Sensitivity Of Contrast-enhanced CT Research Articles

ROLE OF CONTRAST-ENHANCED CT PARANASAL SINUSES IN DIAGNOSING RHINOSINOMUCORMYCOSIS IN POST COVID PATIENTS

Rhinosinomucormycosis is a life-threatening fungal infection that has emerged as a significant complication in post-COVID-19 patients, particularly in those with diabetes or corticosteroid use. Early diagnosis is critical, and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) has proven valuable in detecting characteristic features of the disease. Objective: This study evaluates the role of CECT in diagnosing rhinosinomucormycosis in post-COVID patients in Pakistan. Methods: A retrospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Rawalpindi from March 2021 to September 2021. Ninety patients with clinical suspicion of rhinosinomucormycosis following COVID-19 were included. All patients underwent CECT of the paranasal sinuses, and imaging findings were correlated with histopathological results. Demographic data, risk factors, and clinical outcomes were also analyzed. Results: The sensitivity of CECT in diagnosing rhinosinomucormycosis was 95%. Common imaging findings included sinonasal mucosal thickening (86.7%), bone erosion (72.2%), intraorbital extension (53.3%), and intracranial extension (23.3%). Diabetes mellitus (71.1%) and corticosteroid use (70%) were the most prevalent risk factors. Patients with intraorbital or intracranial involvement had higher rates of complications, including surgical intervention (63.3%) and mortality (6.7%).Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced CT is a reliable diagnostic tool for rhinosinomucormycosis in post-COVID-19 patients, enabling early detection and management of the disease. Incorporating CECT into routine diagnostic protocols can significantly improve outcomes, particularly in high-risk populations in resource-constrained settings.

A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF ULTRASOUND AND COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY IN EVALUATION OF ACUTE AND CHRONIC PANCREATITIS, ASSOCIATED COMPLICATIONS AND PREDICTING SEVERITY AND PROGNOSIS

Objectives: (1) The objective of the study was to determine the value of USG and computed tomography (CT) in early diagnosis of acute pancreatitis (AP). (2) The study aimed to compare which of the above two radiological investigations (USG/CT) provides the most important information of the disease process and to determine value of CT in evaluating complications, morbidity/severity, and predicting prognosis of AP using modified CT severity index (MCTSI). Methods: This study included 50 patients diagnosed with pancreatitis, consisting of 38 cases of AP and 12 cases of chronic pancreatitis (CP). Both USG and contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) were used to visualize the pancreas, assess its size, detect peripancreatic inflammation and fluid collections, and identify the extent of necrosis and complications. The sensitivity and specificity of USG and CECT were compared. The severity of AP was classified using the MCTSI within 3 days of symptom onset. Clinical outcomes, including hospital stay duration, organ failure, systemic infection, and the need for surgical intervention, were recorded and correlated with MCTSI scores. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 22.0 was used for statistical analysis and p<0.05 was taken as statistically significant. Results: The mean age of patients was 37.92±12.14 years. USG had a sensitivity of 58% for detecting AP, significantly lower than the 95% sensitivity of CECT, primarily due to bowel gas interference. Both USG and CECT had high positive predictive values. The MCTSI effectively classified the severity of AP, with 41.5% of cases categorized as mild, 39% as moderate, and 19.5% as severe. Extrapancreatic complications were significantly correlated with adverse clinical outcomes and end-organ failure when included in the MCTSI scoring. USG was adequate for diagnosing CP through visualization of dilated ducts, calcifications, and atrophic pancreas, but CECT demonstrated higher specificity and accuracy, especially for rare forms like groove and mass-forming pancreatitis. The study showed a strong correlation between MCTSI scores and patient outcomes. The mortality rate was 2%, observed only in patients with severe AP. Conclusion: The MCTSI is a valuable tool for accurately classifying the severity of AP and predicting clinical outcomes. CECT is superior to USG in diagnosing and managing pancreatitis, providing better visualization and assessment of complications. While USG is useful for diagnosing CP, CECT offers greater specificity and accuracy. The study supports the use of MCTSI in routine clinical practice to guide the management and predict outcomes in patients with AP.

Evaluation of Diagnostic Accuracy of Contrastenhanced Computed Tomography in Acute Abdomen: A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction: Acute abdomen is one of the most frequent causes of presentation to the Emergency Department (ED). The clinicians favour radiological examinations to reach the proper final diagnosis after thorough physical examinations, lab investigations, and clinical interpretation. Contrast-enhanced Computed Tomography (CECT) imaging aids in preventing delayed necessary treatment or unnecessary surgery. Aim: To investigate the specificity and sensitivity of CECT in cases of the acute abdomen using histopathological, clinical, and intraoperative surgical findings as gold standards. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Radiology, Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India, from September 2020- 2022. Evaluation of 115 patients was done based on inclusion (Patients presenting with clinical symptoms of acute abdomen and undergoing CECT Abdomen, followed by a clinical, biochemical, surgical, or histopathological examination) and exclusion criteria. Sensitivity, specificity, Positive Predictive Value (PPV), Negative Predictive Value (NPV), and accuracy of CECT was calculated. The data was analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22. Results: The study included 115 patients with ages ranging from 9-88 years. An increased incidence in males was observed, M:F ratio of 1.4:1. The most common age group was 31-40 years (n-25; 21.7%), followed by 41-50 years (n-20; 17.4%). Cholecystitis was the most common cause of acute abdomen, accounting for 22.6% (n-26) of total cases followed by appendicitis. The overall accuracy rate of CECT was 93% with an accuracy of 98-99% in cases of cholecystitis appendicitis, pancreatitis, ovarian cyst, and bowel obstruction. Conclusion: CECT shows higher sensitivity and specificity in identifying different aetiology of acute abdomen. It also helps in optimal decision-making for management and improved outcomes.

Interindividual Comparison of Frequency-Selective Nonlinear Blending to Conventional CT for Detection of Focal Liver Lesions Using MRI as the Reference Standard.

BACKGROUND. Diagnosing liver lesions is challenging. CT is used for primary diagnosis, but its contrast resolution is limited. Investigating methods to improve detection of liver lesions is important. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of frequency-selective nonlinear blending on the detectability of liver lesions on CT. METHODS. A retrospective search yielded 109 patients with 356 malignant and benign liver lesions (191 principally diagnosed, 165 incidental findings) who underwent contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) in the portal venous phase and liver MRI between January 2012 and December 2017. Nonlinear blending was applied to CECT examinations, and three blinded readers independently rated the quality (5-point Likert scale) of randomly presented images. Focal lesions (n = 356) were evaluated for lesion identification and categorization to assess sensitivity. For 191 lesions (primary diagnosis), two readers evaluated CECT and nonlinear blending CT to compare lesion size and the accuracy of subjective measurements. A fourth reader performed ROI measurements for calculation of contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR), and a fifth reader reviewed MRI as the standard of reference. Statistics included interobserver agreement, quantitative comparisons of CNR, lesion size, and subjective image analyses of image quality and sensitivity for detecting liver lesions. RESULTS. Three readers rated the image quality of nonlinear blending CT (rating, 4; 10th-90th percentiles, 4-5) higher than that of CECT (rating, 2; 10th-90th percentiles, 1-3) (p < .001). CECT had good interreader agreement (interclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.81; 95% CI, 0.76-0.85), as did nonlinear blending CT (ICC, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.69-0.79). The median CNR of liver lesions increased with nonlinear blending (CECT, 4.18 [10th-90th percentiles, 1.67-9.06]; nonlinear blending CT, 12.49 [10th-90th percentiles, 6.18-23.39]; p < .001). Bland-Altman analysis of lesion size showed a reduction in underestimation from 2.5 (SD, 9.2) mm (95% CI, 1.2-3.9 mm) with CECT to 0.1 (SD, 3.9) mm (95% CI, -0.68 to 0.46 mm) for nonlinear blending CT (concordance correlation coefficient, 0.99). Sensitivity for detecting liver lesions increased to 86% for nonlinear blending CT. The sensitivity of CECT was 76%. CONCLUSION. Frequency-selective nonlinear blending in CECT increases image quality and CNR, increases the precision of size measurement, and increases sensitivity for detecting liver lesions. CLINICAL IMPACT. Use of nonlinear blending CT improves liver lesion detection and increases the accuracy of lesion size measurement, which is important when local ablation or liver transplant is being considered.

Comparative assessment of diagnostic value of computed tomography and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in colorectal cancer liver metastases diagnosis

Aim: This study aimed to clarify the ultrasound semiotics of colorectal cancer liver metastases contrast enhancement, and perform a comparative assessment of the diagnostic efficacy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and computed tomography (CT).Methods: We studied 40 patients with colorectal cancer: patients receiving treatment for the disease and having newly diagnosed colorectal cancer. All patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound and CT. In the cases of suspected malignancy, a trephine biopsy and a morphological examination were performed.Results: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound and CT demonstrated comparable and high diagnostic efficacy. The sensitivity of the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in malignancy detection was 93.3%, with 90% specificity, 96.55% positive predictive value, 81.82% negative predictive value, and 92.5% accuracy. The sensitivity of contrast-enhanced CT was 93.3%, with 80% specificity, 93.33% positive predictive value, 80% negative predictive value, and 92.5% accuracy.Conclusions: For patients with colorectal cancer with contraindications to contrast-enhanced CT, contrast-enhanced ultrasound may be used an alternative imaging option for the differential diagnosis of liver neoplasms.

Comparison of 18F-labelled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose-PET with conventional computed tomography for staging and response assessment in paediatric and adult patients with nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Nodular lymphocyte-predominant Hodgkin lymphoma (NLPHL) is an uncommon subtype of Hodgkin lymphoma. Data are limited regarding 18F-labelled fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG)-PET use in NLPHL. We are reporting our experience with FDG-PET utility in staging and response assessment NLPHL patients. We retrospectively studied a population of all newly diagnosed or relapsed/refractory patients who underwent both pre-treatment contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CeCT) and an FDG-PET and also at the end of planned treatment. We identified 68 patients found to have in total 312 scans, 78 paired pre-therapeutic and post-treatment CeCT and FDG-PET scans. Among them, 55 were male, with a median follow-up was 48 months. Median SUV-max was 8.3 (2.0-21.0). FDG-PET and CeCT were concordant in 80% (62/78) of staging scans. In 20% (16/78) of patients in whom a discordance was observed, FDG-PET resulted in upstaging in 13 scans and downstaging in 3 scans. The sensitivity of CeCT was 92% for nodal staging and 42% for extralymphatic staging when compared to FDG-PET. The specificity of CeCT was 98% as compared to FDG-PET. For response assessment, there was poor agreement between the CeCT and FDG-PET in assigning complete remission of disease scores as FDG-PET was able to identify the absence of disease despite the presence of a radiologically evident residual mass on CeCT. The sensitivity for CeCT compared to FDG-PET was 100% while the specificity was 43% for detection of post-treatment response. For NLPHL, pre-therapeutic FDG-PET scan is better than CeCT staging. FDG-PET has much better specificity for response assessment than CeCT.

Comparison of Efficacy of Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography with Contrast-Enhanced Computed Tomography in Pretreatment Evaluation of Head and Neck Cancers: An Institutional Experience

Abstract Introduction: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) constitute 5.4% of all cancers worldwide, and 23% of all cancers in males and 6% of all cancers in females diagnosed in India. Lots of ambiguity exists in primary, nodal, and metastatic workup of these patients, especially in developing countries. Aim: The study was designed to compare the accuracy of whole-body positron emission tomography/computed tomography (WBPET/CT) scan with contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) face and neck as pretreatment evaluation for staging workup and management decision and to confirm the nodal findings on imaging with fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Design: It was a single-institute, prospective, observational, interventional study over a 2-year period. All cases of SCC of upper aerodigestive tract who were scheduled for definitive treatment concurrent chemoradiotherapy or radiotherapy were evaluated with routine investigations followed by imaging in the form of CECT face and neck and 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) WBPET/CT. Results: In the 40 enrolled patients, all underwent CECT face and neck and WBPET/CT. During initial workup, biopsy was taken from primary site and FNAC was done from neck nodes for diagnosis and for staging. In 40 patients, CECT neck showed nodal metastasis in 39 patients; however, FNAC came positive in 38 cases. PET/CT showed nodal metastasis in 38 patients; however, FNAC came positive in 38 cases. Any node with Standardized uptake value (SUV) &gt;2.5 was taken as suspicious lesion and FNAC was done. Sensitivity of CECT and PET/CT was 97.36% and 100%, respectively, while the specificity was 0% and 100%, respectively. Positive predictive value calculated for CECT and WBPET was 94.87% and 100%, respectively, while the negative predictive value for CECT and WBPET was 0% and 100%, respectively. Conclusion: In head and neck SCC, FDG-PET/CT is more accurate than CECT in staging of the neck.

Comparison of 18F FDG PET-CT AND CECT in pretreatment staging of adults with Hodgkin’s lymphoma

We compared 2-[fluorine-18] fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose PET-CT and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in 62 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL), aiming to provide evidences that may spare CECT from the staging procedures of HL patients.Among a total of 1448 nodal sites examined, disease involvement was detected in 232 (16%) and 280 (19.3%) nodal areas by CECT and PET-CT, respectively (P < 0.01). Sensitivity of CECT in detecting disease involvement ranged from 0% for internal mammary region (7 cases) and Waldayer’s ring (1 case) to 100% for mediastinum.A total of 248 extranodal areas were examined. CECT and PET-CT identified disease involvement in 19 (7.7%) and 25 (10.1%) extranodal areas, respectively (P = n.s). Compared to PET-CT, CECT detected a lower number of cases with bone and/or bone marrow involvement (P = 0.05), whereas no differences were detected at the level of lung. By contrast, CECT identified liver lesions in four patients versus three identified by PET-CT.In comparison to CECT, PET-CT upstaged 6 patients (9.7%) and downstaged 1 patient (1.6%).We showed that PET-CT modified treatment strategy in five (8.1%) cases not only as a result of stage advancement (2 cases) but also of a different prognostic stratification in patients with localized disease (3 cases), due to the better sensitivity in detecting nodal involvement.In conclusion, our data, confirm the superiority of PET-CT in detecting disease involvement at diagnosis of HL, and further supports the possibility to replace CECT with PET-CT in the initial staging of HL.

Utility of contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the evaluation of canine insulinoma location

Objectives: To determine 1) the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced CT (CECT) for detection of primary canine insulinomas and metastases 2) the sensitivity of CECT to locate canine insulinomas within the pancreas and 3) the CECT attenuation pattern of canine insulinomas and post-contrast phase in which insulinomas have the best visibility.Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of 27 canine insulinoma patients. Simultaneous occurrence of blood glucose < 3.5 mmol/L (reference interval: 4.2–5.8 mmol/L) and plasma insulin > 10 mIU/L (reference interval: 1.4–24.5 mIU/L) were considered diagnostic for insulinoma. The dogs had a mean age of 9.0 ± 1.7 (SD) years and comprised 11 males and 17 females.Results: Using CECT-scans, 26/27 insulinomas were successfully detected. However, CECT-scans predicted the correct location of insulinomas within the pancreas in only 14/27 dogs. In 9/13 inaccurately located insulinoma cases, the location error was major. There was no significant difference between triple, double and single-phase CECT-scans with location accuracies of 54%, 50% and 50%, respectively. Also, there was no specific post-contrast phase in which insulinomas could be visualised best. Detection of lymph node metastases with CECT-scans had a sensitivity of 67% (10/15 lymph node metastases). Detection of liver metastases had a sensitivity of 75% (6/8 liver metastases). This study highlights that major location errors mainly occurred if single- or double-phase CECT-scans were used (6/9 cases).Conclusion: It is suggested that triple-phase CECT-scans have superior outcome over single- or double-phase CECT-scans in pre-operative imaging of canine insulinomas.

Detection of cartilage invasion in laryngeal carcinoma with dynamic contrast-enhanced CT.

ObjectiveStaging of laryngeal cancer largely depends on cartilage invasion. Presence of cartilage invasion affects treatment choice and prognosis. On MRI and contrast‐enhanced CT (CECT) it may be challenging to differentiate cartilage invasion from inflammation. The purpose of this study is to compare the diagnostic properties of dynamic contrast‐enhanced CT (DCECT) and CECT for visual detection of cartilage invasion in laryngeal cancer.Study DesignProspective cohort study.MethodsPatients with T3 or T4 laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma treated with total laryngectomy were evaluated using 0.625 mm slice CT. DCECT derived permeability and blood volume maps and CECT images were visually evaluated for the presence of invasion of the cartilaginous T‐stage subsites of laryngeal cancer, by detecting continuity with the tumor‐bulk of increased permeability, increased blood volume, and enhancement. Histological evaluation of the surgical total laryngectomy specimen served as the gold standard. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value, and positive predictive value were calculated and compared using the McNemar and Chi‐squared test.ResultsFrom 14 included patients, a total of 462 subsites were available for T‐stage analysis, of which 84 were cartilage. The median time between CT imaging and total laryngectomy was 1 day (range 1–34 days). There was no significant difference in the detection of cartilage invasion between DCECT and CECT. The sensitivity of CECT was better for all subsites combined (0.85 vs. 0.75; p < 0.01).ConclusionDCECT does not improve visual detection of cartilage invasion in T3 and T4 laryngeal cancer compared to CECT.Level of Evidence2b, individual cohort study.