BACKGROUND: We tested the hypothesis that chronic treatment with sildenafil attenuates left ventricular (LV) remodeling and prevents exercise intolerance in chronic mitral regurgitation (MR). METHODS AND RESULTS: MR was created in SD rats by making a hole on the mitral leaflet. Two weeks after MR creation, MR and LV dilatation ...

The following articles are being highlighted as part of Circulation's Topic Review series. This series will summarize the most important manuscripts, as selected by the editors, published in Circulation and the Circulation subspecialty journals. The studies included in this article represent the most read manuscripts published on the topic of ...

A 34-year-old woman presented with refractory ascites and edema. Echocardiography revealed normal left ventricular function with a restrictive diastolic filling pattern. Tissue Doppler velocities of the mitral annulus were normal. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a focal region of pericardial thickening anterior to the right ventricle and normal thickness ...

Mouse models are increasingly used to study the pathophysiology of myocardial infarction in vivo. In this area, MRI has become the gold standard imaging modality, because it combines high spatial and temporal resolution functional imaging with a large variety of methods to generate soft tissue contrast. In addition, (target-specific) MRI ...

We conducted this study to compare the strong ion gap (SIG) with base excess (BE) and lactate for predicting neurologic outcome measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). In a retrospective cohort of 39 newborns with HIE treated with whole-body surface cooling (n = 17) and no ...

The diagnosis of cardiac amyloid can be challenging; requiring a high clinical index of suspicion and often many diagnostic tests to confirm. We describe a case demonstrating the characteristic pattern of amyloid by cardiovascular magnetic resonance and how this imaging modality can aid in the diagnosis.

We report the imaging findings in extra-articular chondrocalcinosis in a 53-year-old man with swelling and pain in right scapular area for 1 year. Plain radiography showed a right scapular area calcific mass. The clinical suspicion was of a soft tissue sarcoma. As a part of diagnostic workup, a bone scan ...

A 52-year-old female smoker presenting with unexplained weight loss underwent CT and FDG PET/CT imaging, which demonstrated an extremely hypermetabolic mediastinal mass with calcification, necrosis, and features of local invasiveness. Mediastinoscopy and biopsy were followed by successful surgical resection of an encapsulated mass showing the typical histologic features of follicular ...

Recent technologic advances in cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging have resulted in images with high spatial and temporal resolution and excellent myocardial tissue characterization. Cardiac MR is a valuable imaging technique for detection and assessment of the morphology and functional characteristics of the nonischemic cardiomyopathy. It has gained acceptance as ...

Vibration synchronized magnetic resonance imaging of harmonically oscillating tissue interfaces is proposed for cardiac magnetic resonance elastography. The new approach exploits cardiac triggered cine imaging synchronized with extrinsic harmonic stimulation (f = 22.83 Hz) to display oscillatory tissue deformations in magnitude images. Oscillations are analyzed by intensity threshold-based image processing ...

The clinical signs of heart masses tend to be nonspecific, generally depending more on their repercussions on heart function caused by their location rather than on their type. Imaging techniques make it possible to limit the differential diagnosis of heart masses based on their location, morphology, and characteristics of echogenicity, ...

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to present and evaluate a standardized technique for brain segmentation of cranial computed tomography (CT) using probabilistic partial volume tissue maps based on a database of high resolution T1 magnetic resonance images (MRI). METHODS: Probabilistic tissue maps of white matter (WM), gray matter ...

The magnetic properties of tissues affect MR images and differences in magnetic susceptibility can be utilized to provide impressive image contrast. Specifically, phase images acquired with gradient echo MRI provide unique and superb contrast which reflects variations in the underlying tissue composition. There is great interest in extracting tissue susceptibility ...

Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy is a technique with an increasing importance in the study of metabolic diseases. Its initial important role in the determination of chemical structures (1, 2) has been considerably overcome by its potential for the in vivo study of metabolism (3-5). The main characteristic that makes ...

To look for the association of tissue matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) expression with dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging and to see whether these can prognosticate patients with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Forty-seven patients with GBM underwent dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging to look for association of its indices with tissue MMP-9 ...

The role of imaging in planning oncologic treatment and follow-up of patients with bone sarcomas is discussed in the present article. Tumor staging and radiographic assessment of response to chemotherapy in bone sarcomas may be of difficult interpretation. In particular, the use of the criterion of tumor shrinkage to measure ...

We report the unique depiction of brown adipose tissue (BAT) by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) in a human 3-month-old infant. Based on cellular differences between BAT and more lipid-rich white adipose tissue (WAT), chemical-shift MRI and CT were both capable of generating distinct signal contrasts between ...

PURPOSE: To investigate magnetic resonance image-guided high intensity focused ultrasound (MR-HIFU) as a surgical guide for nonpalpable breast tumors by assessing the palpability of MR-HIFU-created lesions in ex vivo cadaveric breast tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MR-HIFU ablations spaced 5 mm apart were made in 18 locations using the ExAblate2000 system. ...

Amide proton transfer (APT) MRI is sensitive to ischemic tissue acidosis and has been increasingly used as a research tool to investigate disrupted tissue metabolism during acute stroke. However, magnetization transfer asymmetry (MTR(asym)) analysis is often used for calculating APT contrast, which only provides pH-weighted images. In addition to pH-dependent ...

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) and its main clinical application, coronary CT angiography, have made major progress during the past years. Advances were driven by progress in CT hardware technology and CT image reconstruction and processing software. Technical innovations have successfully been used to lower the radiation exposure of coronary CT ...

Detection and quantification of total choline-containing metabolites (CCMs) in tissues by magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) has received considerable attention as a biomarker of cancer. Tissue CCMs are mainly choline (Cho), phosphocholine (PCho), and glycerophosphocholine (GPCho). Because the methyl (1)H resonances of tissue CCMs exhibit small chemical shift differences and overlap ...

Facial reconstruction is the approximation of an antemortem face from human skeletal remains. Since the nineteenth century, several methods have been developed for reconstruction of the face; all of them require the measurement of average tissue thicknesses at various points on the face. To our knowledge, there are no publications ...

Hypertension is linked to disturbed total-body sodium (Na(+)) regulation; however, measuring Na(+) disposition in the body is difficult. We implemented (23)Na magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((23)Na-MR) and imaging technique ((23)Na-MRI) at 9.4T for animals and 3T for humans to quantify Na(+) content in skeletal muscle and skin. We compared (23)Na-MRI data ...

: Use of autologous tissue is ideal in breast reconstruction; however, insufficient donor tissue and surgical and donor-site morbidity all limit its use. Tissue engineering could provide replacement tissue, but only if vascularization of large tissue volumes is achievable. The authors sought to upscale their small-animal adipose tissue-engineering models to ...

An 18-yr-old, male, albino, American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) was evaluated for decreased appetite and abnormal buoyancy. Computed tomography (CT) of the coelomic cavity showed multifocal mineral and soft tissue attenuating pulmonary masses consistent with pulmonary fungal granulomas. Additionally, multifocal areas of generalized, severe emphysema and pulmonary and pleural thickening were ...

PURPOSE:: Many children with sarcomas undergo whole body 2-deoxy-2-(F)fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (F-FDG PET/CT) and technetium methylene diphosphonate (Tc-MDP) studies. It is unknown whether the combination of both tests results in more accurate detection of bone lesions than F-FDG- PET/CT alone. METHODS:: Tc-MDP bone and F-FDG PET/CT scans were ...

OBJECTIVES: Brain segmentation and volume estimation of grey matter (GM), white matter (WM) and cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) are important for many neurological applications. Volumetric changes are observed in multiple sclerosis (MS), Alzheimer's disease and dementia, and in normal aging. A novel method is presented to segment brain tissue based on ...

Utilizing a non-resonant graded material consisting of an array of artificially patterned superconducting and soft ferromagnetic elements, we construct a dc magnetic cloak. When an external dc magnetic field is applied, we find that the interior of the cloak is completely shielded while the exterior field remains unperturbed, as if ...

Leiomyomas of the deep soft tissue in the extremities of children are very rare. These benign soft tissue tumors occur more frequently in adults between the fourth and sixth decades of age. Women are more commonly affected than men, with the uterus the most common location. We present a rare ...

OBJECTIVE: Perfluorocarbon-exposed sonicated dextrose albumin microbubbles (PESDA) binds scavenger receptors and can be noninvasively imaged. To enhance imaging, gadolinium (Gd)-labeled PESDA was developed and tested in a model of vascular inflammation by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Purified human serum albumin (HSA) (5%) was labeled with Gd via ...

No feasible method currently exists to evaluate systemic metastasis in patients with myxoid liposarcoma. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of performing whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect metastatic myxoid liposarcoma. From June 2008 to May 2010, all patients who were newly diagnosed with myxoid ...

A 69-year-old woman was diagnosed with stage IIIA advanced Type IV Klatskin cholangiocarcinoma, which was treated with radical choledochectomy, extended right hepatectomy and left hepaticojejunostomy. About six months after surgery, she presented with painless jaundice. A 2-18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (F18-FDG PET-CT) was performed, which detected an FDG-avid umbilical ...

One of the building blocks in Monte Carlo (MC) treatment planning is to convert patient CT data to MC compatible phantoms, consisting of density and media matrices. The resulting dose distribution is highly influenced by the accuracy of the conversion. Two major contributing factors are precise conversion of CT number ...

Synovial sarcoma is a rare malignant soft-tissue tumor that most commonly occurs in the extremities of young adults. Primary pericardial synovial sarcoma is extremely rare. We report the case of a 37 year old male patient who presented with intermittent fever, nocturnal sweating and asthenia. Chest X-ray revealed an enlarged ...

Soft tissue and osseous sarcomas of the extremities are uncommon malignancies that represent very important diagnostic entities because of their aggressive nature. Radiologic investigations, including plain film, computed tomography, contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging; scintigraphy, ultrasound, and positron emission tomography-computed tomography, play critical roles in providing a differential, establishing the diagnosis, ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy, the duration and factors that influence the duration of MRI-guided liver or soft-tissue biopsies. METHODS: Nineteen liver biopsies and 19 soft-tissue biopsies performed using 1.5T-MRI guidance were retrospectively analysed. Diagnostic performance and complications were assessed. Intervention time was subdivided into preparation period, puncture period and ...

PURPOSE: To describe a new semiautomated method for segmenting and measuring the volume of the muscle, bone, and adipose (subcutaneous and intermuscular) tissue in calf muscle compartments using magnetic resonance (MR) images and determine the intrarater and interrater reproducibility of the measures. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Proton-density weighted MR images were ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: A hepatic angiomyolipoma is a rare benign tumor of the liver composed of a mixture of smooth muscle cells, blood vessels and a variable amount of adipose tissue. Differentiating them from malignant liver tumors can often be very difficult. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 43-year-old ...

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential of diagnostic imaging in the identification, localization, and characterization of soft-tissue inflammatory myofibroblastic tumors (IMTs) of limbs with correlation to differential diagnosis and therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From a retrospective analysis of 324 histologically verified soft-tissue lesions of limbs ...

PURPOSE: To investigate the water diffusion tensor properties of ex vivo tissue in the fibroid uterus, including the influence of degeneration, and the relevance of the principal eigenvector orientation to the underlying tissue structure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following hysterectomy, high-resolution structural T(2) -weighted and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI) ...

PURPOSE: To design a method suitable for obtaining tissue samples from regions of different function as ascertained by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In vivo MRI was used to create azimuthal projections of the heart from dilated cardiomyopathy transplant patients with the cardiac valves in the center and ...

ABSTRACT: INTRODUCTION: Ewing's sarcoma of the calcaneus is rare. About thirty cases with calcaneus involvement have been reported in the literature. Talus skip metastases have rarely been described in the available literature CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a 14-year-old Moroccan boy, who presented with Ewing's sarcoma of his ...

To improve the diagnosis of heterotopic pancreas by the use of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) imaging and CT virtual endoscopy (CTVE). A total of six patients with heterotopic pancreas, as confirmed by clinical pathology and immunohistochemistry in the Sixth Affiliated People's Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, were ...

Respiratory epithelial adenomatoid hamartomas (REAHs) of the nose and paranasal sinuses are relatively rare. These tumors usually do not extend over the boundaries of the nose and sinuses. The authors presented a 65-year-old man experiencing progressive hyposmia, followed by intermittent stubborn headache. The symptoms lasted for almost 2 years and ...

A seven-year-old boy presented to the neuropediatric clinic with right-sided ptosis, external ophthalmoplegia, and mental retardation. Orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed anomalous soft tissue within the intraconal region, which was interpreted as an atavistic retractor bulbi muscle. In patients with external ophthalmoplegia and ptosis, anatomic variations observed in MRI ...

Stroke risk immediately after TIA defined by time-based criteria is high, and prognostic scores (ABCD2 and ABCD3-I) have been developed to assist management. The American Stroke Association has proposed changing the criteria for the distinction between TIA and stroke from time-based to tissue-based. Research using these definitions is lacking. In ...

In this work, we develop and validate an automated micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) image segmentation algorithm that accurately and efficiently segments bone, calcium phosphate (CaP)-based bone scaffold, and soft tissue. The algorithm enables quantitative evaluation of bone growth in CaP scaffolds in our study that includes many samples (100+) and large ...

We report R(2) and R(2)* in human hippocampus from five unfixed post-mortem Alzheimer's disease (AD) and three age-matched control cases. Formalin-fixed tissues from opposing hemispheres in a matched AD and control were included for comparison. Imaging was performed in a 600MHz (14T) vertical bore magnet at MR microscopy resolution to ...

Uterine sarcomas are uncommon tumours from mesenchymal elements. They are thought to arise primarily from endometrial stroma and uterine muscle, respectively. When endometrial stroma undergoes malignant transformation, it might be accompanied by a malignant epithelial component. Thus, malignant mesenchymal uterine tumours comprise leiomyosarcoma, endometrial stromal sarcoma, undifferentiated uterine sarcoma and ...

BACKGROUND:: Iliac screw fixation is a powerful tool used by spine surgeons to achieve fusion across the lumbosacral junction for a number of indications, including deformity, tumor, and pseudarthrosis. Complications associated with screw placement are related to blind trajectory selection and excessive soft tissue dissection. OBJECTIVE:: To describe the technique ...