In a prospective study series of 167 patients with tube thoracostomy for spontaneous pneumothorax in 1993-1996, 32 patients (age range 16-79 years, mean age 45.5 years) were treated with autologous blood-patch pleurodesis for persistent air leak. In 27 (84%) of cases the air leak ceased within 72 h after the pleurodesis. The duration of air leak was significantly shorter (p < 0.01) than in simple drainage. Empyema developed in three cases, and two patients with failed pleurodesis required open thoracotomy. Minor complications, mainly fever and pleural effusion, occurred in nine patients. Neither analgesia nor sedation was required during or after pleurodesis. There was no recurrence of pneumothorax during 12-48 months of observation, whereas simple drainage was followed by recurrence in 22 patients. Blood-patch pleurodesis is a simple, effective and painless method in pneumothorax, but carries an increased risk of intrathoracic infection.

We characterized the effect of systemic therapy given after portal vein embolization (PVE) and before hepatectomy on hepatic tumor and functional liver remnant (FLR) volumes. All 76 patients who underwent right PVE from 2002–2016 were retrospectively studied. Etiologies included colorectal cancer (n = 44), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 17), cholangiocarcinoma (n = 10), and other metastases (n = 5). Imaging before and after PVE was assessed. Chart review revealed systemic therapy administration, SNaPshot genetic profiling, and comorbidities. Nine patients received systemic therapy; 67 did not. Tumor volume increased 28% in patients who did not receive and decreased −24% in patients who did receive systemic therapy (p = 0.026), with no difference in FLR growth (28% vs. 34%; p = 0.645). Among 30 patients with genetic profiling, 15 were wild type and 15 had mutations. Mutations were an independent predictor of tumor growth (p = 0.049), but did not impact FLR growth (32% vs. 28%; p = 0.93). Neither cirrhosis, hepatic steatosis, nor diabetes impacted changes in tumor or FLR volume (p > 0.20). Systemic therapy administered after PVE before hepatic lobectomy had no effect on FLR growth; however, it was associated with decreasing tumor volumes. Continuing systemic therapy until hepatectomy may be warranted, particularly in patients with genetic mutations.

Table of contentsA1 Hope and despair in the current treatment of nasopharyngeal cancerIB TanI1 NPC international incidence and risk factorsEllen T ChangI2 Familial nasopharyngeal carcinoma and the use of biomarkersChien-Jen Chen, Wan-Lun Hsu, Yin-Chu ChienI3 Genetic susceptibility risk factors for sporadic and familial NPC: recent findingsAllan HildesheimI5 Genetic and environmental risk factors for nasopharyngeal cancer in Southeast AsiaJames D McKay, Valerie Gaborieau, Mohamed Arifin Bin Kaderi, Dewajani Purnomosari, Catherine Voegele, Florence LeCalvez-Kelm, Graham Byrnes, Paul Brennan, Beena DeviI6 Characterization of the NPC methylome identifies aberrant epigenetic disruption of key signaling pathways and EBV-induced gene methylationLi L, Zhang Y, Fan Y, Sun K, Du Z, Sun H, Chan AT, Tsao SW, Zeng YX, Tao QI7 Tumor exosomes and translational research in NPCPierre Busson, Claire Lhuillier, Olivier Morales, Dhafer Mrizak, Aurore Gelin, Nikiforos Kapetanakis, Nadira DelhemI8 Host manipulations of the Epstein-Barr virus EBNA1 proteinSheila Mansouri, Jennifer Cao, Anup Vaidya, and Lori FrappierI9 Somatic genetic changes in EBV-associated nasopharyngeal carcinomaLo Kwok WaiI10 Preliminary screening results for nasopharyngeal carcinoma with ELISA-based EBV antibodies in Southern ChinaSui-Hong Chen, Jin-lin Du, Ming-Fang Ji, Qi-Hong Huang, Qing Liu, Su-Mei CaoI11 EBV array platform to screen for EBV antibodies associated with NPC and other EBV-associated disordersDenise L. Doolan, Anna Coghill, Jason Mulvenna, Carla Proietti, Lea Lekieffre, Jeffrey Bethony, and Allan HildesheimI12 The nasopharyngeal carcinoma awareness program in IndonesiaRenske Fles, Sagung Rai Indrasari, Camelia Herdini, Santi Martini, Atoillah Isfandiari, Achmad Rhomdoni, Marlinda Adham, Ika Mayangsari, Erik van Werkhoven, Maarten Wildeman, Bambang Hariwiyanto, Bambang Hermani, Widodo Ario Kentjono, Sofia Mubarika Haryana, Marjanka Schmidt, IB TanI13 Current advances and future direction in nasopharyngeal cancer managementBrian O’SullivanI14 Management of juvenile nasopharyngeal cancerEnis OzyarI15 Global pattern of nasopharyngeal cancer: correlation of outcome with access to radiotherapyAnne WM LeeI16 The predictive/prognostic biomarker for nasopharyngeal carcinomaMu-Sheng ZengI17 Effect of HLA and KIR polymorphism on NPC riskXiaojiang Gao, Minzhong Tang, Pat Martin, Yi Zeng, Mary CarringtonI18 Exploring the Association between Potentially Neutralizing Antibodies against EBV Infection and Nasopharyngeal CarcinomaAnna E Coghill, Wei Bu, Hanh Nguyen, Wan-Lun Hsu, Kelly J Yu, Pei-Jen Lou, Cheng-Ping Wang, Chien-Jen Chen, Allan Hildesheim, Jeffrey I CohenI19 Advances in MR imaging in NPCAnn D KingO1 Epstein-Barr virus seromarkers and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: the gene-environment interaction study on nasopharyngeal carcinoma in TaiwanYin-Chu Chien, Wan-Lun Hsu, Kelly J Yu, Tseng-Cheng Chen, Ching-Yuan Lin, Yung-An Tsou, Yi-Shing Leu, Li-Jen Laio, Yen-Liang Chang, Cheng-Ping Wang, Chun-Hun Hua, Ming-Shiang Wu, Chu-Hsing Kate Hsiao, Jehn-Chuan ...

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SummaryBackgroundNasopharyngeal carcinoma is a rarely seen tumor in childhood. It is mostly detected late as the clinical features are similar to other childhood tumors which affect the nasopharynx and adenoidal hypertrophy. Therefore, the radiological features of childhood tumors of the nasopharynx must be well known. The aim of this study was to investigate the contribution of MR imaging features of childhood nasopharynx cancer.Material/MethodsThe study included 10 nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients under the age of 18 years who presented at hospital between February 2008 and March 2014 and who had tissue diagnosis and MRI of the nasopharynx region. The MRI scans were evaluated by two radiologists. Loco-regional spread, asymmetry, signal intensity of the tumors, and lymph nodes were evaluated.ResultsIn all the patients there was a mass which narrowed the nasopharynx. In all cases, unilateral mastoid opacification was observed. In 9 cases (90%), parapharyngeal extension was found. In 8 cases (80%), the mass showed an extension into the nasal cavity or oropharynx. In 5 cases (50%), there was an involvement of the skull base. In 3 patients (30%), an extension to the masticator space and pterygopalatine fossa was found. There were enlarged cervical lymph nodes bilaterally in 10 cases (100%). In 4 cases (40%), a lateral retropharyngeal lymph node was detected.ConclusionsChildhood nasopharyngeal cancers are often diagnosed at an advanced stage. MR imaging can be helpful in diagnosis and differential diagnosis of childhood nasopharynx cancer from other diseases of the nasopharynx.

Background: Studies have reported factors affecting the efficacy of subcutaneous venous chest port catheters placed into jugular or subclavian veins using a radiological technique. There is ongoing debate for this efficacy in these series.

According to our study, there was a relationship between coracohumeral interval width and rotator cuff tear, so decreasing coracohumeral interval width may increase tendency of rotator cuff tear.

Thyroid nodules have high prevalence in the general population. Only minorities of thyroid nodules are malignant nevertheless, still biopsies are performed in differential diagnosis of malignant and benign thyroid nodules. Conventional ultrasound is widely used in diagnosis and characterization of thyroid nodules. There are several suspicious ultrasound features that predict thyroid cancer, such as solid consistence, marked hypoechogenicity, taller-than-wide shape, irregular or microlobulated or spiculated margins, no peripheral hypoechoic halo, and micro-or macrocalcifications. However, none of these signs have high sensitivity or specificity nor high degree of confidence for diagnosis or exclusion of thyroid carcinoma. Ultrasound elastography, recently developed, promising, noninvasive technique that evaluates tissue stiffness, has become one of the main focuses in thyroid imaging. There are two ultrasound elastography methods strain ultrasound elastography also known as real-time elastography or qualitative elastography and shear wave elastography quantitative elastography and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging . The purpose of this chapter is to present the principles of thyroid application, advantages, and limitations of both ultrasound elastography techniques.