18F-fluorocholine PET/CT detects parathyroid gland hyperplasia as well as adenoma: 401 PET/CTs in one center.

BACKGROUND: During the past decade, 18F-fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT has been continuously performed at Tenon Hospital (Paris, France) for the detection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands (PT). METHODS: A cohort of 401 patients, deliberately referred for HPT since September 2012, has been analyzed. The aim of this real-life retrospective study was to determine the diagnostic utility of FCH in this setting, overall and in subgroups according to the type of hyperparathyroidism (HPT), the context of FCH in the imaging work-up and in the patient's history: initial imaging or persistence or recurrence after previous parathyroidectomy (PTX). The influence of the histologic type of resected PTs, hyperplasia or adenoma, on the preoperatory detection on FCH PET/CT has been studied as well. RESULTS: Four hundred one FCH PET/CTs were included in the cohort, performed in 323 patients with primary HPT (pHPT), including 18 with familial HPT (fHPT), and in 78 patients with secondary renal HPT (rHPT). The overall positivity rate in the 401 FCH PET/CTs was 73%. The PTX rate was twice greater in patients whose FCH PET/CT was positive than negative (73% vs. 35%). Abnormal PT(s) were pathology proven in 214 patients: only hyperplastic gland(s) in 75 cases and at least one adenoma in 136 cases; FCH PET/CT sensitivity was 89% and 92%, respectively. Similarly, there was no significant difference in patient-based sensitivity whether FCH PET/CT was performed as 1st line or later in the imaging work-up, or indicated for initial imaging or for suspicion of persistent or recurrent HPT. Gland-based sensitivity was significantly lower for hyperplasia than for adenoma (72% and 86%, respectively). The lowest gland-based sensitivity value was 65%, observed in case of hyperplasia and when FCH was performed late in the imaging work-up. FCH PET/CT correctly showed multiglandular HPT (MGD) in 36/61 proven cases, 59%. Results of ultrasonography (US) and 99mTc-sestaMIBI (MIBI) imaging were available in 346 and 178 patients, respectively. For both modalities, the corresponding sensitivity values were significantly less than those of FCH PET/CT (e.g., overall gland-based sensitivity 78% for FCH, 45% for US, 30% for MIBI) and MGD was detected in 32% of cases by US and 15% by MIBI. CONCLUSIONS: Although FCH PET/CT has been performed since 2017 as 1st line imaging for HPT at Tenon Hospital (Paris, France), a large majority of patients underwent prior US and/or MIBI in their preoperative work-up. Therefore, a selection bias is very likely, as most patients referred to FCH PET/CT had non-conclusive or discordant results of US and MIBI, explaining the low performance of those modalities in the present cohort compared to published results. Nevertheless, the superiority of FCH PET/CT over US and MIBI in detecting abnormal PTs reported in various comparative studies is definitely confirmed in this larger real-life cohort. The detection with FCH PET/CT of hyperplastic PTs was somewhat lower than that of adenomas but was better than using US or MIBI. The present results lead to recommend FCH PET/CT as the first line imaging modality in HPT when it is widely available or, if less available, at least in HPT with predominance of hyperplasia and/or MGD.

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 or 4: detection of hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands with 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT. Illustrative cases and pitfalls.

18F-fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT is now well established to detect the hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands (HFPTG) in a case of sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), but only limited evidence is available about the utility of FCH PET/CT to detect the HFPTG in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 1 or 4. The pHPT in this context frequently consists in a multiglandular disease with small hyperplastic glands rather than adenomas, which is challenging for imaging modalities. The data of patients with MEN1 or MEN4 after parathyroidectomy referred to FCH PET/CT for presurgical localization of HFPTG were retrospectively reviewed, including follow-up after parathyroidectomy, in search for diagnostic performance and for potential pitfalls. In the present cohort, 16 patients referred to FCH PET/CT as part of their initial pHPT work-up were subsequently operated, 44 abnormal parathyroid glands (PT) were resected, of which 32 (73%) had been detected on FCH PET/CT and 2 considered as equivocal foci. Nine patients referred to FCH PET/CT for recurrent pHPT who were subsequently operated, 14 abnormal PT were resected, all had been detected on FCH PET/CT. FCH PET/CT permitted a unilateral approach for PTx in 4 of them. In one patient with MEN4 and pHPT, the HFPTG could not be visualized on FCH PET/CT but was localized by ultrasonography. Several causes of false positive or false negative results, incidental finding and pitfalls are listed and discussed. FCH PET/CT has a positive benefit/risk ratio in the detection of HFPTG in case of MEN1 (the data in MEN4 being currently very limited) with the most effective detection rate of current imaging modalities for HFPTG, few pitfalls, and an adequate impact on patient management compared to sesta MIBI SPECT and ultrasonography.

Impact of sodium 18F-fluoride PET/CT, 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT and whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI on the management of patients with prostate cancer suspicious for metastasis: a prospective multicentre study.

PURPOSE: To compare the impact of 18F-sodium-fluoride (NaF) PET/CT, 18F-fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT and diffusion-weighted whole-body MRI (DW-MRI) on the management of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) suspicious for distant metastasis. METHODS: Prostate cancer patients were prospectively included between December 2011 and August 2014 and benefited from these three whole-body imaging (WBI) modalities within 1 month in addition to the standard PCa workup. Management was prospectively decided by clinicians during two multidisciplinary meetings, before and after the whole-body imaging workup. Rates of induced changes of whole-body imaging modalities were compared by Cochran's Q test. RESULTS: One-hundred-one patients (27 at staging, 59 at first biochemical recurrence (BCR) and 15 at first episode of rising serum level of prostate-specific antigen during androgen-deprivation therapy) were included. The overall rate of management changes was 52%: 29% as a consequence of WBI, higher for FCH-PET/CT than for NaF-PET/CT or DW-MRI (p < 0.0001) and highest (41%) for FCH-PET/CT at BCR. Actual management was adequate in all patients but two. CONCLUSIONS: Whole-body imaging induced a change in management in approximately a third of PCa patients suspicious for metastasis. The impact rate was determined to be greatest at first BCR using FCH-PET/CT. NaF-PET/CT and DW-MRI seemed less useful in this context.

"Reinnervated Serratus free flap, for a functional outcome in tongue reconstruction: a surgical technique video".

The current benchmark for tongue reconstruction following the excision of locally advanced tumors involves the utilization of free skin or fasciocutaneous flaps, such as anterolateral thigh flap or forearm free flap. They facilitate the volumetric reconstruction of the tongue, leveraging passive mobility from the remaining native tongue tissue. The challenge in tongue reconstruction surgery persists in achieving functional restoration through adequate volume and optimized mobility, using tissue that is both adapted and comparable to native tissue. While the free serratus muscle flap has been described for various indications, its application in tongue reconstructions remains underexploited. Specifically, in cases of locally advanced tumors affecting the mobile tongue, typically within the junctional area and without extension to the floor of the mouth nor to the tip of the tongue, the serratus free flap has shown great results. Reinnervation of the flap is achieved connecting the thoracodorsal nerve to the descending branch of the XII nerve. This technique facilitates functional tongue reconstruction, promoting rapid mucosal epithelialization and reinnervation, which, in turn, preserves muscle volume and sustains adequate trophicity without fibrosis. Regarding these considerations, the pure muscle serratus free flap emerges as a valuable and effective alternative in tongue reconstruction. Notably, there is a dearth of step-by-step operative technique descriptions for this indication in the existing literature. We present a video demonstrating the surgical technique, showcasing procedures as performed at Tenon Hospital (Paris, France).

18F-Fluorocholine-Positron Emission Tomography/Computerized Tomography (FCH PET/CT) Imaging for Detecting Abnormal Parathyroid Glands: Indication, Practice, Interpretation and Diagnostic Performance.

In patients with confirmed hyperparathyroidism (HPT) scheduled for surgical treatment, the preoperatory imaging permits to optimize the operatory protocol of parathyroidectomy (PTX), in particular by selecting those patients who can benefit from minimally invasive PTX (MIPTX). The MIPTX has the merit to shorten the operative time, incision length, and to reduce the operatory risks. With preoperative localization studies, the rate of PTX failure, in particular due to nonsuspected multiglandular or ectopic disease, has been profoundly decreased. The first cases of incidental localization of abnormal parathyroid glands (PTs) on FCH PET/CTs performed for another indication were reported more than one decade ago. Since then, significant amount of data from heterogeneous series of patients consistently confirmed better diagnostic performances of FCH PET/CT (sensitivity for detection of abnormal PT 97%, range 96%-98%) in comparison with other radiopharmaceuticals, ultrasonography or 4D-CeCT in localizing hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands (HFPTGs) in case of primary HPT. Utility of FCH PET/CT in case of renal HPT has been reported in fewer series. The article discusses and summarizes the bibliographic evidence on documented indications of FCH PET/CT in patients with HPT, its safety profile, the practice of FCH PET/CT and interpretation of FCH PET/CT findings, including potential interpretation pitfalls and tips to avoid them. Our real-world experience over 12 years reinforces published evidence supporting the use of FCH PET/CT as the first-line radionuclide imaging technique in patients with all types of HPT in whom surgery is an option.

The Presence of an Arteria Lusoria Should Be Checked When Reporting 18 F-FCH PET/CT Performed to Localize Hyperfunctioning Parathyroid Glands.

ABSTRACT: Nonrecurrent inferior laryngeal nerve (NRILN) is a rare anatomical variant, which significantly increases the risk of nerve injury during neck surgery, for example, thyroidectomy or parathyroidectomy (PTX). The absence of the brachiocephalic trunk and presence of arteria lusoria (AL) are strong predictors of NRILN in the right neck. FCH PET/CT is now a recognized imaging modality in hyperparathyroidism (HPT). We report 2 patients with primary or renal HPT in whom FCH PET detected right HFPTs and low-dose noncontrast CT evidenced AL. The NRILN was thus preserved during PTX. We recommend searching for AL on FCH PET/CT (even low-dose) in HPT before PTX.

Percutaneous Radiofrequency Ablation of Thyroid Carcinomas Ineligible for Surgery, in the Elderly.

Thirty to 50% of differentiated thyroid carcinomas include papillary thyroid microcarcinomas (mPTC). Most of these tumors remain clinically silent, have a bright prognosis and a disease-specific mortality <1%. Surgery has been recommended as first line-treatment by current guidelines, the standard treatment being lobectomy. However, surgery has some drawbacks, including potential recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, hypothyroidism, hypoparathyroidism, in -patient basis hospital stay, lifelong medication, scarring of the neck, and general anesthesia related risks. Moreover, elderly patients who present severe comorbidities, could be ineligible for surgery, and others may refuse invasive surgery. Another option supported by the American Thyroid Association is active surveillance. This option can be considered as unattractive and difficult to accept by European patients, as there is a 2-6% risk of disease progression. Percutaneous image-guided thermal ablation has been successfully applied in the treatment of liver and lung tumors in the 1990s and 2000s; and has recently been proposed as an alternative to surgery in patients presenting with thyroid diseases. This minimally invasive treatment has similar efficacy, fewer complications, better quality of life and cosmetic outcomes than surgery. We report herein two cases of radiofrequency ablation of mPTC and T2 PTC in elderly patients who were ineligible for surgery.

Pulmonary artery occlusion with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer in patients with hemoptysis: initial experience in 12 cases.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficacy of pulmonary artery occlusion with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer in patients with hemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the cases of 12 consecutively registered patients (10 men, two women; age range, 21-83 years; mean, 54.5 years) who were treated for hemoptysis by pulmonary artery occlusion with ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer. The indications, immediate hemoptysis control, and clinical tolerability were analyzed. RESULTS: The underlying diseases were necrotizing pneumonia in four patients, necrotizing aspergillosis in one patient, complex aspergilloma in two patients, active tuberculosis in two patients, lung cancer in two patients, and Behçet disease in one patient. Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer was used alone in nine patients and with steel coils in three patients. The main indications were a small-necked pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in five patients, necrotic process in four patients, presence of systemic reperfusion of a pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm in one patient, absolute necessity for anticoagulation therapy in one patient, and need to complete pulmonary artery aneurysm sac occlusion in one patient. The injection procedure was well tolerated. Hemoptysis of pulmonary arterial origin was controlled in all but one patient, who had progression of the infectious disease and underwent surgery. In two patients, hemoptysis recurred from systemic arteries and was treated with embolization of the systemic arteries in one patient and surgery in the other patient. CONCLUSION: Ethylene vinyl alcohol copolymer embolization for hemoptysis of pulmonary arterial origin is feasible and efficacious. Use of this embolization agent is beneficial in patients with pulmonary artery injuries, especially those with small-necked lesions.

Candidal abscess of the parotid gland due to Candida glabrata: report of a case and literature review.

We report the case of an immunocompetent woman who developed a Candida glabrata abscess of the parotid gland and present a review of similar cases from the literature. Diagnosis was based on the isolation of C. glabrata in pure culture from the abscess pus. Examination of stained smears of the same material demonstrated small sized yeast cells, some being intra-macrophagic. Combination of a local drainage and oral fluconazole proved to be an efficient therapeutic strategy. Candidal abscesses are rare in immunocompetent patients and salivary gland localization has only been reported in five cases.

Role of MDCT in identification of the bleeding site and the vessels causing hemoptysis.

OBJECTIVE: MDCT has improved the management of hemoptysis by providing more precise depiction of bronchial and nonbronchial systemic arteries than conventional CT. The purpose of this article is to review the role of MDCT in the identification of the bleeding site and the vessels causing hemoptysis. CONCLUSION: Identification of the origin of the involved systemic arteries (bronchial and nonbronchial) or involved pulmonary artery on MDCT enables the interventional radiologist to treat them, especially in elderly patients with a tortuous aorta and atheroma.

BRAF V600E detection in cytological thyroid samples: A key component of the decision tree for surgical treatment of papillary thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Whether preoperative knowledge of the BRAF mutation status would help to determine the extent of surgery for thyroid nodules is still under investigation. METHODS: We developed a method to state the V600E mutation before surgery on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) stained smears checked to contain tumor cells. We evaluated the interest of the preoperative assessment of the mutation for surgical strategy of nodules, diagnosed as malignant, suspicious for malignancy or follicular neoplasms. RESULTS: The mutation was found in 81% (79 of 97) malignant, 59% (20 of 34) suspicious nodules, and in none of follicular neoplasms (n = 29). Overall, the mutation was detected in 82% of papillary carcinomas. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for the diagnosis of malignancy were 75%, 100%, 100%, and 46%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The preoperative knowledge of the V600E mutation status is fundamental to plan total thyroidectomy with certainty and should be part of the decision tree for the management of thyroid nodules. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1017-1021, 2016.

Usefulness of combination of high-resolution ultrasonography and dual-phase dual-isotope iodine 123/technetium Tc 99m sestamibi scintigraphy for the preoperative localization of hyperplastic parathyroid glands in renal hyperparathyroidism.

BACKGROUND: The usefulness of both dual-phase dual-isotope iodine 123 ( 123 I)/technetium Tc 99m ( 99m Tc) sestamibi scintigraphy and ultrasonography for the detection of hyperplastic parathyroid glands secondary to renal hyperparathyroidism is rarely addressed; most studies focus on primary hyperparathyroidism. However, it may be crucial to identify and accurately localize hyperplastic glands before surgery. METHODS: To study the usefulness of high-resolution ultrasonography (performed by both the radiologist and surgeon) and dual-phase dual-isotope 123 I/ 99m Tc sestamibi scintigraphy in patients with renal hyperparathyroidism, a series of 20 patients consecutively referred for parathyroidectomy was studied prospectively. Results of both examinations, independently scored, were correlated with surgical and histopathologic findings for each hyperplastic parathyroid gland localization. RESULTS: All parathyroid glands except 1 were found during primary surgery consisting of a subtotal parathyroidectomy (success rate, 99%). The missed gland was removed successfully 1 month later. Neither supernumerary nor ectopic glands were found. Mean weight of totally removed parathyroid glands was 633 mg. Ultrasonography detected 75% of hyperplastic parathyroid glands; dual-phase 123 I/ 99m Tc sestamibi scintigraphy, 66%; and a combination of both, 88%. Most missed glands at scintigraphy corresponded to superior glands, whereas false-negative results at ultrasonography correlated with low gland weight. CONCLUSION: Combined ultrasonography and 123 I/ 99m Tc sestamibi scintigraphy should be considered for routine use to localize hyperplastic parathyroid glands in patients with renal hyperparathyroidism undergoing surgery. We suggest performing scintigraphy first, before ultrasonography, to guide the radiologist to areas of hyperfunctioning glands. In our experience, this proved very helpful in achieving a high surgical success rate in patients with renal hyperparathyroidism, especially when the surgeon visualizes the parathyroid glands at ultrasonography.

A Pilot Comparison of 18F-fluorocholine PET/CT, Ultrasonography and 123I/99mTc-sestaMIBI Dual-Phase Dual-Isotope Scintigraphy in the Preoperative Localization of Hyperfunctioning Parathyroid Glands in Primary or Secondary Hyperparathyroidism: Influence of Thyroid Anomalies.

We compared (18)F-fluorocholine hybrid positron emission tomography/X-ray computed tomography (FCH-PET/CT) with ultrasonography (US) and scintigraphy in patients with hyperparathyroidism and discordant, or equivocal results of US and (123)I/(99m)Tc-sesta-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (sestaMIBI) dual-phase parathyroid scintigraphy. FCH-PET/CT was performed in 17 patients with primary (n = 11) lithium induced (n = 1) or secondary hyperparathyroidism (1 dialyzed, 4 renal-transplanted).The reference standard was based on results of surgical exploration and histopathological examination. The results of imaging modalities were evaluated, on site and by masked reading, on per-patient and per-lesion bases.In a first approach, equivocal images/foci were considered as negative. On a per-patient level, the sensitivity was for US 38%, for scintigraphy 69% by open and 94% by masked reading, and for FCH-PET/CT 88% by open and 94% by masked reading. On a per-lesion level, sensitivity was for US 42%, for scintigraphy 58% by open and 83% by masked reading, and for FCH-PET/CT 88% by open and 96% by masked reading. One ectopic adenoma was missed by the 3 imaging modalities. Considering equivocal images/foci as positive increased the accuracy of the open reading of scintigraphy or of FCH-PET/CT, but not of US. FCH-PET/CT was significantly superior to US in all approaches, whereas it was more sensitive than scintigraphy only for open reading considering equivocal images/foci as negative (P = 0.04). FCH uptake was more intense in adenomas than in hyperplastic parathyroid glands. Thyroid lesions were suspected in 9 patients. They may induce false-positive results as in one case of oncocytic thyroid adenoma, or false-negative results as in one case of intrathyroidal parathyroid adenoma. Thyroid cancer (4 cases) can be visualized with FCH as with (99m)Tc-sestaMIBI, but the intensity of uptake was moderate, similar to that of parathyroid hyperplasia.This pilot study confirmed that FCH-PET/CT is an adequate imaging tool in patients with primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism, since both adenomas and hyperplastic parathyroid glands can be detected. The sensitivity of FCH-PET/CT was better than that of US and was not inferior to that of dual-phase dual-isotope (123)I/(99m)Tc-scintigraphy. Further studies should evaluate whether FCH could replace (99m)Tc-sestaMIBI as the functional agent for parathyroid imaging, but US would still be useful to identify thyroid lesions.

Fluorodeoxyglucose imaging using a coincidence gamma camera to detect head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and response to chemotherapy.

This prospective study was performed to evaluate the ability of a dual-head gamma camera with fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose coincidence detection emission tomography (FDG-CDET) to detect primary tumor and cervical lymph nodes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), and to show the response of the carcinoma to chemotherapy. The findings were compared with those of physical examination, computed tomography (CT), and histopathology, before treatment in 61 patients, and after induction chemotherapy in 34 of them. Before treatment, the primary was detected in 93%, 79%, and 95% of cases on panendoscopy, CT, and FDG-CDET, respectively. After chemotherapy, 34 patients were evaluable for response of the primary tumor. Surgical resection was performed in 23 of them: agreement with histopathologic results for response to treatment was 74%, 69%, and 78% for panendoscopy, CT, and FDG-CDET, respectively. No surgical resection was performed in 11 of the 34 patients, but biopsies were performed before radiotherapy, and their rates of agreement with histopathologic results for response to treatment were 75%, 75%, and 67% on panendoscopy, CT, and FDG-CDET, respectively. For cervical lymph nodes, 245 sites were resected in 41 patients, and FDG-CDET appeared competitive with CT in detecting metastatic neck disease, especially after neoadjuvant chemotherapy; the accuracy was 93%. These results demonstrated the ability of FDG-CDET to detect primary tumors and cervical lymph nodes in HNSCC and to show its response to chemotherapy, as compared to the ability of CT and panendoscopy. It may be a complementary tool to evaluate residual disease after induction chemotherapy, although higher sensitivity would be required for FDG-CDET to be considered as a staging modality.

New aetiology of patellofemoral pain syndrome.

We report the case of a 30-year-old man with more than 100 different male sexual partners per year. He reported using cocaine, ecstasy, γ-hydroxybutyric acid and crystal mephedrone and presented with bilateral gonalgia resistant to standard analgesia. He had no noteworthy medical history, and physical examination and laboratory tests were uninformative. MRI showed marked intra-articular effusion but no meniscus or ligament damage. The aetiological diagnosis in this case was made by excluding other potential causes. Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) is one of the most common and challenging injuries. In this first case reported, the aetiology was found to be mechanical, due to the position adopted during fellatio with multiple male partners.

Is 18F-fluorocholine-positron emission tomography/computerized tomography a new imaging tool for detecting hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands in primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism?

CONTEXT: Preoperative ultrasonography and scintigraphy using (99m)Tc-sestamibi are commonly used to localize abnormal parathyroid glands. In cases of discrepant results between scintigraphy and ultrasonography, it is important to rely on another diagnostic imaging modality. (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and (11)C-methionine positron emission tomography (PET) have been studied, but are imperfect to detect abnormal parathyroid glands. Recently, first cases of abnormal parathyroid glands taking-up radiolabelled choline were discovered incidentally in men referred to (11)C-choline or (18)F-fluorocholine (FCH)-PET/CT for prostate cancer. We checked if FCH uptake was a general feature of adenomatous or hyperplastic parathyroid glands. METHODS: FCH-PET/CT was performed in 12 patients with primary (n = 8) or secondary hyperparathyroidism (1 dialyzed, 3 grafted) and with discordant or equivocal results on preoperative ultrasonography (US) and/or (123)I/(99m)Tc-sestamibi dual-phase scintigraphy. The results of the FCH-PET/CT were evaluated, with surgical exploration and histopathologic examination as the standard of truth. RESULTS: On a per-patient level, the detection rate of FCH-PET/CT (at least one FCH focus corresponding to an abnormal parathyroid gland in a given patient) was 11/12 = 92%. FCH-PET/CT detected 18 foci interpreted as parathyroid glands and correctly localized 17 abnormal parathyroid glands (7 adenomas and 10 hyperplasias). On a per-lesion level, FCH-PET/CT results were 17 TP, 2 false negative ie, a lesion-based sensitivity of 89%, and 1 false positive. CONCLUSION: As the main result of this pilot study, we show that in patients with hyperparathyroidism and with discordant or equivocal results on scintigraphy or on ultrasonography, adenomatous or hyperplastic parathyroid glands can be localized by FCH-PET/CT with good accuracy. Furthermore, FCH-PET/CT can solve discrepant results between preoperative ultrasonography and scintigraphy and has thus a potential as a functional imaging modality in the detection of abnormal parathyroid glands. Our preliminary results are encouraging and prompt us to further evaluate FCH-PET/CT as a functional imaging agent in patients with biochemical hyperparathyroidism.

Whole-body 18F-fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT and MRI of the spine for monitoring patients with castration-resistant prostate cancer metastatic to bone: a pilot study.

INTRODUCTION: Several treatments are proposed for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) at the metastatic stage. Monitoring of response using serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels (sPSA) can be insufficient at this stage. Imaging has been proposed, in particular, nuclear medicine functional imaging and MRI, since response of predominant bone metastases is hardly evaluable on CT. Our aim was to evaluate in patients with CRPC with bone metastases, before and after various treatment lines, the evolution of sPSA, whole-body 18F-fluorocholine (FCH) PET/CT and spine MRI (sMRI) that has been proposed for detection of imminent malignant spinal cord compression. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively gathered a pilot series of 10 patients with CRPC metastatic to bone who had 47 PSA assays, FCH PET/CT, and spine-MRI (sMRI) performed concomitantly as routine examinations, before the beginning and at the end of 37 therapeutic intervals (TIs). Blinded reading of FCH PET/CT and sMRI was performed to evaluate visually whether or not the disease has been progressing (new lesions, greater size, or greater uptake intensity of known lesions) between the initial and the final examination of each TI. RESULTS: Visual interpretations limited to spine FCH (sFCH) PET/CT and sMRI were in accordance for 34 TIs (92%): 14 progressions and 20 nonprogressions. In 2 cases, sFCH did not detect lesions visible on sMRI: one epiduritis and one 6-mm lesion. In 1 case, MRI missed a lesion in the sacrum that was detected on sFCH. When whole-body FCH (wbFCH) PET/CT was taken into account, the agreement with sMRI was limited to 29 TIs (78%). The 8 discrepant cases were all wbFCH positive and sMRI negative, that is, a significantly higher frequency of positivity for wbFCH (P < 0.008). Serum PSA levels increased by more than 25% during 21 TIs, whereas no progression was visible in 8 TIs on sMRI and in 2 TIs on wbFCH. In 5 TIs, sPSA decreased by more than 50%, and progression was never detected on imaging. CONCLUSION: In detecting progression in patients with CRPC metastatic to bone, results of spine imaging with sMRI and sFCH PET/CT were highly correlated, whereas wbFCH PET/CT showed significantly more progression statues comparing to sMRI alone related to the exploration of other parts of the skeleton and of soft tissue.

Imaging of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

This pictorial review is based on our experience of the follow-up of 120 patients at our multidisciplinary center for hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Rendu-Osler-Weber disease or HHT is a multiorgan autosomal dominant disorder with high penetrance, characterized by epistaxis, mucocutaneous telangiectasis, and visceral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The research on gene mutations is fundamental and family screening by clinical examination, chest X-ray, research of pulmonary shunting, and abdominal color Doppler sonography is absolutely necessary. The angioarchitecture of pulmonary AVMs can be studied by unenhanced multidetector computed tomography; however, all other explorations of liver, digestive bowels, or brain require administration of contrast media. Magnetic resonance angiography is helpful for central nervous system screening, in particular for the spinal cord, but also for pulmonary, hepatic, and pelvic AVMs. Knowledge of the multiorgan involvement of HHT, mechanism of complications, and radiologic findings is fundamental for the correct management of these patients.

A report of unusual crossed fused renal ectopia and minimal invasive management of calculi.

Crossed renal ectopias with fusion are rare anomalies of the kidney. Urinary upper tract anatomy is modified and urinary stones may occur. We report such a case, with precise anatomical description of the kidneys and the successful management of a stone with minimal invasive techniques.