Publications by authors named "Natally Horvat"

Objective: To compare abbreviated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to complete MRI for treatment response assessment of colorectal liver metastases.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive patients with colorectal liver metastases between January 1, 2012, and December 3, 2021, who were undergoing chemotherapy and who had at least one follow-up gadoxetic-enhanced MRI. For each patient, two MRIs (baseline MRI and follow-up MRI) were randomly selected.

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  • Patterns of failure and salvage treatment options for anal squamous cell carcinoma (ASCC) post-definitive IMRT were investigated, revealing limited data on patient outcomes after recurrence.
  • A study of 375 ASCC patients showed significant locoregional failure (12%) and distant failure (13%) rates, with 73% progression-free survival and 80% overall survival at six years, emphasizing poorer outcomes for those with locoregional failure.
  • Salvage therapies improved survival chances significantly, with 30% of patients alive after ten years, contrasting sharply with those receiving only chemotherapy or supportive care.
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Purpose To develop a radiology-pathology coregistration method for 1:1 automated spatial mapping between preoperative rectal MRI and ex vivo rectal whole-mount histology (WMH). Materials and Methods This retrospective study included consecutive patients with rectal adenocarcinoma who underwent total neoadjuvant therapy followed by total mesorectal excision with preoperative rectal MRI and WMH from January 2019 to January 2022. A gastrointestinal pathologist and a radiologist established three corresponding levels for each patient at rectal MRI and WMH, subsequently delineating external and internal rectal wall contours and the tumor bed at each level and defining eight point-based landmarks.

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Objectives: This study was designed to assess computed tomography (CT)-based radiomics of colorectal liver metastases (CRLM), extracted from posttreatment scans in estimating pathologic treatment response to neoadjuvant therapy, and to compare treatment response estimates between CT-based radiomics and radiological response assessment by using RECIST 1.1 and CT morphologic criteria.

Methods: Patients who underwent resection for CRLM from January 2003-December 2012 at a single institution were included.

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  • - Rectal MRI plays a vital role in diagnosing and managing rectal cancer, aiding in staging, restaging, and ongoing monitoring to enhance treatment decisions.
  • - Despite its importance, there are significant challenges in standardizing how rectal MRI is interpreted, especially as treatment approaches for rectal cancer continue to change, including nonoperative options.
  • - The review highlights recent advancements and debates around the use of rectal MRI, focusing on tumor localization, current acquisition methods, and efforts to streamline and improve imaging protocols.
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  • * The design of a new NCI-sponsored randomized trial aims to determine the best chemotherapy regimen for patients who achieve a clinical complete response (cCR) after TNT, potentially allowing for a "watch and wait" strategy instead of immediate surgery.
  • * The trial will enroll up to 760 patients with specific LARC criteria and will evaluate the effectiveness of long-course chemoradiation followed by different consolidation chemotherapy regimens, with patient outcomes being monitored over time.
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Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Rectal cancer accounts for approximately one-third of new colorectal cancer cases, with adenocarcinoma as the predominant subtype. Despite an overall decline in colorectal cancer incidence and mortality, due to advancements in screening, early diagnosis, and treatment options, there is a concerning increase in incidence rates among young patients.

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Purpose: To systematically review and meta-analyze the prognostic significance of lateral lymph node metastasis (LLNM) on pretreatment MRI in patients with rectal cancer who undergo neoadjuvant chemoradiation followed by curative surgical resection without lateral lymph node dissection (LLND).

Methods: We searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases until September 27, 2023, utilizing the following search terms: (rectal OR rectum OR colorectal) AND (lateral OR sidewall) AND (lymph OR node). The QUIPS tool was employed to evaluate methodological quality.

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  • The Revised Atlanta Classification identifies key complications of acute pancreatitis, but additional factors impacting patient health must also be acknowledged.
  • This review covers both the imaging classification of acute pancreatitis and the importance of understanding pancreatic anatomy for effective imaging assessments.
  • It expands the discussion to include less common but serious complications, such as infections and thrombosis, while providing real-life examples of imaging cases.
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Background: Neoadjuvant therapy leads to a clinical complete response in a considerable proportion of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer, allowing for possible nonoperative management. The presence of mucin on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after neoadjuvant therapy leads to uncertainty about residual disease and appropriateness of a watch-and-wait strategy in patients with no evidence of disease on proctoscopy (endoscopic clinical complete response).

Methods: MRI reports for locally advanced rectal cancer patients seen between July 2016 and January 2020 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center were queried for presence of mucin in the tumor bed on MRI following neoadjuvant therapy.

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Pancreatic leaks occur when a disruption in the pancreatic ductal system results in the leakage of pancreatic enzymes such as amylase, lipase, and proteases into the abdominal cavity. While often associated with pancreatic surgical procedures, trauma and necrotizing pancreatitis are also common culprits. Cross-sectional imaging, particularly computed tomography, plays a crucial role in assessing postoperative conditions and identifying both early and late complications, including pancreatic leaks.

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  • Radiomics is a new field that uses data from medical images to help doctors understand and treat cancer better.
  • It can help with things like early detection of tumors, planning treatment, and checking if treatment is working.
  • However, there are challenges, like the need for better technology and ways to share data, that make it hard to use radiomics in everyday medical practice.
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Liver congestion is increasingly encountered in clinical practice and presents diagnostic pitfalls of which radiologists must be aware. The complex altered hemodynamics associated with liver congestion leads to diffuse parenchymal changes and the development of benign and malignant nodules. Distinguishing commonly encountered benign hypervascular lesions, such as focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)-like nodules, from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) can be challenging due to overlapping imaging features.

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Despite therapeutic advancements, disease-free survival and overall survival of patients with locally advanced rectal cancer have not improved in most trials as a result of distant metastases. For treatment decision-making, both long-term oncologic outcomes and impact on quality-of-life indices should be considered (for example, bowel function). Total neoadjuvant therapy (TNT), comprised of chemotherapy and radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy, is now a standard treatment approach in patients with features of high-risk disease to prevent local recurrence and distant metastases.

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Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the 6-month interval post chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in determining persistent disease and whether persistent diffusion restriction on DWI at 6 months is associated with overall survival; and secondarily, to investigate the accuracy of pelvic lymph node assessment on T2-weighted imaging and DWI in the 6-month interval post CRT, in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus.

Methods And Materials: This retrospective study included patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anus who underwent CRT followed by restaging rectal MRI from January 2010 to April 2020, with ≥1 year of follow-up after CRT. DW images were qualitatively evaluated by 2 junior and 2 senior abdominal radiologists to determine anal persistent disease.

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Purpose: To investigate the differences in baseline staging of anal squamous cell carcinoma based on CT, MRI, and PET/CT, and the resultant impact on the radiation plan.

Methods: This retrospective study included consecutive patients with anal squamous cell carcinoma who underwent baseline pelvic MRI, CT, and PET/CT (all examinations within 3 weeks of each other) from January 2010 to April 2020. CTs, MRIs, and PET/CTs were re-interpreted by three separate radiologists.

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Mucinous rectal cancer (MRC) is defined by the World Health Organization as an adenocarcinoma with greater than 50% mucin content. Classic teaching suggests that it carries a poorer prognosis than conventional rectal adenocarcinoma. This poorer prognosis is thought to be related to mucin dissecting through tissue planes at a higher rate, thus increasing the stage of disease at presentation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Rectal cancer poses significant challenges in diagnosis and treatment, with neoadjuvant therapy improving chances of successful surgery and patient outcomes.
  • MRI is essential in evaluating how well patients respond to treatment, but distinguishing between viable tumors and changes caused by therapy is complicated.
  • This review examines treatment approaches based on resectability and emphasizes the importance of MRI for guiding decisions, highlighting advanced techniques like radiomics and offering management recommendations post-neoadjuvant therapy.
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The differential diagnosis for left lower quadrant pain is wide and conditions range from the benign and self-limited to life-threatening surgical emergencies. Along with patient history, physical examination, and laboratory tests, imaging is often critical to limit the differential diagnosis and identify life-threatening abnormalities. This document will discuss the guidelines for the appropriate use of imaging in the initial workup for patients who present with left lower quadrant pain, patients with suspected diverticulitis, and patients with suspected complications from diverticulitis.

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Endometriosis is a chronic inflammatory gynecological condition affecting 10-15% of women in the reproductive age group. The urinary tract is the second most common extragenital organ system affected by endometriosis, and the urinary bladder and ureter are the two most common sites involved. Involvement of the urinary bladder can cause chronic debilitating symptoms, whereas ureteral involvement may lead to asymptomatic loss of renal function.

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Objectives: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for rectal cancer initial staging and restaging after neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Our objective was to perform a meta-analysis of the diagnostic performance of the split scar sign (SSS) on rectal MRI in predicting complete response after neoadjuvant therapy.

Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases were searched for relevant published studies through June 2023.

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Pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the most common pancreatic cancer and is associated with poor prognosis, a high mortality rate, and a substantial number of healthy life years lost. Surgical resection is the primary treatment option for patients with resectable disease; however, only 10-20% of all patients with PDAC are eligible for resection at the time of diagnosis. In this context, neoadjuvant therapy has the potential to increase the number of patients who are eligible for resection, thereby improving the overall survival rate.

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Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignant tumor of the liver and represents a significant global health burden. Management of HCC can be challenging due to multiple factors, including variable expectations for treatment outcomes. Several treatment options are available, each with specific eligibility and ineligibility criteria, and are provided by a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

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Background Diffusion-weighted (DW) imaging is useful in detecting tumor in the primary tumor bed in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) after neoadjuvant therapy, but its value in detecting extramural venous invasion (EMVI) and tumor deposit is not well validated. Purpose To evaluate diagnostic accuracy and association with patient prognosis of viable EMVI and tumor deposit on DW images in patients with LARC after neoadjuvant therapy using whole-mount pathology specimens. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included patients who underwent neoadjuvant therapy and surgery from 2018 to 2021.

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