Is a two-hour monitoring period sufficient and safe for patients undergoing ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver mass biopsy?: A prospective and multicenter experience.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether patients undergoing percutaneous liver mass biopsy (PLMB) can be safely discharged following a two-hour monitoring period. METHODS: A multi-center prospective analysis was conducted for 375 patients (196 males and 179 females), mean age 63 ± 12.45 years (range 37-89) who underwent PLMB between August 2023 and March 2024. Patients were monitored for 24 h, and complications were classified as minor or major. The timing of complications was categorized into three groups: within the first two hours, between the 2nd and 24th hours, and within 1 week after 24 hours. RESULTS: Minor complications occurred in 18.93% (71/375) and major complications in 2.13% (8/375). Most minor complications (80.2%, 57/71) appeared within the first two hours, 12.7% (9/71) between 2 and 24 h, and 7.1% (5/71) after 24 h. All major complications (62.5%, 5/8) except late-onset cases, occurred within the first two hours. No major complications occurred between 2 and 24 h. Late-onset major complications occurred in 37.5% (3/8) after 24 h. CONCLUSION: The two-hour monitoring period did not adversely impact patient management regarding minor complications and is safe for identifying all major complications except for late-onset ones. Extending the post-biopsy recovery period does not significantly improve patient care.

Baastrup's disease prevalence across various age groups and its association with degenerative changes: insights from STIR sequence in MRI.

PURPOSE: Baastrup's disease is characterized by abnormal contact between adjacent spinous processes. Our study is the first to systematically incorporate the STIR sequence, recognized for its heightened sensitivity to fluid and edema, into the MRI protocol for diagnosing Baastrup's disease in symptomatic individuals. The objective is to determine its prevalence and association with lumbar spinal degenerative changes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Lumbar spinal MRI examinations of 375 patients performed between January 2021 and 2022 were retrospectively reviewed by two radiologists. Baastrup's disease was diagnosed based on meeting any of the following criteria: lumbar interspinous bursitis, hyperintense signal changes in adjacent spinous processes, and ligaments on the STIR sequence. The study also investigated the presence of degenerative changes and interreader agreement among radiologists. RESULTS: Baastrup's disease was found in 141 of 375 individuals (37.8%). It correlated significantly with degenerative lumbar changes such as bulging (P = 0.0012), herniation (P = 0.0033), disc degeneration (P = 0.0013), Modic changes (P = 0.034), facet osteoarthritis (P = 0.0041), spinal stenosis (P = 0.005), and anterolisthesis (P = 0.0049). No significant associations were observed with gender (P = 0.468) or retrolisthesis (P = 0.167). Its occurrence increased gradually, peaking at 87.5% in individuals aged 80 and above. Radiologists showed complete agreement with Baastrup's diagnoses. CONCLUSION: Baastrup's disease is more commonly observed than being considered rare, displaying an incremental occurrence with increasing age in symptomatic individuals notably discernible on the STIR sequence. Using the STIR sequence seems to promote a consensus among radiologists, irrespective of their experience levels.

Bilateral pulmonary sequestrations: Distinct types sharing a common celiac artery origin, presented with pneumonia and associated findings in a pediatric case.

A 14-year-old boy presented with shortness of breath, cough, and mild chest pain, with a history of intermittent milder symptoms. Physical examination and initial tests showed mild iron deficiency anemia, elevated C-reactive protein, and normal vital signs. Chest radiograph revealed abnormalities in the left lower zone, leading to contrast-enhanced chest CT. The CT scan revealed bilateral intrapulmonary sequestrations, both deriving blood supply from a common trunk originating from the celiac artery. The patient's symptoms initially attributed to a pulmonary infection improved with antibiotic therapy. Pulmonary sequestration is a congenital anomaly characterized by aberrant lung tissue lacking connections to bronchial tree or pulmonary arteries. It can lead to recurrent pulmonary infections and postinfectious sequelae. This case presented a unique bilateral sequestration, both originating from the celiac artery. Radiologists should be aware of sequestration types and associated anomalies, even in atypical locations. Blood supply can originate from various arteries, not just the aorta.

Comparison of Multiparametric and Fast MRI Protocols in Detecting Clinically Significant Prostate Cancer and a Detailed Cost Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Due to the long acquisition time and high cost of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI), biparametric and, more recently, fast prostate magnetic resonance imaging (fpMRI) protocols have been described. However, there is insufficient data about the diagnostic performance and cost of fpMRI. PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic performances and cost analysis of fpMRI and mpMRI in clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCA). STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: A total of 103 patients (63 had csPCA) with a mean age of 66.83 (± 7.22) years were included. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: A 1.5-T; T1- and T2-weighted turbo spin-echo imaging (T1WI and T2WI), echo-planar diffusion-weighted images, and dynamic contrast-enhanced T1W imaging. ASSESSMENT: Three readers independently evaluated the fpMRI and mpMRI images in different sessions blinded to all patient information. Diagnostic performances of fpMRI and mpMRI were evaluated. Kappa coefficient (κ) was used to determine the interreader and intrareader agreement. A detailed cost analysis was performed for each protocol. STATISTICAL TESTS: Receiver operating characteristics analysis, area under the curve (AUC), and κ test were used. Diagnostic performance parameters were also calculated. RESULTS: Of the 63 malignant index lesions (csPCA), 53/63 of those (84.1%) originated from the peripheral zone and 10/63 lesions (15.9%) originated from the transition zone. The AUC values for fpMRI were 0.878 for reader 1, 0.937 for reader 2, and 0.855 for reader 3. For mpMRI, the AUC values were 0.893 for reader 1, 0.94 for reader 2, and 0.862 for reader 3. Inter and intrareader agreements were moderate to substantial (κ range, 0.5-0.79). The total cost per examination was calculated as €12.39 and €30.10 for fpMRI and mpMRI, respectively. DATA CONCLUSIONS: Fast MRI protocol has similar diagnostic performance with mpMRI in detecting csPCA, and fpMRI can be considered an alternative protocol that could create a lower financial burden on health-care systems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4 TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 6.