Purpose: To qualitatively and quantitatively compare the image quality and diagnostic performance of turbo gradient and spin echo PROPELLER diffusion-weighted imaging (TGSE-PROPELLER-DWI) vs. readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI) in the evaluation of orbital tumors.Materials and Methods: A total of 43 patients with suspected orbital tumors were enrolled to perform the two DWIs with comparable spatial resolution on 3T. The overall image qualities, geometric distortions, susceptibility artifacts, and lesion conspicuities were scored by using a four-point scale (1, poor; 4, excellent). Quantitative measurements, including contrast-to-noise ratios (CNRs), apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs), geometric distortion rates (GDRs), and lesion sizes, were calculated and compared. The two ADCs for differentiating malignant from benign orbital tumors were evaluated. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Kappa statistic, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves were used.Results: TGSE-PROPELLER-DWI performed superior in all subjective scores and quantitative GDR evaluation than rs-EPI (p < 0.001), and excellent interobserver agreement was obtained for Kappa value ranging from 0.876 to 1.000. ADC_lesion of TGSE-PROPELLER-DWI was significantly higher than those of rs-EPI (p < 0.001). Mean ADC of malignant tumors was significantly lower than that of benign tumors both in two DWIs. However, the AUC for differentiating malignant and benign tumors showed no significant difference in the two DWIs (0.860 vs. 0.854, p = 0.7448). Sensitivity and specificity could achieve 92.86% and 72.73% for TGSE-PROPELLER-DWI with a cutoff value of 1.23 × 10^–3 mm²/s, and 85.71% and 81.82% for rs-EPI with a cutoff value of 0.99 × 10^–3 mm²/s.Conclusion: Compared with rs-EPI, TGSE-PROPELLER-DWI showed minimized geometric distortion and susceptibility artifacts significantly improved the image quality for orbital tumors and achieved comparable diagnostic performance in differentiating malignant and benign orbital tumors.

Atherosclerosis (AS) is a complex cardiovascular disease characterized by the buildup of plaque in the arteries. The development of effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies is crucial for the management of AS. Polymeric nanomaterials, due to their unique properties such as biocompatibility, versatility, and ease of functionalization, have emerged as promising materials for the diagnosis and treatment of AS. This review summarizes the pathogenesis, mechanisms, and microenvironment features changes in AS, as well as the polymeric nanomaterial treatment strategies targeting these changes. It also provides a detailed overview of the applications of polymeric nanomaterials in various imaging techniques and therapy strategies for AS. In addition, this review discusses the biosafety evaluation systems for polymeric nanomaterials, encompassing in vivo distribution and metabolism assessment, biological evaluation, immunological evaluation, and toxicological evaluation. It aims to compile the current state of research and applications of polymeric nanomaterials in AS diagnosis and treatment, highlighting their potential for translation into clinical practice.

Two indices, indicating the regional average stiffness and the pace of strain hardening respectively, are derived from the nonlinear stress–strain behavior obtained from biomechanical analysis of aneurysm. A comprehensive method based on electrocardiographic‐gated multidimensional dynamic computed tomography angiography (MD CTA) is developed for extracting these mechanical characteristics in vivo. The proposed indices are evaluated by 26 cases including 9 healthy, one aortosclerosis, and 16 abdominal aortic aneurysm cases. The difference of SSI and dSSI value between aneurysmal and healthy groups is up to orders in magnitude. Significant correlation of these indices with the clinical indicator of aneurysm diameter is found. Logistic models based on these indices are capable to sharply discriminate the healthy and the aneurysmal arteries with AUC>0.98. This work introduces new tools and new indices for aortic mechanical assessment which may shed light on understanding the mechanical condition, pathological state and eventually benefit clinical decision‐making.

Purpose: To investigate feasibility and diagnostic performance of turbo gradient and spin-echo BLADE (proprietary name for Periodically Rotated Overlapping ParallEL Lines with Enhanced Reconstruction [PROPELLER] in Siemens MR systems)-diffusion weighted imaging (TGSE-BLADE-DWI) for depicting extraocular muscle (EOM) involvement and activity in thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO), and to compare TGSE-BLADE-DWI with readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (RESOLVE). Materials and methods: Thirty-five patients with identified TAO underwent the two DWI scans. Two radiologists visually scored the image quality of the two DWIs with respect to the susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortions on a three-point scale. The maximum size (Size_max) of EOMs and corresponding ADCs (cADCs) of each patient were compared between the active and inactive phases. The clinical activity score (CAS) was used as a reference to assess the diagnostic performance of EOM ADCs for grading TAO activity. ROC analysis, Pearson correlation, and Wilcoxon signed-rank test were used for statistical analyses. Results: For scores of EOMs, the image quality of TGSE-BLADE-DWI was significantly higher than that of RESOLVE. There were no statistically significant differences between the AUCs of the two DWIs, Size_max, or cADCs between the active and inactive phases. TGSE-BLADE-DWI ADCs were significantly higher than the RESOLVE ADCs in the right superior rectus, right lateral rectus, left superior rectus, and left inferior rectus. There were no statistically significant correlations between the cADC or Size_max, and CAS. The highest AUC was 0.697 for RESOLVE and 0.657 for TGSE-BLADE-DWI. The best performing ADC threshold was 1.85 × 10⁻³ mm²/s with 85.7% sensitivity, 58.8% specificity and 66.67% accuracy for RESOLVE and 1.99 × 10⁻³ mm²/s with 79.0% sensitivity, and 55.6% specificity and 65.27% accuracy for TGSE-BLADE-DWI. Conclusion: Compared to RESOLVE, TGSE-BLADE-DWI provided improved image quality with fewer susceptibility artifacts and geometric distortions for EOM visualization and showed an equivalent performance in detecting active TAO.