Recent Publications by CFE Educators

PURPOSE

To investigate the prognostic utility of quantitative 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging radiomic analysis for primary pediatric embryonal brain tumors.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

Thirty-four pediatric patients with embryonal brain tumor with concurrent preoperative T1-weighted postcontrast (T1PG) and T2-weighted fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) magnetic resonance images were identified from an institutional database. The median follow-up period was 5.2 years. Radiomic features were extracted from axial T1PG and FLAIR contours using MATLAB, and 15 features were selected for analysis based on qualitative radiographic features with prognostic significance for pediatric embryonal brain tumors. Logistic regression, linear regression, receiver operating characteristic curves, the Harrell C index, and the Somer D index were used to test the relationships between radiomic features and demographic variables, as well as clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

Pediatric embryonal brain tumors in older patients had an increased normalized mean tumor intensity (P = .05, T1PG), decreased tumor volume (P = .02, T1PG), and increased markers of heterogeneity (P ≤ .01, T1PG and FLAIR) relative to those in younger patients. We identified 10 quantitative radiomic features that delineated medulloblastoma, pineoblastoma, and supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor, including size and heterogeneity (P ≤ .05, T1PG and FLAIR). Decreased markers of tumor heterogeneity were predictive of neuraxis metastases and trended toward significance (P = .1, FLAIR). Tumors with an increased size (area under the curve = 0.7, FLAIR) and decreased heterogeneity (area under the curve = 0.7, FLAIR) at diagnosis were more likely to recur.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative radiomic features are associated with pediatric embryonal brain tumor patient age, histology, neuraxis metastases, and recurrence. These data suggest that quantitative 3-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging radiomic analysis has the potential to identify radiomic risk features for pediatric patients with embryonal brain tumors.

Background

In end-stage liver disease, alterations in iron metabolism can lead to iron overload and development of iron overload cardiomyopathy. In liver transplant candidates, evaluation for cardiac iron overload and dysfunction can help to identify candidates at increased risk for peritransplant morbidity and mortality, though recommendations for pretransplant evaluation of cardiac iron overload are not standardized. Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Imaging T2* (CMRI-T2*) is a validated method to quantify cardiac iron deposition, with normal T2* value of 20 ms or greater. In this study, we sought to identify the incidence and predictors of iron overload by CMRI-T2* and to evaluate the impact of cardiac and iron overload on morbidity and mortality after liver transplantation.

Methods

In this retrospective single-center cohort study, all liver transplant candidates who underwent a pretransplant CMRI-T2* between January 1, 2008, and June 30, 2016, were included to analyze the association between clinical characteristics and low T2* using logistic regression.

Results

One hundred seventy-nine liver transplant candidates who received CMRI-T2* were included. Median age was 57 years, 73.2% were male, and 47.6% were white. 49.7% had hepatitis C and 2.8% had hemochromatosis. Median Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score was 25. 65.2% were Child-Pugh C. In multivariable logistic regression, T2* less than 20 ms (n = 35) was associated with Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 25 or greater (odds ratio [OR], 3.65; = 0.007), Child-Pugh C (OR, 3.42; = 0.03), and echocardiographic systolic ejection fraction less than 65% (OR, 2.24; = 0.01). Posttransplant heart failure occurred exclusively in recipients with T2* less than 15 ms. Survival was worse in T2* 10 to 14.9 versus T2* of 20 ms or greater (hazard ratio, 3.85; = 0.003), but not for 15 to 19.9 versus T2* of 20 ms or greater.

Conclusions

Severity of liver disease and systolic dysfunction is associated with T2* less than 20 ms, though there was no difference in posttransplant outcomes between T2* 15 to 19.9 and T2* 20 ms or greater, suggesting that individuals with T2* of 15 ms or greater may be suitable transplant candidates. CMRI-T2* is an additional diagnostic tool in evaluating transplant candidates at high risk for posttransplant cardiac complications.

Childhood obesity continues to be a critical healthcare issue and a paradigm of a pervasive chronic disease affecting even our youngest children. When considered within the context of the socioecological model, the factors that influence weight status, including the social determinants of health, limit the impact of multidisciplinary care that occurs solely within the medical setting. Coordinated care that incorporates communication between the healthcare and community sectors is necessary to more effectively prevent and treat obesity. In this article, the Expert Exchange authors, with input from providers convened at an international pediatric meeting, provide recommendations to address this critical issue. These recommendations draw upon examples from the management of other chronic conditions that might be applied to the treatment of obesity, such as the use of care plans and health assessment forms to allow weight management specialists and community personnel (e.g., school counselors) to communicate about treatment recommendations and responses. To facilitate communication across the healthcare and community sectors, practical considerations regarding the development and/or evaluation of communication tools are presented. In addition, the use of technology to enhance healthcare-community communication is explored as a means to decrease the barriers to collaboration and to create a web of connection between the community and healthcare providers that promote wellness and a healthy weight status.

PURPOSE

A previous analysis showed that brain metastases that are treated with frameless stereotactic radiation surgery (SRS) and planned with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) >14 days before SRS had worse local control (LC). To evaluate if worse LC may be due to unaccounted interval metastasis growth and radiosurgical marginal miss, we quantified growth before SRS on preradiosurgical imaging.

METHODS AND MATERIALS

We reviewed data from patients who were treated with fixed-frame SRS for brain metastases at our institution between 2010 and 2013 and had pretreatment diagnostic brain MRI and SRS-planning MRI scans available. Metastases were contoured on the pretreatment MRI scan and the day-of-treatment planning MRI scan for volumetric comparison. Growth rates were calculated. Serial volumetric contour expansions on the pretreatment MRI scans were used to determine the minimum margin necessary to encompass the entire metastasis on day of the SRS. LC was estimated by Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS

Among 411 brain metastases in 165 patients, the time between pretreatment and treatment MRI was associated with metastasis growth (P .001) with a mean growth rate of 0.02 ml/day (95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.03) and a 1.35-fold volume increase at 14 days. Time between MRI scans was associated with the amount of margin that was needed to target the entire brain metastasis volume on the day of the SRS (P .001), as were volume of metastasis on the pre-treatment MRI (P .001) and melanoma histology (P .001). LC was not associated with growth rate among patients who underwent fixed-frame SRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Time between pretreatment MRI and SRS is associated with brain metastasis growth, but LC is not compromised when patients receive fixed-frame SRS with same-day MRI planning. Margins may be needed for metastases that are treated with frameless SRS to account for growth between the planning MRI and SRS delivery.

SUMMARY

In this study, we quantify brain metastasis growth over time by taking advantage of the availability of 2 pretreatment magnetic resonance imaging scans taken at 2 time points among patients treated with frame-fixed radiation surgery. We found that metastasis growth is associated with time, initial metastasis size, melanoma histology, and concurrent chemotherapy. Performing serial margin expansions demonstrated factors that are associated with the amount of margin that is needed to target the entire metastasis on the day of radiation surgery.

Functional bowel disorder patients can suffer from chronic abdominal pain, likely due to visceral hypersensitivity to mechanical stimuli. As there is only a limited understanding of the basis of chronic visceral hypersensitivity (CVH), drug-based management strategies are ill defined, vary considerably, and include NSAIDs, opioids, and even anticonvulsants. We previously reported that the 1.1 subtype of the voltage-gated sodium (NaV; NaV1.1) channel family regulates the excitability of sensory nerve fibers that transmit a mechanical pain message to the spinal cord. Herein, we investigated whether this channel subtype also underlies the abdominal pain that occurs with CVH. We demonstrate that NaV1.1 is functionally upregulated under CVH conditions and that inhibiting channel function reduces mechanical pain in 3 mechanistically distinct mouse models of chronic pain. In particular, we use a small molecule to show that selective NaV1.1 inhibition (a) decreases sodium currents in colon-innervating dorsal root ganglion neurons, (b) reduces colonic nociceptor mechanical responses, and (c) normalizes the enhanced visceromotor response to distension observed in 2 mouse models of irritable bowel syndrome. These results provide support for a relationship between NaV1.1 and chronic abdominal pain associated with functional bowel disorders.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association of genital numbness and erectile dysfunction in male cyclists.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Cyclists were recruited through Facebook advertisements and outreach to sporting clubs. This is a secondary analysis of a larger epidemiological population-based study that examined sexual and urinary wellness in athletes. We queried cycling habits and erectile function using Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM).

RESULTS

A total of 2 774 male cyclists were included in the analysis. Amongst cyclists, there was a statistically significant increase in the trend of genital numbness presence with more years of cycling (P = 0.002), more frequent weekly cycling (P 0.001), and longer cycling distance at each ride (P 0.001). Less frequent use of padded shorts (odds ratio [OR] 0.14, P 0.001) and lower handlebar (OR 0.49, P 0.001) were associated with numbness, but body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.1, P = 0.33) and age (OR 1.2, P = 0.15) were not. In a multivariate logistic regression model, after adjusting for age, BMI, and lifetime miles (calculated by average daily cycling mileage × cycling days/week × cycling years.), there were no statistically significant differences in mean SHIM score between cyclists with and cyclists without numbness (20.3 vs 20.2, P = 0.83). However, interestingly, the subset of cyclists who reported numbness in the buttock reported statistically significantly worse SHIM scores (20.3 vs 18.4, P 0.001). This association was not present in cyclists who reported numbness in the scrotum, penis, or perineum and remained significant after adjusting for overall biking intensity.

CONCLUSION

Cyclists report genital numbness in proportion with biking intensity but numbness is not associated with worse sexual function in this cohort.

BACKGROUND

Accurate root position is integral for successful orthodontic treatment. Current methods of monitoring root position are either inaccurate, exhibit poor resolution, or use relatively large amount of radiation relative to the benefits for the patient. The purpose of this study was to present an approach that can monitor root position during orthodontic treatment with minimal radiation.

METHODS

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) scans were taken for a patient at pre-treatment and at a dedicated reset appointment. An extra-oral laser scan of a poured up cast was taken at the reset appointment. An expected root position (ERP) setup, an approximation of the root position at the reset appointment, was generated using the pre-treatment CBCT scan and reset appointment cast. The ERP setup was compared to the CBCT scan taken at the reset appointment which served as the control. Color displacement maps were generated to measure any differences between the expected and true root positions.

RESULTS

Color map displacement analysis after indirect superimposition found displacement differences of 0.021 mm ± 0.396 mm for the maxillary roots and 0.079 mm ± 0.499 mm for the mandibular roots.

CONCLUSIONS

This approach was demonstrated in a patient at the reset appointment to have the potential to accurately monitor root positions during treatment in three dimensions without the need for additional radiographs.