Soft Tissue Sarcoma Response to Two Cycles of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy: A Multireader Analysis of MRI Findings and Agreement with RECIST Criteria and Change in SUVmax.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: When soft tissue sarcomas are treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the number of cycles of chemotherapy is usually dependent on the tumor's initial response. Popular methods to assess tumor response include Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) criteria, which rely solely on tumor size, and maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) reduction in positron emission tomography (PET), which requires an expensive and high radiation test. We hypothesized that contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may offer a good alternative by providing additional information beyond tumor size. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Following IRB approval, a retrospective review identified patients with soft tissue sarcomas who underwent both PET and MRI before and after two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Five readers independently examined the MRI exams for: changes in size, T2 or T1 signal, necrosis and degree of enhancement. Readers then made a subjective binary assessment of tumor response to therapy. Each reader repeated the anonymized randomized reading at least 2 weeks apart. 18 F-FDG PET exams were interpreted by a nuclear medicine specialist. The maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) for pre and post-chemotherapy exams were compared. Intra- and inter-reader agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa and Light's kappa, respectively. . RESULTS: Twenty cases were selected for this multireader study, of which 9 (45%) were responders and 11 were nonresponders by SUVmax. Using all MRI criteria, 43% were classified as responders based on MRI and 1.5% were classified as responders by RECIST criteria. Using PET as the reference, the sensitivity and the specificity of the MRI diagnosis for response using all findings were 50% and 63%, respectively. There was fair to moderate intrareader (kappa = 0.37) and inter-reader (kappa = 0.48) agreement for the MRI diagnosis of response. None of the individual MRI signal characteristics were significantly different between the PET responders and nonresponders. Additionally, no MRI findings were significantly different between those with and without good clinical responses. CONCLUSION: By our assessment, there is a poor correlation between tumor response by RECIST criteria and PET SUVmax. In addition, varying MR features did not help in diagnosing tumor response. Imaging of tumor response remains a challenging area that requires further research.

Artifacts Affecting Musculoskeletal Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Their Origins and Solutions.

Among articles within the radiology literature, few present the manifestations of magnetic resonance imaging artifacts in a clinically oriented manner. Recognizing such artifacts is imperative given the increasing clinical use of magnetic resonance imaging and the emphasis by the American Board of Radiology on practical physics applications. The purpose of this article is to present magnetic resonance physics principles visually and conceptually in the context of common musculoskeletal radiology artifacts and their solutions, described using nonmathematical explanations.

Demystifying the status of fracture healing using tomosynthesis: A case report.

Radiography is the most common imaging method for assessing the progress of fracture healing. However, accurate assessment may be confounded by fracture complexity in which a combination of anatomic overlay and hypertrophic callous can be visually misleading. We present just such an instance in which delayed fracture healing was further elucidated using tomosynthesis.

Imaging of elbow replacement arthroplasty.

Elbow replacement arthroplasty has become a standard surgical treatment for a variety of diseases of the elbow. First popularized for the treatment of late-stage rheumatoid arthritis and other debilitating forms of joint disease, the current indications have expanded to include primary treatment of elbow trauma. The most commonly used total elbow replacements are linked semiconstrained chromium-molybdenum alloy or titanium alloy prostheses with polyethylene bearing surfaces. These are inserted after resection of the ulnotrochlear joint and typically cemented in place; the radial head is often sacrificed. Modular metal components or massive osteoarticular allografts may be used when there is extensive bone deficiency. Metal radial head replacements are increasing being used for primary fracture treatment and in posttraumatic elbow reconstructive surgery. Long-term outcomes for total elbow replacement are similar to those of other joints, with 10-year survivals of ∼ 90%. Complications specific to elbow implants include infection, aseptic loosening, prosthetic failure, and periprosthetic fracture.

The role of imaging in patient selection, preoperative planning, and postoperative monitoring in human upper extremity allotransplantation.

Objective. To describe the role of imaging in vascular composite allotransplantation based on one institution's experience with upper extremity allotransplant patients. Methods. The institutional review board approved this review of HIPAA-compliant patient data without the need for individual consent. A retrospective review was performed of imaging from 2008 to 2011 on individuals undergoing upper extremity transplantation. This demonstrated that, of the 19 patients initially considered, 5 patients with a mean age of 37 underwent transplantation. Reports were correlated clinically to delineate which preoperative factors lead to patient selection versus disqualification and what concerns dictated postoperative imaging. Findings were subdivided into musculoskeletal and vascular imaging criterion. Results. Within the screening phase, musculoskeletal exclusion criterion included severe shoulder arthropathy, poor native bone integrity, and marked muscular atrophy. Vascular exclusion criterion included loss of sufficient arterial or venous supply and significant distortion of the native vascular architecture. Postoperative imaging was used to document healing and hardware integrity. Postsurgical angiography and ultrasound were used to monitor for endothelial proliferation or thrombosis as signs of rejection and vascular complication. Conclusion. Multimodality imaging is an integral component of vascular composite allotransplantation surgical planning and surveillance to maximize returning form and functionality while minimizing possible complications.

Perioperative management of a patient with recently placed drug-eluting stents requiring urgent spinal surgery.

Patients receiving drug-eluting coronary stents (DES) require antiplatelet therapy for at least 12 months to prevent stent thrombosis (ST), a potentially calamitous event. Since interruption of antiplatelet therapy is the greatest risk factor for ST, it is imperative that the decision to discontinue these agents be based on an accurate assessment of the patient's risk for bleeding complications. Individuals who are regarded as being at a high risk are those undergoing intracranial, spinal or intraocular surgeries. These patients require alternative agents during the perioperative period to minimize both their risk of perioperative thrombosis and intraoperative hemorrhage. We report the case of a woman who required spinal surgery 3 months after she underwent placement of two drug-eluting stents. The patient's clopidogrel was stopped 5 days prior to surgery and an infusion of eptifibatide was used to "bridge" antiplatelet therapy during the perioperative period. Postoperatively, anticoagulation therapy was reinstituted using aspirin with clopidogrel. This case serves as a successful example of bridging therapy using a short acting and gycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor as a means of maintaining antiplatelet therapy during the perioperative period to minimize the risk of stent thrombosis and the risk of intraoperative bleeding.

Does colon cancer ever metastasize to bone first? a temporal analysis of colorectal cancer progression.

BACKGROUND: It is well recognized that colorectal cancer does not frequently metastasize to bone. The aim of this retrospective study was to establish whether colorectal cancer ever bypasses other organs and metastasizes directly to bone and whether the presence of lung lesions is superior to liver as a better predictor of the likelihood and timing of bone metastasis. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on patients with a clinical diagnosis of colon cancer referred for staging using whole-body 18F-FDG PET and CT or PET/CT. We combined PET and CT reports from 252 individuals with information concerning patient history, other imaging modalities, and treatments to analyze disease progression. RESULTS: No patient had isolated osseous metastasis at the time of diagnosis, and none developed isolated bone metastasis without other organ involvement during our survey period. It took significantly longer for colorectal cancer patients to develop metastasis to the lungs (23.3 months) or to bone (21.2 months) than to the liver (9.8 months). CONCLUSION: Metastasis only to bone without other organ involvement in colorectal cancer patients is extremely rare, perhaps more rare than we previously thought. Our findings suggest that resistant metastasis to the lungs predicts potential disease progression to bone in the colorectal cancer population better than liver metastasis does.