Publications by authors named "Sanaz Ameli"

CT perfusion (CTP) imaging is increasingly used for routine evaluation of acute ischemic stroke. Knowledge about the different types of CTP software, imaging acquisition and post-processing, and interpretation is crucial for appropriate patient selection for reperfusion therapy. Conventional vendor-provided CTP software differentiates between ischemic penumbra and core infarct using the tiebreaker of critically reduced cerebral blood volume (CBV) values within brain regions showing abnormally elevated time parameters like mean transit time (MTT) or time to peak (TTP).

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: To investigate radiomics ability in predicting hepatocellular carcinoma histological degree of differentiation by using volumetric MR imaging parameters. : Volumetric venous enhancement and apparent diffusion coefficient were calculated on baseline MRI of 171 lesions. Ninety-five radiomics features were extracted, then random forest classification identified the performance of the texture features in classifying tumor degree of differentiation based on their histopathological features.

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Objective: To predict early tumor response to transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) based on volumetric oil deposition on posttreatment computed tomography (CT) in patients with leiomyosarcoma liver metastases.

Methods: This retrospective lesion-by-lesion based study included 32 lesions. The volumetric percent enhancing tumor on pre-TACE and 1-month post-TACE venous phase magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and the percent oil deposition on CT 1 day after TACE were calculated.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to determine how many transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) sessions improve overall survival in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and identified different patient subgroups based on tumor characteristics.
  • Results showed that patients with ill-defined HCC had worse survival outcomes, but multiple TACE sessions (≥4) significantly improved their overall survival. In contrast, well-defined lesions did not benefit from additional TACE beyond the initial treatment.
  • Notably, ADC-nonresponders (those with less than 25% change in apparent diffusion coefficient) experienced significant survival benefits from sequential TACE, especially after 3 sessions, while ADC-responders did not see any survival
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Aim: To evaluate the association between single time-point quantitative liver and spleen volumes in patients with PSC and transplant-free survival, independent of Mayo risk score.

Materials And Methods: This HIPAA-compliant retrospective study included 165 PSC patients in a hospital. Total (T), and lobar (right [R], left [L], and caudate [C]) liver volumes and spleen volume (S) were measured.

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Purpose: To evaluate the use of volumetric multiparametric MRI in differentiating pancreatic intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) from serous cystadenomas (SCAs) METHODS: Included patients (123 patients with pancreatic cystic neoplasms (PCNs) measuring ≥ 10 mm) were stratified into two groups based on cyst type. Axial cyst size, region of interest (ROI)-based apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and volumetric data, including cyst volume, volumetric apparent diffusion coefficient (vADC), and volumetric venous enhancement (vVE) were extracted and compared between the two groups. Univariate and multiple logistic regression was used to develop models for distinguishing between IPMNs and SCAs.

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Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the third leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States and is projected to be the second by 2030. Systemic combination chemotherapy is considered an essential first-line treatment for the majority of patients with PDA, in both the neoadjuvant and palliative settings. In addition, a number of novel therapies are being tested in clinical trials for patients with advanced PDA.

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Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the independent predictive role of baseline imaging biomarkers for overall survival (OS) and transplant-free survival (TFS) in patients with HCC and assess the incremental value of these biomarkers to current staging systems.

Methods: In this retrospective IRB approved study, the clinical, laboratory, and imaging parameters of 304 HCC patients were collected. Cox regression model was utilized to identify the potential predictors of survival.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to assess how changes in the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) could predict survival rates in patients with well-defined hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 104 HCC patients who underwent TACE between 2005 and 2016, measuring various MRI metrics and utilizing statistical models to determine predictors of survival.
  • Results indicated that a significant change in ADC (ΔADC) and a decrease in ADC-kurtosis (ΔkADC) were linked to longer survival, with higher response rates (≥ 35% change in ADC) correlating to the best survival outcomes.
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Article Synopsis
  • This study aims to determine if changes in volumetric ADC (vADC) and volumetric venous enhancement (vVE) after transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) can predict the histological grading of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • The research involved a retrospective analysis of 106 HCC patients, using MR imaging and comparing different tumor grades based on volumetric measurements taken before and after TACE. Results showed that low-grade tumors had more significant changes in vADC and vVE compared to high-grade tumors.
  • The study concludes that monitoring changes in vADC and vVE after TACE could help non-invasively assess the severity of HCC, especially when combined with the
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Article Synopsis
  • Over 1.5 billion people globally suffer from chronic liver diseases, which are serious health concerns due to their potential to progress to more severe conditions like fibrosis and liver cancer.
  • Early detection and treatment of these liver diseases are crucial, highlighting the need for effective assessment methods for liver tissue.
  • While traditional liver biopsies have limitations, there are now various noninvasive imaging techniques and serum biomarker assessments available, with recent advancements improving diagnostic accuracy and comparing different methods in this review article.
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Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the role of volumetric ADC (vADC) and volumetric venous enhancement (vVE) in predicting the grade of tumor differentiation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: The study population included 136 HCC patients (188 lesions) who had baseline MR imaging and histopathological report. Measurements of vVE and vADC were performed on baseline MRI.

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  • This study aimed to analyze the variability in liver stiffness measurement using two methods: ROI-based and volumetric approaches.
  • It involved 128 patients, showing that while average liver stiffness was similar between methods, a significant number of patients had abnormal stiffness despite normal fibrosis classification.
  • The study concluded that volumetric measurements may provide a better understanding of liver fibrosis heterogeneity, suggesting that traditional average measures could overlook important variations.
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Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic progressive inflammatory disease of the bile ducts that leads to multifocal bile duct fibrosis, strictures, cholestasis, liver parenchymal changes, and ultimately cirrhosis. It more commonly occurs in young adults, with a variety of clinical and imaging manifestations. The cause of the disease is not known, but it has a strong association with inflammatory bowel disease and can overlap with other autoimmune diseases, including autoimmune hepatitis and immunoglobulin G4-related disease.

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Background Incidental detection of pancreatic cystic neoplasm (PCN) has increased. Since a small percentage of PCNs possess malignant potential, management is challenging. The recently revised American College of Radiology (ACR) recommendations define PCN measurement and growth for different categories based on baseline cyst size.

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Objectives: To evaluate the accuracy and reproducibility of semi-quantitative visual assessment of hepatic tumor burden (HTB) on MRI and to investigate its prognostic value in predicting overall survival (OS) in neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELMs) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: Three independent readers blinded to the quantitative HTB measurement reviewed baseline MRI in 111 NELM patients treated with TACE. Readers visually assessed and semi-quantitatively categorized HTB using the European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society (ENETS) guidelines.

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Objectives: To determine whether baseline multiparametric MR imaging can predict overall survival (OS) and hepatic progression-free survival (HPFS) in patients with neuroendocrine liver metastases (NELMs) treated with transarterial chemoembolization (TACE).

Methods: This retrospective study included 84 NELMs patients treated with TACE. Tumor volume and volumetric measurements of arterial enhancement (AE), venous enhancement (VE), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were performed on baseline MR imaging.

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Objectives: To correlate total and lobar liver and spleen volume with disease severity in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) as determined by Mayo risk score.

Methods: This HIPAA-compliant single center retrospective study included 147 PSC patients with available imaging studies (MRCP/CT) and laboratory data between January 2003 and January 2018. Total and lobar (right, left and caudate) liver volume and spleen volume were measured.

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Purpose To evaluate whether baseline MRI can help predict survival in patients with unresectable intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICCA) undergoing transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Materials and Methods This retrospective study was compliant with HIPAA and approved by the institutional review board. The requirement to obtain informed consent was waived.

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Introduction: Induction of anaesthesia and its associated spikes in blood pressure can cause rupture of an aneurysm during intracranial surgery. Lidocaine can reportedly provide hemodynamic stability when applied before endotracheal intubation. Rapid injection of large doses of lidocaine can cause unconsciousness.

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Based on clinical studies regarding the beneficial effect of gabapentin in depression, we aimed to evaluate the antidepressant-like properties of gabapentin in mice and also the participation of nitric oxide (NO)/cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway in this effect. The following drugs were used in this study: gabapentin; N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a non-specific NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor; 7-nitroindazole, a specific neuronal NOS inhibitor; aminoguanidine, a specific inducible NOS inhibitor; L-arginine, a NO precursor; and sildenafil, a phosphodiestrase inhibitor. Finally, we studied the behavioral effects through the forced swimming test (FST) and the changes of the hippocampus NO level through nitrite assay.

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Purpose: This study was performed to determine the possible causes and mechanisms of fatalities among Iranian mountaineers during climbing.

Methods: By contacting several sources, deceased mountaineers were identified. Data about the causes and mechanism of death was retrospectively obtained using a standard questionnaire for each case.

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