Pneumothorax risk reduction during CT-guided lung biopsy - Effect of fluid application to the pleura before lung puncture and the gravitational effect of pleural pressure.

PURPOSE: This study investigated strategies to reduce pneumothorax risk in CT-guided lung biopsy. The approach involved administering 10 ml of 1 % lidocaine fluid in the subpleural or pleural space before lung puncture and utilizing the gravitational effect of pleural pressure with specific patient positioning. METHOD: We retrospectively analyzed 72 percutaneous CT-guided lung biopsies performed at a single center between January 2020 and April 2023. These were grouped based on fluid administration during the biopsy and whether the biopsies were conducted in dependent or non-dependent lung regions. Confounding factors like patient demographics, lesion characteristics, and procedural details were assessed. Patient characteristics and the occurrence of pneumothoraces were compared using a Kurskal-Wallis test for continuous variables and a Fisher's exact test for categorical variables. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify potential confounders. RESULTS: Subpleural or pleural fluid administration and performing biopsies in dependent lung areas were significantly linked to lower peri-interventional pneumothorax incidence (n = 15; 65 % without fluid in non-dependent areas, n = 5; 42 % without fluid in dependent areas, n = 5; 36 % with fluid in non-dependent areas,n = 0; 0 % with fluid in dependent areas; p = .001). Even after adjusting for various factors, biopsy in dependent areas and fluid administration remained independently associated with reduced pneumothorax risk (OR 0.071, p<=.01 for lesions with fluid administration; OR 0.077, p = .016 for lesions in dependent areas). CONCLUSIONS: Pre-puncture fluid administration to the pleura and consideration of gravitational effects during patient positioning can effectively decrease pneumothorax occurrences in CT-guided lung biopsy.

Influence of Lung Reconstruction Algorithms on Interstitial Lung Pattern Recognition on CT.

Despite current recommendations, there is no recent scientific study comparing the influence of CT reconstruction kernels on lung pattern recognition in interstitial lung disease (ILD).To evaluate the sensitivity of lung (i70) and soft (i30) CT kernel algorithms for the diagnosis of ILD patterns.We retrospectively extracted between 15-25 pattern annotations per case (1 annotation = 15 slices of 1 mm) from 23 subjects resulting in 408 annotation stacks per lung kernel and soft kernel reconstructions. Two subspecialized chest radiologists defined the ground truth in consensus. 4 residents, 2 fellows, and 2 general consultants in radiology with 3 to 13 years of experience in chest imaging performed a blinded readout. In order to account for data clustering, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with random intercept for reader and nested for patient and image and a kernel/experience interaction term was used to analyze the results.The results of the GLMM indicated, that the odds of correct pattern recognition is 12 % lower with lung kernel compared to soft kernel; however, this was not statistically significant (OR 0.88; 95%-CI, 0.73-1.06; p = 0.187). Furthermore, the consultants' odds of correct pattern recognition was 78 % higher than the residents' odds, although this finding did not reach statistical significance either (OR 1.78; 95%-CI, 0.62-5.06; p = 0.283). There was no significant interaction between the two fixed terms kernel and experience. Intra-rater agreement between lung and soft kernel was substantial (κ = 0.63 ±â€Š0.19). The mean inter-rater agreement for lung/soft kernel was κ = 0.37 ±â€Š0.17/κ = 0.38 ±â€Š0.17.There is no significant difference between lung and soft kernel reconstructed CT images for the correct pattern recognition in ILD. There are non-significant trends indicating that the use of soft kernels and a higher level of experience lead to a higher probability of correct pattern identification. · There is no significant difference between lung and soft kernel reconstructed CT images for the correct pattern recognition in interstitial lung disease.. · There are even non-significant tendencies that the use of soft kernels lead to a higher probability of correct pattern identification.. · These results challenge the current recommendations and the routinely performed separate lung kernel reconstructions for lung parenchyma analysis.. CITATION FORMAT: · Klaus JB, Christodoulidis S, Peters AA et al. Influence of Lung Reconstruction Algorithms on Interstitial Lung Pattern Recognition on CT. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2023; 195: 47 - 54.

Full core technology versus notch sampling technology: evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy and the risk of a pneumothorax after transthoracic needle biopsy of suspicious lung lesions.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung (PCBL) under image guidance has become a safe and effective minimal invasive method to obtain a specimen related histological diagnosis of pulmonary lesions. PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic yield and safety of two different coaxial biopsy technologies: full core and notch sampling technology. The former allowing the removal of full punch cylinders and the latter using a cutting-edge mechanism. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 48 consecutive PCBL procedures has been carried out for this prognostic study, involving patients with a documented pulmonary nodule or mass lesion on previous computed tomography (CT) scans. The study population included 38 men and 10 women (mean age = 67 years). Of these 48 patients who underwent a procedure with a co-axial cutting system, 24 have been performed with notch sampling technology and 24 with full core technology. RESULTS: Out of the 48 biopsy procedures, 46 yielded specimens were adequate for histopathological evaluation, consistent with a technical success rate of 96%. The most common induced image-guided biopsy complication was a pneumothorax, occurring in 14 patients (35%). Seven patients with a pneumothorax were attributed to the full core technology and seven to the notch sampling technology (odds ratio = 1, 95% confidence interval = 0.28-3.51, P = 1). CONCLUSION: In the setting of full core versus notch sampling percutaneous CT-guided coaxial needle biopsy of the lung, no significant difference in the diagnostic accuracy and the incidence of pneumothoraces could be shown, while both technologies have an excellent diagnostic performance.

Nuevos factores de riesgo de hemorragia pulmonar que complican la biopsia pulmonar guiada por TC en técnica coaxial / Novel risk factors of pulmonary hemorrhage complicating CT-guided lung biopsy in coaxial technique

Objetivos: Evaluar la frecuencia y gravedad de la hemorragia parenquimatosa pulmonar tras la biopsia pulmonar con aguja transtorácica coaxial, según factores de procedimiento, aún no descritos en la literatura. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar si la elección de la tecnología de biopsia coaxial, el posicionamiento del paciente y la dignidad de la lesión son tres nuevas variables que influyen en el riesgo de hemorragia parenquimatosa tras biopsias coaxiales de pulmón. Métodos: Se revisaron retrospectivamente los registros de 117 pacientes que se sometieron a biopsias con aguja transtorácica del pulmón entre enero de 2018 y abril de 2020. El resultado primario fue la hemorragia pulmonar. Se ha utilizado un sistema de clasificación para clasificar la hemorragia parenquimatosa pulmonar: Grado 0 - Grado 3. Se evaluaron tres variables novedosas relacionadas con el paciente, la técnica y la lesión como predictores de hemorragia pulmonar: tecnología de biopsia coaxial, posición del paciente y dignidad de la lesión. Resultados: De los 117 pacientes, 18 (15,4%) pacientes con tecnología de biopsia coaxial de corte, versus 29 (24,8%) pacientes con tecnología coaxial de núcleo completo mostraron hemorragia significativa en las exploraciones de control posteriores a la biopsia. (IC del 95% 0,06-0,33, p <0,0001). No hubo diferencias significativas en la hemorragia pulmonar entre el diagnóstico histológico benigno y maligno (IC 95% 0,84-4,44, p = 0,1199) y la posición del paciente en decúbito prono o supino (IC 95%: 0,57-2,57, p = 0,6232). Conclusiones: La incidencia y gravedad de la hemorragia pulmonar depende de la tecnología de biopsia coaxial utilizada; siendo mayor en pacientes sometidos a una biopsia con tecnología full-core y menor después del uso de tecnología de corte. En este estudio de pronóstico no se estableció una correlación significativa entre la hemorragia pulmonar parenquimatosa y la posición del paciente o la dignidad de la lesión

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency and severity of pulmonary parenchymal hemorrhage after coaxial transthoracic needle biopsy of the lung, according to procedural factors, not yet described in literature. The aim of this study was to determine whether the choice of the coaxial biopsy technology, patient positioning and the lesion dignity are three new variables influencing the risk of parenchymal hemorrhage after coaxial biopsies of the lung. Methods: Records from 117 patients who underwent transthoracic needle biopsies of the lung between January 2018 and April 2020 have been retrospectively reviewed. The primary outcome was pulmonary hemorrhage. A grading system has been used to classify pulmonary parenchymal hemorrhage: Grade 0 ­ Grade 3. Three novel patient, technique and lesion-related variables were evaluated as predictors of pulmonary hemorrhage: coaxial biopsy technology, patient positioning and lesion dignity. Results: Out of the 117 patients, 18 (15,4%) patients with cutting coaxial biopsy technology, versus 29 (24,8%) patients with full core coaxial technology showed significant hemorrhage on the post-biopsy control scans. (95% CI 0,06-0,33, p<0,0001). No significant difference in pulmonary hemorrhage between benign and malignant histological diagnosis (95% CI 0,84-4,44, p=0,1199) and prone or supine patient positioning (95% CI: 0,57-2,57, p= 0,6232) was found. Conclusions: The incidence and severity of pulmonary hemorrhage depends on the coaxial biopsy technology used; being higher in patients undergoing a biopsy with full-core technology and lower after the use of cutting technology. No significant correlation between parenchymal pulmonary hemorrhage and patient positioning or lesion dignity was established in this prognostic study.

Time Requirement and Feasibility of a Systematic Quality Peer Review of Reporting in Radiology.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the human resources required for a retrospective quality review of different percentages of all routine diagnostic procedures in the Department of Radiology at Bern University Hospital, Switzerland. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three board-certified radiologists retrospectively evaluated the quality of the radiological reports of a total of 150 examinations (5 different examination types: abdominal CT, chest CT, mammography, conventional X-ray images and abdominal MRI). Each report was assigned a RADPEER score of 1 to 3 (score 1: concur with previous interpretation; score 2: discrepancy in interpretation/not ordinarily expected to be made; score 3: discrepancy in interpretation/should be made most of the time). The time (in seconds, s) required for each review was documented and compared. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to calculate the total workload for reviewing different percentages of the total annual reporting volume of the clinic. RESULTS: Among the total of 450 reviews analyzed, 91.1 % (410/450) were assigned a score of 1 and 8.9 % (40/450) were assigned scores of 2 or 3. The average time (in seconds) required for a peer review was 60.4 s (min. 5 s, max. 245 s). The reviewer with the greatest clinical experience needed significantly less time for reviewing the reports than the two reviewers with less clinical expertise (p < 0.05). Average review times were longer for discrepant ratings with a score of 2 or 3 (p < 0.05). The total time requirement calculated for reviewing all 5 types of examination for one year would be more than 1200 working hours. CONCLUSION: A retrospective peer review of reports of radiological examinations using the RADPEER system requires considerable human resources. However, to improve quality, it seems feasible to peer review at least a portion of the total yearly reporting volume. KEY POINTS: · A systematic retrospective assessment of the content of radiological reports using the RADPEER system involves high personnel costs.. · The retrospective assessment of all reports of a clinic or practice seems unrealistic due to the lack of highly specialized personnel.. · At least part of all reports should be reviewed with the aim of improving the quality of reports.. CITATION FORMAT: · Maurer MH, Brönnimann M, Schroeder C et al. Time Requirement and Feasibility of a Systematic Quality Peer Review of Reporting in Radiology. Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 160 - 167.

Comparison of diffusion-weighted MR imaging and 18F Fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in detection of residual or recurrent tumors and delineation of their local spread after (chemo) radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) and fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) in detection of residual or recurrent tumors and their local extension in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma after treatment with (chemo) radiotherapy (CRT). METHOD: Twenty-five patients (17 men, 8 women, median age 64 years, range 49-79) who underwent surgical salvage for residual or recurrent tumors after CRT were included. The histopathologic analysis after the surgical salvage served as the gold standard. RESULTS: Both DW-MRI and 18F-FDG PET/CT had a sensitivity of 92 % (23/25) in the detection of residual or recurrent tumors. MRI had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) for detecting perineural spread of 62 % (5/8), 88 % (15/17), 71 % (5/7) and 83 % (15/18), respectively; in comparison, PET/CT did not detect any cases of perineural spread. The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV of MRI in detecting muscle infiltration was 75 % (9/12), 77 % (10/13), 75 % (9/12) and 77 % (10/13) respectively, while the values for 18F-FDG PET/CT were 58 % (7/12), 69 % (9/13), 64 % (7/11) and 64 % (9/14). CONCLUSIONS: DW-MRI- and 18F-FDG PET/CT-imaging have an identical detection rate of residual or recurrent tumors after (chemo) radiotherapy. MRI has a higher sensitivity in detecting local perineural spread, has a better accuracy in the detection of muscle infiltration and more accurately correlates the lesion size to the histopathologic specimen.

Correlation between fat signal ratio on T1-weighted MRI in the lower vertebral bodies and age, comparing 1.5-T and 3-T scanners.

BACKGROUND: The hypothesis was that the fat-dependent T1 signal intensity in vertebral bodies increases with age due to red-yellow marrow conversion. PURPOSE: To analyze the increasing fatty conversion of red bone marrow with age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A continuous sample of 524 patients (age range 2-96 years) with normal lumbar spine MRIs (T11-L5) was retrospectively selected in order to get a representative sample from our 1.5-T and 3-T MRI units (Siemens, Erlangen, Germany). Four radiologists read the images independently. Absolute T1 signal intensities were measured in the lower vertebral bodies and standardized by dividing their value by the signal of the subcutaneous fat on lumbar and sacral level. RESULTS: The standardized T1 signal correlated significantly with patients' age at the 1.5-T unit, with the best correlation demonstrated by thoracic vertebra T11, followed by lumbar vertebra L1, with correlation coefficients (R) of 0.64 (95% CI 0.53-0.72, P < 0.0001) and 0.49 (95% CI 0.38-0.59, P < 0.0001), respectively. For women and men, the R values were similar in thoracic vertebra T11 at 0.62 (95% CI 0.49-0.72) and 0.64 (95% CI 0.44-0.77), respectively. The vertebral signal correlated significantly better with age in the 1.5-T compared to the 3-T unit on all vertebral levels: the best R value of the 3-T unit was only 0.20 (95% CI 0.09-0.30, P < 0.0001). Our study showed an average increase of the relative T1 signal in T11 of 10% per decade. CONCLUSION: T1 fat signal ratio increases with age in the vertebral bodies, which could help estimating the age of a person. Best age correlation was found when measuring T1 signal in T11, standardized by the sacral subcutaneous fat signal and using a 1.5-T MRI.

High signal intensity in dentate nucleus and globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted MR images in three patients with impaired renal function and vascular calcification.

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (primarily those with linear chelates) are associated with a dose-dependent signal hyperintensity in the dentate nucleus and the globus pallidus on unenhanced T1-weighted MRI following administration to selected patients with normal renal function. The accumulation of gadolinium has also been reported in the skin, heart, liver, lung, and kidney of patients with impaired renal function suffering from nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF). Here we report on three patients with impaired renal function and vascular calcification (two with confirmed NSF) whose unenhanced T1-weighted MRIs showed conspicuous high signal intensity in the dentate nucleus and the globus pallidus after they had been exposed to relatively low doses of linear gadolinium-based contrast agents (0.27, 0.45, and 0.68 mmol/kg). Signal ratios between dentate nucleus and pons and between globus pallidus and thalamus were comparable with previously reported measurements in subjects without renal impairment. Of note, all three analysed patients suffered from transient signs of neurological disorders of undetermined cause. In conclusion, the exposure to 0.27-0.68 mmol/kg of linear gadolinium-based contrast agent was associated with probable gadolinium accumulation in the brain of three patients suffering from impaired renal function and vascular calcification. © 2016 The Authors. Contrast Media & Molecular Imaging published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.