The Value of Using Patient-Specific 3D-Printed Anatomical Models in Surgical Planning for Patients With Complex Multifibroid Uteri.

OBJECTIVES: To compare surgeon responses regarding their surgical plan before and after receiving a patient-specific three-dimensional (3D)-printed model of a patient's multifibroid uterus created from their magnetic resonance imaging. METHODS: 3D-printed models were derived from standard-of-care pelvic magnetic resonance images of patients scheduled for surgical intervention for multifibroid uterus. Relevant anatomical structures were printed using a combination of transparent and opaque resin types. 3D models were used for 7 surgical cases (5 myomectomies, 2 hysterectomies). A staff surgeon and 1 or 2 surgical fellow(s) were present for each case. Surgeons completed a questionnaire before and after receiving the model documenting surgical approach, perceived difficulty, and confidence in surgical plan. A postoperative questionnaire was used to assess surgeon experience using 3D models. RESULTS: Two staff surgeons and 3 clinical fellows participated in this study. A total of 15 surgeon responses were collected across the 7 cases. After viewing the models, an increase in perceived surgical difficulty and confidence in surgical plan was reported in 12/15 and 7/15 responses, respectively. Anticipated surgical time had a mean ± SD absolute change of 44.0 ± 47.9 minutes and anticipated blood loss had an absolute change of 100 ± 103.5 cc. 2 of 15 responses report a change in pre-surgical approach. Intra-operative model reference was reported to change the dissection route in 8/15 surgeon responses. On average, surgeons rated their experience using 3D models 8.6/10 for pre-surgical planning and 8.1/10 for intra-operative reference. CONCLUSIONS: Patient-specific 3D anatomical models may be a useful tool to increase a surgeon's understanding of complex gynaecologic anatomy and to improve their surgical plan. Future work is needed to evaluate the impact of 3D models on surgical outcomes in gynaecology.

Guideline No. 449: Diagnosis and Impact of Endometriosis - A Canadian Guideline.

OBJECTIVE: To provide a contemporary approach to the understanding of the impact and methods for the diagnosis of endometriosis in Canada. TARGET POPULATION: Individuals, families, communities, health care providers, and health care administrators who are affected by, care for patients with, or manage delivery of services for endometriosis. OPTIONS: The diagnosis of endometriosis is facilitated by a detailed history, examination, and imaging tests with providers who are experienced in endometriosis care. Surgical evaluation with pathology confirms a diagnosis of endometriosis; however, it is not required for those whose diagnosis was confirmed with imaging. OUTCOMES: There is a need to address earlier recognition of endometriosis to facilitate timely access to care and support. Education directed at the public, affected individuals and families, health care providers, and health care administrators are essential to reduce delays in diagnosis and treatment. BENEFITS, HARMS, AND COSTS: Increased awareness and education about the impact and approach to diagnosis may support timely access to care for patients and families affected by endometriosis. Earlier and appropriate care may support a reduced health care system burden; however, improved clinical evaluation may require initial investments. EVIDENCE: Each section was reviewed with a unique search strategy representative of the evidence available in the literature related to the area of focus. The literature searches for each section of this guideline are listed in Appendix A and include information from published systematic reviews described in the text. VALIDATION METHODS: The recommendations were developed following two rounds of review by a national expert panel through an iterative 2-year consensus process. Further details on the process are shared in Appendix B. The authors rated the quality of evidence and strength of recommendations using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach. See Appendix C (Table C1 for definitions and Table C2 for interpretations of strong and conditional recommendations). INTENDED AUDIENCE: This guideline is intended to support health care providers and policymakers involved in the care of those impacted by endometriosis and the systems required to support them. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Endometriosis impact and diagnosis updated guidelines for Canadian health care providers and policymakers. SUMMARY STATEMENTS: RECOMMENDATIONS.

Current Practice Patterns, Challenges, and Need for Education in Performing and Reporting Advanced Pelvic US and MRI to Investigate Endometriosis: A Survey by the Canadian Association of Radiologists Endometriosis Working Group.

Purpose: The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Endometriosis Working Group developed a national survey to evaluate current practice patterns associated with imaging endometriosis using advanced pelvic ultrasound and MRI to inform forthcoming clinical practice guidelines for endometriosis imaging. Methods: The anonymous survey consisted of 36 questions and was distributed electronically to CAR members. The survey contained a mix of multiple choice, Likert scale and open-ended questions intended to collect information about training and certification, current practices and protocols associated with imaging endometriosis, opportunities for quality improvement and continuing professional development. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the results. Results: Canadian radiologists were surveyed about their experience with imaging endometriosis. A total of 89 responses were obtained, mostly from Ontario and Quebec. Most respondents were community radiologists, and almost 33% were in their first five years of practice. Approximately 38% of respondents reported that they or their institution performed advanced pelvic ultrasound for endometriosis, with most having done so for less than 5 years, and most having received training during residency or fellowship. 70% of respondents stated they currently interpret pelvic endometriosis MRI, with most having 1-5 years of experience. Conclusion: Many radiologists in Canada do not perform dedicated imaging for endometriosis. This may be due to a lack of understanding of the benefits and limited access to training. However, dedicated imaging can improve patient outcomes and decrease repeated surgeries. The results highlight the importance of developing guidelines for these imaging techniques and promoting a multidisciplinary approach to endometriosis management.

Test Characteristics of Emergency Medicine-Performed Point-of-Care Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Acute Cholecystitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Acute cholecystitis accounts for up to 9% of hospital admissions for acute abdominal pain, and best practice entails early surgical management. Ultrasound is the standard modality used to confirm diagnosis. Our objective was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic accuracy of emergency physician-performed point-of-care ultrasound for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis when compared with a reference standard of final diagnosis (informed by available surgical pathology, discharge diagnosis, and radiology-performed ultrasound). We completed a systematic review and meta-analysis, registered in PROSPERO, in adherence to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched 7 databases as well as gray literature in the form of select conference abstracts from inception to February 8, 2023. Two independent reviewers completed study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias (QUADAS-2) assessment. Disagreements were resolved by consensus with a third reviewer. Data were extracted from eligible studies to create 2 × 2 tables for diagnostic accuracy meta-analysis. Hierarchical Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic models were constructed. Of 1855 titles/abstracts, 40 were selected for full-text review. Ten studies (n=2356) were included. Emergency physician-performed point-of-care ultrasound with final diagnosis as the reference standard (7 studies, n=1,772) had a pooled sensitivity of 70.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] 62.3 to 78.2), specificity of 94.4% (95% CI 88.2 to 97.5), positive likelihood ratio of 12.7 (5.8 to 27.5), and negative likelihood ratio of 0.31 (0.23 to 0.41) for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. Emergency physician-performed point-of-care ultrasound has high specificity and moderate sensitivity for the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in patients with clinical suspicion. This review supports the use of emergency physician-performed point-of-care ultrasound to rule in a diagnosis of acute cholecystitis in the emergency department, which may help expedite definitive management.

CAR Practice Statement on Advanced Pelvic Ultrasound for Endometriosis.

The Canadian Association of Radiologists (CAR) Endometriosis Working Group was tasked with providing guidance and benchmarks to ensure the quality of technique and interpretation for advanced imaging modalities associated with diagnosing endometriosis. This practice statement provides an overview of the state of the art of advanced pelvic ultrasound in the diagnosis and mapping of pelvic endometriosis. While acknowledging that advanced pelvic ultrasound in some practices falls within the scope of clinical colleagues rather than imaging departments, the statement seeks to guide radiologists interested in implementing these techniques into their practice for patients referred for evaluation and diagnosis of endometriosis. The statement covers indications, some components of the ultrasound assessment and technique, reporting, and recommendations for starting an ultrasound endometriosis evaluation program.

Endometriosis Imaging: Enter the Metaverse of Possibilities.

Although laparoscopy has classically been defined as the gold standard for diagnosis of endometriosis, there is now a strong recommendation for the use of advanced imaging in diagnosing the disease. In addition to playing a crucial role in the diagnosis of endometriosis, advanced imaging is also essential for assisting gynaecologic surgeons in planning the surgical management of complex cases of deep endometriosis. This case demonstrates a metaverse of high-level imaging modalities, including advanced ultrasound and magnetic resonance, which were further enhanced with medical virtual reality and used for the assessment of a patient seen in an outpatient tertiary care gynaecology clinic.

Nonneoplastic, benign, and malignant splenic diseases: cross-sectional imaging findings and rare disease entities.

OBJECTIVE: Splenic lesions are commonly encountered and are often incidental in nature. Benign splenic vascular neoplasms include hemangioma, hamartoma, lymphangioma, extra-medullary hematopoiesis (EMH), and sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation (SANT). Uncommonly encountered entities of the spleen include focal EMH, focal myeloma, angiomyolipoma, and SANT. Primary splenic angiosarcoma is the most common malignant nonhematolymphoid malignancy of the spleen. Lymphoma, myeloma, and metastases are the other malignant entities involving the spleen. The clinical presentation, key imaging findings, and associations of benign, neoplastic, and malignant diseases that can involve the spleen will be discussed. CONCLUSION: Radiologists can use multimodality imaging to diagnose entities involving the spleen by recognizing key imaging features and considering patient characteristics. However, biopsy may be warranted for definitive diagnosis when imaging findings are nonspecific.

Inter-rater agreement in the characterization of cystic renal lesions on contrast-enhanced MRI.

PURPOSE: To evaluate inter-observer agreement of MRI features and classification of cystic renal masses among radiologist and radiology trainees. METHODS: Four readers (two radiologists and two radiology trainees) retrospectively reviewed 100 cystic renal lesions on gadolinium enhanced MRI and assigned each a Bosniak classification (1, 2, 2F, 3, and 4). Lesions were also assessed on their individual features including size, presence of nodules, septations, and enhancement. Readers ranked their level of confidence regarding Bosniak classifications. Inter-observer variability of lesion classification and features was evaluated between raters at both radiologist and radiology trainee levels as well as the level of agreement of all four readers using weighted Kappa and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). RESULTS: One hundred cystic renal lesions were evaluated. There was moderate and substantial classification agreement between trainees and radiologists (ICC 0.59 and 0.63, respectively). There was substantial classification agreement among all four readers (0.66) with the lowest level of agreement for Bosniak 2F lesions (ICC 0.14). There was moderate-substantial agreement for the presence of nodular component, septations, and enhancement. Staff demonstrated highest agreement when assessing for nodular components (0.73). Agreement for the presence of enhancement was lowest (0.37 and 0.42 for radiologists and trainees, respectively). Reported confidence was higher among radiologists compared with trainees. CONCLUSION: There is substantial overall inter-observer agreement in the MRI classification of cystic renal lesions. Confidence increases as rater experience increases.

CT in adults: systematic review and meta-analysis of interpretation discrepancy rates.

PURPOSE: To use meta-analysis to determine the discrepancy rate when interpreting computed tomography (CT) studies performed in adult patients and to determine whether discrepancy rate differs on the basis of body region or level of radiologist training. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from 1946 to June 2012 by using the combination "radiology AND (error OR peer review)." Two reviewers independently selected studies that met the inclusion criteria and extracted study data. Total and major discrepancy rates were investigated with a random-effects meta-analysis, and subgroups were compared by using the χ(2) Q statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed on the basis of the level of training of the initial radiologist and the body system scanned. RESULTS: Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria (388 123 CT examinations). The pooled total discrepancy rate was 7.7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 5.6%, 10.3%), and the major discrepancy rate was 2.4% (95% CI: 1.7%, 3.2%). The pooled major discrepancy rate was comparable for staff (2.9%; 95% CI: 1.2%, 6.7%) and residents (2.2%; 95% CI: 1.7%, 2.9%) (Q = 0.92, P = .633). The pooled major discrepancy rates for head CT (0.8%; 95% CI: 0.4%, 1.6%) and spine CT (0.7%; 95% CI: 0.2%, 2.7%) were lower than those for chest CT (2.8%; 95% CI: 1.5%, 5.4%) and abdominal CT (2.6%; 95% CI: 1.0%, 6.7%) (Q = 8.28, P = .041). Lack of blinding of the reference radiologist to the initial report was associated with a lower major discrepancy rate (2.0%; 95% CI: 1.4%, 2.7%; 43 studies) than when blinding was present (12.1%; 95% CI: 4.4%, 29.4%; five studies) (Q = 10.65, P = .001). CONCLUSION: Potentially useful reference ranges were identified in the subgroup analyses on the basis of body region scanned at adult CT. However, considerable heterogeneity that is only partially explained by subgroup analysis signifies that further research is necessary--particularly regarding the question of blinding of the reference radiologist.

Imaging of pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this review is to examine the current imaging literature and develop basic imaging guidelines for evaluation of children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The three following typical clinical scenarios in the imaging evaluation of IBD are considered: patient with an initial diagnosis of suspected IBD, the goals being to determine disease extent and severity and to differentiate Crohn disease from ulcerative colitis; patient with known IBD presenting with new acute symptoms (fever, peritonitis, leukocytosis) requiring urgent evaluation; and patient with known IBD presenting with nonacute symptomatic recurrence (abdominal pain, diarrhea), the goals being to assess the efficacy of the current treatment and to evaluate the possible need for additional medical or surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: Imaging of pediatric patients with IBD must balance considerations of diagnostic accuracy against concerns about patient exposure to ionizing radiation and tolerance of the imaging technique. The imaging modality chosen depends on the clinical presentation and expected pathologic finding.

Imaging of multifocal hepatic lesions in pediatric patients.

Imaging plays a vital role in detection and characterization of multifocal liver lesions in children. Numerous causes for these lesions exist, including benign and malignant neoplasms, infectious lesions, and congenital and inflammatory conditions. The imaging spectrum of multifocal liver lesions in children is presented with emphasis on key imaging features, differential diagnoses and helpful relevant clinical features.

Ovarian torsion: diagnostic features on CT and MRI with pathologic correlation.

OBJECTIVE: The CT and MRI features of ovarian torsion are illustrated with gross pathologic correlation. Ovarian enlargement with or without an underlying mass is the finding most frequently associated with torsion, but it is nonspecific. A twisted pedicle, although not often detected on imaging, is pathognomonic when seen. Subacute ovarian hemorrhage and abnormal enhancement is usually seen, and both features show characteristic patterns on CT and MRI. Ipsilateral uterine deviation can also be seen. CONCLUSION: Diagnostic pitfalls that may mimic ovarian torsion and observations for discriminating them are discussed.

Radiation recall myositis in pediatric Ewing sarcoma.

Radiation recall is a rare and poorly understood phenomenon, characterized by an acute inflammatory reaction within the previously irradiated area, triggered by a precipitating systemic agent. This reaction typically affects the skin, and radiation recall myositis in the absence of cutaneous involvement has rarely been described in the literature. In this report, we present two cases of radiation recall in pediatric Ewing sarcoma patients receiving successive proton radiotherapy and chemotherapy, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of muscle edema within the prior radiation fields.