Migratory Loose Bodies from the Ankle Joint into the Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Sheath

Objective: Loose bodies resulting from any form of osteochondral insult can migrate out of their intra-articular position to adjacent compartments. This retrospective study aims to illustrate the phenomenon of loose bodies migration from the ankle joint into the flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon sheath. Materials and Methods: Cases of loose bodies in the FHL tendon sheath were identified from the authors' radiological database by way of keyword interrogation, covering the modalities of CT, MRI, and ultrasound over a period of 11 years. The imaging features of the loose bodies were recorded, together with the presence of ankle instability and osteoarthritis. Patient demographics and relevant history, including trauma and surgery, were collected. Results: Thirty-four cases including 33 patients, with a total of 125 loose bodies in the FHL tendon sheath, were identified. There were 58 loose bodies (46.4%) in Zone 1 of the FHL tendon sheath, 65 loose bodies (52%) in Zone 2, and 2 loose bodies (1.6%) in Zone 3. All patients had features of ankle osteoarthritis on imaging, 14 of which had imaging features of ankle instability, and 19 patients had previous ankle trauma. Conclusion: Osteochondral loose bodies originating from the ankle joint can migrate into the FHL tendon sheath. It is important to recognise this phenomenon as a distinct entity, different from primary tenosynovial chondromatosis of the FHL tendon sheath, which may have a different surgical management and clinical outcome. Detection of FHL tendon sheath loose bodies should also prompt closer examination for articular disease in the ankle joint.

Imaging of Ovarian Cancer: From Early Detection to Post-treatment Relapse

Ovarian cancer refers to a multitude of different cancer types originating from or involving the ovaries. Although it ranks third in gynaecological cancers, it is among the deadliest cancers in females. The prognosis mainly depends on early detection, but the majority of cases are diagnosed at advanced stages. Exact tumour delineation is crucial for individualised therapy planning. This review provides a practical update of the role of imaging in every phase throughout the course of this disease. The imaging technique of choice depends mainly on the clinical setting. Sonography remains the first-line imaging modality for cancer detection and is the most important for characterisation of adnexal masses. MRI is a valuable complementary imaging tool in sonographically indeterminate findings. For ovarian cancer staging, CT is considered an optimal imaging technique. CT renders all critical information for treatment stratification. It assists in surgery planning by displaying the load and the distribution of the disease and alerts to sites difficult to resect. It also renders critical information in selecting patients more suitable for medical therapy. In females treated for ovarian cancer, imaging is only recommended when there is suspicion of recurrence, where CT and PET/CT are most commonly used to confirm relapse and provide pivotal information for individualised treatment.

Sonohysterography: A Formidable Diagnostic Tool in the Evaluation of the Caesarean Scar Defect in Comparison to MRI

Introduction: The use of the caesarean section (C-section) in obstetric care has exponentially increased in the past few decades. The caesarean scar defect (CSD) is a potential complication of C-section and is associated with a wide range of problems. The purpose of this study was to compare the evaluation of the CSD in non-pregnant women by sonohysterography (SHG) and MRI. Methods: This study was performed in patients having undergone a single C-section more than 6 months prior, presenting with abnormal uterine bleeding, dysmenorrhoea, or pelvic pain. Since ultrasonography and pelvic examination were inconclusive, these patients underwent MRI followed by saline infusion SHG. Measurements and characteristics of the ‘niche’ were acquired from both MRI and SHG and compared for analysis. Results: Patients with a single C-section presenting with prolonged bleeding, spotting, and dysmenorrhoea were included in this prospective study. SHG and MRI were used to measure scar thickness, width, depth, and adjacent myometrial thickness, in which the findings concurred. The mean defect depth was greater in patients with postmenstrual bleeding. Conclusion: SHG is noninferior to MRI, and SHG has the potential to assess the dynamic status of the CSD, with morphological clarity.

Left Hemicolectomy for Intussusception of the Transverse Colon Caused by a Giant Benign Lipoma

Colocolonic intussusception, caused by submucosal lipomas, is extremely rare. These benign soft tissue tumours comprise mature adipocytes of mesenchymal origin. While the majority of patients with lipomas remain asymptomatic, large or giant size lipomas (>4 cm) have been shown to cause debilitating abdominal pain, alternating bowel pattern, and anaemia secondary to gastrointestinal blood loss. This necessitates intervention in the form of surgical resection or endoscopic removal. However, once lipomas increase beyond 2 cm in size there is a significant risk of complications with an endoscopic approach, and open surgery or laparoscopic resection with bowel re-anastomosis is warranted. In this case put forth, the patient underwent a successful transverse colectomy and primary anastomosis.

Breast Lesion Characterisation with Diffusion Weighted Imaging Versus Dynamic Contrast Enhanced-MRI: A Prospective Observational Study in a Tertiary Care Hospital

Purpose: Dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE)-MRI has a promising role in breast cancer detection and lesion characterisation. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) acts as an adjunct in the differentiation between benign and malignant lesions. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the efficacy of DCE-MRI and DWI in differentiating benign and malignant lesions. Methods: In a prospective study conducted between March 2019 and February 2020, 60 patients with breast lesions underwent DWI combined with DCE-MRI of the breast. The time–intensity curves were plotted. Lesions were classified according to the latest American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (ACR BI-RADS; 5th edition). The results were compared with the histopathological diagnosis. The sensitivity and specificity of DWI, DCE-MRI, and combined DWI and DCE-MRI were calculated for detection of benign and malignant breast lesions. Results: Sixty patients underwent breast MRI in which 78 lesions were detected, out of which 28 were benign and 50 were malignant. Quantitative apparent diffusion coefficient measurement revealed 96% sensitivity and 82% specificity, with a positive predictive value of 92% and negative predictive value of 96%, for differentiating benign from malignant lesions. DCE-MRI findings showed 96% sensitivity and 78.5% specificity. The sensitivity of combined DWI and DCE-MRI was 98% and specificity was 86%, which was higher than DWI and DCE-MRI alone. Conclusion: Multiparametric MRI of the breast has very high sensitivity for detecting and characterising breast lesions as benign or malignant lesions. DWI had higher specificity than DCE-MRI, and the combined use of DWI and DCE-MRI had greater efficacy than DWI and DCE-MRI alone.

Giant Cell Arteritis: Navigating Beyond the Headache

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) is the most common systemic vasculitis. In the past two decades there have been significant advancements in our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease, and consequently the management of GCA is evolving. GCA is a medical emergency because when left untreated it can lead to devastating complications including irreversible visual loss. Thus, prompt diagnosis is imperative to ensure appropriate treatment and prevent ischaemic events. However, uncertainty remains over diagnostic pathways, including appropriate modalities and standardisation of findings. Temporal artery biopsy has been considered the gold standard diagnostic test but has significant limitations in terms of false negative results. In recent times, several new diagnostic modalities have been proposed in GCA including temporal artery ultrasound, CT angiography, magnetic resonance angiography, and PET. In this paper, the authors review the advantages and limitations of current diagnostic modalities in GCA.

Editor’s Pick: Regulatory and Ethical Issues in the New Era of Radiomics and Radiogenomics

Radiomics is a science that investigates a large number of features from medical images using data-characterisation algorithms, with the aim to analyse disease characteristics that are indistinguishable to the naked eye. Radiogenomics attempts to establish and examine the relationship between tumour genomic characteristics and their radiologic appearance. Although there is certainly a lot to learn from these relationships, one could ask the question: what is the practical significance of radiogenomic discoveries? This increasing interest in such applications inevitably raises numerous legal and ethical questions. In an environment such as the technology field, which changes quickly and unpredictably, regulations need to be timely in order to be relevant. In this paper, issues that must be solved to make the future applications of this innovative technology safe and useful are analysed.

Abdominal Textiloma Mimicking as Left Colic Tumour: A Postoperative Complication Still Common in Low-Income Countries

Retained foreign bodies have become very rare in countries where the safety rules in the operating theatre are very rigorous and follow precise guidelines. There are low-income countries where hospital structures are precarious, in which the implementation of surgical safety rules has only been effective recently. Surgical teams in these countries are not yet well trained in the observance of the guidelines concerning swab count, meaning that textilomas are not uncommon. Abdominal textiloma may be asymptomatic, or present serious gastrointestinal complications such as bowel obstruction, perforation, or fistula formation because of misdiagnosis. It may mimic abscess formation in the early stage or soft tissue masses in the chronic stage. This case report presents a 27-year-old female who underwent an emergency laparotomy in a rural surgical centre for an ectopic pregnancy. Two months later, a swelling had appeared on the left side of her abdomen, gradually increasing in size, which was not very painful but caused digestive discomfort and asthenia. Intermittent fever was described and treated with antibiotics. The patient was referred to a better equipped centre to benefit from a CT scan. A textiloma was strongly suspected on the CT but a left colic mass was not excluded. Laparotomy confirmed the diagnosis of textiloma and the postoperative course was uneventful. Prevention rules must be strengthened in these countries where patients can hardly bear the costs of iterative surgeries for complications that are avoidable.