Comparison of Four Diagnostic Guidelines for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Gadoxetic Acid-enhanced Liver MRI.

Background Noninvasive diagnostic guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) vary across different global geographic areas, especially regarding criteria about gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI. Purpose To compare the diagnostic performance of four different international HCC diagnosis guidelines and readers' judgment in diagnosing HCC using gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI in patients at high risk for HCC. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients who had not undergone treatment, were at risk for HCC, and who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MRI from January 2015 to June 2018 from 11 tertiary hospitals in South Korea. Four radiologists independently reviewed focal liver lesions (FLLs) according to four guidelines: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD)/Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS), Korean Liver Cancer Association-National Cancer Center (KLCA-NCC), European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), and Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL). Reader judgment (HCC or not HCC) was also recorded. Malignant FLLs were confirmed at pathology, and histologic and clinical follow-up data were used for benign FLLs. The guidelines' diagnostic performance was compared using generalized estimating equations. Additionally, the diagnostic odds ratio was assessed. Results A total of 2445 FLLs (median size, 27.4 mm) were analyzed in 2237 patients (mean age, 59 years ± 11 [SD]; 1666 male patients); 69.3% (1694 of 2445) were HCCs. KLCA-NCC showed the highest accuracy (80.0%; 95% CI: 78.7, 81.2; P = .001), with high sensitivity in Eastern guidelines (APASL, 89.1% [95% CI: 87.8, 90.3]; KLCA-NCC, 78.2% [95% CI: 76.6, 79.7]) and high specificity in Western guidelines (AASLD/LI-RADS, 89.6% [95% CI: 87.8, 91.2]; EASL, 88.1% [95% CI: 86.2, 89.9]) (P = .001). The diagnostic odds ratios were 20.7 (95% CI: 17.0, 25.3) for AASLD/LI-RADS, 18.9 (95% CI: 15.8, 22.6) for KLCA-NCC, 16.8 (95% CI: 13.8, 20.4) for EASL, and 8.9 (95% CI: 7.4, 10.7) for APASL. The readers' judgment demonstrated higher accuracy than that of the guidelines (accuracy, 86.0%; 95% CI: 84.9, 86.9; P = .001). Conclusion Among four different international HCC diagnosis guidelines, Eastern guidelines demonstrated higher sensitivity, whereas Western guidelines displayed higher specificity. KLCA-NCC achieved the highest accuracy, and AASLD/LI-RADS exhibited the highest diagnostic odds ratio. © RSNA, 2024 Supplemental material is available for this article.

Machine learning-based response assessment in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy: radiomics analysis for assessing tumor regression grade using T2-weighted magnetic resonance images.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess tumor regression grade (TRG) in patients with rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) through a machine learning-based radiomics analysis using baseline T2-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In total, 148 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer(T2-4 or N+) who underwent MR imaging at baseline and after chemoradiotherapy between January 2010 and May 2021 were included. A region of interest for each tumor mass was drawn by a radiologist on oblique axial T2-weighted images, and main features were selected using principal component analysis after dimension reduction among 116 radiomics and three clinical features. Among eight learning models that were used for prediction model development, the model showing best performance was selected. Treatment responses were classified as either good or poor based on the MR-assessed TRG (mrTRG) and pathologic TRG (pTRG). The model performance was assessed using the area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) to classify the response group. RESULTS: Approximately 49% of the patients were in the good response (GR) group based on mrTRG (73/148) and 26.9% based on pTRG (28/104). The AUCs of clinical data, radiomics models, and combined radiomics with clinical data model for predicting mrTRG were 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.73, 0.87), 0.74 (95% CI 0.66, 0.81), and 0.75(95% CI 0.68, 0.82), and those for predicting pTRG was 0.62 (95% CI 0.52, 0.71), 0.74 (95% CI 0.65, 0.82), and 0.79 (95% CI 0.71, 0.87). CONCLUSION: Radiomics combined with clinical data model using baseline T2-weighted MR images demonstrated feasible diagnostic performance in predicting both MR-assessed and pathologic treatment response in patients with rectal cancer after NCRT.

Deep Learning-based Detection of Solid and Cystic Pancreatic Neoplasms at Contrast-enhanced CT.

Background Deep learning (DL) may facilitate the diagnosis of various pancreatic lesions at imaging. Purpose To develop and validate a DL-based approach for automatic identification of patients with various solid and cystic pancreatic neoplasms at abdominal CT and compare its diagnostic performance with that of radiologists. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, a three-dimensional nnU-Net-based DL model was trained using the CT data of patients who underwent resection for pancreatic lesions between January 2014 and March 2015 and a subset of patients without pancreatic abnormality who underwent CT in 2014. Performance of the DL-based approach to identify patients with pancreatic lesions was evaluated in a temporally independent cohort (test set 1) and a temporally and spatially independent cohort (test set 2) and was compared with that of two board-certified radiologists. Performance was assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results The study included 852 patients in the training set (median age, 60 years [range, 19-85 years]; 462 men), 603 patients in test set 1 (median age, 58 years [range, 18-82 years]; 376 men), and 589 patients in test set 2 (median age, 63 years [range, 18-99 years]; 343 men). In test set 1, the DL-based approach had an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.91 (95% CI: 0.89, 0.94) and showed slightly worse performance in test set 2 (AUC, 0.87 [95% CI: 0.84, 0.89]). The DL-based approach showed high sensitivity in identifying patients with solid lesions of any size (98%-100%) or cystic lesions measuring 1.0 cm or larger (92%-93%), which was comparable with the radiologists (95%-100% for solid lesions [P = .51 to P > .99]; 93%-98% for cystic lesions ≥1.0 cm [P = .38 to P > .99]). Conclusion The deep learning-based approach demonstrated high performance in identifying patients with various solid and cystic pancreatic lesions at CT. © RSNA, 2022 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Assessing Active Bowel Inflammation in Crohn's Disease Using Intestinal Ultrasound: Correlation With Fecal Calprotectin.

AIM: To analyze the correlation between intestinal ultrasound (IUS) and serum and fecal biomarkers, and the characteristics of small bowel disease, for the assessment of active bowel inflammation. METHODS: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who underwent an initial IUS examination between July 2018 and November 2022 at our institution were included retrospectively. We divided small and large bowels into seven segments, and recorded the presence of active inflammation according to following criteria: bowel wall thickness ≥ mm with ≥1 of feature of active disease on IUS. The correlations between IUS-assessed activity and serum C-reactive protein (CRP, mg/dL) and fecal calprotectin (FC, µg/g) levels were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 127 patients were included (mean age: 32.42 ± 12.07, M:F = 90:37, median disease duration 6 years [0-35]). Of them, 78 showed active bowel inflammation (61.4%), with inflammation distal to the terminal ileum being the most common disease location (n = 61, 78.2%). FC and serum CRP levels were significantly correlated with the number of segments with active inflammation (rho = 0.58, 0.48), number of segments with complications (r = 0.35, 0.31), and US activity score (r = 0.62, 0.54). With FC cutoff values of 100 and 150 µg/g, the concordance rates for patients with active small bowel disease were 78.7% (26/33) and 72.7% (24/33), respectively, which were better than those for other disease locations. CONCLUSIONS: Disease activity determined by IUS was significantly correlated with the biomarkers, with a better concordance rate in patients with active small bowel disease than in those with other disease locations with FC cut-off values of 100 and 150 µg/g.

The Roles of NOD-like Receptors in Innate Immunity in Otitis Media.

Acute otitis media (AOM) can persist or lead to various complications in individuals in which the innate immune system is impaired. In this context, impaired expression of nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain (NOD)-like receptor (NLR), an intracellular pathogen-recognition receptor (PRR), is involved in the etiology of OM in humans and animals, affecting its development, severity, chronicity, recurrence, and associated complications. To assess this relationship, we reviewed literature reports relating NLR expression patterns with the pathophysiology and clinical features of OM in the larger context of impaired innate immunity. We summarized the results of published studies on the expression of NLRs in animals and humans in acute otitis media (AOM), otitis media with effusion (OME), chronic otitis media (COM) with cholesteatoma, and COM without cholesteatoma. NLRs were expressed mainly in association with bacterial infection in AOM, OME, COM with cholesteatoma, and COM without cholesteatoma. In addition, expression of NLRs was affected by the presence or absence of bacteria, fluid characteristics, disease recurrence, tissue type, and repeated surgery. Various factors of the innate immune system are involved in the pathogenesis of OM in the middle ear. NLRs are expressed in AOM, OME, COM with cholesteatoma, and COM without cholesteatoma. Impaired NLR expression induced the development, chronicity and recurrence of OM and exacerbated associated complications, indicating that NLRs have important roles in the pathogenesis of OM.

Impact of liver-stiffness measurement on hepatocellular carcinoma development in chronic hepatitis C patients treated with direct-acting antivirals: A systematic review and time-to-event meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) are still at risk for developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) even after achieving sustained virologic response (SVR). Liver-stiffness measurement (LSM) on imaging has been investigated as a predictor of HCC occurrence. OBJECTIVES: To provide systematic summary of the predictive value of LSM in predicting HCC occurrence in HCV patients treated with DAA. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search of the PubMed-MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was performed to identify studies that evaluated the predictive value of LSM in CHC patients treated with DAAs. Pooled hazard ratio (HR) comparing HCC occurrence between patients with positive and negative results on LSM was calculated for all studies and various subgroups. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression were performed. RESULTS: A review of 135 candidate articles identified eight eligible articles with a total of 3398patients for qualitative review and meta-analysis. The pooled HR for HCC occurrence determined by LSM was 3.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63-7.19) with heterogeneity (I2  = 81.87%, P < 0.001), thus indicating that LSM might be helpful for predicting HCC occurrence. In subgroup analyses, pooled HRs were different according to the study design (2.29; [95% CI, 0.96-5.45] for retrospective studies; 4.61 [95% CI, 2.44-8.71] for prospective studies), study population (4.00 [95% CI, 2.00-7.99] for CHC; 2.64 [0.99-7.00] for CHC with liver cirrhosis) and LSM parameter (3.17 [95% CI, 1.35-7.41] for baseline LSM; 4.19 [95% CI, 1.89-9.29] for others). In multivariate meta-regression, study design was the only influencing factor for pooled HR for HCC occurrence (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Consistent evidence demonstrated the predictive value of LSM for HCC occurrence in CHC patients treated with DAA. The significant influencing factor for risk of HCC occurrence indicated by LSM was study design.

Comparison between neuroendocrine carcinomas and well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas using dynamic enhanced CT.

OBJECTIVES: To identify CT features distinguishing neuroendocrine carcinomas (NECs) of pancreas from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) according to the World Health Organization 2017 and 2019 classification systems. METHODS: This retrospective study included 69 patients with pathologically confirmed pancreatic neuroendocrine neoplasms who underwent dynamic CT (17, 17, 18, and 17 patients for well-differentiated grade 1, 2, 3 NET and NEC, respectively). CT was used to perform qualitative analysis (component, homogeneity, calcification, peripancreatic infiltration, main pancreatic ductal dilatation, bile duct dilatation, intraductal extension, and vascular invasion) and quantitative analysis (interface between tumor and parenchyma [delta], arterial enhancement ratio [AER], portal enhancement ratio [PER], and dynamic enhancement pattern). Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify features indicating NEC. Optimal cutoff values for enhancement ratios were determined. RESULTS: NECs demonstrated significantly higher frequencies of main pancreatic ductal dilatation, bile duct dilatation, vascular invasion, and significantly lower delta (i.e., lower conspicuity), AER, and PER than well-differentiated NET (p < 0.05). On multivariate analysis, PER was the only independent factor selected by the model for differentiation of NEC from well-differentiated NET (odds ratio, < 0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI], < 0.001-0.012). PER < 0.8 showed the sensitivity of 94.1% (95% CI, 71.3-99.9) and the specificity of 88.5% (95% CI, 76.6-95.6). When three significant CT features were combined, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing NEC were 88.2% and 88.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Tumor-parenchyma enhancement ratio in portal phase is a useful CT feature to distinguish NECs from well-differentiated NETs. Combining qualitative and quantitative CT features may aid in achieving good diagnostic accuracy in the differentiation between NEC and well-differentiated NET. KEY POINTS: • Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas should be distinguished from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor in line with the revised grading and staging system. • Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the pancreas can be differentiated from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor on dynamic CT based on assessment of the portal enhancement ratio, arterial enhancement ratio, tumor conspicuity, dilatation of the main pancreatic duct or bile duct, and vascular invasion. • Tumor-parenchyma enhancement ratio in portal phase of dynamic CT is a useful feature, which may help to distinguish neuroendocrine carcinoma from well-differentiated neuroendocrine tumor of the pancreas.

Accuracy and precision of proton density fat fraction measurement across field strengths and scan intervals: A phantom and human study.

BACKGROUND: Complex-based chemical shift imaging-based magnetic resonance imaging (CSE-MRI) is emerging as a preferred method for noninvasively quantifying proton density fat fraction (PDFF), a promising quantitative imaging biomarker (QIB) for longitudinal hepatic steatosis measurement. PURPOSE: To determine linearity, bias, repeatability, and reproducibility of the PDFF measurement using CSE-MRI (CSE-PDFF) across scan intervals, MR field strengths, and readers in phantom and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. STUDY TYPE: Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved prospective. SUBJECTS: Fat-water phantom and 20 adult patients. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: 1.5 T and 3.0 T MR systems and a commercially available CSE-MRI sequence (IDEAL-IQ). ASSESSMENT: Two independent readers measured CSE-PDFF of fat-water phantom and NAFLD patients across two field strengths and scan intervals (same-day and 2-week) each and in a combination of both. MR spectroscopy-based PDFF (MRS-PDFF) was used as the reference standard for phantom PDFF. STATISTICAL TESTS: Linearity and bias of measurement were evaluated by linear regression analysis and Bland-Altman plots, respectively. Repeatability and reproducibility were assessed by coefficient of variance and repeatability / reproducibility coefficients (RC). The intraclass correlation coefficient was used to validate intra- and interobserver agreements. RESULTS: CSE-PDFF showed high linearity and small bias (-0.6-0.4 PDFF%) with 95% limits of agreement within ±2.9 PDFF% across field strengths, 2-week interscan period, and readers in the clinical scans. CSE-PDFF was highly repeatable and reproducible both in phantom and clinical scans, with the largest observed RC across field strengths and 2-week interscan period being 3 PDFF%. DATA CONCLUSION: CSE-PDFF is a robust QIB with high linearity, small bias, and excellent repeatability/reproducibility. A change of more than 3 PDFF% across field strengths within 2 weeks of scan interval likely reflects a true change, which is well within the clinically acceptable range. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2019;50:305-314.

Diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging for differentiating benign and malignant gallbladder lesions: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) has been characterized as an alternative imaging modality for gallbladder (GB) lesions, it has not been routinely used in clinical practice because of relatively low signal-to-noise ratio. PURPOSE: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnostic performance of DWI for differentiating benign and malignant GB lesions. STUDY TYPE: Meta-analysis. POPULATION: Patients with GB lesions. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: DWI at 3.0T or 1.5T. ASSESSMENT: PubMed and EMBASE were searched following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses of Diagnostic Test Accuracy guidelines. STATISTICAL TESTS: Bivariate modeling and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) modeling were performed to compare the overall diagnostic performance of DWI. Subgroup analyses were performed for qualitative and quantitative assessment of the DWI. Meta-regression analyses were performed according to the characteristics of the patients, study, and MRI. RESULTS: Eight studies (including 557 patients) were included. The DWI exhibited a pooled sensitivity of 91%, a pooled specificity of 87%, and HSROC of 0.95. In subgroup analyses, qualitative assessment (sensitivity, 90%; specificity, 87%; HSROC, 0.94) was more accurate than quantitative assessment (sensitivity, 82%; specificity, 86 %; HSROC, 0.88). On meta-regression analysis, studies that used 3.0T field strength and thinner slices (≤5 mm) reported a significantly higher sensitivity (P ≤ 0.02) than those using only 1.5T field strength and thicker slices (>5 mm). DATA CONCLUSION: DWI can discriminate malignant from benign GB lesions with excellent diagnostic performance in both qualitative and quantitative assessments. To enhance the diagnostic ability of DWI, images obtained with thinner slices (≤5 mm) with 3T field strength and qualitative assessment are recommended. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;47:1375-1388.

Relapse of IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis after steroid therapy: image findings and risk factors.

OBJECTIVES: To compare imaging data from IgG4-related sclerosing cholangitis (IgG4-SC) obtained at initial attack and at relapse, and to determine risk factors predicting relapse of IgG4-SC after steroid therapy. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with relapsed IgG4-SC and 36 non-relapsed patients were included. Computed tomography, magnetic resonance cholangiography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography were used to determine biliary and extrabiliary involvement. Images taken at the time of the initial attack were compared with those taken at relapse. Risk factors were determined by comparing clinical and imaging factors in the relapse and non-relapse groups. RESULTS: In comparison to the initial attack, relapsed IgG4-SC was characterised by more frequent extrapancreatic and multiple bile duct strictures, increased bile duct segment involvement, thicker bile duct walls, and a less frequent association with autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP) (P ≤ 0.016). Compared with non-relapse, relapse was significantly associated with less frequent use of maintenance steroid therapy, more frequent extrapancreatic and multiple bile duct strictures, increased bile duct segment involvement, and thicker bile duct walls during the initial attack (P ≤ 0.021). CONCLUSIONS: Relapsed IgG4-SC presented with a more aggressive appearance on imaging than the initial attack. The degree of bile duct involvement and use of maintenance steroid therapy were associated with relapse of IgG4-SC.

Related Factors for Unfavorable Disease Course in Patients with Crohn's Disease: An Observational Retrospective Study.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) manifests a heterogeneous clinical spectrum and disease course, and it is challenging to predict the disease outcome based on initial presentation. Objective: To analyze the long-term disease course and factors leading to poor prognosis of CD. Methods: In total, 112 patients with CD who were initially diagnosed and treated at our institution from January 2009 to August 2020 were included. We analyzed their clinical data, disease characteristics according to the Montreal classification, and the endoscopic and computed tomography (CT) examinations at the initial visit and at 2-year, 5-year, and last follow ups. We categorized the disease course into the following four categories: remission, stable, chronic refractory, and chronic relapsing. Significant factors associated with a poorer prognosis were analyzed. Results: The median follow-up period was 107 (range, 61−139) months. Complicated disease behavior increased slightly over the follow-up period (20.5% to 26.2%). An unfavorable disease course was defined as chronic refractory (19.6%) and relapsing (16.1%) courses. The 2-year disease characteristics were significant factors for unfavorable disease course, and the combination of 2-year perianal disease and 2-year moderate-to-severe CT activity could predict unfavorable disease course with the highest accuracy (0.722; area under the curve: 0.768; p < 0.0001). Conclusions: One-third of the patients with CD showed an unfavorable disease course (35.7%), and 2-year disease characteristics were significant factors for an unfavorable disease course.

Typical MR features and interpretation of perianal fistulas in patients with Crohn's disease.

Perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease (CD) are a poor prognostic phenotype requiring a combination of medical and surgical management. Perianal fistulas in CD are characterized by more complex and multi-branched fistulas, association with skin tags, and frequent presence of proctitis. A comprehensive approach with clinical examination, endoscopic and MR assessment is required, and in particular, MR interpretation provides detailed information on the type of fistula with its internal component and activity, secondary tracts and extension, internal, external openings, associated abscess, and presence of proctitis. Structured reporting of these items would be recommended for further discussion and management planning both at initial diagnosis and for disease monitoring during treatment follow-up. Management strategy would be individualized for each patient, and control of luminal disease activity could be an important determinant in the selection of treatment options. In this review, we provide an overview of the MRI evaluation of perianal fistulas in CD with a proposed structured MR report.

Diagnosis and management of acute colonic diverticulitis: results of a survey among Korean gastroenterologists.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Some management strategies for acute colonic diverticulitis remain controversial in Korean real-world practice because their clinical features differ from those in the West. This study aimed to investigate the opinions of Korean physicians regarding the diagnosis and treatment of acute diverticulitis. METHODS: A web-based survey was conducted among gastroenterologists specializing on treating lower gastrointestinal disorders. The questionnaires concerned overall management strategies for colonic diverticulitis, including diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. RESULTS: In total, 209 gastroenterologists responded to the survey. Less than one-fourth of the respondents (23.6%) answered that left-sided colonic diverticulitis is more likely to be complicated than right-sided colonic diverticulitis. Most respondents agreed that immunocompromised patients with diverticulitis have worse clinical outcomes than immunocompetent patients (71.3%). Computed tomography was the most preferred tool for diagnosing diverticulitis (93.9%). Approximately 89% of the respondents answered that they believed antibiotic treatment is necessary to treat acute uncomplicated diverticulitis. Most respondents (92.6%) agreed that emergency surgery is not required for diverticulitis with an abscess or microperforation without panperitonitis. Further, 94.7% of the respondents agreed that colon cancer screening is necessary in patients aged ≥ 50 years with diverticulitis after they have recovered from acute illness. Many respondents (71.4%) agreed that surgery for recurrent diverticulitis should be individualized. CONCLUSION: Opinions regarding management strategies for colonic diverticulitis among Korean gastroenterologists were well agreed upon in some areas but did not agree well in other areas. Evidence-based guidelines that meet the practical needs of the Korean population should be developed.

Comparative outcomes of acute colonic diverticulitis in immunocompromised versus immunocompetent patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Immunocompromised patients with acute colonic diverticulitis are at high risk for complications and failure of non-surgical treatment. However, evidence on the comparative outcomes of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis is lacking. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the outcomes of medical treatment in immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis. METHODS: A comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Studies comparing the clinical outcomes of immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis were included. RESULTS: A total of 10 studies with 1,946,461 subjects were included in the quantitative synthesis. The risk of emergency surgery and postoperative mortality after emergency surgery was significantly higher in immunocompromised patients than in immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis (risk ratio [RR], 1.76; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.31-2.38 and RR, 3.05; 95% CI, 1.70-5.45, respectively). Overall risk of complications associated with diverticulitis was non-significantly higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients (RR, 1.24; 95% CI, 0.95-1.63). Overall mortality irrespective of surgery was significantly higher in immunocompromised than in immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis (RR, 3.65; 95% CI, 1.73-7.69). By contrast, postoperative mortality after elective surgery was not significantly different between immunocompromised and immunocompetent patients with diverticulitis. In subgroup analysis, the risk of emergency surgery and recurrence was significantly higher in immunocompromised patients with complicated diverticulitis, whereas no significant difference was shown in mild disease. CONCLUSIONS: Immunocompromised patients with diverticulitis should be given the best medical treatment with multidisciplinary approach because they had increased risks of surgery, postoperative morbidity, and mortality than immunocompetent patients.

Comparison between single and serial computed tomography images in classification of acute appendicitis, acute right-sided diverticulitis, and normal appendix using EfficientNet.

This study aimed to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) using the EfficientNet algorithm for the automated classification of acute appendicitis, acute diverticulitis, and normal appendix and to evaluate its diagnostic performance. We retrospectively enrolled 715 patients who underwent contrast-enhanced abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT). Of these, 246 patients had acute appendicitis, 254 had acute diverticulitis, and 215 had normal appendix. Training, validation, and test data were obtained from 4,078 CT images (1,959 acute appendicitis, 823 acute diverticulitis, and 1,296 normal appendix cases) using both single and serial (RGB [red, green, blue]) image methods. We augmented the training dataset to avoid training disturbances caused by unbalanced CT datasets. For classification of the normal appendix, the RGB serial image method showed a slightly higher sensitivity (89.66 vs. 87.89%; p = 0.244), accuracy (93.62% vs. 92.35%), and specificity (95.47% vs. 94.43%) than did the single image method. For the classification of acute diverticulitis, the RGB serial image method also yielded a slightly higher sensitivity (83.35 vs. 80.44%; p = 0.019), accuracy (93.48% vs. 92.15%), and specificity (96.04% vs. 95.12%) than the single image method. Moreover, the mean areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUCs) were significantly higher for acute appendicitis (0.951 vs. 0.937; p < 0.0001), acute diverticulitis (0.972 vs. 0.963; p = 0.0025), and normal appendix (0.979 vs. 0.972; p = 0.0101) with the RGB serial image method than those obtained by the single method for each condition. Thus, acute appendicitis, acute diverticulitis, and normal appendix could be accurately distinguished on CT images by our model, particularly when using the RGB serial image method.

Diagnosing Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Sonazoid Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography: 2023 Guidelines From the Korean Society of Radiology and the Korean Society of Abdominal Radiology.

Sonazoid, a second-generation ultrasound contrast agent, was introduced for the diagnosis of hepatic nodules. To clarify the issues with Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the Korean Society of Radiology and Korean Society of Abdominal Radiology collaborated on the guidelines. The guidelines are de novo, evidence-based, and selected using an electronic voting system for consensus. These include imaging protocols, diagnostic criteria for HCC, diagnostic value for lesions that are inconclusive on other imaging results, differentiation from non-HCC malignancies, surveillance of HCC, and treatment response after locoregional and systemic treatment for HCC.

Long-term Disease Course of Crohn's Disease: Changes in Disease Location, Phenotype, Activities, and Predictive Factors.

Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic destructive inflammatory bowel disease that affects young people and is associated with significant morbidity. The clinical spectrum and disease course of CD are heterogeneous and often difficult to predict based on the initial presentation. In this article, changes in the disease location, behavior, clinical course during long-term follow-up, and predictive factors are reviewed. Generally, four different patterns of clinical course are discussed: remission, stable disease, chronic relapsing disease, and chronic refractory disease. Understanding the long-term disease course of CD is mandatory to reveal the underlying pathophysiology of the disease and to move toward a more optimistic disease course, such as remission or stability, and less adverse outcomes or devastating sequelae.

Unusual cause of gastric outlet obstruction mimicking superior mesenteric artery syndrome: A case of infiltrative duodenal cancer arising from a choledochocele.

Choledochocele is a rare subtype of choledochal cyst and is associated with increased prevalence of periampullary cancers. Here, we report an unusual manifestation of infiltrative duodenal cancer arising from a choledochocele, involving superficial spreading (muscularis mucosae) of cancer cells along the duodenum causing gastric outlet obstruction, which clinically mimicked superior mesenteric artery syndrome. Histologically, wide spread of cancer cells was confirmed from periampullary region to duodenojejunal junction showing mismatch with radiologic findings, in which the cancer segment was mainly located in the distal duodenum. Clinical, radiologic, and pathologic findings are discussed with literature reviews.

Comparison of Diagnostic Performance of Ultrasonography and Magnetic Resonance Enterography in the Assessment of Active Bowel Lesions in Patients with Crohn's Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

We aimed to evaluate and compare the diagnostic performances of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) in assessing active bowel lesions in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We searched PubMed and EMBASE for studies in which US and MRE were used to assess active bowel lesions in CD patients. Bivariate random effect meta-analytic methods were used to estimate pooled sensitivity, specificity, and hierarchical summary receiver operating characteristic (HSROC) curves. We performed a meta-regression analysis to explore the source of study heterogeneity. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 752 patients were included. US exhibited a pooled sensitivity of 86% (95% confidence interval (CI) 72-94), pooled specificity of 88% (95% CI 78-94), and HSROC of 0.93 in 10 studies. MRE exhibited a pooled sensitivity of 88% (95% CI 76-95), pooled specificity of 87% (95% CI 73-95), and an HSROC of 0.94 in eight studies. In seven studies comparing the diagnostic performances of US and MRE, the summary sensitivity of US and MRE were 86% (95% CI 65-96, I2 = 92.1) and 86% (95% CI 72-93, I2 = 88.1) (p = 0.841), respectively. The summary specificity of US and MRE were 87% (95% CI 78-93, I2 = 79.8%) and 84% (72-90, I2 = 72.5%) (p = 0.431), respectively, which showed no statistical differences. On meta-regression analysis, studies from Europe (p = 0.002), those that used linear US probes (p = 0.012), those on small bowel lesions (p = 0.01), and those with outcomes as combined features (active inflammation) reported higher US sensitivity than those from other regions, those that used both linear and convex US probes, those on small and large bowels, and those with outcome as one feature (bowel wall thickening or ulcer). Studies with pediatric patients (p = 0.001), those with reference standards including US (p = 0.001), and outcomes as combined features (p = 0.01) reported higher MRE specificity than those with adult populations, reference standards other than the US, and outcomes as one feature. CONCLUSIONS: In spite of considerable heterogeneity in the included studies, both US and MRE can diagnose active bowel lesions with comparable diagnostic accuracy in patients with CD. The study region, type of US probe, lesion location, investigated outcome for US sensitivity and study population, reference standards, and investigated outcomes for MRE specificity were potential sources of heterogeneity.

Serial Changes in Body Composition and the Association with Disease Activity during Treatment in Patients with Crohn's Disease.

Objectives: To analyze serial changes in body composition and investigate the association between body composition changes and disease activity changes in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). Methods: Seventy-one patients with CD who had been treated and followed-up at our institution were included. Two to four computed tomography images were acquired at baseline, and the 2−5-year, 5−8-year, and last follow-ups were selected per patient for body composition and disease activity analyses. Visceral fat area (VFA), skeletal muscle index (SMI; skeletal muscle area/height2), and subcutaneous fat area (SFA) were assessed using an artificial-intelligence-driven fully automated method. Disease activity was assessed using a modified computed tomography scoring system and the Simple Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease. The associations between body composition, disease activity, and remission were investigated. Results: The mean age was 29.83 ± 11.27 years; most patients were men (48/71, 67.6%); and the median follow-up was 144 (12−264) months. Overall, VFA and SFA gradually increased, while SMI decreased during the follow-up. Sarcopenia was associated with the female sex, higher disease activities at baseline (p = 0.01) and the last follow-up (p = 0.001). SMI and SFA inversely correlated with the disease activity, i.e., the more severe the disease activity, the lower the SMI and SFA (p < 0.05). SMI at the last follow-up was the only significant predictor of remission (OR = 1.21, 95% confidence interval: 1.03−1.42, p = 0.021). Conclusion: SMI decreased while VFA and SFA increased during the treatment follow-up in patients with CD. Sarcopenia was associated with higher disease activity, and SMI and SFA inversely correlated with disease activity. SMI at the last follow-up was the significant factor for remission.