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Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of cardiac computed tomography (CCT) in the evaluation of coronary artery stenosis in patients with ascending aorta aneurysm detected at transthoracic echocardiography., Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients with an aneurysm 45 mm or greater at transthoracic echocardiography who underwent CCT from 2012 to 2014 in our hospital. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CCT for the assessment of coronary artery stenosis (<50% or ≥50% stenosis) in patients who underwent conventional coronary angiography., Results: We included 104 patients (73 men, aged 64 [SD, 10.8] years) in our study. Obstructive coronary artery disease was found in 22.1% of patients. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of CCT for detecting significant stenoses were 100%, 98%, and 82% and 100% on a segment-by-segment analysis and 100%, 83%, and 65% and 100% on a per-patient analysis, respectively., Conclusions: Cardiac computed tomography provides a comprehensive evaluation of ascending aorta aneurysms and coronary artery tree.

Objective: The objective of the study was to measure growth rate and to determine the optimal interval time for imaging follow-up of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) presenting at multi-detector-row computed tomography (MDCT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as small, indeterminate lesions., Methods: We included patients with cirrhosis with HCC initially presenting as indeterminate lesion of 2 cm or less at MDCT or MRI August 2005 to August 2009 and with available imaging follow-up. Measures of tumor growth included tumor volume doubling time (TVDT), tumor percentual diameter increase, and tumor percentual volume increase., Results: We examined 48 patients (mean age, 64 years) with 69 HCCs. At index examination, mean (SD) maximum transverse diameter and volume of lesions were 1.2 (SD, 0.3) cm and 0.6 (SD, 0.7) cm, respectively. Median TVDT was 210 days. Tumors with follow-up longer than 365 days had significant increase in tumor percentual diameter increase and tumor percentual volume increase., Conclusions: Median TVDT of 210 days suggests extended follow-up of 6 months for small, indeterminate liver nodules detected at MDCT or MRI.

Objectives: to assess the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the characterization of focal liver lesions (FLLs) incidentally discovered but indeterminate at gray-scale ultrasound (US)., Materials and Methods: one hundred forty-two consecutive patients with 174 FLLs (169 benign and 5 malignant) incidentally discovered but indeterminate at gray-scale US, underwent CEUS after the administration of SonoVue. Two readers independently reviewed CEUS scans and: (1) classified each lesion as malignant or benign on a 5-point scale of confidence by means of definite diagnostic criteria; (2) provided if possible a specific diagnosis; (3) were requested if further imaging was needed for lesion characterization. Sensitivity, specificity, and areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (Az) as well as interobserver agreement were calculated., Results: at CEUS, both readers correctly differentiated benign from malignant lesions in 168 of 174 (96.5%) cases (P < 0.0001). A specific correct diagnosis was provided in 123 of 174 (70.7%) and 127 of 174 (72.9%) cases for reader 1 and 2, respectively (P < 0.0001). A further imaging study to characterize the lesion after CEUS was requested in 67 cases (38.5%) for reader 1 (P < 0.001) and 46 cases (26.4%) for reader 2 (P < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis after CEUS revealed Az value of 1 for both readers and sensitivity and specificity values of 100% and 97.04% for reader 1 and 100% and 96.45 for reader 2 respectively (P < 0.0001). Inter-reader agreement at CEUS was good (weighted k = 0.779)., Conclusion: CEUS improves the diagnostic performance of radiologists in the characterization of indeterminate FLLs incidentally discovered at US and reduces the need for further radiologic work-up.

Benign hepatic vascular neoplasms and vascular pseudolesions are commonly encountered in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Most of these benign lesions demonstrate not only arterial-phase hyperintensity, but also persistent enhancement on venous and delayed imaging, unlike most malignant hepatic masses. These features, along with other MR findings and morphological characteristics, may allow for more confident diagnosis and distinction from hepatic malignancy. The objective of our study was to illustrate the MR imaging findings of hepatic lesions that demonstrate both early arterial and sustained enhancement on hepatic venous and delayed phase.

Hepatic adenoma is a rare benign epithelial tumor that is usually encountered in young women who use oral contraceptives. It is clinically significant because of the risk of hemorrhage and of its low-grade malignancy potential. Adenomas usually are mildly hypervascular at contrast-enhanced CT and MR imaging, and heterogeneous due to the presence of hemorrhage, necrosis, calcifications and fat. The objective of our study was to illustrate the CT and MR imaging findings of hepatic adenoma.

Objective: The objective of this study was to compare intracoronary attenuation on 16-row multislice computed tomography (16-MSCT) coronary angiography using 2 contrast materials (CM) with high iodine concentration., Material and Methods: Forty consecutive patients (29 male, 11 female; mean age, 61+/-11 years) with suspected coronary artery disease were randomized to 2 groups to receive 100 mL of either iopromide 370 (group 1: Ultravist 370, 370 mg iodine/mL; Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) or iomeprol 400 (group 2: Iomeron 400, 400 mg iodine/mL; Bracco Imaging SpA, Milan, Italy). Both CM were administered at a rate of 4 mL/s. All patients underwent 16-MSCT coronary angiography (Sensation 16; Siemens, Germany) with collimation 16 x 0.75 mm and rotation time 375 ms. The attenuation in Hounsfield units (HU) achieved after each CM was determined at regions of interest (ROIs) placed at the origin of coronary arteries and on the ascending aorta, descending aorta, and pulmonary artery. Differences in mean attenuation in the coronary arteries and on the ascending aorta, descending aorta, and pulmonary artery were evaluated using Student t test., Results: The mean attenuation achieved at each anatomic site was consistently greater after iomeprol 400 than after iopromide 370. At the origin of coronary arteries, the mean attenuation after iomeprol 400 (340+/-53 HU) was greater (P<0.05) than that after iopromide 370 (313+/- 42 HU). Similar findings were noted for the mean attenuation in the ascending aorta, descending aorta, and pulmonary artery., Conclusion: The intravenous administration of iomeprol 400 provides higher attenuation of the coronary arteries and of the great arteries of the thorax as compared with iopromide 370 using the same injection parameters.