BACKGROUND: It is controversial whether the presence of bullae on the contralateral lung on HRCT plays a role in occurrence of contralateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax. We analyzed the significance of bullae on the contralateral lung and the risk factors associated with contralateral occurrence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Three hundred ninety four patients who were undergone Video.Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery for primary spontaneous pneumothorax between January 2004 and December 2009 were reviewed. The clinical features, HRCT and treatment of these patients were analyzed retrospectively. RESULT: Twenty eight of 394 patients had contralateral occurrence (7.10%). The average time was 13.06+/-9.79 months. A presence of contralateral bullae of lung on HRCT may not seem to be significant for occurrence of contralateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax (p=0.059). But bullae numbers were much more in contralateral pneumothorax patients (p=0.011). Younger than 20, being underweight (Body Mass Index<18.5 kg/m2) are independent risk factors for contralateral occurrence (odds ratio, 5.075 (1.679~5.339), 2.366 (1.048~5.339) respectively). CONCLUSION: The presence of bullae on the contralateral lung on HRCT was not significantly influenced the occurrence of contralateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax. However, age, body mass index, and the number of bullae were significant factors for the contralateral pneumothorax. We suggest that those high risk patients may require special attentions and general supportive care to prevent occurrence of contralateral primary spontaneous pneumothorax during the follow-up.
Attention ; Blister ; Body Mass Index ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Lung ; Pneumothorax ; Risk Factors ; Thinness ; Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted ; Thoracoscopy

PURPOSE: To assess the sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of individual contrast-enhanced helical CT findings of acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the appendiceal helical CT scans, obtained after intravenous contrast administration (abdomen; 7-mm collimation, abdominopelvic junction; 5-mm collimation), of 50 patients with surgically proven acute appendicitis and 112 with alternative diagnoses. The following parameters were analysed by three radiologists: enlarged appendix (> 6 mm in diameter), appendiceal wall thickening, appendiceal wall enhancement, no identification of the appendix, appendicolith(s), (appendiceal) intraluminal air, (appendiceal) intraluminal air extraluminal air, periappendiceal fat stranding, extraluminal fluid, phlegmon, abscess, lymphadenopathy, terminal ileal wall thickening, focal cecal apical thickening, focal colonic wall thickening, and segmental colonic wall thickening. RESULTS: The CT findings of acute appendicitis that statistically distinguished it from alternative diagnoses were an enlarged appendix (sensitivity; 92%, specificity; 93%, diagnostic accuracy; 93%), appendiceal wall thickening (for these three parameters: 68%, 96% and 88%, respectively), periappendiceal fat stranding (90%, 79%, 82%), appendiceal wall enhancement (72%, 86%, 82%), appendicolith (16%, 100%, 74%), and focal cecal apical thickening (14%, 100%, 74%) (for each, p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: On thin-section contrast-enhanced helical CT, an enlarged appendix and periappendiceal fat stranding were found in 90% or more patients with acute appendicitis. Appendiceal wall thickening and enhancement were clearly demonstrated and significant findings for diagnosis. Less common but specific findings include appendicolith, focal cecal apical thickening and intramural air, can also help us establish a diagnosis of acute appendicitis.
Abscess ; Appendicitis* ; Appendix ; Cellulitis ; Colon ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Lymphatic Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity* ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed*

A 43-yr-old patient visited our department with intermittent chest pain he had suffered with for the past 2 months. Chest CT showed an egg shaped mass in the left chest wall. Local resection was performed for distinguishing the mass from a neurogenic tumor. The diagnosis was periosteal Ewing sarcoma of the rib. Since there was no evidence of metastasis based on the PET-CT, a 2nd operation was done with wide resection and thoracoplasty. The patient was then treated with combined chemotherapy. There has been no local recurrence for the last 1 year. The patient's age and tumor origin were distinct from the usual characteristics of Ewing's sarcoma. Periosteal Ewing's sarcoma of the rib has rarely been reported. We report here on a case of periosteal Ewing's sarcoma of the rib along with a review of the relevant medical literature.
Chest Pain ; Humans ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Ovum ; Recurrence ; Ribs ; Sarcoma, Ewing ; Thoracic Wall ; Thoracoplasty ; Thorax

A 42-years-old man was referred to our department due to his hemoptysis. Chest CT showed a cavitary lung lesion in the apical segment of the RUL and an anterior mediastinal mass. The patient underwent wedge resection for the cavitary lesion and complete resection for the mediastinal mass. The pathologic finding was Paragonimus Westermani infestation in both the lung and thymus. The abdomen CT taken postoperatively showed an inflammatory mass involving the transverse colon and a small nodular lesion around the descending colon, which strongly suggested paragonimiasis. Postoperatively, the patient took Praziquantel for 2 days and he was discharged without any complications. There was no evidence of recurrence for the last 2 years.
Abdomen ; Colon, Descending ; Colon, Transverse ; Hemoptysis ; Humans ; Lung ; Mediastinal Diseases ; Paragonimiasis* ; Paragonimus westermani ; Praziquantel ; Recurrence ; Thymus Gland ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Although various studies on predictive markers in the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors are in progress, only PD-L1 expression levels in tumor tissues are currently used. In the present study, we investigated whether baseline serum levels of IL-6 can predict the treatment response of patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) treated with PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors. In our cohort of 125 NSCLC patients, the objective response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) were significantly higher in those with low IL-6 (<13.1 pg/ml) than those with high IL-6 (ORR 33.9% vs. 11.1%, p=0.003; DCR 80.6% vs. 34.9%, p<0.001). The median progression-free survival was 6.3 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9–8.7) in the low IL-6 group, significantly longer than in the high IL-6 group (1.9 months, 95% CI, 1.6–2.2, p<0.001). The median overall survival in the low IL-6 group was significantly longer than in the high IL-6 group (not reached vs. 7.4 months, 95% CI, 4.8–10.0). Thus, baseline serum IL-6 levels could be a potential biomarker for predicting the efficacy and survival benefit of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in NSCLC.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of our study was to assess whether a review of multiphasic helical CT combined with the previous serial CT images could be helpful to depict a viable tumor in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive patients with 35 hepatocellular carcinomas underwent transarterial chemoembolization followed by hepatic resection. First, three radiologists independently analyzed the last CT images taken before resection for the presence of viable tumor. A second analysis was then performed using the last CT combined with the previous serial CT images. The CT analyses were then compared with the pathologic results. The added value of the review of the previous serial CT images was evaluated by performing a receiver operating characteristic analysis. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy for the depiction of viable tumor were also assessed, and the characteristics of the false-negative lesions were pathologically evaluated. RESULTS: The mean diagnostic accuracies (Az values) for the depiction of viable tumor with using the last CT alone and with the review of the previous serial CT images for all observers were 0.885 and 0.901, respectively, which were not significantly difference (p> 0.05). However, the additional review of the previous serial CT images allowed the observers to render a correct diagnosis for three lesions that had been incorrectly diagnosed with the review of last CT alone. The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of the last CT along with the review of the previous serial CT images were 78%, 97% and 84%, respectively. All of the 16 false-negative lesions diagnosed by each observer showed 90% or greater necrosis on the pathologic examination. CONCLUSION: For the depiction of viable tumor in hepatocellular carcinoma treated with transarterial chemoembolization, although the difference in the diagnostic accuracies was not statistically significant, a review of the multiphasic helical CT combined with the previous serial CT images could help reach a correct diagnosis for those lesions incorrectly diagnosed with the review of the last CT alone.
Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; *Tomography, Spiral Computed ; Tissue Survival ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Neoplasm, Residual/*radiography ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Liver Neoplasms/*radiography/*therapy ; Humans ; Hepatectomy ; Female ; False Negative Reactions ; *Chemoembolization, Therapeutic ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*radiography/*therapy ; Aged ; Adult

The cystic lesions of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract demonstrate the various pathologic findings. Some lesions may present a diagnostic challenge because of non-specific imaging features; however, other lesions are easily diagnosed using characteristic radiologic features and anatomic locations. Cystic masses from the GI tract can be divided into several categories: congenital lesions, neoplastic lesions (cystic neoplasms, cystic degeneration of solid neoplasms), and other miscellaneous lesions. In this pictorial review, we describe the pathologic findings of various cystic lesions of the GI tract as well as the radiologic features of GI cystic lesions from several imaging modalities including a barium study, transabdominal ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging.
Contrast Media ; Cysts/*diagnosis/pathology ; *Diagnostic Imaging ; Gastrointestinal Diseases/*diagnosis/pathology ; Humans

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of an active contour model for estimating the posterior ablative margin in images obtained by the fusion of real-time ultrasonography (US) and 3-dimensional (3D) US or magnetic resonance (MR) images of an experimental tumor model for radiofrequency ablation. METHODS: Chickpeas (n=12) and bovine rump meat (n=12) were used as an experimental tumor model. Grayscale 3D US and T1-weighted MR images were pre-acquired for use as reference datasets. US and MR/3D US fusion was performed for one group (n=4), and US and 3D US fusion only (n=8) was performed for the other group. Half of the models in each group were completely ablated, while the other half were incompletely ablated. Hyperechoic ablation areas were extracted using an active contour model from real-time US images, and the posterior margin of the ablation zone was estimated from the anterior margin. After the experiments, the ablated pieces of bovine rump meat were cut along the electrode path and the cut planes were photographed. The US images with the estimated posterior margin were compared with the photographs and post-ablation MR images. The extracted contours of the ablation zones from 12 US fusion videos and post-ablation MR images were also matched. RESULTS: In the four models fused under real-time US with MR/3D US, compression from the transducer and the insertion of an electrode resulted in misregistration between the real-time US and MR images, making the estimation of the ablation zones less accurate than was achieved through fusion between real-time US and 3D US. Eight of the 12 post-ablation 3D US images were graded as good when compared with the sectioned specimens, and 10 of the 12 were graded as good in a comparison with nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide staining and histopathologic results. CONCLUSION: Estimating the posterior ablative margin using an active contour model is a feasible way of predicting the ablation area, and US/3D US fusion was more accurate than US/MR fusion.
Ablation Techniques ; Catheter Ablation* ; Cicer ; Dataset ; Electrodes ; Meat ; NAD ; Shadowing (Histology) ; Transducers ; Ultrasonography*