Ultra-low-dose CT vs. chest X-ray in non-traumatic emergency department patients - a prospective randomised crossover cohort trial.

Background: Ultra-low-dose CT (ULDCT) examinations of the chest at only twice the radiation dose of a chest X-ray (CXR) now offer a valuable imaging alternative to CXR. This trial prospectively compares ULDCT and CXR for the detection rate of diagnoses and their clinical relevance in a low-prevalence cohort of non-traumatic emergency department patients.

Methods: In this prospective crossover cohort trial, 294 non-traumatic emergency department patients with a clinically indicated CXR were included between May 2nd and November 26th of 2019 (www.

Neuroradiological differentiation of white matter lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis and Fabry disease.

Objective: White matter lesions (WML) in multiple sclerosis (MS) differ from vascular WML caused by Fabry disease (FD). However, in atypical cases the discrimination can be difficult and may vary between individual raters. The aim of this study was to evaluate interrater reliability of WML differentiation between MS and FD patients.

Rectal preparation significantly improves prostate imaging quality: Assessment of the PI-QUAL score with visual grading characteristics.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a rectal preparation regimen, that consisted of a rectal cleansing enema and an endorectal gel filling protocol, on prostate imaging quality (PI-QUAL).

Methods: Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) was performed in 150 consecutive patients divided into two groups of 75 patients. One group received a rectal preparation with a cleansing enema and endorectal gel filling (median age 65.

Impact of the Kaiser score on clinical decision-making in BI-RADS 4 mammographic calcifications examined with breast MRI.

Objectives: To investigate whether the application of the Kaiser score for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might downgrade breast lesions that present as mammographic calcifications and avoid unnecessary breast biopsies METHODS: This IRB-approved, retrospective, cross-sectional, single-center study included 167 consecutive patients with suspicious mammographic calcifications and histopathologically verified results. These patients underwent a pre-interventional breast MRI exam for further diagnostic assessment before vacuum-assisted stereotactic-guided biopsy (95 malignant and 72 benign lesions). Two breast radiologists with different levels of experience independently read all examinations using the Kaiser score, a machine learning-derived clinical decision-making tool that provides probabilities of malignancy by a formalized combination of diagnostic criteria.

Can the addition of clinical information improve the accuracy of PI-RADS version 2 for the diagnosis of clinically significant prostate cancer in positive MRI?

Aim: To report prostate cancer (PCa) prevalence in Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System version 2 (PI-RADS v2) categories and investigate the potential to avoid unnecessary, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided in-bore biopsies by adding clinical and biochemical patient characteristics.

Materials And Methods: The present institutional review board-approved, prospective study on 137 consecutive men with 178 suspicious lesions on 3 T MRI was performed. Routine data collected for each patient included patient characteristics (age, prostate volume), clinical background information (prostate-specific antigen [PSA] levels, PSA density), and PI-RADS v2 scores assigned in a double-reading approach.

Reliability of high-resolution ultrasound and magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder in patients with sports-related shoulder injuries.

Introduction: The shoulder, a very complex joint, offers a wide range of pathologies. Intraarticular abnormalities and rotator cuff injuries are mainly assessed and diagnosed by magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA). In contrast to this well-established gold standard, high-resolution ultrasound (US) offers an additional easy and excellent modality to assess the shoulder joint.

Intra- and inter-observer variability in dependence of T1-time correction for common dynamic contrast enhanced MRI parameters in prostate cancer patients.

Background: Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) MRI parameters are potential biomarkers to characterise tumour vasculature and distinguish it from the non-cancerous blood vessel system within the prostate. However, the inevitable presence of intra- and inter-observer variabilities is challenging in this context. Additionally, pre-contrast T1-time correction is a prerequisite to gain quantitative DCE parameters in the first place.

Diffusion-Weighted MRI of Breast Cancer: Improved Lesion Visibility and Image Quality Using Synthetic b-Values.

Background: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is an MRI technique with the potential to serve as an unenhanced breast cancer detection tool. Synthetic b-values produce images with high diffusion weighting to suppress residual background signal, while avoiding additional measurement times and reducing artifacts.

Purpose: To compare acquired DWI images (at b = 850 s/mm ) and different synthetic b-values (at b = 1000-2000 s/mm ) in terms of lesion visibility, image quality, and tumor-to-tissue contrast in patients with malignant breast tumors.

[Contrast-agent free imaging of the prostate : Ready for clinical practice?].

Background: Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) is currently the most accurate imaging modality for detection and local staging of prostate cancer (PCa). Disadvantages of this modality are high costs, time consumption and the need for a contrast medium.

Aims: The aim of the work was to provide an overview of the current state of fast and contrast-free MRI imaging of the prostate.

Impact of androgen deprivation therapy on apparent diffusion coefficient and T2w MRI for histogram and texture analysis with respect to focal radiotherapy of prostate cancer.

Purpose: Accurate prostate cancer (PCa) detection is essential for planning focal external beam radiotherapy (EBRT). While biparametric MRI (bpMRI) including T2-weighted (T2w) and diffusion-weighted images (DWI) is an accurate tool to localize PCa, its value is less clear in the case of additional androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). The aim of this study was to investigate the value of a textural feature (TF) approach on bpMRI analysis in prostate cancer patients with and without neoadjuvant ADT with respect to future dose-painting applications.

Quantitative Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Derived From Diffusion-Weighted Imaging Has the Potential to Avoid Unnecessary MRI-Guided Biopsies of mpMRI-Detected PI-RADS 4 and 5 Lesions.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of diffusion-weighted imaging-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements to obviate unnecessary biopsies in multiparametric MRI-detected PI-RADS 4 and 5 lesions.

Materials And Methods: This retrospective, institutional review board-approved study investigated 101 PI-RADS 4 and 5 prostate lesions (52 malignant, 49 benign) verified by in-bore MRI-guided biopsy in 101 men (mean age, 62.8 years).

Apparent diffusion coefficient values obtained by unenhanced MRI predicts disease-specific survival in bladder cancer.

Aim: To assess the ability of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements obtained by MRI to predict disease-specific survival (DSS) in patients with bladder cancer and compare it with established clinico-pathological prognostic factors.

Material And Methods: The ethical review board approved this cross-sectional study. Patients with suspected bladder cancer receiving diagnostic 3 T diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of the bladder before transurethral resection of the bladder (TUR-B) or radical cystectomy were evaluated prospectively.

Breast lesions classified as probably benign (BI-RADS 3) on magnetic resonance imaging: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To investigate prevalence, malignancy rates, imaging features, and follow-up intervals for probably benign (BI-RADS 3) lesions on breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Methods: A systematic database-review of articles published through 22/06/2016 was performed. Eligible studies reported BI-RADS 3 lesions on breast MRI.

3D T2-weighted imaging to shorten multiparametric prostate MRI protocols.

Objectives: To determine whether 3D acquisitions provide equivalent image quality, lesion delineation quality and PI-RADS v2 performance compared to 2D acquisitions in T2-weighted imaging of the prostate at 3 T.

Methods: This IRB-approved, prospective study included 150 consecutive patients (mean age 63.7 years, 35-84 years; mean PSA 7.

Association between pathology and texture features of multi parametric MRI of the prostate.

The role of multi-parametric (mp)MRI in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer has increased considerably. An alternative to visual inspection of mpMRI is the evaluation using histogram-based (first order statistics) parameters and textural features (second order statistics). The aims of the present work were to investigate the relationship between benign and malignant sub-volumes of the prostate and textures obtained from mpMR images.

Multiparametric [11C]Acetate positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging in the assessment and staging of prostate cancer.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate whether MP [11C]Acetate PET-MRI enables an accurate differentiation of benign and malignant prostate tumors as well as local and distant staging.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients fulfilling the following criteria were included in this IRB-approved prospective study: elevated PSA levels or suspicious findings at digital rectal examination or TRUS; and histopathological verification. All patients underwent MP [11C]Acetate PET-MRI of the prostate performed on separate scanners with PET/CT using [11C]Acetate and 3T MP MR imaging.

Accuracy of fully automated, quantitative, volumetric measurement of the amount of fibroglandular breast tissue using MRI: correlation with anthropomorphic breast phantoms.

To demonstrate the accuracy of fully automated, quantitative, volumetric measurement of the amount of fibroglandular breast tissue (FGT), using MRI, and to investigate the impact of different MRI sequences using anthropomorphic breast phantoms as the ground truth. In this study, 10 anthropomorphic breast phantoms that consisted of different known fractions of adipose and protein tissue, which closely resembled normal breast parenchyma, were developed. Anthropomorphic breast phantoms were imaged with a 1.

Respiratory motion artifacts during arterial phase imaging with gadoxetic acid: Can the injection protocol minimize this drawback?

Purpose: To determine which of three gadoxetic acid injection techniques best reduced the contrast-related arterial-phase motion artifacts.

Materials And Methods: This Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved, retrospective study included a cohort of 78 consecutive patients who each had serial gadoxetic acid-enhanced 3.0T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the liver (0.

Diffusion-weighted imaging of breast lesions: Region-of-interest placement and different ADC parameters influence apparent diffusion coefficient values.

Objectives: To investigate the influence of region-of-interest (ROI) placement and different apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) parameters on ADC values, diagnostic performance, reproducibility and measurement time in breast tumours.

Methods: In this IRB-approved, retrospective study, 149 histopathologically proven breast tumours (109 malignant, 40 benign) in 147 women (mean age 53.2) were investigated.

Diffusion-weighted MRI of breast lesions: a prospective clinical investigation of the quantitative imaging biomarker characteristics of reproducibility, repeatability, and diagnostic accuracy.

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) provides insights into tissue microstructure by visualization and quantification of water diffusivity. Quantitative evaluation of the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) obtained from DWI has been proven helpful for differentiating between malignant and benign breast lesions, for cancer subtyping in breast cancer patients, and for prediction of response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However, to further establish DWI of breast lesions it is important to evaluate the quantitative imaging biomarker (QIB) characteristics of reproducibility, repeatability, and diagnostic accuracy.

Automatic quantification of multi-modal rigid registration accuracy using feature detectors.

In radiotherapy, the use of multi-modal images can improve tumor and target volume delineation. Images acquired at different times by different modalities need to be aligned into a single coordinate system by 3D/3D registration. State of the art methods for validation of registration are visual inspection by experts and fiducial-based evaluation.

Multiparametric [18F]Fluorodeoxyglucose/ [18F]Fluoromisonidazole Positron Emission Tomography/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging of Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer for the Non-Invasive Detection of Tumor Heterogeneity: A Pilot Study.

Objectives: To investigate fused multiparametric positron emission tomography/magnetic resonance imaging (MP PET/MRI) at 3T in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer, using high-resolution T2-weighted, contrast-enhanced MRI (CE-MRI), diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), and the radiotracers [18F]fluorodeoxyglucose ([18F]FDG) and [18F]fluoromisonidazol ([18F]FMISO) for the non-invasive detection of tumor heterogeneity for an improved planning of chemo-radiation therapy (CRT).

Materials And Methods: Sixteen patients with locally advanced cervix were enrolled in this IRB approved and were examined with fused MP [18F]FDG/ [18F]FMISO PET/MRI and in eleven patients complete data sets were acquired. MP PET/MRI was assessed for tumor volume, enhancement (EH)-kinetics, diffusivity, and [18F]FDG/ [18F]FMISO-avidity.