Objectives
To update the 2012 European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology (ESSR) clinical consensus guidelines for musculoskeletal ultrasound referral in Europe.
Methods
Twenty-one musculoskeletal ...imaging experts from the ESSR participated in a consensus study based on a Delphic process. Two independent (non-voting) authors facilitated the procedure and resolved doubtful issues. Updated musculoskeletal ultrasound literature up to July 2017 was scored for shoulder, elbow, wrist/hand, hip, knee, and ankle/foot. Scoring of ultrasound elastography was included. The strength of the recommendation and level of evidence was scored by consensus greater than 67% or considered uncertain when the consensus was consensus less than 67%.
Results
A total of 123 new papers were reviewed. No evidence change was found regarding the shoulder. There were no new relevant articles for the shoulder, 10 new articles for the elbow, 28 for the hand/wrist, 3 for the hip, 7 for the knee, and 4 for the ankle/foot. Four new evidence levels of A were determined, one for the hip (gluteal tendons tears), one for the knee (meniscal cysts), one for the ankle (ankle joint instability), and one for the foot (plantar plate tear). There was no level A evidence for elastography, although for Achilles tendinopathy and lateral epicondylitis evidence level was B with grade 3 indication.
Conclusions
Four new areas of level A evidence were included in the guidelines. Elastography did not reach level A evidence. Whilst ultrasound is of increasing importance in musculoskeletal medical practice, the evidence for elastography remains moderate.
Key Points
• Evidence and expert consensus shows an increase of musculoskeletal ultrasound indications.
• Four new A evidence levels were found for the hip, knee, ankle, and foot.
• There was no level A evidence for elastography.
The aim of the present study was to assess feasibility, safety and outcome of ultrasound (US) guided percutaneous radiofrequency (RF) ablation of large substernal benign thyroid nodules assisted by ...US-computed tomography (CT) fusion imaging and real-time virtual needle tracking (VT) system. Thirty patients (18 females, mean age 56 y, range 32-76 y) with 35 benign nonfunctioning thyroid nodules (mean volume ± SD 26.8 ± 7.6 mL; range 20-38mL) were selected for CT-US fusion guided RF ablation. Nodules' volume was evaluated before treatment and during 12-months follow-up. Complications' rate was also evaluated. US-CT fusion imaging with VT system was feasible in all cases (feasibility 100%) and it was always possible to complete the procedure as planned (technical success 100%). Minor complications occurred in 2/30 cases (6.6%). No major complications occurred. 50% volume reduction (technique efficacy) was achieved in 93% cases, with a significant mean volume reduction at 12 months follow-up (68.7 ± 10.8%), (p < .001). The VT system could be useful in thyroid nodules ablation procedures assistance being able to track the RF electrode tip even when this is obscured by the bubbles produced by the ablative process. The combination of fusion imaging with VT assisted RF ablation represents a safe, non-surgical treatment option for patients with large substernal benign thyroid nodules.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objectives
Our aim was to evaluate the quality of published guidelines on musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSK-US) for adults.
Methods
Between June and July 2016, we conducted an online search for MSK-US ...guidelines, which were evaluated by four independent readers blinded to each other using the AGREE II tool. A fifth independent reviewer calculated scores per each domain and agreement between reviewers’ scores using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).
Results
Five guidelines were included in this appraisal. They were published between 2001 and 2014. Our appraisal showed intermediate results, with four out of five guidelines scoring “average” as overall quality. Domain 1 (scope and purpose) achieved the highest result (total score = 71.1% ± 18.7%). Domain 6 (editorial independence) had the lowest score (total score = 26.3% ± 19.3%). Interobserver agreement was very good for all the evaluated guidelines (ICC ranged between 0.932 and 0.956).
Conclusions
Overall, quality of MSK-US guidelines ranges from low to average when evaluated using the AGREE II tool. The editorial independence domain was the most critical, thus deserving more attention when developing future guidelines.
Main messages
• Four of five guidelines on MSK-US had an average quality level.
• Scope/purpose had the highest score (71.1% ± 18.7%).
• Editorial independence had the lowest score (26.3% ± 19.3%).
• Interobserver agreement was very good (ranges: 0.932–0.956).
In this paper, we present and discuss a novel reliability metric to quantify the extent a ground truth, generated in multi-rater settings, as a reliable basis for the training and validation of ...machine learning predictive models. To define this metric, three dimensions are taken into account: agreement (that is, how much a group of raters mutually agree on a single case); confidence (that is, how much a rater is certain of each rating expressed); and competence (that is, how accurate a rater is). Therefore, this metric produces a reliability score weighted for the raters’ confidence and competence, but it only requires the former information to be actually collected, as the latter can be obtained by the ratings themselves, if no further information is available. We found that our proposal was both more conservative and robust to known paradoxes than other existing agreement measures, by virtue of a more articulated notion of the agreement due to chance, which was based on an empirical estimation of the reliability of the single raters involved. We discuss the above metric within a realistic annotation task that involved 13 expert radiologists in labeling the MRNet dataset. We also provide a nomogram by which to assess the actual accuracy of a classification model, given the reliability of its ground truth. In this respect, we also make the point that theoretical estimates of model performance are consistently overestimated if ground truth reliability is not properly taken into account.
Magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) requires intra-articular injection of gadolinium-based diluted paramagnetic contrast material. To our knowledge, gadobenate dimeglumine (Gd-BOPTA) has never been ...used for intra-articular applications. Our aim was to test in vitro different concentrations of Gd-BOPTA to be potentially used to perform MRA.
Gd-BOPTA was diluted in saline (NaCl 0.9%) to achieve different concentrations (4 mmol/l; 2 mmol/l; 1 mmol/l; 0.67 mmol/l; 0.5 mmol/l). Six sets of five sterile pipes were prepared with 5 ml of each solution, five sets added with 0.5 ml of fresh synovial fluid. Two separate pipes were prepared with 5 ml of gadopentetate dimeglumine (Gd-DTPA) at 2 mmol/l, one pipe added with 0.5 ml of synovial fluid. Pipes were imaged using a T1-weighted sequence at 1.5 T. For each pipe, signal intensity (SI) in arbitrary units (au) was measured.
SI reproducibility range was 86-99%. Mean Gd-BOPTA SI in pipes containing synovial fluid increased from 1236 ± 8au (0.5 mmol/l) up to 1610 ± 44au (1 mmol/l) and down to 1405 ± 33au (4 mmol/l). Mean Gd-BOPTA SI in pipes without synovial fluid increased from 1184 ± 29au (0.5 mmol/l) up to 1530 ± 38au (1 mmol/l), and down to 1347 ± 39au (4 mmol/l). SI of pipes without synovial fluid was lower than that of pipes with synovial fluid for both Gd-BOPTA and Gd-DTPA (P ≤ 0.002). Regarding pipes with synovial fluid, mean Gd-DTPA SI at 2 mmol/l was 1246 ± 27au. Compared with Gd-BOPTA, SI was not different at 0.5 mmol/l (- 0.2%, P = 0.587) while it was higher (P < 0.001) at all other concentrations (range + 13.3%4 mmol/l - + 28.3%1 mmol/l). Regarding pipes without synovial fluid, mean Gd-DTPA SI at 2 mmol/l was 1275 ± 56au. Compared with Gd-BOPTA, SI was lower at 0.5 mmol/l (- 6.8%,P < 0.001), while it was higher (P < 0.001) at all other concentrations (range + 6.1%4 mmol/l - + 19.6% 1 mmol/l).
In vitro, Gd-BOPTA at 1 mmol/ had a + 28% SI increase in comparison to Gd-DTPA 2 mmol/l. SI similar to Gd-DTPA can be obtained using one fourth concentration of Gd-BOPTA.
Purpose To determine whether the use of one or two needles influences procedure performance and patient outcomes for ultrasonography (US)-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy. ...Materials and Methods Institutional review board approval and written informed patient consent were obtained. From February 2012 to December 2014, 211 patients (77 men and 134 women; mean age, 41.6 years ± 11.6; range, 24-69 years) with painful calcific tendinopathy diagnosed at US were prospectively enrolled and randomized. Operators subjectively graded calcifications as hard, soft, or fluid according to their appearance at US. US-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy (local anesthesia, needle lavage, intrabursal steroid injection) was performed in 100 patients by using the single-needle procedure and in 111 patients by using the double-needle procedure. Calcium dissolution was subjectively scored (easy = 1; intermediate = 2; difficult = 3). Procedure duration was recorded. Clinical evaluation was performed by using the Constant score up to 1 year after the procedure. The occurrence of postprocedural bursitis was recorded. Mann-Whitney U, χ
, and analysis of variance statistics were used. Results No difference in procedure duration was seen overall (P = .060). Procedure duration was shorter with the double-needle procedure in hard calcifications (P < .001) and with the single-needle procedure in fluid calcifications (P = .024). Ease of calcium dissolution was not different between single- and double-needle procedures, both overall and when considering calcification appearance (P > .089). No clinical differences were found (Constant scores for single-needle group: baseline, 55 ± 7; 1 month, 69 ± 7; 3 month, 90 ± 5; 1 year, 92 ± 4; double-needle group: 57 ± 6; 71 ± 9; 89 ± 7; 92 ± 4, respectively; P = .241). In the single-needle group, nine of 100 cases (9%) of postprocedural bursitis were seen, whereas four of 111 cases (3.6%) were seen in the double-needle group (P = .180). Conclusion The only difference between using the single- or double-needle procedure when performing US-guided percutaneous irrigation of calcific tendinopathy is procedure duration in hard and fluid calcifications. Clinical outcomes are similar up to 1 year.
RSNA, 2017.
The ankle is the most frequently injured major joint in the body, and ankle sprains are frequently encountered in individuals playing football, basketball, and other team sports, in addition to ...occurring in the general population. Imaging plays a crucial role in the evaluation of ankle ligaments. Magnetic resonance imaging has been proven to provide excellent evaluation of ligaments around the ankle, with the ability to show associated intraarticular abnormalities, joint effusion, and bone marrow edema. Ultrasonography (US) performed with high-resolution broadband linear-array probes has become increasingly important in the assessment of ligaments around the ankle because it is low cost, fast, readily available, and free of ionizing radiation. US can provide a detailed depiction of normal anatomic structures and is effective for evaluating ligament integrity. In addition, US allows the performance of dynamic maneuvers, which may contribute to increased visibility of normal ligaments and improved detection of tears. In this article, the authors describe the US techniques for evaluation of the ankle and midfoot ligaments and include a brief review of the literature related to their basic anatomic structures and US of these structures. Short video clips showing dynamic maneuvers and dynamic real-time US of ankle and midfoot structures and their principal pathologic patterns are included as supplemental material. Use of a standardized imaging technique may help reduce the intrinsic operator dependence of US. Online supplemental material is available for this article.
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