Monoclonal gammopathies, such as Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and Smoldering Multiple Myeloma (SMM), are conditions marked by the overproduction of specific monoclonal proteins. Patients with these conditions are known to have a higher risk of fractures compared to the general population, yet there are no established guidelines for assessing or managing their skeletal health. The Trabecular Bone Score (TBS), which can be calculated from DXA images of the lumbar spine, provides additional insights into bone microarchitecture.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRationale And Objectives: The aim of this study is to explore the utility of Inductive Decision Tree models (IDTs) in distinguishing between benign, malignant, and high-risk (B3) breast lesions.
Materials And Methods: We analyzed 124 histologically confirmed lesions in 114 patients who underwent breast MR with BI-RADS 4 or 5 assessment. The dataset comprised 10 imaging parameters and one clinical observation.
The study aimed to assess the image quality and diagnostic performance of low-dose Chest Computed Tomography (LDCCT) in detecting pulmonary infections in patients with hematologic malignancies. A total of 164 neutropenic patients underwent 256 consecutive CT examinations, comparing 149 LDCCT and 107 Standard-Dose Chest CT (SDCCT) between May 2015 and June 2019. LDCCT demonstrated a 47% reduction in radiation dose while maintaining acceptable image noise and quality compared to SDCCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) constitutes a leading cause of cancer-related mortality despite advances in detection and treatment methods. While computed tomography (CT) serves as the current gold standard for initial evaluation of PDAC, its prognostic value remains limited, as it relies on diagnostic stage parameters encompassing tumor size, lymph node involvement, and metastasis. Radiomics have recently shown promise in predicting postoperative survival of PDAC patients; however, they rely on manual pancreas and tumor delineation by clinicians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFContemporary information is sparse on the frequency of skeletal-related events (SREs) in multiple myeloma (MM) patients at a population-based level in the era of novel agents. In this context, we conducted this single-center, prospective, observational study to determine the incidence of SREs among newly diagnosed MMs (NDMM) and to explore the possible correlations with disease characteristics, imaging finding, and patient prognosis. A total of 370 patients with available baseline MRIs were included.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Accurate antenatal diagnosis of placenta accreta spectrum (PAS) is important for optimal management. The purpose of this study was to compare the respective capabilities of 1.5-T and 3.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground An imaging-based predictor of response could provide prognostic information early during treatment course in patients with multiple myeloma (MM). Purpose To investigate if very early changes in bone marrow relative fat fraction (rFF) and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram metrics, occurring after one cycle of induction therapy in participants with newly diagnosed MM, could help predict overall best response status. Materials and Methods This prospective study included participants with MM who were enrolled between August 2014 and December 2017.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTesticular plasmacytoma is a rare extramedullary manifestation of plasma cell dyscrasia. We report a case of a 53-year-old man who presented with a metachronous testicular lesion originating from a soft tissue plasmacytoma of the oral cavity. He underwent radical orchiectomy and a year later, presented with testicular plasmacytoma in the contralateral testis.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe purpose of this article is to analyze whole-body low-dose CT-detected appendicular medullary patterns of attenuation in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma and to determine the diagnostic performance of whole-body low-dose CT in detecting diffuse marrow infiltration. A total of 76 patients with myeloma who underwent whole-body low-dose CT and spinal MRI at initial assessment were retrospectively analyzed. The medullary cavities of femurs and humeri were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively on CT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMultiple myeloma (MM) is the second most common hematological malignancy, characterized by plasma cell bone marrow infiltration and end-organ involvement. Smoldering MM (SMM) is an intermediate clinical entity between MGUS and MM, with a risk of progression to symptomatic disease 10% per year. Bone disease is the most frequent symptom of MM, with ~90% of patients developing bone lesions throughout their disease course.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) represents the second most frequent early onset of dementia in people younger than 65 years. The main syndromes encompassed by the term FTD are behavioral variant of Frontotemporal dementia (bvFTD), non-fluent variant primary progressive aphasia (nfvPPA) and semantic variant (SD).
Aims: To assess the bvFTD and SD, which represent the most common subtypes of FTD, using visual rating scales.
Aim: To retrospectively assess the effectiveness and safety of BLES stereotactic biopsy of suspicious calcifications and investigate possible predictive factors for underestimation.
Methods And Materials: Between January 2014 and January 2016, 400 biopsies of suspicious calcifications were performed in our Department using the BLES stereotactic device. The mean age of our population was 58.
Two fossilized human crania (Apidima 1 and Apidima 2) from Apidima Cave, southern Greece, were discovered in the late 1970s but have remained enigmatic owing to their incomplete nature, taphonomic distortion and lack of archaeological context and chronology. Here we virtually reconstruct both crania, provide detailed comparative descriptions and analyses, and date them using U-series radiometric methods. Apidima 2 dates to more than 170 thousand years ago and has a Neanderthal-like morphological pattern.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To retrospectively assess the stereotactic one-pass BLES performance in excision of small groups of calcifications seen on mammogram that proved to be papillomas.
Methods: Between January 2014 and January 2016, 37/400 cases (9.2%) of stereotactic BLES biopsies performed in our department due to suspicious calcifications proved to be papillomas.
Purpose: To assess the role of the breast lesion excision system (BLES) in complete removal of clusters of microcalcifications found on mammogram proved histologically to be high-risk lesions with cell atypia.
Methods And Materials: Three hundred ninety-four consecutive women (mean age 58.5 years, range 39-78 years) with 400 clusters of suspicious microcalcifications underwent stereotactic biopsy using the intact BLES device between January 2014 and January 2016.
Objectives: Restorative proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) is the "gold standard" procedure for patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) requiring surgical intervention. A de-functioning ileostomy is usually performed, as a step for the IPAA procedure. The aim of this study is to present the methodology and results of the routine double assessment of IPAA integrity in asymptomatic patients prior to the ileostomy reversal and evaluate its necessity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWhole Body Low Dose CT (WBLDCT) has important advantages as a first-line imaging modality for bone disease assessment in patients with plasma cell disorders and has been included in the 2014 International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG) criteria for multiple myeloma (MM) definition. Nevertheless, standardization guidelines for the optimal use of WBLDCT in MM patients are still lacking, preventing its more widespread use, both in daily practice and clinical trials. The aim of this report by the Bone Group of the IMWG is to provide practical recommendations for the acquisition, interpretation and reporting of WBLDCT in patients with multiple myeloma and other plasma cell disorders.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate differences in clinical features, MRI findings and tumor biomarker characteristics in screen-detected (SCD) and non-screendetected (NSCD) cancers.
Material And Methods: A total of 62 women (mean age, 48.4 years; range, 33-68 years) with biopsy confirmed breast cancer who underwent preoperative breast MRI were retrospectively evaluated by two expert radiologists.
Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles with well-integrated multimodality imaging properties have generated increasing research interest in the past decade, especially when it comes to the targeted imaging of tumors. Bevacizumab (BCZM) on the other hand is a well-known and widely applied monoclonal antibody recognizing VEGF-A, which is overexpressed in angiogenesis. The aim of this proof-of-concept study was to develop a dual-modality nanoplatform for targeted single photon computed emission tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of tumor vascularization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMRI plays an important role in the management of patients with plasma cell neoplasms and has been recognized as a biomarker of malignancy in the novel criteria for the diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Functional and molecular MRI techniques such as diffusion-weighted imaging (spinal or whole body), intravoxel incoherent motion, and dynamic contrast enhanced MRI, provide additional information related to tumor cellularity and angiogenesis, which may have prognostic implications for patients with smoldering and symptomatic myeloma. These non-invasive functional techniques are also being evaluated as imaging biomarkers for response assessment in myeloma patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFor decades, conventional skeletal survey (CSS) has been the standard imaging technique for multiple myeloma (MM). However, recently whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) has been implemented into the diagnostic criteria of MM. This analysis compares sensitivity and prognostic significance of WBCT and CSS in patients with smoldering MM (SMM) and MM.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe aim of the study was to assess the value of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) who were treated with novel anti-myeloma agents. We studied 60 previously untreated MM patients at diagnosis, 14 with smoldering MM (SMM) and 5 with MGUS. All patients underwent MRI of the thoracolumbar spine and pelvis before the administration of any kind of therapy, and DCE-MRI was performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: The aim of this study was to develop a dual-modality positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance (PET/MR) imaging probe by radiolabeling gadolinium-containing AGuIX derivatives with the positron-emitter Gallium-68 (Ga).
Materials & Methods: AGuIX@NODAGA nanoparticles were labeled with Ga at high efficiency. Tumor accumulation in an appropriate disease model was assessed by ex vivo biodistribution and in vivo PET/MR imaging.
Neuromyelitis optinca (NMO) represents a serious demyelinating disease of the central nervous system selectively attacking the spinal cord and optic nerve. Early differential diagnosis from multiple sclerosis is of vital importance, as NMO mandates immunosuppressive and not immunomodulatory treatment. Rituximab has been recently introduced as a treatment option for NMO.
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