Benign bone tumors

A solid knowledge of underlying histopathology of benign bone tumors aids in differential diagnoses of these tumors. Important factors in diagnosis of a bone tumor include patient age and gender; the bone involved; the location of the tumor along, within, or on the bone; lesion margin; matrix proliferation; and periosteal reaction. This article provides a review of the origin of the tumor matrix and its influence on the imaging properties of these tumors.     

Ten Years’ Experience in Surgical Treatment of Right Middle Lobe Syndrome

Purpose: In this study we present the clinical, radiological, pathological, bronchoscopic and surgical results of 40 patients with diagnosis of middle lobe syndrome who were referred to our thoracic surgery unit for surgical intervention in a 10 years period.Methods: Forty patients with obstructive and non-obstructive causes of middle lobe syndrome referred to our thoracic surgery unit. Clinical data were collected from the patients’ records in a ten years period. This study evaluates diagnostic approaches and surgical treatments in right middle lobe syndrome.Results: We studied 23 females (57.5%) and 17 males (42.5%) with a mean age of 31.7. Clinical findings were cough 95%, sputum 80% and intermittent hemoptysis in 50% of patients. Middle lobe collapse was seen in CT scan of all patients. Bronchiectasis was the most common pathologic finding (55%). Tuberculosis was not rare and was final pathology in 20% of patients. In three patients ruptured hydatid cyst was final finding. Surgery was done without mortality and with only minor complications.Conclusion: Lobectomy of right middle lobe is a good therapeutic option in these patients. Due to high prevalence of tuberculosis and hydatid cyst in Middle Eastern countries these two must be considered as causes of middle lobe syndrome.     

探测临床质子碳离子布拉格峰声信号的初步研究

目的 验证一种高灵敏度宽频声学探测器测量临床质子碳离子布拉格峰声信号可行性。方法 将该声学探测器紧贴在圆柱状水箱后方。水箱水等效深度使用寻峰设备（Peakfinder，PTW，德国西门子）经高能质子测定。通过固定总离子数，分别改变离子流强和布拉格峰到探测器前表面距离来研究布拉格峰声信号强度与探测器到布拉格峰距离和流强关系；改变束流与探测器侧向位置来研究测量布拉格峰横向半高宽可行性。结果 束流开始或束流结束产生的声脉冲幅度可间接表示声信号强度。质子布拉格峰声信号强度与探测器到布拉格峰深度距离呈反比，与流强呈正比，125.43 MeV质子布拉格峰横向半高宽与治疗计划系统模拟值最大偏差11.7%（取束流开始或结束测量数据中最大值）。碳离子呈相似规律，但178.89 MeV/u碳离子布拉格峰横向半高宽比治疗计划系统模拟值偏大45.6%（束流结束测量值），探测器到布拉格峰深度距离可显著增加至67.7 mm。结论 该声学探测器可有效探测质子碳离子布拉格峰声信号，但需进一步降低噪声影响。     

Multiparametric MRI for early identification of therapeutic response in recurrent glioblastoma treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors

BackgroundPhysiologic changes quantified by diffusion and perfusion MRI have shown utility in predicting treatment response in glioblastoma (GBM) patients treated with cytotoxic therapies. We aimed to investigate whether quantitative changes in diffusion and perfusion after treatment by immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) would determine 6-month progression-free survival (PFS6) in patients with recurrent GBM.MethodsInclusion criteria for this retrospective study were: (i) diagnosis of recurrent GBM treated with ICIs and (ii) availability of diffusion and perfusion in pre and post ICI MRI (iii) at ≥6 months follow-up from treatment. After co-registration, mean values of the relative apparent diffusion coefficient (rADC), K^trans (volume transfer constant), Ve (extravascular extracellular space volume) and Vp (plasma volume), and relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) were calculated from a volume-of-interest of the enhancing tumor. Final assignment of stable/improved versus progressive disease was determined on 6-month follow-up using modified Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology criteria.ResultsOut of 19 patients who met inclusion criteria and follow-up (mean ± SD: 7.8 ± 1.4 mo), 12 were determined to have tumor progression, while 7 had treatment response after 6 months of ICI treatment. Only interval change of rADC was suggestive of treatment response. Patients with treatment response (6/7: 86%) had interval increased rADC, while 11/12 (92%) with tumor progression had decreased rADC (P = 0.001). Interval change in rCBV, K^trans, Vp, and Ve were not indicative of treatment response within 6 months.ConclusionsIn patients with recurrent GBM, interval change in rADC is promising in assessing treatment response versus progression within the first 6 months following ICI treatment.Key Points• In recurrent GBM treated with ICIs, interval change in rADC suggests early treatment response.• Interval change in rADC can be used as an imaging biomarker to determine PFS6.• Interval change in MR perfusion and permeability measures do not suggest ICI treatment response.     

Experimental Central Composite Design-based Dispersive Liquid-liquid Microextraction for HPLC-DAD Determination of Diazinon in Human Urine Samples: Method Development and Validation

Diazinon poisoning is an important issue in occupational, clinical, and forensic toxicology. While sensitive and specific enough to analyse diazinon in biological samples, current methods are time-consuming and too expensive for routine analysis. The aim of this study was therefore to design and validate a simple dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) for the preparation of urine samples to be analysed for diazinon with high performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detector (HPLC-DAD) to establish diazinon exposure and poisoning. To do that, we first identified critical parameters (type and volume of extraction and disperser solvents, pH, surfactant, and salt concentrations) in preliminary experiments and then used central composite design to determine the best experimental conditions for DLLME-HPLC-DAD. For DLLME they were 800 µL of methanol (disperser solvent) and 310 µL of toluene (extraction solvent) injected to the urine sample rapidly via a syringe. The sample was injected into a HPLC-DAD (C₁₈ column, 250×4.6 mm, 5 μm), and the mobile phase was a mixture of acetonitrile and buffer (63:37 v/v, pH 3.2; flow rate: 1 mL/ min). Standard calibration curves for diazinon were linear with the concentration range of 0.5–4 µg/mL, yielding a regression equation Y=0.254X+0.006 with a correlation coefficient of 0.993. The limit of detection and limit of quantification for diazinon were 0.15 µg/mL and 0.45 µg/mL, respectively. The proposed method was accurate, precise, sensitive, and linear over a wide range of diazinon concentrations in urine samples. This method can be employed for diazinon analysis in routine clinical and forensic toxicology settings.     

Effects of Vitamin D and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Co-Supplementation on Inflammatory Factors and Tumor Marker CEA in Colorectal Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy: A Randomized,Double-Blind,Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids co-supplementation on inflammatory factors and tumor marker CEA in colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Methods: In this study, 81 patients with stage ?? or ??? colorectal cancer were randomly assigned into four groups: (1) control: receiving a vitamin D placebo, weekly?+?two omega-3 fatty acid placebo capsules, daily; (2) omega-3 fatty acid, receiving two omega-3 fatty acid capsules (each capsule containing 330?mg of omega-3 fatty acids), daily?+?a vitamin D placebo, weekly; (3) vitamin D, receiving a 50,000?IU vitamin D soft gel, weekly?+?two omega-3 fatty acid placebo capsules, daily; (4) co-supplementation, receiving a 50,000?IU vitamin D soft gel, weekly?+?two omega-3 fatty acids capsules, for 8?weeks. Before and after the intervention, serum levels of 25(OH)D, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, NF-kB activity, and tumor marker CEA, were measured.

Results: After 8?weeks of intervention, patients who received combined vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids supplements compared with omega-3, vitamin D, and placebo had significantly decreased TNF-α, and IL-1β (P?<?.05). In addition, serum levels of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and tumor marker CEA were decreased significantly in omega-3, vitamin D, and co-supplementation of them, compared with baseline. NF-kB activity was decreased significantly in vitamin D and co-supplementation groups, compared with baseline. Regarding CEA, there was no significant difference between the four groups at the end of intervention (P?>?.05).

Conclusion: Results show that co-supplementation of vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids co-supplementation, in colorectal cancer patients have beneficial impacts on inflammation and tumor marker CEA.