Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System criteria for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in clinical practice: A pictorial minireview.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer. The main risk factors associated with HCC development include hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, alcohol consumption, aflatoxin B1, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. However, hepatocarcinogenesis is a complex multistep process. Various factors lead to hepatocyte malignant transformation and HCC development. Diagnosis and surveillance of HCC can be made with the use of liver ultrasound (US) every 6 mo. However, the sensitivity of this imaging method to detect HCC in a cirrhotic liver is limited, due to the abnormal liver parenchyma. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are considered to be most useful tools for at-risk patients or patients with inadequate US. Liver biopsy is still used for diagnosis and prognosis of HCC in specific nodules that cannot be definitely characterized as HCC by imaging. Recently the American College of Radiology designed the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS), which is a comprehensive system for standardized interpretation of CT and MRI liver examinations that was first proposed in 2011. In 2018, it was integrated into the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases guidance statement for HCC. LI-RADS is designed to ensure high sensitivity, precise categorization, and high positive predictive value for the diagnosis of HCC and is applied to "high-risk populations" according to specific criteria. Most importantly LI-RADS criteria achieved international collaboration and consensus among liver experts around the world on the best practices for caring for patients with or at risk for HCC.

Total Pancreatectomy with Splenectomy for Multifocal Intraductal Tubulopapillary Neoplasm (ITPN) of the Pancreas Associated with Invasive Component: Report of a Rare Case.

BACKGROUND Pancreatic intraductal tubulopapillary neoplasm (ITPN) was first described by Yamaguchi in 2009 and was recognized by World Health Organization as a distinct entity in 2010. Since then few case reports and case series have been published. Little is known about its clinicopathologic features and treatment outcomes. We present the seventh case of total pancreatectomy for ITPN reported in the English literature. CASE REPORT Our patient was an 82-year-old male with a previous history of acute evolving-to-chronic pancreatitis. After 2 years of medical consultation, an abdominal magnetic resonance imaging was suspicious for multifocal pancreatic neoplasia. A computed tomography-guided biopsy of the lesion was performed which indicated pancreatic intraductal neoplasia with intermediate dysplasia. After oncology consultation, the patient underwent pylorus-preserving total pancreatectomy with splenectomy. The pathology report showed pancreatic ITPN with intermediate to severe dysplasia and associated invasive carcinoma. All 21 resected lymph nodes were non-metastatic (pT3N0). The postoperative course of the patient was uncomplicated. He received adjuvant gemcitabine (single agent) for 6 months. At 18 months after surgery he was diagnosed with hepatic metastases; he was still alive at the time of this reporting. CONCLUSIONS ITPN has been associated with previous history of acute pancreatitis in some patients. Early diagnosis, radical surgical resection, and adjuvant chemotherapy may lead to long-term survival rates even in cases with associated invasive component. Total pancreatectomy may be a preferable procedure for ITPN in selected patients.

Clinical presentation and imaging of a rare case of Tarsal Tuberculosis.

A 43-year-old woman arrived to emergency unit of our hospital, referring intense deteriorated pain and swelling of midfoot. Rapid clinical evolvement of osteoarticular tuberculosis represents a potential clinical scenario. Clinicians should always include foot tuberculosis in differential diagnosis, in cases of severe clinical and radiological manifestations.

A rare case of spinal cord compression due to cervical spine metastases from paraganglioma of the jugular foramen-how should it be treated?

Paragangliomas are benign neoplasms that arise from the autonomic nervous system and the associated paraganglia. Although benign, they have been shown to possess metastatic potential. Involvement of the spine is rare. Even rarer is considered the involvement of the cervical spine. We report a case of a patient with a history of an extra-adrenal non-functional paraganglioma of the jugular foramen which was initially treated with intra-arterial embolization. After a 3-year disease-free follow-up, the patient was presented with symptoms of spinal cord compression due to spinal metastases in C2 and C3 vertebrae. The patient was then treated with surgical decompression and external beam radiation. Therapeutic management with additional treatment options is now under discussion by a multidisciplinary team. Paraganglioma of the jugular foramen with spinal metastasis is an uncommon presentation where increased physician awareness and long-term follow-up are mandatory for all patients with history of paraganglioma.

Functional extra-adrenal paraganglioma of the retroperitoneum giving thoracolumbar spine metastases after a five-year disease-free follow-up: a rare malignant condition with challenging management.

Paragangliomas are benign neoplasms that arise from the autonomic nervous system and the associated paraganglia. Although benign, they have been shown to possess metastatic potential. Extra-adrenal retroperitoneal paraganglioma with vertebral metastasis is considered very uncommon. Here, we present a case of a functional extra-adrenal paraganglioma of the retroperitoneum giving metastasis to T4 vertebra after five years of follow-up in a 48-year-old man who had been initially treated with complete resection of the primary tumor. The condition of the patient improved significantly after radiosurgery and somatostatin analogs treatment, until lumbar spine lesions appeared six months later. Our case demonstrates that retroperitoneal paraganglioma is a rare condition which should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a retroperitoneal mass combined with vertebral lesions. Additionally, increased physician awareness and long-term follow-up is mandatory for all patients with history of retroperitoneal paraganglioma since metastases may occur after long latent intervals from the initial diagnosis.

Spinal cord edema with contrast enhancement mimicking intramedullary tumor in patient with cervical myelopathy: A case report and a brief literature review.

BACKGROUND: Cervical myelopathy (CM) is a clinical diagnosis that may be associated with hyperintense areas on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The use of contrast enhancement in such areas to differentiate between neoplastic and degenerative disease has rarely been described. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present a 41-year-old female with a 5-month course of progressive CM. The cervical MRI revealed spinal cord swelling, stenosis, and a hyperintense signal at the C5-C6 and C5-C7 levels. Both the neurologic and radiologic examinations were consistent with an intramedullary cervical cord tumor. To decompress the spinal canal, an anterior cervical discectomy and fusion was performed from C5 to C7 level. This resulted in immediate and significant improvement of the myelopathy. Postoperatively, over 1.5 years, the hyperintense, enhancing intramedullary lesion gradually regressed on multiple postoperative MRI scans. CONCLUSION: Spinal cord edema is occasionally seen on MR studies of the cervical spine in patients with degenerative CM. Contrast-enhanced MR studies may help differentiate hyperintense cord signals due to edema vs. atypical intramedullary tumors. Routine successive postoperative MRI evaluations are crucial to confirm the diagnosis of degenerative vs. neoplastic disease.

Graft failure prior to discharge after coronary artery bypass surgery: a prospective single-centre study using dual 64-slice computed tomography.

AIMS: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence and predictors of graft failure prior to discharge. Multi-slice computed tomography has the ability to evaluate graft patency in a non-invasive way. METHODS AND RESULTS: Of 145 consecutive patients who were screened, 73 were included in the study (78% male, mean age 65 years). A total of 206 grafts were analysed (2.8±0.9 grafts/patient). Of the 206 grafts, 126 were venous, 72 were left internal mammary, five were right internal mammary and three were radial grafts. We evaluated 100% of proximal anastomoses sites and 92% (190/206) of the distal anastomoses. We identified five patients (6.8%) who had at least one occluded graft. A total of seven out of 206 (3.4%) grafts were occluded. Independent predictors of successful graft outcome were left anterior descending artery as a recipient artery, good distal run-off as assessed by a surgeon and vessel size larger than 2 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that the in-hospital acute graft failure rate is 3.4% (6.8% of patients). Multi-slice computed tomography is a robust technique to assess novel therapies to reduce the rate of graft attrition further, and might be clinically useful in patients with persistent or early recurrence of symptoms after CABG.

Value of 3 Tesla diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging for assessing liver fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Limited data are available regarding the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), particularly the new generation 3 Tesla technology, and especially diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting liver fibrosis. The aim of our pilot study was to assess the clinical performance of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of liver parenchyma for the assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). METHODS: 18 patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD underwent DWI with 3 Tesla MRI. DWI was performed with single-shot echo-planar technique at b values of 0-500 and 0-1000 s/mm2. ADC was measured in four locations in the liver and the mean ADC value was used for analysis. Staging of fibrosis was performed according to the METAVIR system. RESULTS: The median age of patients was 52 years (range 23-73). The distribution of patients in different fibrosis stages was: 0 (n=1), 1 (n=7), 2 (n=1), 3 (n=5), 4 (n=4). Fibrosis stage was poorly associated with ADC at b value of 0-500 s/mm2 (r= -0.30, P=0.27). However it was significantly associated with ADC at b value of 0-1000 s/mm2 (r= -0.57, P=0.01). For this b value (0-1000 s/mm2) the area under receiver-operating characteristic curve was 0.93 for fibrosis stage ≥3 and the optimal ADC cut-off value was 1.16 ×10-3 mm2/s. CONCLUSION: 3 Tesla DWI can possibly predict the presence of advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Imaging of brain tumors.

Neuroimaging plays a crucial role in diagnosis of brain tumors and in the decision-making process for therapy. Functional imaging techniques can reflect cellular density (diffusion imaging), capillary density (perfusion techniques), and tissue biochemistry (magnetic resonance [MR] spectroscopy). In addition, cortical activation imaging (functional MR imaging) can identify various loci of eloquent cerebral cortical function. Combining these new tools can increase diagnostic specificity and confidence. Familiarity with conventional and advanced imaging findings facilitates accurate diagnosis, differentiation from other processes, and optimal patient treatment. This article is a practical synopsis of pathologic, clinical, and imaging spectra of most common brain tumors.

Manifestations of pilocytic astrocytoma: a pictorial review.

BACKGROUND: Pilocytic astrocytoma can be challenging to diagnose. METHODS: Its clinical presentations can differ, directly related to its size and location, and are relatively unreliable. Similarly, imaging findings also vary with the location of the pilocytic astrocytoma. RESULTS: This review provides an overview of the different imaging findings regarding pilocytic astrocytomas using both conventional and advanced magnetic resonance imaging sequences according to tumour location; the findings are strongly related to the tumour's tendency to infiltrate surrounding structures, being able to carry out gross total resection, and finally the prognosis. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge of these imaging manifestations of pilocytic astrocytoma may be helpful to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. TEACHING POINTS: • To recognise the various imaging findings of pilocytic astrocytoma on both conventional and advanced magnetic resonance imaging sequences. • To identify the characteristic imaging findings according to tumour location. • To discuss the relevant differential diagnoses of pilocytic astrocytoma in each tumour location.

Radiation-induced intracranial meningioma and multiple cavernomas.

Brain irradiation has several well-known long-term side effects, including radiation-induced neoplasms and vasculopathy. In this case report, we describe an extremely rare case of meningioma and 15 cavernomas developing in a 29-year-old man, 19 years after cranial irradiation for posterior cranial fossa medulloblastoma. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a radiation-induced meningioma accompanied by this many radiation-induced cavernous angiomas.

Core needle biopsy of spinal lesions under CT guidance: review of 79 cases.

The authors report the results of a retrospective study about computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous vertebral biopsies in 79 cases (44 males and 35 females, aged from 6 to 84 years old). Five biopsies were performed at the cervical level, 31 at the thoracic, 30 at the lumbar, and 13 at the sacrum. A diagnosis was obtained in 75 out of the 79 patients. Diagnostic yield was 95%, and diagnostic accuracy was 97.3%. Core needle biopsy under CT guidance for spinal lesions is a fast, relatively simple, minimally invasive, and low-cost method, with high levels of diagnostic accuracy and few complications. It plays a major role in the correct diagnosis and therapeutic planning. CT guidance allows safe and accurate biopsy of osseous lesions throughout the spine, obviating invasive open biopsy in most cases.

Dural lesions mimicking meningiomas: A pictorial essay.

The purpose of this essay was to illustrate the radiological and pathological findings in a wide spectrum of dural lesions mimicking meningiomas. Familiarity with and knowledge of these findings will narrow the differential diagnosis and provide guidance for patient management. In this pictorial review, we describe the following entities: Solitary fibrous tumors, hemangiopericytoma, gliosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, dural metastases, Hodgkin's disease, plasmocytoma, Rosai-Dorfman disease, neurosarcoidosis, melanocytic neoplasms and plasma cell granuloma.

Transient contrast encephalopathy after carotid angiography mimicking diffuse subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Neurotoxicity caused by intraarterial injection of low-dose low osmolar, iodinated contrast agents during radiologic studies is an extremely rare adverse event. Contrast medium induced disruption of the blood-brain barrier and a direct neurotoxic effect by contrast media have been proposed as a potential mechanism of neurotoxicity. This report describes an unusual case of transient neurotoxicity following diagnostic angiography mimicking clinically and radiologically subarachnoid hemorrhage. The patient recovered without any intervention after 4 days of conservative treatment.

Superficial cortical siderosis.

Cerebrovascular deposition of amyloid (cerebral amyloid angiopathy CAA) is most commonly recognized as a cause of spontaneous lobar intracerebral hemorrhage. On the basis of the noninvasive new MR imaging we would propose superficial cortical hemosiderosis and subarachnoid hemosiderosis as potentially useful new criteria to facilitate the diagnosis of CAA.