-
Insights Into Imaging Feb 2018Subsequent to the widespread use of multidetector computed tomography and growing interest in lung cancer screening, small pulmonary nodules are more frequently... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Subsequent to the widespread use of multidetector computed tomography and growing interest in lung cancer screening, small pulmonary nodules are more frequently detected. The differential diagnosis for a solitary pulmonary nodule is extremely broad and includes both benign and malignant causes. Recognition of early lung cancers is vital, since stage at diagnosis is crucial for prognosis. Estimation of the probability of malignancy is a challenging task, but crucial for follow-up and further work-up. In addition to the clinical setting and metabolic assessment, morphological assessment on thin-section computed tomography is essential. Size and growth are key factors in assessment of the malignant potential of a nodule. The likelihood of malignancy positively correlates with nodule diameter: as the diameter increases, so does the likelihood of malignancy. Although there is a considerable overlap in the features of benign and malignant nodules, the importance of morphology however should not be underestimated. Features that are associated with benignity include a perifissural location and triangular morphology, internal fat and benign calcifications. Malignancy is suspected in nodules presenting with spiculation, lobulation, pleural indentation, vascular convergence sign, associated cystic airspace, bubble-like lucencies, irregular air bronchogram, and subsolid morphology. Nodules often show different features and combination of findings is certainly more powerful.
TEACHING POINTS
• Size of a pulmonary nodule is important, but morphological assessment should not be underestimated. • Lung nodules should be evaluated on thin section CT, in both lung and mediastinal window setting. • Features associated with benignity include a triangular morphology, internal fat and calcifications. • Spiculation, pleural retraction and notch sign are highly suggestive of a malignant nature. • Complex features (e.g. bubble-like lucencies) are highly indicative of a malignant nature.
PubMed: 29143191
DOI: 10.1007/s13244-017-0581-2 -
Ugeskrift For Laeger Feb 2016Due to the expanding use of diagnostic imaging, an increasing number of liver tumours are discovered. Benign tumours are very common; they rarely cause symptoms and... (Review)
Review
Due to the expanding use of diagnostic imaging, an increasing number of liver tumours are discovered. Benign tumours are very common; they rarely cause symptoms and often they do not require any treatment. However, because of differences in the natural history including risk of complications and malignant transformation exact diagnosis is important. Dedicated radiological examinations serve as important diagnostic tools reducing the need for biopsy. In this review we provide an update on the diagnosis and treatment of benign liver tumours adding to existing recommendations on hepatocellular carcinomas and adenomas.
Topics: Algorithms; Cysts; Focal Nodular Hyperplasia; Hemangioma; Humans; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Ultrasonography
PubMed: 26957486
DOI: No ID Found -
California Medicine Feb 1955In a series of 48 cases of gastric polyps, 40 patients had benign lesions while the polyps in the remaining eight cases were malignant. Although the symptomatology in...
In a series of 48 cases of gastric polyps, 40 patients had benign lesions while the polyps in the remaining eight cases were malignant. Although the symptomatology in this series was not uniform, only one patient was entirely asymptomatic. Of the eight patients with malignant lesions, three had polyps which could well be described as small, suggesting that size may not be a reliable criterion of benignity even in a single lesion. Laboratory studies indicated that anemia, achlorhydria and occult blood in the stools are frequently associated with gastric polyps. There was no apparent correlation, however, between these phenomena and the benign or malignant nature of the lesions.X-ray examination, performed in every instance, was completely negative in six cases and inconclusive in an additional five. Gastroscopy did not reveal the presence of polyps in three of 15 cases. Malignant change was detected by cytologic examination in one case in which both roentgen and gastroscopic examination were negative. The author believes that in most cases of gastric polyps operative treatment affords the greatest degree of safety. An operative procedure of considerably less extent than total gastric resection often is feasible. However, if true polyps occur where removal can be effected only by total gastric resection, the incidence of malignant change in these lesions would seem to indicate the advisability of such a procedure unless positive contraindicating conditions are present.
Topics: Achlorhydria; Adenomatous Polyps; Aged; Cytodiagnosis; Gastrectomy; Gastroscopy; Humans; Polyps; Stomach Neoplasms
PubMed: 13230920
DOI: No ID Found -
Advanced Science (Weinheim,... May 2022Flexible devices serve as important intelligent interfaces in various applications involving health monitoring, biomedical therapies, and human-machine interfacing. To... (Review)
Review
Flexible devices serve as important intelligent interfaces in various applications involving health monitoring, biomedical therapies, and human-machine interfacing. To address the concern of electronic waste caused by the increasing usage of electronic devices based on synthetic polymers, bio-origin materials that possess environmental benignity as well as sustainability offer new opportunities for constructing flexible electronic devices with higher safety and environmental adaptivity. Herein, the bio-source and unique molecular structures of various types of natural bio-origin materials are briefly introduced. Their properties and processing technologies are systematically summarized. Then, the recent progress of these materials for constructing emerging intelligent flexible electronic devices including energy harvesters, energy storage devices, and sensors are introduced. Furthermore, the applications of these flexible electronic devices including biomedical implants, artificial e-skin, and environmental monitoring are summarized. Finally, future challenges and prospects for developing high-performance bio-origin material-based flexible devices are discussed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive and systematic summary of the latest advances in the natural bio-origin material-based flexible devices, which is expected to offer inspirations for exploitation of green flexible electronics, bridging the gap in future human-machine-environment interactions.
Topics: Electronics; Humans; Polymers; Prostheses and Implants; Wearable Electronic Devices
PubMed: 35322600
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202200560 -
International Journal of General... 2021Some pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) are benign and frequently misdiagnosed due to lack of understanding of their CT characteristics. This study aimed to reveal...
BACKGROUND
Some pulmonary ground-glass nodules (GGNs) are benign and frequently misdiagnosed due to lack of understanding of their CT characteristics. This study aimed to reveal the CT features and corresponding pathological findings of pulmonary benign GGNs to help improve diagnostic accuracy.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
From March 2016 to October 2019, patients with benign GGNs confirmed by operation or follow-up were enrolled retrospectively. According to overall CT manifestations, GGNs were classified into three types: I, GGO with internal high-attenuation zone; II, nodules lying on adjacent blood vessels; and other type, lesions without obvious common characteristics. CT features and pathological findings of each nodule type were evaluated.
RESULTS
Among the 40 type I, 25 type II, and 14 other type GGNs, 24 (60.0%), 19 (76.0%), and 10 (71.4%) nodules were resected, respectively. Type I GGNs were usually irregular (25 of 40, 62.5%) with only one high-attenuation zone (38 of 40, 95.0%) (main pathological components: thickened alveolar walls with inflammatory cells, fibrous tissue, and exudation), which was usually centric (24 of 40, 60.0%), having blurred margin (38 of 40, 95.0%), and connecting to blood vessels (32 of 40, 80.0%). The peripheral GGO (main pathological component: a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration with fibrous tissue proliferation) was usually ill-defined (28 of 40, 70.0%). Type II GGNs (main pathological components: focal interstitial fibrosis with or without inflammatory cell infiltration) lying on adjacent vessel branches were usually irregular (19 of 25, 76.0%) and well defined (16 of 25, 64.0%) but showed coarse margins (15 of 16, 93.8%). Other type GGNs had various CT manifestations but their pathological findings were similar to that of type II.
CONCLUSION
For subsolid nodules with CT features manifested in type I or II GGNs, follow-up should be firstly considered in further management.
PubMed: 33679139
DOI: 10.2147/IJGM.S298517 -
Archives of Pathology & Laboratory... Oct 2012The separation of benign from malignant mesothelial proliferations is crucial to patient management but is often a difficult problem for the pathologist. (Review)
Review
CONTEXT
The separation of benign from malignant mesothelial proliferations is crucial to patient management but is often a difficult problem for the pathologist.
OBJECTIVE
To review the pathologic features that allow separation of benign from malignant mesothelioma proliferations, with an emphasis on new findings.
DATA SOURCES
Literature review and experience of the authors.
CONCLUSIONS
Invasion is still the most reliable indicator of malignancy. The distribution and amount of proliferating mesothelial cells are important in separating benignity from malignancy, and keratin stains can be valuable because they highlight the distribution of mesothelial cells. Hematoxylin-eosin examination remains the gold standard, and the role of immunochemistry is extremely controversial; we believe that at present there is no reliable immunohistochemical marker of malignancy in this setting. Mesothelioma in situ is a diagnosis that currently cannot be accurately made by any type of histologic examination. Desmoplastic mesotheliomas are characterized by downward growth of keratin-positive spindled cells between S100-positive fat cells; some cases of organizing pleuritis can mimic involvement of fat, but these fat-like spaces are really S100-negative artifacts aligned parallel to the pleural surface. Fluorescence in situ hybridization on tissue sections to look for homozygous p16 gene deletions is occasionally useful, but many mesotheliomas do not show homozygous p16 deletions. Equivocal biopsy specimens should be diagnosed as atypical mesothelial hyperplasia and another biopsy requested if the clinicians believe the process is malignant.
Topics: Cell Proliferation; Humans; Mesothelioma; Pleural Neoplasms
PubMed: 23020727
DOI: 10.5858/arpa.2012-0112-RA -
Andrology Sep 2021Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a sonographic technique that increases the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) when studying... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a sonographic technique that increases the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) when studying testicular abnormalities. However, its role in clinical practice is still debatable because there are no accepted standards regarding how and when this technique should be used for patients with testicular disease.
OBJECTIVES
To perform a nonsystematic review of the current literature to highlight the strength and flaws of performing CEUS and to provide a critical overview of current research evidence on this topic.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A thorough search of published peer-reviewed studies in PubMed was performed using proper keywords.
RESULTS
Strong enhancement of neoplastic lesions (both benign and malignant) during CEUS aids in differential diagnosis with non-neoplastic lesions, which usually appears either nonenhanced or enhanced in a manner similar to that of the surrounding parenchyma. CEUS enhancement has a high predictive value in the identification of neoplastic lesions, whereas a similar or complete absence of enhancement may be interpreted as strong evidence of benignity, although there are exceptions. Literature on quantitative analysis is still scarce, though promising, particularly in distinguishing benign from malignant neoplasms. Furthermore, CEUS may be useful in many emergency situations, such as acute scrotum, blunt scrotal trauma, and focal infarction of the testis. Finally, CEUS can help increase the probability of sperm recovery in azoospermic males.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
CEUS is a safe, easy-to-perform, and cost-effective diagnostic tool that can provide a more accurate diagnosis in testicular lesions and acute scrotal disease. However, further studies with larger cohorts are required to refine the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant neoplasms. Finally, these preliminary results can instigate the development of innovative research on pre-testicular sperm extraction to increase the chances of sperm recovery.
Topics: Contrast Media; Diagnosis, Differential; Humans; Male; Testicular Diseases; Testis; Ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
PubMed: 34043256
DOI: 10.1111/andr.13057 -
An overview of bioelectrokinetic and bioelectrochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils.Environmental Science and Ecotechnology Oct 2023The global problem of petroleum contamination in soils seriously threatens environmental safety and human health. Current studies have successfully demonstrated the... (Review)
Review
The global problem of petroleum contamination in soils seriously threatens environmental safety and human health. Current studies have successfully demonstrated the feasibility of bioelectrokinetic and bioelectrochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils due to their easy implementation, environmental benignity, and enhanced removal efficiency compared to bioremediation. This paper reviewed recent progress and development associated with bioelectrokinetic and bioelectrochemical remediation of petroleum-contaminated soils. The working principles, removal efficiencies, affecting factors, and constraints of the two technologies were thoroughly summarized and discussed. The potentials, challenges, and future perspectives were also deliberated to shed light on how to overcome the barriers and realize widespread implementation on large scales of these two technologies.
PubMed: 37251519
DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100278 -
BMC Medical Imaging Nov 2023This study aims to providing a reliable method that has good compliance and is easy to master to improve the accuracy of NMLE diagnosis.
BACKGROUND
This study aims to providing a reliable method that has good compliance and is easy to master to improve the accuracy of NMLE diagnosis.
METHODS
This study retrospectively analyzed 122 cases of breast non-mass-like enhancement (NMLE) lesions confirmed by postoperative histology. MRI features and clinical features of benign and malignant non-mass enhancement breast lesions were compared by using independent sample t test, χtest and Fisher exact test. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Statistically significant parameters were then included in logistic regression analysis to build a multiparameter differential diagnosis modelto subdivide the BI-RADS Category 4.
RESULTS
The distribution (odds ratio (OR) = 8.70), internal enhancement pattern (OR = 6.29), ADC value (OR = 5.56), and vascular sign (OR = 2.84) of the lesions were closely related to the benignity and malignancy of the lesions. These signs were used to build the MRI multiparameter model for differentiating benign and malignant non-mass enhancement breast lesions. ROC analysis revealed that its optimal diagnostic cut-off value was 5. The diagnostic specificity and sensitivity were 87.01% and 82.22%, respectively. Lesions with 1-6 points were considered BI-RADS category 4 lesions, and the positive predictive values of subtypes 4a, 4b, and 4c lesions were15.79%, 31.25%, and 77.78%, respectively.
CONCLUSIONS
Comprehensively analyzing the features of MRI of non-mass enhancement breast lesions and building the multiparameter differential diagnosis model could improve the differential diagnostic performance of benign and malignant lesions.
Topics: Humans; Female; Retrospective Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Breast; ROC Curve; Predictive Value of Tests; Breast Neoplasms; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 37950164
DOI: 10.1186/s12880-023-01144-w -
Quantitative Imaging in Medicine and... Dec 2013Current widespread use of cross-sectional imaging has led to exponential rise in detection of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Whilst large numbers of these are benign... (Review)
Review
Current widespread use of cross-sectional imaging has led to exponential rise in detection of solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs). Whilst large numbers of these are benign 'incidentalomas', lung cancers presenting as SPNs are often early disease, which have good prognosis. Therefore, there is rising demand and expectation for more accurate, non-invasive, diagnostic tests to characterize SPNs, aiming to avoid missed or delayed diagnosis of lung cancer. There are wide differential diagnoses of benign and malignant lesions that manifest as SPNs. On conventional imaging, the morphological features supporting benignity include stable small nodule size, smooth demarcated margins, and calcifications. Lack of significant contrast enhancement is also more suggestive of benign nodules. With improved understanding of tumor biology, for instance neo-vascularization and increased vascular permeability, imaging techniques such as dynamic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) provide details on contrast uptake and wash-out kinetics, which is more closely reflecting the physiological and pathological phenomena. Positron emission tomography (PET) using 18fluorine-fluoro-deoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) is a well-established functional imaging technique, for which one of the most common indications is differentiating between benign and malignant SPNs. Combined PET-CT integrates the anatomical, morphological and metabolic aspects in a single examination, improving overall diagnostic accuracy. Semi-quantitative analysis in FDG-PET imaging is based on measurement of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax). SUVmax analysis may become more useful as an assessment of tumor biology in future risk stratification models for cancers. Dual-time point FDG-PET imaging, dual-energy CT, perfusion CT, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging using dynamic contrast enhancement or diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) techniques, are among the growing armamentarium for diagnostic imaging of SPNs. Provided there is no unacceptably high procedural or operative risk, tissue diagnosis by resection or percutaneous biopsy of SPN should be advocated in those patients identified as at moderate or high risk of malignancy, based on clinical stratification.
PubMed: 24404446
DOI: 10.3978/j.issn.2223-4292.2013.12.08