The diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the diagnosis of cervical tuberculous lymphadenitis (CTL). METHODS: The cohort study included 203 consecutive patients diagnosed with cervical lymph node. Before pathological or laboratory confirmation, all patients underwent CEUS examination, and the imaging findings were analyzed afterward. The diagnostic efficiency of the CEUS imaging findings of CTL was evaluated. RESULTS: Nighty-seven patients of the 203 (47.8%) were pathologically or laboratory confirmed with a CTL diagnosis while the remainder (52.2%) were diagnosed with non-tuberculous lymphadenitis. Regarding the imaging findings of CEUS, it was more common in CTL patients to find a pattern of heterogeneous enhancement inside the lymph nodes relative to non-tuberculous patients [81.44% (79/97) vs 15.09% (16/106), P < 0.01]. The sensitivity of the feature in diagnosis for CTL was 81.44% and the specificity was 84.91%, resepectively. Furthermore, a pattern of peripheral rim-like enhancement had been notable in CTL patients compared with non-tuberculous patients [86.60% (84/97) vs 12.26% (13/106), P < 0.01], associating with a diagnostic sensitivity of 86.60% and a specificity of 87.74% . When it came to the combination of both imaging findings mentioned above, the features were more prominent in CTL patients than compared with non-tuberculous patients [74.23% (72/97) vs 5.66% (6/106), P < 0.01], with a diagnostic sensitivity of 74.23% and a high specificity of 94.34% . Regarding area under curve (AUC) for the ROC analysis, the feature of internal heterogeneous enhancement, peripheral rim-like enhancement, and both features were 0.832, 0.872, and 0.843. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS patterns of heterogeneous enhancement and peripheral rim-like enhancement of lymph nodes are helpful characteristics for the diagnosis of CTL.

Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Partially Cystic Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas

Partially cystic papillary thyroid carcinomas (PCPTCs) are rarely reported papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs) and are usually misdiagnosed as benign nodules. The objective of this study was to provide the various sonographic characteristics of partially cystic thyroid nodules for differentiation between malignant and benign nodules, including those for conventional ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Twenty-three PCPTC patients and 37 nodular goiter patients were enrolled in this study. We evaluated the size, cystic percentage, solid echogenicity, calcification, vascularity, and CEUS parameters for each nodule. The final diagnosis of all patients was confirmed via surgery. Univariate analysis demonstrated that compared with benign nodular goiters, PCPTCs more frequently presented with calcification, hypoechogenicity of the solid part, hypoenhancement, heterogeneous enhancement, centrifugal perfusion, peak intensity index &lt;1, time to peak index ≥1, and area under the curve index &lt;1 on preoperative US and CEUS. Binary logistic regression analysis demonstrated that heterogeneous enhancement, centrifugal perfusion, and peak intensity index &lt;1 are independent CEUS characteristics related to malignant PCPTCs and can be used for their differentiation from benign nodular goiters (all p &lt; 0.05). Our study indicated that preoperative CEUS characteristics may serve as a useful tool to distinguish malignant PCPTCs from benign thyroid nodules.

Contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound features of tubercular lymphadenopathy

There is lack of data on the contrast-enhanced endoscopic ultrasound features of tubercular lymph node; our retrospective analysis of 37 patients with enlarged mediastinal and abdominal lymph nodes showed heterogeneous enhancement in the great majority (70%).

Optimal CT Contrast Enhancement Protocol for the Fontan Pathway: An Analysis Based on a 15-year Single-center Experience

This retrospective study was performed to systemically compare several candidates for optimal contrast enhancement protocols of cardiothoracic CT dedicated for evaluating the Fontan pathway. Of 115 CT examinations from 89 patients, simultaneous injection of contrast agent via the arm and leg veins with 50% diluted contrast agent (group 1, n = 38), 60-second scan delay after leg vein injection (group 2, n = 41) or 3-minute scan delay (group 3, n = 36) was used to obtain optimal contrast enhancement. The degree and heterogeneity of cardiovascular enhancement, image noise, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were quantitatively evaluated. Histogram-assisted semi-quantitative evaluation was performed for heterogeneous enhancement, and a cut-off value indicating heterogeneous enhancement was determined by comparing the standard deviations between the cases showing homogeneous and heterogeneous enhancement. Contrast enhancement of the Fontan pathway, the standard deviation measured in the Fontan pathway, SNR, and CNR were more frequently lower in group 3 compared to groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.001). Homogeneous enhancement of the Fontan pathway based on the histogram-assisted semi-quantitative evaluation was more frequently seen in group 3 compared to groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.043‒0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated that the standard deviation was an excellent diagnostic test in determining the homogeneity of contrast enhancement (area under the curve = 0.991; 95% confidence interval, 0.988‒0.994; p < 0.001). Standard deviations > 105.1 HU could be considered to indicate heterogeneous enhancement with 73.2% sensitivity and 100.0% specificity. The protocol using a 3-minute scan delay best achieved homogeneous contrast enhancement in the Fontan pathway on cardiothoracic CT among the tested protocols. However, low contrast enhancement, SNR, and, CNR need to be improved.

Risk stratification of cardiac metastases using late gadolinium enhancement cardiovascular magnetic resonance: prognostic impact of hypo-enhancement evidenced tumor avascularity

Background Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is widely used to identify cardiac neoplasms, for which diagnosis is predicated on enhancement stemming from lesion vascularity: Impact of contrast-enhancement pattern on clinical outcomes is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine whether cardiac metastasis (CMET) enhancement pattern on LGE-CMR impacts prognosis, with focus on heterogeneous lesion enhancement as a marker of tumor avascularity. Methods Advanced (stage IV) systemic cancer patients with and without CMET matched (1:1) by cancer etiology underwent a standardized CMR protocol. CMET was identified via established LGE-CMR criteria based on lesion enhancement; enhancement pattern was further classified as heterogeneous (enhancing and non-enhancing components) or diffuse and assessed via quantitative (contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR); signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)) analyses. Embolic events and mortality were tested in relation to lesion location and contrast-enhancement pattern. Results 224 patients were studied, including 112 patients with CMET and unaffected (CMET -) controls matched for systemic cancer etiology/stage. CMET enhancement pattern varied (53% heterogeneous, 47% diffuse). Quantitative analyses were consistent with lesion classification; CNR was higher and SNR lower in heterogeneously enhancing CMET (p < 0.001)—paralleled by larger size based on linear dimensions (p < 0.05). Contrast-enhancement pattern did not vary based on lesion location (p = NS). Embolic events were similar between patients with diffuse and heterogeneous lesions (p = NS) but varied by location: Patients with right-sided lesions had threefold more pulmonary emboli (20% vs. 6%, p = 0.02); those with left-sided lesions had lower rates equivalent to controls (4% vs. 5%, p = 1.00). Mortality was higher among patients with CMET (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.64 [CI 1.17–2.29], p = 0.004) compared to controls, but varied by contrast-enhancement pattern: Diffusely enhancing CMET had equivalent mortality to controls (p = 0.21) whereas prognosis was worse with heterogeneous CMET (p = 0.005) and more strongly predicted by heterogeneous enhancement (HR = 1.97 [CI 1.23–3.15], p = 0.005) than lesion size (HR = 1.11 per 10 cm [CI 0.53–2.33], p = 0.79). Conclusions Contrast-enhancement pattern and location of CMET on CMR impacts prognosis. Embolic events vary by CMET location, with likelihood of PE greatest with right-sided lesions. Heterogeneous enhancement—a marker of tumor avascularity on LGE-CMR—is a novel marker of increased mortality risk.

Meta-analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound for the diagnosis of gallbladder malignancy

Background The diagnosis between benign and malignant gallbladder lesions is sometimes difficult. The objective of this study is to assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced harmonic endoscopic ultrasound (CH-EUS) can be an accurate method for detecting gallbladder malignancy and to determine which imaging signs can be indicative of malignancy. Methods A study search of PubMed, Elsevier, and Sciencedirect was performed in May 2019. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve were used to examine the accuracy of CEUS and CH-EUS. Results Twenty-one studies were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled sensitivities of CEUS and CH-EUS were 0.81 (0.75–0.86) and 0.92 (0.86–0.95); the specificities were 0.94 (0.90–0.96) and 0.89 (0.69–0. 97); the DORs were 64 (32–127) and 89 (22–354); and the area under the SROC curves were 0.90 (0.87–0.92) and 0.92 (0.90–0.94). On CEUS, the diagnostic criterion for gallbladder malignancy according to four features were analyzed. Sensitivity and specificity were 0.75 (0.65–0.83) and 0.98 (0.85–1.00) for integrity of gallbladder wall; 0.69 (0.55–0.81) and 0.89 (0.77–0.95) for heterogeneous enhancement; 0.81 (0.71–0.88) and 0.88 (0.76–0.94) for irregular vessels; and 0.81 (0.66–0.91) and 0.75 (0.59–0.86) for washout time within 28 s. On CH-EUS, heterogeneous enhancement could be indicative of malignant lesions with a sensitivity of 0.94 (0.85–0.97); and the specificity was 0.92 (0.71–0.98). Conclusions CEUS and CH-EUS are promising and reliable imaging modalities with a high sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of gallbladder malignancy. CH-EUS might be more sensitive than CEUS with a higher sensitivity. In addition, irregular tralesional vessels and washout time within 28 s on CEUS and heterogeneous enhancement on CH-EUS are indicative of malignancy. However, larger scale and well-designed studies are warranted to verify our results.

MRI findings, including diffusion-weighted imaging, in seven cats with nasal lymphoma and two cats with nasal adenocarcinoma

Objectives Case series summary Primary nasal tumours in cats are rare, with lymphoma being the most common feline nasal tumour, followed by adenocarcinoma. Although CT can reliably detect feline nasal tumours, there are no specific CT features that identify each tumour type. To our knowledge, there have been no reports describing MRI findings, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), for nasal lymphomas and adenocarcinomas in cats. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to evaluate the MRI findings of nasal lymphoma and adenocarcinoma, including qualitative and quantitative analysis of DWI. Methods MRI examination was performed on seven cats with histologically confirmed lymphoma and on two with adenocarcinoma. The MRI protocol included T2-weighted imaging (T2WI), T1-weighted imaging (T1WI) and DWI. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values were measured using DWI. Contrast agent was not used in one cat with lymphoma. Results In those with lymphoma, three (43%) were iso- and hyperintense on T2WI, seven (100%) were iso-intense on T1WI, five (83%) exhibited mild heterogeneous enhancement, including a prominent region of non-enhancement on post-contrast T1WI, and seven (100%) cats exhibited hyperintensity on DWI. The median ADC values were 0.45 × 10−3 mm2/s (range 0.37–0.53 × 10−3 mm2/s). For adenocarcinoma, two (100%) were iso- and hyperintense on T2WI, two (100%) were iso-intense on T1WI, two (100%) exhibited marked heterogeneous enhancement on post-contrast T1WI and two (100%) were iso-intense on DWI. The median ADC values were 1.08 × 10−3 mm2/s (range 0.88–1.27 × 10−3 mm2/s). The median ADC values of lymphoma tended to be lower than adenocarcinoma ( P = 0.056). Conclusions and relevance Determining ADC value and tumours with a large area of non-enhancement may be helpful in differentiating nasal lymphoma from nasal adenocarcinoma.

Clinical Manifestations and Radiological Characteristics on Rosai-Dorfman Disease: A Retrospective Observational Study

Background and Objective: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) are usually misdiagnosed because of rarity and nonspecific clinical and radiological features. The aim of our study is to explore the clinical and imaging characteristics of RDD to improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Clinical and imaging data in 10 patients with RDD were retrospectively analyzed. 7 patients were underwent CT scanning and 3 patients were underwent MR examination. Results: 8 (8/10) patients presented with painless enlarged lymph nodes (LNs) or mass. 3 cases were involved with LNs, 5 cases were involved with extra-nodal tissues, and the remaining 2 cases were involved with LNs and extra-nodal tissue simultaneously. In enhanced CT images, enlarged LNs displayed mild or moderate enhancement, and 2 cases showed heterogeneous ring-enhancement. MR features of 3 patients with extra-nodal RDD, 2 cases showed a mass located in the subcutaneous and anterior abdominal wall respectively, and 1 case showed an intracranial mass. Besides, all lesions showed high signal foci on DWI images, and were characterized by marked heterogeneous enhancement with blurred edge. The dural/fascia tail sign and dilated blood vessels could be seen around all the lesions on enhanced MRI. Radiological features of 2 cases with LN and extranodal tissue involved, one case presented with the swelling and thickening of pharyngeal lymphoid ring and nasopharynx, meanwhile with enlarged LNs in bilateral submandibular area, neck and abdominal cavity, and also companied with osteolytic lesion in right proximal humerus. All these LNs displayed mild and moderate enhancement on CT images. Another case showed enlarged LNs in bilateral neck accompanied with soft tissue mass in the sinuses. Conclusions: RDD occurred commonly in young and middle-aged men and presented with painless enlarged LNs or mass.RDD had a huge diversity of imaging findings, which varied with different location. The radiological features, such as small patches of high signal foci in the masses on DWI images, heterogeneous enhancement and blood vessels around the masses, are helpful in diagnosis of extranodal RDD.

Clinical Manifestations and Radiological Characteristics on Rosai-Dorfman Disease: A Retrospective Observational Study

Background and Objective: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) are usually misdiagnosed because of rarity and nonspecific clinical and radiological features. The aim of our study is to explore the clinical and imaging characteristics of RDD to improve diagnostic accuracy. Methods: Clinical and imaging data in 10 patients with RDD were retrospectively analyzed. 7 patients were underwent CT scanning and 3 patients were underwent MR examination. Results: 8 (8/10) patients presented with painless enlarged lymph nodes (LNs) or mass. 3 cases were involved with LNs, 5 cases were involved with extra-nodal tissues, and the remaining 2 cases were involved with LNs and extra-nodal tissue simultaneously. In enhanced CT images, enlarged LNs displayed mild or moderate enhancement, and 2 cases showed heterogeneous ring-enhancement. MR features of 3 patients with extra-nodal RDD, 2 cases showed a mass located in the subcutaneous and anterior abdominal wall respectively, and 1 case showed an intracranial mass. Besides, all lesions showed high signal foci on DWI images, and were characterized by marked heterogeneous enhancement with blurred edge. The dural/fascia tail sign and dilated blood vessels could be seen around all the lesions on enhanced MRI. Radiological features of 2 cases with LN and extranodal tissue involved, one case presented with the swelling and thickening of pharyngeal lymphoid ring and nasopharynx, meanwhile with enlarged LNs in bilateral submandibular area, neck and abdominal cavity, and also companied with osteolytic lesion in right proximal humerus. All these LNs displayed mild and moderate enhancement on CT images. Another case showed enlarged LNs in bilateral neck accompanied with soft tissue mass in the sinuses. Conclusions: RDD occurred commonly in young and middle-aged men and presented with painless enlarged LNs or mass.RDD had a huge diversity of imaging findings, which varied with different location. The radiological features, such as small patches of high signal foci in the masses on DWI images, heterogeneous enhancement and blood vessels around the masses, are helpful in diagnosis of extranodal RDD.

Breast MRI Does Not Help Differentiating Radial Scar With and Without Associated Atypia or Malignancy

Purpose: To review breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of radial scar (RS) with and without associated atypia/malignancy. Methods: Twenty-eight (mean age 56.8) patients diagnosed with 30 biopsy-proven RS (n = 25, ultrasound-guided 14-gauge, n = 5, stereotactically guided 9-gauge) subsequently underwent breast MRI followed by surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging protocol included axial T1, axial fat sat T2, and postgadolinium in axial and sagittal planes. Two radiologists reviewed the mammographic and MRI findings in consensus according to the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System lexicon. Results: Of the 30 RSs excised surgically, 14 (14/30, 47.7%) were not associated with atypia/malignancy while atypia/malignancy was found in 16 (16/30, 53.3%) RSs. Three (3/30, 10%) RS lesions did not enhance on dynamic MR. Mean lesion size on MRI was 1.4 cm (range, 0.5-5 cm). Seventeen (17/30, 56.7%) lesions presented as nonmass enhancement and 9 (9/30, 30%) as masses. Nonmass lesions showed focal distribution (13/17, 76.5%) and heterogeneous enhancement (15/17, 88.2%). Masses showed irregular shape and margins (6/9, 67%) and heterogeneous enhancement (8/9, 89%). Multivariate analysis did not show any significant difference in MRI presentation between RS only and RS associated with atypia/malignancy. Conclusion: Breast MRI does not help differentiate between RS with or without associated atypia/malignancy.