The Variation in the Diastolic Period with Interventricular Septal Displacement and Its Relation to the Right Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension: A Preliminary Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Study.

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is known to alter the biventricular shape and temporal phases of the cardiac cycle. The presence of interventricular septal (IVS) displacement has been associated with the severity of PH. There has been limited cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) data regarding the temporal parameters of the cardiac cycle in PH.

Indication of the prognosis of pulmonary hypertension by using CMR function parameters.

Objective: This study aimed to compare the cardiac function among different sub-types of pulmonary hypertension (PH) and to explore the independent predictors of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE).

Methods: Eighty-seven PH patients diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC) were recruited. Patients underwent cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) and RHC examination within 2 weeks.

Comparative study of computed tomography of normal and lymphoid follicular hyperplasia thymus in myasthenia gravis patients.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the thymuses of non-thymomatous myasthenia gravis (MG) patients by computed tomography (CT) for differentiating lymphoid follicular hyperplasia (LFH) thymus from normal/involuted thymus in order to assist surgeons in determining whether a non-thymomatous MG patient requires an operation. In the present retrospective review over 10 years, 80 patients who received CT scan and thymectomy at the Affiliated General Hospital of Tianjin Medial University (Tianjin, China) were included. According to the pathological records, 54 of the cases initially detected on CT were confirmed as LFH thymus.

[Characteristics of Ventricular Function in Pulmonary Hypertension Patients with Different Shape of Interventricular Septum: Preliminary Study with Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging].

Background: To study the characteristics of ventricular function in Pulmonary Hypertension (PH) Patients with different shape of Interventricular Septum (IVS) by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR).

Methods: 36 PH patients diagnosed by right heart catheterization accepted CMR. According to the morphology of IVS, the patients were divided into two groups: the non-deformation group (10 patients) and the deformation group (26 patients).

[Threshold Segmentation of Pulmonary Subsolid Nodules on CT Images: Detection and Quantification of the Solid Component].

Background: The detection and quantification of solid components in pulmonary subsolid nodules (SSN) are of vital importance on differential diagnosis, pathological speculation and prognosis prediction. However, no objective and wide-accepted criterion has been built up to now. The purpose of this study is to explore the optimal threshold that can be used for the detection and quantification of solid components in SSNs by using threshold segmentation method on computed tomography (CT) images.

[Analysis of Growth Curve Type in Pulmonary Nodules with Different Characteristics].

Background: Background and objective Follow up by computed tomography (CT) and growth evaluation are routine methods for the differential diagnosis of indeterminate pulmonary nodules in clinical practice. Pulmonary nodules with diverse biological behaviors may show different growth patterns and velocities. The aim of this study is to identify the volume growth curve of both benign and malignant pulmonary nodules.

[Measurements of Pulmonary Artery Size for Assessment of Pulmonary Hypertension by Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance and Clinical Application].

Background: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) often leads to dilatation of main pulmonary artery (MPA). MPA measurements can be used to predict PH. This aim of this study is to investigate power of MPA vessel indices, which are acquired from cardiovascular magnetic resonance, to evaluate PH.

Noninvasive prediction of pulmonary artery pressure and vascular resistance by using cardiac magnetic resonance indices.

Background: Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) has promise of being able to provide frequent cardiac morphology and function evaluations noninvasively for repeated follow-ups of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) patients after the initial right heart catheterization (RHC) diagnosis. By using the noninvasive CMR indices, the present study aimed to formulate and validate a prediction model of mean pulmonary artery pressure (mPAP) and pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR).

Methods: Both Derivation Cohort (N=25) and Validation Cohort (N=25) of PAH patients underwent CMR and RHC within one week.

[Evaluation of Pulmonary Hypertension with CMR: Pulmonary Hypertension Patients and Healthy Volunteers Control Study].

Background: The clinical course of pulmonary hypertension (PH) is one of progressive deterioration interspersed with episodes of acute decompensation. It is difficult to predict when patients will die because death may come either suddenly or slowly due to progressive heart failure. The aim of this study is to investigate morphology, function and hemodynamics in PH, compared with healthy people, and to investigate the clinical value of detection of PH by use of cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) parameters.

[Three Dimensional Volumetric Analysis of Solid Pulmonary Nodules on Chest CT: Cancer Risk Assessment].

Background: The management of pulmonary nodules relies on cancer risk assessment, in which the only widely accepted criterion is diameter. The development of volumetric computed tomography (CT) and three-dimensional (3D) software enhances the clarity in displaying the nodules' characteristics. This study evaluated the values of the nodules' volume and 3D morphological characteristics (edge, shape and location) in cancer risk assessment.

[Clinicoradiologic characteristics of active pulmonary tuberculosis with perilymphatic involvement].

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of perilymphatic involvement and clinicoradiologic characteristics of active pulmonary tuberculosis according to the distribution of micronodules on CT images.

Methods: A total of 124 in-patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis in Haihe Clinical College of Tianjin Medical University from September 2013 to March 2015 were enrolled in this study, all patients underwent CT before antituberculosis therapy.A retrospective investigation of CT images focused on the distribution of micronodules, as well as other major CT features of active pulmonary tuberculosis.

[Semi-quantitative study of structural abnormalities and changes of oxygenation function using CT in patients with post primary tuberculosis].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between structural abnormalities with semi-quantitative score of CT and changes of oxygenation function in patients with post primary tuberculosis.

Methods: 110 in-patients with post primary tuberculosis in Haihe clinical college of Tianjin medical university from January 2014 to August 2014 were enrolled in this study, all patients underwent CT and blood gas analysis. All lesions in lung as a whole and different CT signs of lesions were evaluated by retrospective semi-quantitative score respectively, total scores obtained by adding the scores of different lesions.

Giant right coronary artery aneurysm secondary to Kawasaki disease in child: a case report.

Coronary artery aneurysm or ectasia was reported in approximately 15% to 25% of the affected children, particularly in the proximal end of the main blood vessel and the left anterior descending part. Rare patients have been reported with aneurysm in the distal end of the right coronary artery. In this case report, we present a rare case with aneurysm in the distal end of the right coronary artery.

[Three-dimensional Mass Measurement of Subsolid Pulmonary Nodules on Chest CT: Intra and Inter-observer Variability].

Background: Subsolid pulmonary nodules tend to exhibit considerably slower growth rates than solid lesions, nevertheless, higher malignancy probability. The diagnosis of indeterminate nodules largely depends on the growth evaluation during follow-up. The growth can manifested as an increase in size or the appearance and/or subsequent increase of solid components.

[Acute response of right ventricular function to iloprost inhalations in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension: preliminary evaluation with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging].

Background: Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disorder characterized by abnormally elevated blood pressure of the pulmonary circulation. Without treatment, PAH progresses rapidly to right ventricular (RV) failure and even death. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) has been an accurate and reproducible tool to assessment of RV morphology and function, which are important factors in the prognosis of patients with PAH.

Evaluation of apparent diffusion coefficient associated with pathological grade of lung carcinoma, before therapy.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in predicting the tumor cellular density and grades of lung cancers.

Materials And Methods: Forty-one consecutive patients (26 men and 15 women; mean age, 59.9 years) with histologically proven lung cancers were enrolled in the study and underwent MR examination.

[Association between echocardiography derived right ventricular function parameters with cardiac magnetic resonance derived right ventricular ejection fraction and 6-minute walk distance in pulmonary hypertension patients].

Objective: To explore the association between transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) derived right ventricular (RV) function parameters with cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) derived RV ejection fraction (RVEF) and 6 minute walk distance (6MWD) in pulmonary hypertension (PH) patients.

Methods: A total of 40 PH patients (37 pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) and 3 chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH)) hospitalized in our department between March 2011 and March 2013 were enrolled in this study. PH diagnosis was established by right heart catheterization and TTE, CMR and 6MWT were performed within one week post TTE examination.

Diagnosis and treatment of SAPHO syndrome: A case report.

The present study reports a rare case of synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome in an adult male. The 42-year-old man complained of skin lesions, chest pain and lumbago. Laboratory evaluations demonstrated an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate and increased levels of C-reactive protein.

[The intra-observer variability of volumetric measurement of pulmonary nodules: comparison of two-dimensional and three-dimensional method].

Background And Objective: Software oriented three-dimensional (3D) volumetric measurement of pulmonary nodules has been feasible in the follow-up of indeterminate pulmonary nodules, however, its value need a further validation. The purpose of this study is to retrospectively analyze the chest CT data of patients with pulmonary nodules to compare the intra-observer variability of 3D and two-dimensional (2D) volumetric measurement.

Methods: Eighty-six pulmonary nodules in chest CT scans of 79 subjects were retrospectively analyzed.

Prediction of early response to chemotherapy in lung cancer by using diffusion-weighted MR imaging.

Purpose: To determine whether change of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value could predict early response to chemotherapy in lung cancer.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer underwent chest MR imaging including DWI before and at the end of the first cycle of chemotherapy. The tumor's mean ADC value and diameters on MR images were calculated and compared.

Changes in liraglutide-induced body composition are related to modifications in plasma cardiac natriuretic peptides levels in obese type 2 diabetic patients.

Background And Aims: Liraglutide treatment can improve glycemic control with a concomitant weight loss, but the underlying mechanism on weight loss is not completely understood. Cardiac natriuretic peptides (NPs) can resist body fat accumulation through increasing adipocytes lypolysis. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that liraglutide-induced weight loss was associated with increased plasma NPs concentrations.

Dual left anterior descending artery arising from left circumflex artery with an intramyocardial coronary aneurysm.

Dual left anterior descending (LAD) artery is a rare anomaly conventionally classified into 4 types. We present a case of dual LAD artery in which the long LAD artery has arisen from the left circumflex (LCx) artery, a condition not previously included in the 4 defined types. Moreover, the long LAD artery specified here is associated with an intramyocardial coronary aneurysm.

[Correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient with histologic type and grade of lung cancer].

Background And Objective: The histologic type and grade of lung cancer are significant in assessing the biological behaviour, prognosis and therapeutic regimen. This study investigates the correlation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with histologic type and grade of lung cancer.

Methods: A total of 115 patients pathologically diagnosed with lung cancer were enrolled in this study.