Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography and tumor size assessment: a valuable tool for appropriate surgical management of breast lesions.

PURPOSE: To compare the accuracy of Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography (CESM), MG, US, and breast MRI in estimating the size of breast lesions requiring surgery. The postoperative histology size of the lesion was used as the gold standard. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred thirty-three non-benign lesions in 189 patients were included in the analyses. All the selected patients underwent CESM and at least one other conventional diagnostic exam (US, MG, or MRI). Subsequently, all the patients underwent surgery preceded by cytological/histological examination. The largest diameter of the lesion at imaging was measured by a radiologist with more than 10 years' experience and then compared with the size of the lesion in the histological sample at the surgery (gold standard). RESULTS: Among the 233 breast lesions, 196 were evaluated with US, 206 with MG and 160 with MRI. We found no statistically significant differences between size measurements using CESM and MRI compared with the measurements at the surgery (p value 0.63 and 0.51), whereas a significant difference was found for MG and US (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: CESM is a reliable method for estimating the size of breast lesions: its performance seems superior to US and MG and comparable to MRI.

The multiplanar analysis of the retromandibular vein in surgical planning for parotid gland tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effectiveness of the multiplanar analysis of the retromandibular vein in establishing the position of the parotid gland tumor and its relationship with the facial nerve, together with the most common radiological criteria (facial nerve line, Utrecht line, retromandibular vein and parapharyngeal space variations) using the magnetic resonance imaging. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study SETTING: Tertiary Academic Hospital SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 128 preoperative magnetic resonances were analyzed to study preoperative tumor location (medial or lateral to the expected course of the facial nerve) based on comparison between the radiological criteria and the surgical findings. RESULTS: FN line had the lowest accuracy at 77%, whereas the retromandibular vein achieved 85% accuracy and the UT line achieved accuracy of 93%. The retromandibular vein could not be identified in 11 cases (9%). The multiplanar evaluation of the retromandibular vein allowed us to identify it on almost all MR images (99% of cases) and reach 87% of accuracy. The parapharyngeal space evaluation achieved 92% of accuracy. In the subgroup of 66 cases where the neoplasms were strictly related to the main trunk, where the surgery entailed manipulation if situated laterally to the tumor, the multiplanar evaluation of the retromandibular vein reached 98% of accuracy and UT line achieved 94%. CONCLUSIONS: The multiplanar modality, combined with the evaluation of the parapharyngeal space, is effective in helping the surgeon to achieve accurate planning: it enables the tumor to be located and the facial nerve course predicted with a good precision.

Non-contrast MRI and post-mastectomy silicone breast implant rupture: preventing false positive diagnoses.

BACKGROUND: Breast implants are not lifelong, with implant rupture being the third leading cause of revisional surgery in augmented women. Noncontrast MRI is a reliable tool to assess implant integrity; however, false positive and false negative diagnoses have been reported due to an incorrect interpretation of MRI signs. This study aims to investigate the incidence of these misleading results, comparing MRI findings with intraoperative surgical observations and exploring signs of nonunivocal interpretation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between March 2019 and October 2022, our hospital, a referral center for breast cancer care, conducted 139 breast MRI examinations to evaluate implant integrity. Surgical intervention was deemed necessary for patients diagnosed with suspected or confirmed implant rupture at MRI. Those patients who did not undergo any surgical procedure (63 cases) or had surgery at different institutes (11 cases) were excluded. RESULTS: Among the 65 patients who underwent preoperative MRI and subsequent surgery at our institute, surgical findings confirmed the preoperative MRI diagnosis in 48 women. Notably, 17 women exhibited a discordance between MRI and surgical findings: three false negatives, 11 false positives and three possible ruptures not confirmed. Signs of nonunivocal or misleading interpretation were assessed on a patient-by-patient basis. The importance of obtaining detailed information about a patient's breast implant, including fill materials, number of lumens, manufacturer and shape, proved immensely beneficial for interpreting MRI signs accurately. CONCLUSION: Pre-MRI knowledge of implant details and a meticulous evaluation of non-univocal signs can aid radiologists in accurately assessing implant integrity, reducing the risk of unnecessary revisional surgeries, and potentially averting allegations of medical malpractice.

Contrast-enhanced mammography BI-RADS: a case-based approach to radiology reporting.

Contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) is a relatively recent diagnostic technique increasingly being utilized in clinical practice. Until recently, there was a lack of standardized reporting for CEM findings. However, this has changed with the publication of a supplement in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). A comprehensive understanding of CEM is essential for further enhancing its role in both screening and managing patients with breast malignancies. CEM can also be beneficial for problem-solving, improving the management of uncertain breast findings. Practitioners in this field should become more cognizant of how and when to employ this technique and interpret the various CEM findings. This paper aims to outline the key findings in the updated version of the BI-RADS specifically dedicated to CEM. Additionally, it will present some clinical cases commonly encountered in clinical practice.Critical relevance statement Standardized reporting and a thorough understanding of CEM findings are pivotal for advancing the role of CEM in screening and managing breast cancer patients. This standardization contributes significantly to integrating CEM as an essential component of daily clinical practice.Key points • A complete knowledge and understanding of the findings outlined in the new BI-RADS CEM are necessary for accurate reporting.• BI-RADS CEM supplement is intuitive and practical to use.• Standardization of the CEM findings enables more accurate patient management.

An Unenhanced Breast MRI Protocol Based on Diffusion-Weighted Imaging: A Retrospective Single-Center Study on High-Risk Population for Breast Cancer.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the use of contrast-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as an innovative screening method for detecting breast cancer in high-risk asymptomatic women. Specifically, the researchers evaluated the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in this population. METHODS: MR images from asymptomatic women, carriers of a germline mutation in either the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene, collected in a single center from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. A radiologist with experience in breast imaging (R1) and a radiology resident (R2) independently evaluated DWI/ADC maps and, in case of doubts, T2-WI. The standard of reference was the pathological diagnosis through biopsy or surgery, or ≥1 year of clinical and radiological follow-up. Diagnostic performances were calculated for both readers with a 95% confidence interval (CI). The agreement was assessed using Cohen's kappa (κ) statistics. RESULTS: Out of 313 women, 145 women were included (49.5 ± 12 years), totaling 344 breast MRIs with DWI/ADC maps. The per-exam cancer prevalence was 11/344 (3.2%). The sensitivity was 8/11 (73%; 95% CI: 46-99%) for R1 and 7/11 (64%; 95% CI: 35-92%) for R2. The specificity was 301/333 (90%; 95% CI: 87-94%) for both readers. The diagnostic accuracy was 90% for both readers. R1 recalled 40/344 exams (11.6%) and R2 recalled 39/344 exams (11.3%). Inter-reader reproducibility between readers was in moderate agreement (κ = 0.43). CONCLUSIONS: In female carriers of a BRCA1/2 mutation, breast DWI supplemented with T2-WI allowed breast cancer detection with high sensitivity and specificity by a radiologist with extensive experience in breast imaging, which is comparable to other screening tests. The findings suggest that DWI and T2-WI have the potential to serve as a stand-alone method for unenhanced breast MRI screening in a selected population, opening up new perspectives for prospective trials.

Contrast-Enhanced Spectral Mammography in the Evaluation of Breast Microcalcifications: Controversies and Diagnostic Management.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) in predicting breast lesion malignancy due to microcalcifications compared to lesions that present with other radiological findings. Three hundred and twenty-one patients with 377 breast lesions that underwent CESM and histological assessment were included. All the lesions were scored using a 4-point qualitative scale according to the degree of contrast enhancement at the CESM examination. The histological results were considered the gold standard. In the first analysis, enhancement degree scores of 2 and 3 were considered predictive of malignity. The sensitivity (SE) and positive predictive value (PPV) were significative lower for patients with lesions with microcalcifications without other radiological findings (SE = 53.3% vs. 82.2%, p-value < 0.001 and PPV = 84.2% vs. 95.2%, p-value = 0.049, respectively). On the contrary, the specificity (SP) and negative predictive value (NPV) were significative higher among lesions with microcalcifications without other radiological findings (SP = 95.8% vs. 84.2%, p-value = 0.026 and NPV = 82.9% vs. 55.2%, p-value < 0.001, respectively). In a second analysis, degree scores of 1, 2, and 3 were considered predictive of malignity. The SE (80.0% vs. 96.8%, p-value < 0.001) and PPV (70.6% vs. 88.3%, p-value: 0.005) were significantly lower among lesions with microcalcifications without other radiological findings, while the SP (85.9% vs. 50.9%, p-value < 0.001) was higher. The enhancement of microcalcifications has low sensitivity in predicting malignancy. However, in certain controversial cases, the absence of CESM enhancement due to its high negative predictive value can help to reduce the number of biopsies for benign lesions.

Deep learning performance for detection and classification of microcalcifications on mammography.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer screening through mammography is crucial for early detection, yet the demand for mammography services surpasses the capacity of radiologists. Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist in evaluating microcalcifications on mammography. We developed and tested an AI model for localizing and characterizing microcalcifications. METHODS: Three expert radiologists annotated a dataset of mammograms using histology-based ground truth. The dataset was partitioned for training, validation, and testing. Three neural networks (AlexNet, ResNet18, and ResNet34) were trained and evaluated using specific metrics including receiver operating characteristics area under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, and specificity. The reported metrics were computed on the test set (10% of the whole dataset). RESULTS: The dataset included 1,000 patients aged 21-73 years and 1,986 mammograms (180 density A, 220 density B, 380 density C, and 220 density D), with 389 malignant and 611 benign groups of microcalcifications. AlexNet achieved the best performance with 0.98 sensitivity, 0.89 specificity of, and 0.98 AUC for microcalcifications detection and 0.85 sensitivity, 0.89 specificity, and 0.94 AUC of for microcalcifications classification. For microcalcifications detection, ResNet18 and ResNet34 achieved 0.96 and 0.97 sensitivity, 0.91 and 0.90 specificity and 0.98 and 0.98 AUC, retrospectively. For microcalcifications classification, ResNet18 and ResNet34 exhibited 0.75 and 0.84 sensitivity, 0.85 and 0.84 specificity, and 0.88 and 0.92 AUC, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The developed AI models accurately detect and characterize microcalcifications on mammography. RELEVANCE STATEMENT: AI-based systems have the potential to assist radiologists in interpreting microcalcifications on mammograms. The study highlights the importance of developing reliable deep learning models possibly applied to breast cancer screening. KEY POINTS: • A novel AI tool was developed and tested to aid radiologists in the interpretation of mammography by accurately detecting and characterizing microcalcifications. • Three neural networks (AlexNet, ResNet18, and ResNet34) were trained, validated, and tested using an annotated dataset of 1,000 patients and 1,986 mammograms. • The AI tool demonstrated high accuracy in detecting/localizing and characterizing microcalcifications on mammography, highlighting the potential of AI-based systems to assist radiologists in the interpretation of mammograms.

Breast Digital Tomosynthesis versus Contrast-Enhanced Mammography: Comparison of Diagnostic Application and Radiation Dose in a Screening Setting.

This study aims to evaluate the Average Glandular Dose (AGD) and diagnostic performance of CEM versus Digital Mammography (DM) as well as versus DM plus one-view Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT), which were performed in the same patients at short intervals of time. A preventive screening examination in high-risk asymptomatic patients between 2020 and 2022 was performed with two-view Digital Mammography (DM) projections (Cranio Caudal and Medio Lateral) plus one Digital Breast Tomosynthesis (DBT) projection (mediolateral oblique, MLO) in a single session examination. For all patients in whom we found a suspicious lesion by using DM + DBT, we performed (within two weeks) a CEM examination. AGD and compression force were compared between the diagnostic methods. All lesions identified by DM + DBT were biopsied; then, we assessed whether lesions found by DBT were also highlighted by DM alone and/or by CEM. We enrolled 49 patients with 49 lesions in the study. The median AGD was lower for DM alone than for CEM (3.41 mGy vs. 4.24 mGy, p = 0.015). The AGD for CEM was significantly lower than for the DM plus one single projection DBT protocol (4.24 mGy vs. 5.55 mGy, p < 0.001). We did not find a statistically significant difference in the median compression force between the CEM and DM + DBT. DM + DBT allows the identification of one more invasive neoplasm one in situ lesion and two high-risk lesions, compared to DM alone. The CEM, compared to DM + DBT, failed to identify only one of the high-risk lesions. According to these results, CEM could be used in the screening of asymptomatic high-risk patients.

Prediction of the Malignancy of a Breast Lesion Detected on Breast Ultrasound: Radiomics Applied to Clinical Practice.

The study aimed to evaluate the performance of radiomics features and one ultrasound CAD (computer-aided diagnosis) in the prediction of the malignancy of a breast lesion detected with ultrasound and to develop a nomogram incorporating radiomic score and available information on CAD performance, conventional Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System evaluation (BI-RADS), and clinical information. Data on 365 breast lesions referred for breast US with subsequent histologic analysis between January 2020 and March 2022 were retrospectively collected. Patients were randomly divided into a training group (n = 255) and a validation test group (n = 110). A radiomics score was generated from the US image. The CAD was performed in a subgroup of 209 cases. The radiomics score included seven radiomics features selected with the LASSO logistic regression model. The multivariable logistic model incorporating CAD performance, BI-RADS evaluation, clinical information, and radiomic score as covariates showed promising results in the prediction of the malignancy of breast lesions: Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, [AUC]: 0.914; 95% Confidence Interval, [CI]: 0.876-0.951. A nomogram was developed based on these results for possible future applications in clinical practice.

Overuse-related instability of the elbow: the role of CT-arthrography.

The elbow is a complex joint whose biomechanical function is granted by the interplay and synergy of various anatomical structures. Articular stability is achieved by both static and dynamic constraints, which consist of osseous as well as soft-tissue components. Injuries determining instability frequently involve several of these structures. Therefore, accurate knowledge of regional anatomy and imaging findings is fundamental for a precise diagnosis and an appropriate clinical management of elbow instability. This review focuses particularly on the varied appearance of overuse-related elbow injuries at CT-arthrography.

Dietary Chloride Deficiency Syndrome: Pathophysiology, History, and Systematic Literature Review.

Metabolic alkalosis may develop as a consequence of urinary chloride (and sodium) wasting, excessive loss of salt in the sweat, or intestinal chloride wasting, among other causes. There is also a likely underrecognized association between poor salt intake and the mentioned electrolyte and acid-base abnormality. In patients with excessive loss of salt in the sweat or poor salt intake, the maintenance of metabolic alkalosis is crucially modulated by the chloride-bicarbonate exchanger pendrin located on the renal tubular membrane of type B intercalated cells. In the late 1970s, recommendations were made to decrease the salt content of foods as part of an effort to minimize the tendency towards systemic hypertension. Hence, the baby food industry decided to remove added salt from formula milk. Some weeks later, approximately 200 infants (fed exclusively with formula milks with a chloride content of only 2-4 mmol/L), were admitted with failure to thrive, constipation, food refusal, muscular weakness, and delayed psychomotor development. The laboratory work-up disclosed metabolic alkalosis, hypokalemia, hypochloremia, and a reduced urinary chloride excretion. In all cases, both the clinical and the laboratory features remitted in ≤7 days when the infants were fed on formula milk with a normal chloride content. Since 1982, 13 further publications reported additional cases of dietary chloride depletion. It is therefore concluded that the dietary intake of chloride, which was previously considered a "mendicant" ion, plays a crucial role in acid-base and salt balance.

Imaging findings and available percutaneous techniques for the treatment of bile leaks after hepatobiliary surgery.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnosis and management of postoperative bile leaks, reporting typical diagnostic findings and available percutaneous techniques in association with other diagnostic and management methods. METHODS: Thirty-six patients (28 male) were treated for postoperative bile leaks. A biliary leak was clinically suspected in case of persistent leakage of bilious material from a surgical drain, or in the presence of non-specific symptoms such as abdominal pain, fever and anorexia, with or without laboratory alteration of liver enzymes. Radiological confirmation was mainly based on noninvasive methods such as ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography. We assessed each treatment by evaluating multiple factors, including technical success (TS) and clinical effectiveness (CE), defined as primary or secondary. We also evaluated overall CE (OCE), defined as leak control with either single or multiple procedures. RESULTS: TS and OCE were achieved in all patients (36/36; 100%) with a grade A or B biliary leak. No grade C was observed. There were no major complications. Minor complications were observed in 7/36 (19.4%) patients. No procedure-related deaths occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, considering all percutaneous techniques, leak healing was achieved in all the patients with a grade A or B biliary leak. These procedures provide a less invasive approach and are increasingly recognized as having a significant role in the management of complications and should be considered as an integral component in the postoperative management of these patients.

Use of perfusional CBCT imaging for intraprocedural evaluation of endovascular treatment in patients with diabetic foot: a concept paper.

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the most common metabolic diseases worldwide; its global burden has increased rapidly over the past decade, enough to be considered a public health emergency in many countries. Diabetic foot disease and, particularly diabetic foot ulceration, is the major complication of DM: through a skin damage of the foot, with a loss of epithelial tissue, it can deepen to muscles and bones and lead to the amputation of the lower limbs. Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with diabetes, manifests like a diffuse macroangiopathic multi-segmental involvement of the lower limb vessels, also connected to a damage of collateral circulation; it may also display characteristic microaneurysms and tortuosity in distal arteries. As validation method, Bold-MRI is used. The diabetic foot should be handled with a multidisciplinary team approach, as its management requires systemic and localized treatments, pain control, monitoring of cardiovascular risk factors and other comorbidities. CBCT is an emerging medical imaging technique with the original feature of divergent radiation, forming a cone, in contrast with the spiral slicing of conventional CT, and has become increasingly important in treatment planning and diagnosis: from small anatomical areas, such as implantology, to the world of interventional radiology, with a wide range of applications: as guidance for biopsies or ablation treatments. The aim of this project is to evaluate the usefulness of perfusion CBCT imaging, obtained during endovascular revascularization, for intraprocedural evaluation of endovascular treatment in patients with diabetic foot.

Efficacy, safety and usability of bronchial artery embolization using a new anti-reflux microcatheter in the management of haemoptysis.

PURPOSE: Haemoptysis (Hp) is a potentially life-threatening medical condition. We investigated the safety, efficacy and usability of bronchial artery embolization using a new anti-reflux microcatheter in patients with haemoptysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was held as a single-center retrospective study. Four patients underwent bronchial arterial embolization, using the new microcatheter. Then, we evalueted technical success, immediate clinical success, haemoptysis recurrance rate and safety in reducing reflux complications. Conclusion Bronchial artery embolization for hemoptysis with the new microcatheter is a safe and effective method with high technical and clinical success rates. Short and medium-term results are excellent.

Association between baseline tumour burden and outcome in patients with cancer treated with next-generation immunoncology agents.

BACKGROUND: Baseline tumour burden is a prognostic factor for patients with melanoma and non-small-cell lung cancer treated with immunotherapy. However, no data are available on its role in other solid tumours, nor for treatment with next-generation immunoncology agents (NGIOs). METHODS: We reviewed data of patients with any solid tumour consecutively treated at our institution from August 2014 to March 2019, who received ≥1 dose of immune checkpoint inhibitor and/or NGIO within phase 1 trials. Baseline tumour burden was calculated as ∑i Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours 1.1 baseline target lesions (baseline tumour size [BTS]) or as sum of all measurable baseline lesions (total tumour burden [TTB]); the impact of both parameters on treatment outcomes was investigated. RESULTS: One hundred fifty patients were included in the analysis. Median BTS and TTB were 79 mm and 212 mm, respectively. Objective response rate was found significantly associated with BTS (p < 0.001) and TTB quartiles (p = 0.006), with response rates progressively increasing with decreasing tumour burden quartiles. Both progression-free survival (PFS) (p = 0.001) and overall survival (OS) (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with BTS quartiles, with 26% of the patients progression-free and 56% alive at 12 months in the lower BTS quartile, compared with 3% and 24%, respectively, in the upper quartile. TTB was also significantly associated with OS (P = 0.01) and borderline-significant for PFS (p = 0.07). Multivariate analysis confirmed that baseline burden, also considered as continuous variable, is independently associated with PFS and OS, when assessed with BTS (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001) and TTB (p = 0.007 and p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Lower baseline tumour burden is associated with better outcomes in patients with cancer treated with novel immunotherapies.