Consultant Radiologist Research Articles

AI vs FRCR: What it means for the future

A recent work by Shelmerdine et al. was published in the Christmas edition of the BMJ. The authors were inspired by George Hinton’s statement that artificial intelligence (AI) would supersede radiologists, and ventured to investigate whether the AI software Milvue Suite which had been trained on a few hundred thousand chest and musculoskeletal x-rays, could pass the rapid reporting section of the FRCR – an exam which must be passed in order to practice as a consultant radiologist in the UK. This brief comment sums up the company's opinions and perspective from the practical AI developmental angle and also its translation into a commercially viable and clinically useful tool. Hoping this will provide a fair and balanced view of the role of AI in radiology.

Comparison of Preop High Resolution CT Temporal Bone Findings with Intraoperative Findings in Cholesteatoma

Background: Since many years, CT-scan of the temporal bone is a widely accepted investigation in preoperative evaluation of patients with cholesteatoma in the middle ear. Aim: To compare the preoperative HRCT findings with intraoperative findings in the patients with atticoantral CSOM Study design: Comparative cross-sectional study Setting: Department of ENT Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore Duration: February 1st 2022 to January 31st 2023 Methods: After taking approval from board of studies, IRB & ASRB of FJMU, 50 patients fulfilling inclusion criteria were admitted in Department of ENT, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore. Firstly patients were seen in outdoor, history and otoscopy followed by examination under microscope was done, then the diagnosis of atticoantral CSOM was established. HRCT temporal bone of the cases diagnosed as atticoantral type CSOM was done. The patients were then admitted for mastoid exploration. Informed consent was obtained. Demographic information was recorded. HRCT temporal bone was reported by consultant radiologist from Department of Radiology, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in all cases. Intraoperative findings like soft tissue mass, dural& sinus plate, ossicular status, status of semicircular canal, facial canal and scutum was noted and compared with the preoperative HRCT findings. Then the data was collected in accordance to patients Proforma. Results: The mean age of patients was 22.32±10.42 years. Among patients 56% were male and 44% were female. HRCT was closely in agreement with intraoperative findings for detection of soft tissues mass in middle ear [HRCT:92% & IOF: 100%], dural plates [HRCT:98% & IOF: 98%], Sigmoid sinus plates [HRCT:92% & IOF: 92%], erosion of malleus [HRCT:56% & IOF: 62%], Incus [HRCT:56% & IOF: 26%], stapes [HRCT:60% & IOF: 66%], ;lateral semicircular canal [HRCT:96% & IOF:96%], facial canal nerve [HRCT:96% & IOF: 94%] and scutum [HRCT:70% & IOF: 74%] respectively. This would be of great help to the otologists in anticipating the possible complications, developing treatment strategy, counseling the patient regarding the procedure and in taking consent about expected complications. Conclusion: In patients of atticoantral CSOM HRCT effectively helps in preoperative assessment of the site & extent of the disease process, Ossicular erosion and status of various important anatomical structure. Keywords: Preoperative, HRCT, Intraoperative, Atticoantral, CSOM, Mastoidectomy, Ossicular necrosis.

ICP during head movement: significance of the venous system.

It is thought that the internal jugular veins (IJV) are the primary route for cranial venous outflow in supine position and the vertebral venous plexus when upright. Previous studies have noted a greater increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) when subjects turn their head in one direction compared to the other, but no clear cause had been investigated. We hypothesised that in the supine position, head turning and consequently obstructing the IJV draining the dominant transverse sinus (TVS) would lead to a greater rise in ICP compared to turning to the non-dominant side. A prospective study in a large-volume neurosurgical centre. Patients undergoing continuous ICP monitoring as part of their standard clinical management were recruited. Immediate ICP was measured in different head positions (neutral, rotated to the right and left) when supine, seated, and standing. TVS dominance was established by consultant radiologist report on venous imaging. Twenty patients were included in the study, with a median age of 44 years. Venous system measurements revealed 85% right-sided vs 15% left-sided dominance. Immediate ICP rose more when head turning from neutral to the dominant TVS (21.93mmHg ± 4.39) vs non-dominant side (16.66mmHg ± 2.71) (p= <0.0001). There was no significant relationship in the sitting (6.08mmHg ± 3.86 vs 4.79mmHg ± 3.81, p = 0.13) or standing positions (8.74mmHg ± 4.30 vs 6.76mmHg ± 4.14, p =0.07). This study has provided further evidence that the transverse venous sinus to internal jugular system pathway is the likely primary venous drainage when supine; and quantified its effect when head turning on ICP. It may guide patient-specific nursing care and advice.

Can MRI biomarkers for hearing loss in enlarged vestibular aqueduct be measured reproducibly?

Morphological features of an enlarged endolymphatic duct (ED) and sac (ES) are imaging biomarkers for genotype and hearing loss phenotype. We determine which biomarkers can be measured in a reproducible manner, facilitating further clinical prediction studies in enlarged vestibular aqueduct hearing loss. A rater reproducibility study. Three consultant radiologists independently measured previously reported MRI ED & ES biomarkers (ED midpoint width, maximal ED diameter closest to the vestibule, ES length, ES width and presence of ES signal heterogeneity) and presence of incomplete partition Type 2 from 80 ears (T2 weighted axial MRI). Interclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and Gwet's Agreement Coefficients (AC) were generated to give a measure of reproducibility for both continuous and categorical feature measures respectively. ES length, width and sac signal heterogeneity showed adequate reproducibility (ICC 95% confidence intervals 0.77-0.95, Gwet's AC for sac heterogeneity 0.64). When determining ED midpoint width, measurements from multiple raters are required for "good" reliability (ICC 95% CI 0.75-0.89). Agreement on the presence of incomplete partition Type 2 ranged from "moderate" to "substantial". Regarding MR imaging, the opinion of multiple expert raters should be sought when determining the presence of an enlarged ED defined by midpoint width. ED midpoint, ES length, width and signal heterogeneity have adequate reproducibility to be further explored as clinical predictors for audiological phenotype. We report which ED & ES biomarkers are reproducibly measured. Researchers can confidently utilise these specific biomarkers when modelling progressive hearing loss associated with enlarged vestibular aqueduct.

Accuracy of Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma Performed by Emergency Medicine Residents

Aim: To evaluate the accuracy of focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) performed by emergency medicine residents to detect intra-peritoneal free fluid in blunt trauma patients. Design: Randomized control trial. Place and duration of study: Accident &amp; Emergency Department, Mayo Hospital Lahore from 6th April 2022 to 5th November 2022. Methodology: One hundred and twenty one patients were included. FAST scan was performed in each patient by emergency resident as well as radiology resident. FAST was performed under direct supervision of radiology consultant. Furthermore, FAST reports were confirmed by patient follow up in first 24 hours by checking final outcome of patient based on results of abdominal computed tomography (CT), exploratory laparotomy or conservative management by admitting in surgical ward for observation and hemodynamic status change. Results: Focused assessment with sonography for trauma scan done by emergency residents showed free fluid in 20 patients (16.5%) while FAST done by radiology residents was positive in 21 (17.4%). Sensitivity of FAST performed by EM residents was 85.7% and specificity was 98%, while FAST done by radiology residents had sensitivity of 95.25 and specificity of 99%. Accuracy of FAST done by EM residents was 95.8% as final outcome. Conclusion: After training, emergency residents can perform FAST with high accuracy, similar to radiology residents in blunt abdominal trauma patients. Keywords: Focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST), Trauma, Blunt abdominal trauma

Frequency and Type of Thyroid Carcinoma in Patients With Multinodular Goiter.

Background This study aimed to investigate the incidence and subtype of thyroid cancer in multinodular goitre (MNG) patients who underwent total thyroidectomy. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Khyber Teaching Hospital, screening 207 MNG patients who received complete thyroidectomies between July and December 2022. The senior consultant diagnosed thyroid cancer based on a complete history, physical examination, and laboratory and radiological studies. Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed by a senior consultant radiologist. Bethesda categories for all lesions were recorded. All patients underwent thyroidectomy, and the diagnosis of thyroid cancer was confirmed on histopathology. Results A total of 207 patients were included in the study, with a mean age of 45.55 ± 8.75 years. Out of 207 patients, 24 (11.59%) were diagnosed with thyroid cancer.Out of 62 male patients, 15 (7.25%) had thyroid cancer. Out of 145 female patients, only nine had cancer (p < 0.001). Nine patients with thyroid cancer had a body mass index (BMI) below 18, compared to only five patients with a BMI of more than 30 kg/m2.The difference in age distribution was not significant in our study (p = 0.102). Conclusion In conclusion, our study sheds light on the frequency and potential risk factors associated with thyroid cancer in patients with multinodular goiter. Our findings reveal that papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most commonly observed form of thyroid cancer in this patient population, with around 12 percent of patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Notably, our study highlights that male patients and those with a lower BMI may have a greater risk of developing thyroid cancer in the context of multinodular goiter.The findings of this study have important implications for the care and follow-up of MNG patients who receive total thyroidectomy. Further research is needed to investigate the type and prognosis of thyroid cancer in patients with MNG.

Diagnostic accuracy of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating low- and high-grade gliomas, taking histopathology as the gold standard

Gliomas are known to be one of the most grievous malignant central nervous system (CNS) tumors and have a high mortality rate with a low survival rate severe disability and increase risk of recurrence. Aim of his study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating low-grade and high-grade gliomas, taking histopathology as the gold standard. It is a Cross-sectional validation study conducted at the Armed Forces Institute of Radiology and Imaging, (AFIRI) Rawalpindi, Pakistan from 28th February 2022 to 27th August 2022. Materials and methods: A total of 215 patients with focal brain lesions of age 25-65 years of either gender were included. Patients with a cardiac pacemaker, breastfeeding females, de-myelinating lesions and malignant infiltrates, and renal failure were excluded. Then diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed on each patient by using a 1.5 Tesla MR system. The area of greatest diffusion restriction (lowest ADC) within the solid tumor component was identified while avoiding areas of peritumoral edema. Results of ADC were interpreted by a consultant radiologist (at least 5 years of post-fellowship experience) for high or low-grade glioma. After this, each patient has undergone a biopsy in the concerned ward, and histopathology results were compared with ADC findings. Results: Overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and diagnostic accuracy of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in differentiating low- and high-grade gliomas, taking histopathology as the gold standard was 93.65%, 87.64%, 91.47%, 90.70% and 91.16% respectively. Conclusion: This study concluded that apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) is the non-invasive modality of choice with high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating low- and high-grade gliomas.

What Do Radiology Residents Think of CT Abdomen and Pelvis Structured Reporting System?

Background: &#x0D; Radiology reports play a critical role in communicating information to clinicians in a timely and accurate manner. In recent years, there has been a growing shift towards the use of structured reporting systems (SRS) as an alternative to traditional free-text reports.&#x0D; Objective: The objective of our study is to assess the knowledge, attitude of radiology resident towards structured reporting and whether they practice report writing with SRS.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 168 residents from radiology residency programs in the Western region of Saudi Arabia. Participants were surveyed using an English questionnaire. The questionnaire included demographic data, and questions concerning residents’ knowledge of SRS, attitude towards SRS and utilization of SRS in abdominopelvic computed tomography (CT) reports. Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Medicine. &#x0D; Results: 78 residents participated in the survey. 10% of the residents were not familiar with SRS. 71% of the residents who did hear about it, did from a radiology consultant. 30% of the residents denied receiving training in reporting skills. 63.5% of residents preferred using SRS in abdomen and pelvis CT studies. Compared to conventional reporting, residents agreed that SRS helped them spot findings, took less time and decreased errors. On the other hand, residents thought that SRS limits their freedom of speech, and is harder to use in complex cases.&#x0D; Conclusion: Most radiology residents have a positive attitude towards SRS and believe that they increase the efficiency and accuracy of their reports. The overall level of knowledge and positive attitude of residents will, hopefully, help institutions implement structured reporting systems in the future.&#x0D; &#x0D; Key words: structured reports, radiology reports, free-text reports, attitude, practice, knowledge.

Nudging to select single-lumen over multiple-lumen peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) in a large safety net system.

Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are increasingly used for vascular access in inpatient settings. Compared to multilumen PICCs, single-lumen PICCs carry a lower rate of complications, including central-line-associated bloodstream infection and thrombosis. Despite this, multilumen PICCs are still overused. This quality improvement initiative was implemented across 11 hospitals at New York City Health + Hospitals safety net system. The electronic health record (EHR) interventional radiology or vascular access team consultation orders were modified to allow for lumen choice, with default selection to a single-lumen PICC. Average single-lumen PICC utilization increased by 25.5%, from 44.4% to 69.9% (P < .001). CLABSI rates had a nonsignificant reduction by 26.7% from 2.44 to 1.79 infections per month (P = .255). Among provider types in the postintervention period, single-lumen PICC utilization ranged from 67.7% for advanced practice providers to 82.4%-94.6% for physicians. Among provider specialties, utilization ranged from 31.8% for neurology to 97.7% for orthopedics. Additionally, there was large variation in pre- and postintervention differences in utilization by hospital. We successfully increased single-lumen PICC utilization across all 11 safety net hospitals. This expands on previous work on improving single-lumen PICC use and use of default nudges in large, resource-limited settings. Further study is needed to examine variation among provider types, specialties, and hospitals.

Making high-quality radiology services accessible to all

Naeem Ahmed, consultant radiologist at Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust, discusses workforce transformation in radiology and the actions that leaders are taking to help services adapt to rising demand.

Improving the quality and safety of radiology reporting: A prospective audit of discrepancies among consultant radiologists

AbstractObjectivesTo examine discrepancy rates over multiple annual cycles in reporting by consultant radiologists for the interpretation of acute Computerized Tomography (CT) examinations.MethodsA prospective audit with peer review and second reading of acute CT scans was implemented in one radiology department in the UK. A longitudinal audit over 5 years was performed to determine the discrepancy rate of acute and emergency CT scans conducted on weekends. The examinations comprised CT head, thorax, abdomen and pelvis, CT Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder (CT KUB), and CT angiography scans. Discrepancies were scored as no discrepancy (zero), minor discrepancy (one), moderate discrepancy (two), or significant discrepancy (three). Seventeen consultants took part in the audit as primary reporters and second readers. All consultants were on‐call radiologists, and the allocation of cases was randomized depending on the on‐call rota. Results were reported annually to one consultant radiologist.ResultsA significant discrepancy rate of 1.2% (p = 0.026) was found for consultant radiologists, interpreting acute CT examinations based on 2951 s read CT scans.ConclusionsTo the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to establish significant discrepancy rates among consultant radiologists, interpreting acute CT examinations over time.

Frequency and Clinical Utility of Alerts for Intra-Institutional Radiologist Discrepant Opinions

ObjectiveDetermine the rate of documented notification, via an alert, for intra-institutional discrepant radiologist opinions and addended reports and resulting clinical management changes. MethodsThis institutional review board–exempt, retrospective study was performed at a large academic medical center. We defined an intra-institutional discrepant opinion as when a consultant radiologist provides a different interpretation from that formally rendered by a colleague at our institution. We implemented a discrepant opinion policy requiring closed-loop notification of the consulting radiologist’s second opinion to the original radiologist, who must acknowledge this alert within 30 days. This study included all discrepant opinion alerts created December 1, 2019, to December 31, 2021, of which two radiologists and an internal medicine physician performed consensus review. Primary outcomes were degree of discrepancy and percent of discrepant opinions leading to change in clinical management. Secondary outcome was report addendum rate compared with an existing peer learning program using Fisher’s exact test. ResultsOf 114 discrepant opinion alerts among 1,888,147 reports generated during the study period (0.006%), 58 alerts were categorized as major (50.9%), 41 as moderate (36.0%), and 15 as minor discrepancies (13.1%). Clinical management change occurred in 64 of 114 cases (56.1%). Report addendum rate for discrepant opinion alerts was 4-fold higher than for peer learning alerts at our institution (66 of 315 = 21% versus 432 of 8,273 =5.2%; P < .0001). DiscussionAlthough discrepant intra-institutional radiologist second opinions were rare, they frequently led to changes in clinical management. Capturing these discrepancies by encouraging alert use may help optimize patient care and document what was communicated to the referring or consulting care team by consulting radiologists.

Looking Inside the Story of Radiology

Abstract The desire to look ever more clearly and deeply into the human body has tantalised doctors for generations. Prof Terry Young FBCS and Dr Jonathan Nash FRCR, consultant breast radiologist, explore radiology’s past, present and future.

Routine assessment of carotid plaques on Doppler USG and associated presenting symptoms at a Tertiary Care Centre, Lahore

Objective: To determine the frequency of carotid plaques on Doppler USG and associated presenting symptoms at Tertiary Care Centre, Lahore. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 366 individuals was conducted from January 2020 to November 2020 at the Radiology Department of Shiekh Zayed Hospital, Lahore, Pakistan. A consultant radiologist scanned both sides of the extra-cranial carotid artery tree. The DUS of carotid arteries was done with a GE Voluson Expert 730 Doppler ultrasound machine, using a linear probe with a transducer frequency of 6-12.5MHz. Results: A total of 366 patients underwent bilateral carotid Doppler ultrasound examinations. Our findings showed carotid plaques in 156 (42.62%) patients; the majority were males 105(67.53). The mean age recorded was 61.17 ±9.54 years and the mean body mass index was 25.43±3.40 Kg/m2. The highest number of plaques were noted in the left carotid artery 64 (41.03%), the main location was the common carotid artery 88 (56.41%) and, the majority were homogenous plagues 88 (56.41%).The majority of patients presented with headaches 177 (48.36%). Associated comorbidities were diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Conclusion: The accuracy of diagnosing Carotid artery plaques has greatly increased over time payable to radiological innovation.

Concordance between a gastrointestinal consultant radiologist, a consultant radiologist and qualified reporting radiographers interpreting abdominal radiographs

IntroductionRadiographers can accurately report musculoskeletal and chest radiographs, but there is paucity of research comparing the performance of reporting radiographers (RRs) with consultant radiologists when interpreting and reporting abdominal radiographs. This study assessed interobserver agreement in the clinical setting between reporting radiographers and a consultant radiologist compared to an expert gastrointestinal radiologist in a District General Hospital. Major discordant reports affecting patient management were also examined. Methods126 abdominal radiographs reported by 3 RRs in clinical practice were randomly selected and reported by a consultant radiologist and index gastrointestinal radiologist. The reports of the RRs and consultant radiologist were compared against the reports made by the index radiologist for agreement by a colorectal consultant surgeon. All 126 reports were scored as being in either complete agreement, minor disagreement or major disagreement which would have resulted in a change to patient management. ResultsThere was no significant difference in overall agreement between the consultant radiologist (CR) and RRs when compared to the index radiologist (CR: n = 90/126, 71.4% and RRs: n = 94/126, 74.6%. p = 0.57). Major disagreements were found, but there was no significant difference between both groups (CR: n = 23/126, 18.3% and RRs: n = 17/126, 13.5%. p = 0.30). ConclusionRRs can report abdominal radiographs to a comparable level of agreement as a consultant radiologist in the clinical setting. There was no significant difference in reports deemed to affect patient management. Implications for practiceThis study addresses the gap in assessing the performance of RRs reporting abdominal radiographs. This small scale study indicates that radiographers could provide additional support in the reporting of abdominal radiographs. This would help to reduce radiologist workload and enhance the role of the reporting radiographer. ClassificationAgreement between reporting radiographers and radiologists interpreting and reporting abdominal radiographs.

Monoparametric high-resolution diffusion weighted MRI as a possible first step in an MRI-directed diagnostic pathway for men with suspicion of prostate cancer.

To explore if a high-resolution diffusion weighted MRI sequence (DWI-only) could be used as a first step in an MRI-directed diagnostic pathway. Prospective single center study that between December 2017 and August 2018 included 129 consecutive patients with suspicion of prostate cancer into a PI-RADS-based MRI-directed diagnostic pathway. All patients had multiparametric MRI (mpMRI). Based on only the transversal high-resolution DWI images two consultant radiologists prospectively categorized the findings as positive, equivocal, or negative for clinically significant cancer. The radiologists then interpreted the mpMRI and assigned a PI-RADS score. A third independent reader retrospectively categorized the DWI-only exams without access to the mpMRI. The interpretations of DWI-only were compared to the PI-RADS classification from mpMRI and the histopathology from the biopsies. Non-biopsied patients were followed in a safety net monitoring for 56 months. Based on DWI-only, 29 (22.5%) of the exams were categorized as negative, 38 (29.5%) as equivocal and 62 (48.1%) as positive. Of the 56 patients with PI-RADS 4-5 at mpMRI, 55 were also categorized as positive at DWI-only. All patients diagnosed with clinically significant cancer were identified using DWI-only. 56 months of safety net monitoring did not reveal any clinically significant cancers among patients with exams categorized as negative or equivocal. There was high inter-reader agreement on positive findings, but less agreement on negative and equivocal findings. In this concept study, the monoparametric DWI-only identified all patients with clinically significant cancer in a mpMRI-directed diagnostic pathway.

Contrast Agent Dose Reduction in MRI Utilizing a Generative Adversarial Network in an Exploratory Animal Study.

The aim of this study is to use virtual contrast enhancement to reduce the amount of hepatobiliary gadolinium-based contrast agent in magnetic resonance imaging with generative adversarial networks (GANs) in a large animal model. With 20 healthy Göttingen minipigs, a total of 120 magnetic resonance imaging examinations were performed on 6 different occasions, 50% with reduced (low-dose; 0.005 mmol/kg, gadoxetate) and 50% standard dose (normal-dose; 0.025 mmol/kg). These included arterial, portal venous, venous, and hepatobiliary contrast phases (20 minutes, 30 minutes). Because of incomplete examinations, one animal had to be excluded. Randomly, 3 of 19 animals were selected and withheld for validation (18 examinations). Subsequently, a GAN was trained for image-to-image conversion from low-dose to normal-dose (virtual normal-dose) with the remaining 16 animals (96 examinations). For validation, vascular and parenchymal contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) was calculated using region of interest measurements of the abdominal aorta, inferior vena cava, portal vein, hepatic parenchyma, and autochthonous back muscles. In parallel, a visual Turing test was performed by presenting the normal-dose and virtual normal-dose data to 3 consultant radiologists, blinded for the type of examination. They had to decide whether they would consider both data sets as consistent in findings and which images were from the normal-dose study. The pooled dynamic phase vascular and parenchymal CNR increased significantly from low-dose to virtual normal-dose (pooled vascular: P < 0.0001, pooled parenchymal: P = 0.0002) and was found to be not significantly different between virtual normal-dose and normal-dose examinations (vascular CNR [mean ± SD]: low-dose 17.6 ± 6.0, virtual normal-dose 41.8 ± 9.7, and normal-dose 48.4 ± 12.2; parenchymal CNR [mean ± SD]: low-dose 20.2 ± 5.9, virtual normal-dose 28.3 ± 6.9, and normal-dose 29.5 ± 7.2). The pooled parenchymal CNR of the hepatobiliary contrast phases revealed a significant increase from the low-dose (22.8 ± 6.2) to the virtual normal-dose (33.2 ± 6.1; P < 0.0001) and normal-dose sequence (37.0 ± 9.1; P < 0.0001). In addition, there was no significant difference between the virtual normal-dose and normal-dose sequence. In the visual Turing test, on the median, the consultant radiologist reported that the sequences of the normal-dose and virtual normal-dose are consistent in findings in 100% of the examinations. Moreover, the consultants were able to identify the normal-dose series as such in a median 54.5% of the cases. In this feasibility study in healthy Göttingen minipigs, it could be shown that GAN-based virtual contrast enhancement can be used to recreate the image impression of normal-dose imaging in terms of CNR and subjective image similarity in both dynamic and hepatobiliary contrast phases from low-dose data with an 80% reduction in gadolinium-based contrast agent dose. Before clinical implementation, further studies with pathologies are needed to validate whether pathologies are correctly represented by the network.

Outcome in terms of improvement in segmental kyphosis in patients with thoraco-lumber spinal tuberculosis medicated with combination of radical debridement, cage fixation and grafting of bones

Introduction: One of the familiar Pulmonary tuberculosis includes TB spine especially in developing countries [1].Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis approximately involves 14% of patients, with 1% to 8 % having osseous diseases of which 30% to 50% have spinal involvement. The results of this study will direct policy makers of health management system to conceive significant involvement at clinical as well as community level. Objective: To determine the outcome in terms of improvement in segmental kyphosis in patients with thoraco-lumber spine TB medicated with combination of debridement (radical), cage fixation and grafting bones. Material and Methods: 73 patients were taken as total sample. Researchers had taken detailed history of patients and then clinically examined. All patients in whom clinical suspicion of spinal tuberculosis found was subjected to spinal cord and vertebral imaging, CT scan X-rays as well as MRI spine. Radiographs were reported by consultant radiologist. Results: 48 years was mean age of patients. Among them 65% patients were male and female patients were 35%. Furthermore segmental kyphosis has been improved in 93%victims and has not been improved in 7% victims with thoraco-lumber spinal TB spine managed with combination of cage fixation, radical debridement and grafting of bones.

Diagnostic Accuracy Of Contrast Enhanced Ct For Detection Of Renal Cell Carcinoma Taking Histopathology As Gold Standard.

Renal cell carcinoma being the commonest primary renal malignancy of adulthood accounts for approximately 80-90% renal malignant lesions. The purpose of radiological imaging modalities when devising the treatment options for renal masses is crucial as it significantly influence the clinical outcome and prognosis of the disease. Subjective impression by a radiologist for diagnosing a mass lesion is known to be critical and its precision is improved by contrast enhanced CT as demonstrated by certain retrospective analyses. We aimed to ascertain the diagnostic accuracy of contrast enhanced computed tomography to diagnose renal cell cancers by verifying through histopathology reported diagnoses. This Cross-sectional (validation) study was carried out in Radiology and Urology departments of Ayub Teaching Hospital; Abbottabad, from 1st November 2020 to 30th April 2022. The study population included all admitted symptomatic patients with age range 18-70 years of either gender. The patients were subjected to detailed clinical examination and history and an ultrasound and contrast enhanced CT abdomen and pelvis. CT scans were reported under supervision of single consultant radiologist. Data was analysed in SPSS version 20.0. Mean age of the patients was 38.88±11.62 years ranging from 18-70 years and mean duration of symptoms was 54.64±49.171 ranging from 3-180 days. All of the total 113 patients underwent contrast enhanced CT scan and later operated to confirm the diagnoses by histopathology. The comparison yielded true positive (TP) cases to be 67, True Negative (TN) 16, False Positive (FP) 26, and 4 False Negative (FN) as per CT scan diagnoses. CT scan had a diagnostic Accuracy of 73.45% with 94.37% sensitivity and 38.10% specificity. Contrast-enhanced CT has a high sensitivity for making the diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma; however, its specificity is low. A multidisciplinary approach is necessary to overcome the low specificity. Therefore, collaboration between radiologists and urologic oncologists should be considered while devising treatment plan for patients.

Interobserver reproducibility of RENAL nephrometry score in comparison to simplified PADUA Renal nephrometry score

Abstract Introduction: Nephron-sparing surgery (NSS) is the standard of care for renal tumors, especially in the early stages. RENAL Nephrometry scores provide a comprehensive presurgical predictive module for the choice of NSS or Radical Nephrectomy. The validity and reliability of Nephrometry scores is being tested continuously with advancement in the surgical techniques. The Simplified PADUA Nephrometry score (SPARE NS) is a newer proposed score which aims to better the reproducibility of the previously established nephrometry scores. Materials and Methods: The retrospective observational study studied the comparative inter-observer reliability of RENAL (RENAL NS) and SPARE nephrometry scoring systems amongst two radiologists while assessing solid renal tumors in contrast-enhanced computed tomography scans of 42 patients. Interobserver reliability for all components of both scores, final scores and risk grading was done by Kendall’s Concordance Coefficient (Tau). Results: Both RENAL NS and SPARE NS showed strong to excellent agreement (RENAL NS = 78.57% and SPARE NS = 88.09%) among observers with comparable correlation co-efficient (RENAL NS = 0.944 and SPARE NS = 0.935). Lesion radius and exophytic/endophytic properties were the most reproducible components of RENAL NS with 97.61% and 92.85% agreement, respectively. Location across polar lines was the least reproducible component with 85.71% agreement among observers. Exophytic rate (97.61%) and Rim location were the most reproducible components of SPARE NS. The final lesion risk stratification by both observers for both was concordant in 92.85% of cases. Conclusion: The SPARE system of scoring matches up to the RENAL NS in total score and risk stratification reproducibility. However, the individual components of the SPARE score are more reproducible than those of RENAL NS, bringing about better compliance among radiology consultants. Comparable reproducibility with the RENAL NS, lesser number of variables, and ease of doing make SPARE NS a plausible option for the customary preoperative assessment of renal tumors.