March 2024
Development and Implementation of a Breast Imaging Order Panel in the Electronic Health Record: Helping the Ordering Providers Get It Right.Capiro N, Gomez D, Reyes A, Won J, Hoyt A, Chirra A.
Appropriate ordering of breast imaging studies is complex due to the variety of clinical indications and available imaging modalities. Incorrect ordering affects radiology resource allocation due to the different workflows and personnel requirements of screening and diagnostic breast imaging. Through the collaborative efforts of stakeholders in Primary Care, Radiology, and Information Services & Solutions, we developed and implemented a breast imaging order panel in the electronic health record with integrated clinical decision support to facilitate correct order selection for screening patients at average-risk and high-risk of breast cancer and for diagnostic breast imaging of symptomatic patients.
March 2024
Demographic and Socioeconomic Risk Factors for Granulomatous Mastitis in the United States: A Case-Control Study.Capiro N, Naik P, Lo A, Sayre J, Shaheen M, Thomas M, Roth A.
OBJECTIVE: Granulomatous mastitis (GM) is a benign breast disease that can have an extended clinical course impacting quality of life and causing breast disfigurement. Granulomatous mastitis has been studied throughout the world; however, less is known about GM patients in the United States. We aim to identify demographic and socioeconomic factors associated with GM in the United States. METHODS: An IRB-approved retrospective case-control study was performed of 92 patients with biopsy-proven GM at two institutions in Los Angeles, California: a safety-net hospital and an academic institution. Age-matched controls were selected from patients presenting for diagnostic breast imaging. Demographic and socioeconomic characteristics were collected. Data were analyzed using univariable test for odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and multivariable conditional logistic regression.
March 2024
ACR Lung-RADS v2022: Assessment Categories and Management Recommendations.Christensen J, Prosper AE, Wu CC, Chung J, Lee E, Elicker B, Hunsaker AR, Petranovic M, Sandler KL, Stiles B, Mazzone P, Yankelevitz D, Aberle D, Chiles C, Kazerooni E.
The American College of Radiology created the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) in 2014 to standardize the reporting and management of screen-detected pulmonary nodules. Lung-RADS was updated to version 1.1 in 2019 and revised size thresholds for nonsolid nodules, added classification criteria for perifissural nodules, and allowed for short-interval follow-up of rapidly enlarging nodules that may be infectious in etiology. Lung-RADS v2022, released in November 2022, provides several updates including guidance on the classification and management of atypical pulmonary cysts, juxtapleural nodules, airway-centered nodules, and potentially infectious findings. This new release also provides clarification for determining nodule growth and introduces stepped management for nodules that are stable or decreasing in size. This article summarizes the current evidence and expert consensus supporting Lung-RADS v2022.
March 2024
ACR Lung-RADS v2022: Assessment Categories and Management Recommendations.Christensen J, Prosper AE, Wu CC, Chung J, Lee E, Elicker B, Hunsaker AR, Petranovic M, Sandler KL, Stiles B, Mazzone P, Yankelevitz D, Aberle D, Chiles C, Kazerooni E.
The ACR created the Lung CT Screening Reporting and Data System (Lung-RADS) in 2014 to standardize the reporting and management of screen-detected pulmonary nodules. Lung-RADS was updated to version 1.1 in 2019 and revised size thresholds for nonsolid nodules, added classification criteria for perifissural nodules, and allowed for short-interval follow-up of rapidly enlarging nodules that may be infectious in etiology. Lung-RADS v2022, released in November 2022, provides several updates including guidance on the classification and management of atypical pulmonary cysts, juxtapleural nodules, airway-centered nodules, and potentially infectious findings. This new release also provides clarification for determining nodule growth and introduces stepped management for nodules that are stable or decreasing in size. This article summarizes the current evidence and expert consensus supporting Lung-RADS v2022.
March 2024
Differences and Common Ground in 177Lu-PSMA Radioligand Therapy Practice Patterns: International Survey of 95 Theranostic Centers.Farolfi A, Armstrong WR, Djaileb L, Gafita A, Hotta M, Allen-Auerbach M, Unterrainer LM, Fendler WP, Rettig M, Eiber M, Hofman MS, Hadaschik B, Herrmann K, Czernin J, Calais J, Benz MR.
177Lu-labeled prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) radioligand therapy effectively treats metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Patients requiring treatment, and consequently the number of theranostic centers, are expected to increase significantly after Food and Drug Administration and European Medicines Agency approval. This requires standardization or harmonization among theranostic centers. The aim of this study was to assess operational differences and similarities among 177Lu-PSMA treatment centers. Methods: A questionnaire comprising 62 items, designed by a core team of 5 physicians and externally reviewed by international experts, was developed. Study participants were asked to provide answers about their center, patient selection, radiopharmaceuticals, clinical assessment before and after 177Lu-PSMA treatments, laboratory values, treatment discontinuation, posttreatment imaging, and general information. An invitation e-mail to participate in the study was sent in June 2022. Duplicates were removed to allow for only one valid response per center.
March 2024
Trends in Magnetic Resonance and Computed Tomography Angiography Utilization Among Medicare Beneficiaries Between 2013 and 2020.Goldfarb JW, Mossa-Basha M, Nguyen KL, Hecht EM, Finn JP.
PURPOSE: To evaluate relative and absolute utilization trends and practice patterns in the United States for MRA and CTA. METHODS: Using Medicare Part B physician payment databases (2013-2020), MRA and CTA interpreting physicians and exams were identified using the unique MRA and CTA Healthcare Common Procedure Coding System codes. The number of exams, physicians, demographics, use of contrast, and payments were summarized annually and analyzed to evaluate trends before and during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.
March 2024
Patient-Friendly Summary of the ACR Appropriateness Criteria®: Second and Third Trimester Screening for Fetal Anomaly.Greben S, Ledbetter L.
Major birth defects happen in about 3% to 4% and minor birth defects in about 7% to 10% of the population. Ultrasound is the primary imaging method used to identify birth defects. For initial second- and third-trimester screening for fetal anomaly in low-risk pregnancies, transabdominal ultrasound of the pregnant uterus for fetal anatomy is usually appropriate. For initial imaging for high-risk pregnancies (including maternal age, use of in vitro fertilization, drug dependence, infection, family history of genetic disease or abnormality, pregnancies with more than one fetus, and teen pregnancies), detailed transabdominal ultrasound of the pregnant uterus transabdominal is usually appropriate. Fetal ultrasound echocardiography (ultrasound to evaluate the fetal heart) may be appropriate.
March 2024
Redefining CT Perfusion-based Ischemic Core Estimates for the Ghost Core in Early Time Window Stroke.Koneru M, Hoseinyazdi M, Lakhani DA, Greene C, Copeland K, Wang R, Xu R, Luna L, Caplan JM, Dmytriw AA, Guenego A, Heit JJ, Albers GW, Wintermark M, Gonzalez LF, Urrutia VC, Huang J, Nael K, Leigh R, Marsh EB, Hillis AE, Llinas RH, Yedavalli VS.
Background and purpose: In large vessel occlusion (LVO) stroke patients, relative cerebral blood flow (rCBF)<30% volume thresholds are commonly used in treatment decisions. In the early time window, nearly infarcted but salvageable tissue volumes may lead to pretreatment overestimates of infarct volume, and thus potentially exclude patients who may otherwise benefit from intervention. Our multisite analysis aims to explore the strength of relationships between widely used pretreatment CT parameters and clinical outcomes for early window stroke patients. Methods: Patients from two sites in a prospective registry were analyzed. Patients with LVOs, presenting within 3 hours of last known well, and who were successfully reperfused were included. Primary short-term neurological outcome was percent National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) change from admission to discharge. Secondary long-term outcome was 90-day modified Rankin score. Spearman's correlations were performed. Significance was attributed to p-value ≤.05.
March 2024
A Multitask Approach for Automated Detection and Segmentation of Thyroid Nodules in Ultrasound Images.Radhachandran A, Kinzel A, Chen J, Sant V, Patel M, Masamed R, Arnold CW, Speier W.
An increase in the incidence and diagnosis of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer underscores the need for a better approach to nodule detection and risk stratification in ultrasound (US) images that can reduce healthcare costs, patient discomfort, and unnecessary invasive procedures. However, variability in ultrasound technique and interpretation makes the diagnostic process partially subjective. Therefore, an automated approach that detects and segments nodules could improve performance on downstream tasks, such as risk stratification. Ultrasound studies were acquired from 280 patients at UCLA Health, totaling 9888 images, and annotated by collaborating radiologists. Current deep learning architectures for segmentation are typically semi-automated because they are evaluated solely on images known to have nodules and do not assess ability to identify suspicious images. However, the proposed multitask approach both detects suspicious images and segments potential nodules; this allows for a clinically translatable model that aptly parallels the workflow for thyroid nodule assessment. The multitask approach is centered on an anomaly detection (AD) module that can be integrated with any UNet architecture variant to improve image-level nodule detection. Of the evaluated multitask models, a UNet with a ImageNet pretrained encoder and AD achieved the highest F1 score of 0.839 and image-wide Dice similarity coefficient of 0.808 on the hold-out test set. Furthermore, models were evaluated on two external validations datasets to demonstrate generalizability and robustness to data variability. Ultimately, the proposed architecture is an automated multitask method that expands on previous methods by successfully both detecting and segmenting nodules in ultrasound.
March 2024
Images in Sports Medicine: Bone Stress Injury.Tsukahara Y, Forster BB, Plotkin BE, Torii S.
A female collegiate pole vaulter competing at the national level presented with constant pain in her non-dominant right lower leg. Initially, the assessing physician informed her that there were no signs of fracture or bone stress injury on the plain radiograph and told her to come back for an MRI if the pain in her non-take-off leg persisted. She continued to train without any improvement in symptoms. Relevant medical history included menstrual cycles that were regular, no indications of relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs),1 no history of injuries including bone stress injuries and a recent dual X-ray absorptiometry scan that indicated bone mineral density was above the normal range.
March 2024
AtPCa-Net: Anatomical-aware Prostate Cancer Detection Network on Multi-Parametric MRI.Zheng H, Hung ALY, Miao Q, Song W, Scalzo F, Raman SS, Zhao K, Sung K.
Multi-parametric MRI (mpMRI) is widely used for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. Deep learning models show good performance in detecting PCa on mpMRI, but domain-specific PCa-related anatomical information is sometimes overlooked and not fully explored even by state-of-the-art deep learning models, causing potential suboptimal performances in PCa detection. Symmetric-related anatomical information is commonly used when distinguishing PCa lesions from other visually similar but benign prostate tissue. In addition, different combinations of mpMRI findings are used for evaluating the aggressiveness of PCa for abnormal findings allocated in different prostate zones. In this study, we investigate these domain-specific anatomical properties in PCa diagnosis and how we can adopt them into the deep learning framework to improve the model's detection performance. We propose an anatomical-aware PCa detection Network (AtPCa-Net) for PCa detection on mpMRI. Experiments show that the AtPCa-Net can better utilize the anatomical-related information, and the proposed anatomical-aware designs help improve the overall model performance on both PCa detection and patient-level classification.
February 2024
AI-Assisted Summarization of Radiologic Reports: Evaluating GPT3davinci, BARTcnn, LongT5booksum, LEDbooksum, LEDlegal, and LEDclinical.Chien A, Tang H, Jagessar B, Chang KW, Peng N, Nael K, Salamon N.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The review of clinical reports is an essential part of monitoring disease progression. Synthesizing multiple imaging reports is also important for clinical decisions. It is critical to aggregate information quickly and accurately. Machine learning natural language processing (NLP) models hold promise to address an unmet need for report summarization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated NLP methods to summarize longitudinal aneurysm reports. A total of 137 clinical reports and 100 PubMed case reports were used in this study. Models were 1) compared against expert-generated summary using longitudinal imaging notes collected in our institute and 2) compared using publicly accessible PubMed case reports. Five AI models were used to summarize the clinical reports, and a sixth model, the online GPT3davinci NLP large language model (LLM), was added for the summarization of PubMed case reports. We assessed the summary quality through comparison with expert summaries using quantitative metrics and quality reviews by experts.
February 2024
Quantification of T2-FLAIR Mismatch in Nonenhancing Diffuse Gliomas Using Digital Subtraction.Cho NS, Sanvito F, Le VL, Oshima S, Teraishi A, Yao J, Telesca D, Raymond C, Pope WB, Nghiemphu PL, Lai A, Cloughesy TF, Salamon N, Ellingson BM.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The T2-FLAIR mismatch sign on MR imaging is a highly specific imaging biomarker of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH)-mutant astrocytomas, which lack 1p/19q codeletion. However, most studies using the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign have used visual assessment. This study quantified the degree of T2-FLAIR mismatch using digital subtraction of fluid-nulled T2-weighted FLAIR images from non-fluid-nulled T2-weighted images in human nonenhancing diffuse gliomas and then used this information to assess improvements in diagnostic performance and investigate subregion characteristics within these lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two cohorts of treatment-naïve, nonenhancing gliomas with known IDH and 1p/19q status were studied (n = 71 from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) and n = 34 in the institutional cohort). 3D volumes of interest corresponding to the tumor were segmented, and digital subtraction maps of T2-weighted MR imaging minus T2-weighted FLAIR MR imaging were used to partition each volume of interest into a T2-FLAIR mismatched subregion (T2-FLAIR mismatch, corresponding to voxels with positive values on the subtraction maps) and nonmismatched subregion (T2-FLAIR nonmismatch corresponding to voxels with negative values on the subtraction maps). Tumor subregion volumes, percentage of T2-FLAIR mismatch volume, and T2-FLAIR nonmismatch subregion thickness were calculated, and 2 radiologists assessed the T2-FLAIR mismatch sign with and without the aid of T2-FLAIR subtraction maps.
February 2024
Physician Burnout: A Hidden Cause.Enzmann DR.
urnout has been described as a psychological syndrome driven by chronic work stressors. Radiologists fall into the upper third of physician specialties experiencing "burnout" 1, 2, 3. Its causation and treatment have focused on the individual level: personal exhaustion, depersonalization, and low personal achievement (2). COVID-related physical and mental stresses, and large mismatches between high volumes of imaging work and limited radiologist's time have exacerbated burnout. This stress-related characterization is conceptually based on Hans Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS), in which burnout features appear between phase 2, "resistance by coping with the stressors," and phase 3, "exhaustion" (4). Under GAS, burnout is addressed individually, often with mental health services and physical stress relief used by 48% of physicians (2). Under this individual-based paradigm, healthcare system management responses have been transactional like decreasing administrative tasks, providing scribes to reduce electronic health record tasks, or offering counseling to radiologists. Some management approaches may unfortunately end in frustration because it has misread what physicians actually need or want (5). In particular, a pivotal need is for affirmation of their professionalism, expressed as autonomy and respect. These two key features are derived from the concept of cultural authority (CA), the loss of which is a hidden cause of burnout 5, 6, 7(Fig 1).
February 2024
Impact of Potential Case Misclassification by Administrative Diagnostic Codes on Outcome Assessment of Observational Study for People Who Inject Drugs.Goodman-Meza D, Goto M, Salimian A, Shoptaw S, Bui AAT, Gordon AJ, Goetz MB.
INTRODUCTION: Initiation of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) within the hospital setting may improve outcomes for people who inject drugs (PWID) hospitalized because of an infection. Many studies used International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes to identify PWID, although these may be misclassified and thus, inaccurate. We hypothesized that bias from misclassification of PWID using ICD codes may impact analyses of MOUD outcomes. METHODS: We analyzed a cohort of 36 868 cases of patients diagnosed with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia at 124 US Veterans Health Administration hospitals between 2003 and 2014. To identify PWID, we implemented an ICD code-based algorithm and a natural language processing (NLP) algorithm for classification of admission notes. We analyzed outcomes of prescribing MOUD as an inpatient using both approaches. Our primary outcome was 365-day all-cause mortality. We fit mixed-effects Cox regression models with receipt or not of MOUD during the index hospitalization as the primary predictor and 365-day mortality as the outcome.
February 2024
Perspectives, Experiences, and Concerns with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome: Insights from Online Targeted-disease Forums.Khalil C, Almario CV, Dupuy T, Arnold C, Chen YJ, Spiegel BMR.
INTRODUCTION: There is limited research examining the biopsychosocial impact of cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) on patients. This study aims to assess individuals' experiences, fears, and concerns associated with CVS and the impact of CVS on their daily lives. METHODS: We employed social netnography to analyze publicly available posts related to CVS that were identified from six US online forums and Twitter. A randomly selected sub-cohort of posts per pre-defined criteria was first qualitatively analyzed using an inductive thematic approach. Then, machine learning topic modeling was applied to explore themes in an unsupervised manner for the entire corpus of posts. Afterward, findings from the qualitative and quantitative approaches were integrated to generate a thematic network.
February 2024
Diffusion Histogram Profiles Predict Molecular Features of Grade 4 in Histologically Lower-grade Adult Diffuse Gliomas Following WHO Classification 2021.Kurokawa R, Hagiwara A, Kurokawa M, Ellingson BM, Baba A, Moritani T.
OBJECTIVES: In the latest World Health Organization classification 2021, grade 4 adult diffuse gliomas can be diagnosed with several molecular features even without histological evidence of necrosis or microvascular proliferation. We aimed to explore whole tumor histogram-derived apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) histogram profiles for differentiating between the presence (Mol-4) and absence (Mol-2/3) of grade 4 molecular features in histologically lower-grade gliomas. METHODS: Between June 2019 and October 2022, 184 adult patients with diffuse gliomas underwent MRI. After excluding 121 patients, 18 (median age, 64.5 [range, 37-84 years]) Mol-4 and 45 (median 40 [range, 18-73] years) Mol-2/3 patients with histologically lower-grade gliomas were enrolled. Whole tumor volume-of-interest-derived ADC histogram profiles were calculated and compared between the two groups. Stepwise logistic regression analysis with Akaike's information criterion using the ADC histogram profiles with p values < 0.01 and age at diagnosis was used to identify independent variables for predicting the Mol-4 group.
February 2024
Embolization of De Novo Pulmonary Arteriovenous Malformations Using High-Volume Detachable Non-Fibered Coils: Propensity-Matched Comparison to Traditional Coils.Mathevosian S, Sparks HD, Cusumano LR, Roberts DG, Majumdar S, McWilliams JP.
Embolization of de novo pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) using high-volume detachable non-fibered (HVDNF) coils was compared to traditional non-HVDNF coils. Persistent-occlusion rates were evaluated. A total of 272 de novo (previously untreated) PAVM treatments were retrospectively stratified into those treated with non-HVDNF coils only (n = 192) and those treated with HVDNF coils with or without other coils (n = 80). Propensity score matching, followed by survival analysis and cost analysis, was performed. The overall persistent-occlusion rate was 86.0% (234/272). Persistent occlusion was achieved in 81.8% of PAVMs using non-HVDNF coils, compared with 96.3% using HVDNF coils (p = 0.0017). The mean follow-up was 30.7 ± 31.9 months versus 14.7 ± 13.4 months, respectively (p < 0.0001). Propensity-matched survival analysis demonstrated PAVMs treated with HVDNF coils recurred significantly less frequently than PAVMs treated with non-HVNDF coils (p = 0.023). The use of HVDNF coils was more expensive than standard coils, however not significantly different for the treatment of complex PAVMs. The use of high-volume detachable non-fibered coils was associated with higher persistent-occlusion rates when compared with non-HVDNF coils. HVDNF coils were more expensive on average; however, cost was similar between groups for the treatment of complex PAVMs.
February 2024
Interstitial Lung Abnormality Evaluated by an Automated Quantification System: Prevalence and Progression Rate.Oh JH, Kim GHJ, Song JW.
BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of recognizing interstitial lung abnormalities, screening methods using computer-based quantitative analysis are not well developed, and studies on the subject with an Asian population are rare. We aimed to identify the prevalence and progression rate of interstitial lung abnormality evaluated by an automated quantification system in the Korean population. METHODS: A total of 2,890 healthy participants in a health screening program (mean age: 49 years, men: 79.5%) with serial chest computed tomography images obtained at least 5 years apart were included. Quantitative lung fibrosis scores were measured on the chest images by an automated quantification system. Interstitial lung abnormalities were defined as a score ≥ 3, and progression as any score increased above baseline.
February 2024
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) as Adjunct for Planning Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) Near Eloquent Structures.Rifi Z, Harary M, Walshaw PD, Frew AJ, Everson RG, Fallah A, Salamon N, Kim W.
LITT is a minimally-invasive laser ablation technique used to treat a wide variety of intracranial lesions. Difficulties performing intraoperative mapping have limited its adoption for lesions in/near eloquent regions. In this institutional case series, we demonstrate the utility of fMRI-adjunct planning for LITT near language or motor areas. Six out of 7 patients proceeded with LITT after fMRI-based tractography determined adequate safety margins for ablation. All underwent successful ablation without new or worsening postoperative symptoms requiring adjuvant corticosteroids, including those with preexisting deficits. fMRI is an easily accessible adjunct which may potentially reduce chances of complications in LITT near eloquent structures.
February 2024
Small Pretreatment Lesion Size and High Sphericity as Favorable Prognostic Factors After Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy in Brain Metastases.Sanvito F, Telesca D, Cho NS, Sayari JT, Nagaraj R, Raymond C, Rana S, Patel K, Mozaffari K, Unterberger AA, Khanlou N, Magaki S, Pouratian N, Everson RG, Yang I, Kim W, Ellingson BM.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to identify baseline clinical and radiological characteristics of brain metastases (BMs) associated with a higher probability of lesion-specific progression-free survival (PFS-L) after laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT). METHODS: A total of 47 lesions in 42 patients with BMs treated with LITT were retrospectively examined, including newly diagnosed BM, suspected recurrent BM, and suspected radiation necrosis. The association of baseline clinical and radiological features with PFS-L was assessed using survival analyses. Radiological features included lesion size measurements, diffusion and perfusion metrics, and sphericity, which is a radiomic feature ranging from 1 (perfect sphere) to 0.
February 2024
Impact of PSMA PET on Prostate Cancer Management.Weiner AB, Agrawal R, Valle LF, Sonni I, Kishan AU, Rettig MB, Raman SS, Calais J, Boutros PC, Reiter RE.
PSMA-PET has been a practice-changing imaging biomarker for the management of men with PCa. Research suggests improved accuracy over conventional imaging and other PET radiotracers in many contexts. With multiple approved PSMA-targeting radiotracers, PSMA PET will become even more available in clinical practice. Its increased use requires an understanding of the prospective data available and caution when extrapolating from prior trial data that utilized other imaging modalities. Future trials leveraging PSMA PET for treatment optimization and management decision-making will ultimately drive its clinical utility.
January 2024
PET-based Response Assessment Criteria for Diffuse Gliomas (PET RANO 1.0): A Report of the RANO Group.Albert NL, Galldiks N, Ellingson BM, van den Bent MJ, Chang SM, Cicone F, de Groot J, Koh ES, Law I, Le Rhun E, Mair MJ, Minniti G, Rudà R, Scott AM, Short SC, Smits M, Suchorska B, Tolboom N, Traub-Weidinger T, Tonn JC, Verger A, Weller M, Wen PY, Preusser M.
Response Assessment in Neuro-Oncology (RANO) response criteria have been established and were updated in 2023 for MRI-based response evaluation of diffuse gliomas in clinical trials. In addition, PET-based imaging with amino acid tracers is increasingly considered for disease monitoring in both clinical practice and clinical trials. So far, a standardised framework defining timepoints for baseline and follow-up investigations and response evaluation criteria for PET imaging of diffuse gliomas has not been established. Therefore, in this Policy Review, we propose a set of criteria for response assessment based on amino acid PET imaging in clinical trials enrolling participants with diffuse gliomas as defined in the 2021 WHO classification of tumours of the central nervous system. These proposed PET RANO criteria provide a conceptual framework that facilitates the structured implementation of PET imaging into clinical research and, ultimately, clinical routine. To this end, the PET RANO 1.0 criteria are intended to encourage specific investigations of amino acid PET imaging of gliomas.
January 2024
Radiologist and Radiology Practice Wellbeing: A Report of the 2023 ARRS Wellness Summit.Azour L, Goldin JG, Kruskal JB.
In April 2023, the first American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) Wellness Summit was held in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Summit was a communal call to action bringing together professionals from the field of radiology to critically review our current state of wellness and reimagine the role of radiology and radiologists to further wellbeing. The in-person and virtual Summit was available free-of-cost to all meeting registrants and included 12 sessions with 44 invited moderators and panelists. The Summit aimed to move beyond simply rehashing the repeated issues and offering theoretical solutions, and instead focus on intentional practice evolution, identifying implementable strategies so that we as a field can start to walk our wellness talk. Here, we first summarize the thematic discussions from the 2023 ARRS Wellness Summit, and second, share several strategic action items that emerged.
January 2024
Updated American Urological Association Guidelines for the Management of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Prostatic Artery Embolization Made it into the Guidelines!Bilhim T, McWilliams JP, Bagla S.
We have read with great interest the updated American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines for the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which now include prostatic artery embolization (PAE) as a treatment alternative for symptomatic patients [1]. This is the culmination of a 15-year effort, beginning with animal studies and early human trials of PAE from 2008 to 2011 [2, 3], further informed by Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiological Society of Europe (CIRSE) and Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) consensus statements in 2014 and 2019 [4, 5], and ultimately driven by consistently positive results in large cohort studies, randomized controlled trials, and sham studies of PAE [6,7,8,9].
January 2024
Hemispheric Epilepsy Surgery for Hemimegalencephaly: The UCLA Experience.Goel K, Phillips HW, Chen JS, Ngo J, Edmonds B, Ha PX, Wang A, Weil A, Russell BE, Salamon N, Nariai H, Fallah A.
OBJECTIVES: Hemimegalencephaly (HME) is a rare congenital brain malformation presenting predominantly with drug-resistant epilepsy. Hemispheric disconnective surgery is the mainstay of treatment; however, little is known about how postoperative outcomes compare across techniques. Thus we present the largest single-center cohort of patients with HME who underwent epilepsy surgery and characterize outcomes. METHODS: This observational study included patients with HME at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) from 1984 to 2021. Patients were stratified by surgical intervention: anatomic hemispherectomy (AH), functional hemispherectomy (FH), or less-than-hemispheric resection (LTH). Seizure freedom, functional outcomes, and operative complications were compared across surgical approaches. Regression analysis identified clinical and intraoperative variables that predict seizure outcomes.
January 2024
Scapulothoracic Bursitis Appearing as Fluorodeoxyglucose-Avid Subscapular Mass: A Case ReportHuang A, Middleton JJ, Motamedi K.
Overuse or structural bony abnormalities of the scapulothoracic “articulation” make it susceptible to chronic friction, which can lead to bursitis and soft tissue changes. Clinically, scapulothoracic bursitis is associated with pain, crepitus, and scapular snapping. On physical examination, a firm, large subscapular mass may be present, sometimes with rapid growth. Asymptomatic cases without scapular snapping can be clinically indistinguishable from soft tissue tumors of the chest wall. Characteristic imaging findings of scapulothoracic bursitis include a well-circumscribed cystic mass, internal debris, and intralesional hemorrhage. Recognition of these characteristic findings is essential to avoid misinterpretation and unnecessary treatments. Here, we describe a case of an incidentally discovered, asymptomatic, fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-avid subscapular mass with typical imaging features of scapulothoracic bursitis. Additional imaging and histopathologic examination of sampled tissue confirmed the diagnosis. To our knowledge, this incidental...
January 2024
AASLD Practice Guidance on the Use of TIPS, Variceal Embolization, and Retrograde Transvenous Obliteration in the Management of Variceal Hemorrhage.Lee EW, Eghtesad B, Garcia-Tsao G, Haskal ZJ, Hernandez-Gea V, Jalaeian H, Kalva SP, Mohanty A, Thabut D, Abraldes JG.
This is a comprehensive guidance on the use of interventional radiology endovascular techniques in the management of variceal hemorrhage from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). This guidance document is complementary to the AASLD “Risk Stratification and Management of Portal Hypertension and Varices in Cirrhosis” guidance1 and addresses the recent advancements in these invasive procedures. Although the use of TIPS dates back to the 1980s, several new technical refinements in TIPS stents have occurred in the last few years. The other major addition to the management of gastric variceal hemorrhage in North America has been the introduction of retrograde transvenous obliteration (RTO) in its different forms. The present document aims to equip care providers with an in-depth understanding of the use of TIPS and/or variceal embolization/obliteration in the management of variceal hemorrhage. The goal is to facilitate multidisciplinary discussions between hepatologists, gastroenterologists, interventional radiologists, and surgeons in the selection of endovascular treatments for patients with variceal hemorrhage.
January 2024
Primary Synovial Chondromatosis of the Knee in a 12-Year-Old Boy: A Case ReportMcNulty CA. Narasimhalu T, Ghahremani Koureh S.
Primary synovial chondromatosis is an uncommon, benign synovial proliferative disorder rarely seen in children. The most commonly affected joint is the knee, followed by the hip. The symptoms of this condition are progressive and insidious and may include pain, joint stiffness, and swelling. Radiography is an appropriate first imaging modality that typically shows multiple calcified loose bodies within the affected joint space. Magnetic resonance imaging should then be performed to evaluate for the presence of noncalcified cartilaginous loose bodies and soft tissue involvement prior to surgical treatment that is necessary to prevent permanent joint damage. The recurrence of primary synovial chondromatosis is common, especially in cases of incomplete surgical excision. We report a case of primary synovial chondromatosis in a child. The diagnostic and the treatment considerations of the case are briefly discussed.
January 2024
Maternal Dietary Patterns and Placental Outcomes Among Pregnant Women in Los Angeles.Meng Q, Del Rosario I, Sung K, Janzen C, Devaskar SU, Carpenter CL, Ritz B.
INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological studies have linked prenatal maternal diet to fetal growth, but whether diet affects placental outcomes is poorly understood. METHODS: We collected past month dietary intake from 148 women in mid-pregnancy enrolled at University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) antenatal clinics from 2016 to 2019. We employed the food frequency Diet History Questionnaire II and generated the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015), the Alternate Healthy Eating Index for Pregnancy (AHEI-P), and the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED). We conducted T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in mid-pregnancy (1st during 14-17 and 2nd during 19-24 gestational weeks) to evaluate placental volume (cm3) and we measured placenta weight (g) at delivery. We estimated change and 95 % confidence interval (CI) in placental volume and associations of placenta weight with all dietary index scores and diet items using linear regression models.
January 2024
pH-Weighted Amine Chemical Exchange Saturation Transfer Echo Planar Imaging Visualizes Infiltrating Glioblastoma Cells.Patel KS, Yao J, Cho NS, Sanvito F, Tessema K, Alvarado A, Dudley L, Rodriguez F, Everson R, Cloughesy TF, Salamon N, Liau LM, Kornblum HI, Ellingson BM.
BACKGROUND: Given the invasive nature of glioblastoma, tumor cells exist beyond the contrast-enhancing (CE) region targeted during treatment. However, areas of non-enhancing (NE) tumors are difficult to visualize and delineate from edematous tissue. Amine chemical exchange saturation transfer echo planar imaging (CEST-EPI) is a pH-sensitive molecular magnetic resonance imaging technique that was evaluated in its ability to identify infiltrating NE tumors and prognosticate survival. METHODS: In this prospective study, CEST-EPI was obtained in 30 patients and areas with elevated CEST contrast ("CEST+" based on the asymmetry in magnetization transfer ratio: MTRasym at 3 ppm) within NE regions were quantitated. Median MTRasym at 3 ppm and volume of CEST + NE regions were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS). In 20 samples from 14 patients, image-guided biopsies of these areas were obtained to correlate MTRasym at 3 ppm to tumor and non-tumor cell burden using immunohistochemistry.
January 2024
Arterial Bypass in the Treatment of Complex Middle Cerebral Artery Aneurysms: Lessons Learned from Forty Patients.Peeters SF, Colby GP, Kim WJ, Bae WI, Sparks H, Reitz K, Tateshima S, Jahan R, Szeder V, Nour M, Duckwiler GR, Vinuela F, Martin NA, Wang AC.
OBJECTIVE: Complex middle cerebral artery (MCA) aneurysms incorporating parent or branching vessels are often not amenable to standard microsurgical clipping or endovascular embolization treatments. We aim to discuss the treatment of such aneurysms via a combination of surgical revascularization and aneurysm exclusion based on our institutional experience. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with complex MCA aneurysms were treated with bypass and aneurysm occlusion, 5 with surgical clipping or wrapping only, and 1 with aneurysm excision and primary reanastomosis. Bypasses included superficial temporal artery (STA)-MCA, double-barrel STA-MCA, occipital artery-MCA, and external carotid artery-MCA. After bypass, aneurysms were treated by surgical clipping, Hunterian ligation, trapping, or coil embolization.
January 2024
Towards a Framework for Interoperability and Reproducibility of Predictive Models.Rahrooh A, Garlid AO, Bartlett K, Coons W, Petousis P, Hsu W, Bui AAT.
The development and deployment of machine learning (ML) models for biomedical research and healthcare currently lacks standard methodologies. Although tools for model replication are numerous, without a unifying blueprint it remains difficult to scientifically reproduce predictive ML models for any number of reasons (e.g., assumptions regarding data distributions and preprocessing, unclear test metrics, etc.) and ultimately, questions around generalizability and transportability are not readily answered. To facilitate scientific reproducibility, we built upon the Predictive Model Markup Language (PMML) to capture essential information. As a key component of the PREdictive Model Index and Exchange REpository (PREMIERE) platform, we present the Automated Metadata Pipeline (AMP) for conversion of a given predictive ML model into an extended PMML file that autocompletes an ML-based checklist, assessing model elements for interoperability and reproducibility. We demonstrate this pipeline on multiple test cases with three different ML algorithms and health-related datasets, providing a foundation for future predictive model reproducibility, sharing, and comparison.
January 2024
Extracranial Internal Carotid Artery Fenestration: A Case ReportWinchester Z, Zhang A, Hathout G.
Fenestration of the internal carotid artery (ICA) is an extremely rare congenital abnormality thought to be secondary to incomplete segmental fusion of vessels at the early stages of their development. Fenestration is usually asymptomatic and often misdiagnosed as arterial dissection. Distinction between the two can be challenging on both magnetic resonance angiography and computed tomography angiography, and digital subtraction angiography must often be utilized for precise characterization of the abnormalities. Certain imaging features, namely the length of the involved arterial segment, the regularity of luminal contour, the symmetry of arterial limbs, and the absence/presence of fusiform dilatation of either limb, produced by noninvasive angiography have the potential to help distinguish between an ICA fenestration and dissection. We report a case of an asymptomatic, true fenestration of a short segment of ICA and discuss its imaging characteristics.