Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound Consensus on Routine Pelvic US for Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a prevalent and potentially debilitating condition that mostly affects individuals of reproductive age, and often has a substantial diagnostic delay. US is usually the first-line imaging modality used when patients report chronic pelvic pain or have issues of infertility, both common symptoms of endometriosis. Other than the visualization of an endometrioma, sonologists frequently do not appreciate endometriosis on routine transvaginal US images. Given a substantial body of literature describing techniques to depict endometriosis at US, the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound convened a multidisciplinary panel of experts to make recommendations aimed at improving the screening process for endometriosis. The panel was composed of experts in the imaging and management of endometriosis, including radiologists, sonographers, gynecologists, reproductive endocrinologists, and minimally invasive gynecologic surgeons. A comprehensive literature review combined with a modified Delphi technique achieved a consensus. This statement defines the targeted screening population, describes techniques for augmenting pelvic US, establishes direct and indirect observations for endometriosis at US, creates an observational grading and reporting system, and makes recommendations for additional imaging and patient management. The panel recommends transvaginal US of the posterior compartment, observation of the relative positioning of the uterus and ovaries, and the uterine sliding sign maneuver to improve the detection of endometriosis. These additional techniques can be performed in 5 minutes or less and could ultimately decrease the delay of an endometriosis diagnosis in at-risk patients.

MRI Features of Pelvic Nerve Involvement in Endometriosis.

Endometriosis is a common condition that mostly affects people assigned as female at birth. The most common clinical symptom of endometriosis is pain. Although the mechanism for this pain is poorly understood, in some cases, the nerves are directly involved in endometriosis. Endometriosis is a multifocal disease, and the pelvis is the most common location involved. Nerves in the pelvis can become entrapped and involved in endometriosis. Pelvic nerves are visible at pelvic MRI, especially when imaging planes and sequences are tailored for neural evaluation. In particular, high-spatial-resolution anatomic imaging including three-dimensional isotropic imaging and contrast-enhanced three-dimensional short inversion time inversion-recovery (STIR) fast spin-echo sequences are useful for nerve imaging. The most commonly involved nerves are the sciatic, obturator, femoral, pudendal, and inferior hypogastric nerves and the inferior hypogastric and lumbosacral plexuses. Although it is thought to be rare, the true incidence of nerve involvement in endometriosis is not known. Symptoms of neural involvement include pain, weakness, numbness, incontinence, and paraplegia and may be constant or cyclic (catamenial). Early diagnosis of neural involvement in endometriosis is important to prevent irreversible nerve damage and chronic sensorimotor neuropathy. Evidence of irreversible damage can also be seen at MRI, and radiologists should evaluate pelvic nerves that are commonly involved in endometriosis in their search pattern and report template to ensure that this information is incorporated into treatment planning.

Endometriosis MR mimickers: T2-hypointense lesions.

Endometriosis is a common crippling disease in women of reproductive age. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is considered the cornerstone radiological technique for both the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. While its sensitivity, especially in deep infiltrating endometriosis, is superior to that of ultrasonography, many sources of false-positive results exist, leading to a lack of specificity. Hypointense lesions or pseudo-lesions on T2-weighted images include anatomical variants, fibrous connective tissues, benign and malignant tumors, feces, surgical materials, and post treatment scars which may mimic deep pelvic infiltrating endometriosis. False positives can have a major impact on patient management, from diagnosis to medical or surgical treatment. This educational review aims to help the radiologist acknowledge MRI criteria, pitfalls, and the differential diagnosis of deep pelvic infiltrating endometriosis to reduce false-positive results. Critical relevance statement MRI in deep infiltrating endometriosis has a 23% false-positive rate, leading to misdiagnosis. T2-hypointense lesions primarily result from anatomical variations, fibrous connective tissue, benign and malignant tumors, feces, surgical material, and post-treatment scars. Key points • MRI in DIE has a 23% false-positive rate, leading to potential misdiagnosis.• Anatomical variations, fibrous connective tissues, neoplasms, and surgical alterations are the main sources of T2-hypointense mimickers.• Multisequence interpretation, morphologic assessment, and precise anatomic localization are crucial to prevent overdiagnosis.• Gadolinium injection is beneficial for assessing endometriosis differential diagnosis only in specific conditions.

Surgical Management of Endometriosis Involving the Bladder and Ureter.

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis is a chronic, debilitating condition affecting up to 10% of reproductive-age women. Urinary tract endometriosis is found in 1%-6% of women diagnosed with pelvic endometriosis, with the most common sites being the bladder (70%-85%), ureter (9%-23%), and kidney (4%). Patients typically present with symptoms such as lower abdominal pain, dysuria, and urgency. Unfortunately, urinary tract endometriosis is often asymptomatic, potentially leading to silent obstructive uropathy and kidney failure. OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate a step-by-step approach for the surgical management of urinary tract endometriosis using conventional laparoscopy for partial cystectomy and robotic-assisted laparoscopy for ureteroneocystostomy. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Surgical video of 2 cases managed in an academic tertiary referral center for endometriosis. The first case was a 38-year-old Gravida 3, Para 3 with a history of hysterectomy who had an MRI which revealed a T2 hypointense bladder nodule consistent with endometriosis. Patient had significant urinary urgency, dysuria, and suprapubpic pain that improved but did not disappear after starting oral progestin therapy (5 mg of norethindrone). A cystoscopy was first performed to confirm MRI findings of bladder lesion and to delineate borders and depth of invasion. The second case was a 35-year-old nulliparous woman with chronic pelvic pain and primary infertility. The patient had a history of stage IV endometriosis with deep endometriosis into the bowel and extrinsic encasement of the ureters causing subsequent hydronephrosis requiring bilateral ureteral stents. She had continued daily pelvic pain despite of being on oral contraceptives for medical management of endometriosis. She subsequently underwent bilateral percutaneous nephrostomy tube placement to allow for ureteral rest prior to surgery. RESULTS: In the first case, conventional laparoscopy was utilized to perform bilateral ureterolysis, bladder mobilization, partial cystectomy for complete excision of the lesion, and 2-layered bladder closure. Use of indigo carmine assisted with ureteral orifice identification. In the second case, a cystoscopy was performed with injection of Indocyanine green to assist with ureteral identification. After ureterolysis, distal ureteric obstruction due to extensive disease was confirmed on laparoscopy and ureteroscopy. Bilateral ureteroneocystostomy with placement of Double-J ureteral stents was performed using a robotic-assisted approach. Each patient had an indwelling Foley catheter for bladder decompression during recovery. Pathology in both cases revealed endometriosis. Both patients had an uneventful postoperative course. A postoperative retrograde cystogram confirmed adequate repair prior to removal of each Foley catheter. Patient 2 had uncomplicated office stent removal 6 weeks postoperatively and had a normal renal ultrasound with no hydronephrosis 6 months postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Endometriosis is an increasingly common condition. It is important for gynecological surgeons to have the proper understanding of anatomy, surgical technique, and multidisciplinary care needed with urology for safe and complete excision of bladder and ureter endometriosis.

Focal-occult placenta accreta: a clandestine source of maternal morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum is known to cause adverse obstetrical morbidity outcomes, however, direct comparisons with previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum morbidity are lacking. OBJECTIVE: We sought to compare the baseline characteristics, surgical and obstetrical morbidity, and subsequent pregnancy outcomes of patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum with those of patients with previa-associated accreta. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review was conducted of all pathologically confirmed placenta accreta spectrum cases from 2018 to 2022 at a tertiary care center. The baseline characteristics, surgical, obstetrical, and subsequent pregnancy outcomes were recorded. Cases of focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum was compared with cases of previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum across a range of morbidity characteristics including hemorrhagic factors, interventions, postdelivery reoperations, infections, and intensive care unit admission. Statistical comparison was performed using Kruskal-Wallis or chi-square tests, and a P value of <.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: A total of 74 cases were identified with 43 focal-occult and 31 previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum cases. Of those, 25.6% of the patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum and 100% of the patients with previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum underwent a hysterectomy. One case of focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum and 29 cases of previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum were diagnosed antenatally. Patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum did not differ from those with previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum in mean maternal age (33.0 vs 33.1 years), body mass index, or the incidence of previous dilation and curettage procedures (16.3% vs 25.8%). Patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum were significantly more likely to have a lower mean parity (1.5 vs 3.6 gestations), higher gestational age at delivery (36.1 vs 33.9 weeks' gestation), and were less likely to have had a previous cesarean delivery (12/43, 27.9% vs 30/31, 96.8%). In addition, patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum had less previous cesarean deliveries (mean, 0.5 vs 2.3), were more likely to have undergone in vitro fertilization (20.9% vs 3.2%), and less likely to have anterior placentation. When contrasting the clinical outcomes of patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum with those with previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum, the postpartum hemorrhage rates (71.0% vs 67.4%), mean quantitative blood loss (2099 mL; range, 500-9516 mL vs 2119 mL; range 350-12,220 mL), mean units of red blood cells transfused (1.4 vs 1.7), massive transfusion rate (9.3% vs 3.2%), and intensive care unit admission rates (11.6% vs 6.5%) were not significantly different, but there was a nonsignificant trend toward higher morbidity among patients with focal-occult accreta. Patients with focal-occult accreta had a higher incidence of reoperations or return to the operating room (30.2 vs 6.5%; P=.01). When comparing focal-occult with previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum, the composite outcomes, including hemorrhagic morbidity (77.4% vs 74.4%), any maternal morbidity (83.9% vs 76.7%), and severe maternal morbidity (64.5% vs 65.1%), were not significantly different between the groups. Nine focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum patients had a subsequent pregnancy, and 3 of those had recurrent placenta accreta spectrum. CONCLUSION: Focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum presents with fewer identifiable risk factors than placenta previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum but may be associated with an in vitro fertilization pregnancy. Patients with focal-occult placenta accreta spectrum was observed to have a higher incidence of reoperation when compared with patients previa-associated placenta accreta spectrum, and no other statistically significant differences in morbidity outcomes were observed. The absence of differences in morbidity outcomes may be attributable to a lack of antenatal detection of focal-occult accreta and merits further investigation.

Melanoma in pregnancy.

Melanoma is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed during pregnancy. Patients with advanced disease require frequent staging examinations (e.g., CT, PET, MRI, ultrasound), which, during pregnancy must be modified from routine protocol to minimize risk to the fetus. We will review the diagnostic and treatment approach to pregnant patients with melanoma, with a discussion and pictorial examples of imaging protocol modifications, and the appearance of metastatic melanoma on radiology exams using modified protocols due to pregnancy.

ACR Appropriateness Criteria® Fibroids.

Uterine fibroids (leiomyomas or myomas) are the most common neoplasm of the uterus. Though incompletely understood, fibroid etiology is multifactorial, a combination of genetic alterations and endocrine, autocrine, environmental, and other factors such as race, age, parity, and body mass index. Black women have greater than an 80% incidence of fibroids by age 50, whereas White women have an incidence approaching 70%. Fibroid symptoms are protean, and menorrhagia is most frequent. The societal economic burden of symptomatic fibroids is large, 5.9 to 34.3 billion dollars annually. There are a variety of treatment options for women with symptomatic fibroids ranging from medical therapy to hysterectomy. Myomectomy and uterine fibroid embolization are the most common uterine sparing therapies. Pelvic ultrasound (transabdominal and transvaginal) with Doppler and MRI with and without intravenous contrast are the best imaging modalities for the initial diagnosis of fibroids, the initial treatment of known fibroids, and for surveillance or posttreatment imaging. The ACR Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed annually by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The guideline development and revision process support the systematic analysis of the medical literature from peer-reviewed journals. Established methodology principles such as Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation or GRADE are adapted to evaluate the evidence. The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method User Manual provides the methodology to determine the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures for specific clinical scenarios. In those instances in which peer-reviewed literature is lacking or equivocal, experts may be the primary evidentiary source available to formulate a recommendation.

Excision of Deep Endometriosis of the Rectosigmoid: Individualizing Care to the Presenting Pathology.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To highlight different surgical approaches for managing deep infiltrating endometriosis involving the rectosigmoid colon. DESIGN: Demonstration of specific surgical techniques with educational narrated video footage. SETTING: Bowel endometriosis is reported in 3.8% to 37% of patients with endometriosis [1]. Most commonly, the rectosigmoid colon is involved. Pelvic ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging may be useful in diagnosis and for surgical planning [2]. Treatment options include observation, medications, or surgery. There are various surgical techniques that can be used for excision of deep infiltrating endometriosis involving the rectosigmoid colon. Serosal shaving, discoid resection, and complete resection are the possible types of surgical interventions that are demonstrated in this surgical education video at an academic medical center. Serosal shaving is used for lesions with minimal involvement of the muscularis. It can be done sharply or with electrosurgery and it is imperative to assess bowel integrity after shaving. Discoid resection is used for lesions with muscularis involvement, <3 cm in size, and encompassing less than one-third to a half of the bowel circumference. Full-thickness discoid bowel resection can be done in various ways including manual resection with primary suture closure, regular stapler transabdominally, or EEA stapler (Medtronic EEA Circular Stapler, Minneapolis, MN) transrectally. Segmental resection is used for lesions >3 cm in size, involving >50% of the bowel circumference, or for multifocal lesions. Various suture and stapler methods exist for this technique. INTERVENTIONS: Based on the imaging and intraoperative findings, a surgical technique was chosen and demonstrated. The types of surgical techniques demonstrated include laparoscopic serosal shaving, discoid resection with manual resection and primary suture closure, discoid resection with EEA stapler, and segmental resection. CONCLUSION: Knowledge of different surgical approaches to excise endometriosis is essential to appropriately address a patient's unique pathology. The choice of which surgical technique to use should include consideration of the location of the lesion, depth and circumference of involvement, and the number of nodules present.

Feasibility and safety of percutaneous image-guided cryoablation of abdominal wall endometriosis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of percutaneous image-guided cryoablation of abdominal wall endometriosis (AWE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of percutaneous cryoablation (CT or MR) of AWE was performed from January 2018 to December 2020. Eighteen patients were identified from an internal percutaneous ablation database. Technical success, complications, and outcomes were analyzed according to standard nomenclature. RESULTS: Patients comprised 18 females (mean age 36.9 years) who underwent 18 cryoablation procedures to treat 23 AWE deposits. Three of the 18 cases were performed under MR guidance, while the remaining 15 employed CT guidance. Technical success was achieved in all 18 cases (100%). Fifteen of 18 patients (83%) had biopsy proven AWE deposits prior to treatment. Hydrodisplacement was used to displace adjacent bowel, bladder, or neurovascular structures in 13/18 cases (72%). The mean number of probes used per case was 3. Sixteen of 23 (70%) of AWE deposits had imaging follow-up (median 85 days). Of the 16 lesions with imaging follow-up, 15 (94%) demonstrated no residual enhancement or T1 hyperintensity at the treatment site and 1 lesion (6%) demonstrated residual/progressive disease. At clinical follow-up, 13 of 14 (93%) patients reported improvement in AWE-related symptoms. Eleven patients had clinically documented pain scores before and after ablation and all demonstrated substantial symptomatic improvement. No society of interventional radiology (SIR) major complications were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous cryoablation of AWE is feasible with a favorable safety profile. Further longitudinal studies are needed to document durable response over time.

Problem-solving with MRI in acute abdominopelvic conditions, part 2: gynecological, obstetric, vascular, and renal diseases.

The purpose of this article is to illustrate the benefits of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the setting of abdominopelvic emergencies. Owing to intrinsically high soft-tissue contrast resolution, and ability to resolve different soft tissue, MRI holds notable advantages over other imaging modalities and can be used as a problem-solving tool. Additional advantages of MRI include lack of radiation-related risks to children and pregnant women, and the ability to acquire detailed diagnostic information even without intravenous contrast which can be beneficial in patients with contrast allergy and end-stage renal disease. In the part 2, the authors focus on MRI features of female pelvic gynecological diseases, pregnancy- related complications, abdominal vascular complications, and renal diseases.

Dual contrast liver MRI: a pictorial illustration.

Liver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a commonly performed imaging technique with multiple indications and applications. There are two general groups of contrast agents used when imaging the liver, extracellular contrast agents (ECA) and hepatobiliary agents (HBA), each of which has its own advantages and limitations. Liver MRI with ECA provides excellent information on abdominal vasculature and better quality multi-phasic studies for characterization of focal liver lesions. HBA improves lesion detection, provides information regarding liver function and can be helpful for evaluating biliary tree anatomy, excretion, anastomotic stenoses, or leaks. Most liver MRI studies are usually performed with one agent, however in some cases, a second study is performed with another agent to obtain additional information or confirm the findings in the first study. Administering both agents in a single exam can potentially eliminate the need for additional imaging in certain situations. In this pictorial review, the techniques and indications for dual contrast MRI will be detailed with multiple demonstrative examples.

Krukenberg Tumors: Update on Imaging and Clinical Features.

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this case-based article is to discuss the pathophysiologic findings, common pathways of spread, and imaging features associated with Krukenberg tumors. CONCLUSION. Not all ovarian metastases are Krukenberg tumors. Krukenberg tumors are the most common subtype of ovarian metastases, and they are histologically characterized by signet ring cell mucinous features. Common primary tumor sites include the stomach or colon. Although often difficult, distinguishing between Krukenberg tumors and primary ovarian malignancy on imaging is important because of management and prognostic implications.

Imaging of gastrointestinal endometriosis: what the radiologist should know.

Deep invasive gastrointestinal endometriosis (DIGIE) is a frequent and severe presentation of endometriosis. Although most cases invade the rectosigmoid colon, DIGIE can involve any portion of the gastrointestinal tract from the stomach to the rectum, and is commonly multifocal and multicentric. Although histopathologic confirmation with surgery remains the gold standard for diagnosis, ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the key non-invasive imaging modalities for initial assessment. US may be preferred as a screening study because of its easy availability and low-cost. Pelvic MRI and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) provide substantial advantages for disease mapping in the pre-operative period, particularly in extensive bowel endometriosis. Although medical management of DIGIE with hormonal therapy can help control symptoms, disease course can be relentless and require surgical intervention. Surgical options depend on, the location; length; depth; circumference; multicentric or multifocal disease. With procedures including simple excision, fulguration of superficial lesions, shaving, disc excision, and segmental resection. A successful treatment outcome is largely dependent on good communication between the treating surgeon and the radiologist, who can provide vital information for effective surgical planning by reporting the key elements that we elaborate upon in this paper.

Recommendations for MRI technique in the evaluation of pelvic endometriosis: consensus statement from the Society of Abdominal Radiology endometriosis disease-focused panel.

Endometriosis is a common entity causing chronic pain and infertility in women. The gold standard method for diagnosis is diagnostic laparoscopy, which is invasive and costly. MRI has shown promise in its ability to diagnose endometriosis and its efficacy for preoperative planning. The Society of Abdominal Radiology established a Disease-Focused Panel (DFP) to improve patient care for patients with endometriosis. In this article, the DFP performs a literature review and uses its own experience to provide technical recommendations on optimizing MRI Pelvis for the evaluation of endometriosis.

MRI impacts endometriosis management in the setting of image-based multidisciplinary conference: a retrospective analysis.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to quantify the value of pre-operative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in guiding surgical management of women with endometriosis. METHODS: Pre-operative discussion of patient management and review of imaging occurred for 136 patients with endometriosis in an MRI-based multidisciplinary conference co-directed by an abdominal radiologist and gynecologic surgeon. A tri-compartmental report template guided the systematic imaging review. Management changes made as a result of the conference were identified via retrospective chart review and classified as major, directly influencing the surgical procedure or approach, or minor, impacting the patient's medical management, therapies, or diagnostic evaluation. RESULTS: Of the 136 patients discussed in conference, a management change was identified in 18.4% (25 patients). Major changes occurred in 8.1% (11 patients) and minor changes in 13.2% (18 patients). The sum of major and minor management changes exceeded the total, as both major and minor management changes were made for 4 patients. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate the ability of an MRI-based multidisciplinary conference to result in pre-operative management changes in approximately 1 of 5 pre-operatively reviewed women with endometriosis. Importantly, systematic review of the MRI facilitated management changes beyond that of the dictated report alone, which was available to clinicians prior to the conference. The study reflects the value of multidisciplinary interaction, with radiologists serving more directly as clinical consultants to surgical services, and suggests an opportunity to optimize the role of MRI in endometriosis management with standardized reports emphasizing surgically pertinent findings.