[Management and treatment of liver injuries after blunt abdominal trauma]. / Management und Versorgung von Leberverletzungen nach stumpfem Bauchtrauma.

The liver is involved in about 20% of cases of blunt abdominal trauma. The management of liver trauma has changed significantly in the past three decades towards conservative treatment. Up to 80% of all liver trauma patients can now be successfully treated by nonoperative management. Decisive for this is the adequate screening and assessment of the patient and the injury pattern as well as the provision of the appropriate infrastructure. Hemodynamically unstable patients require immediate exploratory surgery. In hemodynamically stable patients, a contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) should be performed. If active bleeding is detected angiographic imaging and embolization should be performed to stop the bleeding. Even after initially successful conservative management of liver trauma, subsequent complications can occur that make surgical inpatient treatment necessary.

Automated Color-Coding of Lesion Changes in Contrast-Enhanced 3D T1-Weighted Sequences for MRI Follow-up of Brain Metastases.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: MR imaging is the technique of choice for follow-up of patients with brain metastases, yet the radiologic assessment is often tedious and error-prone, especially in examinations with multiple metastases or subtle changes. This study aimed to determine whether using automated color-coding improves the radiologic assessment of brain metastases compared with conventional reading. MATERIALS AND METHODS: One hundred twenty-one pairs of follow-up examinations of patients with brain metastases were assessed. Two radiologists determined the presence of progression, regression, mixed changes, or stable disease between the follow-up examinations and indicated subjective diagnostic certainty regarding their decisions in a conventional reading and a second reading using automated color-coding after an interval of 8 weeks. RESULTS: The rate of correctly classified diagnoses was higher (91.3%, 221/242, versus 74.0%, 179/242, P < .01) when using automated color-coding, and the median Likert score for diagnostic certainty improved from 2 (interquartile range, 2-3) to 4 (interquartile range, 3-5) (P < .05) compared with the conventional reading. Interrater agreement was excellent (κ = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.71-0.89) with automated color-coding compared with a moderate agreement (κ = 0.46; 95% CI, 0.34-0.58) with the conventional reading approach. When considering the time required for image preprocessing, the overall average time for reading an examination was longer in the automated color-coding approach (91.5 [SD, 23.1] seconds versus 79.4 [SD, 34.7 ] seconds, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Compared with the conventional reading, automated color-coding of lesion changes in follow-up examinations of patients with brain metastases significantly increased the rate of correct diagnoses and resulted in higher diagnostic certainty.

Navigated laparoscopic microwave ablation of tumour mimics in pig livers: a randomized ex-vivo experimental trial.

BACKGROUND: In order to efficiently perform laparoscopic microwave ablation of liver tumours precise positioning of the ablation probe is mandatory. This study evaluates the precision and ablation accuracy using the innovative laparoscopic stereotactic navigation system CAS-One-SPOT in comparison to 2d ultrasound guided laparoscopic ablation procedures. METHODS: In a pig liver ablation model four surgeons, experienced (n = 2) and inexperienced (n = 2) in laparoscopic ablation procedures, were randomized for 2d ultrasound guided laparoscopic or stereotactic navigated laparoscopic ablation procedures. Each surgeon performed a total of 20 ablations. Total attempts of needle placements, time from tumor localization till beginning of ablation and ablation accuracy were analyzed. RESULTS: The use of the laparoscopic stereotactic navigation system led to a significant reduction in total attempts of needle placement. The experienced group of surgeons reduced the mean number of attempts from 2.75 ± 2.291 in the 2d ultrasound guided ablation group to 1.45 ± 1.191 (p = 0.0302) attempts in the stereotactic navigation group. Comparable results could be observed in the inexperienced group with a reduction of 2.5 ± 1.50 to 1.15 ± 0.489 (p = 0.0005). This was accompanied by a significant time saving from 101.3 ± 112.1 s to 48.75 ± 27.76 s (p = 0.0491) in the experienced and 165.5 ± 98.9 s to 66.75 ± 21.96 s (p < 0.0001) in the inexperienced surgeon group. The accuracy of the ablation process was hereby not impaired as postinterventional sectioning of the ablation zone revealed. CONCLUSION: The use of a stereotactic navigation system for laparoscopic microwave ablation procedures of liver tumors significantly reduces the attempts and time of predicted correct needle placement for novices and experienced surgeons without impairing the accuracy of the ablation procedure.

Virtual monoenergetic images from spectral detector computed tomography facilitate washout assessment in arterially hyper-enhancing liver lesions.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate whether the increased soft tissue contrast of virtual monoenergetic images (VMIs) obtained from a spectral detector computed tomography (SDCT) system improves washout assessment of arterially hyper-enhancing liver lesions. METHODS: Fifty-nine arterially hyper-enhancing lesions in 31 patients (age 65 ± 9 years, M/W 20/11) were included in this IRB-approved study. All patients underwent multi-phase SDCT for HCC screening. MRI, CEUS or biopsy within 3 months served as standard of reference to classify lesions as LiRADS 3 or 4/5. VMIs and conventional images (CIs) were reconstructed. Visual analysis was performed on 40, 60, and 80 kiloelectronvolt (keV) and CIs by 3 radiologists. Presence and visibility of washout were assessed; image quality and confidence of washout evaluation were evaluated on 5-point Likert scales. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), lesion-to-liver contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) (|HUlesion-HUliver|/SDliver) and washout (|HUlesion-HUliver|) were calculated. Statistical assessment was performed using ANOVA and Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: On subjective lesion analysis, the highest level of diagnostic confidence and highest sensitivity for the detection of lesion washout were found for 40-keV VMIs (40 keV vs. CI, 81.3 vs. 71.3%). Image quality parameters were significantly better in low-kiloelectronvolt VMIs than in CIs (p < 0.05; e.g. SNRliver: 40 keV vs. CIs, 12.5 ± 4.1 vs. 5.6 ± 1.6). In LiRADS 4/5 lesions, CNR and quantitative washout values were significantly higher in 40-keV VMIs compared to CIs (p < 0.05; e.g. CNR and washout in 40 keV vs. CIs, 2.3 ± 1.6 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5 and 29.0 ± 19.1 vs. 12.9 ± 6.9 HU, respectively). CONCLUSION: By increasing lesion contrast, low-kiloelectronvolt VMIs obtained from SDCT improve washout assessment of hyper-enhancing liver lesions with respect to washout visibility and diagnostic confidence. KEY POINTS: • Low-kiloelectronvolt virtual monoenergetic images from spectral detector CT facilitate washout assessment in arterially hyper-enhancing liver lesions. • Image quality and quantitative washout parameters as well as subjective washout visibility and diagnostic confidence benefit from low-kiloelectronvolt virtual monoenergetic images.

[Image-guided, minimally invasive surgery and other local therapeutic procedures for primary liver tumors]. / Bildgestützte minimal-invasive Chirurgie und andere lokaltherapeutische Verfahren bei primären Lebertumoren.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of primary liver tumors is rising. Modern minimally invasive, image-guided procedures offer a potentially curative therapy option. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the multitude of image-guided minimally invasive procedures concerning their evidence-based effect on local tumor control and overall survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A systematic search of MEDLINE focused on hepatocellular cancer, minimally invasive treatment, local ablative therapy, therapeutic stratification and comparative studies was performed. RESULTS: The level of evidence varied greatly depending on the procedure used. The highest quality evidence including prospective randomized studies was found for radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatocellular cancer. The RFA is superior with respect to local tumor control and overall survival in comparison to other ablative procedures. Prospective randomized studies comparing surgery and RFA showed diverging and contradictory results. Microwave ablation and robotic stereotactic irradiation showed sufficient potential in retrospective studies in comparison to RFA and surgery in order to confirm the techniques in randomized studies. There is only anecdotal evidence concerning high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and irreversible electroporation. Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI), cryoablation and laser-induced thermal therapy (LITT) were inferior techniques to RFA in most studies. CONCLUSION: Minimally invasive resection and local ablative therapies based on structured imaging and image reporting can improve the prognosis of patients with hepatocellular cancer even in patients that exceed the BCLC 0/A stage.

Therapy susceptible germline-related BRCA 1-mutation in a case of metastasized mixed adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) of the small bowel.

BACKGROUND: Adenocarcinomas or combined adeno-neuroendocrine carcinomas (MANEC) of small bowel usually have a dismal prognosis with limited systemic therapy options. This is the first description of a patient showing a germline-related BRCA1 mutated MANEC of his ileum. The tumor presented a susceptibility to a combined chemotherapy and the PARP1-inhibitor olaparib. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year old male patient presented with a metastasized MANEC of his ileum. Due to clinical symptoms his ileum-tumor and the single brain metastasis were removed. We verified the same pathogenic (class 5) BRCA1 mutation in different tumor locations. There was no known personal history of a previous malignant tumor. Nevertheless we identified his BRCA1 mutation as germline-related. A systemic treatment was started including Gemcitabine followed by selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) to treat liver metastases and in the further course Capecitabine but this treatment finally failed after 9 months and all liver metastases showed progression. The treatment failure was the reason to induce an individualized therapeutic approach using combined chemotherapy of carboplatin, paclitaxel and the Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase- (PARP)-inhibitor olaparib analogous to the treatment protocol of Oza et al. All liver metastases demonstrated with significant tumor regression after 3 months and could be removed. In his most current follow up from December 2017 (25 months after his primary diagnosis) the patient is in a very good general condition without evidence for further metastases. CONCLUSION: We present first evidence of a therapy susceptible germline-related BRCA1 mutation in small bowel adeno-neuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC). Our findings offer a personalized treatment option. The germline background was unexpected in a 74-year old man with no previously known tumor burden. We should be aware of the familiar background in tumors of older patients as well.

[Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: Recommendations of the Cologne Consensus Conference 2016]. / Chronisch thromboembolische pulmonale Hypertonie: Empfehlungen der Kölner Konsensus Konferenz 2016.

The 2015 European Guidelines on Pulmonary Hypertension did not cover only pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), but also other significant subgroups of pulmonary hypertension (PH). In June 2016, a Consensus Conference organized by the PH working groups of the German Society of Cardiology (DGK), the German Society of Respiratory Medicine (DGP) and the German Society of Pediatric Cardiology (DGPK) was held in Cologne, Germany to discuss open and controversial issues surrounding the practical implementation of the European Guidelines. Several working groups were initiated, one of which was dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). In every patient with PH of unknown cause CTEPH should be excluded. The primary treatment option is surgical pulmonary endarterectomy (PEA) in a specialized multidisciplinary CTEPH center. Inoperable patients or patients with persistent or recurrent CTEPH after PEA are candidates for targeted drug therapy. For balloon pulmonary angioplasty (BPA), there is currently only limited experience. This option - as PEA - is reserved to specialized centers with expertise for this treatment method. In addition, a brief overview is given on pulmonary artery sarcoma, since its surgical treatment is often analogous to PEA. The recommendations of this working group are summarized in the present paper.

Modern Imaging of Myocarditis: Possibilities and Challenges / Moderne Bildgebung bei Myokarditis: Möglichkeiten und Herausforderungen

UNLABELLED: Myocarditis is known as the chameleon of cardiac diseases. The symptoms and the course of disease vary greatly so that it is often challenging to establish a diagnosis. Early and accurate diagnosis is of utmost importance, since myocarditis is one of the leading causes of sudden cardiac death in young adults and represents an important precursor to dilated cardiomyopathy. Due to the constraints of the routinely used diagnostic approach, including clinical history and examination, laboratory testing, and electrocardiogram, different imaging modalities have emerged over the last decades as contributors to the noninvasive diagnosis of myocarditis. With this interdisciplinary review we would like to present the current state-of-the-art imaging of myocarditis across all available imaging modalities (i. e., echocardiography, cardiac magnetic resonance, cardiac computed tomography, and nuclear medicine). Furthermore, we present novel imaging techniques that might become useful in the near future for easier and more accurate diagnosis of this highly relevant disease. KEY POINTS: • Different imaging modalities are increasingly used in the diagnostic workup of myocarditis. • Several emerging imaging techniques are currently on the way to becoming part of the clinical routine. • This review summarizes the diagnostic value of echocardiography, CMR, CT, and nuclear medicine imaging. • There is special focus on the possibilities and challenges of novel imaging tools within the different modalities.

Radiation Dose Reduction in Computed Tomography-Guided Lung Interventions using an Iterative Reconstruction Technique.

PURPOSE: To compare the radiation doses and image qualities of computed tomography (CT)-guided interventions using a standard-dose CT (SDCT) protocol with filtered back projection and a low-dose CT (LDCT) protocol with both filtered back projection and iterative reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Image quality and radiation doses (dose-length product and CT dose index) were retrospectively reviewed for 130 patients who underwent CT-guided lung interventions. SDCT at 120 kVp and automatic mA modulation and LDCT at 100 kVp and a fixed exposure were each performed for 65 patients. Image quality was objectively evaluated as the contrast-to-noise ratio and subjectively by two radiologists for noise impression, sharpness, artifacts and diagnostic acceptability on a four-point scale. RESULTS: The groups did not significantly differ in terms of diagnostic acceptability and complication rate. LDCT yielded a median 68.6% reduction in the radiation dose relative to SDCT. In the LDCT group, iterative reconstruction was superior to filtered back projection in terms of noise reduction and subjective image quality. The groups did not differ in terms of beam hardening artifacts. CONCLUSION: LDCT was feasible for all procedures and yielded a more than two-thirds reduction in radiation exposure while maintaining overall diagnostic acceptability, safety and precision. The iterative reconstruction algorithm is preferable according to the objective and subjective image quality analyses. KEY POINTS: Implementation of a low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) protocol for lung interventions is feasible and safe. LDCT protocols yield a significant reduction (more than 2/3) in radiation exposure. Iterative reconstruction algorithms considerably improve the image quality in LDCT protocols.

Assessment of cerebellar pulsation in dogs with and without Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia using cardiac-gated cine magnetic resonance imaging.

Canine Chiari-like malformation (CM) is characterised by herniation of part of the cerebellum through the foramen magnum. In humans with Chiari type I malformation (CM-I), abnormal pulsation of the cerebellum during the cardiac cycle has been documented and is pivotal to theories for the pathogenesis of syringomyelia (SM). In this retrospective study, cardiac-gated cine balanced fast field echo (bFEE) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to assess pulsation of the brain in dogs and to objectively measure the degree of cerebellar pulsation with the neck in a flexed position. Overall, 17 Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCS) with CM, including eight with SM and nine without SM, were compared with six small breed control dogs. Linear regions of interest were generated for the length of cerebellar herniation from each phase of the cardiac cycle and the degree of cerebellar pulsation was subsequently calculated. Age, bodyweight and angle of neck flexion were also compared. CKCS with CM and SM had significantly greater pulsation of the cerebellum than control dogs (P=0.003) and CKCS with CM only (P=0.031). There was no significant difference in age, bodyweight and angle of neck flexion between the three groups. Cardiac-gated cine bFEE MRI permitted the dynamic visualisation of cerebellar pulsation in dogs. These findings support the current theories regarding the pathogenesis of SM secondary to CM and further highlight the similarities between canine CM and human CM-I.

[Dual-Energy CT in the follow-up after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair]. / Dual-Energy CT zur postoperativen Langzeitkontrolle nach endovaskulär therapierten abdominellen Aortenaneurysmen.

PURPOSE: This study investigates the dual-energy procedure for postoperative CT follow-up scans after endovascularly treated abdominal aortic aneurysms. The procedure is analyzed with respect to its sensitivity and specificity as well as the associated radiation exposure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 51 examinations were carried out on 47 patients between February 2009 and March 2010. For each patient, a non-enhanced, an arterial and a venous scan were conducted, the latter two using the dual-energy technology. Virtual images for the non-enhanced phase were reconstructed from the data taken in the venous phase. Protocol A, the reference standard, consisted of non-enhanced images and images of the arterial and venous phase. In protocol B, standard non-enhanced images were replaced by the reconstructed virtual non-enhanced images. Protocol C consisted only of virtual non-enhanced and 80 kV images taken during the venous phase. All data was anonymized and evaluated by two independent radiologists. For protocol C, sensitivity, specificity, negative and positive predictive values were computed. The effective radiation dosage was determined for each scan. RESULTS: All endoleaks identified in protocol A were found using protocols B and C. For protocol C, the sensitivity and negative predictive value were 100 %, the specificity was 94.1 %, and the positive predictive value was 89.5 %. Compared to protocol A, protocol C reduces the radiation exposure by 62.45 %. CONCLUSION: A scan protocol consisting of virtual non-enhanced images as well as 80 kV images taken during the venous phase was found to be a reliable alternative method for diagnosing endoleaks, while reducing the radiation exposure by 62.45 %.