A case of recurrent gastric cancer successfully treated with a combination of cisplatin and carmofur

A 51-year-old man with recurrent gastric cancer was treated by combined administration of Cisplatin and Carmofur. The target sites were the abdominal lymph nodes and the area of invasion to the stomach. Cisplatin (50 mg/body/day) was given for 3 days, while Carmofur (400-800 mg/body/day) was administered daily in 1 course. After 1 course of administration, the target tumor was reduced in size and the therapy was continued. A complete response was confirmed by upper gastrointestinal roentgenography, endoscopy and echography after 8 courses of Cisplatin administration. The patient has survived for 2 years 6 months in a state of CR. This case suggests that a combination therapy of Cisplatin and Fluoropyrimidine derivatives might be effective for gastric cancer.     

Quantification of tissue plasma volume in the rat by contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Magnetic resonance imaging enhanced with a macromolecular contrast medium (MMCM), albumin-Gd-DTPA, was used to estimate the plasma volume in vivo in the myocardium, lung, liver, and skeletal muscle of 10 normal rats. The plasma volumes of the same tissues in a parallel group of six rats were estimated in vitro by a conventional radioisotopic technique (¹¹¹In-transferrin). Plasma volumes of myocardium, lung, liver, and skeletal muscle estimated by the MR technique (μl plas. ia cc-¹ of tissue) were 101,109,163, and 11.0, respectively, while plasma volumes measured by the In-transferrin radioisotope technique (mg plasma g-¹ of tissue) were 78.6, 215,143, and 11-2, respectively. Assuming a ratio of densities of aerated lung to blood of 0.45 and of other tissues to blood of 1.0, correlation between the methods was excellent (R² = 0.99) indicating that MR imaging enhanced with MMCM permits reliable in vivo estimation of tissue plasma volume in the rat.     

Prognostic significance of multiple-detector computed tomography in conjunction with TIMI risk score for patients with non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome

Risk stratification among patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) has been made by clinical scoring. Recently, multiple-detector computed tomography (MDCT) appeared to provide noninvasive coronary angiography (CAG). To clarify the prognostic significance of MDCT, we aimed to evaluate the clinical utility of MDCT in the early management and in predicting the long-term prognosis of NSTE-ACS with low to intermediate risk. Among 84 consecutive patients with NSTEACS, risk stratification using a TIMI risk score was done. A total of 48 patients were categorized as low to intermediate risk. Multiple-detector CT was performed in 30 patients using 16-slice MDCT. MDCT detected coronary stenoses in 18 patients. Compared to invasive CAG, MDCT successfully depicted the coronary stenosis (P < 0.005), with sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 86%. The incidence of in-hospital major adverse clinical events (death, subsequent myocardial infarction, revascularization) was significantly higher in patients with a positive MDCT than in those with a negative MDCT test (44% vs 0%, P < 0.005). Moreover, a Kaplan-Meier analysis showed a significant difference in the event — free survival between MDCT positive and negative groups (33% vs 100%, respectively, P < 0.0001) during the mean follow-up period of 9.9 ± 7.5 months. Sixteen-slice MDCT in conjunction with a TIMI risk score appeared to demonstrate prognostic significance in patients with NSTE-ACS.     

Diagnosis of complete Cul‐De‐Sac obliteration (CCDSO) by the MRI jelly method

Purpose

To evaluate the usefulness of MRI jelly method (jelly method).

Materials and Methods

Fifty‐five patients (32.7 ± 5 years old) with endometriosis, treated with laparoscopic surgery between January and June 2005 with preoperative MRI using the jelly method. In imaging by the jelly method, 50 mL of jelly used for ultrasound was injected into the vagina, and 150 mL of jelly diluted twice with tap water was injected into the rectum. MRI were inspected for the following seven findings: (Finding 1) Uterine position (anteflexion or retroflexion); (Finding 2) Thickness of the posterior uterine wall (adenomyosis uteri); (Finding 3) Ascites in the Douglas' pouch; (Finding 4) Elevated posterior uterine fornix; (Finding 5) Thickening of the “Haustra”; (Finding 6) Elevated anterior rectal wall; and (Finding 7) Douglas' pouch lesion visualized as a high‐intensity area on a T1‐weighted image. The latter four findings were enhanced with the jelly method. These seven findings were examined for their correlations with video findings of adhesion during surgery.

Results

CCDSO was present in 30 of 55 patients. These seven findings had accuracies of 69.1%, 70.9%, 72.7%, 74.5%, 56.4%, 83.6%, and 81.8% respectively. Findings 6 and 7 showed high accuracy.

Conclusion

These two findings could only be obtained using the jelly method, indicating the usefulness of this method for diagnosing CCDSO. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2009;29:365–370. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Distribution of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values in patients receiving contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose

The aim of this study was to elucidate the distribution of estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) values in patients who underwent gadolinium-based contrast agent (GBCA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at different types of hospitals.

Materials and methods

We retrospectively studied 2,550 patients who underwent MRI at five institutions. We recorded the date and value of each patient??s eGFR test. The distribution of eGFR values was compared with that in the general Japanese population.

Results

A total of 84.3% of patients had their eGFRs evaluated before GBCA-enhanced MRI. Of these, 84.7% were evaluated within 3?months before the GBCA-enhanced MRI, and 1.3% were evaluated on the day of the GBCA-enhanced MRI. A total of 87.2% of patients tested had an eGFR of ??60?ml/min/1.73?m²; 12.8% had an eGFR of <60 and ??30?ml/min/1.73?m², and no patients had an eGFR of <30?ml/min/1.73?m².

Conclusion

The rate of renal function evaluation differed among hospitals. The prevalence of low eGFR values was greater in Juntendo Tokyo Koto Geriatric Medical Center than in the other hospitals, and the prevalence of low eGFR values was greater in patients who underwent GBCA-enhanced MRI than in the general Japanese population.     

Drug-induced acute pulmonary edema--sequential changes in CT images.

This is a case report of immediate acute pulmonary edema following the intravenous administration of Stronger Neo-Minophagen C (glycyrrhizin) and Chlor-Trimeton (chlorpheniramine maleate). The patient was a 15-year-old Japanese boy who had a previous history of surgery for right testicular tumor and adverse reactions to contrast media. The patient complained of severe headache, nausea, and vomiting just before the end of intravenous administration of these drugs, which were being given to prevent an adverse reaction to contrast enhanced CT. The symptoms disappeared within a few minutes, but chest CT examination performed immediately after the onset of the adverse reaction showed ill-defined consolidations with air bronchogram, especially in the anterior portion of both lungs. One day later, the abnormalities coalesced and poorly marginated patchy opacities developed. A week later, the abnormal densities disappeared. CT findings suggested acute pulmonary edema, especially in the anterior portion of both lungs. Thus CT examination was useful to detect focal pulmonary edema even in a patient with no particular respiratory symptom.     

Posterior hypoperfusion in Parkinson's disease with and without dementia measured with arterial spin labeling MRI

Purpose:

To determine whether quantitative arterial spin labeling (ASL) can be used to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow in Parkinson's disease with dementia (PDD) and without dementia (PD).

Materials and Methods:

Thirty‐five PD patients, 11 PDD patients, and 35 normal controls were scanned by using a quantitative ASL method with a 3 Tesla MRI unit. Regional cerebral blood flow was compared in the posterior cortex using region‐of‐interest analysis.

Results:

PD and PDD patients showed lower regional cerebral blood flow in the posterior cortex than normal controls (P = 0.002 and P = 0.001, respectively, analysis of variance with a Bonferroni post hoc test).

Conclusion:

This is the first study to detect hypoperfusion in the posterior cortex in PD and PDD patients using ASL perfusion MRI. Because ASL perfusion MRI is completely noninvasive and can, therefore, safely be used for repeated assessments, this method can be used to monitor treatment effects or disease progression in PD. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;33:803–807. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.