Painless Visible Haematuria in Adults: An Algorithmic Approach Guiding Management.

There is consensus that visible haematuria may be a sign of serious underlying disease, including malignancy, and warrants a thorough diagnostic evaluation. This is usually undertaken by a combination of clinical examination, cystoscopic evaluation, and urinary tract imaging. A decision support tool has been developed in the form of an algorithmic flow chart as part of a suite of on-line evidence-based and consensus-based guidelines Diagnostic Imaging Pathways (DIP): www.imagingpathways.health.wa.gov.au (Online clinical decision-making tool: Dulku G. Painless Macroscopic Haematuria. Diagnostic Imaging Pathways; September 2015) to provide imaging recommendations for adult patients with unexplained, painless visible haematuria. A literature review, including reference to several international consensus-based expert guidelines, has been employed to develop this tool. The choice of first line imaging method is dependent on the risk stratification into high or low risk for the development of renal and urologic malignancies. Ultrasound is vital in the initial assessment of haematuria particularly in radiation sensitive patients, low-risk patients, and in young men <40 years. Computed tomographic urography (CTU) is a sensitive and specific method for the detection of urothelial malignancy particularly in high-risk patients. Magnetic resonance urography (MRU) provides better contrast resolution than CTU without exposure to ionising radiation or requiring intravenous (IV) contrast administration, making it more suitable for examination of paediatric and pregnant patients and patients with renal impairment. Cystoscopy remains the gold standard in the detection of lower urinary tract (bladder) urothelial tumours. Until randomised clinical trials comparing different diagnostic modalities or strategies prospectively and outcome studies are available, consensus-based practice recommendations similar to ours are nonetheless warranted to reduce the variation in haematuria management.

Practical uses of contrast-enhanced spectral mammography in daily work: A pictorial review.

Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography (CESM) has a number of uses including the work-up of inconclusive findings on mammography, assessment of breast symptoms, cancer staging, evaluation of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and recently as an alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in high-risk screening. CESM can be swiftly incorporated into the workflow of busy breast clinics. We share our experiences with CESM at a large breast assessment centre in Western Australia.

Interobserver Variation of Colonic Polyp Measurement at Computed Tomography Colonography.

BACKGROUND: The concept of "advanced polyps" is well accepted and is defined as polyps ≥10 mm and/or those having a villous component and/or demonstrating areas of dysplasia. Of these parameters, computed tomography colonography (CTC) can only document size. The accepted management of CTC-detected "advanced polyps" is to recommend excision if feasible, whereas the management of "intermediate" (6-9 mm) polyps is more controversial, and interval surveillance may be acceptable. Therefore, distinction between 6-9 mm and ≥10 mm is important. METHODS: Datasets containing 26 polyps originally reported as between 8-12 mm in diameter were reviewed independently by 4 CTC-accredited radiologists. Observers tabulated the largest measurement for each polyp on axial, coronal, sagittal, and endoluminal views at lung-window settings. These measurements were also compared to those determined by the computer-aided detection (CAD) software. RESULTS: The interobserver reliability intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC) for sagittal projection was 0.80 ("excellent" category of Hosmer and Lemeshow [2004]), 0.71 for axial ("acceptable"), 0.69 for coronal, and 0.41 for endoluminal ("unacceptable"). The largest of sagittal/axial/coronal measurement gave the best reliability with the smallest variance (ICC = 0.80; 95% CI 0.67-0.89). For 8 of 26 polyps, at least one radiologist's measurement placed the polyp in a different category compared to a colleague. For the majority of the polyps, the CAD significantly overestimated the readings compared to the largest of the manual measurements with an average difference of 1.6 mm (P < .0001 for sagittal/axial/coronal). This resulted in 33% of polyps falling into a different category-10% were lower and 23% were higher (P < .034). CONCLUSION: It is apparent that around the cutoff point of 10 mm between "advanced" and "intermediate" polyps, interobserver performance is variable.

A rare presentation of Spigelian hernia involving the appendix.

Spigelian hernia (SH) is a rare entity accounting for 1-2% of ventral abdominal wall hernias. Elusive clinical signs and symptoms pose a diagnostic challenge and a consequent risk of strangulation. We present an emergent case of a Spigelian hernia involving the appendix.

The role of imaging in the surveillance and diagnosis of hepatocellular cancer.

A decision support tool has been developed as part of a suite of on-line evidence-based and consensus-based guidelines Diagnostic imaging Pathways (DIP): www.imagingpathways.health.wa.gov.au) in the form of an algorithmic flow chart with supporting evidence and consensus to inform referrers to diagnostic imaging and radiologists as to the optimum strategy for surveillance and diagnosis of primary hepatocellular cancer (HCC) in those patients with risk factors of this disease. A literature review, including reference to several international consensus-based expert guidelines, has been employed to develop this tool.

Percutaneous aspiration versus catheter drainage of liver abscess: A retrospective review.

BACKGROUND: A review of the effectiveness and outcomes in liver abscess drainage performed by different operators using percutaneous aspiration (PA) and catheter drainage (PCD), respectively, from 2008-2013 at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, a tertiary hospital in Australia. METHODS: Forty-two patients (29 males and 13 females; aged between 28-93 years; median age of 67 years) with liver abscesses underwent either ultrasound or CT-guided PA (n=22) and PCD (n=20) in conjunction with appropriate antimicrobial therapy. A median of 18 Gauge needle and 10 French catheters were utilised. RESULTS: Nineteen (86.4 per cent) PA cases and 12 (60 per cent) PCD cases were successfully drained on a single attempt (p=0.08). More male patients (69 per cent) than females (31 per cent) were observed. Portal sepsis (42.9 per cent) was the most common cause identified. Fever (47.6 per cent) was the most frequent clinical presentation on admission. Thirty-two patients (76.2 per cent) had solitary abscesses with a right lobe (59.5 per cent) predilection. CRP was significantly raised. The PCD group observed a significantly larger abscess size (p=0.01). Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most common organism isolated in both pus (33.3 per cent) and blood cultures (11.9 per cent). Five procedure-related complications were noted, all in the PCD group. Thirty-day mortality was 2.4 per cent. No difference was observed in clinical and treatment outcomes in both groups. CONCLUSION: The null hypothesis that both PA and PCD are equally effective in the drainage of liver abscess cannot be rejected. Apart from PA being simpler and safer to perform, the higher incidence of indwelling catheter-associated complications suggests that a trial of PA should always be attempted first.

Cryptogenic invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess syndrome (CIKPLA) in Western Australia?

Virulent serotypes of Klebsiella pneumoniae are recognised to cause metastatic infections at various sites. Prevalence of this invasive syndrome has been observed worldwide with predominance in Asian series. However, reports in an Australian setting have been limited. We report two cases of fulminating community-acquired invasive Klebsiella pneumoniae liver abscess syndrome occurring in two Caucasian patients, from two different, distant suburbs in Western Australia with no known clinical comorbidities prior to the hospital presentation and no history of recent travel overseas. The interval between both admissions was 18 days, where only one patient survived.