Diagnosis of esophageal varices on liver CT: is thin-section reconstruction necessary?

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm section thicknesses of liver CT on the detection and grading of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients. METHODOLOGY: A total of 219 consecutive cirrhotic patients who had undergone both upper endoscopy and 64-channel liver CT were included. Portal phase images of each CT were reconstructed with a section thickness of 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm. Four radiologists independently reviewed the 3 image sets. The observers evaluated the presence of esophageal varices on a 5-point confidence scale and measured the maximal short diameter of the largest varix identified. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive value calculation and receiver operating characteristic analysis were performed. Correlation between CT measurements and endoscopic grading as the reference standard was assessed. RESULTS: The averaged Az values at 1 mm, 3 mm, and 5 mm image sets were 0.936, 0.946, and 0.935, respectively, and they were not significantly different among the 4 observers. When a 3 mm cut-off criterion for large varices was applied, sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were comparable among the 3 image datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Routine liver CT protocol is sufficient for evaluation of esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients without adding thin section reconstruction images.

Malignant phyllodes tumor of the breast with heterologous osteosarcoma and chondrosarcomatous differentiation: A rare case report with imaging findings.

Phyllodes tumors of the breast are rare fibroepithelial neoplasms accounting for 0.3%-1.5% of all female breast tumors [1,2]. Malignant transformations occur in 10%-20% of phyllodes tumors, often in the form of stroma. Heterologous osteosarcoma and chondrosarcomatous differentiation of phyllodes tumor are extremely rare, and little is known about their imaging findings. Here, we report a rare case of a 52-year-old woman with no history of previous surgery or radiation therapy, who presented with a rapidly growing right breast mass that was diagnosed as a malignant phyllodes tumor with heterologous osteosarcoma and chondrosarcomatous differentiation. The patient underwent modified radical mastectomy.

[Delayed Bilateral Common Femoral Pseudoaneurysm after Percutaneous Access with Interventional Management: A Case Report]. / ê²½í”¼ì  ì ‘ê·¼ì„ 통한 ì‹œìˆ í›„ì— 발생한 지연성 양측 총대퇴 가성동맥류 및 ì¸í„°ë²¤ì ˜ 치료: 증례 ë³´ê³ .

Common femoral artery pseudoaneurysm is a potentially serious complication of peripheral angiography. There have been few prior reports of simultaneous pseudoaneurysm in both common femoral arteries after percutaneous access. Here we report the case of a 58-year-old male patient who presented with phlegmon or abscess a few days after bilateral femoral access, after which newly developed bilateral femoral pseudoaneurysm with wide neck was observed on CT angiography 2 months after infection treatment. Because the patient refused surgery for pseudoaneurysm, a stent-graft was inserted in the left side, and percutaneous thrombin injection under US guidance with balloon occlusion was performed for the right side. Most pseudoaneurysms occur immediately after the causative procedure. However, there have been some cases in which pseudoaneurysms may occur several weeks or months later; it is therefore necessary to check the risk factors and to carefully observe the hemostasis site.

Rapidly Progressing Dysphagia After Thoracic Spinal Cord Injury in a Patient With Ankylosing Spondylitis: A Case Report.

Introduction: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease affecting the axial skeleton, including the sacroiliac joint, which causes vertebral fusion in the advanced stage. However, reports of anterior cervical osteophytes compressing the esophagus and causing dysphagia in patients with AS are rare. Here, we present the case of a patient with AS and anterior cervical osteophytes who exhibited rapidly progressing dysphagia after thoracic spinal cord injury (SCI). Case Presentation: The patient, a 79-year-old man, was previously diagnosed with AS and had syndesmophytes at C2-C7 without dysphagia for several years. In 2020, he began to experience paraplegia, hypesthesia, and bladder and bowel dysfunction after a fall. He also had T9 SCI American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale grade A due to a T10 transverse fracture. Four months after SCI, he developed aspiration pneumonia, and a videofluoroscopic swallowing study indicated dysphagia with epiglottic closing problems due to syndesmophytes at the C2-C3 and C3-C4 levels. He received treatment for dysphagia and VitalStim therapy thrice (once daily); however, the recurrent pneumonia and fever continued. He further underwent bedside physical therapy and functional electrical stimulation once daily. However, he died from atelectasis and exacerbation of sepsis. Discussion and Conclusion: General deterioration of the patient's physical condition due to SCI, sarcopenic dysphagia, and compression of cervical osteophytes seemed to be involved in rapid exacerbation following SCI. Early screening for dysphagia is vital in bedridden patients with AS or SCI. Additionally, assessment and follow-up are important if the number of rehabilitation treatments or the out-of-bed movement activity decreases because of pressure ulcers.

Reversible Ortner's Syndrome as a Presenting Feature of Thyrotoxicosis in an Adolescent: A Rare Case Report.

Ortner's or cardiovocal syndrome is hoarseness attributable to left recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) palsy associated with mechanical compression of the nerve by pathologically enlarged cardiovascular structures. Ortner's syndrome is a rare condition, and to our knowledge, only a few cases have been reported in Korea. Furthermore, this condition is extremely uncommon in pediatric patients with thyrotoxicosis-related RLN paralysis. We report a case of reversible Ortner's syndrome in an adolescent who presented with secondary pulmonary hypertension related to thyrotoxicosis.

[Comparison of True and Virtual Non-Contrast Images of Liver Obtained with Single-Source Twin Beam and Dual-Source Dual-Energy CT]. / 간의 ë‹¨ì¼ì„ ì› Twin Beamê³¼ ì´ì¤‘ì„ ì› 이중에너지 ì „ì‚°í™”ë‹¨ì¸µì´¬ì˜ì˜ 비조영증강 영상과 가상 비조영증강 영상의 비교 연구.

Purpose: To assess the magnitude of differences between attenuation values of the true non-contrast image (TNC) and virtual non-contrast image (VNC) derived from twin-beam dual-energy CT (tbDECT) and dual-source DECT (dsDECT). Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 62 patients who underwent liver dynamic DECT with tbDECT (n = 32) or dsDECT (n = 30). Arterial VNC (AVNC), portal VNC (PVNC), and delayed VNC (DVNC) were reconstructed using multiphasic DECT. Attenuation values of multiple intra-abdominal organs (n = 11) on TNCs were subsequently compared to those on multiphasic VNCs. Further, we investigated the percentage of cases with an absolute difference between TNC and VNC of ≤ 10 Hounsfield units (HU). Results: For the mean attenuation values of TNC and VNC, 33 items for each DECT were compared according to the multiphasic VNCs and organs. More than half of the comparison items for each DECT showed significant differences (tbDECT 17/33; dsDECT 19/33; Bonferroni correction p < 0.0167). The percentage of cases with an absolute difference ≤ 10 HU was 56.7%, 69.2%, and 78.6% in AVNC, PVNC, and DVNC in tbDECT, respectively, and 70.5%, 78%, and 78% in dsDECT, respectively. Conclusion: VNCs derived from the two DECTs were insufficient to replace TNCs because of the considerable difference in attenuation values.

Benign regional lymph nodes in gastric cancer on multidetector row CT.

BACKGROUND: Benign regional lymph nodes (LNs) are sometimes enlarged in gastric cancer patients due to reactive or inflammatory changes. Frequently these enlarged LNs can mimic LN metastasis and lead to overstaging. PURPOSE: To assess frequency of benign regional LNs in gastric cancer patients compared with that in a healthy population and to assess the frequency of benign regional LNs in gastric cancer according to T-staging. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between August 2005 and June 2009, 177 patients with surgically proven gastric cancer without LN metastasis (TanyN0M0) who had previously undergone preoperative multidetector row CT (MDCT) and 168 healthy patients who visited the healthcare center and underwent an abdominal MDCT were included in this retrospective study. An abdominal radiologist evaluated the distribution of regional LNs and measured the short diameter of LNs ≥6 mm, ≥8 mm, and ≥10 mm. The number of enlarged benign LNs was compared between the two groups, and the distribution of LN with regard to T-stage of gastric cancer was also evaluated. RESULTS: At least one LN ≥6 mm, ≥8 mm, and ≥10 mm was detected in 64.4% (114/177), 22.0% (39/177), and 4.0% (7/177) of patients in the gastric cancer group, respectively, compared to 29.8% (50/168), 4.2% (7/168), and 0% of patients in the healthy group, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P <0.0001). The LN ≥8 mm was found in 14.9% (20/134) in early gastric cancer (T1), and 44.2% (19/43) in advanced cancer (T2 or higher); the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.0002). However, the frequency of LN ≥6 mm in mucosal cancer (T1a) and submucosal cancer (T2b) was not significantly different, regardless of its size. CONCLUSION: Benign regional LNs ≥6 mm are more frequently detected in gastric cancer patients than in a healthy population and in advanced gastric cancer than in early cancer.

Macrocystic lymphatic malformation of the chest wall and axilla: A case report in a 45-year-old man.

Lymphatic malformations (LMs) are rare, with more than 90% occurring during childhood. Most LMs are located in the head, neck and axilla. LMs in chest wall are extremely rare, particularly in adults. This report describes a 45-year-old man with a large macrocystic LM in the right anterior chest wall. Computed tomography showed a ∼15 cm sized, well-defined, homogeneous and hypoattenuated mass without enhancement in the right anterior chest wall. On ultrasonography (US), the mass was circumscribed and anechoic, with internal septations and posterior acoustic enhancement. Following surgical excision, the mass was diagnosed as a macrocystic LM.

Renal Epithelioid Angiomyolipoma with Epithelial Cysts Mimicking Cystic Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report of Combination of Two Rare Entities.

Renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) are typically solid tumors, but there have been few reports of a rare cystic variant of AML. AML with epithelial cysts, where the epithelial cyst has a cuboidal epithelial lining, account for the majority of them. Next, epithelioid AML (EAML) with cystic changes due to hemorrhage and necrosis, which is composed of epithelioid cells with abundant eosinophilic cytoplasm, have also been reported. These rare cystic types of AML can be mistaken for other cystic tumors, such as cystic renal cell carcinoma, in preoperative imaging. We report the imaging findings of a rare case of EAML with epithelial cysts.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for hemoperitoneum: unusual manifestation of iatrogenic injury to abdominal muscular arteries.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the etiology of unusual manifestation of hemoperitoneum and the efficacy of transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patients at three hospitals was performed. A total of 12 patients (M:F = 5:7, mean age: 48) had massive hemoperitoneum without evidence of an intramuscular hematoma on CT (n = 10) or US (n = 2) after injury to the abdominal wall. The patients underwent TAE. The etiology of iatrogenic injury to the abdominal muscular arteries and the effectiveness of embolization were evaluated. RESULTS: Among 12 patients, 11 patients had injuries to the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) and one patient had an injury to the deep circumflex iliac artery (DCIA). The causes of the injuries were: paracentesis (n = 6), open laparotomy (n = 4), removal of a CAPD catheter (n = 1), and surgical drain (n = 1). The TAE was successfully performed in all patients. Over 10 days of follow-up after the embolization, all patients were stabilized hemodynamically. CONCLUSION: Injury to the IEA or DCIA should be considered as a possible source of hemoperitoneum even in patients with no evidence of an intramuscular hematoma after injury to the superficial arteries of the abdominal wall. In addition, such injuries can be treated successfully using TAE.

Targeted sonography for small hepatocellular carcinoma discovered by CT or MRI: factors affecting sonographic detection.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the detection rate of targeted sonography for small (

Main and Accessory Canal Filling Quality of a Premixed Calcium Silicate Endodontic Sealer According to Different Obturation Techniques.

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of different obturation techniques on the main and accessory canal filling quality of a premixed calcium silicate endodontic sealer (Endoseal TCS). We also highlighted the validity of the methods used for evaluating the canal filling quality. Thirty single-rooted premolars were used for the main canal filling and 75 were used for accessory canal filling. The canals were instrumented and randomly divided into three groups according to the filling techniques: (1) single-cone technique (SC), (2) single-cone with ultrasonic activation (SU), and (3) warm vertical compaction (WV). Voids in relation to the root canal fillings were assessed using cross-section images from microcomputed tomography (µCT) scans or transversely sectioned tooth specimens (n = 10). After demineralization and clearing of the teeth, the incidence, number, and completeness of the accessory canal fillings were evaluated (n = 25). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post hoc test was used for the evaluation of the voids in the main root canal and the incidence and number of filled accessory canals. Pearson's chi-squared (χ2) test was used for the evaluation of the filling completeness (α = 0.05). In the stereomicroscopic evaluation of the sectioned specimen, the SC group had significantly higher void occurrence than the other groups (p < 0.05), although there was no difference between groups in the µCT evaluation. However, there was no difference between the SU and WV. There was no difference between all the groups regarding the incidence, number, and completeness of the accessory canal fillings. When the premixed calcium silicate sealer is used with SC, the ultrasonic activation is recommended to obtain a better main canal filling quality. In contrast, the obturation techniques did not affect the accessory canal filling. We also recommend using the sectioning method when the void formation in the root canal filling materials is evaluated.

Deep convolutional neural network for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules on ultrasound.

BACKGROUND: We designed a deep convolutional neural network (CNN) to diagnose thyroid malignancy on ultrasound (US) and compared the diagnostic performance of CNN with that of experienced radiologists. METHODS: Between May 2012 and February 2015, 589 thyroid nodules in 519 patients were diagnosed as benign or malignant by surgical excision. Experienced radiologists retrospectively reviewed the US of the thyroid nodules in a test set. CNNs were trained and tested using retrospective data of 439 and 150 US images, respectively. Diagnostic performances were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: Of the 589 thyroid nodules, 396 were malignant and 193 were benign. The area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing thyroid malignancy was 0.805-0.860 for radiologists. The AUCs for diagnosing thyroid malignancy for the three CNNs were 0.845, 0.835, and 0.850. There was no significant difference in AUC between radiologists and CNNs. CONCLUSIONS: CNNs showed comparable diagnostic performance compared to experienced radiologists in differentiating thyroid malignancy on US.

Bilateral diffuse tumorous pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia treated with bilateral mastectomy in a 40-year-old woman.

Pseudoangiomatous stromal hyperplasia (PASH) is a rare benign breast disease characterized by breast stromal proliferation mimicking low grade angiosarcoma. PASH is frequently detected as an incidental component coexisting with other breast lesions. However, it can also present as a single localized mass and is typically unilateral. Mammographic and sonographic findings are nonspecific and indistinguishable from those of benign lesions. We report an unusual case of PASH presenting with diffuse enlargement of the bilateral breasts in a 40-year-old woman treated with bilateral mastectomy.

Spectrum of imaging findings of chronic granulomatous disease: a single center experience.

The purpose of this pictorial essay is to present and summarize findings of various images of chronic granulomatous disease (CGD). CGD represents a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by defective generation of respiratory bursts in human phagocytes. This defect results in abnormal phagocytic functions and defective killing of bacteria by phagocytes. CGD may involve many organs and present with recurrent infections and inflammations. Radiologists should consider the possibility of CGD when a patient presents with atypical and recurrent infection. They must also consider other concurrent infections a patient may have.

Application of Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in the Ultrasound Assessment of Thyroid Nodules According to Physician Experience.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the diagnostic performances of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules according to the level of physician experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From March to October 2013, 1102 patients with 1128 thyroid nodules who underwent initial ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration were included in this study. Thyroid nodules were categorized according to TIRADS. Diagnostic performances of ultrasound were compared according to performer experience using the χ test or Fisher exact test. RESULTS: Of 1128 thyroid nodules, 281 were malignant, and 847 were benign. The risk of malignancy of each TIRADS category by the experienced and less experienced physicians were as follows: category 3 (0.9% vs 0%), category 4a (3.5% vs 1.3%), category 4b (7.3% vs 12.1%), category 4c (67.5% vs 44.9%), and category 5 (97.7% vs 76.5%). Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 99.1%, 35.9%, 52.5%, 35.5%, and 99.1%, respectively, for experienced physicians and 100%, 20.9%, 37.6%, 35.2%, and 100%, respectively, for less experienced physicians. Specificity, accuracy, and positive predictive value were statistically higher for experienced physicians than those for less experienced physicians (P < 0.001, 0.001, and 0.004). There was a significant difference in areas under the curve between the 2 groups (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the diagnostic performance of the stratification of malignancy risk according to TIRADS categories was comparable between the experienced and less experienced physician groups. The application of TIRADS is reproducible, and it was easy to predict the probability of thyroid malignancy in both the experienced and less experienced physician groups.

Thyroid nodules ≤ 5 mm on ultrasonography: are they "leave me alone" lesions?

The incidence of small thyroid malignancy has increased. However, there is no evidence-based guideline for managing thyroid nodules ≤ 5 mm on ultrasonography (US). We evaluated how to manage thyroid nodules ≤ 5 mm. Thyroid nodules ≤ 5 mm in size on US that had undergone surgery and US-guided fine-needle aspiration were eligible. A total of 3,117 thyroid nodules in 3,012 patients were included. The size changes of malignant and benign nodules during follow-up were evaluated. Thyroid malignancies were classified according to follow-up and surgery time within and after 12 months. Clinico-pathological characteristics were compared. Of 3,117 nodules, 1,639 nodules in 1,619 patients were benign and 1,478 in 1,427 were malignant. Only 5.8 and 1.2 % of malignant nodules and 6.8 and 4.2 % of benign nodules increased in size when a 2-mm and 3-mm change on US were referenced. Of 1,079 patients with an index malignancy ≤ 5 mm, extrathyroidal extension, lymph node metastasis, recurrence, and mortality were not significantly different between patients with and without follow-up and between patients with surgery within 12 months and after 12 months. None of the patients who underwent surgery had distant metastasis and none died of thyroid malignancy. In thyroid nodules ≤ 5 mm found on US, US-FNA could be recommended in cases of increased size during US follow-up if lateral LNM was not found because a delay in surgery did not impact cancer recurrence and mortality.

Diagnostic performance of ultrasound and ultrasound elastography with respect to physician experience.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic performance of gray-scale ultrasound (US), elastography and a combination of gray-scale ultrasound and elastography (US-E) in differentiating benign and malignant thyroid nodules with respect to the level of physician experience. Three hundred fifty-eight patients with 367 thyroid nodules who underwent both gray-scale US and elastography, from November 2011 to January 2012, were included in this study. The diagnostic performance of US performed by experienced and less experienced physicians was compared. Comparisons of the diagnostic performance of US, elastography and US-E were evaluated for each group separately. Of 367 nodules, 121 were malignant and 246 were benign. When we compared the diagnostic performance of the experienced and less experienced physician groups, specificity was statistically higher in the experienced physician group for both US alone (p = 0.001) and US-E (p = 0.048). However, the experienced and less experienced physician groups did not differ significantly on other measures of diagnostic performance, regardless of modality. For the experienced physicians, the specificity and positive predictive value US were 88.0% and 76.8%, respectively; both of them were significantly higher than the corresponding values for US-E. For the less experienced physicians, specificity was significantly higher on elastography (93.8%) than on US (71.4%) (p < 0.001). However, diagnostic performance did not differ significantly between US and US-E for the less experienced physicians. Experienced physicians had superior specificity compared with less experienced physicians. The diagnostic performance of elastography and US-E was inferior compared with that of US alone, irrespective of the level of experience of the physician.

Application of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System in thyroid ultrasonography interpretation by less experienced physicians.

PURPOSE: To verify the usefulness of the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for thyroid nodule diagnosis by less experienced physicians. METHODS: From March 2012 to May 2012, ultrasonography-guided fine needle aspiration was performed in 204 thyroid nodules in 195 consecutive patients by four less experienced radiologists (<1 year in thyroid imaging). The number of suspicious ultrasonography features and the total risk score of each thyroid nodule were calculated according to the previous two models suggested by Kwak et al. The Delong method was used to compare the areas under the curve (AUCs) of the two models. Associations between the two models and the risk of malignancy were analyzed using penalized B-splines and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. RESULTS: Among 204 thyroid nodules, 65 were malignant and 139 were benign. The probability of malignancy tended to increase as the number of suspicious ultrasonography features, and the sum of risk scores increased. There was no significant difference in the AUCs of the two models (P=0.673). The Cochran-Armitage trend test demonstrated an increased risk of malignancy as the number of suspicious ultrasonography features and the total risk score increased (P=0.001). CONCLUSION: Both the number of suspicious ultrasonography features and the total risk score are applicable and show comparable results in the risk stratification of thyroid nodules by less experienced radiologists in thyroid imaging.

Mammographic density estimation with automated volumetric breast density measurement.

OBJECTIVE: To compare automated volumetric breast density measurement (VBDM) with radiologists' evaluations based on the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS), and to identify the factors associated with technical failure of VBDM. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 1129 women aged 19-82 years who underwent mammography from December 2011 to January 2012 were included. Breast density evaluations by radiologists based on BI-RADS and by VBDM (Volpara Version 1.5.1) were compared. The agreement in interpreting breast density between radiologists and VBDM was determined based on four density grades (D1, D2, D3, and D4) and a binary classification of fatty (D1-2) vs. dense (D3-4) breast using kappa statistics. The association between technical failure of VBDM and patient age, total breast volume, fibroglandular tissue volume, history of partial mastectomy, the frequency of mass > 3 cm, and breast density was analyzed. RESULTS: The agreement between breast density evaluations by radiologists and VBDM was fair (k value = 0.26) when the four density grades (D1/D2/D3/D4) were used and moderate (k value = 0.47) for the binary classification (D1-2/D3-4). Twenty-seven women (2.4%) showed failure of VBDM. Small total breast volume, history of partial mastectomy, and high breast density were significantly associated with technical failure of VBDM (p = 0.001 to 0.015). CONCLUSION: There is fair or moderate agreement in breast density evaluation between radiologists and VBDM. Technical failure of VBDM may be related to small total breast volume, a history of partial mastectomy, and high breast density.