ObjectiveTo determine the best second-step approach for discriminating benign from malignant adnexal masses classified as inconclusive by International Ovarian Tumour Analysis Simple Rules (IOTA-SR). MethodsSingle-center prospective study comprising a consecutive series of patients diagnosed as having an adnexal mass classified as inconclusive according to IOTA-SR. All women underwent Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA) analysis, MRI interpreted by a radiologist, and ultrasound examination by a gynecological sonologist. Cases were clinically managed according to the result of the ultrasound expert examination by either serial follow-up for at least 1 year or surgery. Reference standard was histology (patient was submitted to surgery if any of the tests was suspicious) or follow-up (masses with no signs of malignancy after 12 months were considered benign). Diagnostic performance of all three approaches was calculated and compared. Direct cost analysis of the test used was also performed. ResultsEighty-two adnexal masses in 80 women (median age 47.6 years, range 16 to 73 years) were included. Seventeen patients (17 masses) were managed expectantly (none had diagnosis of ovarian cancer after at least 12 months of follow-up) and 63 patients (65 masses) underwent surgery and tumor removal (40 benign and 25 malignant tumors). Sensitivity and specificity for ultrasound, MRI, and ROMA were 96% and 93%, 100% and 81%, and 24% and 93%, respectively. The specificity of ultrasound was better than that for MRI (p=0.021), and the sensitivity of ultrasound was better than that for ROMA (p<0.001), sensitivity was better for MRI than for ROMA (p<0.001) and the specificity of ROMA was better than that for MRI (p<0.001). Ultrasound evaluation was the most effective and least costly method as compared with MRI and ROMA. ConclusionIn this study, ultrasound examination was the best second-step approach in inconclusive adnexal masses as determined by IOTA-SR, but the findings require confirmation in multicenter prospective trials.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) for detecting pelvic and abdominal tumor spread in women with epithelial ovarian cancer. Methods: An observational cohort study of 93 patients (mean age 57.6 years) with an ultrasound diagnosis of adnexal mass suspected of malignancy and confirmed histologically as epithelial ovarian cancer was undertaken. In all cases, transvaginal and transabdominal ultrasound as well as CT scans were performed to assess the extent of the disease within the pelvis and abdomen prior to surgery. The exploration was systematic, analyzing 12 anatomical areas. All patients underwent surgical staging and/or cytoreductive surgery with an initial laparoscopy for assessing resectability. The surgical and pathological findings were considered as the 'reference standard'. Sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound and CT scanning were calculated for the different anatomical areas and compared using the McNemar test. Agreement between ultrasound and CT staging and the surgical stage was estimated using the weighted kappa index. Results: The tumorous stage was International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage I in 26 cases, stage II in 11 cases, stage III in 47 cases, and stage IV in nine cases. Excluding stages I and IIA cases (n=30), R0 (no macroscopic residual disease) was achieved in 36 women (62.2%), R1 (macroscopic residual disease <1cm) was achieved in 13 women (25.0%), and R2 (macroscopic residual disease >1cm) debulking surgery occurred in three women (5.8%). Eleven patients (11.8%) were considered not suitable for optimal debulking surgery during laparoscopic assessment. Overall sensitivity of ultrasound and CT for detecting disease was 70.3% and 60.1%, respectively, and specificity was 97.8% and 93.7%, respectively. The agreement between radiological stage and surgical stage for ultrasound (kappa index 0.69) and CT (kappa index 0.70) was good for both techniques. Overall accuracy to determine tumor stage was 71% for ultrasound and 75% for CT. Conclusion: Detailed ultrasound examination renders a similar diagnostic performance to CT for assessing pelvic/abdominal tumor spread in women with epithelial ovarian cancer.

Objectives-To evaluate the agreement of clinical examination, 2-dimensional (2D) sonography, and 3-dimensional (3D) sonography with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for local staging of cervical cancer. Methods-We conducted a prospective study including women with a diagnosis of carcinoma of the cervix. All women were staged clinically and underwent 2D and 3D transvaginal sonography and MRI before treatment for assessing tumor size and parametrial, bladder, and rectal involvement using the examiner's subjective impression. Agreement between sonography and MRI was assessed by calculating the. index and percentage of agreement. Results-Forty women were included (mean age +/- SD, 46.6 +/- 11.4 years). Eleven had early-stage (IA and IB1) disease, and 29 had advanced-stage (IB2-IVB) disease. A significant correlation for tumor size estimation was found between MRI and pelvic examination (r = 0.754; P < .001), MRI and 2D sonography (r = 0.649; P < .001), and MRI and 3D sonography (r = 0.657; P<.001). Agreement for parametrial infiltration between MRI and pelvic examination was fair (kappa = 0.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.10-0.54; 62.5% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (kappa = 0.41; 95% CI, 0.15-0.66; 70.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was good (kappa = 0.60; 95% CI, 0.35-0.85; 80.0% agreement). Agreement for bladder involvement between MRI and pelvic examination was moderate (kappa = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10-0.99; 95.0% agreement), between MRI and 2D sonography was moderate (kappa = 0.48; 95% CI, 0.10-0.99; 95.0% agreement), and between MRI and 3D sonography was very good (kappa = 0.84; 95% CI, 0.55-1.0; 97.5% agreement). Agreement for rectal involvement was not calculated because of the very small number of cases. Conclusions-Three-dimensional sonography showed good agreement with MRI for assessing parametrial infiltration and bladder involvement in cervical cancer.

Objectives: To establish the accuracy and reliability of cardiac dual-source CT (DSCT) and two-dimensional contrast-enhanced echocardiography (CE-Echo) in estimating left ventricular (LV) parameters with respect to cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) as the reference standard. Methods: Twenty-five consecutive heart transplant recipients (20 male, mean age 62.7 +/- 10.4 years, mean time since transplantation 8.1 +/- 5.9 years) were prospectively recruited. Two blinded readers independently assessed LV ejection fraction (EF), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and stroke volume (SV) for each patient after manual tracing of the endo-and epicardial contours in DSCT, CE-Echo and CMR cine images. Student's t-test for paired samples for differences, and Bland and Altman plots and Lin's concordance-correlation coefficients (CCC) for agreement were calculated. Results: There was no statistical difference between left ventricular parameters determined by DSCT and CMR. CE-Echo resulted in significant underestimation of left ventricular volumes (mean difference EDV: 15.94 +/- 14.19 ml and 17.1 +/- 17.06 ml, ESV: 8.5 +/- 9.3 and 7.32 +/- 9.14 ml with respect to DSCT and CMR), and overestimation of EF compared with the cross-sectional imaging modalities (3.78 +/- 8.47% and 2.14 +/- 8.35% with respect to DSCT and CMR). Concordance correlation coefficients for LV parameters using DSCT and CMR were higher (CCC >= 0.75) than CCC values observed between CE-Echo and DSCT- or CMR-derived data (CCC >= 0.54 and CCC >= 0.49, respectively). Interobserver agreement was higher for DSCT and CMR values (CCC >= 0.72 and CCC >= 0.87, respectively). Conclusion: In orthotopic heart transplantation cardiac DSCT allows accurate and reliable estimation of LV parameters compared with CMR, whereas CE-Echo seems to be insufficient to obtain precise measurements. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction: To compare left atrial performance with dual-source CT (DSCT) with respect to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in orthotopic heart transplant recipients. Methods: Twenty-nine consecutive heart transplant recipients (27 male,mean age 64.1 +/- 13 years; mean time from transplantation 122.8 +/- 69.7 months) referred for exclusion of cardiac allograft vasculopathy underwent cardiac DSCT and MRI. Standard biatrial technique was employed in 13 subjects whereas 16 were transplanted after the bicaval technique. Axial 5-mm slice-thickness DSCT datasets reconstructed in 5% steps of the cardiac cycle and axial 5-mm SSFP-MRI images were analyzed. Two blinded readers manually traced left atrial contours in random order to estimate end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), and ejection fraction (EF). Parameters were compared with a paired sample Student t test. Concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) was calculated to determine measurement agreement between techniques and observers. Results: Left atrial volumes were significantly higher with cardiac DSCT (EDV: 170.9 +/- 78.1 mL; ESV: 139.5 +/- 76.6 mL) than with MRI (EDV: 158.2 +/- 72.5 mL; ESV: 124.2 +/- 68.2 mL), whereas left atrial EF was lower with DSCT (EF: 20.8% +/- 7.5% vs. 23.6% +/- 7.7%) (P < 0.05). Measurement agreement between DSCT and MRI was excellent for all parameters (CCC >= 0.82). Individuals operated with the biatrial anastomosis technique presented significantly higher left atrial volumes and lower EF compared with subjects with bicaval anastomosis. Interobserver agreement was excellent for all parameters (CCC >= 0.80). Conclusion: Even if DSCT slightly overestimates left atrial volumes with respect to MRI, results remain clinically valid. Bicaval surgical technique offers improved left atrial performance compared with standard biatrial anastomosis. DSCT may be used as a reliable tool to estimate left atrial parameters in orthotopic heart transplant recipients.