Minimal impact of lenvatinib (Lenvima®) on muscle mass in advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and implications for treatment duration. Two cases from the REFLECT study.

OBJECTIVE: Two case reports of advanced unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) treated with lenvatinib (Lenvima®) are presented; the drug's effect on muscle loss and duration of treatment are discussed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between November 2014 and December 2017, at the Fondazione Policlinico A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy, two male patients with advanced HCC enrolled in the lenvatinib arm of the REFLECT trial received the drug over 24 cycles (almost 2 years). We reviewed the clinical charts from baseline, when lenvatinib was started, through 24 months of treatment. The changes in the skeletal mass area (SMA), as assessed by computed tomography (CT) at the third lumbar level (L3), between baseline and month 24 into treatment were recorded. RESULTS: Case 1: SMA decreased by 2.8 cm2 between baseline and month 24 (134 cm2 vs. 131.2 cm2), with a muscle loss of 2.13%. Case 2: SMA decreased by 13 cm2 between baseline and month 24 (133 cm2 vs. 120 cm2), with a muscle loss of 10.83%. CONCLUSIONS: The disease remained stable for over 2.5 years in both patients. A minimal loss of muscle mass was noted at 24 months of treatment. The minimum effect on muscle loss may be correlated with the positive clinical response and the drug's low toxicity. Our findings may help to elucidate the effect of lenvatinib on muscle mass and inform the development of the targeted nutritional support for HCC patients.

Critical analysis of major and ancillary features of LI-RADS v2018 in the differentiation of small (≤ 2 cm) hepatocellular carcinoma from dysplastic nodules with gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the performance of major features, ancillary features, and categories of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) version 2018 at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the differentiation of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from dysplastic nodules (DNs). PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included cirrhotic patients with pathologically proven untreated HCCs and DNs (≤ 2 cm) and liver MR imaging performed with gadobenate dimeglumine contrast agent within 3 months before pathological analysis, between 2015 and 2018. 37 patients with 43 observations (17 HCCs and 26 DNs) met the inclusion criteria. Two radiologists assessed major and ancillary imaging features for each liver observation and assigned a LI-RADS v2018 category in consensus. Estimates of diagnostic performance of major features, ancillary features, and LI-RADS categories were assessed based on their sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV), and negative predictive values (NPV). RESULTS: Major features (nonrim arterial phase hyperenhancement, nonperipheral "washout", and enhancing "capsule") had a sensitivity of 94.1%, 88.2%, and 41.2%, and a specificity of 57.7%, 42.3%, and 88.5% for HCC, respectively. Ancillary features (hepatobiliary phase hypointensity, mild-moderate T2 hyperintensity, restricted diffusion, and fat in the lesion more than adjacent liver) had a sensitivity of 94.1%, 64.7%, 58.8%, and 11.8%, and a specificity of 26.9%, 61.5%, 65.4%, and 76.9% for HCC, respectively. The LR-5 category (determined by using major features only vs. the combination of major and ancillary features) had a sensitivity of 88.2% at both evaluations and a specificity of 76.9% and 80.8% for HCC, respectively. The combination of LR-4, LR-5 categories (determined by using major features only vs. the combination of major and ancillary features) had a sensitivity of 94.1% at both interpretations and a specificity of 65.4% and 26.9% for HCC, respectively. The use of ancillary features modified LI-RADS category in 25.6% of observations (11/43), predominantly upgraded from LR-3 to LR4 (10/11), increasing the proportion of low-grade DNs and high-grade DNs categorized as LR-4 (from 15.4% to 61.5% and from 7.7% to 46.1%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The added value of ancillary features in combination with major features is limited for the non-invasive diagnosis of small HCC; however, their use modifies the final category in a substantial proportion of observations from LR-3 to LR-4, thus allowing possible changes in the management of patients at risk for HCC.

Intensive lifestyle modifications with or without liraglutide 3mg vs. sleeve gastrectomy: A three-arm non-randomised, controlled, pilot study.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: As only 1% of clinically eligible subjects choose to undergo surgical treatment for obesity, other options should be investigated. This study aimed to assess the effects of intensive lifestyle modification (ILM) with or without 3-mg liraglutide daily vs. sleeve gastrectomy (SG) on BMI after 1 year. SUBJECTS/METHODS: In this study performed at an Italian university hospital, non-diabetic patients eligible for bariatric surgery were recruited from a weight-loss clinic and had the option to choose from three possible weight-loss programmes up to an allocation of 25 subjects in each arm matched by BMI and age. ILM consisted in 813kcal of a very low-calorie diet (VLCD) for 1 month, followed by a diet of 12kcal/kg body weight of high protein and high fat for 11 months plus 30min of brisk walking daily and at least 3h of aerobic exercise weekly. SG patients followed a VLCD for 1 month and a free diet thereafter. Patients were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. RESULTS: A total of 75 patients were enrolled; retention was 100% in the SG and 85% in the two medical arms. SG reduced BMI by 32% (P<0.001 vs. medical arm), while ILM+liraglutide and ILM led to BMI reductions of 24% and 14%, respectively (P<0.001). More women allocated themselves to the ILM+liraglutide group. Weight loss was 43kg with SG, 26kg with ILM+liraglutide and 15kg with ILM alone. Lean body mass reductions were -11.6kg with SG, -6.3kg with ILM and -8.3kg with ILM+liraglutide. Prevalence of prediabetes was significantly lower with ILM+liraglutide, and insulin resistance was reduced by about 70% by both ILM+liraglutide and SG vs. 39% by ILM alone. Cardiometabolic risk factors were greatly reduced in all three groups. DISCUSSION: At least in the short-term, liraglutide 3.0mg once daily associated with drastic calorie-intake restriction and intensive physical activity promoted a 24% weight loss, which was almost two times greater than ILM alone and only about 25% less than with SG, while preserving lean body mass. Although this study was non-randomised, it was designed to explore the efficacy of medical treatments for obesity in everyday clinical practice.

Imaging assessment of portal venous system: pictorial essay of normal anatomy, anatomic variants and congenital anomalies.

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to describe anatomic variants and congenital anomalies of portal venous system and related liver parenchymal alterations. The imaging findings of some of these entities have been previously described in other articles, however this work encompasses all congenital anomalies of portal venous system with attention to their features on various imaging modalities; in particular we illustrated with detailed pictures all the main portal vein variants, congenital extra- and intra-hepatic porto-systemic venous shunts and portal vein aneurysm. Variants of portal branches and intrahepatic portosystemic shunts are quite uncommon, however, when present, they should be recognized before performing surgery or interventional procedures. Congenital absence of the portal vein is an important finding as the complete loss of portal perfusion predisposes the liver to focal or diffuse hyperplastic or dysplastic changes. Portal vein aneurysm is a rare clinical entity that can affect intra- and extra-hepatic portal branches; although usually asymptomatic, thrombosis can occur. Awareness of congenital variants of portal venous system among radiologists should allow a more confident diagnosis and permit an accurate planning of surgical procedures and percutaneous interventions; identification of portal system anomalies also suggest an accurate evaluation of associated hepatic parenchymal anomalies such as nodular regenerative hyperplasia, focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), and adenomas with high risk of malignant transformation.

A peculiar case of diffuse hemangiomatosis of the left hepatic lobe in an asymptomatic adult patient: case report and literature review.

We report a rare case of diffuse hepatic hemangiomatosis (DHH) of the left hepatic lobe coexistent with giant hepatic hemangioma and without extra-hepatic involvement in an asymptomatic adult patient. Liver hemangiomas are the most common benign liver tumors. However, DHH without extra-hepatic involvement has rarely been reported in adults. Furthermore, giant hepatic hemangioma coexistent with DHH is even uncommon, although an association between hemangiomatosis and giant hepatic hemangiomas may be supposed. In this peculiar case, we observed an exclusive and widespread involvement of the left hepatic lobe with a sharp boundary between normal and altered liver parenchyma running along Cantlie's line.

An update on clinical applications of hepatospecific contrast media in magnetic resonance imaging of liver parenchyma.

Hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents are now widely used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of liver parenchyma. As extracellular fluid agents, they provide informations regarding lesion vascularity and their use in the hepatobiliary or delayed phase (DPI), and give additional data regarding hepatocyte presence and function. The aim of this article is to review the recent literature about MRI using hepatobiliary-specific contrast agents and to discuss benefits and limits of their clinical applications. Since November 2008, hepatobiliary contrast agents were routinely employed in our Institution for the characterization of equivocal liver lesions detected by other imaging modalities, and for the evaluation of hepatic nodules in liver cirrhosis. The informations provided are particularly relevant for the detection of metastases, for the differentiation between focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA), and for the detection and differentiation between dysplastic nodules (DNs) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the cirrhotic liver. The role in the cirrhosis grading and the quantification of liver function is still controversial. Finally, their biliary excretion allows evaluation of anatomy and function of the biliary tree. According to our and reported data, hepatobiliary contrast agents are able to improve liver lesions detection and characterization; their introduction in clinical practice has improved MRI diagnostic efficacy/accuracy, allowing to decrease the number of invasive diagnostic procedures.

Diagnosis and Management of Hepatic Artery Complications After Liver Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the usefulness of color Doppler imaging in diagnosis and monitoring hepatic artery complications after liver transplantation. METHODS: Subjects were 421 liver transplant recipients who underwent serial ultrasound (US) color Doppler evaluations of the hepatic arteries after surgery. RESULTS: We saw 4 hepatic arterial complications after liver transplantation (13 thrombosis, 29 stenosis, 2 kinking, 2 pseudo-aneurysm, and 2 pseudo-aneurysm rupture). All subjects underwent US color Doppler examination periodically after surgery. In 6 cases of early thrombosis, hepatic arterial obstruction was diagnosed with absence of Doppler signals; in the other 7 cases (late hepatic artery thrombosis), thrombosis was suspected for the presence of intra-parenchymal "tardus-parvus" waveforms. In all of the cases, computed tomography angiography showed obstruction of the main arterial trunk and the development of compensatory collateral circles (late hepatic artery thrombosis). In 10 of the 29 cases of stenosis, Doppler ultrasonography examination revealed stenotic tract and intra-hepatic tardus-parvus waveforms; in 17 stenosis cases, the site of stenosis could not be identified, but intra-parenchymal tardus-parvus waveforms were recorded. In 2 patients, hepatic artery stenosis occurred with ischemic complications. CONCLUSIONS: The use of US color Doppler examination allows the early diagnosis of hepatic arterial complications after liver transplantation. Tardus-parvus waveforms indicated severe impairment of hepatic arterial perfusion from either thrombosis or severe stenosis. The presence of these indirect signs enhanced the accuracy of color Doppler diagnosis, and detection should prompt therapy.

Enhancement patterns of intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma at multiphasic computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and correlation with clinicopathologic features.

OBJECTIVE: Incidence of intrahepatic mass-forming cholangiocarcinoma (IMCC) is increasing worldwide, especially in patients with chronic liver disease. The small and the histologically well-differentiated IMCCs in chronic liver disease could be arterially hypervascular lesions with/without washout on computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), mimicking typical hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this work is to evaluate contrast enhancement (CE) patterns of IMCCs at quadri-phasic multidetector CT (4-MDCT) and MRI, using imaging-clinicopathologic correlation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The 4-MDCT and MR images of 56 histologically confirmed IMCCs were retrospectively evaluated for tumor morphology and enhancement features. Enhancement pattern was defined according to the behavior of the nodule in arterial (AP), portal venous (PVP) and equilibrium phases (EP), and dynamic pattern was described according to enhancement progression throughout the different phases. Arterial and dynamic enhancement patterns were correlated with chronic liver disease, tumor size and histological differentiation. RESULTS: Most of the nodules were peripherally hyperenhancing (50%) on AP, and partially hyperenhancing on PVP (67.9%) and EP (80.3%). Forty-six (82.1%) IMCCs showed progressive CE, 7 (12.5%) stable CE and 3 (5.4%) wash-out. In normal liver there were 34 nodules with progressive and 3 with stable CE, whereas in chronic liver disease there were 12 IMCCs with progressive, 4 with stable and 3 with washout pattern (p = 0.01); IMCCs with progressive CE were more differentiated than IMCCs with stable CE and wash-out (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent enhancement pattern of IMCCs was arterial rim enhancement followed by progressive and concentric filling. The stable and the washout patterns were more frequent in poorly differentiated IMCCs. Contrast washout was observed only in IMCCs emerging in chronic liver disease with a risk of misdiagnosis with HCC.

Model-based control of plasma glycemia: Tests on populations of virtual patients.

Closed-loop devices delivering medical treatments in an automatic fashion clearly require a thorough preliminary phase according to which the proposed control law is tested and validated as realistically as possible, before arranging in vivo experiments in a clinical setting. The present note develops a virtual environment aiming to validate a recently proposed model-based glucose control law on a solid simulation framework. From a theoretical viewpoint, the artificial pancreas has been designed by suitably exploiting a minimal set of delay differential equations modeling the glucose-insulin regulatory system; on the other hand, the validation platform makes use of a different, multi-compartmental model to build up a population of virtual patients. Simulations are carried out by properly addressing the available technological limits and the unavoidable uncertainties in real-time continuous glucose sensors as well as possible malfunctioning on the insulin delivery devices. The results show the robustness of the proposed control law that turns out to be efficient and extremely safe on a heterogenous population of virtual patients.

Single-step multimodal locoregional treatment for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: balloon-occluded percutaneous radiofrequency thermal ablation (BO-RFA) plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the feasibility, safety and efficacy of a new combined single-step therapy in patients with unresectable multinodular unilobar hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with at least one lesion >3 cm, with balloon-occluded radiofrequency ablation (BO-RFA) plus transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) of the main lesion and TACE of the other lesions. The second purpose of our study was to compare the initial effects in terms of tumour necrosis of this new combined therapy with those obtained in a matched population treated with TACE alone in a singlestep treatment in our centre in the previous year. METHODS AND MATERIALS: This pilot study was approved by the institutional review board, and informed consent was obtained from all patients. Ten consecutive patients with multinodular (two to six nodules) unilobar unresectable HCC and with a main target lesion >3 cm (range, 3.5-6 cm) not suitable for curative therapy were enrolled in our single-centre multidisciplinary pilot study. The schedule consisted of percutaneous RFA (single 3-cm monopolar needle insertion) of the target lesion during occlusion of the hepatic artery supplying the tumour, followed by selective TACE, plus lobar TACE for other lesions (450-mg carboplatin and lipiodol plus temporary embolisation with SPONGOSTAN). Adverse events and intra- and periprocedural complications were clinically assessed. Early local efficacy was evaluated on 1-month follow-up multiphasic computed tomography (CT) on the basis of the Modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (m-RECIST). A separate evaluation of target lesions in terms of enhancement, necrotic diameter and presence and distribution of lipiodol uptake was also performed. RESULTS: No major complications occurred. Overall technical success, defined as complete devascularisation of all nodules during the arterial phase, was achieved in seven of 10 patients, with three cases of partial response (persistence of small hypervascular nodules). When considering only target lesions, technical success was obtained in all patients, with a nonenhancing area corresponding in shape to the previously identified HCC (necrotic diameter, 3.5-5 cm) and with circumferential peripheral lipiodol uptake (safety margin) of at least 0.5 cm (0.5-1.3cm). CONCLUSIONS: TACE and BO-RFA, plus TACE in a singlestep approach seems to be a safe and effective combined therapy for treating advanced, unresectable HCC lesions, allowing a high rate of complete local response to be achieved in large lesions also.

Differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma from dysplastic nodules at gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced hepatobiliary-phase magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE: We evaluated whether the addition of delayed phase imaging (DPI) gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced MRI to dynamic postcontrast imaging improves the characterization of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and the differentiation between HCC, high grade dysplastic nodules (HGDN), and low grade dysplastic nodules (LGDN). METHODS: Twenty-five cirrhotic patients with 30 nodules (16 HCC, 8 HGDNs, and 6 LGDNs; maximum size of 3 cm) were included in this retrospective study. The diagnostic reference standard was histology. All the patients underwent MRI both prior to and following intravenous administration of gadobenate dimeglumine. The lesions were classified as hypointense, isointense, hyperintense on DPI for qualitative assessment. In the quantitative analysis the relative tumor-liver contrast to noise ratio (CNR) of the lesions on DPI was calculated. RESULTS: All HCCs were hypointense on DPI while only 8 (57.1%) of 14 DNs were hypointense and only 1 of 6 (16.6%) LGDNs was hypointense. There was a statistically significant difference in the hypointensity on DPI between HCCs and DNs (p = 0.003) in the qualitative analysis but not in the CNR values while there was a strong statistically significant difference in the hypointensity on DPI in the qualitative (p = 0.00001) and quantitative analysis (p < 0.05) between LGDNs and the group obtained by unifying HGDNs and HCCs. CONCLUSION: DPI is helpful in differentiating HCCs and HGDNs from LGDNs. Demonstration of hypointensity on DPI should raise the suspicion of HGDN or hypovascular HCC in the case of nodules with atypical dynamic pattern.

Observational study on preoperative surgical field disinfection: povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine-alcohol.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Surgical site infection (SSI) rate is reported to range around 16%. Preoperative skin disinfection is keystone for SSI reduction. Chlorhexidine-alcohol has been reported to be more effective than Povidone-iodine (PVI). However, in many countries established habits and the inferior costs of PVI restrain the employment of chlorhexidine disinfection kits (ChloraPrep®) for the preparation of the surgical field. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The costs of surgical field preparation in clean-contaminated surgery utilizing PVI (Betadine) and chlorhexidine alcohol and the evaluation of surgeon compliance and satisfaction, were studied by a observational study on 50 surgical operations in which surgical field was prepared with PVI checking established guidelines, and on 50 surgical operations in which chlorhexidine-alcohol (ChloraPrep) was employed. The use of auxiliary material was tabulated as well as the timing of the phases of disinfection and the surgeon's opinions. RESULTS: The use of auxiliary material (gloves, gauzes, paper towels, surgical instruments, small swabs for umbilical cleaning) is associated with the type of disinfectant, with major use of auxiliary materials recorded in PVI disinfection. PVI disinfection does not follow stringent guidelines, in particular waiting for the disinfectant to dry. PVI guidelines are more demanding than those relative to ChloraPrep. The time necessary for the preparation of the field is significantly longer for PVI. Auxiliary material and guideline compliance must be taken into account when calculating costs; the former are direct costs (even though marginal) and the latter can determine major infective risk. CONCLUSIONS: Chlorhexidine in kits is easier and faster to use than PVI, requires less auxiliary material and has been shown previously to reduce SSI in clean contaminated surgery.

From small nodule to overt HCC: a multistep process of carcinogenesis as seen during surveillance.

BACKGROUND: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related death in the world. Despite many diagnostic and therapeutic tools are now available to improve survival and reduce its recurrence, prognosis is closely conditioned by the time of diagnosis. Surveillance and early diagnosis are crucial for a successful therapy. We report a clinical case from the HCC archive of the Hepatocatt meetings held in Ge-melli Hospital (Catholic University of Rome). The case describes a tumor progression in a multistep process from a small liver nodule to overt HCC and its management by a multidisciplinary team.

Comparison of triple-lumen central venous catheters impregnated with silver nanoparticles (AgTive®) vs conventional catheters in intensive care unit patients.

BACKGROUND: Silver-impregnated central venous catheters (CVCs) have been proposed as a means for preventing CVC colonization and related bloodstream infections (CRBSIs). AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of CVCs impregnated with silver nanoparticles in a large group of critically ill patients. METHODS: A prospective, randomized clinical trial was conducted in five intensive care units (ICUs). Three hundred and thirty-eight adult patients requiring CVCs between April 2006 and November 2008 were randomized to receive AgTive silver-nanoparticle-impregnated (SC) or conventional (CC) CVCs. Primary endpoints were CVC colonization (growth of ≥15 colony-forming units from the catheter tip) and incident CRBSIs (meeting the definitions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Infection-free time (days from initial CVC insertion to initial blood culture positivity) and ICU mortality rates were measured as secondary endpoints. FINDINGS: The SC group (N = 135) and CC group (N = 137) were similar in terms of clinical and laboratory parameters at baseline, reasons for ICU admission, complications during CVC insertion, and total time with CVC (mean ± standard deviation; SC 13 ± 24 vs CC 15 ± 37 days). No significant intergroup differences were found in CVC colonization rates (SC 32.6% vs CC 30%; P = 0.7), CRBSI incidence rates (3.36 infections per 1000 catheter-days in both groups), infection-free times (SC 13 ± 34 vs CC 12 ± 12 days; P = 0.85) or ICU mortality (SC 46% vs CC 43%; P = 0.7). CONCLUSION: In critically ill patients, use of AgTive(®) silver-nanoparticle-impregnated CVCs had no significant effect on CVC colonization, CRBSI incidence or ICU mortality. These CVCs cannot be recommended as an adjunctive tool for control of CRBSIs.

Benign and Suspicious Ovarian Masses-MR Imaging Criteria for Characterization: Pictorial Review.

Ovarian masses present a special diagnostic challenge when imaging findings cannot be categorized into benign or malignant pathology. Ultrasonography (US), Computed Tomography (CT), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) are currently used to evaluate ovarian tumors. US is the first-line imaging investigation for suspected adnexal masses. Color Doppler US helps the diagnosis identifying vascularized components within the mass. CT is commonly performed in preoperative evaluation of a suspected ovarian malignancy, but it exposes patients to radiation. When US findings are nondiagnostic or equivocal, MRI can be a valuable problem solving tool, useful to give also surgical planning information. MRI is well known to provide accurate information about hemorrhage, fat, and collagen. It is able to identify different types of tissue contained in pelvic masses, distinguishing benign from malignant ovarian tumors. The knowledge of clinical syndromes and MRI features of these conditions is crucial in establishing an accurate diagnosis and determining appropriate treatment. The purpose of this paper is to illustrate MRI findings in neoplastic and non-neoplastic ovarian masses, which were assessed into three groups: cystic, solid, and solid/cystic lesions. MRI criteria for the correct diagnosis and characteristics for differentiating benign from malignant conditions are shown in this paper.

A novel USP9Y polymorphism allowing a rapid and unambiguous classification of Bos taurus Y chromosomes into haplogroups.

A new sequence-tagged site (STS) was identified within intron 26 of the bovine USP9Y gene, showing an 81-base pair insertion (g.76439_76440ins81 in sequence with GenBank accession FJ195366) able to distinguish Y2 and Y3 Bos Y haplogroups from Y1. Moreover, four Y3-specific sequence variants allow a distinction from haplogroup Y2. The typing of a Bison bison Y chromosome indicates that the ancestral allele for the USP9Y 81-bp insertion is the short Y1 version. The results from typing the new STS in 1230 cattle Y chromosomes are fully consistent with their classification through standard methods. Thanks to the newly identified STS, it is now possible to assign cattle Y chromosomes to the currently known haplogroups using a single marker.

An economic evaluation of Clostridium difficile infection management in an Italian hospital environment.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) accounts for the majority of nosocomial cases of diarrhea, and with recent upsurge of multidrug-resistant strains, morbidity and mortality have increased. Data on clinical impact of CDI come mostly from Anglo-Saxon countries, while in Italy only two studies address the issue and no economic data exist on costs of CDI in the in hospital setting. A retrospective cross-sectional study with pharmacoeconomic analysis was performed on the CDI series of the Policlinico Gemelli of Rome, a major 1400 bed Hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The clinical charts of 133 patients in a 26 month period were reviewed. All costs of the involved resources were calculated and statistical analysis was carried out with means and standard deviations, and categorical variables as number and percentages. RESULTS: The results show the significant sanitary costs of CDI in an Italian hospital setting. The cost analysis of the various elements (exams, imaging studies, therapies, etc.) shows that none independently influences the high cost burden of CDI, but that it is the simple length of hospital stay that represents the most important factor. CONCLUSIONS: Prevention of CDI is the most cost-effective approach. The major break-through in cost reduction of CDI would be a therapeutical intervention or procedure that shortens hospital length of stay.

Clinical significance of incidental focal colorectal (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose uptake: our experience and a review of the literature.

AIM: The aims of the present study were: (i) to evaluate the focal incidental colorectal uptake of (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose ([(18)F]FDG) and to correlate it with colonoscopy and histological findings; (ii) to evaluate the relationship between the presence/absence of neoplastic disease and clinical data and the anatomical site of [(18)F]FDG uptake; and (iii) to compare our results with those reported for incidental colorectal uptake of [(18)F]FDG in the literature and those obtained from various screening programmes for colorectal cancer. METHOD: The database of 6000 patients referred for [(18)F]FDG positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET-CT) to our centre was retrospectively reviewed for incidental colorectal uptake of [(18)F]FDG. Patients with focal uptake were selected and the aetiology of PET findings was verified with a subsequent colonoscopy and histopathological analysis when available. RESULTS: Incidental colorectal uptake of [(18)F]FDG was seen in 144 (2.4%) patients, of whom 64 (1.1%) had focal uptake; 48 out of these 64 patients underwent colonoscopy, which showed malignant tumours in 12 (25%), premalignant lesions in 19 (40%), non-neoplastic lesions in six (12%) and lesions not confirmed by colonoscopy in 11 (23%). Our data agreed with previously published data. Statistical analysis did not show any significant relationship between the presence/absence of neoplastic disease and patient sex or age, type of primary disease and anatomical site of [(18)F]FDG uptake. Comparing our data with various screening programmes, a significant difference was found only with series in which colonoscopy was performed in patients at high risk for colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Focal incidental colorectal uptake of [(18)F]FDG is observed in about 1% of PET/CT studies and carries a high risk of neoplastic disease. A PET-CT report should suggest colonoscopy when abnormal findings are reported.

A treatment selection protocol for recurrent ovarian cancer patients: the role of FDG-PET/CT and staging laparoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the best diagnostic and staging strategy for recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS: The negative predictive value, specificity, positive predictive value, sensitivity, and accuracy rates of the fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positive emission tomography computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and staging laparoscopy in identifying surgically treatable/untreatable patients are assessed in a consecutive series of 70 recurrent ovarian cancer cases. Moreover, the diagnostic performance of each staging procedure in the evaluation of the number of nodules is analyzed. RESULTS: The negative predictive value of the FDG-PET/CT was 83.3%, whereas the positive predictive value was 76.9%. Specificity was 55.6%, whereas sensitivity was 93.0%. Accuracy rate was 78.6%. Negative predictive value, specificity, positive predictive value, sensitivity, and accuracy rate of staging laparoscopy were 88.9, 64.0, 80.8, 95.0 and 83.1%, respectively. Combined radiological and laparoscopic evaluation showed a negative predictive value of 88.9%, a specificity of 59.3%, a positive predictive value of 78.8%, a sensitivity of 95.3%, and an accuracy rate of 81.4%. The number of nodules identified by FDG-PET/CT corresponded in only 23 patients (40.3%) at laparotomy, whereas 15 of 30 patients were correctly diagnosed (50.0%) by staging laparoscopy. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of FDG-PET/CT and staging laparoscopy has a significant effect on the multimodal approach to the population of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer. Such techniques should be considered complementary, because of the potential of each one to identify a different setting of the disease.