• Clinical Endoscopy
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• v.56 no.3
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• pp.367-374
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• 2023

Background/Aims: Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) using oblique-view EUS in patients with a surgically altered anatomy (SAA) of the upper gastrointestinal tract is limited because of difficult scope insertion due to the disturbed anatomy. This study aimed to investigate the efficiency of forward-view (FV)-EUS in performing FNA in patients with a SAA. Methods: We retrospectively investigated 32 patients with a SAA of the upper gastrointestinal tract who visited Aichi Cancer Center Hospital in Nagoya, Japan, between January 2014 and December 2020. We performed upper gastrointestinal EUS-FNA using FV-EUS combined with fluoroscopic imaging to confirm tumor recurrence or to make a decision before chemotherapy or after a failure of diagnosis by radiology. Results: We successfully performed EUS-FNA in all studied patients (100% technical success), with the specificity, sensitivity, and accuracy of 100%, 87.5%, and 87.8%, respectively, with no complications. Conclusions: EUS-FNA using FV-EUS combined with fluoroscopic imaging is an effective and safe technique for tissue acquisition in patients with a SAA.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.254-259
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• 2018

Application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for assessment of pulmonary disease has been limited, due to susceptibility to cardiac pulsation, respiratory motion, and inhomogeneity of the magnetic field of the lung. With technical advances of MRI and unmet clinical needs for more accurate diagnosis and assessment of the disease, however, the use of MRI for evaluation of the lung has broadened. Herein, we present a case of pneumonic-type lung adenocarcinoma in a patient with history of anaphylactic shock to iodinated contrast medium, in which MRI played a critical role for targeted lung biopsy and cancer staging. Through this paper, we would like to report potential value of MRI in assessment of lung cancer.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.863-879
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• 2019

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be noninvasively diagnosed on the basis of its characteristic imaging findings of arterial phase enhancement and portal/delayed "washout" on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in cirrhotic patients. However, different specific diagnostic criteria have been proposed by several countries and major academic societies. In 2018, major guideline updates were proposed by the Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), Korean Liver Cancer Association and National Cancer Center (KLCA-NCC) of Korea. In addition to dynamic CT and MRI using extracellular contrast media, these new guidelines now include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using hepatobiliary contrast media as the first-line diagnostic test, while the KLCA-NCC and EASL guidelines also include contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as the second-line diagnostic test. Therefore, hepatobiliary MR contrast media and CEUS will be increasingly used for the noninvasive diagnosis and staging of HCC. In this review, we discuss the emerging role of hepatobiliary phase MRI and CEUS for the diagnosis of HCC and also review the changes in the HCC diagnostic criteria in major guidelines, including the KLCA-NCC practice guidelines version 2018. In addition, we aimed to pay particular attention to some remaining issues in the noninvasive diagnosis of HCC.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.20 no.11
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• pp.1738-1741
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• 2010

Caliper measurements of tumor volume have been widely used in the assessment of tumors in animal models. However, experiments based on caliper data have resulted in unreliable estimates of tumor growth, due to necrotic areas of tumor mass. To overcome this systematic bias, we engineered a new luciferase-expressing rat prostate cancer cell line (MLL-Luc) that produces bioluminescence from viable cancer cells. MLL-Luc cells showed a strong correlation between bioluminescence intensity and cell number ($R^2$=0.99) and also accurately quantified tumor growth, with reduced bioluminescence signals caused by necrotic cells in a subcutaneous MLL-Luc xenograft model. The accurate quantification of tumor growth with bioluminescence imaging (BLI) was confirmed by a better antitumor effect of combination chemotherapy, compared to that based on caliper measurements with a correlation between the bioluminescence signal and tumor volume ($R^2$=0.84). These data suggest that bioluminescent MLL xenografts are a powerful and quantitative tool for monitoring tumor growth and are useful in evaluating the efficacy of anticancer drugs, with less systematic bias.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.23 no.4
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• pp.389-401
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• 2022

Objective: This study aimed to determine a factor for predicting suboptimal image quality of the hepatobiliary phase (HBP) of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in patients with extrahepatic bile duct (EHD) cancer before MRI examination. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 259 patients (mean age ± standard deviation: 68.0 ± 8.3 years; 162 male and 97 female) with EHD cancer who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI between 2011 and 2017. Patients were divided into a primary analysis set (n = 184) and a validation set (n = 75) based on the diagnosis date of January 2014. Two reviewers assigned the functional liver imaging score (FLIS) to reflect the HBP image quality. The FLIS consists of the sum of three HBP features, each scored on a 0-2 scale: liver parenchymal enhancement, biliary excretion, and signal intensity of the portal vein. Patients were classified into low-FLIS (0-3) or high-FLIS (4-6) groups. Multivariable analysis was performed to determine a predictor of low FLIS using serum biochemical and imaging parameters of cholestasis severity. The optimal cutoff value for predicting low FLIS was obtained using receiver operating characteristic analysis, and validation was performed. Results: Of the 259 patients, 140 (54.0%) and 119 (46.0%) were classified into the low-FLIS and high-FLIS groups, respectively. In the primary analysis set, total bilirubin was an independent factor associated with low FLIS (adjusted odds ratio per 1-mg/dL increase, 1.62; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.32-1.98). The optimal cutoff value of total bilirubin for predicting low FLIS was 2.1 mg/dL with a sensitivity of 95.1% (95% CI: 88.9-98.4) and a specificity of 89.0% (95% CI: 80.2-94.9). In the validation set, the total bilirubin cutoff showed a sensitivity of 92.1% (95% CI: 78.6-98.3) and a specificity of 83.8% (95% CI: 68.0-93.8). Conclusion: Serum total bilirubin before acquisition of gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI may help predict suboptimal HBP image quality in patients with EHD cancer.

• Archives of Plastic Surgery
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• v.44 no.3
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• pp.243-247
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• 2017

Reconstruction of the lower limb presents a complex problem after skin cancer surgery, as proximity of skin and bone present vascular and technical challenges. Studies on vascular anatomy have confirmed that the vascular plane on the lower limb lies deep to the deep fascia. Yet, many flaps are routinely raised superficial to this plane and therefore flap failure rates in the lower limb are high. Fascio-cutaneous flaps based on perforators offer a better cosmetic alternative to skin grafts. In this paper, we detail use of a thermal imaging camera to identify perforator 'compartments' that can help in designing such flaps.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.92-101
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• 2009

Purpose: Scintimammography is one of the screening tests for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. It has been widely accepted as very useful in assessing masses that have not been detected in breast scanning. This method is highly sensitive and specific with respect to the diagnosis of primary and relapsing breast cancer. It has some difficulties, however, in detecting tumors sized 1 cm and below due to the radioactivity around the breast and the geometrical structure of the equipment. The recent introduction of high-resolution Breast-specific Gamma Imaging (BSGI) has made it possible to more accurately discriminate between malignant and benign tumors than with any other test method. Thus, the possibility of an unnecessary biopsy being performed has decreased. The purpose of this study was to examine the diagnostic capacity of mammography, breast sonography, and scintimammography, which are used for the early diagnosis of known breast cancer, and of BSGI, and to evaluate the skillfulness of radiologists. Materials and Methods: The 53 volunteers participants who had no clinical manifestation of breast cancer underwent the BSGI in February 2009. In the BSGI procedure, scanning images were obtained from the craniocaudal projection (CC) and the mediolateral Oblique projection (MLO), as well as from the additional $80{\times}80$-matrix-sized views at various angles in the Present Time method, 10 minutes after the 25 mCi $^{99m}Tc$-MIBI was injected. Results: The results of the BSGI showed that two participants had masses in their breast tissue. As the results of the diagnosis of four participants were not clear, they were retested and the results of the second test were negative. The results of the clinical screening test for breast cancer showed that the sensitivity of BSGI, scintimammography, mammography, and breast sonography was 86.5%, 77.8%, 85~90%, and 66.7%, respectively, and that their specificity was 92.4%, 84.2%, 20~42%, and 68%, respectively. Conclusion: The autodiagnosis and breast cancer screening test are needed for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. It was not easy, however, to accurately determine the presence of a mass in the breast using the existing breast cancer screening test. The patients with unclear test findings were made to undergo a histologic biopsy for a more accurate diagnosis. It is expected that the BSGI can provide useful information for the early diagnosis of breast cancer and of primary breast cancer, and will reduce the performance of unnecessary biopsies because of its higher sensitivity and specificity than existing breast cancer screening tests.

• Proceedings of the KSMRM Conference
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• 2005.09a
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• pp.77-78
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• 2005

A specific FUS-MRI platform was designed for breast cancer treatment. phased array technologies, sideways FUS transmission, and spatio-temporal temperature control in the complete region of interest, were combined for a novel therapy approach with enhanced safety and afficacy. A phase I clinical trial will start soon.

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.999-1000
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• 2019

• Korean Journal of Radiology
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.559-564
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• 2024

Incidental pancreatic cystic lesions are a common challenge encountered by diagnostic radiologists. Specifically, given the prevalence of benign pancreatic cystic lesions, determining when to recommend aggressive actions such as surgical resection or endoscopic ultrasound with sampling is difficult. In this article, we review the common types of cystic pancreatic lesions including serous cystadenoma, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm, and mucinous cystic neoplasm with imaging examples of each. We also discuss high-risk or worrisome imaging features that warrant a referral to a surgeon or endoscopist and provid several examples of these features. These imaging features adhere to the latest guidelines from the International Consensus Guidelines, American Gastroenterological Association (2015), American College of Gastroenterology (2018), American College of Radiology (2010, 2017), and European Guidelines (2013, 2018). Our focused article addresses the imaging dilemma of managing incidental cystic pancreatic lesions, weighing the options between imaging follow-up and aggressive interventions.