Accuracy of diffusion-weighted imaging in discriminating atypical vertebral haemangiomas from malignant masses in patients with vertebral lesions: a cross-sectional study.

PURPOSE: Vertebral haemangiomas are incidental findings in imaging modalities. Atypical haemangiomas are haeman-giomas rich in vascular tissue, and they are found to be hypointense in T1 sequences and hyperintense in T2 sequences, mimicking the findings of metastatic lesions. In the present study we aim to evaluate the ability of diffusion- weighted imaging to differentiate these two groups of vertebral lesions. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the present cross-sectional study, a total of 23 lesions were included, including 10 haemangiomas and 13 malignant lesions. Diffusion-weighted imaging was used to compare atypical haemangiomas and metastatic lesions. The apparent diffusion co-efficient was determined for each lesion, and then the mean of each group was calculated. The means were then compared. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to determine a cut-off ADC value to differentiate these lesions. RESULTS: The difference between the mean age of the two groups was not significant. The mean ADC value for atypical haemangiomas was 1884 ± 74 × 10-6 mm2/s and 1008 ± 81 × 10-6 mm2/s for the malignant lesions. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (p < 10-3). ROC curve analysis determined an ADC value of 958 × 10-6 mm2/s to be able to differentiate between atypical haemangiomas and malignant lesions. CONCLUSIONS: Diffusion-weighted MRI could be used to differentiate between atypical haemangiomas and malignant metastatic lesions.

Breast artery calcification as a predictor of coronary artery calcification: a cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: Coronary artery disease is the main cause of burden of disease in the world. Coronary calcification is seen as an aetiopathological event in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. Studies have shown that breast artery calcification, which is routinely found in mammography of elderly women, could be predictive of coronary artery calcification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, 60 women over 40 years of age were included. All of these patients had undergone mammography after having an indication to undergo a computed tomography-angiography. Breast arterial calcification and calcium scores were determined for each patient, and the paired-t test was used to analyse the data. RESULTS: The mean age of patients was 49.52 ± 8.83 years. Of these 60 women, 50% were postmenopausal and 50% were not. In 37 (61.7%) cases, mild to severe coronary calcification was observed, and 50 (83.3%) had mild to severe breast arterial calcification. There was a significant correlation between coronary calcification and breast artery calcification (p = 0.001), and there was also a significant relationship between coronary calcification and postmenopausal calcification (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Breast artery calcification can be a suitable predictor for coronary artery calcification and is a valid method for predicting cardiovascular disease probability in the future.