Diagnostic performance and inter-reader reliability of bone reporting and data system (Bone-RADS) on computed tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic performance and inter-reader reliability of the Bone Reporting and Data System (Bone-RADS) for solitary bone lesions on CT. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 179 patients (mean age, 56 ± 18 years; 94 men) who underwent bone biopsies between March 2005 and September 2021. Patients with solitary bone lesions on CT and sufficient histopathology results were included. Two radiologists categorized the bone lesions using the Bone-RADS (1, benign; 4, malignant). The diagnostic performance of the Bone-RADS was calculated using histopathology results as a standard reference. Inter-reader reliability was calculated. RESULTS: Bone lesions were categorized into two groups: 103 lucent (pathology: 34 benign, 12 intermediate, 54 malignant, and 3 osteomyelitis) and 76 sclerotic/mixed (pathology: 46 benign, 2 intermediate, 26 malignant, and 2 osteomyelitis) lesions. The Bone-RADS for lucent lesions had sensitivities of 95% and 82%, specificities of 11% and 11%, and accuracies of 57% and 50% for readers 1 and 2, respectively. The Bone-RADS for sclerotic/mixed lesions had sensitivities of 75% and 68%, specificities of 27% and 27%, and accuracies of 45% and 42% for readers 1 and 2, respectively. Inter-reader reliability was moderate to very good (κ = 0.744, overall; 0.565, lucent lesions; and 0.851, sclerotic/mixed lesions). CONCLUSION: Bone-RADS has a high sensitivity for evaluating malignancy in lucent bone lesions and good inter-reader reliability. However, it has poor specificity and accuracy for both lucent and sclerotic/mixed lesions. A possible explanation is that proposed algorithms heavily depend on clinical features such as pain and history of malignancy.

Thymic lipofibroadenoma: A case report.

Lipofibroadenoma (LFA) is an epithelial tumor. It has been seen rarely in the thymus, and only a handful of cases have been reported. LFA is usually seen in the anterior mediastinum and is defined as a coalescence of epithelial thymic, adipose, and fibrotic tissue. We present a 30-year-old female who presented due to an unrelated traffic accident. An incidental mass was found in her left anterior superior mediastinum. After performing a complete excision, a histologic examination of the excised mass revealed it to be LFA of the thymus, which is extremely rare. The follow-up period was uneventful. LFA is a slow-growing benign tumor and is very similar to fibroadenoma of the breast. The etiology and clinical findings are yet to be well-defined. It was only seen in men in the prior cases. But recent cases, including this one, have also reported female patients. The tumor is mainly observed in the anterior mediastinum, which was also the case in our patient. The gold standard of diagnosis is pathologic examination. Our examination showed strands and nests of thymic parenchyma, including Hassall corpuscles, which separated fibro adipose tissue. Thymectomy is the treatment of choice. It can be performed by either video-assisted thoracic surgery or open surgery. We performed open surgery. The most important prognostic factor for this tumor is staging.

Fibroblastic and Myofibroblastic Soft-Tissue Tumors: Imaging Spectrum and Radiologic-Pathologic Correlation.

Fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors are a variable group of neoplasms ranging from benign to malignant. These lesions may affect patients of any age group but are more frequently encountered in the pediatric population. Patient clinical presentation depends on the location, growth pattern, adjacent soft-tissue involvement, and pathologic behavior of these neoplasms. In the 2020 update to the World Health Organization (WHO) classification system, these tumors are classified on the basis of their distinct biologic behavior, histomorphologic characteristics, and molecular profiles into four tumor categories: (a) benign (eg, fibrous hamartoma of infancy, nodular fasciitis, proliferative fasciitis, fibroma of the tendon sheath, calcifying aponeurotic fibroma); (b) intermediate, locally aggressive (eg, desmoid fibromatosis); (c) intermediate, rarely metastasizing (eg, dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans, myxoinflammatory fibroblastic sarcoma, low-grade myofibroblastic sarcoma, infantile fibrosarcoma); and (d) malignant (eg, sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcomas; low-grade fibromyxoid sarcoma; myxofibrosarcoma; fibrosarcoma, not otherwise specified). Detection of various components of solid tumors at imaging can help in prediction of the presence of corresponding histopathologic variations, thus influencing diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment planning. For example, lesions with a greater myxoid matrix or necrotic components tend to show higher signal intensity on T2-weighted MR images, whereas lesions with hypercellularity and dense internal collagen content display low signal intensity. In addition, understanding the radiologic-pathologic correlation of soft-tissue tumors can help to increase the accuracy of percutaneous biopsy and allow unnecessary interventions to be avoided. ©RSNA, 2023 Quiz questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

Radiological Findings as Predictors of COVID-19 Lung Sequelae: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the radiological predictors of post-coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pulmonary fibrosis and incomplete absorption of pulmonary lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We systematically searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science for studies reporting the predictive value of radiological findings in patients with post-COVID-19 lung residuals published through November 11, 2022. The pooled odds ratios with a 95% confidence interval (CI) were assessed. The random-effects model was used due to the heterogeneity of the true effect sizes. RESULTS: We included 11 studies. There were 1777 COVID-19-positive patients, and 1014 (57%) were male. All studies used chest computed tomography (CT) as a radiologic tool. Moreover, chest X-ray (CXR) and lung ultrasound were used in two studies, along with a CT scan. CT severity score (CTSS), Radiographic Assessment of Lung Edema score (RALE), interstitial score, lung ultrasound score (LUS), patchy opacities, abnormal CXR, pleural traction, and subpleural abnormalities were found to be predictors of post-COVID-19 sequels. CTSS and consolidations were the most common predictors among included studies. Pooled analysis revealed that pulmonary residuals in patients with initial consolidation are about four times more likely than in patients without this finding (odds ratio: 3.830; 95% CI: 1.811-8.102, I2: 4.640). CONCLUSION: Radiological findings can predict the long-term pulmonary sequelae of COVID-19 patients. CTSS is an important predictor of lung fibrosis and COVID-19 mortality. Lung fibrosis can be diagnosed and tracked using the LUS. Changes in RALE score during hospitalization can be used as an independent predictor of mortality.

Hydatid Disease: A Pictorial Review of Uncommon Locations.

Hydatid disease is a zoonotic infection caused primarily by the tapeworm parasite, Echinococcus granulosus. It is considered an endemic disease in the Mediterranean region.  In about 90% of cases, hydatid cysts are found in the liver and lungs; however, any other organ in the body may be affected, particularly in endemic areas. When encountering cystic lesions in these areas, the physician should always keep hydatid disease as a possible diagnosis in mind. To avoid life-threatening conditions such as anaphylactic shock or pressure effect on vital organs, timely diagnosis, and proper management are critical. When a rare site is involved, hydatid disease should be diagnosed using a combination of serologic assays and imaging modalities such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These imaging modalities can also be used to determine the extent of the disease and assess possible complications. Here, we present a pictorial review of typical imaging manifestations of hydatid cysts in unusual sites. Being aware of these imaging features will assist physicians in making an accurate, timely diagnosis and subsequently, providing optimal management.

Is it necessary to define new diagnostic reference levels during pandemics like the Covid19-?

Introduction: This study intended to assess the dose length product (DLP), effective cumulative radiation dose (E.D.), and additional cancer risk (ACR) due to a chest CT scan to detect or follow up the Covid-19 disease in four university-affiliated hospitals that used different imaging protocols. Indeed, this study aimed to examine the differences in decision-making between different imaging centers in choosing chest CT imaging protocols during the pandemic, and to assess whether a new diagnostic reference level (DRL) is needed in pandemic situations. Methods: This retrospective study assessed the E.D. of all chest imagings for Covid-19 for six months in four different hospitals in our country. Imaging parameters and DLP (mGy.cm) were recorded. The E.D.s and ACRs from chest CT scans were calculated using an online calculator. Results: Thousand-six hundred patients were included in the study. The mean cumulative dose due to chest CT was 3.97 mSv which might cause 2.59 × 10-2 ACR. The mean cumulative E.D. in different hospitals was in the range of 1.96-9.51 mSv. Conclusions: The variety of mean E.D.s shows that different hospitals used different imaging protocols. Since there is no defined DRL in the pandemic, some centers use routine protocols, and others try to reduce the dose but insufficiently.In pandemics such as Covid-19, when CT scan is used for screening or follow-up, DLPs can be significantly lower than in normal situations. Therefore, international regularized organizations such as the international atomic energy agency (IAEA) or the international commission on radiological protection (IRCP) should provide new DRL ranges.

Mucoid impaction of the bronchi (MIB) in a young man with no previous history of hypersensitivity.

Mucoid impaction of the bronchi (MIB) is a specific form of proximal bronchiectasis characterized by obstruction and dilation of bronchi usually presented with thick mucoid plug. MIB mostly occurs as the manifestation of a hypersensitivity state in patients with bronchial asthma or in association with allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) and clinical overlap between MIB and ABPA can occur. MIB with no history of allergic background is not common and is less reported in the literature. In the following report we discuss a 39-year-old man with no previous history of allergy and atopy who initially presented with fever and shortness of breath. Further assessments demonstrated that the patient had a chronic endobronchial lesion and consolidation of the left lower lobe of the lung. A tissue biopsy reveals no malignant cells. Despite antibiotic therapy, the patient's symptoms persisted, and lobectomy was performed due to no clinical improvement. Even though gross pathology suggested endoluminal impaction, the patient didn't meet the ABPA diagnostic criteria.

Primary pulmonary mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma: A case report.

Primary pulmonary lymphoma (PPL) is a rare entity with the most common presentation as mediastinal lymphadenopathy. The most common form of PPL is Mucosa-Associated Lymphoid Tissue Lymphoma (MALToma) which is an extranodal B-cell lymphoma originating from the mucosal layers involving different organs such as the gastrointestinal tract as well as the lung. Herein, we present a case of a 51-year-old woman with progressive dyspnea for 6 months and no prior medical history. The computed tomography (CT scan) revealed bilateral multifocal consolidation and ground-glass opacities as well as interlobular septal thickening. Bronchoscopy was normal and CT-guided biopsy of lung consolidations was conclusive of MALToma. Complete extrapulmonary evaluations inducing bone marrow aspiration were unremarkable. The primary pulmonary MALToma is an extremely rare entity that presents with non-specific symptoms and a wide variety of CT findings such as mediastinal, hilar lymphadenopathy, and single or multiple lung nodules ranging from 2 to 8 cm. the disease has a favorable prognosis, so prompt diagnosis is essential.

Bronchial wall necrosis secondary to mucormycosis following SARS-Cov2 infection: A case report.

Coronavirus 2019 infection (COVID-19) has a broad spectrum of clinical complications, some unrecognized. Herein, a case of a diabetic patient with multiple episodes of hemoptysis 2 months following her recovery from SARS-CoV-2 infection is reported. The initial computed tomography (CT scan) revealed the left lower lobe collapsed secondary to bronchial narrowing and obliteration. Bronchoscopy was performed, indicating necrotic endobronchial tissue, which was confirmed histopathologically as invasive mucormycosis. Bronchial necrosis due to mucormycosis is an unusual presentation of COVID-19-associated pulmonary mucormycosis. The accurate diagnosis could be challenging as it can resemble other pathologies such as malignancies. Therefore, it is crucial to identify this fatal complication in patients with prolonged COVID-19 and lung collapse.

Currarino syndrome as an incidental radiologic finding in a patient with acute flank pain: A case report.

Currarino syndrome is an autosomal dominant hereditary disease defined as a triad of anorectal abnormality, sacral dysgenesis, and a presacral mass, primarily an anterior sacral meningocele. It is often seen in children and considered rare in adults. It is mostly found as an incidental finding. We present a 21-year-old man who presented with acute flank pain. He had a history of Hirschsprung's disease and therefore had undergone surgery in his infancy. He also had a history of prolonged constipation and had an episode of admission due to suspected obstruction. On physical examination, he had a severe costovertebral angle tenderness. urine exam revealed microscopic hematuria. Laboratory tests were otherwise unremarkable. Computed tomography scan revealed renal stones as well as a horseshoe kidney. Incidental findings included a large simple cystic structure in the presacral area suggestive of an anterior meningocele and sacral dysgenesis associated with scimitar sacral appearance. These findings suggested a diagnosis of Currarino syndrome. Urinary complications of this disease are reported in few articles. An important takeaway note for physicians is to have a high level of suspicion when encountering patients with gastrointestinal, neurologic, or urologic signs and symptoms and consider a thorough history taking and physical examination alongside proper imaging evaluation.

Statistical analysis of COVID-19 infection severity in lung lobes from chest CT.

Detection of the COVID 19 virus is possible through the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) kits and computed tomography (CT) images of the lungs. Diagnosis via CT images provides a faster diagnosis than the RT-PCR method does. In addition to low false-negative rate, CT is also used for prognosis in determining the severity of the disease and the proposed treatment method. In this study, we estimated a probability density function (PDF) to examine the infections caused by the virus. We collected 232 chest CT of suspected patients and had them labeled by two radiologists in 6 classes, including a healthy class and 5 classes of different infection severity. To segment the lung lobes, we used a pre-trained U-Net model with an average Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) greater than 0.96. First, we extracted the PDF to grade the infection of each lobe and selected five specific thresholds as feature vectors. We then assigned this feature vector to a support vector machine (SVM) model and made the final prediction of the infection severity. Using the T-Test statistics, we calculated the p-value at different pixel thresholds and reported the significant differences in the pixel values. In most cases, the p-value was less than 0.05. Our developed model was developed on roughly labeled data without any manual segmentation, which estimated lung infection involvements with the area under the curve (AUC) in the range of [0.64, 0.87]. The introduced model can be used to generate a systematic automated report for individual patients infected by COVID-19.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) after SARS- CoV-2 vaccination: A case report.

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an acute demyelinating disorder of the central nervous system that is ordinarily monophasic. ADEM can develop following infection or vaccination. Here, we present a 37 y/o male patient with progressive muscle weakness in all limbs along with dysphagia following COVID-19 vaccination. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed typical imaging findings which presented as multifocal T2-FLAIR signal changes in the corticospinal tract, pons, and temporal lobe with diffusion restriction. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) further confirmed the diagnosis by the typical elevation of the Choline and Myoinositol peaks. Neurologic impairments have been reported as the potential side effects of COVID-19 vaccines. Appropriate imaging modalities together with a thorough clinical examination are essential for making a correct diagnosis.

A Review of Posteromedial Lesions of the Chest Wall: What Should a Chest Radiologist Know?

A heterogeneous group of tumors can affect the posteromedial chest wall. They form diverse groups of benign and malignant (primary or secondary) pathologies that can arise from different chest wall structures, i.e., fat, muscular, vascular, osseous, or neurogenic tissues. Chest radiography is very nonspecific for the characterization of chest wall lesions. The modality of choice for the initial assessment of the chest wall lesions is computed tomography (CT). More advanced cross-sectional modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) with fluorodeoxyglucose are usually used for further characterization, staging, treatment response, and assessment of recurrence. A systematic approach based on age, clinical history, and radiologic findings is required for correct diagnosis. It is essential for radiologists to be familiar with the spectrum of lesions that might affect the posteromedial chest wall and their characteristic imaging features. Although the imaging findings of these tumors can be nonspecific, cross-sectional imaging helps to limit the differential diagnosis and determine the further diagnostic investigation (e.g., image-guided biopsy). Specific imaging findings, e.g., location, mineralization, enhancement pattern, and local invasion, occasionally allow a particular diagnosis. This article reviews the posteromedial chest wall anatomy and different pathologies. We provide a combination of location and imaging features of each pathology. We will also explore the role of imaging and its strengths and limitations for diagnosing posteromedial chest wall lesions.

Can shear wave elastography be utilized as an additional tool for the assessment of non-mass breast lesions?

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to describe shear wave elastography parameters of non-mass lesions of the breast and to assess the measures of diagnostic accuracy of shear wave elastography in the differentiation of non-mass lesions compared with conventional ultrasound, using histopathologic results as the reference standard. METHODS: This retrospective study included breast ultrasound-detected non-mass lesions with a confirmed pathologic diagnosis during a two-year study period. B-mode ultrasound and shear wave elastography were performed for all lesions before biopsy. Ultrasound features, shear wave elastography parameters (mean elasticity and maximum stiffness color), as well as Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System categories were recorded for each lesion. Measures of diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound and ultrasound + shear wave elastography were also assessed. RESULTS: From a total of 567 breast lesions requiring core-needle biopsy, 49 (8.6%) were considered as non-mass lesions. Based on histopathologic reports, 32 patients (65.3%) had non-high-risk benign lesions, five (10.2%) had high-risk benign lesions, five (10.2%) had ductal carcinoma in situ, and seven (14.3%) had invasive carcinoma. There was no significant difference in patients' age and palpability between benign and malignant lesions (p = 0.16 and p = 0.12, respectively). Mean elasticity values and Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System categories were significantly higher among malignant lesions compared with benign non-mass lesions (both p < 0.001). Furthermore, the addition of shear wave elastography to grayscale ultrasound increased the specificity, positive predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy. CONCLUSION: The complementary use of shear wave elastography with conventional ultrasound might help in the differentiation of non-mass breast lesions and has the potential to decrease the frequency of unnecessary biopsies performed for benign non-mass lesions.

Primary Pleuropulmonary Synovial Sarcoma: Report of Two Cases and a Comprehensive Review of the Literature.

Primary sarcomas of the lung represent less than 0.5% of all primary lung tumors and comprise a heterogeneous group of malignancies including synovial sarcoma (SS). Primary pleuropulmonary SS has non-specific presentations, such as chest pain, shortness of breath and cough, and its associated imaging features resemble those of other intrathoracic malignancies. The diagnosis of these tumors needs to be confirmed by cytogenetic and molecular studies. Here, we describe two rare cases of primary pleuropulmonary SS who were admitted to our hospital. We also provide a concise review of clinical, radiological, and histopathological characteristics of pleuropulmonary SS after exploring 168 studies (415 corresponding patients) that were identified through a literature search.

Primary Pleural Hemangioendothelioma: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (EHE) is a rare tumor of the vascular endothelial cells. It can originate from any tissue; however, it occurs most frequently in the liver and lung. Pleural epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (PEH), EHE developing from pleura, is even more infrequent and less reported in the literature. In the following report, we discuss a 40-year-old man who initially presented with right-sided chest pain. Computed tomography revealed pleural thickening and effusion in his right thoracic cavity. PEH diagnosis was confirmed with immunohistochemistry. In order to provide the readers with an inclusive understanding of the disease, we collected the PEH cases reported in the literature. Despite the scarcity of the reported PEH cases (to our best knowledge), the compiled literature review of the disease enables the readers to grasp a better comprehension of the disease.

Organizing pneumonia-like pattern in COVID-19.

INTRODUCTION: Organizing pneumonia (OP) is a radio-histologic pattern that forms in response to lung damage in patients with focal or diffuse lung injury. OP is frequently observed subsequent to viral-induced lung damage and is associated with a diverse range of clinical outcomes. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 210 patients (mean age: 55.8 ± 16.5 years old; 61% male) with mild Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) who underwent chest computed tomography (CT) from 25 February to 22 April, 2020. The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence (n = 103) or absence of typical OP-like pattern (n =107) on initial chest CT. The extent of lung involvement and final outcome was compared across the two groups. Serial changes in imaging were also evaluated in 36 patients in the OP-group with a second CT scan. RESULTS: Duration from symptom onset to presentation was significantly higher in the OP group (7.07 ± 3.71 versus 6.13 ± 4.96 days, p = 0.008). A higher COVID-19-related mortality rate was observed among patients with OP-like pattern (17.5% vs 3.7%, p = 0.001).There was no significant difference in the overall involvement of the lungs (p = 0.358), but lower lobes were significantly more affected in the OP group (p < 0.001). Of the 36 patients with follow-up imaging (mean duration of follow-up = 8.3 ± 2.1 days), progression of infiltration was seen in more than 61% of patients while lesions had resolved in only 22.2% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Our observation indicates that physicians should carefully monitor for the presence of OP-like pattern on initial CT as it is associated with a poor outcome. Furthermore, we recommend interval CT to evaluate the progression of infiltrations in these patients.

A Systematic Review of Imaging Studies in Olfactory Dysfunction Secondary to COVID-19.

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: Hyposmia/anosmia is common among patients with coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19). Various imaging modalities have been used to assess olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19. In this systematic review, we sought to categorize and summarize the imaging data in COVID-19-induced anosmia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eligible articles were included after a comprehensive review using online databases including Google scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Web of science and Elsevier. Duplicate results, conference abstracts, reviews, and studies in languages other than English were excluded. RESULTS: In total, 305 patients undergoing MRI/functional MRI (177), CT of paranasal sinuses (129), and PET/CT or PET/MRI scans (14) were included. Out of a total of 218 findings reported on MRI, 80 were reported on early (≤ 1 month) and 85 on late (>1 month) imaging in relation to the onset of anosmia. Overall, OB morphology and T2-weighted or FLAIR signal intensity were normal in 68/218 (31.2%), while partial or complete opacification of OC was observed in 60/218 (27.5%). T2 hyperintensity in OB was detected in 11/80 (13.75%) and 18/85 (21.17%) on early and late imaging, respectively. Moreover, OB atrophy was reported in 1/80 (1.25%) on early and in 9/85 (10.58%) on late imaging. Last, among a total of 129 CT scans included, paranasal sinuses were evalualted in 88 (68.21%), which were reported as normal in most cases (77/88, [87.5%]). CONCLUSION: In this systematic review, normal morphology and T2/FLAIR signal intensity in OB and OC obstruction were the most common findings in COVID-19-induced anosmia, while paranasal sinuses were normal in most cases. OC obstruction is the likely mechanism for olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19. Abnormalities in OB signal intensity and OB atrophy suggest that central mechanisms may also play a role in late stage in COVID-19-induced anosmia.

Correction: ai-corona: Radiologist-assistant deep learning framework for COVID-19 diagnosis in chest CT scans.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250952.].

Combined Therapy of Ciclosporin Plus Favipiravir in the Management of Patients with Severe COVID-19, not Responding to Dexamethasone: A non-Controlled Prospective Trial.

BACKGROUND: Regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, potential therapeutic agents are being evaluated almost every day. Ciclosporin, a calcineurin inhibitor, is characterized by beneficial antiviral and immunomodulatory effects. The present study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of ciclosporin in managing COVID-19. METHODS: This study was a prospective non-controlled clinical trial carried out on 20 patients. Confirmed COVID-19 patients received two doses of ciclosporin (10 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg injections) 24 h apart. Mortality rate and the lengths of intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital stays were assessed for all 20 patients. RESULTS: The mortality rate and the need for mechanical ventilation were calculated as 50%. The percentage of ICU admission was 70%. The lengths of ICU and hospital stays were 8.13 ± 6.81 and 14.25 ± 8.55 days, respectively. The levels of ferritin and white blood cells were significantly higher after injecting the second dose of ciclosporin. Seven patients (35%) had radiologically improved lungs after ciclosporin therapy. CONCLUSION: It seems that the protocol of two doses of ciclosporin in combination with favipiravir does not have favorable effects among COVID-19 patients that do not respond to dexamethasone. Controlled trials are needed to confirm the results.