Digital breast tomosynthesis and contrast-enhanced dual-energy digital mammography alone and in combination compared to 2D digital synthetized mammography and MR imaging in breast cancer detection and classification.

To compare diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced dual-energy digital mammography (CEDM) and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) alone and in combination compared to 2D digital mammography (MX) and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) in women with breast lesions. We enrolled 100 consecutive patients with breast lesions (BIRADS 3-5 at imaging or clinically suspicious). CEDM, DBT, and DCE-MRI 2D were acquired.

Assessing response to neo-adjuvant therapy in locally advanced rectal cancer using Intra-voxel Incoherent Motion modelling by DWI data and Standardized Index of Shape from DCE-MRI.

Background: Our aim was to investigate preoperative chemoradiation therapy (pCRT) response in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) comparing standardized index of shape (SIS) obtained from dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with intravoxel-incoherent-motion-modelling-derived parameters by diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).

Materials And Methods: Eighty-eight patients with LARC were subjected to MRI before and after pCRT. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), tissue diffusion (D), pseudodiffusion (D) and perfusion fraction (f) were calculated and percentage changes ∆ADC, ∆D, ∆D, ∆f were computed.

The current role and future prospectives of functional parameters by diffusion weighted imaging in the assessment of histologic grade of HCC.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common human solid malignancies worldwide. Although the MRI is the technique that is best adapted to characterize HCC, there is not an agreement regarding the study protocol and even what the role of Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The possibility that imaging study can correlate to histologic grade to selecting the therapeutic strategy would be valuable in helping to direct the proper management of HCC.

Optical imaging of the breast: evaluation of deoxyhemoglobin concentration alteration in 166 patients with suspicious breast lesions.

Background: We investigated the performance of optical imaging evaluating deoxyhemoglobin concentration alteration (DeHCA) in breast tissues.

Methods: We enrolled all consecutive patients from January 2015 to October 2016 with clinically suspicious and/or BI-RADS grade 3-5 lesions at mammography or ultrasound (US). Patients underwent optical imaging (ComfortScan) to evaluate for DeHCA.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Evaluation in Neoadjuvant Therapy of Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Background: The aim of the study was to present an update concerning several imaging modalities in diagnosis, staging and pre-surgery treatment response assessment in locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC). Modalities include: traditional morphological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), functional MRI such as dynamic contrast enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). A systematic review about the diagnostic accuracy in neoadjuvant therapy response assessment of MRI, DCE-MRI, DWI and Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) has been also reported.

Uncommon neoplasms of the biliary tract: radiological findings.

Objective: To report our cancer centre experience in the biliary tumours incidence other than cholangiocellular-carcinoma, emphasizing the radiological features.

Methods: 197 patients with biliary disease undergoing Gd-EOB-DTPA-enhanced MRI were reviewed. Four radiologists evaluated retrospectively size, structure, anatomical site and signal intensity of lesions on MRI.

Added Value of Breast MRI for Preoperative Diagnosis of Ductal Carcinoma In Situ: Diagnostic Performance on 362 Patients.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the added value of breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in preoperative diagnosis of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). We reviewed our institution database of 3499 consecutive patients treated for breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: A total of 362 patients with histologically proven DCIS were selected from the institutional database.

Pattern Recognition Approaches for Breast Cancer DCE-MRI Classification: A Systematic Review.

We performed a systematic review of several pattern analysis approaches for classifying breast lesions using dynamic, morphological, and textural features in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI). Several machine learning approaches, namely artificial neural networks (ANN), support vector machines (SVM), linear discriminant analysis (LDA), tree-based classifiers (TC), and Bayesian classifiers (BC), and features used for classification are described. The findings of a systematic review of 26 studies are presented.

Immediate Adverse Reactions to Gadolinium-Based MR Contrast Media: A Retrospective Analysis on 10,608 Examinations.

Background and Purpose. Contrast media (CM) for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may determine the development of acute adverse reactions. Objective was to retrospectively assess the frequency and severity of adverse reactions associated with gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) injection in patients who underwent MRI.

Breast Contrast Enhanced MR Imaging: Semi-Automatic Detection of Vascular Map and Predominant Feeding Vessel.

Purpose: To obtain breast vascular map and to assess correlation between predominant feeding vessel and tumor location with a semi-automatic method compared to conventional radiologic reading.

Methods: 148 malignant and 75 benign breast lesions were included. All patients underwent bilateral MR imaging.

Early Assessment of Colorectal Cancer Patients with Liver Metastases Treated with Antiangiogenic Drugs: The Role of Intravoxel Incoherent Motion in Diffusion-Weighted Imaging.

Purpose: To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of quantitative intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) of Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in the assessment of liver metastases treated with targeted chemotherapy agents.

Methods: 12 patients with unresectable liver metastases from colorectal cancer were enrolled and received neoadjuvant FOLFIRI (5-fluorouracil, leucovorin, irinotecan) plus bevacizumab therapy. DWI was performed for 36 metastases at baseline and after 14 days from starting the treatment.

Integration of DCE-MRI and DW-MRI Quantitative Parameters for Breast Lesion Classification.

Objective: The purpose of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of an imaging protocol combining dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) in patients with suspicious breast lesions.

Materials And Methods: A total of 31 breast lesions (15 malignant and 16 benign proved by histological examination) in 26 female patients were included in this study. For both DCE-MRI and DW-MRI model free and model based parameters were computed pixel by pixel on manually segmented ROIs.

Breast contrast-enhanced MR imaging: semiautomatic detection of vascular map.

Background: The diagnostic value of breast vascular maps using contrast-enhanced MR imaging has recently been explored. We propose a semiautomatic method to obtain breast vascular maps and to measure the number of blood vessels in the breast.

Methods: From January 2011 to December 2013, 188 patients underwent breast contrast-enhanced MRI; patients with unilateral and histopathologically confirmed breast lesions were included in this study; 123 patients had malignant lesions and 65 patients had benign tissue diagnoses.

Risk management in magnetic resonance: failure mode, effects, and criticality analysis.

The aim of the study was to perform a risk management procedure in "Magnetic Resonance Examination" process in order to identify the critical phases and sources of radiological errors and to identify potential improvement projects including procedures, tests, and checks to reduce the error occurrence risk. In this study we used the proactive analysis "Failure Mode Effects Criticality Analysis," a qualitative and quantitative risk management procedure; has calculated Priority Risk Index (PRI) for each activity of the process; have identified, on the PRI basis, the most critical activities and, for them, have defined improvement projects; and have recalculated the PRI after implementation of improvement projects for each activity. Time stop and audits are performed in order to control the new procedures.

Surgical impact of preoperative breast MRI in women below 40 years of age.

Our aim was to evaluate the surgical impact of preoperative MRI in young patients. We reviewed a single-institution database of 283 consecutive patients below 40 years of age and who were treated for breast cancer. Thirty-seven (13 %) patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded.

Procedures for location of non-palpable breast lesions: a systematic review for the radiologist.

Accurate location of small breast lesions is mandatory for proper surgical management. The purpose of this article is systematically review procedures used to locate non-palpable breast lesions, including a description of the current status, advantages, and disadvantages for each technique. A total of 47 articles were finally included: 7 articles for the wire location technique, 5 articles for the radioguided location technique, 13 articles that compare wire location with radioguided location, 3 articles for the carbon location technique, 2 articles that compare wire location with carbon location, and 17 articles for the clip location technique.

Post-treatment fistulas in patients with rectal cancer: MRI with rectal superparamagnetic contrast agent.

MRI is the standard modality in the pre- and post-treatment evaluation of patients with rectal cancer, particularly in those cases with locally advanced disease. We routinely employ a superparamagnetic iron oxide (SPIO) contrast enema to distend the rectal lumen and achieve maximal tumor-to-lumen contrast gradient. This practice also allowed the identification of a fistula in 24% of patients treated for rectal cancer.

Color-doppler using contrast medium in evaluating the response to neoadjuvant treatment in patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma.

Background: The aim of our study was to assess the color-Doppler ultrasound (CDU) pattern in the analysis of neoadjuvant preoperative treatment of patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma, improvement after injection of contrast medium (Levovist) and possible correlations between morphological and vascular aspects of the neoplasm and postoperative histopathological findings.

Materials And Methods: We studied 50 patients affected by locally advanced breast carcinoma (T3a e b-T4), using CDU before and after injection of Levovist, prior to and after neoadjuvant chemotherapeutic treatment.

Results: The use of Levovist for ultrasound examinations prior to treatment revealed a higher number of vascular signals in 94% of the lesions compared to the basic color-Doppler examination; in only 3 cases (6%) were no modifications observed after injection of the contrast medium.