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Background: Single-anastomosis metabolic/bariatric surgery procedures may lessen the incidence of anastomotic complications. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of performing side-to-side duodenoileal (DI) bipartition using magnetic compression anastomosis (MCA). In addition, preliminary efficacy, quality of life (QoL), and distribution of food through the DI bipartition were evaluated., Methods: Patients with a body mass index (BMI) of ≥35.0 to 50.0 kg/m 2 underwent side-to-side DI bipartition with the magnet anastomosis system (MS) with sleeve gastrectomy (SG). By endoscopic positioning, a distal magnet (250 cm proximal to the ileocecal valve) and a proximal magnet (first part of the duodenum) were aligned with laparoscopic assistance to inaugurate MCA. An isotopic study assessed transit through the bipartition., Results: Between March 14, 2022 to June 1, 2022, 10 patients (BMI of 44.2 ± 1.3 kg/m 2 ) underwent side-to-side MS DI. In 9 of 10 patients, an SG was performed concurrently. The median operative time was 161.0 minutes (IQR, 108.0-236.0), and the median hospital stay was 3 days (IQR, 2-40). Paired magnets were expelled at a median of 43 days (IQR, 21-87). There was no device-related serious advanced event within 1 year. All anastomoses were patent with satisfactory diameters after magnet expulsion and at 1 year. Respective BMI, BMI reduction, and total weight loss were 28.9 ± 1.8 kg/m 2 , 15.2 ± 1.8 kg/m 2 , and 34.2% ± 4.1%, respectively. Of note, 70.0% of patients reported that they were very satisfied. The isotopic study found a median of 19.0% of the meal transited through the ileal loop., Conclusion: Side-to-side MCA DI bipartition with SG in adults with class II to III obesity was feasible, safe, and efficient with good QoL at 1-year follow-up. Moreover, 19% of ingested food passed directly into the ileum., (Copyright © 2024 Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

A 41-year-old female underwent a cervical spine CT for the workup of posterior neck pain irradiating to the shoulders for several months. An incidental thyroid nodule was found and classified as Bethesda III on the Fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) results. Three months later, the patient developed mild shortness of breath, dry cough, and fever. Chest X-ray revealed a mild enlargement in the bilateral hilar regions. CT showed mediastinal and bilateral hilar enlarged lymph nodes and pulmonary micronodules. The workup was further completed with a 18 F-FDG PET/CT, showing intense FDG uptake in the mediastinal and bilateral hilar lymph nodes and increased uptake in the thyroid nodule. Endobronchial Ultrasound-guided Transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) of a left hilar lymph node showed epithelioid non-necrotizing granulomas. Because of the FNAC results, size of the nodule and tracheal shift, thyroid lobectomy was performed one month later. Histopathological results also revealed multiple non-necrotizing epithelioid granulomas, suggesting systemic sarcoidosis with involvement of the thyroid. To our knowledge, this is the first report of thyroid sarcoidosis detected on 18 F-FDG PET/CT. Although an increased FDG uptake in a thyroid nodule is usually suggestive of thyroid malignancy, toxic nodule, or follicular hyperplasia, our case report shows that it could also suggest thyroid sarcoidosis.

We investigated on the added prognostic value of a three-scale combined molecular imaging with 68 Ga-DOTATATE and 18 F-FDG PET/CT, (compared to Ki-67 based histological grading), in gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasia patients. 85 patients with histologically proven metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasias, who underwent combined PET/CT imaging were retrospectively evaluated. Highest Ki-67 value available at time of 18 F-FDG PET/CT was recorded. Patients were classified according to World Health Organization/European Neuroendocrine Tumor Society histological grades (G1, G2, G3) and into three distinct imaging categories (C1: all lesions are 18 F-FDG negative/ 68 Ga-DOTATATE positive, C2: patients with one or more 18 F-FDG positive lesions, all of them 68 Ga-DOTATATE positive, C3: patients with one or more 18 F-FDG positive lesions, at least one of them 68 Ga-DOTATATE negative). The primary endpoint of the study was Progression-Free Survival, assessed from the date of 18 F-FDG PET/CT to the date of radiological progression according to Response Evaluation Criteria In Solid Tumors version 1.1. Classification according to histological grade did not show significant statistical difference in median Progression-Free Survival between G1 and G2 but was significant between G2 and G3 patients. In contrast, median Progression-Free Survival was significantly higher in C1 compared to C2 and in C2 compared to C3 patients, revealing three distinctive imaging categories, each with highly distinctive prognosis. Our three-scale combined 68 Ga-DOTATATE/ 18 F-FDG PET imaging classification holds high prognostic value in patients with metastatic gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasias., Competing Interests: CONFLICTS OF INTEREST All authors have declared that no conflicts of interest exist., (Copyright: © 2020 Karfis et al.)

Background and Objectives: Selection for surgery in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM) remains inaccurate. We evaluated if CRLM baseline metabolic characteristics, assessed by [18]F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 FDG-PET/CT), could predict postoperative outcomes., Methods: In a retrospective series of patients undergoing surgery for CRLM, we defined two groups: the long-term survival (LTS) and early relapse (ER) groups, where the postoperative recurrence-free survivals were ≥5 years or <1 year, respectively. We analyzed the patients in whom baseline 18 FDG-PET/CT was available. Clinicopathologic parameters, clinical risk score (CRS), and baseline 18 FDG-PET/CT characteristics were compared between LTS and ER groups. A metabolic CRS (mCRS) was implemented, adding one point to the standard five-point CRS when the highest tumor standardized uptake values (SUV max )/normal liver mean SUV (SUV mean(liver) ) ratios were >4.3, defining low- and high-risk mCRS by scores of 0 to 2 and 3 to 6, respectively., Results: From a series of 450 patients operated for CRLM (mean follow-up of 58 months), we included for analysis 23 and 30 patients in the LTS and ER groups, respectively. Clinicopathologic parameters and CRS were similar in the LTS and ER groups. Median SUV max /SUV mean(liver) ratios were higher in ER vs LTS patients (4.2 and 2.8, P = .008, respectively). mCRS was increased in ER patients (P = .024); 61% of LTS patients had low-risk mCRS and 73% of the ER patients had high-risk mCRS (P = .023)., Conclusions: 18 FDG-PET/CT characteristics combined with traditional CRS may represent a new tool to improve selection for surgery in patients with CRLM., (© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Introduction: Lymph node metastases (LNM) represent a proven prognostic factor for biochemical recurrence (BCR)-free survival, metastatic free survival and overall survival in prostate cancer (PCa). Although pelvic node dissection remains the gold standard for the detection of LNM, novel imaging techniques are entering clinical practice, in the effort to improve LNM detection and spare unnecessary surgeries. Aim of the current review is to describe such imaging techniques and explore their advantages and limitations. Evidence Acquisition: The National Library of Medicine Database was searched for relevant articles published between January 2013 and August 2018. A wide search was performed including the combination of following words: "Prostate" and "Cancer" and "staging" and "Lymph Node" and "imaging" and ("MRI" or "PET"). The initial list of selected papers was enriched by individual suggestions of the authors of the present review. Evidence Synthesis: DWI-MRI in detection of lymph node invasion has a sensitivity and specificity of 41 and 94%, respectively. For SPIO MRI using ferumoxtran-10, the sensitivity for detection of LNM with short axis diameter of 5-10 mm is reported at 96.4%, compared to 28.5% with MRI alone. PSMA PET/CT is growing exponentially, both in the initial detection of LNM and for BCR evaluation. Fluciclovine PET could improve detection of subcentimetric pathologic lymph nodes. Sentinel lymph node techniques remain experimental and not validated in the field of PCa. Conclusions: Molecular imaging, particularly PSMA ligand PET imaging, present interesting diagnostic accuracy in LN diagnosis even in subcentimetric LN. DWI-MRI yields good results in LN involvement evaluation and the use of contrast agent such SPIO may improve the detection rate. The SLN technique is limited to experimental protocols and for intermediate or high-risk PCa. Prospective trials are awaited to evaluate the true clinical impact of these imaging techniques on PCa oncologic outcomes.

A 37-year-old woman with pheochromocytoma underwent presurgical FDG PET/CT. Despite her usual antiadrenergic medication consisting in 25 mg of carvedilol, PET/CT demonstrated intense and widespread FDG uptake in brown adipose tissue (BAT). No BAT FDG uptake was detectable on a repeated examination after specific preparation consisting in 40 mg propranolol and 5 mg diazepam. We therefore recommend this propranolol-diazepam preparation in patients with pheochromocytoma referred for PET/CT. Carvedilol-classically prescribed to alleviate effects of adrenergic overstimulation-seems ineffective on BAT. This observation questions the benefit of carvedilol to reduce β3-adrenoreceptor-mediated effects, not only in BAT, but also in other tissues.

First clinical indications of positron emission tomography (PET) were in the fields of neurology and cardiology, but oncology is the domain in which PET got its recognition as an essential diagnostic tool. Its fast diffusion as an imaging method for diagnosis and follow-up of cancer has been facilitated by the existence of a single tracer for all kinds of oncological PET explorations. Nowadays, this tracer, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), is so largely distributed that non oncological PET indications have emerged. For instance, PET with FDG has totally supplanted gallium-67 for the evaluation of inflammatory conditions. Another non oncological domain in which PET with FDG has kept an important clinical role is neurology. The strong local relationship between neuronal activity and cerebral glucose uptake confers to PET with FDG a primordial role in neurological conditions in which structural changes are insufficient to establish a firm diagnosis. This is the case for focal epilepsy that remains an undisputed indication of PET with FDG, and for neurodegenerative disorders, in particular those that lead to dementia for which tracers detecting amyloid and tau depositions are now available. New tracers have enlarged PET indications in oncology, in particular for cancers that are not well evaluated with FDG. Since the early clinical PET introduction, patients with brain tumours are benefiting from PET exploration with amino-acid tracers, in particular for therapeutic tumour targeting. The recent development of tracers for neuroendocrine and prostatic cancers has opened a new field of applications for PET, linked to innovative radiotherapeutic approaches.

We present herein a case of unusual 18 F-FDG PET-CT diffuse hypermetabolic liver uptake in melanoma patient treated by ipilimumab.