Prognostic Value of Regression Rate of Plasma EBV DNA After Induction Chemotherapy for Stage II-IVA Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma.

Background/objective: We aimed to explore the prognostic value of regression rate (RR) of plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA after induction chemotherapy (IC) in patients with stages II-IVA nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Eligible patients receiving IC followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy were included. The cut-off value of pre-treatment EBV DNA (pre-IC DNA) and RR were identified by receiver operating curve (ROC).

Tumor Volume Is Better Than Diameter for Predicting the Prognosis of Patients with Early-Stage Non-small Cell Lung Cancer.

Background: This study aimed to investigate whether tumor volume (TV) is better than diameter for predicting the prognosis of patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete resection.

Methods: This study retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathologic characteristics of 274 patients with early-stage NSCLC who had received pretreatment computed tomography (CT) scans and complete resection. TV was semi-automatically measured from CT scans using an imaging software program.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Improves the Pathological Outcomes of US-Guided Core Needle Biopsy That Targets the Viable Area of Anterior Mediastinal Masses.

Based on the option that ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (US-CNB) of the enhanced portion of anterior mediastinal masses (AMMs) identified by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) would harvest viable tissue and benefit the histological diagnoses, a retrospective study was performed to elucidate the correlation between the prebiopsy CEUS and diagnostic yield of AMMs and found that CEUS potentially improved the diagnostic yield of AMMs compared with conventional US with a significant increase in the cellularity of samples. Furthermore, the marginal blood flow signals and absence of necrosis can predict the diagnostic yield of AMM. It was concluded that US-CNB of the viable part of AMMs, as verified by CEUS, was able to harvest sufficient tissue with more cellularity that could be used for ancillary studies and improve the diagnostic yield.

The prognostic impact of tumor volume on stage I non-small cell lung cancer.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prognostic impact of tumor volume (TV) on patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after complete resection.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the clinicopathological characteristics of 274 patients with stage I NSCLC who had received preoperative chest computed tomography (CT) scans and complete resection. TV was semi-automatically measured from chest CT scans by using an imaging software program.

Adrenal cortical adenoma with the maximal diameter greater than 5 cm: can they be differentiated from adrenal cortical carcinoma by CT?

To study the computed tomographic findings of adrenal adenoma with the maximal diameter greater than 5 cm and to discuss whether such tumor can be differentiated from adrenal carcinoma by CT examination. Fourteen consecutive patients with adrenal adenoma with the maximal diameter larger than 5 cm, proven pathologically, were enrolled. All patients underwent non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced CT examination.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma with paranasal sinus invasion: the prognostic significance and the evidence-based study basis of its T-staging category according to the AJCC staging system.

Background: To evaluate the prognostic significance of paranasal sinus invasion for patients with NPC and to provide empirical proofs for the T-staging category of paranasal sinus invasion according to the AJCC staging system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: The clinical records and imaging studies of 770 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed, untreated, and nondisseminated NPC were reviewed retrospectively. The overall survival, distant metastasis-free survival, and local relapse-free survival of these patients were analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the differences were compared using the log-rank test.

Reactive thymic hyperplasia following chemotherapy for children with lymphoma: computed tomography may be able to provide valuable information to avoid over-treatment.

Objectives: To analyse the clinical and computed tomography (CT) findings related to reactive thymic hyperplasia in order to improve the recognition of this phenomenon and avert over-treatment.

Methods: Fifty-two children with pathologically proven lymphoma developed reactive thymic hyperplasia following chemotherapy, which was confirmed with long-term review and follow-up. The clinical and CT findings of these 52 children were retrospectively analysed.

[MRI analysis of paranasal sinus invasion in 182 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma].

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze the nuclear magnetic resonance image (MRI) findings for invasion of paranasal sinuses in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and to improve the understanding of its MRI diagnosis.

Methods: The MRI data of 182 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma and paranasal sinus invasion were retrospectively analyzed.

Results: One hundred and eighty-two patients developed paranasal sinus invasion, of which, the incidence of sphenoid sinus invasion was highest.

Prospective study of tailoring whole-body dual-modality [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography with plasma Epstein-Barr virus DNA for detecting distant metastasis in endemic nasopharyngeal carcinoma at initial staging.

Purpose: To evaluate which patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) obtained the greatest benefits from the detection of distant metastasis with [(18)F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) combined with plasma Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA levels.

Patients And Methods: Consecutive patients with NPC were prospectively enrolled. PET/CT, conventional work-up (CWU), and quantification of plasma EBV DNA were performed before treatment.

MRI signal changes in the skull base bone after endoscopic nasopharyngectomy for recurrent NPC: a serial study of 9 patients.

Purpose: This study was focused on the serial changes in magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the skull-base bone that occur after endoscopic nasopharyngectomy in patients with local recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma (rNPC).

Materials And Methods: Nine patients with histologically proven rNPC were enrolled in this study. Two experienced radiologists independently reviewed all presurgical and postsurgical MR images for each patient.

Primary nasopharyngeal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: imaging patterns on MR imaging.

Objectives: To summarize the distinct imaging features of different subtypes of primary nasopharyngeal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHLs).

Materials And Methods: Clinical data and magnetic resonance imaging findings of 71 patients with histologically proven primary nasopharyngeal NHLs were retrospectively reviewed. The tumor distribution, signal intensity, lesion texture, contrast enhancement properties, extra-chamber involvement, regional structure invasion, and cervical lymphadenopathy were evaluated and compared between different subtypes of NHLs.

An experimental study on acute brain radiation injury: dynamic changes in proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy and the correlation with histopathology.

Purpose: To investigate the correlation between the alterations of single-voxel (1)H MRS and the histopathological characteristics of radiation brain injury following radiation.

Materials And Methods: Twenty-seven rabbits were randomized into nine groups to receive radiation with a single dose of 25 Gy. The observation time points included a pre-radiation and 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 wk following radiation.

Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma: magnetic resonance imaging features in ten cases.

Nasopharyngeal adenoid cystic carcinoma (NACC) is a rare malignancy with high local invasiveness. To date, there is no consensus on the imaging characteristics of NACC. To address this, we retrospectively reviewed 10 cases of NACC and summarized the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features.

Magnetic resonance imaging features of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and nasopharyngeal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma: are there differences?

Purpose: To describe differences in the primary tumour and distribution of cervical lymphadenopathy for cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and nasopharyngeal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NPNHL) using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.

Materials And Methods: MR images of patients with NPC (n = 272) and NPNHL (n = 118) were independently reviewed by two experienced radiologists.

Results: NPC had a higher incidence of tumour invasion associated with the levator and tensor muscles of the velum palatine, the longus colli and medial pterygoid muscles, the base of the pterygoid process, the clivus, the base and greater wing of the sphenoid bone, the petrous apex, the foramen lacerum, the foramen ovale, the hypoglossal canal, and intracranial infiltration.

Computed tomographic findings of skull base bony changes after radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma: implications for local recurrence.

Objective: To evaluate bony changes in the skull base after radiotherapy by computed tomography (CT) and their correlation with local recurrence in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) without previous involvement of the skull base.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Sun-Yat Sen University Cancer Center.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for prediction of response of advanced cervical cancer to chemoradiation.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to investigate diffusion-weighted imaging as an early predictor in detection of response to chemoradiation in advanced cervical cancer.

Methods: Fourteen advanced cervical cancer patients treated with chemoradiation were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent conventional magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion-weighted imaging before the start of therapy, after 2 weeks of therapy, and at the completion of therapy.

Kimura's disease: the CT and MRI characteristics in fifteen cases.

Objective: To summarize the CT and MRI features in a series of fifteen cases of Kimura's disease.

Materials And Methods: The clinical data, CT and MRI findings of 15 patients with histologically proved Kimura's disease were retrospectively reviewed. All imaging data were consensually evaluated by two radiologists to determine the lesion location, number, morphology, margin, signal intensity or CT density, lesion texture, contrast enhancement pattern and involvement of adjacent structures.

[Correlation of multi-slice spiral CT features to clinicopathologic manifestations of gastrointestinal stromal tumor: a report of 49 cases].

Background And Objective: Gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) is one of the most common mesenchymal tumors of the digestive system. Imaging examination plays an important role in preoperative diagnosis and postoperative evaluation for it. This study was to describe the multi-slice spiral computed tomographic (MSCT) findings and pathologic features of GIST, and to analyze their correlation.

CT-guided core needle biopsy in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases with an automated biopsy gun.

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and diagnostic accuracy of computed tomographic (CT)-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) in the diagnosis of pancreatic diseases by using an automated biopsy gun with a cutting-type needle.

Materials And Methods: From January 2000 to January 2006, CT-guided CNB was performed in 80 patients suspected of having pancreatic diseases in the absence of liver metastasis. Biopsies were performed with an 18-20-gauge cutting needle driven by a spring-loaded biopsy gun.

[CT and MRI features of peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor].

Background & Objective: It's difficult to distinguish peripheral primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET) from other small round cell tumors such as Ewing's sarcoma by histological examination. This study was to analyze the CT and MRI features of peripheral PNET.

Methods: The CT and MRI records of 7 patients with pathologically proved peripheral PNET were reviewed.

[Diagnostic values of CT perfusion imaging in pulmonary masses].

Background & Objective: Blood flow patterns with CT perfusion imaging (CTPI) had been innovated to delineate abnormal hemodynamic lesions in the liver, brain, and kidney. This study was to evaluate the blood flow patterns of pulmonary masses by CTPI, and determine the value of CTPI in differential diagnosis among benign, malignant, and inflammatory masses.

Methods: Fifty-two patients with previously diagnosed pulmonary masses (37 with malignant masses, 7 with benign masses, and 8 with inflammatory masses) underwent dynamic CTPI.

[Helical double-phase CT scan imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma and pathology of false-positive lesions].

Background & Objective: The helical double-phase CT scan imaging features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) overlap those of other hepatic lesions. This study was to investigate the helical double-phase CT scan imaging features of HCC to improve diagnosis accuracy.

Methods: Double-phase CT data and pathologic data of 52 HCC patients, received resection in Cancer Center of Sun Yat-sen University from Dec.

[Correlation of World Health Organization classification of thymic epithelial tumors to their CT features].

Background & Objective: Thymic epithelial tumors have a broad spectrum of biologic and morphologic features. This study was to assess the CT features of various subtypes of thymic epithelial tumors on the basis of the 1999 World Health Organization (WHO) classification.

Methods: CT features of thymic epithelial tumors in 94 patients were retrospectively analyzed.

[Mediastinal lymph node staging in non-small cell lung cancer: comparison between spiral computed tomographic findings and pathology].

Background & Objective: Mediastinal lymph node staging in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is important to choose standard treatment plan and estimating prognosis. This study was to evaluate the clinical value of spiral CT in staging mediastinal lymph node in NSCLC through comparing spiral CT findings with corresponding pathology.

Methods: A total of 89 patients with pathologically proven NSCLC received spiral CT and mediastinoscopic biopsy.

[Typical and atypical features of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver on helical CT images].

Background & Objective: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a rare hepatic neoplastic lesion. This study was to evaluate the typical and atypical features of FNH of the liver on helical computed tomography (CT) images to improve the diagnosis accuracy.

Methods: Helical CT images of 32 patients with 37 lesions were reviewed in Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University retrospectively, who were confirmed as FNH by histopathologic or clinic examinations.