A prospective, randomized trial for use of prednisolone in patients with facial nerve paralysis after parotidectomy

Background

A high rate of facial nerve paralysis (FNP) develops after parotid surgery, but there have been few clinical trials on treatments to improve recovery times. This study evaluated the efficacy of prednisolone in these patients.

Methods

A total of 123 patients who underwent parotidectomy without injury to the facial nerve were assessed prospectively for postoperative FNP. These patients were assigned randomly to treatment with prednisolone or placebo for 10 days. FNP was evaluated by House-Brackmann grades. Recovery rates and adverse effects were monitored regularly for 6 months after surgery.

Results

Of the 123 patients, 45 had postoperative FNP. All FNPs were grades II to IV, mostly on 1 or 2 facial areas. The incidence of FNP was increased significantly with malignant pathology, increased parotidectomy extent, and neck dissection (P < .01). Of 44 evaluable patients, 43 showed full recovery of FNP after 6 months, whereas 1 patient had permanent FNP. Recovery rates were equal in both groups, and there was no evidence of major adverse effects.

Conclusions

Prednisolone was ineffective in early recovery from postparotidectomy FNP.     

The flavonoid quercetin induces apoptosis and inhibits migration through a MAPK-dependent mechanism in osteoblasts

The present study was undertaken to evaluate effects of quercetin, a major dietary flavonoid occurring in foods of plant origin, on cell viability and migration of osteoblastic cells. Quercetin inhibited cell viability, which was largely attributed to apoptosis, in a dose-and time-dependent manner in osteoblastic cells. Similar cytotoxicity of quercetin was observed in adipose tissue-derived stromal cells. Quercetin exerted a protective effect against H₂O₂-induced cell death, whereas it increased TNF-α-induced cell death. Western blot analysis showed that quercetin induced activation of ERK and p38, but not JNK. Quercetin-induced cell death was prevented by the ERK inhibitor PD98059, but not by inhibitors of p38 and JNK. Quercetin increased Bax expression and caused depolarization of mitochondrial membrane potential, which were inhibited by PD98059. Quercetin induced caspase-3 activation, and the quercetininduced cell death was prevented by caspase inhibitors. Quercetin inhibited cell migration, and its effect was prevented by inhibitors of ERK and p38. Taken together, these findings suggest that quercetin induces apoptosis through a mitochondria-dependent mechanism involving ERK activation and inhibits migration through activation of ERK and p38 pathways. Quercetin may exert both protective and deleterious effects in bone repair.     

Prevalence of osteoporosis and reference data for lumbar spine and hip bone mineral density in a Korean population

The aims of this study were to establish reference data for bone mineral density (BMD) at central skeletal sites using Lunar dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), and to estimate the age-and sex-specific prevalence of osteoporosis in a Korean population. We performed a population-based, cross-sectional study. The subjects were 4148 (1810 men and 2338 women) Korean adults, aged 20–79 years. The BMD for central sites (lumbar spine, femoral neck, trochanter, and Ward’s triangle) were measured by DXA. The standardized prevalence of osteoporosis among individual aged 50–79 years in lumbar spine, femoral neck, Ward’s triangle, and trochanter was 40.1%, 12.4%, 28.4%, and 4.4% in women and 6.5%, 5.9%, 3.7%, and 1.6% in men, respectively. In women, peak BMD occurred in the age range 40–49 years for the femoral neck and trochanter, 30–39 years for the lumbar spine, and 20–29 years for Ward’s triangle. In men, peak BMD values were observed at 20–29 years for all measured sites. This study establishes a normative database for BMD at central skeletal sites using dualenergy X-ray absorptiometry and provides more reliable information on the prevalence of osteoporosis in Korea.     

Delayed presentation of arteriovenous fistula and pseudoaneurysms in a renal transplant patient 10 years after percutaneous allograft biopsy

A 51-year-old man was admitted with microscopic hematuria at 10 years after living donor renal transplantation. In order to distinguish between acute tubular necrosis and acute rejection, a graft biopsy was performed under ultrasound guidance at 1 month posttransplantation. Doppler sonography revealed 3 pulsatile cystic masses and an arteriovenous fistula (AVF) in the lower kidney pole. Selective transplant renal angiography revealed 3 pseudoaneurysms with an AVF supplied by a lobular artery in the lower pole. The diagnosis was AVF with pseudoaneurysm, which developed secondary to percutaneous renal allograft biopsy. Interventional treatment was performed because of the high risk for pseudoaneurysm rupture. The AVF and pseudoaneurysms were treated successfully by percutaneous transluminal embolization; renal function remained stable after embolization.     

18F-FDG PET/CT显像在治疗后宫颈癌评估中的价值

目的 探讨18F-FDG PET/CT对临床怀疑宫颈癌局部复发和(或)远处转移患者的诊断价值.方法 回顾性分析95例宫颈癌治疗后患者的18F-FDG PET/CT检查资料,采用视觉分析和半定量方法(SUVmax)分析病灶特点,最终诊断以活组织病理检查、诊断性治疗及影像学随访结果为准,采用Kappa一致性检验进行分析.结果 共有54例患者18 F-FDG PET/CT检查发现局部复发和(或)远处转移病灶,其中局部复发24例,远处转移30例;18F-FDG PET/CT诊断肿瘤复发与转移的灵敏度、特异性和准确性分别为98.1％(52/53)、95.2％ (40/42)和96.8％ (92/95),阳性预测值与阴性预测值分别为96.3％ (52/54)和97.6％(40/41).18F-FDG PET/CT检查结果与病理及临床随访结果一致性良好(Kappa=0.936,P＜0.05).结论 18F-FDG PET/CT对临床可疑宫颈癌复发的诊断具有较高的灵敏度和特异性,有助于局部复发和(或)远处转移病灶的检测,对临床进一步的诊疗具有指导作用.     

Mini-Gastric Bypass to Control Morbid Obesity and Diabetes Mellitus: What Radiologists Need to Know

Laparoscopic mini-gastric bypass surgery is a safe and simple surgical intervention for treating morbid obesity and diabetes mellitus and is now being performed more frequently. Radiologists must be critical in their postoperative evaluation of these patients. In this pictorial review, we explain and illustrate the surgical technique, normal postoperative anatomy, and associated complications as seen on imaging examinations, including fluoroscopy and computed tomography.     

Diagnostic Performance of CT Angiography in Patients Visiting Emergency Department with Overt Gastrointestinal Bleeding

Objective

To investigate the diagnostic performance of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in identifying the cause of bleeding and to determine the clinical features associated with a positive test result of CTA in patients visiting emergency department with overt gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding.

Materials and Methods

We included 111 consecutive patients (61 men and 50 women; mean age: 63.4 years; range: 28-89 years) who visited emergency department with overt GI bleeding. They underwent CTA as a first-line diagnostic modality from July through December 2010. Two radiologists retrospectively reviewed the CTA images and determined the presence of any definite or potential bleeding focus by consensus. An independent assessor determined the cause of bleeding based on other diagnostic studies and/or clinical follow-up. The diagnostic performance of CTA and clinical characteristics associated with positive CTA results were analyzed.

Results

To identify a definite or potential bleeding focus, the diagnostic yield of CTA was 61.3% (68 of 111). The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value were 84.8% (67 of 79), 96.9% (31 of 32), 98.5% (67 of 68), and 72.1% (31 of 43), respectively. Positive CTA results were associated with the presence of massive bleeding (p = 0.001, odds ratio: 11.506).

Conclusion

Computed tomography angiography as a first-line diagnostic modality in patients presenting with overt GI bleeding showed a fairly high accuracy. It could identify definite or potential bleeding focus with a moderate diagnostic yield and a high PPV. CTA is particularly useful in patients with massive bleeding.     

Independent Poor Prognostic Factors for True Progression after Radiation Therapy and Concomitant Temozolomide in Patients with Glioblastoma: Subependymal Enhancement and Low ADC Value

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE:Subependymal enhancement and DWI have been reported to be useful MR imaging markers for identifying true progression. Our aim was to determine whether the subependymal enhancement pattern and ADC can differentiate true progression from pseudoprogression in patients with glioblastoma multiforme treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy by using temozolomide.MATERIALS AND METHODS:Forty-two patients with glioblastoma multiforme with newly developed or enlarged enhancing lesions on the first follow-up MR images obtained within 2 months of concurrent chemoradiotherapy completion were included. Subependymal enhancement was analyzed for the presence, location, and pattern (local or distant relative to enhancing lesions). The mean ADC value and the fifth percentile of the cumulative ADC histogram were determined. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify independent factors associated with true progression.RESULTS:Distant subependymal enhancement (ie, extending >1 cm or isolated from the enhancing lesion) was significantly more common in true progression (n = 24) than in pseudoprogression (n = 18) (P = .042). The fifth percentile of the cumulative ADC histogram was significantly lower in true progression than in pseudoprogression (P = .014). Both the distant subependymal enhancement and the fifth percentile of the cumulative ADC histogram were independent factors associated with true progression (P = .041 and P = .033, respectively). Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of true progression were 83% and 67%, respectively, by using both factors.CONCLUSIONS:Both the distant subependymal enhancement and the fifth percentile of the cumulative ADC histogram were significant independent factors predictive of true progression.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common form of malignant primary brain tumor in adults,¹ which is notorious for its intrinsic aggressiveness and a dismal prognosis.^2,3 The current standard treatment for GBM is maximal safe tumor resection followed by radiation therapy with concurrent temozolomide (TMZ) and adjuvant TMZ.⁴Recently, the criteria for assessing therapeutic responses in high-grade gliomas have been updated by the Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) Working Group to address the limitations of the previous guideline.⁵ For instance, contrast enhancement, which has been regarded as a surrogate marker for tumor progression, has been reassessed as a nonspecific finding merely reflecting the passage of contrast material across a disrupted blood-tumor barrier.^6–11 In particular, radiologists and clinicians have increasingly recognized the occurrence of progressive MR imaging lesions immediately after completion of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) with TMZ, which spontaneously improved without further treatment other than the adjuvant TMZ.^12–14 The treatment-related reaction is termed pseudoprogression and has received attention as a potential pitfall in the response evaluation. At present, owing to the lack of established findings in conventional contrast-enhanced MR imaging for the differential diagnosis of true progression from pseudoprogression,^9,10 RANO stresses that the diagnosis of true progression can be made within the first 12 weeks after completion of radiation therapy only if most of the new enhancement is located outside the radiation field or if there is pathologic confirmation of progressive disease.⁵During the past few decades, there has been extensive effort to identify imaging biomarkers for tumor progression. Among the many parameters derived from advanced MR imaging techniques, DWI has been consistently reported to be helpful in differentiating tumor progression from treatment-related changes or necrosis.^15–22 Meanwhile, most previous studies pertaining to the role of conventional MR imaging have not shown promising results.^9,23 Nevertheless, a recent study focusing on the conventional MR imaging findings has proposed subependymal enhancement as a useful MR imaging marker for differentiating true progression from pseudoprogression.²⁴ To our knowledge, however, no previous studies have conducted in-depth analysis of the subependymal enhancement, and its potential as an independent predictor for true progression remains elusive.The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the subependymal enhancement pattern and ADC can differentiate true progression from pseudoprogression in patients with GBM treated with radiation therapy and concomitant TMZ.     

磁共振表观弥散系数变化率对肝细胞肝癌患者单次TACE术后疗效评价的应用价值

目的 探讨磁共振表观弥散系数(ADC)变化率(即△ADC)在肝细胞肝癌(HCC)单次经导管肝动脉化疗栓塞术(TACE)术后疗效评价中的应用价值.方法 选择48例确诊为中晚期HCC并于TACE术前、术后1个月接受常规CT、MRI扫描以及MRI弥散加权成像和动态增强扫描的患者,建立所有患者的随访数据,随访中以肿瘤出现进展为随访结束点,记录患者治疗后肿瘤无进展生存期(PFS);以TACE术后1个月再次行数字减影血管造影(DSA)的肿瘤染色结果作为“金标准”,将病灶按治疗效果分为良好组、中等组及差组3组,并根据各组PFS绘制生存曲线.分别比较△ADC、CT及MRI 3种方法对TACE术后疗效的判定价值,并与“金标准”的一致性进行检验.结果 48例患者共56个病灶纳入分析,以“金标准”评价治疗效果,结果:良好组30个、中等组16个、差组10个,3组间生存曲线差异有统计学意义(x2=29.89,P＜0.01),中位PFS分别为7.5、4.0和1.1个月;TACE术后各组ADC均升高,3组间△ADC差异有统计学意义(F=22.41,P＜0.01),且3组间生存曲线差异亦有统计学意义(x2=26.57,P＜0.01),中位PFS分别为7.5、4.6和1.8个月.经Kappa检验,△ADC与“金标准”疗效评价方法具有一致性(Kappa值为0.542,P＜0.01);以MRI和CT评价治疗效果,其与“金标准”的一致性较差(Kappa值分别为0.328和0.260,P均＜0.05),3组间生存曲线仅MRI评价方法显示差异有统计学意义(x2=30.623,P＜0.01).结论 △ADC能及时、客观地评价TACE治疗效果,对指导患者术后的后续治疗有重要临床意义.