Radiologic reporting of MRI-proven thoracolumbar epidural metastases on body CT: 12-Year single-institution experience.

Rationale And Objectives: Metastatic epidural masses are an important radiological finding. The purpose of this study is to determine factors associated with non-reporting of thoracolumbar epidural metastases on body CT.

Materials And Methods: In a study population of 166 patients from a single institution over a 12-year period, 293 body CT examinations were identified which were performed within 30 days before or after a spine MRI diagnosis of epidural metastasis.

Characteristics and Outcomes of Small Cell Lung Cancer Detected by CT Screening.

Background: Previous studies with a limited number of patients have reported divergent findings on whether screening can detect small cell lung cancer (SCLC) at an earlier stage and whether there might be a survival benefit.

Methods: This study examined the characteristics of SCLC detected by using low-dose CT (LDCT) screening in the National Lung Screening Trial, a randomized study of individuals at high risk for developing lung cancer comparing LDCT imaging vs chest radiography. SCLC was denoted as screen detected if diagnosed ≤ 1 year of a positive screen or after a longer period but with no time gap between diagnostic procedures of > 1 year; interval detected if diagnosed ≤ 1 year of a negative screen; and nonscreen detected if the subject did not receive any screens or otherwise as postscreening.

Unilateral Submandibular Gland Atrophy and Sialolithiasis Diagnosed on 99mTc-MIBI SPECT/CT in a Patient With Primary Hyperparathyroidism.

A variety of sequelae of elevated calcium levels are encountered in patients with underlying primary hyperparathyroidism, including stone formation such as calculi in the urinary tract and sialoliths in the salivary glands and ducts. We present a case of a 54-year-old woman with fatigue, myalgia, and poor concentration who was found to have hypercalcemia (corrected calcium, 11.2 mg/dL) and elevated parathyroid hormone level (112 pg/mL), laboratory values consistent with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Comparative Evaluation of Three Software Packages for Liver and Spleen Segmentation and Volumetry.

Rationale And Objectives: This study aims to compare the speed and accuracy of three different software packages in segmenting the liver and the spleen.

Materials And Methods: The three software packages are Advantage Workstation Solutions (AWS), Claron Technology (Claron) Liver Segmentor, and Vitrea Core Fx (Vitrea). The dataset consisted of abdominal computed tomography scans of 30 patients obtained from the portal venous phase.

Diagnostic Value of F-FDG PET/CT Versus MRI in the Setting of Antibody-Specific Autoimmune Encephalitis.

Diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis presents some challenges in the clinical setting because of varied clinical presentations and delay in obtaining antibody panel results. We examined the role of neuroimaging in the setting of autoimmune encephalitides, comparing the utility of F-FDG PET/CT versus conventional brain imaging with MRI. A retrospective study was performed assessing the positivity rate of MRI versus F-FDG PET/CT during the initial workup of 23 patients proven to have antibody-positive autoimmune encephalitis.

Paraneoplastic Syndrome With Anti-NMDAR Encephalitis Associated With Ovarian Teratomas.

We report on a 33-year-old woman who had a paraneoplastic syndrome with anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor encephalitis, associated with ovarian teratomas. She presented with acute onset seizures, grandiosity, elevated mood, disorganized thoughts, and paranoia. Cerebral spinal fluid analysis revealed anti-N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor antibodies.

Molecular Imaging and Precision Medicine in Head and Neck Cancer.

The concept of using tumor genomic profiling information has revolutionized personalized cancer treatment. Head and neck (HN) cancer management is being influenced by recent discoveries of activating mutations in epidermal growth factor receptor and related targeted therapies with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, targeted therapies for Kristen Rat Sarcoma, and MET proto-oncogenes. Molecular imaging using PET plays an important role in assessing the biologic behavior of HN cancer with the goal of delivering individualized cancer treatment.

Molecular Imaging and Precision Medicine: PET/Computed Tomography and Therapy Response Assessment in Oncology.

A variety of methods have been developed to assess tumor response to therapy. Standardized qualitative criteria based on 18F-fluoro-deoxyglucose PET/computed tomography have been proposed to evaluate the treatment effectiveness in specific cancers and these allow more accurate therapy response assessment and survival prognostication. Multiple studies have addressed the utility of the volumetric PET biomarkers as prognostic indicators but there is no consensus about the preferred segmentation methodology for these metrics.

Imaging muscle-invasive and metastatic urothelial carcinoma.

Purpose Of Review: Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) comprises approximately one-third of bladder cancers and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Accurate staging of bladder cancer is essential because of significantly different treatment options and the consequences of inaccurate staging. The current recommended method for staging is transurethral resection of the bladder tumor followed by contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).

Coronary Plaque Burden at Coronary CT Angiography in Asymptomatic Men and Women.

Purpose To assess the relationship between total, calcified, and noncalcified coronary plaque burdens throughout the entire coronary vasculature at coronary computed tomographic (CT) angiography in relationship to cardiovascular risk factors in asymptomatic individuals with low-to-moderate risk. Materials and Methods This HIPAA-compliant study had institutional review board approval, and written informed consent was obtained. Two hundred two subjects were recruited to an ongoing prospective study designed to evaluate the effect of HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors on atherosclerosis.

Tissue characterization of the myocardium: state of the art characterization by magnetic resonance and computed tomography imaging.

Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) is a simple, robust, well-validated method for assessing scar in acute and chronic myocardial infarction. LGE is useful for distinguishing between ischemic and nonischemic cardiomyopathy. Specific LGE patterns are seen in nonischemic cardiomyopathy.

Cardiac MR imaging to probe tissue composition of the heart by using T1 mapping.

The study by Thuny et al compared with that of Reiter et al draws attention to current research focused on the optimal method to quantify T1 mapping results.

Cardiovascular imaging in 2013: New era of evidence-based medicine with noninvasive imaging.

In 2013, advances in noninvasive imaging methods pushed traditional boundaries in the detection, diagnosis, and functional assessment of coronary artery disease, atherosclerotic plaque, and myocardial function. We highlight five important studies that demonstrate how these developments are allowing medicine to become increasingly evidence-based and personalized.

Reminder of an important clinical lesson in the presentation of an inguinoscrotal bladder hernia and its CT findings.

Inguinoscrotal bladder hernias are still a rare finding in clinical practice. The present report describes the case of a patient who presented with minimal symptoms and was found to have an inguinoscrotal bladder hernia that was confirmed on CT. The CT findings include very clear and interesting images, and the case is discussed further.