Quantitative energy spectrum CT in differential diagnosis of aldosterone-producing adenoma and cortisol-producing adenoma.

Background: Patients with aldosterone-producing adenoma (APA) and cortisol-producing adenoma (CPA) show some similar clinical symptoms, and a large overlap of conventional imaging manifestations, which make the differentiation difficult. The purpose of our study was to explore the value of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI) dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differential diagnosis of APA and CPA, screen out meaningful energy spectral indicators and provide theoretical basis for the differential diagnosis of the two.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the imaging and clinical data of 30 patients with APA and 27 patients with CPA who underwent GSI DECT in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University (a tertiary care institution).

Technical comparison of continuous versus intermittent perfusion computed tomography computed tomography scans of the human pancreas.

Background: Pancreatic perfusion computed tomography (CT) imaging is increasingly used for neoplastic grading, predicting prognosis, and evaluating the response to therapy. To optimize the clinical pancreatic CT perfusion imaging methods, we evaluated 2 different CT scanning protocols concerning pancreas perfusion parameters.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 40 patients who underwent whole pancreas CT perfusion scanning in The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University.

Quantitative Assessment of Pancreatic Fat by Quantitative CT in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Objective: To characterize the pancreatic fat deposition (PFD) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) by quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and investigate the relationship between PFD and clinical metabolic parameters and islet function.

Materials And Methods: A total of 150 patients with T2DM and 93 age-matched healthy subjects underwent QCT to quantify PFD were included. PFD and various biochemical parameters were correlated by statistical methods and multiple stepwise linear regression modeling.

Application of spectral CT combined with perfusion scan in diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Background: Pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) are heterogeneous tumors from the pancreatic neuroendocrine system, and early diagnosis is important for tumor prognosis and treatment. In this study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic value of spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning in improving the detection rate of pNETs.

Methods: From December 2018 to December 2020, 58 patients with clinically suspected pNETs were prospectively enrolled in the study for one-stop spectral CT combined with perfusion scanning, 36 patients were confirmed with pNETs by histopathology.

Application of low dose pancreas perfusion CT combined with enhancement scanning in diagnosis of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors.

Purpose: To explore the diagnostic value of pancreatic perfusion CT combined with contrast-enhanced CT in one-time scanning (PCECT) in pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNETs) and to evaluate the difference of perfusion parameters between different grades of PNETs.

Materials And Methods: From October 2016 to December 2018, forty consecutive patients with histopathological-proven PNETs were identified retrospectively that received PCECT for the preoperative PNETs evaluation. Two board certified radiologists who were blinded to the clinical data evaluated the images independently.

Liver Fibrosis Conventional and Molecular Imaging Diagnosis Update.

Liver fibrosis is a serious, life-threatening disease with high morbidity and mortality that result from diverse causes. Liver biopsy, considered the "gold standard" to diagnose, grade, and stage liver fibrosis, has limitations in terms of invasiveness, cost, sampling variability, inter-observer variability, and the dynamic process of fibrosis. Compelling evidence has demonstrated that all stages of fibrosis are reversible if the injury is removed.

Gemstone spectral imaging dual-energy computed tomography for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma and minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma.

Purpose: To investigate the values of gemstone spectral imaging (GSI)-dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) in differentiation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and minimal-fat renal angiomyolipoma (MF-RAML).

Patients And Methods: Twenty-one patients with ischemic RCC and 19 patients with MF-RAML were enrolled in this study. GSI was performed on them, and the spectrum signs were analyzed.

Decreased Taurine and Creatine in the Thalamus May Relate to Behavioral Impairments in Ethanol-Fed Mice: A Pilot Study of Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy.

Minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) is highly prevalent, observed in up to 80% of patients with liver dysfunction. Minimal hepatic encephalopathy is defined as hepatic encephalopathy with cognitive deficits and no grossly evident neurologic abnormalities. Clinical management may be delayed due to the lack of in vivo quantitative methods needed to reveal changes in brain neurobiochemical biomarkers.

Quantification of Hepatic Lipid Using 7.0T Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Computed Tomography in Mild Alcoholic Steatotic Mice.

Background: In vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (H MRS) has been used to semi-quantify hepatic lipids in preclinical and clinical studies of fatty liver disease. Quantifying absolute amount of liver lipids utilizing H MRS and computerized tomography (CT) is essential to accurately interpret hepatic steatosis.

Purpose: To establish reliable parameters to convert relative hepatic lipid levels obtained by 1H-MRS and liver volumes by CT to the absolute amount of liver lipids in a mild hepatic steatosis, and to determinate the correlation between these absolute liver lipids with liver triglyceride (TG) and cholesterol (Chol) measured by biochemistry assays.

Confinement controlled mineralization of calcium carbonate within collagen fibrils.

Confinement is common in biological systems and plays a critical role in the structure-forming process of biominerals. However, the knowledge of confinement effects on biomineralization is limited due to the lack of specific chemical structures and elaborate spatial distribution. In this article, we explore the confined mineralization of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) within collagen fibrils.

Comparison of gastric vascular anatomy by monochromatic and polychromatic dual-energy spectral computed tomography imaging.

Objective: To evaluate the use of monochromatic and polychromatic dual-energy spectral computed tomography (CT) imaging for preoperative assessment of gastric vascular anatomy.

Methods: Patients with suspected gastric cancer underwent spectral CT to generate conventional 140  kVp polychromatic and monochromatic images with energy levels ranging from 40 to 140  keV during the late arterial and portal venous phases. Optimal monochromatic images were selected according to the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) for the gastric artery.