Optimal index for detecting splenic involvement on 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography imaging in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Accurate clinical staging is important in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) to adapt to optimal therapy. Splenic involvement of DLBCL has been recently more detectable with the advancement of a diagnostic scan by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT). Our clinical question is whether splenic involvement was adequately diagnosed by FDG-PET/CT imaging. This retrospective study aimed to determine the optimal index for evaluating splenic involvement in patients with DLBCL. Patients with newly diagnosed DLBCL who were examined with FDG-PET/CT at diagnosis and the end of induction chemotherapy (EOI) was enrolled. The splenic involvement with the splenic FDG uptake value higher than that of the liver at diagnosis or with the decrease of splenic uptake at EOI by visual evaluation was evaluated as positive. The calculative evaluation of splenic involvement, based on the data of standardized uptake value (SUV) of the spleen, used maximum SUV (SUVmax), mean SUV (SUVmean), spleen total lesion glycolysis (spleen TLG), and spleen length. A change in each index following induction chemotherapy was expressed as an index. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to set the cutoff value for each index. This study included 52 patients. Spleen TLG (0.904) showed the best accuracy, followed by SUVmax (0.885) and SUVmean (0.885), among the 5 indexes for splenic involvement at diagnosis. Splenic involvement was predicted with a higher accuracy level (0.923) when selecting the cases with values higher than the cutoff level on both spleen TLG and SUVmax. The decision at EOI was more suitable by selecting both positive cases of ∆ TLG and ∆ SUVmax. Obtaining both the positive spleen TLG and SUVmax is recommended at diagnosis to predict splenic involvement. The assessment by ∆ spleen TLG and ∆ SUVmax seems to be optimal.

Endovascular Treatment of Postpancreatectomy Hemorrhage from the Retroportal Artery with Compression of the Celiac Trunk by the Median Arcuate Ligament: A Case Report

Retroportal artery is one of the communicating arteries between the hepatic artery and the superior mesenteric artery, but it is often a small artery and usually unrecognized. We report a 60-year-old man that was successfully treated for postpancreatectomy hemorrhage from the retroportal artery with compression of the celiac trunk by the median arcuate ligament. Following the pancreaticoduodenectomy, the bloody discharge was discovered through the drainage catheter. We underwent transcatheter arterial embolization for the bleeding from the retroportal artery associated with a postoperative pancreatic fistula. Additionally, because a stenosis of the common hepatic artery was discovered, we consequently installed a stent-graft on the common hepatic artery to prevent the liver failure due to decreased hepatic blood flow.

Plug-assisted Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration-II for Gastric Varices: A Case Report

We present a case of gastric varices successfully treated with modified plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration. A 45-year-old male patient had isolated fundal gastric varices caused by alcoholic cirrhosis. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography showed that the gastric varices were drained mainly via the gastro-renal shunt. The gastric varices were treated via plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration using an IMPEDE vascular plug with a modified coil-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration-II procedure. There were no complications during the procedure, and an endoscopic examination 3 months after the procedure revealed that the gastric varices had disappeared. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of plug-assisted retrograde transvenous obliteration-II using a newly designed IMPEDE vascular plug to avoid migration of the sclerosant.

Comparison of Conventional Imaging and 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography in the Diagnostic Accuracy of Staging in Patients with Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

We aimed to examine the accuracy of tumor staging of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) by using 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET-CT). From January 2001 to December 2021, 202 patients underwent PET-CT, CT, and MRI for the initial staging of ICC in two institutions. Among them, 102 patients had undergone surgical treatment. Ninety patients who had a histopathological diagnosis of ICC were retrospectively reviewed. The sensitivity and specificity of 18F-FDG PET-CT, CT, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting tumors, satellite focus, vascular invasion, and lymph node metastases were analyzed. Ninety patients with histologically diagnosed ICC were included. PET-CT demonstrated no statistically significant advantage over CT and MR in the diagnosis of multiple tumors and macrovascular invasion, and bile duct invasion. The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of PET-CT in lymph node metastases were 84%, 86%, 91%, 84%, and 86%, respectively. PET-CT revealed a significantly higher accuracy compared to CT or MRI (86%, 67%, and 76%, p < 0.01, respectively) in the diagnosis of regional lymph node metastases. The accuracy of tumor staging by PET-CT was higher than that by CT/MRI (PET-CT vs. CT vs. MRI: 68/90 vs. 47/90 vs. 51/90, p < 0.05). 18F-FDG PET-CT had sensitivity and specificity values for diagnosing satellite focus and vascular and bile duct invasion similar to those of CT or MRI; however, PET-CT showed higher accuracy in diagnosing regional lymph node metastases. 18F-FDG PET-CT exhibited higher tumor staging accuracy than that of CT/MRI. Thus, 18FDG PET-CT may support tumor staging in ICC.