PurposeTo investigate clinical significance of echocardiography combined with Flash CT in diagnosis of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection (PAPVC). Materials and Methods Twenty-eight cases of PAPVC were recruited in the study. All the subjects underwent both preoperative echocardiography and coarse pitch Flash CT scanning. Imaging findings were compared with the results of surgery, including the type of PAPVC, size of atrial septal defect (ASD), and other combined malformations. Results Among 28 patients, 16 cases and 5 suspicious cases (4 cases of PAPVC and 1 case of pulmonary vein embolism) were diagnosed by echocardiography. Six cases were missed, and 1 case was misdiagnosed. CT misdiagnosed 1 case. The accurate diagnosis rate of echocardiography (71.4%, 20/28) was lower than that of Flash CT (96.4%, 27/28) (P<0.05). There were 44 combined malformations in 28 cases, 43 lesions were diagnosed by echocardiography, and 34 lesions were diagnosed by Flash CT. The accurate diagnosis rate of echocardiography (97.7%, 43/44) was higher than that of Flash CT (77.3%, 34/44) (P<0.05). The average DLP was (15.5±3.2) mGy·cm and average effective dose (ED) was (0.354±0.058) mSv.Conclusion Flash CT has a higher diagnosis accuracy of PAPVC but a lower diagnostic accuracy of combined malformations when compared with echocardiography. Moreover, echocardiography can make comprehensive evaluation in valve disease, pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac function. Flash CT combined with echocardiography may improve preoperative diagnosis.

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of multi-slice spiral CT for non-angle caused nutcracker syndrome(NCS). Methods A total of 177 cases of clinical suspected nutcracker syndrome patients recevied multi-slice spiral CT examination,,inclu-ding 33 patients with negative results,144 cases patients with positive results.The analysis was performed by measuring the angle between superior mesenteric artery(SMA)and the abdominal aorta(AA),and the ratio of the diameter of the narrowest and expan-sion in the left renal vein.Results Within 33 cases of nutcracker-negative patients,the angle of SMA and AA was (46.06 ± 24.46)°;the ratio was (2.11±0.76).144 cases was diagnosed as nutcracker-positive patients,the angle of SMA and AA was (23. 10±9.63)°;the ratio was (3.83±1.24).There was positive correlation between angle and ratio in NCS (P<0.0001).Among9 ca-ses of nutcracker syndrome caused by non-angle factors three were oppressed by the uncinate process pancreas,two cases were caused by the malformations of the left renal vein,one case was posterior nutcracker syndrome,one case was oppressed by portal veinOne case of pressured renal vein due to tortuosity renal vein coiled renal artery.One case of the left renal vein compression lumen narrowing,causing significant downward pressure on the left renal vein.Conclusion Spiral CT angiography reconstruction can clear-ly show the cause and the location of the left renal vein compression,which may provide helpful information in diagnosing nutcracker syndrome caused by non-angle factors.

Objective To analyze the CT features of renal carcinoma associated with Xp11.2 translocations/TFE3 gene fusions (Xp11.2 RCC),and to improve the diagnostic accuracy.Methods Clinical data,CT imaging and pathological features of 12 cases with pathology proved Xp11.2 RCC were analyzed retrospectively.Results All the 12 cases were solid masses.11 cases were oval or quasi-circular,1 case was irregular.Tumors were iso-density or hyperdensity on CT plain scan images.The density was heterogene-ous,combined with necrosis in 11 cases and spotty or patchy calcification in 7 cases.After injection of contrast,moderate or obvious enhancement of tumors was found,1 case had retroperitoneal lymph node metastasis,1 case was found with mass formation in the re-nal hilus,1 case had adrenal metastasis.Another one was found with psoas major muscle and lumbar 5 invaded.Conclusion The Xp11 .2 RCC has certain CT characteristics.This disease should be considered when a renal tumor is iso-density or hyperdensity on the CT plain scan images and has moderate or obvious enhancement,combined with necrosis or calcification.

Objective To investigate correlation between the amount of interleukin-17 (IL-17) producing cells and the expression of transforming growth factor (31 (TGF-β1) in glioma,and evaluate the clinical values of IL-17 and TGF-pl in predicting the prognosis of glioma. Methods The presence of IL-17 and TGF-pl was measured by immunohistochemistry in 135 human glioma (WHO Ⅰ 18,WHO Ⅱ 45,WHO Ⅲ 53,WHO Ⅳ 19) tissues and 15 normal brain tissues. Results There was no IL-17 positive staining in normal brain tissues. Of 135 glioma specimens showed low TGF-pl expression and 77 (57. 03% ) showed high TGF-pl expression. No TGF-β1 expression was detected in normal brain tissue. Furthermore,TGF-β1 expression was positively correlated with the amount of IL-17 producing cells in glioma tissues ( r=0.285, P<0.01). Compared with the low grade,the levels of IL-17 and TGF-pl positive cells were obviously increased in high grade. The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that there were significant differences in overall survival (OS) between the IL-17 and TGF-pl high-expression and lowexpression group (P＜0.01, P＜0.05). The 3-year OS rates of IL-17 of high expression and low expression were 33.75% and 76. 36%. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis indicated that age,KPS score, IL-17 were independent prognostic factor for OS (P＜0.01). Conclusion Intratumoral IL-17-producing cell density and the expression of TGF-β1 was associated with the malignancy of human glioma.

Objective To study the relationship between spiral CT features and histological differentiation of gastric carcinoma.Methods Triphasic spiral CT scans with water filling method and administration of hypotonic agent were performed in 55 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.Spiral CT findings were compared with postoperative pathology and histological differentiation.Results(1)The size and enhanced features of the lesions were significantly correlated with tumor histological differentiation(P

Objective To discuss the spiral CT features of lymph node metastasis in advanced gastric cancer, and to investigate the correlation between spiral CT features and pathologic results. Methods Spiral CT scan and triphasic enhancement spiral CT scan were performed in 59 patients with advanced gastric cancer before operation. Results ①The pathologic metastatic rate of lymph node in gastric cancer was high when the lymph nodes were nubby-mixed, prominently enhanced, unsymmetrical enhanced and ≥9 mm in diameter on spiral CT (P<0.05). ②The detection rate of lymph node metastasis with spiral CT was high when carcinoma tissues were poorly differentiated, Borrmann Ⅲ+Ⅳ, T3-4 staging and TNM Ⅲ+Ⅳ staging. Conclusion The spiral CT features of lymph node (distributing type, size, enhanced degree, enhanced mode and staging) can reflect the pathologic characteristics of lymph node metastasis in gastric carcinoma. Pathologic characteristic of gastric tumor determines the detection rate of lymph node metastasis on spiral CT. The accuracy of CT to diagnose lymph nodes metastasis will be improved by integrating the spiral CT features of both gastric tumor and lymph node.

Objective To access the diagnostic value of volume helical shuttle (VHS)technology of spectrum CT in detection of the pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVM).Methods Thirteen patients with PAVM confirmed by surgery and clinical data underwent CT pulmonary artery angiography with VHS technology,which were regarded as group A.The consecutive images at four different phases were gotten Meanwhile,other thirty patients underwent conventional CT pulmonary artery angiography using bolus tracking scan,regarded as Group B.The enhancement degrees of the pulmonary trunk were measured,and the image quality was also subjectively assessed by two radiologists separately,which were compared between two groups.Results In group A,the proportion of optimal phase in each of the four phases was 15.38% (2/13),46.15% (6/13),30.77% (4/13)and 7.7% (1/13),respectively.The mean CT value in pulmonary trunk was (329.21±41.63)HU in group A and (281.74±49.83)HU in group B,exhibiting no difference (P =0.989). The percentage of enhancement degree of pulmonary trunk more than 300 HU in group A was more than that in group B (P=0.000).However, the image quality of the main pulmonary artery,lobar pulmonary artery or segmental pulmonary artery was not significantly different between two groups (P >0.05).There were no statistically differences in mean DLP between group A of (715.54±195.37)mGy/cm and group B of (558.36±186.81)mGy/cm (t=3.737,P=0.068).Conclusion Spectrum CT VHS with higher image quality and enhancement degree is superior to conventional CT scan,which can be used to reduce the influence of individual circulation difference on image quality.

Objective To analyze the correlations of clinical characteristics,CT and pathology features of peripheral primitive neuroectrodermal tumors (pPNET)in abdomen-pelvis region,and to improve the understanding of the disease.Methods The clinical information,CT and pathological features of 23 confirmed pPNET patients in abdomen-pelvis region were analyzed retrospectively.Results (1)All patients had preoperative clinical and imaging data integrallty.(2)23 cases showed soft tissue masses with fuzzy boundary and the average diameter were 10.72 cm.Among all,9 cases showed with varying degrees of sac necrosis,while 2 cases showed with platelet hemorrhage and 4 cases with speckled calcifications.Most showed slight-to-moderate heterogeneous enhancement and the necrosis and cystic are-as showed more obvious.12 cases showed with different degree of recurrence,invasion or distant metastasis.5 cases combined with tumor emboli and 4 cases with tumor feeding vessels.(3)Immunohistochemical examination showed CD99 expressed in 1 9 patients, CD56 in 11,vimentin(Vim)in 12,synaptophysin(Syn)in 11,neuron specific enolase(NSE)in 4,FLI-1 in 4 and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA)in 4 patients.Conclusion pPNET is common among young patients with a high degree of malignancy.CT features include large mass with invasive growth,commonly combined heterogenous density,necrosis and cystic changes.Persistent enhancement is observed during nephrographic phase.

Objective To explore clinical value of optimizing the contrast medium injection protocol for dual-source CT high-pitch spiral acquisition in children with complex congenital heart disease.Methods Sixty patients with complex congenital heart disease were prospectively recruited and randomly divided into group A and group B by the random number table method.Patients in group A received a conventional contrast medium injection protocol,i.e.a diluted contrast material with fast and slow rate respectively,and then a flush with normal saline.The volume of contrast medium was 2.0 ml/kg.Patients in group B received an optimized injection protocol,i.e.a four-phase diluted contrast material with contrast/ saline ratio of 8:2,6:4,4:6,2:8 respectively.The volume of contrast medium was 1.0-1.5 ml/kg.Attenuation and noise were measured in superior vena cava,right atrium,right ventricle,the main pulmonary artery,left atrium,left ventricle,ascending and the descending aorta in the two groups and compared by t test.The image uniformity was assessed by t test.Subjective image quality and artifacts of superior vena cava were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test.Diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by x2 test.All the patients undergone the surgical treatment and demonstrated 121 abnormalities (22 species) of internal and external heart structure,i.e.56 in group A and 65 in group B.Results There was no significant difference in diagnostic accuracy between group A and group B (A:96.9％,52/56,vs.B:96.4％,62/65;x2=0.28,P=0.59).While,significant difference was found in the amount of consumed iodine between the two groups [A:(15.7±6.5) ml vs.B:(10.4±2.4) ml;t=4.14,P＜0.01].Furthermore,the image uniformity in group B was statistically higher than that in group A[A:(36.5± 18.0)HU vs.B:(272.0± 124.5)HU;t=10.30,P＜0.01].As for subjective image quality,no significant difference were observed (A:3.3±0.5 vs.B:3.5±0.5;Z=396.00,P=0.39);while significant difference was found in artifacts of superior vena cava (A:3.2±0.9 vs.B:3.7 ± 0.7;Z=300.50,P=0.02).Conclusion The optimized contrast medium injection protocol for children with complex congenital heart disease could eliminate the image artifacts of superior vena cava and improve the image quality.

Objective To investigate the impact of different reconstruction algorithms ,including filtered back projection (FBP) , hybrid iterative reconstruction technique (iDose4 ,Philips Healthcare) and iterative model reconstruction (IMR ,Philips Healthcare) on image quality of the low dose chest CT .Methods 30 consecutive patients underwent chest CT on a 256‐slice CT (80 kVp ,80 mAs) were enrolled .Raw data were reconstructed with FBP ,iDose4 ,IMR_soft (L1_Body_Soft_Tissue) and IMR_routine(L1_Body_Routine) algorithms respectively ,and reconstructed thickness was 1 mm ,increment 0 .5 mm .SD ,SNR and CNR were measured and recor‐ded .Image quality was assessed using 4‐point scale (poor to excellent) with lung and mediastinum window ,respectively .We com‐pared quantitative and qualitative parameters among three reconstructions .Results SD of four groups were 55 .7 ± 20 .7 ,37 .0 ± 13 .0 , 13 .4 ± 4 .9 and 19 .5 ± 7 .0 ,repectively .Compared with FBP group ,SD reduced by 33 .5% ,75 .9% ,65% (all ,P<0 .001) in iDose4 , IMR_soft and IMR_routine groups ,respectively .SNR and CNR of IMR_soft and IMR_routine were all higher than FBP group (all , P<0 .001) .SNR and CNR of iDose4 group were higher than FBP group ,but there was no significantly difference (P=0 .08 ,0 .91 , respectively) .SNR and CNR of IMR_soft and IMR_routine groups were all higher than iDose4 group (all ,P<0 .001) ,but was no significantly different between IMR_soft and IMR_routine group(P>0 .05) .The image quality score of lung window in IMR_routine group was the highest in groups ,but was no significantly different with IMR_soft group ,and was significantly different with FBP group and iDose4 group ,respectively .The image quality score of mediastinum window in IMR_soft group was the highest in groups , but was no significantly different with IMR_routine group and was significantly different with FBP group and iDose4 group ,respec‐tively .Conclusion Compared with FBP technique ,iDose4 and IMR techniques can distinctly reduce image noise and improve image quality on low dose CT ,especially IMR algorithm .