Standardized reporting of spine and sacroiliac joints in axial spondyloarthritis MRI: from the ESSR-Arthritis Subcommittee.

Objectives: Apply a modified Delphi-based approach and produce a practical, radiology-specific set of definitions for interpretation and standardization of the multiple MRI findings in axial spondyloarthritis (ax-SpA), specifically to aid the general radiologist with a musculoskeletal interest, working with gold standard basic MRI protocols.

Materials And Methods: We report the results of a modified Delphi-based consensus of 35 experts from 13 countries in the Arthritis Subcommittee of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR). Seventeen definitions were created (i.

Whole-body MRI for the investigation of joint involvement in inflammatory arthritis.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a novel whole-body MRI protocol capable of assessing inflammatory arthritis at an early stage in multiple joints in one examination.

Materials And Methods: Forty-six patients with inflammatory joint symptoms and 9 healthy volunteers underwent whole-body MR imaging on a 3.0 T MRI scanner in this prospective study.

Determination of lower radiation dose limit for automatic measurement of adipose tissue.

The purpose of this study was to determine the lower limit of radiation dose required to measure visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) volumes when a fat quantification and noise reduction techniques (NRTs) are combined. For this purpose, we utilized CT colonography (CTC) images taken at low doses and manually segmented VAT and SAT fat volumes as ground truth. In order to derive the acceptable precision of the measurements needed to estimate the lower limit of radiation dose, we estimated the effect of different positioning during CT scanning on fat measurements using manually segmented VAT and SAT against normal dose.

Imaging of Rheumatological Disorders.

Early diagnosis and treatment of many rheumatological conditions has become crucial in order that drug therapies can be started before irreversible structural damage occurs. Both MR imaging and ultrasound play a valid role in the pathway of many of these conditions. The imaging findings as well as relative merits are described in this article as well as limitations that must be kept in mind when interpreting the imaging.

Outcomes of the "BRCA Quality Improvement Dissemination Program": An initiative to improve patient receipt of cancer genetics services at five health systems.

Objective: A quality improvement initiative (QII) was conducted with five community-based health systems' oncology care centers (sites A-E). The QII aimed to increase referrals, genetic counseling (GC), and germline genetic testing (GT) for patients with ovarian cancer (OC) and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC).

Methods: QII activities occurred at sites over several years, all concluding by December 2020.

Anterior Shoulder Instability.

The anatomy of the glenohumeral joint prioritizes mobility at the expense of stability and thus predisposes it to injury through dislocation. This article discusses the anatomical basis for instability and how it translates into patterns of injury, focusing on anterior instability. We suggest an approach to imaging the unstable shoulder and examine the imaging features seen in the context of anterior instability, along with consideration of postoperative appearances.

A multicenter study of clinical impact of variant of uncertain significance reclassification in breast, ovarian and colorectal cancer susceptibility genes.

Background: Clinical interpretation of genetic test results is complicated by variants of uncertain significance (VUS) that have an unknown impact on health but can be clarified through reclassification. There is little empirical evidence regarding VUS reclassification in oncology care settings, including the prevalence and outcomes of reclassification, and racial/ethnic differences.

Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of persons with and without a personal history of cancer carrying VUS (with or without an accompanying pathogenic or likely pathogenic [P/LP] variant) in breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancer predisposition genes seen at four cancer care settings (in Texas, Florida, Ohio, and New Jersey) between 2013 and 2019.

Bone Marrow Lesions and Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Detected Structural Abnormalities in Patients With Midfoot Pain and Osteoarthritis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Objective: To compare magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected structural abnormalities in patients with symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis (OA), patients with persistent midfoot pain, and asymptomatic controls, and to explore the association between MRI features, pain, and foot-related disability.

Methods: One hundred seven adults consisting of 50 patients with symptomatic and radiographically confirmed midfoot OA, 22 adults with persistent midfoot pain but absence of radiographic OA, and 35 asymptomatic adults underwent 3T MRI of the midfoot and clinical assessment. MRIs were read for the presence and severity of abnormalities (bone marrow lesions [BMLs], subchondral cysts, osteophytes, joint space narrowing [JSN], effusion-synovitis, tenosynovitis, and enthesopathy) using the Foot Osteoarthritis MRI Score.

Identification of Mep1a as a susceptibility gene for atherosclerosis in mice.

Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of heart attack, ischemic stroke and peripheral arterial disease, and genetic factors involved remain mostly unidentified. We previously identified a significant locus on mouse chromosome 17 for atherosclerosis, Ath49, in an intercross between BALB/c and SM strains. Ath49 partially overlaps in the confidence interval with Ath22 mapped in an AKR × DBA/2 intercross.

Clinical indications for image-guided interventional procedures in the musculoskeletal system: a Delphi-based consensus paper from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR)-part VII, nerves of the lower limb.

Objectives: To perform a Delphi-based consensus on published evidence on image-guided interventional procedures for peripheral nerves of the lower limb (excluding Morton's neuroma) and provide clinical indications.

Methods: We report the results of a Delphi-based consensus of 53 experts from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology who reviewed the published literature for evidence on image-guided interventional procedures offered around peripheral nerves in the lower limb (excluding Morton's neuroma) to derive their clinical indications. Experts drafted a list of statements and graded them according to the Oxford Centre for evidence-based medicine levels of evidence.

Clinical indications for image-guided interventional procedures in the musculoskeletal system: a Delphi-based consensus paper from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR)-part V, knee.

Objectives: Interventional procedures around the knee are widely adopted for treating different musculoskeletal conditions. A panel of experts from the Ultrasound and Interventional Subcommittees of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) reviewed the existing literature to assess the evidence on image-guided musculoskeletal interventional procedures around the knee, with the goal of highlighting some controversies associated with these procedures, specifically the role of imaging guidance, as well as the efficacy of the medications routinely injected.

Methods: We report the results of a Delphi-based consensus of 53 experts in musculoskeletal radiology, who reviewed the published literature for evidence on image-guided interventional procedures around the knee to derive a list of pertinent clinical indications.

Clinical indications for image-guided interventional procedures in the musculoskeletal system: a Delphi-based consensus paper from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR)-part VI, foot and ankle.

Objectives: Clarity regarding accuracy and effectiveness for interventional procedures around the foot and ankle is lacking. Consequently, a board of 53 members of the Ultrasound and Interventional Subcommittees of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) reviewed the published literature to evaluate the evidence on image-guided musculoskeletal interventional procedures around this anatomical region.

Methods: We report the results of a Delphi-based consensus of 53 experts from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology who reviewed the published literature for evidence on image-guided interventional procedures offered around foot and ankle in order to derive their clinical indications.

Clinical indications for image-guided interventional procedures in the musculoskeletal system: a Delphi-based consensus paper from the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR)-part IV, hip.

Objectives: Image-guided musculoskeletal interventional procedures around the hip are widely used in daily clinical practice. The need for clarity concerning the actual added value of imaging guidance and types of medications to be offered led the Ultrasound and the Interventional Subcommittees of the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) to promote, with the support of its Research Committee, a collaborative project to review the published literature on image-guided musculoskeletal interventional procedures in the lower limb in order to derive a list of clinical indications.

Methods: In this article, we report the results of a Delphi-based consensus of 53 experts who reviewed the published literature for evidence on image-guided interventional procedures offered in the joint and soft tissues around the hip in order of their clinical indications.

Inflammation and enhanced atherogenesis in the carotid artery with altered blood flow in an atherosclerosis-resistant mouse strain.

Ligation of the common carotid artery near its bifurcation in apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe ) mice leads to rapid atherosclerosis development, which is affected by genetic backgrounds. BALB/cJ (BALB) mice are resistant to atherosclerosis, developing much smaller aortic lesions than C57BL/6 (B6) mice. In this study, we examined cellular events leading to lesion formation in carotid arteries with or without blood flow restriction of B6 and BALB Apoe mice.

Radiologic Imaging of Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders as They Affect the Hand and Wrist.

Metabolic and endocrine disorders have systemic effects on the musculoskeletal system, frequently producing characteristic changes in the hand and wrist. Radiographs historically played an instrumental role in the diagnostic pathway of many of these disorders, but the myriad of endocrinologic tests readily available to current clinicians may suggest their importance has lessened. We disagree.

Extradigital glomangiomyoma of the forearm mimicking peripheral nerve sheath tumour and thrombosed varicose vein.

Extradigital glomus tumour is uncommon, little-known outside of its subungual location, and may present without its classic triad of tenderness, cold sensitivity and paroxysmal pain. Imaging is non-specific and diagnosis is often delayed, sometimes for years, leading to unnecessary morbidity. Surgical excision is the treatment of choice, although technique depends on case specifics.

The interaction of competition and terrain on pacing during cross-county running races in junior athletes.

The aim of this study was to assess pacing during cross-country racing in relation to race length, surface-terrain and racing dynamics. Athletes ( = 148) competed for school teams (U15, U17, U20) over 2.9, 4.

Mononeuritis multiplex: an unexpectedly frequent feature of severe COVID-19.

The prolonged mechanical ventilation that is often required by patients with severe COVID-19 is expected to result in significant intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW) in many of the survivors. However, in our post-COVID-19 follow-up clinic we have found that, as well as the anticipated global weakness related to loss of muscle mass, a significant proportion of these patients also have disabling focal neurological deficits relating to multiple axonal mononeuropathies. Amongst the 69 patients with severe COVID-19 that have been discharged from the intensive care units in our hospital, we have seen 11 individuals (16%) with such a mononeuritis multiplex.

Deep Learning-based Quantification of Abdominal Subcutaneous and Visceral Fat Volume on CT Images.

Rationale And Objectives: Develop a deep learning-based algorithm using the U-Net architecture to measure abdominal fat on computed tomography (CT) images.

Materials And Methods: Sequential CT images spanning the abdominal region of seven subjects were manually segmented to calculate subcutaneous fat (SAT) and visceral fat (VAT). The resulting segmentation maps of SAT and VAT were augmented using a template-based data augmentation approach to create a large dataset for neural network training.

Effectively Measuring Exercise-Related Variations in T1ρ and T2 Relaxation Times of Healthy Articular Cartilage.

Background: Determining the compositional response of articular cartilage to dynamic joint-loading using MRI may be a more sensitive assessment of cartilage status than conventional static imaging. However, distinguishing the effects of joint-loading vs. inherent measurement variability remains difficult, as the repeatability of these quantitative methods is often not assessed or reported.

Foot and Leg Muscle Weakness in People With Midfoot Osteoarthritis.

Objective: To compare foot and leg muscle strength in people with symptomatic midfoot osteoarthritis (OA) with asymptomatic controls, and to determine the association between muscle strength, foot pain, and disability.

Methods: Participants with symptomatic midfoot OA and asymptomatic controls were recruited for this cross-sectional study from general practices and community health clinics. The maximum isometric muscle strength of the ankle plantarflexors, dorsiflexors, invertors and evertors, and the hallux and lesser toe plantarflexors was measured using hand-held dynamometry.

Data on genetic linkage of oxidative stress with cardiometabolic traits in an intercross derived from hyperlipidemic mouse strains.

The data presented here are related to the research article, entitled Genetic linkage of oxidative stress with cardiometabolic traits in an intercross derived from hyperlipidemic mouse strains, published in Atherosclerosis 2019 Dec 3;293:1-10 (D. Fuller, A.T.

Genetic linkage of oxidative stress with cardiometabolic traits in an intercross derived from hyperlipidemic mouse strains.

Background And Aims: Oxidative stress is associated with cardiometabolic traits in observational studies, yet the underlying causal relationship remains unclear. Apolipoprotein E-deficient (Apoe) mice develop significant hyperlipidemia and hyperglycemia on a Western diet. Here we conducted linkage analysis to investigate genetic connections between cardiometabolic traits and oxidative stress.