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The role of 111In-octreotide scintigraphy in the detection of APUD tumours: our experience in eighteen patients.

111In-Octreotide scintigraphy has been recently proposed as a sensitive technique for the detection of neuroendocrine tumours, based on the high radiotracer affinity towards the somatostatin receptors expressed by the APUD-system cells. In the present study, a group of 18 patients with carcinoid tumours and gastrointestinal (GI) apudomas was investigated to assess the accuracy of Octreotide scintigraphy in localizing primitive, recurrent or metastatic lesions. Both planar and SPECT studies were obtained 4 hours after the i.v. injection of 111In-Octreotide (111 MBq); planar images were also carried out 24 hours later. In accordance with other authors, the sensitivity of the method was found to be very high (94%) in our group of patients; only in one case of nesidioblastosis was the scintigraphy negative. No differences in sensitivity were observed between the planar and SPECT studies, but the latter provided a better topographic localization of the neoplastic foci. It should be pointed out that in 7 cases (3 primitive, 1 recurrent and 3 metastatic lesions) scintigraphy correctly localized the tumour, when the other morphological techniques, such as echography, computed tomography or magnetic resonance, failed. On the basis of our data, we believe that Octreotide scintigraphy should be the first study performed in the evaluation of patients affected by APUD tumours.

Angiography↗

[Evaluation of the diagnostic usefulness of CA125 immunoscintigraphy for ovarian carcinoma follow-up after treatment: contribution of this technique in Grenoble University Medical Center].

Immunoscintigraphy using indium-111-labeled OC125 monoclonal antibody F(ab')2 fragments is a technic complementary of morphological imaging (i.e. ultrasonography and computed tomography). It allows early detection of recurrences of ovarian carcinomas. We performed immunoscintigraphy 30 times in 26 patients who previously underwent radical treatment for ovarian carcinoma, and were suspected to have a recurrence. Our purposes were appreciation of diagnostic accuracy of the method, and above all its impact on clinical decisions and evolution of the patients. There were, after reevaluation of the results, 18 true positives, 7 true negatives, 3 false negatives and 2 false positive cases (sensitivity 85.7%, specificity 77.8%). Bayesian analysis showed positive and negative predictive values of 86% and 87% when probability of recurrence a priori was 50%, and 80% and 58% when probability of recurrence a priori was 70%. The result of immunoscintigraphy contributed to clinical decisions in 24 cases out of 30, and led to a correct decision for the patient in 21 cases. Conversely, for the 6 cases in which the result has not been considered, to take this result into account would have been beneficial in 4 cases, but harmful in 2. Finally, survival tended to be longer when immunoscintigraphy was negative, which could be associated with a better prognosis. We conclude that OC125-immunoscintigraphy may be useful for ovarian carcinoma follow-up and may contribute to a better therapeutic strategy.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Respiratory variant of constrictive pericarditis. Report of 4 cases].

Constrictive pericarditis was diagnosed in four patients who presented respiratory impairment and pleural effusion, associated with right ventricular failure in two. The cause was probable tuberculosis in two cases, post-irradiation lesions in one and unknown in one. The diagnosis was suspected due to the normal heart volume and pathological electrocardiogram as well as the computed tomographic findings demonstrating pericardial morphology. Right catheterism confirmed the diagnosis: increased right ventricular telediastolic pressure with a dip plateau and equivalent pressures in the right atrium and ventricle. Early diagnosis allowed pericardectomy in two cases. In one case, the subacute epicardopericarditis regressed with corticosteroids and antituberculosis therapy.

Aged↗

Using line segments as structuring elements for sampling-invariant measurements.

When performing measurements in digitized images, the pixel pitch does not necessarily limit the attainable accuracy. Proper sampling of a band-limited continuous-domain image preserves all information present in the image prior to digitization. It is therefore (theoretically) possible to obtain measurements from the digitized image that are identical to measurements made in the continuous domain. Such measurements are sampling invariant, since they are independent of the chosen sampling grid. It is impossible to attain strict sampling invariance for filters in mathematical morphology due to their nonlinearity, but it is possible to approximate sampling invariance with arbitrary accuracy at the expense of additional computational cost. In this paper, we study morphological filters with line segments as structuring elements. We present a comparison of three known and three new methods to implement these filters. The method that yields a good compromise between accuracy and computational cost employs a (subpixel) skew to the image, followed by filtering along the grid axes using a discrete line segment, followed by an inverse skew. The staircase approximations to line segments under random orientations can be modeled by skewing a horizontal or vertical line segment. Rather than skewing the binary line segment we skew the image data, which substantially reduces quantization error. We proceed to determine the optimal number of orientations to use when measuring the length of line segments with unknown orientation.

Algorithms↗

Sperm velocity and morphology, female characteristics, and the hypo-osmotic swelling test as predictors of fertilization potential: experience from the IVF model.

OBJECTIVE: To determine, among the following variables, the predictors of sperm fertilization potential of a given semen sample: sperm count, eight sperm velocity characteristics determined by computer-assisted semen analysis, the sperm morphology score determined by strict criteria, and the hypo-osmotic swelling (HOS) test, using the IVF model. DESIGN: Data from 58 couples attending the assisted conception unit for conventional IVF treatment were analyzed retrospectively by simple linear regression and multiple stepwise regression analysis, taking the fertilization rate as the dependent factor. RESULTS: The mean sperm velocity and the strict sperm morphology assessment were the only parameters showing significant correlation with the fertilization rate. A minimum sperm velocity of 13 microm/s and a minimum strict sperm morphology of 2% were necessary to achieve fertilization in 50% of the oocytes. The results of the HOS test did not correlate with the fertilization rate. An equation was devised to calculate the expected fertilization rate based on the mean sperm velocity and the strict morphology score, and can be used to counsel patients prior to assisted conception. CONCLUSIONS: The mean sperm velocity and strict sperm morphology evaluation are good predictors of fertilization potential, but the HOS test is not.

Adult↗

Carpal bone anatomy measured by computer analysis of three-dimensional reconstructions of computed tomography images.

Using quantitative analysis of three-dimensional reconstructions of computed tomography scan data, a normative database of carpal bone morphology was built. Thirty-five wrists were imaged in a computed tomography scanner. Each slice was processed to determine the bone edges and assembled as a three-dimensional model by stacking. Quantitative measurements of volume, surface area, maximum length, and intercarpal distances were then assessed. A reliable three-dimensional carpal height ratio was calculated by dividing the carpal height (minimum distance between the fourth metacarpal and the radius) by the capitate maximum length. For volume, maximum length, and surface area, the order for the eight carpal bones with respect to size (in descending order) were: capitate, hamate, scaphoid, trapezium, lunate, trapezoid, triquetrum, and pisiform. Male wrists were significantly larger than female wrists. There were no significant differences in the relative dimensions between left and right wrists, or between left and right wrists of matched pairs. This technology offers automated analysis of three-dimensional geometric carpal information and the opportunity to obtain a body of information about normal and abnormal morphology as well as spatial relationships between carpal bones.

Adolescent↗

What can we learn from the optically recorded epicardial action potential?

Optical mapping using voltage-sensitive fluorescent dyes has become a major tool for studying excitation propagation in the heart. Computational and experimental studies have indicated that the optical upstroke morphology reflects the orientation of the subsurface excitation front. In a recent whole heart computational study performed by Bishop et al. (Bishop, M. J., B. Rodriguez, J. Eason, J. P. Whiteley, N. Trayanova, and D. J. Gavaghan. 2006. Synthesis of voltage-sensitive optical signals: application to panoramic optical mapping. Biophys. J. 90:2938-2945), an example was provided of two different directions of propagation having nevertheless very similar epicardial optical upstrokes. The goal of this comment is to clarify the interpretation of optical upstroke morphologies and reconcile the results obtained by Bishop et al. with previous computational and experimental studies.

Action Potentials↗

[Relationship between sperm motility parameters and sperm morphology].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between sperm motility parameters and sperm morphology. METHODS: Seven hundred and eighty-three semen samples were tested. Sperm motility parameters were analyzed by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) , and sperm morphology assessed by automated sperm morphology analyzer (ASMA). The cases were classified based on the World Health Organization criteria. Morphologically 241 of the samples were normal and the other 542 abnormal. RESULTS: VCL, WOB, VAP of the morphologically abnormal group were significantly higher than those of the normal group (P < 0.05, P < 0.001), while MAD, LIN, STR of the abnormal group were significantly lower (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). There were significant positive correlations between the morphologically normal sperm rates and MAD, LIN, WOB, STR, and a significant negative correlation between the morphologically normal sperm rate and ALH. CONCLUSION: Morphological abnormality of sperm is often accompanied with weak motility, which is probably attributed more to some factors that coact on both sperm motility and morphology than to the influence of sperm morphological abnormality on sperm motility.

Adult↗

Comparative assessment of pedicle morphology of the lumbar spine in various degenerative diseases.

Measurement of the morphological dimensions of the pedicles of the lumbar spine was conducted using computed tomography (CT) to clarify the difference in pedicle morphology among different lumbar degenerative diseases. The subjects were 136 patients with lumbar spinal disorders who underwent myelography followed by CT scans. They were divided into four groups, that is a group of 25 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS group), a group of 54 patients with lumbar canal stenosis (LCS group), a group of 42 patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH group), and a control group of 15 patients with spinal cord tumor in cervicothoracic region but without lumbar diseases (control group). Measurements of the transverse diameter, axial length, and axial angle of the pedicles were performed on CT slices obtained at the middle of the pedicle. The transverse diameter was the width of the isthmus, the axial length was the distance between the anterior of the vertebral body and the posterior of the vertebral arch on a line perpendicular to the line bisecting the isthmus, and the axial angle was the angle between the line perpendicular to the line bisecting the isthmus and the midline of the vertebral body. While there were no significant differences in the mean transverse diameter or axial length among the four groups, the mean axial angle was significantly smaller in the DS and LCS groups when compared to that in the LDH and control groups. In the DS and LCS groups, the pedicles were more sagitally oriented than in the LDH and control groups. Such difference in the axial angle of the pedicles in different lumbar diseases should be taken into consideration when placing at the insertion of pedicle screws, because precise orientation of screw insertion would scarcely allow penetration of the pedicle wall.

Female↗

CMEIAS: A Computer-Aided System for the Image Analysis of Bacterial Morphotypes in Microbial Communities.

A major challenge in microbial ecology is to develop reliable and facile methods of computer-assisted microscopy that can analyze digital images of complex microbial communities at single cell resolution, and compute useful quantitative characteristics of their organization and structure without cultivation. Here we describe a computer-aided interactive system to analyze the high degree of morphological diversity in growing microbial communities revealed by phase-contrast microscopy. The system, called "CMEIAS" (Center for Microbial Ecology Image Analysis System) consists of several custom plug-ins for UTHSCSA ImageTool, a free downloadable image analysis program operating on a personal computer in a Windows NT environment. CMEIAS uses various measurement features and two object classifiers to extract size and shape measurements of segmented, digital images of microorganisms and classify them into their appropriate morphotype. The first object classifier uses a single measurement feature to analyze relatively simple communities containing only a few morphotypes (e.g., regular rods, cocci, filaments). A second new hierarchical tree classifier uses an optimized subset of multiple measurement features to analyze significantly more complex communities containing greater morphological diversity than ever before possible. This CMEIAS shape classifier automatically categorizes each cell into one of 11 predominant bacterial morphotypes, including cocci, spirals, curved rods, U-shaped rods, regular straight rods, unbranched filaments, ellipsoids, clubs, rods with extended prostheca, rudimentary branched rods, and branched filaments. The training and testing images for development and evaluation of the CMEIAS classifier were obtained from 1,937 phase-contrast grayscale digital images of various diverse communities. The CMEIAS shape classifier had an accuracy of 96.0% on a training set of 1,471 cells and 97.0% on a test set of 4,270 cells representing all 11 bacterial morphotype classes, indicating that accurate classification of rich morphological diversity in microbial communities is now possible. An interactive edit feature was added to address the main sources of error in automatic shape classification, enabling the operator to inspect the assigned morphotype of each bacterium based on visual recognition of its distinctive pseudocolor, reassign it to another morphotype class if necessary, and add up to five other morphotypes to the classification scheme. The shape classifier reports on the number and types of different morphotypes present and the abundance among each of them, thus providing the data needed to compute the morphological diversity within the microbial community. An example of how CMEIAS can augment the analysis of microbial community structure is illustrated by studies of morphological diversity as an indicator of dynamic ecological succession following a nutrient shift-up perturbation in two continuously fed, anaerobic bioreactors with morphologically distinct start communities. Various steps to minimize the limitations of computer-assisted microscopy to classify bacterial morphotypes using CMEIAS are described. In summary, CMEIAS is an accurate, robust, flexible semiautomatic computing tool that can significantly enhance the ability to quantitate bacterial morphotype diversity and should serve as a useful adjunct to the analysis of microbial community structure. This first version of CMEIAS will be released as free, downloadable plug-ins so it can provide wide application in studies of microbial ecology.

Journal Article↗

Observation of three cases of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis and mandibular morphology during adolescence using helical CT.

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) osteoarthritis (OA) is a potential cause of craniofacial deformity. If TMJ OA appears during orthodontic treatment, the mandible usually rotates posteriorly, resulting in an unsatisfactory profile, especially in patients with pre-treatment mandibular retrusion. Although it is important to confirm the kind of TMJ pathosis at the start of orthodontic treatment, the relationship between TMJ OA, condylar remodelling and changes in craniofacial morphology remains unclear because of a lack of longitudinal studies. Elucidating this relationship might allow better prediction of post-treatment craniofacial morphology. In the present case reports, helical computed tomography and cephalometry were used to analyse relationships between the pattern and location of condylar remodelling and the changes in craniofacial morphology in three patients with TMJ OA.

Adolescent↗

The importance of computer-assisted semen analysis and sperm function testing in an IVF program.

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship of sperm motion characteristics, sperm morphology, and hypo-osmotic swelling test with fertilization rates in vitro. DESIGN: Computer-assisted measures of fresh seminal and processed sperm preparations, sperm morphology, and hypo-osmotic swelling test results were assessed for predicting fertilization by step-wise regression analysis. SETTINGS: In vitro fertilization laboratory, department of infertility management, university affiliated-hospital. INTERVENTIONS: None. PATIENTS: One hundred and two couples who underwent IVF were studied. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Computer-assisted sperm motion variables in semen and following semen processing in capacitating media; hypo-osmotic swelling of sperm tails before and after semen processing; morphology of sperm before and after processing; fertilization of oocytes as evidenced by presence of two pronuclei as the end point. RESULTS: Various sperm motion parameters, hypo-osmotic swelling test results, and normal morphology of sperm were directly correlated to fertilization as judged by the Karl-Pearsons test. However, in step-wise regression analysis, normal morphology of sperm from seminal fraction exhibited 61% correlation with fertilization rates (P < .001). In step 2, normal morphology along with percent motility exhibited a 64% correlation with fertilization rates (P < .001). In step 3, normal morphology, percent motility, and linearity showed a 67% correlation with fertilization rates (P < .001). The hypo-osmotic swelling test did not predict fertilization rates (regression coefficient = 0.066, P = 0.474). In the processed sample preparations, normal sperm morphology showed a 72% correlation with fertilization rate (P < .001). In step 2, normal morphology along with curvilinear velocity exhibited a 77% correlation with fertilization rates (P < .001). In step 3, normal morphology, curvilinear velocity, and average path velocity showed a 79% correlation with fertilization rates (P < .001). The hypo-osmotic swelling test did not predict fertilization rates (regression coefficient = 0.076, P = 0.512). CONCLUSIONS: Morphology of sperm and computer-assisted sperm motion variables, such as motility, linearity, curvilinear velocity, and average path velocity, may serve as prognostic indicators for fertilization potential of sperm. The hypo-osmotic swelling test may describe only physiological intactness, rather than the fertilization potential of sperm. The results suggest that objective analysis of sperm motion characteristics and precise sperm morphology may form a first, and obligatory, step for critical evaluation of patients before they start IVF treatment.

Fertilization in Vitro↗

Three-dimensional analysis of the proximal part of the humerus: relevance to arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Recreation of normal anatomical relationships may be important to optimize the outcome of proximal humeral arthroplasty. With use of computerized tomographic data and three-dimensional computer modeling, we concurrently studied both extramedullary and intramedullary humeral morphology, including canal shape, and related these findings to the design of proximal humeral prostheses. METHODS: Sixty cadaveric humeri (thirty pairs: fifteen from male donors and fifteen from female donors) were studied. Three-dimensional computer models were built from canal and periosteal contours extracted from computerized tomographic data and multiple measured anatomical parameters, including humeral canal axis, humeral head center, and hinge point offset; greater tuberosity and bicipital groove offset; humeral head center, radius, thickness, retroversion, and inclination; and size and torsion of sections of the canal. RESULTS: On the average, the humeral head center was offset both medially (seven millimeters) and posteriorly (two millimeters) from the humeral axis. The humeral head hinge point did not line up with the axis but instead was laterally offset by an average of seven millimeters. The average humeral head thickness was nineteen millimeters. The humeral head thickness and length were proportionately linked. There was marked variability in all of these parameters. Humeral head inclination averaged 41 degrees but was less variable than previously described, with 95 percent of our sample within the range of 35 to 46 degrees. The proximal section of the humeral canal was retroverted, and the retroversion was found to be similar to that of the humeral head on statistical analysis. Version of the middle and distal sections of the canal, however, was dissimilar to that of the proximal section of the canal. Proximal humeral retroversion was found to be extremely variable and averaged 19 degrees. The accuracy, reliability, and repeatability of the computer-based-model measurements were found to be excellent. CONCLUSIONS: Measurements of external proximal humeral morphology made with three-dimensional computer models of cadaveric specimens derived from the Midwestern United States agreed, in general, with those described for different populations evaluated with different measuring techniques. Proximal humeral morphology was extremely variable as highlighted by the large ranges of measurements seen for all variables. Examination of the intramedullary morphology showed that there is an internal version, with measurements dependent on the canal distance distal to the anatomical neck. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Because of the marked variabilities seen in proximal humeral morphology, newer prosthetic designs are now allowing surgeons to control multiple prosthetic variables. An understanding of the normal values for proximal humeral morphology can serve as an important guideline for component selection, especially when the normal anatomy is distorted. Additionally, variations in intramedullary version may have important consequences for future designs of press-fit proximal humeral replacement.

Arthroplasty, Replacement↗

Relationships between bone morphology and bone elastic properties can be accurately quantified using high-resolution computer reconstructions.

It would be advantageous if the mechanical properties of trabecular bone could be directly inferred from stereomorphometric parameters. For that purpose, apparent density and mean intercept length, as measures of bone mass and directionality (fabric), are commonly correlated with the elastic characteristics of bone samples, as determined in compression tests. However, complete and accurate relationships have not yet been established in this way. This may be due not only to the occurrence of artifacts in both the stereomorphometric and the mechanical assessments but also to an inherent inadequacy of mean intercept length in characterizing the full mechanical significance of bone architecture or nonhomogeneities in trabecular tissue properties not accounted for in stereomorphometry. In this study, we introduce a computer modeling approach allowing these biases to be eliminated. With use of high-resolution three-dimensional computer reconstructions of trabecular bone specimens for stereomorphometry and for microstructural finite element models to simulate mechanical tests, unbiased comparisons become feasible. The purpose was to investigate if accurate and complete relationships can be established in this way. Four different fabric measures were considered: mean intercept length and three volume-based ones. Compliance matrices were calculated from fabric tensors, with use of the mathematical relationship proposed by Cowin for 29 vertebral whale-bone specimens. These were correlated with the compliance constants determined directly from the microstructural finite element model simulation. The nine orthotropic elastic constants of all 29 specimens were well predicted from their stereomorphometric fabric and volume fraction values, with correlation coefficients ranging from R2adj = 0.9934 to 0.9963. When individual compliance components were considered (1/Ei, 1/Gij, or -v[ij]/Ei), correlation coefficients ranged from R2adj = 0.924 to 0.982. All four fabric measures performed equally well. It is concluded that volume fraction and fabric measures correlate highly with the apparent elastic properties of bone samples, provided that anisotropy and nonhomogeneity in the elastic properties of the trabecular tissue itself have negligible effects on the apparent properties. Whether this is true for bone in general remains to be seen, as only a subset was analyzed here. These methods, however, can be valuable in similar assessments of other subsets.

Animals↗

[Study of the morphology of the intrinsic muscles of the pes cavus using x-ray computed tomography].

From the tomodensitometric examination of 9 cases of hollow foot, the authors present their methodology, reminding the difficulties encountered, and they analyze the results. After a first tomodensitometric study including 16 cases of normal feet, confirming the existence of a suro-achilleo-plantar system by studying correlations between plantar intrinsic muscles and muscles of the posterior compartment of the leg, they establish: the advantage of this method of evaluation of section areas and evaluation of the maximum traction force of the intrinsic muscles of the foot (reproducibility), the disorganization of this anatomo-functional unit in hollow foot syndromes.

Adult↗

[Computed tomographical evaluation of diabetic nephropathy].

Diabetic nephropathy can be regarded mainly as a type of microangiopathy, but is a disease that may also include aspects of macroangiopathy. This is especially true of renal disease in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), which is characterized not only by diabetic glomerulosclerosis, but also by atherosclerosis. We performed morphological studies on the kidney, using computed tomography (CT), focusing on such points as: (1) abdominal aortic calcifications at the level of kidney, (2) calcifications in the renal artery, and (3) wedge-shaped defects on the renal surface. We noted that these findings became more prominent in NIDDM patients during end-stage renal failure than during normal renal function, and were significantly more common in those two NIDDM groups than in age-matched nondiabetic patients without hypertension, hyperlipidemia or gout. NIDDM patients exhibited these features more frequently than IDDM patients.

Aged↗

Quantitative analysis of cytokeratin network topology in the MCF7 cell line.

BACKGROUND: In the MCF7 human breast cancer cell line, several patterns of cytokeratin networks are observed, depending on the intracellular localization. Our hypothesis is that architectural variations of cytokeratin networks depend on local tensions or forces appearing spontaneously in the cytoplasm. The aim of this work was to discriminate between the different patterns and to quantitate these variations. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Image analysis procedures were developed to extract cytokeratin filament networks visualized by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Two methods were used to segment sets of curvilinear objects. The first, the "mesh-approach," based on classical methods of mathematical morphology, takes into account global network topology. The second, the "filament-approach" (novel), is meant to account for individual element morphology. These methods and their combination allow the computation of several features at two levels of geometry: global (network topology) and local (filament morphology). RESULTS: Variations in cytokeratin networks are characterized by their connectivity, density, mesh structure, and filament shape. The connectivity and the density of a network describe its location in a local "stress-force" zone or in a "relaxed" zone. The mesh structure characterizes the intracellular localization of the network. Moreover, the filament shape reflects the intracellular localization and the occurrence of a "stress-force" zone. CONCLUSIONS: These features permitted the quantitation of differences within the network patterns and within the specific filament shapes according to the intracellular localization. Further experiments on cells submitted to external forces will test the hypothesis that the architectural variations of intermediate filaments reflect intracytoplasmic tensions.

Algorithms↗

Computed tomography and cryomicrotomy of lumbar spine specimens. A new technique for multiplanar anatomic correlation.

To produce undistorted anatomic material accurately correlating with multiplanar computed tomograms of the lumbar spine, frozen cadaver specimens were embedded in well-defined positions and examined in a high resolution CT scanner in axial, coronal, sagittal and oblique projections and subsequently sectioned through in the same plane on a heavy-duty cryomicrotome. Photography of the slightly thawed surface of the specimens at cutting-height intervals corresponding to the feed of the scanner rendered anatomic images in natural colours and with excellent detail resolution. The accurate coincidence of the plane of cryosectioning with the plane of the computed tomography (CT) permits a detailed morphologic evaluation of CT scans in different projections.

Frozen Sections↗