Background The analysis aimed to compare the radiotracers [68Ga]-Ga-PSMA-11 and [18F]-F-PSMA-1007 intraindividually in terms of malignant lesions, mi(molecular-imaging)TNM staging and presumable unspecific lesions retrospectively as used in routine clinical practice. Methods A retrospective analysis of 46 prostate cancer patients (median age: 71 years) who underwent consecutive [68Ga]-Ga-PSMA-11- and [18F]-F-PSMA-1007-PET/CT or PET/MRI within a mean of 12 ± 8.0 days was performed. MiTNM staging was performed in both studies by two nuclear medicine physicians who were blinded to the results of the other tracer. After intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary consensus with two radiologists was reached, differences in both malignant and presumable nonspecific tracer accumulation were analyzed. Results Differences in terms of miTNM stages in both studies occurred in nine of the 46 patients (19.6%). The miT stages differed in five patients (10.9%), the miN stages differed in three patients (6.5%), and different miM stages occurred only in one patient who was upstaged in [18F]-F-PSMA-1007 PET. Concordant miTNM stages were obtained in 37 patients (80.4%). There was no significant difference between [18F]-F-PSMA-1007 and [68Ga]-Ga-PSMA-11 in the SUVmax locally (31.5 vs. 32.7; p = 0.658), in lymph node metastases (28.9 vs. 24.9; p = 0.30) or in bone metastases (22.9 vs. 27.6; p = 0.286). In [18F]-F-PSMA-1007 PET, more patients featured presumable unspecific uptake in the lymph nodes (52.2% vs. 28.3%; p: < 0.001), bones (71.7% vs. 23.9%; p < 0.001) and ganglia (71.7% vs. 43.5%; p < 0.001). Probable unspecific, exclusively [18F]-F-PSMA-1007-positive lesions mainly occurred in the ribs (58.7%), axillary lymph nodes (39.1%) and cervical ganglia (28.3%). Conclusion In terms of miTNM staging, both tracers appeared widely exchangeable, as no tracer relevantly outperformed the other. The differences between the two tracers were far more common in presumable unspecific lesions than in malignant spots. A routinely performed two-tracer study could not be shown to be superior. Since it seems at least challenging for most nuclear medicine departments to provide both [18F]-F-PSMA-1007 and [68Ga]-Ga-PSMA-11, it appears reasonable to choose the PSMA radiotracer depending on local availability with attention to the greater occurrence of nonspecific bone findings with [18F]-F-PSMA-1007.

Purpose To investigate the outcome of local intra-arterial papaverine infusion therapy in patients with non-occlusive mesenteric ischemia (NOMI), and factors influencing survival, in comparison with a conservative approach. Methods From 2013 to 2019, patients with NOMI confirmed by imaging were included in a retrospective two-center study. According to different in-house standard procedures, patients were treated in each center either conservatively or interventionally by a standardized local infusion of intra-arterial papaverine into the splanchnic arteries. Thirty-day mortality and factors influencing the outcome, such as different demographics and laboratories, were compared between groups using Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox regression, respectively. Results A total of 66 patients with NOMI were included, with n = 35 treated interventionally (21 males, mean age 67.7 ± 12.3 years) and n = 31 treated conservatively (18 females, mean age 71.6 ± 9.6 years). There was a significant difference in 30-day mortality between the interventional (65.7%; 12/35 survived) and the conservative group (96.8%; 1/31 survived) (hazard ratio 2.44; P = 0.005). Thresholds associated with a worse outcome of interventional therapy are > 7.68 mmol/l for lactate, < 7.31 for pH and <  − 4.55 for base excess. Conclusion Local intra-arterial papaverine infusion therapy in patients with NOMI significantly increases survival rate in comparison with conservative treatment. High lactate levels, low pH and high base excess, and high demand for catecholamines are associated with a poor outcome. Level of Evidence Level III.

Purpose To investigate whether adrenal gland radiodensities alone or set in relation to either the inferior vena cava (IVC) or the spleen can predict hospital mortality in intensive care unit patients. Methods One hundred thirty-three intensive care patients (90 males, age: 66.3 ± 14.5 years) with an acute clinical deterioration were included in this retrospective analysis. CT attenuation (Hounsfield units) of adrenal glands, IVC, and spleen was evaluated by 2 radiologists separately. Adrenal-to-IVC and adrenal-to-spleen ratios were calculated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, combined with the Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) as a classifier, was used to assess which parameter is the most suitable for short-term, intermediate-term, and overall mortality prediction. Interrater agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results The highest discriminative power to distinguish between deceased and survivors was found for the adrenal gland-to-spleen ratio for the 72-h mortality. A threshold of > 1.4 predicted 72-h mortality with a sensitivity of 79.31% and a specificity of 98.08% (area und the curve (AUC) = 0.94; p < 0.0001; MCCs = 0.81). The positive likelihood ratio was 41; the positive predictive value was 92.20%. Adrenal gland-to-spleen ratio was also best suited to predict the 24-h and overall mortality. ICCs of HU measurements in adrenal gland, IVC, and spleen indicated a high interrater agreement (ICC 0.95–0.99). Conclusions To conclude, the adrenal-to-spleen ratio in CT in portal venous phase may serve as an imaged-based predictor for short, intermediate, and overall mortality and as reproducible prognostic marker for patient outcome.

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Background In critically ill ICU patients, initial results showed that opposite enhancement of the adrenal glands (↑) and spleen (↓) on portal venous CT scans was associated with increased mortality over the next days to a month, with short-term mortality being best predicted. The study aimed to validate the adrenal-to-spleen ratio determined in a pilot study concerning mortality prediction. Method 371 portal venous CT scans of 203 ICU patients (127 men, age: 68.1 ± 14.4 years) were included in the retrospective analysis. Region-of-interest (ROI)-based Hounsfield units of the adrenal glands and the spleen and their density ratio were evaluated. The Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) and ROC analysis were used to establish a threshold for the adrenal-to-spleen ratio regarding mortality within 72 hours of imaging. The quality of the classification of survivors and deceased patients in the current collective based on the threshold determined in a pilot study and on the current threshold was determined. The precision-recall curve (PRC) was used to test the influence of the addition of patients with low vital risk on the ROC. Results The current threshold of 1.37 for the adrenal-to-spleen ratio provides good discriminatory power between those who died and those who survived (MCC: 0.87; sensitivity: 83.7 %; specificity: 99.1 %; PPV: 93.2 %; NPV: 97.6 %) and differs only slightly from the threshold of 1.41 determined in the pilot study, which consequently has comparable discriminatory power. Conclusion As a reproducible image-based prognostic marker, the portal venous adrenal-to-spleen ratio has a high predictive power for short-term death in ICU patients. It is, therefore, suitable as an indicator of high risk of death within 72 hours after imaging. Key Points:  Citation Format

Purpose The study aimed to evaluate the effect of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on PSMA imaging and its correlation to the PSA concentration by comparing qualitative and quantitative parameters: SUVmax, SUVmean, PSMA-derived tumor volume (PSMA-TV), total lesion PSMA (TL-PSMA) and molecular imaging (mi)PSMA score. Methods Retrospective analysis of 21 therapy-naïve patients with oligometastatic prostate cancer (median age 70 years) who underwent either [68Ga]Ga-PSMA-11-PET/CT or -PET/MRI before initiation of (T1) as well as during ADT (T2). The median duration of ADT was 155 days (range 61–289 days). All lesions were analyzed using several qualitative and quantitative PET parameters. Results A total of 109 PSMA-positive lesions (24 intraprostatic, 56 lymphonodal and 29 osseous) were visually detected at any of the examinations, while at T2, two new bone lesions were detected in one patient. During ADT, all patients experienced a decrease in their PSA level (median: 29.1 before vs. 0.71 after; p < 0.001). During long-term ADT, a relevant decrease in lesion count occurred, especially in patients with a T2 PSA value < 1 ng/ml (median: 4 vs. 0.9; p = 0.007) and PSMA expression, which resulted in miN- and/or miM-downstaging in 11 patients (52.7%). All analyzed PET parameters correlated strongly with each other. The PSA level at T2 correlated modestly with the decrease in PSMA expression and its derived volumes. Conclusion Post-ADT scans detected, especially in patients with a residual PSA < 1 ng/ml, fewer PSMA-positive lesions with overall lower PSMA expression, regardless of primary tumor site or metastatic sites. None of the PET parameters has proven to be superior, as they all correlated modestly with the PSA value at T2. Thus, the simply acquirable miPSMA score seems to be the most suitable for evaluating the effect of ADT on PSMA expression.

Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) removal during septic total joint arthroplasty revision is associated with a high fracture and perforation risk. Ultrasonic cement removal is considered a bone‐preserving technique. Currently, there is still a lack of sound data on efficacy as it is difficult to detect smaller residues with reasonable technical effort. However, incomplete removal is associated with the risk of biofilm coverage of the residue. Therefore, the study aimed to investigate the efficiency of ultrasonic‐based PMMA removal in a human cadaver model. The femoral components of a total hip and a total knee prosthesis were implanted in two cadaver femoral canals by 3rd generation cement fixation technique. Implants were then removed. Cement mantle extraction was performed with the OSCAR‐3‐System ultrasonic system (Orthofix®). Quantitative analysis of cement residues was carried out with dual‐energy and microcomputer tomography. With a 20 µm resolution, in vitro microcomputer tomography visualized tiniest PMMA residues. For clinical use, dual‐energy computer tomography tissue decomposition with 0.75 mm resolution is suitable. With ultrasound, more than 99% of PMMA was removed. Seven hundred thirty‐four residues with a mean volume of 0.40 ± 4.95 mm3 were identified with only 4 exceeding 1 cm in length in at least one axis. Ultrasonic cement removal of PMMA was almost complete and can therefore be considered a highly effective technique. For the first time, PMMA residues in the sub‐millimetre range were detected by computer tomography. Clinical implications of the small remaining PMMA fraction on the eradication rate of periprosthetic joint infection warrants further investigations.

Purpose The benefits of antiviral treatment with remdesivir in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 remain controversial. Clinical analyses are needed to demonstrate which patient populations are most likely to benefit. Methods In a retrospective monocentric analysis, patients with COVID-19 treated between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021 at Hospital St. Georg, Leipzig, Germany were evaluated. The primary endpoint was time to clinical improvement, and the secondary endpoint was 28-day mortality. Propensity score matching was used for the endpoint analysis. Results A total of 839 patients were fully evaluated, 68% of whom received specific COVID-19 drug therapy. Remdesivir was used in 31.3% of the patients, corticosteroids in 61.7%, and monoclonal antibodies in 2.3%. While dexamethasone administration was the most common therapeutic approach during the second pandemic wave, combination therapy with remdesivir and corticosteroids predominated during the third wave. Cox regression analysis revealed that combination therapy was not associated with faster clinical improvement (median: 13 days in both matched groups, HR 0.97 [95% CI 0.77–1.21], P = 0.762). By contrast, 28-day mortality was significantly lower in the corticosteroid-remdesivir group (14.8% versus 22.2% in the corticosteroid group, HR 0.60 [95% CI 0.39–0.95], P = 0.03) in the low-care setting. This effect was also demonstrated in a subgroup analysis of patients with remdesivir monotherapy (n = 44) versus standard of care (SOC). Conclusion In COVID-19 patients with only mild disease (low-flow oxygen therapy and treatment in a normal ward) who received corticosteroids and/or remdesivir in addition to SOC, early administration of remdesivir was associated with a measurable survival benefit.