Association of body composition and survival in patients with locally advanced breast cancer: a historical cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Altered body composition has been attributed to major health problems globally, particularly in patients with cancer. To date, there have not been sufficient indices for body compositions in predicting the survival of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). PURPOSE: To assess the association between body composition and overall survival (OS) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with LABC. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted of patients with LABC diagnosed between 2010 and 2018. Body composition parameters, including skeletal muscle and adiposity parameters, were measured using computed tomography at the L3 vertebra using in-house software developed by MATLAB and freeware Python 3.6.13. The association between body composition and OS and DFS were analyzed using a log-rank test and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard regression. RESULTS: Of 199 patients, 72 (36%) died during the follow-up period (range = 3.8-150.7 months). Median survival was 101 months. Low visceral-to-subcutaneous ratio ≤0.3 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51-4.37; aHR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.33-4.56), and high composite fat (aHR = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.69-6.29; aHR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.11-4.3) were associated with lower OS and DFS. Positive lymph nodes ≥3, progesterone receptor negative, and total radiation dose >5000 cGy significantly decreased both OS and DFS. A history of previous treatment before body composition assessment and surgery had a protective effect on OS and DFS. No association of sarcopenia, body mass index, and adiposity areas with survival outcomes was observed. CONCLUSION: Low visceral-to-subcutaneous ratio and high composite fat were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS in patients with LABC. However, other body composition parameters showed no effect on survival.

Assessing Risk of Iatrogenic Peroneal Nerve Injury in All-Inside Lateral Meniscal Repair Between Standard Vs. Arthroscopic MRI.

BACKGROUND: Various studies have examined the risk of peroneal nerve injury with use of standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee. However, the position of the knee during standard MRI is different from that during an actual arthroscopic lateral meniscal repair. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate and compare the risk of peroneal nerve injury during simulated all-inside lateral meniscal repairs on the basis of MRI scans made with the knee in both positions. METHODS: With use of axial MRI scans made with the knee in the standard position (i.e., in 30° of flexion) and in the actual position used during arthroscopic lateral meniscal repair (i.e., in a figure-of-4 position), direct lines were drawn to simulate the passage of a straight all-inside meniscal repair device from the anteromedial and anterolateral portals to the medial and lateral borders of the popliteus tendon. The distance from the closest passage of each line to the peroneal nerve was measured. If a line touched or passed through the peroneal nerve, a risk of iatrogenic injury was noted and a new line was drawn from the same portal to the outer border of the peroneal nerve. The danger area was measured from the first line to the new line along the joint capsule. RESULTS: In 28 Thai patients, the shortest distances from each line to the peroneal nerve were significantly shorter on the MRI scans made with the knee in the standard position than on those made with the knee in the arthroscopic position (p < 0.05 for all). All danger areas on the MRI scans that were made with the knee in the arthroscopic position were included within the danger areas on the scans that were made with the knee in the standard position. CONCLUSIONS: Standard MRI scans of the knee can be used to determine the risk of peroneal nerve injury at the time of arthroscopic lateral meniscal repair, although the risks are slightly overestimated. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Osteophyte-related medial collateral ligament injury in asymptomatic osteoarthritis following minor trauma: a case report.

A proximal deep medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury usually occurs in high-impact sports such as football or hockey. This injury is not common in low-energy trauma but the predisposing factor, in this case, was an osteophyte located next to the deep MCL ligament, which had likely caused degenerative changes to the ligament from chronic irritation, resulting in reduced strength of the ligament. Case presentation: A 78-year-old Thai female presented with left knee pain 1 h after a low-energy trauma caused by a fall. The MRI showed deep MCL and medial meniscal root injuries, a nondisplaced lateral femoral condyle, and also revealed a large osteophyte near the midpart of the MCL, with a blunt persistent projection from the osteophyte pushing against the MCL where the injury was located. She was treated with a knee brace, a gait aid for walking, and analgesic pain control. Her symptoms gradually improved over the next few weeks. Clinical discussion: If an osteophyte touches a ligament, it can cause degenerative changes to the ligament from chronic irritation, resulting in reducing the strength of the ligament and may be causing some degree of degenerative changes and tightening of the MCL in its at-rest state, resulting in an increased chance of injury when it is required to resist a sudden external force, even from a minor trauma. Conclusion: When there is an osteophyte pushing against a ligament, there is an increased chance of ligament injury when even a minor trauma stresses that ligament.

An investigation into tumor regression grade as a parameter for locally advanced rectal cancer and 5-year overall survival rate.

PURPOSE: The standard treatment for locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) is neoadjuvant chemoradiation (nCRT) followed by surgery. Several parameters are associated with patient survival in LARC. One of these parameters is tumor regression grade (TRG); however, the significance of TRG remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to examine the correlations of TRG with 5-year overall (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) and identify other factors that influence the survival rates in LARC after nCRT followed by surgery. METHODS: This retrospective study included 104 patients diagnosed with LARC who underwent nCRT followed by surgery at Songklanagarind Hospital from January 2010 to December 2015. All patients received fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy at a total dose of 45.0 to 50.4 Gy in 25 daily fractions. Tumor response was evaluated using the 5-tier Mandard TRG classification. TRG was categorized into good (TRG 1-2) and poor (TRG 3-5) responses. RESULTS: TRG (classified by either the 5-tier classification system or the 2-group classification system) was not correlated with 5-year OS or RFS. The 5-year OS rates were 80.0%, 54.5%, 80.8%, and 67.4% in patients with TRG 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively (P=0.22). Poorly differentiated rectal cancer and systemic metastasis were associated with poor 5-year OS. Intraoperative tumor perforation, poor differentiation, and perineural invasion were correlated with inferior 5-year RFS. CONCLUSION: TRG was probably not associated with either 5-year OS or RFS; however, poor differentiation and systemic metastasis were strongly associated with poor 5-year OS.

Magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating between aggressive and non-aggressive bone tumors.

BACKGROUND: While radiography remains essential in the initial evaluation of bone lesions, tissue biopsy or further imaging is often required to clarify indeterminate radiographic features. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) assists radiologists in evaluating lesions with indeterminate features as it has advantages in delineating tumorous tissues and bone marrow. PURPOSE: To evaluate the association factors of MRI for bony aggressiveness. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 226 MRI examinations from patients diagnosed with bone tumors in a tertiary hospital during 2008-2018 was performed. All the MR images were interpreted by musculoskeletal radiologists without diagnostic information. The bony lesions were categorized into aggressive and non-aggressive groups using tumor margin, cortical changes, periosteal reaction, joint extension, extraosseous soft tissue involvement, tumor homogeneity, and enhancement pattern from the MR images. Univariable and multivariable analysis were applied for each feature on the MRI scans. In addition, sensitivity and specificity were calculated for MRI diagnoses of aggressive bone lesions. RESULTS: In total, 180 aggressive and 46 non-aggressive bone lesions were examined on MRI. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI for differentiating between aggressive and non-aggressive bone lesions were 98.89% and 50%, respectively. Ill-defined margin, cortical break, cortical signal changes, sunburst and Codman's triangle periosteal reaction, joint extension, and tumoral and heterogeneous enhancement could be predictive signs for aggressive bone lesions. CONCLUSION: MRI can be a valuable tool to assist in distinguishing aggressive from non-aggressive bone lesions. In cases of indeterminate radiographic features, MRI could be used as an additional imaging to improve diagnostic accuracy and could reduce unnecessary invasive procedures.

Appropriate intradeltoid muscle needle penetration depth in vaccine administration: an MRI study in Thailand.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the appropriate vaccination needle penetration depth into the deltoid muscle to avoid injection-site complications from an inappropriate injection depth and/or injection site in the Thai population. Methods: This was a retrospective study using axial proton density-weighted images of MRI shoulders at the level of 2 fingerbreadths below the acromion process to measure the combined thickness of the skin, subcutaneous fat pad and deltoid muscle to evaluate the percentage of injections into the deltoid muscle with various needle penetration depths. Results: There were 509 MRI shoulder images of 222 males and 287 females (265 right shoulders and 244 left shoulders). The average body mass index and age were 24.54 ± 3.54 kg/m2 and 64.81 ± 10.20 years, respectively. Using a needle penetration depth of 12.7 mm (0.5 inches) achieved 100% of injections into the deltoid muscle. Conclusion: We recommend advancing the entire length of a 0.5-inch needle perpendicular to the skin at 2 fingerbreadths below the acromion process for adult intradeltoid vaccinations. This approach ensures optimal vaccine delivery and minimizes the risk of injection-related injuries.

The Risk of Iatrogenic Peroneal Nerve Injury in Lateral Meniscal Repair and Safe Zone to Minimize the Risk Based on Actual Arthroscopic Position: An MRI Study.

BACKGROUND: Lateral meniscal repair using an all-inside meniscal repair device involves a risk of iatrogenic peroneal nerve injury. To our knowledge, there have been no previous studies evaluating the risk of injury with the knee in the standard operational figure-of-4 position with joint dilatation in arthroscopic lateral meniscal repair. PURPOSE: To evaluate and compare the risk of peroneal nerve injury and establish the safe and danger zones in repairing the lateral meniscus through the anteromedial, anterolateral, or transpatellar portal in relation to the medial and lateral borders of the popliteal tendon (PT). STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive laboratory study. METHODS: Using axial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of knees in the figure-of-4 position with joint fluid dilatation at the level of the lateral meniscus, we drew direct lines to simulate a straight all-inside meniscal repair device deployed from the anteromedial, anterolateral, and transpatellar portals to the medial and lateral borders of the PT. If the line passed through or touched the peroneal nerve, a risk of iatrogenic peroneal nerve injury was noted, and measurements were made to determine the safe and danger zones for peroneal nerve injury in relation to the medial or lateral border of the PT. RESULTS: Axial MRI images of 29 adult patients were reviewed. Repairing the lateral meniscus through the anteromedial portal in relation to the lateral border of the PT and through the anterolateral portal in relation to the medial border of the PT had a 0% risk of peroneal nerve injury. The "safe zone" in relation to the medial border of the PT through the anterolateral portal was between the medial border of the PT and 9.62 ± 4.60 mm medially from the same border. CONCLUSION: It is safe to repair the body of the lateral meniscus through the anteromedial portal in the area lateral to the lateral border of the PT or through the anterolateral portal in the area medial to the medial border of the PT. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: There is a risk of iatrogenic peroneal nerve injury during lateral meniscal repair. Thus, we recommend repairing the lateral meniscal tissue through the anteromedial portal in the area lateral to the lateral border of the PT and using the anterolateral portal in the area medial to the medial border of the PT, as neither of these approaches resulted in peroneal nerve injury. Additionally, the surgeon can decrease this risk by repairing the meniscal tissue using the all-inside meniscal device in the safe zone area.

Accuracy of medial-side cutting guide compared to anterior cutting guide in distal femoral osteotomy of total knee arthroplasty.

INTRODUCTION: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) in total knee arthroplasty has the benefits of less postoperative pain and a faster recovery time. An MIS instrument was designed to help surgeons perform this procedure under reduced visualization conditions. A medial cutting guide of the distal femur is used to cut the distal femoral bone without patella subluxation. This study aimed to compare the accuracy of the distal femoral bone cut between the medial and standard anterior cutting guides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two orthopedic surgeons, who specialize in total knee arthroplasty and are familiar with both of these cutting guides, performed the procedures. Forty-eight synthetic saw bones were used, and five-degree valgus medial and anterior cutting guides were randomly assigned to the surgeons. After the osteotomies were performed, the synthetic saw bones were investigated via plain radiographs. Two independent radiologists measured the medial distal femoral angle (MDFA) and the posterior distal femoral angle (PDFA). RESULTS: The MDFA in the medial cutting group was statistically significantly different from that of the anterior cutting group (94.18° ± 1.47° vs. 94.98° ± 1.14°, P = 0.041). However, the PDFA was not different between the two groups. Likewise, the number of outliers was not different between the groups when a ± 2° error was defined as an outlier (P = 0.609 for MDFA and P = 0.359 for PDFA). Moreover, a high degree of reliability was found in both MDFA and PDFA measurements (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.813 and 0.824, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this experimental study, the MIS medial cutting guide was less accurate than the standard cutting guide in the distal femoral cut.

Cervical Foraminal Epidural Blood Patch for the Targeted Treatment of Refractory Cerebrospinal Fluid Leakage From a Dural Sleeve.

Epidural blood patches (EBPs) are routinely used to treat symptoms (eg, headaches) associated with spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Although cerebrospinal fluid leakage commonly involves the periforaminal areas of the cervical or thoracic spine, EBPs have been historically performed at the lumbar level. Recent evidence suggests that targeting the causative spinal segment may provide greater clinical benefits. While previous reports have targeted foraminal leaks with segmental thoracic or cervical injections, we present a case report detailing the novel use of a navigable epidural catheter to perform a selective EBP at the C7/T1 foramen.

The Significance of the Trömner Sign in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy Patient.

STUDY DESIGN: This study is a diagnostic analysis. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of Trömner sign in cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM), and how its presence correlates with the severity of myelopathy. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: A clinical presentation of myelopathy corresponding with image findings is a current standard to diagnose CSM. Trömner sign is an alternative of well-known Hoffmann sign to detect CSM. Little is known about its diagnostic accuracy and how its presence correlates with the severity of CSM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive patients with clinical diagnosis of CSM and other cervical spondylosis-related problems were enrolled in either CSM group, cervical spondylotic radiculopathy group, or axial pain group. Normal volunteers and patients without spine-related issues were used as a control. All participants were examined for the presence of myelopathic signs. Magnetic resonance imaging studies of all participants were reviewed by a radiologist. RESULTS: There were 85 participants included in the study. Diagnostic sensitivity was 76%, 94%, 76%, and 36% for Hoffmann sign, Trömner sign, inverted radial reflex, and Babinski sign, respectively. Trömner sign had relatively high sensitivity (95%) despite of mild degree of myelopathy. Negative predictive value was 60%, 85%, 59%, and 38% for Hoffmann sign, Trömner sign, inverted radial reflex, and Babinski sign, respectively. There were 63%-71% of patients in either axial pain group or cervical spondylotic radiculopathy group had positive Trömner sign. Most of CSM patients with cord signal changed had positive myelopathic sign. Regarding CSM patient without cord signal change, most of tests were negative except Trömner sign. CONCLUSIONS: High sensitivity (94%) and relatively high negative predictive value (85%) for Trömner sign indicate the usefulness of Trömner sign in ruling out CSM. High incidence of positive Trömner sign in presymptomatic cervical cord compression patients suggests Trömner sign could have a useful role in early detection of presymptomatic patients.

The "dot-in-circle" sign in musculoskeletal mycetoma on magnetic resonance imaging and ultrasonography.

This study aimed to present the 'dot-in-circle' sign, which indicates the typical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasonographic (USG) findings for mycetoma involving soft tissue and bone. A total of 8 cases with histopathological proof of mycetoma affecting the musculoskeletal system, and that were examined via MRI and/or coexistent diagnostic ultrasonography between 2004 and 2013 in Songklanagarind Hospital were included in this study. The 'dot-in-circle' sign on the MRI and USG images of all the patients was reviewed by two radiologists. The analytic method was descriptive. All cases of musculoskeletal mycetoma revealed the 'dot-in-circle' sign on MRI, which was seen as multiple, small, round- to oval-shaped hyperintense lesions separated and surrounded by a low-signal intensity rim (circle), and a tiny, central, low-signal focus (dot). An USG study was available in four patients, and all USG findings demonstrated the 'dot-in-circle' sign as a central hyperechoic area (dot) surrounded by hypoechoic tissue (circle). In conclusion, the 'dot-in-circle' sign is a typical feature on MRI and USG findings for the diagnosis of musculoskeletal mycetoma.

Calcific myonecrosis following snake bite: a case report and review of the literature.

INTRODUCTION: Calcific myonecrosis is a rare condition in which muscle in a limb compartment undergoes necrosis and becomes peripherally calcified with central liquefaction. The patient usually presents with a slowly progressive enlarged mass that sometimes can be misdiagnosed as soft tissue sarcoma. Most of the reported cases showed that the disease occurs often after trauma or compartment syndrome. However, the case of calcific myonecrosis following snake bite is rarely reported. CASE PRESENTATION: A 66-year-old Thai woman presented with a gradually progressive enlarged mass over a period of 10 years in her left leg. She had a history of untreated compartment syndrome after she was bitten by a snake (Malayan pit viper) in her left leg when she was 14-years old. At presentation, a plain X-ray showed a large soft tissue mass at the anterior compartment of her left leg. A sheet-like mass with an enlarged central cavity combined with peripheral calcification and cortical erosion of her tibia were observed. A biopsy was performed and the result was negative for neoplastic cells. During a 5-year follow-up, the mass progressively enlarged and then became infected and finally broke through the skin. She was treated by excision of the mass and administration of antibiotics. The wound completed healed at 1 month postsurgery. There was no wound complication or disease recurrence at 1 year postoperation. CONCLUSIONS: The diagnosis of calcific myonecrosis was done by history taking and radiographic interpretation. In an asymptomatic patient the management should be observation and clinical follow-up. A biopsy should be avoided due to the high rate of postoperative infection. Treatment of choice in a symptomatic condition is mass excision.

A rare case of primary muscular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and a review of how imaging can assist in its diagnosis.

Primary malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the muscle is rare. Currently, imaging tools are necessary to enable its diagnosis. Herein, we report the case of a patient who presented with swelling and pain in the right thigh and pelvis. Computed tomography findings revealed isodense masses in the patient's right thigh and left iliacus muscle, leading to the initial diagnosis of either primary muscular lymphoma or soft tissue sarcoma. Further investigation with magnetic resonance imaging was done, and a biopsy was performed. The ensuing histological diagnosis was that of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma.