The concept of ring of injuries: evaluation in ankle trauma.

OBJECTIVE: Radiographs are first-line imaging in ankle trauma but lack sensitivity to detect ligamentous injuries and undisplaced fractures. Our hypothesis was that ankle injuries occur in predefined sequences along two osteoligamentous rings, so that occult injuries non-visible on initial radiographs can be predicted. We, therefore, aimed to validate a ring model of progressive damages in the interpretation of ankle trauma radiographs. METHODS: This study retrospectively enrolled 277 adult patients that presented an acute fibular fracture on ankle radiographs between May and November 2019. Four different types of fibula fracture were differentiated, each being considered to correspond to a different mechanism of injury. Patients were classified into four groups, upon the appearance of their fibular fracture. Then, injuries to the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis, medial malleolus, and deltoid ligament (medial clear space) were assessed in each patient radiographs. Traumatic injuries were independently evaluated by a resident and an experienced MSK radiologist. For each patient, observed features were compared to those predicted by the ring concept. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were calculated. RESULTS: Injuries were observed according to the predictable sequence in 266 of the 277 patients (96%). In the 11 remaining patients, discordances were presumably due to undisplaced injuries to the syndesmosis or deltoid ligament. Agreements were considered very good for each evaluated item. CONCLUSION: The Lauge-Hansen ring concept was found to be highly accurate and reproducible for radiographic assessment of ankle injuries. Discordances to the predicted sequence might reflect occult injuries, especially of the syndesmosis or deltoid ligament.

Evaluation of neuroradiology emergency MRI interpretations: low discrepancy rates between on-call radiology residents' preliminary interpretations and neuroradiologists' final reports.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the performance of on-call radiology residents in interpreting alone brain and spine MRI studies performed after hours, to describe their mistakes, and to identify influencing factors that increased the occurrence of errors. METHODS: A total of 328 MRI examinations performed during a 13-month period (from December 1, 2019, to January 1, 2021) were prospectively included. Discrepancies between the preliminary interpretation of on-call radiology residents and the final reports of attending neuroradiologists were noted and classified according to a three-level score: level 1 (perfect interpretation or minor correction), level 2 (important correction without immediate change in patient management), or level 3 (major correction with immediate change in patient management). Categorical data were compared using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: The overall discrepancy rate (level-2 and level-3 errors) was 16%; the rate of major discrepancies (only level-3 errors) was 5.5%. The major-discrepancy rate of second-year residents, when compared with that of senior residents, was significantly higher (p = 0.02). Almost all of the level-3 errors concerned cerebrovascular pathology. The most common level-2 errors involved undescribed aneurysms. We found no significant difference in the major-discrepancy rate regarding time since the beginning of the shift. CONCLUSIONS: The great majority of examinations were correctly interpreted. The rate of major discrepancies in our study was comparable to the data in the literature, and there was no adverse clinical outcome. The level of residency has an effect on the rate of serious errors in residents' reports. KEY POINTS: • The rate of major discrepancies between preliminary MRI interpretations by on-call radiology residents and final reports by attending neuroradiologists is low, and comparable to discrepancy rates reported for head CT interpretations. • The youngest residents made significantly more serious errors when compared to senior residents. • There was no adverse clinical outcome in patient morbidity as a result of an initial misdiagnosis.

Surgical management of a De Garengeot's hernia using a biologic mesh: A case report and review of literature.

INTRODUCTION: A De Garengeot hernia is a rare form of femoral hernia, where the appendix is found in the herniated sac. This feature is important to report, as both the diagnosis and the treatment are quite challenging in this particular condition. PRESENTATION OF CASE: We report the case of a 77-year-old female presenting with a femoral hernia, containing an incarcerated necrotic vermiform appendix (De Garengeot hernia). A laparoscopic appendectomy was performed and the herniated defect was repaired according to Rives technique, using a biological mesh. DISCUSSION: The De Garengeot hernia is often unexpected and diagnosed intra-operatively. A pre-operative diagnosis is quite difficult, as it often presents clinically as a strangled femoral hernia. In patients without peritoneal signs, a contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (CT) of the abdomen is useful for the diagnosis. Many surgical techniques have been discussed in literature, but there is no consensus. We show the feasibility and safety of the hernia repair according to Rives technique, through an inguinotomy with a biologic mesh. A laparoscopic approach was used to remove the necrotic appendix. CONCLUSION: The De Garengeot hernia is an uncommon differential diagnosis for patients presenting with clinical signs of strangled femoral hernia. Although hernia repairs with a synthetic mesh in the presence of appendicitis have been reported, we describe a case of femoral hernia repair using a biologic mesh, in a patient with a De Garengot hernia.