Arterial phase multi-detector row CT is accurate for detection and localization of bleeding sites in patients with acute massive GI bleeding.

Nonsurgical treatment has become the standard of care in hemodynamically stable patients with blunt liver trauma. The use of helical computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis and management of blunt liver trauma is mainly responsible for the notable shift during the past decade from routine surgical to nonsurgical management of blunt liver injuries. CT is the diagnostic modality of choice for the evaluation of blunt liver trauma in hemodynamically stable patients and can accurately help identify hepatic parenchymal injuries, help quantify the degree of hemoperitoneum, and reveal associated injuries in other abdominal organs, retroperitoneal structures, and the gastrointestinal tract. The CT features of blunt liver trauma include lacerations, subcapsular or parenchymal hematomas, active hemorrhage, juxtahepatic venous injuries, periportal low attenuation, and a flat inferior vena cava. It is important that radiologists be familiar with the liver injury grading system based on these CT features that was established by the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma. CT is also useful in the assessment of delayed complications in blunt liver trauma, including delayed hemorrhage, hepatic or perihepatic abscess, posttraumatic pseudoaneurysm and hemobilia, and biliary complications such as biloma and bile peritonitis. Follow-up CT is needed in patients with high-grade liver injuries to identify potential complications that require early intervention.

Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative bacterial infection caused by Actinomyces species. Actinomyces israelii is the organism most commonly found in human disease. Actinomycosis usually manifests with abscess formation, dense fibrosis, and draining sinuses. The disease is further characterized by the tendency to extensively spread beyond normal fascial and connective tissue planes. Actinomycosis occurs most commonly in the cervicofacial region (50%-65%), followed by the thoracic (15%-30%) and abdominopelvic (20%) regions, but rarely involves the central nervous system. Most cases of cervicofacial actinomycosis are odontogenic in origin. In the acute form, cervicofacial disease can manifest with soft-tissue swelling, a painful pyogenic abscess, or a mass lesion. In the subacute to chronic form, a painless indurated mass can spread to the skin, leading to draining sinus tracts. Thoracic manifestations include parenchymal, bronchiectatic, and endobronchial actinomycosis. At computed tomography, pulmonary actinomycosis usually appears as chronic segmental airspace consolidation containing necrotic low-attenuation areas with peripheral enhancement. Abdominopelvic actinomycosis preferentially involves the ileocecal region, ovary, and fallopian tube. The imaging findings favoring abdominopelvic actinomycosis include strong enhancement in the solid portion of the mass after contrast material administration, small rim-enhancing abscesses within the mass, and extensive inflammatory extensions. Actinomycosis in the central nervous system may produce brain abscess, meningitis, subdural empyema, actinomycetoma, and spinal and cranial epidural abscess. In general, actinomycosis responds well to antibiotic therapy, but long-term follow-up after treatment is needed because of frequent relapses.

Paget disease is a rare malignancy of the breast characterized by infiltration of the nipple epidermis by adenocarcinoma cells. The clinical features of Paget disease are characteristic and should increase the likelihood of the diagnosis being made. An important point is that more than 90% of cases of Paget disease are associated with an additional underlying breast malignancy. Paget disease is frequently associated with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) in the underlying lactiferous ducts of the nipple-areolar complex; it may even be associated with DCIS or invasive breast cancer elsewhere in the breast, at least 2 cm from the nipple-areolar complex. Nevertheless, mammographic findings may be negative in up to 50% of cases. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can be useful in patients with Paget disease for evaluation of the nipple-areolar complex and identification of an additional underlying malignancy in the breast. The appropriate surgical treatment must be carefully selected and individualized on the basis of radiologic findings, especially those obtained with breast MR imaging.

The incidence, histologic distribution, and clinical manifestations of ovarian tumors in the pediatric population are distinct from those in adults. Although ovarian neoplasms in childhood and adolescence are rare, the diagnosis should be considered in young girls with abdominal pain and a palpable mass. Differential diagnosis in children and adolescents with ovarian tumors should be conducted on the basis of unique clinical manifestations, elevated serum tumor marker levels, and distinctive imaging findings. Although the clinical manifestations are nonspecific and may overlap, they may assist in diagnosis of some types of ovarian tumors. Children who present with a palpable mass or symptoms of precocious puberty have a high likelihood of malignancy. Many ovarian tumors are associated with abnormal hormonal activity and/or abnormal sexual development. Elevated levels of serum tumor markers, including α-fetoprotein, the beta subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin, and CA-125, raise concern for ovarian malignancies. However, negative tumor markers do not exclude the possibility of malignancy. Identification of imaging features at ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging can help differentiate benign from malignant ovarian tumors and, in turn, plays a crucial role in determining treatment options. At imaging, malignant ovarian tumors usually appear predominantly solid or heterogeneous and are larger than benign tumors. Because surgery is the primary treatment for ovarian tumors, ovarian salvage with fertility preservation and use of a minimally invasive surgical technique are important in children and adolescents.

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ObjectiveTo evaluate whether the histopathological differentiation and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do show correlation with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI).Materials and MethodsTwenty-seven HCCs from 27 patients who had undergone preoperative liver MRI (1.5T) and surgical resection were retrospectively reviewed. DWI was obtained with a single-shot, echo-planar imaging sequence in the axial plane (b values: 0 and 1,000 sec/mm2). On DWIs, the ADC value of the HCCs was measured by one radiologist, who was kept 'blinded' to the histological findings. Histopathologically, the differentiation was classified into well (n = 9), moderate (n = 9) and poor (n = 9). The expression of VEGF was semiquantitatively graded as grade 0 (n = 8), grade 1 (n = 9) and grade 2 (n = 10). We analyzed whether the histopathological differentiation and the expression of VEGF of the HCC showed correlation with the ADC value on DWI.ResultsThe mean ADC value of the poorly-differentiated HCCs (0.9 ± 0.13×10-3 mm2/s) was lower than those of the well-differentiated HCCs (1.2 ± 0.22×10-3 mm2/s) (p = 0.031) and moderately-differentiated HCCs (1.1 ± 0.01×10-3 mm2/s) (p = 0.013). There was a significant correlation between the differentiation and the ADC value of the HCCs (r = -0.51, p = 0.012). The mean ADC of the HCCs with a VEGF expression grade of 0, 1 and 2 was 1.1 ± 0.17, 1.1 ± 0.21 and 1.1 ± 0.18×10-3 mm2/s, respectively. The VEGF expression did not show correlation with the ADC value of the HCCs (r = 0.07, p = 0.74).ConclusionThe histopathological differentiation of HCC shows inverse correlation with the ADC value. Therefore, DWI with ADC measurement may be a valuable tool for noninvasively predicting the differentiation of HCC.

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