Severe non-cardiovascular thoracic trauma: diagnostic clues on computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: About 60% of multiple trauma patients have thoracic trauma, and thoracic trauma results in the death of 10% of these patients. Computed tomography (CT) is the most sensitive and specific imaging modality for the diagnosis of acute disease, and it helps in the management and prognostic evaluation of patients with high-impact trauma. This paper aims to show the practical points that are key for diagnosing severe non-cardiovascular thoracic trauma by CT. CONCLUSION: Knowing the key features of severe acute thoracic trauma on CT is crucial to avoid diagnostic errors. Radiologists play a fundamental role in the accurate early diagnosis of severe non-cardiovascular thoracic trauma, because the patient's management and outcome will depend largely on the imaging findings.

Challenges of Radiology education in the era of artificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that is generating great expectations in medicine and particularly in radiology. Artificial intelligence will change not only the way we practice our profession, but also the way we teach it and learn it. Although the advent of artificial intelligence has led some to question whether it is necessary to continue training radiologists, there seems to be a consensus in the recent scientific literature that we should continue to train radiologists and that we should teach future radiologists about artificial intelligence and how to exploit it. The acquisition of competency in artificial intelligence should start in medical school, be consolidated in residency programs, and be maintained and updated during continuing medical education. This article aims to describe some of the challenges that artificial intelligencve can pose in the different stages of training in radiology, from medical school through continuing medical education.

Challenges of Radiology education in the era of artificial intelligence. / Retos de la formación en radiología en la era de la inteligencia artificial.

Artificial intelligence is a branch of computer science that is generating great expectations in medicine and particularly in radiology. Artificial intelligence will change not only the way we practice our profession, but also the way we teach it and learn it. Although the advent of artificial intelligence has led some to question whether it is necessary to continue training radiologists, there seems to be a consensus in the recent scientific literature that we should continue to train radiologists and that we should teach future radiologists about artificial intelligence and how to exploit it. The acquisition of competency in artificial intelligence should start in medical school, be consolidated in residency programs, and be maintained and updated during continuing medical education. This article aims to describe some of the challenges that artificial intelligencve can pose in the different stages of training in radiology, from medical school through continuing medical education.

Radiological management and follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients. / Manejo y seguimiento radiológico del paciente post-COVID-19.

Most of the patients who overcome the SARS-CoV-2 infection do not present complications and do not require a specific follow-up, but a significant proportion (especially those with moderate / severe clinical forms of the disease) require clinicalradiological follow-up. Although there are hardly any references or clinical guidelines regarding the long-term follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients, radiological exams are being performed and monographic surveillance consultations are being set up in most of the hospitals to meet their needs. The purpose of this work is to share our experience in the management of the post-COVID-19 patient in two institutions thathave had a high incidence of COVID-19 and to propose general follow-uprecommendations from a clinical and radiological perspective.

Sarcoidosis-like reactions in cancer patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors: experience in a Spanish hospital.

BACKGROUND: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have been associated with several immune-related adverse events, including sarcoidosis-like reactions (SLR). SLR, which has a low prevalence but an increasing incidence, is similar to sarcoidosis in terms of histology, and clinical and radiological manifestations. The most commonly affected organs are hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes and skin. SLR is an exclusion diagnosis, so a lymph node biopsy can be useful to distinguish between tumor progression and SLR, particularly in tumors in which nodal involvement is very common. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of SLR in all cancer patients receiving ICIs in our institution between January 2016 and June 2020. RESULTS: Among the 1063 treated patients, seven experienced SLR, four of whom were symptomatic (cough, skin lesions, arthralgia), with time to onset ranging from 1.5 to 6.7 months after ICI initiation. All seven patients had bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy, and granulomatous reactions in five of the six patients with lymph node biopsies. SLR improved in all patients, including four patients who continued with ICI. Three patients received corticosteroids and/or stopped ICI therapy. Four of these patients had partial responses at the time SLR was identified. CONCLUSION: Management of SLR lacks a consensus recommendation, although corticosteroids and/or stopping the ICI are generally implemented. The potential consequences of stopping anticancer treatment should be taken into consideration, particularly in the absence of clear management recommendations.

[Radiological management and follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients]. / Manejo y seguimiento radiológico del paciente post-COVID-19.

Most of the patients who overcome the SARS-CoV-2 infection do not present complications and do not require a specific follow-up, but a significant proportion (especially those with moderate / severe clinical forms of the disease) require clinicalradiological follow-up. Although there are hardly any references or clinical guidelines regarding the long-term follow-up of post-COVID-19 patients, radiological exams are being performed and monographic surveillance consultations are being set up in most of the hospitals to meet their needs. The purpose of this work is to share our experience in the management of the post-COVID-19 patient in two institutions thathave had a high incidence of COVID-19 and to propose general follow-uprecommendations from a clinical and radiological perspective.

Oncologic thoracic emergencies of patients with lung cancer. / Emergencias oncológicas torácicas del paciente con cáncer de pulmón.

Patients with lung cancer are the type of cancer patient who are most often admitted to emergency departments due to disease-related complications. An oncologic emergency is defined as any acute event in a patient with cancer that develops directly or indirectly from the tumour and that threatens the patient's life. Oncologic emergencies are divided into metabolic, haematologic and structural emergencies. In this article, we address the main structural thoracic complications of patients with lung cancer, in which imaging tests play an essential role in their diagnosis. The main oncologic thoracic emergencies of lung cancer are airway obstruction, superior vena cava syndrome, acute pulmonary thromboembolism, pericardial tamponade, massive haemoptysis, spinal cord compression and pleural effusion. Oncologic emergencies are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with lung cancer. Emergency department physicians play a fundamental role in the early detection of these emergencies. The knowledge and correct identification of the main oncologic thoracic emergencies of patients with lung cancer therefore enable optimal diagnostic and therapeutic management.

[PET/CT: protocol aspects and legal controversies]. / PET/TC: aspectos de protocolo y controversias legales.

The combination of positron emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) in a single scanner (PET/CT) allows anatomic and metabolic images to be fused and correlated with a high degree of accuracy; this represents a very important landmark in the history of medicine and especially in the area of diagnostic imaging. Nevertheless, the implementation, startup, and operation of a PET/CT scanner presents particularly interesting challenges, because it involves the integration of two well-established and consolidated techniques (CT and PET, which provide complementary information) that have traditionally been carried out in the context of two different specialties (radiology and nuclear medicine). The rapid diffusion of this new integrated technology raises a series of questions related to the optimal protocols for image acquisition, the supervision of the examinations, image interpretation, and reporting, as well as questions related to the legal competence and responsibility of the specialists involved in a PET/CT study. The objective of this article is to approach these aspects from a constructive perspective and to stimulate the dialog between the specialties of radiology and nuclear medicine, with the aim of maximizing the diagnostic potential of PET/CT and thus of providing better care for patients.

[Positron-emission tomography/computed tomography: artifacts and pitfalls in cancer patients]. / Tomografía por emisión de positrones/tomografía computarizada: artefactos y pitfalls en pacientes con cáncer.

Diagnostic accuracy and correct initial staging (or restaging) are fundamental in the management of oncological patients and can directly influence therapeutic decisions. The combination of positron-emission tomography (PET) and computed tomography (CT) in a single scanner (PET/TC) represents an important achievement in the fields of oncology, nuclear medicine, and radiology. These scanners allow morphologic images (obtained by CT) to be fused and correlated with metabolic images (obtained by PET) to a high degree of accuracy. In addition to an understanding of the physiopathology of cancer and the behavior of the different types of neoplasms, the correct interpretation of PET/CT images requires in-depth knowledge of the physiological distribution of the F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose molecule (FDG, currently the most widely used marker in oncology), of the frequent physiological variations in its distribution, and of the possible causes of non-malignant pathological FDG uptake. Furthermore, the use of CT data to correct attenuation and reconstruct PET images in PET/CT scanners can generate some characteristic artifacts specific to this new diagnostic tool, and these can lead to misinterpretation with potential therapeutic implications. This article reviews and illustrates some of the most common artifacts and pitfalls that can appear in PET/CT studies. The detection and correct interpretation of these findings are essential for the appropriate management of oncologic patients.