Role of MRI as first-line modality in the detection of previously undiagnosed otosclerosis: a single tertiary institute experience.

BACKGROUND: Otosclerosis causes conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss (CHL, SNHL, MHL) and tinnitus in young adults. It is best diagnosed on high-resolution CT (HRCT). Occasionally, patients presenting with SNHL and/or tinnitus may undergo temporal bone MRI as the first investigation. In this study, we have described the role of MRI as the first-line modality in the detection of previously undiagnosed otosclerosis. Using search words 'MRI otosclerosis' we found 15 cases in the PACS of our institute, (University Hospitals, KU Leuven, Belgium) from 2003 to 2018. Of these, 2 were known cases of otosclerosis, hence excluded from the study. The remaining 13 patients underwent MRI as first-line investigation for unilateral SNHL (8/13), bilateral SNHL (3/13), unilateral MHL (1/13) and bilateral pulsatile tinnitus (1/13). All MRI studies were reported by the same senior radiologist. RESULTS: Of these 13 cases, 12 were reported as showing MRI features suspicious for otosclerosis. The typical positive findings in these cases were intermediate T1 signal and post-contrast enhancement in the perilabyrinthine/pericochlear regions. Out of 13 patients, 9 underwent subsequent HRCT, confirming otosclerosis in all. The single MRI which was reported as normal initially showed otosclerosis on HRCT. Retrospective evaluation of this MRI study showed subtle positive findings of otosclerosis. CONCLUSION: The end point of this study was to validate the subtle findings of otosclerosis on MRI, by comparison to the gold-standard modality HRCT. Our hypothesis is that in the appropriate clinical setting, familiarity with MRI features of otosclerosis would increase the diagnostic 'catch' in the first 'net' itself i.e. first-line MRI.

Thrombosis of a portal vein aneurysm: a case report with literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Portal vein aneurysm is an unusual vascular dilatation of the portal vein. The etiology, diagnosis and management are ill-defined. METHODS: A case of a portal vein aneurysm complicated with complete thrombosis is presented with a literature review providing an overview of the etiology, clinical presentation and management. RESULTS: Portal venous aneurysms represent approximately 3% of all venous aneurysms with a reported prevalence of 0.06%. The reported incidence is on the rise with increasing use of modern imaging techniques in clinical practice. Usually, portal vein aneurysms are incidental findings and patients are asymptomatic. They can be congenital or acquired and portal hypertension represents the most frequent cause of the acquired version. Various complications such as biliary tract compression, portal vein thrombosis, and rupture can occur. Treatment options are conservative management or surgery. Surgical treatment is currently reserved for symptomatic patients with severe abdominal pain, symptoms of pressure effect or with expanding aneurysms, and/or complications such as thrombosis or rupture. CONCLUSION: Conservative management seems the best option in the majority of patients. A multidisciplinary approach discussing the best option on a case-by-case base in light of their individual underlying risk and symptoms is advised.

A new imaging technology to reduce the radiation dose during uterine fibroid embolization.

BACKGROUND: Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) is a minimally invasive imaging-guided treatment using radiation exposure. PURPOSE: To compare the patients' radiation exposure during UFE before and after introduction of a new X-ray imaging platform. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one patients were enrolled in a prospective, comparative two-arm project before and after introduction of a new X-ray imaging platform with reduced dose settings, i.e. novel real-time image processing techniques (AlluraClarity). Demographic, pre-interventional imaging, and procedural data, including dose area product (DAP) and estimated organ dose on the ovaries and uterus, were recorded and angiographic quality of overall procedure was assessed. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics and preoperative fibroid and uterine volumes in the two groups. The new imaging platform led to a significant reduction in mean total DAP (102 vs. 438 Gy.cm2; P < 0.001), mean fluoroscopy DAP (32 vs. 138 Gy.cm2; P < 0.001), mean acquisition DAP (70 vs. 300 Gy.cm2; P < 0.001), and acquisition DAP estimated organ dose in ovaries (42 vs. 118 mGy; P < 0.001) and uterus (40 vs. 118 mGy, P < 0.001), without impairment of the procedure and angiographic image quality. CONCLUSION: A substantial 77% reduction of DAP values and 64% and 66% reduction in organ dose on ovaries and uterus, respectively, was demonstrated with the new imaging platform, while maintaining optimal imaging quality and efficacy.

Malformations of the middle and inner ear on CT imaging in 22q11 deletion syndrome.

The 22q11 deletion syndrome (22q11DS), the most frequent microdeletion syndrome in humans, presents with a large variety of abnormalities. A common abnormality is hearing impairment. The exact pathophysiological explanation of the observed hearing loss remains largely unknown. The aim of this study was to analyze the middle and inner ear malformations as seen on computer tomographic imaging in patients with 22q11DS. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 11 22q11DS patients who had undergone a CT of the temporal bone in the past. Of the 22 examined ears, two showed an abnormal malleus and incus, 10 presented with a dense stapes superstructure, and three ears had an abnormal orientation of the stapes. With regard to the inner ear, 12 ears showed an incomplete partition type II with a normal vestibular aqueduct. In four ears the vestibule and lateral semicircular canal were composed of a single cavity, in 14 ears the vestibule was too wide, and three ears had a broadened lateral semicircular canal. These findings suggest that malformations of the stapes, cochlea, vestibule, and lateral semicircular canal are frequent in 22q11DS. To our knowledge, the current study involves the largest case series describing middle and inner ear malformations in 22q11DS. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of recurrent ovarian cancer: a clinical feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical feasibility of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI/MRI) for diagnosis and prediction of complete tumour resection in patients with suspected recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS: 51 females clinically suspected for ovarian cancer recurrence underwent 3-T WB-DWI/MRI in addition to contrast-enhanced CT. WB-DWI/MRI was assessed for detection of tumour recurrence, prediction of tumour extent and complete resection compared with CT. Tumour presence was confirmed by pathology obtained by surgery or biopsy, or by imaging follow-up. RESULTS: WB-DWI/MRI showed 94% accuracy for detecting ovarian cancer recurrence, compared with 78% for CT (p = 0.008). WB-DWI/MRI showed better sensitivity [% (95% confidence interval)] than CT for detecting involvement of surgically critical tumour sites including mesenteric root infiltration [92 (62-100) vs 31 (10-61)], small bowel [93 (64-100) vs 21 (6-51)], colon carcinomatosis [91 (57-100) vs 27 (7-61)] and unresectable distant metastases [90 (54-99) vs 20 (4-56)]. WB-DWI/MRI correctly predicted complete resection in 33 of 35 (94%) patients eligible for salvage surgery compared with 17 of 35 (49%) for CT (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: WB-DWI/MRI allowed better detection of ovarian cancer recurrence and better prediction of complete resection than CT. Advances in knowledge: WB-DWI/MRI could assist in optimizing treatment planning for recurrent ovarian cancer, particularly by improving patient selection for salvage surgery, thus giving eligible patients the highest chance on prolonged survival and refraining patients who would not benefit from extensive surgery reducing related morbidity and mortality.

CT diagnosis of a post-embolization ischemic diverticulitis of Meckel.

A 23-year-old man presented with hypovolemic shock due to a lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Radiological and endoscopic investigation did not reveal the bleeding site. Emergency visceral angiography showed contrast extravasation at a right-sided branch of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA). Embolization of the bleeding point was performed, resulting in bleeding cessation. One week later, the patient presented with a new episode of moderate anal blood loss associated with diffuse abdominal pain. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an ischemic small bowel diverticulum that was treated by a laparoscopically-assisted segmental small bowel resection. Intraoperative and pathologic analysis confirmed a post-embolization ischemic diverticulitis of Meckel.

Reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor: case report and review of the literature.

We will describe a case of a patient diagnosed with a rare identity of a benign lesion, "reactive nodular fibrous pseudotumor" (RNFP). It is a tumor which preoperatively can present as a malignant tumor and is only reported in 19 cases. According to the very limited amount of information on this tumor in the literature it is mostly seen after trauma or intraperitoneal inflammation. Our case is the second one of RNFP associated with endometriosis, which is a frequently seen intraperitoneal inflammation process in women. Knowledge that these large pseudotumoral lesions can occur is important to direct the management of these patients.

Imaging in otosclerosis: A pictorial review.

Otosclerosis is an otodystrophy of the otic capsule and is a cause of conductive, mixed or sensorineural hearing loss in the 2nd to 4th decades of life. Otosclerosis is categorised into two types, fenestral and retrofenestral. Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and management of otosclerosis. High-resolution CT (HRCT) of the temporal bone using 1-mm (or less) thick sections is the modality of choice for assessment of the labyrinthine windows and cochlear capsules. MRI has limited application in the evaluation of the labyrinthine capsules but is useful for assessment of the cochlear lumen prior to cochlear implantation in patients with profound hearing loss. The treatment of fenestral otosclerosis is primarily surgical with stapedectomy and prosthesis insertion. Patients with retrofenestral otosclerosis and profound hearing loss are treated medically using fluorides, but may derive significant benefit from cochlear implantation. This pictorial review aims to acquaint the reader with the pathology and clinical features of otosclerosis, the classical imaging appearances on CT and MRI, a radiological checklist for preoperative CT evaluation of otosclerosis, imaging mimics and a few examples of post-stapedectomy imaging and complications. Teaching points • Otosclerosis causes conductive, sensorineural and mixed hearing loss in adults.• HRCT of the temporal bone is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice.• Stapedectomy is used to treat fenestral otosclerosis.• Fluorides and cochlear implantation are used to treat retrofenestral otosclerosis.

Chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: 1-month response determined with apparent diffusion coefficient is an independent predictor of outcome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictive utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes at diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging 1 month after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, and modified RECIST (mRECIST). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this prospective study. Thirty-eight patients with inoperable HCC underwent 1.5-T MR imaging, including DW imaging, before and 1 month after TACE. Responses 1 month after TACE were assessed with the ADC change relative to baseline (ADC ratio), RECIST, EASL criteria, and mRECIST. Eight patients underwent transplantation 4 months after TACE, allowing the association between response and histopathologic necrosis ratio to be determined. In 30 patients, Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to correlate the response variables with progression-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5 months, and overall survival was 17.5 months. Survival analyses showed significant effects of pretreatment α-fetoprotein level (P = .03) and ADC ratio (P < .0001) on PFS and substantial effects of mRECIST, RECIST, and EASL criteria (.05 < P < .1). ADC ratio was a significant predictor of 5-month PFS (P < .001), with an accuracy of 93.3% compared with 53.3% with mRECIST and EASL criteria and 66.7% with RECIST. No response variables correlated with overall survival. Only the ADC ratio was significantly associated with histopathologic tumor necrosis (P = .03). CONCLUSION: The ADC ratio 1 month after TACE was an independent predictor of PFS, which showed stronger association with tumor response than did RECIST, EASL criteria, or mRECIST.

Whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted sequence for staging of patients with suspected ovarian cancer: a clinical feasibility study in comparison to CT and FDG-PET/CT.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted sequence (WB-DWI/MRI) for staging and assessing operability compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT in patients with suspected ovarian cancer. METHODS: Thirty-two patients underwent 3-T WB-DWI/MRI, (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and CT before diagnostic open laparoscopy (DOL). Imaging findings for tumour characterisation, peritoneal and retroperitoneal staging were correlated with histopathology after DOL and/or open surgery. For distant metastases, FDG-PET/CT or image-guided biopsies were the reference standards. For tumour characterisation and peritoneal staging, WB-DWI/MRI was compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT. Interobserver agreement for WB-DWI/MRI was determined. RESULTS: WB-DWI/MRI showed 94 % accuracy for primary tumour characterisation compared with 88 % for CT and 94 % for FDG-PET/CT. WB-DWI/MRI showed higher accuracy of 91 % for peritoneal staging compared with CT (75 %) and FDG-PET/CT (71 %). WB-DWI/MRI and FDG-PET/CT showed higher accuracy of 87 % for detecting retroperitoneal lymphadenopathies compared with CT (71 %). WB-DWI/MRI showed excellent correlation with FDG-PET/CT (κ = 1.00) for detecting distant metastases compared with CT (κ = 0.34). Interobserver agreement was moderate to almost perfect (κ = 0.58-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: WB-DWI/MRI shows high accuracy for characterising primary tumours, peritoneal and distant staging compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT and may be valuable for assessing operability in ovarian cancer patients. KEY POINTS: • Whole-body MRI with diffusion weighting (WB-DWI/MRI) helps to assess the operability of suspected ovarian cancer. • Interobserver agreement is good for primary tumour characterisation, peritoneal and distant staging. • WB-DWI/MRI improves mesenteric/serosal metastatic spread assessment compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT. • Retroperitoneal/cervical-thoracic nodal staging using qualitative DWI criteria was reasonably accurate. • WB-DWI/MRI and FDG-PET/CT showed the highest diagnostic impact for detecting thoracic metastases.

A child with bilateral proptosis: a sign of acute myeloid leukemia?

A 5-year-old girl from Rwanda was referred to our pediatric oncology department with severe bilateral proptosis and a bloody, necrotic chemosis of the conjunctiva and infraorbital tissues. Furthermore, she presented with a left facial paresis, hemorrhagic gingiva, epistaxis, and bloody tears. There was a 3-month history of pancytopenia. Investigations that included a complete blood count, peripheral blood smear, and bone marrow aspirate, were conclusive for the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia.

Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging early after chemoradiotherapy to monitor treatment response in head-and-neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for assessment of treatment response in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) three weeks after the end of chemoradiotherapy (CRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-nine patients with HNSCC underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) prior to and 3 weeks after CRT, including T(2)-weighted and pre- and postcontrast T(1)-weighted sequences and an echo-planar DWI sequence with six b values (0 to 1,000 s/mm(2)), from which the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) was calculated. ADC changes 3 weeks posttreatment compared to baseline (∆ADC) between responding and nonresponding primary lesions and adenopathies were correlated with 2 years locoregional control and compared with a Mann-Whitney test. In a blinded manner, the ∆ADC was compared to conventional MRI 3 weeks post-CRT and the routinely implemented CT, on average 3 months post-CRT, which used size-related and morphological criteria. Positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV, respectively) were compared between the ∆ADC and anatomical imaging. RESULTS: The ∆ADC of lesions with later tumor recurrence was significantly lower than lesions with complete remission for both primary lesions (-2.3% ± 0.3% vs. 80% ± 41%; p < 0.0001) and adenopathies (19.9% ± 32% vs. 63% ± 36%; p = 0.003). The ∆ADC showed a PPV of 89% and an NPV of 100% for primary lesions and a PPV of 70% and an NPV of 96% for adenopathies per neck side. DWI improved PPV and NPV compared to anatomical imaging. CONCLUSION: DWI with the ∆ADC 3 weeks after concluding CRT for HNSCC allows for early assessment of treatment response.

Shrinkage of thyroid volume in sunitinib-treated patients with renal-cell carcinoma: a potential marker of irreversible thyroid dysfunction?

BACKGROUND: The multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor sunitinib is known to induce thyroid dysfunction in a substantial proportion of patients treated for advanced renal-cell carcinoma or gastrointestinal stromal tumors. Although sunitinib-induced hypothyroidism seems to be reversible in the majority of patients, some patients develop irreversible thyroid damage resulting in long-lasting thyroid hormone replacement therapy. SUMMARY: We report on two cancer patients with a preexisting nodular thyroid gland, who developed thyroid dysfunction and showed marked shrinkage of the thyroid during treatment with the tyrosine kinase inhibitor, necessitating permanent thyroid hormone replacement therapy even after discontinuation of the anticancer agent. Sunitinib treatment in patients with a nodular thyroid can induce a significant decrease in the volume of the enlarged endocrine gland, associated with abnormal thyroid function tests leading to clinical hypothyroidism. The exact pathophysiology remains unknown but we discuss several possible mechanisms of sunitinib-induced thyroid shrinkage. CONCLUSION: Morphological changes of the thyroid gland can be associated with the well-described adverse biochemical effects of treatment with sunitinib and can be a potential marker of the irreversible organ damage.

Diffusion-weighted MRI for nodal staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: impact on radiotherapy planning.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) for nodal staging and its impact on radiotherapy (RT) planning. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Twenty-two patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma underwent contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), as well as MRI (with routine and DW sequences) prior to neck dissection. After topographic correlation, lymph nodes were evaluated microscopically with prekeratin immunostaining. Pathology results were correlated with imaging findings and an RT planning study was performed for these surgically treated patients. One set of target volumes was based on conventional imaging only, and another set was based on the corresponding DW-MRI images. A third reference set was contoured based solely on pathology results. RESULTS: A sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 97% per lymph node were found for DW-MRI. Nodal staging agreement between imaging and pathology was significantly stronger for DW-MRI (kappa = 0.97; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.84-1.00) than for conventional imaging (kappa = 0.56; 95% CI, 0.16-0.96; p = 0.019, by McNemar's test). For both imaging modalities, the absolute differences between RT volumes and those obtained by pathology were calculated. Using an exact paired Wilcoxon test, the observed difference was significantly larger for conventional imaging than for DW-MRI for nodal gross tumor volume (p = 0.0013), as well as for nodal clinical target volume (p = 0.0415) delineation. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that DW-MRI is superior to conventional imaging for preradiotherapy nodal staging of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and provides a potential impact on organsparing and tumor control.

Diffusion-weighted MRI provides additional value to conventional dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) in differentiating HCC from benign cirrhotic lesions compared with conventional dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Fifty-five patients with cirrhosis underwent conventional and DW-MRI at 1.5 Tesla. Signal intensity ratios (SI(ratio)) of solid liver lesions to adjacent hepatic parenchyma were measured for b0, b100, b600 and b1000, and the apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC) were calculated. In 27 patients, imaging results were compared to histopathology, and in 28 patients, to imaging follow-up. Based on predetermined thresholds, sensitivity and specificity of DW-MRI and conventional MRI were compared. SI(ratio) was significantly different between malignant and benign lesions at all b-values (P < 0.0001). No significant difference in ADC was seen (P = 0.47). For detection of malignant lesions, DW-MRI with b600-SI(ratio) yielded a sensitivity of 95.2% compared to 80.6% for conventional MRI (P = 0.023) and a specificity of 82.7% compared to 65.4% (P = 0.064). The improved accuracy was most beneficial for differentiating malignant lesions smaller than 2 cm. DW-MRI with b600-SI(ratio) improved the detection of small HCC and the differentiation of pseudotumoral lesions compared with conventional MRI.