Purpose: To assess quantitative stenosis grading by color-coded fluoroscopy using an in vitro pulsatile flow phantom.
Methods: Three different stenotic tubes (80%, 60%, and 40% diameter restriction) and a nonstenotic reference tube were compared regarding their different flow behavior by using contrast-enhanced fluoroscopy with a flat-detector system for visualisation purposes. Time-density curves (TDC), area under the curve (AUC), time-to-peak (TTP), and different ROI sizes were analyzed in three independent measurements using two different postprocessing software solutions. In addition, exemplary TDCs of a patient with a high-grade stenosis before and after stent angioplasty were acquired.
Results: Color-coded fluoroscopy enabled depiction of differences in AUC and TDC between high-grade (80%), middle (60%), low-grade (40%), and nonstenotic tubes. The best correlation between high-, middle-, and low-grade stenosis was appreciated in ROIs behind the stenosis. This effect was enhanced by using longer integration times (5s, 7s) and a maximum frame rate of image acquisition for analysis (correlation coefficient rho=0.9284 at 5s). TTP showed no significant differences between high- and low-grade stenosis.
Conclusions: Various clinical studies in the literature already demonstrated reproducible and reliable stenosis grading by analyzing TDCs acquired with color-coded fluoroscopy. In contrast to TTP, AUC values derived in ROIs behind the stenosis proved to be reliable parameters for stenosis grading. However, our results also demonstrate that several factors are able to significantly impact the evaluation of AUC values. More precisely, accuracy of acquired AUC values can be improved by choosing longer integration times, a large ROI size adapted to the vessel diameter, and a higher frame rate of image acquisition.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/6180138 | DOI Listing |
Global Spine J
January 2025
Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Department of Neurosurgery, Swedish Health Services, Seattle, WA, USA.
Study Design: Prospective Observational Propensity Score.
Objectives: Randomization may lead to bias when the treatment is unblinded and there is a strong patient preference for treatment arms (such as in spinal device trials). This report describes the rationale and methods utilized to develop a propensity score (PS) model for an investigational device exemption (IDE) trial (NCT03115983) to evaluate decompression and stabilization with an investigational dynamic sagittal tether (DST) vs decompression and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) for patients with symptomatic grade I lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis with spinal stenosis.
Front Pediatr
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Heart Center, Women and Children's Hospital, Qingdao University, Qingdao, China.
Background: This study aimed to assess right ventricular (RV) endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) in fetuses with critical pulmonary stenosis (CPS) and pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (PA-IVS) and to investigate the implications of RV EFE for circulatory outcomes.
Methods: Fetal echocardiographic data from July 2018 to January 2021 were collected. Three reviewers independently graded EFE based on the presence and extent of endocardial echogenicity.
Background Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is an age-related condition involving abnormal ossification of soft tissues, including ligaments and joint capsules. Patients with DISH have an increased risk of fractures, especially in ankylosed spines, which increases susceptibility to spinal cord injury. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for neurological symptoms in patients with DISH-related fractures.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUltrasonics
January 2025
The Center for Fast Ultrasound Imaging, Department of Health Technology. Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads Building 349, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark.
Non-invasive estimation of pressure differences using 2D synthetic aperture ultrasound imaging offers a precise, low-cost, and risk-free diagnostic tool. Unlike invasive techniques, this preserves natural blood flow and avoids the limitations of devices that occupy lumen space. This paper evaluates a previously published estimator, modified to incorporate Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) echo-cancellation, using data from ten healthy volunteers and one patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNutrients
January 2025
Department of Cardiology & 65+ Geriatric Outpatient Clinic, Amalia Fleming General Hospital, 14, 25th Martiou Str., 15127 Melissia, Greece.
Sarcopenia, an age-related decline in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and function, is increasingly recognized as a significant condition in the aging population, particularly among those with cardiovascular diseases (CVD). This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of the interplay between sarcopenia and cardiogeriatrics, emphasizing shared mechanisms such as chronic low-grade inflammation (inflammaging), hormonal dysregulation, oxidative stress, and physical inactivity. Despite advancements in diagnostic frameworks, such as the EWGSOP2 and AWGS definitions, variability in criteria and assessment methods continues to challenge standardization.
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