Search

[Background] Technetium-99m-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy is preferred for assessing the liver functional reserve in patients undergoing hepatectomy, but its superiority over computed tomography volumetry after portal vein embolization and subsequent hepatectomy remains elusive. We aimed to compare technetium-99m-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy with conventional computed tomography volumetry for predicting posthepatectomy liver failure in patients after portal vein embolization. [Methods] This retrospective study analyzed 152 consecutive patients who underwent hepatobiliary cancer resection after portal vein embolization between 2006 and 2021. Posthepatectomy liver failure was graded according to the International Study Group of Liver Surgery criteria. The predictive abilities for posthepatectomy liver failure were compared between the future remnant uptake (%) by technetium-99m-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy and the future remnant volume (%) by computed tomography volumetry. [Results] Future remnant uptake (%) was significantly greater than future remnant volume (%) after portal vein embolization (47.9% vs 40.8%; P < .001), while the values were comparable before portal vein embolization (32.7% vs 31.2%; P = .116). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that post–portal vein embolization future remnant volume (%) had a significantly higher area under the curve than post–portal vein embolization future remnant uptake (%) (0.709 vs 0.630; P = .046) for predicting posthepatectomy liver failure. Multivariable analysis revealed that post–portal vein embolization future remnant volume (%) independently predicted posthepatectomy liver failure, but future remnant uptake (%) did not. Although the incidence of posthepatectomy liver failure grade ≥B was 17.8% when indocyanine green–clearance of the future liver remnant based on both future remnant volume (%) and future remnant uptake (%) was ≥0.05, it was higher in other combinations: 55.6% for indocyanine green clearance of the remnant volume ≥0.05/indocyanine green clearance of the remnant uptake ≤0.05; 50.0% for indocyanine green clearance of the remnant volume ≤0.05/indocyanine green clearance of the remnant uptake ≥0.05; and 50% for indocyanine green clearance of the remnant volume ≤0.05/indocyanine green clearance of the remnant uptake ≤0.05. [Conclusions] Technetium-99m-galactosyl human serum albumin scintigraphy is not superior to computed tomography volumetry for assessing the future liver remnant in patients undergoing major hepatectomy after portal vein embolization.

Dedicated breast PET (dbPET) systems have improved the detection of small breast cancers but have increased false-positive diagnoses due to an increased chance of noise detection. This study examined whether reproducibility assessment using paired images helped to improve noise discrimination and diagnostic performance in dbPET.This study included 21 patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer who underwent [A total of 213 indexed uptake spots were identified on dbPET-1, including 152, 15, 6, 6, and 34 lesions classified as BI-RADS MRI categories 1, 2, 4b, 4c, and 5, respectively. Overall, 31.9% of the index uptake values were reproducible. All malignant lesions were reproducible, whereas 93.4% of noise was not reproducible. The sensitivities for malignancy for criteria A, B, C, and D were 100%, 91.3%, 100%, and 91.3%, respectively, with positive predictive values (PPVs) of 21.4%, 68.9%, 67.6%, and 82.4%, respectively.Our results demonstrated that reproducibility assessment helped reduce false-positive findings caused by noise on dbPET without lowering the sensitivity for malignancy. While subjective visual assessment was also efficient in increasing PPV, it occasionally missed malignant uptake.

Purpose This study aimed to investigate the uptake characteristics of 18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO), in mutant-type isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH-mutant, grade 3 and 4) and wild-type IDH (IDH-wildtype, grade 4) 2021 WHO classification adult-type diffuse gliomas. Materials and methods Patients with grade 3 and 4 adult-type diffuse gliomas (n = 35) were included in this prospective study. After registering 18F-FMISO PET and MR images, standardized uptake value (SUV) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were evaluated in hyperintense areas on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging (HIA), and in contrast-enhanced tumors (CET) by manually placing 3D volumes of interest. Relative SUVmax (rSUVmax) and SUVmean (rSUVmean), 10th percentile of ADC (ADC10pct), mean ADC (ADCmean) were measured in HIA and CET, respectively. Results rSUVmean in HIA and rSUVmean in CET were significantly higher in IDH-wildtype than in IDH-mutant (P = 0.0496 and 0.03, respectively). The combination of FMISO rSUVmean in HIA and ADC10pct in CET, that of rSUVmax and ADC10pct in CET, that of rSUVmean in HIA and ADCmean in CET, were able to differentiate IDH-mutant from IDH-wildtype (AUC 0.80). When confined to astrocytic tumors except for oligodendroglioma, rSUVmax, rSUVmean in HIA and rSUVmean in CET were higher for IDH-wildtype than for IDH-mutant, but not significantly (P = 0.23, 0.13 and 0.14, respectively). The combination of FMISO rSUVmean in HIA and ADC10pct in CET was able to differentiate IDH-mutant (AUC 0.81). Conclusion PET using 18F-FMISO and ADC might provide a valuable tool for differentiating between IDH mutation status of 2021 WHO classification grade 3 and 4 adult-type diffuse gliomas.

A mobile PET scanner termed flexible PET (fxPET) has been designed to fit existing MRI systems. The purpose of this study was to assess brain imaging with fxPET combined with 3-T MRI in comparison with conventional PET (cPET)/CT.In this prospective study, 29 subjects with no visible lesions except for mild leukoaraiosis on whole brain imaging underwent 2-deoxy-2-[Mean misregistration of fxPET/MRI was 3 mm for each margin. Mean registration differences were significantly larger for fxPET/MRI than for cPET/CT except for the superior margin. There were high correlations between the three PET datasets regarding SUVfxPET could successfully determine physiological [

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is caused by typically small tumors that secrete fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). As tumor resection is the only effective treatment for TIO, it is important to detect the culprit tumor. We aimed to assess the utility of 68Gallium-DOTA-D-Phe(1)-Tyr(3)-octreotide (68Ga-DOTATOC) PET/CT in TIO and the correlation between biochemical parameters and the PET/CT results. Thirty-five patients with clinically suspected TIO who had undergone 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed. 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT results were compared with biochemical parameters and the final diagnosis, including histopathology. 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT detected focal uptake consistent with TIO in 21/35 patients, one of which was considered false positive. In 16 patients, the cause of osteomalacia was confirmed histologically as phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor (n = 15) or fibrous dysplasia (n = 1). The other four patients were judged clinically as true positive by subsequent MRI and the clinical course. Overall, the detection rate of 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT was 57% (20/35). Median tumor maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) was 6.9 (range 1.5–37.7). There was no significant difference in serum intact FGF23 level between DOTATOC-positive and DOTATOC-negative cases, and no significant correlation was observed between intact FGF23 level and tumor SUVmax. 68Ga-DOTATOC PET/CT was clinically useful in detecting culprit tumors and subsequent patient management in TIO.

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) using 18F-fluoromisonidazole (FMISO) has been used as an imaging tool for tumour hypoxia. However, it remains unclear whether they are useful when scanning is performed earlier, e.g. at 2-h post-injection with a high sensitivity PET scanner. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between quantitative values in 18F-fluoromisonidazole (18F-FMISO)-PET obtained at 2- and 4-h post-injection in patients with head and neck cancer. We enrolled 20 patients with untreated locally advanced head and neck cancer who underwent 18F-FMISO-PET/CT scan between August 2015 and March 2018 at our institute. Image acquisition was performed 2 h and 4 h after 18F-FMISO administration using a combined PET/CT scanner. The SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVpeak, tumour-to-blood ratio (TBR), tumour-to-muscle ratio (TMR), metabolic tumour volume (MTV), and total lesion hypoxia (TLH) were measured in the region of interest of the primary tumour. We evaluated the between-image Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients and percentage differences in the quantitative values. The locations of the maximum uptake pixel were identified in both scans, and the distance between them was measured. The mean (SD) SUVmax at 2 h and 4 h was 2.2(0.7) and 2.4(0.8), respectively. The Spearman’s rank correlation coefficients (ρ) and mean (SD) of the percentage differences of the measures were as follows: SUVmax (0.97; 7.0 [5.1]%), SUVmean (0.97; 5.2 [5.8]%), SUVpeak (0.94; 5.3 [4.7]%), TBR (0.96; 14.2 [9.8]%), TMR (0.96; 14.7 [8.4]%), MTV (0.98; 39.9 [41.3]%), and TLH (0.98; 40.1 [43.4]%). There were significant between-scan correlations in all quantitative values. The mean (SD) distance between the two maximum uptake pixels was 7.3 (5.3) mm. We observed a high correlation between the quantitative values at 2 h and 4 h. When using a combined high-quality PET/CT, the total examination time for FMISO-PET can be shortened by skipping the 4-h scan.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate quantitative parameters in 18F-FDG PET/CT in terms of correlation with histologic grade and overall survival in patients with angiosarcoma. MATE...

The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of patients with diffuse renal uptake (DRU) of 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), with particular focus on renal function.We retrospectively analyzed 40 patients who showed DRU on FDG PET/CT and the same number of matched controls. The clinical features, imaging parameters (the mean SUVmax of the kidneys and the kidney size), and laboratory data including renal function parameters (Cr, the serum creatinine level; estimated glomerular filtration ratio (eGFR); Cr-ratio, Cr divided by the baseline; max-Cr-ratio, the maximum serum creatinine level within 30 days divided by the baseline) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were compared between the two groups. In the DRU group, follow-up FDG PET/CT scans were additionally evaluated to determine the presence of DRU.No significant differences were observed in the clinical features except for antibiotic administration, Cr, and eGFR. Significantly more patients underwent antibiotic administration within 30 days in the DRU group (p = 0.002). The mean SUVmax of the kidneys was significantly higher (p 0.001) and the kidney size was significantly larger in the DRU group (p = 0.003). Cr-ratio and max-Cr-ratio were significantly higher in the DRU group (p = 0.005 and p 0.001, respectively). CRP was significantly higher in the DRU group (p 0.001). Eighteen of the 40 patients in the DRU group underwent a second FDG PET/CT scan, and 16 of them did not show DRU. Six of the 18 patients showed acute kidney injury (AKI, i.e., Cr-ratio ≥ 1.5) at the time of the initial scan and recovered before the second scan. None of the six patients showed DRU on the second scan.DRU indicates the presence of AKI, could be a reversible finding, and may disappear as renal function improves.

Our objective was to investigate the efficacy of PET/CT with a novel prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted PET probe,This study was a prospective institutional review board-approved study of 72 patients (age 56-84 years, PSA level 0.22-40.00 ng/ml) with suspected relapse of prostate cancer after primary therapy, including radical prostatectomy (RP) (n = 35) or radiation therapy (RT) (n = 37). Patients underwent PET/CT approximately 1 h and 3 h after injection ofIn total, 51 patients (71%) showed at least one positive PSMA PET result. The PSA-stratified detection rates were 22% (2/9), 36% (4/11), 89% (16/18) and 85% (29/34) for PSA levels of 0.2 to 0.5, 0.5 to 1.0, 1.0 to 2.0 and ≥ 2.0 ng/ml, respectively. The GS-stratified detection rates were 33% (2/6), 67% (16/24), 70% (16/23) and 89% (17/19) for GS 6, 7, 8 and 9, respectively. In lesion-based analysis, 157 positive lesions were detected at 3 h post-injection, 18 in the prostate or prostate bed, 65 in lymph nodes, 71 in the bone and 3 in the lung. Two local recurrences, eight pelvic lymph nodes and one distant lymph node were depicted only at 3 h post-injection. SUV max at 3 h post-injection was significantly higher than SUVmax at 1 h post-injection (p 0.001).Our preliminary data suggest that

A mobile positron emission tomography (PET) scanner called flexible PET (fxPET), designed to fit existing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) system, has been developed. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the image quality, lesion detection rate, and quantitative values of fxPET compared with conventional bismuth germanium oxide (BGO)-based PET/CT without time-of-flight capability. Fifty-nine patients underwent whole-body (WB) PET/CT scans approximately 1 h after injection of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose, followed by the fxPET scans with detectors located above and below the patients (layout A) and with detectors closer to the patients (layout B). Two readers assessed the image quality using a 4-point grade for each layout and reached a consensus. We evaluated the differences and/or correlations between fxPET and WB PET/CT, including the lesion detection rates, the standardized uptake value (SUV), the metabolic tumor volume (MTV), the total lesion glycolysis (TLG), the tumor-to-normal liver ratio (TLR), and the background liver signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). The image quality of layout B was better than layout A (p

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) with 68Ga-labelled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N″‘-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (DOTATOC) has been accepted as a diagnostic imaging tool especially for patients with neuroendocrine tumours. However, its clinical usefulness for restaging of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has not been fully investigated. This retrospective study was performed to elucidate the clinical value of PET/CT using 68Ga-DOTATOC in patients with known or suspected recurrent RCC. We analysed 25 consecutive patients who underwent DOTATOC-PET/CT scans after surgery for RCC (23 clear cell, 1 papillary, 1 unclassified). PET/CT findings were reviewed and the detection rate was calculated on a patient and lesion basis. The detectability was compared in patients who also underwent PET/CT scans with 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). Histopathological findings or clinical follow-up were used as the reference standard. Based on the final diagnosis, 76 recurrent or metastatic lesions were confirmed in this population. Of these lesions, 66 lesions in 22 patients were positive by DOTATOC-PET/CT. The patient-based and lesion-based sensitivity was 88% (22/25) and 87% (66/76), respectively. Twelve patients underwent both DOTATOC-PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT. The lesion-based sensitivity of DOTATOC was 74% (20/27), while that of FDG was 59% (16/27). Eight lesions were identified only by DOTATOC, but four lesions from papillary RCC were detected only by FDG. Our data indicate that DOTATOC-PET/CT would be useful for detecting recurrent foci in patients with clear cell RCC. DOTATOC-PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT are considered to have complementary roles.

This first-in-man study was carried out to evaluate the safety, whole-body distribution, dose estimation, and lesion accumulation of 18 F-FSU-880, a newly developed probe targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen. Six prostate cancer patients with known metastatic lesions underwent serial whole-body PET/computed tomography (CT) with 18 F-FSU-880. Blood and urine were analyzed before and after PET/CT. Accumulation of 18 F-FSU-880 in organs and metastatic lesions in serial PET images were evaluated by measuring the standardized uptake values. From the biodistribution data, the organ doses and whole-body effective dose were calculated using OLINDA/EXM software was developed by Dr. Michael Stabin of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 18 F-FSU-880 PET/CT could be carried out without significant adverse effects. High physiological uptake was observed in the salivary/lachrymal glands and kidneys. The effective dose was calculated to be 0.921 × 10-2 mSv/MBq. Known metastatic lesions were clearly visualized with high image contrast that increased with time, except in 1 patient, whose bone metastases were well-controlled and inactive. The PET/CT with 18 F-FSU-880 could be carried out safely and could clearly visualize active metastatic lesions. The present results warrant further clinical studies with a larger number of cases to verify the clinical utility of 18 F-FSU-880 PET/CT in the management of prostate cancer patients.

Dedicated breast positron emission tomography (dbPET) is a new diagnostic imaging modality recently used in clinical practice for the detection of breast cancer and the assessment of tumor biology. dbPET has higher spatial resolution than that of conventional whole body PET systems, allowing recognition of detailed morphological attributes of radiotracer accumulation within the breast. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) accumulation in the breast may be due to benign or malignant entities, and recent studies suggest that morphology characterization of 18F-FDG uptake could aid in estimating the probability of malignancy. However, across the world, there are many descriptors of breast 18F-FDG uptake, limiting comparisons between studies. In this article, we propose a lexicon for breast radiotracer uptake to standardize description and reporting of image findings on dbPET, consisting of terms for image quality, radiotracer fibroglandular uptake, breast lesion uptake.

[Purpose] Flexible positron emission tomography (fxPET) employing a non-local means reconstruction algorithm was designed to fit existing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) systems. We aimed to compare the qualitative and quantitative performance of fxPET among fxPET with MR-based attenuation correction (MRAC), fxPET with CT-based attenuation correction (CTAC) using CT as a part of WB PET/CT, and whole-body (WB) PET/CT. [Procedures] Sixteen patients with suspected head and neck cancer underwent 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose WB PET/CT scans, followed by fxPET and 3 T MRI scans. Phantom data were compared among the three datasets. For registration accuracy, we measured the distance between the center of the tumor determined by fxPET and that in MRI. We compared image quality, detection rates, and quantitative values including maximal standardized uptake value (SUVmax), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), total lesion glycolysis (TLG), and tumor-to-muscle ratio (TMR) among the three datasets. [Results] The phantom data in fxPET, except the percent contrast recoveries of 17-mm and 22-mm hot spheres, were inferior to those in WB PET/CT. The mean registration accuracy was 4.4 mm between fxPET using MRAC and MRI. The image quality was comparable between two fxPET datasets, but significantly inferior to WB PET/CT (p

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) usingWe enrolled 20 patients with untreated locally advanced head and neck cancer who underwentThe mean (SD) SUVmax at 2 h and 4 h was 2.2(0.7) and 2.4(0.8), respectively. The Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρ) and mean (SD) of the percentage differences of the measures were as follows: SUVmax (0.97; 7.0 [5.1]%), SUVmean (0.97; 5.2 [5.8]%), SUVpeak (0.94; 5.3 [4.7]%), TBR (0.96; 14.2 [9.8]%), TMR (0.96; 14.7 [8.4]%), MTV (0.98; 39.9 [41.3]%), and TLH (0.98; 40.1 [43.4]%). There were significant between-scan correlations in all quantitative values. The mean (SD) distance between the two maximum uptake pixels was 7.3 (5.3) mm.We observed a high correlation between the quantitative values at 2 h and 4 h. When using a combined high-quality PET/CT, the total examination time for FMISO-PET can be shortened by skipping the 4-h scan.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is caused by typically small tumors that secrete fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23). As tumor resection is the only effective treatment for TIO, it is important to detect the culprit tumor. We aimed to assess the utility ofThirty-five patients with clinically suspected TIO who had undergone

Advances in medical devices have allowed the use of CT, MRI, and PET-CT for the diagnosis of tumors and the detailed evaluation of the extent of lesions. For several decades, CT has been established as the gold standard modality for the treatment planning of radiotherapy, while MRI has emerged as a tool to evaluate the functional characteristics of tumors without radiation exposure. To further optimize precision radiation therapy, we should consider how functional images can be used in the workflow for radiation therapy. In this regard, MRI, as a modality without the need for a contrast agent, may allow more frequent scans and more detailed dose painting, such as increasing the dose to viable lesion parts while reducing the dose to less aggressive parts. Thus, a more personalized treatment based on precision radiation medicine might be realized. In recent years, MR-Linac systems (MRI integrated linear accelerator radiation therapy systems) have been applied in clinical settings by fusing MRI with Linac planning, and further development of radiation therapy utilizing MRI-derived functional images is expected. The use of MR-Linac techniques allows the characteristics of the tumor to be evaluated in more detail before treatment, and the treatment planning can be modified according to the position and characteristics of the tumor (which may change daily during irradiation) to avoid harming normal tissue. Compared with conventional cone beam CT, MR-Linac can offer MR images with much better contrast of soft tissue for image-guided radiation therapy, even when acquired at 0.35 T. A multicenter study of liver tumors using MR-Linac was recently reported. In current tumor imaging, various MRI sequences can be used to evaluate tumor functional information such as tumor heterogeneity, cell density, microenvironment, angiogenesis, necrosis, hypoxic status, and microstructure. In this article, we introduce state-of-the-art acquisition methods for MRI imaging, and discuss how the functional information obtained from these imaging methods can be useful for radiation therapy.

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) using 68Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N‴-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (DOTATOC) is usually performed about 1-h post-injection; however, because of rapid blood clearance, the waiting time for scanning could possibly be shortened without affecting diagnostic performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of early scanning at 30 min post-injection. Thirty-eight patients who underwent DOTATOC-PET/CT were analyzed. After administration of 68Ga-DOTATOC, data acquisition was performed twice, at 30-min and 60-min post-injection. The number of known or suspected pathological lesions, and quantitative values of those lesions and physiological uptake were compared. SUVmax, SUVpeak, metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion uptake (TLU) were calculated as quantitative values of the pathological lesions. A total of 125 known or suspected pathological lesions were found at both timepoints, with no differences between the two datasets. The SUVmax, SUVpeak, MTV, and TLU were highly reproducible, with Spearman’s ρ of 0.983, 0.986, 0.918, and 0.981, respectively. The average percent differences (%DIFFave) defined as the differences of the values divided by the value at 1-h post-injection were 11.1% for SUVmax, 8.5% for SUVpeak, 15.1% for MTV, and 20.6% for TLU. Physiological uptake in the two datasets was closely comparable in the pituitary gland (Spearman’s ρ = 0.954, %DIFFave = 11.0%), liver (0.989, 3.9%), spleen (0.970, 6.3%), adrenal glands (0.879, 13.0%), and pancreatic uncus (0.946, 12.7%). The diagnostic performance of visual interpretation should be comparable between DOTATOC-PET/CT images obtained at 30-min and 60-min post-injection. Some differences between quantitative values may exist; however, they appear to be minimal.

PET/CT imaging with 68Ga-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N‴-tetraacetic acid-D-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (DOTATOC) is useful in patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). Functioning NETs by definition secrete abnormal levels of hormones, causing clinical symptoms. It is known that physiologic accumulation can be seen in some organs, but it remains unknown whether elevated hormone levels can affect the physiologic accumulation pattern of 68Ga-DOTATOC. We aimed to investigate the influence of higher hormone levels on physiologic accumulation of 68Ga-DOTATOC. A total of 167 patients with known or suspected NET lesions were enrolled in this study. The numbers of patients with elevations of ACTH, gastrin, insulin, and no elevation were 10, 25, 7, and 125, respectively. We compared the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in various organs of each group. In the group with elevated ACTH levels, SUVmax in the pituitary gland, the uncinate process of the pancreas and adrenal glands was lower than those in the group with no elevation (5.7 ± 1.9 vs. 8.4 ± 3.1, P = 0.015; 4.7 ± 3.5 vs. 6.4 ± 2.8, P = 0.037; 10.8 ± 4.8 vs. 13.9 ± 4.7, P = 0.020, respectively). There were no differences in physiologic uptake of 68Ga-DOTATOC in the thyroid gland, the pancreatic body, the liver, the spleen, the bowel, or the kidney. In NET patients with elevated ACTH levels, physiologic uptake of 68Ga-DOTATOC in the pituitary gland, the uncinate process of the pancreas and adrenal glands was significantly decreased. Other organs were unaffected.

OBJECTIVE. Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is one of the most serious complications after hepatectomy. The objective of the present study is to assess the potential diagnostic ability of 99mTc-galactosyl human serum albumin (GSA) scintigraphy to predict PHLF as defined by the International Study Group of Liver Surgery (ISGLS). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Data from 100 patients who underwent 99mTc-GSA scintigraphy and subsequent hepatectomy were retrospectively analyzed. The blood clearance ratio (HH15), hepatic uptake ratio (LHL15), and maximal removal rate (Rmax) of 99mTc-GSA (GSA-Rmax) were calculated as scintigraphic parameters for the total liver. In addition to the ratio of preoperatively estimated remnant liver (ERL) counts to total liver counts (rERL-GSA), the ratio of actual remnant liver (ARL) counts to total liver counts (rARL-GSA), determined by applying a more accurate resection line with reference to both pre- and postoperative CT, was obtained from SPECT images. Functional remnant liver para...

Last year in the European Journal of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, we introduced some recent nuclear medicine research conducted in Japan. This was favorably received by European readers in the main. This year we wish to focus on the Annals of Nuclear Medicine on some of the fine nuclear medicine research work executed in Europe recently. In the current review article, we take up five topics: prostate-specific membrane antigen imaging, recent advances in radionuclide therapy, [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography (PET) for dementia, quantitative PET assessment of myocardial perfusion, and iodine-124 (124I). Just at the most recent annual meeting of the European Association of Nuclear Medicine 2016, Kyoto was selected as the host city for the 2022 Congress of the World Federation of Nuclear Medicine and Biology. We hope that our continuous efforts to strengthen scientific cooperation between Europe and Japan will bring many European friends and a great success to the Kyoto meeting.

Objectives The purpose of this study was to evaluate lesion detectability of a dedicated breast positron-emission tomography (dbPET) scanner for breast cancers with an updated reconstruction mode, comparing it to whole-body positron-emission tomography/computed tomography (WB-PET/CT). Materials and methods A total of 179 histologically-proven breast cancer lesions in 150 females who underwent both WB-PET/CT and dbPET with 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose were retrospectively analyzed. The patient/breast/lesion-based sensitivities based on visual analysis were compared between dbPET and WB-PET/CT. For lesions visible on both PET images, SUVmax values of the tumors were measured, and tumor-to-background ratios (T/B ratios) of SUVmax were compared between the two scans. Subgroup analyses according to clinical tumor stage, histopathology and histological grade were also performed. Results Patient/breast/lesion-based sensitivities were 95%, 95%, and 92%, respectively, for dbPET, and 95%, 94%, and 88%, respectively, for WB-PET/CT. Mean±standard deviation SUVmax values of FDG-avid tumors were 13.0±9.7 on dbPET and 6.4±4.8 on WB-PET. T/B ratios were also significantly higher in dbPET than in WB-PET/CT (8.1±7.1 vs. 5.1±4.5). In the subgroup analysis, no significant differences in sensitivities between dbPET and WB-PET/CT were found. However, T/B ratios of dbPET were significantly higher than those of WB-PET/CT in cT1c, cT2, cT3, invasive cancer, invasive carcinoma of no special type, mucinous carcinoma and Grades 1–3. Conclusion No significant differences in sensitivities were identified between dbPET using an updated reconstruction mode and WB-PET/CT; however, T/B ratios of dbPET were significantly higher than those of WB-PET/CT, indicating higher tumor conspicuity on dbPET.

We report a case of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate-receptor (anti-NMDAR) encephalitis associated with an immature teratoma developed in a 38-year-old woman. Positron emission tomography (PET) revealed focal intense uptake of F-fluorodeoxyglucose in an area of the brain corresponding to the right medial temporal lobe as well as an intrapelvic tumor. After the PET examination, the patient complained of disorientation and short-term memory loss. The ovarian tumor was resected and diagnosed as an immature teratoma. The cerebrospinal fluid analysis was positive for anti-NMDAR antibody. After surgery, the patient's neurologic symptoms improved. The PET finding of encephalitis associated with an immature teratoma was unexpected.

In patients with advanced ovarian, fallopian and primary peritoneal carcinoma, complete interval debulking surgery (IDS) is often performed after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) to achieve long progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). We aimed to investigate the utility of 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-d-glucose (FDG) PET/CT in patients with these malignancies who underwent complete IDS. Between 2009 and 2017, twenty-two patients underwent FDG PET/CT scans before and after NAC. The highest SUVmax/peak (standardized uptake value), metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) for whole lesions were defined as target SUVmax/peak, tMTV and tTLG, respectively. We also calculated these reduction rates during NAC. These parameters were compared between the groups with platinum-free interval (PFI) > 12 months (n = 10) and those with PFI ≤ 12 months (n = 12). The PFS and OS were evaluated using these quantitative parameters, and in terms of the presence of visually detectable residual lesions after NAC. The target SUVmax/peak before NAC, the reduction rates in the target SUVmax, tMTV and tTLG were significantly higher in the group with PFI > 12 months than the shorter PFI group (p

Objective. This study investigated whether the metformin (Met)-induced enhanced intestinal uptake of 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (18F-FDG) is reduced by loperamide, a long-acting anti-diarrheal agent. Methods. Mean 18F-FDG uptake in the mouse small intestine and colon with Met exposure was compared with that in control mice. In the Met group, high-dose (1.0 mg/kg body weight) and low-dose (0.1 mg/kg body weight) loperamide were introduced, and 18F-FDG uptake in the small intestine and colon was compared with that of control mice administered high-dose loperamide. The percent injected dose of 18F-FDG per gram of tissue (%ID/g) in the extracted tissues was then determined. Results. 18F-FDG uptake increased significantly in the small intestine (0.64±0.06 vs. 1.01±0.15, p=0.040) and, especially, the colon (0.46±0.13 vs. 2.16±0.51, p18F-FDG uptake in the small intestine (0.82±0.31 vs. 0.84±0.22, p=0.93 and 0.78±0.25 vs. 0.70±0.15, p=0.13, respectively) or colon (2.13±0.41 vs. 1.67±0.55, p=0.063 and 1.77±0.39 vs. 1.80±0.25, p=0.56, respectively). The colonic %ID/g was significantly higher in Met groups irrespective of loperamide introduction than in control group, whereas the significant difference in the small intestine was observed only between Met and control groups. Conclusion. Metformin increased 18F-FDG uptake in intestines especially in colon. Loperamide administration partially, but not sufficiently, suppresses the Met-induced increased colonic uptake of 18F-FDG.

This retrospective study compared the diagnostic performances of quantitative versus visual analyses of I-MIBG scintigraphy in patients with suspected pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma (PPGL).SPECT images were obtained 6 and/or 24 h after MIBG injection from 68 patients with clinically suspected PPGL, with attenuation correction by low-dose unenhanced CT. Planar images were also obtained at each time point. SUVs of retroperitoneal tumors, including PPGLs, and physiological uptake by normal organs were measured using the SPECT images. The diagnostic performance of the quantitative assessment in differentiating PPGLs from other lesions or normal adrenal glands was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis. The planar scans and 6-h and 24-h SPECT/CT images were also assessed visually.PPGLs showed a significantly higher SUVmax (mean ± SD = 9.97 ± 3.86) than other retroperitoneal lesions (3.85 ± 1.51) or normal adrenal glands (3.91 ± 1.20). At an optimal cut-off of 6.57, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the quantitative assessment for 6-h SPECT/CT in differentiating PPGLs was 78.6%, 96.3%, and 92.6%, respectively; the area under the curve was 0.878. The diagnostic performance did not significantly differ between the quantitative and visual analyses, but the specificity of the former tended to be higher at 6 h (96.3% vs. 90.7%) and at 24 h (91.2% vs. 82.4%).The specificity, but not the sensitivity, of the quantitative approach was higher than that of visual assessment in differentiating PPGLs from other retroperitoneal pathologies and from physiological uptake in the normal adrenal gland.

This study evaluated the clinical significance of 18F-FDG PET/CT in patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD), by investigating the relationships between 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters and clinical indicators and by evaluating the prognostic implications of 18F-FDG PET/CT results. Methods: Ninety patients (51 men, 39 women; mean age, 55.4 y; age range, 26–78 y) with ILD who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT were retrospectively analyzed. SUVmean was defined as the mean SUV of the less-affected lung field, SUVTF as adjusted SUVmean using tissue fraction (TF), and CTmean as the mean attenuation of the corresponding region of interest on high-resolution CT. SUVmean, SUVTF, and CTmean were compared in the 90 ILD patients and in 15 age- and sex-matched controls. Correlations of SUVmax, SUVmean, SUVTF, and CTmean with clinical indicators, including estimated percentage of forced vital capacity (%FVC), estimated percentage of diffusion capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (%DLco), sialylated carbohydrate antigen Krebs von den Lungen-6 (KL-6), surfactant protein D (SP-D), C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and ILD-sex-age-physiology (GAP) index, were evaluated using the Spearman rank correlation test and the Tukey–Kramer test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for univariate and multivariate analyses of factors associated with lung transplantation-free survival. Results: SUVmean, SUVTF, and CTmean were significantly higher in ILD patients than in healthy controls, except for CTmean in patients with a nonusual interstitial pneumonia pattern. SUVmean and CTmean were significantly correlated with %FVC, %DLco, KL-6, and SP-D; SUVTF was significantly correlated with %DLco, KL-6, SP-D, and LDH; and SUVmax was weakly correlated with KL-6 and CRP. Univariate analysis showed that SUVmean, SUVTF, sex, %FVC, %DLco, KL-6, and ILD-GAP index were significantly prognostic of lung transplantation-free survival; and multivariate analysis showed that SUVmean and ILD-GAP index were independently prognostic of lung transplantation-free survival. A higher SUVmean indicated a poorer prognosis, especially in patients with moderate risk based on ILD-GAP index. Conclusion: SUVmean was significantly but moderately correlated with clinical indicators, providing independent prognostic information in patients with ILD. 18F-FDG PET/CT may be helpful for monitoring and risk stratification of ILD patients.

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) withWe analysed 25 consecutive patients who underwent DOTATOC-PET/CT scans after surgery for RCC (23 clear cell, 1 papillary, 1 unclassified). PET/CT findings were reviewed and the detection rate was calculated on a patient and lesion basis. The detectability was compared in patients who also underwent PET/CT scans withBased on the final diagnosis, 76 recurrent or metastatic lesions were confirmed in this population. Of these lesions, 66 lesions in 22 patients were positive by DOTATOC-PET/CT. The patient-based and lesion-based sensitivity was 88% (22/25) and 87% (66/76), respectively. Twelve patients underwent both DOTATOC-PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT. The lesion-based sensitivity of DOTATOC was 74% (20/27), while that of FDG was 59% (16/27). Eight lesions were identified only by DOTATOC, but four lesions from papillary RCC were detected only by FDG.Our data indicate that DOTATOC-PET/CT would be useful for detecting recurrent foci in patients with clear cell RCC. DOTATOC-PET/CT and FDG-PET/CT are considered to have complementary roles.

This first‐in‐man study was carried out to evaluate the safety, whole‐body distribution, dose estimation, and lesion accumulation of 18F‐FSU‐880, a newly developed probe targeting prostate‐specific membrane antigen. Six prostate cancer patients with known metastatic lesions underwent serial whole‐body PET/computed tomography (CT) with 18F‐FSU‐880. Blood and urine were analyzed before and after PET/CT. Accumulation of 18F‐FSU‐880 in organs and metastatic lesions in serial PET images were evaluated by measuring the standardized uptake values. From the biodistribution data, the organ doses and whole‐body effective dose were calculated using OLINDA/EXM software was developed by Dr. Michael Stabin of Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA. 18F‐FSU‐880 PET/CT could be carried out without significant adverse effects. High physiological uptake was observed in the salivary/lachrymal glands and kidneys. The effective dose was calculated to be 0.921 × 10−2 mSv/MBq. Known metastatic lesions were clearly visualized with high image contrast that increased with time, except in 1 patient, whose bone metastases were well‐controlled and inactive. The PET/CT with 18F‐FSU‐880 could be carried out safely and could clearly visualize active metastatic lesions. The present results warrant further clinical studies with a larger number of cases to verify the clinical utility of 18F‐FSU‐880 PET/CT in the management of prostate cancer patients.

Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) usingThirty-eight patients who underwent DOTATOC-PET/CT were analyzed. After administration ofA total of 125 known or suspected pathological lesions were found at both timepoints, with no differences between the two datasets. The SUVThe diagnostic performance of visual interpretation should be comparable between DOTATOC-PET/CT images obtained at 30-min and 60-min post-injection. Some differences between quantitative values may exist; however, they appear to be minimal.

Background Interim PET/CT is widely performed in lymphoma patients in clinical practice and clinical trials. Visual assessment using a 5-point scale is proposed for PET/CT interpretation, but intra- and inter-observer variation is not fully investigated. Purpose To investigate intra- and inter-observer variations in the reporting of interim positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in lymphoma patients, and the influence of clinical information on the interpretation. Material and Methods Three expert readers from different institutions interpreted interim PET/CT images of 42 consecutive patients with malignant lymphoma twice, with and without clinical information. The intra- and inter-observer agreements were calculated using the kappa statistic on a patient and a region basis. Results On a patient basis, intra-observer agreement, inter-observer agreement without information, and inter-observer agreement with information were within the ranges 0.48–0.62, 0.51–0.62, and 0.42–0.76, respectively. In the evaluation of lymph nodes, intra-observer agreement, inter-observer agreement without information, and inter-observer agreement with information were within the ranges 0.78–0.92, 0.80–0.82, and 0.77–0.83, respectively. Observer agreements were in almost perfect to substantial agreement categories for most lymphatic organs, but were generally low for the other organs. Conclusion The intra- and inter-observer agreements in evaluating interim PET/CT were relatively low for extranodal lesions, but they were substantial to almost perfect when interpreting nodal regions in malignant lymphoma, irrespective of the provision of clinical information, although memory at the first interpretation might have affected the intra-observer results.

Radiolabeled anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, 90Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan became available for the treatment of refractory or relapsed low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL). Although FDG-PET is widely used for monitoring the response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, there are limited data for monitoring the response of NHL to radioimmunotherapy (RIT) with FDG-PET.

[Objective] In positron emission tomography (PET) with F-18-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), non-tumorous focal uptake is often observed around the lumbar spinous processes (LSPs). Close approximation of LSPs with sclerosis is often seen, which is called Baastrup disease. The aim of this study was to characterize this finding in terms of location and subjects’ age and investigate the relation between PET and CT findings. [Methods] The PET/CT scans of 40 patients each in the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth decades were screened for FDG uptake around the LSPs from L1–2 through L5–S1. Patients with metastasis to the lumbar spine or recent chemotherapy or rheumatoid arthritis-related disease were excluded. Focal uptake greater than blood pool activity was considered positive. Positive uptake was compared among the ages and locations. We also evaluated the relationship between FDG uptake and CT morphology. [Results] Overall, focal uptake was observed in 122 LSPs in 71 patients. At least one positive uptake was seen in 9, 21, 15, 12, and 14 of 40 patients (16, 30, 30, 20, and 26 of 200 regions) in each age group of 40s through 80s, respectively (p = 0.12). As for the location, uptake around L1–2, L2–3, L3–4, L4–5, and L5–S1 was observed in 19, 22, 39, 35, and 7 regions, respectively (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in PET positivity among the five age groups, but positive uptake was predominantly seen in L3–4. Degeneration on CT was apparent in 58, 74, 108, 123, and 144 regions in each age group, respectively (p < 0.01), and in 38, 79, 131, 151, and 108 regions in each location, respectively (p < 0.01). The PET positive ratio was higher in CT positive group than in CT negative group (14 vs. 10 %, p < 0.05), but there was no significant difference of quantitative values (p = 0.10). Of 42 regions in 27 patients who had serial PET/CT scans that were initially PET-positive, 35 regions (83 %) turned negative on a later PET-scan. [Conclusions] Focal uptake around the LSPs was commonly seen in the mid-lumbar vertebrae, independent of age, and was not always correlated with morphological changes. This uptake should not be assumed to represent osseous metastasis., First online: 14 July 2015

Objective Positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) using 68Ga-labeled 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N‴-tetraacetic acid-d-Phe1-Tyr3-octreotide (DOTATOC) has been used to detect neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy of DOTATOC-PET/CT for detecting clinically suspected NETs when conventional imaging modalities were negative or inconclusive, in terms of additional value. Methods A total of 46 patients were analyzed retrospectively. Among them, 14 patients underwent a DOTATOC-PET/CT scan for detecting unknown primary tumors after histopathological confirmation of a NET at metastatic sites (group A): 7 patients for detecting metastasis or recurrence after surgery for NET because of their high hormone levels but with no recurrence detected by other imaging modalities (group B); the remaining 25 patients for detecting suspected NETs because their hormone levels were high with no history of histopathologically proven NET (group C). Additional information was assessed, according to each situation. Results In group A, unknown primary tumors were suspected by DOTATOC-PET/CT in 8 of 14 patients (gastrointestinal/pancreatic NET in 7 patients, prostatic cancer in 1 patient), but prostatic cancer was not confirmed by histopathology (i.e., false positive). In group B, DOTATOC-PET/CT depicted lesions in six of seven patients, including nodal metastasis (n = 5) and liver metastasis (n = 1). In group C, DOTATOC-PET/CT did not demonstrate any abnormal foci except in one case of pancreatic NET. Additional information was obtained in 50, 86, and 4 % of cases, in groups A, B, and C, respectively. Conclusions DOTATOC-PET/CT was useful for detecting NETs, especially when recurrence or metastases were suspected because of high hormone levels after surgery for a NET. It is unlikely, however, that additional information can be acquired in patients with no history of NET simply based on high hormone levels.

PET/CT imaging withA total of 167 patients with known or suspected NET lesions were enrolled in this study. The numbers of patients with elevations of ACTH, gastrin, insulin, and no elevation were 10, 25, 7, and 125, respectively. We compared the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) in various organs of each group.In the group with elevated ACTH levels, SUVmax in the pituitary gland, the uncinate process of the pancreas and adrenal glands was lower than those in the group with no elevation (5.7 ± 1.9 vs. 8.4 ± 3.1, P = 0.015; 4.7 ± 3.5 vs. 6.4 ± 2.8, P = 0.037; 10.8 ± 4.8 vs. 13.9 ± 4.7, P = 0.020, respectively). There were no differences in physiologic uptake ofIn NET patients with elevated ACTH levels, physiologic uptake of

Posthepatectomy liver failure (PHLF) is one of the most serious complications after hepatectomy. The objective of the present study is to assess the potential diagnostic ability ofData from 100 patients who underwentPHLF occurred in 33 patients. Each of the ARL parameters had a significantly higher diagnostic performance compared with the corresponding ERL parameter (AUC values: for rARL-GSA vs rERL-GSA, 0.77 vs 0.62 [p = 0.0004]; for ARL-LHL15 vs ERL-LHL15, 0.79 vs 0.64 [p = 0.0005]; and for ARL-Rmax vs ERL-Rmax, 0.78 vs 0.66 [p = 0.0003]). According to multivariate analysis, each of three ARL parameters was identified as an independent predictor of PHLF (p0.0001 for all).Technetium-99m-labeled GSA scintigraphy is useful for predicting PHLF, particularly for applying an accurate resection line on GSA-SPECT images.

The current study tested a newly developed flexible PET (fxPET) scanner prototype. This fxPET system involves dual arc-shaped detectors based on silicon photomultipliers that are designed to fit existing MRI devices, allowing us to obtain fused PET and MR images by sequential PET and MR scanning. This prospective study sought to evaluate the image quality, lesion detection rate, and quantitative values of fxPET in comparison with conventional whole-body (WB) PET and to assess the accuracy of registration. Methods: Seventeen patients with suspected or known malignant tumors were analyzed. Approximately 1 h after intravenous injection of 18F-FDG, WB PET/CT was performed, followed by fxPET and MRI. For reconstruction of fxPET images, MRI-based attenuation correction was applied. The quality of fxPET images was visually assessed, and the number of detected lesions was compared between the 2 imaging methods. SUVmax and maximum average SUV within a 1 cm3 spheric volume (SUVpeak) of lesions were also compared. In addition, the magnitude of misregistration between fxPET and MR images was evaluated. Results: The image quality of fxPET was acceptable for diagnosis of malignant tumors. There was no significant difference in detectability of malignant lesions between fxPET and WB PET (P > 0.05). However, the fxPET system did not exhibit superior performance to the WB PET system. There were strong positive correlations between the 2 imaging modalities in SUVmax (ρ = 0.88) and SUVpeak (ρ = 0.81). SUVmax and SUVpeak measured with fxPET were approximately 1.1-fold greater than measured with WB PET. The average misregistration between fxPET and MR images was 5.5 ± 3.4 mm. Conclusion: Our preliminary data indicate that running an fxPET scanner near an existing MRI system provides visually and quantitatively acceptable fused PET/MR images for diagnosis of malignant lesions.

Objective: To investigate the ability of source image of time-of-flight magnetic resonance angiography (TOF-MRA) in the detection of fibrous cap rupture of atherosclerotic carotid plaques. Materials and Methods: From the database of radiological information in our hospital, 35 patients who underwent carotid MR imaging and subsequent carotid endoarterectomy within 2 weeks were included in this retrospective study. MR imaging included thin-slice time-of-flight MR angiography, black-blood T1- and T2-weighted imaging. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for the detection of fibrous cap rupture with source image of TOF-MRA. The Cohen k coefficient was also calculated to quantify the degree of concordance of source image of TOF-MRA with histopathological data. Results: Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy in the detection of fibrous cap rupture were 90% (95%CI: 81–98), 69% (95%CI: 56–82) and 79% (95%CI: 71–87) with a k value of 0.59. The false positives (n = 15) were caused by partial-volume averaging between fibrous cap and lumen at the shoulder of carotid plaque. The false negatives (n = 5) were underestimated as partial thinning of fibrous cap. Conclusion: Source image of TOF-MRA can be useful in the detection of fibrous cap rupture with high sensitivity, but further technical improvement should be necessary to overcome shortcomings causing image degradation.

This article was updated to correct the “greater than or equal to” (≥) symbols in Tables 4 and 5, which incorrectly appeared as “greater than” (>) symbols.

Gastroparesis is a frequent gastrointestinal complication after lung transplantation. Although gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) is the standard technique to evaluate gastroparesis, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can also assess gastric motility and emptying. This study compared the results obtained by these two modalities. Twenty-two lung transplant recipients underwent MRI and GES after ingesting a small pancake as a test meal. Parameters assessed on MRI included antral peristaltic wave velocity and frequency, and the ratios of gastric content volume at 15 and 35 min. GES parameters included retention rates (RR) in the stomach at 30, 60, and 120 min (RR30, RR60, and RR120) and half-time of emptying (T1/2) calculated by exponential curve fitting. Correlations between MRI and GES results were evaluated. Peristaltic wave velocity showed significant moderate negative correlations with RR120 (r = − 0.58, p

Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using 68Ga-labelled DOTA0-Tyr3 octreotide (DOTATOC) is one of the diagnostic imaging tools in somatostatin receptor scintigraphy. There have been many studies demonstrating the clinical usefulness of this diagnostic imaging method, especially for detecting neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). It often yields clinically relevant information for determining therapeutic management in NET patients. However, we have found that the usefulness of the information provided depends on the clinical situation; for example, it was considered especially helpful when recurrence/metastasis was suspected after surgery for histopathologically proven NET. In addition to NETs, DOTATOC PET/CT sometimes provides useful information in patients with tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO), in which fibroblast growth factor 23 produced by a mesenchymal tumor causes hypophosphatemia, resulting in osteomalacia. As these mesenchymal tumors frequently express somatostatin receptors, DOTATOC PET/CT would be expected to detect causative lesions in TIO. Furthermore, many renal cell carcinomas (RCC) are not FDG avid. DOTATOC PET/CT could be helpful for detecting unexpected lesions when recurrence or metastasis is suspected after surgery for RCC. DOTATOC PET/CT is also able to reveal additional findings even in sarcoidosis, an inflammatory disease. The clinical value of DOTATOC PET/CT is discussed, based on our clinical experience.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility and usefulness of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the detection of testicular torsion. Materials and Methods: Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent from all participants were obtained. Consecutive 28 patients with acute scrotal symptoms were included in this study. Fat-suppressed T2-weighted, dynamic subtraction contrast-enhanced, and diffusion-weighted images were obtained in the coronal plane with a 1.5 T MR unit. An apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map was reconstructed from the diffusion-weighted images obtained with b-factor of 0 and 800 s/mm2. Comparisons of ADC values between the affected and nonaffected testes were performed with Mann–Whitney's U-test. Results: Diffusion-weighted and ADC images with diagnostic quality were obtained in 23 out of the 28 patients (82%). In testicular torsion (n = 9), the mean ADC value of the twisted testes was significantly lower than that of the nonaffected testes (0.750 ± 0.297 vs. 1.017 ± 0.165 × 10−3 mm2/sec, P < 0.05). In other scrotal disorders (n = 14), there was no significant difference in the mean ADC value of the testes between the affected and nonaffected side (P = 0.655). The affected-to-nonaffected ratio of ADC value was significantly lower in testicular torsion than that in other scrotal disorders (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Diffusion-weighted imaging of the scrotum with testicular ADC measurement can allow for the detection of testicular torsion without any use of contrast media. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The aim of this study was to determine the cutoff level of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for diagnosing prostate cancer.A total of 45 consecutive patients with prostate cancer who underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with ADC maps before radical prostatectomy were included in this retrospective study. MRI findings were correlated retrospectively with histopathological results of surgical specimens. Comparisons of ADC values between cancer and noncancer areas were performed with the two-tailed unequal variance t-test. The cutoff ADC level was determined in a way to achieve the best accuracy for detecting prostate cancer.The mean ADC value of all the cancer lesions (n =60) was 1.04 ± 0.31 (×10(-3) mm(2)/s). In the peripheral zone, the mean ADC values of cancer lesions and noncancer areas were 1.07 ± 0.35 and 1.94 ± 0.31, respectively (P0.001). In the transition zone, the mean ADC values of cancer lesions and noncancer areas were 1.00 ± 0.22 and 1.56 ± 0.14, respectively (P0.001). The cutoff level for the ADC value was determined to be 1.35×10(-3) mm(2)/s. It provided sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 88%, 96%, and 93%, respectively.The cutoff ADC level determined on the basis of the results obtained from radical prostatectomy specimens can help differentiate malignant from nonmalignant lesions.

Background and objective The management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) depends, in part, on the identification of the causative agents. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of thin-section computed tomography (CT) in differentiating bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonia. Patients and methods Thin-section CT studies were prospectively examined in hospitalized CAP patients within 2 days of admission, followed by retrospective assessment by two pulmonary radiologists. Thin-section CT findings on the pneumonias caused by each pathogen were examined, and two types of pneumonias were compared. Using multivariate logistic regression analyses, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were produced. Results Among 183 CAP episodes (181 patients, 125 men and 56 women, mean age ± S.D.: 61.1 ± 19.7) examined by thin-section CT, the etiologies of 125 were confirmed (94 bacterial pneumonia and 31 non-bacterial pneumonia). Centrilobular nodules were specific for non-bacterial pneumonia and airspace nodules were specific for bacterial pneumonia (specificities of 89% and 94%, respectively) when located in the outer lung areas. When centrilobular nodules were the principal finding, they were specific but lacked sensitivity for non-bacterial pneumonia (specificity 98% and sensitivity 23%). To distinguish the two types of pneumonias, centrilobular nodules, airspace nodules and lobular shadows were found to be important by multivariate analyses. ROC curve analysis discriminated bacterial pneumonia from non-bacterial pneumonia among patients without underlying lung diseases, yielding an optimal point with sensitivity and specificity of 86% and 79%, respectively, but was less effective when all patients were analyzed together (70% and 84%, respectively). Conclusion Thin-section CT examination was applied for the differentiation of bacterial and non-bacterial pneumonias. Though showing some potential, this examination at the present time would not be applicable for patients with underlying lung diseases, severe conditions of pneumonia, or immunocompromised conditions.

This study evaluated the effect of various beta-adrenergic agonists on (18)F-FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT) in rats using ex vivo biodistribution studies.Caffeine (10 mg/kg of body weight, n = 4), ephedrine (5 mg/kg of body weight, n = 4), nicotine (0.8 mg/kg of body weight, n = 9), or a mixture of nicotine and ephedrine (0.8 mg/kg of body weight and 5 mg/kg of body weight, respectively, n = 9) was injected into the peritoneal cavity of female Lewis rats 30 min before intravenous (18)F-FDG injection. One hour after injection of (18)F-FDG, the animals were sacrificed, and BAT, other major organs, and blood were extracted. The biodistribution results were compared with body temperature data.In the rats injected with nicotine or ephedrine, the mean uptake of (18)F-FDG, in percentage injected dose (%ID)/(g of interscapular BAT) x (kg of body weight), was significantly increased (7.9-fold for nicotine and 3.7-fold for ephedrine), compared to the control rats. Nicotine had the strongest effect on (18)F-FDG uptake in BAT. Caffeine increased BAT uptake slightly, but this increase did not reach statistical significance. The combination of nicotine and ephedrine increased the uptake 12.0-fold, compared with control rats; more than either nicotine or ephedrine alone. Uptake of (18)F-FDG in most other major organs did not change significantly. The effect of nicotine was blocked by prior injection of beta-adrenergic antagonists. A transient decrease in body temperature was observed in the nicotine-injected group, and this effect was canceled by prior injection of beta-adrenergic antagonists. No significant change in baseline temperature was seen before or after beta-adrenergic agonist injection.Nicotine caused a greater increase in (18)F-FDG uptake in BAT than did other interventions, and the effect was increased when nicotine was combined with ephedrine. The effect of nicotine was completely blocked by prior injection of beta-adrenergic antagonists, indicating that beta-adrenergic agonists increase the metabolism of BAT. These preclinical data suggest that patients should avoid nicotine and ephedrine before undergoing (18)F-FDG PET to minimize (18)F-FDG uptake in BAT.