Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine

A special issue of Journal of Personalized Medicine (ISSN 2075-4426). This special issue belongs to the section "Methodology, Drug and Device Discovery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 44953

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A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Department of Radiology, Utrecht University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Interests: whole-body imaging; system medicine; quantitative imaging; arterial calcification; infection and inflammation
Department of Radiology, University Medical Center Utrecht, HP E01.132, Post Office Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Interests: musculoskeletal radiology
Nuclear medicine physician, Department of Radiology, Utrecht University Medical Center, HP E01.132, Post Office Box 85500, 3508 GA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Interests: nuclear neuroimaging; hemato-oncology and oncology; pediatric nuclear medicine and nuclear therapies

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Background: Many diseases and pathophysiological processes cross organ borders.

Aim and scope: This Special Issue looks for articles that show the strengths and weaknesses of structural and functional whole-body imaging for personalized medicine.

History: Medicine has evolved into a high level of specialization using very detailed imaging of organs. This has solved impressively health-related problems linked to many acute single-organ diseases. However, the organ-based approach is challenging when considering disease prevention and caring for patients with systemic diseases or multiple co-morbidities.

Cutting-edge researches: Systems Medicine; Artificial intelligence; Cross-sectional imaging; Well-being and staying healthy; Chronic disease and aging.

For this Special Issue, we are looking for papers that use quantitative (whole-body) imaging for personalized medicine to treat systemic diseases in humans.

Prof. Dr. Pim A. de Jong
Dr. Wouter Foppen
Dr. Nelleke Tolboom
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Personalized Medicine is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • computed tomography
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • positron emission tomography
  • artificial intelligence
  • calcification
  • inflammation
  • fibrosis
  • infection
  • cancer

Published Papers (12 papers)

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Editorial

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3 pages, 161 KiB  
Editorial
Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine
by Wouter Foppen, Nelleke Tolboom and Pim A. de Jong
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 769; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11080769 - 04 Aug 2021
Viewed by 1440
Abstract
Medicine has evolved into a high level of specialization using the very detailed imaging of organs [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)

Research

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13 pages, 1824 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Morphological-Hemodynamic Risk Factors for Aneurysm Rupture Including a Newly Introduced Total Volume Ratio
by Ui Yun Lee and Hyo Sung Kwak
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 744; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11080744 - 29 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1862
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphological and hemodynamic factors, including the newly developed total volume ratio (TVR), in evaluating rupture risk of cerebral aneurysms using ≥7 mm sized aneurysms. Twenty-three aneurysms (11 unruptured and 12 ruptured) ≥ 7 mm were [...] Read more.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate morphological and hemodynamic factors, including the newly developed total volume ratio (TVR), in evaluating rupture risk of cerebral aneurysms using ≥7 mm sized aneurysms. Twenty-three aneurysms (11 unruptured and 12 ruptured) ≥ 7 mm were analyzed from 3-dimensional rotational cerebral angiography and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Ten morphological and eleven hemodynamic factors of the aneurysms were qualitatively and quantitatively compared. Correlation analysis between morphological and hemodynamic factors was performed, and the relationship among the hemodynamic factors was analyzed. Morphological factors (ostium diameter, ostium area, aspect ratio, and bottleneck ratio) and hemodynamic factors (TVR, minimal wall shear stress of aneurysms, time-averaged wall shear stress of aneurysms, oscillatory shear index, relative residence time, low wall shear stress area, and ratio of low wall stress area) were statistically different between ruptured and unruptured aneurysms (p < 0.05). By simple regression analysis, the morphological factor aspect ratio and the hemodynamic factor TVR were significantly correlated (r2 = 0.602, p = 0.001). Ruptured aneurysms had complex and unstable flow. In ≥7 mm ruptured aneurysms, high aspect ratio, bottleneck ratio, complex flow, unstable flow, low TVR, wall shear stress at aneurysm, high oscillatory shear index, relative resistance time, low wall shear stress area, and ratio of low wall stress area were significant in determining the risk of aneurysm rupture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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11 pages, 455 KiB  
Article
Visceral Adipose Tissue and Different Measures of Adiposity in Different Severities of Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis
by Netanja I. Harlianto, Jan Westerink, Wouter Foppen, Marjolein E. Hol, Rianne Wittenberg, Pieternella H. van der Veen, Bram van Ginneken, Jonneke S. Kuperus, Jorrit-Jan Verlaan, Pim A. de Jong, Firdaus A. A. Mohamed Hoesein and on behalf of the UCC-SMART-Study Group
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(7), 663; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11070663 - 15 Jul 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2402
Abstract
Background: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is associated with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our objective was to investigate the relation between DISH and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in particular, as this would support a causal role of insulin resistance and low [...] Read more.
Background: Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) is associated with both obesity and type 2 diabetes. Our objective was to investigate the relation between DISH and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) in particular, as this would support a causal role of insulin resistance and low grade inflammation in the development of DISH. Methods: In 4334 patients with manifest vascular disease, the relation between different adiposity measures and the presence of DISH was compared using z-scores via standard deviation logistic regression analyses. Analyses were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, systolic blood pressure, diabetes, non-HDL cholesterol, smoking status, and renal function. Results: DISH was present in 391 (9%) subjects. The presence of DISH was associated with markers of adiposity and had a strong relation with VAT in males (OR: 1.35; 95%CI: 1.20–1.54) and females (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.06–1.93). In males with the most severe DISH (extensive ossification of seven or more vertebral bodies) the association between DISH and VAT was stronger (OR: 1.61; 95%CI: 1.31–1.98), while increased subcutaneous fat was negatively associated with DISH (OR: 0.65; 95%CI: 0.49–0.95). In females, increased subcutaneous fat was associated with the presence of DISH (OR: 1.43; 95%CI: 1.14–1.80). Conclusion: Markers of adiposity, including VAT, are strongly associated with the presence of DISH. Subcutaneous adipose tissue thickness was negatively associated with more severe cases of DISH in males, while in females, increased subcutaneous adipose tissue was associated with the presence of DISH. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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15 pages, 2174 KiB  
Article
Different Lower Extremity Arterial Calcification Patterns in Patients with Chronic Limb-Threatening Ischemia Compared with Asymptomatic Controls
by Louise C. D. Konijn, Richard A. P. Takx, Willem P. Th. M. Mali, Hugo T. C. Veger and Hendrik van Overhagen
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(6), 493; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11060493 - 31 May 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2547
Abstract
Objectives: The most severe type of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLI). In CLI, calcification of the vessel wall plays an important role in symptoms, amputation rate, and mortality. However, calcified arteries are also found in asymptomatic persons (non-PAD patients). [...] Read more.
Objectives: The most severe type of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLI). In CLI, calcification of the vessel wall plays an important role in symptoms, amputation rate, and mortality. However, calcified arteries are also found in asymptomatic persons (non-PAD patients). We investigated whether the calcification pattern in CLI patients and non- PAD patients are different and could possibly explain the symptoms in CLI patients. Materials and Methods: 130 CLI and 204 non-PAD patients underwent a CT of the lower extremities. This resulted in 118 CLI patients (mean age 72 ± 12, 70.3% male) that were age-matched with 118 non-PAD patients (mean age 71 ± 11, 51.7% male). The characteristics severity, annularity, thickness, and continuity were assessed in the femoral and crural arteries and analyzed by binary multiple logistic regression. Results: Nearly all CLI patients have calcifications and these are equally frequent in the femoropopliteal (98.3%) and crural arteries (97.5%), while the non-PAD patients had in just 67% any calcifications with more calcifications in the femoropopliteal (70.3%) than in the crural arteries (55.9%, p < 0.005). The crural arteries of CLI patients had significantly more complete annular calcifications (OR 2.92, p = 0.001), while in non-PAD patients dot-like calcifications dominated. In CLI patients, the femoropopliteal arteries had more severe, irregular/patchy, and thick calcifications (OR 2.40, 3.27, 1.81, p ≤ 0.05, respectively) while in non-PAD patients, thin continuous calcifications prevailed. Conclusions: Compared with non-PAD patients, arteries of the lower extremities of CLI patients are more frequently and extensively calcified. Annular calcifications were found in the crural arteries of CLI patients while dot-like calcifications were mostly present in non-PAD patients. These different patterns of calcifications in CLI point at different etiology and can have prognostic and eventually therapeutic consequences. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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12 pages, 3747 KiB  
Article
Discriminating Reflux from Non-Reflux Diseases of Superficial Veins in Legs by Novel Non-Contrast MR with QFlow Technique
by Yuan-Hsi Tseng, Chien-Wei Chen, Min Yi Wong, Teng-Yao Yang, Bor-Shyh Lin, Hua Ting and Yao-Kuang Huang
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(4), 242; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11040242 - 26 Mar 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2094
Abstract
Objectives: To find an objective diagnostic tool for the superficial veins in legs. Methods: This study included 137 patients who underwent TRANCE-MRI from 2017 to 2020 (IRB: 202001570B0). Among them, 53 with unilateral leg venous diseases underwent a QFlow scan and [...] Read more.
Objectives: To find an objective diagnostic tool for the superficial veins in legs. Methods: This study included 137 patients who underwent TRANCE-MRI from 2017 to 2020 (IRB: 202001570B0). Among them, 53 with unilateral leg venous diseases underwent a QFlow scan and were classified into the reflux and non-reflux groups according to the status of the great saphenous veins. Results: The QFlow, namely stroke volume (SV), forward flow volume (FFV), mean flux (MF), stroke distance (SD), and mean velocity (MV) measured in the external iliac, femoral, popliteal, and great saphenous vein (GSV). The SV, FFV, SD, MF, SD, and MV in the GSV (morbid/non-morbid limbs) demonstrated a favorable ability to discriminate reflux from non-reflux in the ROC curve. The SD in the GSV and GSV/PV ratio (p = 0.049 and 0.047/cutoff = 86 and 117.1) and the MV in the EIV/FV ratio, GSV, and GSV/PV ratio (p = 0.035, 0.034, and 0.025/cutoff = 100.9, 86.1, and 122.9) exhibited the ability to discriminate between reflux and non-reflux group. The SD, MV, and FFV have better ability to discriminate a reflux from non-reflux group than the SV and MF. Conclusions: QFlow may be used to verify the reflux of superficial veins in the legs. An increasing GSV/PV ratio is a hallmark of reflux of superficial veins in the legs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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12 pages, 1665 KiB  
Article
Towards Personalised Contrast Injection: Artificial-Intelligence-Derived Body Composition and Liver Enhancement in Computed Tomography
by Daan J. de Jong, Wouter B. Veldhuis, Frank J. Wessels, Bob de Vos, Pim Moeskops and Madeleine Kok
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(3), 159; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11030159 - 24 Feb 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2456
Abstract
In contrast-enhanced computed tomography, total body weight adapted contrast injection protocols have proven successful in achieving a homogeneous enhancement of vascular structures and liver parenchyma. However, because solid organs have greater perfusion than adipose tissue, the lean body weight (fat-free mass) rather than [...] Read more.
In contrast-enhanced computed tomography, total body weight adapted contrast injection protocols have proven successful in achieving a homogeneous enhancement of vascular structures and liver parenchyma. However, because solid organs have greater perfusion than adipose tissue, the lean body weight (fat-free mass) rather than the total body weight is theorised to cause even more homogeneous enhancement. We included 102 consecutive patients who underwent a multiphase abdominal computed tomography between March 2016 and October 2019. Patients received contrast media (300 mgI/mL) according to bodyweight categories. Using regions of interest, we measured the Hounsfield unit (HU) increase in liver attenuation from unenhanced to contrast-enhanced computed tomography. Furthermore, subjective image quality was graded using a four-point Likert scale. An artificial intelligence algorithm automatically segmented and determined the body compositions and calculated the percentages of lean body weight. The hepatic enhancements were adjusted for iodine dose and iodine dose per total body weight, as well as percentage lean body weight. The associations between enhancement and total body weight, body mass index, and lean body weight were analysed using linear regression. Patients had a median age of 68 years (IQR: 58–74), a total body weight of 81 kg (IQR: 73–90), a body mass index of 26 kg/m2 (SD: ±4.2), and a lean body weight percentage of 50% (IQR: 36–55). Mean liver enhancements in the portal venous phase were 61 ± 12 HU (≤70 kg), 53 ± 10 HU (70–90 kg), and 53 ± 7 HU (≥90 kg). The majority (93%) of scans were rated as good or excellent. Regression analysis showed significant correlations between liver enhancement corrected for injected total iodine and total body weight (r = 0.53; p < 0.001) and between liver enhancement corrected for lean body weight and the percentage of lean body weight (r = 0.73; p < 0.001). Most benefits from personalising iodine injection using %LBW additive to total body weight would be achieved in patients under 90 kg. Liver enhancement is more strongly associated with the percentage of lean body weight than with the total body weight or body mass index. The observed variation in liver enhancement might be reduced by a personalised injection based on the artificial-intelligence-determined percentage of lean body weight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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13 pages, 1964 KiB  
Article
Scoring Osteoarthritis Reliably in Large Joints and the Spine Using Whole-Body CT: OsteoArthritis Computed Tomography-Score (OACT-Score)
by Willem Paul Gielis, Harrie Weinans, Frank J. Nap, Frank W. Roemer and Wouter Foppen
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(1), 5; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11010005 - 22 Dec 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 2607
Abstract
A standardized method to assess structural osteoarthritis (OA) burden thorough the body lacks from literature. Such a method can be valuable in developing personalized treatments for OA. We developed a reliable scoring system to evaluate OA in large joints and the spine—the OsteoArthritis [...] Read more.
A standardized method to assess structural osteoarthritis (OA) burden thorough the body lacks from literature. Such a method can be valuable in developing personalized treatments for OA. We developed a reliable scoring system to evaluate OA in large joints and the spine—the OsteoArthritis Computed Tomography (OACT) score, using a convenience sample of 197 whole-body low-dose non-contrast CTs. An atlas, containing example images as reference points for training and scoring, are presented. Each joint was graded between 0–3. The total OA burden was calculated by summing scores of individual joints. Intra- and inter-observer reliability was tested 25 randomly selected scans (N = 600 joints). Intra-observer reliability and inter-observer reliability between three observers was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and square-weighted kappa statistics. The square-weighted kappa for intra-observer reliability for OACT-score at joint-level ranged from 0.79 to 0.95; the ICC for the total OA grade was 0.97 (95%-CI, 0.94 to 0.99). Square-weighted kappa for interobserver reliability ranged from 0.48 to 0.95; the ICC for the total OA grade was 0.95 (95%-CI, 0.90 to 0.98). The OACT score, a new reproducible CT-based grading system reflecting OA burden in large joints and the spine, has a satisfactory reproducibility. The atlas can be used for research purposes, training, educational purposes and systemic grading of OA on CT-scans. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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14 pages, 7028 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Scalability and Degree of Fine-Tuning of Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for COVID-19 Screening on Chest X-ray Images Using Explainable Deep-Learning Algorithm
by Ki-Sun Lee, Jae Young Kim, Eun-tae Jeon, Won Suk Choi, Nan Hee Kim and Ki Yeol Lee
J. Pers. Med. 2020, 10(4), 213; https://doi.org/10.3390/jpm10040213 - 07 Nov 2020
Cited by 41 | Viewed by 5170
Abstract
According to recent studies, patients with COVID-19 have different feature characteristics on chest X-ray (CXR) than those with other lung diseases. This study aimed at evaluating the layer depths and degree of fine-tuning on transfer learning with a deep convolutional neural network (CNN)-based [...] Read more.
According to recent studies, patients with COVID-19 have different feature characteristics on chest X-ray (CXR) than those with other lung diseases. This study aimed at evaluating the layer depths and degree of fine-tuning on transfer learning with a deep convolutional neural network (CNN)-based COVID-19 screening in CXR to identify efficient transfer learning strategies. The CXR images used in this study were collected from publicly available repositories, and the collected images were classified into three classes: COVID-19, pneumonia, and normal. To evaluate the effect of layer depths of the same CNN architecture, CNNs called VGG-16 and VGG-19 were used as backbone networks. Then, each backbone network was trained with different degrees of fine-tuning and comparatively evaluated. The experimental results showed the highest AUC value to be 0.950 concerning COVID-19 classification in the experimental group of a fine-tuned with only 2/5 blocks of the VGG16 backbone network. In conclusion, in the classification of medical images with a limited number of data, a deeper layer depth may not guarantee better results. In addition, even if the same pre-trained CNN architecture is used, an appropriate degree of fine-tuning can help to build an efficient deep learning model. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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Review

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21 pages, 3230 KiB  
Review
Cardiorenal Syndrome: Emerging Role of Medical Imaging for Clinical Diagnosis and Management
by Ling Lin, Xuhui Zhou, Ilona A. Dekkers and Hildo J. Lamb
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(8), 734; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11080734 - 28 Jul 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5853
Abstract
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) concerns the interconnection between heart and kidneys in which the dysfunction of one organ leads to abnormalities of the other. The main clinical challenges associated with cardiorenal syndrome are the lack of tools for early diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of [...] Read more.
Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) concerns the interconnection between heart and kidneys in which the dysfunction of one organ leads to abnormalities of the other. The main clinical challenges associated with cardiorenal syndrome are the lack of tools for early diagnosis, prognosis, and evaluation of therapeutic effects. Ultrasound, computed tomography, nuclear medicine, and magnetic resonance imaging are increasingly used for clinical management of cardiovascular and renal diseases. In the last decade, rapid development of imaging techniques provides a number of promising biomarkers for functional evaluation and tissue characterization. This review summarizes the applicability as well as the future technological potential of each imaging modality in the assessment of CRS. Furthermore, opportunities for a comprehensive imaging approach for the evaluation of CRS are defined. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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22 pages, 1452 KiB  
Review
Nuclear Medicine Imaging in Neuroblastoma: Current Status and New Developments
by Atia Samim, Godelieve A.M. Tytgat, Gitta Bleeker, Sylvia T.M. Wenker, Kristell L.S. Chatalic, Alex J. Poot, Nelleke Tolboom, Max M. van Noesel, Marnix G.E.H. Lam and Bart de Keizer
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(4), 270; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11040270 - 04 Apr 2021
Cited by 30 | Viewed by 9819
Abstract
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid malignancy in children. At diagnosis, approximately 50% of patients present with metastatic disease. These patients are at high risk for refractory or recurrent disease, which conveys a very poor prognosis. During the past decades, nuclear medicine [...] Read more.
Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid malignancy in children. At diagnosis, approximately 50% of patients present with metastatic disease. These patients are at high risk for refractory or recurrent disease, which conveys a very poor prognosis. During the past decades, nuclear medicine has been essential for the staging and response assessment of neuroblastoma. Currently, the standard nuclear imaging technique is meta-[123I]iodobenzylguanidine ([123I]mIBG) whole-body scintigraphy, usually combined with single-photon emission computed tomography with computed tomography (SPECT-CT). Nevertheless, 10% of neuroblastomas are mIBG non-avid and [123I]mIBG imaging has relatively low spatial resolution, resulting in limited sensitivity for smaller lesions. More accurate methods to assess full disease extent are needed in order to optimize treatment strategies. Advances in nuclear medicine have led to the introduction of radiotracers compatible for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in neuroblastoma, such as [124I]mIBG, [18F]mFBG, [18F]FDG, [68Ga]Ga-DOTA peptides, [18F]F-DOPA, and [11C]mHED. PET has multiple advantages over SPECT, including a superior resolution and whole-body tomographic range. This article reviews the use, characteristics, diagnostic accuracy, advantages, and limitations of current and new tracers for nuclear medicine imaging in neuroblastoma. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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13 pages, 420 KiB  
Review
A Review on the Value of Imaging in Differentiating between Large Vessel Vasculitis and Atherosclerosis
by Pieter H. Nienhuis, Gijs D. van Praagh, Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans, Elisabeth Brouwer and Riemer H. J. A. Slart
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(3), 236; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11030236 - 23 Mar 2021
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3404
Abstract
Imaging is becoming increasingly important for the diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis (LVV). Atherosclerosis may be difficult to distinguish from LVV on imaging as both are inflammatory conditions of the arterial wall. Differentiating atherosclerosis from LVV is important to enable optimal diagnosis, risk [...] Read more.
Imaging is becoming increasingly important for the diagnosis of large vessel vasculitis (LVV). Atherosclerosis may be difficult to distinguish from LVV on imaging as both are inflammatory conditions of the arterial wall. Differentiating atherosclerosis from LVV is important to enable optimal diagnosis, risk assessment, and tailored treatment at a patient level. This paper reviews the current evidence of ultrasound (US), 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to distinguish LVV from atherosclerosis. In this review, we identified a total of eight studies comparing LVV patients to atherosclerosis patients using imaging—four US studies, two FDG-PET studies, and two CT studies. The included studies mostly applied different methodologies and outcome parameters to investigate vessel wall inflammation. This review reports the currently available evidence and provides recommendations on further methodological standardization methods and future directions for research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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15 pages, 7636 KiB  
Review
PET/CT Imaging for Personalized Management of Infectious Diseases
by Jordy P. Pijl, Thomas C. Kwee, Riemer H. J. A. Slart and Andor W. J. M. Glaudemans
J. Pers. Med. 2021, 11(2), 133; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/jpm11020133 - 16 Feb 2021
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3518
Abstract
Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) is a nuclear imaging technique which is increasingly being used in infectious diseases. Because infection foci often consume more glucose than surrounding tissue, most infections can be diagnosed with PET/CT using 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), an analogue [...] Read more.
Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) is a nuclear imaging technique which is increasingly being used in infectious diseases. Because infection foci often consume more glucose than surrounding tissue, most infections can be diagnosed with PET/CT using 2-deoxy-2-[18F]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG), an analogue of glucose labeled with Fluorine-18. In this review, we discuss common infectious diseases in which FDG-PET/CT is currently applied including bloodstream infection of unknown origin, infective endocarditis, vascular graft infection, spondylodiscitis, and cyst infections. Next, we highlight the latest developments within the field of PET/CT, including total body PET/CT, use of novel PET radiotracers, and potential future applications of PET/CT that will likely lead to increased capabilities for patient-tailored treatment of infectious diseases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Radiology and Personalized Medicine)
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