Feasibility of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI for detection of primary tumour, nodal and distant metastases in women with cancer during pregnancy: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the feasibility of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI/MRI) for detecting primary tumour, nodal and distant metastases in pregnant women with cancer. METHODS: Twenty pregnant patients underwent WB-DWI/MRI in additional to conventional imaging. Reproducibility of WB-DWI/MRI between two readers was evaluated using Cohen's κ statistics and accuracy was compared to conventional imaging for assessing primary tumour site, nodal and visceral metastases. RESULTS: Both WB-DWI/MRI readers showed good-very good agreement for lesion detection (primary lesions: κ=1; lymph nodes: κ=0.89; distant metastases: κ=0.61). Eight (40 %) patients were upstaged after WB-DWI/MRI. For nodal metastases, WB-DWI/MRI showed 100 % (95 % CI: 83.2-100) sensitivity for both readers with specificity of 99.4 % (96.9-100) and 100 % (80.5-100) for readers 1 and 2, respectively. For distant metastases, WB-DWI/MRI showed 66.7 % (9.4-99.2) and 100 % (29.2-100) sensitivity and specificity of 94.1 % (71.3-99.9) and 100 % (80.5-100) for readers 1 and 2, respectively. Conventional imaging showed sensitivity of 50 % (27.2-72.8) and 33.3 % (0.8-90.6); specificity of 100 % (98-100) and 100 % (80.5-100), for nodal and distant metastases respectively. CONCLUSIONS: WB-DWI/MRI is feasible for single-step non-invasive staging of cancer during pregnancy with additional value for conventional imaging procedures. KEY POINTS: • In our study, WB-DWI/MRI was more accurate than conventional imaging during pregnancy. • WB-DWI/MRI improves diagnostic assessment of patients with cancer during pregnancy. • Accurate imaging and oncologic staging improves treatment and outcome.

Chemoembolization for hepatocellular carcinoma: 1-month response determined with apparent diffusion coefficient is an independent predictor of outcome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the predictive utility of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) changes at diffusion-weighted (DW) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging 1 month after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) compared with the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST) version 1.1, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, and modified RECIST (mRECIST). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Institutional review board approval and informed consent were obtained for this prospective study. Thirty-eight patients with inoperable HCC underwent 1.5-T MR imaging, including DW imaging, before and 1 month after TACE. Responses 1 month after TACE were assessed with the ADC change relative to baseline (ADC ratio), RECIST, EASL criteria, and mRECIST. Eight patients underwent transplantation 4 months after TACE, allowing the association between response and histopathologic necrosis ratio to be determined. In 30 patients, Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests were used to correlate the response variables with progression-free and overall survival. RESULTS: Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 5 months, and overall survival was 17.5 months. Survival analyses showed significant effects of pretreatment α-fetoprotein level (P = .03) and ADC ratio (P < .0001) on PFS and substantial effects of mRECIST, RECIST, and EASL criteria (.05 < P < .1). ADC ratio was a significant predictor of 5-month PFS (P < .001), with an accuracy of 93.3% compared with 53.3% with mRECIST and EASL criteria and 66.7% with RECIST. No response variables correlated with overall survival. Only the ADC ratio was significantly associated with histopathologic tumor necrosis (P = .03). CONCLUSION: The ADC ratio 1 month after TACE was an independent predictor of PFS, which showed stronger association with tumor response than did RECIST, EASL criteria, or mRECIST.

Whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted sequence for staging of patients with suspected ovarian cancer: a clinical feasibility study in comparison to CT and FDG-PET/CT.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate whole-body MRI with diffusion-weighted sequence (WB-DWI/MRI) for staging and assessing operability compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT in patients with suspected ovarian cancer. METHODS: Thirty-two patients underwent 3-T WB-DWI/MRI, (18) F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) and CT before diagnostic open laparoscopy (DOL). Imaging findings for tumour characterisation, peritoneal and retroperitoneal staging were correlated with histopathology after DOL and/or open surgery. For distant metastases, FDG-PET/CT or image-guided biopsies were the reference standards. For tumour characterisation and peritoneal staging, WB-DWI/MRI was compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT. Interobserver agreement for WB-DWI/MRI was determined. RESULTS: WB-DWI/MRI showed 94 % accuracy for primary tumour characterisation compared with 88 % for CT and 94 % for FDG-PET/CT. WB-DWI/MRI showed higher accuracy of 91 % for peritoneal staging compared with CT (75 %) and FDG-PET/CT (71 %). WB-DWI/MRI and FDG-PET/CT showed higher accuracy of 87 % for detecting retroperitoneal lymphadenopathies compared with CT (71 %). WB-DWI/MRI showed excellent correlation with FDG-PET/CT (κ = 1.00) for detecting distant metastases compared with CT (κ = 0.34). Interobserver agreement was moderate to almost perfect (κ = 0.58-0.91). CONCLUSIONS: WB-DWI/MRI shows high accuracy for characterising primary tumours, peritoneal and distant staging compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT and may be valuable for assessing operability in ovarian cancer patients. KEY POINTS: • Whole-body MRI with diffusion weighting (WB-DWI/MRI) helps to assess the operability of suspected ovarian cancer. • Interobserver agreement is good for primary tumour characterisation, peritoneal and distant staging. • WB-DWI/MRI improves mesenteric/serosal metastatic spread assessment compared with CT and FDG-PET/CT. • Retroperitoneal/cervical-thoracic nodal staging using qualitative DWI criteria was reasonably accurate. • WB-DWI/MRI and FDG-PET/CT showed the highest diagnostic impact for detecting thoracic metastases.

Prenatal anatomical imaging in fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia.

The role of prenatal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and management of congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is reviewed. Topics include morphologic imaging and vascular assessment of the developing lung, the value of imaging parameters as prognostic predictors in CDH and the role of imaging following percutaneous fetoscopic endoluminal tracheal occlusion.

MR volumetry of the normal fetal kidney: reference values.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to provide reference values for normal fetal kidney growth based on magnetic resonance (MR) volumetry. Differences in side and gender will be investigated. METHOD: The institute's database was reviewed for all fetal MR examinations of singleton pregnancies performed between January 2003 and December 2009. Exclusion criteria for renal volumetry were presence of urogenital anomalies, intrauterine growth retardation, polymalformative disorders, oligo- or anhydramnios and maternal diabetes. On anatomical images, renal volumetry was evaluated by delineating kidneys on all slices and combining these into one volume measurement per kidney. Polynomial regression analysis was performed to examine volume evolution over gestational age (GA). RESULTS: Bilateral renal volumes of 274 MR examinations in 240 fetuses with GAs between 20 and 37 weeks were calculated. The renal volumes strongly correlated with GA (polynomial regression analysis, p < 0.001). No significant difference could be observed between the left and right renal volume and between male and female (p = 0.12 and 0.68, respectively). For fetuses GA ≥ 30 weeks the right kidney was slightly larger than the left side (n = 100, p = 0.039). CONCLUSION: The present study provides reference data for normal fetal renal volumes, which may enable to identify fetuses at risk to develop congenital oligonephropathy.

Diagnostic value of whole body diffusion-weighted MRI compared to computed tomography for pre-operative assessment of patients suspected for ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: Despite excellent per-lesion performance for peritoneal staging, the additional clinical value of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DWI/MRI) compared to computed tomography (CT) remains to be established in ovarian cancer. Our purpose was to evaluate whole body (WB)-DWI/MRI for diagnosis, staging and operability assessment of patients suspected for ovarian cancer compared to CT. METHODS: One hundred and sixty-one patients suspected for ovarian carcinoma underwent 3 T WB-DWI/MRI and contrast-enhanced CT. WB-DWI/MRI and CT were compared for confirmation of the malignant nature and primary origin of the ovarian mass, Fédération Internationale de Gynécologie et d'Obstétrique (FIGO) staging and prediction of incomplete resection using institutional operability criteria. Interobserver agreement between two readers was determined for WB-DWI/MRI and CT. RESULTS: WB-DWI/MRI showed a significantly higher accuracy than CT (93 versus 82%, p = 0.001) to confirm the malignant nature of the ovarian mass and correctly identified 26 of 32 (81%) cancers of non-ovarian origin compared to 10/32 (31%) for CT (p < 0.001). WB-DWI/MRI assigned more ovarian carcinoma patients to the correct FIGO stage (82/94, 87%) compared with CT (33/94, 35%). For prediction of incomplete resection, WB-DWI/MRI showed significantly higher sensitivity (94 versus 66%), specificity (97.7 versus 77.3%) and accuracy (95.7 versus 71.3%) compared to CT (p < 0.001). Interobserver agreement was almost perfect (κ = 0.90) for WB-DWI/MRI and moderate (κ = 0.52) for CT for prediction of incomplete resection. CONCLUSIONS: WB-DWI/MRI was superior to CT for primary tumour characterisation, staging and prediction of incomplete resection in patients suspected for ovarian cancer.

Whole-body diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of recurrent ovarian cancer: a clinical feasibility study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical feasibility of whole-body diffusion-weighted MRI (WB-DWI/MRI) for diagnosis and prediction of complete tumour resection in patients with suspected recurrent ovarian cancer. METHODS: 51 females clinically suspected for ovarian cancer recurrence underwent 3-T WB-DWI/MRI in addition to contrast-enhanced CT. WB-DWI/MRI was assessed for detection of tumour recurrence, prediction of tumour extent and complete resection compared with CT. Tumour presence was confirmed by pathology obtained by surgery or biopsy, or by imaging follow-up. RESULTS: WB-DWI/MRI showed 94% accuracy for detecting ovarian cancer recurrence, compared with 78% for CT (p = 0.008). WB-DWI/MRI showed better sensitivity [% (95% confidence interval)] than CT for detecting involvement of surgically critical tumour sites including mesenteric root infiltration [92 (62-100) vs 31 (10-61)], small bowel [93 (64-100) vs 21 (6-51)], colon carcinomatosis [91 (57-100) vs 27 (7-61)] and unresectable distant metastases [90 (54-99) vs 20 (4-56)]. WB-DWI/MRI correctly predicted complete resection in 33 of 35 (94%) patients eligible for salvage surgery compared with 17 of 35 (49%) for CT (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: WB-DWI/MRI allowed better detection of ovarian cancer recurrence and better prediction of complete resection than CT. Advances in knowledge: WB-DWI/MRI could assist in optimizing treatment planning for recurrent ovarian cancer, particularly by improving patient selection for salvage surgery, thus giving eligible patients the highest chance on prolonged survival and refraining patients who would not benefit from extensive surgery reducing related morbidity and mortality.