Hyperspectral imaging and quantitative analysis for prostate cancer detection

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) is an emerging modality for various medical applications. Its spectroscopic data might be able to be used to noninvasively detect cancer. Quantitative analysis is often necessary in order to differentiate healthy from diseased tissue. We propose the use of an advanced image processing and classification method in order to analyze hyperspectral image data for prostate cancer detection. The spectral signatures were extracted and evaluated in both cancerous and normal tissue. Least squares support vector machines were developed and evaluated for classifying hyperspectral data in order to enhance the detection of cancer tissue. This method was used to detect prostate cancer in tumor-bearing mice and on pathology slides. Spatially resolved images were created to highlight the differences of the reflectance properties of cancer versus those of normal tissue. Preliminary results with 11 mice showed that the sensitivity and specificity of the hyperspectral image classification method are 92.8% to 2.0% and 96.9% to 1.3%, respectively. Therefore, this imaging method may be able to help physicians to dissect malignant regions with a safe margin and to evaluate the tumor bed after resection. This pilot study may lead to advances in the optical diagnosis of prostate cancer using HSI technology.     

Translational neuroimaging research in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a significant public health problem. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are the only FDA-approved medications for OCD. However, SSRIs are of limited efficacy in clinical practice. Given the persistence of symptoms and levels of treatment response, it is clear that the serotonin paradigm of OCD does not fully account for the neurobiology of the disorder, and that further translational research is needed. In this review, the glutamate hypothesis of pediatric OCD is explored, the neuroimaging evidence reviewed, and the translational impact highlighted. The traditional strategy of going from pharmacology to pathophysiology has failed to show real progress in our understanding of the neurobiology of psychiatric illness and, while still in the early stages, this work demonstrates the clear benefit of approaching psychiatric illness from the opposite direction.     

Initial Experience with Videoscopic Inguinal Lymphadenectomy

Background

Inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is associated with frequent and marked incision-related morbidity. Our initial feasibility study of videoscopic inguinal lymphadenectomy (VIL) for melanoma showed appropriate nodal yield and anatomic dissection. Although a limited suprafascial dissection has been reported in the urologic literature, we report our growing experience with VIL applying a comprehensive approach to dissection.

Methods

Patients with inguinal metastases from varied malignancies were offered VIL. With institutional review board approval, procedures were performed via three ports: one at the apex of the femoral triangle, a second medial to the adductor, and a third lateral to sartorius. Femoral vessels were skeletonized, and all lymphatic tissue within the femoral triangle to 5 cm up onto the external oblique aponeurosis was resected. Specimens were removed through the apical port via a specimen bag. Clinicopathologic and perioperative outcome data were recorded.

Results

Forty-five VILs were performed in 32 patients: 19 had unilateral VILs, and 13 had bilateral VILs for neuroendocrine, extramammary Paget disease, or varied genitourinary malignancies. Nine procedures (20%) were performed in women. Median age was 61 (range 16–87) years. Median body mass index was 30 (range 19–53). Median operative time was 165 (range 75–245) minutes, median length of stay was 1 (range 1–14) day, and median drain duration was 15 days. Median number of collected nodes was 11 (range 4–24), and the largest node removed was 5.6 cm in size. Wound complications were observed in 8 cases (18%). Six patients (13%) developed cellulitis without any wound dehiscences, 1 patient developed a seroma, and 1 patient with diabetes had mild skin flap necrosis, which resolved with minimal local care.

Conclusions

VIL is an alternative approach to traditional open inguinal lymphadenectomy. In our growing experience, node retrieval is appropriate and wound complications are substantially fewer than reported via an open approach. Further comparative analysis of VIL and traditional inguinofemoral lymphadenectomy is being pursued in a randomized, prospective trial.     

Intracardiac fistulae: a rare complication of infective endocarditis

We present the case of a diabetic gentleman who was admitted to the hospital with an infected right foot. Swabs were positive for Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. His right big toe was amputated. Postoperatively, the patient experienced recurrent episodes of chest pain. He was therefore transferred to the coronary care unit, where he deteriorated rapidly. The patient was subsequently transferred to intensive care. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms revealed evidence of aortic dissection, but this finding was not confirmed in a computed tomography scan. The patient subsequently experienced cardiac arrest and died. The postmortem examination revealed no aortic dissection but did show a vegetation on the mitral valve with a fistula that tracked into a ruptured epicardium.