CT detection of dry peritoneal seeding in patients with advanced gastric cancer.

Background/aims: To determine the significant CT findings of dry peritoneal seeding (DPS) in patients with advanced gastric cancer (AGC) and to assess whether radiologists' performance in the detection of DPS can be improved using these significant CT findings.

Methodology: Two radiologists reviewed CT images of AGC patients with DPS and without seeding for the presence or absence of various CT findings suggesting peritoneal seeding, in consensus. Significant CT findings for DPS were determined using Fisher's exact test.

Differentiating radiological features of rapid- and slow-growing renal cell carcinoma using multidetector computed tomography.

Purpose: This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate the radiological features between rapid- and slow-growing renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

Materials And Methods: Twenty-five pathologically proven RCCs were reviewed with computed tomography (CT). Each tumor underwent at least 2 CT sessions.

Pneumatosis intestinalis after adult liver transplantation.

Pneumatosis intestinalis is an uncommon disorder characterized by an accumulation of gas in the bowel wall. We described three cases undertaking liver transplantation. The patients developed diarrhea in three cases and high fever in two.

Detection of early gastric cancer using hydro-stomach CT: blinded vs unblinded analysis.

Aim: To evaluate the difference in diagnostic performance of hydro-stomach computed tomography (CT) to detect early gastric cancer (EGC) between blinded and unblinded analysis and to assess independent factors affecting visibility of cancer foci.

Methods: Two radiologists initially blinded and then unblinded to gastroscopic and surgical-histological findings independently reviewed hydro-stomach CT images of 110 patients with single EGC. They graded the visibility of cancer foci for each of three gastric segments (upper, middle and lower thirds) using a 4-point scale (1: definitely absent, 2: probably absent, 3: probably present, and 4: definitely present).

Biloma formation after radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma: incidence, imaging features, and clinical significance.

Objective: The objective of our study was to evaluate the frequency, morphologic patterns, temporal changes, and clinical significance of biloma after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: Between April 1999 and May 2008, 2,630 patients with HCC underwent a total of 3,284 sessions of RFA at our institution. We retrospectively reviewed all CT scans obtained before and after RFA in all patients.

Gadoxetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced MRI versus gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA)-enhanced MRI for preoperatively detecting hepatocellular carcinoma: an initial experience.

Objective: This study was designed to compare the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI for preoperatively detecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: Eighteen consecutive patients (17 men and one woman, age range: 31-73 years) with 22 HCCs underwent examinations with gadoxetic acid enhanced MRI and gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI on a 3.0-Tesla unit.

Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatic tumors abutting the diaphragm: clinical assessment of the heat-sink effect of artificial ascites.

Objective: This study was designed to assess whether artificial ascites has a heat-sink effect on the ablation zone for percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatic tumors abutting the diaphragm.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively assessed 28 patients who underwent percutaneous RFA for the treatment of a single nodular hepatic tumor that abutted the diaphragm from July 2000 to December 2006. All patients underwent ultrasound-guided RFA using internally cooled electrodes.

Differential diagnosis for intrahepatic biliary cystadenoma and hepatic simple cyst: significance of cystic fluid analysis and radiologic findings.

Goals: This study evaluated the significance of cystic fluid analysis and radiologic findings in the differential diagnosis of biliary cystadenomas (BCA) and hepatic simple cysts (HSCs).

Background: BCA are premalignant lesions. The treatment of choice is surgical excision.

Arterial enhancement of hepatocellular carcinoma before radiofrequency ablation as a predictor of postablation local tumor progression.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to elucidate whether the degree of arterial enhancement on CT is a significant risk factor for local tumor progression after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) larger than 2 cm.

Materials And Methods: Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation procedures to treat 203 previously untreated HCCs larger than 2 cm in 190 patients were analyzed retrospectively. We assessed the technique effectiveness rate 1 month after the procedure and the cumulative local tumor progression rate.

Central lower attenuating lesion in the ablation zone on immediate follow-up CT after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma: incidence and clinical significance.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the incidence of central lower attenuating (CLA) lesion in the ablation zone seen on immediate follow-up CT images after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and the correlation of CLA lesions and local tumor progression (LTP).

Subjects And Methods: The study group included 146 patients with 167 ablation zones that had undergone follow-up CT examinations for more than 12 months after percutaneous RFA. CLA lesions corresponding to index tumors and ablative margins (safety margins) were evaluated in the ablation zones seen on immediate follow-up CT including coronal and sagittal multiplanar reformatted (MPR) images with narrow window width settings.

Gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI versus triple-phase MDCT for the preoperative detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Objective: We compared the diagnostic performance of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI with that of triple-phase 16-, 40-, and 64-MDCT in the preoperative detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Subjects And Methods: Sixty-two consecutively registered patients (54 men, eight women; age range, 31-67 years) with 83 HCCs underwent triple-phase (arterial, portal venous, equilibrium) CT at 16-, 40-, or 64-MDCT and gadoxetic acid-enhanced 3-T MRI. The diagnosis of HCC was established after surgical resection.

High-risk esophageal varices in patients treated with locoregional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma: evaluation with regular follow-up liver CT.

We evaluated the diagnostic performance of radiologists for the detection of high-risk esophageal varices on regular follow-up liver multi-detector row CT (MDCT) examinations in patients treated with locoregional therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 110 cirrhotic patients that had undergone liver MDCT at 4 weeks or sooner before an upper endoscopy were evaluated. Three abdominal radiologists independently interpreted the CT images with the shortest interval of endoscopy in order to detect the presence of high-risk (grade 2 or 3) esophageal varices.

Growth rate of new hepatocellular carcinoma after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation: evaluation with multiphase CT.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate with serial follow-up CT examinations the growth rate of new hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) developing after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation and to determine an appropriate follow-up interval for imaging.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-two new HCCs appearing after percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in 59 patients who underwent follow-up multiphase CT were retrospectively identified. The volume of the new HCCs at follow-up CT was measured on a PACS monitor with an area measuring tool and summation-of-areas technique.

Changes in signal-to-noise ratios and contrast-to-noise ratios of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas on ferucarbotran-enhanced dynamic MR imaging.

Purpose: To verify changes in the signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) and contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs) of hypervascular hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) on ferucarbotran-enhanced dynamic T1-weighted MR imaging.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-two patients with 61 hypervascular HCCs underwent ferucarbotran-enhanced dynamic MR imaging, and then hepatic resection. Hypervascular HCCs were identified when definite enhancement was noted during the arterial dominant phase of three-phase MDCT.

Prospective comparison of collagen plug (Angio-Seal) and suture-mediated (the Closer S) closure devices at femoral access sites.

Objective: Rapid and effective hemostasis at femoral puncture sites minimizes both the hospital stay and patient discomfort. Therefore, a variety of arterial closure devices have been developed to facilitate the closure of femoral arteriotomy. The objective of this prospective study was to compare the efficacy of two different closure devices; a collagen plug device (Angio-Seal) and a suture-mediated closure device (the Closer S).