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Purpose: The purpose of this in vivo study was to determine the effect of reverse encoding direction (RDC) on apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements and its efficacy for improving image quality and diagnostic performance for differentiating malignant from benign tumors on head and neck diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)., Methods: Forty-eight patients with head and neck tumors underwent DWI with and without RDC and pathological examinations. Their tumors were then divided into two groups: malignant (n = 21) and benign (n = 27). To determine the utility of RDC for DWI, the difference in the deformation ratio (DR) between DWI and T2-weighted images of each tumor was determined for each tumor area. To compare ADC measurement accuracy of DWIs with and without RDC for each patient, ADC values for tumors and spinal cord were determined by using ROI measurements. To compare DR and ADC between two methods, Student's t-tests were performed. Then, ADC values were compared between malignant and benign tumors by Student's t-test on each DWI. Finally, sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were compared by means of McNemar's test., Results: DR of DWI with RDC was significantly smaller than that without RDC (p < 0.0001). There were significant differences in ADC between malignant and benign lesions on each DWI (p < 0.05). However, there were no significant difference of diagnostic accuracy between the two DWIs (p > 0.05)., Conclusion: RDC can improve image quality and distortion of DWI and may have potential for more accurate ADC evaluation and differentiation of malignant from benign head and neck tumors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest This work was financially and technically supported by Canon Medical Systems Corporation, Japan. Drs. Nagata, Toyama and Ohno received research grants from Canon Medical Systems, Japan. Four of the authors (Ms. Kaori Yamamoto, Ms. Maiko Shinohara, Mr. Masato Ikedo and Mr. Masao Yui) are employees of Canon Medical Systems, Japan but did not have control over any of the data and information submitted for publication or which data and information were to be included in this study. None of the patients enrolled in this study were also entered in previous studies. Other authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the capability of CTs obtained with a silver or copper x-ray beam spectral modulation filter (Ag filter and Cu filter) and reconstructed with FBP, hybrid-type IR and deep learning reconstruction (DLR) for radiation dose reduction for lung nodule detection using a chest phantom study., Materials and Methods: A chest CT phantom was scanned with a 320-detector row CT with Ag filter at 0.6, 1.6 and 2.5 mGy and Cu filters at 0.6, 1.6, 2.5 and 9.6 mGy, and reconstructed with the aforementioned methods. To compare image quality of all the CT data, SNRs and CNRs for any nodule were calculated for all protocols. To compare nodule detection capability among all protocols, the probability of detection of any nodule was assessed with a 5-point visual scoring system. Then, ROC analyses were performed to compare nodule detection capability of Ag and Cu filters for each radiation dose data with the same method and of the three methods for any radiation dose data and obtained with either filter., Results: At any of the doses, SNR, CNR and area under the curve for the Ag filter were significantly higher or larger than those for the Cu filter (p < 0.05). Moreover, with DLR, those values were significantly higher or larger than all the others for CTs obtained with any of the radiation doses and either filter (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: The Ag filter and DLR can significantly improve image quality and nodule detection capability compared with the Cu filter and other reconstruction methods at each of radiation doses used., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the influenceof reverse encoding distortion correction (RDC) on ADC measurement and its efficacy for improving image quality and diagnostic performance for differentiating malignant from benign prostatic areas on prostatic DWI., Methods: Forty suspected prostatic cancer patients underwent DWI with or without RDC (i.e. RDC DWI or DWI) using a 3 T MR system as well as pathological examinations. The pathological examination results indicated 86 areas were malignant while 86 out of 394 areas were computationally selected as benign. SNR for benign areas and muscle and ADCs for malignant and benign areas were determined by ROI measurements on each DWI. Moreover, overall image quality was assessed with a 5-point visual scoring system on each DWI. Paired t-test or Wilcoxon's signed rank test was performed to compare SNR and overall image quality for DWIs. ROC analysis was then used to compare the diagnostic performance, and sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP) and accuracy (AC) of ADC were compared between two DWI by means of McNemar's test., Results: SNR and overall image quality of RDC DWI showed significant improvements when compared with those of DWI (p < 0.05). Areas under the curve (AUC), SP and AC of DWI RDC DWI (AUC: 0.85, SP: 72.1%, AC: 79.1%) were significantly better than those of DWI (AUC: 0.79, p = 0.008; SP: 64%, p = 0.02; AC: 74.4%, p = 0.008)., Conclusion: RDC technique has the potential to improve image quality and ability to differentiate malignant from benign prostatic areas on DWIs of suspected prostatic cancer patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest This study was technically and financially supported by Canon Medical Systems Corporation. Moreover, the authors declare that they have no known competing other financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the capability of inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT for assessment of changes in pulmonary function and regional ventilation of surgically treated NSCLC patients., Method and Materials: Forty consecutive surgically treated NSCLC patients underwent pre- and postoperative inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT and pulmonary function tests. For each patient, pre- and post-operative data were analyzed and pre- and post-operative wash-in (WI) and wash-out (WO) indexes and ventilation ratio (VR=[WI-WO]/WI) maps generated by means of pixel-by-pixel analyses. Differences between pre- and postoperative WI (ΔWI), WO (ΔWO) and VR (ΔVR) were also determined. To determine the relationship between all ventilation index changes and pulmonary functional loss, Pearson's correlation was used to correlate each ventilation index change with the corresponding pulmonary functional parameter change. In addition, stepwise regression analysis was performed for all ventilation index changes and each corresponding pulmonary functional parameter change., Results: FEV 1 /FVC% change showed fair or good and significant correlations with ΔWI (r = 0.39, p = 0.01) and ΔVR (r = 0.68, p = 0.001), %FEV 1 change good or moderate and significant correlations with ΔWI (r = 0.56, p = 0.0001) and ΔVR (r = 0.76, p < 0.0001), and %VC change moderate yet significant correlation with ΔWI (r = 0.65, p < 0.0001) and ΔVR (r = 0.67, p < 0.0001). Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that FEV 1 /FVC% change (r 2  = 0.56, p < 0.0001) significantly affected two factors, ΔVR (p < 0.0001) and ΔWI (p = 0.006), as did %FEV 1 change (r 2  = 0.68, p < 0.0001) [ΔVR (p < 0.0001) and ΔWI (p = 0.0001)], and %VC change (r 2  = 0.63, p < 0.0001) [ΔVR (p < 0.0001) and ΔWI (p = 0.0001)]., Conclusion: Inspiratory/expiratory Xe-enhanced ADCT has the potential to demonstrate that pre- and postoperative ventilation status of surgically treated NSCLC patients correlates with pulmonary function., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To directly compare the capability of compressed sensing (CS) and parallel imaging (PI) accelerated T2 FSE (Fast Spin Echo) sequence with PI for head and neck MR imaging., Methods: Thirty consecutive patients with various head and neck diseases (15 men and 15 women, mean age 53 ± 22 years) underwent MR imaging by PI with CS and by PI. Reduction factors were as follows: PI with CS, 3 and PI, 1.5. Examination times for PI with CS and PI were all recorded. For quantitative image quality assessment, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. For qualitative assessment, two investigators assessed overall image quality, artifacts and diagnostic confidence level using a 5-point scoring system, and final scores were determined by consensus of two readers. Mean examination time and all indexes were compared by means of paired t-test and Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Inter-observer agreement for each qualitative index was assessed in terms of kappa statistics., Results: Mean examination time for PI with CS (83.5 ± 11.0 s) was significantly shorter than that for PI (173.0 ± 54.4 s, p < 0.0001). SNR and CNR of PI with CS were significantly better than those with PI (mean SNR; 11.2 ± 3.6 vs 8.9 ± 2.6, median of CNR; 7.4 vs. 6.1, p < 0.0001). All inter-observer agreements were assessed as significant and substantial (0.62 < κ < 0.81)., Conclusion: PI with CS accelerated T2 weighted sequence performs equally well or even slightly better than its PI accelerated, conventional counterpart at reduced scan times in the context of head and neck MR imaging., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To demonstrate the utility of compressed sensing with parallel imaging (Compressed SPEEDER) and AiCE compared with that of conventional parallel imaging (SPEEDER) for shortening examination time and improving image quality of women's pelvic MRI., Method: Thirty consecutive patients with women's pelvic diseases (mean age 50 years) underwent T2-weighted imaging using Compressed SPEEDER as well as conventional SPEEDER reconstructed with and without AiCE. The examination times were recorded, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) was calculated for every patient. Moreover, overall image quality was assessed using a 5-point scoring system, and final scores for all patients were determined by consensus of two readers. Mean examination time, SNR and overall image quality were compared among the four data sets by Wilcoxon signed-rank test., Results: Examination times for Compressed SPEEDER with and without AiCE were significantly shorter than those for conventional SPEEDER with and without AiCE (with AiCE: p < 0.0001, without AiCE: p < 0.0001). SNR of Compressed SPEEDER and of SPEEDER with AiCE was significantly superior to that of Compressed SPEEDER without AiCE (vs. Compressed SPEEDER, p = 0.01; vs. SPEEDER, p = 0.009). Overall image quality of Compressed SPEEDER with AiCE and of SPEEDER with and without AiCE was significantly higher than that of Compressed SPEEDER without AiCE (vs. Compressed SPEEDER with AiCE, p < 0.0001; vs. SPEEDER with AiCE, p < 0.0001; SPEEDER without AiCE, p = 0.0003)., Conclusion: Image quality and shorten examination time for T2-weighted imaging in women's pelvic MRI can be significantly improved by using Compressed SPEEDER with AiCE in comparison with conventional SPEEDER, although other sequences were not tested., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the capability ML-based CT texture analysis for improving interobserver agreement and accuracy of radiological finding assessment in patients with COPD, interstitial lung diseases or infectious diseases., Materials and Methods: Training cases (n = 28), validation cases (n = 17) and test cases (n = 89) who underwent thin-section CT at a 320-detector row CT with wide volume scan and two 64-detector row CTs with helical scan were enrolled in this study. From 89 CT data, a total of 350 computationally selected ROI including normal lung, emphysema, nodular lesion, ground-glass opacity, reticulation and honeycomb were evaluated by three radiologists as well as by the software. Inter-observer agreements between consensus reading with and without using the software or software alone and standard references determined by consensus of pulmonologists and chest radiologists were determined using κ statistics. Overall distinguishing accuracies were compared among all methods by McNemar's test., Results: Agreements for consensus readings obtained with and without the software or the software alone with standard references were determined as significant and substantial or excellent (with the software: κ = 0.91, p < 0.0001; without the software: κ = 0.81, p < 0.0001; the software alone: κ = 0.79, p < 0.0001). Overall differentiation accuracy of consensus reading using the software (94.9 [332/350] %) was significantly higher than that of consensus reading without using the software (84.3 [295/350] %, p < 0.0001) and the software alone (82.3 [288/350] %, p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: ML-based CT texture analysis software has potential for improving interobserver agreement and accuracy for radiological finding assessments in patients with COPD, interstitial lung diseases or infectious diseases., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To prospectively compare the capability of dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced (CE) perfusion MR imaging with ultra-short TE and area-detector CT (ADCT), analyzed with the same mathematical methods, and that of FDG-PET/CT for diagnosis and management of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs)., Methods and Materials: Our institutional review board approved this study and written informed consent was obtained from all subjects. A total 57 consecutive patients with 71 nodules prospectively underwent dynamic CE-perfusion ADCT and MR imaging with ultra-short TE, FDG-PET/CT, as well as microbacterial and/or pathological examinations. The nodules were classified into malignant nodules (n = 45) and benign nodules (n = 26). Pulmonary arterial, systemic arterial and total perfusions were determined by means of dual-input maximum slope models on ADCT and MR imaging and maximum values of standard uptake values (SUV max ) on PET/CT. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed for each index, and sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were compared by McNemar's test., Results: Areas under the curve (Azs) of total perfusion on ADCT (Az = 0.89) and MR imaging (Az = 0.88) were significantly larger than those of systemic arterial perfusion and MR imaging (p<0.05). Accuracy of total perfusion on ADCT (87.3% [62/71]) and MR imaging (87.3% [62/71]) was significantly higher than that of systemic arterial perfusion for both methods (77.5% [55/71] p = 0.02) and SUV max (78.9% [56/71], p = 0.03)., Conclusion: Dynamic CE-perfusion MR imaging with ultra-short TE and ADCT and have similar potential capabilities, and are superior to FDG-PET/CT in this setting., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sudden unexpected deaths in bathtubs among elderly Japanese adults occur predominantly during the cold season. This study investigated the relationship between these deaths and bathing day temperature among elderly adults in Tokyo., Methods: Data for 1408 cases of bath-related deaths from January 1 to December 31, 2015 were obtained from the Tokyo Medical Examiner's Office. We excluded 409 cases for the following reasons: criminal death, injury-related death, suicide, intoxication, non-sudden death, not bathtub-related death, out-of-bathroom death, subject aged under 65 years, undetermined bathing date, institutional housing, and bathing not at subject's home. Ultimately, 999 cases were analyzed. Daily mean temperature data were collected. A time-series regression study was performed to estimate the influence of sex, age, and bathing day temperature. Monthly changes in the population bathing in a bathtub were considered in the model., Results: The relative risk (RR) of sudden unexpected death in a bathtub was 1.381 for males (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.218-1.564) compared to females. The RRs were 4.182 (95% CI: 3.523-4.986) and 9.382 (95% CI: 7.836-11.273) among those aged 75-84 years and ≥85 years, respectively, compared to among those aged 65-74 years. The RR increased to 1.092 (95% CI: 1.082-1.102) as the daily mean temperature decreased by 1 °C., Conclusion: Sudden unexpected death in a bathtub correlated with bathing day temperature among elderly Japanese adults, and extremely low temperature, male sex, and older age increased the risk of such death. Our findings provide insight into preventing sudden unexpected deaths in bathtubs., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Computer tomography plays a major role in the evaluation of thoracic diseases, especially since the advent of the multidetector-row CT (MDCT) technology. However, the increase use of this technique has raised some concerns about the resulting radiation dose. In this review, we will present the various methods allowing limiting the radiation dose exposure resulting from chest CT acquisitions, including the options of image filtering and iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms. The clinical applications of reduced dose protocols will be reviewed, especially for lung nodule detection and diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism. The performance of reduced dose protocols for infiltrative lung disease assessment will also be discussed. Lastly, the influence of using IR algorithms on computer-aided detection and volumetry of lung nodules, as well as on quantitative and functional assessment of chest diseases will be presented and discussed., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To directly compare the effect of a reconstruction algorithm on nodule detection capability of the computer-aided detection (CADe) system using standard-dose, reduced-dose and ultra-low dose chest CTs with and without adaptive iterative dose reduction 3D (AIDR 3D)., Materials and Methods: Our institutional review board approved this study, and written informed consent was obtained from each patient. Standard-, reduced- and ultra-low-dose chest CTs (250 mA, 50 mA and 10 mA) were used to examine 40 patients, 21 males (mean age ± standard deviation: 63.1 ± 11.0 years) and 19 females (mean age, 65.1 ± 12.7 years), and reconstructed as 1 mm-thick sections. Detection of nodule equal to more than 4 mm in dimeter was automatically performed by our proprietary CADe software. The utility of iterative reconstruction method for improving nodule detection capability, sensitivity and false positive rate (/case) of the CADe system using all protocols were compared by means of McNemar's test or signed rank test., Results: Sensitivity (SE: 0.43) and false-positive rate (FPR: 7.88) of ultra-low-dose CT without AIDR 3D was significantly inferior to those of standard-dose CTs (with AIDR 3D: SE, 0.78, p < .0001, FPR, 3.05, p < .0001; and without AIDR 3D: SE, 0.80, p < .0001, FPR: 2.63, p < .0001), reduced-dose CTs (with AIDR 3D: SE, 0.81, p < .0001, FPR, 3.05, p < .0001; and without AIDR 3D: SE, 0.62, p < .0001, FPR: 2.95, p < .0001) and ultra-low-dose CT with AIDR 3D (SE, 0.79, p < .0001, FPR, 4.88, p = .0001)., Conclusion: The AIDR 3D has a significant positive effect on nodule detection capability of the CADe system even when radiation dose is reduced., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is routinely subjected to gross evaluation in postmortem investigations; however, its use in chemical evaluations has not been fully realized. Analysis of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra with pattern recognition methods was applied to CSF samples. Rats were treated with pentylenetetrazol (PTZ) to induce seizure or pentobarbital (PB) to induce coma, and postmortem CSF was collected after CO 2 gas euthanization. Pattern recognition analysis of the NMR data was performed on individual postmortem CSF samples. The aim of this study was to determine if pattern recognition analysis of NMR data could be used to classify the rats according to their drug treatment. The applicability of NMR data with pattern recognition analysis using postmortem CSF was also assessed. Partial Least Squares-Discriminant Analysis (PLS-DA) score plots indicated that the PTZ, PB, and NS (control) groups were clustered and clearly separated. PLS-DA correlation loading plots showed respective spectral and category variances of 41% and 42% for factor 1, and 17% and 27% for factor 2. Thus, factors 1 and 2 together described 58% (41%+17%) and 69% (42%+27%) of the variation, respectively. NMR study of postmortem CSF has the potential to be utilized as both a novel forensic neurochemistry method and in the clinical setting., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To directly compare the capability of dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced (CE-) perfusion area-detector CT (ADCT) and PET/CT for early prediction of treatment response, disease progression and overall survival of non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) patients treated with chemoradiotherapy., Materials and Methods: Fifty-three consecutive Stage IIIB NSCLC patients who had undergone PET/CT, dynamic first-pass CE-perfusion ADCT, chemoradiotherapy, and follow-up examination were enrolled in this study. They were divided into two groups: 1) complete or partial response (CR+PR) and 2) stable or progressive disease (SD+PD). Pulmonary arterial and systemic arterial perfusions and total perfusion were assessed at targeted lesions with the dual-input maximum slope method, permeability surface and distribution volume with the Patlak plot method, tumor perfusion with the single-input maximum slope method, and SUV max , and results were averaged to determine final values for each patient. Next, step-wise regression analysis was used to determine which indices were the most useful for predicting therapeutic effect. Finally, overall survival of responders and non-responders assessed by using the indices that had a significant effect on prediction of therapeutic outcome was statistically compared., Results: The step-wise regression test showed that therapeutic effect (r 2 =0.63, p=0.01) was significantly affected by the following three factors in order of magnitude of impact: systemic arterial perfusion, total perfusion, and SUV max . Mean overall survival showed a significant difference for total perfusion (p=0.003) and systemic arterial perfusion (p=0.04)., Conclusion: Dynamic first-pass CE-perfusion ADCT as well as PET/CT are useful for treatment response prediction in NSCLC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The increase in the radiation exposure from CT examinations prompted the investigation on the various dose-reduction techniques. Significant dose reduction has been achieved and the level of radiation exposure of thoracic CT is expected to reach the level equivalent to several chest X-ray examinations. With more scanners with advanced dose reduction capability deployed, knowledge on the radiation dose reduction methods has become essential to clinical practice as well as academic research. This article reviews the history of dose reduction techniques, ongoing changes brought by newer technologies and areas of further investigation., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

With the development of functional imaging modalities we now have the ability to study the microenvironment of lung cancer and its genomic instability. Radiomics is defined as the use of automated or semi-automated post-processing and analysis of large amounts of quantitative imaging features that can be derived from medical images. The automated generation of these analytical features helps to quantify a number of variables in the imaging assessment of lung malignancy. These imaging features include: tumor spatial complexity, elucidation of the tumor genomic heterogeneity and composition, subregional identification in terms of tumor viability or aggressiveness, and response to chemotherapy and/or radiation. Therefore, a radiomic approach can help to reveal unique information about tumor behavior. Currently available radiomic features can be divided into four major classes: (a) morphological, (b) statistical, (c) regional, and (d) model-based. Each category yields quantitative parameters that reflect specific aspects of a tumor. The major challenge is to integrate radiomic data with clinical, pathological, and genomic information to decode the different types of tissue biology. There are many currently available radiomic studies on lung cancer for which there is a need to summarize the current state of the art., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

While the inauguration of national low dose computed tomographic (LDCT) lung cancer screening programs has started in the USA, other countries remain undecided, awaiting the results of ongoing trials. The continuous technical development achieved by stronger gradients, parallel imaging and shorter echo time has made lung magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) an interesting alternative to CT. For the detection of solid lesions with lung MRI, experimental and clinical studies have shown a threshold size of 3-4mm for nodules, with detection rates of 60-90% for lesions of 5-8mm and close to 100% for lesions of 8mm or larger. From experimental work, the sensitivity for infiltrative, non-solid lesions would be expected to be similarly high as that for solid lesions, but the published data for the MRI detection of lepidic growth type adenocarcinoma is sparse. Moreover, biological features such as a longer T2 time of lung cancer tissue, tissue compliance and a more rapid uptake of contrast material compared to granulomatous diseases, in principle should allow for the multi-parametric characterization of lung pathology. Experience with the clinical use of lung MRI is growing. There are now standardized protocols which are easy to implement on current scanner hardware configurations. The image quality has become more robust and currently ongoing studies will help to further contribute experience with multi-center, multi-vendor and multi-platform implementation of this technology. All of the required prerequisites have now been achieved to allow for a dedicated prospective large scale MRI based lung cancer screening trial to investigate the outcomes from using MRI rather than CT for lung cancer screening. This is driven by the hypothesis that MRI would reach a similarly high sensitivity for the detection of early lung cancer with fewer false positive exams (better specificity) than LDCT. The purpose of this review article is to discuss the potential role of lung MRI for the early detection of lung cancer from a technical point of view and to discuss a few of the possible scenarios for lung cancer screening implementation using this imaging modality. There is little doubt that MRI could play a significant role in lung cancer screening, but how and when will depend on the threshold needed for positive screens (e.g. lesion volume and required diagnostic accuracy), cost-effectiveness and improved patient outcomes from a reduction in the need to follow up benign nodules. Potential applications range from lung MRI as the first choice screening modality to the role of an ad hoc on site test for the detailed evaluation of a subgroup of positive screening results., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To prospectively and directly compare the capability for assessments of regional ventilation and pulmonary functional loss in smokers of xenon-ventilation CT obtained with the dual-energy CT (DE-CT) and subtraction CT (Sub-CT) MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three consecutive smokers (15 men and 8 women, mean age: 69.7±8.7years) underwent prospective unenhanced and xenon-enhanced CTs, the latter by Sub-CT and DE-CT methods, ventilation SPECT and pulmonary function tests. Sub-CT was generated from unenhanced and xenon-enhanced CT, and all co-registered SPECT/CT data were produced from SPECT and unenhanced CT data. For each method, regional ventilation was assessed by using a 11-point scoring system on a per-lobe basis. To determine the functional lung volume by each method, it was also calculated for individual sublets with a previously reported method. To determine inter-observer agreement for each method, ventilation defect assessment was evaluated by using the χ2 test with weighted kappa statistics. For evaluation of the efficacy of each method for pulmonary functional loss assessment, functional lung volume was correlated with%FEV 1 ., Results: Each inter-observer agreement was rated as substantial (Sub-CT: κ=0.69, p<0.0001; DE-CT: κ=0.64, p<0.0001; SPECT/CT: κ=0.64, p<0.0001). Functional lung volume for each method showed significant to good correlation with%FEV 1 (Sub-CT: r=0.72, p=0.0001; DE-CT: r=0.74, p<0.0001; SPECT/CT: r=0.66, p=0.0006)., Conclusion: Xenon-enhanced CT obtained by Sub-CT can be considered at least as efficacious as that obtained by DE-CT and SPECT/CT for assessment of ventilation abnormality and pulmonary functional loss in smokers., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The pulmonary vasculature and its role in perfusion and gas exchange is an important consideration in many conditions of the lung and heart. Currently the mainstay of imaging of the vasculature and perfusion of the lungs lies with CT and nuclear medicine perfusion scans, both of which require ionizing radiation exposure. Improvements in MRI techniques have increased the use of MRI in pulmonary vascular imaging. Here we review MRI methods for imaging the pulmonary vasculature and pulmonary perfusion, both using contrast enhanced and non-contrast enhanced methodology. In many centres pulmonary MR angiography and dynamic contrast enhanced perfusion MRI are now well established in the routine workflow of patients particularly with pulmonary hypertension and thromboembolic disease. However, these imaging modalities offer exciting new directions for future research and clinical use in other respiratory diseases where consideration of pulmonary perfusion and gas exchange can provide insight in to pathophysiology., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To directly compare the capability of three reconstruction methods using, respectively, forward projected model-based iterative reconstruction (FIRST), adaptive iterative dose reduction using three dimensional processing (AIDR 3D) and filter back projection (FBP) for radiation dose reduction and accuracy of computer-aided volumetry (CADv) measurements on chest CT examination in a phantom study., Materials and Methods: An anthropomorphic thoracic phantom with 30 simulated nodules of three density types (100, -630, and -800 HU) and five different diameters was scanned with an area-detector CT at tube currents of 270, 200, 120, 80, 40, 20, and 10mA. Each scanned data set was reconstructed as thin-section CT with three methods, and all simulated nodules were measured with CADv software. For comparison of the capability for CADv at each tube current, Tukey's HSD test was used to compare the percentage of absolute measurement errors for all three reconstruction methods. Absolute percentage measurement errors were then compared by means of Dunett's test for each tube current at 270mA (standard tube current)., Results: Mean absolute measurement errors of AIDR 3D and FIRST methods for each nodule type were significantly lower than those of the FBP method at 20mA and 10mA (p<0.05). In addition, absolute measurement errors of the FBP method at 20mA and 10mA was significantly higher than that at 270mA for all nodule types (p<0.05)., Conclusion: The FIRST and AIDR 3D methods are more effective than the FBP method for radiation dose reduction, while yielding better measurement accuracy of CADv for chest CT examination., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The detection of plankton DNA is one of the important methods for the diagnosis of drowning from postmortem tissues. This study investigated the quantities of picoplankton (Cyanobacteria) DNA in the lung, liver, kidney tissues and blood of drowned and non-drowned rabbits, and the sensitivity of detection of picoplankton DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detect for the diagnosis of death from drowning. For this purpose, the DNA of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene of picoplankton was quantitatively assayed from the tissues of drowned and non-drowned rabbits immersed in water after death. Each of the liver, kidney and lung tissues and blood were obtained from drowned and non-drowned rabbits. Picoplankton DNA in the tissues was extracted using the DNeasy® Blood & Tissue kit to determine the yield of picoplankton DNA from each tissue. TaqMan real-time PCR was performed for quantitative analysis of picoplankton DNA. Target DNA was detected in the liver, kidney and lung samples obtained from the drowned rabbits, while no picoplankton DNA was detected in the non-drowned rabbit tissues (except in lung samples). The results verified that direct PCR for the detection of picoplankton DNA is useful for the diagnosis of drowning. Although we observed seasonal changes in the quantity of picoplankton in river water, we were able to detect DNA from various organs of drowned bodies during the season when picoplankton were not the most abundant., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of three-dimensional (3D) lung motion on inspiratory and expiratory CT for pulmonary functional loss in smoking-related COPD in comparison with lung destruction and air trapping assessments., Method and Materials: Forty-four consecutive smokers and COPD patients prospectively underwent inspiratory and expiratory CT. A 3D motion vector map was generated from these CTs, and regional motion magnitudes were measured at the horizontal axis (X-axis), the ventrodorsal axis (Y-axis), and the craniocaudal axis (Z-axis). All mean magnitudes within the entire lung (MMLX, MMLY, and MMLZ) were normalized by expiratory CT lung volume. Moreover, CT-based functional lung volume (FLV) on inspiratory CT and air trapping lung volume (ATLV) on expiratory CT were assessed quantitatively. To evaluate the capability for pulmonary function loss assessment, all MMLs were correlated with pulmonary function tests. Then, discrimination analysis was performed to determine the concordance capability for clinical stage, and correct classification capabilities were compared by means of McNemar's test., Results: Multiple regression analysis showed MMLY (β=0.657, p<0.001) and FLV (β=0.375, p=0.019) were correlated with percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 second. Correct classification capabilities using patient characteristics and MMLs (68.2 (30/44)%) were significantly higher than those obtained by patient characteristics, FLV, and ATLV (54.5 (24/44)%), p=0.031)., Conclusion: 3D lung motion parameter assessment is useful for smoking-related COPD assessment as well as lung parenchymal destruction and/or air trapping evaluations., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine the capability and influence of the mathematical method on dynamic contrast-enhanced (CE-) perfusion area detector CT (ADCT) for early prediction of treatment response as well as progression free and overall survival (PFS and OS) of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated with chemoradiotherapy., Materials and Methods: Sixty-six consecutive stage III NSCLC patients underwent dynamic CE-perfusion ADCT examinations, chemoradiotherapy and follow-up examinations. Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria were used to divide all patients into responders and non-responders. Differences in each of the indices for all targeted lesions between measurements obtained 2 weeks prior to the first and the third course of chemotherapy were determined for all patients. ROC analyses were employed to determine the capability of perfusion indices as markers for distinguishing RECIST responders from non-responders. To evaluate their capability for early prediction of therapeutic effect, OS of perfusion index-based responders and non-responders were compared by using the Kaplan-Meier method followed by log-rank test., Results: Area under the curve (Az) for total perfusion by means of the dual-input maximum slope method was significantly larger than that of pulmonary arterial perfusion using the same method (p=0.007) and of perfusion with the single-input maximum slope method (p=0.007). Mean OS demonstrated significantly difference between responder- and non-responder groups for total perfusion (p=0.02)., Conclusion: Mathematical models have significant influence on assessment for early prediction of treatment response, disease progression and overall survival using dynamic CE-perfusion ADCT for NSCLC patients treated with chemoradiotherapy., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To directly compare the capability of hybrid-type iterative reconstruction (i.e., adaptive iterative dose reduction using 3D processing: AIDR 3D) and filter back projection (FBP) for radiation dose reduction during dynamic contrast-enhanced (CE-) perfusion area-detector CT (ADCT) for lung and nodule perfusion assessment., Materials and Methods: Thirty-six patients with lung cancers who underwent perfusion ADCT (SD-ADCT) at 120 mA and were enrolled in this study. ADCT data at 80 mA (reduced-dose ADCT: RD-ADCT), 60 mA (low-dose ADCT: LD-ADCT) and 40 mA (very low-dose ADCT: VLD-ADCT) were computationally simulated using SD-ADCT data, and reconstructed with and without AIDR 3D. Image noise and lung and nodule perfusion parameters were evaluated using ROI measurements. To determine the utility of AIDR 3D for dose reduction, image noise was compared between each protocol with and without AIDR 3D by means of the t-test. Correlations and limits of agreement for parameters obtained with SD-ADCT and other protocols were also evaluated., Results: Image noise of all protocols with AIDR 3D was significantly lower than that of LD-ADCT and VLD-ADCT without AIDR 3D (p<0.05). Significant correlations for image noise between SD-ADCT and all protocols with AIDR 3D (0.45 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, p<0.0001) were equal to or better than that without AIDR 3D (0.28 ≤ r ≤ 0.99, p<0.0001). The limits of agreement for perfusion parameters with AIDR 3D were smaller than those without AIDR 3D for each tube current., Conclusion: AIDR 3D is more effective than FBP for dose reduction of perfusion ADCT while maintaining image quality and reducing measurement errors., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To prospectively compare the diagnostic capability of diffusion-weighted MR imaging obtained with fast advantage spin-echo sequence (FASE-DWI) and echo planar imaging sequence (EPI-DWI), short inversion time inversion recovery fast advanced spin-echo (STIR FASE) imaging and FDG PET/CT for N-stage assessment of non-small cell carcinoma (NSCLC) patients., Materials and Methods: 95 consecutive operable NSCLC patients underwent STIR FASE imaging, FASE-DWI and EPI-DWI with a 3T system, integrated PET/CT, surgical treatment and pathological and follow-up examinations. Probability of lymph node metastasis was visually assessed using a 5-point visual scoring system. ROC analyses were used to compare diagnostic capability of all methods, while their diagnostic performance was also compared by means of McNemar's test on a per node basis. Finally, McNemar's test was also used for statistical comparison of accuracy of N-stage assessment., Results: Areas under the curve (Azs) for STIR FASE imaging (Az=0.95) and FASE-DWI (Az=0.92) were significantly larger than those for EPI-DWI (Az=0.78; p<0.0001 for STIR FSE imaging and FASE-DWI) and PET/CT (Az=0.85; p=0.0001 for STIR FSE imaging, p=0.03 for FASE-DWI) on a per node basis analysis. Accuracy of N-stage assessment using STIR FASE imaging (84.2% [80/95]) and FASE-DWI (83.2% [79/95]) was significantly higher than that using EPI-DWI (76.8% [73/95]; p=0.02 for STIR FASE imaging, p=0.03 for FASE-DWI) and PET/CT (73.7% [70/95]; p=0.002 for STIR FSE imaging, p=0.004 for FASE-DWI)., Conclusion: Qualitative N-stage assessments of NSCLC patients obtained with FASE-DWI as well as STIR FASE imaging are more sensitive and/or accurate than those obtained with EPI-DWI and FDG PET/CT., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

We present a fatal case of a gastrothorax due to an acute gastric volvulus resulting from a Bochdalek hernia. A 5-year-old boy without previous medical history was brought to our institution in a state of cardiopulmonary arrest and was subsequently pronounced dead. Postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) of the torso showed abdominal organs involving the lower section of the esophagus up to the entire stomach, the left side of the transverse colon, the entire spleen, and the tail of the pancreas herniated into the left thoracic cavity. The stomach was markedly expanded and a mesentero-axial (rotation along the short axis) volvulus was observed, displacing mediastinal structures to the right side and depressing the diaphragmatic contour. A PMCT of the thorax at the lung window setting revealed displacement of bilateral lungs. The bilateral lungs were severely atelectatic and congested. The PMCT findings mentioned above were consistent with the autopsy findings. PMCT can provide useful information for the diagnosis in cases we initially cannot predict any significant changes, for example, organ displacement., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare lung nodule detection performance (LNDP) in computed tomography (CT) with adaptive iterative dose reduction using three dimensional processing (AIDR3D) between ultra-low dose CT (ULDCT) and low dose CT (LDCT)., Materials and Methods: This was part of the Area-detector Computed Tomography for the Investigation of Thoracic Diseases (ACTIve) Study, a multicenter research project being conducted in Japan. Institutional Review Board approved this study and informed consent was obtained. Eighty-three subjects (body mass index, 23.3 ± 3.2) underwent chest CT at 6 institutions using identical scanners and protocols. In a single visit, each subject was scanned using different tube currents: 240, 120 and 20 mA (3.52, 1.74 and 0.29 mSv, respectively). Axial CT images with 2-mm thickness/increment were reconstructed using AIDR3D. Standard of reference (SOR) was determined based on CT images at 240 mA by consensus reading of 2 board-certificated radiologists as to the presence of lung nodules with the longest diameter (LD) of more than 3mm. Another 5 radiologists independently assessed and recorded presence/absence of lung nodules and their locations by continuously-distributed rating in CT images at 20 mA (ULDCT) and 120 mA (LDCT). Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate LNDP of both methods in total and also in subgroups classified by LD (>4, 6 and 8 mm) and nodular characteristics (solid and ground glass nodules)., Results: For SOR, 161 solid and 60 ground glass nodules were identified. No significant difference in LNDP for entire solid nodules was demonstrated between both methods, as area under ROC curve (AUC) was 0.844 ± 0.017 in ULDCT and 0.876 ± 0.026 in LDCT (p=0.057). For ground glass nodules with LD 8mm or more, LNDP was similar between both methods, as AUC 0.899 ± 0.038 in ULDCT and 0.941 ± 0.030 in LDCT. (p=0.144)., Conclusion: ULDCT using AIDR3D with an equivalent radiation dose to chest x-ray could have comparable LNDP to LDCT with AIDR3D except for smaller ground glass nodules in cases with normal range body habitus., (Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

We present two cases of a pericardial tear as a consequence of cardiopulmonary resuscitation involving chest compressions in fatal acute type A aortic dissection (AoD) with hemopericardium. For each case, postmortem computed tomography revealed a hematoma in the false lumen of the ascending aorta with a slight hemopericardium and a large left hemothorax, as well as focal pericardial dimpling and discontinuity around the left ventricle. At autopsy, we confirmed a convex lens-shape gaping pericardial tear at the left posterolateral site of the pericardium and a massive volume of bloody fluid in the left thoracic cavity. It has been hypothesized that the pericardium ruptured due to chest compressions during resuscitation in these cases of acute type A AoD with hemopericardium and that intrapericardial blood leakage through the pericardial tear resulted in a hemothorax., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the appropriate parameters and evaluation method for characterizing solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) using quantitative parameters of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)., Methods: Thirty-two subjects with 36 SPNs underwent DWI with seven different b values (0, 50, 100, 150, 300, 500, and 1000s/mm(2)). Five quantitative parameters were obtained from the region of interest drawn over each SPN: apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), true diffusion coefficients (DCs), and perfusion fractions (PFs), and signal-intensity ratios between lesion and spinal cord from DWI (b values: 1000 [LSR1000] and 500 [LSR500)]). All quantitative parameters and the diagnostic capabilities were statistically compared., Results: SPNs were diagnosed as follow: malignant (n=27) and benign (n=9). Parameter comparisons for malignant and benign showed both LSRs differed significantly (p<0.05). Applying feasible threshold values showed LSR500 specificity (88.9% [8/9]) and accuracy (77.8% [28/36]) were significantly higher than ADC, DC, and PF specificity and accuracy (p<0.05). LSR1000 accuracy (72.2% [26/36]) was significantly higher than DC accuracy, and its specificity (88.9% [8/9]) was significantly higher than ADC, DC, and PF specificities (p<0.05)., Conclusions: For quantitative differentiation of SPNs, LSR evaluation was more useful and practical than ADC, DC, and PF, and choice of b values showed little impact for the differentiation., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the effects of adaptive iterative dose reduction using 3D processing (AIDR 3D) for quantification of two measures of emphysema: percentage of low-attenuation volume (LAV%) and size distribution of low-attenuation lung regions., Method and Materials: Fifty-two patients who underwent standard-dose (SDCT) and low-dose CT (LDCT)were included. SDCT without AIDR 3D, LDCT without AIDR 3D, and LDCT with AIDR 3D were used for emphysema quantification. First, LAV% was computed at 10 thresholds from −990 to −900 HU. Next, at the same thresholds, linear regression on a log–log plot was used to compute the power law exponent (D)for the cumulative frequency-size distribution of low-attenuation lung regions. Bland–Altman analysis was used to assess whether AIDR 3D improved agreement between LDCT and SDCT for emphysema quantification of LAV% and D., Results: The mean relative differences in LAV% between LDCT without AIDR 3D and SDCT were 3.73%–88.18% and between LDCT with AIDR 3D and SDCT were −6.61% to 0.406%. The mean relative differences in D between LDCT without AIDR 3D and SDCT were 8.22%–19.11% and between LDCT with AIDR3D and SDCT were 1.82%–4.79%. AIDR 3D improved agreement between LDCT and SDCT at thresholds from −930 to −990 HU for LAV% and at all thresholds for D., Conclusion: AIDR 3D improved the consistency between LDCT and SDCT for emphysema quantification of LAV% and D., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Computed tomography currently accounts for the majority of radiation exposure related to medical imaging. Although technological improvement of CT scanners has reduced the radiation dose of individual examinations, the benefit was overshadowed by the rapid increase in the number of CT examinations. Radiation exposure from CT examination should be kept as low as reasonably possible for patient safety. Measures to avoid inappropriate CT examinations are needed. Principles and information on radiation dose reduction in chest CT are reviewed in this article. The reduction of tube current and tube potential are the mainstays of dose reduction methods. Study results indicate that routine protocols with reduced tube current are feasible with diagnostic results comparable to conventional standard dose protocols. Tube current adjustment is facilitated by the advent of automatic tube current modulation systems by setting the appropriate image quality level for the purpose of the examination. Tube potential reduction is an effective method for CT pulmonary angiography. Tube potential reduction often requires higher tube current for satisfactory image quality, but may still contribute to significant radiation dose reduction. Use of lower tube potential also has considerable advantage for smaller patients. Improvement in image production, especially the introduction of iterative reconstruction methods, is expected to lower radiation dose significantly. Radiation dose reduction in CT is a multifaceted issue. Understanding these aspects leads to an optimal solution for various indications of chest CT., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this investigation was to compare magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo (MP-RAGE) images with T1-weighted images (T1WI) and T2-weighted images (T1W2) of postmortem brain tissue fixed by admixtures of formalin and gadoteridol. We additionally sought to explore the feasibility of using fixed brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRIs) in forensic practices., Methods: Specimens included in the study were eight whole brains that had been removed during forensic autopsy. Brain specimens were randomly divided into three groups and MRIs were performed either (A) the day of autopsy (n=2) on unfixed tissue, (B) after immersion fixation in 20% formalin (n=3), or (C) after immersion fixation in 20% formalin mixed with 4 mL/L ProHance® (gadoteridol) (n=3). T1WI, T2WI, and MP-RAGE images of all group samples were acquired with a 3T clinical MR scanner. Gray and white matter contrasts of the cortex and basal nucleus in every fixation group and image sequence were then visually compared., Results: Gray/white matter contrasts of the cortex were good in all images obtained by MP-RAGE, and T1WIs of specimens fixed by formalin and gadoteridol-mixed formalin. Additionally, gray/white matter contrast in the basal nucleus was sufficient in the MP-RAGE sequence of specimens fixed by gadoteridol-mixed formalin., Conclusions: MRI of brains immersion-fixed in formalin and gadolinium could serve as a promising tool for neuropathological assessment in forensic practices., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate and compare the capability of diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) and CT for assessment of management needs for anterior mediastinal solitary tumors., Materials and Methods: Thirty-five patients with pathologically confirmed anterior mediastinal tumors were enrolled. The tumors were divided into two groups according to need for management: tumors not needing further intervention or treatment (group A; thymoma type A, AB and B1) and tumors needing further intervention and treatment (group B; other thymoma types and malignancies). The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of each tumor was measured, and probabilities of malignancy and need for further intervention and treatment were visually assessed on CT. The differences in ADCs between group A and B and between malignancies and thymomas in group B were evaluated with the Mann-Whitney's U-test. Feasible threshold values for differentiation of group B from group A and distinguishing malignancies from thymomas assessed as group B were determined by the ROC-based positive test, and McNemar's test was used for comparing diagnostic capabilities of DWI with those of CT., Results: ADCs for the two groups were significantly different (p<0.001). Application of the threshold value for differentiation of group B from A showed no significant difference (p>0.05). Application of the feasible threshold value for distinguishing malignant from thymomas assessed as group B showed that specificity (76.9%) and accuracy (85.2%) of DWI were significantly better than those of visual score (p<0.05)., Conclusion: DWI has useful potential for the assessment of management needs for anterior mediastinum solitary tumors as well as CT., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To prospectively and directly compare oxygen-enhanced (O2-enhanced) MRI with thin-section CT for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessment in connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD)., Materials and Methods: Thin-section CT, O2-enhanced MRI, pulmonary function test and serum KL-6 were administered to 36 CTD patients with ILD (23 men, 13 women; mean age: 63.9 years) and nine CTD patients without ILD (six men, and three women; mean age: 62.0 years). A relative-enhancement ratio (RER) map was generated from O2-enhanced MRI and mean relative enhancement ratio (MRER) for each subject was calculated from all ROI measurements. CT-assessed disease severity was evaluated with a visual scoring system from each of the thin-section CT data. MRER and CT-assessed disease severities of CTD patients with and without ILD were then statistically compared. To assess capability for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessment in CTD patients, correlations of MRER and CT-assessed disease severity with pulmonary functional parameters and serum KL-6 in all subjects were statistically determined., Results: MRER and CT-assessed disease severity showed significant differences between CTD patients with (MRER: 0.15 ± 0.08, CT-assessed disease severity: 13.0 ± 7.4%) and without ILD (MRER: 0.25 ± 0.06, p=0.0011; CT-assessed disease severity: 1.6 ± 1.6%, p<0.0001). MRER and CT-assessed disease severity correlated significantly with pulmonary functional parameters and serum KL-6 in all subjects (0.61 ≤ r ≤ 0.79, p<0.05)., Conclusion: O2-enhanced MRI was found to be as useful as thin-section CT for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessment of CTD patients with ILD., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare diagnostic capabilities for assessment of recurrence in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients by contrast-enhanced whole-body MRI (CE-WB-MRI) with and without CE-Quick 3D and double RF fat suppression technique (DFS), FDG-PET/CT and conventional radiological examinations., Materials and Methods: A total of 134 pathologically proven and completely resected NSCLC patients (78 males, 56 females; mean age: 72 years) underwent FDG-PET/CT, CE-WB-MRI with and without Quick 3D and DFS at 3T as well as conventional radiological examinations. The probability of recurrence was assessed with a 5-point scoring system on a per-patient basis, and final diagnosis was made by consensus between two readers. The capability for overall recurrence assessment by all the methods was compared by means of ROC analysis and their sensitivity, specificity and accuracy by means of McNemar's test., Results: Although areas under the curve did not show any significant differences, specificity (100%) and accuracy (95.5%) of CE-WB-MRI with CE-Quick 3D and DFS were significantly higher than those of FDG-PET/CT (specificity: 93.6%, p=0.02; accuracy: 89.6%, p=0.01) and conventional radiological examinations (specificity: 92.7%, p=0.01; accuracy: 91.0%, p=0.03). In addition, specificity of CE-WB-MRI without CE-Quick 3D and DFS (100%) was significantly higher than that of FDG-PET/CT (p=0.02) and conventional radiological examinations (p=0.01)., Conclusion: Specificity and accuracy of CE-WB-MRI with CE-Quick 3D and DFS for assessment of recurrence in NSCLC patients are at least as high as, or higher than those of others., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the utility of pulmonary magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with ultra-short echo times (UTEs) at a 3.0 T MR system for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of connective tissue disease (CTD) patients with interstitial lung disease (ILD)., Materials and Methods: This prospective study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from 18 CTD patients (eight men and ten women) and eight normal subjects with suspected chest disease (three men and five women). All subjects underwent thin-section MDCT, pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs, pulmonary function test and serum KL-6. Regional T2 maps were generated from each MR data set, and mean T2 values were determined from ROI measurements. From each thin-section MDCT data set, CT-based disease severity was evaluated with a visual scoring system. Mean T2 values for normal and CTD subjects were statistically compared by using Student's t-test. To assess capability for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments, mean T2 values were statistically correlated with pulmonary functional parameters, serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity., Results: Mean T2 values for normal and CTD subjects were significantly different (p=0.0019) and showed significant correlations with %VC, %DLCO, serum KL-6 and CT-based disease severity of CTD patients (p<0.05)., Conclusion: Pulmonary MR imaging with UTEs is useful for pulmonary functional loss and disease severity assessments of CTD patients with ILD., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To compare the reading times and detection performances of radiologists in concurrent-reader and second-reader modes of computer-aided detection (CAD) for lung nodules on multidetector computed tomography (CT)., Materials and Methods: Fifty clinical multidetector CT datasets containing nodules up to 20mm in diameter were retrospectively collected. For the detection and rating of non-calcified nodules larger than 4mm in diameter, 6 radiologists (3 experienced radiologists and 3 resident radiologists) independently interpreted these datasets twice, once with concurrent-reader CAD and once with second-reader CAD. The reference standard of nodules in the datasets was determined by the consensus of two experienced chest radiologists. The reading times and detection performances in the two modes of CAD were statistically compared, where jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis was used for the comparison of detection performances., Results: Two hundreds and seven nodules constituted the reference standard. Reading time was significantly shorter in the concurrent-reader mode than in the second-reader mode, with the mean reading time for the 6 radiologists being 132s with concurrent-reader CAD and 210s with second-reader CAD (p<0.01). JAFROC analysis revealed no significant difference between the detection performances in the two modes, with the average figure-of-merit value for the 6 radiologists being 0.70 with concurrent-reader CAD and 0.72 with second-reader CAD (p=0.35)., Conclusion: In CAD for lung nodules on multidetector CT, the concurrent-reader mode is more time-efficient than the second-reader mode, and there can be no significant difference between the two modes in terms of detection performance of radiologists., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Penetrating head injury by foreign body is relatively uncommon and has been scattered reported in the literature. In this case, a transorbital impalement wound inflicted by bamboo objects was discussed. A 61-year-old alcoholized man died from a transorbital intracranial wound due to penetration of the left orbit after falling from a slope beside the road. Although the facial impalement injury was small and unobtrusive, the penetrating trauma itself could induce lethal consequences, special attention should be paid to such kind of cases. The autopsy and pathological examination revealed subarachnoid hemorrhage, brain contusion and intraparenchymal hematoma. Some pieces of bamboo were also detected in the left anterior cranial fossa. Based on all of the evidence and information, we can draw a conclusion that the bamboo was the instrument causing the injuries and the case was considered as accident., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To assess the effects of image reconstruction method on hepatic CT perfusion (CTP) values using two CT protocols with different radiation doses., Materials and Methods: Sixty patients underwent hepatic CTP and were randomly divided into two groups. Tube currents of 210 or 250 mA were used for the standard dose group and 120 or 140 mA for the low dose group. The higher currents were selected for large patients. Demographic features of the groups were compared. CT images were reconstructed by using filtered back projection (FBP), image filter (quantum de-noising, QDS), and adaptive iterative dose reduction (AIDR). Hepatic arterial and portal perfusion (HAP and HPP, ml/min/100ml) and arterial perfusion fraction (APF, %) were calculated using the dual-input maximum slope method. ROIs were placed on each hepatic segment. Perfusion and Hounsfield unit (HU) values, and image noises (standard deviations of HU value, SD) were measured and compared between the groups and among the methods., Results: There were no significant differences in the demographic features of the groups, nor were there any significant differences in mean perfusion and HU values for either the groups or the image reconstruction methods. Mean SDs of each of the image reconstruction methods were significantly lower (p<0.0001) for the standard dose group than the low dose group, while mean SDs for AIDR were significantly lower than those for FBP for both groups (p=0.0006 and 0.013). Radiation dose reductions were approximately 45%., Conclusions: Image reconstruction method did not affect hepatic perfusion values calculated by dual-input maximum slope method with or without radiation dose reductions. AIDR significantly reduced images noises., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To report initial experience of upper abdominal perfusion measurement with 320-detector row CT (CTP) for assessment of liver diseases and therapeutic effects., Materials and Methods: Thirty-eight patients who were suspected of having a liver disease underwent CTP. There were two patients with liver metastases, two with hemangiomas, and four with cirrhosis (disease group). CTP was repeated for four patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after therapy. Hepatic arterial and portal perfusion (HAP and HPP) and arterial perfusion fraction (APF), and arterial perfusion (AP) of pancreas, spleen, stomach, and intra-portal HCC were calculated. For disease-free patients (normal group), the values were compared among liver segments and among pancreatic and gastric parts. The values were compared between groups and before and after therapy., Results: No significant differences were found in the normal group except between APFs for liver segments 3 and 5, and fundus and antrum. Mean HAP and APF for the disease group were significantly higher than for the normal group. APF increased after partial splenic embolization or creation of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. HPP increased and AP of intra-portal HCC decreased after successful radiotherapy., Conclusions: 320-Detector row CT makes it possible to conduct perfusion measurements of the whole upper abdomen. Our preliminary results suggested that estimated perfusion values have the potential to be used for evaluation of hepatic diseases and therapeutic effects., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To compare the efficacy of three analytic methods, maximum slope (MS), dual-input single-compartment model (CM) and deconvolution (DC), for CT measurements of hepatic perfusion and assess the effects of extra-hepatic systemic factors., Materials and Methods: Eighty-eight patients who were suspected of having metastatic liver tumors underwent hepatic CT perfusion. The scans were performed at the hepatic hilum 7-77 s after administration of contrast material. Hepatic arterial and portal perfusions (HAP and HPP, ml/min/100 ml) and arterial perfusion fraction (APF, %) were calculated with the three methods, followed by correlation assessment. Partial correlation analysis was used to assess the effects on hepatic perfusion values by various factors such as age, sex, risk of cardiovascular diseases, arrival time of contrast material at abdominal aorta, transit time from abdominal aorta to hepatic parenchyma, and liver dysfunction., Results: Mean HAP of MS was significantly higher than DC. HPP of CM was significantly higher than MS and CM, and HPP of MS was significantly higher than DC. There was no significant difference in APF. HAP and APF showed significant and moderate correlations among the methods. HPP showed significant and moderate correlations between CM and DC, and poor correlation between MS and CM or DC. All methods showed weak correlations between HAP or APF and age or sex. Finally, MS showed weak correlations between HAP or HPP and arrival time or cardiovascular risks., Conclusions: Hepatic perfusion values arrived at with the three methods are not interchangeable. CM and DC are less susceptible to extra-hepatic systemic factors., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: Hypothyroidism is a common complication in patients receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors. We evaluated the relationship between thyroid size evident on CT and thyroid function in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma (RCC) receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors., Materials and Methods: Forty-two patients with metastatic RCC receiving tyrosine kinase inhibitors (sorafenib n=25; sunitinib n=17) and, followed-up for ≥12 months were eligible. Patients who had ever shown an elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) level of >10 mU/l were defined as having "hypothyroidism". CT scans were performed before, and 3, 6, 9, and 12 months after the start of treatment. The area of the thyroid in the maximum section at each examination was measured and compared with that before treatment. Using repeated-measures ANOVA, differences in thyroid size were compared over time between patients with and without "hypothyroidism", in relation to the type of drug employed., Results: Twenty-one patients (sorafenib 9, sunitinib 12) developed "hypothyroidism" 95±88 days (range 12-315 days) after the start of treatment. In such patients, the thyroid was reduced in size to 89±16% after 3 months, 81±21% after 6 months, 71±21% after 9 months and 68±21% after 12 months, whereas the patients without "hypothyroidism" maintained a thyroid size of 90±12% even after 12 months (p=0.0030). Among the patients with "hypothyroidism", those treated with sunitinib tended to show greater thyroid size reduction than those with sorafenib (59±23% vs. 79±13%, after 12 months)., Conclusion: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors cause an apparent thyroid size reduction in patients with "hypothyroidism"., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: To investigate the degree of the effect of aging and weight-bearing on T1rho values in normal cartilage., Materials and Methods: Thirty-two asymptomatic patients were examined using 3.0-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine knee cartilage T1rho values and T2 values. The femoral and tibial cartilage was divided into weight-bearing (WB-Rs) and less-weight-bearing (LWB-Rs) regions. Single regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between cartilage T1rho values and age and between T2 values and age. Analysis of variance and post hoc-testing were used to evaluate differences in WB-Rs and LWB-Rs cartilage T1rho values and T2 values. Multiple linear regression modeling was performed to predict cartilage T1rho values., Results: Cartilage T1rho values correlated positively with age for all cartilage regions tested (p<0.001). There were no significant correlations between cartilage T2 values and age. In both the medial femoral and tibial cartilage, T1rho values were significantly higher in WB-Rs than in LWB-Rs (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in T2 values between WB-Rs and LWB-Rs. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that both age and weight-bearing were significant predictors of increased medial knee cartilage T1rho values (p<0.001)., Conclusions: Aging and the degree of weight-bearing correlate with the change in cartilage T1rho values. Based on multiple regression modeling, aging may be a more important factor than weight-bearing for cartilage T1rho values., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the capability of reduced-dose chest CT with three-dimensional (3D) automatic exposure control (AEC) on quantitative assessment of emphysematous change in smoker' lung parenchyma, compared to standard chest CT., Methods: Twenty consecutive smoker patients (mean age 62.8 years) underwent CT examinations using a standard protocol (150 mAs) and a protocol with 3D-AEC. In this study, the targeted standard deviations number was set to 160. For quantitative assessment of emphysematous change in lung parenchyma in each subject using the standard protocol, a percentage of voxels less than -950 HU in the lung (%LAA(-950)) was calculated. The 3D-AEC protocol's %LAA was computed from of voxel percentages under selected threshold CT value. The differences of radiation doses between these two protocols were evaluated, and %LAAs(-950) was compared with the 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs., Results: Mean dose length products were 780.2 ± 145.5 mGy cm (standard protocol), and 192.0 ± 95.9 (3D-AEC protocol). There was significant difference between them (paired Student's t test, p<0.00001). Meanwhile, only setting -960 HU yielded no significant difference (paired Student's t test, p=0.32) between %LAAs(-950) and 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs. In adopting the feasible threshold CT values of the 3D-AEC protocol, the 3D-AEC protocol %LAAs were significantly correlated with %LAAs(-950) (r = 0.98, p<0.001) and limits of agreement from Bland-Altman analysis was 0.52 ± 4.3%., Conclusions: Changing threshold CT values demonstrated that reduced-dose chest CT with 3D-AEC can substitute for the standard protocol in assessments of emphysematous change in smoker' lung parenchyma., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to directly and prospectively compare the capability of dynamic O(2)-enhanced MRI and quantitatively assessed thin-section MDCT to assess smokers' COPD in a large prospective cohort., Materials and Methods: The GOLD criteria for smokers were used to classify 187 smokers into four clinical stage groups as follows: smokers without COPD (n=56) and with mild (n=54), moderate (n=52) and severe or very severe COPD (n=24). All smokers underwent dynamic O(2)-enhanced MRI, MDCT and pulmonary function tests. Mean relative enhancement ratio and mean wash-in time on MRI and CT-based functional lung volume (CT-based FLV) as well as the ratio of airway wall area to total airway area on MDCT were computationally calculated. Then, all indexes were significantly correlated with functional parameters. To determine the efficacy of all indexes for clinical stage classification, the indexes for the four clinical groups were statistically compared by using Tukey's honestly significant difference multiple comparison test., Results: All indexes had significant correlations with functional parameters (p<0.0001). All indexes except CT-based FLV in all groups had significant differences each other (p<0.05)., Conclusions: Dynamic O(2)-enhanced MRI for assessment of COPD in smokers is potentially as efficacious as quantitatively assessed thin-section MDCT., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate potential benefits of using multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) in computer-aided detection (CAD) of lung nodules on multidetector computed tomography (MDCT)., Materials and Methods: MDCT datasets of 60 patients with suspected lung nodules were retrospectively collected. Using "second-read" CAD, two radiologists (Readers 1 and 2) independently interpreted these datasets for the detection of non-calcified nodules (≥ 4 mm) with concomitant confidence rating. They did this task twice, first without MPR (using only axial images), and then 4 weeks later with MPR (using also coronal and sagittal MPR images), where the total reading time per dataset, including the time taken to assess the detection results of CAD software (CAD assessment time), was recorded. The total reading time and CAD assessment time without MPR and those with MPR were statistically compared for each reader. The radiologists' performance for detecting nodules without MPR and the performance with MPR were compared using jackknife free-response receiver operating characteristic (JAFROC) analysis., Results: Compared to the CAD assessment time without MPR (mean, 69s and 57s for Readers 1 and 2), the CAD assessment time with MPR (mean, 46s and 45s for Readers 1 and 2) was significantly reduced (P<0.001). For Reader 1, the total reading time was also significantly shorter in the case with MPR. There was no significant difference between the detection performances without MPR and with MPR., Conclusion: The use of MPR has the potential to improve the workflow in CAD of lung nodules on MDCT., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To determine the capability of quantitative bronchial luminal volume to assess pulmonary function loss and disease severity in pulmonary emphysema patients., Methods: Thirty-seven smokers (mean age, 68.1 years) underwent CT examinations and pulmonary function tests. For the quantitative assessment, luminal voxels of trachea and bronchi were computationally counted and the ratio of the following luminal voxels to all luminal voxels was obtained: (1) the lobe bronchi and the peripheral bronchi (Ratio(lobe)), and (2) the main bronchi and the peripheral bronchi (Ratio(main)). To determine the capability of these assessments to predict pulmonary function loss, these ratios were correlated with pulmonary function tests. To determine the capability for predicting disease severity, these ratios were compared between clinical groups., Results: These ratios were no significant correlated with vital capacity and forced vital capacity (FVC) (p > 0.05), however significantly correlated with forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) (Ratio(lobe): r = 0.61, p < 0.0001, Ratio(main): r = 0.58, p < 0.0005) and FEV1/FVC (Ratio(lobe): r = 0.36, p < 0.05, Ratio(main): r = 0.33, p < 0.05). The Ratio(lobe) of smokers without COPD was significantly different from those of moderate COPD and severe or very severe COPD (p < 0.05), while that of mild COPD was significantly different from that of severe or very severe COPD (p < 0.01). The Ratio(main) of severe or very severe COPD patients was significantly different from those of other groups (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Quantitative bronchial luminal volumes were reflected the airflow limitation parameters and was corresponded to clinical groups in emphysema patients., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Magnetic resonance imaging thermometry has been introduced as a technique for measurement of temperature changes in cooling dead rats. Rat pelvic magnetic resonance images were acquired sequentially more than 2h after euthanasia by halothane overdose. A series of temperature difference maps in cooling dead rats was obtained with calculating imaging phase changes induced by the water proton frequency shift caused by temperature changes. Different cooling processes were monitored by the temperature difference maps in the rats. Magnetic resonance imaging thermometry applied in the study of laboratory animals could theoretically reproduce a variety of causes of death with different environmental conditions. Outcomes from experimental animal studies could be translated into a temperature-based time of death estimation in forensics., (Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To compare the capability of 320-detector row CT (area-detector CT: ADCT) with step-and-shoot scan protocol for small abdominal vasculature assessment with that of 64-detector row CT with helical scan protocol., Materials and Methods: Total of 60 patients underwent contrast-enhanced abdominal CT for preoperative assessment. Of all, 30 suspected to have lung cancer underwent ADCT using step-and-shoot scan protocol. The other 30 suspected to have renal cell carcinoma underwent 64-MDCT using helical scan protocol. Two experienced radiologists independently assessed inferior epigastric, hepatic subsegmental (in the segment 8), mesenteric marginal (Griffith point) and inferior phrenic arteries by using 5-point visual scoring systems. Kappa analysis was used for evaluation of interobserver agreement. To compare the visualization capability of the two systems, the Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the scores for each of the arteries., Results: Overall interobserver agreements for both systems were almost perfect (κ>0.80). Visualization scores for inferior epigastric and mesenteric arteries were significantly higher for ADCT than for 64-detector row CT (p<0.05). No significant difference was found for hepatic subsegmental and inferior phrenic arteries., Conclusion: Small abdominal vasculature assessment by ADCT with step-and-shoot scan protocol is potentially equal to or better than that by 64-detector row CT with helical scan protocol., (Crown Copyright © 2010. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)