The diagnostic ability of an additional midline peripheral zone biopsy in transrectal ultrasonography-guided 12-core prostate biopsy to detect midline prostate cancer

Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic effect of adding a midline peripheral zone (PZ) biopsy to the 12-core biopsy protocol used to diagnose prostate cancer (PC), and to assess the clinical and pathologic characteristics of midline-positive PC in order to identify a potential subgroup of patients who would require midline PZ biopsy. Methods: This study included 741 consecutive patients who underwent a transrectal ultrasonography-guided, 12-core prostate biopsy with an additional midline core biopsy between October 2012 and December 2013. We grouped patients by the presence or absence of PC and subdivided patients with PC based on the involvement of the midline core. The clinical characteristics of these groups were compared, including serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) concentrations, PSA density, and pathological features in the biopsy specimens. Results: PC was detected in 289 patients (39.0%). Among the PC patients, 66 patients (22.8%) had midline PC. No patients were diagnosed with PC based only on a midline core. The Gleason scores, number of positive cores, tumor core length, serum PSA concentrations, and PSA density were significantly higher in patients with midline-positive PC (P<0.001). Furthermore, significant cancer was more frequent in the midline-positive group (98.5% vs. 78.0%). Conclusion: Patients showing a positive result for PC in a midline PZ biopsy were more likely to have multiple tumors or large-volume PC with a high tumor burden. However, our data indicated that an additional midline core biopsy is unlikely to be helpful in detecting occult midline PC

Proliferative Vasculopathy Associated With Antiphospholipid Antibodies in Patients With Neurological Symptoms

BackgroundProliferative vasculopathy (PV) associated antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in the central nervous system is a rare un(der)recognized form of extra-criteria manifestations of APS. This study investigated the angiographic characteristics of cerebral and cervical arteries in patients with PV associated with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPLs). MethodsPatients with aPLs, neurologic symptoms and diffuse luminal narrowing on brain or neck magnetic resonance angiography were selected from electronic medical records. Vascular wall and intraluminal pathology were examined by high-resolution vessel wall MR imaging (VW-MRI). ResultsA total of 11 patients (six men and five women) with PV-aPL, of median (interquartile range) age 42 (34-61) years, were included. Median anticardiolipin antibodies IgG titer was 78.9 (28.2-134.0) units and anti-beta 2 glycoprotein I antibodies (aB2GPIs) IgG titer was 227.2 (0.0-1012.1) units. All patients had diffuse luminal narrowing in the carotid basilar and/or cerebral arteries, five in the internal carotid artery (ICA); two each in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and vertebral artery; and one each in the basilar artery (BA) and posterior cerebral artery. On VW-MRI, four patients showed concentric thickening of the vascular walls of the ICA and/or MCA and two showed mild eccentric wall thickening of the ICA or BA. All patients received antithrombotic treatment. In two patients with extremely high aB2GPIs titer, diffuse narrowing progressed despite treatment with antithrombotic agents on follow-up imaging. ConclusionsThis study suggests that PV-aPL might be a distinct extra-criteria manifestation of APS that can manifest as long-segmental diffuse stenosis of cerebral and cervical arteries. It should be considered in relatively young patients with neurologic symptoms and aPLs.N

Validation of Ultrasound Risk Stratification Systems for Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis in Patients with Thyroid Cancer

A malignancy risk stratification system (RSS) for cervical lymph nodes (LNs) has not been fully established. This study aimed to validate the current RSS for the diagnosis of cervical LN metastasis in thyroid cancer. In total, 346 LNs from 282 consecutive patients between December 2006 and June 2015 were included. We determined the malignancy risk of each ultrasound (US) feature and performed univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Each risk category from the Korean Society of Thyroid Radiology (KSThR) and the European Thyroid Association (ETA) was applied to calculate malignancy risks. The effects of size, number of suspicious features, and primary tumor characteristics were analyzed to refine the current RSS. Suspicious features including echogenic foci, cystic change, hyperechogenicity, and abnormal vascularity were independently predictive of malignancy (p ≤ 0.045). The malignancy risks of probably benign, indeterminate, and suspicious categories were 2.2–2.5%, 26.8–29.0%, and 85.8–87.4%, respectively, according to the KSThR and ETA criteria. According to the ETA criteria, 15.1% of LNs were unclassifiable. In indeterminate LNs, multiplicity of the primary tumor was significantly associated with malignancy (odds ratio, 6.53; p = 0.004). We refined the KSThR system and proposed a US RSS for LNs in patients with thyroid cancer

Myelin Content in Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Patients with Post-Concussion Syndrome: Quantitative Assessment with a Multidynamic Multiecho Sequence

Objective: This study aimed to explore the myelin volume change in patients with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) with post-concussion syndrome (PCS) using a multidynamic multiecho (MDME) sequence and automatic whole-brain segmentation. Materials and Methods: Forty-one consecutive mTBI patients with PCS and 29 controls, who had undergone MRI including the MDME sequence between October 2016 and April 2018, were included. Myelin volume fraction (MVF) maps were derived from the MDME sequence. After three dimensional T1-based brain segmentation, the average MVF was analyzed at the bilateral cerebral white matter (WM), bilateral cerebral gray matter (GM), corpus callosum, and brainstem. The Mann-Whitney U-test was performed to compare MVF and myelin volume between patients with mTBI and controls. Myelin volume was correlated with neuropsychological test scores using the Spearman rank correlation test. Results: The average MVF at the bilateral cerebral WM was lower in mTBI patients with PCS (median [interquartile range], 25.2% [22.6%-26.4%]) than that in controls (26.8% [25.6%-27.8%]) (p = 0.004). The region-of-interest myelin volume was lower in mTBI patients with PCS than that in controls at the corpus callosum (1.87 cm(3) [1.70-2.05 cm(3)] vs. 2.21 cm(3) [1.86- 3.46 cm(3)]; p = 0.003) and brainstem (9.98 cm(3) [9.45-11.00 cm(3)] vs. 11.05 cm(3) [10.10-11.53 cm(3)]; p = 0.015). The total myelin volume was lower in mTBI patients with PCS than that in controls at the corpus callosum (0.45 cm(3) [0.39-0.48 cm(3)] vs. 0.48 cm(3) [0.45-0.54 cm(3)]; p = 0.004) and brainstem (1.45 cm(3) [1.28-1.59 cm(3)] vs. 1.54 cm(3) [1.42-1.67 cm(3)]; p = 0.042). No significant correlation was observed between myelin volume parameters and neuropsychological test scores, except for the total myelin volume at the bilateral cerebral WM and verbal learning test (delayed recall) (r = 0.425; p = 0.048). Conclusion: MVF quantified from the MDME sequence was decreased at the bilateral cerebral WM in mTBI patients with PCS. The total myelin volumes at the corpus callosum and brainstem were decreased in mTBI patients with PCS due to atrophic changes.11Nsciescopuskc

An exploratory study on functional connectivity after mild traumatic brain injury: Preserved global but altered local organization

Introduction This study aimed to investigate alterations in whole-brain functional connectivity after a concussion using graph-theory analysis from global and local perspectives and explore the association between changes in the functional network properties and cognitive performance. Methods Individuals with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI, n = 29) within a month after injury, and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 29) were included. Graph-theory measures on functional connectivity assessed using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired from each participant. These included betweenness centrality, strength, clustering coefficient, local efficiency, and global efficiency. Multi-domain cognitive functions were correlated with the graph-theory measures. Results In comparison to the controls, the mTBI group showed preserved network characteristics at a global level. However, in the local network, we observed decreased betweenness centrality, clustering coefficient, and local efficiency in several brain areas, including the fronto-parietal attention network. Network strength at the local level showed mixed-results in different areas. The betweenness centrality of the right parahippocampus showed a significant positive correlation with the cognitive scores of the verbal learning test only in the mTBI group. Conclusion The intrinsic functional connectivity after mTBI is preserved globally, but is suboptimally organized locally in several areas. This possibly reflects the neurophysiological sequelae of a concussion. The present results may imply that the network property could be used as a potential indicator for clinical outcomes after mTBI.N

Response prediction of vestibular schwannoma after gamma-knife radiosurgery using pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI: a prospective study

Objectives There are few known predictive factors for response to gamma-knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in vestibular schwannoma (VS). We investigated the predictive role of pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI parameters regarding the tumor response after GKRS in sporadic VS. Methods This single-center prospective study enrolled participants between April 2017 and February 2019. We performed a volumetric measurement of DCE-MRI-derived parameters before GKRS. The tumor volume was measured in a follow-up MRI. The pharmacokinetic parameters were compared between responders and nonresponders according to 20% or more tumor volume reduction. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, and the diagnostic performance of DCE-MRI parameters for the prediction of tumor response was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results Ultimately, 35 participants (21 women, 52 +/- 12 years) were included. There were 22 (62.9%) responders with a mean follow-up interval of 30.2 +/- 5.7 months. K-trans (0.036 min(-1) vs. 0.057 min(-1), p = .008) and initial area under the time-concentration curve within 90 s (IAUC90) (84.4 vs. 143.6, p = .003) showed significant differences between responders and nonresponders. K-trans (OR = 0.96, p = .021) and IAUC90 (OR = 0.97, p = .004) were significant differentiating variables in each multivariable model with clinical variables for tumor response prediction. K-trans showed a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 69.2%, and IAUC90 showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 53.8% for tumor response prediction. Conclusion DCE-MRI (particularly K(trans )and IAUC90) has the potential to be a predictive factor for tumor response in VS after GKRS.11Nsciescopu

Response prediction of vestibular schwannoma after gamma-knife radiosurgery using pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI: a prospective study

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.Objectives: There are few known predictive factors for response to gamma-knife radiosurgery (GKRS) in vestibular schwannoma (VS). We investigated the predictive role of pretreatment dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI parameters regarding the tumor response after GKRS in sporadic VS. Methods: This single-center prospective study enrolled participants between April 2017 and February 2019. We performed a volumetric measurement of DCE-MRI-derived parameters before GKRS. The tumor volume was measured in a follow-up MRI. The pharmacokinetic parameters were compared between responders and nonresponders according to 20% or more tumor volume reduction. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed, and the diagnostic performance of DCE-MRI parameters for the prediction of tumor response was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: Ultimately, 35 participants (21 women, 52 ± 12 years) were included. There were 22 (62.9%) responders with a mean follow-up interval of 30.2 ± 5.7 months. Ktrans (0.036 min−1 vs. 0.057 min−1, p =.008) and initial area under the time-concentration curve within 90 s (IAUC90) (84.4 vs. 143.6, p =.003) showed significant differences between responders and nonresponders. Ktrans (OR = 0.96, p =.021) and IAUC90 (OR = 0.97, p =.004) were significant differentiating variables in each multivariable model with clinical variables for tumor response prediction. Ktrans showed a sensitivity of 81.8% and a specificity of 69.2%, and IAUC90 showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 53.8% for tumor response prediction. Conclusion: DCE-MRI (particularly Ktrans and IAUC90) has the potential to be a predictive factor for tumor response in VS after GKRS. Key Points: •Pretreatment prediction of gamma-knife radiosurgery response in vestibular schwannoma is still challenging. •Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI could have predictive value for the response of vestibular schwannoma after gamma-knife radiosurgery.N

Prediction of hemorrhagic complications after ultrasound-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.Objectives: Hemorrhage occasionally occurs after ultrasound (US)-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck and sometimes leads to serious complications. We aimed to identify predictors of hemorrhagic complications after US-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck. Material and methods: In this retrospective study, we analyzed consecutive patients who underwent US-guided biopsy from April 2020 to November 2020. Procedure characteristics, US features, and peri- and post-procedural patient symptoms and signs were compared between patients with and without post-biopsy hemorrhage. Associations between clinical and imaging variables and post-biopsy hemorrhage were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses. Results: A total of 305 patients who underwent US-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck were included (219 women, 86 men; age range, 20–89 years). Seventeen (5.7%) cases of post-biopsy hemorrhage were detected 30 min after biopsy and manual compression. Among them, 10 developed hemorrhage at 30 min without immediate hemorrhage. In the multivariate analysis, a high tenderness score on the visual analog scale (VAS) at 30 min after biopsy (odds ratio [OR] 5.05, p &lt;.001) was identified as an independent predictor of post-biopsy hemorrhage. In patients with hemorrhage at 30 min, tenderness scores significantly increased over 30 min of observation. Conclusions: High tenderness scores at 30 min after biopsy and manual compression were independent predictors of hemorrhage after US-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck. The tenderness score could serve as a valuable marker to triage patients who require further observation and management after a US-guided biopsy of the thyroid and neck. Key Points: • High tenderness scores at 30 min after compression were associated with the presence of delayed post-biopsy hemorrhage at 30 min. • Patients with hemorrhage at 30 min demonstrated a significant increase in tenderness scores over time. • High tenderness scores after biopsy site compression predicted the presence of delayed post-biopsy hemorrhage in the thyroid and neck.N

Contrast-enhanced mri t1 mapping for quantitative evaluation of putative dynamic glymphatic activity in the human brain in sleep-wake states

© 2021 Radiological Society of North America Inc.. All rights reserved.Background: Evaluation of the glymphatic system with intrathecal contrast material injection has limited clinical use. Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of using serial intravenous contrast-enhanced T1 mapping in the quantitative evaluation of putative dynamic glymphatic activity in various brain regions and to demonstrate the effect of sleep on glymphatic activity in humans. Materials and Methods: In this prospective study from May 2019 to February 2020, 25 healthy participants (mean age, 25 years 6 2 [standard deviation]; 15 men) underwent two cycles of MRI (day and night cycles). For each cycle, T1 maps were acquired at baseline and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 12 hours after intravenous contrast material injection. For the night cycle, participants had a normal night of sleep between 2 and 12 hours. The time (tmin) to reach the minimum T1 value (T1min), the absolute difference between baseline T1 and T1min (peak DT1), and the slope between two measurements at 2 and 12 hours (slope[2h-12h]) were determined from T1 value-time curves in cerebral gray matter (GM), cerebral white matter (WM), cerebellar GM, cerebellar WM, and putamen. Mixed-model analysis of variance (ANOVA), Friedman test, and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to assess the effect of sleep on slope(2h-12h) and to compare tmin and peak DT1 among different regions. Results: The slope(2h-12h) increased from the day to night cycles in cerebral GM, cerebellar GM, and putamen (geometric mean ratio [night/day] = 1.4 [95% CI: 1.2, 1.7], 1.3 [95% CI: 1.1, 1.4], and 2.4 [95% CI: 1.6, 3.6], respectively; P = .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). Median tmin values were 0.5 hour in cerebral and cerebellar GM and putamen for both cycles. Cerebellar GM had the highest mean peak DT1, followed by cerebral GM and putamen in both day (159 msec ± 6, 99 msec ± 4, and 62 msec ± 5, respectively) and night (152 msec ± 6, 104 msec ± 6, and 58 msec ± 4, respectively) cycles. Conclusion: Clearance of a gadolinium-based contrast agent was greater after sleep compared with daytime wakefulness. These results suggest that sleep was associated with greater glymphatic clearance compared with wakefulness.11Nsciescopu

Differentiation between glioblastoma and primary CNS lymphoma: application of DCE-MRI parameters based on arterial input function obtained from DSC-MRI

© 2021, European Society of Radiology.Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether arterial input functions (AIFs) obtained from dynamic susceptibility contrast (DSC)–MRI (AIFDSC) improve the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of dynamic contrast–enhanced (DCE)–derived pharmacokinetic (PK) parameters for differentiating glioblastoma from primary CNS lymphoma (PCNSL) compared with AIFs derived from DCE-MRI (AIFDCE). Methods: This retrospective study included 172 patients with glioblastoma (n = 147) and PCNSL (n = 25). All patients had undergone preoperative DSC- and DCE-MRI. The volume transfer constant (Ktrans), volume of the vascular plasma space (vp), and volume of the extravascular extracellular space (ve) were acquired using AIFDSC and AIFDCE. The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) was obtained from DSC-MRI. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and ROC curves were used to assess the reliability and diagnostic accuracy of individual parameters. Results: The mean Ktrans, vp, and ve values revealed better ICCs with AIFDSC than with AIFDCE (Ktrans, 0.911 vs 0.355; vp, 0.766 vs 0.503; ve, 0.758 vs 0.657, respectively). For differentiating all glioblastomas from PCNSL, the mean rCBV (AUC = 0.856) was more accurate than the AIFDSC-driven mean Ktrans, which had the largest AUC (0.711) among the DCE-derived parameters (p = 0.02). However, for glioblastomas with low rCBV (≤ 75th percentile of PCNSL; n = 30), the AIFDSC-driven mean Ktrans and vp were more accurate than rCBV (AUC: Ktrans, 0.807 vs rCBV, 0.515, p = 0.004; vp, 0.715 vs rCBV, p = 0.045). Conclusion: DCE-derived PK parameters using the AIFDSC showed improved reliability and diagnostic accuracy for differentiating glioblastoma with low rCBV from PCNSL. Key Points: • An accurate differential diagnosis of glioblastoma and PCNSL is crucial because of different therapeutic strategies. • In contrast to the rCBV from DSC-MRI, another perfusion imaging technique, the DCE parameters for the differential diagnosis have been limited because of the low reliability of AIFs from DCE-MRI. • When we analyzed DCE-MRI data using AIFs from DSC-MRI (AIFDSC), AIFDSC-driven DCE parameters showed improved reliability and better diagnostic accuracy than rCBV for differentiating glioblastoma with low rCBV from PCNSL.11Nsciescopu