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CONTEXT AND AIMS: Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour (IMT) is a rare mesenchymal neoplasm with intermediate malignant potential. The aim of this study is to describe and compare the clinical presentation, computed tomography (CT) findings and anaplastic lymphoma kinase -1 (ALK-1) expression of IMT of the thorax in children and adults. We also sought to study the tumour behaviour after treatment on the follow-up imaging. MATERIALS AND METHOD: This is a retrospective observational study of 22 histopathologically proven cases of IMT in the thorax. The clinical parameters, CT findings, biopsy results, treatment received and follow-up were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: IMT of the thorax had diverse imaging appearances, presenting either as large invasive lung masses with or without calcifications or as smaller endobronchial lesions. Children commonly presented with long duration fever (P = 0.02) and large invasive lung masses (P = 0.026), whereas adults presented with long duration haemoptysis (P = 0.001) and endobronchial lesions or smaller lung parenchymal lesions. Calcifications were more common in children (P = 0.007). ALK-1 was positive in 40% of children and 18.2% of adults (P = 0.547). Endobronchial lesions showed a trend for ALK-1 negativity. Patients with bronchoscopic excision had local recurrence and patients with surgical wedge resection had metastatic brain lesions as compared to those with lobectomy and pneumonectomy (P = 0.0152). A patient with unresectable lung mass had malignant transformation to spindle cell sarcoma after 9.5 years. CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic IMT presents with some distinct clinical and CT findings in adults and children. The CT findings and management options have implications for prognosis. If resectable, lobectomy is a better option than wedge resection or bronchoscopic excision for preventing local recurrence and metastasis. IMT can undergo malignant transformation.
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BACKGROUND: Accurate imaging assessment of cardiovascular invasion by mediastinal masses is essential for determining surgical feasibility. This can sometimes be difficult on CT owing to limited space available in the mediastinum, resulting in mediastinal masses abutting and indenting adjacent cardiovascular structures. Cine MRI may aid in such situations by demonstrating differential mobility. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the role of cine MRI in assessing cardiovascular invasion by mediastinal masses, by evaluating sliding motion and the presence of chemical shift artifact between the mediastinal mass and apposing structures. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 44 patients with mediastinal masses, with equivocal involvement of 162 cardiovascular structures on CT scan, in whom cine MRI was done. Involvement on CT was considered equivocal when there was a loss of intervening fat plane and broad surface (>3 cm) or angle (>90°) of contact between the mediastinal mass and cardiovascular structure. The presence of either sliding movement or type 2 chemical shift artifact or both between mass and the cardiovascular structure was considered as no adherence or invasion. The absence of both the parameters was considered as the presence of invasion or adhesion. Imaging findings were correlated with intraoperative findings. RESULTS: After excluding 25 cardiovascular structures in 7 patients, 137 cardiovascular structures whose involvement was suspected on CT were evaluated in 37 patients with mediastinal masses. In all, 31 cardiovascular structures showed invasion on MRI out of which 28 structures were invaded or adhered intraoperatively and 106 cardiovascular structures showed no invasion on MRI out of which 97 structures were intraoperatively not invaded/adhered. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of our study are 75.7%, 97% and 91.2%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Cine MRI can be used as an effective tool in patients with equivocal cardiovascular invasion by mediastinal masses on CT scans.
