Follow-up Strategies in Focal Liver Lesions and Treatment Methods

Today, advances in cross-sectional imaging have led to the detection and early recognition of incidental/focal liver lesions (FCL). In approximately 17,000 cases of chest CT, incidental liver lesions were found in 6% [1]. In general, FCL consists of hepatocytes, biliary epithelium, mesenchymal tissue, connective tissue, or metastasized cells from distant sites. Most incidental lesions are benign, some may require careful management and treatment. In evaluating the lesion, the patient's clinical history, underlying disease and age factor should be considered. FCL can be detected at a rate of 10-30% in normal healthy and chronic liver disease patients, and even in oncology patients with malignancy, FCLs can be highly benign (50-80%)

Rare case of bilateral petrous apex cephalocele

The petrous apex is a pyramidal-shaped structure which is difficult to examine due to difficult anatomical location. Lesions in the petrous apex can be managed surgically or they can be incidental lesions, which are managed conservatively. Petrous apex cephaloceles (PAC) are the cystic lesion due to herniation in the Meckel’s cave of temporal bone. Bilateral PAC is a very rare phenomenon with only 21 cases reported in the literature so far. We present here a case of bilateral PAC, who presented with headache and was managed conservatively.

Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome Incidentally Identified in a Potential Liver Donor

Background: Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome (BHDS), an autosomal dominant hereditary condition, occurs due to mutations in the gene encoding folliculin (FLCN) in the short arm of the 17th chromosome characterized by lung cysts with specific skin findings and renal cell carcinoma. Patients are usually present with complaints of dyspnea and chest pain due to pneumothorax, but also may be asymptomatic due to wide phenotypic heterogeneity. Herein, we report the imaging findings of a case 32-year-old male with BHDS without any symptom who diagnosed incidentally by computed tomography (CT) because of being organ donation. Case Report: In a 32-year-old male patient evaluated as a potential liver donor, CT was performed for preoperative preparation. The patient's medical history was unremarkable. In the CT examination, multiple air cysts of different sizes in the both lungs were observed and also, a 7-cm solid renal mass of the right kidney was observed in the dynamic examination. Due to the large number of lung cysts and the presence of solid renal tumors at a young age, BHDS was considered. The patient underwent partial nephrectomy and the pathology result was hybrid oncocytic-chromophobe renal cell carcinoma. In the genetic examination, a heterozygous germline mutation was detected in the 11th exon of the FLCN gene. Conclusion: While potential organ donors are generally healthy and asymptomatic individuals, incidental lesions can be detected in the donor organ or other organs in the examination area during radiological imaging. Although most incidental lesions are benign, important clinical conditions can be rarely observed, as in our case. Familial and syndromic conditions should also be kept in mind in the presence of solid renal masses incidentally detected at a young age. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of BHDS in English literature who was diagnosed incidentally on computed tomography for being living liver donor.

Surgical management of incidentally discovered low-grade gliomas

OBJECTIVEAlthough most patients with low-grade glioma (LGG) present after a seizure, a small proportion is diagnosed after neuroimaging is performed for a sign or symptom unrelated to the tumor. While these tumors invariably grow, some surgeons argue for a watchful waiting approach. Here, the authors report on their experience in the surgical treatment of patients with incidental LGG (iLGG) and describe the neurological outcomes, survival, and complications.METHODSRelevant cases were identified from a prospective registry of patients undergoing glioma resection at the University of California, San Francisco, between 1997 and 2019. Cases were considered iLGG when the lesion was noted on imaging performed for a reason unrelated to the tumor. Demographic, clinical, pathological, and imaging data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Tumor volumes, growth, and extent of resection were calculated from pre- and postoperative volumetric FLAIR sequences.RESULTSOne hundred thirteen of 657 (17.2%) first-time resections for LGG were for incidental lesions. The most common reasons for the discovery of an iLGG were headaches (without mass effect, 34.5%) or trauma (16.8%). Incidental tumors were no different from symptomatic lesions in terms of laterality or location, but they were significantly smaller (22.5 vs 57.5 cm3, p < 0.0001). There was no difference in diagnosis between patients with iLGG and those with symptomatic LGG (sLGG), incorporating both molecular and pathological data. The median preoperative observation time for iLGG was 3.1 months (range 1 month–12 years), and there was a median growth rate of 3.9 cm3/year. Complete resection of the FLAIR abnormality was achieved in 57% of patients with incidental lesions but only 23.8% of symptomatic lesions (p < 0.001), and the residual volumes were smaller for iLGGs (2.9 vs 13.5 cm3, p < 0.0001). Overall survival was significantly longer for patients with incidental tumors (median survival not reached for patients with iLGG vs 14.6 years for those with sLGG, p < 0.0001). There was a 4.4% rate of neurological deficits at 6 months.CONCLUSIONSThe authors present the largest cohort of iLGGs. Patient age, tumor location, and molecular genetics were not different between iLGGs and sLGGs. Incidental tumors were smaller, a greater extent of resection could be achieved, and overall survival was improved compared to those for patients with sLGG. Operative morbidity and rates of neurological deficit were acceptably low; thus, the authors advocate upfront surgical intervention aimed at maximal safe resection for these incidentally discovered lesions.

Clinical Implications of Incidental Sinonasal Positive FDG Uptake on PET-CT

Objectives Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography–computed tomography (FDG PET-CT) has been increasingly used in the past decade. Incidental FDG-avid findings are encountered in these studies, several of which with clinical significance. However, the significance of incidental FDG-avid sinonasal findings has not been studied to date. Study Design Retrospective cohort study. Setting A single tertiary medical center. Materials and Methods The medical records were reviewed of patients with incidental sinonasal positive FDG uptake between 2007 and 2016 who referred for further otolaryngological diagnostic workup. Results A total of 26 patients were identified, all of whom underwent a diagnostic surgical procedure. Histopathology revealed chronic inflammation (n = 12, 46.1%), malignancy (n = 7, 26.9%), inverted papilloma (n = 4, 15.5%), and fungal infections (n = 3, 11.5%). A unilateral maxillary sinus with FDG uptake was documented for 16 (61.5%) patients. CT evidence of bilateral disease and mucosal or sinus wall thickening correlated with inflammatory disease. Conclusions Incidental lesions with positive FDG uptake in the sinonasal cavities are at a high risk (40%) of being neoplastic. A diagnostic biopsy is advocated in these cases.