State-of-the-Art Hybrid Imaging of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms.

ABSTRACT: Neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) may be challenging to diagnose due to their small size and diverse anatomical locations. Hybrid imaging techniques, specifically positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (PET/MRI), represent the current state-of-the-art for evaluating NENs. The preferred radiopharmaceuticals for NEN PET imaging are gallium-68 (68Ga) DOTA-peptides, which target somatostatin receptors (SSTR) overexpressed on NEN cells. Clinical applications of [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-peptides PET/CT include diagnosis, staging, prognosis assessment, treatment selection, and response evaluation. Fluorodeoxyglucose-18 (18F-FDG) PET/CT aids in detecting low-SSTR-expressing lesions and helps in patient stratification and treatment planning, particularly in grade 3 neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). New radiopharmaceuticals such as fluorine-labeled SSTR agonists and SSTR antagonists are emerging as alternatives to 68Ga-labeled peptides, offering improved detection rates and favorable biodistribution. The maturing of PET/MRI brings advantages to NEN imaging, including simultaneous acquisition of PET and MRI images, superior soft tissue contrast resolution, and motion correction capabilities. The PET/MRI with [68Ga]Ga-DOTA-peptides has demonstrated higher lesion detection rates and more accurate lesion classification compared to PET/CT. Overall, hybrid imaging offers valuable insights in the diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning of NENs. Further research is needed to refine response assessment criteria and standardize reporting guidelines.

Importance of parental involvement in paediatric palliative care in Hong Kong: qualitative case study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare and contrast the perceived care needs of children with life-limiting conditions (CLLC) from the perspectives of the children, parents and healthcare providers. DESIGN: A qualitative case study method using semistructured interviews was employed with a within-case and across-case analysis. Themes and subthemes emerging from the cases were compared and contrasted in the across-case analysis to explore the similarities and variations in participant perceptions. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS: The setting was the paediatric departments of five regional hospitals in Hong Kong. Twenty-five sets of informants (CLLC-parent-healthcare provider) were recruited, with 65 individual interviews conducted. RESULTS: A total of 3784 units of analysis were identified, resulting in three themes with subthemes. 'Living with the disease' (55.8%) occupied the largest proportion, followed by 'information and understanding about the disease' (27.4%), and 'care support and palliative care' (16.8%). Healthcare provider support mainly focused on physical concerns. Family and social support were present, but carer stress created tension between couples. Doctors were the primary source of medical information, but the parents had to seek further information via the internet and support from patient groups. There was a perceived need for better coordination and collaboration of care. The palliative care approach coordinated by nurses was seen as helpful in addressing the care needs of the CLLC. CONCLUSIONS: This original study identified the importance of palliative care with active engagement of parents which can address the service gap for CLLC.

Sex Cord-Stromal Tumors of the Ovary.

Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors (OSCSTs) are a rare group of ovarian neoplasms that can be benign or malignant. They are classified into pure sex cord tumors, pure stromal tumors, and mixed SCST. The most common malignant OSCSTs are adult granulosa cell tumors. In contrast to the more common ovarian epithelial malignancies, OSCSTs present in younger patients, often at early stages, with better prognoses. Imaging features are variable, and pathology is required for diagnosis. However, certain tumors demonstrate characteristic imaging appearances that can be useful in narrowing the differential diagnosis.

The why, who, how, and what of communicating CT radiation risks to patients and healthcare providers.

Computed tomography (CT) has witnessed tremendous growth in utilization. Despite its immense benefits, there is a growing concern from the general public and the medical community about the detrimental consequences of ionizing radiation from CT. Anxiety from the perceived risks associated with CT can deter referring physicians from ordering clinically indicated CT scans and patients from undergoing medically necessary exams. This article discusses various strategies for educating patients and healthcare providers on the benefits and risks of CT scanning and salient techniques for effective communication.

MR Imaging of Epithelial Ovarian Neoplasms Part II: Malignant.

MR imaging shows high sensitivity and specificity for discriminating benign from malignant lesions, thereby aiding in cancer management from assessing the initial extent of disease to subsequent treatment response. Understanding the utility and application of advanced imaging techniques allows better lesion characterization. Subtypes of epithelial ovarian tumors are presented, along with characteristic imaging findings, and illustrated with examples. Select mimics of malignancy are also presented.

Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging versus standard diffusion-weighted imaging in whole-body PET/MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To compare standard (STD-DWI) single-shot echo-planar imaging DWI and simultaneous multislice (SMS) DWI during whole-body positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI regarding acquisition time, image quality, and lesion detection. METHODS: Eighty-three adults (47 females, 57%), median age of 64 years (IQR 52-71), were prospectively enrolled from August 2018 to March 2020. Inclusion criteria were (a) abdominal or pelvic tumors and (b) PET/MRI referral from a clinician. Patients were excluded if whole-body acquisition of STD-DWI and SMS-DWI sequences was not completed. The evaluated sequences were axial STD-DWI at b-values 50-400-800 s/mm2 and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and axial SMS-DWI at b-values 50-300-800 s/mm2 and ADC, acquired with a 3-T PET/MRI scanner. Three radiologists rated each sequence's quality on a five-point scale. Lesion detection was quantified using the anatomic MRI sequences and PET as the reference standard. Regression models were constructed to quantify the association between all imaging outcomes/scores and sequence type. RESULTS: The median whole-body STD-DWI acquisition time was 14.8 min (IQR 14.1-16.0) versus 7.0 min (IQR 6.7-7.2) for whole-body SMS-DWI, p < 0.001. SMS-DWI image quality scores were higher than STD-DWI in the abdomen (OR 5.31, 95% CI 2.76-10.22, p < 0.001), but lower in the cervicothoracic junction (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.10-0.43, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the chest, mediastinum, pelvis, and rectum. STD-DWI detected 276/352 (78%) lesions while SMS-DWI located 296/352 (84%, OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02-2.07, p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: In cancer staging and restaging, SMS-DWI abbreviates acquisition while maintaining or improving the diagnostic yield in most anatomic regions. KEY POINTS: • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging enables faster whole-body image acquisition. • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging maintains or improves image quality when compared to single-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging in most anatomical regions. • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging leads to superior lesion detection.

Intubation and mortality prediction in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using a combination of convolutional neural network-based scoring of chest radiographs and clinical data.

Objective: To predict short-term outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients using a model incorporating clinical variables with automated convolutional neural network (CNN) chest radiograph analysis. Methods: A retrospective single center study was performed on patients consecutively admitted with COVID-19 between March 14 and April 21 2020. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected, and automated CNN scoring of the admission chest radiograph was performed. The two outcomes of disease progression were intubation or death within 7 days and death within 14 days following admission. Multiple imputation was performed for missing predictor variables and, for each imputed data set, a penalized logistic regression model was constructed to identify predictors and their functional relationship to each outcome. Cross-validated area under the characteristic (AUC) curves were estimated to quantify the discriminative ability of each model. Results: 801 patients (median age 59; interquartile range 46-73 years, 469 men) were evaluated. 36 patients were deceased and 207 were intubated at 7 days and 65 were deceased at 14 days. Cross-validated AUC values for predictive models were 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79-0.86) for death or intubation within 7 days and 0.82 (0.78-0.87) for death within 14 days. Automated CNN chest radiograph score was an important variable in predicting both outcomes. Conclusion: Automated CNN chest radiograph analysis, in combination with clinical variables, predicts short-term intubation and death in patients hospitalized for COVID-19 infection. Chest radiograph scoring of more severe disease was associated with a greater probability of adverse short-term outcome. Advances in knowledge: Model-based predictions of intubation and death in COVID-19 can be performed with high discriminative performance using admission clinical data and convolutional neural network-based scoring of chest radiograph severity.

Update on MRI in Evaluation and Treatment of Endometrial Cancer.

Endometrial cancer is the second most common gynecologic cancer worldwide and the most common gynecologic cancer in the United States, with an increasing incidence in high-income countries. Although the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for endometrial cancer is a surgical staging system, contemporary published evidence-based data and expert opinions recommend MRI for treatment planning as it provides critical diagnostic information on tumor size and depth, extent of myometrial and cervical invasion, extrauterine extent, and lymph node status, all of which are essential in choosing the most appropriate therapy. Multiparametric MRI using a combination of T2-weighted sequences, diffusion-weighted imaging, and multiphase contrast-enhanced imaging is the mainstay for imaging assessment of endometrial cancer. Identification of important prognostic factors at MRI improves both treatment selection and posttreatment follow-up. MRI also plays a crucial role for fertility-preserving strategies and in patients who are not surgical candidates by helping guide therapy and identify procedural complications. This review is a product of the Society of Abdominal Radiology Uterine and Ovarian Cancer Disease-Focused Panel and reflects a multidisciplinary international collaborative effort to summarize updated information highlighting the role of MRI for endometrial cancer depiction and delineation, treatment planning, and follow-up. The article includes information regarding dedicated MRI protocols, tips for MRI reporting, imaging pitfalls, and strategies for image quality optimization. The roles of MRI-guided radiation therapy, hybrid PET/MRI, and advanced MRI techniques that are applicable to endometrial cancer imaging are also discussed. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2022.

Contemporary image-guided cervical cancer brachytherapy: Consensus imaging recommendations from the Society of Abdominal Radiology and the American Brachytherapy Society.

PURPOSE: To present recommendations for the use of imaging for evaluation and procedural guidance of brachytherapy for cervical cancer patients. METHODS: An expert panel comprised of members of the Society of Abdominal Radiology Uterine and Ovarian Cancer Disease Focused Panel and the American Brachytherapy Society jointly assessed the existing literature and provide data-driven guidance on imaging protocol development, interpretation, and reporting. RESULTS: Image-guidance during applicator implantation reduces rates of uterine perforation by the tandem. Postimplant images may be acquired with radiography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and CT or MRI are preferred due to a decrease in severe complications. Pre-brachytherapy T2-weighted MRI may be used as a reference for contouring the high-risk clinical target volume (HR-CTV) when CT is used for treatment planning. Reference CT and MRI protocols are provided for reference. CONCLUSIONS: Image-guided brachytherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer is essential for optimal patient management. Various imaging modalities, including orthogonal radiographs, ultrasound, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging, remain integral to the successful execution of image-guided brachytherapy.

Quantitative imaging of uterine cancers with diffusion-weighted MRI and 18-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT.

Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of women with uterine cervical and endometrial cancers. Quantitative imaging, through MRI, PET/CT, and hybrid PET/MRI, allows for characterization of primary tumors beyond anatomic and qualitative descriptors. MRI diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) yields an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), which can be applied in both the pre-and post-treatment assessment of uterine tumors. PET/CT assesses metabolic activity, and measurement of tumor standardized uptake value (SUV) is a useful metric in the staging of uterine malignancies. Hybrid PET/MRI is an emerging modality that combines the soft tissue contrast of MRI with the molecular imaging capability of PET. This review provides an overview of these quantitative imaging modalities, and their current and potential roles in the assessment of uterine cervical and cancer.

2021 Top Images in Radiology: Radiology In Training Editors' Choices.

Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Ovarian cancer reporting lexicon for computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging developed by the SAR Uterine and Ovarian Cancer Disease-Focused Panel and the ESUR Female Pelvic Imaging Working Group.

OBJECTIVES: Imaging evaluation is an essential part of treatment planning for patients with ovarian cancer. Variation in the terminology used for describing ovarian cancer on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can lead to ambiguity and inconsistency in clinical radiology reports. The aim of this collaborative project between Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR) Uterine and Ovarian Cancer (UOC) Disease-focused Panel (DFP) and the European Society of Uroradiology (ESUR) Female Pelvic Imaging (FPI) Working Group was to develop an ovarian cancer reporting lexicon for CT and MR imaging. METHODS: Twenty-one members of the SAR UOC DFP and ESUR FPI working group, one radiology clinical fellow, and two gynecologic oncology surgeons formed the Ovarian Cancer Reporting Lexicon Committee. Two attending radiologist members of the committee prepared a preliminary list of imaging terms that was sent as an online survey to 173 radiologists and gynecologic oncologic physicians, of whom 67 responded to the survey. The committee reviewed these responses to create a final consensus list of lexicon terms. RESULTS: An ovarian cancer reporting lexicon was created for CT and MR Imaging. This consensus-based lexicon has 6 major categories of terms: general, adnexal lesion-specific, peritoneal carcinomatosis-specific, lymph node-specific, metastatic disease -specific, and fluid-specific. CONCLUSIONS: This lexicon for CT and MR imaging evaluation of ovarian cancer patients has the capacity to improve the clarity and consistency of reporting disease sites seen on imaging. KEY POINTS: • This reporting lexicon for CT and MR imaging provides a list of consensus-based, standardized terms and definitions for reporting sites of ovarian cancer on imaging at initial diagnosis or follow-up. • Use of standardized terms and morphologic imaging descriptors can help improve interdisciplinary communication of disease extent and facilitate optimal patient management. • The radiologists should identify and communicate areas of disease, including difficult to resect or potentially unresectable disease that may limit the ability to achieve optimal resection.

Rare Mesenchymal Tumors of the Pelvis: Imaging and Pathologic Correlation.

Most pelvic tumors originate from the organs. Less commonly, tumors can arise from the various anatomic pelvic compartments and are comprised of mesenchymal tissue: muscles, connective tissue, vessels, lymphatics, and fat. Among some of the rarer entities are benign tumors (eg, angiomyxoma, cellular angiofibroma, and desmoid fibromatosis), malignant tumors (eg, sarcoma), and tumors that can manifest as benign or malignant (eg, solitary fibrous tumor or nerve sheath tumor). Because these tumors are uncommon and often manifest with nonspecific clinical features, imaging (usually MRI) is an initial step in the evaluation. Radiologists interpreting these images are asked to help narrow the differential diagnosis and assess the likelihood of malignancy for treatment planning. Thus, the MRI report should include the imaging features that would indicate the underlying tissue histology for pathologic diagnosis as well as a description of the anatomic extent and pattern of growth. The authors describe multiple locally aggressive benign and malignant mesenchymal tumors and highlight characteristic clinical and imaging features that enable the radiologist to narrow the differential diagnosis. The anatomic spaces of the pelvis are reviewed with illustrations to aid the radiologist in describing these tumors, which often span multiple pelvic compartments. Tumor appearance at T2-weighted, diffusion-weighted, and postcontrast MRI is summarized and illustrated with correlation at CT or fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT, when available. MRI features that correspond to specific types of tissue (eg, myxoid, fibrous, or vascular) are highlighted and correlated with images from pathologic evaluation. Online supplemental material is available for this article. ©RSNA, 2021.