Impact of emergency physician performed ultrasound in the evaluation of adult patients with acute abdominal pain: a prospective randomized bicentric trial.

BACKGROUND: Abdominal pain is common in patients visiting the emergency department (ED). The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic contribution of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in patients presenting to the ED with acute abdominal pain. METHODS: We designed an interventional randomized, controlled, open label, parallel-group, trial in two French EDs. We included adult patients presenting to the ED with acute abdominal pain. Exclusion criteria were a documented end-of-life, an immediate need of life-support therapy and pregnant or breast-feeding women. Patients were randomized in the experimental group (i.e., workup including POCUS) or control group (usual care). The primary objective of the study was to assess the added value of POCUS on diagnostic pathway in the ED, according to the diagnostic established a posteriori by an adjudication committee. The primary endpoint was the proportion of exact preliminary diagnosis between the 2 groups. The preliminary diagnosis made after clinical examination and biological results with POCUS (intervention arm) or without POCUS (usual care) was considered exact if it was similar to the adjudication committee diagnosis. RESULTS: Between June 2021 11th and June 2022 23th, 256 patients were randomized, but five were not included in the primary analysis, leaving 125 patients in the POCUS group and 126 patients in the usual care group (130 women and 121 men, median [Q1-Q3] age: 42 [30;57]). There was no difference for exact diagnosis between the two groups (POCUS 70/125, 56% versus control 78/126 (62%), RD 1.23 [95% CI 0.74-2.04]). There was no difference in the accuracy for the diagnosis of non-specific abdominal pain nor number of biological or radiological exams. Diagnostic delays and length of stay in the ED were also similar. CONCLUSIONS: In this trial, systematic POCUS did not improve the rate of diagnostic accuracy in unselected patients presenting to the ED with acute abdominal pain. However, as it was a safe procedure, further research should focus on patients with suspected etiologies where POCUS is particularly useful. TRIAL REGISTRATION:  This trial was registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on 2022/07/20 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04912206?id=NCT04912206&rank=1 ) (NCT04912206).

Pneumothorax Incidence with Normal Saline Instillation for Sealing the Needle Track After Computed Tomography-Guided Percutaneous Lung Biopsy.

PURPOSE: To determine whether instillation of normal saline solution for sealing the needle track reduces incidence of pneumothorax and chest tube placement after computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 242 computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsies performed at a single institution were retrospectively reviewed, including 93 biopsies in which the needle track was sealed by instillation of 3-5 ml of normal saline solution during needle withdrawal (water seal group) and 149 biopsies without sealing (control group). Patient and lesion characteristics, procedure-specific variables, pneumothorax and chest tube placement rates were recorded. RESULTS: Baseline characteristics were comparable in both groups. There was a statistically significant decrease in the pneumothorax rate (19.4% [18/93] vs. 40.9% [61/149]; p < 0.001) and a numerically lower chest tube placement rate without significant reduction (4.3% [4/93] vs. 10.7% [16/149]; p = 0.126) with using normal saline instillation for sealing the needle track versus not using sealant material. Using a multiple logistic regression analysis, using normal saline instillation to seal the needle track, having a senior radiologist as operator of the procedure and putting patients in prone position were significantly associated with a decreased risk of pneumothorax. The presence of emphysema along the needle track was significantly associated with an increased risk of pneumothorax. No complication was observed due to normal saline injection. CONCLUSION: Normal saline solution instillation for sealing the needle track after computed tomography-guided percutaneous lung biopsy is a simple, low-cost and safe technique resulted in significantly decreased pneumothorax occurrence and a numerically lower chest tube placement rate, and might help to reduce both hospitalization risks and costs for the healthcare system. Level of evidence 3 Non-controlled retrospective cohort study.

Progression toward Vertebral Collapse of Vertebral Metastases Treated with Percutaneous Vertebroplasty: Rate and Risk Factors.

PURPOSE: To evaluate of the rate of and risks for progression toward collapse in vertebral metastases (VMs) treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 151 PVs were performed in 81 patients with vertebral metastases and were retrospectively analyzed. Follow-up imaging was performed at 12 months to measure vertebral body height and to report vertebral collapse at the level of the treated vertebrae. Vertebral characteristics (spine instability neoplastic score [SINS], number of lysed cortices, and prior radiotherapy) and procedural parameters (Saliou score, cortical contact with cement, and intradiscal cement leakage) were compared between the group of patients with and without collapse of the treated vertebrae. RESULTS: Of the vertebrae treated with PV, 41 of 151 (27%) progressed toward collapse. Vertebral collapse was influenced by a high SINS (odds ratio [OR] = 1.27, P = .004), SINS value > 9 (OR = 2.96, P = .004), intradiscal cement leakage (OR = 2.18, P = .048), pre-existing spinal deformity (OR = 2.65, P = .020), and pre-existing vertebral fracture (OR = 3.93, P = .045). A high Saliou score (OR = 0.82, P = .011), more than 3 cortices in contact with the cement (OR = 0.38, P = .014), and preserved spinal alignment (OR = 0.38, P = .020) were associated with a lower incidence of collapse. CONCLUSIONS: Rate of vertebral collapse despite PV was influenced by vertebra-specific characteristics and by cement injection quality. Vertebrae with a SINS of ≤9 and with homogeneous cement filling had a lower incidence of collapse.

Efficacy and safety of cryoablation for localized renal tumor as an alternative approach to partial nephrectomy.

Introduction: Renal cryoablation displays a profile of high tolerance, including in a frail population. Cryoablation appears as a validated alternative treatment to surgery for renal tumors smaller than 4 cm. However, evidence is lacking for larger tumors, despite encouraging data for tumors up to 7 cm. Material and methods: This retrospective descriptive study of a population with a stage T1b renal tumor treated by cryoablation was conducted at the Nantes University Hospital between January 2009 and July 2021. Primary endpoint was 3-year rate of local recurrence. Secondary endpoints included technical efficacy, overall and cancer-specific survivals, and safety assessment. Results: A total of 63 patients were analyzed. Three-year rate of local recurrence was 11.1%. Primary and secondary technical efficacies were achieved in 88.9% and 96.8% of patients, respectively, and 3-year overall and cancer-specific survival were 87.3% and 95.2%, respectively. Most patients (73%) experienced no complications, 13% of patients had minor (CIRSE grades 1 or 2) adverse effects, and 13% had severe but non-lethal (CIRSE grade 3) adverse effects. One patient died following cryoablation due to colic perforation. The most common AE (all grades) was hemorrhage (9.5%). Discussion: This study showed a good efficacy and safety of cryoablation for renal tumors up to 7 cm (T1b). Our results were consistent with a rather sparse literature and contributed to guide future recommendations about cryoablation as an alternative to surgery for T1b renal tumors.

A comparative study of three-dimensional cone-beam CT sialography and MR sialography for the detection of non-tumorous salivary pathologies.

BACKGROUND: Imaging of the salivary ductal system is relevant prior to an endoscopic or a surgical procedure. Various imaging modalities can be used for this purpose. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic capability of three-dimensional (3D)-cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) sialography versus magnetic resonance (MR) sialography in non-tumorous salivary pathologies. METHODS: This prospective, monocenter, pilot study compared both imaging modalities in 46 patients (mean age 50.1 ± 14.9 years) referred for salivary symptoms. The analyses were performed by two independent radiologists and referred to identification of a salivary disease including sialolithiasis, stenosis, or dilatation (primary endpoint). The location and size of an abnormality, the last branch of division of the salivary duct that can be visualized, potential complications, and exposure parameters were also collected (secondary endpoints). RESULTS: Salivary symptoms involved both the submandibular (60.9%) and parotid (39.1%) glands. Sialolithiasis, dilatations, and stenosis were observed in 24, 25, and 9 patients, respectively, with no statistical differences observed between the two imaging modalities in terms of lesion identification (p1 = 0.66, p2 = 0.63, and p3 = 0.24, respectively). The inter-observer agreement was perfect (> 0.90) for lesion identification. MR sialography outperformed 3D-CBCT sialography for visualization of salivary stones and dilatations, as evidenced by higher positive percent agreement (sensitivity) of 0.90 [95% CI 0.70-0.98] vs. 0.82 [95% CI 0.61-0.93], and 0.84 [95% CI 0.62-0.94] vs. 0.70 [95% CI 0.49-0.84], respectively. For the identification of stenosis, the same low positive percent agreement was obtained with both procedures (0.20 [95% CI 0.01-0.62]). There was a good concordance for the location of a stone (Kappa coefficient of 0.62). Catheterization failure was observed in two patients by 3D-CBCT sialography. CONCLUSIONS: Both imaging procedures warrant being part of the diagnostic arsenal of non-tumorous salivary pathologies. However, MR sialography may be more effective than 3D-CBCT sialography for the identification of sialolithiasis and ductal dilatations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02883140.

Hybrid simultaneous whole-body 2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma: first diagnostic performance and clinical added value results.

OBJECTIVES: Mixing diagnostic and prognostic data provided by whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) and 2-18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (2-[18F]FDG) positron emission tomography (2-[18F]FDG-PET) from a single simultaneous imaging technique for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM) initial workup seems attractive. However, to date, the published data are scarce and this possibility has not been fully explored. In this prospective study, we aimed to explore the diagnostic performance and added clinical value of WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging in NDMM. METHODS: All patients with confirmed NDMM at the Nantes University Hospital were prospectively enrolled in this study and underwent WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging on a 3-T Biograph mMR before receiving treatment. Before imaging, they were considered either as symptomatic or as smoldering MM (SMM). Diagnostic performance of global WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging, as well as PET and MRI separately for FL and diffuse BMI detection, was assessed and compared in each group. PET-based (maximal standardized uptake value, SUVmax) and MRI-based (mean apparent diffusion coefficient value, ADCmean) quantitative features were collected for FL/para-medullary disease (PMD)/bone marrow and were compared. RESULTS: A total of 52 patients were included in this study. PET and MRI were equally effective at detecting patients with FL (69% vs. 75%) and with diffuse BMI (62% for both) in the symptomatic MM group. WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging detected FL in 22% of patients with SMM (with a higher diagnostic performance for MRI), resulting in a significant impact on clinical management in this population. SUVmax and ADCmean quantitative features were weakly or not correlated. CONCLUSIONS: WB-2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI could represent the next-generation imaging modality for MM. KEY POINTS: • Whole-body 2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging detected at least one focal bone lesion in 75% of patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma, and PET and MRI were equally effective at identifying patients with a focal bone lesion. • Whole-body 2-[18F]FDG-PET/MRI imaging detected a focal bone lesion in 22% of patients with smoldering multiple myeloma (with a higher diagnostic performance for MRI). • MRI had a significant impact on clinical management of smoldering multiple myeloma.

Prospective Multicentric Assessment of 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in Grade 1-2 GEP-NET.

The aim of this multicentric study was to prospectively compare 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT versus somatostatin receptor scintigraphy (SRS) with SPECT/CT, combined with multiphasic CT scan and MRI in patients with grade 1 or 2 gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (GEP-NET). Patients with histologically proven grade 1 or 2 GEP-NET with suspicion of recurrence or progression, or with typical aspects of GEP-NET on morphological imaging, were explored with conventional imaging (CI): SRS with SPECT/CT, multiphasic CT scan and/or liver MRI followed by 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT. The gold standard was based on histology and imaging follow-up. The data of 105 patients (45 woman and 60 men; median age) were analyzed. 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT sensitivity was significantly higher than CI sensitivity in per-patient (98.9% vs. 88.6%, p = 0.016) and per-region (97.6% vs. 75.6%, p < 0.001) analyses, in the detection of the primary (97.9% vs. 78.7%; p = 0.016), peritoneal carcinomatosis (95% vs. 30%, p < 0.001), and bone metastases (100% vs. 33.3%, p = 0.041). 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT had an impact on the therapeutic management of 41.9% (44/105) patients compared to decisions based on CI explorations. Our data confirm the superiority of 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT over CI in the detection of peritoneal carcinomatosis and bone metastasis, as well as its strong therapeutic impact on the management of patients with grade 1-2 GEP-NETs.

Infected pancreatic necrosis complicating severe acute pancreatitis in critically ill patients: predicting catheter drainage failure and need for necrosectomy.

BACKGROUND: Recent guidelines advocate a step-up approach for managing suspected infected pancreatic necrosis (IPN) during acute pancreatitis. Nearly half the patients require secondary necrosectomy after catheter drainage. Our primary objective was to assess the external validity of a previously reported nomogram for catheter drainage, based on four predictors of failure. Our secondary objectives were to identify other potential predictors of catheter-drainage failure. We retrospectively studied consecutive patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) of three university hospitals in France between 2012 and 2016, for severe acute pancreatitis with suspected IPN requiring catheter drainage. We assessed drainage success and failure rates in 72 patients, with success defined as survival without subsequent necrosectomy and failure as death and/or subsequent necrosectomy required by inadequate improvement. We plotted the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve for the nomogram and computed the area under the curve (AUROC). RESULTS: Catheter drainage alone was successful in 32 (44.4%) patients. The nomogram predicted catheter-drainage failure with an AUROC of 0.71. By multivariate analysis, catheter-drainage failure was independently associated with a higher body mass index [odds ratio (OR), 1.12; 95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.00-1.24; P = 0.048], heterogeneous collection (OR, 16.7; 95% CI, 1.83-152.46; P = 0.01), and respiratory failure onset within 24 h before catheter drainage (OR, 18.34; 95% CI, 2.18-154.3; P = 0.007). CONCLUSION: Over half the patients required necrosectomy after failed catheter drainage. Newly identified predictors of catheter-drainage failure were heterogeneous collection and respiratory failure. Adding these predictors to the nomogram might help to identify patients at high risk of catheter-drainage failure. CLINICALTRIALS: gov number: NCT03234166.

Thoracic lymphadenopathies in diffuse systemic sclerosis: an observational study on 48 patients using computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) is essential for the detection of interstitial lung disease (ILD) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc). Thoracic MDCT assessment can reveal the presence of thoracic lymphadenopathies (LAP) whose signification remains uncertain. The purpose of the study was to describe the characteristics and to assess the significance of thoracic LAP in patients with diffuse SSc. METHODS: We conducted a monocentric observational study on adult patients with diffuse SSc, and collected general patient and first thoracic MDCT characteristics, PET-CT and outcome data. Comparisons were made between patients with and without thoracic LAP. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients were included. There were 30 patients (62.5%) with an ILD and 23 (48%) with at least one thoracic LAP on the first MDCT assessment. Median number per patient of thoracic LAP was 3 [1-8], with a mean size of 11.7 ± 1.7 mm, mainly located in right para-tracheal area (22.8% of the total number of LAP), right hilar area (20.3%), left hilar area (6.5%), and sub-carinal area (15.2%). PET-CT showed lymph node hypermetabolism in 11/15 patients (73.3%) with mean SUVmax at 4 ± 1.3. There were significantly more males (p = 0.002) and more patients exposed to silica (p = 0.001) in patients with thoracic LAP. ILD was significantly more extended according to Goh score (p = 0.03), and using semi-quantitative score for mixed ground-glass reticulation (p = 0.01) and global abnormalities (p = 0.03) in patients with thoracic LAP and ILD. Thirteen patients (27.1%) died during follow-up without significant difference according to the presence or not of thoracic LAP (p = 0.15). There was also no significant difference concerning immunosuppressive treatment initiation (p = 0.17). CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic LAP are common in diffuse SSc and are generally multiple, not bulky, moderately hypermetabolic, and located at the base of the mediastinum lymph node chains. Their presence correlates with the extent of ILD. In absence of ILD, thoracic LAP presence seems to be often explained by silica exposure. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NA.

A Magnetic Resonance Imaging Index to Predict Crohn's Disease Postoperative Recurrence: The MONITOR Index.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: We developed and validated a magnetic resonance imaging-based index to predict Crohn's disease (CD) postoperative recurrence (POR). METHODS: Patients with CD who underwent a postoperative evaluation for recurrence (with colonoscopy and MRI no longer than 105 days apart) were included between 2006 and 2016 in University Hospital of Nancy, France. MRI items with good levels of intra-rater and inter-rater agreement (Gwet's coefficient ≥0.5) were selected. The MRI in Crohn's Disease to Predict Postoperative Recurrence (MONITOR) index's performance was assessed in terms of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) and accuracy, by considering the Rutgeerts score as the gold standard. The MONITOR index was validated with a bootstrap method and an independent cohort. RESULTS: Seventy-three MRI datasets were interpreted by 2 radiologists. Seven items (bowel wall thickness, contrast enhancement, T2 signal increase, diffusion-weighted signal increase, edema, ulcers, and the length of the diseased segment) had a Gwet's coefficient ≥0.5 and were significantly associated with the Rutgeerts score, leading to their inclusion in the MONITOR index. All the items had a weighting of 1, except the "ulcers" item weighting 2.5, reflecting the higher adjusted odds ratio. The AUROC [95% confidence interval] for the prediction of endoscopic POR (Rutgeerts score >i1) was 0.80 [0.70-0.90]. The optimal threshold was a MONITOR index ≥1, giving a sensitivity of 79%, a specificity of 55%, a predictive positive value of 68%, and a predictive negative value of 68%. The bootstrap validation gave an AUROC of 0.85 [0.73-0.97]. In the validation cohort, a MONITOR index ≥1 gave a sensitivity of 87%, a specificity of 75%, a predictive positive value of 84.6%, and a predictive negative value of 75%. CONCLUSIONS: The MONITOR index is an efficient, reliable, easy-to-apply tool that can be used in clinical practice to predict the POR of CD.

Baseline tumour size is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in PD-L1 ≥ 50% non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with first-line pembrolizumab.

BACKGROUND: Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with a PD-L1 tumour proportion score ≥ 50% can be treated with pembrolizumab alone. Our aim was to assess the impact of baseline tumour size (BTS) on overall survival (OS) in NSCLC patients treated with pembrolizumab versus chemotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective, multicentre study included all patients with untreated advanced NSCLC receiving either pembrolizumab (PD-L1 ≥ 50%) or platinum-based chemotherapy (any PD-L1). The primary endpoint was the impact of BTS (defined as the sum of the dimensions of baseline target lesions according to RECIST v1.1 criteria) on OS. RESULTS: Between 09-2016 and 06-2020, 188 patients were included, 96 in the pembrolizumab (P-group) and 92 in the chemotherapy group (CT-group). The median follow-up was 26.9 months (range 0.13-37.91) and 44.4 months (range 0.23-48.62), respectively, while the median BTS was similar, 85.5 mm (IQR 57.2-113.2) and 86.0 mm (IQR 53.0-108.5), respectively (p = 0.42). The median P-group OS was 18.2 months [95% CI 12.2-not reached (NR)] for BTS > 86 mm versus NR (95% CI 27.2-NR) for BTS ≤ 86 mm (p = 0.0026). A high BTS was associated with a shorter OS in univariate analyses (p = 0.009) as well as after adjustment on confounding factors (HR 2.16, [95% CI 1.01-4.65], p = 0.048). The CT-group OS was not statistically different between low and high BTS patients, in univariate and multivariate analyses (p = 0.411). CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment on major baseline clinical prognostic factors, BTS was an independent prognostic factor for OS in PD-L1 ≥ 50% advanced NSCLC patients treated first-line with pembrolizumab.

Development of a New Index to Assess Small Bowel Inflammation Severity in Crohn's Disease Using Magnetic Resonance Enterography.

Background: The severity of small bowel (SB) inflammation in Crohn's disease (CD) patients is a key component of the therapeutic choice. We aimed to develop a SB-CD Magnetic Resonance Enterography (MRE) index of Inflammation Severity (CDMRIS). Methods: Each gastroenterologist/radiologist pair in 13 centers selected MREs from 6 patients with SB-CD stratified on their perceived MRE inflammation severity. The 78 blinded MREs were allocated through balanced incomplete block design per severity stratum to these 13 pairs for rating the presence/severity of 13 preselected items for each SB 20-cm diseased segment. Global inflammation severity was evaluated using a 100-cm visual analog scale. Reproducibility of recorded items was evaluated. The CDMRIS was determined through linear mixed modeling as a combination of the numbers of segments with lesions highly correlated to global inflammation severity. Results: Four hundred and forty-two readings were available. Global inflammation severity mean ± SD was 21.0 ± 16.2. The independent predictors explaining 54% of the global inflammation severity variance were the numbers of segments with T1 mild-moderate and severe intensity of enhancement, deep ulceration without fistula, comb sign, fistula, and abscess. Unbiased correlation between CDMRIS and global inflammation severity was 0.76. Conclusions: The CDMRIS is now available to evaluate the severity of SB-CD inflammation. External validation and sensitivity-to-change are mandatory next steps.

Anti-CEA Pretargeted Immuno-PET Shows Higher Sensitivity Than DOPA PET/CT in Detecting Relapsing Metastatic Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma: Post Hoc Analysis of the iPET-MTC Study.

Pretargeting parameters for the use of anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) bispecific monoclonal antibody TF2 and the 68Ga-labeled IMP288 peptide for immuno-PET have been optimized in a first-in-humans study performed on medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) patients (the iPET-MTC study). The aim of this post hoc analysis was to determine the sensitivity of immuno-PET in relapsing MTC patients, in comparison with conventional imaging and 18F-l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (18F-DOPA) PET/CT. Methods: Twenty-five studies were analyzed in 22 patients. All patients underwent immuno-PET 1 and 2 h after 68Ga-IMP288 injection pretargeted by TF2, in addition to neck, thoracic, abdominal, and pelvic CT; bone and liver MRI; and 18F-DOPA PET/CT. The gold standard was histology or confirmation by one other imaging method or by imaging follow-up. Results: In total, 190 lesions were confirmed by the gold standard: 89 in lymph nodes, 14 in lungs, 46 in liver, 37 in bone, and 4 in other sites (subcutaneous tissue, heart, brain, and pancreas). The number of abnormal foci detected by immuno-PET was 210. Among these, 174 (83%) were confirmed as true-positive by the gold standard. Immuno-PET showed a higher overall sensitivity (92%) than 18F-DOPA PET/CT (65%). Regarding metastatic sites, immuno-PET had a higher sensitivity than CT, 18F-DOPA PET/CT, or MRI for lymph nodes (98% vs. 83% for CT and 70% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT), liver (98% vs. 87% for CT, 65% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT, and 89% for MRI), and bone (92% vs. 64% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 86% for MRI), whereas sensitivity was lower for lung metastases (29% vs. 100% for CT and 14% for 18F-DOPA PET/CT). Tumor SUVmax at 60 min ranged from 1.2 to 59.0, with intra- and interpatient variability. Conclusion: This post hoc study demonstrates that anti-carcinoembryonic antigen immuno-PET is an effective procedure for detecting metastatic MTC lesions. Immuno-PET showed a higher overall sensitivity than 18F-DOPA PET/CT for disclosing metastases, except for the lung, where CT remains the most effective examination.

Angiographic findings and outcomes after embolization of patients with suspected postabortion uterine arteriovenous fistula.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to assess the angiographic incidence of uterine arteriovenous fistula (UAVF) in women referred for a high ultrasonographic suspicion in a postabortion setting and to evaluate the safety, efficacy and impact on further fertility of uterine artery embolization (UAE) in this indication. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A monocentric retrospective study of 31patients managed by uterine artery embolization for suspected UAVF after spontaneous or induced first trimester abortion. The diagnosis of UAVF was confirmed when an early venous drainage was identified on the angiogram. Technical success was defined as complete exclusion of the vascular lesion. Clinical success was defined as the absence of bleeding during the clinical follow-up and during the surgery in case of hysteroscopic resection. Information about further fertility was gathered by phone calls to the patients. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 30.8 (±6.0) years. The diagnosis of UAVF was angiographically confirmed in 6 patients (19.4 %). Angiographic findings of retained product of conception (RPOC) with varying degrees of vascularity were observed in remaining patients. The technical success rate of UAE was 100 %, mostly through a proximal and bilateral embolization using a resorbable agent (27/31 patients, 87.1 %). The clinical success rate of UAE was 100 % in the group treated by a single UAE. We did not notice any bleeding during the surgery in the group of patients who needed a further hysteroscopic resection. 14 patients led at least one subsequent pregnancy to term without any difficulty. CONCLUSION: UAVF is a rare condition. We supposed it may constitute the ultimate stage in the natural history of the retained products of conception with "marked vascularity". UAE seems to be an effective and safe first-line treatment.

Head-to-Head Comparison of 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in Patients With Midgut Neuroendocrine Tumors.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare retrospectively 18F-DOPA PET/CT versus 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in a group of patients affected by midgut NET. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with histologically proven grade 1 or grade 2 midgut NET were explored after injection of 150 MBq of 68Ga-DOTANOC and 210 MBq of 18F-DOPA. The PET/CTs were analyzed visually and semiquantitatively at the patient level, regional level (7 defined regions), and lesion level (maximum of 5 lesions/organ). The criterion standard was determined on the basis of histology and imaging follow-up. RESULTS: Thirty patients (17 males and 13 females; median age, 63.5 years [37-82 years]) were included. Both PET/CTs were negative in 3 patients and positive in 25 patients. PET/CTs were discordant in 2 patients, with 18F-DOPA positive and 68Ga-DOTANOC negative. 18F-DOPA PET/CT detected more involved regions and more metastatic lesions than 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT in 6 (20%) and 10 (33.3%) patients, respectively. Of the 81 confirmed affected regions, 77 (95%) were detected by 18F-DOPA PET/CT and 71 (87.7%) by 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT (P < 0.0001). 18F-DOPA PET/CT detected significantly more lesions (211/221) than 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT (195/221), corresponding to a sensitivity of 95.5% and 88.2%, respectively (P < 0.0001). Tumor-to-background ratios were more favorable in liver for 18F-DOPA than for 68Ga-DOTANOC. Interestingly, a correlation was found between 18F-DOPA SUVmax and tumor burden and especially with the number of regions involved by the disease (P = 0.019). CONCLUSIONS: 18F-DOPA PET/CT is superior to 68Ga-DOTANOC PET/CT for the detection of lesions, and when available, this tracer may be recommended as the first-line examination for an accurate staging of midgut NET.

Digestive Neuroendocrine Neoplasms (NEN): French Intergroup clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up (SNFGE, GTE, RENATEN, TENPATH, FFCD, GERCOR, UNICANCER, SFCD, SFED, SFRO, SFR).

INTRODUCTION: This document is a summary of the French Intergroup guidelines regarding the management of digestive neuroendocrine neoplasms (NEN) published in February 2020 (www.tncd.org). METHODS: All French medical societies involved in the management of NEN took part in this work. Recommendations were graded into four categories (A, B, C or D), according to the level of evidence found in the literature until May 2019. RESULTS: The management of NEN is challenging because of their heterogeneity and the increasing complexity of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Pathological analysis is required for their diagnostic and prognostic characterization, which mainly relies on differentiation, grade and stage. The two main emergency situations are functioning syndromes and poorly-differentiated carcinoma. Chromogranin A is the main biochemical marker of NET, although of limited clinical interest. Initial characterization relies on morphological and isotopic imaging. The treatment of localized NET relies on watchful follow-up and local or surgical resection depending on its supposed aggressiveness. Treatment options for metastatic disease include surgery, somatostatin analogues, chemotherapy, targeted therapies, organ-driven locoregional therapies and peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy. As specific predictive factors of treatment efficacy are yet to be identified and head-to-head comparisons have not or only rarely been performed, the therapeutic strategy currently depends on prognostic factors. Cumulative toxicity and the impact of treatment on quality of life must be considered since survival is relatively long in most patients with NET. CONCLUSION: These guidelines are proposed to achieve the most beneficial therapeutic strategy in clinical practice as the therapeutic landscape of NEN is becoming ever more complex. These recommendations are permanently being reviewed.

Clinical Results in Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma Suggest High Potential of Pretargeted Immuno-PET for Tumor Imaging and Theranostic Approaches.

Monoclonal antibody (mAb)-based therapies have experienced considerable growth in cancer management. When labeled with radionuclides, mAbs also represent promising probes for imaging or theranostic approaches. Initially, mAbs have been radiolabeled with single-photon emitters, such as 131I, 99mTc, or 111In, for diagnostic purposes or to improve radioimmunotherapy (RIT) using dosimetry estimations. Today, more accurate imaging is achieved using positron- emission tomography (PET). Thanks to the important technical advances in the production of PET emitters and their related radiolabeling methods, the last decade has witnessed the development of a broad range of new probes for specific PET imaging. Immuno-PET, which combines the high sensitivity and resolution of a PET camera with the specificity of a monoclonal antibody, is fully in line with this approach. As RIT, immuno-PET can be performed using directly radiolabeled mAbs or using pretargeting to improve imaging contrast. Pretargeted immuno-PET has been developed against different antigens, and promising results have been reported in tumor expressing carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA; CEACAM5) using a bispecific mAb (BsmAb) and a radiolabeled peptide. Medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) is an uncommon thyroid cancer subtype which accounts for <10% of all thyroid neoplasms. Characterized by an intense expression of CEA, MTC represents a relevant tumor model for immuno-PET. High sensitivity of pretargeted immunoscintigraphy using murine or chimeric anti-CEA BsMAb and pretargeted haptens-peptides labeled with 111In or 131I were reported in metastatic MTC patients 20 years ago. Recently, an innovative clinical study reported high tumor uptake and contrast using pretargeted anti-CEA immuno-PET in relapsed MTC patients. This review focuses on MTC as an example, but the same pretargeting technique has been applied with success for clinical PET imaging of other CEA-expressing tumors and other pretargeting systems. In particular, those exploiting bioorthogonal chemistry also appear interesting in preclinical animal models, suggesting the high potential of pretargeting for diagnostic and theranostic applications.

Evaluation of a Temporal Association between Vaccination and Subdural Hematoma in Infants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a temporal association between vaccination and subdural hematoma, the main feature of abusive head trauma. STUDY DESIGN: From a prospective population-based survey carried out in 1 administrative district in France between January 2015 and April 2017, including all infants between 11 and 52 weeks old who underwent a first cerebral imaging (computerized tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging), we conducted a nested case-control study. Vaccine exposure was compared between cases (infants with subdural hematoma) and 2-3 paired controls, without subdural hematoma or any other imaging findings compatible with abusive head trauma. Cases and controls were matched on chronological (±7 days) and gestational (≤33 vs >33 weeks) ages, respectively. Vaccination status was collected in the personal national pediatric health booklet. RESULTS: Among the 228 prospectively surveyed infants, 28 had subdural hematoma including 22 with abusive head trauma. The mean chronological age at imaging was 5.3 months among the 28 cases and the 62 controls, who did not differ significantly in median time since last vaccination (1.4 vs 1.3 months, P = .62) or frequency of at least 1 vaccination since birth (86% vs 89%; matched-pairs OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.17-3.86) or within 7 days (0.94, 0.08-6.96), 14 days (0.70, 0.12-2.92), or 21 days (0.48, 0.08-1.98) before cerebral imaging. CONCLUSIONS: We found no significant temporal association between vaccination and subdural hematoma diagnosis, which must continue to be considered a red flag for abusive head trauma and child abuse.