We reviewed all studies assessing the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) between 2009 and 2018 (n = 45). Most studies assessed HRQoL as an outcome, and evaluated or compared the HRQoL of HCC patients depending on the type of treatment or stage of disease. HCC patients had a worse HRQoL than the general population, including in those with early-stage HCC. Patients commonly experienced pain, fatigue, sleep disturbance, distress, and lack of appetite, and these symptoms remained problematic even a few years after treatment. TNM classification of malignant tumors stage, tumor stage, presence of cirrhosis, being Asian, being female, living alone, or being unemployed were associated with a poor HRQoL. While recent studies have included a more diverse patient population, various topics, and different study designs, there were limited studies on supportive interventions. Given the increase in HCC cases and HCC survivors, addressing the HRQoL of HCC patients requires more attention.

Objective: The occurrence of intramyocardial hemorrhage (IMH) and microvascular obstruction (MVO) in myocardial infarction (MI), known as severe ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI), has been associated with adverse remodeling. APT102, a soluble human recombinant ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase-1, can hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides to attenuate their prothrombotic and proinflammatory effects. The purpose of this study was to temporally evaluate the therapeutic effect of APT102 on IRI in rats and to elucidate the evolution of IRI in the acute stage using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI). Materials and Methods: Fifty-four rats with MI, induced by ligation of the origin of the left anterior descending coronary artery for 60 minutes, were randomly divided into the APT102 (n = 27) or control (n = 27) group. Intravenous infusion of APT102 (0.3 mg/kg) or placebo was administered 15 minutes before reperfusion, and then 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and on day 4 after reperfusion. CMRI was performed at 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and on day 5 post-reperfusion using a 7T system and the hearts were collected for histopathological examination. Cardiac function was quantified using cine imaging and IMH/edema using T2 mapping, and infarct/MVO using late gadolinium enhancement. Results: The extent of infarction (p < 0.001), edema (p < 0.001), IMH (p = 0.013), and MVO (p = 0.049) was less severe in the APT102 group than in the control group. IMH size at 48 hours was significantly greater than that at 24 hours, 72 hours, and 5 days after reperfusion (all p < 0.001). The left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was significantly greater in the APT102 group than in the control group (p = 0.006). There was a negative correlation between LVEF and IMH (r = -0.294, p = 0.010) and a positive correlation between IMH and MVO (r = 0.392, p < 0.001). Conclusion: APT102 can significantly alleviate damage to the ischemic myocardium and microvasculature. IMH size peaked at 48 hours post reperfusion and IMH is a downstream consequence of MVO. IMH may be a potential therapeutic target to prevent adverse remodeling in MI.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of a deep learning-based automated segmentation of the left ventricle (LV) myocardium using cardiac CT. Materials and Methods: To develop a fully automated algorithm, 100 subjects with coronary artery disease were randomly selected as a development set (50 training / 20 validation / 30 internal test). An experienced cardiac radiologist generated the manual segmentation of the development set. The trained model was evaluated using 1000 validation set generated by an experienced technician. Visual assessment was performed to compare the manual and automatic segmentations. In a quantitative analysis, sensitivity and specificity were calculated according to the number of pixels where two three-dimensional masks of the manual and deep learning segmentations overlapped. Similarity indices, such as the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC), were used to evaluate the margin of each segmented masks. Results: The sensitivity and specificity of automated segmentation for each segment (1-16 segments) were high (85.5-100.0%). The DSC was 88.3 ± 6.2%. Among randomly selected 100 cases, all manual segmentation and deep learning masks for visual analysis were classified as very accurate to mostly accurate and there were no inaccurate cases (manual vs. deep learning: very accurate, 31 vs. 53; accurate, 64 vs. 39; mostly accurate, 15 vs. 8). The number of very accurate cases for deep learning masks was greater than that for manually segmented masks. Conclusion: We present deep learning-based automatic segmentation of the LV myocardium and the results are comparable to manual segmentation data with high sensitivity, specificity, and high similarity scores.

Objective: The presence of coagulative necrosis (CN) in clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) indicates a poor prognosis, while the absence of CN indicates a good prognosis. The purpose of this study was to build and validate a radiomics signature based on preoperative CT imaging data to estimate CN status in ccRCC. Materials and Methods: Altogether, 105 patients with pathologically confirmed ccRCC were retrospectively enrolled in this study and then divided into training (n = 72) and validation (n = 33) sets. Thereafter, 385 radiomics features were extracted from the three-dimensional volumes of interest of each tumor, and 10 traditional features were assessed by two experienced radiologists using triple-phase CT-enhanced images. A multivariate logistic regression algorithm was used to build the radiomics score and traditional predictors in the training set, and their performance was assessed and then tested in the validation set. The radiomics signature to distinguish CN status was then developed by incorporating the radiomics score and the selected traditional predictors. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted to evaluate the predictive performance. Results: The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the radiomics score, which consisted of 7 radiomics features, was 0.855 in the training set and 0.885 in the validation set. The AUC of the traditional predictor, which consisted of 2 traditional features, was 0.843 in the training set and 0.858 in the validation set. The radiomics signature showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.942 in the training set, which was then confirmed with an AUC of 0.969 in the validation set. Conclusion: The CT-based radiomics signature that incorporated radiomics and traditional features has the potential to be used as a non-invasive tool for preoperative prediction of CN in ccRCC.

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.

Objective: To investigate the technical and clinical efficacy of the percutaneous insertion of a biliary metallic stent, and to identify the factors associated with biliary stent dysfunction in patients with malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 70 patients (39 men and 31 women; mean age, 63 years; range, 38-90 years) who were treated for malignant duodenobiliary obstruction at our institution between April 2007 and December 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. Variables found significant by univariate log-rank analysis (p < 0.2) were considered as suitable candidates for a multiple Cox's proportional hazard model. Results: The biliary stents were successfully placed in all 70 study patients. Biliary stent insertion with subsequent duodenal stent insertion was performed in 33 patients and duodenal stent insertion with subsequent biliary stent insertion was performed in the other 37 study subjects. The median patient survival and stent patency time were 107 days (95% confidence interval [CI], 78-135 days) and 270 days (95% CI, 95-444 days), respectively. Biliary stent dysfunction was observed in 24 (34.3%) cases. Multiple Cox's proportional hazard analysis revealed that the location of the distal biliary stent was the only independent factor affecting biliary stent patency (hazard ratio, 3.771; 95% CI, 1.157-12.283). The median biliary stent patency was significantly longer in patients in whom the distal end of the biliary stent was beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent (median, 327 days; 95% CI, 249-450 days), rather than within the duodenal stent (median, 170 days; 95% CI, 115-225 days). Conclusion: The percutaneous insertion of the biliary metallic stent appears to be a technically feasible, safe, and effective method of treating malignant duodenobiliary obstruction. In addition, a biliary stent system with a distal end located beyond the distal end of the duodenal stent will contribute towards longer stent patency in these patients.

Objective: To evaluate pharmacokinetic variables from contrast-enhancing lesions (CELs) and non-enhancing T2 high signal intensity lesions (NE-T2HSILs) on dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging for predicting progression-free survival (PFS) in glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Materials and Methods: Sixty-four GBM patients who had undergone preoperative DCE MR imaging and received standard treatment were retrospectively included. We analyzed the pharmacokinetic variables of the volume transfer constant (Ktrans) and volume fraction of extravascular extracellular space within the CEL and NE-T2HSIL of the entire tumor. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed using preoperative clinical characteristics, pharmacokinetic variables of DCE MR imaging, and postoperative molecular biomarkers to predict PFS. Results: The increased mean Ktrans of the CEL, increased 95th percentile Ktrans of the CELs, and absence of methylated O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase promoter were relevant adverse variables for PFS in the univariate analysis (p = 0.041, p = 0.032, and p = 0.083, respectively). The Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that PFS was significantly shorter in patients with a mean Ktrans of the CEL > 0.068 and 95th percentile Ktrans of the CEL > 0.223 (log-rank p = 0.038 and p = 0.041, respectively). However, only mean Ktrans of the CEL was significantly associated with PFS (p = 0.024; hazard ratio, 553.08; 95% confidence interval, 2.27-134756.74) in the multivariate Cox proportional hazard analysis. None of the pharmacokinetic variables from NE-T2HSILs were significantly related to PFS. Conclusion: Among the pharmacokinetic variables extracted from CELs and NE-T2HSILs on preoperative DCE MR imaging, the mean Ktrans of CELs exhibits potential as a useful imaging predictor of PFS in GBM patients.

Objective: To assess left ventricular remodeling patterns using cardiac computed tomography (CT) in children with congenital heart disease and correlate these patterns with their clinical course. Materials and Methods: Left ventricular volume and myocardial mass were quantified in 17 children with congenital heart disease who underwent initial and follow-up end-systolic cardiac CT studies with a mean follow-up duration of 8.4 ± 9.7 months. Based on changes in the indexed left ventricular myocardial mass (LVMi) and left ventricular mass-volume ratio (LVMVR), left ventricular remodeling between the two serial cardiac CT examinations was categorized into one of four patterns: pattern 1, increased LVMi and increased LVMVR; pattern 2, decreased LVMi and decreased LVMVR; pattern 3, increased LVMi and decreased LVMVR; and pattern 4, decreased LVMi and increased LVMVR. Left ventricular remodeling patterns were correlated with unfavorable clinical courses. Results: Baseline LVMi and LVMVR were 65.1 ± 37.9 g/m² and 4.0 ± 3.2 g/mL, respectively. LVMi increased in 10 patients and decreased in seven patients. LVMVR increased in seven patients and decreased in 10 patients. Pattern 1 was observed in seven patients, pattern 2 in seven, and pattern 3 in three patients. Unfavorable events were observed in 29% (2/7) of patients with pattern 1 and 67% (2/3) of patients with pattern 3, but no such events occurred in pattern 2 during the follow-up period (4.4 ± 2.7 years). Conclusion: Left ventricular remodeling patterns can be characterized using cardiac CT in children with congenital heart disease and may be used to predict their clinical course.

Objective: Recent innovations in biology are boosting gene and cell therapy, but monitoring the response to these treatments is difficult. The purpose of this study was to find an MRI-reporter gene that can be used to monitor gene or cell therapy and that can be delivered without a viral vector, as viral vector delivery methods can result in long-term complications. Materials and Methods: CMV promoter-human organic anion transporting polypeptide 1B3 (CMV-hOATP1B3) cDNA or CMV-blank DNA (control) was transfected into HEK293 cells using Lipofectamine. OATP1B3 expression was confirmed by western blotting and confocal microscopy. In vitro cell phantoms were made using transfected HEK293 cells cultured in various concentrations of gadoxetic acid for 24 hours, and images of the phantoms were made with a 9.4T micro-MRI. In vivo xenograft tumors were made by implanting HEK293 cells transfected with CMV-hOATP1B3 (n = 4) or CMV-blank (n = 4) in 8-week-old male nude mice, and MRI was performed before and after intravenous injection of gadoxetic acid (1.2 µL/g). Results: Western blot and confocal microscopy after immunofluorescence staining revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 cells produced abundant OATP1B3, which localized at the cell membrane. OATP1B3 expression levels remained high through the 25th subculture cycle, but decreased substantially by the 50th subculture cycle. MRI of cell phantoms showed that only the CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected cells produced a significant contrast enhancement effect. In vivo MRI of xenograft tumors revealed that only CMV-hOATP1B3-transfected HEK293 tumors demonstrated a T1 contrast effect, which lasted for at least 5 hours. Conclusion: The human endogenous OATP1B3 gene can be non-virally delivered into cells to induce transient OATP1B3 expression, leading to gadoxetic acid-mediated enhancement on MRI. These results indicate that hOATP1B3 can serve as an MRI-reporter gene while minimizing the risk of long-term complications.

Objective: To identify the initial chest computed tomography (CT) findings and clinical characteristics associated with the course of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia. Materials and Methods: Baseline CT scans and clinical and laboratory data of 72 patients admitted with COVID-19 pneumonia (39 men, 46.2 ± 15.9 years) were retrospectively analyzed. Baseline CT findings including lobar distribution, presence of ground glass opacities, consolidation, linear opacities, and lung severity score were evaluated. The outcome event was recovery with hospital discharge. The time from symptom onset to discharge or the end of follow-up (for those remained hospitalized) was recorded. Data were censored in events such as death or discharge without recovery. Multivariable Cox proportional hazard regression was used to explore the association between initial CT, clinical or laboratory findings, and discharge with recovery, whereby hazard ratio (HR) values < 1 indicated a lower rate of discharge at four weeks and longer time until discharge. Results: Thirty-two patients recovered and were discharged during the study period with a median length of admission of 16 days (range, 9 to 25 days), while the rest remained hospitalized at the end of this study (median, 17.5 days; range, 4 to 27 days). None died during the study period. After controlling for age, onset time, lesion characteristics, number of lung lobes affected, and bilateral involvement, the lung severity score on baseline CT (> 4 vs. ≤ 4 [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.41 [95% confidence interval, CI = 0.18-0.92], p = 0.031) and initial lymphocyte count (reduced vs. normal or elevated [reference]: adjusted HR = 0.14 [95% CI = 0.03-0.60], p = 0.008) were two significant independent factors that influenced recovery and discharge. Conclusion: Lung severity score > 4 and reduced lymphocyte count at initial evaluation were independently associated with a significantly lower rate of recovery and discharge and extended hospitalization in patients admitted for COVID-19 pneumonia.

Objective: To identify predictors of pulmonary fibrosis development by combining follow-up thin-section CT findings and clinical features in patients discharged after treatment for COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study involved 32 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were divided into two groups according to the evidence of fibrosis on their latest follow-up CT imaging. Clinical data and CT imaging features of all the patients in different stages were collected and analyzed for comparison. Results: The latest follow-up CT imaging showed fibrosis in 14 patients (male, 12; female, 2) and no fibrosis in 18 patients (male, 10; female, 8). Compared with the non-fibrosis group, the fibrosis group was older (median age: 54.0 years vs. 37.0 years, p = 0.008), and the median levels of C-reactive protein (53.4 mg/L vs. 10.0 mg/L, p = 0.002) and interleukin-6 (79.7 pg/L vs. 11.2 pg/L, p = 0.04) were also higher. The fibrosis group had a longer-term of hospitalization (19.5 days vs. 10.0 days, p = 0.001), pulsed steroid therapy (11.0 days vs. 5.0 days, p < 0.001), and antiviral therapy (12.0 days vs. 6.5 days, p = 0.012). More patients on the worst-state CT scan had an irregular interface (59.4% vs. 34.4%, p = 0.045) and a parenchymal band (71.9% vs. 28.1%, p < 0.001). On initial CT imaging, the irregular interface (57.1%) and parenchymal band (50.0%) were more common in the fibrosis group. On the worst-state CT imaging, interstitial thickening (78.6%), air bronchogram (57.1%), irregular interface (85.7%), coarse reticular pattern (28.6%), parenchymal band (92.9%), and pleural effusion (42.9%) were more common in the fibrosis group. Conclusion: Fibrosis was more likely to develop in patients with severe clinical conditions, especially in patients with high inflammatory indicators. Interstitial thickening, irregular interface, coarse reticular pattern, and parenchymal band manifested in the process of the disease may be predictors of pulmonary fibrosis. Irregular interface and parenchymal band could predict the formation of pulmonary fibrosis early.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of attenuation threshold on CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios in children and young adults with congenital heart disease, and to suggest an optimal attenuation threshold. Materials and Methods: CT percentages of right pulmonary vascular volume were compared and correlated with percentages calculated from nuclear medicine right lung perfusion in 52 patients with congenital heart disease. The selected patients had undergone electrocardiography-synchronized cardiothoracic CT and lung perfusion scintigraphy within a 1-year interval, but not interim surgical or transcatheter intervention. The percentages of CT right pulmonary vascular volumes were calculated with fixed (80-600 Hounsfield units [HU]) and adaptive thresholds (average pulmonary artery enhancement [PA_avg] divided by 2.50, 2.00, 1.75, 1.63, 1.50, and 1.25). The optimal threshold exhibited the smallest mean difference, the lowest p-value in statistically significant paired comparisons, and the highest Pearson correlation coefficient. Results: The PA_avg value was 529.5 ± 164.8 HU (range, 250.1-956.6 HU). Results showed that fixed thresholds in the range of 320-400 HU, and adaptive thresholds of PA_avg/1.75-1.50 were optimal for quantifying CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios. The optimal thresholds demonstrated a small mean difference of ≤ 5%, no significant difference (> 0.2 for fixed thresholds, and > 0.5 for adaptive thresholds), and a high correlation coefficient (0.93 for fixed thresholds, and 0.91 for adaptive thresholds). Conclusion: The optimal fixed and adaptive thresholds for quantifying CT pulmonary vascular volume ratios appeared equally useful. However, when considering a wide range of PAavg, application of optimal adaptive thresholds may be more suitable than fixed thresholds in actual clinical practice.

Objective: Laser ablation is a therapeutic modality used to reduce the volume of large benign thyroid nodules. Unsatisfactory reduction and regrowth are observed in some treated nodules. The aim of the study was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of laser treatment for solid nodules during a 5-year follow-up period, the regrowth rate, and the predictive risk factors of nodule regrowth. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated patients with benign, solid, cold thyroid nodules who underwent laser ablation and were followed-up for 5 years. According to the selection criteria, 104 patients were included (median baseline nodule volume, 12.5 mL [25.0-75.0%, 8-18 mL]; median energy delivered, 481.5 J/mL [25.0-75.0%, 370-620 J/mL]). Nodule volume, thyroid function test results, and ultrasound were evaluated at baseline and then annually after the procedure. Results: Of 104 patients, 31 patients (29.8%) had a 12-month volume reduction ratio (VRR) < 50.0% and 39 (37.5%) experienced nodule regrowth. Of these 39 patients, 17 (43.6%) underwent surgery and 14 (35.9%) underwent a second laser treatment. The rate of nodule regrowth was inversely related to the 12-month VRR, i.e., the lower the 12-month VRR, the higher the risk of regrowth (p < 0.001). The mean time for nodule regrowth was 33.5 ± 16.6 months. The 12-month VRR was directly related to time to regrowth, i.e., the lower the 12-month VRR, the shorter the time to regrowth (p < 0.001; R² = 0.3516). Non-spongiform composition increased the risk of regrowth with an odds ratio of 4.3 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8-10.2; p < 0.001); 12-month VRR < 50.0% increased the risk of regrowth with an odds ratio of 11.7 (95% CI 4.2-32.2; p < 0.001). Conclusion: The VRR of thyroid nodules subjected to similar amounts of laser energy varies widely and depends on the nodule composition; non-spongiform nodules are reduced to a lesser extent and regrow more frequently than spongiform nodules. A 12-month VRR < 50.0% is a predictive risk factor for regrowth and correlates with the time to regrowth.