Tomographic reconstruction of the Earth’s magnetosheath from multiple spacecraft:a theoretical study

Following our earlier work on tomographic reconstruction of the magnetosheath soft X-ray emissions with superposed epoch analysis of many images recorded from a single spacecraft we now explore the instantaneous reconstruction of the magnetosheath and magnetopause using a few images recorded simultaneously from a few spacecraft.This work is motivated by the prospect of possibly having two or three soft X-ray imagers in space in the coming years,and that many phenomena which occur at the magnetopause boundary,such as reconnection events and pressure pulse responses,do not lend themselves as well to superposed epoch analysis.If the reconstruction is successful-which we demonstrate in this paper that it can be-this collection of imagers can be used to reconstruct the magnetosheath and magnetopause from a single image from each spacecraft,allowing for high time resolution reconstructions.In this paper we explore the reconstruction using,two,three,and four spacecraft.We show that the location of the subsolar point of the magnetopause can be determined with just two satellites,and that volume emissions of soft X-rays,and the shape of the boundary,can be reconstructed using three or more satellites.

Aflibercept combined with triamcinolone acetonide in the treatment of diabetic macular edema:optical coherence tomography and optical coherence tomography angiography

AIM:To analyze the relationship between optical coherence tomography(OCT)and OCT angiography(OCTA)imaging in patients with diabetic macular edema(DME)who are treated with a combination of aflibercept and triamcinolone acetonide(TA).METHODS:A total of 76 eyes newly diagnosed DME were included in this study.They were randomly assigned to receive either aflibercept or a combination of aflibercept and TA.Injections once a month for a total of three injections.Central macular thickness(CMT),number of hyperreflective foci(HRF),height of subretinal fluid(SRF),and area of foveal avascular zone(FAZ)were evaluated using OCT and OCTA at baseline and after each monthly treatment.RESULTS:Both groups showed improvement in best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and reduction in macular edema after treatment,and the difference in BCVA between the two groups was statistically significant after each treatment(P<0.05).The difference in CMT between the two groups was statistically significant after the first two injections(P<0.01),but not after the third injection(P=0.875).The number of HRF(1mo:7.41±8.25 vs 10.86±7.22,P=0.027;2mo:5.33±6.13 vs 9.12±8.61,P=0.034;3mo:3.58±3.00 vs 6.37±5.97,P=0.007)and height of SRF(1mo:82.39±39.12 vs 105.77±42.26μm,P=0.011;2mo:36.84±10.02 vs 83.59±37.78μm,P<0.01;3mo:11.57±3.29 vs 45.43±12.60μm,P<0.01)in combined group were statistically significant less than aflibercept group after each injection,while the area of FAZ showed no significant change before and after treatment in both groups.CONCLUSION:The combination therapy of aflibercept and TA shows more significant effects on DME eyes with decreased HRF and SRF.However,both aflibercept and combination therapy show no significant change in the area of FAZ.

Gates joint locally connected network for accurate and robust reconstruction in optical molecular tomography

Optical molecular tomography(OMT)is a potential pre-clinical molecular imaging technique with applications in a variety of biomedical areas,which can provide non-invasive quantitative three-dimensional(3D)information regarding tumor distribution in living animals.The construction of optical transmission models and the application of reconstruction algorithms in traditional model-based reconstruction processes have affected the reconstruction results,resulting in problems such as low accuracy,poor robustness,and long-time consumption.Here,a gates joint locally connected network(GLCN)method is proposed by establishing the mapping relationship between the inside source distribution and the photon density on surface directly,thus avoiding the extra time consumption caused by iteration and the reconstruction errors caused by model inaccuracy.Moreover,gates module was composed of the concatenation and multiplication operators of three different gates.It was embedded into the network aiming at remembering input surface photon density over a period and allowing the network to capture neurons connected to the true source selectively by controlling three different gates.To evaluate the performance of the proposed method,numerical simulations were conducted,whose results demonstrated good performance in terms of reconstruction positioning accuracy and robustness.

Distal-scanning common path probe for optical coherence tomography

In this paper,we present a distal-scanning common path probe for optical coherence tomography(OCT)equipped with a hollow ultrasonic motor and a simple and specially designed beam-splitter.This novel probe proves to be able to effectively circumvent polarization and dispersion mismatch caused by fiber motion and is more robust to a variety of interfering factors during the imaging process,experimentally compared to a conventional noncommon path probe.Furthermore,our design counteracts the attenuation of backscattering with depth and the fall-off of the signal,resulting in a more balanced signal range and greater imaging depth.Spectral-domain OCT imaging of phantom and biological tissue is also demonstrated with a sensitivity of∼100dB and a lateral resolution of∼3μm.This low-cost probe offers simplified system configuration and excellent robustness,and is therefore particularly suitable for clinical diagnosis as one-off medical apparatus.

The risk of prostate cancer on incidental finding of an avid prostate uptake on 2-deoxy-2-[^(18)F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography for non-prostate cancer-related pathology:A single centre retrospective study

Objective:To review the risk of prostate cancer(PCa)in men with incidentally reported increased intraprostatic uptake at 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography(18F-FDG PET/CT)ordered at Department of Urology,The Wesley Hospital,Brisbane,QLD,Australia for non-PCa related pathology.Methods:Retrospective analysis of consecutive men between August 2014 and August 2019 presenting to a single institution for 18F-FDG PET/CT for non-prostate related conditions was conducted.Men were classified as benign,indeterminate,or malignant depending of the results of prostate-specific antigen(PSA),PSA velocity,biopsy histopathology,and three-Tesla(3 T)multiparametric MRI(mpMRI)Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System score,or gallium-68-prostate-specific membrane antigen(68Ga-PSMA)PET/CT results.Results:Three percent(273/9122)of men demonstrated 18F-FDG avidity within the prostate.Eighty-five percent(231/273)were further investigated,including with PSA tests(227/231,98.3%),3 T mpMRI(68/231,29.4%),68Ga-PSMA PET/CT(33/231,14.3%),and prostate biopsy(57/231,24.7%).Results were considered benign in 130/231(56.3%),indeterminate in 31/231(13.4%),and malignant in 70/231(30.3%).PCa was identified in 51/57(89.5%)of the men who proceeded to biopsy,including 26/27(96.3%)men with Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System scores 4-5 mpMRI and six men with a positive 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT.The most common Gleason score on biopsy was greater than or equal to 4+5(14/51,27.5%).68Ga-PSMA PET/CT was concordant with the 18F-FDG findings in 26/33(78.8%).All 13 men with a positive concordant 18F-FDG,3 T mpMRI,and 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT had PCa on biopsy.There was no statistically significant difference in the 18F-FDG maximum standardized uptake value between the benign or malignant groups(5.7 vs.6.1;p=0.580).Conclusion:In this study,after an incidental finding of an avid intraprostatic lesion on 18F-FDG PET/CT,70 of the 231 cases(30.3%;0.8%of the entire cohort)had results consistent with PCa,most commonly as Gleason score greater than or equal to 4+5 disease.Unless there is limited life expectancy due to competing medical co-morbidity,men with an incidental finding of intraprostatic uptake on 18F-FDG should be further investigated using principles of PCa detection.

Triple-path feature transform network for ring-array photoacoustic tomography image reconstruction

Photoacoustic imaging(PAI)is a noninvasive emerging imaging method based on the photoacoustic effect,which provides necessary assistance for medical diagnosis.It has the characteristics of large imaging depth and high contrast.However,limited by the equipment cost and reconstruction time requirements,the existing PAI systems distributed with annular array transducers are difficult to take into account both the image quality and the imaging speed.In this paper,a triple-path feature transform network(TFT-Net)for ring-array photoacoustic tomography is proposed to enhance the imaging quality from limited-view and sparse measurement data.Specifically,the network combines the raw photoacoustic pressure signals and conventional linear reconstruction images as input data,and takes the photoacoustic physical model as a prior information to guide the reconstruction process.In addition,to enhance the ability of extracting signal features,the residual block and squeeze and excitation block are introduced into the TFT-Net.For further efficient reconstruction,the final output of photoacoustic signals uses‘filter-then-upsample’operation with a pixel-shuffle multiplexer and a max out module.Experiment results on simulated and in-vivo data demonstrate that the constructed TFT-Net can restore the target boundary clearly,reduce background noise,and realize fast and high-quality photoacoustic image reconstruction of limited view with sparse sampling.

Rim^(18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake of hepatic cavernous hemangioma on positron emission tomography/computed tomography:A case report

BACKGROUND Peripheral FDG accumulation in a hepatic hemangioma presenting in a patient with prolonged fever is rare.Therefore,clinicians should pay close attention to patients with hepatic mass.CASE SUMMARY A 54-year-old woman with a 4-wk history of daily fevers was admitted to our hospital.A whole body^(18)-Fluordesoxyglucose(PET-FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography(PET/CT)was performed to elucidate the source of the fever.However,whole body^(18)-FDG PET/CT raised the suspicion of a malignant lesion because of peripheral FDG accumulation(SUVmax 3.5 g/mL)higher than that of the normal liver parenchyma(SUVmax 1.6 g/mL)surrounding a hypoactive area,and no other abnormalities were showed.Subsequently,the patient underwent liver mass resection.Histopathology showed a hepatic cavernous hemangioma with fatty infiltration around the lesion.The fever disappeared four days after surgery and the patient did not present any complications during follow-up.CONCLUSION Fatty infiltration in the peripheral parts of hepatic cavernous hemangioma may lead to subacute inflammation which further activate the Kupffer cells.This may cause prolonged fever and peripheral rim FDG accumulation on PET/CT.

Micro-Computed Tomography Applications in Dentistry

Micro-computed tomography (MCT) encompasses two primary scanning options: ex-vivo and in-vivo imaging. Ex-vivo scanning involves the examination of extracted teeth or dental specimens, allowing for detailed analyses of the microarchitecture of mineralized tissue. By analyzing the microarchitecture of dental tissues, MCT can provide valuable information about bone density, porosity, and microstructural changes, contributing to a better understanding of disease progression and treatment outcomes. Moreover, MCT facilitates the quantification of dental parameters, such as bone volume, trabecular thickness, and connectivity density, which are crucial for evaluating the efficacy of dental interventions. This present study aims to comprehensively review and explore the applications of MCT in dentistry and highlight its potential in advancing research and clinical practice. The results depicted that the quantitative approach of MCT enhances the precision and reliability of dental research. Researchers and clinicians can make evidence-based decisions regarding treatment strategies and patient management, relying on quantifiable data provided by MCT. The applications of MCT in dentistry extend beyond research, with potential clinical implications in fields such as dental implantology and endodontics. MCT is expected to play an increasingly significant role in enhancing our understanding of dental pathologies, improving treatment outcomes, and ultimately, benefiting patient care in the field of dentistry.

Deep learning-based inpainting of saturation artifacts in optical coherence tomography images

Limited by the dynamic range of the detector,saturation artifacts usually occur in optical coherence tomography(OCT)imaging for high scattering media.The available methods are difficult to remove saturation artifacts and restore texture completely in OCT images.We proposed a deep learning-based inpainting method of saturation artifacts in this paper.The generation mechanism of saturation artifacts was analyzed,and experimental and simulated datasets were built based on the mechanism.Enhanced super-resolution generative adversarial networks were trained by the clear–saturated phantom image pairs.The perfect reconstructed results of experimental zebrafish and thyroid OCT images proved its feasibility,strong generalization,and robustness.

The 2023 Turkey earthquake doublet: Earthquake relocation, seismic tomography, and stress field inversion

On February 6,2023,two earthquakes with magnitudes of M_(W) 7.8 and M_(W) 7.5 struck southeastern Turkey,causing significant casualties and economic losses.These seismic events occurred along the East Anatolian Fault Zone,a convergent boundary between the Arabian Plate and the Anatolian Subplate.In this study,we analyze the M_(W) 7.8 and M_(W) 7.5 earthquakes by comparing their aftershock relocations,tomographic images,and stress field inversions.The earthquakes were localized in the upper crust and exhibited steep dip angles.Furthermore,the aftershocks occurred either close to the boundaries of low and high P-wave velocity anomaly zones or within the low P-wave velocity anomaly zones.The East Anatolia Fault,associated with the M_(W) 7.8 earthquake,and the SürgüFault,related to the M_(W) 7.5 earthquake,predominantly experienced shear stress.However,their western sections experienced a combination of strike-slip and tensile stresses in addition to shear stress.The ruptures of the M_(W) 7.8 and M_(W) 7.5 earthquakes appear to have bridged a seismic gap that had seen sparse seismicity over the past 200 years prior to the 2023 Turkey earthquake sequence.

Study on sex differences and potential clinical value of threedimensional computerized tomography pelvimetry in rectal cancer patients

BACKGROUND Laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery is a complex procedure affected by various factors.However,the existing literature lacks standardized parameters for the pelvic region and soft tissues,which hampers the establishment of consistent conclusions.AIM To comprehensively assess 16 pelvic and 7 soft tissue parameters through computerized tomography(CT)-based three-dimensional(3D)reconstruction,providing a strong theoretical basis to address challenges in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.METHODS We analyzed data from 218 patients who underwent radical laparoscopic surgery for rectal cancer,and utilized CT data for 3D pelvic reconstruction.Specific anatomical points were carefully marked and measured using advanced 3D modeling software.To analyze the pelvic and soft tissue parameters,we emp-loyed statistical methods including paired sample t-tests,Wilcoxon rank-sum tests,and correlation analysis.RESULTS The investigation highlighted significant sex disparities in 14 pelvic bone parameters and 3 soft tissue parameters.Males demonstrated larger measurements in pelvic depth and overall curvature,smaller measurements in pelvic width,a larger mesorectal fat area,and a larger anterior-posterior abdominal diameter.By contrast,females exhibited wider pelvises,shallower depth,smaller overall curvature,and an increased amount of subcutaneous fat tissue.However,there were no significant sex differences observed in certain parameters such as sacral curvature height,superior pubococcygeal diameter,rectal area,visceral fat area,waist circumference,and transverse abdominal diameter.CONCLUSION The reconstruction of 3D CT data enabled accurate pelvic measurements,revealing significant sex differences in both pelvic and soft tissue parameters.This study design offer potential in predicting surgical difficulties and creating personalized surgical plans for male rectal cancer patients with a potentially“difficult pelvis”,ultimately improving surgical outcomes.Further research and utilization of these parameters could lead to enhanced surgical methods and patient care in laparoscopic rectal cancer radical surgery.

Preoperative prediction of lymphovascular and perineural invasion in gastric cancer using spectral computed tomography imaging and machine learning

BACKGROUND Lymphovascular invasion(LVI)and perineural invasion(PNI)are important prognostic factors for gastric cancer(GC)that indicate an increased risk of metastasis and poor outcomes.Accurate preoperative prediction of LVI/PNI status could help clinicians identify high-risk patients and guide treatment deci-sions.However,prior models using conventional computed tomography(CT)images to predict LVI or PNI separately have had limited accuracy.Spectral CT provides quantitative enhancement parameters that may better capture tumor invasion.We hypothesized that a predictive model combining clinical and spectral CT parameters would accurately preoperatively predict LVI/PNI status in GC patients.AIM To develop and test a machine learning model that fuses spectral CT parameters and clinical indicators to predict LVI/PNI status accurately.METHODS This study used a retrospective dataset involving 257 GC patients(training cohort,n=172;validation cohort,n=85).First,several clinical indicators,including serum tumor markers,CT-TN stages and CT-detected extramural vein invasion(CT-EMVI),were extracted,as were quantitative spectral CT parameters from the delineated tumor regions.Next,a two-step feature selection approach using correlation-based methods and information gain ranking inside a 10-fold cross-validation loop was utilized to select informative clinical and spectral CT parameters.A logistic regression(LR)-based nomogram model was subsequently constructed to predict LVI/PNI status,and its performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve(AUC).RESULTS In both the training and validation cohorts,CT T3-4 stage,CT-N positive status,and CT-EMVI positive status are more prevalent in the LVI/PNI-positive group and these differences are statistically significant(P<0.05).LR analysis of the training group showed preoperative CT-T stage,CT-EMVI,single-energy CT values of 70 keV of venous phase(VP-70 keV),and the ratio of standardized iodine concentration of equilibrium phase(EP-NIC)were independent influencing factors.The AUCs of VP-70 keV and EP-NIC were 0.888 and 0.824,respectively,which were slightly greater than those of CT-T and CT-EMVI(AUC=0.793,0.762).The nomogram combining CT-T stage,CT-EMVI,VP-70 keV and EP-NIC yielded AUCs of 0.918(0.866-0.954)and 0.874(0.784-0.936)in the training and validation cohorts,which are significantly higher than using each of single independent factors(P<0.05).CONCLUSION The study found that using portal venous and EP spectral CT parameters allows effective preoperative detection of LVI/PNI in GC,with accuracy boosted by integrating clinical markers.

Computed tomography for prediction of esophageal variceal bleeding

This letter to the editor relates to the study entitled“The role of computed tomography for the prediction of esophageal variceal bleeding:Current status and future perspectives”.Esophageal variceal bleeding(EVB)is one of the most common and severe complications related to portal hypertension(PH).Despite marked advances in its management during the last three decades,EVB is still associated with significant morbidity and mortality.The risk of first EVB is related to the severity of both PH and liver disease,and to the size and endoscopic appearance of esophageal varices.Indeed,hepatic venous pressure gradient(HVPG)and esophagogastroduodenoscopy(EGD)are currently recognized as the“gold standard”and the diagnostic reference standard for the prediction of EVB,respectively.However,HVPG is an invasive,expensive,and technically complex procedure,not widely available in clinical practice,whereas EGD is mainly limited by its invasive nature.In this scenario,computed tomography(CT)has been recently proposed as a promising modality for the non-invasive prediction of EVB.While CT serves solely as a diagnostic tool and cannot replace EGD or HVPG for delivering therapeutic and physiological information,it has the potential to enhance the prediction of EVB more effectively when combined with liver disease scores,HVPG,and EGD.However,to date,evidence concerning the role of CT in this setting is still lacking,therefore we aim to summarize and discuss the current evidence concerning the role of CT in predicting the risk of EVB.

Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography improves diagnostic accuracy of T staging compared with multi-detector computed tomography in gastric cancer patients

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer(GC)is the most common malignant tumor and ranks third for cancer-related deaths among the worldwide.The disease poses a serious public health problem in China,ranking fifth for incidence and third for mortality.Knowledge of the invasive depth of the tumor is vital to treatment decisions.AIM To evaluate the diagnostic performance of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(DCEUS)for preoperative T staging in patients with GC by comparing with multi-detector computed tomography(MDCT).METHODS This single prospective study enrolled patients with GC confirmed by preoperative gastroscopy from July 2021 to March 2023.Patients underwent DCEUS,including ultrasonography(US)and intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS),and MDCT examinations for the assessment of preoperative T staging.Features of GC were identified on DCEUS and criteria developed to evaluate T staging according to the 8th edition of AJCC cancer staging manual.The diagnostic performance of DCEUS was evaluated by comparing it with that of MDCT and surgical-pathological findings were considered as the gold standard.RESULTS A total of 229 patients with GC(80 T1,33 T2,59 T3 and 57 T4)were included.Overall accuracies were 86.9%for DCEUS and 61.1%for MDCT(P<0.001).DCEUS was superior to MDCT for T1(92.5%vs 70.0%,P<0.001),T2(72.7%vs 51.5%,P=0.041),T3(86.4%vs 45.8%,P<0.001)and T4(87.7%vs 70.2%,P=0.022)staging of GC.CONCLUSION DCEUS improved the diagnostic accuracy of preoperative T staging in patients with GC compared with MDCT,and constitutes a promising imaging modality for preoperative evaluation of GC to aid individualized treatment decision-making.

Computed tomography radiogenomics:A potential tool for prediction of molecular subtypes in gastric stromal tumor

BACKGROUND Preoperative knowledge of mutational status of gastrointestinal stromal tumors(GISTs)is essential to guide the individualized precision therapy.AIM To develop a combined model that integrates clinical and contrast-enhanced computed tomography(CE-CT)features to predict gastric GISTs with specific genetic mutations,namely KIT exon 11 mutations or KIT exon 11 codons 557-558 deletions.METHODS A total of 231 GIST patients with definitive genetic phenotypes were divided into a training dataset and a validation dataset in a 7:3 ratio.The models were constructed using selected clinical features,conventional CT features,and radiomics features extracted from abdominal CE-CT images.Three models were developed:ModelCT sign,modelCT sign+rad,and model CTsign+rad+clinic.The diagnostic performance of these models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve analysis and the Delong test.RESULTS The ROC analyses revealed that in the training cohort,the area under the curve(AUC)values for model_(CT sign),model_(CT sign+rad),and modelCT_(sign+rad+clinic)for predicting KIT exon 11 mutation were 0.743,0.818,and 0.915,respectively.In the validation cohort,the AUC values for the same models were 0.670,0.781,and 0.811,respectively.For predicting KIT exon 11 codons 557-558 deletions,the AUC values in the training cohort were 0.667,0.842,and 0.720 for model_(CT sign),model_(CT sign+rad),and modelCT_(sign+rad+clinic),respectively.In the validation cohort,the AUC values for the same models were 0.610,0.782,and 0.795,respectively.Based on the decision curve analysis,it was determined that the model_(CT sign+rad+clinic)had clinical significance and utility.CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrate that the combined modelCT_(sign+rad+clinic)effectively distinguishes GISTs with KIT exon 11 mutation and KIT exon 11 codons 557-558 deletions.This combined model has the potential to be valuable in assessing the genotype of GISTs.

Automatic diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy using vision transformer based on wide-field optical coherence tomography angiography

Diabetic retinopathy(DR)is one of the major causes of visual impairment in adults with diabetes.Optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)is nowadays widely used as the golden criterion for diagnosing DR.Recently,wide-field OCTA(WF-OCTA)provided more abundant information including that of the peripheral retinal degenerative changes and it can contribute in accurately diagnosing DR.The need for an automatic DR diagnostic system based on WF-OCTA pictures attracts more and more attention due to the large diabetic population and the prevalence of retinopathy cases.In this study,automatic diagnosis of DR using vision transformer was performed using WF-OCTA images(12 mm×12 mm single-scan)centered on the fovea as the dataset.WF-OCTA images were automatically classified into four classes:No DR,mild nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy(NPDR),moderate to severe NPDR,and proliferative diabetic retinopathy(PDR).The proposed method for detecting DR on the test set achieves accuracy of 99.55%,sensitivity of 99.49%,and specificity of 99.57%.The accuracy of the method for DR staging reaches up to 99.20%,which has been proven to be higher than that attained by classical convolutional neural network models.Results show that the automatic diagnosis of DR based on vision transformer and WF-OCTA pictures is more effective for detecting and staging DR.

Scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography analysis of non-stoichiometry long-period-stacking-ordered structures in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm alloys

The long-period-stacking-ordered(LPSO)structure affects the mechanical,corrosion and hydrolysis properties of Mg alloys.The current work employs high angle annular dark field-scanning transmission electron microscopy(HAADF-STEM)and atom probe tomography(APT)to investigate the structural and local chemical information of LPSO phases formed in Mg-Ni-Y/Sm ternary alloys after extended isothermal annealing.Depending on the alloying elements and their concentrations,Mg-Ni-Y/Sm develops a two-phase LPSO+α-Mg structure in which the LPSO phase contains defects,hybrid LPSO structure,and Mg insertions.HAADF-STEM and APT indicate non-stoichiometric LPSO with incomplete Ni_(6)(Y/Sm)_(8) clusters.In addition,the APT quantitatively determines the local composition of LPSO and confirms the presence of Ni within the Mg bonding layers.These results provide insight into a better understanding of the structure and hydrolysis properties of LPSO-Mg alloys.

Multilocular thymic cysts can be easily misdiagnosed as malignant tumor on computer tomography:A case report

BACKGROUND Multilocular thymic cyst(MTC)is a rare mediastinal lesion which is considered to occur in the process of acquired inflammation.It is usually characterized by well-defined cystic density and is filled with transparent liquid.CASE SUMMARY We report on a 39-year-old male with a cystic-solid mass in the anterior mediastinum.Computer tomography(CT)imaging showed that the mass was irregular with unclear boundaries.After injection of contrast agent,there was a slight enhancement of stripes and nodules.According to CT findings,it was diagnosed as thymic cancer.CONCLUSION After surgery,MTC accompanied by bleeding and infection was confirmed by pathological examination.The main lesson of this case was that malignant thymic tumor and MTC of the anterior mediastinum sometimes exhibit similar CT findings.Caution is necessary in clinical work to avoid misdiagnosis.

Repeatability,interocular correlation and agreement of optic nerve head vessel density in healthy eyes:a sweptsource optical coherence tomographic angiography study

AIM:To assess the repeatability,interocular correlation,and agreement of quantitative swept-source optical coherence tomography angiography(OCTA)optic nerve head(ONH)parameters in healthy subjects.METHODS:Thir ty-three healthy subjects were enrolled.The ONH of both eyes were imaged four times by a swept-source-OCTA using a 3 mm×3 mm scanning protocol.Images of the radial peripapillary capillary were analyzed by a customized Matlab program,and the vessel density,fractal dimension,and vessel diameter index were measured.The repeatability of the four scans was determined by the intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC).The most well-centered optic disc from the four repeated scans was then selected for the interocular correlation and agreement analysis using the Pearson correlation coefficient,ICC and Bland-Altman plots.RESULTS:All swept-source-OCTA ONH parameters exhibited certain repeatability,with ICC>0.760 and coefficient of variation(CoV)≤7.301%.The obvious interocular correlation was observed for papillary vessel density(ICC=0.857),vessel diameter index(ICC=0.857)and fractal dimension(ICC=0.906),while circumpapillary vessel density exhibited moderate interocular correlation(ICC=0.687).Bland-Altman plots revealed an agreement range of-5.26%to 6.21%for circumpapillary vessel density.CONCLUSION:OCTA ONH parameters demonstrate good repeatability in healthy subjects.The interocular correlations of papillary vessel density,fractal dimension and vessel diameter index are high,but the correlation for circumpapillary vessel density is moderate.

Lymphatic plastic bronchitis and primary chylothorax: A study based on computed tomography lymphangiography

BACKGROUND This study presents an evaluation of the computed tomography lymphangio-graphy(CTL)features of lymphatic plastic bronchitis(PB)and primary chylotho-rax to improve the diagnostic accuracy for these two diseases.AIM To improve the diagnosis of lymphatic PB or primary chylothorax,a retrospective analysis of the clinical features and CTL characteristics of 71 patients diagnosed with lymphatic PB or primary chylothorax was performed.METHODS The clinical and CTL data of 71 patients(20 with lymphatic PB,41 with primary chylothorax,and 10 with lymphatic PB with primary chylothorax)were collected retrospectively.CTL was performed in all patients.The clinical manifestations,CTL findings,and conventional chest CT findings of the three groups of patients were compared.The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to compare the differences among the three groups.A difference was considered to be statistically significant when P<0.05.RESULTS(1)The percentages of abnormal contrast medium deposits on CTL in the three groups were as follows:Thoracic duct outlet in 14(70.0%),33(80.5%)and 8(80.0%)patients;peritracheal region in 18(90.0%),15(36.6%)and 8(80.0%)patients;pleura in 6(30.0%),33(80.5%)and 9(90.0%)patients;pericardium in 6(30.0%),6(14.6%)and 4(40.0%)patients;and hilum in 16(80.0%),11(26.8%)and 7(70.0%)patients;and(2)the abnormalities on conven-tional chest CT in the three groups were as follows:Ground-glass opacity in 19(95.0%),18(43.9%)and 8(80.0%)patients;atelectasis in 4(20.0%),26(63.4%)and 7(70.0%)patients;interlobular septal thickening in 12(60.0%),11(26.8%)and 3(30.0%)patients;bronchovascular bundle thickening in 14(70.0%),6(14.6%)and 4(40.0%)patients;localized mediastinal changes in 14(70.0%),14(34.1%),and 7(70.0%)patients;diffuse mediastinal changes in 6(30.0%),5(12.2%),and 3(30.0%)patients;cystic lesions in the axilla in 2(10.0%),6(14.6%),and 2(20.0%)patients;and cystic lesions in the chest wall in 0(0%),2(4.9%),and 2(4.9%)patients.CONCLUSION CTL is well suited to clarify the characteristics of lymphatic PB and primary chylothorax.This method is an excellent tool for diagnosing these two diseases.