A Survey of Patient Experience During Molecular Breast Imaging.

Molecular breast imaging (MBI) is one of several options available to patients seeking supplemental screening due to mammographically dense breasts. Patient experience during MBI may influence willingness to undergo the test but has yet to be formally assessed. We aimed to assess patient comfort level during MBI, to compare MBI comfort with mammography comfort, to identify factors associated with MBI discomfort, and to evaluate patients' willingness to return for future MBI. Methods: A 10-question survey was sent by e-mail to patients undergoing MBI between August and December 2022 to obtain quantitative assessments and qualitative opinions about MBI. Results: Of 561 invited patients, 209 (37%) completed the survey and provided study consent. Their average age was 60.1 y (range, 40-81 y). Of the 209 responders, 202 (97%) were presenting for screening MBI, 195 (94%) had dense breasts, and 46 (22%) had a personal history of breast cancer. The average rating of MBI comfort was 2.9 (SD, 1.5; median, 3.0) on a 7-point scale (1 indicating extremely comfortable and 7 indicating extremely uncomfortable). The rating distribution was as follows: 140 (67%) comfortable (rating, 1-3); 24 (12%) neither comfortable nor uncomfortable (rating, 4); and 45 (22%) uncomfortable (rating, 5 or 6). No responders gave a 7 rating. The most frequently mentioned sources of discomfort included breast compression (n = 16), back or neck discomfort (n = 14), and maintaining position during the examination (n = 14). MBI comfort was associated with responder age (74% ≥55 y old were comfortable, versus 53% <55 y old [P = 0.003]) and history of MBI (71% with prior MBI were comfortable, versus 61% having a first MBI [P = 0.006]). Of 208 responders with a prior mammogram, 148 (71%) said MBI is more comfortable than mammography (a significant majority [P < 0.001]). Of 202 responders to the question of whether they were willing to return for a future MBI, 196 (97%) were willing. A notable factor in positive patient experience was interaction with the MBI nuclear medicine technologist. Conclusion: Most responders thought MBI to be a comfortable examination and more comfortable than mammography. Patient experience during MBI may be improved by ensuring back support and soliciting patient feedback at the time of positioning and throughout the examination. Methods under study to reduce imaging time may be most important for improving patient experience.

NUT carcinoma of the thorax in a 7-year-old child.

We present a rare case of NUT midline carcinoma of the thorax in a 7-year-old-male who presented with nonspecific abdominal pain. The patient was initially evaluated with an abdominal ultrasound, which was negative, followed by an abdominopelvic CT that demonstrated a partially visualized infiltrative mediastinal mass. Subsequent, chest CT showed a large, aggressive appearing heterogenous middle mediastinal mass with pulmonary parenchyma, hilar, and posterior mediastinal invasion. Given its epicenter in the middle mediastinum and its irregular and invasive appearance, the primary consideration was NUT midline carcinoma, subsequently confirmed on biopsy.

Review of Nonmammary Metastases to the Breast: Imaging and Clinical Presentation.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of our study is to review the imaging findings of breast metastases from nonmammary sources at our institution and to explore the mode of initial detection of these breast metastases. METHODS: In this study, we reviewed our electronic medical record and our breast imaging database for all patients who presented with nonmammary metastases to breasts between 5/1/2009 and 12/1/2019. We reviewed all available imaging data, clinical notes, and pathology reports. RESULTS: Sixteen cases of nonmammary metastases to the breast were included in this study, of which there were 4 (25%) metastases from melanoma, 3 (19%) from carcinoid tumor, 2 (13%) from lung cancer, 2 (13%) from leiomyosarcoma, 1 (6%) each from lipsarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, colon cancer, neuroendocrine tumor, and adenoid cystic carcinoma. 6/8 (75%) lesions that had breast imaging were oval in shape with circumscribed or microlobulated margins on mammography and/or ultrasound. 13/16 (81%) breast metastases were asymptomatic and diagnosed on systemic staging exams. Three out of 16 (19%) nonmammary breast metastases were palpable and were diagnosed on subsequent breast imaging. CONCLUSIONS: Most (25%) nonmammary breast metastases in our patient population occur from melanoma and most breast metastases (75%) are oval in shape with circumscribed or microlobulated margins. Majority (81%) of these lesions are asymptomatic and initially diagnosed on systemic staging tests, and the remaining are discovered as palpable lesions.

Correction to: Best MRI sequences for identifying axillary lymph node markers in patients with metastatic breast cancer: an inter-reader observational study.

An amendment to this paper has been published and can be accessed via the original article.

Best MRI sequences for identifying axillary lymph node markers in patients with metastatic breast cancer: an inter-reader observational study.

BACKGROUND: We assessed confidence in visualization of markers within metastatic axillary lymph nodes (LNs) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which were placed post-ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed on 55 MRI cases between May 2015 and October 2017. Twenty-two MRIs were performed before neoadjuvant therapy, and 33 MRIs were after its initiation. There were 34/55 HydroMARK®, 10/55 Tumark®, and 11/55 other marker types. Time interval between marker placement and MRI examination was 103 ± 81 days (mean ± standard deviation). Three readers with 1-30 years of experience independently assessed four axial sequences: unenhanced fat-suppressed three-dimensional T1-weighted spoiled gradient-recalled (SPGR), first contrast-enhanced fat-suppressed SPGR, T2-weighted water-only fast spin-echo (T2-WO), and T2-weighted fat-only fast-spin-echo (T2-FO). RESULTS: Markers were 5.2× more likely to be visualized on T2-WO than on unenhanced images (p = < 0.001), and 3.3× more likely to be visualized on contrast-enhanced than on unenhanced sequences (p = 0.009). HydroMARK markers demonstrated a 3× more likelihood of being visualized than Tumark (p = 0.003). Markers were 8.4× more likely to be visualized within morphologically abnormal LNs (p < 0.001). After 250 days post-placement, confidence in marker brightness of HydroMARK markers on T2-WO images was less than 50% (p < 0.001). Inter-rater agreement was excellent for T2-WO and contrast-enhanced SPGR, good for unenhanced SPGR, and poor for T2-FO images. CONCLUSION: T2-WO and contrast-enhanced images should be used for marker identification. HydroMARK was the best visualized marker. Markers were easier to identify when placed in abnormal LNs. The visibility of HydroMARK markers was reduced with time.

A Clinical Approach to Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Evaluating Chest Wall Invasion of Breast Tumors.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate diffusion weighted magnetic rsonance imaging (MRI) acquisitions in delineating posterior extent of breast tumors and in predicting chest wall invasion prior to treatment. To our knowledge, there has not been any literature specifically evaluating the utility of diffusion-weighted acquisitions in chest wall invasion of breast tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of our breast imaging database for keywords "chest wall invasion" and "breast MRI" was performed over the last 14 years. Diffusion sequences, T1 sequences (pre and post contrast), and T2 sequences were evaluated. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in tumor and chest wall were assessed. Imaging findings were correlated with surgical pathology. RESULTS: 23 patients met inclusion criteria. All 23 had loss of fat plane on T2 sequences. 22/23 had loss of fat plane on postcontrast T1 sequences. Pectoralis muscle enhancement was present in 19/23 (83%) tumors and chest wall enhancement was present 9/23 (39%) tumors. Qualitative restricted diffusion within the pectoralis muscle was present in 18/23 (71%) tumors and in the chest wall was present in 8/23 (35%) tumors. Mean ADC values were 1.15 s/mm2 in the tumor and 1.29 s/mm2 in the chest wall. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value were 100%, 36%, 63%, and 100% for chest wall enhancement respectively and 69%, 36%, 61%, and 80% for chest wall diffusion-weighted imaging restriction respectively. CONCLUSION: Diffusion weighted sequences can be helpful in characterizing chest wall invasion of breast tumors.

Ability of Dual-Energy CT to Detect Silicone Gel Breast Implant Rupture and Nodal Silicone Spread.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to compare the performance of dual-energy CT (DECT) with that of breast MRI for detection of silicone gel breast implant rupture and nodal spread of silicone. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: This prospective study enrolled consecutive patients with current or prior silicone gel implants and clinical suspicion of implant rupture or extra-capsular silicone. All patients underwent MRI followed by unenhanced DECT. A breast radiologist not participating in image evaluation established reference standards for implant rupture (intra- or extracapsular) and regional nodal silicone spread (to axillary nodes and internal mammary [IM] and mediastinal nodes) using MRI, surgical findings, and medical records. After undergoing reader training, two radiologists who were blinded to all medical records interpreted randomized images in two sessions, indicating confidence in diagnosis using a 100-point visual scale. RESULTS: A total of 46 patients who had a subpectoral silicone gel implant (n = 31), a subglandular silicone gel implant (n = 14), or a silicone gel implant that was removed (n = 1) underwent MRI and DECT (mean [± SD] volume CT dose index, 8.2 ± 2.0 mGy). Nineteen patients had implant rupture, and 13 of these patients had silicone within the IM or axillary nodes. Pooled data showed no significant difference between MRI and DECT interpretation of intra- or extracapsular rupture of implants (AUC value for intracapsular rupture, 0.958 [for MRI] vs 0.989 [for DECT]; p = 0.28; AUC value for extracapsular rupture, 0.864 [for MRI] vs 0.878 [for DECT]; p = 0.78). No difference was noted in the AUC value for silicone spread to regional lymph nodes: 0.823-0.866 [for MRI] vs 0.892-0.906 [for DECT]; p = 0.34-0.54). CONCLUSION: DECT performs similar to MRI for the detection of silicone gel implant rupture and the presence of silicone in regional lymph nodes, and it may be an alternative for patients who are unable or unwilling to undergo MRI.

Pediatric elbow fractures: a new angle on an old topic.

BACKGROUND: The three most common elbow fractures classically reported in pediatric orthopedic literature are supracondylar (50-70%), lateral condylar (17-34%), and medial epicondylar fractures (10%), with fractures of the proximal radius (including but not limited to fractures of the radial neck) being relatively uncommon (5-10%). Our experience at a large children's hospital suggests a different distribution. OBJECTIVE: Our goals were (1) to ascertain the frequency of different elbow fracture types in a large pediatric population, and (2) to determine which fracture types were occult on initial radiographs but detected on follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Review of medical records identified 462 children, median age 6 years and interquartile range for age of 4-8 years (range 0.8-18 years), who were diagnosed with elbow fractures at our institution over a 10-month period. Initial and follow-up radiographs were reviewed in blinded fashion independently by two experienced pediatric musculoskeletal radiologists to identify fracture types on initial and follow-up radiographs. RESULTS: The most common fractures included supracondylar (n = 258, 56%), radial neck (n = 80, 17%), and lateral condylar (n = 69, 15%). Additional fractures were seen on follow-up exams in 32 children. Of these, 25 had a different fracture type than was identified on initial radiographs. The most common follow-up fractures were olecranon (n = 23, 72%), coronoid process (n = 4, 13%) and supracondylar (n = 3, 9%). Olecranon fractures were significantly more common on follow-up radiographs than they were on initial radiographs (n = 33, 7%; P < .0001). Twenty-six children had more than one fracture type on the initial radiograph. The most common fracture combinations were radial neck with olecranon (n = 9) and supracondylar with lateral condylar (n = 9). CONCLUSION: Supracondylar fractures are the most frequent elbow fracture seen initially, followed by radial neck, lateral condylar, and olecranon fractures in a distribution different from what has been historically described. The relatively high frequency of olecranon fractures detected on follow-up speaks to their potentially occult nature. Careful attention to these areas is warranted in children with initially normal radiographs.

Radiation Dose Reduction in Pediatric Body CT Using Iterative Reconstruction and a Novel Image-Based Denoising Method.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the radiation dose reduction potential of a novel image-based denoising technique in pediatric abdominopelvic and chest CT examinations and compare it with a commercial iterative reconstruction method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Data were retrospectively collected from 50 (25 abdominopelvic and 25 chest) clinically indicated pediatric CT examinations. For each examination, a validated noise-insertion tool was used to simulate half-dose data, which were reconstructed using filtered back-projection (FBP) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction (SAFIRE) methods. A newly developed denoising technique, adaptive nonlocal means (aNLM), was also applied. For each of the 50 patients, three pediatric radiologists evaluated four datasets: full dose plus FBP, half dose plus FBP, half dose plus SAFIRE, and half dose plus aNLM. For each examination, the order of preference for the four datasets was ranked. The organ-specific diagnosis and diagnostic confidence for five primary organs were recorded. RESULTS: The mean (± SD) volume CT dose index for the full-dose scan was 5.3 ± 2.1 mGy for abdominopelvic examinations and 2.4 ± 1.1 mGy for chest examinations. For abdominopelvic examinations, there was no statistically significant difference between the half dose plus aNLM dataset and the full dose plus FBP dataset (3.6 ± 1.0 vs 3.6 ± 0.9, respectively; p = 0.52), and aNLM performed better than SAFIRE. For chest examinations, there was no statistically significant difference between the half dose plus SAFIRE and the full dose plus FBP (4.1 ± 0.6 vs 4.2 ± 0.6, respectively; p = 0.67), and SAFIRE performed better than aNLM. For all organs, there was more than 85% agreement in organ-specific diagnosis among the three half-dose configurations and the full dose plus FBP configuration. CONCLUSION: Although a novel image-based denoising technique performed better than a commercial iterative reconstruction method in pediatric abdominopelvic CT examinations, it performed worse in pediatric chest CT examinations. A 50% dose reduction can be achieved while maintaining diagnostic quality.

Pediatric appendiceal ultrasound: accuracy, determinacy and clinical outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasonography is considered the most appropriate initial imaging study in the evaluation of acute appendicitis in children but has recently come under criticism with reports of low specificity and high indeterminate study rates, particularly when used in obese patients and patients early in the course of their disease, or when performed by sonographers with limited experience. OBJECTIVE: To (1) assess the impact of patient factors (gender, age, body mass index, and symptom duration) and system factors (call status or year of exam) on pediatric appendiceal US accuracy and indeterminate study rate, (2) assess the impact of indeterminate study results on follow-up CT and negative laparotomy rates and (3) present strategies to reduce the rate of indeterminate US studies and improve accuracy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all US reports performed for the assessment of acute appendicitis in children <18 years old at Mayo Clinic Rochester from January 2010 to June 2014. RESULTS: A total of 790 US examinations were performed in 452 girls (57%) and 338 boys (43%). The prevalence of appendicitis was 18.5% (146/790). There were 109 true-positive, 440 true-negative, 17 false-positive, 6 false-negative, 218 equivocal and 41 technically inadequate US studies. A definitive interpretation was made in 72% of the studies, with an accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 0.960, 0.948 and 0.963, respectively. No patient or system factors significantly affected US accuracy. Indeterminate studies (28%) had significantly higher CT utilization (46% vs. 11%) and normal appendectomy rates (6.9% vs. 3.5%). CONCLUSION: US should be the initial imaging study of choice for pediatric appendicitis. When a definitive interpretation was given, the accuracy was 96%, was independent of patient and system factors and resulted in reduced follow-up CTs and negative laparotomies. Accuracy can be increased by requiring the presence of periappendiceal inflammatory changes prior to interpreting a mildly distended appendix as positive for acute appendicitis. The indeterminate study rate can be reduced by not requiring visualization of the normal appendix for the exclusion of acute appendicitis.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in an adolescent male presenting as ureteral stricture.

Lymphoma may affect the ureter in cases of retroperitoneal involvement. We present a case of an adolescent male found to have non-Hodgkin lymphoma initially presenting as ureteral stricture evident on imaging. He was treated and responded to multiagent chemotherapy with resolution of both the lymphoma and the ureteral stricture. Although rare, non-Hodgkin lymphoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of pediatric patients with noncalculous, idiopathic ureteral strictures.

MRI guided wire localization muscle biopsy in a child with juvenile dermatomyositis.

A novel technique for preoperative MRI guided wire localization for targeted surgical excisional biopsy of muscle is described in a pediatric patient with juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM). This technique allows for preoperative localization of abnormalities seen only with MRI. Using this technique, the patient underwent successful targeted muscle biopsy for confirmation of the diagnosis and staging of dermatomyositis.

Introducing first-year radiology residents to the ACR at the AMCLC: the effect on future ACR and state radiologic society membership and participation.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that exposing first-year radiology residents to the ACR and the Minnesota Radiological Society (MRS) at the ACR AMCLC would increase the residents' knowledge about issues facing radiology and their future membership rates and participation in the ACR and state radiologic societies. METHODS: All first-year diagnostic radiology residents from Minnesota's two residency programs, those of the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic, were invited to attend the 2009 AMCLC. Donations from local radiologic and radiation oncologic practices provided funding for all lodging and travel costs. Fifteen of 24 residents participated. Preconference and postconference questionnaires assessed the residents' perceptions of the experience and knowledge gained during the conference. Long-term 5-year and 10-year follow-up will be performed to evaluate membership rates in the ACR and state radiologic societies in this cohort. RESULTS: The average knowledge assessment scores increased overall after the conference. Participants were also able to identify more key issues facing radiology after the conference. All participants indicated a positive experience, and the vast majority were "highly likely" or "likely" to join the ACR and MRS. CONCLUSIONS: Early results indicate a positive experience for the residents and that they learned about the field of radiology, the ACR, and the MRS. Participants' responses suggest that the future membership rate among this cohort in organized radiologic societies will be higher than the current national average. Five-year and 10-year follow-up of actual membership rates are pending.