The value of Bayesian penalized likelihood reconstruction for improving lesion conspicuity of malignant lung tumors on F-FDG PET/CT: comparison with ordered subset expectation maximization reconstruction incorporating time-of-flight model and point spread function correction.

Objective: To evaluate the value of Bayesian penalized likelihood (BPL) reconstruction for improving lesion conspicuity of malignant lung tumors on F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography computed tomography (PET/CT) as compared with the ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM) reconstruction incorporating time-of-flight (TOF) model and point-spread-function (PSF) correction.

Methods: Twenty-nine patients with primary or metastatic lung cancers who underwent F-FDG PET/CT were retrospectively studied. PET images were reconstructed with OSEM + TOF, OSEM + TOF + PSF, and BPL with noise penalty strength β-value of 200, 400, 600, and 800.

Assessment of coronary flow velocity reserve with phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance imaging in patients with heavy coronary calcification.

Coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) can be noninvasively measured by phase-contrast cine magnetic resonance imaging (PC-MRI). Heavy coronary calcification degrades the diagnostic accuracy for the detection of coronary arterial stenosis on computed tomography (CT). The aim of this study was to evaluate the value of CFVR measurement with PC-MRI for detecting significant coronary stenoses in patients with heavy coronary calcification.

Altered coronary endothelial function in young smokers detected by magnetic resonance assessment of myocardial blood flow during the cold pressor test.

Endothelial dysfunction is a key element in early atherogenesis. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of magnetic resonance (MR) assessment of altered myocardial blood flow (MBF) in response to the cold pressor test (CPT) and to determine if coronary endothelial dysfunction in young smokers can be detected with this noninvasive approach. Fourteen healthy non-smokers (31 ± 6 years) and 12 smokers (34 ± 8 years) were studied.

Adipose tissue detected by multislice computed tomography in patients after myocardial infarction.

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate the frequency of left ventricular (LV) and right ventricular adipose tissue on multislice computed tomography (CT) in patients with a history of myocardial infarction (MI) and to determine correlations with infarct age.

Background: Fat deposition in the ventricular wall has frequently been observed in post-infarct myocardial tissue. However, the in vivo relevance of adipose tissue in MI on CT and correlations with infarct age have not been determined.

Thoracic CT findings following endovascular stent-graft treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysm.

Purpose: To investigate the transient computed tomographic (CT) findings and morphological characteristics of the descending thoracic aorta following endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA).

Methods: Of 50 TAAs repaired using custom-made endoprostheses between May 1997 and September 2005, 35 (25 men; mean age 67 years) were successfully treated and followed for >3 months by thoracic CT. The TAA etiologies were 22 degenerative/atherosclerotic, 7 dissection-related from intramural hematoma, 2 traumatic, 2 anastomotic, and 2 penetrating ulcers.

Diagnostic value of late gadolinium-enhanced MRI and first-pass dynamic MRI for predicting functional recovery in patients after acute myocardial infarction.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the comparative diagnostic values of late gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and first-pass dynamic MRI for predicting functional recovery of regional myocardial contraction in patients early after acute myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: First-pass and late-enhanced MRI were performed in 18 patients 5.5 +/- 2.

Detection of coronary artery stenosis with whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance angiography.

Objectives: We sought to determine the diagnostic performance of whole-heart coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography for detecting significant coronary artery disease.

Background: The accuracy of whole-heart coronary MR angiography has not been determined in a large number of patients.

Methods: Three-dimensional coronary MR angiograms covering the entire heart were obtained during free breathing in 131 patients.

Aneurysm shrinkage after endovascular repair of aortic diseases.

Background: There are two graft materials for endovascular repair of aortic diseases, i.e., polyester and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE).

Basket pattern blood flow signals discovered in a case of splenic hamartoma by power Doppler ultrasonography.

We present the gray-scale ultrasonography (GSUS), power Doppler ultrasonography (PDUS), abdominal computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for a case of splenic hamartoma in a 27-year-old man, showing a phi 50 mm homogeneous, iso- and hypo-echoic splenic mass with evidence of a small plural cystic lesion. This splenic hamartoma showed increased vascularity on power Doppler sonograms. PDUS showed multiple circular blood flow signals inside the mass (i.

Assessment of coronary arteries with total study time of less than 30 minutes by using whole-heart coronary MR angiography.

This study had institutional review board approval, and all patients gave informed consent. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the use of whole-heart three-dimensional (3D) coronary magnetic resonance (MR) angiography in patients suspected of having coronary artery disease. Whole-heart coronary MR angiography was performed in 39 patients (30 men and nine women; mean age, 63.

Diagnostic accuracy of stress first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI compared with stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of stress perfusion MRI acquired with saturation-recovery prepared turbo fast low-angle shot (turbo FLASH) compared with stress myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. Recent studies show that first-pass contrast-enhanced myocardial perfusion MRI can provide noninvasive detection of low-limiting stenosis in the coronary artery.

Materials And Methods: First-pass contrast-enhanced MR images were acquired at rest and during stress in 40 patients with suspected coronary artery disease.

Changes in false lumen after transluminal stent-graft placement in aortic dissections: six years' experience.

Background: Transluminal stent-graft placements (TSGPs) are a new, less invasive procedure now recognized as the choice for aortic disease repair. Treatment of aortic dissections with TSGPs has resulted in good early results, but the long-term results and changes in the false lumen have not been elucidated in detail.

Methods And Results: TSGPs were performed in 49 patients with primary tears in their descending aortas, and the follow-up period ranged from 4 months to 6 years.

Late gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging in acute and chronic myocardial infarction. Improved prediction of regional myocardial contraction in the chronic state by measuring thickness of nonenhanced myocardium.

Objectives: We sought to determine serial changes of enhanced and nonenhanced tissue on late gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in patients with a myocardial infarction (MI) and to assess whether thickness of nonenhanced myocardium can improve the detection of preserved contractile function in the chronic state.

Background: Previous studies demonstrated that enhancement on late gadolinium-enhanced CMR images indicates myocardial necrosis, and nonenhancement shows the presence of viable myocardium.

Methods: The CMR studies were performed within one week (scan 1) and more than five months (scan 2) after the onset of MI in 18 patients.

Contrast-enhanced high-resolution MRI of invasive breast cancer: correlation with histopathologic subtypes.

Objective: We sought to determine whether contrast-enhanced MRI could aid in the identification of the histopathologic subtypes of invasive ductal carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the contrast-enhanced MR images obtained in 62 women with invasive ductal carcinoma of no special type. The presence or absence of three distinct MRI findings-linear enhancement, a serrated border, and delayed rim enhancement-was evaluated.

Stent-graft placement combined with percutaneous fenestration for the treatment of aortic dissection in a patient at risk of developing renal ischemia.

A 51-year-old man, suffering from an aortic dissection with the entry tear in the descending thoracic aorta, underwent replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic arch with resection of the entry tear. Although the false lumen of the descending thoracic aorta was thrombosed after surgery, redissection developed in the descending aorta 2 months later. Percutaneous fenestration was performed before stent-grafting because it was judged that there was a significant risk of left renal ischemia.

Endovascular stent-graft treatment for thoracic aortic aneurysms: short- to midterm results.

Purpose: To evaluate short- and midterm results of the endovascular repair of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) with the use of custom-made stent-grafts.

Materials And Methods: Between May 1997 and May 2003, 40 patients with TAA (26 degenerative/atherosclerotic, seven dissection-related, three traumatic, two mycotic, one anastomotic, and one penetrating ulcer) underwent endovascular stent-graft placement. The mean age of the patients (29 male and 11 female) was 67.

Dissecting aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery successfully treated by endovascular stent-graft placement.

Spontaneous and isolated dissecting aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery is a rare event that has been successfully treated by surgery in several reported cases. To our knowledge, we present the first case of a patient with spontaneous and isolated dissecting aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery that was successfully treated by endovascular stent-graft placement.

Stent-graft detachment from aortic wall after stent-graft repair of acute aortic dissection.

Preliminary studies have demonstrated that stent-graft repair is an attractive method for treatment of aortic dissection. However, few reports have described long-term results. A 72-year-old woman with acute type B aortic dissection underwent stent-graft repair.

Increased myocardial uptake of iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine on delayed images, compared with early images, in patients with multiple system atrophy.

We present 2 interesting cases of multiple system atrophy in which increased myocardial iodine-123 metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake was observed on delayed images (3 hours after injection) compared with early images (15 minutes after injection). These findings have not been previously described. The duration of symptoms was less than 1 year in both these patients.

Acute and contained rupture of the descending thoracic aorta: treatment with endovascular stent grafts.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate feasibility and safety of endovascular stent grafting for the treatment of patients with rupture of the descending thoracic aorta.

Methods: Thirteen patients with rupture of the descending thoracic aorta were treated with endovascular stent grafting. Six patients were treated on the day of diagnosis because their vital signs were unstable, and the other seven patients were treated electively.

Acute myocardial infarction: myocardial viability assessment in patients early thereafter comparison of contrast-enhanced MR imaging with resting (201)Tl SPECT. Single photon emission computed tomography.

Purpose: To compare contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with resting thallium 201 ((201)Tl) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for predicting myocardial viability in patients early after acute myocardial infarction.

Materials And Methods: Inversion-recovery contrast-enhanced MR images and resting (201)Tl SPECT images were obtained in 22 patients after acute myocardial infarction. The (201)Tl SPECT images were obtained 4.

Transluminal stent-graft placements for the treatments of acute onset and chronic aortic dissections.

Background: Transluminal stent-graft placement (TSGP) for aortic dissection is a relatively new procedure. We performed TSGPs to seal the primary entry site to treat and prevent complications of aortic dissection. The early to mid-term outcomes were analyzed.

Midterm results of stent-graft repair of acute and chronic aortic dissection with descending tear: the complication-specific approach.

Background: Endovascular stent-graft placement for the treatment of patients with aortic dissection is emerging as an attractive alternative to conventional cardiac operations. However, there has been no report of longer-term follow-up. The purpose of this study is to describe our midterm results with endovascular stent-graft repair for the treatment of patients with aortic dissections.