Burned-Out Testis Tumors in Asymptomatic Infertile Men: Multiparametric Sonography and MRI Findings.

Multiparametric testicular ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings were analyzed in a series of 10 infertile asymptomatic men presenting with pathologically confirmed burned-out testicular tumors. Color/power Doppler ultrasound (CDUS), shear wave elastography (SWE), contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and MRI were performed on 10, 5, 6, and 7 patients, respectively. All lesions appeared as a hypoechoic and hypovascular nodular area at CDUS, SWE, CEUS CDUS, and CEUS (if performed). Shear wave elastography showed a stiffer nodular area compared with the surrounding/contralateral tissues (13 versus 2 kPa); MRI revealed a well-delineated nodular area in hypointense signal on T2, a high apparent diffusion coefficient value, and a lack of enhancement.

Non-palpable incidentally found testicular tumors: Differentiation between benign, malignant, and burned-out tumors using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

PURPOSE: To evaluate qualitative, semi-quantitative, and quantitative parameters obtained by dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI for the characterization of histologically proven, non-palpable, incidentally found intratesticular tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 2006 to 2014, we included men with non-palpable, incidentally found testicular tumors on ultrasound, normal tumoral marker levels,referred for surgery. DCE-MRI data were analyzed retrospectively and independently by two radiologists blinded to the histological diagnosis. The visual enhancement patterns, time-signal intensity curves, shape of the curves (type 0-3), maximal relative enhancement (Peak), initial enhancement slope (IS), time to peak (TTP), as well as transfer constants Ktrans and Kep were compared between the tumors. The interobserver correlation was evaluated. Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and areas under the curve (AUC) were extracted. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients (mean age of 37.3 years) were included. Tumor mean size was 1.2±0.77 cm (min=0.3cm, max=2.8cm). Regarding the histology results, three groups were defined: Twelve stromal "benign tumors" (BT) exhibited more type 2 and type 3 curves than 12 "malignant tumors" (MT) and 7 "burned-out tumors" (BOT) (p<0.0001). BT had a higher peak (96 vs. 54 and 17%), shorter TTP (215 vs. 412 and 692 sec), higher IS (73 vs. 12 and 2 arbitrary units), higher Ktrans (255 vs. 88 and 14min-1*1000) and higher Kep (554 vs. 159 and 48min-1*1000) than MT and BOT, respectively (p<0.0001, p=0.0003, p<0.0001, p<0.0001 and p<0.0001, respectively). The agreement coefficient values and the AUC extracted after gathering MT with BOT varied from 0.83 to 0.96 and from 0.868 to 0.978, respectively. CONCLUSION: DCE-MRI may assist in differentiating between benign intratesticular stromal tumors,malignant and burned-out tumors.

Sex Differences in Language Across Early Childhood: Family Socioeconomic Status does not Impact Boys and Girls Equally.

Child sex and family socioeconomic status (SES) have been repeatedly identified as a source of inter-individual variation in language development; yet their interactions have rarely been explored. While sex differences are the focus of a renewed interest concerning emerging language skills, data remain scarce and are not consistent across preschool years. The questions of whether family SES impacts boys and girls equally, as well as of the consistency of these differences throughout early childhood, remain open. We evaluated consistency of sex differences across SES and age by focusing on how children (N = 262), from 2;6 to 6;4 years old, from two contrasting social backgrounds, acquire a frequent phonological alternation in French - the liaison. By using a picture naming task eliciting the production of obligatory liaisons, we found evidence of sex differences over the preschool years in low-SES children, but not between high-SES boys and girls whose performances were very similar. Low-SES boys' performances were the poorest whereas low-SES girls' performances were intermediate, that is, lower than those of high-SES children of both sexes but higher than those of low-SES boys. Although all children's mastery of obligatory liaisons progressed with age, our findings showed a significant impeding effect of low-SES, especially for boys.

Prostate cancer ablation with transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound: assessment of tissue destruction with contrast-enhanced US.

PURPOSE: To assess contrast material-enhanced ultrasonographic (US) findings seen after high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation of prostate cancer and correlate the US findings with post-HIFU biopsy findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was ethics committee approved. Written informed consent was obtained from all patients. Twenty-eight patients referred for HIFU prostate cancer ablation underwent contrast-enhanced prostate US before treatment, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and repeat contrast-enhanced US 1-3 days after treatment, and contrast-enhanced US-guided biopsy 30-45 days after treatment. The contrast-enhanced US enhancement patterns of the biopsy sites--assigned a score of S0 for no enhancement, S1 for mild and/or patchy enhancement, or S2 for marked enhancement--were compared with corresponding biopsy findings, which were assigned a score of B0 for necrosis and/or fibrosis without viable prostate gland tissue, B1 for vascularized tissue without viable gland tissue, or B2 for viable gland tissue (benign or malignant). Then, six additional patients underwent contrast-enhanced prostate US 15-30 minutes and 1 day after HIFU ablation, and the results of these two US examinations were compared. RESULTS: Contrast-enhanced US performed on days 1-3 and days 30-45 after HIFU ablation depicted a large devascularized zone with peripheral enhancing areas that were localized anteriorly in all 28 patients, posteriorly in nine, laterally in five, and at the apex in 20 patients. MR findings were concordant. At biopsy, viable gland tissue was found at nine (6.2%) of 146 S0 sites, 10 (34%) of 29 S1 sites, and 44 (60%) of 73 S2 sites. The odds ratios for finding viable tissue (score B1 or B2) at S1 and S2 sites as opposed to S0 sites were 21 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 6, 71) and 73 (95% CI: 22, 243), respectively (P < .0001). Contrast-enhanced US performed 15-30 minutes and 1 day after treatment in the six additional patients had similar findings. CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced US is a promising tool for distinguishing between ablated (devascularized) and viable (enhancing) tissue immediately after HIFU treatment.

Prostate cancer transrectal HIFU ablation: detection of local recurrences using T2-weighted and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI.

The objective was to evaluate T2-weighted (T2w) and dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI in detecting local cancer recurrences after prostate high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation. Fifty-nine patients with biochemical recurrence after prostate HIFU ablation underwent T2-weighted and DCE MRI before transrectal biopsy. For each patient, biopsies were performed by two operators: operator 1 (blinded to MR results) performed random and colour Doppler-guided biopsies ("routine biopsies"); operator 2 obtained up to three cores per suspicious lesion on MRI ("targeted biopsies"). Seventy-seven suspicious lesions were detected on DCE images (n = 52), T2w images (n = 2) or both (n = 23). Forty patients and 41 MR lesions were positive at biopsy. Of the 36 remaining MR lesions, 20 contained viable benign glands. Targeted biopsy detected more cancers than routine biopsy (36 versus 27 patients, p = 0.0523). The mean percentages of positive cores per patient and of tumour invasion of the cores were significantly higher for targeted biopsies (p < 0.0001). The odds ratios of the probability of finding viable cancer and viable prostate tissue (benign or malignant) at targeted versus routine biopsy were respectively 3.35 (95% CI 3.05-3.64) and 1.38 (95% CI 1.13-1.63). MRI combining T2-weighted and DCE images is a promising method for guiding post-HIFU biopsy towards areas containing recurrent cancer and viable prostate tissue.

Long-term outcome of percutaneous transhepatic therapy for benign bilioenteric anastomotic strictures.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the long-term outcomes of a percutaneous transhepatic approach in benign bilioenteric anastomoses with calibration of the stenosis to 15 F and extended internal/external drainage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between February 2000 and May 2007, the efficacy of this percutaneous transhepatic procedure was retrospectively studied in 39 patients with benign postoperative bilioenteric anastomotic strictures. The main purpose of the protocol was to repair the anastomosis by calibration of the stenosis to 15 F with a silicone drain and perform internal/external drainage for at least 1 year. The follow-up period ranged from 12 to 65 months (mean, 34.4 months), and outcomes were classified according to the patient's clinical symptoms and laboratory parameters and the need for further interventions. RESULTS: The procedure was successful in 38 of 39 patients. Four patients were lost to follow-up during or after drainage. The duration of drainage (41 internal catheters in 34 patients) ranged from 126 days to 488 days (mean, 346 d). Twenty-seven patients had positive outcomes during the mean follow-up of 34 months, and six patients had negative outcomes. The bile duct patency probability according to the Kaplan-Meier method was and 70.6% at 34 months after drain removal. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous treatment of benign biliary strictures with calibrated stent implantation and extended drainage has good long-term results and may be an effective alternative to surgery. Advantages over surgery are its minimal invasiveness and reduced risk of complications.

Focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver with pseudo-angiomatous appearance of the central area: MRI findings and physiopathological insights.

We report an unusual case of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) with angioma-like vascularity in the central scar illustrated on MRI and proven by histopathology. The vascular theory of common causative factors in FNH and haemangioma is discussed.