Federica Pediconi

Pancreatic carcinoma: The role of high-resolution multislice spiral CT in the diagnosis and assessment of resectability

Abstract. The purpose of our study was to evaluate multislice computed tomography (MSCT) in the assessment of patients with clinical, laboratory, and US suspicion of pancreatic neoplasm, and to evaluate resectability status. Forty-six patients with a suspected pancreatic tumor underwent MSCT. After a preliminary precontrast survey, a postcontrast scan was performed in the arterial and portal venous phase with the following protocol: 4×1-mm collimation; 1.25- and 5-mm slice thickness width, respectively, and 1- and 5-mm reconstruction interval. In all patients pathological correlation was obtained. The evaluation of all images provided a diagnosis in 44 patients, with a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 97, 80, and 96%, respectively. The MSCT correctly provided a diagnosis of unresectability with sensitivity of 96%, specificity of 86%, and accuracy of 93%. Evaluation of 1-mm slices demonstrated 83 of the 91 liver metastases found at surgery; conversely, the 5-mm slices detected only 76 of these lesions. Infiltration of peripancreatic major vessels was demonstrated, and was confirmed at surgery in 18 patients. High-resolution MSCT improves prediction of resectability in patients with suspected pancreatic carcinoma. Parenchymal and vascular information can be achieved with a single MSCT examination.

High prevalence of spontaneous portal-systemic shunts in persistent hepatic encephalopathy: A case-control study†

Large spontaneous portal‐systemic shunts have been occasionally described in patients with cirrhosis. This study was undertaken to assess the prevalence of portal‐systemic shunts in patients with cirrhosis with recurrent or persistent hepatic encephalopathy (HE) as compared with patients with cirrhosis without HE. Fourteen patients with cirrhosis with recurrent or persistent HE (cases) and 14 patients with cirrhosis without previous or present signs of overt HE matching for age and degree of liver failure (controls) were studied. Each patient underwent neurological assessment and cerebral magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to exclude organic neurological pathological conditions. HE evaluation included psychometric performance (Trail‐Making Test A), electroencephalogram (EEG), mental status examination and grading, arterial, venous, and partial pressure of ammonia determination. The presence of portal‐systemic shunts was assessed by portal venous phase multidetector‐row spiral computed tomography (CT). Large spontaneous portal‐systemic shunts were detected in 10 patients with HE and in only 2 patients without HE (71% vs. 14%; chi square = 9.16; df = 1.0; P = .002). The patients with HE presented ascites (P = .002) and medium/large esophageal varices (P = .02) less frequently than the control group. In conclusion, our study suggests that large spontaneous shunts may often sustain the chronicity of HE; the presence of large shunts should be sought in patients with cirrhosis with recurrent or persistent HE. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;42:1158–1165.)

Breast MRI: EUSOBI recommendations for women's information.

AbstractThis paper summarizes information about breast MRI to be provided to women and referring physicians. After listing contraindications, procedure details are described, stressing the need for correct scheduling and not moving during the examination. The structured report including BI-RADS® categories and further actions after a breast MRI examination are discussed. Breast MRI is a very sensitive modality, significantly improving screening in high-risk women. It also has a role in clinical diagnosis, problem solving, and staging, impacting on patient management. However, it is not a perfect test, and occasionally breast cancers can be missed. Therefore, clinical and other imaging findings (from mammography/ultrasound) should also be considered. Conversely, MRI may detect lesions not visible on other imaging modalities turning out to be benign (false positives). These risks should be discussed with women before a breast MRI is requested/performed. Because breast MRI drawbacks depend upon the indication for the examination, basic information for the most important breast MRI indications is presented. Seventeen notes and five frequently asked questions formulated for use as direct communication to women are provided. The text was reviewed by Europa Donna–The European Breast Cancer Coalition to ensure that it can be easily understood by women undergoing MRI.Key Points• Information on breast MRI concerns advantages/disadvantages and preparation to the examination • Claustrophobia, implantable devices, allergic predisposition, and renal function should be checked • Before menopause, scheduling on day 7–14 of the cycle is preferred • During the examination, it is highly important that the patient keeps still • Availability of prior examinations improves accuracy of breast MRI interpretation

Effect of preoperative breast magnetic resonance imaging on surgical decision making and cancer recurrence rates

Purpose:To evaluate breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for cancer staging and surgical planning in patients with known breast cancer, and to evaluate recurrence rates at long-term follow-up. Methods and Materials:Institutional review board approval and patient consent were obtained. Preoperative MRI with 0.1 mmol/kg gadobenate dimeglumine (MultiHance) was performed in 203/274 women with confirmed breast cancer. The sensitivity, accuracy, and positive predictive value of MRI compared with mammography/ultrasound for malignant lesion detection were calculated, and the effect of MRI on surgical decision making evaluated. The cancer recurrence rate was determined for 172 patients with available 2- to 8-year follow-up data. Results:Mammography/ultrasound detected 229 suspicious lesions. Breast MRI detected 159 additional lesions in 48/203 (23.6%) patients; of which 110/110 were correctly classified as malignant and 28/49 as benign, giving sensitivity, accuracy, and positive predictive values for malignant lesion detection of 100% (110/110), 86.8% (138/159), and 84.0% (110/131), respectively. MRI revealed unsuspected multifocal, multicentric, and synchronous contralateral lesions in 7/48, 16/48, and 16/48 patients, respectively, and pectoralis muscle infiltration in 3/38 patients. In 6/48 women, MRI revealed lesions not seen on conventional imaging (n = 5) or discounted suspected multifocal disease (n = 1). Therapy was changed for 50/203 (24.6%) patients: 38 patients underwent more extensive surgery and 12 less extensive surgery. Six (3.5%) recurrences occurred, in all cases at >4 years. Conclusion:Breast MRI positively affects patient management and is recommended for mapping tumor extent in patients with newly diagnosed cancer. The cancer recurrence rate at long-term follow-up after MRI is low.

Contrast-Enhanced MR Mammography: Improved Lesion Detection and Differentiation with Gadobenate Dimeglumine

OBJECTIVE The objective of our study was to intraindividually compare 0.1 mmol/kg doses of gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine for contrast-enhanced breast MRI. SUBJECTS AND METHODS Forty-seven women (mean age +/- SD, 50.8 +/- 12.9 years) with breast lesions classified as BI-RADS category 3, 4, or 5 for suspicion of malignancy underwent two identical MR examinations at 1.5 T separated by 48-72 hours. T1-weighted gradient-echo images were acquired before contrast administration and at 2-minute intervals after the randomized injection of gadopentetate dimeglumine or gadobenate dimeglumine at 2 mL/s. Two blinded readers evaluated randomized image sets for lesion detection and differentiation as benign or malignant compared with histology. The McNemar exact test and the generalized estimating equation (GEE) were used to compare lesion detection rates and diagnostic performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS Histopathology data were available for 78 lesions. Significantly more lesions overall (75/78 [96%] vs 62/78 [79%], respectively; p = 0.0002) and significantly more malignant lesions (49/50 [98%] vs 38/50 [76%]; p = 0.0009) were detected with gadobenate dimeglumine than gadopentetate dimeglumine. All detected malignant lesions were correctly diagnosed with both agents. More detected benign lesions were correctly diagnosed with gadobenate dimeglumine than with gadopentetate dimeglumine (20/26 [77%] vs 17/24 [71%], respectively). Differentiation of lesions was significantly (p = 0.0001) better with gadobenate dimeglumine. Significantly better diagnostic performance was noted with gadobenate dimeglumine than with gadopentetate dimeglumine, respectively, for sensitivity (98.0% vs 76.0%; p = 0.0064), accuracy (88.5% vs 69.2%; p = 0.0004), PPV (86.0% vs 76.0%; p = 0.0321), and NPV (95.2% vs 57.1%; p = 0.0003). CONCLUSION Lesion detection and malignant-benign differentiation is significantly better with 0.1 mmol/kg gadobenate dimeglumine than 0.1 mmol/kg gadopentetate dimeglumine.

Multicenter, Double-Blind, Randomized, Intraindividual Crossover Comparison of Gadobenate Dimeglumine and Gadopentetate Dimeglumine for Breast MR Imaging (DETECT Trial)

PURPOSE To intraindividually compare 0.1 mmol/kg doses of gadobenate dimeglumine and gadopentetate dimeglumine for contrast material-enhanced breast magnetic resonance (MR) imaging by using a prospective, multicenter double-blind, randomized protocol. MATERIALS AND METHODS Institutional review board approval and patient informed consent were obtained. One hundred sixty-two women (mean age, 52.8 years ± 12.3 [standard deviation]) enrolled at 17 sites in Europe and China between July 2007 and May 2009 underwent at least one breast MR imaging examination at 1.5 T by using three-dimensional spoiled gradient-echo sequences. Of these, 151 women received both contrast agents in randomized order in otherwise identical examinations separated by more than 2 but less than 7 days. Images, acquired at 2-minute or shorter intervals after contrast agent injection, were evaluated independently by three blinded radiologists unaffiliated with enrollment centers. Histopathologic confirmation was available for all malignant lesions (n = 144), while benign lesions were confirmed either by using histopathologic examination (n = 52) or by at least 12-month diagnostic follow-up (n = 20) with mammography and/or ultrasonography. Determinations of malignant lesion detection rates and diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value [PPV], and negative predictive value [NPV]) were performed and compared (McNemar and Wald tests). A full safety assessment was performed. RESULTS Significant superiority for gadobenate dimeglumine was noted by readers 1, 2, and 3 for malignant lesion detection rate (91.7%, 93.1%, 94.4% vs 79.9%, 80.6%, 83.3%, respectively; P ≤ .0003). Readers 1, 2, and 3 reported significantly superior diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy) for breast cancer detection with gadobenate dimeglumine (91.1%, 94.5%, 95.2% vs 81.2%, 82.6%, 84.6%; 99.0%, 98.2%, 96.9% vs 97.8%, 96.9%, 93.8%; 98.2%, 97.8%, 96.7% vs 96.1%, 95.4%, 92.8%, respectively; P ≤ .0094) and significantly superior PPV (91.1%, 85.2%, 77.2% vs 80.7%, 75.5%, 60.9%, respectively; P ≤ .0002) and NPV (99.0%, 99.4%, 99.4% vs 97.8%, 98.0%, 98.1%, respectively; P ≤ .0003). No safety concerns were noted with either agent. CONCLUSION Gadobenate dimeglumine is superior to gadopentetate dimeglumine for breast cancer diagnosis.

Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography: does it affect surgical decision-making in patients with breast cancer?

BackgroundDiagnostic imaging in women with suspected breast cancer should accurately detect and diagnose malignant tumors and facilitate the correct choice of therapy. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography (CE-MRM) is potentially the imaging modality of choice for accurate patient management decisions.MethodsA total of 164 women with suspected breast cancer based on clinical examination, conventional mammography and/or ultrasound each underwent preoperative bilateral CE-MRM using an axial 3D dynamic T1-weighted gradient-echo sequence and gadobenate dimeglumine as contrast agent. Images were evaluated by two readers in consensus. Histological evaluation of detected lesions was performed on samples from core biopsy or surgery. Determinations were made of the sensitivity, accuracy and positive predictive value of CE-MRM compared to mammography/ultrasound for the detection of malignant lesions and of the impact of CE-MRM for surgical decision-making.FindingsConventional mammography/ultrasound detected 175 lesions in the 164 evaluated patients. CE-MRM revealed 51 additional lesions in 34/164 patients; multifocal and multicentric cancer was detected in 7 and 4 additional patients, respectively, contralateral foci in 21 additional patients and pectoral muscle infiltration in 2 additional patients. CE-MRM also confirmed the absence or benignity of 3 and 1 lesions suspected of malignancy on mammography/ultrasound. The sensitivity and accuracy for malignant lesion detection and identification was 100% and 93.4%, respectively, for CE-MRM compared to 77.3% and 72.1% for mammography/ultrasound, respectively. Patient management was altered for 32/164 (19.5%) patients as a result of CE-MRM.InterpretationCE-MRM positively impacts patient management decisions and should be performed in all women with suspected breast cancer based on clinical examination, mammography and/or ultrasound.

The challenge of imaging dense breast parenchyma is magnetic resonance mammography the technique of choice? a comparative study with x-ray mammography and whole-breast ultrasound

Purpose:To establish the value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the breast in comparison to x-ray mammography and ultrasound for breast cancer evaluation in women with dense breast parenchyma. Materials and Methods:Two hundred thirty-eight women with dense breast parenchyma who were suspicious for breast cancer or inconclusive for the presence of breast lesions based on clinical examination, ultrasound or x-ray mammography, and who underwent breast MRI at 1.5 T before and after administration of 0.1 mmol/kg gadobenate dimeglumine were evaluated. Lesions considered malignant (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) 4 or 5) on x-ray mammography and/or ultrasound and as BI-RADS 3, 4, or 5 on MRI were evaluated histologically. Other lesions were followed up at 6 and/or 18 months. The diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values) of each technique was determined and compared using a general linear mixed model with appropriate correction for multiplicity. Results:At final diagnosis 121 of 238 (50.8%) women had one or more confirmed malignant lesions, whereas 117 (49.2%) had benign lesions or no lesions. Among 97 women who underwent all 3 techniques more lesions (malignant and benign) were detected with breast MRI (n = 135) than with x-ray mammography (n = 85) or ultrasound (n = 107) and diagnostic confidence was greater. In terms of patient-based diagnostic accuracy breast MRI was significantly (P[r] < 0.0001) superior to both x-ray mammography and ultrasound (96.9% accuracy for MRI vs. 60.8% for mammography and 66.0% for US). Malignant lesions were histologically confirmed in 55 of 97 women who underwent all 3 techniques. Breast MRI detected more cases of multifocal, multicentric, and contralateral disease and fewer misdiagnoses occurred. Overall, breast MRI led to a modification of the surgical approach for 28 (23.1%) of the 121 women with diagnosed malignant disease. Conclusion:Breast MRI should be considered for routine breast cancer evaluation in women with dense breast parenchyma.

Color-coded automated signal intensity curves for detection and characterization of breast lesions: preliminary evaluation of a new software package for integrated magnetic resonance-based breast imaging.

Objectives:The objective of this study was to evaluate the value of a color-coded automated signal intensity curve software package for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography (CE-MRM) in patients with suspected breast cancer. Materials and Methods:Thirty-six women with suspected breast cancer based on mammographic and sonographic examinations were preoperatively evaluated on CE-MRM. CE-MRM was performed on a 1.5-T magnet using a 2D Flash dynamic T1-weighted sequence. A dosage of 0.1 mmol/kg of Gd-BOPTA was administered at a flow rate of 2 mL/s followed by 10 mL of saline. Images were analyzed with the new software package and separately with a standard display method. Statistical comparison was performed of the confidence for lesion detection and characterization with the 2 methods and of the diagnostic accuracy for characterization compared with histopathologic findings. Results:At pathology, 54 malignant lesions and 14 benign lesions were evaluated. All 68 (100%) lesions were detected with both methods and good correlation with histopathologic specimens was obtained. Confidence for both detection and characterization was significantly (P ≤ 0.025) better with the color-coded method, although no difference (P > 0.05) between the methods was noted in terms of the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy for lesion characterization. Excellent agreement between the 2 methods was noted for both the determination of lesion size (kappa = 0.77) and determination of SI/T curves (kappa = 0.85). Conclusions:The novel color-coded signal intensity curve software allows lesions to be visualized as false color maps that correspond to conventional signal intensity time curves. Detection and characterization of breast lesions with this method is quick and easily interpretable.

Localization of pancreatic insulinomas with MR imaging at 0.5 T.

Objective: To determine the role of MR imaging in the localization of pancreatic insulinomas in patients with clinical and laboratory diagnosis of insulinproducing tumor. Material and Methods: Thirty-one patients presenting with signs and symptoms of pancreatic insulinomas were prospectively included in our study. Twenty-six patients underwent surgery, and pathologic specimens were examined: 5 patients, in whom the initial diagnosis of insulinoma was excluded, were also studied and then followed up. All patients were studied with a high gradient power 0.5 T magnet. Images were evaluated by 2 radiologists blinded to previous investigations, tests and results. Results: MR imaging correctly localized 24 of the 26 insulinomas (2 were false-negative and 1 false-positive) and was correctly negative in the 5 control patients. the interobserver agreement had a kappa value of 0.89. Conclusion: MR imaging was accurate in localizing pancreatic insulinomas and as a consequence, patients in our institution are now submitted to surgery directly after the MR examination. Invasive methods are considered only in cases in which, despite clear biochemical results, MR imaging has not demonstrated a pancreatic focal lesion.