Objective To investigate the role of preoperative serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in evaluating differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC). Methods A total of 551 patients with thyroid nodules met the study criteria, who got treatment in the First Affiliated Hospital of Jiamusi University between Aug. 2017 and Dec. 2017. And the patients were divided into DTC group (n=110) and benign group (n=441) according to the postoperative pathological results. The difference of serum TSH level between the 2 groups was compared and then explored the diagnostic significance of serum TSH level, thyroid imaging report and data system (TI-RADS), and serum TSH combined withTI-RADS. Results The serum TSH level was higher in the DTC group than that of the benign group (Z=5.198, P<0.05). The sensitivity of preoperative serum TSH level in the diagnosis of DTC was 80.9% (89/110), the specificity was 74.4% (328/441), and the area under receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.660 ［95%CI was (0.602, 0.719), P<0.05］. The sensitivity of TI-RADS in the diagnosis of DTC was 82.7% (91/110), the specificity was 73.5% (324/441), and the area under the ROC curve was 0.772 ［95%CI was (0.711, 0.823), P<0.05］. The sensitivity of preoperative serum TSH combined with TI-RADS in the diagnosis of DTC was 91.8% (101/110), the specificity was 87.5% (386/441), and the area under the ROC curve was 0.831 ［95%CI was (0.786, 0.876), P<0.05］. Conclusions Preoperative serum TSH level may be a potential risk factor for the occurrence of DTC. Preoperative serum TSH level combined with TI-RADS classification can improve the accuracy of preoperative diagnosis of DTC, not only to reduce the misdiagnosis of thyroid cancer, but also can avoid excessive treatment.
ObjectivesTo investigate the diagnostic value of different diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) models between two Gaussian DWI models including mono-exponential and bi-exponential, and the non-Gaussian kurtosis model in poorly differentiated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.MethodsSubjects comprised 52 patients with poorly differentiated pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma which had been confirmed by surgery. All patients underwent DWI (1.5T, multi-b values: 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, 500, 800, 1000, 1 500, 2 000s/mm2). Mean values of DWI-derived metrics ADCstandard, ADCslow, ADCfast, f, MD, MK and ADCstandard were calculated from regions of interest in all tumours and non-tumorous parenchyma and compared. ANOVA and Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the MRI paremeters. ROC was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency.ResultsMean ADCstandard, ADCfast, f and MK values showed significant differences between tumours and non-tumorous parenchyma (P<0.05). AUC for ADCstandard, MD, ADCfast and f were 0.705, 0.665, 0.648, 0.614, respectively. The ROC curve integrated with ADCstandard and MD had better diagnostic efficiency (AUC was about 0.754).ConclusionsADCstandard, ADCfast, f and MK values can differentiate tumours from non-tumorous parenchyma. The combination of Gaussion distribution model and non-Gaussion distribution model has the potential to increase the diagnostic accuracy of DWI in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.
Objective To investigate the clinical application value of GeneXpert Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB)/ rifampin (RIF) in urine samples for tuberculosis diagnosis. Methods The patients with clinically highly suspected tuberculosis admitted to West China Hospital of Sichuan University between January 1, 2018 and June 1, 2023 were selected retrospectively. The diagnostic efficacy of urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF detection, such as sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value, were retrospectively analyzed to evaluate its clinical value in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. Correlation analysis was further conducted to explore the correlation between positive levels of GeneXpert MTB/RIF in urine samples and laboratory test indicators. Results A total of 400 patients were included. Among them, 163 cases were in the clinical tuberculosis group and 237 cases were in the clinical non tuberculosis group. In the clinical tuberculosis group, 112 cases were urogenital tuberculosis patients and 51 cases were non-urogenital tuberculosis patients. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF in the diagnosis of tuberculosis were 55.2%, 97.5%, 93.8% and 76.0%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF in the diagnosis of urogenital tuberculosis were 65.2%, 92.0%, 76.0% and 87.2%, respectively, and the diagnostic sensitivity was further improved. Correlation analysis showed that the positive degree of urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF was correlated with the levels of hemoglobin, serum total protein, blood serum albumin, and other indicators. Conclusions Urine GeneXpert MTB/RIF detection offers high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of tuberculosis, especially in urogenital tuberculosis, which is helpful for the early and rapid diagnosis of tuberculosis patients. The positive degree reported by the GeneXpert MTB/RIF in urine may indicate disease severity.
Objective To explore the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in axillary and internal mammary lymph node metastasis of invasive breast cancer. Methods A total of 100 patients with invasive breast cancer treated from September 2020 to September 2022 were selected. Preoperative CEUS examination was completed, and the perfusion sequence, enhancement mode and enhancement sequence of lymph nodes were dynamically observed. The CEUS characteristics of metastatic and benign lymph nodes were compared. Using postoperative pathological results as the gold standard, the diagnostic efficacy of CEUS in evaluating lymph node status was analyzed. Results Among the 100 patients, 28 patients were diagnosed with metastatic axillary lymph nodes (ALN) by pathological biopsy. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive prediction rate and negative prediction rate of CEUS in evaluating ALN status were 71.4%, 87.5%, 83.0%, 69.0% and 88.7%, respectively. In 9 patients, CEUS showed internal mammary lymph node metastasis, and postoperative pathological examination confirmed that 5 patients had internal mammary lymph node metastasis, so the positive predictive rate of CEUS was 55.6%. Conclusion CEUS can evaluate the metastatic status of axillary and internal mammary lymph nodes.
ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of intra-intestinal angiography CT in patients with anastomotic leakage (AL) after rectal cancer resection.MethodsPatients who admitted to The Department of General Surgery of The No. 900 Hospital of The Joint Logistic Team from January 2013 to October 2018, who were diagnosed with rectal cancer and underwent rectal cancer resection with sphincter preserving surgery, were retrospectively collected in the study. All patients underwent routine imaging examination on the 7th day after rectal cancer operation. The retrograde contrast enema (RCE) was performed to obtain the abdominal X-ray film, then the pelvic CT scan was performed to get the CT image of the intestinal lumen. The films were reviewed by 2 senior radiologists, and the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of RCE and intra-intestinal angiography CT in the diagnosis of AL after rectal cancer resection were evaluated. Evaluated the sensitivity of the CT image feature to predict AL after rectal cancer resection.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of RCE in the diagnosis of AL after the rectal cancer resection were 69.23% (18/26), 98.64% (218/221), 85.71% (18/21), and 96.46% (218/226) respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of intra-intestinal angiography CT were 96.15% (25/26), 99.09% (219/221), 92.59% (25/27), and 99.54% (219/220) respectively. The sensitivity and NPV of intra-intestinal angiography CT in diagnosis of AL were significantly higher than those of RCE (P<0.05). The sensitivity of contrast agent leakage to diagnosis of AL was the highest, reaching 96.15% (25/26).ConclusionsThe sensitivity of intra-intestinal angiography CT in the diagnosis of AL is high and the overall diagnostic efficiency is better than RCE, and the leakage of contrast agent is the main imaging feature of AL. It is significant to guide the clinical practice.
ObjectiveTo systematically review clinical value of des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP) in the diagnostic of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (PHC).MethodsDatabases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, Medline (Ovid), CNKI, VIP, WanFang Data and CBM were electronically searched to collect relevant studies on DCP in the diagnosis of PHC from inception to December 31st, 2018. Two reviewers independently screened literature, extracted data and assessed the risk of bias of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed by using Meta-Disc 1.4 software and RevMan 5.3 software.ResultsA total of 50 studies involving 15 099 cases were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that the pooled sensitivity, pooled specificity, pooled positive likelihood ratio, pooled negative likelihood ratio, pooled diagnostic odds ratio and area under the curve of SROC were 0.69 (95%CI 0.67 to 0.70), 0.89 (95%CI 0.89 to 0.90), 7.35 (95%CI 6.08 to 8.90), 0.31 (95%CI 0.27 to 0.35), 26.63 (95%CI 20.42 to 34.73) and 0.909 9, respectively.ConclusionsSerum DCP has higher diagnostic efficacy for PHC, especially with higher specificity of diagnosis. Due to the limited quality and quantity of included studies, the above results should be validated by more studies.
Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of human heart-type fatty acid-binding protein for early detection of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Methods Studies involving this biomarker were identified from MEDLINE, EMbase, CBM and VIP (1970 to 2006). Relevant journals (1980 to 2006) were also handsearched. The quality of the included studies was assessed using the QUADAS tool. Data extraction and analysis were conducted by software of EXCEL2003 and Metadisc. Results We included 13 studies, which were heterogeneous (P=0, I2=58.5%). Five studies (n=396) included in the group assessed the test at the first three hours after chest pain onset. These studies were homogeneous (P= 0.49, I2=0). The pooled sensitivity was 0.86 ( 95%CI 0.80 to 0.91), the pooled specificity was 0.76( 95%CI 0.80 to 0.91), and the area under the curve was 0.88 (SE=0.032 3). In the group of 0 to 6 hours after chest pain onset, 10 included studies (n=1 175) were heterogeneous (P=0, I2=69%). The pooled sensitivity was 0.86 (95%CI 0.83 to 0.89), the pooled specificity was 0.79 (95%CI 0.76 to 0.82), and the area under the curve was 0.92 (SE=0.019). In the group of 6 to 12 hours after chest pain onset, 4 included studies (n=215) were homogeneous (P=0.56, I2=0). The pooled sensitivity was 0.97 (95%CI 0.91 to 0.99), the pooled specificity was 0.52 (95%CI 0.42 to 0.61), and the area under the curve was 0.810 with (SE=0.152 2). In the group of 0 to 12 hours after chest pain, 11 included studies (n=1 352) were heterogeneous (P=0.56, I2=59%). The pooled sensitivity was 0.88 (95%CI 0.84 to 0.89), the pooled specificity was 0.75 (95%CI 0.71 to 0.78), and the areas under the curve was 0.91 (SE=0.016 4). Conclusions In this systematic review, we found that H-FABP has an acceptable diagnostic accuracy within 3 hours after the onset of symptoms, and within 12 hours after the onset of symptoms, H-FABP has a high diagnostic efficacy. So H-FABP may be a new symbol for the early diagnosis of AMI.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the value of 120 kV portal venous phase images combined with iodine maps created from dual-source dual-energy CT (DECT) for the diagnosis of pancreatic necrosis in the early stage of acute pancreatitis. MethodsThis prospective study enrolled 17 patients who underwent abdominal dual-source DECT within 72 hours from the onset of acute pancreatitis. All patients had received treatment in West China Hospital from May 2014 to August 2014. Comparison of the diagnostic value of 120 kV portal venous phase images alone and 120 kV portal venous phase images combined with iodine maps created from dual-source DECT was performed. ResultsSix of the 17 patients were found the presence of pancreatic necrosis (4 patients without obvious necrosis in the early stage developed to pancreatic necrosis, and 2 patients with the presence of necrosis in the early stage improved). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 120 kV portal venous phase images for the diagnosis of pancreatic necrosis were 50.0% (3/6), 100% (11/11), and 82.4% (14/17), respectively, and it had a good diagnostic value (AUC=0.856, P=0.018). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 120 kV portal venous phase images combined with iodine maps created from dual-source DECT for predicting pancreatic necrosis were 100% (6/6), 90.9% (10/11), and 94.1% (16/17), respectively, and this method had good value too (AUC=0.977, P=0.002), which higher than that of 120 kV portal venous phase images (P=0.002). ConclusionsThe 120 kV portal venous phase images combined with iodine maps created from dual-source DECT is helpful to improve subjective judgment in the diagnosis of pancreatic necrosis in the early stage of acute pancreatitis. It also contributes to the display of hypo-perfusion area of the pancreatic parenchyma, and has higher diagnostic value.
ObjectiveTo investigate the morphology of brain regions undergoing multiple sclerosis (MS) MRI, and furthermore, to investigate possible diagnostic values of MRI for MS. MethodsMRI images of 42 MS patients (34 females and 8 males, aged between 35 and 81 years old, averaging at 58) who visited the hospital during the time from December 2007 to December 2013 were collected and analyzed. Routine T1, T2 and fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) scans were performed on all the 42 patients. Sagittal T1, T2 and FLAIR scans were performed when necessary. Contrast-enhanced MRI was performed on 9 of the 42 patients. The abnormal findings from MRI scans of all the 42 patients were analyzed. The analysis was further concluded to yield general characteristics of MS patients under MRI. ResultsA total of 286 lesions were identified in 42 patients. Ninety (31.6%) of the 286 lesions (seen in 35 patients) were found to locate around lateral ventricles; 67 (23.4%) at centrum semiovale (seen in 29 patients); 59 (20.6%) in deep white matter (seen in 28 patients); 46 (16.1%) around corpus callosum (seen in 30 patients); 21 (7.3%) in brain stem, basal ganglia and cerebellar hemispheres (seen in 9 patients); and 3 (1.0%) at cervical spinal cord. In routine MRI images, the lesions showed up as low T1 signal, high T2 signal and high FLAIR signal with the shape of ovoid or round. No mass effect was observed in lesions. In the contrast-enhanced MRI images, the 25 observed lesions showed mild enhancements with the shape of ring, semi-ring and arc. ConclusionCertain characteristic features can be observed in MS MRI images. MRI is an effective diagnostic method for multiple sclerosis diagnosis.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic value of artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted diagnostic system for pulmonary cancer based on CT images.MethodsDatabases including PubMed, The Cochrane Library, EMbase, CNKI, WanFang Data and Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM) were electronically searched to collect relevant studies on AI-assisted diagnostic system in the diagnosis of pulmonary cancer from 2010 to 2019. The eligible studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, and the quality of included studies was assessed and the special information was identified. Then, meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3, Stata 12.0 and SAS 9.4 softwares. The sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio and diagnostic odds ratio were pooled and the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve was drawn. Meta-regression analysis was used to explore the sources of heterogeneity.ResultsTotally 18 studies were included with 4 771 patients. Random effect model was used for the analysis due to the heterogeneity among studies. The results of meta-analysis showed that the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnosis odds ratio and area under the SROC curve were 0.87 [95%CI (0.84, 0.90)], 0.89 [95%CI (0.84, 0.92)], 7.70 [95%CI (5.32, 11.15)], 0.14 [95%CI (0.11, 0.19)], 53.54 [95%CI (30.68, 93.42)] and 0.94 [95%CI (0.91, 0.95)], respectively.ConclusionAI-assisted diagnostic system based on CT images has high diagnostic value for pulmonary cancer, and thus it is worthy of clinical application. However, due to the limited quality and quantity of included studies, above results should be validated by more studies.