From Inguinal Hernias to Spermatic Cord Lipomas: Pearls, Pitfalls, and Mimics of Abdominal and Pelvic Hernias.

Abdominal and pelvic hernias may be indolent and detected incidentally, manifest acutely with pain and distress, or cause chronic discomfort. Physical examination findings are often ambiguous and insufficient for optimal triage. Therefore, accurate anatomic delineation and identification of complications are critical for effective treatment planning. Imaging, particularly computed tomography, provides a vital understanding of the hernia's location and size, involved viscera, and severity of associated complications. Reader familiarity with the imaging appearances and anatomic landmarks of hernias is important for correct diagnosis, which may impact preoperative planning and reduce morbidity. This article reviews the appearance of anatomic structures in the abdominal wall and pelvis that are important for diagnosing common and uncommon abdominal and pelvic hernias, and it highlights key imaging features that are helpful for differentiating hernias, mimics, and their complications. Online DICOM image stacks are available for this article . ©RSNA, 2017.

Hepatic fibrosis: evaluation with semiquantitative contrast-enhanced CT.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility of using contrast material-enhanced computed tomographic (CT) measurements of hepatic fractional extracellular space (fECS) and macromolecular contrast material (MMCM) uptake to measure severity of liver fibrosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All procedures were approved by and executed in accordance with University of California, San Francisco, institutional animal care and use committee regulations. Twenty-one rats that received intragastric CCl(4) for 0-12 weeks were imaged with respiratory-gated micro-CT by using both a conventional contrast material and a novel iodinated MMCM. Histopathologic hepatic fibrosis was graded qualitatively by using the Ishak fibrosis score and quantitatively by using morphometry of the fibrosis area. Hepatic fECS and MMCM uptake were calculated for each examination and correlated with histopathologic findings by using uni- and multivariate linear regressions. RESULTS: Ishak fibrosis scores ranged from a baseline of 0 in untreated animals to a maximum of 5. Histopathologic liver fibrosis area increased from 0.46% to 3.5% over the same interval. Strong correlations were seen between conventional contrast-enhanced CT measurements of fECS and both the Ishak fibrosis scores (R(2) = 0.751, P < .001) and the fibrosis area (R(2) = 0.801, P < .001). Strong negative correlations were observed between uptake of MMCM in the liver and Ishak fibrosis scores (R(2) = 0.827, P < .001), as well as between uptake of MMCM in the liver and fibrosis area (R(2) = 0.643, P = .001). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed a trend toward independence for fECS and MMCM uptake in the prediction of Ishak fibrosis scores, with an R(2) value of 0.86 (P = .081 and P = .033, respectively). CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced CT measurements of fECS and MMCM uptake are individually capable of being used to estimate the degree of early hepatic fibrosis in a rat model. SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL: http://radiology.rsna.org/lookup/suppl/doi:10.1148/radiol.12112452/-/DC1.

MRI and CT of insufficiency fractures of the pelvis and the proximal femur.

OBJECTIVE: Pelvic and proximal femur insufficiency fractures are of increasing significance in our aging population, and cross-sectional imaging is challenging. The aims of this study were to compare the sensitivity of CT and MRI in detecting insufficiency fractures; to analyze the typical location, morphology, and combinations thereof in these fractures; to analyze imaging morphology; and to analyze associated clinical findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MRI studies obtained at 1.5 T were analyzed in 145 patients with pelvic insufficiency fractures. In 64 of 145 patients, MRI and multidetector CT (MDCT) findings were compared. Imaging studies were analyzed by two radiologists; combined clinical history, findings from all imaging studies, and follow-up imaging studies served as the standard of reference. RESULTS: In the subgroup undergoing both imaging techniques, MRI detected 128 of 129 (99%) fractures in 63 of 64 (98%) subjects, whereas CT detected only 89 of 129 (69%) fractures in 34 of 64 (53%) subjects. In particular, fractures at the femoral head and acetabulum were better detected with MRI. In the complete population, two or more fractures were found in 70.3% (102/145) of patients, and 89.2% (33/37) of patients with pubic insufficiency fractures had concomitant fractures at other locations. In 63 of 145 (43.4%) patients, a previous malignancy was found; in only 93 of 145 (64.1%) patients, the leading symptom responsible for the MRI examination was pain. CONCLUSION: This study showed that MRI was substantially better than CT in detecting insufficiency fractures. In addition, two or more insufficiency fractures were frequently present, typical fracture combinations were found, and insufficiency fractures were frequently associated with malignant disease.

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging of the prostate-a basic tutorial.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of cancer related death in the United States and the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men. In general, prostate cancer is slow growing, though there is a broad spectrum of disease that may be indolent, or aggressive and rapidly progressive. Screening for prostate is controversial and complicated by lack of specificity and over diagnosis of clinically insignificant cancer. Imaging has played a role in diagnosis of prostate cancer, primarily through systemic transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) guided biopsy. While TRUS guided biopsy radically changed prostate cancer diagnosis, it still remains limited by low resolution, poor tissue characterization, relatively low sensitivity and positive predictive value. Advances in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) have allowed more accurate detection, localization, and staging as well as aiding in the role of active surveillance (AS). The use of mpMRI for the evaluation of prostate cancer has increased dramatically and this trend is likely to continue as the technique is rapidly improving and its applications expand. The purpose of this article is to review the basic principles of mpMRI of the prostate and its clinical applications, which will be reviewed in greater detail in subsequent chapters of this issue.