Visualization of Stent Lumen in MR Imaging: Relationship with Stent Design and RF Direction

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) visualization of metallic stent lumens is possible if the stent structure counteracts eddy currents in the lumen induced by the radio frequency magnetic field, B1. To examine the effectiveness of various stent designs in counteracting eddy currents, we anchored eight copper stent models and 2 commercially available nickel-titanium alloy (Nitinol) stents in a gel phantom, perpendicular or parallel to the direction of B1. A mesh stent lumen showed hypointensity irrespective of its alignment relative to B1. A solenoid stent lumen showed hypointensity with the stent axis parallel to B1, but it had the same signal intensity as outside the lumen when perpendicular to B1. A Moebius stent lumen showed no signal reduction, irrespective of alignment relative to B1. Lumens of the commercially available stents showed hypointensity regardless of alignment relative to B1. Computer simulation revealed that the signal intensities of the stents corresponded to magnetic flux densities of B1 in the stents, which are modified by the structure of the stent. While in vivo MRI viewing of a Moebius stent lumen is likely possible regardless of axis alignment, inherent structural weakness may be problematic. As a more practical choice, the solenoid stent is easier to manufacture and generates no hypointensive signal when the axis is parallel to B0

Tumor stem cell assay for detecting metastases of human lung cancer.

We applied a tumor stem cell assay using an enriched double-layered soft agar system for the detection of metastatic sites of lung cancer. Lung cancer colonies grew from 7 of 10 effusions cytologically positive for tumor cells and 7 of 10 bone marrow aspirates cytologically and histologically positive for tumor cells. Twenty-six of 29 bone marrow aspirates cytologically and histologically negative for tumor cells showed no colony growth. However, the remaining three bone marrow aspirates, which were obtained from patients with small cell lung cancer, formed colonies in soft agar. These results indicate that the tumor stem cell assay is useful for detecting metastatic sites of lung cancer.</p

Cytological and histological correlation of primary lung cancer: a preliminary study of 106 cases with resectable tumors.

In order to increase the accuracy of diagnosis in lung cancer, analysis concerning cytological and histological correlation was attempted. The present study consists of 106 patients, who were seen during the past approximately five years and underwent radical surgery to remove tumors completely; mere biopsy specimens were excluded. These patients were 63 years old on the average, 78 males and 28 females, 29 cases of the hilar type (H) and 77 of the peripheral type (P), and 27 and 76 cases of the clinical stage I in H and P, respectively. Histologically, there were 53 adenocarcinomas (Ad), 38 squamous cell carcinomas (Sq), 4 adenosquamous cell carcinomas (Ad + Sq), 5 large cell carcinomas (LCC), and 6 small cell carcinomas (SCC); among them, 3 Ad and 21 Sq in H, and 50 Ad and 17 Sq in P. The overall positive percentages were 65.5 (H) and 26.0 (P) by combination of spontaneous, airsol-induced and Saccomanno's methods, against 96.6 (H) and 72.8 (P) with inclusion of brushing method. 94.8% of Sq in H and 66.7% of Ad and 70.6% of Sq in P were positive by the brushing. A comparative study of these four methods, performed at least once on the same patient, also confirmed the superiority of brushing. Cyto- and histological agreement was 21/21 (100%) for Sq in H, whereas 30/34 (88.2%) for Ad and 13/15 (86.7%) for Sq in P. In conclusion, cyto- and histological findings in H and P corresponded well, and as far as cytology of peripheral type is concerned, a combined method, especially with brushing, is strongly recommended.</p

Pretreatment serum albumin concentration and lactic dehydrogenase activity as prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer.

Pretreatment laboratory parameters were analyzed as prognostic factors in patients with small cell lung cancer. Serum lactic dehydrogenase activity, serum albumin concentration, PPD skin reaction, and peripheral lymphocyte count were of prognostic importance. When these factors were evaluated by multivariate analysis together with performance status and disease extent, lactic dehydrogenase and albumin were the most influential factors related to survival.</p

Bone marrow examination for detection of metastasis in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma: an evaluation of 107 patients.

As a staging procedure before treatment, examination of bone marrow from the posterior iliac crest was performed on a total of 107 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Among them, 11 patients (10.3%) had metastasis in the bone marrow: five of 39 adenocarcinomas, five of 33 small cell carcinomas, one of four large cell carcinomas, and none of 31 epidermoid carcinomas. Leukoerythroblastosis was found exclusively in the patients with metastasis, although the presence of tumor cells in the bone marrow did not correlate well with peripheral blood cell counts. Survival following an intensive chemotherapy in patients with bone marrow metastasis was substantially longer for those with small cell carcinoma than for those with other histologic types of bronchogenic carcinoma.</p

前立腺炎から波及した眼内炎の1例

A case of Klebsiella pneumoniae endophthalmitis metastasized from prostatitis is reported. A 58-year-old alcoholismic man with diabetic diathesis suffered from endophthalmitis which required enucleation of his left eye, when he interrupted the treatment of prostatitis. Metastatic bacterial endophthalmitis from urinary tract infection is rare

Studies on the diagnosis and treatment of human lung cancer using double-layered soft agar cloning assay Ⅱ. Direct cloning of human lung cancer cells and in vitro chemosensitivity test

The extent of tumor dissemination at the time of diagnosis is an important predictor for survival of lung cancer patients. In vitro sensitivity to drugs is helpful for successful chemotherapy of advanced lung cancer patients. A major objective of the present study was to clarify the significance of direct cloning assay for the detection of metastatic sites as well as for the selection of sensitive drugs for individual patients. Tumor cell colony growth was evaluated in an enriched double-layered soft agar system. Colonies were successfully grown from 5 of 7 cytology positive effusions, and 4 of 5 histology/cytology positive bone marrow aspirates. Two of 17 histology/cytology negative bone marrow aspirates yielded colonies, whereas 5 cytology negative effusions yielded no colonies. Colony growth was observed in 3 of 5 tumor specimens obtained surgically. For in vitro chemosensitivity, tumor cells were exposed for 1 hour prior to plating. Although colonies were successfully grown from specimens of 5 patients, none of them were sensitive to the drugs tested. Three of the 5 patients were treated with intensive combination chemotherapy including therapy with drugs which had been defined to be resistant in the in vitro chemosensitivity test and no response was observed in these cases. In this sense, in vitro sensitivity correlated with in vivo sensitivity

Studies on the diagnosis and treatment of human lung cancer using double-layered soft agar cloning assay I. In vitro chemosensitivity test on permanent cell lines from adeno-, epidermoid and small cell carcinoma of the lung using double-layered soft agar cloning assay

An in vitro chemosensitivity test on permanent cell lines from adeno-, epidermoid and small cell carcinoma of the lung was performed using a double-layered soft agar cloning assay. Drugs tested in the present study were Adriamycin, 40497S, Mitomycin C, cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum, Methotrexate and Vincristine. Adriamycin, 40497S, Mitomycin C and cis-Dichlorodiammineplatinum showed dose-dependent cytotoxity. Methotrexate and Vincristine did not show a significant cytotoxity when the cell lines were exposed for one hour. Differences in chemosensitivity to the six drugs examined among the three cell lines was relatively small e.g. the lethal dose 90% (LD90) of Adriamycin was 0.19mcg/ml in adenocarcinoma, 0.46mcg/ml in epidermoid carcinoma and 0.27mcg/ml in small cell carcinoma. The lack of a difference in chemosensitivity in vitro might be attributed to the fact that the cell lines had been established from bronchogenic carcinomas which were refractory to intensive combination chemotherapy