The Role of Pre-Operative MRI for Prediction of High-Grade Intracranial Meningioma: A Retrospective Study.

OBJECTIVE: High histological grade (WHO grade 2 and 3) intracranial meningiomas have been linked to a greater risk for tumor recurrence and worse clinical outcomes compared to low-grade (WHO grade 1) tumors. Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays a crucial role in tumor evaluation and allows a better understanding of tumor grading, which could potentially alter clinical outcomes. The present study sought to determine whether preoperative MRI features of intracranial meningiomas can serve as predictors of high-grade tumors. METHODS: This retrospective study reviewed 327 consecutive confirmed cases of intracranial meningiomas, among whom 210 (64.2%) had available preoperative MRI studies. Thereafter, imaging features such as intratumoral signal heterogeneity, venous sinus invasion, necrosis or hemorrhage, mass effect, cystic component, bone invasion, hyperostosis, spiculation, heterogeneous tumor enhancement, capsular enhancement, restricted diffusion, brain edema, and unclear tumor-brain interface were obtained and data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: 249 (76.1%) patients had low-grade (grade I), and 78 (23.9%) had high-grade (grades 2 and 3) intracranial meningioma. The majority of cases were females (274 cases, 83.3%) and most patients were below 60 years of age (mean age, 52.50 ± 11.51 years). The multivariate analysis with Multiple Logistic regression analysis using factors determined to be significant during univariate analysis via a backward stepwise selection method with statistical significance set at 0.05 identified three MRI features including necrosis or hemorrhage (adjusted OR = 2.94, 95% CI: 1.15-7.48, p = 0.024), hyperostosis (adjusted OR = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.12-0.79, p = 0.014), and brain edema (adjusted OR = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.13-4.81, p = 0.022) as significant independent predictors of high-grade meningioma after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggested that certain preoperative MRI features of intracranial meningiomas including necrosis or hemorrhage and brain edema could potentially predict high-grade tumors while hyperostosis is a predictor for low-grade tumors.

Evaluating the Need for Preoperative MRI Before Primary Hip Arthroscopy in Patients 40 Years and Younger With Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome: A Multicenter Comparative Analysis.

Background: Routine hip magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) before arthroscopy for patients with femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) offers questionable clinical benefit, delays surgery, and wastes resources. Purpose: To assess the clinical utility of preoperative hip MRI for patients aged ≤40 years who were undergoing primary hip arthroscopy and who had a history, physical examination findings, and radiographs concordant with FAIS. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Included were 1391 patients (mean age, 25.8 years; 63% female; mean body mass index, 25.6) who underwent hip arthroscopy between August 2015 and December 2021 by 1 of 4 fellowship-trained hip surgeons from 4 referral centers. Inclusion criteria were FAIS, primary surgery, and age ≤40 years. Exclusion criteria were MRI contraindication, reattempt of nonoperative management, and concomitant periacetabular osteotomy. Patients were stratified into those who were evaluated with preoperative MRI versus those without MRI. Those without MRI received an MRI before surgery without deviation from the established surgical plan. All preoperative MRI scans were compared with the office evaluation and intraoperative findings to assess agreement. Time from office to arthroscopy and/or MRI was recorded. MRI costs were calculated. Results: Of the study patients, 322 were not evaluated with MRI and 1069 were. MRI did not alter surgical or interoperative plans. Both groups had MRI findings demonstrating anterosuperior labral tears treated intraoperatively (99.8% repair, 0.2% debridement, and 0% reconstruction). Compared with patients who were evaluated with MRI and waited 63.0 ± 34.6 days, patients who were not evaluated with MRI underwent surgery 6.5 ± 18.7 days after preoperative MRI. MRI delayed surgery by 24.0 ± 5.3 days and cost a mean $2262 per patient. Conclusion: Preoperative MRI did not alter indications for primary hip arthroscopy in patients aged ≤40 years with a history, physical examination findings, and radiographs concordant with FAIS. Rather, MRI delayed surgery and wasted resources. Routine hip MRI acquisition for the younger population with primary FAIS with a typical presentation should be challenged.

Preoperative Breast MRI: Current Evidence and Patient Selection.

Breast MRI is the most sensitive imaging modality for the assessment of newly diagnosed breast cancer extent and can detect additional mammographically and clinically occult breast cancers in the ipsilateral and contralateral breasts. Nonetheless, appropriate use of breast MRI in the setting of newly diagnosed breast cancer remains debated. Though highly sensitive, MRI is less specific and may result in false positives and overestimation of disease when MRI findings are not biopsied prior to surgical excision. Furthermore, improved anatomic depiction of breast cancer on MRI has not consistently translated to improved clinical outcomes, such as lower rates of re-excision or breast cancer recurrence, though there is a paucity of well-designed studies examining these issues. In addition, current treatment paradigms have been developed in the absence of this more accurate depiction of disease span, which likely has limited the value of MRI. These issues have led to inconsistent and variable utilization of preoperative MRI across practice settings and providers. In this review, we discuss the history of breast MRI and its current use and recommendations with a focus on the preoperative setting. We review the evidence surrounding the use of preoperative MRI in the evaluation of breast malignancies and discuss the data on breast MRI in the setting of specific patient factors often used to determine breast MRI eligibility, such as age, index tumor phenotype, and breast density. Finally, we review the impact of breast MRI on surgical outcomes (re-excision and mastectomy rates) and long-term breast recurrence and survival outcomes.

Benefits of Combined MRI Sequences in Meningioma Consistency Prediction: A Prospective Study of 287 Consecutive Patients.

Objective Consistency of meningiomas is one of the most important factors affecting the completeness of removal and major risks of meningioma surgery. This study used preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences in single and in combination to predict meningioma consistency. Methods The prospective study included 287 intracranial meningiomas operated on by five attending neurosurgeons at Chiang Mai University Hospital from July 2012 through June 2020. The intraoperative consistency was categorized in four grades according to the method of surgical removal and intensity of ultrasonic aspirator, then correlated with preoperative tumor signal intensity pattern on MRI including T1-weighted image, T2-weighted image (T2WI), fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), and diffusion-weighted image (DWI), which were described as hypointensity, isointensity, and hyperintensity signals which were blindly interpreted by one neuroradiologist. Results Among 287 patients, 29 were male and 258 female. The ages ranged from 22 to 83 years. A total of 189 tumors were situated in the supratentorial space and 98 were in the middle fossa and infratentorial locations. Note that 125 tumors were found to be of soft consistency (grades 1, 2) and 162 tumors of hard consistency (grades 3, 4). Hyperintensity signals on T2WI, FLAIR, and DWI were significantly associated with soft consistency of meningiomas (relative risk [RR] 2.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35-3.03, p = 0.001, RR 2.19, 95% CI 1.43-3.35, p < 0.001, and RR 1.47, 95% CI 1.02-2.11, p = 0.037, respectively). Further, chance to be soft consistency significantly increased when two and three hyperintensity signals were combined (RR 2.75, 95% CI 1.62-4.65, p ≤ 0.001, RR 2.79, 95% CI 1.58-4.93, p < 0.001, respectively). Hypointensity signals on T2WI, FLAIR, and DWI were significantly associated with hard consistency of meningiomas (RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.18-2.81, p = 0.007, RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.15-2.83, p = 0.010, RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.07-2.59, p = 0.023, respectively) and chance to be hard consistency significantly increased when three hypointensity signals were combined (RR 1.82, 95% CI 1.11-2.97, p = 0.017). Conclusion T2WI, FLAIR, and DWI hyperintensity signals of the meningiomas was solely significantly associated with soft consistency and predictive value significantly increased when two and three hyperintensity signals were combined. Each of hypointensity signals on T2WI, FLAIR, and DWI was significantly associated with hard consistency of tumors and tendency to be hard consistency significantly increased when hypointensity was found in all three sequences.

Cartilage assessment using preoperative planning MRI for femoral component rotational alignment.

BACKGROUND: Surgical planning of posterior referencing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using computed tomography (CT) might lead to over-rotation of the femoral component because CT could not detect cartilage thickness of the posterior femoral condyle. The purpose of this study was to examine the rotational alignment difference of the femoral component between magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and CT. METHODS: For elderly varus osteoarthritic patients, 66 varus osteoarthritic knee patients that underwent primary TKA were selected. Twenty-seven young patients who underwent primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction were selected as control. After the transepicondylar axis (CEA), the surgical epicondylar axis (SEA) and the posterior femoral condylar line (PCL) were drawn on CT and on MRI at the same angles as CT. Then, the practical PCL was drawn on MRI considering the cartilage thickness (the cartilage PCL). The angle between the SEA and the cartilage PCL (the cartilage posterior condylar angle (PCA)) was measured as preoperative planning. To investigate the accuracy of preoperative MRI measurement, the cartilage thickness on posterior femoral condyles was directly measured during TKA. RESULTS: The cartilage PCA for varus osteoarthritic patients averaged 1.3 ± 1.3°. The cartilage PCA was 1.8 ± 1.0° significantly smaller than the bone PCA (the PCA measured on CT). Meanwhile, the cartilage PCA was 0.2 ± 0.4° significantly larger than the bone PCA in young people. The preoperative angle measurement on MRI strongly correlated with the direct measurement of cartilage thickness during TKA. CONCLUSION: There was 1.8° of divergence between MRI and CT in varus osteoarthritic patients due to cartilage degeneration of the medial femoral condyle. Cartilage assessment using MRI was useful for femoral component rotational alignment.

Escalating de-escalation in breast cancer treatment.

Efforts have continually been made to de-escalate treatment for breast cancer, with the goal of balancing oncologic outcomes with complications and patient quality of life. In the early 2000s, two landmark studies firmly established that conservative treatment approaches for breast cancer can be safe and effective. More recently, neoadjuvant chemotherapy has gained momentum as a potential standard of care for breast cancer. An important question has thus arisen: Can neoadjuvant approaches themselves be de-escalated to further minimize adverse treatment effects while maintaining oncological outcomes? In this editorial, we look at the available evidence and assess current trends in treatment de-escalation for women with breast cancer.

Preoperative MRI in breast cancer: effect of breast density on biopsy rate and yield.

PURPOSE: Preoperative breast MRI is used to evaluate for additional cancer and extent of disease for newly diagnosed breast cancer, yet benefits and harms of preoperative MRI are not well-documented. We examined whether preoperative MRI yields additional biopsy and cancer detection by extent of breast density. METHODS: We followed women in the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium with an incident breast cancer diagnosed from 2005 to 2017. We quantified breast biopsies and cancers detected within 6 months of diagnosis by preoperative breast MRI receipt, overall and by breast density, accounting for MRI selection bias using inverse probability weighted logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 19,324 women with newly diagnosed breast cancer, 28% had preoperative MRI, 11% additional biopsy, and 5% additional cancer detected. Four times as many women with preoperative MRI underwent additional biopsy compared to women without MRI (22.6% v. 5.1%). Additional biopsy rates with preoperative MRI increased with increasing breast density (27.4% for extremely dense compared to 16.2% for almost entirely fatty breasts). Rates of additional cancer detection were almost four times higher for women with v. without MRI (9.9% v. 2.6%). Conditional on additional biopsy, age-adjusted rates of additional cancer detection were lowest among women with extremely dense breasts, regardless of imaging modality (with MRI: 35.0%; 95% CI 27.0-43.0%; without MRI: 45.1%; 95% CI 32.6-57.5%). CONCLUSION: For women with dense breasts, preoperative MRI was associated with much higher biopsy rates, without concomitant higher cancer detection. Preoperative MRI may be considered for some women, but selecting women based on breast density is not supported by evidence. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02980848; registered 2017.

Spinal pain relief procedures with the assistance of the MRI-updated statistical shape model.

BACKGROUND: Updating the statistical shape model (SSM) used in image guidance systems for the treatment of back pain using pre-op computed tomography (CT) and intra-op ultrasound (US) is challenging due to the scarce availability of pre-op images and the low resolution of the two imaging modalities. METHODS: A new approach is proposed here to update SSMs based on the sparse representation of the preoperative MRI images of patients as well as CT images, followed by displaying the injection needle and 3D tracking view of the patients' spine. RESULTS: The statistical analysis shows that updating the SSM using the patients' available MRI images (in more than 95% of the cases) instead of CT images (in less than 5%) will help maintain the required accuracy of needle injection based on the evaluation of injection in different parts of the phantom. CONCLUSION: The results show that using the proposed model helps reduce the dosage and processing time significantly while maintaining the precision required for the pain procedures.

Tendon stump type on magnetic resonance imaging is a predictive factor for retear after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: Fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff musculature increases in larger tears and is a factor in retearing. However, tearing may recur even in patients with small original tears and little fatty infiltration of the rotator cuff musculature. We devised a system to classify the rotator cuff tendon stump by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) signal intensity and investigated prognosis-related factors associated with retear based on other MRI findings. METHODS: We analyzed and compared the signal intensity of the rotator cuff tendon stump and deltoid on preoperative T2-weighted fat-suppressed MRI in 305 patients who underwent primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. We also investigated the tear size, Goutallier stage, and global fatty degeneration index. RESULTS: In a type 1 stump, the tendon stump had a lower (darker) signal intensity than the deltoid. In type 2, the signal intensities of the tendon stump and deltoid were equivalent. In type 3, the signal intensity of the tendon stump was higher (whiter) than that of the deltoid. Multiple regression analysis of the association between retear and other parameters identified stump type (odds ratio [OR], 4.28), global fatty degeneration index (OR, 2.99), and anteroposterior tear size (OR, 1.06) as significant factors. The retear rates were 3.4% for type 1 stumps, 4.9% for type 2, and 17.7% for type 3. CONCLUSIONS: Type 3 stumps had a significantly higher retear rate, suggesting that stump signal intensity may be an important indicator for assessing the stump's condition. Our stump classification may be useful in choosing suture techniques and postoperative therapies.

Preoperative breast MRI features associated with positive or close margins in breast-conserving surgery.

PURPOSE: To determine preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features associated with positive or close margins in patients with breast cancer who underwent breast-conserving surgery (BCS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review identified 249 patients with invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) who underwent preoperative MRI and BCS as a primary procedure between 2008 and 2010. The MR images were reviewed for descriptions of findings with no new interpretations made. Margins were defined as positive (tumor touching the inked specimen margin), close (<2 mm tumor-free margin), or negative (≥2 mm tumor-free margin). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate imaging and clinical factors predictive of positive or close margins. RESULTS: Of the 249 patients, 83 (33.3%) had positive or close margins and 166 (66.7%) had negative margins on the initial BCS specimen. Multivariate analysis showed that multifocal disease (odds ratio, 4.8; 95% CI, 1.9-12.2; p =  0.001), nonmass enhancement lesion (odds ratio, 3.0; 95% CI, 1.5-6.2, p =  0.003), greater background parenchymal enhancement (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-5.6; p =  0.023), larger lesion size (odds ratio, 1.3; 95% CI, 1.0-1.7, p =  0.032), and presence of ductal carcinoma in situ on needle biopsy (odds ratio, 2.4; 95% CI, 1.3-4.6; p = 0.008) were independent predictors of positive or close margins. CONCLUSIONS: Multifocal disease, nonmass enhancement lesion, or greater background parenchymal enhancement on preoperative breast MRI were significantly associated with positive or close margins. Identifying these MRI features before surgery can be helpful to reduce the reoperation rate in BCS.

Retrospective analysis of accuracy and positive predictive value of preoperative lumbar MRI grading after successful outcome following outpatient endoscopic decompression for lumbar foraminal and lateral recess stenosis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to analyze the accuracy and positive predictive value (PPV) of preoperative lumbar MRI grading for successful outcome after outpatient endoscopic decompression for lumbar foraminal and lateral recess stenosis. Lumbar MRI is commonly employed in preoperative decision making to identify symptomatic pain generators amenable to surgical decompression. However, its accuracy and positive predictive value for successful postoperative pain relief after endoscopic transforaminal decompression for sciatica-type back and leg pain has not been reported. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective study of 1839 consecutive patients with a mean follow-up of 33 months that underwent lumbar endoscopic transforaminal decompression at 2076 lumbar levels was conducted. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value of preoperative MRI grading correctly identifying the symptomatic surgical level were calculated based on the recorded intraoperatively visualized pathology and clinical outcomes assessed by both Macnab criteria and VAS score reduction. RESULTS: Of the 1839 patients evaluated, 1750 had intraoperatively visualized stenosis in the lateral recess at the surgical level whereas 89 patients did not. Analysis of radiologist grading of exiting nerve root compression in the lumbar MRI reports in patients with visualized compressive pathology: true positive (1196), false negative (554); as compared with patients without visualized compressive pathology showed: false positive (30), and true negative (59); and allowed for calculation of sensitivity (68.34%), specificity (68.29%), accuracy (68.24%) and the positive predictive value (97.38%) in relation to successful clinical outcome of the subsequent endoscopic decompression surgery. Sensitivity (87.2%), specificity (73.03%), and accuracy (86.51%) improved when the treating surgeon graded same MRI scan for traversing nerve root compression. Taking different spinal stenosis classification systems by the radiologist and surgeon into consideration, Kappa statistic assessment of agreement between radiology and surgeon reporting of stenosis showed different degrees of concordance for extruded herniated disc (κ = 0.42; 331 patients), contained disc herniation (κ = -0.01; 648 patients), and stenosis (κ = 0.25; 860 patients). Disagreement (κ = 0.216; 440 patients) predominantly existed in grading the relevance of foraminal stenosis in the entry- (κ = 0.18; 278/440 patients), mid- (κ = -0.036; 121/440 patients), and less so in the exit zone (κ = -0.036; 41/440 patients) associated with contained (κ = -0.10; 178/440 patients), extruded disc herniations (κ = 0.4; 62/440 patients), and stenosis (κ = 0.25; 200/440 patients). CONCLUSION: The grading of a preoperative MRI scan for lumbar foraminal and lateral recess stenosis may significantly differ between radiologist and surgeon. The endoscopic spine surgeon should read and grade the lumbar MRI scan independently to aid in appropriate patient selection for successful transforaminal endoscopic decompression surgery. More contemporary MRI reporting criteria are needed to describe the surgical anatomy in the neuroforamen and lateral recess relevant during the minimally invasive endoscopic transforaminal decompression.

Co-registration of cone beam CT and preoperative MRI for improved accuracy of electrode localization following cochlear implantation.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the clinical usefulness and practicality of co-registration of Cone Beam CT (CBCT) with preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for intracochlear localization of electrodes after cochlear implantation. METHODS: Images of 20 adult patients who underwent CBCT after implantation were co-registered with preoperative MRI scans. Time taken for co-registration was recorded. The images were analysed by clinicians of varying levels of expertise to determine electrode position and ease of interpretation. RESULTS: After a short learning curve, the average co-registration time was 10.78 minutes (StdDev 2.37). All clinicians found the co-registered images easier to interpret than CBCT alone. The mean concordance of CBCT vs. co-registered image analysis between consultant otologists was 60% (17-100%) and 86% (60-100%), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity for CBCT to identify Scala Vestibuli insertion or translocation was 100 and 75%, respectively. The negative predictive value was 100%. DISCUSSION: CBCT should be performed following adult cochlear implantation for audit and quality control of surgical technique. If SV insertion or translocation is suspected, co-registration with preoperative MRI should be performed to enable easier analysis. There will be a learning curve for this process in terms of both the co-registration and the interpretation of images by clinicians.

Does the use of pretreatment MRI change the management of patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer?

Breast MRI plays a critical role in the diagnosis and management of breast cancer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of preoperative breast MRI on the management of a large cohort of breast cancer patients at our institution. This study is a retrospective chart review of all newly diagnosed breast cancer patients who underwent preoperative breast MRI at our institution between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2009. 1352 patients comprised the study population. 241 (17.8%) patients underwent a change in surgical management as a result of preoperative MRI. Patients with tumors in the lower inner quadrant and the central breast and those with pathology of invasive lobular carcinoma were significantly more likely to have their management changed by preoperative MRI. There was also a significant trend for larger tumors to be associated with a change in surgical management. No statistically significant association was found between breast density and change in management. This study supports the recommendation for the use of preoperative breast MRI in the majority of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients, especially those with larger tumors, pathology of invasive lobular carcinoma, and tumors in the lower inner quadrant. Preoperative breast MRI is a useful tool for the evaluation of additional disease that led to a change in the surgical management of 17.8% of patients.

Repeated surgeries in invasive lobular breast cancer with preoperative MRI: Role of additional carcinoma in situ and background parenchymal enhancement.

OBJECTIVES: Analysing the influence of additional carcinoma in situ (CIS) and background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) in preoperative MRI on repeated surgeries in patients with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) of the breast. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 106 patients (mean age 58.6±9.9years) with 108 ILC. Preoperative tumour size as assessed by MRI, mammography and sonography was recorded and compared to histopathology. In contrast-enhanced MRI, the degree of BPE was categorised by two readers. The influence of additionally detected CIS and BPE on the rate of repeated surgeries was analysed. RESULTS: Additional CIS was present in 45.4% of the cases (49/108). The degree of BPE was minimal or mild in 80% of the cases and moderate or marked in 20% of the cases. In 17 cases (15.7%) at least one repeated surgery was performed. In n=15 of these cases, repeated surgery was performed after BCT (n=9 re-excisions, n=6 conversions to mastectomy), in n=2 cases after initial mastectomy. The initial surgical procedure (p=0.008) and additional CIS (p=0.046) significantly influenced the rate of repeated surgeries, while tumour size, patient age and BPE did not (p=ns). CONCLUSIONS: Additional CIS was associated with a higher rate of repeated surgeries, whereas BPE had no influence.

Preoperative Breast MRI: Surgeons' Patient Selection Patterns and Potential Bias in Outcomes Analyses.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to determine which patient- and tumor-related and clinical variables influence dedicated breast surgeons' and general surgeons' referrals for preoperative breast MRI for patients with newly diagnosed breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surgeons who perform breast surgery responded to a survey from June 16, 2014, through August 11, 2014. Participants self-identified as breast or general surgeons and provided professional practice details. They used Likert scores (range, 1-7 with increasing likelihood to order MRI) to weigh numerous patient- and tumor-related and clinical variables. Mean likelihood scores were calculated and compared using a linear mixed model. A p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-nine surveys from 154 (53%) breast surgeons and 135 (47%) general surgeons showed an overall likelihood to refer for patients with a BRCA mutation (mean Likert score, 6.17), familial (mean Likert score, 5.33) or personal (mean Likert score, 5.10) breast cancer history, extremely dense breasts (mean Likert score, 5.30), age younger than 40 years (mean Likert score, 5.24), axillary nodal involvement (mean Likert score, 6.22), tumor that is mammographically occult (mean Likert score, 5.62) or fixed to the pectoralis (mean Likert score, 5.49), tumor that is a candidate for neoadjuvant treatment (mean Likert score, 5.38), multifocal or multicentric disease (mean Likert score, 5.22), invasive lobular carcinoma (mean Likert score, 5.20), T3 (mean Likert score, 4.48) or T2 (mean Likert score, 4.41) tumor, triple-negative breast cancer (mean Likert score, 4.66), a patient who is a candidate for mastectomy requesting breast conservation therapy (mean Likert score, 5.27), and radiologists' recommendations (mean Likert score, 5.19). Across all patient ages, breast surgeons referred more often than did general surgeons (mean Likert score, 4.32 vs 3.92; p = 0.03), especially for patients with BRCA mutation (mean Likert score, 6.39 vs 5.93; p = 0.01) and tumors smaller than 1 cm (mean Likert score, 3.84 vs 3.40; p = 0.002). Breast surgeons referred less often than did general surgeons for multifocal or multicentric disease (mean Likert score, 5.02 vs 5.44; p = 0.001). Breast surgeons and general surgeons similarly weighed other variables. CONCLUSION: Preoperative breast MRI referral trended with certain higher risk patient- and tumor-related and clinical variables and were nonuniform between the breast surgeons and general surgeon cohorts. Selection bias could affect outcomes analyses for preoperative breast MRI.

Locoregional treatment of breast cancer in women with and without preoperative magnetic resonance imaging.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) use has increased among older women diagnosed with breast cancer. MRI detects additional malignancy, but its impact on locoregional surgery and radiation treatment remains unclear. METHODS: We examined the associations of preoperative MRI with initial locoregional treatment type (mastectomy, breast conserving surgery [BCS] with radiation therapy [RT], and BCS without RT) and BCS reoperation rates for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Medicare women diagnosed with stages 0 to III breast cancer from 2005 to 2009 (n = 55,997). RESULTS: We found no association of initial locoregional treatment of mastectomy (odds ratios [OR], 1.04; 95% confidence intervals, .98 to 1.11) or reoperation after initial BCS (OR, .96; 95% confidence intervals, .89 to 1.03) between women with preoperative MRI (16.2%) compared to women without MRI. However, women with MRI who had initial BCS were more likely to undergo RT (OR, 1.09 [1.02 to 1.16]). CONCLUSIONS: Preoperative breast MRI in Medicare-enrolled women with stages 0 to III breast cancer was not associated with increased mastectomy. However, in older women with MRI undergoing BCS, there was a greater use of RT.

The Role of Preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the Assessment and Surgical Treatment of Interval and Screen-Detected Breast Cancer in Older Women.

We describe the relationship between preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the utilization of additional imaging, biopsy, and primary surgical treatment for subgroups of women with interval versus screen-detected breast cancer. We determined the proportion of women receiving additional breast imaging or biopsy and type of primary surgical treatment, stratified by use of preoperative MRI, separately for both groups. Using Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) data, we identified a cohort of women age 66 and older with an interval or screen-detected breast cancer diagnosis between 2005 and 2010. Using logistic regression, we explored associations between primary surgical treatment type and preoperative MRI use for interval and screen-detected cancers. There were 204 women with an interval cancer and 1,254 with a screen-detected cancer. The interval cancer group was more likely to receive preoperative MRI (21% versus 13%). In both groups, women receiving MRI were more likely to receive additional imaging and/or biopsy. Receipt of MRI was not associated with increased odds of mastectomy (OR = 0.99, 95% CI: 0.67-1.50), while interval cancer diagnosis was associated with significantly higher odds of mastectomy (OR = 1.64, 95% CI: 1.11-2.42). Older women with interval cancer were more likely than women with a screen-detected cancer to have preoperative MRI, however, those with an interval cancer had 64% higher odds of mastectomy regardless of receipt of MRI. Given women with interval cancer are reported to have a worse prognosis, more research is needed to understand effectiveness of imaging modalities and treatment consequences within this group.

Characteristic of optic canal invasion in 31 consecutive cases with tuberculum sellae meningioma.

Optic canal invasion by tuberculum sellae meningiomas (TSMs) has been reported, but the characteristics of invasion remain unclear. This study was performed to clarify the incidence and characteristics of optic canal invasion by TSM and to determine whether optic canal invasion could be predicted preoperatively by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Between February 2002 and August 2014, 31 patients with TSM underwent tumor resection in our institute. In all cases, the optic canal was explored to identify any tumor invasion. We classified the characteristics of optic canal invasion from intraoperative findings. Invasion was classified into four types: type 1: no invasion; type 2: secondary invasion; type 3: partial wall invasion (two subtypes); and type 4: invasion into the supero-medial-inferior walls of the optic canal. Thirty of 31 cases showed optic canal invasion. Of these 30 cases, 9 (30 %) showed bilateral optic canal invasion. The most common finding was type 1 (23 sides). Among cases with optic canal invasion (39 sides), type 4 was the most common pattern (17 sides), followed by type 3-infero-medial (13 sides), type 2 (5 sides), and type 3-supero-medial (4 sides). Blinded prediction of tumor invasion was accurate in 61 % of cases, but characteristics of tumor invasion were undeterminable from preoperative MRI. In conclusion, optic canal invasion was frequently seen in our consecutive series of TSM, characteristics of which were unpredictable preoperatively. Neurosurgeons should be aware of the high incidence and variety of optic canal invasion in planning strategies for TSM treatment.

Background parenchymal enhancement in preoperative breast MRI.

We aimed to assess the influence of background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on surgical planning performed using preoperative MRI for breast cancer evaluation. Between January 2009 and December 2010, 91 newly diagnosed breast cancer patients (mean age, 55.5 years; range, 30-88 years) who underwent preoperative bilateral breast MRI followed by planned breast conservation therapy were retrospectively enrolled. MRI was performed to assess the tumor extent in addition to mammography and breast ultrasonography. BPE in the contralateral normal breast MRI at the early dynamic phase was visually classified as follows: minimal (n=49), mild (n=27), moderate (n=7), and marked (n=8). The correlations between the BPE grade and age, menopausal status, index tumor size, changes in surgical management based on MRI results, positive predictive value (PPV) of MRI, and surgical margins were assessed. Patients in the strong BPE groups were significantly younger (p=0.002) and generally premenopausal (p<0.001). Surgical treatment was not changed in 67 cases (73.6%), while extended excision and mastectomy were performed in 12 cases (13.2%), each based on additional lesions on MRI. Six of 79 (7.6%) patients who underwent breast conservation therapy had tumor-positive resection margins. In cases where surgical management was changed, the PPV for MRI-detected foci was high in the minimal (91.7%) and mild groups (66.7%), and 0% in the moderate and marked groups (p=0.002). Strong BPE causes false-positive MRI findings and may lead to overly extensive surgery, whereas MRI may be beneficial in select patients with weak BPE.

Preoperative prediction of cosmetic results in breast conserving surgery.

BACKGROUND: Preoperative objective predictions of cosmetic result after breast conserving surgery (BCS) has the potential to aid in surgical treatment decision making. Our aim was to investigate the predictive value of tumor volume in relation to breast volume (TV/BV ratio) for cosmetic result. METHODS: Sixty-nine invasive breast cancer women with preoperative MRI and treated by BCS and radiotherapy in 2007-2012 were prospectively included. Simple excision or basic oncoplastic techniques were used, but no volume displacement. TV/BV ratio was measured in the MRI while 3D-projected in virtual reality environment (I-Space). Cosmetic result was assessed by patient questionnaire, panel evaluation, and breast retraction assessment (BRA). Quality-of-life was assessed by EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR23. RESULTS: Intraobserver and interobserver correlation coefficients for tumor and breast volume were all >0.95. Increasing TV/BV ratio correlated with decreasing cosmetic result as determined by patient, panel, and BRA. TV/BV ratio was a significant independent predictor for the panel evaluation (P=0.028), as was tumor location (P<0.05), and together they constituted a good prediction model (AUC 0.83). CONCLUSIONS: TV/BV ratio was a precise and independent predictor for cosmetic result determined by a panel and can be used as preoperative prediction tool to enable more informed surgical treatment decision making.