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In light of increasing concerns regarding resident burnout, we developed a team-based approach (TBA) to radiology resident case conference to foster wellness by cultivating camaraderie and a positive learning environment.Teaching faculty provided both a traditional hot-seat and a TBA format case conference. Resident perceptions of each conference format were assessed using a 16-item questionnaire, with 14 of the items utilizing a 7-point Likert scale to assess the learning environment, including measures related to wellness. A two-sided Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare responses between the 2 formats of teaching conferences.Four paired teaching sessions were performed by 4 individual faculty. Sixty-six individual resident responses were received for the hot-seat and TBA conferences in aggregate. Residents responded "strongly agree" to positive statements more often for the TBA format compared with hot-seat for 13 out of the 14 items used to assess perceptions of the learning environment, including measures of wellness and camaraderie. The level of agreement on a 7-point Likert scale pertaining to the statement "The format of this case conference improves camaraderie among my co-residents" had a median value of 4.5 for the hot-seat format and 7 for the TBA format (P = 0.002).A TBA format for resident case conference may foster a sense of camaraderie among trainees. Residency programs may consider supplementing hot-seat conferences with the TBA method to address increasing burnout among trainees and promote resident wellbeing.

Background: Echocardiographic deformation-based ratios and novel multi-parametric scores have been suggested to discriminate transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM) from other causes of increased left ventricular wall thickness among patients referred for ATTR-CM evaluation. Their relative predictive accuracy has not been well studied. We sought to (1) identify echocardiographic parameters predictive of ATTR-CM and (2) compare the diagnostic accuracy of these parameters in patients with suspected ATTR-CM referred for technetium-99m-pyrophosphate scintigraphy. Methods: Echocardiograms from 598 patients referred to 3 major amyloidosis centers for technetium-99m-pyrophosphate to detect ATTR-CM were analyzed, including longitudinal strain (LS) analysis. Deformation ratios (septal apex to base ratio, relative apical sparing, ejection fraction to global LS), a multi-center European increased wall thickness score, and Mayo Clinic derived ATTR score (transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis score) were calculated. A logistic regression model was used to identify the parameters that best associated with a diagnosis of ATTR-CM. Comparison of the diagnostic capacity of the parameters was performed by receiver operating characteristic curves and the area under the curve (AUC). Results: Over half of the subjects (54.2%) were diagnosed with ATTR-CM (78% were men, median age of 76 years). Age, inferolateral wall thickness, and basal LS were the strongest predictors of ATTR-CM, AUC of 0.87 (95% CI: 0.83, 0.90), superior to the increased wall thickness score AUC of 0.78 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.83; P =0.004). An inferolateral wall thickness of ≥14 mm (AUC: 0.73) was as accurate as the published cut-offs for transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis score and septal apex to base (AUC: 0.72 and 0.69, P =0.8 and P =0.1, respectively), and was superior to ejection fraction to global LS and relative apical sparing (AUC: 0.64 and 0.53, P P =0.2); outperforming the other indices ( P Conclusion: Inferolateral wall thickness and average basal LS performed as well as or better than more complex echo ratios and multiparametric scores to predict ATTR-CM.

Background: Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is unresectable at presentation, thus neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NAS) is the primary treatment for this aggressive disease. Eribulin (E) (Eisai Co., Ltd) is a synthetic analog of Halichondroin B that suppresses microtubule growth. Its properties of inducing a mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition and normalizing the vasculature of mammary tumors are particularly relevant to IBC. Pre-clinical data revealed changes in dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) parameters after exposure to E, thought to reflect tumor vasculature remodeling. We sought to examine the efficacy of E-containing NAS specifically for patients (pts) with HER2- IBC. We also characterized changes in breast DCE-MRI and diffusion weighted MRI (DWI) between baseline and 1 week (wk) after NAS. Methods: Pts with newly diagnosed HER2- IBC received 4 cycles of E 1.4 mg/m2 day (D)1, D8 every 21 D followed by 4 cycles of dose-dense (dd) doxorubicin (A) 60 mg/m2 + cyclophosphamide (C) 600mg/m2 every 2 wk followed by modified radical mastectomy (MRM) + postmastectomy radiation (PMRT) on a phase II prospective study (Cohort A). Primary endpoint was pathologic complete response (pCR) defined as no invasive disease in breast + axillary lymph nodes. Based on a Simon 2-stage design, if ≥ 2 of 16 pts had pCR then enrollment would continue to 25, with the regimen worthy of study if pCR ≥ 0.30 and not if pCR ≤ 0.10 (α=0.10, β=0.10). A second cohort was opened, changing the NAS sequence to ddAC followed by E (Cohort B). All pts had 2 research breast biopsies (rbx) for genomic analysis at baseline and 1 wk after first dose of NAS. An imaging study evaluated breast DCE-MRI and DWI at baseline and 1 wk after first dose of NAS. Tofts 2-compartment pharmacokinetic (PK) model calculated Ktrans, Ve, Kep, and iAUC from DCE. ADC was calculated from DWI. The change in Ktrans, Ve, Kep, iAUC, and ADC between baseline and wk 1 was evaluated using a signed-rank test. The magnitude of these changes was compared between Cohort A and Cohort B using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. All testing was two-tailed and exact p-values were used; p-value < 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: 22 pts were enrolled, 16 pts in Cohort A and 6 pts in Cohort B before the study was closed due to slow accrual. Median age was 58 years, 3 pts (13.6%) had triple negative disease. 13 pts (59%) were postmenopausal. All but 1 had stage III disease. All 22 pts completed NAS followed by MRM + PMRT. 19 pts completed full course of NAS, 1 pt received E followed by 3 cycles of AC and 2 pts received 3 cycles of E in addition to 4 cycles of AC. In Cohort A, 1/16 pts had pCR (6.3%; 80% CI 0,22.2%). At a median follow up of 51 months, 3 pts had distant disease recurrence with 1 death; no local-regional recurrence. 7 pts experienced grade (gd) 3 or 4 adverse event (AE); most common were neutropenia and aminotransferase increase. 10 pts participated in the DCE-MRI and DWI substudy: 5 from Cohort A, 5 from Cohort B. Decrease in value from baseline to wk 1 was detected in Ktrans (median -49), Ve (-128), and iAUC (-57). The magnitude of changes was not different when comparing Cohort A to Cohort B. There was no significant change in Kep or ADC. Given the small size of each group, a lack of statistical significance should not be interpreted as suggestive of no effect. Evaluation of changes in angiogenesis- and EMT-related gene expression in rbx + residual disease is ongoing.Conclusion: A regimen of E + ddAC is tolerable NAS for HER2- IBC. All pts underwent curative surgery despite low pCR rate, commonly observed in ER+ IBC. There were changes in some DCE-MRI parameters after exposure to chemotherapy but may not be specific to E. Studies specifically designed for IBC are needed to enhance the understanding of this disease. Clinical trial: NCT02623972 Citation Format: Filipa Lynce, Eren D. Yeh, Meredith M. Regan, Lei Qin, Camden P. Bay, Ian Krop, Beth T Harrison, Faina Nakhlis, Jennifer Bellon, Beth Overmoyer. A phase 2 study of neoadjuvant systemic therapy with eribulin followed by doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide for HER2-negative inflammatory breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-12-18.

Aims The minute ventilation–carbon dioxide production relationship (VE/VCO2 slope) is widely used for prognostication in heart failure (HF) with reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). This study explored the prognostic value of VE/VCO2 slope across the spectrum of HF defined by ranges of LVEF. Methods and results In this single‐centre retrospective observational study of 1347 patients with HF referred for cardiopulmonary exercise testing, patients with HF were categorized into HF with reduced (HFrEF, LVEF

Background and ObjectivesTo assess whether increased seizure frequency during pregnancy and postpartum is influenced by epilepsy type, seizure location, and antiseizure medications.MethodsClinical data were collected in a longitudinal prospective database of pregnant women with epilepsy at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Within each individual participant, baseline seizure frequency was calculated for the 9 months before conception, and whether seizure frequency increased during pregnancy or the postpartum period was determined. Seizure frequency was calculated for each 4-week interval during pregnancy. Generalized estimating equations for logistic regression were applied.ResultsNinety-nine patients contributing 114 pregnancies were included from 2013 to 2018. Increased seizure frequency occurred more often during pregnancies of women with focal vs generalized epilepsy (21.1% vs 5.3%, odds ratio [OR] 4.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.00–22.00; p = 0.0497). Among women with focal epilepsy, increased seizure frequency occurred more often in those with frontal lobe epilepsy (OR 8.00, 95% CI 2.19–29.21; p = 0.0017). There was no difference in seizure worsening in the postpartum period between the focal and generalized (11.1% vs 9.1%; p = 0.4478) or frontal and other focal (18.8% vs 6.0%; p = 0.1478) epilepsy groups. Pregnancies on polytherapy had higher odds of seizure worsening compared to monotherapy (OR 8.36, 95% CI 2.07–33.84; p = 0.0029), regardless of the medication or epilepsy type. A lack of preconception seizure freedom was also associated with increased seizure frequency during pregnancy (OR 6.418; p = 0.0076).DiscussionWomen with focal epilepsy have higher likelihood of seizure worsening during pregnancy compared to women with generalized epilepsy; frontal lobe epilepsy poses an especially elevated risk. Polytherapy and lack of preconception seizure freedom are additional predictors for an increased likelihood of seizure worsening.

Objective To assess prevalence of CT imaging-derived sarcopenia, osteoporosis, and visceral obesity in clinically frail and prefrail patients and determine their association with the diagnosis of frailty. Materials and methods This cross-sectional study was constructed using our institution’s pelvic trauma registry and ambulatory database registry. The study included all elderly pelvic trauma patients and ambulatory outpatients between May 2016 and March 2020 who had a comprehensive geriatric assessment and CT abdomen/pelvis within 1 year from the date of the assessment. Patients were dichotomized in prefrail or frail groups. The study excluded patients with history of metastatic disease or malignancy requiring chemotherapy. Results The study cohort consisted of 151 elderly female and 65 male patients. Each gender population was subdivided into frail (114 female [75%], 51 male [78%]) and prefrail (37 female [25%], 14 male [22%]) patients. CT-imaging-derived diagnosis of osteoporosis (odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI: 1.2–5.5) and sarcopenia (odds ratio, 2.6; 95% CI: 1.2–5.6) were associated with frailty in females, but did not reach statistical significance in males. BMI and subcutaneous adipose tissue at L3 level were statistically lower in the frail male group compared to the prefrail group. BMI showed strong correlation with the subcutaneous area at the L3 level in both genders (Spearman’s coefficient of 0.8, p

Purpose To identify patient characteristics associated with screening mammography cancellations and rescheduling during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Scheduled screening mammograms during three time periods were retrospectively reviewed: state-mandated shutdown (3/17/2020-6/16/2020) during which screening mammography was cancelled, a period of 2 months immediately after screening mammography resumed (6/17/2020-8/16/2020), and a representative period prior to COVID-19 (6/17/2019-8/16/2019). Relative risk of cancellation before COVID-19 and after reopening was compared for age, race/ethnicity, insurance, history of chronic disease, and exam location, controlling for other collected variables. Risk of failure to reschedule was similarly compared between all 3 time periods. Results Overall cancellation rate after reopening was higher than before shutdown (7663/16595, 46% vs 5807/15792, 37%; p

To describe the imaging findings of intimate partner violence (IPV)–related injury and to evaluate the role of longitudinal imaging review in detecting IPV. Radiology studies were reviewed in chronological order and IPV-related injuries were recorded among 400 victims of any type of abuse (group 1) and 288 of physical abuse (group 2) from January 2013 to June 2018. The likelihood of IPV was assessed as low/moderate/high based on the review of (1) current and prior anatomically related studies only and (2) longitudinal imaging history consisting of all prior studies. The first radiological study date with moderate/high suspicion was compared to the self-reported date by the victim. A total of 135 victims (33.8%) in group 1 and 144 victims (50%) in group 2 demonstrated IPV-related injuries. Musculoskeletal injury was most common (58.2% and 44.5% in groups 1 and 2, respectively; most commonly lower/upper extremity fractures), followed by neurologic injury (20.9% and 32.9% in groups 1 and 2, respectively; most commonly facial injury). With longitudinal imaging history, radiologists were able to identify IPV in 31% of group 1 and 46.5% of group 2 patients. Amongst these patients, earlier identification by radiologists was provided compared to the self-reported date in 62.3% of group 1 (median, 64 months) and in 52.6% of group 2 (median, 69.3 months). Musculoskeletal and neurological injuries were the most common IPV-related injuries. Knowledge of common injuries and longitudinal imaging history may help IPV identification when victims are not forthcoming. • Musculoskeletal injuries were the most common type of IPV-related injury, followed by neurological injuries. • With longitudinal imaging history, radiologists were able to better raise the suspicion of IPV compared to the selective review of anatomically related studies only. • With longitudinal imaging history, radiologists were able to identify IPV earlier than the self-reported date by a median of 64 months in any type of abuse, and a median of 69.3 months in physical abuse.

The purpose was to explore the effects of transcutaneous trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS) on neurochemical concentrations (brainstem, anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC], ventromedial prefrontal cortex [VMPFC], and the posterior cingulate cortex [PCC]) using ultrahigh-field magnetic resonance spectroscopy.This double-blinded study tested 32 healthy males (age: 25.4 ± 7.3 years) on two separate occasions where participants received either a 20-minute TNS or sham session. Participants were scanned at baseline and twice post-TNS/sham administration.There were no group differences in concentration changes of glutamate, gamma-aminobutyric acid, glutamine, myoinositol (mI), total N-acetylaspartate, total creatine (tCr), and total choline between the baseline scan and the first post-TNS/sham scan and between the first and second post-TNS/sham scan in the brainstem, ACC, DLPFC, VMPFC, and PCC. Between the baseline scan and the second post-TNS/sham scan, changes in tCr (mean difference = 0.280 mM [0.075 to 0.485], p = .026) and mI (mean difference = 0.662 mM [0.203 to 1.122], p = .026) in the DLPFC differed between groups. Post hoc analyses indicated that there was a decrease in tCr (mean change = -0.201 mM [-0.335 to -0.067], p = .003) and no change in mI (mean change = -0.327 mM [-0.737 to 0.083], p = .118) in the TNS group; conversely, there was no change in tCr (mean change = -0.100 mM [-0.074 to 0.274], p = .259) and an increase in mI (mean change = 0.347 mM [0.106 to 0.588], p = .005) in the sham group.These data demonstrate that a single session of unilateral TNS slightly decreased tCr concentrations in the DLPFC region.

Various topical agents have been used to treat melasma; however, a large-scale evaluation among the currently available treatment is lacking.The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of topical agents for melasma.The MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Alt-Healthwatch databases were searched in November 2021. Original studies that reported pre- and post-treatment Melasma Area Severity Index (MASI)/modified Melasma Area Severity Index (mMASI) scores and/or adverse effects (AEs) were eligible for inclusion. The main outcome was the efficacy analyzed by the changes in the pre- and post-treatment with standardized mean difference (SMD) of MASI/mMASI scores; the AEs were calculated with incidence proportion by the reported percentage of skin irritations.A total of 45 studies (2359 patients) and 55 studies (4539 patients) met the inclusion criteria for efficacy and AEs, respectively. Hydroquinone (HQ) monotherapy (SMD -1.3, 95% CI [-1.6 to -1.0]), HQ-containing combination therapy (-1.4, [-1.7 to -1.1]), cysteamine (-1.6, [-2.0 to -1.2]), tranexamic acid (-1.5, [-2.0 to -1.1]), azelaic acid (-1.3, [-1.7 to -1.0]), and kojic acid (-0.9, [-1.3 to -0.5]) demonstrated comparable efficacy, while zinc sulfate did not exhibit statistically significant improvement (-1.2, [-2.7 to 0.4]). HQ-containing combination therapy (50.9%) and cysteamine (42.2%) demonstrated the highest incidence of irritation, while azelaic acid (18.7%), kojic acid (5.3%), and tranexamic acid (0.8%) revealed a lower risk.In this meta-analysis, non-HQ agents except zinc sulfate may be considered as an alternative to HQ-containing agents. However, treatment should be guided by patient's tolerance, availability, and physicians' experience.

Background Evidence regarding the effects of plastic bag use for appendix removal during minimally invasive appendectomy remains scarce and conflicting. Objective This study aimed to analyze the effects of plastic bag use during minimally invasive appendectomy on preoperative infection risk, morbidity and mortality. Design This retrospective analysis of the prospective National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) cohort program. Setting This study included data from the NSQIP database between the years of 2016 and 2019. Patient Adult patients undergoing minimally invasive (laparoscopic or robotic) without unplanned conversion to open surgery. Intervention Use of plastic bag for specimen removal during appendectomy. Main Outcome Measures Risk ratios for the incidence of superficial surgical site infection, intra-abdominal abscess, overall medical morbidity, and overall mortality. Results There were 43 783 cases of minimally invasive appendectomy in the NSQIP database between the years of 2016 and 2019. Among those who reported information regarding use of plastic bag, 28 589 (91.87%) reported use of plastic bag for specimen removal. Use of plastic bag was associated with a significant decrease in superficial surgical site infection (RR .39 (95% CI: .31-.49), P < .001), and in the risk of postoperative intra-abdominal abscess (RR: 0.66 (.57-.77), P < .001)). We also observed a robust reduction in overall medical-related morbidity and overall mortality, even after adjusting for multiple confounders. Limitations Observational nature of the study cannot exclude residual bias. Also, there was a significant rate of missing values for plastic bag use, which may bias results. Conclusions In this global prospective cohort using NSQIP database, use of plastic bag for appendix removal during minimally invasive appendectomy was associated with a significant improvement in surgical related outcomes and reduction in morbidity and overall mortality.

Context Accumulating evidence suggests that primary aldosteronism can manifest across a broad phenotypic spectrum and that its origins can at times be detected among normotensive individuals. Herein, we conducted deep-phenotyping studies to interrogate the pathophysiologic continuum of the primary aldosteronism phenotype among normotensive participants. Methods Normotensive participants with obesity, metabolic syndrome, and/or high-normal untreated blood pressure underwent dietary sodium loading and restriction protocols (to maximally suppress and stimulate angiotensin II-mediated aldosterone production), dexamethasone suppression and cosyntropin stimulation protocols (to maximally suppress and stimulate ACTH-mediated aldosterone production), and 24h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring. Measurement of aldosterone and 18-hybrid steroids via LC-MS/MS was conducted to quantify the degree of dysregulated CYP11B2 expression. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEV) were isolated to measure renal tubular protein content associated with mineralocorticoid receptor activation. In order to characterize parameters across the severity spectrum of non-suppressible and renin-independent aldosterone production, participants with suppressed renin activity were categorized by tertile of 24h urinary aldosterone production following oral sodium suppression testing. Repeated measures linear mixed models were used to analyze trends for each parameter across tertiles of autonomous aldosterone production; for ease of presentation, the mean [SD] of the first vs. third tertile are presented for selected parameters. Results Following oral sodium loading, greater non-suppressible renin-independent aldosterone production was associated with greater kaliuresis, higher daytime ambulatory systolic blood pressure within the normal range, and a progressive impairment in the ability to suppress production of serum aldosterone (P-trend=0.009), 18-hydroxycorticosterone (9.3 [5.0] vs. 19.6 [6.5] ng/dL, P-trend=0.004), 18-hydroxycortisol (45.0 [25.4] vs. 70.9 [29.9] ng/dL, P-trend=0.03), and 18-oxocortisol (1.2 [0.03] vs. 3.4 [7.2], P-trend=0.01). Similarly, following dexamethasone suppression testing, there was a progressive inability to suppress 18-hydroxycorticosterone (8.3 [5.0] vs. 15.4 [8.2] ng/dL, P-trend=0.004), 18-hydroxycortisol (6.6 [3.8] vs. 10.2 [3.6] ng/dL, P-trend=0.03), and 18-oxocortisol (1.2 [0.01] vs. 1.4 [0.6] ng/dL, P-trend=0.01) in parallel with greater renin-independent aldosterone production. In contrast, following stimulation with cosyntropin, greater non-suppressible and renin-independent aldosterone production was associated with progressively enhanced production of 18-hydroxycorticosterone (77.6 [25.4] vs. 121.1 [31.1] ng/dL, P-trend=0.004), 18-hydroxycortisol (68.5 [28.4] vs. 86.2 [26.3] ng/dL, P-trend=0.03), and 18-oxocortisol (3.2 [2.8] vs. 7.3 [3.5] ng/dL, P-trend=0.01). Excretion of uEV's of pendrin (P=0.002) and aquaporin 2 (P=0.002) all increased with greater non-suppressible aldosterone production. Conclusions Dynamic phenotyping studies in normotensive individuals demonstrate a continuum of non-suppressible and renin-independent aldosterone production that parallels higher blood pressure, greater kaliuresis, increased 18-hybrid steroid production indicative of dysregulated CYP11B2 expression, and increased uEV excretion indicative of renal mineralocorticoid receptor activation. This pathophysiologic continuum of normotensive primary aldosteronism provides phenotypic support for histopathology studies showing ectopic CYP11B2 expression within adrenal glands of normotensive humans, and for epidemiologic studies demonstrating renin-independent aldosterone production in normotensive populations increases risk for developing hypertension. Presentation: Monday, June 13, 2022 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

To assess mammographic image quality in women with pectus excavatum (PEx) compared to women without PEx.Fifty-six women with PEx between the ages 36-80 (median, 57 years) with screening mammograms from 2006 to 2020 were identified in an IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective review. Two fellowship-trained breast radiologists independently evaluated mammographic quality of 109 individual breasts in the 56 women using Enhancing Quality Using the Inspection Program (EQUIP) positioning criteria and visual breast density assessments. The number of images per breast was documented. Comparison was made to 2:1 age-matched controls whose screening mammograms were performed in the same year. A power analysis for the difference in the number of images per breast between study groups was performed before data collection.Statistically significant differences with worse performance in women with PEx included: the pectoralis muscle extending to the posterior nipple line (p 0.0001); adequacy of tissue visualized (p 0.0001); inframammary fold included (p 0.0001); breast free of skin folds (p = 0.003); presence of fibroglandular tissue at the CC view posterior edge (p 0.0001); and CC and MLO within 1 cm of each other (p 0.001). The average number of images per breast in the PEx group was greater than the control group (2.94 vs. 2.24, p 0.0001).PEx women more often fail to meet mammographic positioning quality standards and more often require additional views for screening.

To address existing educational gaps in the business of radiology and medicine, we developed, implemented, and evaluated an Academic Radiology Business Series (ARBS) as part of a longitudinal noninterpretive skills curriculum in our radiology residency program.Mixed lecture- and discussion-based sessions were prepared and taught by content experts and radiologist-leaders at our institution in the style of a typical MBA curriculum, drawing on five core pillars: strategy, management, operations, finance, and health policy and economics. The series concluded with an interactive discussion of a Harvard Business School case study. To study the effectiveness of the curriculum, Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare survey results before and after the curriculum.Nearly 80% of the pre-curriculum survey respondents were not satisfied with the current training offered in the business of medicine. Although 94% of trainees were interested in pursuing leadership positions in healthcare, they have self-reported knowledge gaps in the fundamentals of the business of medicine. There were significant improvements in satisfaction with their training in the business of medicine and perceived improvements in knowledge of important concepts in the business of medicine after participating in the curriculum (p0.001).Radiology trainees have strong interest in the business of radiology and appreciate its importance yet feel inadequately prepared during training. Intentional training incorporated into residency education in the form of an innovative educational initiative that brings radiology trainees together and utilizes an institution's own leaders to teach is feasible and effective.

To test the hypothesis that an automated post-processing workflow reduces trauma panscan exam completion times and variability.One-hundred-fifty consecutive trauma panscans performed between June 2018 and December 2019 were included, half before and half after implementation of an automated software-driven post-processing workflow. Acquisition and reconstruction timestamps were used to calculate total examination time (first acquisition to last reformation), setup time (between the non-contrast and contrast-enhanced acquisitions), and reconstruction time (for the contrast-enhanced reconstructions and reformations). The performing technologist was recorded and accounted for in analyses using linear mixed models to assess differences between the pre- and post-intervention groups.Exam, setup, and recon times were (mean ± standard deviation) 33.5 ± 4.6, 9.2 ± 2.4, and 23.6 ± 4.7 min before and 27.8 ± 1.5, 8.9 ± 1.4, and 18.9 ± 1.7 min after intervention. These reductions of 5.7 and 4.7 min in the mean exam and recon times were statistically significant (p 0.001) while the setup time was not (p = 0.49). The reductions in standard deviation were statistically significant for exam and recon times (p 0.0001) but not for setup time (p = 0.13). All automated panscans were completed within 36 min, versus 65% with the traditional workflow.Automation of image reconstruction workflow significantly decreased mean exam and reconstruction times as well as variability between exams, thus facilitating a consistently rapid imaging assessment, and potentially reducing delays in critical management decisions.

OBJECTIVES: Due to most states’ legislation, mammographic density categorization has potentially far-reaching implications, but remains subjective based on BIRADS(®) guidelines. We aimed to determine 1) effect of BI-RADS(®) 5(th) edition (5(th)-ed) vs 4(th)-edition (4(th)-ed) guidelines on reader agreement regarding density assessment; 2) 5(th)-ed vs 4(th)-ed density distribution, and visual vs quantitative assessment agreement; 3) agreement between experienced vs less experienced readers. METHODS: In a retrospective review, six breast imaging radiologists (BIR) (23–30 years’ experience) visually assessed density of 200 screening mammograms performed September 2012–January 2013 using 5(th)-ed guidelines. Results were compared to 2016 data of the same readers evaluating the same mammograms using 4(th)-ed guidelines after a training module. 5(th)-ed density categorization by seven junior BIR (1–5 years’ experience) was compared to eight experienced BIR. Nelson et al.’s kappas (K(m),K(w)), Fleiss’ K(F), and Cohen’s K were calculated. Quantitative density using Volpara was compared with reader assessments. RESULTS: Inter-reader weighted agreement using 5(th)-ed is moderately strong, 0.73 (K(w), s.e.= 0.01), similar to 4(th)-ed, 0.71 (K(w), s.e.= 0.03). Intra-reader Cohen’s k is 0.23–0.34, similar to 4(th)-ed. Binary not-dense vs dense categorization, using 5(th)-ed results in higher dense categorization vs 4(th)-ed (p

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this exploratory study were to investigate the feasibility of multidimensional diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MddMRI) in assessing diffusion heterogeneity at both a macroscopic and microscopic level in prostate cancer (PCa). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Informed consent was obtained from 46 subjects who underwent 3.0-T prostate multiparametric MRI, complemented with a prototype spin echo–based MddMRI sequence in this institutional review board–approved study. Prostate cancer tumors and comparative normal tissue from each patient were contoured on both apparent diffusion coefficient and MddMRI-derived mean diffusivity (MD) maps (from which microscopic diffusion heterogeneity [MKi] and microscopic diffusion anisotropy were derived) using 3D Slicer. The discriminative ability of MddMRI-derived parameters to differentiate PCa from normal tissue was determined using the Friedman test. To determine if tumor diffusion heterogeneity is similar on macroscopic and microscopic scales, the linear association between SD of MD and mean MKi was estimated using robust regression (bisquare weighting). Hypothesis testing was 2 tailed; P values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. RESULTS: All MddMRI-derived parameters could distinguish tumor from normal tissue in the fixed-effects analysis (P < 0.0001). Tumor MKi was higher (P < 0.05) compared with normal tissue (median, 0.40; interquartile range, 0.29–0.52 vs 0.20–0.18; 0.25), as was tumor microscopic diffusion anisotropy (0.55; 0.36–0.81 vs 0.20–0.15; 0.28). The MKi could not be predicted (no significant association) by SD of MD. There was a significant correlation between tumor volume and SD of MD (R(2) = 0.50, slope = 0.008 μm(2)/ms per millimeter, P < 0.001) but not between tumor volume and MKi. CONCLUSIONS: This explorative study demonstrates that MddMRI provides novel information on MKi and microscopic anisotropy, which differ from measures at the macroscopic level. MddMRI has the potential to characterize tumor tissue heterogeneity at different spatial scales.

BACKGROUND Accurate response criteria are crucial for determining treatment efficacy. The response assessment in neuro-oncology (RANO) criteria was developed to standardize response assessment in neuro-oncology. Modified RANO (m-RANO) criteria were recently proposed to address some limitations of the initial criteria including the use of a post-radiation baseline and an additional scan to confirm progression. We sought to identify differences in the association of progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) using RANO and m-RANO criteria. METHODS We conducted a retrospective review of newly diagnosed glioblastoma (GBM) patients treated at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute from January 2013 until December 2019. Patients with available clinical and imaging data obtained before initiation of treatment, after radiation completion and at intervals of 1 to 3 months were included. MRIs were evaluated by two independent readers, and PD dates determined using RANO and m-RANO criteria. RESULTS 552 patients were included. 97.1% of the tumors were IDH wild-type. MGMT promoter was unmethylated in 51.4%, methylated in 35.1% and undetermined in 8.5%. Median OS among patients was 18.1 months. 72 patients (13%) did not have PD at the end of the study. 83 patients had treatment change while being clinically stable and without a confirmation scan and were excluded from the final analysis. PFS was 8.2 months with RANO and 8.4 months with mRANO. Difference in PD dates between RANO and m-RANO was detected in 76 patients (14%), where PFS was 3.5 months with RANO and 5.1 months with m-RANO. These patients had a worse median OS than those with identical RANO and m-RANO PD dates (15.2 vs. 22.4 months, p< 0.0001). CONCLUSION RANO and m-RANO criteria resulted in identical PFS for most patients. 14% of patients had discordant PD dates and a worse prognosis. These patients progressed early, and their PD was identified sooner with RANO criteria.

Neuroactive steroids have rapid, nongenomic effects on neuronal excitability. The effects in humans are less clear. We compared seizure control and concentrations of neuroactive steroids, known to influence neuroexcitability in animal studies, in pregnant women. Participants were prospectively followed throughout pregnancy with seizure-medication diaries and blood samples, assayed for steroid concentrations with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Baseline seizure frequency was calculated for the preconception year, and it was determined if seizure frequency was increased in each trimester. The Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to compare neuroactive steroid concentrations in between the group with increased frequency to the group without, as calculated for the respective trimester, with the Holm-Bonferroni method to correct for multiple comparisons. Among eighty-three pregnancies included, twenty-eight had increased seizure frequency during at least one trimester (15, 18 and 10, respectively) compared to preconception seizure frequency. Allopregnanolone concentrations were lower in the 3(rd) trimester (p< 0.001), with a similar trend in the 1(st) (p=0.08), for pregnancies with increased compared to those with stable seizure frequency. Other neuroactive steroid concentrations were similar. Our findings suggest that lower allopregnanolone concentrations are associated with increased seizure frequency during pregnancy. Validation of these finding in a larger cohort has potential important clinical applications.