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Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is a zoonotic disease caused by Echinococcus granulosus sensu lato, the metacestode of a tapeworm parasite of high medical importance. Infection of the parasite leads to the development of echinococcal cysts, and the spleen is a rarely infected organ. A 46-year-old woman who was born and who resides in Sardinia, Italy, was referred to the Echinococcosis outpatient clinic at the University Hospital of Sassari (Sardinia, Italy) for a pain in the left flank. She used to live in the countryside, in contact with several animals, and for 2 years, she had been working in a family garden, growing vegetables as a hobby. Ultrasounds and X-ray were performed, which evidenced a rounded formation in the upper third of the spleen, while a CT scan confirmed a parasitological cyst. Immunological examinations on serum samples did not detect specific antibodies against Echinococcus spp. Following surgical exportation, the whole spleen with the cystic lesion was delivered to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) and the National Reference Laboratory for Echinococcosis for further laboratory analyses. Moreover, characterization of the cyst fluid resulted dense and shiny. Observation under a light microscope at ×400 magnification revealed the formation of rectangular crystals and aggregates attributable to cholesterol molecules. Subsequently, through parasitological investigation, molecular biology investigations confirmed E. granulosus sensu stricto G1. We describe cholesterol crystals in a splenic echinococcal cyst for the first time. There is no clear explanation of how the cholesterol crystals formed in this case, but this was attributed to multifactorial causes, including atherosclerosis, chronic inflammation, parasite metabolism, and host responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Takotsubo syndrome (TS) is a temporary form of left ventricular (LV) dysfunction characterized by a distinct pattern of LV impairment, often triggered by a physical or emotional stressful event. Historically, TS was considered a benign condition due to its prompt restoration of myocardial function and generally excellent outcomes. However, recent studies have shown that complications similar to those seen after myocardial infarction can occur, necessitating careful monitoring of these patients. Among noninvasive imaging techniques, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) is becoming increasingly important in evaluating patients with TS. CMR offers a unique ability to noninvasively assess myocardial tissue characteristics, allowing for detecting the typical features of TS, such as specific wall motion abnormalities and myocardial edema. Beyond its well‐established diagnostic utility in the clinical management of TS, CMR has also proven valuable in prognosis and risk stratification for these patients. Advances in CMR, including myocardial strain and parametric mapping have expanded its role in the diagnosis, prognosis, and follow‐up of these patients. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the potential applications of CMR in the diagnostic and prognostic evaluation of TS patients. It explores the emerging use of novel CMR imaging biomarkers that may enhance diagnosis, improve prognostic accuracy, and contribute to the overall management of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of radionuclide therapy with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE according to our single center experience at the University of Naples Federico II. For the present analysis, we considered 21 patients with progressive, advanced, well-differentiated G1 and G2 in patients with gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) treated with [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE according to the decisions of a multidisciplinary team. All patients underwent four cycles of 7–8 GBq of [177Lu]Lu-DOTA-TATE every 8 weeks. A whole-body scan (WBS) was performed 4, 48, and 168 h after each treatment. The dosimetry towards the organ at risk and target lesions was calculated. For each patient, renal and bone marrow parameters were evaluated before, during, and 3 months after the end of the treatment. Follow-up data were obtained and RECIST criteria were considered as the endpoint. Among 21 patients enrolled (mean age 65 ± 9 years); 17 (81%) were men and the small intestine was the most frequent location of disease (n = 12). A mild albeit significant variation (p < 0.05) in both platelets and white blood cell counts among all time points was observed, despite it disappearing 3 months after the end of the therapy. According to the RECIST criteria, 11 (55%) patients had a partial response to therapy and 8 (40%) had stable disease. Only one (5%) patient had disease progression 4 months after treatment. Our data confirm that [177Lu]Lu-DOTA is safe and effective in controlling the burden disease of G1/G2 GEP-NETs patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma is among the most frequent cutaneous tumors. Over the years, the understanding and diagnostic sensitivity has increased due to the introduction and improved knowledge of dermoscopy, as well as of more recent noninvasive technologies, such as reflectance confocal microscopy and line-field confocal optical coherence. Imaging plays a central role in the staging of the disease; however, its role in the follow-up, as well as the choice of the best technique in each patient, is still not fully clarified. Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the second most frequent skin cancer, accounting for approximately 20% of all cutaneous malignancies, and with an increasing incidence due to the progressive increment of the average age of life. The diagnosis is usually firstly suspected based on clinical manifestations; however, dermoscopic features may improve diagnostic sensitivity in cases of an uncertain diagnosis and may guide the biopsy, which should be performed to histopathologically prove the tumor. New diagnostic strategies may improve the sensitivity of the cutaneous SCC, such as reflectance confocal microscopy and line-field confocal optical coherence, for which increasing data have been recently published. Imaging has a central role in the staging of the diseases, while its exact role, as well as the choice of the best techniques, during the follow-up are not fully clarified. The aim of this literature review is to describe diagnostic clinical and instrumental tools of cutaneous SCC, with an insight into the role of imaging in the diagnosis and follow-up of cutaneous SCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The editorial discusses the challenges of small cell lung cancer (SCLC), a highly aggressive subtype of lung cancer with poor prognosis. Researchers studied the combination of PARP inhibitors with targeted peptide radioreceptor therapy (PRRT) in SCLC animal models, showing increased efficacy in vitro and in vivo. The study suggests that combining PARPi with PRRT could improve treatment outcomes for SCLC patients, highlighting the need for further clinical trials to validate these findings. [Extracted from the article]

Traumatic vascular injuries consist of direct or indirect damage to arteries and/or veins and account for 3% of all traumatic injuries. Typical consequences are hemorrhage and ischemia. Vascular injuries of the extremities can occur isolated or in association with major trauma and other organ injuries. They account for 1–2% of patients admitted to emergency departments and for approximately 50% of all arterial injuries. Lower extremities are more frequently injured than upper ones in the adult population. The outcome of vascular injuries is strictly correlated to the environment and the time background. Treatment can be challenging, notably in polytrauma because of the dilemma of which injury should be prioritized, and treatment delay can cause disability or even death, especially for limb vascular injury. Our purposes are to discuss the role of computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the diagnosis of vascular trauma and its optimized protocol to achieve a definitive diagnosis and to assess the radiological signs of vascular injuries and the possible pitfalls. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advancing medical technology revolutionizes our ability to diagnose various disease processes. Conventional Single-Energy Computed Tomography (SECT) has multiple inherent limitations for providing definite diagnoses in certain clinical contexts. Dual-Energy Computed Tomography (DECT) has been in use since 2006 and has constantly evolved providing various applications to assist radiologists in reaching certain diagnoses SECT is rather unable to identify. DECT may also complement the role of SECT by supporting radiologists to confidently make diagnoses in certain clinically challenging scenarios. In this review article, we briefly describe the principles of X-ray attenuation. We detail principles for DECT and describe multiple systems associated with this technology. We describe various DECT techniques and algorithms including virtual monoenergetic imaging (VMI), virtual non-contrast (VNC) imaging, Iodine quantification techniques including Iodine overlay map (IOM), and two- and three-material decomposition algorithms that can be utilized to demonstrate a multitude of pathologies. Lastly, we provide our readers commentary on examples pertaining to the practical implementation of DECT's diverse techniques in the Gastrointestinal, Genitourinary, Biliary, Musculoskeletal, and Neuroradiology systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]