Radiographic Detection of Post-Traumatic Bone Fractures: Contribution of Artificial Intelligence Software to the Analysis of Senior and Junior Radiologists.

Objectives: The aims of this study were: (a) to evaluate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI) software package (Boneview Trauma, Gleamer) for the detection of post-traumatic bone fractures in radiography as a standalone; (b) used by two radiologists (osteoarticular senior and junior); and (c) to determine to whom AI would be most helpful. Materials and Methods: Within 14 days of a trauma, 101 consecutive patients underwent radiographic examination of the upper or lower limbs. The definite diagnosis for identifying fractures was: (a) radio-clinical consensus between the radiologist on-call who analyzed the images and the orthopedist (Group 1); (b) Cone Beam computed tomography (CBCT) exploration of the area of interest, in case of doubts or absence of consensus (Group 2). Independently of this diagnosis for both groups, the radiographic images were separately analyzed by two radiologists (osteoarticular senior: SR; junior: JR) prior without, and thereafter with the results of AI. Results: AI performed better than the radiologists in detecting common fractures (Group 1), but not subtle fractures (Group 2). In association with AI, both radiologists increased their overall performances in both groups, whereas this increase was significantly higher for the JR (p < 0.05). Conclusion: AI is reliable for common radiographic fracture identification and is a useful learning tool for radiologists in training. However, the software's overall performance does not exceed that of an osteoarticular senior radiologist, particularly in case of subtle lesions.

Incidental Detection of a Radiation-Induced Soft-Tissue Sarcoma on 68Ga-PSMA PET/CT in a Patient Previously Treated for Prostate Cancer.

Radiation-induced sarcoma is a rare complication of radiation therapy. We describe the incidental detection of a radiation-induced undifferentiated soft-tissue sarcoma with increased uptake on Ga-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) PET/CT in a prostate cancer patient previously treated with surgery and external-beam radiotherapy. Results were confirmed by histological analysis. Ga-PSMA is known to bind not only to PSMA-expressing prostate cancer cells but also to the neovasculature of various other solid tumors. A careful Ga-PSMA PET/CT review of previously irradiated areas is warranted so as not to miss radiation-induced sarcoma in prostate cancer patients.

Pain control in thoracic oncology.

This review of pain management in lung cancer is based on the presentation of four cases of thoracic oncology patients with pain at various stages of their disease. The approach will be multidisciplinary, involving a thoracic oncologist, radiologist, thoracic and orthopaedic spine surgeon, radiation therapist, pain medicine specialist, and palliative care specialist. This multispecialty approach to the management of different painful presentations in thoracic oncology will demonstrate the complexity of each case and the improved patient outcomes which result from the involvement of different disciplines working in concert.In the USA, Europe and other countries, palliative care specialists often become rapidly involved in the management of these patients, coordinating social care and providing psychological support.Thoracic and orthopaedic spine subspecialists provide surgical methods to control tumour invasion, and improve quality of life and preservation of function in settings of even diffuse metastatic disease. Similarly, thoracic oncology and radiation therapists utilise both therapeutic and palliative chemotherapeutic and radiation therapy regimens to prolong and improve quality of life.The pain medicine specialist can, in addition to medication management, offer a variety of interventional approaches including unique drug delivery systems such as epidural analgesia, regional anaesthesia techniques, and intrathecal pumps, as well as neuromodulation techniques and neurolytic or neuroablative procedures.In the USA, these specialists complete an additional fellowship year in pain medicine following the completion of an anaesthesiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation, neurology or psychiatry residency. These programmes are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, or ACGME (www.acgme.org).

Erdheim-Chester Disease: A Case Report.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of Erdheim-Chester disease, a rare illness, is difficult and requires increased awareness. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 56-year-old woman who initially presented with a mesenteric panniculitis and 8 years later developed neurological manifestations and bone lesions that led to a diagnosis of Erdheim-Chester disease. CONCLUSIONS: The rather characteristic aspect of the bone lesions as well as the presence of foamy cells in involved tissue biopsies should suggest the diagnosis. No therapy is available at present but recent biological data might suggest new approaches for the understanding and therapy of this condition.

Case reports: subtrochanteric femoral stress fractures after prolonged alendronate therapy.

BACKGROUND: Alendronate is known for its ability to reduce bone loss in osteoporotic and osseous metastatic conditions. Its long-term effects remain unclear although several reports describe cases of proximal femur stress fractures associated with long-term alendronate use. CASE DESCRIPTION: We report the cases of four women who sustained low-energy subtrochanteric or femoral shaft stress fractures while being on alendronate therapy for more than 5 years. All radiographs showed typical patterns consisting of a transverse fracture line with external cortical bone reaction and medial cortical spike. Alendronate discontinuation along with nonoperative treatment was sufficient for one patient, whereas surgical stabilization was required in three patients. LITERATURE REVIEW: The side effects of alendronate therapy include osteonecrosis of the jaw, esophageal irritation, and musculoskeletal pain. Several cases of insufficiency femoral fractures associated with prolonged alendronate use have been reported. Their radiographic pattern and clinical presentation are consistent with our observations. Although various hypotheses have been suggested, the physiopathogenesis of these stress fractures is not completely understood. PURPOSES AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although bisphosphonates play an important role in preventing pathologic fractures in patients with cancer, these subtrochanteric stress fractures associated with prolonged use of alendronate should not be ignored.

Progressive osteoblastic bone metastases in breast cancer negative on FDG-PET.

Positron emission tomography using F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) is increasingly used in breast cancer. The new generation cameras integrate PET and CT within the same camera, allowing the simultaneous assessment of the structural and metabolic aspects of disease. There is presently a controversy on the clinical significance of osteoblastic bone metastases in breast cancer which are not detected on FDG-PET. It has been suggested that these radiologically dense lesions represent the result of successful treatment of initially osteolytic lesions. We report a case of a 65-year-old woman with a suspicion of recurrent breast cancer based on an increasing serum tumor marker. Serial PET/CT showed progressive blastic bone metastases on the CT without FDG uptake. These lesions were confirmed by bone single photon emission computed tomography. This case report shows: first, that progressive osteoblastic lesions can lack FDG-avidity, leading to a false-negative PET; and secondly, that bone scintigraphy should not be replaced by FDG-PET/CT for the detection of bone metastases in breast cancer.