Oncological outcomes of active surveillance and percutaneous cryoablation of small renal masses are similar at intermediate term follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Active surveillance (AS) and minimally invasive ablative therapies such as percutaneous cryoablation (PCA) are emerging as alternative treatment modalities in the management of small renal masses (SRMs). METHODS: Fifty-nine patients underwent PCA since 2011 and 75 underwent AS since 2010 at two different institutions. Only patients with follow-up ≥6 months were included. All patients were followed with a standardized protocol. Treatment failure was defined by dimensional progression for AS and renal recurrence for PCA, in addition to stage and/or metastatic progression for both groups. RESULTS: Treatment failure was observed in 14 cases (18.7%) during AS (mainly due to dimensional progression) and 12 patients (16%) underwent delayed intervention with a mean follow-up of 36.83 months. Seven patients (11.9%) in the PCA group experienced treatment failure with a mean follow-up of 33.39 months and three of them underwent re-ablation successfully. Cancer-specific-survival at 2 and 5 years was 100% and 95,8% in AS-group vs. 98.2% and 98.2% in PCA-group (P=0.831). One patient in both groups died from metastatic disease. Overall-survival at 2 and 5 years was 91.7% and 82.4% in the AS group vs. 96.5% and 96.5% in the PCA group (P=0.113). Failure-free survival at 2 and 5 years was 90.9% and 70.1% in the AS group vs. 93.1% and 70.9% in the PCA group (P=0.645). CONCLUSIONS: AS and PCA provide similar survival outcomes and are safe and valid treatment options for elderly and comorbid patients with SRMs.

Prognostic Significance of Feature-Tracking Right Ventricular Global Longitudinal Strain in Non-ischemic Dilated Cardiomyopathy.

Aims: Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (GLS) by cardiac magnetic resonance feature tracking (CMR-FT) analysis has shown an incremental prognostic value compared to classical parameters in non-ischemic dilated cardiomyopathy (NICM). However, less is known about the role of right ventricular (RV) GLS. Our objective was to evaluate the prognostic impact of RV-GLS by CMR-FT analysis in a population of NICM patients. Methods: In this multicenter study, we examined NICM patients evaluated with a comprehensive CMR-FT study. Major cardiac events (MACEs) were considered as the study primary outcome measure and were defined as a composite of (a) cardiovascular death, (b) cardiac transplant or destination therapy ventricular assist device, (c) hospitalization for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias or implantable cardiac defibrillator appropriate intervention. Heart failure (HF) related events, including hospitalizations and life-threatening arrhythmia-related events were considered as secondary end-points. Receiver operating time-dependent analysis were used to calculate the possible additional effect of RV-GLS to standard evaluation. Results: We consecutively enrolled 273 patients. During a median follow-up of 39 months, 41 patients (15%) experienced MACEs. RV-GLS and LV late gadolinium emerged as the strongest prognostic CMR-FT variables: their association provided an estimated 3-year MACEs rate of 29%. The addition of RV-GLS significantly improved the prognostic accuracy in predicting MACEs with respect to the standard evaluation including LGE (areas under the curve from 0.71 [0.66-0.82] to 0.76 [0.66-0.86], p = 0.03). On competing risk analysis, RV-GLS showed a significant ability to reclassify overall both HF-related and life-threatening arrhythmia-related events, regardless of LV and RV ejection fraction. Conclusions: In NICM patients, RV-GLS showed a significant prognostic role in reclassifying the risk of MACEs, incremental with respect to standard evaluation with standard prognostic parameters.

Endovascular Interventional Radiology of the Urogenital Tract.

Interventional radiology of the male urogenital system includes percutaneous and endovascular procedures, and these last consist mostly of transcatheter arterial embolizations. At the kidney level, arterial embolizations are performed mainly for palliative treatment of parenchymal tumors, for renal traumas and, less frequently, for arteriovenous fistulas and renal aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms. These latter may often require emergency intervention as they can cause renal or peri-renal hematomas or significant hematuria. Transcatheter arterial embolization is also an effective therapy for intractable severe bladder hematuria secondary to a number of neoplastic and inflammatory conditions in the pelvis, including unresectable bladder cancer and radiation-induced or cyclophosphamide-induced hemorrhagic cystitis. Endovascular interventional procedures for the penis are indicated for the treatment of post-traumatic priapism. In this article, we review the main endovascular radiological interventions of the male urogenital system, describing the technical aspects, results, and complications of each procedure at the various anatomical districts.

A Novel Fast CT Perfusion Core-Penumbra Mismatch Score: Correlation With Stroke Outcome.

BACKGROUND: Advanced neuroimaging can identify patients who can most benefit from reperfusion treatment, discriminating between ischemic core and penumbra area in a quick and accurate manner. Despite core-penumbra mismatch being an independent prognostic factor, computed tomography perfusion (CTP) assessment is still debated in hyperacute decision-making. The authors aimed to study a novel CTP mismatch score in emergency settings and to investigate its relation with clinical outcome in acute ischemic stroke patients treated with intravenous thrombolysis (IVT). METHODS: Neuroimaging and clinical data of 226 consecutive acute ischemic stroke patients were analyzed. The study population was divided into 5 different CTP scores: (0) without perfusion deficit, (1) only penumbra, (2) penumbra > core, (3) core ≥ penumbra, (4) only core. For differences in outcome between treated and nontreated patients, and among CTP core-penumbra groups to be assessed, the authors have evaluated the outcome in terms of National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and modified Rankin scale (mRS) at discharge and symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage. RESULTS: A decrease in NIHSS was statistically greater in IVT-treated patients compared to nontreated patients showing only penumbra (ΔNIHSS%: 80.0% vs. 50.0%; P=0.0023) or no perfusion deficit (ΔNIHSS%: 89.4% vs. 61.5%; P=0.027) on CTP maps. The same trend was found in other groups without significant difference. A significant correlation was found in IVT patients between core/penumbra score and outcome in terms of ΔNIHSS (Kendall τ=-0.19; P=0.004). CONCLUSIONS: The authors proposed a novel immediate CTP assessment to score perfusion mismatch in emergency settings to guide clinicians' decision-making for aggressive treatment and to prevent stroke-related disability.

CT Urography Findings of Upper Urinary Tract Carcinoma and Its Mimickers: A Pictorial Review.

Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the fourth most frequent tumor in Western countries and upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC), affecting pyelocaliceal cavities and ureter, accounts for 5-10% of all UCs. Computed tomography urography (CTU) is now considered the imaging modality of choice for diagnosis and staging of UTUC, guiding disease management. Although its specificity is very high, both benign and malignant diseases could mimic UTUCs and therefore have to be well-known to avoid misdiagnosis. We describe CTU findings of upper urinary tract carcinoma, features that influence disease management, and possible differential diagnosis.

Advancements towards the implementation of clinical phase-contrast breast computed tomography at Elettra.

Breast computed tomography (BCT) is an emerging application of X-ray tomography in radiological practice. A few clinical prototypes are under evaluation in hospitals and new systems are under development aiming at improving spatial and contrast resolution and reducing delivered dose. At the same time, synchrotron-radiation phase-contrast mammography has been demonstrated to offer substantial advantages when compared with conventional mammography. At Elettra, the Italian synchrotron radiation facility, a clinical program of phase-contrast BCT based on the free-space propagation approach is under development. In this paper, full-volume breast samples imaged with a beam energy of 32 keV delivering a mean glandular dose of 5 mGy are presented. The whole acquisition setup mimics a clinical study in order to evaluate its feasibility in terms of acquisition time and image quality. Acquisitions are performed using a high-resolution CdTe photon-counting detector and the projection data are processed via a phase-retrieval algorithm. Tomographic reconstructions are compared with conventional mammographic images acquired prior to surgery and with histologic examinations. Results indicate that BCT with monochromatic beam and free-space propagation phase-contrast imaging provide relevant three-dimensional insights of breast morphology at clinically acceptable doses and scan times.

Renal Masses With Equivocal Enhancement at CT: Characterization With Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this article is to retrospectively investigate in two radiology centers the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the characterization of renal masses with equivocal enhancement at CT (i.e., with a density increase of 10-20 HU between unenhanced and contrast-enhanced scans) not characterized with conventional ultrasound modes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-seven renal lesions (range, 0.8-7.7 cm; average, 2.6 cm) with equivocal enhancement at CT underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound using sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubbles. Examinations were digitally recorded for retrospective blinded evaluation by two radiologists with 20 and 10 years' experience in urologic imaging. Histologic results were available for 30 of 47 (64%) lesions (25 primary malignant tumors, two metastases, and three primary benign lesions). Two lesions increased in size and complexity during the follow-up and were considered malignant. One Bosniak category III and 14 category IIF cysts were stable after a follow-up of at least 3 years and were considered benign. ROC curve analysis was used to assess the capability of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to differentiate benign from malignant lesions. RESULTS: Twelve likely complex cystic lesions at gray-scale ultrasound were cystic also on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and reference procedures. Eleven of 34 lesions that appeared solid at gray-scale ultrasound were cystic on contrast-enhanced ultrasound and reference procedures. One lesion considered likely solid by one radiologist and possibly cystic by the other was a solid tumor at contrast-enhanced ultrasound and histologic analysis. The diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound to characterize the lesions as benign or malignant was high for both readers (AUC, 0.958 and 0.966, respectively). CONCLUSION: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is effective for characterizing renal lesions presenting with equivocal enhancement at CT.

Clinical study in phase- contrast mammography: image-quality analysis.

The first clinical study of phase-contrast mammography (PCM) with synchrotron radiation was carried out at the Synchrotron Radiation for Medical Physics beamline of the Elettra synchrotron radiation facility in Trieste (Italy) in 2006-2009. The study involved 71 patients with unresolved breast abnormalities after conventional digital mammography and ultrasonography exams carried out at the Radiology Department of Trieste University Hospital. These cases were referred for mammography at the synchrotron radiation facility, with images acquired using a propagation-based phase-contrast imaging technique. To investigate the contribution of phase-contrast effects to the image quality, two experienced radiologists specialized in mammography assessed the visibility of breast abnormalities and of breast glandular structures. The images acquired at the hospital and at the synchrotron radiation facility were compared and graded according to a relative seven-grade visual scoring system. The statistical analysis highlighted that PCM with synchrotron radiation depicts normal structures and abnormal findings with higher image quality with respect to conventional digital mammography.

256-slice CT coronary angiography: in vivo dosimetry and technique optimization.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to compare the different acquisition protocols available in a last-generation multislice computed tomography scanner used for cardiovascular studies, with particular attention to dosimetric aspects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study compared prospective and retrospective electrocardiographic-gating techniques for cardiac imaging. For each patient, we performed in vivo dose measurements, using Gafchromic film. We compared the effective dose values estimated from the experimental measurements and the dose data reported on the CT console. Image quality was also assessed. RESULTS: Prospective acquisition allows for major dose savings compared to retrospective acquisition (mean effective dose, 4.5 mSv with prospective acquisition versus 27.5 mSv with retrospective acquisition). The agreement between the experimental and software-based dose estimates was excellent and showed below 10% of variation of the measured dose. CONCLUSION: In patients with regular rhythm and a heart rate lower than 75 bpm, the prospective acquisition technique ensures adequate diagnostic results and allows for significant patient dose savings.

Utility of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging to differentiate cardiac sarcoidosis from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

Some patients diagnosed with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) are eventually found to have cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). Accurate differentiation between these 2 conditions has implications for immunosuppressive therapy and familial screening. We sought to determine whether cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could be used to identify the characteristic findings to accurately differentiate between CS and ARVC. Consecutive patients with a diagnostic MRI scan indicating CS and/or ARVC constituted the cohort. All patients diagnosed with CS had histologic confirmation of sarcoidosis, and all patients with ARVC met the diagnostic task force criteria. The cardiac MRI data were retrospectively analyzed to identify possible differentiating characteristics. Of the patients, 40 had CS and 21 had ARVC. Those with CS were older and had more left ventricular scar. The presence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy or left ventricular septal involvement was seen exclusively in the patients with CS (p <0.001). A family history of sudden cardiac death was seen only in the ARVC group (p = 0.012). The right ventricular ejection fraction and ventricular volumes were also significantly different between the 2 groups. In conclusion, patients with CS have significantly different cardiac MRI characteristics than patients with ARVC. The cardiac volume, in addition to the degree and location of cardiac involvement, can be used to distinguish between these 2 disease entities. The presence of mediastinal lymphadenopathy and left ventricular septal scar favors a diagnosis of CS and not ARVC. Consideration of CS should be given if these MRI findings are observed during the evaluation for possible ARVC.

Acute segmental testicular infarction at contrast-enhanced ultrasound: early features and changes during follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound is useful for characterization of acute segmental testicular infarction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty men with acute scrotal pain and suspected segmental testicular infarction underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Three patients underwent orchiectomy. For the other patients, the final diagnosis was based on the absence of tumor markers and a change in the size or shape of the tumor during follow-up. Forty-nine color Doppler ultrasound studies (16 within 24 hours of the onset of pain; 14, 2-17 days after pain onset; 19 after 1 month or more), and 38 contrast-enhanced ultrasound studies (13 within 24 hours after pain onset; nine, 2-17 days; 16 after 1 month or more) were performed. RESULTS: Fourteen of 16 lesions examined within 24 hours were oval, and two were wedge shaped. Eight lesions were isoechoic to the testis, six were hypoechoic, and two had mixed echogenicity. Twelve lesions were avascular and four were hypovascular at color Doppler examination. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed avascular parenchymal lobules in all cases and without perilesional rim enhancement in 12 of 13 studies. Two to 17 days after the symptoms appeared, contrast-enhanced ultrasound showed avascular lobules in all cases and perilesional rim enhancement in eight examinations. After 1 month or more, contrast-enhanced ultrasound depicted intralesional vascular spots in 12 of 14 infarcts. Perilesional enhancement was absent. CONCLUSION: Recognition of lobular morphologic characteristics and the presence of perilesional rim enhancement at contrast-enhanced ultrasound can increase confidence in the diagnosis of segmental testicular infarction compared with reliance on gray-scale and color Doppler findings. Changes in lesion features during follow-up confirm the differential diagnosis from other testicular lesions and allow conservative management.