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BackgroundEndometriomas are a type of ovarian cyst composed of degenerated blood products from hemorrhage of ectopic endometrial tissue. Endometriomas can rupture, causing hemoperitoneum, and present with signs and symptoms similar to other, more common abdominal emergencies. Therefore, they are not often diagnosed preoperatively. Ultrasound and cross-sectional imaging can assist in diagnosis of endometriomas. We present a case of ruptured endometrioma causing massive hemoperitoneum that was initially suspected to represent malignancy with carcinomatosis.Case presentationA 32-year-old Hispanic woman presented with sharp abdominal pain and 15-pound unintentional weight loss over 6 months. Laboratory work was significant for a negative pregnancy test and elevated cancer antigen-125. Computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated a 13-cm complex cystic mass in the left adnexa with moderate hyperdense ascites and omental nodularity. Ultrasound demonstrated a large left adnexal complex cystic structure with internal echoes, and chest computed tomography showed no signs of intrathoracic neoplastic or infectious processes. Her presentation was concerning for malignancy with carcinomatosis. Fluid from a paracentesis was sent for culture and cytology. Diagnostic laparoscopy revealed that the left ovary had been completely replaced by an endometrioma, which had a small ruptured area superiorly. Brown deposits of endometriosis were present on the cyst, omentum, and various peritoneal linings. Tissue samples of the endometrium, myometrium, cervix, ovaries, fallopian tubes, peritoneum, omentum, and paracolic spaces were taken and showed no hyperplastic, dysplastic, or malignant cells on pathology.ConclusionsRuptured endometrioma and ruptured hemorrhagic cyst should be included in the differential diagnosis when a premenopausal female presents with hemoperitoneum in combination with complex adnexal cystic masses in the absence of trauma. Cancer antigen-125 and cancer antigen 19-9 can be falsely elevated in the setting of ruptured endometrioma.

BackgroundPneumatosis cystoides intestinalis is a rare and usually benign condition in which multiple thin-walled cysts develop in the submucosa or subserosa of the gastrointestinal tract. While usually asymptomatic, severe cases can result in pneumoperitoneum, which can be managed surgically or medically depending on circumstances. We present a case of a patient with pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, which presented as pneumoperitoneum following trauma. To our knowledge, there are no other published cases in which a trauma patient with pneumoperitoneum was found to have radiologic evidence of pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis.Case presentationWe present the case of a 37-year-old Hispanic male admitted to the hospital after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Computed tomography imaging of the abdomen and pelvis with oral and intravenous contrast demonstrated trace pneumoperitoneum, possibly originating from the splenic flexure of the colon without evidence of extravasation of oral contrast. Laparoscopy with conversion to exploratory laparotomy revealed bowel abnormalities at the distal transverse colon and splenic flexure, which were identified as pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis by pathology. There was no evidence of bowel perforation. A panel of abdominal radiologists attended the computed tomography interpretation to note that incidental atraumatic or traumatic rupture of the cysts could have caused the pneumoperitoneum. The patient had an uncomplicated postoperative course and was transferred to another facility per insurance request.ConclusionsWhen presenting in the context of trauma, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis can lead to difficult management decisions. To our knowledge, there are no existing evidence-based guidelines for the scenario of concurrent pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis, blunt abdominal trauma, and pneumoperitoneum in a patient with a benign abdominal exam. This patient's pneumoperitoneum was likely caused by rupture of preexisting cysts rather than frank bowel perforation. Patients who are asymptomatic, lack signs of clinically worrisome disease, and have a low pretest probability will likely not benefit from surgery and can be medically managed. Thorough discussion between surgeons and radiologists can be helpful when evaluating the clinical significance of a patient's pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis and aid in the decision to perform surgery.

BackgroundGanglioneuromas are a benign tumor originating from neural crest cells. As one of the neuroblastic tumors, ganglioneuromas are most common in children, with a mean age at presentation of 7 years. Ganglioneuromas are typically singular in nature, but rarely can present with lymph node involvement and distant metastasis. We present a rare case of a retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma found in a human immunodeficiency virus positive adult, which was complicated by lymph node involvement. This case is notable not only in regard to the age of the patient, but also because of his human immunodeficiency virus positive status and the extension of tumor to lymph nodes.Case presentationA 27-year-old Latino male with history of human immunodeficiency virus presented with a 6-month history of left upper quadrant and epigastric abdominal pain with associated nausea and vomiting. The patient had a computed tomography scan showing a retroperitoneal mass encasing the aorta, celiac axis, and superior mesenteric artery. Core needle biopsy revealed ganglioneuroma. Owing to obstructive symptoms, resection of the mass along with partial gastric resection, partial pancreatic resection, and splenectomy was performed by a multidisciplinary group of surgeons. Pathology results revealed metastatic spread of ganglioneuroma to surrounding lymph nodes.ConclusionsGanglioneuromas are most common in children and very rarely occur in adults. However, it is still important to consider this entity in the differential for patients presenting with suspicious symptoms. While rare, it is essential to consider metastasis in this generally benign disease.

BackgroundPatients diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer are usually not eligible for surgical resection because of significant vascular involvement. Stereotactic body radiation therapy and chemotherapy are the treatments recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network criteria. For patients who do not respond to or tolerate stereotactic body radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy, a new option is irreversible electroporation. Irreversible electroporation is a nonthermal minimally invasive ablation technique that uses electrical pulses to induce apoptosis of tumor cells without damage to the extracellular matrix, thus preserving ducts and vessels. Irreversible electroporation requires very precise needle placement, which has limited its ubiquitous use. Intraprocedural cone-beam computed tomography with navigation can be fused with previous imaging to provide real-time tumor navigation capabilities during the procedure to allow for more accurate needle placement and treatment. Here, we present a patient who underwent percutaneous irreversible electroporation with intraprocedural cone-beam computed tomography fusion guidance to treat his pancreatic cancer.Case presentationThe patient, an 88-year-old White male, initially presented with abdominal pain, and was ultimately diagnosed with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. He has an excellent performance status and no other comorbidities. He was started on chemotherapy and radiation therapy, with good response. However, continued vascular involvement of the tumors precluded him from safe surgical resection. The patient underwent irreversible electroporation with intraprocedural cone-beam computed tomography fusion navigation. The primary lesion demonstrates no residual tumor, and the soft tissue involvement of the adjacent vasculature has stabilized.ConclusionsAlthough not curative on its own, irreversible electroporation holds promise as a treatment option for patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer to increase downsizing to curative surgery or increase quality of life. Cone-beam computed tomography navigation can improve irreversible electroporation by providing guidance during needle guidance. Image fusion with previous advanced imaging can improve lesion visualization and targeting, thereby improving the effectiveness of irreversible electroporation.

Minimally invasive alternatives to traditional prostate surgery are increasingly utilized to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia and localized prostate cancer in select patients. Advantages of these treatments over prostatectomy include lower risk of complication, shorter length of hospital stay, and a more favorable safety profile. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) has become a widely accepted imaging modality for evaluation of the prostate gland and provides both anatomical and functional information. As prostate mpMRI and minimally invasive prostate procedure volumes increase, it is important for radiologists to be familiar with normal post-procedure imaging findings and potential complications. This paper reviews the indications, procedural concepts, common post-procedure imaging findings, and potential complications of prostatic artery embolization, prostatic urethral lift, irreversible electroporation, photodynamic therapy, high-intensity focused ultrasound, focal cryotherapy, and focal laser ablation.

BackgroundJejunal lymphatic malformations are congenital lesions that are seldom diagnosed in adults and rarely seen on imaging.Case presentationA 61-year-old Caucasian woman was initially diagnosed and treated for mucinous ovarian carcinoma. After an exploratory laparotomy with left salpingo-oophorectomy, a computed tomography scan of the abdomen and pelvis demonstrated suspicious fluid-containing lesions involving a segment of jejunum and adjacent mesentery. Resection of the lesion during subsequent debulking surgery revealed that the lesion seen on imaging was a jejunal lymphatic malformation and not a cancerous implant.ConclusionsAbdominal lymphatic malformations are difficult to diagnose solely on imaging but should remain on the differential in adult cancer patients with persistent cystic abdominal lesions despite chemotherapy and must be differentiated from metastatic implants.

Prostate carcinoma is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide. Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is a non-invasive tool that can improve prostate lesion detection, classification, and volume quantification. Machine learning (ML), a branch of artificial intelligence, can rapidly and accurately analyze mpMRI images. ML could provide better standardization and consistency in identifying prostate lesions and enhance prostate carcinoma management. This review summarizes ML applications to prostate mpMRI and focuses on prostate organ segmentation, lesion detection and segmentation, and lesion characterization. A literature search was conducted to find studies that have applied ML methods to prostate mpMRI. To date, prostate organ segmentation and volume approximation have been well executed using various ML techniques. Prostate lesion detection and segmentation are much more challenging tasks for ML and were attempted in several studies. They largely remain unsolved problems due to data scarcity and the limitations of current ML algorithms. By contrast, prostate lesion characterization has been successfully completed in several studies because of better data availability. Overall, ML is well situated to become a tool that enhances radiologists' accuracy and speed.

Renal capillary hemangiomas are rare and benign vascular tumors which are typically incidentally discovered on imaging. Surgical excision is often performed, as imaging appearance is similar to malignant lesions. Renal hemangiomas are typically solitary and unilateral. We present a rare case of multiple renal capillary hemangiomas in a patient with end-stage renal disease. Two hemangiomas were detected on imaging and 2 smaller hemangiomas were detected upon pathological evaluation, suggesting there may be a wider prevalence of smaller, radiographically-occult renal hemangiomas.

BackgroundThe use of laparoscopy for right hemicolectomy has gained popularity allowing the option of a totally laparoscopic intracorporeal anastomosis (IA) for intestinal reconstruction. This technique may alleviate some of the technical limitations that a surgeon faces with a laparoscopic-assisted extracorporeal anastomosis (EA).MethodsA retrospective chart review of 195 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy by four colorectal surgeons at three institutions from March 2005 to June 2014 was performed. Multivariate regression analysis was used to compare postoperative and oncologic outcomes.ResultsA total of 195 patients underwent laparoscopic right hemicolectomy over the study period, with 86 (44 %) patients receiving IA and 109 (56 %) patients receiving an EA. The most common indication for surgery in both groups was cancer: 56 (65 %) of IA cases and 57 (52 %) of EA cases. IA had a significantly higher rate of minor complications but no difference in serious complications compared to EA. Conversion to open resection was higher in EA. Using multivariate analysis to compare IA versus EA, there was no significant difference in length of stay, return of bowel function, risk of anastomotic leak, risk of intraabdominal abscess or risk of wound complications. Amongst cancer resections, there was no significant difference in the median number of lymph nodes harvested (18 LNs in IA group vs. 19 LNs in EA group, P > 0.05). There was also no significant difference in overall survival and disease-free survival at 5.7 years between the two groups.ConclusionsIA in laparoscopic right hemicolectomy is associated with similar postoperative and oncologic outcomes compared to EA. IA may possess advantages in terms of conversion and flexibility of specimen extraction, but this is counterbalanced by a higher incidence of minor complications. These findings suggest that IA represents a valid technique in the arsenal of the experienced colorectal surgeon without compromising outcomes.

Purpose: Early characterization of small (T1a, <4 cm) renal masses is imperative for patient care and treatment planning. Renal biopsy is a sensitive and specific procedure that can accurately differentiate small renal masses as malignant or benign. However, it is an invasive procedure with a nonnegligible complication rate and is not performed routinely at most institutions. In this study, we sought to apply the Retroperitoneal Vascularity Assessment and Scoring in Carcinoma (Re-VASC) scoring system to T1a renal masses and analyzed whether it could differentiate these masses as benign or malignant. Methods: We obtained Institutional Review Board approval to retrospectively examine the records of all patients who presented to our single, urban academic referral center for surgical treatment of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). For the malignant group, patients with a diagnosis of T1a RCC from pathologic evaluation were included. Additionally, patients with a histopathological diagnosis of a T1a nonmalignant renal mass (fat poor-angiomyolipoma or oncocytoma) were included in our benign group. Results: This study includes 57 benign and 69 malignant T1a renal tumors. Average size for benign and malignant masses were 2.47 and 2.63, respectively (p = 0.267). Analysis demonstrated no significant difference between both groups in terms of sex, laterality, or size. The average Re-VASC score of benign and malignant masses was 0.175 and malignant masses was 0.784, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, the Re-VASC score was independently associated with malignancy with an odds ratio of 2.223 (p = 0.0109). Conclusion: The Re-VASC scoring system exhibits significantly greater values for malignant T1a renal masses when compared to benign masses. As a result, it shows promise as an adjunctive tool to renal biopsy for clinical decision-making. Further assessment of Re-VASC's true efficacy as a diagnostic marker will include prospective evaluation of a larger multicenter population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common type of kidney cancer worldwide. Although radiologists assess enhancement patterns of renal tumors to predict tumor pathology report, to our knowledge, no formal scoring system has been created and validated to assess the level of neovascularity in RCC, despite its critical role in cancer metastases. In this study, we characterized and analyzed the level of angiogenesis in tumor-burdened kidneys and their benign counterparts. We then created and validated a scoring scale for neovascularity that can help predict tumor staging for RCC. Methods: After Institutional Review Board approval, the charts of patients who had undergone operation for RCC between January 13, 2014 and February 4, 2020 were retrospectively reviewed for inclusion in this study. Inclusion criteria were a diagnosis of RCC, simple/radical nephrectomy, preoperative contrast-enhanced CT scans, and complete pathology reports. Neovascularity was scored on a scale of 0–4 where 0 = no neovascularity detected, 1 = a single vessel <3 mm wide, 2 = a single vessel ≥3 mm wide, 3 = multiple vessels <3 mm wide, and 4 = multiple vessels ≥3 mm wide. Results: A total of 227 patients were included in this study. Most of the tumor pathology reports were clear cell carcinoma, regardless of tumor staging. The average neovascularity score was 1.07 for pT1x tumors, 2.83 for pT2x tumors, and 3.04 for pT3x tumors. There was a significant difference in neovascularity score between pT1x and pT2x tumors (p = 0.0046), pT1x and pT3x tumors (p < 0.0001), and benign kidneys and kidneys with RCC (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: Our novel vascular scoring system for RCC demonstrates significant correlation with RCC pathological tumor staging. This scoring system may be utilized as part of a comprehensive radiological assessment of renal tumors, potentially improving tumor characterization and clinical decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the readability, understandability, suitability and actionability of online psoriasis patient educational materials. A secondary aim was to identify areas for improvement. Materials and methods: We conducted an evaluation study to assess online psoriasis patient educational materials from the American Academy of Dermatology and National Psoriasis Foundation available in July 2017. We used two validated assessment tools specific to online healthcare materials. Outcomes were expressed as percentages, where higher percentages corresponded to higher quality materials. Results: Overall, the educational materials had a mean understandability score (72.7%) that was understandable; a suitability score (58.8%) that was adequate; a reading grade level (10.5) that was not readable; and an actionability score (54.7%) that was not actionable. Areas of improvement include reading grade level, visual aids, word choice, specific steps for actions and cultural appropriateness. Conclusions: Online psoriasis patient educational materials are understandable and suitable, but they are written above the American Medical Association and National Institutes of Health’s recommended 6th-8th grade reading level and are not actionable. Materials can benefit from decreasing reading grade level, including more visual elements, incorporating more actionable items and being culturally inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]