Diagnostic value of synthetic diffusion-weighted imaging on breast magnetic resonance imaging assessment: comparison with conventional diffusion-weighted imaging.

PURPOSE: To compare images generated by synthetic diffusion-weighted imaging (sDWI) with those from conventional DWI in terms of their diagnostic performance in detecting breast lesions when performing breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: A total of 128 consecutive patients with 135 enhanced lesions who underwent dynamic MRI between 2018 and 2021 were included. The sDWI and DWI signals were compared by three radiologists with at least 10 years of experience in breast radiology. RESULTS: Of the 82 malignant lesions, 91.5% were hyperintense on sDWI and 73.2% were hyperintense on DWI. Of the 53 benign lesions, 71.7% were isointense on sDWI and 37.7% were isointense on DWI. sDWI provides accurate signal intensity data with statistical significance compared with DWI (P < 0.05). The diagnostic performance of DWI and sDWI to differentiate malignant breast masses from benign masses was as follows: sensitivity 73.1% [95% confidence interval (CI): 62-82], specificity 37.7% (95% CI: 24-52); sensitivity 91.5% (95% CI: 83-96), specificity 71.7% (95% CI: 57-83), respectively. The diagnostic accuracy of DWI and sDWI was 59.2% and 83.7%, respectively. However, when the DWI images were evaluated with apparent diffusion coefficient mapping and compared with the sDWI images, the sensitivity was 92.68% (95% CI: 84-97) and the specificity was 79.25% (95% CI: 65-89) with no statistically significant difference. The inter-reader agreement was almost perfect (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Synthetic DWI is superior to DWI for lesion visibility with no additional acquisition time and should be taken into consideration when conducting breast MRI scans. The evaluation of sDWI in routine MRI reporting will increase diagnostic accuracy.

Preoperative breast MRI positively impacts surgical outcomes of needle biopsy-diagnosed pure DCIS: a patient-matched analysis from the MIPA study.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the influence of preoperative breast MRI on mastectomy and reoperation rates in patients with pure ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). METHODS: The MIPA observational study database (7245 patients) was searched for patients aged 18-80 years with pure unilateral DCIS diagnosed at core needle or vacuum-assisted biopsy (CNB/VAB) and planned for primary surgery. Patients who underwent preoperative MRI (MRI group) were matched (1:1) to those who did not receive MRI (noMRI group) according to 8 confounding covariates that drive referral to MRI (age; hormonal status; familial risk; posterior-to-nipple diameter; BI-RADS category; lesion diameter; lesion presentation; surgical planning at conventional imaging). Surgical outcomes were compared between the matched groups with nonparametric statistics after calculating odds ratios (ORs). RESULTS: Of 1005 women with pure unilateral DCIS at CNB/VAB (507 MRI group, 498 noMRI group), 309 remained in each group after matching. First-line mastectomy rate in the MRI group was 20.1% (62/309 patients, OR 2.03) compared to 11.0% in the noMRI group (34/309 patients, p = 0.003). The reoperation rate was 10.0% in the MRI group (31/309, OR for reoperation 0.40) and 22.0% in the noMRI group (68/309, p < 0.001), with a 2.53 OR of avoiding reoperation in the MRI group. The overall mastectomy rate was 23.3% in the MRI group (72/309, OR 1.40) and 17.8% in the noMRI group (55/309, p = 0.111). CONCLUSIONS: Compared to those going directly to surgery, patients with pure DCIS at CNB/VAB who underwent preoperative MRI had a higher OR for first-line mastectomy but a substantially lower OR for reoperation. CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT: When confounding factors behind MRI referral are accounted for in the comparison of patients with CNB/VAB-diagnosed pure unilateral DCIS, preoperative MRI yields a reduction of reoperations that is more than twice as high as the increase in overall mastectomies. KEY POINTS: • Confounding factors cause imbalance when investigating the influence of preoperative MRI on surgical outcomes of pure DCIS. • When patient matching is applied to women with pure unilateral DCIS, reoperation rates are significantly reduced in women who underwent preoperative MRI. • The reduction of reoperations brought about by preoperative MRI is more than double the increase in overall mastectomies.

Evaluating Efficiency of Time Use and Operational Costs in a Breast Clinic Workflow: A Comparative Analysis Between Automated Breast Ultrasound and Handheld Ultrasound.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate efficiency of time use for radiologists and operational costs of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) versus handheld breast ultrasound (HHUS). Materials and Methods: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board, and informed consent was waived. One hundred and fifty-three patients, aged 21-81 years, underwent both ABUS and HHUS. The time required for the ABUS scanning and radiologist interpretation and the combined scanning and interpretation time for HHUS were recorded for screening and diagnostic exams. One-Way ANOVA test was used to compare the methods, and Cohen Kappa statistics were used to achieve the agreement levels. Finally, the cost of the methods and return of interest were compared by completing a cost analysis. Results: The overall mean ± standard deviation examination time required for ABUS examination was 676.2±145.42 seconds while mean scan time performed by radiographers was 411.76±67.79 seconds, and the mean radiologist time was 234.01±81.88 seconds. The overall mean examination time required for HHUS was 452.52±171.26 seconds, and the mean scan time and radiologist time were 419.62±143.24 seconds. The reduced time translated into savings of 7.369 TL/month, and savings of 22% in operational costs was achieved with ABUS. Conclusion: The radiologist's time was reduced with ABUS in both screening and diagnostic scenarios. Although a second-look HHUS is required for diagnostic cases, ABUS still saves radiologists time by enabling a focused approach instead of a complete evaluation of both breasts. Thus, ABUS appears to save both medical staff time and operational costs.

Third-Generation Dual-Source Computed Tomography for Coronary Angiography With Individually Tailored Scan Protocols Can Achieve a Low Radiation Dose With Good Image Quality in Unselected Patients.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the image quality and radiation exposure associated with coronary angiography obtained with a third-generation dual-source computed tomography, using body mass index (BMI)- and heart rate (HR)-adapted protocols in real-world patients. METHODS: Three scan protocols were implemented with regard to HR: prospective turbo high-pitch spiral, sequential, and retrospective spiral modes. We adapted the reference kilovoltage value according to BMI. Image quality was evaluated using a 4-point scale, and effective dose estimates were calculated using the dose-length product. RESULTS: Among the 896 patients, 417 (46.54%), 433 (48.32%), and 45 (5.02%) were imaged using prospective turbo high-pitch spiral, sequential, and retrospective spiral modes, respectively. The median BMI was 27.3 (25-30.4) kg/m2, and the effective dose was 0.65 mSv (interquartile range, 0.33-1.56 mSv). Only 32 of 896 examinations (3.5%) had poor image quality. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography angiography with BMI- and HR-tailored protocols offers good image quality with low radiation dose in unselected patients.

Subacute and Recurrent Transient Perivascular Inflammation of the Carotid Artery (TIPIC syndrome) and Supraclavicular Lymphadenopathy Associated with Ipsilateral Intramuscular m-RNA COVID-19 Vaccine.

We describe a case of recurrent transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery (TIPIC) syndrome and associated supraclavicular lymphadenopathy after ipsilateral intramuscular administration of an mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine.

Imaging Spectrum of TIPIC Syndrome : Validation of a new Entity with Vessel Wall Imaging.

PURPOSE: Acute neck pain can have non-vascular and vascular causes. Some patients present with distinct vascular and perivascular changes on imaging at the site of tenderness. This study aimed to evaluate the imaging findings of transient perivascular inflammation of the carotid artery (TIPIC) syndrome with an emphasis on vessel wall imaging using 3­Tesla (3-T) high-resolution (HR) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: Clinical data along with diagnostic and follow-up imaging of patients presenting to these hospitals with acute neck pain/tenderness and at least 1 imaging study using color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) and/or MRI including vessel wall imaging from September 2013 through September 2017 were retrospectively evaluated. A total of 15 patients with no other underlying cause of pain, findings meeting the imaging criteria for TIPIC syndrome and clinical recovery (spontaneous or with treatment) were included in the study. RESULTS: The mean patient age was 43.2 years. With CDU and precontrast MRI, perivascular inflammation (PVI) of the involved artery segment was evident in all patients. Contrast enhancement of the adventitia and PVI were noted on postcontrast HR vessel wall MRI in all patients. Of the patients five had co-existing plaques at the site of tenderness. Follow-up imaging demonstrated pronounced regression or complete resolution of the findings. CONCLUSION: Imaging is useful for the establishment of TIPIC syndrome diagnosis and to rule out other conditions. The use of CDU is usually sufficient for diagnosis and follow-up but in clinically doubtful and complicated cases, vessel wall imaging with HR-MRI is very valuable. Thorough knowledge of this entity among radiologists enables a prompt diagnosis, which accelerates the clinical management.

A New Technical Mode in Mammography: Self-Compression Improves Satisfaction.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the mammography experience of patients using a manually controlled self- compression tool compared to their previous experience based on technician performed breast compression by a questionnaire survey study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey studies of 365 patients who underwent screening or diagnostic mammography between April 2017 and July 2017 at our center were reviewed retrospectively. Each patient had completed a 12-item questionnaire following mammography examinations. Women who never had a mammography before or who had a previous mammography examination more than 2 years ago or who did not want to use the self-compression device were excluded from the study. 106 women were included in the study. RESULTS: Patient satisfaction was high. Regarding the comparison of the experience of the exam to previous ones, 70.8% said it was a better experience. The examination was found comfortable by 85.4% of the participants and 75.5% found the examination more comfortable compared to previous ones. Only 11.3% were anxious and 52.8% declared they were less anxious compared to previous examinations. Regarding the attractiveness of the new design, 66.9% declared they found the new design attractive, 39.7% found it more attractive than previous examinations, and 27.3% said the new design decreased anxiety. In the evaluation of impact of patient-assisted compression (PAC) on comfort, 80.2% said that they found it more comfortable and 64.2% said that PAC decreased anxiety. Furthermore, 72.6% said the exam was shorter. CONCLUSION: Self-compression technique decreases pain and anxiety of women during mammography examinations and promises to enhance compliance of clients and patients with follow-up mammography recommendations.

Hydatid disease of the liver with portal vein invasion mimicking portal vein thrombosis.

Hydatid cyst disease is a zoonosis caused by the parasite Echinococcus. It may infest any organ of the body, but it most frequently involves the liver, lungs, and nervous system. Portal vein involvement by hydatid cyst disease is extremely rare with only five cases published in the English literature to our knowledge. We present the ultrasonography (US) and computed tomography (CT) findings of a 77-year-old male with hydatid disease of the liver with portal vein invasion mimicking portal vein thrombosis. Colour Doppler US confirmed the lack of blood flow within the portal vein and stigmata of cavernomatosis. CT clearly demonstrated a communication between the multiloculated lesion and the portal vein and the multiple daughter vesicles obstructing the portal vein. The consideration of this complication will make it possible to distinguish this entity from portal vein thrombosis and, thus, the management of the patients with hydatid cyst disease particulary in endemic regions.

A rare case of paratesticular leiomyoma in a child.

Leiomyomas are benign, slow-growing, smooth muscle tumors, which can occur at many locations in the body. The male genitourinary tract is seldom affected and scrotal leiomyomas are extremely rare. Most of the scrotal leiomyomas are localized in the testis, epididymis, spermatic cord, subcutaneous tissue, tunica albuginea, and scrotal skin and only a few of them are reported in the origin of isolated tissue without paratesticular structures in the paratesticular region. We are presenting a case of solitary paratesticular leiomyoma in a child, which is very rare in terms of lesion location and patient age, and describing the imaging features of this lesion.

De Novo Vascular Lesions After Liver Transplant in a Case With Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia and Fibropolycystic Liver Disease: Long-Term Follow-Up With Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Angiography.

We report a case of a 62-year-old woman who received a liver transplant 19 years previously for end-stage liver disease due to hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia and fibropolycystic liver disease. During long-term follow-up 8 years after the liver transplant, de novo vascular lesions were detected with magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance angiography. Hepatic vascular lesions had slowly progressed, despite no symptoms. To our knowledge, there are few reports in the English literature of de novo vascular lesions after liver transplant in patients with hepatic telangiectasias.

Evaluation of choroid plexus with fetal magnetic resonance imaging: What happens in ventriculomegaly?

OBJECTIVES: Diagnosis of ventriculomegaly (VM) and identification of choroid plexus (CP) can be challenging with fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our aim is to create an adjunct method for supporting the diagnosis of VM by investigating the CP-ventricular wall separation distance in fetuses with and without VM (nV) with fetal MRI. METHODS: T2-weighted fetal MRIs of 154 fetuses were retrospectively evaluated. The CP separation was defined as the distance between the medial wall of the dependent ventricle and distal tip of the CP glomus. The measurement was performed at the same plane with the dependent ventricle measurement by two blinded readers. RESULTS: 41 fetuses with VM (mean gestational age 27 (19-35 weeks), and 44 nV fetuses (mean gestational age 28 (20-39 weeks) were included. Interobserver reliability was excellent for ventricle diameters (R = 0.99, confidence interval (CI) 95%) and the separation of CP (R = 0.98, CI 95%). Mean distance of CP separation was 10.7 mm ±â€¯4.2 mm and 3.0 ±â€¯1.6 mm in VM and nV fetuses, respectively (p < 0.001). The distance of CP separation to differentiate VM cases was 6.5 mm (sensitivity: 0.98, specificity: 0.98). Separation of CP was correlated to ventricle diameter in cases with (R = 0.674) and without VM (R = 0.805). For the cut-off value >0.65 cm for the distance between the medial wall of the dependent ventricle and the medial border of choroid plexus sensitivity is 97.56, specificity 95.45, positive predictive value (PPV) 95.20, negative predictive value (NPV) 97.70, and likelihood ratio (LR) (+) is 21.46. CONCLUSION: Fetal CP can be efficiently evaluated with MRI, and the increase of CP-ventricular wall separation distance in correlation with the ventricle diameter is a reliable sign in the diagnosis of fetal VM.

Aneurysm of Portosystemic Fistula: A Case Report and Review of Literature.

AIM: A case of asymptomatic aneurysm of spontaneous portosystemic venous fistula (SPVF) with the radiologic findings is described. BACKGROUND: Although advances and more widespread use of ultrasound (US) and computed tomog -raphy angiography (CTA) have enabled more detection of SPVF in the liver, it is a rare entity. CASE REPORT: A 49-year-old male was referred to our hospital's nephrology outpatient clinic due to hypertension. Abdominal sonography examination detected a well-defined cystic lesion adjacent to the middle hepatic vein in the liver. The lesion showed venous flow in the color Doppler US examination. Computed tomography angiography examination revealed an aneurysm of the fistula. CONCLUSION: Radiologists should be aware of this vascular anomaly and cyst-like lesions in the liver should be examined with color Doppler ultrasonography for possible vascularization, and be differentiated with CTA if necessary. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: This condition is usually encountered incidentally and patients usually have no symptoms. However, severe complications, such as hepatopulmonary syndrome, liver tumors, encephalopathy, and heart failure can be seen.How to cite this article: Ulus S, Akan GE, Erol C. Aneurysm of Portosystemic Fistula: A Case Report and Review of Literature. Euroasian J Hepato-Gastroenterol 2017;7(2):178-180.

Acute carpal tunnel syndrome caused by thrombosed persistent median artery associated with bifurcated median nerve in a pregnant woman.

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common form of peripheral nerve entrapment, which is observed due to compression of the median nerve at the level of the carpal tunnel in the wrist. Bifid median nerve and persistent median artery association are rare, and they may be independent risk factors for CTS. These rare entities are usually asymptomatic, but in cases of acute thrombosis or dilatation of the persistent median artery, acute findings can be seen. We report a case of acute CTS due to thrombosis of a persistent median artery and associated bifurcated median nerve during pregnancy.

Differentiation of secondary involvement of the breast by lymphoreticular malignancy from fibroadenoma using ultrasound elastography: A report of two cases.

Extramedullary lymphoma infiltration of the breast by lymphoblastic lymphoma is very rare and most cases are of B-cell lineage; T-cell neoplasms represent less than 10% of all breast lymphomas. Here, we report one patient with lymphoblastic lymphoma and one patient with leukemia, who have similar lesions in breasts with different ultrasound elastography findings. Ultrasound-guided tru-cut biopsies were performed and the first lesion was confirmed as lymphoma infiltration and the second as fibroadenoma. In cases of breast mass presence in patients with a history of hematologic malignancies such as lymphoma or leukemia, breast infiltration should be kept in mind. Elastography findings can assist in the differentiation of these lesions and further investigations or biopsies can be avoided.

Rare presentation of a localised malignant pleural mesothelioma with cranial metastasis.

Mesothelioma is an uncommon malignant neoplasm and a localised form of the pleura is especially very rare. Diagnosis of localised malignant pleural mesothelioma (LMPM) is very challenging. Histopathological verification is the gold standard, and studies such as CT, positron emission tomography (PET) and thoracoscopy are very valuable tools in assisting diagnosis. We report a case of histopathologically proven LMPM, which was discovered as a well circumscribed solitary subpleural nodule on PET-CT after presentation with cranial metastasis. This case shows that LMPM can present with uncommon radiological and clinical appearances, and imaging tools such as PET-CT have a very important role in diagnosis.

Whole-Body MRI Screening in Asymptomatic Subjects; Preliminary Experience and Long-Term Follow-Up Findings.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to describe the technique and to evaluate the results of whole-body magnetic resonance imaging in an asymptomatic population. MATERIAL/METHODS: Between March 2009 and December 2011, 118 consecutive subjects undergoing thorough medical check-up were prospectively included in the study. MRI was performed with a 205-cm moving table, parallel imaging and automatic image composing software. RESULTS: In 83 subjects (70%), 103 benign lesions were detected. Two malignant (adrenal and renal carcinoma) lesions and one precancerous (pancreatic mucinous carcinoma) lesion were detected. The most common lesions were renal cysts, liver hemangiomas, liver cysts, thyroid nodules, and uterine leiomyomas. CONCLUSIONS: WB-MRI is able to cover area from head to toes in one diagnostic work-up, and besides the anatomic regions evaluated by conventional radiological modalities, i.e. brain parenchyma, bones and extremities, can be evaluated in one examination.

Leiomyosarcoma of the Inferior Vena Cava Confirmed by Aspiration Biopsy With a Catheter During Digital Subtraction Angiography.

Leiomyosarcoma of the vascular origin is a rare malignant tumor. It originates from the smooth muscle cells of the media with intra- or extraluminal growth, and in most cases it arises in the inferior vena cava. The diagnosis is often delayed because the clinical symptoms of this disease are often nonspecific. Accurate diagnosis of inferior vena cava leiomyosarcoma (IVCLMS) needs histologic confirmation. We report a case of IVCLMS histologically confirmed by aspiration biopsy with a catheter during digital subtraction angiography presenting with pulmonary emboli in a 65-year-old man.

Transradial catheterization may decrease the radial artery luminal diameter and impair the vasodilatation response in the access site at late term: an observational study.

The present study aimed to evaluate the late-term changes in radial artery luminal diameter (RAD) and vasodilatation response following transradial catheterization (TRC). TRC-inducing trauma to radial artery intima may trigger chronic phase vascular changes and lead to anatomical and functional impairment. There is controversial data whether the impairment persists or repairs later. Fifty-six consecutive patients undergoing TRC were enrolled prospectively. Baseline RAD, flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and nitroglycerin-mediated dilatation (NMD) of the radial artery at the access site were measured before TRC by high-resolution ultrasound. Six months later; RAD, FMD and NMD were measured again at the same access site. RAD at the sixth month was reduced compared with pre-procedural measurements (2.85 ± 0.44 versus 2.74 ± 0.42 mm, p = 0.0001).The average FMD decreased to 5.66 ± 5.87 %, which was significantly lower than the observed pre-procedural FMD (9.45 ± 5.01 %) 6 months after TRC (p = 0.0001). Likewise, the average NMD at the sixth month was reduced compared with pre-procedural NMD (9.52 ± 6.77 versus 6.64 ± 6.51 %, p = 0.018). Logistic regression analysis indicated that pre-procedural radial artery diameter to sheath size ratio was the independent predictor of NMD reduction (95 % confidence interval, ß = -9.74, p = 0.024). TRC may lead to a significant luminal diameter reduction and impairment of vasodilatation response in the radial artery at late term.

Magnetic resonance imaging evaluation of fetal maxillary sinuses.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The growth of maxillary sinus is closely connected to the development of facial structures. However, its definition and reference standards on fetal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have not been analyzed so far. In this study, the objectives were to define and evaluate the fetal maxillary sinus (fMS) formation with MRI. METHODS: We reviewed T2-weighted coronal MRI images of 75 fetuses. The MRI features, time of appearance, and boundaries of fMS were defined. Craniocaudal and transverse diameters of both maxillary sinuses and bone biparietal diameters were measured and statistically evaluated. RESULTS: In 150 fMS site analysis, 91 fMSs were identified. The fMSs were visualized as a hyperintense structures on T2-weighted image above the tooth bud. It first appeared at the 22nd gestational week, and in 4% (3/75) of fetuses, there was unilateral development. Mean craniocaudal length was 2.84 mm (1.1-4.8 mm), and mean transverse diameter was 2.67 mm (1.5-4.2 mm). CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging features of fMS that should be sought for the assessment of craniofacial anatomy are identified in this study. Fetal maxillary sinuses can be observed as hyperintense structures on T2-weighted MRI images starting from 22 weeks of gestation. The growth of fMS follows a predictable course throughout gestation; however, the dimensions are larger than the previously reported ex vivo series.