Predictive Value of Liver Stiffness Measurement by Magnetic Resonance Elastography for Complications after Liver Resection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Aims: Liver fibrosis has been recognized as a significant risk factor for short-term outcomes after hepatectomy. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) showed higher diagnostic performance in staging liver fibrosis than other elastography modalities. This study aimed to assess the accuracy of predicting postoperative complications in patients with malignant liver tumors using liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by MRE.

Risk Factors for Long-Term Death After Medullary Infarction: A Multicenter Follow-Up Study.

We investigated the risk factors for death in patients with medullary infarction (MI) during a long-term follow-up. We retrospectively examined 179 consecutive patients (130 men and 49 women) who had clinical and MRI findings consistent with MI between February 2012 and January 2017 at three university hospitals. Long-term outcomes were assessed by telephonic interview.

MMP-9, Vertebrobasilar Ectasia and Vertebral Artery Dominance in Vertigo or Dizziness Patients With Vascular Risk Factors.

Although vertebrobasilar ectasia (VBE) is diagnosed with increasing frequency, it is not clear whether this is because of altered hemodynamics caused by the effects of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and/or vertebral artery dominance (VAD). Therefore, we investigate the relationship between plasma levels of MMPs and VBE in patients with vertigo or dizziness who also have vascular risk factors, in order to determine whether high levels of MMPs in VBE are independent of VAD. We prospectively studied 285 patients with vertigo or dizziness and at least one vascular risk factor.

Association between Intracranial Arterial Dolichoectasia and Cerebral Small Vessel Disease and Its Underlying Mechanisms.

Intracranial arterial dolichoectasia (IADE), also known as dilatative arteriopathy of the brain vessels, refers to an increase in the length and diameter of at least one intracranial artery, and accounts for approximately 12% of all patients with stroke. However, the association of IADE with stroke is usually unclear. Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is characterized by pathological changes in the small vessels.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of Wallerian degeneration of bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles after pontine infarction.

We aimed to present a case of symmetrical Wallerian degeneration (WD) in the middle cerebellar peduncles (MCPs) after a unilateral paramedian pontine infarction, which was examined by multimodality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In addition, we summarize the small number of reported cases. In our clinic, we observed a case of symmetrical WD of bilateral MCPs that occurred 6 months after the onset of a pontine infarction.

Basilar Artery Tortuosity Is Associated With White Matter Hyperintensities by TIMP-1.

Background And Purpose: To test the hypothesis that the imbalance between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) may play a potential role in bridging vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) with lacunar infarction (LI) and white matter hyperintensities (WMH).

Methods: We studied 212 patients with vertigo who underwent multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) tests for VBD, LI, and WMH identification. We investigated biomarkers of VBD with magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) via various physical characteristics of the vertebrobasilar arteries (VBAs).

Perfusion by delayed time to peak in vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia patients with vertigo.

Objective: To investigate the association between the perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) in vertigo patients and at least one vascular risk factor.

Methods: We studied 289 patients with vertigo (spinning, swaying, nausea, vomiting, and unsteady gait) who performed multimode MRI. Maximum diameter and tortuous parameters of the basilar artery and vertebral arteries were calculated using magnetic resonance angiography.

Prevalence of Stroke and Hypoperfusion in Patients With Isolated Vertigo and Vascular Risk Factors.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and associated factors of stroke and hypoperfusion among patients with isolated vertigo and vascular risk factors. We studied 157 patients with isolated vertigo who had undergone multimodal magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) was used to measure the diameters of vertebrobasilar arteries and to evaluate morphologic changes to vessels.

Why does my patient's basilar artery continue to grow? A four-year case study of a patient with symptoms of vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia.

Background: Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia (VBD) is a clinical entity associated with ischemic stroke, compression of cranial nerves or brainstem, and hydrocephalus. There have been relatively few studies following the progression of VBD in patients presenting with a variety of diverse clinical features.

Case Presentation: Here, we report a case study of a male with progressive VBD who was followed from November 2012 to December 2016.

Vertebral Artery Hypoplasia and Posterior Circulation Infarction in Patients with Isolated Vertigo with Stroke Risk Factors.

Background: We aimed in this study to investigate the prevalence of vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) in a population with isolated vertigo in association with stroke risk factors, to determine whether VAH is an independent risk factor for posterior circulation infarction (PCI).

Methods: We sequentially enrolled 245 patients with isolated vertigo with at least 1 vascular risk factor, who were divided into PCI and non-PCI groups, according to present signs of acute infarction on diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. All patients underwent magnetic resonance angiography and cervical contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography to screen for VAH.

Perfusion weighted imaging in the assessment of the pathology and outcomes of lateral medullary infarction.

This series case report aimed to elucidate the underlying pathology and outcomes of lateral medullary infarction (LMI) using perfusion weighted imaging (PWI). Four patients were diagnosed with LMI based on high-field diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI-DWI) and PWI. The national institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS) scores were recorded on days 1, 7, and 30, and the Barthel index was assessed on days 7 and 30.

Vertebral artery hypoplasia, posterior circulation infarction and relative hypoperfusion detected by perfusion magnetic resonance imaging semiquantitatively.

Vertebral artery hypoplasia (VAH) has been considered a risk factor of posterior circulation infarction (PCI), especially in the territory of the posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA). But whether VAH is an independent risk factor for PCI remains uncertain and how VAH participates in the evolvement of PCI is still not clear either. Therefore, this study aims to examine whether VAH is an independent risk factor for PCI and evaluate the effect of VAH on the cerebral perfusion in the territory of the PICA detected by perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) semiquantitatively.

Basilar artery hypoplasia associated with changes of brainstem potential, transcranial Doppler and perfusion-weighted imaging.

Objective: The aim of this study was to observe brainstem hemodynamic alterations associated with basilar artery hypoplasia (BAH).

Methods: Nine hundred and fifty-two consecutive patients received emergency multimodal computed tomography; magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiogram during the period of January 2011 to December 2014 were included. The vascular risk factors, brainstem auditory evoked potential (BAEP), blink reflex (BR), transcranial Doppler (TCD) and dynamic susceptibility contrast-enhanced perfusion-weighted imaging were completed.

Persistent primitive trigeminal artery associated with monocular blindness and external carotid-vertebral artery anastomosis.

In this paper, we present 2 rare cases of persistent embryonic anastomoses. In one case, the patient presented with persistent trigeminal artery along with multiple foci of cerebral infarction as well as central retinal artery thrombosis. In the other case, the patient had direct anastomosis of the vertebral artery with ipsilateral external carotid artery as well as pontine infarction, aneurysm, and unilateral hypoplasia of the vertebral artery.

Arsenic trioxide (As(2)O(3)) induced apoptosis and its mechanisms in a human esophageal squamous carcinoma cell line.

Objective: To study whether As(2)O(3) has an apoptotic effect on human solid tumor cells, and the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms of this treatment using human esophageal squamous carcinoma cells (EC8712) as a model.

Methods: DNA microarray, biochemical and cytological analyses were used.

Results: The growth and survival of EC8712 cells were markedly inhibited by As(2)O(3) treatment at a concentration of 1, 2 and 4 micromol/L.