Clinical Impact and Management of Incidental Renal Findings on Pre-TAVI CT Scan from the Urologist's Perspective.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to investigate prevalence and impact of incidental renal masses (IRMs) accompanying increasing computed tomography (CT) work-up for symptomatic aortic valve stenosis (sAVS) of the elderly with regard to the relevance of urological consultation for overall survival (OS). METHODS: A retrospective analysis of pre-transcatheter aortic-valve implantations (TAVIs) CT scans of patients with sAVS (N = 1,253) harboring IRM was performed for 2014-2019. According to the clinical management, groups 1 (urologic consultation) and 2 (findings ignored) were formed and analyzed in terms of OS. RESULTS: The prevalence of IRM was 9% (119/1,253). In 19% (23/119), urological advice was sought (group 1). At baseline, group 1 showed a significantly higher rate of malignancy-specific lesions compared to 2 (p < 0.01). Other clinical parameters (e.g., age, cardiological scores, comorbidities) did not differ between groups (p > 0.05). In group 1, 4 (17%) findings were histologically confirmed, of which 3 (13%) underwent surgery. There was no significant difference in median OS at a median follow-up of 24.7 months between groups 1 and 2 with 35.7 (95% CI, 5.9; 65.4) and 47.4 months (95% CI, 33.0; 61.7), respectively (p = 0.4). In Cox regression analysis, chronic kidney disease but not urologic work-up or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or heart failure emerged as an independent unfavorable predictor of OS (HR 2.44, 95% CI 1.37; 4.36, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: For the first time, a TAVI population with IRM was analyzed from the urologist's perspective. Urologic co-evaluation and work-up does not confer a significant benefit in terms of OS in this particular population.

Convolutional neural network-based kidney volume estimation from low-dose unenhanced computed tomography scans.

PURPOSE: Kidney volume is important in the management of renal diseases. Unfortunately, the currently available, semi-automated kidney volume determination is time-consuming and prone to errors. Recent advances in its automation are promising but mostly require contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans. This study aimed at establishing an automated estimation of kidney volume in non-contrast, low-dose CT scans of patients with suspected urolithiasis. METHODS: The kidney segmentation process was automated with 2D Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) models trained on manually segmented 2D transverse images extracted from low-dose, unenhanced CT scans of 210 patients. The models' segmentation accuracy was assessed using Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), for the overlap with manually-generated masks on a set of images not used in the training. Next, the models were applied to 22 previously unseen cases to segment kidney regions. The volume of each kidney was calculated from the product of voxel number and their volume in each segmented mask. Kidney volume results were then validated against results semi-automatically obtained by radiologists. RESULTS: The CNN-enabled kidney volume estimation took a mean of 32 s for both kidneys in a CT scan with an average of 1026 slices. The DSC was 0.91 and 0.86 and for left and right kidneys, respectively. Inter-rater variability had consistencies of ICC = 0.89 (right), 0.92 (left), and absolute agreements of ICC = 0.89 (right), 0.93 (left) between the CNN-enabled and semi-automated volume estimations. CONCLUSION: In our work, we demonstrated that CNN-enabled kidney volume estimation is feasible and highly reproducible in low-dose, non-enhanced CT scans. Automatic segmentation can thereby quantitatively enhance radiological reports.

Commercial AI solutions in detecting COVID-19 pneumonia in chest CT: not yet ready for clinical implementation?

OBJECTIVES: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) tools to differentiate COVID-19 pneumonia from other conditions in chest CT. However, in many cases, performance has not been clinically validated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of commercial AI solutions in differentiating COVID-19 pneumonia from other lung conditions. METHODS: Four commercial AI solutions were evaluated on a dual-center clinical dataset consisting of 500 CT studies; COVID-19 pneumonia was microbiologically proven in 50 of these. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and AUC were calculated. In a subgroup analysis, the performance of the AI solutions in differentiating COVID-19 pneumonia from other conditions was evaluated in CT studies with ground-glass opacities (GGOs). RESULTS: Sensitivity and specificity ranges were 62-96% and 31-80%, respectively. Negative and positive predictive values ranged between 82-99% and 19-25%, respectively. AUC was in the range 0.54-0.79. In CT studies with GGO, sensitivity remained unchanged. However, specificity was lower, and ranged between 15 and 53%. AUC for studies with GGO was in the range 0.54-0.69. CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the variable specificity and low positive predictive value of AI solutions in diagnosing COVID-19 pneumonia in chest CT. However, one solution yielded acceptable values for sensitivity. Thus, with further improvement, commercial AI solutions currently under development have the potential to be integrated as alert tools in clinical routine workflow. Randomized trials are needed to assess the true benefits and also potential harms of the use of AI in image analysis. KEY POINTS: • Commercial AI solutions achieved a sensitivity and specificity ranging from 62 to 96% and from 31 to 80%, respectively, in identifying patients suspicious for COVID-19 in a clinical dataset. • Sensitivity remained within the same range, while specificity was even lower in subgroup analysis of CT studies with ground-glass opacities, and interrater agreement between the commercial AI solutions was minimal to nonexistent. • Thus, commercial AI solutions have the potential to be integrated as alert tools for the detection of patients with lung changes suspicious for COVID-19 pneumonia in a clinical routine workflow, if further improvement is made.

Natural language processing of radiology reports to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the incidence and age distribution of fractures.

OBJECTIVE: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of patients presenting in hospitals because of emergency conditions decreased. Radiology is thus confronted with the effects of the pandemic. The aim of this study was to use natural language processing (NLP) to automatically analyze the number and distribution of fractures during the pandemic and in the 5 years before the pandemic. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used a pre-trained commercially available NLP engine to automatically categorize 5397 radiological reports of radiographs (hand/wrist, elbow, shoulder, ankle, knee, pelvis/hip) within a 6-week period from March to April in 2015-2020 into "fracture affirmed" or "fracture not affirmed." The NLP engine achieved an F1 score of 0.81 compared to human annotators. RESULTS: In 2020, we found a significant decrease of fractures in general (p < 0.001); the average number of fractures in 2015-2019 was 295, whereas it was 233 in 2020. In children and adolescents (p < 0.001), and in adults up to 65 years (p = 0.006), significantly fewer fractures were reported in 2020. The number of fractures in the elderly did not change (p = 0.15). The number of hand/wrist fractures (p < 0.001) and fractures of the elbow (p < 0.001) was significantly lower in 2020 compared with the average in the years 2015-2019. CONCLUSION: NLP can be used to identify relevant changes in the number of pathologies as shown here for the use case fracture detection. This may trigger root cause analysis and enable automated real-time monitoring in radiology.

Effect of fluid resuscitation on cerebral integrity: A prospective randomised porcine study of haemorrhagic shock.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of haemorrhagic shock is a challenging task. Colloids have been regarded as standard treatment, but their safety and benefit have been the subject of controversial debates. Negative effects, including renal failure and increased mortality, have resulted in restrictions on their administration. The cerebral effects of different infusion regimens are largely unknown. OBJECTIVES: The current study investigated the impact of gelatine-polysuccinate, hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and balanced electrolyte solution (BES) on cerebral integrity, focusing on cerebral inflammation, apoptosis and blood flow in pigs. DESIGN: Randomised experimental study. SETTING: University-affiliated large animal research unit. ANIMALS: Twenty-four juvenile pigs aged 8 to 12 weeks. INTERVENTION: Haemorrhagic shock was induced by controlled arterial blood withdrawal to achieve a combination of relevant blood loss (30 to 40 ml kg-1) and haemodynamic deterioration. After 30 min of shock, fluid resuscitation was started with either gelatine-polysuccinate, HES or BES. The animals were then monitored for 4 h. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Cerebral perfusion and diffusion were measured via arterial-spin-labelling MRI. Peripheral tissue perfusion was evaluated via white light spectroscopy. Cortical and hippocampal samples were collected at the end of the experiment. The numbers of cerebral cell nuclei were counted and mRNA expression of markers for cerebral apoptosis [glucose transporter protein type 1 (SLC2A), lipocalin 2 (LCN-2), aquaporin-4 (AQP4)] and inflammation [IL-6, TNF-α, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP)] were determined. RESULTS: The three fluid protocols all stabilised the macrocirculation. Fluid resuscitation significantly increased the cerebral perfusion. Gelatine-polysuccinate and HES initially led to a higher cardiac output but caused haemodilution. Cerebral cell counts (as cells µm-2) were lower after colloid administration in the cortex (gelatine-polysuccinate, 1.8 ±â€Š0.3; HES, 1.9 ±â€Š0.4; each P < 0.05 vs. BES, 2.3 ±â€Š0.2) and the hippocampus (gelatine-polysuccinate, 0.8 ±â€Š0.2; HES, 0.9 ±â€Š0.2; each P < 0.05 vs. BES, 1.1 ±â€Š0.1). After gelatine-polysuccinate, the hippocampal SLC2A and GFAP were lower. After gelatine-polysuccinate, the cortical LCN-2 and TNF-α expression levels were increased (each P < 0.05 vs. BES). CONCLUSION: In a porcine model, fluid resuscitation by colloids, particularly gelatine-polysuccinate, was associated with the occurrence of cerebral injury. ETHICAL APPROVAL NUMBER: 23 177-07/G 15-1-092; 01/2016.

A Hybrid Reporting Platform for Extended RadLex Coding Combining Structured Reporting Templates and Natural Language Processing.

Structured reporting is a favorable and sustainable form of reporting in radiology. Among its advantages are better presentation, clearer nomenclature, and higher quality. By using MRRT-compliant templates, the content of the categorized items (e.g., select fields) can be automatically stored in a database, which allows further research and quality analytics based on established ontologies like RadLex® linked to the items. Additionally, it is relevant to provide free-text input for descriptions of findings and impressions in complex imaging studies or for the information included with the clinical referral. So far, however, this unstructured content cannot be categorized. We developed a solution to analyze and code these free-text parts of the templates in our MRRT-compliant reporting platform, using natural language processing (NLP) with RadLex® terms in addition to the already categorized items. The established hybrid reporting concept is working successfully. The NLP tool provides RadLex® codes with modifiers (affirmed, speculated, negated). Radiologists can confirm or reject codes provided by NLP before finalizing the structured report. Furthermore, users can suggest RadLex® codes from free text that is not correctly coded with NLP or can suggest to change the modifier. Analyzing free-text fields took 1.23 s on average. Hybrid reporting enables coding of free-text information in our MRRT-compliant templates and thus increases the amount of categorized data that can be stored in the database. This enhances the possibilities for further analyses, such as correlating clinical information with radiological findings or storing high-quality structured information for machine-learning approaches.

One visceral artery may be enough; successful pancreatectomy in a patient with total occlusion of the celiac and superior mesenteric arteries.

BACKGROUND: The anatomic variations of the visceral arteries are not uncommon. The liver arterial blood supply shows 50% variability between humans, with the most common anatomy being one hepatic artery arising from the celiac trunk and one pancreatico-duodenal arcade between the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery. Occlusion of one artery are mostly asymptomatic but may become clinically relevant when surgery of the liver, bile duct or the pancreas is required. If these pathologies are not reversible, an oncologic pancreatic head resection cannot be performed. CASE PRESENTATION: We report the case of a 64-year-old Caucasian female patient with a locally advanced, resectable adenocarcinoma of the pancreas with complete atherosclerotic occlusion of the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery. This vascular anomaly was missed on the preoperative imaging and became known postoperatively. A collateral circulation from a hypertrophic inferior mesenteric artery to the celiac trunk and the superior mesenteric artery compensated the blood supply to the visceral organs. The postoperative course was complicated by an elevation of the transaminases AST/ALT, which normalized under conservative treatment with alprostadil (prostavasin™) and anticoagulation, since angiographic recanalization failed. The patient recovered fully and was discharged at the 14th postoperative day. Two years later, she required endovascular repair of an aortic rupture during which the inferior mesenteric artery was preserved. CONCLUSION: This case underlines the natural potential of the human body to adapt to chronic arterial malperfusion by creating a collateral circulation and supports the need for adequate preoperative imaging, including a proper arterial phase before upper abdominal surgery.

Comparison of medical-grade and calibrated consumer-grade displays for diagnosis of subtle bone fissures.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of medical-grade and calibrated consumer-grade digital displays for the detection of subtle bone fissures. METHODS: Three experienced radiologists assessed 96 digital radiographs, 40 without and 56 with subtle bone fissures, for the presence or absence of fissures in various bones using one consumer-grade and two medical-grade displays calibrated according to the DICOM-Grayscale Standard Display Function. The reference standard was consensus reading. Subjective image quality was also assessed by the three readers. Statistical analysis was performed using receiver operating characteristic analysis and by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, and Youden's J for each combination of reader and display. Cohen's unweighted kappa was calculated to assess inter-rater agreement. Subjective image quality was compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. RESULTS: No significant differences were found for the assessment of subjective image quality. Diagnostic performance was similar across all readers and displays, with Youden's J ranging from 0.443 to 0.661. The differences were influenced more by the reader than by the display used for the assessment. CONCLUSION: No significant differences were found between medical-grade and calibrated consumer-grade displays with regard to their diagnostic performance in assessing subtle bone fissures. Calibrated consumer-grade displays may be sufficient for most radiological examinations. KEY POINTS: • Diagnostic performance of calibrated consumer-grade displays is comparable to medical-grade displays. • There is no significant difference with regard to subjective image quality. • Use of calibrated consumer-grade displays could cut display costs by 60-80%.

Patency of renal and visceral vessels after open thoracoabdominal aortic replacement.

OBJECTIVE: In thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs), a paradigm shift is observed from open surgery toward total endovascular aortic repair using fenestrated and branched endografts. Whereas outcome after open replacement in terms of mortality and paraplegia has been evaluated extensively, no studies exist addressing long-term patency of visceral and renal vessels. To enable comparison of target vessel patency between open and endovascular treatment, we analyzed our series of open TAAA replacements. METHODS: Our vascular surgery database was screened for patients who received open TAAA replacement between 1998 and 2012, and patient records were analyzed retrospectively. All available imaging scans (computed tomography and magnetic resonance angiography: preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up) were evaluated for graft and vessel patency. RESULTS: We identified 62 patients (mean age, 66 ± 10 years; 40 men) who had been operated on for aneurysms of Crawford types I (8), II (13), III (13), and IV (24) and Safi type V (4). A total of 181 vessels were revascularized by either patch inclusion (n = 147) or selective revascularization (bypass or transposition, n = 34); 48 survived the procedure, resulting in a number of vessels available for follow-up of 154 (patch, 126; selective revascularization, 28). The respective patency rates for overall, patch, and selective revascularization were 95.2%, 94.2%, and 100% at 5 years and 83.7%, 81.3%, and 100% at 10 years, respectively. In addition, a trend for better performance of selective revascularization (bypass or transposition) was evident as all vessel occlusions were observed in cases of patch inclusion, whereas all selectively revascularized vessels were patent. The respective patency rates for the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and left and right renal artery were 100%, 97.5%, 92.3%, and 90.3% at 5 years. CONCLUSIONS: In our series of open thoracoabdominal aortic replacement, excellent patency rates for revascularized renal and visceral vessels were observed during long-term follow-up. We were able to provide a reference value of long-term target vessel patency that can and should be taken into account to judge the efficacy of endovascular repair in TAAA.

Visceral artery aneurysms: Incidence, management, and outcome analysis in a tertiary care center over one decade.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the incidence, management, and outcome of visceral artery aneurysms (VAA) over one decade. METHODS: 233 patients with 253 VAA were analyzed according to location, diameter, aneurysm type, aetiology, rupture, management, and outcome. RESULTS: VAA were localized at the splenic artery, coeliac trunk, renal artery, hepatic artery, superior mesenteric artery, and other locations. The aetiology was degenerative, iatrogenic after medical procedures, connective tissue disease, and others. The rate of rupture was much higher in pseudoaneurysms than true aneurysms (76.3% vs.3.1%). Fifty-nine VAA were treated by intervention (n = 45) or surgery (n = 14). Interventions included embolization with coils or glue, covered stents, or combinations of these. Thirty-five cases with ruptured VAA were treated on an emergency basis. There was no difference in size between ruptured and non-ruptured VAA. After interventional treatment, the 30-day mortality was 6.7% in ruptured VAA compared to no mortality in non-ruptured cases. Follow-up included CT and/or MRI after a mean period of 18.0 ± 26.8 months. The current status of the patient was obtained by a structured telephone survey. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudoaneurysms of visceral arteries have a high risk for rupture. Aneurysm size seems to be no reliable predictor for rupture. Interventional treatment is safe and effective for management of VAA. KEY POINTS: • Diagnosis of visceral artery aneurysms is increasing due to CT and MRI. • Diameter of visceral arterial aneurysms is no reliable predictor for rupture. • False aneurysms/pseudoaneurysms and symptomatic cases need emergency treatment. • Interventional treatment is safe and effective.

[Imaging of posttraumatic shoulder instability : Current concepts]. / Bildgebung bei posttraumatischen Instabilitäten der Schulter : Aktuelle Konzepte.

Posttraumatic instability accounts for more than 95% of all shoulder instabilities with the highest incidence in patients between 20 and 30 years of age. In this age group, lesions of the capsulolabral complex are the most common sequelae after the first shoulder dislocation. Typical acute findings are the Bankart and Perthes lesions and humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament (HAGL). Chronic sequelae are anterior labroligamentous periosteal sleeve avulsion (ALPSA) lesions, and nonclassifiable lesions with deficient anterioinferior labrum and glenohumeral ligaments. Recently, quantification of Hill-Sachs and bony Bankart lesions with glenoid defects have become the focus of interest: bipolar bone loss has emerged to be one important factor of recurrent instability that has not been addressed during the first stabilizing operation. The glenoid track concept emphasizes the importance of bipolar bone loss, where the glenoid track refers to the contact area between the humeral head and the glenoid at the end-range of motion in abduction, extension and external rotation. Any lesion of the humeral head that extends beyond the glenoid track is considered high risk for engagement of the humeral head at the glenoid margin with subsequent dislocation. Both the Hill-Sachs interval and the glenoid track can be determined using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging and, thus, help to define the status of the shoulder (on-track vs. off-track), which is prerequisite for planning the appropriate operative procedure. Similar tendencies also exist for posttraumatic posterior instabilities which are much rarer.

ABER Position in Direct MR Arthrography of the Shoulder: Useful Adjunct or Waste of Imaging Time? / Die ABER-Position bei der direkten MR-Arthrografie der Schulter: Sinnvolle Ergänzung oder Verschwendung von Messzeit?

PURPOSE: The usefulness of direct MR arthrography of the shoulder with additional ABER position (ABER-MRA) has always been discussed. The goals of the following review are to analyze the usefulness of this technique according to the available literature and present recommendations with respect to indications and benefits in diagnostic imaging of shoulder abnormalities in the clinical routine. METHOD: For this review we assessed the current literature databases of the Cochrane Library, Embase, and PubMed with regard to MRA in the ABER position up to the February 28, 2022. Search terms were "shoulder MRA, ABER", "MRI ABER", "MR ABER", "shoulder, abduction external rotation MRA", "abduction external rotation MRI" and "ABER position". The inclusion criteria were prospective and retrospective studies with surgical and/or arthroscopic correlation within 12 months. Overall, 16 studies with 724 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria: 10 studies dealing with anterior instabilities, three studies with posterior instabilities and seven studies with suspected rotator cuff pathologies (some studies addressing multiple items). RESULTS: For anterior instability the use of ABER-MRA in the ABER position led to a significant increase in sensitivity for detecting lesions of the labral ligamentous complex compared with standard 3-plane shoulder MRA (81 % versus 92 %, p = 0.001) while maintaining high specificity (96 %). ABER-MRA demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity (89 % and 100 %, respectively) for SLAP lesions and was able to detect micro-instability in overhead athletes, but case counts are still very small. With regard to rotator cuff tears, no improvement of sensitivity or specificity could be shown with use of ABER-MRA. CONCLUSION: Based on the currently available literature, ABER-MRA achieves a level of evidence C in the detection of pathologies of the anteroinferior labroligamentous complex. With regard to the evaluation of SLAP lesions and the exact determination of the degree of rotator cuff injury, ABER-MRA can be of additive value, but is still a case-by-case decision. KEY POINTS: · ABER-MRA is useful in the evaluation of pathologies of the anteroinferior labroligamentous complex. · ABER-MRA does not increase sensitivity or specificity with regard to rotator cuff tears. · ABER-MRA may be helpful for the detection of SLAP lesions and micro-instability in overhead athletes. CITATION FORMAT: · Altmann S, Jungmann F, Emrich T et al. ABER Position in Direct MR Arthrography of the Shoulder: Useful Adjunct or Waste of Imaging Time?. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; 195: 586 - 595.

Efficient structured reporting in radiology using an intelligent dialogue system based on speech recognition and natural language processing.

BACKGROUND: Structured reporting (SR) is recommended in radiology, due to its advantages over free-text reporting (FTR). However, SR use is hindered by insufficient integration of speech recognition, which is well accepted among radiologists and commonly used for unstructured FTR. SR templates must be laboriously completed using a mouse and keyboard, which may explain why SR use remains limited in clinical routine, despite its advantages. Artificial intelligence and related fields, like natural language processing (NLP), offer enormous possibilities to facilitate the imaging workflow. Here, we aimed to use the potential of NLP to combine the advantages of SR and speech recognition. RESULTS: We developed a reporting tool that uses NLP to automatically convert dictated free text into a structured report. The tool comprises a task-oriented dialogue system, which assists the radiologist by sending visual feedback if relevant findings are missed. The system was developed on top of several NLP components and speech recognition. It extracts structured content from dictated free text and uses it to complete an SR template in RadLex terms, which is displayed in its user interface. The tool was evaluated for reporting of urolithiasis CTs, as a use case. It was tested using fictitious text samples about urolithiasis, and 50 original reports of CTs from patients with urolithiasis. The NLP recognition worked well for both, with an F1 score of 0.98 (precision: 0.99; recall: 0.96) for the test with fictitious samples and an F1 score of 0.90 (precision: 0.96; recall: 0.83) for the test with original reports. CONCLUSION: Due to its unique ability to integrate speech into SR, this novel tool could represent a major contribution to the future of reporting.

Implementation of structured reporting in clinical routine: a review of 7 years of institutional experience.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the implementation process of structured reporting (SR) in a tertiary care institution over a period of 7 years. METHODS: We analysed the content of our image database from January 2016 to December 2022 and compared the numbers of structured reports and free-text reports. For the ten most common SR templates, usage proportions were calculated on a quarterly basis. Annual modality-specific SR usage was calculated for ultrasound, CT, and MRI. During the implementation process, we surveyed radiologists and clinical referring physicians concerning their views on reporting in radiology. RESULTS: As of December 2022, our reporting platform contained more than 22,000 structured reports. Use of the ten most common SR templates increased markedly since their implementation, leading to a mean SR usage of 77% in Q4 2022. The highest percentages of SR usage were shown for trauma CT, focussed assessment with ultrasound for trauma (FAST), and prostate MRI: 97%, 95%, and 92%, respectively, in 2022. Overall modality-specific SR usage was 17% for ultrasound, 13% for CT, and 6% for MRI in 2022. Both radiologists and referring physicians were more satisfied with structured reports and rated SR better than free-text reporting (FTR) on various attributes. CONCLUSIONS: The increasing SR usage during the period under review and the positive attitude towards SR among both radiologists and clinical referrers show that SR can be successfully implemented. We therefore encourage others to take this step in order to benefit from the advantages of SR. KEY POINTS: 1. Structured reporting usage increased markedly since its implementation at our institution in 2016. 2. Mean usage for the ten most popular structured reporting templates was 77% in 2022. 3. Both radiologists and referring physicians preferred structured reports over free-text reports. 4. Our data shows that structured reporting can be successfully implemented. 5. We strongly encourage others to implement structured reporting at their institutions.

Minimally invasive surgery for achalasia in patients >40 years: more favorable than anticipated.

PURPOSE: The efficacy of Heller myotomy in patients >40 years-a significant predictor suggesting a favorable response to pneumatic dilation-has been questioned. The aim of our study was to evaluate the results obtained in patients aged <40 and >40 years undergoing minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for achalasia. METHODS: In January 2008, we established the MIS technique for achalasia in our clinic. In the following period from January 2008 to March 2011, 74 patients underwent primary laparoscopic myotomy for achalasia. The procedure was accomplished with an anterior 180° semifundoplication according to Dor in all patients. The Eckardt score and the Gastrointestinal Quality of Life Index (GQLI) served as outcome measures. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 45.5 years (range, 18-85 years) with a median duration of preoperative achalasia symptoms of 57 months (range, 2-468 months). There were no conversions to open surgery and-except for one patient with a sterile pleural effusion-no postoperative complications. At a median follow-up of 12 months, the preoperative Eckardt score of 7.0 (range, 3-12) was found to be significantly decreased to a median of 2 (range, 0-6; P < 0.001). With regard to patients <40 and >40 years, the postoperative Eckardt score obtained in the older patient population was not significantly lower (P = 0.074). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with respect to the postoperative GQLI (P = 0.860). Neither gender nor preoperative Botox injection or pneumatic dilation inserted a significant influence on the postoperative clinical outcome (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic Heller myotomy for achalasia is associated with a high success rate as the primary therapeutic option and after failure of endoscopic therapy. It can be performed safely and with favorable outcomes also in patients >40 years. However, the long-term durability of the procedure remains to be established.

Quantitative washout in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing TACE: an imaging biomarker for predicting prognosis?

BACKGROUND: The delayed percentage attenuation ratio (DPAR) was recently identified as a novel predictor of an early complete response in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) undergoing transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). In this study, we aimed to validate the role of DPAR as a predictive biomarker for short-, mid-, and long-term outcomes after TACE. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed laboratory and imaging data for 103 treatment-naïve patients undergoing initial TACE treatment at our tertiary care center between January 2016 and November 2020. DPAR and other washin and washout indices were quantified in the triphasic computed tomography performed before the initial TACE. The correlation of DPAR and radiologic response was investigated. Furthermore, the influence of DPAR on the 6-, 12-, 18-, and 24-month survival rates and the median overall survival (OS) was compared to other established washout indices and estimates of tumor burden and remnant liver function. RESULTS: The DPAR was significantly of the target lesions (TLs) with objective response to TACE after the initial TACE session was significantly higher compared to patients with stable disease (SD) or progressive disease (PD) (125 (IQR 118-134) vs 110 (IQR 103-116), p < 0.001). Furthermore, the DPAR was significantly higher in patients who survived the first 6 months after TACE (122 vs. 115, p = 0.04). In addition, the number of patients with a DPAR > 120 was significantly higher in this group (n = 38 vs. n = 8; p = 0.03). However, no significant differences were observed in the 12-, 18-, and 24-month survival rates after the initial TACE. Regarding the median OS, no significant difference was observed for patients with a high DPAR compared to those with a low DPAR (18.7 months vs. 12.7 months, p = 0.260). CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirm DPAR as the most relevant washout index for predicting the short-term outcome of patients with HCC undergoing TACE. However, DPAR and the other washout indices were not predictive of mid- and long-term outcomes.

Smartglass augmented reality-assisted targeted prostate biopsy using cognitive point-of-care fusion technology.

INTRODUCTION: MRI-guided targeted biopsy has become standard of care for diagnosis of prostate cancer, with establishment of several biopsy techniques and platforms. Augmented reality smart glasses have emerged as novel technology to support image-guided interventions. We aimed to investigate its usage while prostate biopsy. METHODS: MRI with PIRADS-lesions ≥3 was uploaded to smart glasses (Vuzix BladeR ) and augmented reality smart glasses-assisted targeted biopsy (SMART-TB) of the prostate was performed using cognitive fusion technology at the point of care. Detection rates were compared to systematic biopsy. Feasibility for SMART-TB was assessed (10 domains from bad [1] to excellent [10]). RESULTS: SMART-TB was performed for four patients. Prostate cancer detection was more likely for SMART-TB (46%; 13/28) than for systematic biopsy (27%; 13/48). Feasibility scores were high [8-10] for practicality, multitasking, execution speed, comfort and device weight and low [1-4] for handling, battery and image quality. Median execution time: 28 min; Investment cost smart glass: 1017 USD. CONCLUSION: First description of SMART-TB demonstrated convenient feasibility. This novel technology might enhance diagnosis of prostate cancer in future.

Structured reporting of CT scans of patients with trauma leads to faster, more detailed diagnoses: An experimental study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine whether structured reports (SRs) reduce reporting time and/or increase the level of detail for trauma CT scans compared to free-text reports (FTRs). METHOD: Eight radiology residents used SRs and FTRs to describe 14 whole-body CT scans of patients with polytrauma in a simulated emergency room setting. Each resident created both a brief report and a detailed report for each case using one of the two formats. We measured the time to complete the detailed reports and established a scoring system to objectively measure report completeness and the level of detail. Scoring sheets divided the CT findings into main and secondary criteria. Finally, the radiological residents completed a questionnaire on their opinions of the SRs and FTRs. RESULTS: The detailed SRs were completed significantly faster than the detailed FTRs (mean 19 min vs. 25 min; p < 0.001). The maximum allowance of 25 min was used for 25% of SRs and 59% of FTRs. For brief reports, the SRs contained more secondary criteria than the FTRs (p = 0.001), but no significant differences were detected in main criteria. Study participants rated their own SRs as significantly more time-efficient, concise, and clearly structured compared to the FTRs. However, SRs and FTRs were rated similarly for quality, accuracy, and completeness. CONCLUSION: We found that SRs for whole-body trauma CT add clinical value compared to FTRs because SRs reduce reporting time and increase the level of detail for trauma CT scans.

Attitudes Toward Artificial Intelligence Among Radiologists, IT Specialists, and Industry.

OBJECTIVES: We investigated the attitudes of radiologists, information technology (IT) specialists, and industry representatives on artificial intelligence (AI) and its future impact on radiological work. MATERIALS AND METHODS: During a national meeting for AI, eHealth, and IT infrastructure in 2019, we conducted a survey to obtain participants' attitudes. A total of 123 participants completed 28 items exploring AI usage in medicine. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to identify differences between radiologists, IT specialists, and industry representatives. RESULTS: The strongest agreement between all respondents occurred with the following: plausibility checks are important to understand the decisions of the AI (93% agreement), validation of AI algorithms is mandatory (91%), and medicine becomes more efficient in the age of AI (86%). In contrast, only 25% of the respondents had confidence in the AI results, and only 17% believed that medicine will become more human through the use of AI. The answers were significantly different between the three professions for four items: relevance for protocol selection in cross-sectional imaging (p = 0.034), medical societies should be involved in validation (p = 0.028), patients should be informed about the use of AI (p = 0.047), and AI should be part of medical education (p = 0.026). CONCLUSION: Currently, a discrepancy exists between high expectations for the future role of AI and low confidence in the results. This attitude was similar across all three groups. The demand for plausibility checks and the need to prove the usefulness in randomized controlled studies indicate what is needed in future research.

Multimodal Deep Learning for Prognosis Prediction in Renal Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is common and associated with substantial mortality. TNM stage and histopathological grading have been the sole determinants of a patient's prognosis for decades and there are few prognostic biomarkers used in clinical routine. Management of ccRCC involves multiple disciplines such as urology, radiology, oncology, and pathology and each of these specialties generates highly complex medical data. Here, artificial intelligence (AI) could prove extremely powerful to extract meaningful information to benefit patients. OBJECTIVE: In the study, we developed and evaluated a multimodal deep learning model (MMDLM) for prognosis prediction in ccRCC. DESIGN SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Two mixed cohorts of non-metastatic and metastatic ccRCC patients were used: (1) The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort including 230 patients and (2) the Mainz cohort including 18 patients with ccRCC. For each of these patients, we trained the MMDLM on multiscale histopathological images, CT/MRI scans, and genomic data from whole exome sequencing. OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Outcome measurements included Harrell's concordance index (C-index) and also various performance parameters for predicting the 5-year survival status (5YSS). Different visualization techniques were used to make our model more transparent. RESULTS: The MMDLM showed great performance in predicting the prognosis of ccRCC patients with a mean C-index of 0.7791 and a mean accuracy of 83.43%. Training on a combination of data from different sources yielded significantly better results compared to when only one source was used. Furthermore, the MMDLM's prediction was an independent prognostic factor outperforming other clinical parameters. INTERPRETATION: Multimodal deep learning can contribute to prognosis prediction in ccRCC and potentially help to improve the clinical management of this disease. PATIENT SUMMARY: An AI-based computer program can analyze various medical data (microscopic images, CT/MRI scans, and genomic data) simultaneously and thereby predict the survival time of patients with renal cancer.