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Background and objective Bone fragility has been linked to COVID-19 severity. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a diagnosis of vertebral fracture (VF) increased mortality risk in COVID-19 patients and whether this effect was greater than in those without COVID-19. Methods We assessed VFs by computed tomography (CT) in a cohort of 501 patients consecutively admitted to the emergency department (ED) for clinical suspicion of SARS-CoV-2 infection during the first wave of pandemic emergency. Of those, 239 had a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19. Results VF prevalence was similar between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups (22.2 vs. 19%; p = 0.458). Death rates were similar between COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 groups at both 30 (15.8 vs. 12.2%; p = 0.234) and 120 days (21.8 vs. 17.6%; p = 0.236). The mortality risk was higher in COVID-19 patients either with one or multiple fractures compared to those without VFs, at 30 and 120 days, but statistical significance was reached only in those with multiple VFs (30-day HR 3.03, 95% CI 1.36–6.75; 120-day HR 2.91, 95% CI 1.43–5.91). In the non-COVID-19 group, the 30-day mortality risk was significantly higher in patients either with one (HR 7.46, 95% CI 3.12–17.8) or multiple fractures (HR 6.2, 95% CI 2.75–13.98) compared to those without VFs. A similar effect was observed at 120 days. After adjustment for age, sex and bone density, mortality risk remained associated with VFs in the non-COVID-19 group only. Conclusions VFs were not independently associated with short-term mortality in patients with COVID-19, but they strongly increased mortality risk in those without COVID-19.

Background: Anticoagulant prophylaxis is part of the standard management of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Despite adequate thromboprophylaxis, one-third of COVID-19 patients with pneumonia developed pulmonary embolism. This high rate of thrombotic complications has led to higher doses of anticoagulants according to clinical complexity (e.g. intensive care unit (ICU) patients) and D-dimer levels. On the other side of the coin, haemorrhagic complications are being increasingly reported. Cases presentation: We herein report four cases of spontaneous psoas haematomas (SPH) among 548 patients hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia between March 2020 and January 2021 (incidence of 7.3 cases per 1000 patients). All patients had pneumonia, with age ranging between 62 and 83 years. All patients received anticoagulant therapy with low weight molecular heparin (100 U.I. anti-Xa/kg 2 times/d) from admission: in two cases, a diagnosis of pulmonary embolism was made. In another case, a thrombosis of left axillary and basilic veins was found, and only in one case anticoagulant therapy was started because of elevated levels of D-dimer. In all cases, signs of anaemia were detected and patients experienced low back or abdominal pain. The diagnosis of spontaneous psoas haematoma was made by computed tomography (CT) after a median of 12.5 d (9;16) from admission and 19.5 d (14.75; 24.25) from the beginning of COVID-19 symptoms. Half of these patients died from haemorrhagic shock. Conclusions: Given the potential life-threatening of SPH and the possible subtle clinical presentation, we believe it is crucial to raise clinicians awareness of this complication among COVID-19 patients undergoing anticoagulants.

Background: There are shared guidelines about Non-Operative Management (NOM) of splenic injuries, but some unanswered questions remain. The aim of the present study is to establish the usefulness of a standardized protocol for management and follow-up of NOM patients with splenic injuries. Methods: Multicenter retrospective observational study including patients with major blunt trauma (ISS >15) with splenic injuries managed between January 1st 2014 and December 31st 2016 in two Italian I level Trauma Centers: one with a standardized management and follow-up protocol for NOM (Bufalini Hospital, Cesena, BH), and the other without it (ASST Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, PG23H). Comparison between patients’ outcomes were performed and a propensity score model was calculated. Results: 47 patients managed in BH and 49 patients in PG23H were included. In BH, a higher proportion of patients was treated with NOM (72.3 % vs. 53.1 %, p = 0.051). There was no difference in complication rate and mortality in patients treated with NOM in the two hospitals. A borderline significant trend to a higher NOM failure rate in PG23H was found (BH 0.0 % vs. PG23H 11.3 %, p = 0.076). The total splenic conservation rate was significantly higher in BH (BH 72.3 % vs. PG23H 46.9 %, p = 0.011). After the Propensity Score based matching, 72 patients were included and the total splenic conservation rate was significantly higher in BH (BH: 77.8 % vs. PG23H: 50.9 %, p = 0.014). Conclusions: The application of a protocol for in-hospital management and follow-up for NOM of patients with splenic injury could decrease the NOM failure rate and improve splenic conservation rate.

Trauma accounts for a third of the deaths in Western countries, exceeded only by cardiovascular disease and cancer. The high risk of massive bleeding, which depends not only on the type of fractures, but also on the severity of any associated parenchymal injuries, makes pelvic fractures one of the most life-threatening skeletal injuries, with a high mortality rate. Therefore, pelvic trauma represents an important condition to correctly and early recognize, manage, and treat. For this reason, a multidisciplinary approach involving trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, emergency room physicians and interventional radiologists is needed to promptly manage the resuscitation of pelvic trauma patients and ensure the best outcomes, both in terms of time and costs. Over the years, the role of interventional radiology in the management of patient bleeding due to pelvic trauma has been increasing. However, the current guidelines on the management of these patients do not adequately reflect or address the varied nature of injuries faced by the interventional radiologist. In fact, in the therapeutic algorithm of these patients, after the word “ANGIO”, there are no reports on the different possibilities that an interventional radiologist has to face during the procedure. Furthermore, variations exist in the techniques and materials for performing angioembolization in bleeding patients with pelvic trauma. Due to these differences, the outcomes differ among different published series. This article has the aim to review the recent literature on optimal imaging assessment and management of pelvic trauma, defining the role of the interventional radiologist within the multidisciplinary team, suggesting the introduction of common and unequivocal terminology in every step of the angiographic procedure. Moreover, according to these suggestions, the present paper tries to expand the previously drafted algorithm exploring the role of the interventional radiologist in pelvic trauma, especially given the multidisciplinary setting.

Objectives Quantitative computed tomography (QCT) is a promising tool for objective assessment of interstitial lung disease (ILD) related to connective tissue diseases (CTD). However, its validity was never investigated. The aim of this study was to assess QCT feasibility, face, and content validity evaluation concerning CTD-ILD. Methods A rheumatologist and a chest radiologist conceived an online survey with nine statements: Two about general issue involving CTD-ILD, one for the face validity, three both for content validity and feasibility. Each statement had to be rated with a score from 0 to 100, respectively, (complete disagreement and agreement). We considered a statement supported by the experts if the median score was ≥75.0. Results A panel of 14 experts (11 from Europe, three from America) with a nine years median experience was enrolled. All the statements about feasibility, face and content validity were supported, except for QCT capability to recognize elementary lesions. Conclusions The panel of experts supported feasibility, face, and content validity of QCT assessment concerning CTD-ILD. This may stimulate a greater use in clinical practice and further studies to confirm its discriminative properties and its construct validity.

Obese subjects with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are at increased risk of requiring critical care (1), suggesting that excess body fat associates with greater disease severity. BMI does not discriminate between fat and lean body mass and poorly reflects fat distribution. Cardiometabolic diseases and increased systemic inflammation, two conditions associated with visceral adiposity, are also linked to COVID-19 severity and fatality (1,2). The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between abdominal fat distribution and COVID-19 severity. We hypothesized that excess visceral adipose tissue (VAT), as identified by an increased VAT to subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) ratio (VAT/SAT), is associated with COVID-19 severity, as defined by intensive care unit (ICU) admission. This was a single-center cohort study of 441 patients consecutively admitted to the Emergency Department (ED) of the Trauma Center Public Hospital Bufalini, Cesena, Italy, between 26 February and 6 April 2020 for a clinical suspicion of COVID-19. Of these patients, 144 had confirmed COVID-19 based on positive RT-PCR from a nasal and/or throat swab together with high-resolution computed tomography (HR-CT) findings suggestive of COVID-19 pneumonia. Of those, 61 (42%) were admitted to ICU (ICU-COVID-19 group). One-hundred thirty-six patients evaluated in the ED for clinical suspicion of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) …

The load sharing classification (LSC) laid foundations for a scoring system able to indicate which thoracolumbar fractures, after short-segment posterior-only fixations, would need longer instrumentations or additional anterior supports.We analyzed surgically treated thoracolumbar fractures, quantifying the vertebral body's fragment displacement with the aim of identifying a new parameter that could predict the posterior-only construct failure.This is a retrospective cohort study from a single institution.One hundred twenty-one consecutive patients were surgically treated for thoracolumbar burst fractures.Grade of kyphosis correction (GKC) expressed radiological outcome; Oswestry Disability Index and visual analog scale were considered.One hundred twenty-one consecutive patients who underwent posterior fixation for unstable thoracolumbar burst fractures were retrospectively evaluated clinically and radiologically. Supplementary anterior fixations were performed in 34 cases with posterior instrumentation failure, determined on clinic-radiological evidence or symptomatic loss of kyphosis correction. Segmental kyphosis angle and GKC were calculated according to the Cobb method. The displacement of fracture fragments was obtained from the mean of the adjacent end plate areas subtracted from the area enclosed by the maximum contour of vertebral fragmentation. The "spread" was derived from the ratio between this subtraction and the mean of the adjacent end plate areas. Analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney, and receiver operating characteristic were performed for statistical analysis. The authors report no conflict of interest concerning the materials or methods used in the present study or the findings specified in this paper. No funds or grants have been received for the present study.The spread revealed to be a helpful quantitative measurement of vertebral body fragment displacement, easily reproducible with the current computed tomography (CT) imaging technologies. There were no failures of posterior fixations with preoperative spreads42% and losses of correction (LOC)10°, whereas spreads62.7% required supplementary anterior supports whenever LOC10° were recorded. Most of the patients in a "gray zone," with spreads between 42% and 62.7%, needed additional anterior supports because of clinical-radiological evidence of impending mechanical failures, which developed independently from the GKC. Preoperative kyphosis (p.001), load sharing score (p=.002), and spread (p.001) significantly affected the final surgical treatment (posterior or circumferential).Twenty-two years after the LSC, both improvements in spinal stabilization systems and software imaging innovations have modified surgical concepts and approach on spinal trauma care. Spread was found to be an additional tool that could help in predicting the posterior construct failure, providing an objective preoperative indicator, easily reproducible with the modern viewers for CT images.

STUDY DESIGN Case-control study. OBJECTIVE To evaluate early intervertebral disc degeneration quantified by T1ρ- and T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in asymptomatic weightlifters compared with a healthy control group matched for sex and age. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Athletes consistently recruit or transfer high levels of repetitive forces through the spine, and MRI has documented a higher rate of intervertebral disc degeneration in athletes compared with matched controls. This study aims to analyze the potential role of T1ρ-MRI in the assessment of early degenerative changes occurring in intervertebral discs of young asymptomatic weightlifters compared with healthy controls. METHODS Twenty-six asymptomatic young male weightlifters versus a sedentary control group matched for age and sex, both having no lower back pain nor any spinal symptoms, underwent MRI (1.5 T). Degenerative grade was assessed using T2-weighted images, according to the Pfirrmann scale. T1ρ mapping and values in the nucleus pulposus (n=130) were obtained. Differences in T1ρ value between among the groups and linear regression analyses with degenerative grade were determined. RESULTS Pfirrmann degenerative grade did not show significant differences among groups. Instead, T1ρ values were significantly lower in the lumbar spine of weightlifters compared with controls (P

The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate early dynamic serial gadolinium-enhanced and chemical-shift imaging (CSI) MRI to distinguish benign from malignant adrenal tumors.Between July 2007 and December 2011, 205 patients with 239 adrenal lesions (177 adenomas, 54 metastases, 5 pheochromocytomas, and 3 adrenal cortical carcinomas) underwent early dynamic serial gadolinium-enhanced MRI and CSI. CSI was assessed qualitatively and by calculating the adrenal index, and enhancement patterns were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively. Statistical analyses were performed.Most adenomas exhibited either an arterial blush or homogeneous enhancement, whereas most metastases showed early peripheral or heterogeneous enhancement. Visualization of higher enhancement on arterial and venous phases enabled differentiation of adenomas from metastases in most cases. Moderate to high signal intensity drop on CSI was seen in 95.4% of adenomas and 14.8% of metastases. In lesions with this level of signal intensity drop, 87 of 88 lesions with a capillary blush were adenomas. Early dynamic serial imaging alone was a significant (p0.0001) indicator of nonadenoma (area under the curve [AUC], 0.912) with optimal sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 93% for differentiating adenomas from nonadenomas. Combined analysis (CSI and early dynamic serial imaging) was also significant (p0.0001 and p=0.0014, respectively) for diagnosing nonadenomas (AUC, 0.983) with optimal sensitivity of 94% and specificity of 98%.Early dynamic serial gadolinium-enhanced MRI aids in characterization of adrenal tumors, especially lesions that are categorized as indeterminate on the basis of CSI.

Purpose To evaluate bone age determination using MRI of the hand and wrist. Materials and Methods A total of 179 (78 female and 101 males, 11 to 16 years old) subjects of 252 normal volunteers met entrance criteria. A low field open magnet (0.2 Tesla) was used for this study; coronal T1-weighted images with a slice thickness of 1.3 mm were acquired. Two blinded radiologists evaluated the studies and the following elements were considered: the appearance of cartilage, vacuolization of cartilage, provisional calcification, progression of ossification, and complete ossification. Correlation between chronologic age and MR bone age was determined by means of simple linear regression analysis. Results Strong correlation between MR skeletal age and chronological age was observed for both investigators, Pearson correlation R2 = 0.9 for each. Conclusion Determination of bone age with MRI is feasible and shows good interobserver reproducibility. Data from this study may be useful to develop an atlas of skeletal development and bone age. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2014;39:1198–1205. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The authors sought to determine the diagnostic performance of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (DCE-MR) imaging in the evaluation of prostate cancer before and after transrectal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) treatment.We analysed 25 patients with prostate cancer. The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) value was evaluated 1, 4 and 6 months after treatment. DCE-MR imaging was performed the day prior to and 1, 4 and 6 months after HIFU treatment. Transrectal prostate biopsies were obtained at the time of diagnosis and 6 months after treatment.Before treatment, intraglandular lesions were considered to be potential sites of neoplasm and subsequently confirmed as sites of prostate adenocarcinoma in all 25 patients based on prostatespecific antigen (PSA) values and histological examinations (rho=1; p0.001). Using histology as the gold standard, DCE-MR imaging displayed 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, 100% positive predictive value and 100% negative predictive value before treatment. After HIFU treatment, DCE-MR imaging showed 100% sensitivity and 96% specificity.DCE-MR imaging can be used to visualise prostate adenocarcinoma. Several morphological and postgadolinium modifications in the follow-up DCE-MR images after HIFU treatment were also observed.

STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study using T1ρ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of lumbar spine in healthy young adults. OBJECTIVE To evaluate early intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) quantified by T1ρ- and T2-weighted MRI in asymptomatic young adults and to correlate T1ρ value with Pfirrmann degenerative grade, sex, and body mass index (BMI). SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Intervertebral disc starts early to degenerate losing proteoglycan content in the nucleus pulposus (NP). A potential tool for the study of early stage of IDD is T1ρ MRI. T1ρ relaxation time of human discs has been correlated to proteoglycan content in previous studies. METHODS T1ρ- and T2-weighted images of the lumbar spine were obtained for 63 asymptomatic young subjects (34 men and 29 women; mean age, 22.95 ± 1.8 yr), with a 1.5-T MRI scanner. T1ρ mapping and values in the NP and anulus fibrosus (n = 315) were obtained. Degenerative grade was assessed using T2-weighted images, according to the Pfirrmann scale. Differences in T1ρ value between sexes, BMI, and linear regression analyses with degenerative grade were determined. RESULTS T1ρ values of NPs were significantly higher than those of anulus fibrosus at all levels. T1ρ values were significantly lower in women at L3-L4 and L4-L5 discs (P < 0.05). T1ρ values decreased linearly with degenerative grade. However, nondegenerated discs (Pfirrmann grades 1 and 2) showed a wide range of T1ρ relaxation time. No significant correlation was observed between T1ρ value and BMI. CONCLUSION The data of this study showed a significant difference in IDD onset between sexes. T1ρ values correlate with Pfirrmann degenerative grade in young adults. However, the wide distribution of T1ρ values in healthy intervertebral disc highlights the low sensitivity of Pfirrmann grade to detect the early IDD changes. T1ρ can be potentially used as a clinical tool to identify early IDD and to create a reliable quantitative scale.

Introduction: In forensic practice, there is a growing need for accurate methods of age estimation, especially in the cases of young individuals of unknown age. Age can be estimated through somatic features that are universally considered associated with chronological age. Unfortunately, these features do not always coincide with the real chronological age: for these reasons that age determination is often very difficult. Our aim is to evaluate accuracy of skeletal age estimation using Tomei’s MRI method in subjects between 12 and 19years old for forensic purposes. Material and methods: Two investigators analyzed MRI images of the left hand and wrist of 77 male and 74 female caucasian subjects, without chronic diseases or developmental disorders, whose age ranged from 12 to 19years. Skeletal maturation was determined by two operators, who analyzed all MRI images separately, in blinded fashion to the chronological age. Inter-rater agreement was measured with Pearson (R2) coefficient. One of the examiners repeated the evaluation after 6months, and intraobserver variation was analyzed. Bland–Altman plots were used to determine mean differences between skeletal and chronological age. Results: Inter-rater agreement Pearson coefficient showed a good linear correlation, respectively, 0.98 and 0.97 in males and females. Bland–Altman analysis demonstrated that the differences between chronological and skeletal age are not significant. Spearman’s correlation coefficient showed good correlation between skeletal and chronological age both in females (R2 = 0.96) and in males (R2 = 0.94). Conclusions: Our results show that MRI skeletal age is a reproducible method and has good correlation with chronological age.

To evaluate bone age determination using MRI of the hand and wrist.A total of 179 (78 female and 101 males, 11 to 16 years old) subjects of 252 normal volunteers met entrance criteria. A low field open magnet (0.2 Tesla) was used for this study; coronal T1-weighted images with a slice thickness of 1.3mm were acquired. Two blinded radiologists evaluated the studies and the following elements were considered: the appearance of cartilage, vacuolization of cartilage, provisional calcification, progression of ossification, and complete ossification. Correlation between chronologic age and MR bone age was determined by means of simple linear regression analysis.Strong correlation between MR skeletal age and chronological age was observed for both investigators, Pearson correlation R2 = 0.9 for each.Determination of bone age with MRI is feasible and shows good interobserver reproducibility. Data from this study may be useful to develop an atlas of skeletal development and bone age.

Introduction/Background The purpose of this study was to describe modification of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) distributions in breast cancer patients after aromatase inhibitor (AI) therapy using computed tomography (CT) volumetric measurement of abdominal body fat distribution. Patients and Methods Sixty-four consecutive patients who were receiving adjuvant AI therapy were included in this study. Patients were evaluated using CT before and after at least 6 months of AI therapy with imaging follow-up of 4.3 ± 2.2 years. Abdominal fat distribution was automatically calculated using a workstation that obtained total abdominal adipose tissue (TAAT) area (mm3). SAT was manually segmented and VAT was determined as TAAT − SAT. Percentages were calculated for change of TAAT, VAT, and SAT. VAT/SAT ratio was calculated. Results Percentage of TAAT after AI therapy was increased by a mean of 9.1% from baseline (16,280.3 ± 6953.3 mm3) to (17,763.6 ± 6850.8 mm3). Two groups of patients were observed; those with an increase in TAAT and those with a decrease. Modification of VAT/SAT ratio was observed (from 1.38 to 1.69) in all subjects, reflecting a relative increased volume of VAT (mean, 18%) and slight mean reduction of SAT (mean 1.9%). Conclusion In our study, therapy with AI in breast cancer patients was accompanied with a change in fat distribution to relatively greater VAT/SAT ratio in patients, regardless of whether they gained or lost weight after therapy. Because this pattern of fat distribution is associated with metabolic disorders, attention must be paid to these clinical manifestations in patients during their follow-up management.

The authors report a case of a young male with median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS). An abnormally low insertion of the median arcuate ligament fibres caused extrinsic compression and stenosis of the coeliac trunk. However, partial dissection of ligament fibres by laparoscopic surgery did not relieve abdominal angina. Multidetector CT confirmed that MALS did not differ from the preoperative scan. The arcuate ligament compressed the coeliac trunk on expiration, thereby eliciting occlusion of the coeliac trunk. Inspiration induced decompression of the ligament with partial release of occlusion of the coeliac trunk. This leads to hypo-perfusion of intestinal organs and abdominal angina. Considering the severe impairment of quality of life, open surgery for decompression of the coeliac trunk with vascular reconstruction is a reasonable option.

This study was done to determine the diagnostic accuracy of magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in patients with rectal carcinoma by comparing post-chemoradiation MR imaging with pathological specimens.We enrolled 39 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. All patients received chemoradiation therapy before surgery and neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy followed by MR imaging. MR images were analysed by a team of two expert radiologists unaware of the clinical and histopathological findings.Following neoadjuvant chemoradiation therapy, the analysis of MR images showed 23 (59%) patients with a rectal disease staged ≤T2 and 16 (41%) with a disease stagedT2. Post-treatment histological staging (TNM) revealed 13 patients with a diseaseT2 and 26 patients with a disease ≤T2. Cohen's kappa to measure concordance between post-chemoradiation MR staging and histological response showed 83.6% concordance for disease confined to the serosa (≤T3): concordance was 97.22% for disease ≤N1 and 33.33% for diseaseN1.MR imaging is critical for discovering T3 disease; moreover, morphological MR imaging does not always provide the opportunity to discern small residual cancer cells hidden in fibrotic tissue that could cause involvement of circumferential resection margin (CRM) on histology.

The aim of this article is to find a correlation between height and femur/skull measurements through Computed Tomography (CT) scans and derive regression equations for total skeletal height estimation in the Caucasian population. We selected 200 Caucasian patients from March 2010 to July 2011 who had to perform a CT scan for cancer restaging. The mean age is 64.5 years. Both sexes are represented by the same number of persons. Patients have executed a total body CT scan with contrast; once scan accomplished, we measured height through a digital scales. We analyzed CT scans of each patient, obtaining multiplanar reconstruction in sagittal and coronal planes with 1mm of thickness, and we measured 10 diameters of skull and femur. Then we performed a single and a multiple regression analysis considering the three diameters that better correlated with height. The skeletal diameters with the highest correlation coefficients with stature were femur lengths, length of cranial base (Ba-N), and distance from the posterior extremity of the cranial base to the inferior point of the nasal bone (Ba-NB). Although both femur and skull are skeletal segments used for stature estimation, in our sample femur gave stronger correlation with height than skull. h=35.7+1.48·BaN+2.32·BaNB+2.53·FEM and h=3.06·FEM+72.6 are the formulae that provided the most accurate stature assessment using multiple and single regression analysis respectively.

Introduction Neuroendocrine tumors are a rare but diverse group of malignancies that arise in a wide range of organ systems, including the mediastinum. Differential diagnosis includes other masses arising in the middle mediastinum such as lymphoma, pericardial, bronchogenic and enteric cysts, metastatic tumors, xanthogranuloma, systemic granuloma, diaphragmatic hernia, meningocele and paravertebral abscess. Case presentation We present a case of 42-year-old Caucasian man with a neuroendocrine tumor of the middle-posterior mediastinum and liver metastases, which resembled a lymphoma on magnetic resonance imaging. Conclusion The differential diagnosis in patients with mediastinal masses and liver lesions should include neuroendocrine tumor.