Bezoar in a periampullary duodenal diverticulum causing pancreaticobiliary obstruction and ascending cholangitis.

Ascending cholangitis is a clinical syndrome characterized by fever, jaundice, and abdominal pain. It is caused by stasis and infection in the biliary tract with severity ranging from mild to life threatening. The most frequent causes of biliary obstruction and ascending cholangitis are choledocholithiasis, benign biliary stricture, and obstructing malignancy. In this report, we describe a rare case of a large periampullary duodenal diverticulum impacted with a food bezoar, causing pancreaticobiliary obstruction and ascending cholangitis.

The Evolving Importance of Artificial Intelligence and Radiology in Medical Trainee Education.

Radiology education is understood to be an important component of medical school and resident training, yet lacks a standardization of instruction. The lack of uniformity in both how radiology is taught and learned has afforded opportunities for new technologies to intervene. Now with the integration of artificial intelligence within medicine, it is likely that the current medical trainee curricula will experience the impact it has to offer both for education and medical practice. In this paper, we seek to investigate the landscape of radiologic education within the current medical trainee curricula, and also to understand how artificial intelligence may potentially impact the current and future radiologic education model.

Ultrasonographic (US) Two-Dimensional Measurement of Spleen Is Superior to Traditional Length Measurement Alone in Diagnosing Cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Splenomegaly measured by spleen length has been an imaging evidence for cirrhosis. However, data remains lacking on the value of other US findings for diagnosing cirrhosis. This study evaluated the value of spleen two-dimensional measurements (2D, i.e., length × thickness) in diagnosing cirrhosis by comparing with other US parameters. METHODS: A retrospective study on 297 cohort 1 patients with clinical/imaging diagnosis of cirrhosis was conducted. Spleen length and thickness were measured via US imaging and compared with other US parameters using statistical analysis to assess their value in diagnosing cirrhosis. A separate 161 cohort 2 patients with histological fibrosis staging was used to validate the findings from the cohort 1. RESULTS: Using 297 cohort 1 patients, US findings of spleen length > 12 cm (50.6% vs. 9.6%, p < 0.001); spleen thickness > 4 cm (78.2% vs. 21%, p < 0.001); and spleen 2D > 46 cm2 (81.6% vs. 15.3%, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with, but only spleen 2D > 46 cm2 (95% CI 7.9-92.8, p < 0.001) was independently associated with clinical/imaging evidence of cirrhosis on multivariate analysis. We further analyzed 161 cohort 2 patients and validated that US finding of spleen 2D > 46 cm2 carried the best sensitivity and specificity (93.5% and 95.3%) and was the only US parameter independently associated with histological stage 3-4 fibrosis, i.e., cirrhosis (95% CI 3.1-87, p = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Using both testing and validation cohorts, we demonstrated that spleen 2D > 46 cm2 carries 93.5% sensitivity and 95.3% specificity and is superior to other US parameters in diagnosing cirrhosis.

Latest Considerations in Diagnosis and Treatment of Appendicitis During Pregnancy.

Pregnancy can obscure signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis, making diagnosis challenging. Furthermore, avoiding radiation-based imaging due to fetal risk limits the diagnostic options clinicians have. Once appendicitis has been diagnosed, performing appendectomies has been the more commonly accepted course of action, but conservative, nonsurgical approaches are now being considered. This report describes the latest recommendations from different fields and organizations for the diagnosis and treatment of appendicitis during pregnancy.

Submassive Central Saddle and Extensive Bilateral Pulmonary Embolism Presenting as Syncope Treated with Catheter-directed Therapy.

Massive and submassive pulmonary emboli (PE) are rare but potentially life-threatening medical conditions that necessitate immediate recognition and appropriate treatment. We report a 52-year-old man who was found to have a submassive central saddle and extensive bilateral PEs after experiencing a syncopal event and who had evidence of right heart strain and pulmonary hypertension. He was subsequently treated with catheter-assisted thrombectomy and pulmonary artery tissue plasminogen activator administration. This case report presents an outcome in a patient who received an innovative therapy that has not been well established in this subset of patients.

Preoperative Computed Tomography Assessment for Perinephric Fat Invasion: Comparison With Pathological Staging.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of computed tomography (CT) imaging in diagnosing perinephric fat (PNF) invasion in patients with renal cell carcinoma. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and preoperative CT images of 161 patients (105 men and 56 women) for pT1-pT3a renal cell carcinoma. We analyzed the predictive accuracy of CT criteria for PNF invasion stratified by tumor size. We determined the predictive value of CT findings in diagnosing PNF invasion using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of perinephric (PN) soft-tissue stranding, peritumoral vascularity, increased density of the PNF, tumoral margin, and contrast-enhancing soft-tissue nodule to predict PNF invasion were 56%, 59%, 35%, 80%, and 87%, respectively. Perinephric soft-tissue stranding and peritumoral vascularity showed high sensitivity but low specificity regardless of tumor size. A contrast-enhancing soft-tissue nodule showed low sensitivity but high specificity in predicting PNF invasion. Among tumors 4 cm or less, PN soft-tissue stranding showed 100% sensitivity and 70% specificity, and tumor margin showed 100% sensitivity and 98% specificity. Among CT criteria for PNF invasion, PN soft-tissue stranding was chosen as the only significant factor for assessing PNF invasion by logistic regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Computed tomography does not seem to reliably predict PNF invasion. However, PN soft-tissue stranding was shown to be the only significant factor for predicting PNF invasion, which showed good accuracy with high sensitivity and high specificity in tumors 4 cm or less.

The Utility of In-Office Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Parotid Lesions.

Objective To determine whether the use of in-office ultrasound (US) by a head and neck surgeon is a useful adjunct to clinical assessment of parotid lesions and decrease the need of additional imaging, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT). Study Design Case series with chart review. Setting Tertiary care academic center. Subjects Seventy patients presenting with a parotid lesion who obtained an in-office US and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (USGFNA) from a head and neck surgeon from 2006 to 2015. Methods US images were retrospectively reviewed for 70 patients and characterized by a radiologist and a head and neck surgeon. Results Of the 70 patients, 6 had US characteristics that demonstrated a statistically significant association with a benign/malignant diagnosis: depth from surface; irregular borders; presence of calcifications, which included either micro- or macro-calcifications; posterior echogenicity enhancement; irregular shape; and homogeneous/heterogeneous echotexture. Imaging was performed prior to referral in 25 cases (35.7%); of those, 17 (68%) were for superficial, small (<2 cm) tumors where prereferral imaging studies did not provide additional information to that obtained with US. Of the 55 patients without MRI or CT performed prior to referral, MRI or positron emission tomography-CT scan was obtained in only 4 patients (7.3%) in cases involving recurrent parotid lesions, large tumors, or workup of a malignant neoplasm. Conclusions Several US characteristics individually assist in lesion characterization. In-office US and USGFNA are an appropriate first-line modality in the assessment of parotid lesions, can allow for immediate parotid lesion assessment, and can decrease the need for additional imaging.

Altered Doppler flow patterns in cirrhosis patients: an overview.

Doppler ultrasonography of the hepatic vasculature is an integral part of evaluating precirrhotic and cirrhotic patients. While the reversal of the portal venous flow is a well-recognized phenomenon, other flow patterns, although not as easily understood, may play an important role in assessing the disease status. This article discusses the different characteristic flow patterns observed from the portal vein, hepatic artery, and hepatic vein in patients with liver cirrhosis or related complications and procedures. Knowledge of these different flow patterns provides additional information that may reinforce the diagnosis of cirrhosis, help in staging, and offer prognostic information for determining the direction of therapy. Doppler ultrasonography is invaluable when liver transplantation is being considered and aids in the diagnosis of cirrhosis and portal hypertension.

The Differential Immunohistochemical Expression of p53, c-Jun, c-Myc, and p21 Between HCV-related Hepatocellular Carcinoma With and Without Cirrhosis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) constitutes 70.48% of all liver tumors among Egyptians with multifactorial etiology and complex pathogenesis. HCV infection is the most common risk factor of HCC in Egypt, which commonly develops on top of cirrhosis (HCC-C); however, 15% to 20% of HCC are reported to arise in noncirrhotic livers (HCC-NC). This study aimed to explore the differences in the immunohistochemical expression of p53, c-Jun, c-Myc, and p21 between HCC-C and HCC-NC to verify the underlying molecular pathways and to study their role in hepatocarcinogenesis. This study investigated 103 cases of HCC (86 cases of HCC-C and 17 cases HCC-NC including tumorous and nontumorous tissues) together with 10 cases of chronic hepatitis and 10 cases of pure cirrhosis as control groups. Zero, 100%, 100%, and 50% of chronic hepatitis cases were positive for p53, c-Jun, c-Myc, and p21, respectively. All cirrhotic cases were negative for p53 and c-Jun, whereas they were all positive for c-Myc and p21. A total of 41%, 11.65%, 86.4%, and 57.3% of HCC cases showed p53, c-Jun, c-Myc, and p21 expression, respectively. The only difference between HCC-C and HCC-NC was the H-score values of p21 expression, which were higher in HCC-C compared with HCC-NC (P=0.03). HCV-related HCC commonly develops on top of cirrhosis with a minority develops on top of noncirrhotic liver. Only p21 pathway appears to be upregulated in favor of HCC-C than HCC-NC. p53 is considered as a late-event molecular carcinogen, whereas p21 and c-Myc may serve as early-event molecular carcinogen in HCC. The oncogenic role of p21 may be related to its cytoplasmic localization and its promotion of c-Myc expression. Progressive increase in the intensity of c-Myc expression from chronic hepatitis to cirrhosis to HCC may refer to its role as a multistep regulator of hepatocarcinogenesis. The marked reduction of c-Jun in HCC may refer to its tumor suppressor activity.

Duplex Doppler Imaging of Dialysis Fistulae and Grafts.

Arteriovenous fistulae and grafts for hemodialysis access are a lifeline in patients with end-stage renal disease. A significant cause of morbidity and mortality in this population is dialysis access dysfunction. Duplex ultrasound imaging is an excellent modality to evaluate arteriovenous fistulae and grafts, the 2 main types of long-term hemodialysis access. This review provides a detailed Doppler ultrasound protocol for evaluation of fistulae or grafts to familiarize imagers with their normal appearance, highlighting common dialysis access complications.

Assessing the clinical utility of color Doppler ultrasound for ovarian torsion in the setting of a negative contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the utility of color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) in the assessment of ovarian torsion following a negative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) examination. METHODS: This is a retrospective study of women who presented to the ED with abdominal pain and received both a contrast-enhanced CT and CDU within a 24-h period. The abdominal/pelvic CT examinations were evaluated for findings specific to torsion, including ovarian size greater than 5 cm, the presence of free fluid, uterine deviation, fallopian tube thickening, ovarian fat stranding, smooth wall thickening, the presence of the "twisted pedicle" sign, and abnormal ovarian enhancement. The results were compared to the presence or absence of ovarian torsion on the concurrent US. RESULTS: The initial query yielded 834 cases among 789 women. Of those 834 cases, 283 cases in 261 women received both imaging modalities within a 24-h period. The CT examinations demonstrated 48 cases with an ovarian size greater than 5 cm. 84 cases showed the presence of free fluid. Three cases of fallopian tube thickening were identified. One case of smooth wall thickening and a "twisted pedicle" sign were noted. Fifteen cases demonstrated stranding of the peri-ovarian fat. Twenty nine cases showed abnormal ovarian enhancement. A total of 111 cases showed at least one positive finding. Fourteen positive cases were identified on the CDU studies. Of the 14 positive cases, 11 had ovarian size greater than 5 cm. Twelve cases demonstrated the presence of free fluid. There was no uterine deviation or smooth wall thickening. One twisted pedicle was noted. Seven cases showed peri-ovarian fat stranding. Ten cases showed abnormal enhancement. Abnormalities on CT were noted in all cases suspicious for ovarian torsion on CDU. No negative CT examinations were associated with a positive CDU. In this small sample size, the negative predictive value of a negative CT examination was 100%. CONCLUSION: A negative contrast-enhanced CT examination of the abdomen and pelvis is sufficient to rule out ovarian torsion. Therefore, there is no utility in the addition of CDU specifically to evaluate for ovarian torsion following a negative contrast-enhanced CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis.

Comparison of Renal Parenchymal Volume Preservation Between Partial Nephrectomy, Cryoablation, and Radiofrequency Ablation Using 3D Volume Measurements.

PURPOSE: Small renal masses (SRM) can be managed via a variety of nephron-sparing procedures (NSPs), but the association between choice of NSP and renal parenchymal volume (RPV) preservation is not well understood. We sought to examine RPV preservation after partial nephrectomy (PN) performed via open, robotic, or laparoscopic approaches and thermal ablation (TA) performed via cryoablation (CA) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study was a retrospective review of three institutional databases of patients with a SRM <4 cm treated via one of the five NSPs (open PN, laparoscopic PN, robotic PN, percutaneous CA, or percutaneous RFA). The 30 most recent consecutive cases treated via each NSP were selected to obtain a total of 150 cases for analysis. Patient characteristics were obtained via manual chart review, and tumor characteristics were assessed via the R.E.N.A.L. nephrometry score. Using three-dimensional rendering software, preoperative and postoperative RPV was calculated for the tumor-bearing kidney, excluding the tumor itself (for preoperative images) or the postsurgical/ablative defect (for postoperative images). The percent change in RPV was compared between the procedure types. RESULTS: One hundred fifty cases were included in the final analysis, with 30 cases from each NSP category. While preoperative tumors were larger in the PN group, there was no difference in the mean nephrometry score between groups. The TA group was found to have a lower mean RPV loss (-8.1% vs -16.5%, p<0.005). There was no difference in the RPV loss between modalities of TA (CA vs RFA) or between approaches to PN (open, laparoscopic, robotic). Matched-pair analysis based on the tumor size and multivariate analysis indicated TA vs PN was independently associated with less RPV loss. CONCLUSIONS: TA is associated with less RPV loss than PN in the management of SRM, but there is no difference between modalities of TA (CA vs RFA) or between approaches to PN.

Comparison of radiation dose from conventional and triple-bolus computed tomography urography protocols in the diagnosis and management of patients with renal cortical neoplasms.

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively compare the radiation dose of triple-bolus computed tomography (TBCT) and conventional CT (CCT) urography protocols, analyze the effects of body mass index (BMI) on radiation dose in each group, and assess image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the images of patients who underwent CCT or TBCT imaging in the management of renal cortical neoplasms. We used standard volumetric CT dose index (CTDIvol) and dose length product (DLP) to estimate radiation exposure. In addition, 2 urologists rated the quality of 20 CT images from each group using a survey with a 5-point Likert scale. The survey consisted of 10 questions relating to the ability of the scan to identify relevant renal anatomy. RESULTS: The study included 120 patients. CTDIvol and DLP were 28.7% and 40.4% lower in the TBCT protocol, respectively (both P < .001). Increased BMI was associated with a higher DLP for the CCT group compared with the TBCT group (P < .001). The effect of BMI on CTDIvol did not differ between the CCT and TBCT groups. There was no difference in the urologists' assessments of CT image quality. CONCLUSION: In patients with renal cortical neoplasms, TBCT provides comparable image quality to CCT, with lower ionizing radiation exposure without compromising image quality. Obese patients may benefit more from TBCT scans.

Interobserver reliability and reproducibility of s.T.o.N.e. Nephrolithometry for renal calculi.

PURPOSE: To assess the reliability of the S.T.O.N.E. (stone size [S], tract length [T], obstruction [O], number of involved calices [N], and essence or stone density [E]) nephrolithometry scoring system by testing its reproducibility between different observers. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Preoperative images of 58 patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) were reviewed. Medical students, urology residents, one fellow, and a urology attending independently reviewed all images and scored the renal stones. Interobserver reliabilities of the total score for all categories and each component were evaluated by the intraclass correlation (ICC) and a κ coefficient. RESULTS: The interobserver reliability for the total score demonstrated high correlations for all components and total score (ICC=S, T, O, N, E and total 0.80, 0.97, 0.89, 0.84, 0.91, and 0.87, respectively). κ rates for individual components between two medical students were 0.36, 1, 0.31, 0.45, 0.33, and 0.30 for the S, T, O, N, E components and total score, respectively. κ values between the two urology residents were 0.71, 1, 0.92, 0.79, 0.93, and 0.67 for S, T, O, N, E components and total score, respectively. κ values between the urology fellow and an attending physician were 0.95, 1, 0.88, 0.94, 0.89, and 0.87 for S, T, O, N, E components and total score, respectively. P value for all the scoring components was <0.05, indicating that the estimated κ was not a result of chance. CONCLUSIONS: The S.T.O.N.E. nephrolithometry has excellent interobserver reliability. Quantifying the S and N metrics was the most challenging and least reliable. Standardized protocols to measure these components should be considered to improve accuracy and reproducibility of the scoring system.

CT evaluation of placental abruption in pregnant trauma patients.

The purpose of the study was to assess the possibility of placental injury detection on computed tomography (CT) in pregnant trauma patients. The images and dictated reports of 44 CT scans of pregnant women who presented to the University of California Irvine Medical Center (UCIMC) from 2003 to 2008 for traumatic abdominal conditions were reviewed for placental abruption. Performances of original dictated reports, an untrained reviewer, and a trained reviewer (who was trained on 22 non-traumatic scans) were compared. Of the 66 pregnant women who received abdominal CT scans, 44 sustained abdominal trauma. Seven suffered placental abruptions, all of which were identified on CT. Sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 79.5%, respectively, for the untrained reviewer, 100% and 82.1% for the trained reviewer, and 42.9% and 89.7% for the original dictated reports. Placental abruptions are often overlooked on CT scan. Sensitivity may be improved by systematic evaluation of the placenta and specificity by training on normal placental morphology.

MRI of cranial nerve enhancement.

OBJECTIVE: In this pictorial essay, we review the MR appearance of cranial nerve enhancement in a variety of entities including neoplastic, infectious, and idiopathic diseases. CONCLUSION: MRI with contrast enhancement is a valuable tool for detecting and characterizing disease of the cranial nerves. Abnormal cranial nerve enhancement on MRI may sometimes be the first or only indication of an underlying disease process.