Relationship Among MRTA, DXA, and QUS

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) are the accepted modalities for the evaluation of fracture risk in the clinical setting. However, neither method provides a direct measurement of bone mechanics. In this study, we investigated a prototype device, known as a mechanical response tissue analyzer (MRTA), which provides direct mechanical measurements of mechanical properties of bone. A total of 56 healthy volunteers (20 men and 36 women) between the ages of 18 and 83 were recruited. The MRTA was used to measure the cross-sectional bending stiffness (EI) of the ulna bone. Axial speed of sound (SOS) at the ulna bone was determined by QUS; bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by DXA. Correlations, regression analysis, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare the three modalities. These analyses revealed that although there are strong linear relationships among the data collected by the various technologies, the bone properties reflected by MRTA are not fully explained by DXA and QUS. We conclude that the total information conveyed by MRTA measurements is unique. Further research is needed to delineate the different qualities of bone strength that are captured by MRTA, but not by DXA or QUS.     

中央型小细胞肺癌的CT诊断及鉴别诊断

目的:探讨中央型小细胞肺癌(Small Cell Lung Cancer,SCLC)的CT表现特点,并找出与非小细胞肺癌(NSCLC)、肺结核、结节病、纵隔淋巴瘤的鉴别诊断要点。方法:回顾性分析经病理证实的57例中央型SCLC、60例NSCLC,5例肺结核,2例结节病,3例纵隔淋巴病的胸部平片及CT资料,全部病例均行胸部平片和CT平扫、增强检查。结果:57例中央型SCLC,CT主要表现为沿支气管长轴生长的肺内肿块,肺门与纵隔广泛淋巴结肿大,而肺不张相对少见。NSCLC60例主要表现为肺门肿块,支气管阻塞性改变相对多见。5例肺结核表现为肺内结节和肺门、纵隔淋巴结肿大,伴有同侧和/或对侧肺内结核病灶。2例结节病,表现为双侧肺门对称性淋巴结肿大。3例纵隔淋巴病表现为中前纵隔的弥漫性软组织肿块。结论:沿支气管长轴生长的肺内肿块、肺门及纵隔淋巴结肿大。支气管阻塞改变少见,随访1～2个月,肿块体积增大1倍以上,是中央型SCLC的CT诊断要点,据此特征诊断正确率达80％。结合临床与其他检查方法可与NSCLC、肺结核、结节病、纵隔淋巴瘤鉴别。     

应用多层螺旋CT多方位重建技术诊断急性阑尾炎的价值

目的探讨多层螺旋CT多方位重建(MPVR)诊断急性阑尾炎的价值。方法2002年2月至2003年9月临床疑诊阑尾炎收治入院手术患者39例,术前均作了常规扫描和MPVR重建2种CT检查,术后31例确诊为阑尾炎,从阑尾充血、水肿至阑尾脓肿共分5级(正常阑尾为0级)。结果对照手术病理,MPVR重建诊断急性阑尾炎准确率872%,敏感度903%,特异度75%,阳性预测值933%,阴性预测值667%。常规CT检查诊断急性阑尾炎准确度385%,敏感度387%,特异度375%,阳性预测值706%,阴性预测值136%。28例确诊急性阑尾炎的MPVR重建片所示5种主要征象及出现频率如下阑尾肿大(管腔直径>6mm)(964%),阑尾结石(267%),回盲部肥厚(367%),阑尾周围炎(714%),脓肿(107%)。结论多层螺旋CTMPVR重建技术显著提高了CT对临床症状模棱两可、临床疑诊急性阑尾炎患者的术前诊断能力,并可减少重型阑尾炎病例的发生。     

多层螺旋CT尿路造影在尿路梗阻性疾病中的临床应用

目的探讨多层螺旋CT尿路造影在泌尿系梗阻性疾病诊断中的应用价值。方法对48例泌尿系统梗阻性疾病者,分别进行多层螺旋CT平扫及多时相期CT增强扫描。对增强后各期图像进行相关处理,以不同的三维重建方式获得CTA、CTU影像。所有病例均经临床及手术证实。结果48例中肾脏及输尿管先天畸形者15例;输尿管阴性结石致肾盂输尿管积水者4例;泌尿系炎症者5例;肾及输尿管、膀胱结核6例;外源性压迫导致肾盂及输尿管积水者8例;泌尿系肿瘤者10例。结论多层螺旋CT泌尿系造影对尿路梗阻性疾病的诊断具有很高的应用价值。     

多层螺旋CT髂静脉成像临床应用价值

目的探讨髂静脉多层螺旋CT成像的临床应用价值。方法50例患者行髂静脉多层螺旋CT血管造影,对比剂注射方案为经患侧足背浅静脉以2.5～3.0ml/s注射浓度为150mgI/ml的非离子型对比剂,延迟16～22s后开始扫描。利用多种重建方法进行重建。分析髂静脉的成像质量以及髂静脉疾病的影像特点。结果50例患者均成功完成CT血管造影。其中31例完全阻塞,9例管腔狭窄或见局部充盈缺损,10例完全通畅。图像质量优良率:优24%(12/50),良60%(30/50),差16%(8/50),总体优良率84%(42/50)。结论多层螺旋CT髂静脉成像对诊断静脉疾病有一定的临床价值。     

儿童腺样体肥大CT诊断（附25例报告）

目的探讨CT对腺样体肥大的诊断价值。方法对25例经穿刺活检病理证实腺样体肥大的患者CT表现进行分析。结果25例腺样体肥大病例中，均可见咽后壁类圆形软组织肿块，边界清楚，轮廓光整，密度均匀，大小不等，最大2．5Cm×3．0cm，咽间隙、咽旁间隙、椎前肌间隙及气道均有不同程度变窄。结论CT在腺样体肥大的诊断中地位重要，它不断发现和显示病变，确定肥大范围，了解气管、咽鼓管阻塞程度，对临床治疗起着重要作用。     

A suggested clinical score to predict the severity of adenoid obstruction in children

Chronic nasal obstruction in children is a very common disorder. Obstructing adenoid is usually the first to blame. Though the clinical assessment is essential, it is often considered unreliable or insufficient. We conducted a prospective clinical study to validate a clinical score predicting the severity of adenoid obstruction in symptomatic children. The clinical score (CS) included mouth breathing, snoring, restless sleep, frequent waking-up at night and obstructive breathing during sleep. Each item received a score of 0 or 1. The palatal airway was evaluated on a lateral nasopharyngeal x-ray. The degree of obstruction was assessed intra-operatively by a laryngeal mirror using a 3-grade scale. The volume of each adenoid specimen was measured. Eighty-six patients were enrolled, 51 boys and 35 girls, aged 13–181 months (mean 52, median 45). The CS correlated very well with the intra-operative findings (p < 0.01) and with the degree of palatal airway obstruction (p < 0.05) but not with the volume of the adenoid removed (p > 0.05). The CS was higher in children younger than 3 years (CS > 3 in 85.7% vs. 29.2%), having more frequent obstructive breathing during sleep (71.43% vs. 21.54%). A CS of three or higher, predicted severe obstruction in 96.5% of patients, as detected intra-operatively. The suggested CS is simple to use and is highly reliable in identifying children in need for adenoidectomy, in the context of normal anterior rhinoscopy and tonsils less than grade three.This work was presented at the podium of the XVIII IFOS in Rome, Italy on June 26, 2005.     

Potency variation of small-molecule chymase inhibitors across species

Chymases (EC 3.4.21.39) are mast cell serine proteinases that are variably expressed in different species and, in most cases, display either chymotryptic or elastolytic substrate specificity. Given that chymase inhibitors have emerged as potential therapeutic agents for treating various inflammatory, allergic, and cardiovascular disorders, it is important to understand interspecies differences of the enzymes as well as the behavior of inhibitors with them. We have expressed chymases from humans, macaques, dogs, sheep (MCP2 and MCP3), guinea pigs, and hamsters (HAM1 and HAM2) in baculovirus-infected insect cells. The enzymes were purified and characterized with kinetic constants by using chromogenic substrates. We evaluated in vitro the potency of five nonpeptide inhibitors, originally targeted against human chymase. The inhibitors exhibited remarkable cross-species variation of sensitivity, with the greatest potency observed against human and macaque chymases, with K_i values ranging from ∼0.4 to 72 nM. Compounds were 10-300-fold less potent, and in some instances ineffective, against chymases from the other species. The X-ray structure of one of the potent phosphinate inhibitors, JNJ-18054478, complexed with human chymase was solved at 1.8 Å resolution to further understand the binding mode. Subtle variations in the residues in the active site that are already known to influence chymase substrate specificity can also strongly affect the compound potency. The results are discussed in the context of selecting a suitable animal model to study compounds ultimately targeted for human chymase.     

PET/CT图像采集时间对图像质量和病灶检出率的影响

目的探讨在不影响图像质量和病灶检出率前提下缩短PET／CT图像采集时间的可行性。方法18例接受PET／CT检查的患者，在CT扫描后按1、2、3min／床位依次进行3次PET扫描，共得到54帧图像。患者按体重分为以下3组：（1）45～60kg（7例），（2）61～75kg（7例），（3）76～90k（4例）。由2位有经验的医师共同阅片确定每例患者病变的位置和数目，图像质量由2位医师独立判断。结果3min／床位PET／CT图像上共检出127个病灶，其中最小的病灶直径约为3mm，除1min／床位图像漏检3个病灶外，其他所有病灶均能被1min／床位、2min／床位的图像识别。（1）～（3）组患者在3min／床位采集图像上识别的病灶数分别为71、41、15个，第1组患者的所有病灶在3种不同采集时间图像上均能被识别，第2组患者1min／床位采集图像遗漏了3个病灶，而2min／床位图像识别出的病灶数与3min／床位图像相同。第3组患者的所有病灶在3种采集图像上也均能被识别。1、2min／床位的PET图像质量均较3min／床位图像差，1min／床位图像质量最差，主要表现为图像本底噪声高、对比度差。3组患者中，第3组患者图像质量最差。结论对体重低于60瞻患者，1～3min的采集时间，病变的检出率无明显差异；而对体重60k以上患者，建议选择2～3min／床位的采集时间，对病情较重或不合作患者，根据需要可考虑选择1min／床位的采集时间。     

骨样骨瘤的影像学诊断:X线平片与CT常规横断位及MPR比较

目的:比较常规X线平片、多层螺旋CT常规横断位及多平面重组(multi-planar reformation,MPR)在骨样骨瘤诊断中的价值。方法:回顾性分析41例骨样骨瘤病人在X线平片、CT常规横断位及MPR图像上的表现及其对瘤巢及瘤巢内钙化显示能力。结果:41例病灶均表现为一圆形或卵圆形的透亮区,其周围有不同程度的骨质硬化。41例中仅8例在X线平片上能显示瘤巢,瘤巢显示率为19.5%(8/41);所有检查者均清楚显示瘤巢周围骨质硬化,但均不能显示瘤巢内钙化;41例CT横断位图像及MPR图像均能清楚显示瘤巢,18例CT横断位图像能显示瘤巢内钙化,30例病人在MPR图像能显示瘤巢内钙化;横断位CT图像和MPR对瘤巢内钙化显示率分别为43.9%(18/41)和73.2%(30/41)。结论:瘤巢是确诊骨样骨瘤的关键,CT是显示瘤巢的重要检查方法,MPR图像是显示瘤巢内钙化的最佳方法,有助于做出准确诊断。