Diagnosing Polyps on Transvaginal Sonography: Is Sonohysterography Always Necessary?

BACKGROUND: Endometrial polyps are localized overgrowth of glands, stroma, and blood vessels and reported in 13% to 50% of women with dysfunctional uterine bleeding. Transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) is the initial noninvasive modality of choice for the evaluation of endometrial polyps. The addition of intrauterine contrast by adding saline during saline infusion sonohysterography (SIS) has been reported to improve diagnostic accuracy in detecting of endometrial polyps. Given all the technical advances in ultrasound instrumentation and technology over the last 10 years, we wanted to revisit the diagnostic accuracy and associated confidence level of TVUS and SIS for detecting endometrial polyps. OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study was to determine the diagnostic accuracy of TVUS in detecting endometrial polyps in patients with abnormal uterine bleeding or infertility and to determine if SIS is necessary when the level of confidence that a polyp is present is high. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 144 patients who underwent both TVUS and SIS for the evaluation of abnormal uterine bleeding and infertility were retrospectively identified and independently reviewed by 2 blinded readers. Examinations were graded as polyps absent, equivocal for polyps, and polyps definitely present. Interreader agreement for TVUS grade was assessed using Cohen kappa. Hysteroscopy and histopathology were used as the reference standard for the final diagnosis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value were calculated, and confidence intervals (CIs) were computed. RESULTS: From the combined assessments of both readers (288 reads), 24.7% were definitively positive for polyps, 47.2% were negative, and 28.1% were equivocal by TVUS. Interreader agreement was good with a kappa of 0.66 (95% CI, 0.56-0.76). Among the 108 reads where hysteroscopy/histopathology results were available, even when diagnostic confidence for the presence of polyps was high, TVUS had a PPV of 65.2% (95% CI, 42.1%-88.9%). This PPV was significantly lower than the corresponding PPV of SIS of 88.5% (95% CI, 77.4-100.0%; P = 0.021 for the difference). CONCLUSION: Saline infusion sonohysterography has better diagnostic accuracy for the detection and exclusion of endometrial polyps than TVUS, even in cases where the diagnostic confidence for the presence of polyps is high. Saline infusion sonohysterography may still be needed to confirm a TVUS diagnosis for polyps to limit the number of negative hysteroscopies.

Advantage of Adding Diffusion Weighted Imaging to Routine MRI Examinations in the Diagnostics of Scrotal Lesions.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study is to identify the diagnostic value of adding diffusion weighted images (DWI) to routine MRI examinations of the scrotum. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study included 100 testes of 50 patients with a unilateral testicular disease. Fifty normal contralateral testes were used as a control group. All patients underwent conventional MRI and DWI examinations of the scrotum. The results of MRI and DWI of the group of patients treated surgically were correlated with histopathological findings. The MRI and DWI results of non-surgical cases were correlated with the results of clinical, laboratory and other imaging studies. Comparison of the ADC value of normal and pathological tissues was carried out followed by a statistical analysis. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between ADC values of malignant testicular lesions and normal testicular tissues as well as benign testicular lesions (P=0.000). At a cut-off ADC value of ≤0.99, it had a sensitivity of 93.3%, specificity of 90%, positive predictive value of 87.5%, and negative predictive value of 94.7% in the characterization of intratesticular masses. CONCLUSIONS: Inclusion of DWI to routine MRI has a substantial value in improving diagnosis in patients with scrotal lesions and consequently can reduce unnecessary radical surgical procedures in these patients.

The value of high-resolution MRI technique in patients with rectal carcinoma: pre-operative assessment of mesorectal fascia involvement, circumferential resection margin and local staging.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to identify the accuracy of high-resolution MRI in the pre-operative assessment of mesorectal fascia involvement, circumfrential resection margin (CRM) and local staging in patients with rectal carcinoma. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study included 56 patients: 32 male and 24 female. All patients underwent high-resolution MRI and had confirmed histopathological diagnosis of rectal cancer located within 15 cm from the anal verge, followed by surgery. MRI findings were compared with pathological and surgical results. RESULTS: The overall accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MRI-based T-staging were 92.8, 88.8%, 96.5%, 96%, and 90.3%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MRI-based assessment of CRM were 94.6%, 84.6%, 97.6%, 91.4, and 94.6%, respectively. The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MRI-based N-staging were 82.1%, 75%, 67.3%, 60%, and 86.1%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative high-resolution rectal MRI is accurate in predicting tumor stage and CRM involvement. MRI is a precise diagnostic tool to select patients who may benefit from neo-adjuvant therapy and to avoid overtreatment in those patients who can proceed directly to surgery.

The value of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in diagnostics and prediction of morbidity in cases of placenta previa with abnormal placentation.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the diagnostics and management of abnormal placentation in women with placenta previa and to compare the morbidity associated with that to placenta previa alone. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study includes 100 pregnant women with placenta previa with and without abnormal placentation. The results of MRI and US in abnormal placentation were compared with post-operative data. The patients' files were reviewed for assessment of operative and post-operative morbidity. The results of our statistical analysis were compared with data from the literature. RESULTS: US and MRI showed no significant difference in sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing abnormal placentation (97-100% and 94-100%, respectively). MRI was more sensitive than US for the detection of myometrial invasion and the type of abnormal placentation (73.5% and 47%, respectively). The difference between pre- and post-operative hemoglobin values and estimated blood loss were the most significant risk factors for abnormal placentation, added to risk factors known for placenta previa. Post-partum surgical complications and prolonged hospital stay were more common in the cases of placenta previa with abnormal placentation, however statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: US and MRI are accurate imaging modalities for diagnosing abnormal placentation. MRI was more sensitive for the detection of the degree of placental invasion. The patient's morbidity increased in cases with abnormal placentation. There was no significant difference in post operative-complications and hospitalization time due to pre-operative planning when the diagnosis was established with US and MRI.