Endoscopy and MR enteroclysis: equivalent tools in predicting clinical recurrence in patients with Crohn's disease after ileocolic resection.

Background: Ileocolonoscopy poses the gold standard in the evaluation of postoperative recurrence of Crohn's disease (CD) at the site of ileocolonic anastomosis. Magnetic resonance enteroclysis (MRE) on the other hand is a promising technique for small bowel imaging. The aim was to compare MRE and ileocolonoscopy for predicting clinical recurrence in CD patients who have undergone ileocolonic resection.

Anastomotic recurrence of Crohn's disease after ileocolic resection: comparison of MR enteroclysis with endoscopy.

The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy of MR enteroclysis in patients with Crohn's disease recurrence after ileocolic resection and to establish an MR scoring sytem. MR enteroclysis and endoscopy were performed in 30 patients with suspected Crohn's disease recurrence after ileocolic resection. Findings were evaluated by three radiologists, using an MR score based on image quality, contrast enhancement, and mural and extramural bowel-wall changes: MR0 (no abnormal features), MR1 (minimal mucosal changes), MR2 (diffuse aphtoid ileitis, moderate recurrence), and MR3 (severe recurrence with trans- and extramural changes).

Does MALT lymphoma of the lung require immediate treatment? An analysis of 11 untreated cases with long-term follow-up.

Background: Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma (MALT lymphoma) of the lung is a relatively rare disease. As little is known about the natural clinical course if left untreated, all patients undergoing a watch-and-wait policy at our institution were investigated.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis identified a total of 11 patients with MALT lymphoma of the lung who did not undergo treatment following initial diagnosis.

Ingested matter affects intestinal lesions in Crohn's disease.

Background: Environmental factors of the modern Western lifestyle may trigger Crohn's disease (CD) in susceptible individuals. Because such factors could be part of ingested matter, we intended to improve intestinal Crohn's lesions by exclusion thereof.

Methods: At first we tested a highly restricted diet (based on spelt bread and red meat, both derived from intensively monitored organic farming) in 5 pilot cases.

Activity of rituximab plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin/mitoxantrone, vincristine and prednisone in patients with relapsed MALT lymphoma.

Background: Various chemotherapeutic agents as well as the anti-CD20 antibody rituximab (R) have been tested in patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, but no standard chemotherapeutic regimen has emerged so far. Judging from the data obtained in various types of lymphoma, the activity of R appears to be enhanced by combination with chemotherapy. As no data on this topic exist for MALT lymphoma, we have retrospectively analysed our experience with R plus cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin/mitoxantrone, vincristine and prednisone (R-CHOP/R-CNOP) in patients with relapsed MALT lymphoma.

Assessment of disease dissemination in gastric compared with extragastric mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma using extensive staging: a single-center experience.

Purpose: Molecular data and preliminary clinical findings have suggested mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma as a multifocal disease in a high percentage of patients. We report our findings with an extensive staging routine applied in patients diagnosed with MALT lymphoma at our institution.

Patients And Methods: A total of 140 consecutive patients (61 with gastric and 79 with extragastric MALT lymphoma) underwent staging according to a standardized protocol.

18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) visualizes follicular lymphoma irrespective of grading.

Background: 18F-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET) has become a routine measure for staging and follow-up of patients with aggressive lymphoma. By contrast, its usefulness to visualize indolent lymphomas characterized by a lower cellular turnover has not clearly been defined. We have investigated accuracy and clinical usefulness of 18F-FDG-PET in patients with follicular lymphoma (FL).

Diagnostic value of CT enteroclysis compared with conventional enteroclysis in patients with Crohn's disease.

Objective: The objective of our study was to assess the diagnostic value of CT enteroclysis compared with conventional enteroclysis in patients with Crohn's disease.

Subjects And Methods: Fifty consecutive patients (26 women, 24 men; mean age, 36.3 years; age range, 18-52 years) with histologically proven Crohn's disease underwent CT enteroclysis and conventional enteroclysis (median time interval, 21.

Phase II study of oxaliplatin for treatment of patients with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma.

Purpose: Various chemotherapeutic regimens have been applied for treatment of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, but no standard regimen has been identified to date. In view of the activity of oxaliplatin (L-OHP) in various types of lymphoma, we performed a phase II study to evaluate the activity of L-OHP for treatment of MALT lymphoma. The primary objective of this study was to determine the objective response rate according to WHO standard criteria.

Magnetic resonance characterization of tumor microvessels in experimental breast tumors using a slow clearance blood pool contrast agent (carboxymethyldextran-A2-Gd-DOTA) with histopathological correlation.

Carboxymethyldextran (CMD)-A2-Gd-DOTA, a slow clearance blood pool contrast agent with a molecular weight of 52.1 kDa, designed to have intravascular residence for more than 1 h, was evaluated for its potential to characterize and differentiate the microvessels of malignant and benign breast tumors. Precontrast single-slice inversion-recovery snapshot FLASH and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI using an axial T1-weighted three-dimensional spoiled gradient recalled sequence was performed in 30 Sprague-Dawley rats with chemically induced breast tumors.

The choice of region of interest measures in contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance image characterization of experimental breast tumors.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine if magnetic resonance (MR) estimates of quantitative tissue microvascular characteristics from regions of interest (ROI) limited to the tumor periphery provided a better correlation with tumor histologic grade than ROI defined for the whole tumor in cross-section.

Methods: A metaanalysis was based on 98 quantitative MR image breast tumor characterizations acquired in 3 separate experimental studies using identical methods for tumor induction and contrast enhancement.

Results: The endothelial transfer coefficient (K) of albumin (Gd-DTPA)30 from the tumor periphery correlated (r = 0.

Anatomy of the GI tract in US: an historical perspective.

It is a basic interest of Man to look inside and understand the human body. This interest dates back to prehistoric times and is nowadays of diagnostic relevance in sick patients. It has led to the development of a variety of imaging methods for medical purposes within the 20th century.

MRI monitoring of Avastin antiangiogenesis therapy using B22956/1, a new blood pool contrast agent, in an experimental model of human cancer.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic and prognostic potential of a new protein-binding contrast medium, B22956/1, for quantitatively characterizing tumor microvessels by MRI and monitoring response to antiangiogenic therapy.

Materials And Methods: Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) was performed in an experimental cancer model with the use of the novel protein-binding agent B22956/1, a low molecular contrast agent (ProHance), and a macromolecular contrast medium, albumin-(Gd-DTPA). MDA-MB-435, a human cancer cell line, was implanted in 22 athymic rats.

Tumor microvascular changes in antiangiogenic treatment: assessment by magnetic resonance contrast media of different molecular weights.

Purpose: To test magnetic resonance (MR) contrast media of different molecular weights (MWs) for their potential to characterize noninvasively microvascular changes in an experimental tumor treatment model.

Materials And Methods: MD-MBA-435, a poorly differentiated human breast cancer cell line, was implanted into 31 female homozygous athymic rats. Animals were assigned randomly to a control (saline) or drug treatment (monoclonal antibody vascular endothelial growth factor (Mab-VEGF) antibody) group.

Early and late gastrointestinal complications after myeloablative and nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Upper and lower gastrointestinal symptoms are major and serious complications after stem cell transplantation. Their main causes are gastrointestinal graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), infections, toxicity, or preexisting gastrointestinal diseases. The clinical presentation of each disease is nonspecific.

Quantification of breast tumor microvascular permeability with feruglose-enhanced MR imaging: initial phase II multicenter trial.

Purpose: To investigate use of the macromolecular contrast agent feruglose for differentiating and grading of human benign and malignant breast tumors on the basis of their microvascular characteristics.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-three women with 63 primary breast lesions were examined with dynamic T1-weighted gradient-echo magnetic resonance (MR) imaging after intravenous injection of feruglose. A two-compartment unidirectional kinetic model applied to the dynamic data yielded estimates of the endothelial transfer coefficient, KPS, and the fractional plasma volume of the tumors.

Chemoembolization with cisplatin, lipiodol and Gelfoam and subsequent systemic chemotherapy with cisplatin and interferon in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma: a non-randomized prospective study.

Arterial chemoembolization with subsequent systemic chemotherapy was assessed prospectively. Of 94 consecutive patients with HCC, 31 patients were considered to have inoperable disease and were selected for chemoembolization. Twenty-two of the 31 patients underwent chemoembolization.

Near-infrared fluorescence imaging of lymph nodes using a new enzyme sensing activatable macromolecular optical probe.

The aim of this study was to validate the use of near infrared fluorescence imaging (NIRF) using enzyme-sensitive optical probes for lymph node detection. An optical contrast probe that is activated by cystein proteases, such as cathepsin B, was used to visualize lymph nodes by NIRF reflectance imaging. In order to quantitate the uptake of the optical probe in lymphatic tissue, the biodistribution was assessed using the Indium-111 labeled optical probe.

MRI monitoring of tumor response following angiogenesis inhibition in an experimental human breast cancer model.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) enhanced by macromolecular contrast agents to monitor noninvasively the therapeutic effect of an anti-angiogenesis VEGF receptor kinase inhibitor in an experimental cancer model. MDA-MB-435, a poorly differentiated human breast cancer cell line, was implanted into the mammary fat pad in 20 female homozygous athymic rats. Animals were assigned randomly to a control (n=10) or drug treatment group (n=10).

Enteroclysis in adult celiac disease: diagnostic value of specific radiographic features.

The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of various radiographic findings at enteroclysis in adult patients with untreated celiac disease. Twenty-seven adult patients underwent enteroclysis because of unspecific intestinal symptoms before definitive biopsy proof of celiac disease. Enteroclysis of 123 subjects with similar clinical presentation, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, occult intestinal bleeding, and weight loss, who had a definitive diagnosis other than celiac disease, served as controls.

[Molecular imaging].

The disclosure of the human genoma, the progress in understanding of diseases on molecular and cellular levels, the discovery of new disease-specific targets, and the development of new medications will revolutionize our understanding of the etiology and the treatment of many disease entities. Radiologists are faced with a paradigm shift from unspecific to specific molecular imaging techniques as well as with enormous speed in the development of new methods and should be enrolled actively in this field of medicine.

Findings at helical CT-enteroclysis in symptomatic patients with crohn disease: correlation with endoscopic and surgical findings.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to assess the diagnostic potential of helical CT-enteroclysis (HCTE) and to correlate our findings to endoscopic and surgical results.

Methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients suffering from histologic proven Crohn disease underwent HCTE and endoscopy within 4 weeks. HCTE findings were read by two observers in consensus and compared with endoscopic and surgical results.