Objective:To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the convolutional neural network（CNN） in diagnosing nasopharyngeal carcinoma using endoscopic narrowband imaging. Methods:A total of 834 cases with nasopharyngeal lesions were collected from the People's Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region between 2014 and 2016. We trained the DenseNet201 model to classify the endoscopic images, evaluated its performance using the test dataset, and compared the results with those of two independent endoscopic experts. Results:The area under the ROC curve of the CNN in diagnosing nasopharyngeal carcinoma was 0.98. The sensitivity and specificity of the CNN were 91.90% and 94.69%, respectively. The sensitivity of the two expert-based assessment was 92.08% and 91.06%, respectively, and the specificity was 95.58% and 92.79%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the diagnostic accuracy of CNN and the expert-based assessment （P=0.282, P=0.085）. Moreover, there was no significant difference in the accuracy in discriminating early-stage and late-stage nasopharyngeal carcinoma（P=0.382）. The CNN model could rapidly distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma from benign lesions, with an image recognition time of 0.1 s/piece. Conclusion:The CNN model can quickly distinguish nasopharyngeal carcinoma from benign nasopharyngeal lesions, which can aid endoscopists in diagnosing nasopharyngeal lesions and reduce the rate of nasopharyngeal biopsy.
Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Narrow Band Imaging ; China ; Neural Networks, Computer ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging*

OBJECTIVETo find a rational way in early detecting the residual tumor in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) after radiotherapy.

METHODSA total of 47 NPC patients who were diagnosed residual tumor after radiotherapy and treated in our hospital from Dec 2009 to Aug 2012 were included in this study and their clinicopathological and follow-up data were reviewed and analyzed. The patients were checked by nasopharynx MRI, FDG PET-CT and were examined by biopsy of the residual tumors within two weeks after radiotherapy. The diagnosis of relapses was determined by pathological re-examination.

RESULTSAll the 47 patients were followed up for 10-42 months. Three of them had nasopharynx relapse. The others had not tumor relapse and their residual tumors disappeared completely. The specificity of MRI, FDG PET-CT and pathological tumor response in diagnosing residual tumors were 9.1%, 77.3%, and 95.5% (P<0.001). Their accuracy rates were 14.9%, 78.9%, and 95.7%, respectively (P<0.001). The M of SUVmax in the team who had moderate and severe pathologic tumor response (team A) was 3.05 and that in the team who had mild pathologic tumor response (team B) was 4.68 (P=0.012). None of patients in the team A had nasopharynx relapse. Three patients in the team B who had SUVmax ≥4 had nasopharynx relapses, and in other 2 patients who had SUVmax <4, the residual tumors disappeared during the following-up. The specificity and accuracy in diagnosing residual tumors were increased when mild pathologic tumor response combined with SUVmax4 were used.

CONCLUSIONPET-CT combined with pathologic tumor response is beneficial for early diagnosis of residual nasopharyngeal tumors after radiotherapy.

Carcinoma ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Neoplasm, Residual ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; radiotherapy ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

PURPOSE: To investigate the patterns of care for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in South Korea. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A multi-institutional retrospective study was performed (Korean Radiation Oncology Group [KROG] 11-06) on a total of 1,445 patients from 15 institutions. RESULTS: Of the 1,445 patients, more than half were stages III (39.9%) and IV (35.8%). In addition to patterns of care, we also investigated trends over time with the periods 1988-1993, 1994-2002, and 2003-2011. The frequencies of magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography-computed tomography were markedly increased in the third period compared to previous 2 periods. Concurrent chemoradiation (CCRT) was performed on 894 patients (61.9%), neoadjuvant chemotherapy on 468 patients (32.4%), and adjuvant chemotherapy on 366 patients (25.3%). Of stage II-IV patients, CCRT performed on 78.8% in 2003-2011 compared to 15.0% in 1988-1993. For patients treated with CCRT, cisplatin was the most commonly used agent in 81.3% of patients. Over the periods of time, commonly used radiotherapy (RT) techniques were changed from 2-dimensional RT (1988-1993, 92.5%) to 3-dimensional RT (2003-2011, 35.5%) or intensity-modulated RT (IMRT; 2003-2011, 56.5%). Median RT doses given to primary tumors, high-risk lymphatics, and low-risk lymphatics were 70.0 Gy, 58.1 Gy, and 48.0 Gy, respectively. Adoption of IMRT increased the dose per fraction and escalated total radiation dose. CONCLUSION: Assessment of the patterns of care for NPC patients in South Korea demonstrated that management for NPC including diagnostic imaging, treatment regimen, RT techniques and dose schedule, advanced in accordance with the international guidelines.
Appointments and Schedules ; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant ; Cisplatin ; Diagnostic Imaging ; Drug Therapy ; Electrons ; Humans ; Korea* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; Radiation Oncology ; Radiotherapy ; Retrospective Studies

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic value of 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in detecting residual/recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma. METHOD: The literatures published between January 1990 and September 2013 were searched in PubMed, EM-BASE, EBSCO, Web of Science, CBM, CNKI, VIP and Wanfang databases. Two researchers independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies according to the QUADAS tool. Summary sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratios (DOR), and receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curves were obtained using Meta-Disc software. Subgroup analysis was also conducted. RESULT: Twenty-six studies were included in this meta-analysis, involving 1203 patients. The pooled sensitivity, specificity and DOR were 0. 92 (95% CI:0.89-0.94), 0. 87 (95% CI:0.84-0.90) and 51. 10 (95% CI:34.29-76.15), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) and Q index estimate for PET/CT were 0. 9494 and 0. 8897, respectively. The results of subgroup analysis showed no significant differences between subgroups(P>0.05). CONCLUSION In a word, 18F-FDG PET/CT performed well for diagnosis of residual/recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma, with relatively high sensitivity and specificity.
Carcinoma ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; ROC Curve ; Radiopharmaceuticals ; Recurrence ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The parapharyngeal space (PPS) is an inverted pyramid-shaped deep space in the head and neck region, and a variety of tumors, such as salivary gland tumors, neurogenic tumors, nasopharyngeal carcinomas with parapharyngeal invasion, and lymphomas, can be found in this space. The differential diagnosis of PPS tumors remains challenging for radiologists. This study aimed to develop and test a modified method for locating PPS tumors on magnetic resonance (MR) images to improve preoperative differential diagnosis. The new protocol divided the PPS into three compartments: a prestyloid compartment, the carotid sheath, and the areas outside the carotid sheath. PPS tumors were located in these compartments according to the displacements of the tensor veli palatini muscle and the styloid process, with or without blood vessel separations and medial pterygoid invasion. This protocol, as well as a more conventional protocol that is based on displacements of the internal carotid artery (ICA), was used to assess MR images captured from a series of 58 PPS tumors. The consequent distributions of PPS tumor locations determined by both methods were compared. Of all 58 tumors, our new method determined that 57 could be assigned to precise PPS compartments. Nearly all (13/14; 93%) tumors that were located in the pre-styloid compartment were salivary gland tumors. All 15 tumors within the carotid sheath were neurogenic tumors. The vast majority (18/20; 90%) of trans-spatial lesions were malignancies. However, according to the ICA-based method, 28 tumors were located in the pre-styloid compartment, and 24 were located in the post-styloid compartment, leaving 6 tumors that were difficult to locate. Lesions located in both the pre-styloid and the post-styloid compartments comprised various types of tumors. Compared with the conventional ICA-based method, our new method can help radiologists to narrow the differential diagnosis of PPS tumors to specific compartments.
Carcinoma ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Neck ; diagnostic imaging ; Nervous System Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging ; Pharynx ; diagnostic imaging ; Radiography ; Salivary Gland Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; diagnostic imaging

Patients with late-stage cancer commonly have distant lymph node metastasis; however, poor health often contraindicates surgical treatment. Although the quality of life and overall survival for these patients are low, there is neither a consensus nor a guide for treatment. Ablation technique and surrounding tissue damage are two possible reasons for limited study of radiofrequency ablation in patients with superficial distant lymph node metastasis. Here, we report two patients treated successfully with ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation for superficial distant lymph node metastasis. In these patients, deionized water was injected to the surrounding tissues of the lymph node to decrease heat injury. Results from these patients suggest that radiofrequency ablation may play an important role in the treatment of patients with distant lymph node metastasis.
Catheter Ablation ; methods ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; diagnostic imaging ; surgery ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasm Staging ; Ultrasonography, Interventional ; methods

In order to evaluate the calculation precision of the pencil beam (PB) algorithm and convolution-superposition(CS) algorithm for the situation with air cavity and small fields, we built a water phantom with an air cavity slab, in which the depth dose (DD) and off-axis ratio (OAR) for field 1cm x 1cm to field 7cm x 7cm were calculated by PB algorithms, CS algorithms and Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. The evaluation of algorithms by MC simulation was achieved by comparisons of DD with the spread penumbras of OAR curve self-defined as the width between isodose lines of 10% and 90%. It was shown that PB algorithm and CS algorithm both overestimated the DD but the degree overestimated by PB algorithm was more serious. The CS algorithm showed a better agreement with the MC simulation for the OARs, which spread to both laterals, while that was not predicted accurately by PB algorithm. It was indicated that PB algorithm and CS algorithm do not have high calculation precision whereas CS algorithms is relatively better for the situation with air cavity and small fields.
Algorithms ; Body Burden ; Computer Simulation ; Nasal Cavity ; diagnostic imaging ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Nose Neoplasms ; radiotherapy ; Photons ; Radiography ; Radiometry ; methods ; Radiotherapy Dosage ; Radiotherapy Planning, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Sensitivity and Specificity

Radiation-induced spinal cord gliomas are extremely rare. Since the first case was reported in 1980, only six additional cases have been reported.; The radiation-induced gliomas were related to the treatment of Hodgkin's lymphoma, thyroid cancer, and medullomyoblastoma, and to multiple chest fluoroscopic examinations in pulmonary tuberculosis patient. We report a case of radiation-induced spinal cord glioblastoma developed in a 17-year-old girl after a 13-year latency period following radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal rhabdomyosarcoma. MRI findings of our case are described.
Contrast Media/diagnostic use ; Female ; Gadolinium DTPA/diagnostic use ; Glioblastoma/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery ; Humans ; *Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms/*radiotherapy ; Neoplasms, Radiation-Induced/*diagnosis/pathology ; Rhabdomyosarcoma/*radiotherapy ; Spinal Cord Neoplasms/*diagnosis/pathology/surgery

OBJECTIVETo study the clinicopathologic features and differential diagnosis of extranodal Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) of the upper respiratory tract.

METHODSThe clinical, pathologic and immunohistochemical features of 10 cases of RDD were evaluated.

RESULTSAmong the 10 cases studied, there were 3 males and 7 females. The age of patients ranged from 20 to 61 years old (mean 38 years). The lesion arose in the nasal cavity (7 cases), nasopharynx (2 cases) or hard palate to trachea (1 case). Most of the patients presented with nasal obstruction, rhinorrhagia or tumor mass in the nasal/nasopharyngeal regions. CT scan often showed the presence of soft tissue lesion without bone destruction. Histologically, extranodal RDD was characterized by light-staining bands alternating with dark-staining bands. The light-staining bands were formed by aggregates of large round or polygonal histiocytes with emperipoiesis. The dark-staining bands were formed by abundant lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates. Immunohistochemical study showed that the histiocytes strongly expressed S-100 protein and partially expressed CD68. Six patients had no recurrence after surgical resection.

CONCLUSIONSExtranodal RDD of the upper respiratory tract is a rare disorder of histiocytic proliferation, which usually involves the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. RDD can easily mimic rhinoscleroma, mainly due to the overlapping morphologic appearance. Immunohistochemical study is helpful in the differential diagnosis.

Adult ; Antigens, CD ; metabolism ; Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic ; metabolism ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Histiocytic Sarcoma ; metabolism ; pathology ; Histiocytosis, Langerhans-Cell ; metabolism ; pathology ; Histiocytosis, Sinus ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nasal Cavity ; pathology ; Nasopharyngeal Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; Neoplasms, Muscle Tissue ; metabolism ; pathology ; Nose Diseases ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; pathology ; surgery ; S100 Proteins ; metabolism ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Young Adult

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEMonitoring the therapeutic effects of radiotherapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is critical to providing individualized treatment. This in-vivo study was initially designed to evaluate the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT) imaging.

METHODS18F-FDG PET-CT imaging was performed on all of the 10 nude mice bearing NPC xenografts before radiotherapy, and early-phase and delayed-phase PET-CT images were performed on 7 of the 10 mice. All mice were randomly divided into either a control group or a radiotherapy group. The 5 mice in the control group were immediately killed after the imaging and pathology were performed. After receiving radiotherapy of 12 Gy, 5 animals in the radiotherapy group were given 18F-FDG PET-CT imaging on days 2, 4, and 6, and then were killed for pathologic evaluation. Regions of interest (ROI) technology was used to measure the tumor target/non-target (T/NT) ratio and the volume of the tumors.

RESULTSThe average T/NT ratios of early- and delayed-phase imaging were 1.806 +/- 0.532 and 1.777 +/- 0.597, respectively, with no significance (P > 0.05). For the radiotherapy group, the average T/NT ratios for 18F-FDG PET-CT before radiotherapy, and on days 2, 4, and 6 after radiotherapy, were 1.735 +/- 0.466, 1.818 +/- 0.396, 1.096 +/- 0.101, and 0.604 +/- 0.108, respectively, The tumor volumes were (1.48 +/- 0.27) cm3, (1.57 +/- 0.31) cm3, (1.59 +/- 0.31) cm3 and (1.60 +/- 0.29) cm3, respectively. The average T/NT ratios of day 6 after radiotherapy and the other time points were significant (P < 0.05). The average death ratio of the tumor cells was (93.00 +/- 7.42)% after 6 days of post-radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS18F-FDG PET-CT imaging can be used for the early assessment of radiotherapeutic effect of NPC in vivo. Day 6 after radiotherapy may be an appropriate time point for the imaging. However, the T/NT ratio measurement of delayed-phase imaging might make no sense for the diagnosis of NPC.

Animals ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 ; Humans ; Ki-67 Antigen ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Multimodal Imaging ; methods ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; radiotherapy ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Positron-Emission Tomography ; Random Allocation ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Tumor Burden ; radiation effects