organs and important anatomical landmarks using a large cohort of individuals without radiological tumor burden.

Size and volume of kidney stones in computed tomography: Influence of acquisition techniques and image reconstruction parameters.

Purpose: Computed tomography (CT) is routinely used to assess suspected urolithiasis. Information obtained from CT include presence, location and size of stones, with the latter frequently determining treatment strategy. While there is consensus regarding measurements procedures of kidney stones, influence of radiation dose and reconstruction techniques on stone measurements are unknown.

Intraindividual Consistency of Iodine Concentration in Dual-Energy Computed Tomography of the Chest and Abdomen.

Objectives: Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT)-derived quantification of iodine concentration (IC) is increasingly used in oncologic imaging to characterize lesions and evaluate treatment response. However, only limited data are available on intraindividual consistency of IC and its variation. This study investigates the longitudinal reproducibility of IC in organs, vessels, and lymph nodes in a large cohort of healthy patients who underwent repetitive DECT imaging.

Evaluating body composition by combining quantitative spectral detector computed tomography and deep learning-based image segmentation.

Purpose: Aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a software toolkit, which allows for a fully automated body composition analysis in contrast enhanced abdominal computed tomography leveraging the strengths of both, quantitative information from dual energy computed tomography and simple detection and segmentation tasks performed by deep convolutional neuronal networks (DCNN).

Methods And Materials: Both, public and private datasets were used to train and validate DCNN. A combination of two DCNN and quantitative thresholding was used to classify axial CT slices to the abdominal region, classify voxels as fat and muscle and to differentiate between subcutaneous and visceral fat.

Phantomless assessment of volumetric bone mineral density using virtual non-contrast images from spectral detector computed tomography.

Objective: To evaluate phantomless assessment of volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) based on virtual non-contrast images of arterial (VNC) and venous phase (VNC) derived from spectral detector CT in comparison to true non-contrast (TNC) images and adjusted venous phase conventional images (CI).

Methods: 104 consecutive patients who underwent triphasic spectral detector CT between January 2018 and April 2019 were retrospectively included. TNC, VNC, VNC and venous phase images (CI) were reconstructed.

Severe disseminated tuberculosis in HIV-negative refugees.

In high-income countries, the presentation of tuberculosis is changing, primarily because of migration, and understanding the specific health needs of susceptible populations is becoming increasingly important. Although disseminated tuberculosis is well documented in HIV-positive patients, the disease is poorly described and less expected in HIV-negative individuals. In this Grand Round, we report eight HIV-negative refugees, who presented with extensively disseminated tuberculosis.

Assessment of Therapy Response to Transarterial Radioembolization for Liver Metastases by Means of Post-treatment MRI-Based Texture Analysis.

Introduction: To determine whether post-treatment magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based texture analysis of liver metastases (LM) may be suited predicting therapy response to transarterial radioembolization (TARE) during follow-up.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-seven patients with LM treated by TARE (mean age 63.4 years) between January 2006 and December 2014 were identified in this retrospective feasibility study.