Publications

Our study presents cases demonstrating the technique and safety of percutaneous occlusion of adult patients with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (PAPVR). PAPVR is a rare condition that is traditionally treated surgically. Percutaneous interventions are rarely reported. Most patients with PAPVR present in youth and are surgical candidates. In nonsurgical candidates or those who prefer a percutaneous approach, there are little available data to guide therapy. Patients with PAPVR and indications for intervention were treated with percutaneous techniques to occlude anomalous venous return and relieve the hemodynamic effects of these anomalies. Several different percutaneous techniques were used, sometimes in tandem to achieve occlusion. Percutaneous closure was achieved successfully in 3 cases, with improvement in symptoms and in hemodynamic status. A total of 2 patients achieved positive remodeling in right chamber sizes. In conclusion, percutaneous occlusion of PAPVR is feasible, with a multitude of transcatheter options available. This represents a novel approach to the adult patient with PAPVR, specifically, those without a surgical option. Condensed Abstract: Partial anomalous pulmonary venous return is a rare congenital condition, which is traditionally treated surgically. Adult patients with congenital heart disease are potentially nonsurgical candidates and, as such, benefit from percutaneous approaches. Our study describes the safety and feasibility of percutaneous closure of partial anomalous pulmonary venous return and the positive impact on hemodynamic and chamber measures.

PURPOSE: Ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (FNA) is a very low-risk procedure. Despite this, there remains great variability in the use of protective equipment. Given the monetary and environmental costs of protective equipment, the difference in infection rates with full versus limited protective equipment was assessed.

METHODS: A total of 857 consecutive patients were retrospectively reviewed after undergoing thyroid FNAs at the main hospital and outpatient clinic site performed from 12/1/2020 to 11/30/2023. The hospital site operated with full protective equipment (bouffant, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and full body sterile drape), and the outpatient site with limited (sterile gloves, limited sterile paper drape) protective equipment. Two patients were excluded as no procedure was performed. Review for signs of infection within 30 days of procedure was performed using medical records, which was blinded to the extent of protective equipment utilization.

RESULTS: No infections were identified in either group, with 0/629 (0%, 95%CI 0-1%) in the full protective equipment group vs. 0/226 (0%, 95%CI 0-2%) in the limited protective equipment group. There was no statistically significant difference in infection rate between full and limited protective equipment use in thyroid FNA in the included 855 procedures (95%CI 0-1%). Two patients out of 629 (0.3%) in the full protective equipment group developed mild allergic reaction to topical antiseptic. The 226 procedures with limited protective equipment represent a saving of at least 204,530 g of CO2 equivalents, equivalent to driving a car for almost 3000 miles.

CONCLUSION: Reducing the extent of protective equipment does not adversely affect the infection rate in thyroid FNAs. Given the inherent costs involved in the procurement and waste of protective equipment, reducing protective equipment use is warranted to reduce both the monetary and environmental impacts of waste.

BACKGROUND: Quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM) is an emerging MRI technique with multiple clinical applications. As tissue susceptibility cannot be directly measured using MRI, QSM imaging techniques must indirectly compute susceptibility values, requiring regularization methods. CSF is a popular choice for regularization due to its near water susceptibility in healthy controls. However, the impact of pus, elevated protein, or blood dissolved in CSF on QSM regularization is not well defined.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effects of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) on selecting CSF as reference for QSM imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 87 subjects, 53 with ICH (5 intraventricular, 19 subarachnoid, 27 both, and 2 intraparenchymal only) and 37 without hemorrhage (27 with MS, 10 without MS), were included in this study. Imaging was performed using 3D multiecho gradient echo, FLAIR, and multiecho complex total field inversion (mcTFI) at 3 T. McTFI with and without CSF zero-referencing regularization was generated from the 3DMEGRE data and reviewed with FLAIR images. Regions of hemorrhagic (H+) and nonhemorrhagic (H-) CSF were manually selected in reference to head CT and FLAIR images by a PGY III diagnostic radiology resident and Certificate of Added Qualification-certified neuroradiologist with 10 years' experience. Paired Student t test and one-way ANOVA were used with post hoc multicomparisons. A P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: Areas of H- CSF were noted to have higher regularized QSM values in subjects with ICH relative to subjects without. Unregularized H- QSM values were also noted to have a systematically higher value in ICH subjects relative to subjects without blood. Subjects with MS and without ICH did not show significant difference in H- CSF regularized or unregularized QSM values.

CONCLUSIONS: QSM values of areas suggested to not have hemorrhage on other imaging showed significantly higher QSM values in ICH subjects relative to subjects without ICH. Additionally, areas of hemorrhage did not show significant QSM value difference between regularized and unregularized QSM images. These findings suggest that, in subjects with any area of ICH, QSM values for no-hemorrhagic areas may be significantly altered using CSF regularization relative to subjects without ICH, with implications for intra- and intersubject QSM value analysis.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the representation of women as speakers at U.S. radiology annual scientific meetings (ASM).

METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed speaker demographic data from the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) and American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) ASM between 2019 and 2022. Speaker gender was identified through publicly available profiles, and the percentage of female speakers was calculated for each year. Statistical significance of trends was determined using chi-squared tests, and linear regression analysis was employed to assess trends and to predict future representation.

RESULTS: At the SIR ASM, female representation increased from 20.0 % (67 of 334 speakers) in 2019 to 26.5 % (90 of 340 speakers) in 2022. Chi-squared tests showed a statistically significant increase when adjusted for the percentage of female membership. At the ARRS ASM, female representation fluctuated, dropping from 36.6 % (104 of 284 speakers) in 2019 to 17.7 % (43 of 243 speakers) in 2020, then rising to 48.5 % (190 of 392 speakers) in 2022. A chi-squared test revealed significant variation in female representation across the years (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION: While both ASM showed an overall positive trend in female speaker representation, SIR demonstrated consistent increases, whereas ARRS exhibited significant fluctuations. Continued efforts in advocacy and targeted interventions are needed to sustain progress and address the gender gap in radiology.

This summary of the proceedings of the 2023 ACR Intersociety Meeting discusses the seven most important challenges facing radiology today: declining reimbursement, corporatization and consolidation, inadequate labor force, imaging appropriateness, burnout, turf wars with nonphysicians, and workflow efficiency. Participants in the Intersociety Summer Conference-2023 focused their effort on identifying potential solutions given how critical these topics are to the sustainability of the profession.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer screening with dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) is recommended for high-risk women but has limitations, including variable specificity and difficulty in distinguishing cancerous (CL) and high-risk benign lesions (HRBL) from average-risk benign lesions (ARBL). Complementary non-invasive imaging techniques would be useful to improve specificity.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the performance of a previously-developed breast-specific diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) model (BS-RSI3C) to improve discrimination between CL, HRBL, and ARBL in an enriched screening population.

STUDY TYPE: Prospective.

SUBJECTS: Exactly 187 women, either with mammography screening recommending additional imaging (N = 49) or high-risk individuals undergoing routine breast MRI (N = 138), before the biopsy.

FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Multishell DW-MRI echo planar imaging sequence with a reduced field of view at 3.0 T.

ASSESSMENT: A total of 72 women had at least one biopsied lesion, with 89 lesions categorized into ARBL, HRBL, CL, and combined CLs and HRBLs (CHRLs). DW-MRI data were processed to produce apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps, and estimate signal contributions (C1, C2, and C3-restricted, hindered, and free diffusion, respectively) from the BS-RSI3C model. Lesion regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated on DW images based on suspicious DCE-MRI findings by two radiologists; control ROIs were drawn in the contralateral breast.

STATISTICAL TESTS: One-way ANOVA and two-sided t-tests were used to assess differences in signal contributions and ADC values among groups. P-values were adjusted using the Bonferroni method for multiple testing, P = 0.05 was used for the significance level. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curves and intra-class correlations (ICC) were also evaluated.

RESULTS: C1, √C1C2, and log C 1 C 2 C 3 were significantly different in HRBLs compared with ARBLs (P-values < 0.05). The log C 1 C 2 C 3 had the highest AUC (0.821) in differentiating CHRLs from ARBLs, performing better than ADC (0.696), especially in non-mass enhancement (0.776 vs. 0.517).

DATA CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated the BS-RSI3C could differentiate HRBLs from ARBLs in a screening population, and separate CHRLs from ARBLs better than ADC.

TECHNICAL EFFICACY STAGE: 2.

BACKGROUND: Variations of hand and forearm lymphatic drainage to upper-arm lymphatic pathways may impact the route of melanoma metastasis. This study compared rates of lymphatic drainage to epitrochlear nodes between anatomic divisions of the hand and forearm to determine whether the anatomic distribution of hand and forearm melanomas affects the likelihood of drainage to epitrochlear lymph nodes.

METHODS: Using a single-institution lymphoscintigraphy database, we identified all patients with cutaneous melanoma on the hand and forearm. A body-map two-dimensional coordinate system was used to classify cutaneous melanoma sites between radial-ulnar and dorsal-volar divisions. Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) visualized on lymphoscintigraphy were recorded. Proportions of patients with epitrochlear SLNs were compared between anatomic divisions using χ2 analysis.

RESULTS: Of 3628 upper extremity cutaneous melanoma patients who underwent lymphatic mapping with lymphoscintigraphy, 1400 met inclusion criteria. Twenty-one percent of patients demonstrated epitrochlear SLNs. Epitrochlear SLNs were observed in 27% of dorsal forearm melanomas and 15% of volar forearm melanomas (p < 0.001). Epitrochlear SLNs were observed in 31% of ulnar forearm melanomas and 17% of radial forearm melanomas (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Higher proportions of dorsal and ulnar forearm melanomas have epitrochlear SLNs. Metastasis to epitrochlear SLNs may be more likely from melanomas in these respective forearm regions.

OBJECTIVES: There is a burgeoning discrepancy between the procedural competency of graduating diagnostic radiology residents and the needs of our patient population. The causes of this mismatch and opportunities for improvement are explored by the APDR Procedural Competency of Graduating DR Residents Task Force.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The APDR convened a task force consisting of diverse broad stakeholder viewpoints, drawing from organized radiology, academic and private practices. The task force conducted structured analyses of the drivers contributing to the current state and reviewed relevant resources, conducted membership surveys, and developed consensus statements regarding solutions to the identified problem.

RESULTS: A defined list of procedures a graduating resident is expected to competently perform is established. Key domain-based drivers of the currents state were identified including the ABR initial certification exam structure and content, ACGME practices, creation of the IR-DR residency and ESIR tracks, residency and fellowship training paradigms, and secular trends. The task force offers several best practice recommendations for improving procedural training in DR residency to better meet the needs of the marketplace and our patients.

CONCLUSION: Armed with a defined list of procedures expected of a general radiologist and best practices for enhancing procedural training in diagnostic residencies, the task force presents a national game-plan for improving our ability to deliver high value diagnostic and interventional services to the communities that need it most.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical significance of incidentally detected pancreatic duct (PD) dilatation at ultrasound (US) without a visualized underlying cause is unclear. We aimed to assess the role of subsequent MRI (including MRCP) and to identify US imaging and laboratory findings predictive of underlying pancreaticobiliary malignancy at the time of initial US.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with incidentally detected PD dilatation at ultrasound from 2011 to 2019 that had an ensuing MRI were included. Based on MRI results patients were divided into three groups: malignant pancreaticobiliary causes, benign causes and idiopathic PD dilatation. Subsequently the diagnostic ability of MRI was assessed. Initial ultrasound findings and laboratory results were compared between groups to identify predictors of underlying pancreaticobiliary pathology. A p-value < .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS: In 37/59 (63%) patients PD dilatation was confirmed on MRI. MRI demonstrated malignant 7/59 (12%) and benign 10/59 (17%) causes of PD dilatation detected at initial ultrasound. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, positive predictive value and accuracy of MRI to ascertain the cause of PD dilatation was 89%, 100%, 95%, 100% and 97% respectively. Patients with a larger magnitude of PD dilatation, concomitant CBD dilatation and elevated lipase values were more likely to have underlying pancreaticobiliary malignancy (p < 0.05). No patient with initial negative MRI had pancreaticobiliary malignancy on subsequent work-up.

CONCLUSION: Incidentally detected PD dilatation on ultrasound is an important finding and should prompt referral to MRI. MRI is an accurate, noninvasive method for identifying the underlying cause of PD dilatation in these patients and in excluding pancreaticobiliary malignancy.