Diagnostic accuracy of endoscopy in determining rectal tumor proximity to the peritoneal reflection.

Purpose: Treatment of invasive rectal adenocarcinoma is stratified into upfront surgery versus neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy, in part, based on tumor distance from the anal verge (AV). This study examines the correlation between tumor distance measurements (endoscopic and MRI) and relationship to the anterior peritoneal reflection (aPR) on MRI.

Methods: A single-center retrospective study was performed at a tertiary center accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer (NAPRC).

Low-density Isolated Intraperitoneal Free Fluid in Pediatric Blunt Trauma Is Not Associated With Abdominal Injury.

Objectives: Isolated intraperitoneal free fluid (IIFF) is defined as intraperitoneal fluid seen on computed tomography (CT) without identifiable injury. In a hemodynamically stable patient, this finding creates a challenge for physicians regarding the next steps in management because the clinical significance of this fluid is not completely understood. We hypothesized that pediatric blunt trauma patients with a finding of simple IIFF on CT would not have clinically significant intraabdominal injury.

Added Value of Dedicated Spine CT to Detect Fracture in Patients with CT Chest, Abdomen, and Pelvis in the Trauma Setting.

Purpose: Fractures of the thoracolumbar spine account for up to 90% of spinal fractures, and are associated with significant disability. The advantage of acquiring dedicated spine CT imaging in addition to visceral CT studies of the chest, abdomen and pelvis for detection of spinal fractures has not been definitively established. This retrospective study seeks to determine the contribution of dedicated spine CT in the acute clinical setting.

Non-visualization of the ovary on CT or ultrasound in the ED setting: utility of immediate follow-up imaging.

Purpose: In the setting of female patients in the ED receiving both a CT scan and ultrasound of the pelvis, we compared the studies to assess the diagnostic value of non-visualization of the ovary in predicting the absence of ovarian disease.

Methods: A retrospective review of the electronic medical record identified adult female non-pregnant patients who received both a CT abdomen and pelvis and a transabdominal and transvaginal pelvic ultrasound within a 48-h period through the emergency department. The imaging studies were blindly reviewed to evaluate the ovaries on each CT and US independently.

Checklist for a Radiology Information System Go-Live.

This article highlights the experience of a single center institution undergoing a change in radiology information system (RIS) software platforms, transitioning to an electronic medical record-RIS driven workflow. Ten planning and execution topics with recommendations are presented in checklist form from the radiology department perspective. The build process of creating a site specific RIS takes many months, beginning with the organization of a steering committee.

Online Portals: Gateway to Patient-Centered Radiology.

Objective: Online portals typically allow access to radiology reports, causing a shift in the communication. This article evaluates the studies available in the literature about patient portals and the use of patient portals in radiology. Patient and physician preferences and the impact on radiology reporting are presented.

Evaluation of the diagnostic value of a venous phase in CT angiography of the extremities in the setting of trauma: is vein imaging in vain?

Purpose: This study examined the value of including a venous phase in addition to the initial arterial phase in the CT angiography evaluation of extremity trauma.

Methods: CT studies from 157 patients (average age 38 years, age range 18-89 years, male 83%, female 17%) were obtained for trauma to the upper or lower extremity with both arterial and venous phases and retrospectively reviewed. The detection rate and type of vascular injury were evaluated by using the arterial phase alone and compared to the detection rate when interpreting the arterial and venous phases together.

Pediatric cervical spine marrow T2 hyperintensity: a systematic analysis.

Objective: Hyperintense areas of vertebral bone marrow on fluid-sensitive sequences are at times seen on pediatric MRI of the cervical spine in children without suspicious clinical conditions to explain marrow pathology. Although these likely have no clinical significance they may be mistaken for pathology. The purpose of this study is to systematically evaluate the locations and patterns of marrow T2 hyperintensity in the pediatric cervical spine, with respect to age.