Long-term outcome of Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy for patient with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer.

PURPOSE: To investigate clinical outcome and predicting factors of local failures in patients with colorectal cancer treated for unresectable liver metastases with stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT). METHODS AND MATERIALS: We restrospectively reviewed the medical records of 67 patients treated with the Cyberknife SBRT system for 99 hepatic metastases between January 2007 and December 2015 in our center. In total, 37.5 to 54.0Gy in 3 to 5 fractions were prescribed to the 80% isodose line. Local control (LC), intrahepatic progression incidence, Progression-Free Survival (PFS), Overall Survival (OS) and toxicity were evaluated. RESULTS: The median follow-up was 47 months (IQR, 28-59 months). The median OS was 53 months, the 2-year OS and PFS rates were 81.4% and 54.0%. The 1- and 2-year LC rates were 86.6% and 72.4%. In the multivariate analysis, the degree of differentiation was the only prognostic factor for LC (HR 0.31, 95% CI, 0.10-0.98, P=0.046). Margin expansion>5mm was not associated with a better LC (HR 0.72, 95% CI, 0.38-1.37, P=0.317). Performans Status≥2 (HR 3.27, 95% CI, 1.07-9.98, P=0.038), chemotherapy for metastases before SBRT (HR 0.36, 95% CI, 0.18-0.75, P=0.006) and regional lymph node at diagnosis (HR 2.19, 95% CI, 1.09-4.43, P=0.029) were independent prognostic factors for OS. We report 2 cases of grade≥3 toxicity (3.0%) - one grade 3 acute nausea and one grade 3 late gastric ulcer. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic body radiation therapy is an effective and well-tolerated treatment that allow high LC for liver metastases from colorectal cancer during the first two years. A prescription dose of 45Gy in 3 fractions to the 80% isodose line with a risk adapted schedule to respect Organ At Risk constraints allows a low rate of toxicity.

Management of severe imported malaria in adults.

Severe malaria accounts for approximately 10% of all cases of imported malaria in France; cases are mainly due to Plasmodium falciparum, while other Plasmodium species are possible but uncommon (P. vivax, P. knowlesi, P. malariae, and P. ovale). On the basis of WHO criteria for endemic areas, the French criteria defining severe imported malaria in adults have been progressively adapted to the European healthcare level. Management of severe imported malaria is a diagnostic and treatment emergency and must be initially conducted in the intensive care unit. Anti-infective treatment is now based on intravenous artesunate, which must be available in every hospital of the country likely to receive severe imported malaria patients. Intravenous quinine is thus used as a second-line treatment and is restricted to limited indications. Critical care management of organ failure is essential, particularly in patients presenting with very severe malaria. To date, no adjunctive therapy (including exchange transfusion) has demonstrated clear beneficial effects.

Early liver metastases in resectable periampullary cancer: Incidence and risk factors.

PURPOSE: The aim of the present study was to estimate the incidence of very early hepatic metastases (HMs) (<6 months) and their imaging patterns after cephalic duodenopancreatectomy (CDP) for periampullary carcinoma (excluding duodenal carcinoma) and to identify their associated risk factors. METHODS: From January 2003 to June 2016, all patients who underwent surgical treatment for periampullary carcinoma by CDP at our institution and with adequate pre- and postoperative CT scans were included. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to determine factors associated with very early HM and recurrence. RESULTS: Of the 132 patients included retrospectively, 27 (20.5%) patients developed HMs. The mean time to diagnosis of HM was 103.9±55.2days. HMs were multiple in 81.4% of cases and bilobar in 59.3% of cases; their mean maximum size was 16.7±12.7mm. In univariate logistic analysis, lymphovascular emboli were significantly associated with HM (p=0.02). No independent risk factors for HM were found in multivariate analysis. In multivariate logistic analysis, two independent risk factors were identified for the occurrence of early recurrence: tumor size >23mm on preoperative CT scan (OR: 3.3; 95% CI: [1.2-9.3]; p=0.02) and tumor differentiation (poor vs. good: OR 15.5; 95 CI [1.5-158.3]; moderate vs. good: OR: 17.1; 95% CI: [1.9-154.4]; p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly one in five patients developed HM after CDP within 6 months with a highly consistent pattern. A thorough preoperative assessment, combining CT scan and MRI with a delay of less than three weeks before surgery, appears essential. A routine systematic postoperative CT scan at 8 weeks is also required prior to initiating adjuvant chemotherapy. The type of surgical intervention does not seem to be a risk factor, although the risk of HM occurrence appears to be related to the lymphovascular invasion of the tumor and maybe its degree of differentiation, elements not assessable by imaging.

Extensive lymph node dissection during pancreaticoduodenectomy: a risk factor for hepatic steatosis?

PURPOSE: The first reports of hepatic steatosis following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) were published several years ago; however, clear risk factors remain to be identified. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify the risk factors for hepatic steatosis post-PD. METHODS: We studied 90 patients who had undergone PD between September 2005 and January 2015. The inclusion criteria were as follows: available unenhanced CT within one month before PD and at least one unenhanced CT acquisition between PD and chemotherapy initiation. Using scanners, we studied the liver and spleen density as well as the surface areas of visceral (VF) and subcutaneous fat (SCF). These variables were previously identified by univariate and multivariate analyses. RESULTS: Hepatic steatosis occurred in 25.6% of patients at 45.2 days, on average, post-PD. Among the patients with hepatic steatosis, the average liver density was 52 HU before PD and 15.1 HU post-PD (p < 0.001). The Patients with hepatic steatosis lost more VF (mean, 28 vs. 11 cm2) and SCF (28.8 vs. 13.7 cm2) (p < 0.01 and p = 0.01, respectively). Portal vein resection and extensive lymph node dissection were independent risk factors in the multivariate analysis (odds ratio [OR] 5.29, p = 0.009; OR 3.38, p = 0.04, respectively). CONCLUSION: Portal vein resection and extensive lymph node dissection are independent risk factors for post-PD hepatic steatosis.

Prevalence of hepatic lesion types defined by T2-weighted and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging in patients with metastasized neuroendocrine tumors.

PURPOSE: Identifying liver metastases from neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is a pretherapeutic challenge in patients who are candidates for liver resection. The aims of our study are to characterize and determine the frequency of different MRI characteristics of liver metastases caused by NETs in a lesion-by-lesion analysis and to determine the frequency of monomorphous and polymorphous metastases in a patient-by-patient analysis. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 47 patients with liver metastases arising from histologically confirmed NETs. In a lesion-by-lesion analysis, we classified these metastases according to their MRI characteristics as follows: hypervascular lesions with homogeneous or peripheral enhancement, hypovascular lesions, pure cystic lesions, and mixed solid/cystic lesions. In the patient-by-patient analysis, we distinguished patients whose metastases had the same MRI characteristics from patients with mixed lesion characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 376 metastases were analyzed. Of these, 84.3% (n = 317) were hypervascular, with 51.9% showing homogeneous enhancement and 32.4% (n = 122) showing peripheral enhancement. Another 7.4% (n = 28) were hypovascular, 5.3% (n = 20) were pure cystic, and 2.9% (n = 11) were mixed solid/cystic. After excluding three patients with solitary lesions, 40.9% of patients (n = 18) had mixed-type lesions, consisting of hypervascular lesions with either homogeneous or peripheral enhancement in 27.3% of cases (n = 12), while 59.1% of patients (n = 26) had identical lesions. CONCLUSION: Approximately 15% of metastases have atypical MRI characteristics and are either hypovascular or cystic. Metastases with different MRI characteristics coexist in 40% of patients.

CT imaging findings in patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma treated with sorafenib: Alternative response criteria (Choi, European Association for the Study of the Liver, and modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (mRECIST)) versus RECIST 1.1.

PURPOSE: The first aim was to compare Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (RECIST) 1.1, modified Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumor (mRECIST), Choi and European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) evaluations to assess the response to sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The second aim was to describe the evolution of HCC and to identify whether some imaging features are predictive of the absence of response. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 60 patients with advanced HCC treated with sorafenib. Patients must have undergone a scan prior to treatment to identify the number of lesions, size, enhancement and endoportal invasions, and repeat scans thereafter. Computed tomography (CT) scans were analyzed using RECIST 1.1, mRECIST, Choi and EASL criteria. Overall survival was analyzed. RESULTS: The median overall survival was 10.5 months. On the first CT reevaluation, the sorafenib response rates were 20%, 5%, 7% and 3% according to Choi, EASL, mRECIST and RECIST 1.1. The responders based on Choi exhibited significantly better overall survival compared with non-responders (20.4 months; hazard ratio (HR) 0.042, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.186-0.94, p=0.035). A modification of imaging findings was observed in 48.3% of patients, and necrosis was present in 44.1% of patients. CONCLUSION: This study found a significant difference between Choi versus RECIST 1.1, mRECIST and EASL when evaluating the response to sorafenib in HCC patients.

MDCT features of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in non-cirrhotic liver.

PURPOSE: To describe the multidetector row computed tomography (MDCT) imaging features of HCC that develops in patients who are free from underlying liver cirrhosis and to determine if the MDCT presentation of this specific tumor differs from that of the more common HCC that develops in patients with liver cirrhosis using a retrospective case-control study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The MDCT examinations of 38 patients with HCC in non-cirrhotic liver (group 1) were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed and compared to those obtained in 38 patients with HCC in cirrhotic liver (group 2) matched for age and gender. Quantitative and qualitative characteristics of HCC of both groups were compared using univariate analysis. RESULTS: HCCs were significantly larger in group 1 (81.5mm±55.5) than in group 2 (44.5mm±39.1 SD; P=0.0015). In group 1, HCCs were more frequently single tumors (87%) than in group 2 (37%) (P<0.0001), encapsulated (92% vs. 47% respectively; P<0.0001), had more frequently fatty component (24% vs. 8%, respectively; P=0.0279) and internal hemorrhage (29% vs. 3%, respectively; P=0.0033). No significant differences were found between the two groups for location, hyperenhancement of HCC during the arterial phase, washout during the portal phase, endoluminal portal involvement by HCC, endoportal cruoric thrombus, invasion of adjacent organs and underlying liver steatosis. CONCLUSION: HCC in non-cirrhotic liver are larger than those observed in cirrhotic liver and more frequently present as a single encapsulated tumor. They have the same patterns of enhancement than HCC that develops in cirrhotic liver.

Magnetic resonance enterography is feasible and reliable in multicenter clinical trials in patients with Crohn's disease, and may help select subjects with active inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Reliable tools for patient selection are critical for clinical drug trials. AIM: To evaluate a consensus-based, standardised magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) protocol for selecting patients for inclusion in Crohn's disease (CD) multicenter clinical trials. METHODS: This study recruited 20 patients [Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) scores: <150 (n = 8); 150-220 (n = 4); 220-450 (n = 8)], to undergo ileocolonoscopy and two MREs (with and without colonic contrast) within a 14-day period. Procedures were scored centrally using, Magnetic Resonance Index of Activity (MaRIA), and both Crohn's Disease Endoscopic Index of Severity (CDEIS) and Simplified Endoscopic Score (SES-CD). RESULTS: 37 MREs were acquired. Both MREs were evaluable in 16 patients for calculation of test-retest and inter-reader reliability scores. The MaRIA scores for the terminal ileum had excellent test-retest and inter-reader reliability, with correlations >0.9. The proximal ileum showed strong within-reader agreement (0.90-0.96), and fair between-reader agreement (0.59-0.72). MRE procedures were tolerable. MaRIA scores correlated with CDEIS and SES-CD (0.63 and 0.71), but not with CDAI (0.34). MRE identified 3 patients with intra-abdominal complications, who would otherwise have been included in clinical trials. Furthermore, both MRE and ileocolonoscopy identified active bowel wall inflammation in 2 patients with CDAI <150, and none in 1 patient with CDAI > 220. Data quality was good/excellent in 85% of scans, and fair or better in 96%. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance enterography of high-quality and reproducibility was feasible in a global multi- centre setting, with evidence for improved selectivity over CDAI and ileocolonoscopy in identifying appropriate CD patients for inclusion in therapeutic intervention trials.

Primary rectal cancer local staging.

The treatment of patients with a malignant rectal tumor has evolved over the past few years. The role of medical imaging techniques, notably MRI, has become increasingly important in the preoperative assessment of rectal tumors. Radiologists are finding that their presence is requested more and more frequently at multidisciplinary team meetings for decision-making on the treatment of these tumors and therefore they must have a grounding in the therapeutic issues involved. Locoregional assessment of malignant rectal tumors may be performed prior to initiating treatment or as a re-evaluation following neoadjuvant therapy. We are interested in the assessment of the initial locoregional extension of these rectal tumors and we place much emphasis on the ability to identify MRI criteria which determine the patient's prognosis and treatment. We will also examine the advantages of MRI as well as its limits in this assessment.

The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis assessed on magnetic resonance imaging of inflammatory bowel disease: a retrospective study performed on 186 patients.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) colonography or enterography is increasingly used to assess disease activity and complications in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, no study has evaluated the role of this imaging technique to assess sacroiliitis. AIM: The primary objective was to assess the prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis on MRI performed for IBD investigation. The secondary aim was to elucidate clinico-biological factors associated with the presence of sacroiliitis. METHODS: This study was performed on 186 patients suffering from IBD followed in a gastroenterology department between 2004 and 2011: 131 with Crohn's disease and 55 with ulcerative colitis. Clinico-biological and endoscopic data were collected and MR enterography or colonography was performed to assess IBD activity on axial and coronal fat suppressed injected T1-weighted sequences. On MRI, sacroiliitis was scored blindly by two independent readers according to ASAS (Assessment of SpondyloArthritis international Society) criteria. RESULTS: The prevalence of inflammatory sacroiliitis was 16.7% (n = 31). Sacroiliitis was bilateral in 14 cases and unilateral in 17 cases. The sacroiliac joints were considered normal in 144 cases and doubtful in 11 cases. Older age and female gender were significantly associated with the presence of sacroiliitis. Other factors such as type of IBD, disease duration and localisation of IBD, surgery history, biological inflammation, bowel disease activity and treatment were not associated with sacroiliitis. CONCLUSION: Inflammatory sacroiliitis was evidenced by MRI in 16.7% in patients suffering from IBD. Added to clinico-biological data, MRI analysis should contribute to an earlier diagnosis of axial spondylarthritis in patients with IBD.

Diagnostic accuracy of urinary dipstick to exclude catheter-associated urinary tract infection in ICU patients: a reappraisal.

OBJECTIVES: We wanted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of urinary dipstick testing in excluding catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) in intensive care unit (ICU) patients with fever or hypothermia. METHODS: This was a prospective observational cohort study in a medical-surgical ICU. Patients with new-onset fever >38.3 °C or hypothermia <36 °C at least 48 h after urinary catheter insertion were included over a 2-year period. At each episode, a urinary dipstick test and a urine culture were performed as the criterion standard. Extensive microbiological investigations for extra-urinary infections were performed also. The performances of various urinary dipstick result combinations in ruling out CAUTI were compared based on the likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-). RESULTS: Symptomatic CAUTI was diagnosed in 31 (24.4 %) of the 127 included patients (195 episodes of fever or hypothermia). LR+ was best for combined leukocyte esterase-positive and nitrite-positive dipstick results (overall population: 14.91; 95 % confidence interval [95 % CI], 5.53-40.19; patients without urinary symptoms: 15.63; 95 % CI, 5.76-42.39). LR- was best for either leukocyte esterase-positive or nitrite-positive dipstick results (overall population: 0.41; 95 % CI, 0.57-0.65; patients without urinary symptoms, 0.36; 95 % CI, 0.21-0.60). CONCLUSIONS: Urinary dipstick testing at the bedside does not help to rule out symptomatic CAUTI in medical or surgical ICU patients with fever or hypothermia.

[Group A streptococcal meningitis: Streptococcus pneumoniae is not the only one to seep into the CSF fluid leak!]. / Méningite à streptocoque du groupe A: il n'y a pas que le pneumocoque qui s'infiltre dans la brèche ostéoméningée!

We reported a case of group A streptococcal meningitis in a patient with a CSF fluid leak. This case underlined several relevant points: (i) an unfrequent cause of bacterial meningitis; (ii) the main diagnosis to evoke when the direct examination of CSF shows Gram+ cocci with a negative pneumococcal antigen; (iii) that bacteria other than Streptococcus pneumoniae are possible in front of a meningitis associated with a CSF fluif leak.

Aorto-enteric fistulas: a physiopathological approach and computed tomography diagnosis.

Infection of an abdominal aortic prosthesis with an enteroprosthetic fistula is a very serious, life-threatening complication, leading sometimes to severe functional consequences, the most serious being amputation. Since the symptoms, if there are any, are often rather non-specific, diagnosis is frequently difficult and has always to be based on a whole series of justifications. Early diagnosis is essential and this fistula should be the first possibility considered in a patient with an abdominal aortic prosthesis who is presenting rectorrhagia or melaena (even if only to a slight degree), sepsis and/or abdominal pain. Although rare, the clinical existence of hypertrophic osteoarthropathy may assist diagnosis. A CT scan is the examination of choice, the criteria providing evidence of a fistula being the presence of gaseous images in a periprosthetic fluid collection, thickening and/or retraction of the intestinal walls in contact, the existence of a false aneurysm, and finally, very rarely, extravasation of contrast agent into the intestinal lumen. The differential diagnoses that may mimic a fistula need to be well known, and can include retroperitoneal fibrosis, an infectious aneurysm, inflammatory or infectious aortitis, and above all, a 'simple' prosthesis infection without fistulisation.