ARFI values decrease from kidneys with secondary vesicoureteral reflux to kidneys with primary reflux to unaffected kidneys contralateral to reflux to normal kidneys.

Visual FDG-PET/CT has an acceptable performance in patients with SPN, but accuracy improves when SUVratios are considered, particularly in patients with intermediate and high risk of malignancy.

Introduction:The combined use of 68Gallium [68GA]-DOTA-peptides and 18Fluorine-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose [18F-FDG] PET/TC scans in the work-up of pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PanNETs) is controversial. This study aimed at assessing both tracers’ capability to identify tumors and to assess its association with pathological predictors of recurrence. Methods:Prospectively collected, preoperative, dual-tracer PET/CT scan data of G1-G2, non-metastatic, PanNETs that underwent surgery between January 2013 and October 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. Results:The final cohort consisted of 124 cases. There was an approximately equal distribution of males and females(50.8%/49.2%), and G1 and G2 tumors(49.2%/50.8%). The disease was detected in 122(98.4%) and 64(51.6%) cases by 68Ga-DOTATOC and by 18F-FDG PET/CT scans, respectively, with a combined sensitivity of 99.2%. 18F-FDG-positive examinations found G2 tumors more often than G1 (59.4% versus 40.6%;p = 0.036), and 18F-FDG-positive PanNETs were larger than negative ones (median tumor size 32 mm, IQR 21 versus 26 mm, IQR 20;p = 0.019). The median Ki67 for 18F-FDG-positive and -negative examinations was 3(IQR 4) and 2(IQR 4), respectively, (p = 0.029). At least one pathologic predictor of recurrence was present in 74.6% of 18F-FDG-positive cases (versus 56.7%;p = 0.039), whereas this was not found when dichotomizing the PanNETs by their dimensions (≤/> 20 mm). None of the two tracers predicted nodal metastasis. ROC curve analysis showed that 18F-FDG uptake higher than 4.2 had a sensitivity of 49.2%, and specificity of 73.3% for differentiating G1 from G2 (AUC=0.624, p=0.009). Conclusion: The complementary adoption of 68Ga-DOTATOC and 18F-FDG tracers may be valuable in the diagnostic work-up of PanNETs despite not being a game-changer for the management of PanNETs ≤ 20 mm.

Background and ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the ability of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) to provide functional information useful in predicting pathological response to an intensive neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy (nCRT) protocol for both esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and adenocarcinoma (ADC) patients.Material and MethodsEsophageal carcinoma (EC) patients, treated in our Center between 2014 and 2018, were retrospectively reviewed. The nCRT protocol schedule consisted of an induction phase of weekly administered docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil (TCF) for 3 weeks, followed by a concomitant phase of weekly TCF for 5 weeks with concurrent radiotherapy (50–50.4 Gy in 25–28 fractions). Three 18F-FDG PET/CT scans were performed: before (PET1) and after (PET2) induction chemotherapy (IC), and prior to surgery (PET3). Correlation between PET parameters [maximum and mean standardized uptake value (SUVmax and SUVmean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG)], radiomic features and tumor regression grade (TGR) was investigated.ResultsFifty-four patients (35 ADC, 19 SCC; 48 cT3/4; 52 cN+) were eligible for the analysis. Pathological response to nCRT was classified as major (TRG1-2, 41/54, 75.9%) or non-response (TRG3-4, 13/54, 24.1%). A major response was statistically correlated with SCC subtype (p = 0.02) and smaller tumor length (p = 0.03). MTV and TLG measured prior to IC (PET1) were correlated to TRG1-2 response (p = 0.02 and p = 0.02, respectively). After IC (PET2), SUVmean and TLG correlated with major response (p = 0.03 and p = 0.04, respectively). No significance was detected when relative changes of metabolic parameters between PET1 and PET2 were evaluated. At textural quantitative analysis, three independent radiomic features extracted from PET1 images ([JointEnergy and InverseDifferenceNormalized of GLCM and LowGrayLevelZoneEmphasis of GLSZM) were statistically correlated with major response (p < 0.0002).Conclusions18F-FDG PET/CT traditional metrics and textural features seem to predict pathologic response (TRG) in EC patients treated with induction chemotherapy followed by neoadjuvant chemo-radiotherapy. Further investigations are necessary in order to obtain a reliable predictive model to be used in the clinical practice.

Our preliminary findings suggest a possible relationship between a decrease in the concentration of SRs on meningioma cells at short-term functional imaging follow-up after radiosurgery and early neurological improvement.