OBJECTIVE: We describe a systematic review and meta-analysis of the performance of 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) for detecting metastasis in ovarian cancer. METHODS: MEDLINE and Embase were searched for diagnostic accuracy studies that used 18F-FDG PET or PET/CT for pre-treatment staging, using surgical findings as the reference standard. Sensitivities and specificities were pooled and plotted in a hierarchic summary receiver operating characteristic plot. Potential causes of heterogeneity were explored through sensitivity analyses. RESULTS: Eight studies with 594 patients were included. The overall pooled sensitivity and specificity for metastasis were 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.61–0.81) and 0.93 (95% CI=0.85–0.97), respectively. There was considerable heterogeneity in sensitivity (I2=97.57%) and specificity (I2=96.74%). In sensitivity analyses, studies that used laparotomy as the reference standard showed significantly higher sensitivity and specificity (0.77; 95% CI=0.67–0.87 and 0.96; 95% CI=0.92–0.99, respectively) than those including diagnostic laparoscopy (0.62; 95% CI=0.46–0.77 and 0.84; 95% CI=0.69–0.99, respectively). Higher specificity was shown in studies that confirmed surgical findings by pathologic evaluation (0.95; 95% CI=0.90–0.99) than in a study without pathologic confirmation (0.69; 95% CI=0.24–1.00). Studies with a lower prevalence of the FDG-avid subtype showed higher specificity (0.97; 95% CI=0.94–1.00) than those with a greater prevalence (0.89; 95% CI=0.80–0.97). CONCLUSION: Pre-treatment 18F-FDG PET/CT shows moderate sensitivity and high specificity for detecting metastasis in ovarian cancer. With its low false-positive rate, it can help select surgical approaches or alternative treatment options.
Electrons* ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Laparoscopy ; Laparotomy ; Neoplasm Metastasis* ; Ovarian Neoplasms* ; Population Characteristics ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Positron-Emission Tomography and Computed Tomography ; Prevalence ; ROC Curve ; Sensitivity and Specificity

OBJECTIVES: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of the prognostic value of post-treatment 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (¹⁸F-FDG PET) in uterine cervical cancer patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) with or without chemotherapy. METHODS: PubMed and Embase databases were searched up to July 22, 2018, for studies which evaluated the response outcomes of ¹⁸F-FDG PET following RT, and their prognostic significance in uterine cervical cancer was assessed with overall survival (OS) or progression-free survival (PFS) as endpoints. Hazard ratios (HRs) were meta-analytically pooled using the random-effects model. RESULTS: Eleven studies with 12 patient cohorts including 1,104 patients were included. For a quantitative synthesis of OS, 7 cohorts were included. Two cohorts which reported disease-specific survival instead of OS were also included with flexibility. Pooled HR of complete metabolic response (CMR) compared to partial metabolic response (PMR) was 0.19 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.11–0.31). Pooled HR of CMR compared to progressive metabolic disease (PMD) was more evident at 0.07 (95% CI=0.04–0.12), and that of CMR compared to both PMR and PMD was 0.20 (95% CI=0.12–0.34). Quantitative synthesis for PFS was performed with a total of 8 cohorts. Pooled HR of CMR was 0.17 (95% CI=0.10–0.29) compared to PMR, 0.02 (95% CI=0.01–0.06) compared to PMD and 0.12 (95% CI=0.07–0.19) compared to both PMR and PMD. CONCLUSION: Response results of post-RT ¹⁸F-FDG PET were significant prognostic factors in patients with uterine cervical cancer, and ¹⁸F-FDG PET could be a reasonable follow-up imaging modality.
Cohort Studies ; Disease-Free Survival ; Drug Therapy ; Electrons ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Metabolic Diseases ; Pliability ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Radiotherapy ; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

Dementia pugilistica (DP) or chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease or dementia that may affect amateur or professional boxers as well as athletes in other sports who suffer concussions. The condition is thought to affect around 15% to 20% of professional boxers and caused by repeated concussive or subconcussive blows. CTE was in the past referred to as dementia pugilistica, which reflected the prevailing notion that this condition was restricted to boxers. Recent research, however, has demonstrated neuropathological evidence of CTE in retired American football players, a professional wrestler, a professional hockey player and a soccer player, as well as in nonathletes. It is probable that many individuals are susceptible to CTE, including those who experience falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults, epileptic seizures, or military combat, and that repeated mild closed head trauma of diverse origin is capable of instigating the neurodegenerative cascade leading to CTE. We report a 62-year old man suspicious of dementia pugilistica with clinical features of frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism.
Athletes ; Brain Injury, Chronic ; Dementia ; Epilepsy ; Football ; Frontotemporal Dementia ; Head Injuries, Closed ; Hockey ; Humans ; Military Personnel ; Motor Vehicles ; Neurodegenerative Diseases ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Soccer ; Sports

Objective: The purpose was to review the diagnostic performance of the length of tumor capsular contact (LCC) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for detecting prostate cancer extraprostatic extension (EPE). Materials and Methods: PubMed and EMBASE databases were searched up to March 24, 2019. We included diagnostic accuracy studies that evaluated LCC on MRI for EPE detection using radical prostatectomy specimen histopathology as the reference standard. Quality of studies was assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 tool. Sensitivity and specificity were pooled and graphically presented using hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) plots. Meta-regression and subgroup analyses were conducted to explore heterogeneity. Results: Thirteen articles with 2136 patients were included. Study quality was generally good. Summary sensitivity and specificity were 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73–0.83) and 0.67 (95% CI 0.60–0.74), respectively. Area under the HSROC was 0.81 (95% CI 0.77–0.84). Substantial heterogeneity was present among the included studies according to Cochran’s Q-test (p < 0.01) and Higgins I2 (62% and 86% for sensitivity and specificity, respectively). In terms of heterogeneity, measurement method (curvilinear vs. linear), prevalence of Gleason score ≥ 7, MRI readers’ experience, and endorectal coils were significant factors (p ≤ 0.01), whereas method to determine the LCC threshold, cutoff value, magnet strength, and publication year were not (p = 0.14–0.93). Diagnostic test accuracy estimates were comparable across all assessed MRI sequences. Conclusion Greater LCC on MRI is associated with a higher probability of prostate cancer EPE. Due to heterogeneity among the studies, further investigation is needed to establish the optimal cutoff value for each clinical setting.

BACKGROUND: Agent Orange (AO) is the code name for one of the herbicides and defoliants used in the Vietnam War. Studies conducted thus far show a significant correlation between AO and the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. But there is little data on the association between AO and stroke, and limited studies have targeted patient groups exposed to AO. METHOD: Bohun medical center Institutional Review Board (IRB) approved the study. (ID: 341) We studied patients with acute ischemic stroke within 7 days of onset in VHS medical center and 4 other general hospitals. Among them, 91 consecutive patients with previous exposure to AO were evaluated. For controlled group, 288 patients with no history of AO exposure were chosen. RESULT: There were 49 (44.0 %) DM patient with a higher frequency in the exposure group (93 (32.3 %) in control P = 0.045). There were 6 (6.6 %) hyperlipidemia in exposure group and 69 (24.0 %) in control. (P < 0.002). Small vessel occlusion was the most common subtype (36, 39.6 %) in exposure group but in control group, the large artery atherosclesosis was (120, 41.7 %) (P = 0.014). The NIHSS of the exposure group on admission showed lower scores (median values, 2 and 4, respectively; P = 0.003). The median mRS was 1 for the exposure group and 2 for the control group, at discharge and after 3 months. After 3 months of discharge, 55 (60.4 %) in the exposure group and 171 (59.4 %) in the control group showed below mRS 1 (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study targeted patients who are Vietnam veteran. There is some difference in vascular risk factors and clinical manifestations suggest AO exposure has contributed to a certain extent to the stroke.
Arteries ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cerebral Infarction* ; Citrus sinensis* ; Ethics Committees, Research ; Herbicides ; Hospitals, General ; Humans ; Hyperlipidemias ; Methods ; Prognosis* ; Risk Factors ; Stroke ; Veterans ; Vietnam

PURPOSE: Avascular necrosis (AVN) of the femoral head is a major complication after internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and determines the functional prognosis. We investigated postoperative bone single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) for assessing the risk of femoral head AVN.METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 53 consecutive patients who underwent bone SPECT/CT within 2 weeks of internal fixation of a femoral neck fracture and follow-up serial hip radiographs over at least 12 months.RESULTS: Nine patients developed femoral head AVN. In 15 patients who showed normal uptake on immediate postoperative SPECT/CT, no AVN occurred, whereas 9 of 38 patients who showed cold defects of the femoral head later developed AVN. The negative predictive value of immediate postoperative SPECT/CT for AVN was 100 %, whereas the positive predictive value was 24 %. Among 38 patients with cold defects, 1 developed AVN 3 months postoperatively. A follow-up bone SPECT/CT was performed in the other 37 patients at 2??0 months postoperatively. The follow-up bone SPECT/CT revealed completely normalized femoral head uptake in 27, partially normalized uptake in 8, and persistent cold defects in 2 patients. AVN developed in 3.7 % (1/27), 62.5 % (5/8), and 100 % (2/2) of each group, respectively.CONCLUSION: According to the time point of imaging, radiotracer uptake patterns of the femoral head on postoperative bone SPECT/CT indicate the risk of AVN after internal fixation of femoral neck fractures differently. Postoperative bone SPECT/CT may help orthopedic surgeons determine the appropriate follow-up of these patients.
Femoral Neck Fractures ; Femur Neck ; Follow-Up Studies ; Head ; Hip ; Humans ; Necrosis ; Orthopedics ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Surgeons

A 35-year-old male presented with atypical aphasia following left anterior choroidal artery infarction associated with distal internal carotid artery dissection. He presented with 1) lexical-semantic deficit without semantic impairment, 2) frequent surface errors (both surface dyslexia and dysgraphia), and 3) intact non-word reading/repetition (preserved sub-lexical route), suggesting deficit in the phonological output lexicon. Diffusion-tensor tractography analysis revealed disruption in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and inferior longitudinal fasciculus, which might serve as potential subcortical neural correlates for phonological output lexicon.

BACKGROUND: Kinetin is a plant hormone that regulates growth and differentiation. Keratinocytes, the basic building blocks of the epidermis, function in maintaining the skin barrier. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether kinetin induces skin barrier functions in vitro and in vivo. METHODS: To evaluate the efficacy of kinetin at the cellular level, expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers was assessed. Moreover, we examined the clinical efficacy of kinetin by evaluating skin moisture, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin surface roughness in patients who used kinetin-containing cream. We performed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction to measure the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers in HaCaT cells following treatment. A clinical trial was performed to assess skin moisture, TEWL, and evenness of skin texture in subjects who used kinetin-containing cream for 4 weeks. RESULTS: Kinetin increased involucrin, and keratin 1 mRNA in HaCaT cells. Moreover, use of a kinetin-containing cream improved skin moisture and TEWL while decreasing roughness of skin texture. CONCLUSION: Kinetin induced the expression of keratinocyte differentiation markers, suggesting that it may affect differentiation to improve skin moisture content, TEWL, and other signs of skin aging. Therefore, kinetin is a potential new component for use in cosmetics as an anti-aging agent that improves the barrier function of skin.
Antigens, Differentiation* ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Epidermis ; Humans ; In Vitro Techniques ; Keratin-1 ; Keratinocytes* ; Kinetin* ; Plants ; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction ; RNA, Messenger ; Skin Aging ; Skin* ; Treatment Outcome ; Water