Contrast-enhanced CT- and MRI-based perfusion assessment for pulmonary diseases: basics and clinical applications

Assessment of regional pulmonary perfusion as well as nodule and tumor perfusions in various pulmonary diseases are currently performed by means of nuclear medicine studies requiring radioactive macroaggregates, dual-energy computed tomography (CT), and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion CT techniques and unenhanced and dynamic first-pass contrast enhanced perfusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), as well as time-resolved three-dimensional or four-dimensional contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). Perfusion scintigraphy, single-photon emission tomography (SPECT) and SPECT fused with CT have been established as clinically available scintigraphic methods; however, they are limited by perfusion information with poor spatial resolution and other shortcomings. Although positron emission tomography with 15O water can measure absolute pulmonary perfusion, it requires a cyclotron for generation of a tracer with an extremely short half-life (2 min), and can only be performed for academic purposes. Therefore, clinicians are concentrating their efforts on the application of CT-based and MRI-based quantitative and qualitative perfusion assessment to various pulmonary diseases. This review article covers 1) the basics of dual-energy CT and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion CT techniques, 2) the basics of time-resolved contrast-enhanced MRA and dynamic first-pass contrast-enhanced perfusion MRI, and 3) clinical applications of contrast-enhanced CT- and MRI-based perfusion assessment for patients with pulmonary nodule, lung cancer, and pulmonary vascular diseases. We believe that these new techniques can be useful in routine clinical practice for not only thoracic oncology patients, but also patients with different pulmonary vascular diseases

Egg parasitoids of the tea green leafhopper Empoasca onukii (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) in Japan, with description of a new species of Anagrus (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae)

Fairyfly (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) egg parasitoids of the tea green leafhopper Empoasca (Matsumurasca) onukii Matsuda (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), an economically important pest in Asia of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis, were identified from specimens reared in Japan. Using a combination of genetic and morphological evidence, Anagrus (Anagrus) rugmanjonesi Triapitsyn & Adachi-Hagimori, sp. n., is described and illustrated. It is shown to be different from the most similar A. turpanicus Triapitsyn & Hu, an egg parasitoid of a leafhopper pest of cultivated grapes which is known from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in China. Mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence data provide clear evidence for the separation of A. rugmanjonesi from A. turpanicus and other members of the Anagrus incarnatus Haliday species complex. A key to females of the Japanese species of Anagrus Haliday is given. Two other species of Mymaridae, Arescon enocki (Subba Rao & Kaur) and Stethynium empoascae Subba Rao, are also identified, albeit the latter one only tentatively. Both latter taxa are newly recorded from Japan, and E. onukii represents their new host association

The Natural Degeneration Course in the T1rho Values of Normal Knee Cartilage

The purpose of our study is to investigate whether there is an age-related change in T1 rho values and to evaluate the effects of weight bearing on age-related increase in T1 rho values of normal cartilage. Thirty-two asymptomatic patients were examined using a 3.0T MRI to determine knee cartilage T1 rho values. Femorotibial and patella cartilage was defined as weight-bearing cartilage (WB-C) and non-weight-bearing cartilage (NWB-C), respectively. The femoral cartilage was divided into weight-bearing (WB-P) and less-weight-bearing (LWB-P) portions. Pearson's correlation coefficient and single regression analysis were used to assess the relationship between cartilage T1 rho values and age. The slopes of the regression lines of cartilage T1 rho values and age were compared between WB-C and NWB-C and between WB-P and LWB-P. Cartilage T1 rho values correlated positively with aging for all cartilage regions and all age groups (p<0.001). In the medial femoral cartilage, the age-related increase in T1 rho values was significantly greater for WB-P than for NWB-P (p<0.05). For several cartilage regions, this increase was greater for WB-C than for LWB-C (p<0.05). The T1 rho value is very sensitive to age-related cartilage degeneration and weight bearing-related degeneration, and hence may be a very sensitive and useful measure for the early diagnosis of osteoarthritis