Optimization of pulse sequences in ultrafast magnetic resonance imaging for the diagnosis of acute abdominal pain caused by gastrointestinal disease.

Background: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to diagnose acute abdominal pain; however, it remains unclear which pulse sequence has priority in acute abdominal pain.

Purpose: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and to assess the conspicuity of each pulse sequence for the diagnosis of acute abdominal pain due to gastrointestinal diseases.

Material And Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 60 patients with acute abdominal pain who underwent MRI for axial and coronal T2-weighted (T2W) imaging, fat-suppressed (FS)-T2W imaging, and true-fast imaging with steady-state precession (True-FISP) and axial T1-weighted (T1W) imaging and investigated the diagnosis with endoscopy, surgery, histopathology, computed tomography, and clinical follow-up as standard references.

A Novel Technique to Predict Liver Damage After Laparoscopic Gastrectomy From the Stomach Volume Overlapping the Liver by Preoperative Computed Tomography.

Background: During laparoscopic gastrectomy (LG), it is necessary to manipulate the lateral segment of the liver to secure the surgical field. Liver retraction during surgery often causes liver dysfunction after LG. However, no previous studies have used preoperative image evaluations to predict postoperative liver damage associated with surgical retraction.

Naturally shrunk visceral artery aneurysms by stenting for the superior mesenteric artery occlusion.

A 77-year-old woman who had experienced postprandial abdominal pain for four years was admitted to our institution presenting sudden and severe abdominal pain. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) demonstrated complete short-segmented occlusion in the orifice of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), and saccular aneurysms in the right hepatic artery and the anterior superior pancreaticoduodenal artery. She was diagnosed with abdominal angina due to occlusion of the SMA.

Sub-solid nodule detectability in seven observers of seventy-nine clinical cases: comparison between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis with iterative reconstruction and chest radiography by receiver-operating characteristics analysis.

Purpose: To compare sub-solid nodules detectability (SSND) between ultra-low-dose chest digital tomosynthesis (ULD-CDT) with/without iterative reconstruction (IR) and chest radiography (CR) by using low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) as the standard of reference (SOR).

Materials And Methods: Institutional Review Board approved this study and written informed consent was obtained. In a single visit, 79 subjects underwent ULD-CDT at 120 kV and 10 mA, CR and LDCT (effective dose: 0.

Transcatheter Arterial Embolization for Postoperative Bleeding Following Abdominal Surgery.

Purpose: We aimed to estimate the usefulness of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) in patients with postoperative abdominal hemorrhage and to evaluate the effects of pancreatic fistula on clinical outcomes and angiographic findings.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 22 patients (20 males and 2 females; mean age 63 years; range 25-86 years), who underwent transarterial angiography for postoperative hemorrhage after abdominal surgery. This group corresponded to 28 procedures.

Ex vivo MR imaging of colorectal carcinoma before and after formalin fixation: correlation with histopathologic findings.

Purpose: We aimed to assess and compare ex vivo MRI of resected colorectal carcinoma before and after formalin fixation.

Methods: We enrolled 45 consecutive patients (47 carcinomas) who underwent colorectal carcinoma surgery. Specimens underwent two MR scans at 1.

Acceleration of small bowel motility after oral administration of dai-kenchu-to (TJ-100) assessed by cine magnetic resonance imaging.

Dai-kenchu-to (TJ-100) is an herbal medicine used to shorten the duration of intestinal transit by accelerating intestinal movement. However, intestinal movement in itself has not been evaluated in healthy volunteers using radiography, fluoroscopy, and radioisotopes because of exposure to ionizing radiation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of TJ-100 on intestinal motility using cinematic magnetic resonance imaging (cine MRI) with a steady-state free precession sequence.

Anti-tumor Effects of Sorafenib Administered at Different Time Points in Combination with Transarterial Embolization in a Rabbit VX2 Liver Tumor Model.

Objective: To investigate the most suitable timing parameters when using sorafenib to enhance the anti-tumor effects of transarterial embolization (TAE) in a rabbit VX2 liver tumor model.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five Japanese white rabbits were randomly assigned to five equal groups two weeks after VX2 tumor transplantation to the liver. We then performed the combination treatment with sorafenib and TAE in the according ways; Group 1 (TAE just before consecutive 7-day administration of sorafenib), Group 2 (TAE on second day of the administration period), Group 3 (TAE on fourth day of the administration period), and Group 4 (TAE after the administration period).

StatSensor-i point-of-care creatinine analyzer may identify patients at high-risk of contrast-induced nephropathy.

The current study assessed the accuracy of the StatSensor-i (STA) point-of-care creatinine analyzer prior to and following adjustment (offset correction) by linear regression scatter plots produced by the reference samples from patients and volunteers for detecting high risk of contrast-induced nephropathy in patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate <45 ml/min/1.73 m. Blood samples were obtained from 233 consecutive outpatients scheduled for contrast-enhanced CT studies.

Adrenal obliteration by balloon-occluded retrograde venous ethanol injection in a swine model.

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of adrenal obliteration by balloon-occluded retrograde venous ethanol injection.

Material And Methods: We inserted a micro-balloon catheter into the left adrenal vein of six pigs and retrogradely injected absolute ethanol (0.06 ml/kg) under balloon occlusion.

An Attempt to Shorten Loading Time of Epirubicin into DC Beads Using Vibration and a Sieve.

Purpose: We investigated the possibility of shortening the time required for loading epirubicin into calibrated polyvinyl alcohol-based hydrogel beads (DC Beads) to be used for transarterial chemoembolization.

Method: After separating the beads suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution by the use of a sieve (clearance 75 µm), epirubicin hydrochloride (EH) was loaded for 20, 30, or 60 s under vibration into DC beads. The EH loading rate into conventionally prepared (control) beads, i.

A phantom study for ground-glass nodule detectability using chest digital tomosynthesis with iterative reconstruction algorithm by ten observers: association with radiation dose and nodular characteristics.

Objective: To compare detectability of simulated ground-glass nodules (GGNs) on chest digital tomosynthesis (CDT) among 12 images obtained at 6 radiation doses using 2 reconstruction algorithms and to analyze its association with nodular size and density.

Methods: 74 simulated GGNs [5, 8 and 10 mm in diameter/-630 and -800 Hounsfield units (HU) in density] were placed in a chest phantom in 14 nodular distribution patterns. 12 sets of coronal images were obtained using CDT at 6 radiation doses: 120 kV-10 mA/20 mA/80 mA/160 mA, 100 kV-80 mA and 80 kV-320 mA with and without iterative reconstruction (IR).

A novel blood-pooling MR contrast agent: Carboxymethyl-diethylaminoethyl dextran magnetite.

Gadofosveset trisodium is available as a prolonged pooling vascular contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging. As gadolinium (Gd)-based agents may increase the risk for nephrogenic systemic fibrosis in patients with severe renal insufficiency, the present study synthesized carboxymethyl-diethylaminoethyl dextran magnetite (CMEADM) particles as a blood-pooling, non-Gd‑based contrast agent. CMEADM particles carry a negative or positive charge due to the binding of amino and carboxyl groups to the hydroxyl group of dextran.

MRI can be used to assess advanced T-stage colon carcinoma as well as rectal carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility of assessing advanced T-stage (T3-T4) colorectal carcinomas by correlating MRI with histopathological findings.

Materials And Methods: The study population comprised 31 patients with 32 lesions (22 colon and 10 rectal carcinomas). The relationship between the tumor and bowel layers on T2- and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted images (T2WI, CE-T1WI), bowel wall deformity, and the linear architecture of subserosal fat on T2WI scans was independently assessed by two radiologists.

Imaging findings of primary hepatic carcinoid tumor with an emphasis on MR imaging: case study.

Carcinoid tumors are slow-growing tumors originating in the neuroendocrine cells, and occur most frequently within the gastrointestinal tract. Although the liver is the most common site for metastatic carcinoid tumors, primary hepatic carcinoid tumors are exceedingly rare and reports of the imaging findings have been very scarce. We herein report imaging findings with an emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging in two cases of primary hepatic carcinoid tumors.

Asialoerythropoietin ameliorates bleomycin-induced acute lung injury in rabbits by reducing inflammation.

Acute lung injury, a critical illness characterized by acute respiratory failure with bilateral pulmonary infiltrates, remains unresponsive to current treatments. The condition involves injury to the alveolar capillary barrier, neutrophil accumulation and the induction of proinflammatory cytokines followed by lung fibrosis. In the present study, a rabbit model of bleomycin-induced acute lung injury was established to examine the effects of asialoerythropoietin (AEP), an agent with tissue-protective activities, on pulmonary inflammation.

Images acquired using 320-MDCT with adaptive iterative dose reduction with wide-volume acquisition: visual evaluation of image quality by 10 radiologists using an abdominal phantom.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to assess visual evaluations of CT images and to determine by how much radiation exposure dose could be reduced without compromising the image quality.

Materials And Methods: An abdominal CT phantom was scanned at 14 different tube currents. Raw data were reconstructed with adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR) 3D and filtered backprojection (FBP).

Inhibition of fibrosis and inflammation by triple therapy with pirfenidone, edaravone and erythropoietin in rabbits with drug-induced lung injury: comparison of CT imaging and pathological findings.

In a rabbit model of bleomycin-induced lung injury, computed tomography (CT) and pathological studies were conducted to investigate whether the progression of this injury is inhibited by pirfenidone and by triple therapy with pirfenidone, edaravone and erythropoietin. We divided nine rabbits with bleomycin-induced lung injury into three equally sized groups. Group 1 served as the control, group 2 received pirfenidone alone and group 3 was treated with pirfenidone, edaravone and erythropoietin.

Gelatin microspheres: correlation between embolic effect/degradability and cross-linkage/particle size.

Purpose: To evaluate the embolic effect and degradability of gelatin microspheres (GMS) using various degrees of cross-linkage and particle sizes in rabbit renal artery embolization.

Methods: Four types of GMS were used, as follows: 2 types of cross-linkage and 2 types of particle size. Twenty-four rabbits (6 in each group) were used for the renal artery embolization.

320-detector-row computed tomography arteriography using CO2 gas to detect malignant liver tumors.

Purpose: We present the initial steps for 320-detector-row computed tomography arteriography using CO2 gas (320-MDCT CO2 arteriography) to detect the vascular area of malignant liver tumors.

Material And Methods: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of our institution. Written prior informed consent was obtained from all patients.

Evaluation of the embolic effect and degradability of gelatin microspheres and Gelpart particles.

Purpose: To evaluate the embolic effect and degradability of gelatin microspheres (GMS) and Gelpart particles (GPS) in dogs subjected to hepatic embolization.

Material And Methods: We subjected 20 beagles to embolization of the hepatic artery (HA) and assessed the embolic effects of GMS measuring 500 μm in dry and 1 mm in wet state and of 1-mm GPS, porous gelatin embolic particles. We obtained celiac angiographs before and immediately after embolization and two, 14, and 28 days later; the livers were histopathologically evaluated.

Evaluation of atherosclerotic lesions using dextran- and mannan-dextran-coated USPIO: MRI analysis and pathological findings.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can detect atherosclerotic lesions containing accumulations of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxides (USPIO). Positing that improved USPIO with a higher affinity for atherosclerotic plaques would yield better plaque images, we performed MRI and histologic studies to compare the uptake of dextran- and mannan-dextran-coated USPIO (D-USPIO and DM-USPIO, respectively) by the atherosclerotic walls of rabbits. We intravenously injected atherosclerotic rabbits with DM-USPIO (n = 5) or D-USPIO (n = 5).

Clinical trial of cisplatin-conjugated gelatin microspheres for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: We report our initial experience with the transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) using cisplatin-conjugated gelatin microspheres (Cis-GMS).

Methods And Material: Nineteen patients with 25 HCC nodules (mean diameter 23.0 mm) were treated by selective TACE using 50- to 100-μm Cis-GMS.