Vascular interventions evaluated by intravascular ultrasound

Intermittent claudication is one of the clinical manifestations of obstructive disease of peripheral arteries of the lower extremities. The symptoms may include pain, cramp, and fatigue in the muscles of the affected leg provoked by exercise, which are relieved after several minutes of rest. These symptoms are caused by encroachment of the lumen by atherosclerosis, preventing an adequate supply of oxygen saturated blood. More severe manifestations are night- or restpain, and ulceration or gangrene of the toes or foot

A preliminary prediction model for potentially guiding patient choices between breast conserving surgery and mastectomy in early breast cancer patients; a Dutch experience

Purpose: To guide early stage breast cancer patients to choose between breast conserving surgery (BCS) and mastectomy (MST) considering the predicted cosmetic result and quality of life (QoL). Methods: A decision model was built to compare QoL after BCS and MST. Treatment could result in BCS with good cosmesis, BCS with poor cosmesis, MST only, and MST with breast reconstruction. QoL for these treatment outcomes were obtained from a previous study and the literature and translated into EuroQoL-5D derived utilities. Chance of good cosmesis after BCS was predicted based on tumor location and tumor/breast volume ratio. The decision model determined whether the expected QoL was superior after BCS or MST based on chance of good cosmesis. Results: The mean utility for the treatments such as BCS with good cosmesis, BCS with poor cosmesis, MST only, and MST with breast reconstruction were 0.908, 0.843, 0.859, and 0.876, respectively. BCS resulted in superior QoL compared to MST in patients with a chance of good cosmesis above 36%. This 36% threshold is reached in case the tumor is located in the upper lateral, lower lateral, upper medial, lower medial, and central quadrant of the breast with a tumor/breast volume ratio below 21.6, 4.1, 15.1, 3.2, and 14.7, respectively. Conclusions: BCS results in superior QoL in patients with tumors in the upper breast quadrants or centrally and a tumor/breast volume ratio below 15. MST results in superior QoL in patients with tumors in the lower breast quadrants and a tumor/breast volume ratio above 4

Resident and Faculty Attitudes Toward the Dutch Radiology Progress Test as It Transitions from a Formative to a Summative Measure of Licensure Eligibility

Background Progress testing, a regularly administered comprehensive test of a complete knowledge domain, usually serves to provide learners feedback and has a formative nature. Objective Our study aimed to investigate the acceptability of introducing a summative component in the postgraduate Dutch Radiology Progress Test (DRPT) among residents and program directors in a competency-based training program. Methods A 15-item questionnaire with 3 items on acceptability of summative postgraduate knowledge testing, 7 on acceptability of the summative DRPT regulations, 4 on self-reported educational effects, and 1 open comment item was distributed nationally among 349 residents and 81 radiology program directors. Results The questionnaire was filled out by 330 residents (95%) and 48 (59%) program directors. Summative postgraduate knowledge testing was regarded as acceptable by both groups, but more so by program directors than residents. The transition toward summative assessment in the DRPT was received neutrally to slightly positively by residents, while program directors regarded it as an improvement and estimated the summative criteria to be lighter and less stressful than did residents. The residents’ self-reported educational effects of summative assessment in the DRPT were limited, whereas program directors expected a greater end-of-training knowledge improvement than residents. Conclusions Both residents and program directors support summative postgraduate knowledge testing, although it is more accepted by program directors. Residents receive summative radiological progress testing neutrally to slightly positively, while program directors generally value it more positively than residents. Directors should be aware of these different perspectives when introducing or developing summative progress testing in residency programs

Breast and Tumour Volume Measurements in Breast Cancer Patients Using 3-D Automated Breast Volume Scanner Images

Background: The resection volume in relation to the breast volume is known to influence cosmetic outcome following breast-conserving therapy. It was hypothesised that three-dimensional ultrasonography (3-D US) could be used to preoperatively assess breast and tumour volume and show high association with histopathological measurements. Methods: Breast volume by the 3D-US was compared to the water displacement method (WDM), mastectomy specimen weight, 3-D MRI and three different calculations for breast volume on mammography. Tumour volume by the 3-D US was compared to the histopathological tumour volume and 3-D MRI. Relatedness was based on the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) with corresponding 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Bland–Altman plots were used to graphically display the agreement for the different assessment techniques. All measurements were performed by one observer. Results: A total of 36 patients were included, 20 and 23 for the evaluation of breast and tumour volume (ductal invasive carcinomas), respectively. 3-D US breast volume showed ‘excellent’ association with WDM, ICC 0.92 [95% CI (0.80–0.97)]. 3-D US tumour volume showed a ‘excellent’ association with histopathological tumour volume, ICC 0.78 [95% CI (0.55–0.91)]. Bland–Altman plots showed an increased overestimation in lager tumour volumes measured by 3-D MRI compared to histopathological volume. Conclusions: 3-D US showed a high association with gold standard WDM for the preoperative assessment of breast volume and the histopathological measurement of tumour volume. 3-D US is an patient-friendly preoperative available technique to calculate both breast volume and tumour volume. Volume measurements are promising in outcome prediction of intended breast-conserving treatment

Introducing Summative Progress Testing in Radiology Residency: Little Change in Residents’ Test Results After Transitioning from Formative Progress Testing

Introduction: Educational effects of transitioning from formative to summative progress testing are unclear. Our purpose was to investigate wheth

Fourteen years of progress testing in radiology residency training: experiences from The Netherlands

Objectives: To describe the development of the Dutch Radiology Progress Test (DRPT) for knowledge testing in radiology residency training in The Netherlands from its start in 2003 up to 2016. Methods: We reviewed all DRPTs conducted since 2003. We assessed key changes and events in the test throughout the years, as well as resident participation and dispensation for the DRPT, test reliability and discriminative power of test items. Results: The DRPT has been conducted semi-annually since 2003, except for 2015 when one digital DRPT failed. Key changes in these years were improvements in test analysis and feedback, test digitalization (2013) and inclusion of test items on nuclear medicine (2016). From 2003 to 2016, resident dispensation rates increased (Pearson’s correlation coefficient 0.74, P-value <0.01) to maximally 16 %. Cronbach´s alpha for test reliability varied between 0.83 and 0.93. The percentage of DRPT test items with negative item-rest-correlations, indicating relatively poor discriminative power, varied between 4 % and 11 %. Conclusions: Progress testing has proven feasible and sustainable in Dutch radiology residency training, keeping up with innovations in the radiological profession. Test reliability and discriminative power of test items have remained fair over the years, while resident dispensation rates have increased. Key Points: • Progress testing allows for monitoring knowledge development from novice to senior trainee.• In postgraduate medical training, progress testing is used infrequently.• Progress testing is feasible and sustainable in radiology residency training

TUmor-volume to breast-volume RAtio for improving COSmetic results in breast cancer patients (TURACOS); a randomized controlled trial

Background: Cosmetic result following breast conserving surgery (BCS) for cancer influences quality of life and psychosocial functioning in breast cancer patients. A preoperative prediction of expected cosmetic result following BCS is not (yet) standard clinical practice and therefore the choice for either mastectomy or BCS is still subjective. Recently, we showed that tumour volume to breast volume ratio as well as tumour location in the breast are independent predictors of superior cosmetic result following BCS. Implementation of a prediction model including both factors, has not been studied in a prospective manner. This study aims to improve cosmetic outcome by implementation of a prediction model in the treatment decision making for breast cancer patients opting for BCS. Methods/design: Multicentre, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial comparing standard preoperative work-up to a preoperative work-up with addition of the prediction model. Tumour volume to bre

Bone suppression increases the visibility of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis in chest radiographs

Objective: Chest radiographs (CXR) are an important diagnostic tool for the detection of invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in critically ill patients, but their diagnostic value is limited by a poor sensitivity. By using advanced image processing, the aim of this study was to increase the value of chest radiographs in the diagnostic work up of neutropenic patients who are suspected of IPA. Methods: The frontal CXRs of 105 suspected cases of IPA were collected from four institutions. Radiographs could contain single or multiple sites of infection. CT was used as reference standard. Five radiologists and two residents participated in an observer study for the detection of IPA on CXRs with and without bone suppressed images (ClearRead BSI 3.2; Riverain Technologies). The evaluation was performed separately for the right and left lung, resulting in 78 diseased cases (or lungs) and 132 normal cases (or lungs). For each image, observers scored the likelihood of focal infectious lesions being present on a continuous scale (0-100). The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) served as the performance measure. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by considering only the lungs with a suspiciousness score of greater than 50 to be positive. Results: The average AUC for only CXRs was 0.815. Performance significantly increased, to 0.853, when evaluation was aided with BSI (p = 0.01). Sensitivity increased from 49% to 66% with BSI, while specificity decreased from 95% to 90%. Conclusion: The detection of IPA in CXRs can be improved when their evaluation is aided by bone suppressed images. BSI improved the sensitivity of the CXR examination, outweighing a small loss in specificity