Structured request form in musculoskeletal radiology examinations (CONCERTO): results of an expert Delphi consensus-structured radiology request form for correct classification of patients to undergo radiological examinations of the Italian Society of Medical and Interventional Radiology (SIRM), the Italian Society of Rheumatology (SIR) and the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SIOT).

PURPOSE: To describe a Delphi consensus for the realization of a structured radiology request form for patients undergoing musculoskeletal imaging. METHODS: A steering committee (four radiologists, a rheumatologist and an orthopedic surgeon) proposed a form to an expert panel (30 members, ten radiologists, ten rheumatologists and ten orthopedic surgeons). Through an online survey, the panelists voted on their level of agreement with the statements of the form using a 10-point Likert scale (1: no agreement; 10: total agreement) in a three-round process. A combination of two distinct criteria, a mean agreement level ≥ 8 and a percentage of at least 75% of responses with a value ≥ 8, was deemed as acceptable. RESULTS: The form achieved high median ratings in all the assessed key features. During the first round, all items met the threshold to be advanced as unmodified in the next round. Additional proposed items were considered and introduced in the next round (six items in Section 1, five items in Section 2, ten items in Section 3, 11 items in Section 4, six items in Section 5, eight items in Section 6, ten items in Section 7 and eight items in Section 8). Of these items, in round 3, only six reached the threshold to be integrated into the final form. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of a structured radiology request form can improve appropriateness and collaboration between clinicians and radiologists in musculoskeletal imaging.

Dry eye disease and spondyloarthritis: expanding the spectrum of systemic inflammatory disorders associated with ocular surface disease. Data from the international AIDA Network Spondyloarthritis Registry.

Objective: Dry eye disease (DED) is a condition associated with a myriad of systemic disorders. According to recent preliminary data, axial spondylarthritis (axial-SpA) could represent a new entity associated with DED. Therefore, this study aimed to assess DED in patients with axial SpA by performing quantitative and qualitative specific tests to investigate the potential association between DED and ocular surface damage in patients with axial-SpA and to identify potential variables associated with DED. Methods: A total of 71 patients with axial-SpA who fulfilled the Assessment of SpondyloArthritis International Society (ASAS) classification criteria and 19 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. Both the patients and the controls underwent a complete ocular assessment aimed at evaluating the tear film and ocular surface, which included the Schirmer test, tear break-up time (TBUT), fluorescein staining, and lissamine green staining. The Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was administered to all patients. Results: DED symptoms were reported in 46 (64.8%) patients and three (15.8%) healthy controls (p = 0.0004). The odds ratio for receiving a diagnosis of axial-SpA based on the presence of dry-eye-related symptoms was 9.2 (95% C.I. 2.72-42.52, p = 0.001). The Schirmer test values of < 6 mm/5 min were observed in 31 (43.7%) patients with axial-SpA and two (10.5%) healthy controls (p = 0.013); a TBUT of <5 s was observed in 34 (47.9%) patients with axial-SpA and six (31.6%) healthy controls. The median OSDI score was found to be 22.9 (IQR = 29.35) among the patients with axial-SpA and 0.0 (IQR = 4.69) among the healthy controls (p = 0.009). The fluorescein and lissamine green staining of the ocular surface indicated a significantly higher Oxford Grading Scale in the patients with axial-SpA than in the healthy controls. Conclusion: Patients with axial-SpA often complain of eye dryness, which may be quantified with the self-administered OSDI questionnaire and objectively assessed through the tests commonly used for the diagnosis of DED. Patients suspected of having axial-SpA should routinely be asked about dry eye symptoms and evaluated for potential corneal and conjunctival damage.

Thoracic Diseases: Technique and Applications of Dual-Energy CT.

Dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) is one of the most promising technological innovations made in the field of imaging in recent years. Thanks to its ability to provide quantitative and reproducible data, and to improve radiologists' confidence, especially in the less experienced, its applications are increasing in number and variety. In thoracic diseases, DECT is able to provide well-known benefits, although many recent articles have sought to investigate new perspectives. This narrative review aims to provide the reader with an overview of the applications and advantages of DECT in thoracic diseases, focusing on the most recent innovations. The research process was conducted on the databases of Pubmed and Cochrane. The article is organized according to the anatomical district: the review will focus on pleural, lung parenchymal, breast, mediastinal, lymph nodes, vascular and skeletal applications of DECT. In conclusion, considering the new potential applications and the evidence reported in the latest papers, DECT is progressively entering the daily practice of radiologists, and by reading this simple narrative review, every radiologist will know the state of the art of DECT in thoracic diseases.

Washout-Computed Tomography Discriminates Pulmonary "Fat-poor" Hamartomas From Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Simple Method in the Radiomics Era.

PURPOSE: Pulmonary hamartomas (HAs) and neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) are often impossible to discriminate using high-resolution computed tomography (CT) as they share morphologic features. This challenge makes differential diagnosis crucial as HAs are invariably benign, whereas NENs must be considered malignant, thus requiring them to be evaluated for surgical excision.Our aim was, therefore, to develop a simple method to discriminate between pulmonary "fat-poor" HAs and NENs using contrast-enhanced CT (CECT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 2015 and December 2021, 95 patients with a histologically proven diagnosis of lung NENs (74) and HAs (21) and who underwent a preoperative CECT scan were initially identified through a review of our pathologic and radiologic databases. Among these, 55 cases (18 HAs and 37 NENs), which have been studied with biphasic CECT, were ultimately selected and reviewed by 3 radiologists with different levels of experience, analyzing their morphologic and enhancement features.The enhancement analysis was performed by placing a region of interest within the lesion in noncontrast (NCp), postcontrast (PCp, 55 to 65 s after intravenous contrast injection), and delayed phases (Dp, 180 to 300 s). A subgroup of 35 patients who underwent 18FDG-PET/CT was evaluated in a secondary analysis. RESULTS: HU values were significantly different between NENs and HAs in the PCp ( P <0.001). NCp and Dp attenuation values did not show significant differences in the 2 groups. Differences in values of HUs in PCp and Dp allowed to discriminate between NENs and HAs. CONCLUSION: Wash-out analysis, ΔHU (PCp-Dp), can perfectly discriminate pulmonary "fat-poor" HAs from NENs.

Coming Back to the Basics. Comment on Cangir et al. A CT-Based Radiomic Signature for the Differentiation of Pulmonary Hamartomas from Carcinoid Tumors. Diagnostics 2022, 12, 416.

We read with great interest the article by Cangir et al., "A CT-Based Radiomic Signature for the Differentiation of Pulmonary Hamartomas from Carcinoid Tumors", published on 5 February 2022 [...].

Axial spondyloarthritis in patients with recurrent fever attacks: data from the AIDA network registry for undifferentiated autoInflammatory diseases (USAIDs).

Beckground: Despite the recent advances in the field of autoinflammatory diseases, most patients with recurrent fever episodes do not have any defined diagnosis. The present study aims at describing a cohort of patients suffering from apparently unexplained recurrent fever, in whom non-radiographic axial spondylarthritis (SpA) represented the unique diagnosis identified after a complete clinical and radiologic assessment. Materials and methods: Patients' data were obtained from the international registry on Undifferentiated Systemic AutoInflammatory Diseases (USAIDs) developed by the AutoInflammatory Disease Alliance (AIDA) network. Results: A total of 54 patients with recurrent fever episodes were also affected by non-radiographic axial SpA according to the international classification criteria. SpA was diagnosed after the start of fever episodes in all cases; the mean age at the diagnosis of axial SpA was 39.9 ± 14.8 years with a diagnostic delay of 9.3 years. The highest body temperature reached during flares was 42°C, with a mean temperature of 38.8 ± 1.1°C. The most frequent manifestations associated to fever were: arthralgia in 33 (61.1%) cases, myalgia in 24 (44.4%) cases, arthritis in 22 (40.7%) cases, headache in 15 (27.8%) cases, diarrhea in 14 (25.9%) cases, abdominal pain in 13 (24.1%) cases, and skin rash in 12 (22.1%) cases. Twenty-four (44.4%) patients have taken daily or on-demand non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and 31 (57.4%) patients have been treated with daily or on demand oral glucocorticoids. Colchicine was used in 28 (51.8%) patients, while other conventional disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (cDMARDs) were employed in 28 (51.8%) patients. Forty (74.1%) patients underwent anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) agents and 11 (20.4%) were treated with interleukin (IL)-1 inhibitors. The response to TNF inhibitors on recurrent fever episodes appeared more effective than that observed with anti-IL-1 agents; colchicine and other cDMARDs were more useful when combined with biotechnological agents. Conclusion: Signs and symptoms referring to axial SpA should be inquired in patients with apparently unexplained recurrent fever episodes. The specific treatment for axial SpA may lead to a remarkable improvement in the severity and/or frequency of fever episodes in patients with unexplained fevers and concomitant axial SpA.

Some Concerns from a Radiological Point of View. Comment on Huang et al. Outcomes of Conversion Surgery for Metastatic Gastric Cancer Compared with In-Front Surgery Plus Palliative Chemotherapy or In-Front Surgery Alone. J. Pers. Med. 2022, 12, 555.

We read, with great interest, the article by Huang Ruo-Yi and colleagues entitled "Outcomes of Conversion Surgery for Metastatic Gastric Cancer Compared with In-Front Surgery Plus Palliative Chemotherapy or In-Front Surgery Alone", published on 1 April 2022 [...].

Dual energy CT in gland tumors: a comprehensive narrative review and differential diagnosis.

Dual energy CT (DECT)with image acquisition at two different photon X-ray levels allows the characterization of a specific tissue or material/elements, the extrapolation of virtual unenhanced and monoenergetic images, and the quantification of iodine uptake; such special capabilities make the DECT the perfect technique to support oncological imaging for tumor detection and characterization and treatment monitoring, while concurrently reducing the dose of radiation and iodine and improving the metal artifact reduction. Even though its potential in the field of oncology has not been fully explored yet, DECT is already widely used today thanks to the availability of different CT technologies, such as dual-source, single-source rapid-switching, single-source sequential, single-source twin-beam and dual-layer technologies. Moreover DECT technology represents the future of the imaging innovation and it is subject to ongoing development that increase according its clinical potentiality, in particular in the field of oncology. This review points out recent state-of-the-art in DECT applications in gland tumors, with special focus on its potential uses in the field of oncological imaging of endocrine and exocrine glands.