Interrater Agreement of BT-RADS for Evaluation of Follow-up MRI in Patients with Treated Primary Brain Tumor.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System (BT-RADS) is a structured radiology reporting algorithm that was introduced to provide uniformity in posttreatment primary brain tumor follow-up and reporting, but its interrater reliability (IRR) assessment has not been widely studied. Our goal is to evaluate the IRR among neuroradiologists and radiology residents in the use of BT-RADS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 103 consecutive MR studies in 98 adult patients previously diagnosed with and treated for primary brain tumor (January 2019 to February 2019). Six readers with varied experience (4 neuroradiologists and 2 radiology residents) independently evaluated each case and assigned a BT-RADS score. Readers were blinded to the original score reports and the reports from other readers. Cases in which at least 1 neuroradiologist scored differently were subjected to consensus scoring. After the study, a post hoc reference score was also assigned by 2 readers by using future imaging and clinical information previously unavailable to readers. The interrater reliabilities were assessed by using the Gwet AC2 index with ordinal weights and percent agreement. RESULTS: Of the 98 patients evaluated (median age, 53 years; interquartile range, 41-66 years), 53% were men. The most common tumor type was astrocytoma (77%) of which 56% were grade 4 glioblastoma. Gwet index for interrater reliability among all 6 readers was 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78-0.87). The Gwet index for the neuroradiologists' group (0.84 [95% CI: 0.79-0.89]) was not statistically different from that for the residents' group (0.79 [95% CI: 0.72-0.86]) (χ2 = 0.85; P = .36). All 4 neuroradiologists agreed on the same BT-RADS score in 57 of the 103 studies, 3 neuroradiologists agreed in 21 of the 103 studies, and 2 neuroradiologists agreed in 21 of the 103 studies. Percent agreement between neuroradiologist blinded scores and post hoc reference scores ranged from 41%-52%. CONCLUSIONS: A very good interrater agreement was found when tumor reports were interpreted by independent blinded readers by using BT-RADS criteria. Further study is needed to determine if this high overall agreement can translate into greater consistency in clinical care.

Diagnostic Excellence in Pediatric Spine Imaging: Using Contextualized Imaging Protocols.

Contextual design and selection of MRI protocols is critical for making an accurate diagnosis given the wide variety of clinical indications for spine imaging in children. Here, we describe our pediatric spine imaging protocols in detail, tailored to specific clinical questions.

Statistical learning of blunt cerebrovascular injury risk factors using the elastic net.

PURPOSE: To compare logistic regression to elastic net for identifying and ranking clinical risk factors for blunt cerebrovascular injury (BCVI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive trauma patients undergoing screening CTA at a level 1 trauma center over a 2-year period. Each internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) was independently graded by 2 neuroradiologists using the Denver grading scale. Unadjusted odds ratios were calculated by univariate and adjusted odds ratios by multiple logistic regression with FDR correction. We applied logistic regression with the elastic net penalty and tenfold cross-validation. RESULTS: Total of 467 patients; 73 patients with BCVI. Maxillofacial fracture, basilar skull fracture, and GCS had significant unadjusted odds ratios (OR) for ICA injury and C-spine fracture, spinal ligamentous injury, and age for VA injury. Only transverse foramen fracture had significant adjusted OR for VA injury, with none for ICA injury, after FDR correction. Using elastic net, ICA injury variables included maxillofacial fracture, basilar skull fracture, GCS, and carotid canal fracture. For VA injury, these included cervical spine transverse foramen fracture, ligamentous injury, C1-C3 fractures, posterior element fracture, and vertebral body fracture. CONCLUSION: Elastic net statistical learning methods identified additional risk factors and outperformed multiple logistic regression for BCVI. Elastic net allows the study of a large number of variables, and is useful when covariates are correlated.

Using a Website to Teach a Structured Reporting System, the Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System.

BACKGROUND: The Brain Tumor Reporting and Data System (BT-RADS) is a proposed standardized radiology reporting scheme for magnetic resonance imagings in brain tumor patients. A website was created to introduce the classification system and to promote its use during daily radiology readouts with trainees. OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate how a website can help implement a structured reporting at a tertiary academic facility. METHODS: A website, www.btrads.com, including visual aids and an interactive scoring tool was developed to educate trainees about a structured reporting system for brain tumor magnetic resonance imagings. Number of website visitors, resource downloads, and scoring tool users was gathered during the study period of May 1, 2018 to April 30, 2019. Authors surveyed a group of 71 radiology trainees and 34 faculty physicians who care for brain tumor patients to assess the perceived educational and clinical value of BT-RADS. RESULTS: The website was visited by 10,058 unique users in 1 year. The most commonly downloaded support material was the full guide (382 downloads). The interactive scoring tool was used 267 times. The use of BT-RADS at a single institution over 12 months reached over 70%. While survey results from trainees did not reach statistical significance, faculty oncologists, neurosurgeons, and radiologists felt that BT-RADS was a valuable clinical tool that improved interdisciplinary communication, facilitated educational discussions, and helped make treatment decisions. CONCLUSIONS: A website designed to implement a novel structured radiology report facilitated template acceptance across a large neuroradiology section. Groups seeking to modify reporting practices should consider using a website.

Malignant seeding of the biopsy needle tract outside of the radiation therapy field in a patient with Glioblastoma.

A 44-year-old male initially presented with a right thalamic brain tumor that was confirmed with stereotactic biopsy to be glioblastoma (GBM). The patient was treated with radiotherapy and temozolomide for 6 weeks. At 1 month after completing chemoradiation therapy, the patient underwent follow-up imaging that revealed the primary lesion had mildly responded to chemoradiation, but a secondary lesion had developed along the biopsy needle tract. This secondary lesion was outside of the field of radiation therapy for the primary tumor and concluded to be intracranial spread of GBM along the biopsy tract. The patient's final imaging 4 months after initial diagnosis revealed the primary and secondary lesions had enlarged. Subsequently, the patient clinically deteriorated and died 7 months after initial diagnosis.

Heterogeneity of Reporting Outcomes in the Spine Surgery Literature.

STUDY DESIGN: Review of spine surgery literature between 2005 and 2014 to assess the reporting of patient outcomes by determining the variability of use of patient outcomes metrics in the following categories: pain and disability, patient satisfaction, readmission, and depression. OBJECTIVE: Expose the heterogeneity of outcomes reporting and discuss current initiatives to create more homogenous outcomes databases. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There has been a recent focus on the reporting of quality metrics associated with spine surgery outcomes. However, little consensus exists on the optimal metrics that should be used to measure spine surgery outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A PubMed search of all spine surgery manuscripts from January 2005 through December 2014 was performed. Linear regression analyses were performed on individual metrics as well as outcomes categories as a fraction of total papers reviewing surgical outcomes. RESULTS: Outcomes reporting has increased significantly between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2014 [175/2871 (6.1%) vs. 764/5603 (13.6%), respectively; P<0.001; R=98.1%]. For the category of pain and disability reporting, Visual Analog Score demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in use from 2005 through 2014 [56/76 (73.7%) vs. 300/520 (57.7%), respectively; P<0.001], whereas Oswestry Disability Index increased significantly in use [19/76 (25.0%) vs. 182/520 (35.0%), respectively; P<0.001]. For quality of life, EuroQOL-5 Dimensions increased significantly in use between 2005 and 2014 [4/23 (17.4%) vs. 30/87 (34.5%), respectively; P<0.01]. In contrast, use of 36 Item Short Form Survey significantly decreased [19/23 (82.6%) vs. 57/87 (65.5%), respectively; P<0.01]. For depression, only the Zung Depression Scale underwent a significant increase in usage between 2005 and 2014 [0/0 (0%) vs. 7/13 (53.8%), respectively; P<0.01]. CONCLUSIONS: Although spine surgery outcome reporting has increased significantly over the past 10 years, there remains considerable heterogeneity in regards to individual outcomes metrics utilized. This heterogeneity makes it difficult to compare outcomes across studies and to accurately extrapolate outcomes to clinical practice.

Treatment of Distal Femur Nonunion Following Initial Fixation with a Lateral Locking Plate.

OBJECTIVE: To report and evaluate the outcomes of patients undergoing definitive treatment for distal femur nonunion after initial treatment with a locking plate. METHODS: Fourteen patients who had undergone definitive treatment at an academic Level 1 trauma center from May 2007 to December 2013 for distal femur nonunion were identified from a fracture database. Thirteen of them were female; the average age was 65 years (range, 50-84 years). Ten patients had sustained their injuries in falls at ground level, and four in motor vehicle accidents. Twelve patients were obese (body mass index ≥30), 10 had diabetes, none were current smokers, and one had an open fracture classified as type IIIa according to the Gustilo-Anderson classification system for open fractures. The fractures were classified according to the AO classification system for distal femur fractures; there were three type 33-A1, six 33-A2, two 33-A3 and three 33-C3 fractures. Methods of definitive treatment involved open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) revision, medial plating, bone grafting and the use of other biologic materials. RESULTS: Eight of the 14 patients (57%) achieved union during follow-up. Definitive treatment for nonunion involved ORIF revision in 11 cases. Three patients who did not undergo ORIF revision were treated with iliac crest stem cell autografts, bone graft substitutes or recombinant human-bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rh-BMP-2). Other treatments included rh-BMP-2 (12 cases), iliac crest bone autograft (five), iliac crest stem cell autograft (two), crushed cancellous bone allograft (three), CaSO 4 and tricalcium phosphate bone graft substitute (two) and demineralized bone matrix (one). The average time from definitive treatment to union was 19 weeks (range, 12-51 weeks). Two of the 11 cases who underwent ORIF revision had medial plates added to improve biomechanical stability and prevent varus collapse. This was also performed in one patient with a grade III open type 33-C3 fracture and one with a closed 33-A2 fracture. Five study patients had comminuted fractures. Two had type 33-A3 and three type 33-C3 fractures. Both patients with 33-A3 fractures and 2 two with 33-C3 fractures had persistent nonunion at the end of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Definitive treatment of distal femur nonunion after initial treatment with a locking plate had a low rate of success in this study, suggesting that this procedure is ineffective as a definitive treatment for distal femur nonunion.