Super High Contrast USPIO-Enhanced Cerebrovascular Angiography Using Ultrashort Time-to-Echo MRI.

Background: Ferumoxytol (Ferahame, AMAG Pharmaceuticals, Waltham, MA) is increasingly used off-label as an MR contrast agent due to its relaxivity and safety profiles. However, its potent T2∗ relaxivity limits achievable T1-weighted positive contrast and leads to artifacts in standard MRI protocols. Optimization of protocols for ferumoxytol deployment is necessary to realize its potential. Methods: We present first-in-human clinical results of the Quantitative Ultrashort Time-to-Echo Contrast Enhanced (QUTE-CE) MRA technique using the superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticle agent ferumoxytol for vascular imaging of the head/brain in 15 subjects at 3.0T. The QUTE-CE MRA method was implemented on a 3T scanner using a stack-of-spirals 3D Ultrashort Time-to-Echo sequence. Time-of-flight MRA and standard TE T1-weighted (T1w) images were also collected. For comparison, gadolinium-enhanced blood pool phase images were obtained retrospectively from clinical practice. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and intraluminal signal heterogeneity (ISH) were assessed and compared across approaches with Welch's two-sided t-test. Results: Fifteen volunteers (54 ± 17 years old, 9 women) participated. QUTE-CE MRA provided high-contrast snapshots of the arterial and venous networks with lower intraluminal heterogeneity. QUTE-CE demonstrated significantly higher SNR (1707 ± 226), blood-tissue CNR (1447 ± 189), and lower ISH (0.091 ± 0.031) compared to ferumoxytol T1-weighted (551 ± 171; 319 ± 144; 0.186 ± 0.066, respectively) and time-of-flight (343 ± 104; 269 ± 82; 0.190 ± 0.016, respectively), with p < 0.001 in each comparison. The high CNR increased the depth of vessel visualization. Vessel lumina were captured with lower heterogeneity. Conclusion: Quantitative Ultrashort Time-to-Echo Contrast-Enhanced MR angiography provides approximately 5-fold superior contrast with fewer artifacts compared to other contrast-enhanced vascular imaging techniques using ferumoxytol or gadolinium, and to noncontrast time-of-flight MR angiography, for clinical vascular imaging. This trial is registered with NCT03266848.

Radiographic features predictive of recurrence and survival after surgical resection of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma.

Objective: To study which radiographic features were associated with recurrence and adverse outcome in patients undergoing surgical resection of perihilar cholangiocarcinoma (PCCA), as well as to evaluate the imaging patterns that signify recurrence after the resection of PCCA. Materials and methods: This study was conducted in a solitary tertiary center and utilized a retrospective, analytical, case-control design. The study population consisted of patients with pathologically confirmed PCCA who underwent surgical resection and were subsequently followed up from January 2009 to December 2017. A total of 77 patients were enrolled in the study and were categorized into two distinct groups, namely recurrent and non-recurrent. The analysis encompassed the examination of demographic data and recurrence patterns. Additionally, survival and multivariate analyses were employed to assess radiographic imaging data and surgical information. Results: Seventy-seven patients diagnosed with PCCA based on pathological evidence were included in the study. Among the participants, there were 28 females and 49 males, with ages ranging from 41 to 81 years (mean age of 60.65 ±â€¯7.66). A noteworthy finding was the recurrence rate of 65 % observed following surgical resection. The presence of regional lymph node (LN) metastasis, adjacent organ invasion, and surgical margin emerged as the three independent factors that exhibited a significant association with recurrence after post-operative resection (p = 0.023, p = 0.028, and p = 0.010, respectively). The patients with PCCA who experienced regional LN metastasis had a median overall survival (OS) of 22 months, which was significantly lower than the 46 months observed in those without regional LN metastasis (p < 0.018). Furthermore, the individuals with regional LN metastasis had a death rate that was 2.08 times higher than those without (p = 0.040). In addition, those with adjacent organ invasion had an OS duration of 21 months compared with 52 months in those without (p = 0.008), and the rate of death was 2.39 times higher (p = 0.018). Patients with an R1 resection margin had an OS duration of 36 months compared with 51.56 months in those with an R0 resection margin (p = 0.006), as well as a 2.13 times higher rate of recurrence (p = 0.010) and a 2.43 times higher mortality rate (p = 0.013). Conclusion: The presence of regional LN metastasis, invasion of adjacent organs, and R1 resection margin were identified as distinct factors that are linked to both disease recurrence and reduced OS. Local recurrence, as well as the spread of cancer to distant organs such as the lungs and liver, were frequently observed patterns of recurrence. To enhance the precision of staging, prognosis, and treatment, the inclusion of periductal fat or invasion of adjacent organs should be considered in the staging system for PCCA.

An Illustrated Review of the Recent 2019 World Health Organization Classification of Neuroendocrine Neoplasms: A Radiologic and Pathologic Correlation.

ABSTRACT: Recent advances in molecular pathology and an improved understanding of the etiology of neuroendocrine neoplasms (NENs) have given rise to an updated World Health Organization classification. Since gastroenteropancreatic NENs (GEP-NENs) are the most common forms of NENs and their incidence has been increasing constantly, they will be the focus of our attention. Here, we review the findings at the foundation of the new classification system, discuss how it impacts imaging research and radiological practice, and illustrate typical and atypical imaging and pathological findings. Gastroenteropancreatic NENs have a highly variable clinical course, which existing classification schemes based on proliferation rate were unable to fully capture. While well- and poorly differentiated NENs both express neuroendocrine markers, they are fundamentally different diseases, which may show similar proliferation rates. Genetic alterations specific to well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors graded 1 to 3 and poorly differentiated neuroendocrine cancers of small cell and large-cell subtype have been identified. The new tumor classification places new demands and creates opportunities for radiologists to continue providing the clinically most relevant report and on researchers to design projects, which continue to be clinically applicable.

Multimodality Imaging Features of Immunoglobulin G4-related Vessel Involvement.

Immunoglobulin 4 (IgG4)-related disease is a chronic immune-mediated fibroinflammatory disorder. Involvement of the vascular system, including large- and medium-sized vessels, is increasingly recognized. The varied appearances of vascular involvement reflect the sequela of chronic inflammation and fibrosis and can include aortitis and periaortitis with resultant complications such as aneurysm formation and dissection. A diagnosis of IgG4-related large vessel involvement should be considered when there is known or suspected IgG4-related disease elsewhere. Other organs that are typically affected in IgG4-related disease include the lacrimal and salivary glands, thyroid, pancreas, biliary tree, lungs, kidneys, and meninges. Diagnosis typically requires careful correlation with clinical, imaging, serum, and pathologic findings. Patients may be managed with corticosteroid therapy or the anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody, rituximab, if needed. The varied clinical presentations and imaging features of large vessel involvement are discussed herein. Keywords: Vascular, Inflammation, Aorta, IgG4-related Vessel Involvement © RSNA, 2024.

Clinical significance of prostate cancer identified by transperineal standard template biopsy in men with nonsuspicious multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging.

OBJECTIVE: Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) of the prostate has excellent sensitivity in detecting clinically significant prostate cancer (csCaP). However, whether a negative mpMRI in patients with a clinical suspicion of CaP can omit a confirmatory biopsy remains less understood and without consensus. Transperineal (TP) standard template biopsy (SBx) provides an effective approach to CaP detection. Our aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the CaP characteristics detected through TP SBx that are systematically overlooked by mpMRI. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective analysis of all men who underwent prebiopsy mpMRI and subsequent a 20-core TP SBx at our hospital from September 2019 to February 2021. Patients with suspicious mpMRI received a combined TP SBx and targeted biopsy (TBx) (suspicious group), while those without suspicious (negative) mpMRI and who proceeded to biopsy, received TP SBx only (nonsuspicious group). A negative mpMRI was defined as the absence of suspicious findings and/or the presence of low-risk areas with a PI-RADS score of ≤2. Subsequently, we compared and evaluated the clinical and biopsy characteristics between these 2 groups. RESULTS: We identified 301 men in suspicious group and 215 men in nonsuspicious group. The overall CaP detection rate and csCaP detection rate by TP SBx were 74.1%, 38.9% for suspicious group and 43.3%, 14.9% for nonsuspicious group, respectively. csCaP NPV of mpMRI was 85.1% with a csCaP prevalence 28.9%. The greatest percentage of cancer involvement (GPC) in biopsy core from nonsuspicious group was significantly lower than those of suspicious group (40% vs. 50%, p = 0.005), In multivariate logistic analysis, only PSAD > 0.15 ng/ml/cc was identified as an independent and significant predictor of csCaP in nonsuspicious group. CONCLUSION: Within our cohort, false-negative rates of mpMRI for csCaP are substantial, reaching 15%. Nonsuspicious cases may contain a large volume tumor since the high GPC of SBx. For cases with nonsuspicious imaging and higher PSAD, a confirmatory biopsy may be necessary due to the increased risk of missed csCaP by mpMRI.

Estimated Prostate Volume by Semiautomatic Segmentation of MRI Is More Accurately Correlated with Radical Prostatectomy Specimen Weight than the Volume Calculated by Ellipsoid Formula.

INTRODUCTION: Accurate in vivo prostate volume (PV) estimation is important for obtaining prostate-specific antigen density (PSAD) and further predicting clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa). We aimed to evaluate the accuracy of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)-estimated PV compared to both volume and weight of radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: We identified 310 PCa patients who underwent RP following combined targeted and systematic biopsy in our institution from September 2019 to February 2021. The MRI PV was determined using a semiautomated segmentation algorithm. RP PV was calculated using the prolate ellipsoid formula (length × width × height × π/6). Formula (prostate weight = [actual weight-3.8 g]/1.05 g/mL) was applied, and the resulting volume was used in further analysis. RESULTS: The median PV from MRI, RP, and RP weight were 39 mL, 38 mL, and 44 mL, respectively. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρ) were 0.841 (MRI PV vs. RP weight), 0.758 (RP PV vs. RP weight), and 0.707 (MRI PV vs. RP PV) (all p < 0.001). Decreased correlation between the MRI PV and RP PV was observed in the larger (more than 55 mL) prostate. The PSAD derived from MRI PV showed most efficient to detect csPCa in RP specimen (57.9% vs. 57.6% vs. 45.4%). CONCLUSION: MRI PV is correlated better with RP weight than calculated RP PV, especially in larger prostate. The high csPCa detection rate in final pathology suggested that PSAD derived from MRI PV can be confidently used in clinical practice.

Stress Perfusion Cardiac Magnetic Resonance vs SPECT Imaging for Detection of Coronary Artery Disease.

BACKGROUND: GadaCAD2 was 1 of 2 international, multicenter, prospective, Phase 3 clinical trials that led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of gadobutrol to assess myocardial perfusion and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in adults with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). OBJECTIVES: A prespecified secondary objective was to determine if stress perfusion cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) was noninferior to single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) for detecting significant CAD and for excluding significant CAD. METHODS: Participants with known or suspected CAD underwent a research rest and stress perfusion CMR that was compared with a gated SPECT performed using standard clinical protocols. For CMR, adenosine or regadenoson served as vasodilators. The total dose of gadobutrol was 0.1 mmol/kg body weight. The standard of reference was a 70% stenosis defined by quantitative coronary angiography (QCA). A negative coronary computed tomography angiography could exclude CAD. Analysis was per patient. CMR, SPECT, and QCA were evaluated by independent central core lab readers blinded to clinical information. RESULTS: Participants were predominantly male (61.4% male; mean age 58.9 ± 10.2 years) and were recruited from the United States (75.0%), Australia (14.7%), Singapore (5.7%), and Canada (4.6%). The prevalence of significant CAD was 24.5% (n = 72 of 294). Stress perfusion CMR was statistically superior to gated SPECT for specificity (P = 0.002), area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (P < 0.001), accuracy (P = 0.003), positive predictive value (P < 0.001), and negative predictive value (P = 0.041). The sensitivity of CMR for a 70% QCA stenosis was noninferior and nonsuperior to gated SPECT. CONCLUSIONS: Vasodilator stress perfusion CMR, as performed with gadobutrol 0.1 mmol/kg body weight, had superior diagnostic accuracy for diagnosis and exclusion of significant CAD vs gated SPECT.

Detection of extraprostatic extension by transperineal multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion targeted combined with systemic template prostate biopsy.

BACKGROUND: Extraprostatic extension (EPE) of prostate cancer (PCa) on transrectal (TR) needle core biopsy (Bx) is a rare histopathological finding that can help in clinical decision-making. The detection efficiency of the transperineal (TP) approach is yet to be explored. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 2848 PCa cases using concomitant systemic template biopsy (SBx) and multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-ultrasound fusion-targeted biopsy (TBx) using the TR (n = 1917) or TP (n = 931) approach at our institution between January 2015 and July 2022. We assessed and compared clinical, MRI, and biopsy characteristics using different approaches (TP and TR) and methods (SBx and TBx). RESULTS: In total, 40 EPE cases were identified (40/2848, 1.4%). TP showed a significantly higher EPE detection rate compared to TR in SBx (TR:0.7% vs. TP:1.6%; p = 0.028) and TBx (TR:0.5% vs. TP:1.2%; p = 0.033), as well as the combined methods (2.1% vs. 1.1%, p = 0.019). A significantly higher incidence of EPEs was found at non-base sites in TP than in TR (76.7% vs. 50%, p = 0.038). SBx showed a higher EPE detection rate than TBx; however, the difference was not statistically significant. TP showed higher prostate-specific antigen density (0.35 vs. 0.17, p = 0.005), higher frequency of GG4-5 in the cores with EPE (65.0% vs. 50.0%, p = 0.020), and more PCa-positive SBx cores (10 vs. 8, p = 0.023) compared to the TR. CONCLUSIONS: TP may improve EPE detection compared with TR and should be applied to patients with adverse pre-biopsy features.

Diagnostic performance of dynamic MR defecography in assessment of dyssynergic defecation.

PURPOSE: To assess diagnostic performance of MR defecographic findings in diagnosis of dyssynergic defecation (DD). METHODS: This retrospective study included 46 patients with chronic constipation who met the Rome IV criteria for diagnosis of present or absent DD and underwent MRI between Jan 2015 and June 2020. Patients were divided into DD group (n = 24) and non-DD group (n = 22). Nine parameters were analyzed by two radiologists: anorectal angle (ARA) and M line at rest, defecation, and change between 2 phases; anal canal width; prominent puborectalis muscle; abnormal evacuation. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to extract the optimal cut-offs and area under the curve (AUC). Multivariate analysis was performed. RESULTS: Seven findings showed statistically significant difference between DD and non-DD groups. M line at defecation had highest odds ratio, followed by ARA change, ARA at defecation, M line change, prominent puborectalis muscle, abnormal evacuation and anal canal width, respectively. ARA change and prominent puborectalis muscle had highest specificity (95.5% and 100%, respectively). The optimal cut-offs of ARA at defecation, ARA change, M line at defecation, M line change and anal canal width were 122°, 1.5°, 3.25 cm, 1.9 cm and 8.5 mm, respectively. Multivariate logistic regression revealed two significant findings in differentiating between DD and non-DD, including M line at defecation (OR 23.31, 95% CI 3.10-175.32) and ARA at defecation (OR 13.63, 95% CI 1.94-95.53) with sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and AUC of 79.2%, 95.5%, 95%, 80.8% and 0.87(95% CI 0.78-0.97), respectively. CONCLUSION: MR defecography has high diagnostic performance in diagnosis of DD. Although M line and ARA at defecation are two significant findings on multivariate analysis, ARA change less than 1.5 degrees and prominent puborectalis muscle have good specificity in DD diagnosis.

Ultrasound Surveillance of Small, Incidentally Detected Gallbladder Polyps: Projected Benefits by Sex, Age, and Comorbidity Level.

OBJECTIVE: Incidentally detected gallbladder polyps are commonly encountered when performing upper abdominal ultrasound. Our purpose was to estimate the life expectancy (LE) benefit of ultrasound-based gallbladder surveillance in patients with small (6-7 to <10 mm), incidentally detected gallbladder polyps, accounting for patient sex, age, and comorbidity level. METHODS: We developed a decision-analytic Markov model to evaluate hypothetical cohorts of women and men with small gallbladder polyps, with varying age (66-80 years) and comorbidity level (none, mild, moderate, severe). Drawing from current evidence, in the base case, we assumed no increased risk of gallbladder cancer in patients with small gallbladder polyps. To estimate maximal possible LE gains from surveillance, we assumed perfect cancer control consequent to 5 years of surveillance. We varied key assumptions including cancer risk and test performance characteristics in sensitivity analysis. RESULTS: Projected LE gains from surveillance were <3 days across most cohorts and scenarios evaluated. For 66- and 80-year-olds with no comorbidities, LE gains were 1.46 and 1.45 days, respectively, for women, and 0.67 and 0.75 days for men. With 10 years of surveillance, LE gains increased to 2.94 days for 66-year-old women with no comorbidities (men: 1.35 days). If we assumed a 10% increase in gallbladder cancer risk among individuals with polyps, LE gains increased slightly to 1.60 days for 66-year-old women with no comorbidities (men: 0.74 days). Results were sensitive to test performance and surgical mortality. DISCUSSION: Even under unrealistic, optimistic assumptions of cancer control, ultrasound surveillance of incidentally detected small gallbladder polyps provided limited benefit.

Update on The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC): the radiologist's role.

The National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC) was established by the American College of Surgeons with the goal of standardizing care of rectal cancer patients in order to improve outcomes. NAPRC accreditation requires compliance with an established set of standards, many of which are directly related to radiology participation in multidisciplinary conference, rectal MR image acquisition, interpretation and reporting, and radiologist education. This paper outlines the pertinent standards/requirements for radiologists as part of the Rectal Cancer Multidisciplinary Team in the NAPRC guidelines, with proposed methods and tips for implementation of these standards from the perspective of the radiologist.

Impact of a negative confirmatory biopsy on risk of disease progression among men on active surveillance for prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Most prostate cancer active surveillance (AS) protocols suggest a confirmatory biopsy within 12 to 18 months of diagnosis to mitigate the risk of unsampled high-grade disease. We investigate whether the results of confirmatory biopsy impact AS outcomes and could be used to tailor surveillance intensity. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed our institutional database of prostate cancer patients managed by AS from 1997 to 2019 who underwent confirmatory biopsy and ≥3 biopsies overall. Biopsy progression was defined as either an increase in grade group or an increase in the proportion of positive biopsy cores to >34% and was compared between patients with a negative vs positive confirmatory biopsy using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTS: We identified 452 patients meeting inclusion criteria for this analysis, of whom 169 (37%) had a negative confirmatory biopsy. With a median follow-up of 6.8 years, 37% of patients progressed to treatment, most commonly due to biopsy progression. A negative confirmatory biopsy was significantly associated with biopsy progression-free survival in multivariable analysis (HR 0.54, 95% CI 0.34-0.88, P = 0.013), adjusting for known clinical and pathologic factors, including use of mpMRI prior to confirmatory biopsy. Negative confirmatory biopsy was also associated with an increased risk of adverse pathologic features at prostatectomy but not with biochemical recurrence among men who ultimately underwent definitive treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A negative confirmatory biopsy is associated with a lower risk of biopsy progression. While the increased risk of adverse pathology at time of definitive treatment sounds a small cautionary note regarding decreasing surveillance intensity, the majority of such patients have a favorable outcome on AS.

Cardiac Incidental Findings on Abdominopelvic Computed Tomography: Prevalence and Association with Subsequent Cardiovascular Events.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of reportable cardiac findings detected on abdominopelvic CTs and the association with subsequent cardiovascular events. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective search of electronic medical record of patients who underwent abdominopelvic CT between November 2006 and November 2011 with a clinical history of upper abdominal pain. A radiologist blinded to the original CT report reviewed all 222 cases for the presence of pertinent reportable cardiac findings. The original CT report was also evaluated for documentation of pertinent reportable cardiac findings. The following findings were recorded on all CTs: presence of coronary calcification, fatty metaplasia, ventricle wall thinning and thickening, valve calcification or prosthesis, heart/chamber enlargement, aneurysm, mass, thrombus, device, air within ventricles, abnormal pericardium, prior sternotomy, and adhesions if prior sternotomy. Medical records were reviewed to identify cardiovascular events on follow-up in patients with the presence or absence of cardiac findings. We compared the distribution findings in patients with and without cardiac events using the Wilcoxon test (for continuous variables) and the Pearson's chi-squared test (for categorical variables). RESULTS: Eighty-five of 222 (38.3%) patients (52.7% females, median age 52.5 years) had at least one pertinent reportable cardiac finding on the abdominopelvic CT, with a total of 140 findings in this group. From the total 140 findings, 100 (71.4%) were not reported. The most common findings seen on abdominal CTs were: coronary artery calcification (66 patients), heart or chamber enlargement (25), valve abnormality (19), sternotomy and surgery signs (9), LV wall thickening (7), device (5), LV wall thinning (2), pericardial effusion (5), and others (3). After a mean follow-up of 43.9 months, 19 cardiovascular events were found in the cohort (transient ischemic attack, cerebrovascular accident, myocardial infarction, cardiac arrest, acute arrhythmia, palpitation, syncope and acute chest pain). Only 1 event occurred in the group of patients with no incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings (1/137 = 0.73%). All other 18 events occurred in patients with incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings (18/85 = 21.2%), which was significantly different (p < 0.0001). One out of the total 19 events in the overall group (5.24%) occurred in a patient with no incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings while 18 of 19 total events (94.74%) occurred with patients with incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings, which was also significantly different (p < 0.001). Fifteen of the total events (79%) occurred in patients in whom the incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings were not reported, which was significantly different (p < 0.001) from the four events that occurred in patients in whom the incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings were reported or had no findings. CONCLUSIONS: Incidental pertinent reportable cardiac findings are common on abdominal CTs and are frequently not reported by radiologists. These findings are of clinical relevance since patients with pertinent reportable cardiac findings have a significantly higher incidence of cardiovascular events on follow-up.

Harnessing imaging tools to guide immunotherapy trials: summary from the National Cancer Institute Cancer Imaging Steering Committee workshop.

As the immuno-oncology field continues the rapid growth witnessed over the past decade, optimising patient outcomes requires an evolution in the current response-assessment guidelines for phase 2 and 3 immunotherapy clinical trials and clinical care. Additionally, investigational tools-including image analysis of standard-of-care scans (such as CT, magnetic resonance, and PET) with analytics, such as radiomics, functional magnetic resonance agents, and novel molecular-imaging PET agents-offer promising advancements for assessment of immunotherapy. To document current challenges and opportunities and identify next steps in immunotherapy diagnostic imaging, the National Cancer Institute Clinical Imaging Steering Committee convened a meeting with diverse representation among imaging experts and oncologists to generate a comprehensive review of the state of the field.

The optimized rectal cancer MRI protocol: choosing the right sequences, sequence parameters, and preparatory strategies.

Pelvic MRI plays a critical role in rectal cancer staging and treatment response assessment. Despite a consensus regarding the essential protocol components of a rectal cancer MRI, substantial differences in image quality persist across institutions and vendor software/hardware platforms. In this review, we present image optimization strategies for rectal cancer MRI examinations, including but not limited to preparation strategies, high-resolution T2-weighted imaging, and diffusion-weighted imaging. Our specific recommendations are supported by case studies from multiple institutions. Finally, we describe an ongoing initiative by the Society of Abdominal Radiology's Disease-Focused Panel (DFP) on Rectal and Anal Cancer to create standardized rectal cancer MRI protocols across scanner platforms.

Gleason Grade Group Concordance between Systematic Template Combining Magnetic Resonance Imaging Fusion Targeted Biopsy and Radical Prostatectomy Specimens: A Comparison of Transperineal and Transrectal Approaches.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Gleason grade (GG) discrepancy between biopsy (Bx) techniques (transperineal [TP] /transrectal [TR] approaches or multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging [mpMRI] targeted biopsy [TBx] / standard template biopsies [SBx]) and radical prostatectomy (RP) specimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We identified 310 prostate cancer (PCa) patients who underwent RP following either TP TBx combining SBx (20-core) (n = 105) or TR TBx combining SBx (12-core) (n = 205) from September 2019 to February 2021. The Bx GG was based on the core with the highest GG and clinically significant PCa (csPCa) was defined as grade group 2 or greater prostate adenocarcinoma. RESULTS: TP combined TBx and SBx (CBx) showed a better GG concordance (63.8% vs 57.1%) than the TR approach, but did not reach a statistical significance. TBx demonstrated a significantly higher csPCa detection than SBx in all patients including both approaches (70.2% vs 63.9%, P < .001). TR TBx showed a significantly higher concordance than TR SBx (52.2% vs 41.5%, P = .0.002) while TP TBx did not differ from TP SBx. TP CBx showed the highest Kappa coefficient (κ =0.48) followed by TR CBx (κ = 0.39). Thirty-eight of 69 (55.1%) cases with a GG1 diagnosis in CBx were upgraded to csPCa in RP. TR approach showed a trend of 2.8-fold risk to upgrade to RP csPCa than TP approach (P = .0.065). CONCLUSION: The combination of SBx and TBx led to a better pathological concordance and lower upgrading rate for both TP and TR approaches to RP. With more SBx cores, TP CBx showed a better performance than TR CBx.

Improving Prostate Cancer Detection With MRI: A Multi-Reader, Multi-Case Study Using Computer-Aided Detection (CAD).

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whether addition of a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) generated MRI series improves detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nine radiologists retrospectively interpreted 150 prostate MRI examinations without and then with an additional random forest-based CAD model-generated MRI series. Characteristics of biopsy negative versus positive (Gleason ≥ 7 adenocarcinoma) groups were compared using the Wilcoxon test for continuous and Pearson's chi-squared test for categorical variables. The diagnostic performance of readers was compared without versus with CAD using MRMC methods to estimate the area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC). Inter-reader agreement was assessed using weighted inter-rater agreement statistics. Analyses were repeated in peripheral and transition zone subgroups. RESULTS: Among 150 men with median age 67 ± 7.4 years, those with clinically significant prostate cancer were older (68 ± 7.6 years vs. 66 ± 7.0 years; p < .02), had smaller prostate volume (43.9 mL vs. 60.6 mL; p < .001), and no difference in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels (7.8 ng/mL vs. 6.9 ng/mL; p = .08), but higher PSA density (0.17 ng/mL/cc vs. 0.10 ng/mL/cc; p < .001). Inter-rater agreement (IRA) for PI-RADS scores was moderate without CAD and significantly improved to substantial with CAD (IRA = 0.47 vs. 0.65; p < .001). CAD also significantly improved average reader AUC (AUC = 0.72, vs. AUC = 0.67; p = .02). CONCLUSION: Addition of a random forest method-based, CAD-generated MRI image series improved inter-reader agreement and diagnostic performance for detection of clinically significant prostate cancer, particularly in the transition zone.

Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging versus standard diffusion-weighted imaging in whole-body PET/MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To compare standard (STD-DWI) single-shot echo-planar imaging DWI and simultaneous multislice (SMS) DWI during whole-body positron emission tomography (PET)/MRI regarding acquisition time, image quality, and lesion detection. METHODS: Eighty-three adults (47 females, 57%), median age of 64 years (IQR 52-71), were prospectively enrolled from August 2018 to March 2020. Inclusion criteria were (a) abdominal or pelvic tumors and (b) PET/MRI referral from a clinician. Patients were excluded if whole-body acquisition of STD-DWI and SMS-DWI sequences was not completed. The evaluated sequences were axial STD-DWI at b-values 50-400-800 s/mm2 and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), and axial SMS-DWI at b-values 50-300-800 s/mm2 and ADC, acquired with a 3-T PET/MRI scanner. Three radiologists rated each sequence's quality on a five-point scale. Lesion detection was quantified using the anatomic MRI sequences and PET as the reference standard. Regression models were constructed to quantify the association between all imaging outcomes/scores and sequence type. RESULTS: The median whole-body STD-DWI acquisition time was 14.8 min (IQR 14.1-16.0) versus 7.0 min (IQR 6.7-7.2) for whole-body SMS-DWI, p < 0.001. SMS-DWI image quality scores were higher than STD-DWI in the abdomen (OR 5.31, 95% CI 2.76-10.22, p < 0.001), but lower in the cervicothoracic junction (OR 0.21, 95% CI 0.10-0.43, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the chest, mediastinum, pelvis, and rectum. STD-DWI detected 276/352 (78%) lesions while SMS-DWI located 296/352 (84%, OR 1.46, 95% CI 1.02-2.07, p = 0.038). CONCLUSIONS: In cancer staging and restaging, SMS-DWI abbreviates acquisition while maintaining or improving the diagnostic yield in most anatomic regions. KEY POINTS: • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging enables faster whole-body image acquisition. • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging maintains or improves image quality when compared to single-shot echo-planar diffusion-weighted imaging in most anatomical regions. • Simultaneous multislice diffusion-weighted imaging leads to superior lesion detection.

Detection of clinically significant prostate cancer by transperineal multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion targeted prostate biopsy in smaller prostates.

PURPOSE: Transperineal (TP) multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI)-targeted biopsy (TBx) has been shown to detect more clinically significant (cs) prostate cancer (PCa) than standard template biopsies (SBx). Current data supports the inclusion of both TBx and SBx in obtaining an optimal csPCa detection rate. We compared csPCa detection rates in patients with different prostate volumes to examine the benefit of performing TBx in smaller prostates through the TP approach. METHODS: We identified all men who with suspicious lesions on mpMRI and underwent TP TBx (3-core) and concomitant SBx (20-core) in our single hospital from September 2019 to February 2021. Clinical, MRI and biopsy pathological characteristics were evaluated and compared between TBx and SBx. Grade group 2 or greater prostate adenocarcinoma was defined as csPCa. RESULTS: Three hundred and one (n = 301) men were included. The median prostate volume by MRI was 45 ml. The patients were divided by prostate volume into three groups: ≤30ml group (19.9%), >30 to ≤45 ml group (31.3%) and >45ml group (48.8%). Patients in the ≤30ml group showed significantly higher frequency of combined (both TBx and/or SBx) csPCa detection rate (65.0%) than patients in the >45ml group (39.5%) but similar frequency to the >30 to ≤45 ml group (54.2%,). By TBx only (55.0% vs 27.9%) or by SBx only (56.7% vs. 34.0%), patients in the ≤30ml group consistently showed significantly higher rates of csPCa detection than patients in the >45 ml group. In the ≤30ml group, the detection rate of csPCa was comparable by TBx, SBx or when combined. Four of 6 csPCa cases missed by TBx but detected by SBx were present at the base location. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that performing TBx with limited additional cores may potentially achieve the same csPCa detection rate as the combined SBx and TBx in smaller prostates.