Newly Diagnosed Breast Cancer: Comparison of Contrast-enhanced Spectral Mammography and Breast MR Imaging in the Evaluation of Extent of Disease.

Purpose To compare the diagnostic performances of contrast material-enhanced spectral mammography and breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the detection of index and secondary cancers in women with newly diagnosed breast cancer by using histologic or imaging follow-up as the standard of reference. Materials and Methods This institutional review board-approved, HIPAA-compliant, retrospective study included 52 women who underwent breast MR imaging and contrast-enhanced spectral mammography for newly diagnosed unilateral breast cancer between March 2014 and October 2015. Of those 52 patients, 46 were referred for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography and targeted ultrasonography because they had additional suspicious lesions at MR imaging. In six of the 52 patients, breast cancer had been diagnosed at an outside institution. These patients were referred for contrast-enhanced spectral mammography and targeted US as part of diagnostic imaging. Images from contrast-enhanced spectral mammography were analyzed by two fellowship-trained breast imagers with 2.5 years of experience with contrast-enhanced spectral mammography. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value were calculated for both imaging modalities and compared by using the Bennett statistic. Results Fifty-two women with 120 breast lesions were included for analysis (mean age, 50 years; range, 29-73 years). Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography had similar sensitivity to MR imaging (94% [66 of 70 lesions] vs 99% [69 of 70 lesions]), a significantly higher PPV than MR imaging (93% [66 of 71 lesions] vs 60% [69 of 115 lesions]), and fewer false-positive findings than MR imaging (five vs 45) (P < .001 for all results). In addition, contrast-enhanced spectral mammography depicted 11 of the 11 secondary cancers (100%) and MR imaging depicted 10 (91%). Conclusion Contrast-enhanced spectral mammography is potentially as sensitive as MR imaging in the evaluation of extent of disease in newly diagnosed breast cancer, with a higher PPV. © RSNA, 2017.

Recurrent glioblastoma multiforme: ADC histogram analysis predicts response to bevacizumab treatment.

PURPOSE: To determine if apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram analysis can stratify progression-free survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) prior to bevacizumab treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA compliant; informed consent was obtained. Bevacizumab-treated and control patients (41 per cohort) diagnosed with recurrent GBM were analyzed by using whole enhancing tumor ADC histograms with a two normal distribution mixture fitting curve on baseline (pretreatment) magnetic resonance (MR) images to generate ADC classifiers, including the overall mean ADC as well as the mean ADC from the lower curve (ADC(L)). Overall and 6-month progression-free survival (as defined by the Macdonald criteria) was determined by using Cox proportional hazard ratios and the Kaplan-Meier method with log-rank test. RESULTS: For bevacizumab-treated patients, the hazard ratio for progression by 6 months in patients with less than versus greater than mean ADC(L) was 4.1 (95% confidence interval: 1.6, 10.4), and there was a 2.75-fold reduction in the median time to progression. For the control patients, there was no significant difference in median time to progression for the patients with low versus high ADC(L) (hazard ratio, 1.8; 95% confidence interval: 0.9, 3.7). For bevacizumab-treated patients, pretreatment ADC more accurately stratified 6-month progression-free survival than did change in enhancing tumor volume at first follow-up (73% vs 58% accuracy, P = .034). CONCLUSION: Pretreatment ADC histogram analysis can stratify progression-free survival in bevacizumab-treated patients with recurrent GBM.

Improved outcomes with direct percutaneous CT guided lumbar synovial cyst treatment: advanced approaches and techniques.

PURPOSE: To determine if lumbar synovial cyst rupture in symptomatic patients results in improved clinical outcome when using direct tandem and/or coaxial percutaneous CT guided techniques. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 20 patients with unilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and/or low back pain underwent CT guided percutaneous treatment for their symptomatic lumbar synovial cysts. Cysts were identified with the use of a low osmolar non-ionic contrast agent via facet joint injection or through direct injection. Cyst rupture, using a direct tandem and/or coaxial technique, was attempted in all patients using an 18 gauge guide needle and a 22 gauge insert needle. Following attempted cyst aspiration, cyst rupture was performed using 1-3 mL of a mixture of methylprednisolone (2 mL, 80 mg) and bupivacaine (3 mL, 0.5%). All patients were followed-up in clinic for a minimum of 6 months after their procedures and up to a maximum of 24 months. RESULTS: 11 patients were male and nine were female, with an average age of 65.6 years. 17 patients presented with severe unilateral lower extremity radiculopathy and three patients were experiencing low back pain. One of the patients had two synovial cysts, and therefore a total of 21 lumbar synovial cysts were treated in this group of patients. Direct cyst puncture was achieved using a tandem technique in nine patients, a coaxial interlaminar approach in seven patients, a coaxial transforaminal approach in two patients, and a coaxial trans-facet approach in three patients. Cyst rupture was documented in all cases, as evidenced by CT confirmation of cyst decompression and contrast agent extravasation into the epidural space. The mean surveillance period in these patients was 18 months. Six patients experienced their usual radicular pain within 2 months of their treatment. Four of these patients were re-treated for recurrent smaller cysts. These patients have not had a recurrence at 24 months of follow up. Two of these six patients elected to undergo open surgical decompression without symptomatic improvement. No treatment related complications were observed in this group of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Direct tandem and/or coaxial percutaneous CT guided techniques for rupture and treatment of symptomatic lumbar synovial cysts reduces recurrence rates and therefore helps avoid more invasive open surgical procedures in this group of patients.

Risk assessment of hemorrhagic transformation of acute middle cerebral artery stroke using multimodal CT.

PURPOSE: Multimodal CT with CT angiography (CTA) and CT perfusion (CTP) are increasingly used in stroke triage. Our aim was to identify parameters most predictive of hemorrhagic transformation (HT), especially symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). METHODS: This retrospective study included patients evaluated by baseline multimodal CT ≤ 9 hours from ictus with acute nonlacunar middle cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction. Two readers independently evaluated CTP maps for ischemic severity and CTA source images (CTA-SI) for infarct extent (as measured by ASPECTS). Presence of proximal occlusion (ICA or M1) and degree of collateralization (collateral score) were also assessed on CTA. HT was defined as SICH if associated with deterioration ≥ 4-points on NIHSS. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified independent predictors of SICH. ROC curves selected optimal thresholds. RESULTS: Of 84 patients reviewed, HT occurred in 22 (26.2%) and SICH in 8 (9.5%). Univariate predictors for SICH were proximal occlusion (OR = 8.65, P= .049), collateral score (OR = .34, P= .017), ASPECTS (OR = .46, P= .001), and CBV (OR = .001, P= .005). Multivariate analysis revealed ASPECTS as the only independent predictor with optimal threshold ≤ 5 and sensitivity and specificity of 75.0% and 85.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: For acute MCA infarcts ≤ 9 hours, the strongest predictor of SICH on multimodal CT was ASPECTS on CTA-SI.