The Radiology Virtual Reading Room: During and Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the radiology reading room with a potentially lasting impact. This disruption could introduce the risk of obviating the need for the reading room, which would be detrimental to many of the roles of radiology that occur in and around the reading room. This disruption could also create the opportunity for accelerated evolution of the reading room to meet the strategic needs of radiology and health care through thoughtful re-design of the virtual reading room. In this article, we overview the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radiology in our institution and across the country, specifically on the dynamics of the radiology reading room. We introduce the concept of the virtual reading room, which is a redesigned alternative to the physical reading room that can serve the diverse needs of radiology and healthcare during and beyond the pandemic.

Imaging manifestations of complications associated with uterine artery embolization.

Uterine artery embolization (UAE) is an increasingly performed, minimally invasive alternative to hysterectomy or myomectomy for women with symptomatic uterine fibroids. A growing body of literature documents symptomatic improvement in the majority of women who undergo UAE. Although UAE is usually safe and effective, there are a number of known complications associated with the procedure. Major complications include fibroid passage, infectious disease (endometritis, pelvic inflammatory disease-tubo-ovarian abscess, pyomyoma), deep venous thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, inadvertent embolization of a malignant leiomyosarcoma, ovarian dysfunction, fibroid regrowth, uterine necrosis, and even death. Minor complications include hematoma, urinary tract infection, retention of urine, transient pain, and vessel or nerve injury at the puncture site. As UAE takes its place in the treatment arsenal for women with symptomatic fibroids, radiologists need to be familiar with UAE-associated complications, which may require further treatment and may even be life threatening in some cases. Knowledge of these complications and their imaging features should lead to prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

Modified Tikhoff-Linberg procedure for posterior chest wall sarcoma.

The Tikhoff-Linberg procedure was originally described more than 80 years ago as a limb-sparing surgical option for malignancies involving the shoulder girdle. However, involvement of the chest wall was a contraindication, consigning patients to either amputation or shoulder disarticulation. With the addition of prosthetic and autologous tissue reconstruction of the chest wall, this procedure is a viable option for an extended group of patients. The modified procedure offers an excellent functional result, leaving the patient with a fully functional arm and hand.

Venous thromboembolism after uterine fibroid embolization.

Thromboembolic complications after uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) are infrequent. The incidence and predisposing factors of thromboembolism after UFE are unknown. We present eight cases of nonfatal thromboembolic complications after UFE and estimate the frequency of such events as 0.4%.

Adenomyosis: MRI of the uterus treated with uterine artery embolization.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the MRI features seen after uterine artery embolization and to evaluate the clinical response in patients with adenomyosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty women with adenomyosis underwent uterine artery embolization and follow-up MRI for 1 year. Of the 30, 27 patients were diagnosed with uterine fibroids and adenomyosis on the basis of MRI before uterine artery embolization. In six of the 27 patients, the dominant disease was adenomyosis. Three of the 30 patients had adenomyosis alone. The distribution, thickness, and enhancement of adenomyosis were analyzed in each patient. Patients completed a symptom questionnaire. RESULTS: After uterine artery embolization, the junctional zone-myometrial ratio did not change significantly. There were regions of devascularization of adenomyosis on contrast-enhanced images in 12 patients, all with a junctional zone thickness before uterine artery embolization of more than 20 mm (mean thickness, 39.2 mm). Eleven of the 12 patients had focal or asymmetric distribution patterns of adenomyosis. All three patients with pure adenomyosis and all six patients with dominant adenomyosis reported an improvement in symptoms. CONCLUSION: In patients treated with uterine artery embolization, MRI shows changes in areas of adenomyosis with a decrease in junctional zone vascularity in patients with thickening of the junctional zone greater than 20 mm. Devascularization may be related to the distribution of adenomyosis. The presence of adenomyosis should not be used as a contraindication to uterine artery embolization because most patients show clinical improvement after undergoing this procedure.