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The estimation of sex is a central step to establish the biological profile of an anonymous skeletal individual. Imaging techniques, including bone densitometry, have been used to evaluate sex in remains incompletely skeletonized. In this paper, we present a technique for sex estimation using the total area (TA) of the proximal femur, a two-dimensional areal measurement determined through densitometry. TA was acquired from a training sample (112 females; 112 males) from the Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra, Portugal). Logistic regression (LR), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), reduce error pruning trees (REPTree), and classification and regression trees (CART) were employed in order to obtain models that could predict sex in unidentified skeletal remains. Under cross-validation, the proposed models correctly estimated sex in 90.2-92.0% of cases (bias ranging from 1.8% to 4.5%). The models were evaluated in an independent test sample (30 females; 30 males) from the 21st Century Identified Skeletal Collection (University of Coimbra, Portugal), with a sex allocation accuracy ranging from 90.0% to 91.7% (bias from 3.3% to 10.0%). Overall, data mining classifiers, especially the REPTree, performed better than the traditional classifiers (LR and LDA), maximizing overall accuracy and minimizing bias. This study emphasizes the significant value of bone densitometry to estimate sex in cadaveric remains in diverse states of preservation and completeness, even human remains with soft tissues. (C) 2017 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved. Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia [SFRH/BPD/74015/2010] info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Introduction: Gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) has been used to quantify mechanical dyssynchrony. Mechanical dyssynchrony appears to be related to response to cardiac resynchronization therapy. Objective: To evaluate the presence and predictors of mechanical dyssynchrony in patients with impaired left ventricular function (LVEF) ≤50%. Methods: The study included 143 consecutive patients referred for gated SPECT MPI with LVEF ≤50%. Gated SPECT MPI was performed according to a stress/rest protocol acquiring images with Tc 99m-tetrofosmin. Emory Cardiac Toolbox software was used for phase analysis and a standard deviation (SD) ≥43° was considered to indicate mechanical dyssynchrony. Results: Mechanical dyssynchrony was present in 53.1% of the patients. Its predictors were diabetes (OR 2.0, p≤0.05), summed stress score (OR 1.1, p≤0.0005), summed rest score (OR 1.1, p≤0.0001), end-diastolic volume (OR 1.0, p≤0.0001), LVEF (OR 0.9, p≤0.0001), LVEF ≤35% (OR 3.1, p≤0.005) and LVEF ≤35% and QRS ≥120 ms (OR 3.5, p≤0.05). In this study QRS width and QRS ≥120 ms were not predictors of mechanical dyssynchrony. Conclusions: Myocardial perfusion imaging can be used to assess mechanical dyssynchrony. In patients with impaired ventricular function mechanical dyssynchrony was highly prevalent and was related to parameters of left ventricular function and perfusion. Resumo: Introdução: A avaliação de dessincronia ventricular mecânica através da análise do histograma de fase na cintigrafia de perfusão miocárdica tem sido descrita na literatura. Segundo a evidência atual, a presença de dessincronia mecânica encontra-se relacionada com a resposta à terapêutica de ressincronização. Objectivos: Avaliar a presença e os preditores de dessincronia ventricular mecânica em pacientes com fração de ejeção ventricular esquerda (FEVE) ≤ 50%. Métodos: Foram incluídos pacientes que realizaram cintigrafia de perfusão miocárdica e cuja FEVE foi inferior ou igual a 50%. A amostra estudada incluiu 143 pacientes. As imagens de perfusão foram adquiridas de acordo com o protocolo esforço seguido de repouso com Tc-99m Tetrafosmina. A avaliação de dessincronia baseou-se na determinação do desvio padrão obtido através da análise do histograma de fase (Emory Toolbox Software). A presença de dessincronia foi considerada quando o desvio-padrão no histograma de fase foi superior ou igual a 43°. Resultados: A presença de dessincronia foi observada 53,1% dos doentes. Foram preditores de dessincronia, a diabetes (OR 2,0, p ≤ 0,05), o score de esforço (OR 1,1, p ≤ 0,0005), o score de repouso (OR 1,1, p ≤ 0,0001), o volume telediastólico (OR 1,0, p ≤ 0,0001), a FEVE (OR 0,9, p ≤ 0,0001), FEVE ≤ 35% (OR 3,1, p ≤ 0,005) e a presença em simultâneo de FEVE ≤ 35% e QRS ≥120 ms (OR 3,5, p ≤ 0,05). Nesta avaliação a duração do QRS ou a presença de QRS ≥ 120 ms não se relacionaram com a presença de dessincronia. Conclusões: A cintigrafia de perfusão miocárdica pode ser usada na avaliação de dessincronia e esta tem uma elevada prevalência em pacientes com FEVE diminuída relacionando-se com parâmetros de função ventricular e perfusão miocárdica. Keywords: Myocardial perfusion imaging, Gated SPECT, Dyssynchrony, Coronary artery disease, Heart failure, Palavras-chave: Cintigrafia de perfusão miocárdica, Gated SPECT, Dessincronia, Doença coronária, Insuficiência cardíaca

This study aims to evaluate the accuracy, precision and bias of a method for age at death estimation based in bone mineral density values assessed by dual X-ray absorptiometry at Ward's area (proximal femur). Estimated age at death was contrasted with documented age at death in two Portuguese reference samples (Coimbra Identified Skeletal Collection - CISC, and Identified Skeletal Collection of the 21st Century - Santarém XXI). Mean absolute error (accuracy) varies between 10.5 years (females) and 11.6 years (males) in the CISC sample; and between 11.9 years (males) and 12.7 years (females) in the Santarém XXI study base. The precision of the method varies between 13.0 years (females) and 14.5 years (males), in the CISC sample, and between 8.4 years (females) and 9.5 years (males), in the Santarém XXI sample. Mean error values (bias) suggest that this method tends to overestimate age in younger individuals, and to underestimate it in older individuals, regardless of sex or sample. Nonetheless, the method seems to perform as well as, or better than, other widely tested age estimation techniques, making it a suitable option when more accurate tests are not feasible in any given situation.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine disorder that mainly affects middle-aged women. Patients are usually asymptomatic. The disease might be ascribable to hyperplasia, carcinoma, and single or multiple adenomas. PHPT may be sporadic or familial, the latter comprising multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or 2A, familial benign hypocalciuria hypercalcemia, and hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome. The most common causes for persistent PHPT are multiglandular disease, and missed abnormal ectopic or orthotopic parathyroid glands. Imaging localization studies should precede a new surgical intervention. Ectopic parathyroid glands are rarely located at the aortopulmonary window. For diagnosis confirmation, 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT seems to be an advantageous test. Another possibility is to perform 99mTc-sestamibi followed by thoracic CT or MRI. Parathyroidectomy may be performed by means of median sternotomy, thoracotomy, or video-assisted thoracoscopy. We describe a case of persistent primary hyperparathyroidism due to the presence of an ectopic parathyroid gland found at the aortopulmonary window. As the investigation necessary to clarify the etiology of recurrent nephrolithiasis proceeded, the diagnosis of PHPT was determined. The patient underwent subtotal parathyroidectomy; nevertheless, PHPT persisted. Genetic syndromes that could account for this condition were excluded. Imaging studies available at that time were not able to locate abnormal glands; moreover, the patient refused to undergo surgical exploration. Later, the patient underwent 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/CT, which revealed a parathyroid gland at the aortopulmonary window. O hiperparatiroidismo primário (HPP) é uma endocrinopatia frequente que afeta maioritariamente mulheres de meia-idade e é geralmente assintomática. A doença pode ser atribuível a hiperplasia, carcinoma, adenomas únicos ou múltiplos. O HPP inclui formas esporádicas e familiares. As formas familiares englobam neoplasia endócrina múltipla tipo 1 ou 2A, hipercalcemia hipocalciúrica familiar e síndrome hiperparatiroidismo/tumor mandibular-maxilar. As causas mais frequentes de HPP persistente são a presença de doença multiglandular ou de paratiroide anômala ectópica ou ortotópica não identificada previamente. É recomendável que a localização imagiológica preceda a reintervenção cirúrgica. A janela aortopulmonar é uma localização ectópica rara, sendo o 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/TC um exame de confirmação vantajoso ou, alternativamente o 99mTc-sestamibi seguido de TC ou RM torácica. A paratiroidectomia pode ser efetuada por meio de esternotomia mediana, toracotomia ou toracoscopia videoassistida. Descrevemos um caso de HPP persistente atribuível à presença de uma glândula paratiroide ectópica localizada à janela aortopulmonar. O diagnóstico de HPP foi estabelecido na sequência da investigação requisitada para esclarecimento etiológico da nefrolitíase recidivante constatada nessa doente. Foi submetida à paratiroidectomia subtotal; não obstante, o HPP persistiu. Excluíram-se síndromes genéticas que pudessem justificar esse quadro clínico. Os exames imagiológicos disponíveis (à época) revelaram-se infrutíferos na detecção de paratiroides anômalas; adicionalmente, a doente recusou exploração cirúrgica. Posteriormente, a doente foi submetida a 99mTc-sestamibi SPECT/TC, que revelou a presença de uma paratiroide na janela aortopulmonar.