Acute benign vertebral compression fractures: "see-through sign" on contrast-enhanced MR images.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the diagnostic role of the contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI) for differentiation between benign VCFs and malignant VCFs focusing on the internal transparent trabecular bone on CE-MRI (the "see-through sign"). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The institutional review board approved this study and informed consent was waived due to the retrospective nature of the study. From January 2012 to December 2013, all 149 consecutive benign or malignant VCF patients were enrolled for consideration in this study from a CE-MRI database. In the first analysis, four radiologists independently evaluated the presence or absence of the see-through sign. The see-through sign was defined as internal transparent trabecular bone morphology on CE-MRI. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), percentage agreement, and Fleiss's kappa statistics were obtained. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients (M:F = 27:30; mean age, 63 years; age range, 20-88 years) who diagnosed as acute benign (n = 24) and malignant (n = 33) VCFs were finally included for the analysis. The results of all readers showed that the see-through sign was associated with acute benign VCFs (p < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) of the see-through sign ranged from 75-96, 70-88, 66-85, 81-97 %, respectively. The inter-observer reliability of the see-through sign was sufficient with ICC = 0.847, percentage agreement = 78.9, and κ = 0.578. CONCLUSION: The see-through sign on CE-MRI is featured in acute benign VCFs, and it can be a useful finding to differentiate between benign and malignant VCFs.

Giant cavernous hemangioma coexistent with diffuse hepatic hemangiomatosis presenting as portal vein thrombosis and hepatic lobar atrophy.

A combination of giant hepatic hemangioma and diffuse hemangiomatosis is extremely rare in adults. Even when they are large, hemangiomas are soft and rarely compress adjacent structures. A 78-year-old man presented with abdominal pain and distension. Ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a large expansile mass replacing the medial segment and caudate lobe with diffusely scattered nodules in the entire liver. The large hilar mass contained a central nonenhancing area and had a mass effect, leading to left portal vein occlusion. The image findings also revealed two unprecedented findings: left lateral segmental atrophy of the liver and recent portomesenteric vein thrombosis. The hepatic lesions were confirmed with hemangiomas by ultrasonography-guided biopsy. We diagnosed intrahepatic portal vein obstruction caused by a mass effect of giant hepatic hemangioma coexistent with diffuse hemangiomatosis, resulting in hepatic segmental atrophy and extrahepatic portal vein thrombosis.

Spontaneous rupture of a middle colic artery aneurysm arising from superior mesenteric artery dissection: Diagnosis by color Doppler ultrasonography and CT angiography.

Both middle colic artery (MCA) aneurysm and spontaneous dissection of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) are rare. We report the first case of concomitancy of both conditions, diagnosed by ultrasonography and CT angiography. A 56-year-old man with abrupt abdominal pain and hypovolemic shock was diagnosed initially with ruptured MCA aneurysm by color Doppler ultrasonography. Computed tomography and angiography confirmed MCA aneurysm and showed that it was arising from the false lumen of an SMA dissection and was probably associated with segmental arterial mediolysis. The MCA aneurysm was treated successfully by transcatheter coil embolization, and the SMA dissection was treated conservatively.