Quantitative myocardial T2 mapping adds value to Japanese circulation society diagnostic criteria for active cardiac sarcoidosis.

Noninvasive identification of active myocardial inflammation in patients with cardiac sarcoidosis plays a key role in management but remains elusive. T2 mapping is a proposed solution, but the added value of quantitative myocardial T2 mapping for active cardiac sarcoidosis is unknown. Retrospective cohort analysis of 56 sequential patients with biopsy-confirmed extracardiac sarcoidosis who underwent cardiac MRI for myocardial T2 mapping.

Fiber Ball White Matter Modeling Reveals Microstructural Alterations in Healthy Brain Aging.

Age-related white matter degeneration is characterized by myelin breakdown and neuronal fiber loss that preferentially occur in regions that myelinate later in development. Conventional diffusion MRI (dMRI) has demonstrated age-related increases in diffusivity but provide limited information regarding the tissue-specific changes driving these effects. A recently developed dMRI biophysical modeling technique, Fiber Ball White Matter (FBWM) modeling, offers enhanced biological interpretability by estimating microstructural properties specific to the intra-axonal and extra-axonal spaces.

Greater Diffusion Restriction in White Matter in Preclinical Alzheimer Disease.

Objective: The Alzheimer's continuum is biologically defined by beta-amyloid deposition, which at the earliest stages is superimposed upon white matter degeneration in aging. However, the extent to which these co-occurring changes is characterized is relatively underexplored. The goal of this study was to use diffusional kurtosis imaging (DKI) and biophysical modeling to detect and describe amyloid-related white matter changes in preclinical Alzheimer disease.

Unusual Radiotracer Deposition to the Forearm After Intrahepatic Injection of 99mTc-Macroaggregated Albumin Using a Transradial Approach.

Arterial mapping and 99mTc-macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) hepatic perfusion imaging are routinely performed before 90Y radioembolization of hepatic tumors. These procedures serve multiple purposes, including an anatomical survey of hepatic arterial anatomy, interrogating expected microsphere distribution to avoid nontargeted embolization during therapy, and evaluating for possible hepatopulmonary shunting. We present a case where 99mTc-MAA planar images revealed unexpected soft tissue uptake within the left forearm, an unexpected complication that may result from residual 99mTc-MAA in the catheter being expelled as the catheter is removed, which is particularly important to avoid during the 90Y radioembolization procedure given the risk for associated radionecrosis.

Risk of Radiation Exposure to Clinical Staff from Paracenteses of Large-Volume Chylous Ascites After Lu-DOTATATE Infusion.

Lu-DOTATATE has gained wide clinical acceptance for the treatment of advanced gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors; however, little is known regarding its accumulation in ascites. As such, clinical staff performing paracenteses shortly after a treatment dose may be concerned about their potential radiation exposure or the risk of contamination. In this report, therapeutic paracenteses were performed on a patient with metastatic intestinal carcinoid complicated by recurrent chylous ascites at various time intervals after a standard 7.

Incidental Serous Cystadenoma Presenting as a Photopenic Pancreatic Defect on 18F-Fluciclovine PET/CT.

18F-fluciclovine (Axumin) PET/CT has been widely used for the evaluation of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer following prior treatment. While lymph node and visceral organ metastases typically show increased radiotracer uptake, altered patterns of normal physiologic activity may also provide insight into other disease processes. We present a case of an incidental pancreatic head mass presenting as a photopenic defect on a staging 18F-fluciclovine PET/CT, which was subsequently confirmed to be a benign serous cystadenoma using multisequence MRI.

Utility of Dynamic Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy in Identifying a Duct of Luschka Bile Leak.

Hepatobiliary scintigraphy is a sensitive tool for the detection of a suspected bile leak following cholecystectomy. Traditionally, it has been used to identify, but not localize the source of the leak. Herein we present a case of a bile leak related to a duct of Luschka injury that was identified on dynamic hepatobiliary scintigraphy, but was less evident on a concurrently acquired MRI.

Terminal ileal micro-perforation from an ingested fish bone incidentally diagnosed with In-leukocyte scintigraphy in an asymptomatic patient.

In-leukocyte scintigraphy has generally been considered a sensitive diagnostic test for the evaluation of infectious or inflammatory processes in the abdomen due to a lack of normal physiologic bowel activity. Herein we present a case of a patient status post endovascular repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm for which an In-leukocyte scan was ordered to assess for graft infection. Planar imaging revealed an abnormal focus of radiotracer activity in the right lower quadrant of the abdomen.

Scapulothoracic Articulation Disorders on 99mTc-MDP Bone Scintigraphy.

Disorders of the scapulothoracic articulation can cause significant pain, as well as an audible "snapping" or crepitus in advanced cases. Although radiography, CT, and MRI are used in the diagnosis of these conditions, little is known about their manifestations on nuclear imaging. We present a case of symmetric uptake at the inferior scapulothoracic articulations mimicking metastatic disease on a staging bone scan.

Prospective Evaluation of the First Integrated Positron Emission Tomography/Dual-Energy Computed Tomography System in Patients With Lung Cancer.

Purpose: The aim of this pilot study was to prospectively evaluate the first integrated positron emission tomography (PET)/dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) system performance in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Materials And Methods: In this single-center, prospective trial, consecutive patients with NSCLC referred for a PET study between May 2017 and June 2018 were enrolled. All patients received contrast-enhanced imaging on a clinical PET/DECT system.

Antiseptic-Mediated Colloid Labeling as a Potential Source of Abnormal Liver and Spleen Uptake with Tc-Dimercaptosuccinic Acid.

Altered biodistribution can be a source of diagnostic error in the interpretation of nuclear medicine studies. This case reports an instance of increased liver and spleen uptake with Tc-dimercaptosuccinic acid believed to be a result of chlorhexidine-mediated colloid labeling. This finding underscores the principle that certain constituents of antiseptics may adversely affect the purity of radiopharmaceuticals during their preparation.

What is the preferred strength setting of the sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction algorithm in abdominal CT imaging?

Our primary objective in this study was to determine the preferred strength setting for the sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction algorithm (SAFIRE) in abdominal computed tomography (CT) imaging. Sixteen consecutive clinical CT scans of the abdomen were reconstructed by use of traditional filtered back projection (FBP) and 5 SAFIRE strengths: S1-S5. Six readers of differing experience were asked to rank the images on preference for overall diagnostic quality.

Physician preference between low-dose computed tomography with a sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction algorithm and routine-dose computed tomography with filtered back projection in abdominopelvic imaging.

Objective: The aim of this study was to directly compare the preference between low-dose sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) and routine filtered back projection (FBP) abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT).

Methods: A retrospective review identified 41 subjects who had undergone 2 different CT examinations at different times (a CT with reduced radiation dose SAFIRE and also a CT with routine-dose FBP). Radiation dose, patient size, and image noise were recorded.

Biodegradable polysilsesquioxane nanoparticles as efficient contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging.

Polysilsesquioxane (PSQ) nanoparticles are crosslinked homopolymers formed by condensation of functionalized trialkoxysilanes, and provide an interesting platform for developing biologically and biomedically relevant nanomaterials. In this work, the design and synthesis of biodegradable PSQ particles with extremely high payloads of paramagnetic Gd(III) centers is explored, for use as efficient contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Two new bis(trialkoxysilyl) derivatives of Gd(III) diethylenetriamine pentaacetate (Gd-DTPA) containing disulfide linkages are synthesized and used to form biodegradable Gd-PSQ particles by base-catalyzed condensation reactions in reverse microemulsions.

Improved performance of SPECT-CT In-111 capromab pendetide by correlation with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for identifying metastatic pelvic lymphadenopathy in prostate cancer.

Purpose: To preliminarily evaluate the potential for an improvement in diagnostic performance by a combined interpretation of In-111 capromab pendetide single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) including computed tomography (CT) image fusion with magnetic resonance diffusion-weighted imaging (MR-DWI) for identifying prostate cancer in pelvic lymph nodes thru correlation with histopathology.

Materials And Methods: This institutional approved, retrospective study identified patients with available histopathology of lymph nodes removed at the time of radical prostatectomy and who had undergone staging with In-111 capromab pendetide SPECT-CT and/or pelvic MRI (including DWI). The performance of In-111 capromab pendetide SPECT for identifying malignant lymph nodes was assessed.

Diagnostic performance of In-111 capromab pendetide SPECT/CT in localized and metastatic prostate cancer.

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic performance of In-111 capromab pendetide single photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT), in the prostate gland, seminal vesicles, and lymph nodes via correlation to a gold standard of histopathology.

Materials And Methods: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed all In-111 capromab pendetide SPECT/CT acquired at our institution for dedicated histopathology within a 4-month period. Statistical measures of performance were calculated in terms of glandular, seminal vesicle, and lymph node activity.

Capromab pendetide scanning has a potential role in optimizing patient selection for salvage cryosurgical ablation of the prostate.

Objectives: To evaluate an algorithm using Capromab pendetide scanning (CPS) and prostate biopsy to select appropriate patients with biochemical recurrence (BCR) after radiation therapy (RT) for salvage cryosurgical ablation of the prostate (CSAP) and to avoid premature androgen deprivation therapy (ADT); and to estimate the local salvage success rate for patients with high-risk clinical features.

Methods: Sixty-nine patients underwent a history, physical, CPS, and prostate biopsy. Patients with a negative or prostate-only positive signal and a positive biopsy were offered CSAP.

Modular synthesis of functional nanoscale coordination polymers.

The coordination-directed assembly of metal ions and organic bridging ligands has afforded a variety of bulk-scale hybrid materials with promising characteristics for a number of practical applications, such as gas storage and heterogeneous catalysis. Recently, so-called coordination polymers have emerged as a new class of hybrid nanomaterials. Herein, we highlight advances in the syntheses of both amorphous and crystalline nanoscale coordination polymers.

Manganese-based nanoscale metal-organic frameworks for magnetic resonance imaging.

Manganese-containing nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) with controllable morphologies were synthesized using reverse-phase microemulsion techniques at room temperature and a surfactant-assisted procedure at 120 degrees C with microwave heating. The nanoparticles were characterized using a variety of methods including SEM, TEM, TGA, PXRD, and ICP-MS. Although the nanoparticles gave a modest longitudinal relaxivity (r1) on a per Mn basis, they provided an efficient vehicle for the delivery of large doses of Mn2+ ions which exhibited very high in vitro and in vivo r1 values and afforded excellent MR contrast enhancement.

Nanoscale coordination polymers for platinum-based anticancer drug delivery.

Pt-containing nanoscale coordination polymer (NCP) particles with the formula of Tb2(DSCP)3(H2O)12 (where DSCP represents disuccinatocisplatin), NCP-1, were precipitated from an aqueous solution of Tb3+ ions and DSCP bridging ligands via the addition of a poor solvent. SEM and TEM images showed that as-synthesized NCP-1 exhibited a spherical morphology with a DLS diameter of 58.3 +/- 11.

Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks as potential multimodal contrast enhancing agents.

Nanoscale metal-organic frameworks (NMOFs) based on Gd3+ centers and benzenedicarboxylate and benzenetricarboxylate bridging ligands were synthesized using reverse microemulsions and characterized using SEM, PXRD, and TGA. These NMOFs exhibit extraordinarily large R1 and R2 relaxivities because of the presence of up to tens of millions of Gd3+ centers in each nanoparticle and are thus efficient T1 and T2 contrast agents for MRI. The NMOFs can also be made highly luminescent by doping with Eu3+ or Tb3+ centers.