Efficacy of Selective Internal Radiation Therapy for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Post-Incomplete Response to Chemoembolization.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common neoplasms worldwide and the third most common cause of cancer-related death. Several liver-targeted intra-arterial therapies are available for unresectable HCC, including selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) and trans-arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Those two are the most used treatment modalities in localized non-operable HCC. TACE is the treatment option for patients with stage B, according to the BCLC staging system. In contrast, SIRT does not have an official role in the treatment algorithm, but recent studies showed promising outcomes in patients treated with SIRT. Although TACE is globally a safe procedure, it might provoke several vascular complications such as spasms, inflammatory constriction, and, in severe cases, occlusion, dissection, or collateralization. Hence, it is acclaimed that those complications could restrain the targeted response of the radio-embolization when we use it as second-line therapy post TACE. In this study, we will assess the efficacity of SIRT using Yttrium 90 Microspheres post incomplete or failure response to TACE. In our retrospective study, we had 23 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Furthermore, those patients have been followed radiologically and biologically. Then, we evaluated the therapeutic effect according to the mRECIST criteria, in addition to the personalized dose analysis. We found 8 patients were treated with TheraSphere®, with a median tumor absorbed dose of 445 Gy, while 15 received SIR-Spheres® treatment with a mean tumor dose of 268 Gy. After radiological analysis, 56.5% of the patients had a complete response, and 17.3% showed partial response, whereas 13% had stable disease and 13% had progressive disease. For patients treated with SIRT after an incomplete response or failure to TACE, we found an objective response rate of 73.8%. Despite the known vascular complications of TACE, SIRT can give a favorable response.

Personalized 90 Y-resin microspheres dose determination: a retrospective study on the impact of dosimetry software on the treatment of patients with selective internal radiotherapy.

INTRODUCTION: The calculation of resin yttrium-90 ( 90 Y-) microspheres activity for selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT) needs to be investigated. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Analyses using Simplicit 90 Y (Boston Scientific, Natick, Massachusetts, USA) dosimetry software were performed to determine the concordance between the absorbed doses to the tumor (D T1 and D T2 ) and healthy liver (D N1 and D N2 ) during the pre-treatment and the post-treatment phases. An optimized calculation of the activity of 90 Y-microspheres performed using dosimetry software was applied retrospectively to assess the impact of this calculation method on the treatment. RESULTS: D T1 ranged from 38.8 to 372 Gy, with a mean value of 128.9 ± 73.6 Gy and median of 121.2 Gy [interquartile range (IQR): 81.7-158.8 Gy]. The median D N1 and D N2 was 10.5 Gy (IQR: 5.8-17.6). A significant correlation was between D T1 and D T2 ( r = 0.88, P < 0.001) and D N1 and D N2 ( r = 0.96, P < 0.001). The optimized activities were calculated; the target dose to the tumor compartment was 120 Gy. No activity reduction was applied in accordance with the tolerance of the healthy liver. Optimization of the microspheres dosages would have resulted in a significant increase in activity for nine treatments (0.21-2.54 GBq) and a reduction for seven others (0.25-0.76 GBq). CONCLUSIONS: The development of customized dosimetry software adapted to clinical practice makes it possible to use dosimetry to optimize the dosage for each patient.

Comparison of MRI-based response criteria and radiomics for the prediction of early response to transarterial radioembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the capabilities of radiomics using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data in the assessment of treatment response to 90yttrium transarterial radioembolization (TARE) in patients with locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by comparison with predictions based on European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-two patients with HCC (19 men, 3 women; mean age: 66.7 ± 9.8 [SD]; age range: 37-82 years) who underwent contrast-enhanced MRI 4 ± 1 weeks before and 4 ± 4 weeks after TARE, were enrolled in this retrospective study. Regions of interest were placed manually along the contours of the treated tumor on each axial slice of arterial and portal phase images using the ITK-SNAP post-processing software. For each MRI, the Pyradiomics Python package was used to extract 107 radiomics features on both arterial and portal phases, and resulting delta-features were computed. The Mann-Whitney U test with Bonferroni correction was used to select statistically different features between responders and non-responders (i.e., those with progressive or stable disease) at 6-month follow-up, according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (mRECIST). Finally, for each selected feature, univariable logistic regression with leave-one-out cross validation procedure was used to perform receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and compare radiomics parameters with MRI variables. RESULTS: According to mRECIST, 14 patients (14/22; 64%) were non-responders and 8 (8/22; 36%) were responders. Four radiomics parameters (long run emphasis, minor axis length, surface area, and gray level non-uniformity on arterial phase images) were the only predictors of early response. ROC curve analysis showed that long run emphasis was the best parameter for predicting early response, with 100% sensitivity (95% CI: 68-100) and 100% specificity (95% CI: 78-100). EASL morphologic criteria yielded 75% sensitivity (95% CI: 41-96%) and 93% specificity (95% CI: 69-100%). CONCLUSION: Radiomics allows identify marked differences between responders and non-responders, and could aid in the prediction of early treatment response following TARE in patients with HCC.

Myocardial blood flows and reserves on solid state camera: Correlations with coronary history and cardiovascular risk factors.

OBJECTIVES: Study designed to test association between stress-induced myocardial blood flow (sMBF), resting MBF (rMBF), and MBF reserve (MFR) and coronary artery disease (CAD) in a population of CAD and non-coronary patients. Secondary objectives were to confront visual analysis and dynamic analysis and to explore potential association between MBF and several cardiovascular risk factors METHODS: A total of 155 patients who underwent dynamic myocardial perfusion imaging on a CZT camera were included. sMBF, rMBF, and MFR were evaluated, and cardiovascular risk was assessed. RESULTS: Significantly lower total sMBF and MFR were observed in CAD patient vs non-CAD patient. In comparison with visual analysis, lower sMBF were found in pathologic territory, lower rMBF in necrotic territory and lower MFR in necrotic ones. A significant correlation between total sMBF, rMBF and diabetes was found. CONCLUSION: sMBF and MFR as assessed on CZT gamma-cameras can be used to determine the coronary state. Low total sMBF might be an independent risk factor of coronaropathy. An inverse correlation was suggested between total sMBF and rMBF with diabetes.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Yttrium-90 Glass Microspheres in the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma, Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma, and Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Practice: Protocol for the Prospective PROACTIF Phase IV Registry Study in France.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Recently, selective internal radiation therapy using yttrium-90 (Y90) glass microspheres (TheraSphere™) was approved for reimbursement by health authorities in France. The PROACTIF study aims to gather data on effectiveness, patient quality of life, and safety with use of Y90 glass microspheres in real-world clinical settings in France. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patient with a diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCC), and/or metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) who was treated with a dose of Y90 glass microspheres that has been reimbursed in France and who do not oppose use of their personal medical data. EXCLUSION CRITERIA: If data collection is opposed, treatment is reimbursed but not administered, or treatment is administered but not reimbursed. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures include overall survival from time of Y90 glass microsphere treatment and quality of life, as assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy- Hepatobiliary questionnaire. ESTIMATED NUMBER OF PATIENTS TO BE INCLUDED: This is an open study and there is no set number of patients; 115 have already been enrolled. PLANNED SUBGROUP ANALYSES: Analyses will be stratified by disease state (HCC, iCC, or mCRC). Subgroups to be analyzed include age group, unilobar/bilobar disease at baseline, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) status at baseline, liver tumor burden at baseline, target lesion size, and standard versus multi-compartment personalized dosimetry treatment. PLANNED RECRUITMENT AND OBSERVATION PERIOD: Recruitment includes patients who are prescribed and treated with a commercial vial of Y90 glass microspheres between 01 January 2019 and 31 December 2024. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04069468.

Key Role of Personalized Dosimetry in Dose Adjustment for Selective Internal Radiotherapy: Retrospective Study of Patients Treated With 90Y Resin Microspheres.

PURPOSE: Selective internal radiotherapy with 90Y microspheres is widely used for the treatment of patients with liver cancer. A dosimetric analysis using the dosimetry software Simplicit90y (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA) was conducted to define doses to the tumor and healthy liver, and to determine a threshold tumor dose that could predict progression-free survival. METHODS: Patients experiencing hepatocellular carcinoma and treated with 90Y-labeled resin microspheres were included in a retrospective study. The time-to-progression of the target lesions (TTPLs) and overall survival (OS) were evaluated using Kaplan-Meier tests, and this comparison was based on a log-rank test. RESULTS: Twenty-four procedures for patients with portal vein thrombosis were realized. Median follow-up was 16 months. A threshold tumor dose of 125 Gy was determined with a sensitivity of 89% and a specificity of 100%. For patients with a tumor dose of less than 125 Gy, the median OS was 7.5 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 5-14 months) and the TTPL was 3 months (95% CI, 2-6 months) versus 33 months (95% CI, 22-39 months) and 23 months (95% CI, 7-38 months), respectively, for those with a tumor dose of 125 Gy or more (P = 0.002 and P = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Personalized dosimetry based on 99mTc-MAA SPECT/CT is predictive of TTPL and OS in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Customized dosimetry software is essential to optimize treatment planning.

An Infected Arterial Aneurysm and a Dog Bite: Think at Capnocytophaga canimorsus!

We describe the fourth cases of arterial aneurysm consecutive to Capnocytophaga canimorsus infection in a 77-year-old man. The infection occurred after a dog bite. He presented fever. The thoracic-abdominal computed tomography angiography revealed aneurysms on the abdominal aorta, left common femoral artery, and left popliteal artery. The diagnosis was performed by a blood culture positive for Capnocytophaga canimorsus. The outcome was favorable with surgery and antibiotic therapy.

Improved 18-FDG PET/CT diagnosis of multiple myeloma diffuse disease by radiomics analysis.

OBJECTIVES: In multiple myeloma, the diagnosis of diffuse bone marrow infiltration on 18-FDG PET/CT can be challenging. We aimed to develop a PET/CT radiomics-based model that could improve the diagnosis of multiple myeloma diffuse disease on 18-FDG PET/CT. METHODS: We prospectively performed PET/CT and whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI in 30 newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. MRI was the reference standard for diffuse disease assessment. Twenty patients were randomly assigned to a training set and 10 to an independent test set. Visual analysis of PET/CT was performed by two nuclear medicine physicians. Spine volumes were automatically segmented, and a total of 174 Imaging Biomarker Standardisation Initiative-compliant radiomics features were extracted from PET and CT. Selection of best features was performed with random forest features importance and correlation analysis. Machine-learning algorithms were trained on the selected features with cross-validation and evaluated on the independent test set. RESULTS: Out of the 30 patients, 18 had established diffuse disease on MRI. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of visual analysis were 67, 75 and 70%, respectively, with a moderate kappa coefficient of agreement of 0.6. Five radiomics features were selected. On the training set, random forest classifier reached a sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 93, 86 and 91%, respectively, with an area under the curve of 0.90 (95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.91). On the independent test set, the model achieved an accuracy of 80%. CONCLUSIONS: Radiomics analysis of 18-FDG PET/CT images with machine-learning overcame the limitations of visual analysis, providing a highly accurate and more reliable diagnosis of diffuse bone marrow infiltration in multiple myeloma patients.

18F-choline PET-computed tomography for the prediction of early treatment responses to transarterial radioembolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Transarterial radioembolization (TARE) is widely used for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but early treatment response can be very difficult to assess. The aim was to evaluate 18F-fluorocholine PET/computed tomography (CT) to assess the treatment response in patients with intermediate or locally advanced HCC. METHODS: Between March 2019 and July 2020, nine HCC patients treated with TARE, who underwent PET/CT at baseline and 1 month after treatment, were enrolled. The maximum, mean (SUVmean), and peak (SUVpeak) standardized uptake value (SUV), SUV normalized by lean body mass (SUL), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) were measured. Statistical analysis used the Mann-Whitney test to evaluate the differences in parameters between responders (partial and complete response) and nonresponders (stable or progressive disease) at the 6-month follow-up, according to the modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors. RESULTS: Three patients were nonresponders (progressive disease and stable disease) and six were responders. Delta SUVmean, delta SUL, and delta TLG could predict an early response (P = 0.02, P = 0.04, and P = 0.02, respectively). None of the pre-therapeutic parameters were correlated with the response. Post-therapeutic SUL, SUVmean, TLG, and SUVpeak were also predictive of the response. CONCLUSIONS: Our preliminary results showed that changes in certain metabolic parameters (from baseline PET to 1-month PET) are predictive of the response to TARE in HCC (Delta SUVmean, delta TLG, and delta SUL). The absence of post-treatment inflammation could lead to a better prediction than MRI evaluation. This study suggests that 1-month 18F-choline PET/CT could modify the clinical management predicting responders.Video Abstract: http://links.lww.com/NMC/A193.

Study protocol of the HYPER-LIV01 trial: a multicenter phase II, prospective and randomized study comparing simultaneous portal and hepatic vein embolization to portal vein embolization for hypertrophy of the future liver remnant before major hepatectomy for colo-rectal liver metastases.

BACKGROUND: In patients undergoing major liver resection, portal vein embolization (PVE) has been widely used to induce hypertrophy of the non-embolized liver in order to prevent post-hepatectomy liver failure. PVE is a safe and effective procedure, but does not always lead to sufficient hypertrophy of the future liver remnant (FLR). Hepatic vein(s) embolization has been proposed to improve FLR regeneration when insufficient after PVE. The sequential right hepatic vein embolization (HVE) after right PVE demonstrated an incremental effect on the FLR but it implies two different procedures with no time gain as compared to PVE alone. We have developed the so-called liver venous deprivation (LVD), a combination of PVE and HVE during the same intervention, to optimize the phase of liver preparation before surgery. The main objective of this randomized phase II trial is to compare the percentage of change in FLR volume at 3 weeks after LVD or PVE. METHODS: Patients eligible to this multicenter prospective randomized phase II study are subjects aged from 18 years old suffering from colo-rectal liver metastases considered as resectable and with non-cirrhotic liver parenchyma. The primary objective is the percentage of change in FLR volume at 3 weeks after LVD or PVE using MRI or CT-Scan. Secondary objectives are assessment of tolerance, post-operative morbidity and mortality, post-hepatectomy liver failure, rate of non-respectability due to insufficient FLR or tumor progression, per-operative difficulties, blood loss, R0 resection rate, post-operative liver volume and overall survival. Objectives of translational research studies are evaluation of pre- and post-operative liver function and determination of biomarkers predictive of liver hypertrophy. Sixty-four patients will be included (randomization ratio 1:1) to detect a difference of 12% at 21 days in FLR volumes between PVE and LVD. DISCUSSION: Adding HVE to PVE during the same procedure is an innovative and promising approach that may lead to a rapid and major increase in volume and function of the FLR, thereby increasing the rate of resectable patients and limiting the risk of patient's drop-out. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov on 15th February 2019 (NCT03841305).

An unexpected case of Bartonella alsatica prosthetic vascular graft infection.

Bartonella alsatica is a wild rabbit pathogen causing bacteremia rarely reported in humans, with only three cases published so far, including one lymphadenitis and two endocarditis cases. Here, we report the case of a 66-year-old man who suffered from acute renal failure due to a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) showed diffuse FDG uptake around the aortobifemoral graft with no indication of infection. A white blood cell scan showed an accumulation of labeled neutrophils on the left femoral part of the graft. The patient underwent surgery and an abscess around the left iliac part of the graft was found intraoperatively. Intraoperative samples were all negative, but 16S rRNA gene-based PCR was positive, and the sequence was positioned among the Bartonella species cluster. Specific PCRs targeting groEL/hsp60, rpoB and gltA genes were performed and led to the identification of B. alsatica. Accordingly, indirect immunofluorescence serological analyses were positive for Bartonella henselae and Bartonella quintana. The patient had a history of regularly hunting wild rabbits. He was treated with 100 mg of doxycycline twice a day for six months and his renal function significantly improved with no sign of persistent infection. This case highlights the contribution of serology assays and molecular-based methods in prosthetic vascular graft infection diagnosis.

Retrospective Study Comparing WBC scan and 18F-FDG PET/CT in Patients with Suspected Prosthetic Vascular Graft Infection.

OBJECTIVES: Prosthetic vascular graft infections (PVGIs) are associated with high mortality rates. To improve treatment outcome, an early and definite diagnosis is critical, and current diagnostic criteria are often insufficient. The accuracy of 2-deoxy-2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-d-glucose positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and white blood cell (WBC) scan for the diagnosis of PVGI were compared. METHODS: A retrospective single centre study was conducted on patients undergoing WBC scan and 18F-FDG PET/CT for a suspected PVGI between April 2013 and June 2016 at the Bordeaux University Hospital, France. The diagnostic value of both imaging tests was assessed for all grafts, using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Images were independently interpreted by two nuclear medicine physicians blinded to the patients' clinical and other imaging data. RESULTS: Thirty-nine patients were included, of whom 15 had PVGI. Antibiotic treatment was started before nuclear imaging for 16 patients, including nine patients with a PVGI. The 96 grafts of these patients were analysed, and 19 were infected. The diagnostic value of the WBC scan was significantly higher than 18F-FDG PET/CT (ROC AUC = 0.902, 95% CI 0.824-0.980, and 0.759, CI 95% (0.659-0.858), respectively, p = .0071). Interobserver agreement was good for 18F-FDG PET/CT and excellent for WBC scan (kappa value of 0.76, 95% CI 0.62-0.9, and 0.97, 95% CI 0.92-1, respectively). Only one patient had a false negative 18F-FDG PET/CT result under antibiotic therapy. CONCLUSION: The WBC scan has a better diagnostic value than 18F-FDG PET/CT for PVGI diagnosis.

In vitro Evidence of Improved Antimicrobial Efficacy of Silver and Triclosan Containing Vascular Grafts Compared with Rifampicin Soaked Grafts.

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to compare the antimicrobial efficacy of four different grafts: a standard graft (Intergard, IG), an IG graft soaked in rifampicin (IGrif), a silver impregnated graft (Intergard Silver, IGS), and a silver + triclosan impregnated graft (Intergard Synergy, IGSy). METHODS: This was a seven day in vitro study. The IG, IGrif, IGS, and IGSy grafts were each contaminated separately with the following microorganisms: Staphylococcus epidermidis, Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Escherichia coli, and Candida albicans from both clinical and American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) origins. The in vitro antimicrobial efficacy was evaluated by time to kill assays at T0, T24h, T48h, T72h, and T168h. Bactericidal activity was defined as >3 log10 reduction factor (logRF). Additionally, Rifampicin, triclosan and silver resistance development were screened. RESULTS: As anticipated for the non-antimicrobial IG, all microorganism strains proliferated. The IGSy and the IGS showed a seven day bactericidal efficacy (>3 logRF) for all tested microorganisms. This efficacy was confirmed at all time points for IGSy only, demonstrating faster bactericidal efficacy than IGS. The IGrif demonstrated a seven day bactericidal efficacy against the ATCC MRSA only, while showing no activity against C. albicans and ATCC E. coli. Regarding ATCC S. epidermidis, clinical MRSA and clinical E. coli, IGrif, although bactericidal at earlier time points, lost its antimicrobial efficacy at seven days leading to the emergence of rifampicin resistant mutants in four of six, two of six, and two of six assays, respectively. Mutant strains were also detected in ATCC MRSA in one of six assays. No triclosan or silver resistance has emerged at T7days. CONCLUSION: For all microorganisms tested, the Synergy graft combining silver with triclosan demonstrated a more sustainable and efficient seven day antimicrobial activity than the rifampicin soaked graft. The emergence of rifampicin resistant mutants suggests preference for a Synergy graft over a graft soaked in rifampicin, to prevent or treat an infection when a biological solution is not feasible.

Comparison of Genus Specific PCR and Culture with or without Sonication for Microbiological Diagnosis of Vascular Graft Infection.

OBJECTIVES: Vascular graft infections (VGIs) are severe and require prolonged adequate antimicrobial therapy. However, up to 45% of conventional cultures are negative. Sonication and genus specific PCRs for microbiological diagnosis of VGI was evaluated. METHODS: Samples were prospectively obtained from explanted vascular grafts in Bordeaux University Hospital. Conventional bacterial cultures with and without prior sonication of samples were performed. A genus specific PCR assay panel, targeting the most frequent bacteria involved in VGI (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Enterococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae), was also applied to sonicate fluids. The performance of these three diagnostic strategies was compared. RESULTS: Forty-five patients (118 samples) were included between July 2014 and October 2015. Six patients had no infection and 39 had a VGI. Sensitivities of graft culture, sonicate fluid culture, and genus specific PCR were 85.7%, 89.7%, and 79.5%, respectively. Specificities were 100%, 100%, and 83.3%, respectively. Sonicate fluid culture was positive for five graft samples (from four patients) with negative culture without sonication. Four VGIs were detected by PCR only (3 patients had previously received antibiotics). For 15 patients with positive graft cultures, PCR identified at least one additional bacterium compared with culture, thus 30 additional bacteria for all included patients. By combining sonicate fluid culture and PCR, a microbiological diagnosis was obtained for all patients with VGI. CONCLUSIONS: There was no statistical difference between performances of culture with and without sonication and genus specific PCR. However, combining sonicate fluid cultures and PCR may be the best strategy for microbiological diagnostic of VGI.

What about αvß3 integrins in molecular imaging in oncology?

Non-invasive investigation of integrin expression is an interesting approach in nuclear medicine department. Indeed, integrins are overexpressed in a wide array of diseases, including tumor neoangiogenesis, cardiovascular pathologies, immune dysfunction, etc. Different targets have been identified in order to be detected and quantified for angiogenesis and vascular remodeling, among them VEGF, matrix metalloproteases, and integrins (αvß3, but also α5ß1 and αvß6). Their targeting appears of great interest either for early diagnosis, aggressiveness staging of the disease or for selection of responders to new-targeted therapies. Thus, αvß3 is a biomarker of angiogenesis that specifically binds to RGD containing peptides. Many different strategies were attempted to develop RGD peptides for single photon emission tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging. This review is mainly focused on αvß3-targeting in oncology. We will present an overview of the tracers mostly used on nuclear imaging techniques, those in clinical trials, the recent development concerning the 18F-labeling strategies, the 68Ga-complex chemistry and different approaches of therapy.

Pre-treatment magnetic resonance-based texture features as potential imaging biomarkers for predicting event free survival in anal cancer treated by chemoradiotherapy.

AIM: To assess regular MRI findings and tumour texture features on pre-CRT imaging as potential predictive factors of event-free survival (disease progression or death) after chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) without metastasis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively included 28 patients treated by CRT for pathologically proven ASCC with a pre-CRT MRI. Texture analysis was carried out with axial T2W images by delineating a 3D region of interest around the entire tumour volume. First-order analysis by quantification of the histogram was carried out. Second-order statistical texture features were derived from the calculation of the grey-level co-occurrence matrix using a distance of 1 (d1), 2 (d2) and 5 (d5) pixels. Prognostic factors were assessed by Cox regression and performance of the model by the Harrell C-index. RESULTS: Eight tumour progressions led to six tumour-specific deaths. After adjusting for age, gender and tumour grade, skewness (HR = 0.131, 95% CI = 0-0.447, p = 0.005) and cluster shade_d1 (HR = 0.601, 95% CI = 0-0.861, p = 0.027) were associated with event occurrence. The corresponding Harrell C-indices were 0.846, 95% CI = 0.697-0.993, and 0.851, 95% CI = 0.708-0.994. CONCLUSION: ASCC MR texture analysis provides prognostic factors of event occurrence and requires additional studies to assess its potential in an "individual dose" strategy for ASCC chemoradiation therapy. KEY POINTS: • MR texture features help to identify tumours with high progression risk. • Texture feature maps help to identify intra-tumoral heterogeneity. • Texture features are a better prognostic factor than regular MR findings.

18F-FDG PET/CT Imaging of Popliteal Vasculitis Associated With Polyarteritis Nodosa.

We report an F-FDG linear uptake of the right popliteal artery in a 25-year-old man who underwent a PET/CT scan for unexplained chronic asthenia associated with fever symptoms, arthralgia, and subcutaneous nodes, in favor of vasculitis. The patient had a history of saphenous vein thrombosis. Thrombophilia screening finds a blood lupus anticoagulant. A biopsy of subcutaneous nodes finds an anatomopathologic lesion of polyarteritis nodosa. F-FDG PET can be useful in initial staging of polyarteritis nodosa for an early diagnosis of vasculitis, and thus, early treatment can prevent arterial complications such as occlusion or aneurysm.

Renal Intravascular Large B-cell Lymphoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

We herein report the case of a 52-year-old woman who consulted us because of a 2-month history of a fever, anorexia and weight loss. A physical examination was unremarkable. The blood count showed mild anemia and lymphopenia, and lactate dehydrogenase was elevated. Creatinine clearance was normal and proteinuria was undetectable. CT showed enlarged kidneys. A bone marrow biopsy was normal. PET-CT showed an intense uptake of 18fluorodeoxyglucose in both kidneys. A kidney biopsy provided the diagnosis of intravascular large B-cell lymphoma (IVLBCL). Kidney-limited IVLBCL without an impairment in the renal function or proteinuria has not been described. We analyzed the 38 published cases of IVLBCL involving the kidney to describe the main features of this entity.

Role of 18F-FDG PET/CT in Posttreatment Evaluation of Anal Carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of PET/CT and 18F-FDG as a strategy for response evaluation after chemoradiotherapy for anal cancer. For this, the performance of posttreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT, the impact on patient care, and the predictive value of metabolic response were assessed. Methods: This was a retrospective and multicenter analysis of 87 patients treated by chemoradiotherapy for anal squamous cell carcinoma between October 2007 and October 2013. All patients underwent systematic posttreatment 18F-FDG PET/CT and were followed with at least a clinical examination every 4 mo for 2 y and every 6 mo thereafter. Disease progression was confirmed by biopsy for all patients in the case of local recurrence before surgery. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression models were used to test for associations between metabolic or clinical endpoints and progression-free survival (PFS) or cause-specific survival (CSS). Results: The median follow-up was 25 mo. 18F-FDG PET/CT was performed 1-8 mo (median, 4 mo) after completion of chemoradiotherapy. Overall, 25 patients relapsed and 13 died. The posttherapy 18F-FDG PET/CT did not show any abnormal 18F-FDG uptake (complete metabolic response [CMR]) in 55 patients whereas 32 displayed incomplete response (non-CMR): 15 patients with partial response and 17 with disease progression. The sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET/CT to detect residual tumor tissue was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI], 75%-97%), specificity was 85% (95% CI, 75%-92%), positive predictive value was 72% (95% CI, 61%-90%), and negative predictive value was 96.4% (95% CI, 90%-98.7%). The 2-y PFS was 96% (95% CI, 90-100) for patients with CMR and 28% (95% CI, 14-47) for non-CMR patients (P < 0.0001). The 2-y CSS was 100% for patients with CMR and 59% (95% CI, 42-84) for those without CMR (P < 0.0001). 18F-FDG PET/CT changed patient management in 14 cases (16%), with relevant modifications in 12 (14%). A Cox proportional hazards model of survival outcome indicated that a CMR was the only significant predictor of PFS and CSS (P < 0.0001). Conclusion:18F-FDG PET/CT shows good accuracy in posttreatment evaluation of anal cancer and has a relevant impact on patient management. Moreover, CMR is associated with good survival outcome. Thus, 18F-FDG PET/CT may play a significant role during posttreatment follow-up of anal cancer.