Association of Toll-Like Receptor 4 on Human Monocyte Subsets and Vulnerability Characteristics of Coronary Plaque as Assessed by 64-Slice Multidetector Computed Tomography.

Background: Although Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) is involved in monocyte activation in patients with accelerated forms of atherosclerosis, the relationship between the expression of TLR-4 on circulating monocytes and coronary plaque vulnerability has not previously been evaluated. We investigated this relationship using 64-slice multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in patients with stable angina pectoris (SAP).

Methods and results: We enrolled 65 patients with SAP who underwent MDCT.

Change in portal vein hemodynamics after chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: evaluation through multilevel dynamic multidetector computed tomography during arterial portography.

Objective: This study aimed to clarify the effect of embolization with lipiodol on portal vein hemodynamics.

Methods: Time-density curves of the main portal vein on multilevel dynamic multidetector computed tomography during arterial portography were used to analyze peak computed tomography value (PV), time to PV (TPV), arrival time of contrast medium at the main portal vein (ATMPV), slope [(PV - 150) / (TPV - ATMPV)], and slope ratio (slope after embolization / slope before embolization).

Results: In 20 patients with hepatoma, ATMPV and TPV were significantly prolonged and the time-density curve slope was significantly less after embolization.

Prostate-supplying arteriogram created by multidetector-row CT during pelvic arteriography: contribution to the treatment strategy of prostatic artery embolization for prostatic hyperplasia.

We describe an 85-year-old man suffering lower urinary tract symptoms, who underwent prostatic artery embolization (PAE) based on a prostate-supplying arteriogram created with multidetector-row computed tomography during pelvic arteriography. This arteriogram was synthesized from a background bone volume-rendered (VR) image, an aorta-pelvic artery VR image, and a prostate-supplying artery VR image. Because the bone background VR image is combined with the aorta-pelvic artery VR image, the prostate-supplying arteriogram can simultaneously show the pelvic branch arteries present on the ventral side, inside, and the dorsal side of the pelvic bone.

N-butyl cyanoacrylate embolization with blood flow control of an arterioportal shunt that developed after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.

We present a case of a patient with rapid deterioration of esophageal varices caused by portal hypertension accompanied by a large arterioportal shunt that developed after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma. We used n-butyl cyanoacrylate (NBCA) as an embolic material to achieve pinpoint embolization of the shunt, because the microcatheter tip was 2 cm away from the shunt site. Under hepatic arterial flow control using a balloon catheter, the arterioportal shunt was successfully embolized with NBCA, which caused an improvement in the esophageal varices.

Volume-rendered hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram created by 64 multidetector-row CT during aortography: utility for catheterization in transcatheter arterial embolization for acute arterial bleeding.

Aortography for detecting hemorrhage is limited when determining the catheter treatment strategy because the artery responsible for hemorrhage commonly overlaps organs and non-responsible arteries. Selective catheterization of untargeted arteries would result in repeated arteriography, large volumes of contrast medium, and extended time. A volume-rendered hemorrhage-responsible arteriogram created with 64 multidetector-row CT (64MDCT) during aortography (MDCTAo) can be used both for hemorrhage mapping and catheter navigation.

Comparison of air kerma between C-arm CT and 64-multidetector-row CT using a phantom.

Purpose: To compare air kerma after scanning a phantom with C-arm CT and with 64-multidetector row CT (64MDCT).

Materials And Methods: A phantom was scanned using parameters based on data of ten patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who had C-arm CT during hepatic arteriography and 64MDCT during arterial portography. Radiation monitors were used to measure air kerma ten times at each of five points: the center (A), top (B), left side (C), bottom (D), and right side (E).

Optimal scanning timing by use of multi-detector row computed tomography during thoracic aortography for depiction of arteries causing hemoptysis.

Scanning timing for multi-detector row computed tomography during thoracic aortography (MDCT-TA) was explored for depiction of arteries responsible for hemoptysis. The mean time (MT) from contrast medium (CM) injection to peak enhancement (PE) in the descending aorta at the level of the diaphragm on thoracic aortography was investigated. The MT to PE of the descending aorta at the level of diaphragm was 4.

Hepatoma feeding arteriogram created by CT during aortography using IVR 64-multidetector-row CT for catheterization in transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma.

CT during aortography (CTAo) using IVR 64-multidetector-row CT (IVR-64MDCT) enables the rapid and simultaneous depiction of both the hepatic and extrahepatic feeding arteries in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and can be achieved using a reasonable volume of contrast medium. The scan time is approximately 6 s from the diaphragm to the kidney using CTAo with 64MDCT with a slice thickness and slice interval of 0.5 mm.

Optimum CT reconstruction parameters for vascular and hepatocellular carcinoma models in a liver phantom with multi-level dynamic computed tomography with 64 detector rows: a basic study.

We quantified to clarify the optimum factors for CT image reconstruction of an enhanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model in a liver phantom obtained by multi-level dynamic computed tomography (M-LDCT) with 64 detector rows. After M-LDCT scanning of a water phantom and an enhanced HCC model, we compared the standard deviation (SD, 1 ± SD), noise power spectrum (NPS) values, contrast-noise ratios (CNR), and the M-LDCT image among the reconstruction parameters, including the convolution kernel (FC11, FC13, and FC15), post-processing quantum filters (2D-Q00, 2D-Q01, and 2D-Q02) and slice thicknesses/slice intervals. The SD and NPS values were lowest with FC11 and 2D-Q02.

Optimal injection rate and volume of contrast medium for observing hemodynamics of a hepatocellular carcinoma structure model.

This study aimed to identify the optimal concentration, injection rate, and total volume of contrast medium (CM) for evaluating the hemodynamics of a hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) structure model of diameter 35 mm, using multi-level dynamic computed tomography (M-LDCT) with 64 detector rows. A tube was inserted in the model as a simulated vessel. Five CM concentrations were used: non-diluted, 2-, 3-, 6-, and 9-fold diluted.

Comparison of contrast media and low-molecular-weight dextran for frequency-domain optical coherence tomography.

Background: Although an intracoronary frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) system overcomes several limitations of the time-domain OCT (TD-OCT) system, the former requires injection of contrast media for image acquisition. The increased total amount of contrast media for FD-OCT image acquisition may lead to the impairment of renal function. The safety and usefulness of the non-occlusion method with low-molecular-weight dextran L (LMD-L) via a guiding catheter for TD-OCT image acquisition have been reported previously.

Optimal contrast material concentration for distinguishing among carotid artery lumen, carotid stent, and neck in cone-beam computed tomography during carotid angiography: basic and clinical studies.

Purpose: To explore the optimal contrast material (CM) concentration for distinguishing CM, carotid stent (CS), and neck components in cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) during carotid angiography (CBCT-CA).

Materials And Methods: A neck phantom containing CS and contrast-filled imitation vessels of 9 mm diameter was scanned using CBCT. CM (300 mgI/ml) was used in concentrations of 100, 50, 33, 10, 5, and 1%.