Diagnostic accuracy of clinical visual assessment using endoscopic images for nasal cavity mass lesions.

Objectives: Discrimination of nasal cavity lesions using nasal endoscopy is challenging because of the differences in clinical manifestations and treatment strategies. We aimed to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of clinical visual assessment (CVA) of nasal cavity masses using endoscopic images and determine whether there is a difference according to pathologic class and the examiners' experience. Methods: We collected pathologically confirmed endoscopic images of normal findings, nasal polyp (NP), benign tumor, and malignant tumor (each class contained 100 images) randomly selected. Eighteen otolaryngologists, including six junior residents, six senior residents, and six board-certified rhinologists classified the test set images into four classes of lesions by CVA. Diagnostic performance according to the pathologic class and the examiner's experience level was evaluated based on overall accuracy, F1-score, confusion matrix, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Diagnostic performance was significantly different according to the pathological class of nasal cavity mass lesions with the overall accuracy reported high in the order of normal, NP, benign tumor, and malignant tumor (0.926 ± 0.100; 0.819 ± 0.135; 0.580 ± 0.112; 0.478 ± 0.187, respectively), F1 score (0.937 ± 0.076; 0.730 ± 0.093; 0.549 ± 0.080; 0.554 ± 0.146, respectively) and AUC value (0.96 ± 0.06; 0.84 ± 0.07; 0.70 ± 0.05; 0.71 ± 0.08, respectively). The expert rhinologist group achieved higher overall accuracy than the resident group (0.756 ± 0.157 vs. 0.680 ± 0.239, p < .05). Conclusion: CVA for nasal cavity mass was highly dependent on the pathologic class and examiner's experience. The overall accuracy was reliably high for normal findings, but low in classifying benign and malignant tumors. Differential diagnosis of lesions solely based on nasal endoscopic evaluation is challenging. Therefore, clinicians should consider further clinical evaluation for suspicious cases.

Advantage of 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT on Postradiotherapy Response Assessment of Juvenile Nasal Angiofibroma.

ABSTRACT: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is universally expressed in the endothelial cells of tumor-associated neovasculature of juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma. Functional 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT also enables easier differentiation of the residual tumor from postoperative changes. An 18-year-old man with the residual intracranial disease received radiotherapy after surgery. In PSMA PET/CT imaging, uptake was noted initially only in the residual disease, and the same was absent after successful response to radiotherapy, unlike contrast MRI, which showed persistent enhancement. Functional 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT may be a very useful tool clinically for identifying early responses to radiotherapy compared with conventional structural imaging.

Comparison of Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT and Contrast-Enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Follow-up Assessment of Juvenile Nasal Angiofibroma-A Novel Pilot Study.

PURPOSE/BACKGROUND: The specific identification of residual/recurrent juvenile nasal angiofibroma (JNA) following surgical treatment remains difficult. Contrast MRI and CT may not enable the differentiation of tumor from postsurgical reparative tissue. Functional imaging with prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT targeting tumor-associated neovasculature has recently demonstrated universal positive uptake in primary JNA and offers promise of greater accuracy in the detection or exclusion of recurrent/residual JNA. METHODS: In this prospective study, 18 postsurgical JNA patients with high suspicion for residual disease evinced by follow-up MR scan, or nasal endoscopy, or recent epistaxis during September 2018-November 2019 were included. All patients underwent head and neck spot PSMA PET/CT imaging. Postcontrast enhancement of a definite lesion was considered as a criterion for residual/recurrent tumor in contrast-enhanced MRI (CEMRI). In PSMA PET/CT, any abnormal uptake apart from physiological sites in the head and neck was considered as residual lesions. Radiological results were categorized as negative, suspicious, and residual/recurrent tumors. Any discrepancy between CEMRI and PSMA was resolved by surgical biopsies. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were separately calculated for CEMRI and PSMA PET/CT for diagnosing residual lesions. The interrater agreement κ value was also calculated. RESULTS: On CEMRI evaluation, 14 of 18 patients had residual tumors, 2 had suspicious residual lesions, and 2 had normal postoperative scans. On PSMA PET/CT, 12 of 18 patients had residual tumors, and 6 had normal negative scans. Surgical biopsy in all 4 discordant cases was negative for tumors and revealed only fibrosis. In 1 patient with residual tumor on both scans, discrepancy was noted with regard to tumor extent demonstrated by the 2 scans, and further surgical excision confirmed the imaging findings of PSMA PET/CT as accurate. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CEMRI were 100%, 33.33%, and 75% and 100%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of PSMA PET/CT were 100% for all parameters. The interrater agreement between the 2 tests (κ) is 0.5 (95% confidence interval, 0.19-0.81). CONCLUSIONS: The Ga-PSMA PET/CT is noted as more specific than the current standard of CEMRI in the identification of residual/recurrent JNA. It is the first radionuclide imaging scan that has found application in postoperative assessment of JNA. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2018/08/015479).

Volumetric tumor response assessment is inefficient without overt clinical benefit compared to conventional, manual veterinary response assessment in canine nasal tumors.

Accurate assessment of tumor response to therapy is critical in guiding management of veterinary oncology patients and is most commonly performed using response evaluation criteria in solid tumors criteria. This process can be time consuming and have high intra- and interobserver variability. The primary aim of this serial measurements, secondary analysis study was to compare manual linear tumor response assessment to semi-automated, contoured response assessment in canine nasal tumors. The secondary objective was to determine if tumor measurements or clinical characteristics, such as stage, would correlate to progression-free interval. Three investigators evaluated paired CT scans of skulls of 22 dogs with nasal tumors obtained prior to and following radiation therapy. The automatically generated tumor volumes were not useful for canine nasal tumors in this study, characterized by poor intraobserver agreement between automatically generated contours and hand-adjusted contours. The radiologist's manual linear method of determining response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization and tumor volume is significantly faster (P < .0001) but significantly underestimates nasal tumor volume (P < .05) when compared to a contour-based method. Interobserver agreement was greater for volume determination using the contour-based method when compared to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization utilizing the same method. However, response evaluation criteria in solid tumors categorization and percentage volume change were strongly correlated, providing validity to response evaluation criteria in solid tumors as a rapid method of tumor response assessment for canine nasal tumors. No clinical characteristics or tumor measurements were significantly associated with progression-free interval.

Clinical Utility of 68Ga-Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen PET/CT Scan on Postoperative Assessment of Juvenile Nasal Angiofibroma.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is expressed on the endothelial cells of tumor-associated neovasculature of various nonprostatic benign and malignant neoplasms. Positive uptake on PET/CT imaging with Ga-labeled PSMA is noted in a patient with juvenile nasal angiofibroma, and the same is noted to be absent following complete surgical excision. Ga-PSMA PET/CT may be a useful tool for juvenile nasal angiofibroma recurrence identification and in differentiating recurrence from surgical site reparative tissue.

Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced computed tomography for assessment of mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in dogs with oral and nasal cancer.

The diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced CT for detection of cervical lymph node metastasis in dogs is unknown. The purpose of this retrospective, observational, diagnostic accuracy study was to assess the efficacy of CT for detection of mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis in dogs. Histopathology of dogs with cancer of the head, CT and bilateral mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymphadenectomy was reviewed. A single radiologist measured lymph nodes to derive short axis width and long-short axis ratios. Two blinded radiologists separately assessed lymph node margins, attenuation and contrast enhancement and each provided a final subjective interpretation of each node site as benign or neoplastic. Where radiologists' opinions differed, a consensus was reached. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were calculated for mandibular and medial retropharyngeal sites. Agreement between radiologists was assessed. Fisher's exact test and the Kruskal-Wallis H-test were used to assess associations between variables. Forty-one primary tumours were recorded in 40 dogs. Metastasis to mandibular or retropharyngeal lymph nodes occurred in 16 out of 40 dogs (43/160 nodes). Agreement between radiologists was almost perfect for margination, attenuation and enhancement, strong for interpretation of mandibular lymph node metastasis, and weak for interpretation of medial retropharyngeal lymph node metastasis. Sensitivity of CT was 12.5% and 10.5%, specificity was 91.1% and 96.7%, and accuracy was 67.5% and 76.3% for mandibular and medial retropharyngeal lymph nodes respectively. No individual CT findings were predictive of nodal metastasis. Given the low sensitivity of CT, this modality cannot be relied upon alone for assessment of cervical lymph node metastasis in dogs.

Assessment of the prognostic capacity of pretreatment, interim, and post-therapy (18)F-FDG PET/CT in extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type.

OBJECTIVE: Although the prognostic value of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) using [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose ((18)F-FDG) has been widely confirmed for diffuse large B cell lymphoma, its value for extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma, nasal type (ENKTL), is still controversial. Therefore, we designed a prospective study to investigate the prognostic value of (18)F-FDG PET/CT in patients with ENKTL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-three patients with newly diagnosed, untreated ENKTL, were enrolled in this study. Interim and post-therapy PET/CT scans were analyzed by visual evaluation, in accordance with the criteria set forth by the International Harmonization Project. Patients were classified as either positive or negative. Pretreatment maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) of (18)F-FDG were recorded in the most (18)F-FDG-intense lesions. The pretreatment (18)F-FDG SUV as well as the interim and post-therapy PET/CT results were assessed for the ability to predict progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: On the pretreatment scan, the SUVmax of the indicator lesion was >10.00 in 81.8% of patients who were treatment-resistant and ≤10.00 in 86.4% of patients who were treatment non-resistant (mean SUVmax, 12.93 and 8.10, respectively). Univariate analyses revealed that pretreatment SUVmax is a significant predictor (P < 0.01, P < 0.01) of PFS and OS, respectively. Multivariate analyses revealed that pretreatment SUVmax (P < 0.01, P = 0.01) and post-therapy PET/CT result (P < 0.01, P = 0.04) are independent predictors of PFS and OS, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: (18)F-FDG uptakes prior to treatment and post-therapy PET/CT results can predict unfavorable outcomes following treatment in patients with ENKTL, but interim PET/CT results have little value in predicting survival.

Bone invasion by adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland: preoperative imaging assessment and surgical considerations.

PURPOSE: To identify the incidence of radiologically and histologically documented bony invasion of the lacrimal gland fossa by adenoid cystic carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The authors reviewed the records of all 18 patients with lacrimal gland adenoid cystic carcinoma surgically treated at their institution from 1997 to 2009 for imaging findings (blinded review) and histologic findings on evaluation of the lacrimal gland fossa. Preoperative CT and/or MRI findings were available for 17 patients. RESULTS: The 8 men and 10 women ranged in age from 9 to 69 years. American Joint Committee on Cancer tumor stages after preoperative imaging were as follows: T1N0M0, 2 patients; T2N0M0, 5 patients; T3aN0M0, 2 patients; T3bN0M0, 5 patients; T3bN0M1, 2 patients; T4bN0M0, one patient; and TxN0M0, one patient. Preoperative imaging suggested bony involvement of the lacrimal gland fossa in 13 patients (76.5%); this was histologically confirmed in 11 of the 13. Preoperative imaging suggested no bone involvement in 4 patients, 3 of whom had bone involvement by histology. Overall, 14 of 17 histologically evaluable cases (82.3%) had invasion of the lacrimal gland fossa. Histologic findings of bone/periosteal involvement led to upstaging of 3 tumors. Metastases developed in 8 of 18 patients and trended with basaloid histology (p = 0.066). CONCLUSIONS: Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland is associated with bone invasion in essentially all but the smallest of tumors (T1). This high rate of bone involvement may warrant addressing the bony walls during surgery for adenoid cystic carcinoma of the lacrimal gland.

CT assessment of woodworkers' nasal adenocarcinomas confirms the origin in the olfactory cleft.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Endoscopic endonasal surgery let us observe that woodworkers' nasal adenocarcinomas originate in the olfactory cleft. Our aim was the identification of CT imaging features that corroborate the olfactory cleft as the site of origin for woodworkers' adenocarcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We designed a retrospective study to compare CT scans of 27 unilateral olfactory cleft adenocarcinomas with 30 cases of nasosinusal polyposis (NSP) and 33 healthy sinus controls. Enlargement of the olfactory cleft, lateralization of the ethmoidal turbinate wall, and contralateral bulging of the nasal septum were measured on coronal scans passing through crista galli and posterior half of both ocular globes. Comparisons have been performed by using analysis of variance and the Bonferroni procedure. RESULTS: The nasal septum was significantly bulging across the midline in adenocarcinoma (4.6 +/- 3 mm; range, -0.1-13.7 mm) compared with NSP (0.7 +/- 1 mm; range, -2.1-2.3 mm) or healthy sinus controls (0.5 +/- 1 mm; range, -1.2-2 mm) (P < .001). The olfactory cleft was significantly wider in adenocarcinoma (15.1 +/- 4.5 mm; range, 8.6-25.7 mm) than in NSP (3.6 +/- 0.4 mm; range, 2.8-4.6 mm) or healthy sinus controls (3.3 +/- 0.7 mm; range, 1.4-4.6 mm). The ethmoidal labyrinth width was significantly smaller on the pathologic side in adenocarcinoma (7.2 +/- 2.7 mm; range, 3.2-14.2 mm) than in the control groups (P < .001). Whereas the angle between the conchal lamina and vertical midline was close to zero degrees in NSP (0.03 +/- 2.25 degrees ; range, -5 degrees -3 degrees ) and healthy sinus controls (0.45 +/- 2.13 degrees , range, -5 degrees -5 degrees ), it reached 39.76 +/- 13.83 degrees (P < .001) in adenocarcinoma. CONCLUSIONS: Radiologists should suspect nasal adenocarcinoma on sinus CT scans showing a unilateral expanding opacity of the olfactory cavity.

Assessment of a radiotherapy patient cranial immobilization device using daily on-board kilovoltage imaging.

The purpose of this study was to utilize state-of-the-art on-board digital kilovoltage (kV) imaging to determine the systematic and random set-up errors of an immobilization device designed for canine and feline cranial radiotherapy treatments. The immobilization device is comprised of a custom made support bridge, bite block, vacuum-based foam mold and a modified thermoplastic mask attached to a commercially available head rest designed for human radiotherapy treatments. The immobilization device was indexed to a Varian exact couch-top designed for image guided radiation therapy (IGRT). Daily orthogonal kV images were compared to Eclipse treatment planning digitally reconstructed radiographs (DRRs). The orthogonal kV images and DRRs were directly compared online utilizing the Varian on-board imaging (OBI) system with set-up corrections mmediately and remotely transferred to the treatment couch prior to treatment delivery. Off-line review of 124 patient treatments indicates systematic errors consisting of +0.18 mm vertical, +0.39mm longitudinal and -0.08 mm lateral. The random errors corresponding to 2 standard deviations (95% CI) consist of 4.02 mm vertical, 2.97 mm longitudinal and 2.53 mm lateral and represent conservative CTV to PTV margins if kV OBI is not available. Use of daily kV OBI along with the cranial immobilization device permits reduction of the CTV to PTV margins to approximately 2.0 mm.

Retrospective assessment of computed tomographic imaging of feline sinonasal disease in 62 cats.

Sixty-two cats with sinonasal disease were evaluated with computed tomography. Findings that may lead to a computed tomographic diagnosis of nasal neoplasia versus rhinitis included osteolysis of the paranasal bones, moderate to severe turbinate destruction, lysis of the nasal septum, the presence of a homogenous space occupying mass, and extension of the disease process into the orbit or facial soft tissues. These findings were not pathognomonic for neoplasia and may be associated with severe rhinitis; therefore, nasal biopsy was recommended. When compared with parallel radiographic studies, computed tomography was not more sensitive than radiographs at detecting the presence of nasal cavity abnormalities in cats with referable clinical signs but was more sensitive at localizing these changes and determining the extent of disease.

Value of sonography in the assessment of space-occupying lesions of the anterior nasal fossa.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to define the gray-scale, color, and power Doppler sonographic appearances and spectral analysis patterns of anterior nasal masses. METHODS: Eight patients with anteriorly located nasal masses were referred to our hospital for CT of the paranasal sinuses. Subsequently, they were examined with a high-frequency linear-array ultrasound transducer. We performed gray-scale sonography and color and power Doppler imaging. RESULTS: Five masses were nasal hemangiomas. The three remaining masses were a submucosal glandular cyst, a nasolabial cyst, and tuberculum septi hypertrophy. Three of the hemangiomas were histopathologically confirmed. Sonography identified the anatomic origin of all 8 lesions. On color and power Doppler imaging, the 5 hemangiomas exhibited intense vascularity that decreased with compression. Spectral analysis demonstrated arterial and venous flow within the hemangiomas, with resistance indices of 0.60-0.66 and peak systolic velocities of 6.4-18.4 cm/second. The other 3 lesions were avascular or had vascularity only at the periphery. CONCLUSIONS: Anterior nasal fossa tumors can frequently be diagnosed by clinical examination, but specific sonographic and Doppler patterns can help to establish the anatomic origin, the local extension, and the correct diagnosis in indeterminate cases, obviating other diagnostic imaging or surgical procedures.

Radiological assessment of severity of canine nasal tumours and relationship with survival.

A radiological assessment of 35 canine nasal tumours using an objective scoring system was carried out and related to patient survival. The scoring system demonstrated significant increases in disease-free interval and survival for dogs with scores of less than 12 compared to those with scores of 12 or above.

Radiation therapy in and about the retina, optic nerve, and anterior visual pathway. Psychophysical assessment.

Visual changes may develop in patients receiving radiation therapy for malignant neoplasms in and about the optic nerve and anterior visual pathway. Cases have been studied using a series of psychophysical tests, including kinetic perimetry, increment threshold determinations, Flashing Repeat Static Test, and sustained- and transient-like functions. A characteristic time-dependent reduction in sensitivity has been identified in these patients. This finding, in addition to the presence of nerve fiber bundle defects, appears to place the pathologic changes in the axon of the ganglion cell posterior to the lamina cribrosa. Any change in the sustained- and transient-like functions, the organization of which appears to be in the neural retina, was seen only if a concomitant radiation retinopathy was identified.

Computed tomography in the assessment of patients with juvenile post-nasal angiofibroma.

Surgery for juvenile angiofibroma demands a knowledge of tumor size and site, the degree of lateral extension being of particular importance. This study compares information obtained from computed tomography with findings at time of surgery. Computed tomography is found to be a reliable and accurate means of tumor assessment. It is recommended that this should be an essential pre-operative investigation for patients with juvenile angiofibroma.