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Background Prostate radiotherapy (RT) is a first-line option for newly diagnosed men with low-burden metastatic prostate cancer. The current criterion to define this clinical state is based on manual bone metastasis counts, but enumeration of bone metastases is limited by interobserver variations, and it does not account for metastasis volume or lesional coalescence. The automated bone scan index (aBSI) is a quantitative method of evaluating bone metastatic burden in a standardised and reproducible manner. Objective To evaluate whether aBSI has utility as a predictive imaging biomarker to define a newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer population that might benefit from the addition of prostate RT to standard of care (SOC) systemic therapy. Design, setting, and participants This is an exploratory analysis of men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer randomised in a 1:1 ratio to either SOC or SOC + prostate RT within the STAMPEDE “M1|RT comparison”. Intervention The SOC was lifelong androgen deprivation therapy, with up-front docetaxel permitted from December 2015. Men allocated RT received either a daily or a weekly schedule that was nominated before randomisation. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis Baseline bone scans were evaluated retrospectively to calculate aBSI. We used overall (OS) and failure-free (FFS) survival as the end points. Treatment-aBSI interaction was evaluated using the multivariable fractional polynomial interaction (MFPI) and subpopulation treatment effect pattern plot. Further analysis was done in aBSI quartiles using Cox regression models adjusted for stratification factors. Results and limitations : Baseline bone scans for 660 (SOC: 323 and SOC + RT: 337) of 2061 men randomised within the “M1|RT comparison” met the software requirements for aBSI calculation. The median age was 68 yr, median PSA was 100 ng/mL, median aBSI was 0.9, and median follow-up was 39 mo. Baseline patient characteristics including aBSI were balanced between the treatment groups. Using the MFPI procedure, there was evidence of aBSI-treatment interaction for OS (p = 0.04, MFPI procedure) and FFS (p, Take Home Message In this exploratory analysis of 660 men with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer randomised within a clinical trial, a low automated bone scan index was found to be predictive of overall and failure-free survival benefit from the addition of prostate radiotherapy to standard of care systemic therapy. This was also observed with secondary clinical end points.

Chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) is an auto-inflammatory disorder affecting the skeleton of children and adolescents. Whole-body MRI (WBMRI) is key in the diagnosis and follow-up of CRMO. Imaging protocols should include sagittal short Tau inversion recovery of the spine, imaging of the hands and feet, and T1 images for distinguishing normal bone marrow. CRMO lesions can be metaphyseal, epiphyseal and physeal—potentially causing growth disturbance and deformity. Spinal lesions are common, important and can cause vertebral collapse. Lesion patterns include multifocal tibial and pauci-focal patterns that follow a predictable presentation and course of disease. Common pitfalls of WBMRI include haematopoietic marrow signal, metaphyseal signal early on in bisphosphonate therapy and normal high T2 signal in the hands and feet. Pictorial reporting assists in recording lesions and follow-up over time. The purpose of this paper is to review the different WBMRI protocols, imaging findings, lesion patterns and common pitfalls in children with CRMO

Background Abiraterone acetate received licencing for use in only "high-risk" metastatic hormone-naive prostate cancer (mHNPC) following the LATITUDE trial findings. However, a "risk"-related effect was not seen in the STAMPEDE trial. There remains uncertainty as to whether men with LATITUDE "low-risk" M1 disease benefit from androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) combined with abiraterone acetate and prednisolone (AAP). Objective Evaluation of heterogeneity of effect between LATITUDE high- and low-risk M1 prostate cancer patients receiving ADT + AAP in the STAMPEDE trial. Design, setting, and participants A post hoc subgroup analysis of the 2017 STAMPEDE "abiraterone comparison". Staging scans for M1 patients contemporaneously randomised to ADT or ADT + AAP within the STAMPEDE trial were evaluated centrally and blind to treatment assignment. Stratification was by risk according to the criteria set out in the LATITUDE trial. Exploratory subgroup stratification incorporated the CHAARTED criteria. Outcome measurements and statistical analysis The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS) and the secondary outcome measure was failure-free survival (FFS). Further exploratory analysis evaluated clinical skeletal-related events, progression-free survival (PFS), and prostate cancer-specific death. Standard Cox-regression and Kaplan-Meier survival estimates were employed for analysis. Results and limitations A total of 901 M1 STAMPEDE patients were evaluated after exclusions. Of the patients, 428 (48%) were identified as having a low risk and 473 (52%) a high risk. Patients receiving ADT + AAP had significantly improved OS (low-risk hazard ratio [HR]: 0.66, 95% confidence interval or CI [0.44–0.98]) and FFS (low-risk HR: 0.24, 95% CI [0.17–0.33]) compared with ADT alone. Heterogeneity of effect was not seen between low- and high-risk groups for OS or FFS. For OS benefit in low risk, the number needed to treat was four times greater than that for high risk. However, this was not observed for the other measured endpoints. Conclusions Men with mHNPC gain treatment benefit from ADT + AAP irrespective of risk stratification for "risk" or "volume". Patient summary Coadministration of abiraterone acetate and prednisolone with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is associated with prolonged overall survival and disease control, compared with ADT alone, in all men with metastatic disease starting hormone therapy for the first time.

Importance Prostate radiotherapy (RT) improves survival in men with low-burden metastatic prostate cancer. However, owing to the dichotomized nature of metastatic burden criteria, it is not clear how this benefit varies with bone metastasis counts and metastatic site. Objective To evaluate the association of bone metastasis count and location with survival benefit from prostate RT. Design, setting, and participants This exploratory analysis of treatment outcomes based on metastatic site and extent as determined by conventional imaging (computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging and bone scan) evaluated patients with newly diagnosed metastatic prostate cancer randomized within the STAMPEDE trial's metastasis M1 RT comparison. The association of baseline bone metastasis counts with overall survival (OS) and failure-free survival (FFS) was assessed using a multivariable fractional polynomial interaction procedure. Further analysis was conducted in subgroups. Interventions Patients were randomized to receive either standard of care (androgen deprivation therapy with or without docetaxel) or standard of care and prostate RT. Main outcomes and measures The primary outcomes were OS and FFS. Results A total of 1939 of 2061 men were included (median [interquartile range] age, 68 [63-73] years); 1732 (89%) had bone metastases. Bone metastasis counts were associated with OS and FFS benefit from prostate RT. Survival benefit decreased continuously as the number of bone metastases increased, with benefit most pronounced up to 3 bone metastases. A plot of estimated treatment effect indicated that the upper 95% CI crossed the line of equivalence (hazard ratio [HR], 1) above 3 bone metastases without a detectable change point. Further analysis based on subgroups showed that the magnitude of benefit from the addition of prostate RT was greater in patients with low metastatic burden with only nonregional lymph nodes (M1a) or 3 or fewer bone metastases without visceral metastasis (HR for OS, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.46-0.83; HR for FFS, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.47-0.70) than among patients with 4 or more bone metastases or any visceral/other metastasis (HR for OS, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.91-1.28; interaction P = .003; HR for FFS, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.76-0.99; interaction P = .002). Conclusions and relevance In this exploratory analysis of a randomized clinical trial, bone metastasis count and metastasis location based on conventional imaging were associated with OS and FFS benefit from prostate RT in M1 disease. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00268476; ISRCTN.com Identifier: ISRCTN78818544.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE:Current metastatic burden definitions do not account for lymph node metastases (LNM) (location, size or number). Ongoing and planned metastasis directed therapy trials al...

Purpose Postoperative infection still constitutes an important complication of spine surgery, and the optimal imaging modality for diagnosing postoperative spine infection has not yet been established. The aim of this prospective multicenter study was to assess the diagnostic performance of three imaging modalities in patients with suspected postoperative spine infection: MRI, [18F]FDG PET/CT, and SPECT/CT with 99mTc-UBI 29-41. Methods Patients had to undergo at least 2 out of the 3 imaging modalities investigated. Sixty-three patients enrolled fulfilled such criteria and were included in the final analysis: 15 patients underwent all 3 imaging modalities, while 48 patients underwent at least 2 imaging modalities (MRI + PET/CT, MRI + SPECT/CT, or PET/CT + SPECT/CT). Final diagnosis of postoperative spinal infection was based either on biopsy or on follow-up for at least 6 months. The MRI, PET/CT, and SPECT/CT scans were read blindly by experts at designated core laboratories. Spine surgery included metallic implants in 46/63 patients (73%); postoperative spine infection was diagnosed in 30/63 patients (48%). Results Significant discriminants between infection and no infection included fever (P = 0.041), discharge at the wound site (P < 0.0001), and elevated CRP (P = 0.042). There was no difference in the frequency of infection between patients who underwent surgery involving spinal implants versus those who did not. The diagnostic performances of MRI and [18F]FDG PET/CT analyzed as independent groups were equivalent, with values of the area under the ROC curve equal to 0.78 (95% CI: 0.64–0.92) and 0.80 (95% CI: 0.64–0.98), respectively. SPECT/CT with 99mTc-UBI 29-41 yielded either unacceptably low sensitivity (44%) or unacceptably low specificity (41%) when adopting more or less stringent interpretation criteria. The best diagnostic performance was observed when combining the results of MRI with those of [18F]FDG PET/CT, with an area under the ROC curve equal to 0.938 (95% CI: 0.80–1.00). Conclusion [18F]FDG PET/CT and MRI both possess equally satisfactory diagnostic performance in patients with suspected postoperative spine infection, the best diagnostic performance being obtained by combining MRI with [18F]FDG PET/CT. The diagnostic performance of SPECT/CT with 99mTc-UBI 29-41 was suboptimal in the postoperative clinical setting explored with the present study.

To evaluate the role of clinical assessment, conventional and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI in differentiating enchondromas from chondrosarcomas of long bone. The following clinical and MRI findings were assessed: age, gender, pain, pain attributable to lesion, tumour location, tumour length, presence, depth of endosteal scalloping, bone marrow oedema, soft tissue oedema, cortical destruction, periosteal reaction, bone expansion, macroscopic fat, calcification, soft tissue mass, haemorrhage, dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI. Clinical and MRI findings were compared with histopathological grading. Sixty patients with central chondroid tumours were included (27 enchondromas, 10 cartilaginous lesions of unknown malignant potential, 15 grade 1 chondrosarcomas, 8 high-grade chondrosarcomas). Pain attributed to lesion, tumour length, endosteal scalloping > 2/3, cortical destruction, bone expansion and soft tissue mass were differentiating features between enchondromas and grade 1 chondrosarcomas. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI could not differentiate enchondromas from grade 1 chondrosarcomas. Previously reported imaging signs of chondrosarcomas are useful in the diagnosis of grade 1 lesions but have lower sensitivity than in higher grade lesions. Deep endosteal scalloping is the most sensitive imaging sign of grade 1 chondrosarcomas. Pain due to the lesion is an important clinical sign of grade 1 chondrosarcomas. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI is not useful in differentiating enchondromas from grade 1 chondrosarcomas. • Differentiation of enchondroma from low-grade chondrosarcoma is challenging for radiologists and pathologists. • The utility of clinical assessment, conventional and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI was uncertain. • Clinical assessment and conventional MRI aid in differentiating enchondromas from low-grade chondrosarcoma. • Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI cannot differentiate enchondromas from grade 1 chondrosarcoma.

Aims The aim of this study was to identify any progression between benign osteofibrous dysplasia (OFD), OFD-like adamantinoma and malignant adamantinoma, and to investigate the rates of local recurrence, metastases and survival, in order to develop treatment algorithms for each. Patients and Methods A single institution retrospective review of all patients presenting with OFD, OFD-like adamantinoma and adamantinoma between 1973 and 2012 was undertaken. Complete data were available for 73 patients (42 with OFD; ten with an OFD-like adamantinoma and 21 with an adamantinoma). The mean follow-up was 10.3 years (3 to 25) for OFD, 9.2 years (3.0 to 26.3) for OFD-like and 11.6 years (0.25 to 33) for adamantinoma. Results The mean age at diagnosis for OFD was 13.5 years (1 to 49), 10.5 years (6 to 28) for OFD-like and 34 years (14 to 86) for adamantinoma. A total of 24 of the 42 patients with OFD (57%) have not required any treatment and have been managed with observation. A total of 18 of the 42 patients with OFD underwent surgery, 13 with curettage and five with resection. In all, three patients developed recurrence following curettage (23%) but none following resection. All these patients were cured with further limited surgery. A total of six patients initially diagnosed with OFD were subsequently found to have OFD-like adamantinoma. Of the ten patients initially diagnosed with OFD-like adamantinoma, three (30%) were managed with observation alone and seven underwent surgery, two with curettage and five with resection. Local recurrence arose in two patients, one each after curettage and resection. No patients with either OFD or an OFD-like adamantinoma developed metastases or had progression to adamantinoma. All patients with an adamantinoma were treated by surgery, three with curettage, six with amputation and 12 with excision. In all, two of the three treated with curettage developed local recurrence, requiring further surgery. Late development of both local recurrence and metastases led to a ten year disease specific survival of 93% which had dropped to 39% by 20 years. Conclusion We found no evidence of progression from OFD to adamantinoma. Conservative management with observation or curettage is often successful for patients with OFD and OFD-like adamantinoma. Resection with clear margins is required for patients with adamantinoma. Late tumour recurrence is not uncommon in adamantinoma and prolonged follow-up should be considered. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2017;99-B:409–16.

Purpose To evaluate the utility of Diffusion-weighted MRI in the differentiation of benign from malignant skeletal lesions of the pelvis. Materials and methods In this retrospective study 33 patients with indeterminate skeletal lesions of the pelvis were evaluated with DWI. Minimum, mean, maximum ADC-values of the skeletal lesions were measured followed by qualitative assessment of DWI. All patients underwent histological confirmation using CT-guided biopsy or surgical resection. The histology of the skeletal lesions was correlated with the findings on DWI. Results There were 13 malignant lesions and 20 benign lesions. The mean, minimum and maximum ADC values (×10–6mm2/s) for benign skeletal lesions was higher than the mean ADC-values for malignant lesions (1422.2 vs 1263.7; 780.4 vs 771.8; 1969.6 vs 1676.8 respectively). These differences were however not statistically significant (P-values = 0.29; 0.94; 0.149 respectively). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value for qualitative assessment of Diffusion-weighted MRI in the differentiation of benign from malignant skeletal lesions were: 53.9%, 85%, 70%, 73.9% respectively. Qualitative assessment of DWI (restricted diffusion versus non-restricted diffusion) allowed differentiation of benign from malignant skeletal lesions (P-value = 0.0259). Conclusions Qualitative assessment of DWI may aid in the differentiation of benign skeletal lesions from malignant skeletal lesions of the pelvis. Although DWI has a low sensitivity in the distinction of the two disease entities, it may be a useful adjunct due to its relatively high specificity. This is of particular importance in lymphoma where biopsy may only show chronic inflammatory cells and hence may be false negative.

Much of the use of imaging in the detection, diagnosis and management of bone and soft tissue tumours relies on evaluation of morphological changes. There are, however, a number of situations where particular measurements derived from different imaging techniques can be of considerable value in predicting fracture risk, planning surgery and assessing response to treatment. The purpose of this chapter is to review these different applications.

Background\ud \ud STAMPEDE has previously reported that the use of upfront docetaxel improved overall survival (OS) for metastatic hormone naïve prostate cancer patients starting long-term androgen deprivation therapy. We report on long-term outcomes stratified by metastatic burden for M1 patients.\ud \ud \ud \ud Methods\ud \ud We randomly allocated patients in 2 : 1 ratio to standard-of-care (SOC; control group) or SOC + docetaxel. Metastatic disease burden was categorised using retrospectively-collected baseline staging scans where available. Analysis used Cox regression models, adjusted for stratification factors, with emphasis on restricted mean survival time where hazards were non-proportional.\ud \ud \ud \ud Results\ud \ud Between 05 October 2005 and 31 March 2013, 1086 M1 patients were randomised to receive SOC (n = 724) or SOC + docetaxel (n = 362). Metastatic burden was assessable for 830/1086 (76%) patients; 362 (44%) had low and 468 (56%) high metastatic burden. Median follow-up was 78.2 months. There were 494 deaths on SOC (41% more than the previous report). There was good evidence of benefit of docetaxel over SOC on OS (HR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.69–0.95, P = 0.009) with no evidence of heterogeneity of docetaxel effect between metastatic burden sub-groups (interaction P = 0.827). Analysis of other outcomes found evidence of benefit for docetaxel over SOC in failure-free survival (HR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.57–0.76, P 0.5 in each case). There was no evidence that docetaxel resulted in late toxicity compared with SOC: after 1 year, G3-5 toxicity was reported for 28% SOC and 27% docetaxel (in patients still on follow-up at 1 year without prior progression).\ud \ud \ud \ud Conclusions\ud \ud The clinically significant benefit in survival for upfront docetaxel persists at longer follow-up, with no evidence that benefit differed by metastatic burden. We advocate that upfront docetaxel is considered for metastatic hormone naïve prostate cancer patients regardless of metastatic burden.

Background STAMPEDE has previously reported that upfront docetaxel (Doc) improved overall survival (OS) for patients (pts) starting long-term androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). We report the long-term outcomes for M1 pts using OS as the primary outcome measure. We also assessed if benefit of Doc depended on metastatic burden, as suggested by previous trials, using the CHAARTED definition of high burden (HB) and low burden (LB) baseline disease. Methods 724 SOC and 362 SOC+Doc pts were recruited with a 2:1 randomised stratified allocation. Analysis used Cox regression models, adjusted for all stratification factors, with emphasis on restricted mean survival time if hazards were non-proportional. Retrospectively-collected imaging data, blinded to trial arm, was used to categorise pts as having LB or HB disease. Results Median follow-up was ∼6.5yr, compared to ∼3.5yr when last reported. There were 494 deaths on SOC (41% increase in deaths compared to previous report), with median OS=43.1 months (m). There was good evidence of benefit of SOC+Doc on OS (median = 59.1m, HR=0.81, 95% CI 0.69-0.95, P=0.009). Metastatic burden was assessable for 830/1086 (76%) pts; subgroups were representative of the full M1 cohort in terms of stratification factors. There was no evidence of heterogeneity of Doc effect between the LB and HB subgroups (interaction P=0.827; LB HR=0.76, 95%CI 0.54-1.07, P=0.107; HB HR=0.81, 95%CI 0.64-1.02, P=0.064). Analysis of other outcomes also found evidence of benefit of SOC+Doc over SOC in failure-free survival (FFS; HR=0.66, 95% CI 0.57-0.76, P Conclusions The clinically significant benefit in survival for upfront Doc persists after longer follow-up, with no evidence that the benefit differed dependent on disease burden. We advocate that upfront Doc is considered for both LB and HB M1 pts. Clinical trial identification NCT00268476. Legal entity responsible for the study University College London. Funding Cancer Research UK; Sanofi; MRC; Astellas; Clovis; Janssen; Novartis; Pfizer. Disclosure N.W. Clarke: Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen. G. Attard: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Astellas; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Medivation; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy: Millennium Pharmaceuticals; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Abbott Laboratories; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Essa Pharmaceuticals; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Bayer Healthcare Pharmaceuticals; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Takeda; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Sanofi-Aventis; Research grant / Funding (self): AstraZeneca; Research grant / Funding (self): Arno Therapeutics; Research grant / Funding (self): Innocrin Pharma; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Non-remunerated activity/ies: Janssen; Advisory / Consultancy: Veridex; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Non-remunerated activity/ies: Roche/Ventana; Advisory / Consultancy, Non-remunerated activity/ies: Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (institution), I was an employee of the ICR, where abiraterone acetate was developed, up to 8 January 2018. The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR). S. Chowdhury: Honoraria (self), Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Janssen Pharmaceutical. D. Dearnaley: Research grant / Funding (institution), Financial Support for Trial Recruitment: UK National Institute for Health Research Clinical Research Network (NIHR CRN); Research grant / Funding (institution), My employer, The Institute of Cancer Research, receives a royalty income from abiraterone. I receive a share of this income through the ICR's Rewards to Discoverer's Scheme: The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR); Research grant / Funding (self): Cancer Research UK; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Takeda; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: Amgen; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Sandoz; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Janssen. S. Gillessen: Honoraria (institution): Bayer; Honoraria (institution): Curevac; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Janssen; Honoraria (institution): Astellas; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Orion; Advisory / Consultancy: MaxiVax SA; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: AAA; Honoraria (institution): Ferring; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Honoraria (institution): Innocrin Pharmaceuticals; Honoraria (institution), Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Honoraria (institution): Novartis; Non-remunerated activity/ies: Nectar Therapeutics; Non-remunerated activity/ies: ProteoMedix; Honoraria (institution): Cell Search; Honoraria (institution): Clovis; Honoraria (institution): Bristol-Myers Squibb. R. Jones: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Non-remunerated activity/ies: Janssen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self): Astellas; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self): Sanofi; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Novartis. Z. Malik: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Janssen; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Sanofi; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Astellas; Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Bayer. M.D. Mason: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Janssen; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Bayer. C. Parker: Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self): Bayer; Honoraria (self), Advisory / Consultancy: AAA; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony: Janssen. A.G. Omlin: Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Astellas; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Bayer; Advisory / Consultancy, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Roche; Advisory / Consultancy: MSD; Advisory / Consultancy: Molecular Partners; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (institution), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Janssen; Research grant / Funding (institution): Teva. M.R. Sydes: Research grant / Funding (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Astellas; Research grant / Funding (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Clovis Oncology; Research grant / Funding (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Novartis; Research grant / Funding (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Pfizer; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Travel / Accommodation / Expenses: Eli Lilly; Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Janssen; Research grant / Funding (self), Non-remunerated activity/ies, Unrestricted grant to contribute to STAMPEDE overall: Sanofi. M.K.B. Parmar: Research grant / Funding (self), Unrestricted grant to contribute to another comparison of STAMPEDE which supports the protocol overall, plus relevant drug and distribution.: Astellas; Research grant / Funding (self), Unrestricted grant to contribute to another comparison of STAMPEDE which supports the protocol overall, plus relevant drug and distribution.: Clovis Oncology; Research grant / Funding (self), Unrestricted grant to contribute to another comparison of STAMPEDE which supports the protocol overall, plus relevant drug and distribution.: Novartis; Research grant / Funding (self), Unrestricted grant to contribute to another comparison of STAMPEDE which supports the protocol overall, plus relevant drug and distribution.: Pfizer; Research grant / Funding (self), Unrestricted grant to contribute to another comparison of STAMPEDE which supports the protocol overall, plus relevant drug and distribution.: Sanofi. N.D. James: Advisory / Consultancy: Sanofi; Advisory / Consultancy: Novartis; Advisory / Consultancy, Speaker Bureau / Expert testimony, Research grant / Funding (self), Travel / Accommodation / Expenses, Non-remunerated activity/ies: Janssen. All other authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Sclerosing epithelioid fibrosarcoma (SEF), first described in 1995, is a rare aggressive sarcoma morphologically defined by "epithelioid fibroblasts arranged in distinct cords and nests in a densely sclerotic, hyalinised stroma". SEF can mimic metastatic carcinoma within desmoplastic stroma, lymphoma and other mesenchymal neoplasms such as myoepithelioma, making it difficult to diagnose. In a subset of cases there is morphological overlap between SEF and low grade fibromyxoid sarcoma (LGFMS), a low grade fibroblastic sarcoma. Progression of LGFMS to SEF in single cases is well documented. Recent studies detected EWSR1-CREB3L1 fusion transcripts in a high proportion of SEF. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

To assess if diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) can differentiate between central enchondromas and chondrosarcomas (CS) and if DWI can distinguish low-grade chondroid lesions from high-grade CS.Fifty-two patients with central cartilage tumors were included. Patients underwent conventional MRI and DWI with ADC mapping. The slice on MRI with the most aggressive imaging feature was identified. The corresponding mean and minimum ADC maps of the tumor at this position were measured.There were 24 enchondromas, five atypical cartilaginous lesions, 15 grade 1, three grade 2, two grade 3, and three dedifferentiated CS. Mean ADC values (×10(-6) mm2/s) for enchondromas, atypical cartilaginous tumors, grade 1 CS, grade 2, CS, grade 3 CS and dedifferentiated CS were 1,896, 2,048, 2,152, 2,170, 2,076, and 1,261, respectively. Minimum ADC values (×10(-6) mm2/s) for enchondromas, atypical cartilaginous tumors, grade 1 CS, grade 2, CS, grade 3 CS and dedifferentiated CS were 1,820, 1,752, 2,010, 1,829, 1,752, and 767, respectively. ANOVA test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in mean and minimum ADC values in all groups. Post hoc analysis revealed this was due to difference in mean and minimum ADC values in dedifferentiated CS. The mean ADC value in low-grade chondroid lesions was 2,001, while the ADC value for high-grade CS were 2,132. The minimum ADC value for low-grade chondroid lesions was 1,896, while the minimum ADC for high-grade CS was 1,837. The difference in minimum and mean ADC values was not statistically significant.DWI cannot differentiate between enchondromas and CS and DWI does not aid in the distinction of low-grade chondroid tumors from high-grade CS.

Background: ECCO essential requirements for quality cancer care (ERQCC) are checklists and explanations of organisation and actions that are necessary to give high-quality care to patients who have a specific tumour type. They are written by European experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care. ERQCC papers give oncology teams, patients, policymakers and managers an overview of the elements needed in any healthcare system to provide high quality of care throughout the patient journey. References are made to clinical guidelines and other resources where appropriate, and the focus is on care in Europe. Sarcoma: essential requirements for quality care Sarcomas - which can be classified into soft tissue and bone sarcomas - are rare, but all rare cancers make up more than 20% of cancers in Europe, and there are substantial inequalities in access to high-quality care. Sarcomas, of which there are many subtypes, comprise a particularly complex and demanding challenge for healthcare systems and providers. This paper presents essential requirements for quality cancer care of soft tissue sarcomas in adults and bone sarcomas. High-quality care must only be carried out in specialised sarcoma centres (including paediatric cancer centres) which have both a core multidisciplinary team and an extended team of allied professionals, and which are subject to quality and audit procedures. Access to such units is far from universal in all European countries. It is essential that, to meet European aspirations for high-quality comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations implement the requirements in this paper, paying particular attention to multidisciplinarity and patient-centred pathways from diagnosis and follow-up, to treatment, to improve survival and quality of life for patients. Conclusion: Taken together, the information presented in this paper provides a comprehensive description of the essential requirements for establishing a high-quality service for soft tissue sarcomas in adults and bone sarcomas. The ECCO expert group is aware that it is not possible to propose a 'one size fits all' system for all countries, but urges that access to multidisciplinary teams is guaranteed to all patients with sarcoma. (C) 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

AimsMyoepithelial tumours of soft tissue are rare lesions with a broad morphological and clinical spectrum. Previous studies have found EWSR1 rearrangements in approximately half of all cases and PBX1, ZNF44 and POU5F1 have been identified as recurrent fusion partners. In bone, only a small number of myoepithelial tumours have been described. We investigated an intraosseous myoepithelioma of the sacrum in a 54-year-old man without EWSR1 rearrangement for the presence of other fusion genes. Methods and resultsG-banding analysis, SNP-array and fluorescence in situ hybridisation suggested rearrangement of the FUS and POU5F1 genes. RT-PCR confirmed a chimeric in-frame transcript fusing FUS exon 5 to POU5F1 exon 2. The clinical course after en bloc resection was without recurrence or metastasis over a period of 87months. ConclusionWe report a novel FUS-POU5F1 fusion gene in an intraosseous myoepithelioma of the sacrum. This case highlights that FUS can replace EWSR1 as the N-terminal transactivator in oncogenic fusion genes in myoepithelial tumours, similar to that which has previously been demonstrated in other tumour entities. Thus, in addition to EWSR1, also FUS needs to be considered as a potential fusion partner in the molecular work up of myoepithelial tumours. (Less)

BCOR-CCNB3 fusion transcripts resulting from an X-chromosomal paracentric inversion were recently identified in a series of unclassifiable soft tissue and bone sarcomas with Ewing sarcoma-like morphology. The morphologic and clinical features of these sarcomas are, as yet, not well characterized. Here we describe the clinicopathologic features of 10 cases of BCOR-CCNB3 sarcoma and compare their clinical course with typical Ewing sarcoma. Nine of 10 patients were male, and all were 11 to 18 years of age. Seven tumors were located in the bone and 3 in the deep soft tissues. The histomorphologic spectrum was quite wide, with 7 tumors predominately showing small primitive cell morphology with angulated nuclei simulating so-called atypical Ewing sarcoma and 3 predominately showing spindle cell morphology. Recurrent and metastatic lesions showed increased cellularity and marked pleomorphism. Immunohistochemistry showed expression of CCNB3 (100%), bcl2 (90%), CD99 (60%), and CD117 (60%). Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for BCOR-CCNB3 fusion transcripts was positive in all 9 cases, which yielded sufficient extracted RNA. Five- and 10-year survival rates were 75% and 56%, respectively. BCOR-CCNB3 sarcomas located in axial skeleton and soft tissues showed a significantly shorter survival. The Ewing sarcoma overall survival was not statistically different, although there was a trend for longer survival of patients with BCOR-CCNB3 sarcomas in the extremities. In conclusion, this study provides a detailed description of the histologic spectrum, immunohistochemical features, and clinical characteristic of BCOR-CCNB3 sarcoma justifying distinction from Ewing sarcoma with its typical EWS/FUS-ETS translocations. Ideally immunohistochemistry is used in combination with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction for definitive diagnosis.

Background Prostate radiotherapy (PRT) with androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is now recommended as a first line option for de-novo low burden metastatic prostate cancer. In the STAMPEDE “M1|RT comparison” metastatic burden was a determinant of benefit, based on pre-specified prognostic criteria. We have now performed exploratory analyses of metastases as defined by site and number to improve prediction of treatment benefit from PRT. Methods Patients (pts) randomized to the ADT (± docetaxel) vs PRT + ADT (± docetaxel) were studied. Metastatic site, distribution and number were evaluated based on conventional imaging and used to explore treatment effects to refine the metastatic burden definition. Results focused on the trial’s key outcome measures: overall (OS) & failure-free survival (FFS), analysed using standard survival analysis methods. HR Results Following exclusions (imaging unavailable for central review, n = 122), 1939 pts randomized in “M1|RT comparison” were included. Of these, 181 pts had only lymph node (LN) mets, 1587 had bone (±LN) mets and 171 had other visceral mets (±bone/LN). Baseline characteristics such as age (median 68 years), PSA (median 98 ng/ml) were balanced between the arms. In LN only pts, PRT improved OS (HR = 0.62, 95%CI 0.35-1.09) & FFS (HR = 0.64, 95%CI 0.43-0.96). In bone (±LN) pts with 0.1) for baseline factors such as age, N stage, Gleason score, RT schedule or docetaxel use. Conclusions Prostate RT + ADT (± docetaxel) improved OS & FFS in pts with only LN or Clinical trial identification NCT00268476. Legal entity responsible for the study Medical Research Council-Clinical Trials Unit and University of Manchester. Funding Has not received any funding. Disclosure All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.

Aim To present the imaging features of post-traumatic heterotopic ossification (HO) of the distal tibiofibular syndesmosis initially suspected to be a surface osteosarcoma. Materials and methods A retrospective review was conducted of the presenting complaint and imaging features of patients with a final diagnosis of HO referred over an 8 year period to a specialist orthopaedic oncology centre. Results Five patients with HO were identified. All were adult males with an age range of 19–41 years. There was a history of prior ankle trauma in all cases but the significance was not recognized at the time of referral to the specialist centre. There was radiographic evidence of HO arising from the inner aspects of the distal tibia and fibula approximately 3 cm proximal to the ankle joint. The HO was “kissing” in two cases and partially fused (synostosis) in two. The HO in the fifth case was arising on the inner fibular cortex alone. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), available in four cases, showed predominantly low signal intensity due to the dense bone formation. Conclusion The history of prior ankle trauma with ossification arising from the inner aspects of both the distal tibia and fibula is typical of post-traumatic HO and distinguish this benign condition from the rare surface osteosarcoma at this site.

This article reviews the main investigations available to assess and diagnose patients with neuropathy. It details the most commonly used as well as investigations now becoming routine in neuromuscular centres, and those which are less widely available. Current practice and recent developments are discussed.

To assess the value of whole-body bone scintigraphy in the initial surgical staging of chondrosarcoma of bone.A retrospective review was conducted of the bone scintigraphy reports of a large series of patients with peripheral or central chondrosarcoma of bone treated in a specialist orthopaedic oncology unit over a 13-year period. Abnormal findings were correlated against other imaging, histological grade and the impact on surgical staging.A total of 195 chondrosarcomas were identified in 188 patients. In 120 (63.8%) patients the reports of bone scintigraphy noted increased activity at the site of one or more chondrosarcomas. In one patient the tumour was outside the field-of-view of the scan, and in the remaining 67 (35.6%) cases, there was increased activity at the site of the chondrosarcoma and further abnormal activity in other areas of the skeleton. Causes of these additional areas of activity included degenerative joint disease, Paget's disease and in one case a previously undiagnosed melanoma metastasis. No cases of skeletal metastases from the chondrosarcoma were found in this series. Multifocal chondrosarcomas were identified in three cases. In two it was considered that all the tumours would have been adequately revealed on the initial MR imaging staging studies. In only the third multifocal case was an unsuspected, further presumed low-grade, central chondrosarcoma identified in the opposite asymptomatic femur. Although this case revealed an unexpected finding the impact on surgical staging was limited as it was decided to employ a watch-and-wait policy for this tumour.There is little role for the routine use of whole-body bone scintigraphy in the initial surgical staging in patients with chondrosarcoma of bone irrespective of the histological grade.

Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma is a very rare brain tumour accounting for only 1% of all brain neoplasms. It is however important to be familiar with the radiological findings of this tumour because it has a characteristic imaging appearance and is highly amenable to surgical resection with a good prognosis. We report two cases of pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas, describe the neuroimaging findings, correlate the imaging findings with the histopathological findings and review the current literature.

Thymomas are rare tumours that are usually diagnosed in patients with myasthenia gravis or as an incidental finding. We describe a case of a thymoma mimicking pulmonary stenosis due to external compression of the pulmonary artery. To our knowledge this has only been described in two previous cases in the literature.

To evaluate the role of chemical shift MRI in the characterisation of indeterminate skeletal lesions of the spine as benign or malignant. Fifty-five patients (mean age 54.7 years) with 57 indeterminate skeletal lesions of the spine were included in this retrospective study. In addition to conventional MRI at 3 T which included at least sagittal T1WI and T2WI/STIR sequences, patients underwent chemical shift MRI. A cut-off value with a signal drop-out of 20 % was used to differentiate benign lesions from malignant lesions (signal drop-out

Objective.(1) To examine how many patients have clinically and/or radiologically active chronic recurrent multifocal osteomyelitis (CRMO) ≥ 10 years after first onset of symptoms, and (2) to compare clinical and whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WB-MRI) findings.Methods.Seventeen patients (82% women) who were diagnosed with childhood-onset CRMO at least 10 years (average 12) before reexamination were reevaluated. Patients completed a standardized questionnaire, and underwent clinical and laboratory investigation and WB-MRI. Clinical features were compared with imaging findings.Results.Five patients were found to be in clinical and radiological remission. One of these patients demonstrated 1 radiologically inactive lesion on WB-MRI. Four patients showed radiologically active lesions despite full clinical remission, 2 of them in 3 vertebral bodies. Spinal involvement in 6 patients (35%) caused vertebral compression fractures, vertebra plana, or vertebral hemifusion. Eight patients presented with ongoing clinical disease activity. When applying a CRMO activity score based on clinical and imaging findings, 2 patients were identified as having pain amplification. Overall, 22/55 known CRMO lesions were identified; 11 of them were radiologically active lesions. Additionally, 14 so far unknown clinically silent lesions were detected: 8 radiologically active lesions and 6 radiologically inactive lesions.Conclusion.CRMO activity on longterm followup might have been underestimated. Our study demonstrates that clinical remission does not necessarily mean radiological remission. We therefore propose that all patients with CRMO, including patients in clinical remission, require longterm clinical followup and should undergo evaluation with WB-MRI on a regular basis until radiological remission or a steady state of disease is achieved.

Background: The value of CT in the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in children is well reported. Follow-up CT scanning for these patients is, however, not well described and, in particular, the value of early follow-up CT has not been addressed for children with TBM. Objective: To assess the value of early follow-up CT in children with TBM in identifying diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutically relevant features of TBM. Materials and methods: A retrospective 4-year review of CT scans performed within 1 week and 1 month of initial CT in children with proven (CSF culture-positive) and probable TBM (CSF profile-positive but culture-negative) and comparison with initial CT for the diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic CT features of TBM. Results: The CT scans of 50 children were included (19 “definite” TBM; 31 “probable” TBM). Of these, 30 had CT scans performed within 1 week of the initial CT. On initial CT, 44 patients had basal enhancement. Only 24 patients had contrast medium-enhanced follow-up scans. Important findings include: 8 of 29 patients (who were not shunted) developed new hydrocephalus. New infarcts developed in 24 patients; 45% of those who did not have infarction initially developed new infarcts. Three of the six patients who did not show basal enhancement on initial scans developed this on the follow-up scans, while in seven patients with pre-existing basal enhancement this became more pronounced. Two patients developed hyperdensity in the cisterns on non-contrast medium scans. Eight patients developed a diagnostic triad of features. Three patients developed CT features of TBM where there was none on the initial scans. Conclusions: Early follow-up CT is useful in making a diagnosis of TBM by demonstrating features that were not present initially and by demonstrating more sensitive, obvious or additional features of TBM. In addition, follow-up CT is valuable as a prognostic indicator as it demonstrates additional infarcts which may have developed or become more visible since the initial study. Lastly, follow-up CT has therapeutic value in demonstrating hydrocephalus, which may develop over time and may require drainage. We advise routine follow-up CT in patients with suspected TBM within the first week of initial CT and optionally at 1 month.

Background: Although CT scanning is used widely for making the diagnosis and detecting the complications of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in children, the radiological features are considered non-specific. CT is particularly suggestive of the diagnosis when there is a combination of basal enhancement, hydrocephalus and infarction, and even then the diagnosis may be in doubt. In this paper we introduce a new CT feature for making the diagnosis of TBM, namely, hyperdensity in the basal cisterns on non-contrast scans, and we assess which of the recognized CT features is most sensitive and specific. Objective: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of the presence of high-density exudates in the basal cisterns (on non-contrast CT) and basal enhancement (on contrast-enhanced CT) for the diagnosis of TBM in children, and to correlate these with the complications of infarction and hydrocephalus. Materials and methods: Retrospective review of CT scans with readers blinded to the diagnosis, which was based on a definitive culture of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for TBM or other bacteria. Computer-aided conversion of hard-copy film density to Hounsfield units was employed as well as a density threshold technique for determining abnormally high densities. Results: The most specific feature for TBM is hyperdensity in the basal cisterns prior to IV contrast medium administration (100%). The most sensitive feature of TBM is basal enhancement (89%). A combination of features (hydrocephalus, infarction and basal enhancement) is as specific as pre-contrast hyperdensity, but has a lower sensitivity (41%). There were statistically significant differences in the presence of hydrocephalus (p=0.0016), infarcts (P=0.0014), basal enhancement (P

To identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features which differentiate low-grade chondral lesions (atypical cartilaginous tumours/grade 1 chondrosarcoma) from high-grade chondrosarcomas (grade 2, grade 3 and dedifferentiated chondrosarcoma) of the major long bones. We identified all patients treated for central atypical cartilaginous tumours and central chondrosarcoma of major long bones (humerus, femur, tibia) over a 13-year period. The MRI studies were assessed for the following features: bone marrow oedema, soft tissue oedema, bone expansion, cortical thickening, cortical destruction, active periostitis, soft tissue mass and tumour length. The MRI-features were compared with the histopathological tumour grading using univariate, multivariate logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) analyses. One hundred and seventy-nine tumours were included in this retrospective study. There were 28 atypical cartilaginous tumours, 79 grade 1 chondrosarcomas, 36 grade 2 chondrosarcomas, 13 grade 3 chondrosarcomas and 23 dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that bone expansion (P = 0.001), active periostitis (P = 0.001), soft tissue mass (P

Infectious inflammatory bone disease can develop via three routes: Hematogenous seeding, contiguous spread from an adjacent soft tissue or joint infection and direct implantation of microorganisms. A chronological view on osteomyelitis distinguishes acute, subacute and chronic osteomyelitis. The MR diagnosis of bone infection has to focus on (a) bone marrow inflammation, (low signal in T1, high signal in intermediate and T2-weighted TSE sequences, as well as in T1 with contrast), (b) intraosseous abscesses (similar to bone marrow inflammation but with a characteristic high signal rim in T1 with contrast), (c) sequestra (low signal in T1, low signal in intermediate and T2 and a peripheral enhancement in T1 with contrast), (d) cortical destruction (higher signal than bone in all sequences) and (e) sinus tracts into the peripheral soft tissues. In chronic post-traumatic osteomyelitis the same rules for diagnosis have to be applied, although extensive remodelling processes which include sclerosis, fibrosis and cortical thickening have to be taken into account. Sequestra and sinus tracts are regularly seen in active chronic osteomyelitis. Infections of the spine are divided into spondylitis, discitis, spondylodiscitis and spondylarthritis (septic arthritis of the facet joints) and mostly occur in the elderly. In the acute stage of the disease, spondylitis is characterised by increased signal intensity within the vertebral body in the water sensitive sequences and on the contrast-enhanced examination as well as decreased signal intensity on the T1-weighted spin echo sequence. Contrast-enhanced MRI is most sensitive in the identification of early vertebral infection. The infection typically begins at the antero-lateral aspect of the vertebral body and adjacent to the vertebral endplates. T1-weighted spin echo sequences depict the destruction of the vertebral endplates relatively well because the normal cortical signal void of the endplate changes to an intermediate signal. Disc involvement is seen early in spondylitis. T2-weighted spin echo sequences demonstrate increased signal intensity within the disc due to infection of the disc. The diagnosis of an abscess within the disc requires identification of signal intensity similar to fluid on T2-weighted spin echo sequences and lack of enhancement of this area on contrast-enhanced MRI. Osteomyelitis of the diabetic foot encounters special features based on the nature of the disease. In water sensitive sequences and after contrast an increased marrow signal is often seen in these patients and represents an unspecific finding. The diagnosis of osteomyelitis in diabetic foot has to rely mainly on the identification of an intraosseous abscess. Sinus tracts extending to bone, sequestrum formation and cortical destruction significantly help to build up a correct diagnosis.

Extinction is diagnosed when patients respond to a single contralesional item but fail to detect this item when an ipsilesional item is present concurrently. Extinction has been studied mainly in the visual modality but it occurs also in other sensory modalities (touch, audition) and hence can be considered a multisensory phenomenon. The functional and neuroanatomical relations between extinction in different modalities are poorly understood. Here, we used voxel-based mophometry (VBM) to examine the neuronal substrates of visual versus tactile extinction in a large group of sub-acute patients (n = 454) with strokes affecting different vascular territories. We found that extinction deficits in tactile and visual modalities were significantly correlated (r = 0.341; p, Highlights ► Damage to supra-modal vs. modality specific regions causes multisensory extinction. ► Visual compared to tactile extinction is caused by more posterior and dorsal damage. ► The study indicates the potential of using clinical CT scans to conduct VBM.

Hip arthroplasty is one of the most commonly performed orthopedic procedures. Clinicians can be faced with the diagnostic dilemma of the patient presenting with a painful hip following arthroplasty and satisfactory post-operative radiographs. Identifying the cause of symptoms can be challenging and ultrasound is increasingly being utilized in the evaluation of potential soft tissue complications following hip surgery. In this article, we describe the common surgical approaches used during hip arthroplasty as this can influence the nature and location of subsequent complications. A review of the literature is presented along with the imaging appearances frequently encountered when imaging this patient population.

Muscle injuries of the lower extremity are extremely common among athletes leading to significant morbidity and time out from competition. Furthermore, increasing athletic activity in the general population has resulted in lower limb muscle injuries becoming commonplace. It is therefore vital for the musculoskeletal radiologist to be familiar with the imaging findings of lower limb muscle injuries and to be aware of the role of imaging in the prognostication and management of these injuries. The most commonly injured lower limb muscles are the quadriceps, the hamstring complex, and the gastrocnemius muscles. This article reviews the biomechanical and imaging features of common acute muscle injuries of the lower extremity and evaluates the role of imaging in the prognosis of these sport injuries.

Advances in imaging technology and the increasing role of interventional procedures in musculoskeletal imaging have continued to stimulate research over recent years. This review summarises some recent articles on musculoskeletal radiology topics and looks forward to potential future developments in this exciting sub-speciality.

Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) with or without stent insertion is the treatment of choice in transplant renal artery stenosis. However, in-stent restenosis occurs in as many as 13% of patients after PTA and stent insertion. This article describes three patients with recurrent transplant renal artery in-stent stenosis who were treated with paclitaxel-eluting stents. In two patients, the transplant renal artery remained patent after insertion of the drug-eluting stent (DES), and one patient required balloon angioplasty 7 months after the DES was inserted.

No abstract available.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) of the spine is the most common site of osseous involvement and has a higher prevalence in developing nations with an increasing incidence in developed nations. There are few paediatric reports of TB spondylitis (TBS) that include MRI findings. OBJECTIVE: To determine the MRI characteristics of TBS in children with special reference to gadolinium enhancement and findings on follow-up MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective review of patient records and MRI scans by three readers using a consensus method of 53 patients below 13 years of age. RESULTS: Seventy-nine percent presented with kyphosis. MRI showed thoracic involvement in 83%. Eighty-five percent showed contiguous involvement of two or more vertebral bodies. An intraspinal or paraspinal soft-tissue mass or abscess was present in 98%. Subligamentous extension was noted in 64% of patients. Gadolinium was administered in 26 patients. Ring enhancement of the soft-tissue mass was shown in 65% of these. Subligamentous enhancement was shown in 35% and bone enhancement was shown in 100% of patients. Follow-up MRI performed in 16 patients showed progressive bone destruction in 10 patients, progressive kyphosis in 2 patients and progression of soft-tissue disease in 4 patients. CONCLUSIONS: We have demonstrated an advanced pattern of TBS in this childhood population, which supports other reports that describe a more aggressive process in children. Kyphosis and cord compressions were the most common complications. The use of gadolinium is promising in detecting disease earlier, as it invariably results in bone enhancement and may assist in making the diagnosis when the rim-enhancing pattern of the soft-tissue mass is demonstrated. Follow-up imaging with MRI is a suitable way of assessing resolution of cord compression and decrease in size of the soft-tissue mass. Therefore, considering the pattern of involvement in children with TBS demonstrated by this study, MRI is considered an ideal modality for making the diagnosis, demonstrating the extent of disease, identifying complications and assessing response to treatment. Pediatr Radiol