Synthetic computed tomography generation for abdominal adaptive radiotherapy using low-field magnetic resonance imaging.

Background And Purpose: Magnetic Resonance guided Radiotherapy (MRgRT) still needs the acquisition of Computed Tomography (CT) images and co-registration between CT and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The generation of synthetic CT (sCT) images from the MR data can overcome this limitation. In this study we aim to propose a Deep Learning (DL) based approach for sCT image generation for abdominal Radiotherapy using low field MR images.

Bladder Wall Segmentation and Characterization on MR Images: Computer-Aided Spina Bifida Diagnosis.

(1) Background: Segmentation of the bladder inner's wall and outer boundaries on Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) is a crucial step for the diagnosis and the characterization of the bladder state and function. This paper proposes an optimized system for the segmentation and the classification of the bladder wall. (2) Methods: For each image of our data set, the region of interest corresponding to the bladder wall was extracted using LevelSet contour-based segmentation.

Technical note: Design and initial evaluation of a novel physical breast phantom to monitor image quality in digital breast tomosynthesis.

Purpose: To describe the creation process of a new breast phantom specifically designed to monitor quality control (QC) metrics consistency over several months in digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT).

Methods: The semi-anthropomorphic Tomomam phantom was designed and evaluated twice monthly on a single Hologic Selenia Dimensions unit over 5 months. The phantom is manufactured in a one-piece epoxy resin homogeneous material as the basis for manufacturing, simulating breast tissue as 50% equivalent glandular (GL)/50% equivalent adipose (AD) and compressed thickness of 60 mm.

Multi-View Separable Pyramid Network for AD Prediction at MCI Stage by F-FDG Brain PET Imaging.

Alzheimer's Disease (AD), one of the main causes of death in elderly people, is characterized by Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) at prodromal stage. Nevertheless, only part of MCI subjects could progress to AD. The main objective of this paper is thus to identify those who will develop a dementia of AD type among MCI patients.

Endovascular Treatment of Epistaxis.

Epistaxis is not uncommon, with up to 60% of the population suffering from at least one episode in their lifetime and as many as 6% presenting for medical attention. An analysis of emergency room (ER) visits in the United States between 2009 and 2011 identified 1.2 million encounters for epistaxis, accounting for 0.

Stimulated Raman histology: one to one comparison with standard hematoxylin and eosin staining.

We present for the first time one-to-one correspondence between standard hematoxylin/eosin (H&E) stained tissue sections and stimulated Raman histology (SRH) - a label-free technique in which stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) and second harmonic generation (SHG) are combined to generate virtual H&E images. Experiments were performed on both human thin cryogenic slides from the gastrointestinal tract (GI) and thick freshly excised biopsies from endoscopic surgery. Results on cryogenic slides evidenced an excellent agreement between SRH and H&E images while the ones on biopsies established the relevance of SRH for rapid intraoperative histology to assist in surgical decision making.

Multiscale spatial gradient features for F-FDG PET image-guided diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Background And Objective: F-FluoroDeoxyGlucose Positron Emission Tomography (F-FDG PET) is one of the imaging biomarkers to diagnose Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In F-FDG PET images, the changes of voxels' intensities reflect the differences of glucose rates, therefore voxel intensity is usually used as a feature to distinguish AD from Normal Control (NC), or at earlier stage to distinguish between progressive and stable Mild Cognitive Impairment (pMCI and sMCI). In this paper, F-FDG PET images are characterized in an alternative way-the spatial gradient, which is motivated by the observation that the changes of F-FDG rates also cause gradient changes.

Management of tracheostomized patients after poor grade subarachnoid hemorrhage: Disease related and pulmonary risk factors for failed and delayed decannulation.

Objective: Tracheostomy is often indicated in patients with spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (sSAH). Decannulation is a major goal of neurorehabilitation, but cannot be achieved in all patients. The aim of this study was to describe the course of decannulation and to identify associated risk factors in a single-center collective.

Fast stimulated Raman and second harmonic generation imaging for intraoperative gastro-intestinal cancer detection.

Conventional haematoxylin, eosin and saffron (HES) histopathology, currently the 'gold-standard' for pathological diagnosis of cancer, requires extensive sample preparations that are achieved within time scales that are not compatible with intra-operative situations where quick decisions must be taken. Providing to pathologists a close to real-time technology revealing tissue structures at the cellular level with HES histologic quality would provide an invaluable tool for surgery guidance with evident clinical benefit. Here, we specifically develop a stimulated Raman imaging based framework that demonstrates gastro-intestinal (GI) cancer detection of unprocessed human surgical specimens.

The Impact of Extubation Failure in Patients with Good-Grade Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Objective: To analyze the clinical impact of extubation failure (EF) in patients with good-grade subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), in whom a good clinical course usually is expected.

Patients And Methods: We reviewed the clinical data from 141 patients with SAH and 1) initial Hunt & Hess grade 1-3; 2) induction of general anesthesia for intervention; and 3) the presence of data about the functional outcome. Patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) primary tracheotomized patients (PT); 2) patients with successful extubation (ES); and 3) patients with EF (reintubation within 48 hours).

Repeated Endovascular Treatments in Patients with Recurrent Cerebral Vasospasms After Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Worthwhile Strategy?

Objective: Endovascular interventions in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) and symptomatic cerebral vasospasm (sCVS) are commonly performed, but the potential benefits of repeated interventions have not been proven. The aim of this study was to show the potential burden and opportunities of repeated endovascular interventions in cases of recurrent sCVS.

Methods: We reviewed 15 patients with SAH who underwent more than 2 endovascular treatments of recurrent sCVS (CVS group) regarding the radiation doses, their clinical course, and their functional outcome.

Postural Control in Bilateral Vestibular Failure: Its Relation to Visual, Proprioceptive, Vestibular, and Cognitive Input.

Patients with bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) suffer from postural and gait unsteadiness with an increased risk of falls. The aim of this study was to elucidate the differential role of otolith, semicircular canal (SSC), visual, proprioceptive, and cognitive influences on the postural stability of BVF patients. Center-of-pressure displacements were recorded by posturography under six conditions: target visibility; tonic head positions in the pitch plane; horizontal head shaking; sensory deprivation; dual task; and tandem stance.

Safety of Percutaneous Dilatational Tracheostomy in Patients with Acute Brain Injury and Reduced PaO/FiO Ratio-Retrospective Analysis of 54 Patients.

Objective: Percutaneous dilatational tracheostomy (PDT) is a commonly performed method in neurocritical care, and its safety has been proven in numerous studies. Nevertheless, data regarding the application in patients with acute brain injury and poor respiratory function are poor. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of hypoxemia and hypercapnia during PDT in those patients.

Analysis of extracellular brain chemistry during percutaneous dilational tracheostomy: A retrospective study of 19 patients.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to analyze changes in brain tissue chemistry around percutaneous dilational tracheostomy (PDT) in patients with acute brain injury (ABI) in a retrospective single-center analysis.

Patients And Methods: We included 19 patients who had continuous monitoring of brain tissue chemistry and intracranial pressure (ICP) during a 20h period before and after PDT. Different microdialysis parameters (lactate, pyruvate, lactate pyruvate ratio (LPR), glycerol and glutamate) and values of ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) and brain tissue oxygenation (PBrO) were recorded per hour.

Accidental Transorbital Penetrating Brainstem and Carotid Injury with CB Antenna: A Case Report.

The authors present an unusual case of a transorbital penetrating injury of the internal carotid artery and brainstem. A young man accidentally ran into a 10-foot long citizens band (CB) antenna, and presented to the emergency department with nausea, dizziness and right periorbital ecchymosis. The nature and full extent of the injury were not appreciated at the time of initial examination and computed tomography scan.

Hippocampal gray matter volume in bilateral vestibular failure.

Bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) is a severe chronic disorder of the labyrinth or the eighth cranial nerve characterized by unsteadiness of gait and disabling oscillopsia during head movements. According to animal data, vestibular input to the hippocampus is proposed to contribute to spatial memory and spatial navigation. Except for one seminal study showing the association of impaired spatial navigation and hippocampal atrophy, patient data in BVF are lacking.

Meta-Analysis of Local Endovascular Therapy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

A meta-analysis was performed to assess randomized controlled trials comparing local endovascular therapy (with and without intravenous thrombolysis) versus standard care (intravenous thrombolysis alone when appropriate) for acute ischemic stroke. Local endovascular therapy showed a significant improvement in functional independence versus standard care (odds ratio, 1.779; 95% confidence interval, 1.

Dissociable cerebellar activity during spatial navigation and visual memory in bilateral vestibular failure.

Objective: Spatial orientation and navigation depends on information from the vestibular system. Previous work suggested impaired spatial navigation in patients with bilateral vestibular failure (BVF). The aim of this study was to investigate event-related brain activity by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during spatial navigation and visual memory tasks in BVF patients.

The technique of endovascular intracranial revascularization.

Intracranial atherosclerosis was traditionally believed to carry a risk of stroke of 8% to 22% per annum. The annualized stroke rate in the recent stenting and aggressive medical management for preventing stroke in intracranial stenosis (SAMMPRIS) trial medical management arm was 12.2%.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity in patients with chronic bilateral vestibular failure.

Patients with bilateral vestibular failure (BVF) suffer from gait unsteadiness, oscillopsia and impaired spatial orientation. Brain imaging studies applying caloric irrigation to patients with BVF have shown altered neural activity of cortical visual-vestibular interaction: decreased bilateral neural activity in the posterior insula and parietal operculum and decreased deactivations in the visual cortex. It is unknown how this affects functional connectivity in the resting brain and how changes in connectivity are related to vestibular impairment.