Current Medical Imaging - Volume 21, Issue 1, 2025
Volume 21, Issue 1, 2025
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Leptomeningeal Masses or Masquerades: A Spectrum of Diseases with Leptomeningeal Enhancement and their Mimics
More LessAuthors: Praveen M Yogendra, Oliver James Nickalls and Chi Long HoBackgroundLeptomeningeal enhancement, visible on MRI, can indicate a variety of diseases, both neoplastic and non-neoplastic.
ObjectiveThis comprehensive pictorial review aims to equip radiologists and trainees with a thorough understanding of the diverse imaging presentations of leptomeningeal disease.
MethodsDrawing from a retrospective analysis of MRI scans conducted between 1 January 2008 and 30 September 2022, at two tertiary teaching hospitals in Singapore, this review covers a wide range of conditions.
Case CollectionThe main neoplastic conditions discussed include leptomeningeal carcinomatosis, myelomatosis, schwannoma, CNS lymphoma, and pineal region tumors. Additionally, the review addresses non-neoplastic enhancements such as meningoencephalitis, intracranial hypotension, cerebral ischemia/infarction, epidural lipomatosis, syringomyelia, Sturge-Weber syndrome, and subarachnoid hemorrhage.
ConclusionBy highlighting the imaging features and patterns associated with these conditions, the review underscores the critical role of accurate diagnosis and timely management in improving patient outcomes. Enhanced understanding of these conditions can significantly improve patient outcomes through timely and effective therapeutic interventions.
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Sonographic Features of Juvenile Fibroadenoma in Children-a Retrospective Study
More LessAuthors: Jian Shi, Luzeng Chen, Jingming Ye, Shuang Zhang, Hong Zhang, Yuhong Shao and Xiuming SunAimsStudies specifically examining the sonographic features of juvenile fibroadenoma in the pediatric population have not been documented. We aimed to analyze sonograms of juvenile fibroadenoma in children.
Subjects and MethodsPatients aged ≤ 18 years who underwent breast ultrasound examinations at our department and had pathologically proven juvenile fibroadenoma from September 2002 to January 2022 were included in this study. Demographic data, clinical findings, and sonograms were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were further divided into the puberty and post-puberty subgroups, and their results were compared.
ResultsA total of 24 girls aged 10-18 years with 27 masses diagnosed as juvenile fibroadenomas were identified. The diameter of the masses averaged 5.8 ± 3.3 cm, with a range of 1.5-13.6 cm. Twenty-one (87.5%) patients had a single mass and 3 had double lesions. Over 80% of the lesions were oval-shaped and encapsulated with circumscribed margins and parallel orientation. All masses showed internal hypoechogenicity, either uniform or heterogeneous. For masses that had a diameter > 5 cm, screening with high-frequency transducers revealed no posterior acoustic features or posterior shadowing. However, these features changed to posterior acoustic enhancement when the masses were re-evaluated using low-frequency transducers. Ultrasonic color Doppler showed blood flow in 24 (88.9%) masses. There were no significant differences in the incidence and sonographic features between the two subgroups.
ConclusionMost juvenile fibroadenomas in children are oval, circumscribed, encapsulated masses with detectable blood flow. All juvenile fibroadenomas presented in this study exhibit internal hypoechogenicity with no posterior acoustic shadowing detected in any cases. Our findings suggest that screening with low-frequency transducers should be performed for a mass that has a diameter > 5 cm.
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Lightweight Lung-nodule Detection Model Combined with Multidimensional Attention Convolution
More LessAuthors: He-He Huang, Yuetao Zhao, Sen-Yu Wei, Chen Zhao, Yu Shi, Yuan Li, Weijia Huang, Yifei Yang and Jianhua XuBackgroundEarly and timely detection of pulmonary nodules and initiation treatment can substantially improve the survival rate of lung carcinoma. However, current detection methods based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) cannot easily detect pulmonary nodules owing to low detection accuracy and the difficulty in detecting small-sized pulmonary nodules; meanwhile, more accurate CNN-based models are slow and require high hardware specifications.
ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to develop a detection model that achieves both high accuracy and real-time performance, ensuring effective and timely results.
MethodsIn this study, based on YOLOv5s, a concentrated-comprehensive convolution (C3_ODC) module with multidimensional attention is designed in the convolutional layer of the original backbone network for enhancing the feature-extraction capabilities of the model. Moreover, lightweight convolution is combined with weighted bidirectional feature pyramid networks (BiFPNs) to form a GS-BiFPN structure that enhances the fusion of multiscale features while reducing the number of model parameters. Finally, Focal Loss is combined with the normalized Wasserstein distance (NWD) to optimize the loss function. Focal loss focuses on carcinoma-positive samples to mitigate class imbalance, whereas the NWD enhances the detection performance of small lung nodules.
ResultsIn comparison experiments against the YOLOv5s, the proposed model improved the average precision by 8.7% and reduced the number of parameters and floating-point operations by 5.4% and 8.2%, respectively, while achieving 116.7 frames per second.
ConclusionThe proposed model balances high detection accuracy against real-time requirements.
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FedPneu: Federated Learning for Pneumonia Detection across Multiclient Cross-Silo Healthcare Datasets
More LessAuthors: Shagun Sharma, Kalpna Guleria and Ayush DograBackgroundPneumonia is an acute respiratory infection that has emerged as the predominant catalyst for escalating mortality rates worldwide. In the pursuit of the prevention and prediction of pneumonia, this work employs the development of an advanced deep-learning model by using a federated learning framework. The deep learning models rely on the utilization of a centralized system for disease prediction on the medical imaging data and pose risks of data breaches and exploitation; however, federated learning is a decentralized architecture which significantly reduces data privacy concerns.
MethodsThe federated learning works in a distributed architecture by sending a global model to clients rather than sending the data to the model. The proposed federated deep learning-based FedPneu computer-aided diagnosis model has been implemented in 2, 3, 4, and 5 clients architecture for early pneumonia detection using X-ray images. The key parameters configuration include batch size, learning rate, optimizer, decay, momentum, epochs, rounds, and random-split as 32, 0.0001, SGD, 0.000001, 0.9, 10, 100, and 42, respectively.
ResultsThe results of the proposed federated deep learning-based FedPneu model have been provided in terms of round-wise accuracy, loss, and computational time. The highest accuracy of 85.632% has been achieved with 2-clients federated deep learning architecture, whereas, 3, 4, and 5 clients architecture achieved 85.536%, 76.112%, and 74.123% accuracies, respectively.
ConclusionIn the proposed privacy-protected federated deep learning-based FedPneu model, the two-client architecture has been resulted as the most optimal framework for pneumonia detection among 3-clients, 4-clients, and 5-clients architecture. The model works in a collaborative and privacy-protected framework with a multi-silo dataset which could be highly beneficial for healthcare departments to maintain patient’s data privacy with improved prediction outcomes.
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Attention-aware Deep Learning Models for Dermoscopic Image Classification for Skin Disease Diagnosis
More LessBackground:The skin, being the largest organ in the human body, plays a vital protective role. Skin lesions are changes in the appearance of the skin, such as bumps, sores, lumps, patches, and discoloration. If not identified and treated promptly, skin lesion diseases would become a serious and worrisome problem for society due to their detrimental effects. However, visually inspecting skin lesions during medical examinations can be challenging due to their similarities.
Objective:The proposed research aimed at leveraging technological advancements, particularly deep learning methods, to analyze dermoscopic images of skin lesions and make accurate predictions, thereby aiding in diagnosis.
Methods:The proposed study utilized four pre-trained CNN architectures, RegNetX, EfficientNetB3, VGG19, and ResNet-152, for the multi-class classification of seven types of skin diseases based on dermoscopic images. The significant finding of this study was the integration of attention mechanisms, specifically channel-wise and spatial attention, into these CNN variants. These mechanisms allowed the models to focus on the most relevant regions of the dermoscopic images, enhancing feature extraction and improving classification accuracy. Hyperparameters of the models were optimized using Bayesian optimization, a probabilistic model-based technique that efficiently uses the hyperparameter space to find the optimal configuration for the developed models.
Results:The performance of these models was evaluated, and it was found that RegNetX outperformed the other models with an accuracy of 98.61%. RegNetX showed robust performance when integrated with both channel-wise and spatial attention mechanisms, indicating its effectiveness in focusing on significant features within the dermoscopic images.
Conclusion:The results demonstrated the effectiveness of attention-aware deep learning models in accurately classifying various skin diseases from dermoscopic images. By integrating attention mechanisms, these models can focus on the most relevant features within the images, thereby improving their classification accuracy. The results confirmed that RegNetX, integrated with optimized attention mechanisms, can provide robust, accurate diagnoses, which is critical for early detection and treatment of skin diseases.
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A Complex Case of Highly Tortuous Abdominal Aorta Complicated with Infrarenal Aortoiliac Aneurysm
More LessAuthors: Dragan Piljic, Nail Sehic, Zijah Rifatbegovic, Haris Vukas, Fahrudin Sabanovic and Jus KselaBackground:Aneurysms, characterized by localized dilatation involving all three layers of the vascular wall, pose significant risks, with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) being prevalent, particularly among the elderly. However, the cooccurrence of AAA with abdominal tortuous aorta (ATA) remains exceptionally rare.
Case Report:We present the case of a 63-year-old male with an AAA extending into the iliac arteries, accompanied by ATA. Computed tomography revealed complex structural abnormalities, necessitating immediate surgical intervention. Due to the anatomical complexities, endovascular repair was not feasible, leading to a successful aortobifemoral bypass surgery using the Piljic method. The patient recovered well postoperatively, highlighting the efficacy of the chosen approach.
Conclusion:While AAA is often treated with endovascular repair, ATA complicates this approach, underscoring the need for open surgery in such cases. Research on aortic tortuosity's role in rupture prediction and stress alleviation shows varied findings, necessitating additional studies. ATA may also hinder vascular catheter insertion, requiring alternative routes for interventions. Future research is imperative to develop tailored treatment strategies for patients with concurrent AAA and ATA, ensuring optimal outcomes.
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Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study on Older Patients with Cognitive Impairment and Depression
More LessAuthors: Shuang Zhang, Yuping Qin, Meng Ding, Jining Yang and Tao ZhangBackgroundUnderstanding brain changes in older patients with depression and their relationship with cognitive abilities may aid in the diagnosis of depression in this population. This study aimed to explore the association between brain lesions and cognitive performance in older patients with depression.
MethodsWe utilized magnetic resonance imaging data from a previous study, which included older adults with and without depression. Smoothed Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) and local brain Amplitude of Low-frequency Fluctuation (ALFF) values were assessed to examine brain activity.
ResultsThe analysis revealed decreased ReHo in the left middle temporal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, and left precuneus, as well as increased local ALFF in the right middle occipital gyrus, left postcentral gyrus, and right precentral gyrus in older patients with depression. These alterations may contribute to behavioral and cognitive changes. However, no significant relationship was found between ReHo values and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores. In contrast, increased local ALFF in the left postcentral gyrus and right precentral gyrus was negatively correlated with MoCA scores.
ConclusionThis study demonstrated a significant association between regional brain alterations in patients with depression and cognitive behavior. Thus, this work identified functional brain regions and cognitive performance in older adults with depression, highlighting specific brain regions that play a crucial role in cognitive abilities in this population.
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Imaging Characteristics of Primary Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma of the Breast: A Case Report and Literature Review
More LessAuthors: Yizhong Bian, Lei Xu, Yibo Zhou and Jizhen LiIntroduction:Mucinous Cystadenocarcinoma (MCA) of the breast remains a relatively rare condition, and to date, there is no systematic summary of its imaging manifestations. Therefore, this report presents a detailed account of the diagnosis and treatment of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in a 40-year-old woman, with a particular focus on imaging findings. Additionally, we conducted a comprehensive literature review on this disease and summarized its key imaging features. This manuscript provides valuable insights and methodologies for the accurate diagnosis of mucinous cystadenocarcinoma.
Case Presentation:We report a 40-year-old premenopausal woman who discovered multiple cysts in her left breast five years ago. Over the past two years, the size of these tumors has increased. Ultrasound examination indicated that the cysts had grown to 27 x 17mm. Following a puncture, the cysts were confirmed to be benign and were not monitored regularly. A year later, the patient's mass in the left breast increased, and an ultrasound exam indicated a suspicious mixed echo area in the upper outer quadrant, suggestive of a malignant lesion. Mammography showed amorphous suspicious calcifications in the lesion area, distributed in segments. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging displayed non-mass-type enhancement of the lesion, with a dynamic enhanced imaging time-signal intensity curve (TIC) showing a rapidly rising plateau pattern. Postoperative pathology confirmed invasive carcinoma of the left breast along with mucinous cystadenocarcinoma. Four months after surgery, the patient developed multiple abnormal lymph nodes in the left axilla, which were confirmed to be metastasis upon pathology examination. Following radiotherapy, the patient's condition remained stable during the follow-up period.
Conclusion:Most MCA lesions typically exhibit clear borders and irregular edges, with some displaying expansive growth and compression of surrounding tissues. Mammography can reveal calcified components in lesions. Ultrasound often reveals an isoechoic or hypoechoic mass with well-defined borders but irregular edges. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can show clear boundaries and uneven enhancement of the lesions, and the time-intensity curve (TIC) of the mass area often shows an inflow enhancement pattern.
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Exploration of Cervical Cancer Image Processing and Detection Based on U-RCNNs
More LessAuthors: Cheng Cheng, Yi Yang and Youshan QuBackgroundCervical cancer is a prevalent malignancy among women, often asymptomatic in early stages, complicating detection.
ObjectiveThis study aims to investigate innovative techniques for early cervical cancer detection using a novel U-RCNNS model.
MethodsCervical epithelial cell images stained with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) were analyzed using the U-RCNNS model, which integrates U-Net for segmentation and R-CNN for object detection, incorporating dilated convolution techniques.
ResultsThe U-RCNNS model significantly improved the accuracy of detecting and segmenting cervical cancer cells, with the enhanced Mask R-CNN showing notable advancements over the baseline model.
ConclusionThe U-RCNNS model presents a promising solution for early cervical cancer detection, offering improved accuracy compared to traditional methods and highlighting its potential for clinical application in early diagnosis.
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Clinical Outcomes of Total or Partial Renal Artery Embolization in Patients with Spontaneous Renal Bleeding
More LessAuthors: Hyo Jeong Lee, Chang Hoon Oh, Soo Buem Cho and Sang Lim ChoiAimsThe aim of this study was to evaluate renal artery embolization in patients with spontaneous renal artery bleeding based on detailed angiographic findings and a comprehensive analysis of its efficacy and clinical outcomes.
Materials and MethodsThis retrospective study evaluated the outcomes of renal artery embolization in 18 cases among 15 patients (11 men and 4 women; mean age: 57.9 years) treated for spontaneous renal bleeding at our institution between March 2017 and October 2023. Data derived from abdominal computed tomography (CT) and arteriography were analyzed to assess the effectiveness of embolization.
ResultsMost patients had end-stage renal disease or renal atrophy, with common findings on CT scans, including signs of active bleeding in 66.7% (10/15) and hematoma extending to the retroperitoneal space in 53.3% (8/15). Microcoils were commonly used for embolization (n = 10), with a technical success rate of 100% and primary and final clinical success rates of 80% and 100%, respectively. No major complications were reported during the follow-up, and clinical improvement was observed in all patients who underwent total embolization, with few instances of reduced hematoma size and renal atrophy.
ConclusionTransarterial embolization is safe and effective for controlling spontaneous renal hemorrhage.
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HIV Infection Complicated with Cytomegalovirus Colitis: A Case Report of 18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging
More LessAuthors: Peipei Zhang and Shengwei FangBackgroundCytomegalovirus (CMV) infection is common in the digestive and central nervous systems and can infect the entire digestive tract from the mouth to the rectum. In immunocompromised patients, CMV infection is prone to develop into CMV disease, especially in Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients. Severe cases may accelerate the progression of AIDS patients and form systemic CMV infection. Timely diagnosis and treatment are very important for the prognosis of patients.
Case PresentationIn this paper, we report a 36-year-old man with a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection complicated with CMV colitis. Three weeks ago, he developed abdominal pain with fresh blood in the stool, accompanied by anal pain. He was found to be HIV positive 8 years ago. An enhanced CT scan showed edema and irregular thickening of the rectal wall, obvious enhancement of the mucosa, and multiple enlarged lymph nodes around. 18F-FDG PET/CT imaging displayed diffuse rectum wall thickening and increased glucose metabolism, and the SUV max was 12.7. There were multiple enlarged lymph nodes around the rectum, glucose metabolism was increased, and the SUVmax was 4.6.
Conclusion18F-FDG-PET imaging technology has potential value in the diagnosis of CMV colitis, especially in immunocompromised patients. Detection of FDG concentrations in the colon wall can help diagnose CMV infection and understand the extent of the lesion, which is essential for the timely initiation of antiviral therapy.
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Exploring the Prevalence and Coexistence of Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients Using Ultrasound: A Cross-sectional Study
More LessBackgroundType 2 diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) increases vulnerability to metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). Therefore, this study aims to determine the prevalence and coexistence of MASLD in patients with T2DM using ultrasound.
MethodsThis cross-sectional retrospective study included 168 patients with T2DM from multiple diabetes clinics in Abha City, Asir region, recruited between August 2023 and December 2023. Adult patients aged 18 and over with T2DM were included, and data was extracted from patient files. All patients were examined by ultrasound to determine the prevalence and coexistence of MASLD in patients with T2DM. Hepatic steatosis on B-mode ultrasound is qualitatively classified on a four-point scale: normal (0), mild (1), moderate (2), and severe (3).
ResultsOut of 168 patients, 68.4% were identified with MASLD, mostly with diffuse liver (97.4%) diagnosed through ultrasound. MASLD was significantly higher in individuals with uncontrolled diabetes (72.5%) than those with controlled diabetes (46.2%), with a significant difference (p=0.015) and an odds ratio (OR) of 3.081, indicating uncontrolled diabetics are over three times more likely to develop MASLD. The uncontrolled group had a statistically significant larger liver size than the control group (13.6cm ±1.43 vs. 13.0cm ±1.20, respectively: [p=0.032, 95%CI 0.053-1.12]). Furthermore, a notable association was observed between increased BMI and the prevalence of MASLD in individuals with T2DM. Furthermore, no significant association was found between the duration of diabetes and the severity of MASLD, nor between the grading of MASLD and gender.
ConclusionThis study highlights a crucial association between uncontrolled diabetes and increased MASLD prevalence, emphasizing the importance of diabetes management in reducing MASLD risk.
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Challenges in Diagnosing Primary Intracranial Ewing Sarcoma/Peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor: A Case Report
More LessAuthors: Shigang Luo, Feifei Wang, Huan Haung and GuangCai TangBackgroundPrimary intracranial Ewing Sarcoma/peripheral Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor (EWS/pPNET) is exceedingly rare and easy to misdiagnose.
Case PresentationWe present a case involving a 23-year-old male who presented with headaches and vomiting. The preoperative brain imaging revealed an irregular mass in the left parietal lobe, initially misdiagnosed as meningioma. However, the surgical specimen was ultimately diagnosed as primary intracranial EWS/pPNET. The patient underwent a total tumor resection, followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy. No recurrence or distant metastasis was observed 18 months after the surgery.
ConclusionWhen the imaging features of young patients’ lesions are solid, aggressive, and unevenly enhanced masses, physicians should be aware of the possibility of primary intracranial EWS/pPNET, and if possible, Gross Total Resection (GTR) and intensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy are recommended.
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A Retrospective Study of Ultrasound-guided Hydrodilatation of Glenohumeral Joint Combined with Corticosteroid Injection in Patients with Frozen Shoulder
More LessObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to establish the efficacy of ultrasound (US)-guided hydrodilatation of the glenohumeral joint, in conjunction with corticosteroid injection, in alleviating pain and improving shoulder joint adhesion among patients with primary frozen shoulder (FS).
BackgroundFS, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is a pathological condition characterized by pain and potential functional impairment. The natural progression of FS involves three distinct stages: freezing, frozen, and thawing. Chronic pain in FS patients can lead to aseptic inflammation, thickening of fibroblasts, and an abundance of type I and III collagen fibers in the vicinity of the glenohumeral joint, ligaments, and tendons. This condition significantly impacts patients' quality of life.
MethodsA total of 200 FS patients were enrolled in this study. All participants underwent US-guided hydrodilatation of the glenohumeral joint, combined with corticosteroid injection, at our department. Pre- and post-treatment (1 year) ultrasound measurements were recorded for the thickness of the axillary recess capsule (ARC), coracohumeral ligament (CHL), and subacromial bursa. Additionally, the numerical rating scale (NRS) and Constant-Murley score (CMS) were assessed to evaluate pain intensity and shoulder function, respectively.
ResultsPrior to the commencement of treatment, the measurements indicated a thickness of 4.8±2.3 mm for the ARC, 4.2±1.7 mm for the CHL, and 3.9±1.4 mm for the subacromial bursa. Additionally, the preoperative assessment using the NRS scale for pain yielded a score of 6.4±2.0, while the CMS score for the joint function was 35.8±8.5. Following one year of treatment, a notable decrease was observed in the thickness of ARC, CHL, and subacromial bursa. Furthermore, significant improvements were recorded in both the pain NRS score and the CMS score.
ConclusionUS-guided hydrodilatation of the glenohumeral joint, in combination with corticosteroid injection, may help improve the symptom and function of FS.
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Artificial Intelligence in Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography
More LessTranscranial Doppler is an instrumental ultrasound method capable of providing data on various brain pathologies, in particular, the study of cerebral hemodynamics in stroke, quickly, economically, and with repeatability of the data themselves. However, literature reviews from clinical studies and clinical trials reported that it is an operator-dependent method, and the data can be influenced by external factors, such as noise, which may require greater standardization of the parameters. Artificial intelligence can be utilized on transcranial Doppler to increase the accuracy and precision of the data collected while decreasing operator dependencies. In a time-dependent pathology, such as stroke, characterized by hemodynamic evolution, the use of artificial intelligence in transcranial Doppler ultrasound could represent beneficial support for better diagnosis and treatment in time-dependent pathologies, such as stroke.
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Intracranial Structural Malformations in Children in Tibet: CT and MRI Findings in a Single Tertiary Center
More LessAuthors: Xuan Yin, Dawa Ciren, Ciren Guojie, Guofu Zhang, Jimei Wang and He ZhangObjectivesThe objective of this study was to summarize the findings of children’s intracranial congenital or developmental malformations found during imaging procedures in the Tibetan plateau.
MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the imaging data of the suspected patients who presented with the central nervous system (CNS) malformations and were enrolled either through the clinic or after ultrasound examinations between June 2019 and June 2023 in our institution. All imaging data were interpreted by two experienced radiologists through consensus reading.
ResultsIn this study, we recruited 36 patients, including two neonates, 17 infants and 17 children. Seven cases underwent an MRI examination, while the others had a CT scan. Polygyria and pachygyria malformation were the most common type of congenital neurological malformations (7 cases, 31.8%), followed by cystic changes of the cerebral parenchyma (3 cases, 13.6%). Cerebral atrophy was the most common type of secondary CNS abnormality (8 cases, 57.1%), followed by communicative hydrocephalus (3 cases, 21.4%). Five patients in the congenital group and 4 patients in the secondary group had complex malformations. In the current study group, there were 8 deaths, 12 cases with neurological sequelae, 1 case with normal development, and 15 cases lost to follow-up. There were no significant differences between the primary and secondary CNS groups in terms of the outcome for both the infants and children groups.
ConclusionsCNS malformations in the Tibetan Plateau are associated with high mortality and morbidity rates. Better utilization of imaging modalities could help design tailored treatments as early as possible.
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Perforated Meckel's Diverticulum in an Adult that Resembles Acute Appendicitis: A Case Report and Review of Literature
More LessAuthors: Noha Bakhsh and Mai BanjarBackgroundPerforation is one of the rarest effects of Meckel's diverticulum and may clinically resemble acute appendicitis.
Case ReportA 34-year-old woman with pain in the right iliac fossa, nausea, and vomiting for three days was brought to the emergency department. An abdominal examination indicated rebound tenderness in the area of the right iliac fossa. Abdominal ultrasound showed a heterogeneous lesion in the left iliac fossa measuring 5 cm × 3.5 cm × 4 cm with no internal vascularity. Abdominal Computed Tomography (CT) demonstrated a hypodense lesion located left of the midline of the abdomen, which was inseparable from the small bowel at the antimesenteric border. Laparoscopic exploration was performed, and an intraoperative diagnosis of perforated Meckel’s diverticulum with phlegmon formation was made. The patient had an uneventful recovery.
ConclusionRadiologists should be aware of the possibility of complicated Merkel's diverticulum when encountering cases of acute abdominal pain. If there is a lower abdominal inflammatory process and a normal appendix is identified, there should be a high degree of suspicion when examining the CT scan.
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Clinical Features and Ultrasonographic Manifestations of Retroperitoneal Nerve Sheath Tumors
More LessAuthors: Xiaoqing Wang, Xiaoying Zhang, Rui Zhao, Yan Liu, Chaoyang Wen and Haining ZhengObjectivesRetroperitoneal nerve sheath tumors are uncommon, representing a small fraction of all primary retroperitoneal neoplasms. Accurate differentiation between benign and malignant forms is essential for optimal clinical management. This study assessed the clinical profiles and sonographic traits of retroperitoneal nerve sheath tumors with the goal of enhancing diagnostic precision and developing therapeutic strategies.
MethodsA retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with retroperitoneal nerve sheath tumors who completed surgical treatment and underwent ultrasound imaging was carried out. Tumors were classified based on sonographic features and blood flow characteristics as per Adler's grading system. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 25.0. ROC curve analysis was carried out to determine the optimal diagnostic cutoff values.
ResultsA total of 57 patients were included in the study. There were no significant variances in age, gender, or tumor localization among the groups. However, pronounced disparities were observed in tumor number, size, shape, definition of borders, internal echo pattern, structural composition, presence of calcification, and blood flow signals between the classic and malignant groups. Notably, malignant tumors tended to manifest as larger masses with indistinct margins and irregular shapes. The maximum tumor diameter emerged as a discriminating factor for malignancy, with a diagnostic cutoff of 9.9 cm, yielding an AUC of 0.754 from the ROC curve analysis.
ConclusionThis study outlines the distinctive clinical and sonographic features of retroperitoneal nerve sheath tumors, with a particular focus on malignant subtypes. Ultrasonography emerges as a valuable diagnostic tool, contributing to the differentiation of tumor categories and potentially to the development of targeted treatment strategies. The identification of specific sonographic markers may facilitate the early detection and detailed characterization of these tumors, which could contribute to improved patient outcomes.
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SVMVGGNet-16: A Novel Machine and Deep Learning Based Approaches for Lung Cancer Detection using Combined SVM and VGGNet-16
More LessBackground and ObjectiveLung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide, necessitating early and accurate detection methods. Our study aims to enhance lung cancer detection by integrating VGGNet-16 form of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Support Vector Machines (SVM) into a hybrid model (SVMVGGNet-16), leveraging the strengths of both models for high accuracy and reliability in classifying lung cancer types in different 4 classes such as adenocarcinoma (ADC), large cell carcinoma (LCC), Normal, and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
MethodsUsing the LIDC-IDRI dataset, we pre-processed images with a median filter and histogram equalization, segmented lung tumors through thresholding and edge detection, and extracted geometric features such as area, perimeter, eccentricity, compactness, and circularity. VGGNet-16 and SVM employed for feature extraction and classification, respectively. Performance matrices were evaluated using accuracy, AUC, recall, precision, and F1-score. Both VGGNet-16 and SVM underwent comparative analysis during the training, validation, and testing phases.
ResultsThe SVMVGGNet-16 model outperformed both, with a training accuracy (97.22%), AUC (99.42%), recall (94.22%), precision (95.28%), and F1-score (94.68%). In testing, our SVMVGGNet-16 model maintained high accuracy (96.72%), with an AUC (96.87%), recall (84.67%), precision (87.40%), and F1-score (85.73%).
ConclusionOur experimental results demonstrate the potential of SVMVGGNet-16 in improving diagnostic performance, leading to earlier detection and better treatment outcomes. Future work includes refining the model, expanding datasets, conducting clinical trials, and integrating the system into clinical practice to ensure practical usability.
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Multimodal Imaging of Retinal Changes in a Patient Taking Axitinib
More LessAuthors: Sebile Çomçalı, Çiğdem Coşkun, Cemal Çavdarlı and Mehmet Numan AlpBackgroundAxitinib is a selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors and is used in the treatment of many malignancies. Herein, we reported a rare case with axitinib-induced retinal changesand associated toxicity.
Case PresentationA forty-five-year-old female presented with blurred vision who had been taking 7 mg of Axitinib bid for 5 months. Initial Best Corrected Visual Acuity (BCVA) was 20/32 at the right and counting fingers at the left eye. Funduscopic examination revealed bilaterally widespread intraretinal hemorrhages, cotton-wool spots, and hard exudates with a star-like appearance at the macula. The optical coherence tomography revealed central macular edema. There was hyperreflective edema in the inner layers, exudates in the middle retinal layers, and subfoveal subretinal fluid. Fundus fluorescein angiography revealed localized ischaemic findings in the early phase and multifocal perivascular ink-blot fluorescein leakage in the middle and late phases. Axitinib treatment was discontinued immediately, and at the third month of follow-up, the macular edema and fundus findings improved with a final BCVA of 20/20 at the right and 20/32 at the left eye.
ConclusionConsidering the ocular side effects of the patients receiving axitinib is crucial to prevent any potentially persistent visual loss.
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Volume 21 (2025)
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Volume 18 (2022)
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Volume 17 (2021)
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