Fatal myocardial infarction investigated using contrast-enhanced postmortem computed tomography: A case report.

Conventional autopsies are considered standard methods for clarifying cause of death. However, because of the increasing use of computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and other diagnostic imaging techniques, autopsy imaging is now more frequently adopted to identify diseases with unknown causes and sudden deaths. A 84-year-old man was diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction using coronary angiography.

Iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) magnetic resonance imaging as a biomarker for symptomatic multiple myeloma.

Introduction: To evaluate the effectiveness of iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to discriminate between symptomatic and asymptomatic myeloma in lumbar bone marrow without visible focal lesions.

Materials And Methods: The lumbar spine was examined with 3-T MRI in 11 patients with asymptomatic myeloma and 24 patients with symptomatic myeloma. The fat-signal fraction was calculated from the ratio of the signal intensity in the fat image divided by the signal intensity of the corresponding ROI in the in-phase IDEAL image.

A new technique for noise reduction at coronary CT angiography with multi-phase data-averaging and non-rigid image registration.

Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of a newly developed noise reduction technique at coronary CT angiography (CTA) that uses multi-phase data-averaging and non-rigid image registration.

Methods: Sixty-five patients underwent coronary CTA with prospective ECG-triggering. The range of the phase window was set at 70-80% of the R-R interval.

Re-evaluation of detectability of liver metastases by contrast-enhanced CT: added value of hepatic arterial phase imaging.

Purpose: We compared the detectability of liver metastases on 2- and 3-phase images using robust statistical methods. Nine radiologists evaluated unenhanced CT plus portal venous phase (2-phase) images and 2-phase plus hepatic arterial phase (HAP) (3-phase) images.

Materials And Methods: Our study included 54 patients with primary malignant tumors who underwent 3-phase hepatic dynamic CT more than twice to screen for liver metastases; 24 had 1-6 liver metastases measuring 4-27 mm in diameter (median 13 mm).

Magnetic resonance evaluation of multiple myeloma at 3.0 Tesla: how do bone marrow plasma cell percentage and selection of protocols affect lesion conspicuity?

Purpose: To compare various pulse sequences in terms of percent contrast and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for detection of focal multiple myeloma lesions and to assess the dependence of lesion conspicuity on the bone marrow plasma cell percent (BMPC%).

Materials And Methods: Sagittal T1-weighted FSE, fat-suppressed T2-weighted FSE (FS- T2 FSE), fast STIR and iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) imaging of the lumbar spine were performed (n = 45). Bone marrow (BM)-focal myeloma lesion percent contrast and CNR were calculated.

Non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI): utility of measuring the diameters of the superior mesenteric artery and superior mesenteric vein at multidetector CT.

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic capability of multidetector computed tomography for detecting non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI).

Methods: We studied 11 NOMI patients and 44 controls. Radiologists evaluated the CT images for the presence of bowel ischemia and measured the diameters of the superior mesenteric artery and the superior mesenteric vein (D and D ).

Effect of lapatinib on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on gadoxetate disodium (EOB)-enhanced MRI scans of the rat liver.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of lapatinib treatment on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on Gd-EOB-MRI scans in rat.

Materials And Methods: Institutional animal review board approval was received prior to the commencement of all studies. Five rats received a single oral dose of 100 mg/kg/day lapatinib for 7 consecutive days.

Detectability of hepatocellular carcinoma by gadoxetate disodium-enhanced hepatic MRI: tumor-by-tumor analysis in explant livers.

Purpose: To investigate the detectability of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) on Gd-EOB-enhanced MR images (Gd-EOB-MRI), we performed tumor-by-tumor analysis of pathologically confirmed tumors using explants from cirrhotic patients who had undergone liver transplantation.

Materials And Methods: We studied 11 explanted livers and classified the tumor intensity during the arterial phase (AP) and the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) as low in HBP with early enhancement (EE) in AP (A), as high in HBP with EE in AP (B), as low in HBP without EE in AP (C), as high in HBP without EE in AP (D), and as iso-intense in HBP with EE in AP (E). The diagnostic criteria for HCC were (i) pattern A and C, (ii) pattern A and E, (iii) pattern C and E, and (iv) patterns A, C, and E.

Direct vasodilation by transdermal administration of nitroglycerin: preliminary, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of nitroglycerin skin spray for premedication before artery puncture.

Purpose: Transdermal administration of nitroglycerin (NTG) before arterial puncture may improve puncture success. The objective of this study was to evaluate the vasodilation effect of NTG skin spray on brachial arteries.

Materials And Methods: We recruited 10 healthy volunteers.

Migration to the pulmonary artery of nine metallic coils placed in the internal iliac vein for treatment of giant rectal varices.

Transcatheter venous embolization with metallic coils is a safe and reliable method for the treatment of pelvic congestion syndrome and pelvic varicocele. While rare, coil migration to the pulmonary arteries is potentially fatal. We report the migration to the pulmonary artery of a cluster of nine metallic microcoils placed in the internal iliac vein to obliterate giant rectal varices.

Iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetry and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) imaging of multiple myeloma: initial clinical efficiency results.

Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of the iterative decomposition of water and fat with echo asymmetric and least-squares estimation (IDEAL) MRI to quantify tumour infiltration into the lumbar vertebrae in myeloma patients without visible focal lesions.

Methods: The lumbar spine was examined with 3 T MRI in 24 patients with multiple myeloma and in 26 controls. The fat-signal fraction was calculated as the mean value from three vertebral bodies.

Effect of age on the fractional anisotropy (FA) value of peripheral nerves and clinical significance of the age-corrected FA value for evaluating polyneuropathies.

Introduction: We investigated the correlation between age and the fractional anisotropy (FA) values of peripheral nerves in healthy adults and compared the age-corrected FA values of peripheral nerves in healthy subjects and patients with polyneuropathy.

Methods: The institutional review board approved this study and informed consent was obtained from all participants before entry into the study. We optimized diffusion tensor imaging using a 3-T magnetic resonance scanner and an extremity coil for scanning tibial nerves.

Clinical significance of the transitional phase at gadoxetate disodium-enhanced hepatic MRI for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma: preliminary results.

Objectives: To investigate the clinical significance of the "transitional phase" at gadoxetate disodium (Gd-EOB)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Methods: We studied 54 patients with 70 histologically diagnosed HCC. Transitional- and hepatobiliary-phase (TP, HBP) images were acquired 3 and 20 minutes after Gd-EOB injection, respectively.

Evaluation of lumber nerve root compression using thin-slice thickness coronal magnetic resonance imaging: three-dimensional fat-suppressed multi-shot balanced non-steady-state free precession versus three-dimensional T1-weighted spoiled gradient-recalled echo.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to compare the three-dimensional fat-suppressed balanced non-steady-state free precession (3D FS-nSSFP) sequence and the 3D T1-weighted spoiled gradient-recalled echo (3D T1-GRE) sequence for evaluating lumbar nerve root compression with continuous thin-slice coronal magnetic resonance (MR) images.

Materials And Methods: The institutional review board approved this study, and written informed consent was obtained from all 35 patients. We optimized continuous 2.

Signal intensity of lanthanum carbonate on magnetic resonance images: phantom study.

Purpose: Lanthanum carbonate (LC) is used to treat hyperphosphatemia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the signal intensity (SI) of LC on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of phantoms.

Materials And Methods: LC tablets were thoroughly ground and mixed with distilled water or edible agar (0.

Hepatocellular carcinoma in patients weighing 70 kg or less: initial trial of compact-bolus dynamic CT with low-dose contrast material at 80 kVp.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic capability of hepatic dynamic CT with low-dose contrast material (420 mg I/kg body weight) at 80 kVp with that of the same modality performed with standard-dose contrast material at 120 kVp.

Subjects And Methods: We randomly assigned 111 patients (50 women, 61 men; mean age, 69.1 years) with known or suspected hepatocellular carcinoma and a body weight of 70 kg or less to one of two protocols.

Effect of lapatinib on hepatic parenchymal enhancement on gadoxetate disodium (EOB)-enhanced MRI scans.

We present changes seen on hepatobiliary phase (HBP)-gadoxetate disodium (EOB)-enhanced magnetic resonance image of a woman with liver metastases who was treated with lapatinib. After treatment, the HBP images appeared like portal venous phase images. This suggests that lapatinib, an inhibitor of organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B1, one of the substrates of EOB, inhibits EOB uptake by hepatocytes.

Multiple myeloma: microstructural analysis of lumbar trabecular bones in patients without visible bone lesions--preliminary results.

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of trabecular analysis of the lumbar spine by using multidetector computed tomography (CT) in differentiating multiple myeloma patients without spinal fractures from control subjects.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective single-institution study was approved by the institutional review board, with a waiver of informed consent. Spinal microarchitecture was examined by using 64-detector row CT in 29 patients with multiple myeloma and 51 control subjects.

Diffusion tensor imaging of peripheral nerve in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy: a feasibility study.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical feasibility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) for the evaluation of peripheral nerves in patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP).

Methods: Using a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner, we obtained DTI scans of the tibial nerves of 10 CIDP patients and 10 sex- and age-matched healthy volunteers. We prepared fractional anisotropy (FA) maps, measured the FA values of tibial nerves, and compared these values in the two study groups.