MSCT is a non-invasive and reliable method for preoperative examination of gastric cancer. Sensitivity and specificity for prediction of lymph node metastasis are high.

CT manifestations of HEA have certain characteristics. Primary diagnosis can be obtained by combining CT findings with clinical data, but pathological examination is still needed for a definite diagnosis.

The anti-vascular therapy has been extensively studied for high performance tumor therapy by suppressing the tumor angiogenesis or cutting off the existing tumor vasculature. We have previously reported a novel anti-tumor treatment technique using radiofrequency (RF)-assisted gadofullerene nanocrystals (GFNCs) to selectively disrupt the tumor vasculature. In this work, we further revealed the changes on morphology and functionality of the tumor vasculature during the high-performance RF-assisted GFNCs treatment in vivo. Here, a clearly evident mechanism of this technique in tumor vascular disruption was elucidated. Based on the H22 tumor bearing mice with dorsal skin flap chamber (DSFC) model and the dynamic contrast enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) technique, it was revealed that the GFNCs would selectively inset in the gaps of tumor vasculature due to the innately incomplete structures and unique microenvironment of tumor vasculature, and they damaged the surrounding endothelia cells excited by the RF to induce a phase transition accompanying with size expansion. Soon afterwards, the blood flow of the tumor blood vessels was permanently shut off, causing the entire tumor vascular network to collapse within 24 h after the treatment. The RF-assistant GFNCs technique was proved to aim at the tumor vasculature precisely, and was harmless to the normal vasculature. The current studies provide a rational explanation on the high efficiency anticancer activity of the RF-assisted GFNCs treatment, suggesting a novel technique with potent clinical application.

Cavernous haemangiomata occur quite commonly, but one situated in the hypopharynx which contains as many as 240 phleboliths, as reported here, is a rare curiosity. The clinical manifestations, angiographic findings and the operative procedure of this case are described with a brief review of the formation of phleboliths in cavernous haemangiomas.

Background: Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) has emerged as a novel biomarker for coronary atherosclerosis. However, the association between Lp-PLA2 and plaque vulnerability in atherosclerosis of cervicocerebral arteries remains poorly defined, especially for intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS). We aimed to investigate the association between Lp-PLA2 and plaque vulnerability in transient ischemic attack (TIA) patients with unilateral middle cerebral artery stenoses (MCAs). Methods: In this study, a total of 207 patients were enrolled from April 2017 to April 2020. Clinical data were collected, and MCA plaques were examined with high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HRMRI). Baseline characteristics of patients were collected during hospitalization. Statistical comparisons were performed using Pearson's chi-squared test, Mann-Whitney U test, and the Breslow-Day/Tarone's test for the determination of heterogeneity in different age strata. Multivariate binary logistic analysis was used to investigate the potential independent predictors that were highly correlated to plaque vulnerability. Results: The results showed that a high Lp-PLA2 level (>221 ng/ml) was associated with plaque vulnerability in TIA patients with unilateral MCAs. High Lp-PLA2 was independently associated with plaque vulnerability in patients ≤60 years old [multivariate adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 9.854; 95% CI, 2.458-39.501] but not in patients >60 years old (multivariate adjusted OR = 1.901; 95% CI, 0.640-5.650). Predictors of plaque vulnerability in different age strata were also different. Conclusion: Lp-PLA2 levels may be correlated to plaque vulnerability in TIA patients with unilateral MCAs and might be a diagnostic biomarker for plaque vulnerability in this kind of patients, especially for ones aged ≤60 years old.