OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlations among the extent of bone involvement, splenic volume, and quality of life in patients with Gaucher disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a descriptive, prospective cross-sectional study of 18 patients with Gaucher disease who underwent 3-T magnetic resonance imaging of both femurs and the lumbar spine. Semiquantitative analyses were performed on the basis of the bone marrow burden (BMB) score. We looked for linear relationships among the variables splenic volume, quality of life score, and BMB score. RESULTS: We identified a linear relationship between the BMB scores and splenic volume. The quality of life score showed no statistically significant relationship with splenic volume or the BMB score. CONCLUSION: The linear relationship between the BMB score and the splenic volume indicates that the extent of bone disease is greater in individuals with splenomegaly. No correlation was found between the BMB and quality of life scores, illustrating the insidious and silent progression of Gaucher disease.

Keywords: Gaucher disease; Magnetic resonance imaging; Musculoskeletal system; Hematologic diseases.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of nephropathy induced by intravenous contrast in hospitalized patients undergoing computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study involving 1,238 patients who underwent CT with or without intravenous administration of a contrast agent (iopromide). The primary outcome measure was acute kidney injury (AKI), as defined by the traditional criteria—an absolute or relative increase in serum creatinine (SCr) ≥ 0.5 mg/dL or ≥ 25% over baseline, respectively, at 2–3 days after contrast administration—and the newer, Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria—an absolute or relative increase in SCr ≥ 0.3 mg/dL or ≥ 50% over baseline, respectively, at 2–7 days after contrast administration. RESULTS: The overall incidence of AKI was 11.52% when the KDIGO criteria were applied. Univariate logistic regression demonstrated a significant association between an absolute post-CT increase in SCr ≥ 0.5 mg/dL and AKI, although that association did not retain significance in the multivariate analysis. Multivariate logistic regression initially found an association between an absolute post-CT increase in SCr ≥ 0.3 mg/dL and advanced age, although that association was not maintained after correction. We found no association between AKI and the risk factors evaluated. CONCLUSION: We identified no criteria for contrast-induced nephropathy after CT; nor did we find AKI to be associated with the classical risk factors.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury; Tomography, X-ray computed; Contrast media/adverse effects; Contrast media/administration & dosage; Iodine radioisotopes; Creatinine/blood.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the indications for breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at a referral center for breast cancer in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study in which we reviewed the clinical records, including physician requests and patient questionnaires, of women who underwent breast MRI between 2014 and 2018 at a referral center for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. RESULTS: The most common indication for breast MRI was as a complement to mammography/ultrasonography (in 43.6% of cases), followed by breast cancer staging (in 25.1%), the screening of patients at high risk (in 17.4%), the evaluation of breast implants (in 10.1%), and the evaluation of the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (in 3.8%). CONCLUSION: Although there is strong evidence supporting the use of breast MRI, mainly for the screening of high-risk patients, the imaging method is underutilized in Brazil.

Keywords: Breast neoplasms/diagnostic imaging; Magnetic resonance imaging; Early detection of cancer/methods.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether the radiomic features of lung lesions on computed tomography correlate with overall survival in lung cancer patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective study involving 101 consecutive patients with malignant neoplasms confirmed by biopsy or surgery. On computed tomography images, the lesions were submitted to semi-automated segmentation and were characterized on the basis of 2,465 radiomic variables. The prognostic assessment was based on Kaplan–Meier analysis and log-rank tests, according to the median value of the radiomic variables. RESULTS: Of the 101 patients evaluated, 28 died (16 dying from lung cancer), and 73 were censored, with a mean overall survival time of 1,819.4 days (95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1,481.2–2,157.5). One radiomic feature (the mean of the Fourier transform) presented a difference on Kaplan–Meier curves (p < 0.05). A high-risk group of patients was identified on the basis of high values for the mean of the Fourier transform. In that group, the mean survival time was 1,465.4 days (95% CI: 985.2–1,945.6), with a hazard ratio of 2.12 (95% CI: 1.01–4.48). We also identified a low-risk group, in which the mean of the Fourier transform was low (mean survival time of 2,164.8 days; 95% CI: 1,745.4–2,584.1). CONCLUSION: A radiomic signature based on the Fourier transform correlates with overall survival, representing a prognostic biomarker for risk stratification in patients with lung cancer.

Keywords: Tomography, X-ray computed; Radiographic image interpretation, computer-assisted; Lung neoplasms; Prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: To establish ultrasound reference values for thyroid volumes in children up to 3 years of age, given that ultrasound of the thyroid is an essential examination in the diagnosis of childhood thyroid disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective study conducted in an iodine-sufficient city in southeastern Brazil. A total of 100 healthy children underwent clinical evaluation, anthropometric examination, and cervical ultrasound in accordance with conventional protocols. We evaluated characteristics such as echotexture, thyroid lobe volume, and total thyroid volume. The children were divided into five groups, by age: < 2 months; 2–12 months; 12–18 months; 18–24 months; and 24–36 months. RESULTS: The mean thyroid volume was lower in the < 2 month age group than in the other groups (0.4 mL vs. 0.18–0.70 mL; p < 0.001). For the subjects between 2 and 36 months of age, the mean volume was 1.0 mL (range, 0.30–2.0 mL). No other significant differences were observed between groups, thyroid lobes, or gender. However, body mass index correlated significantly with total thyroid volume (r = 0.347; p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The mean thyroid dimensions were smallest in the < 2 month age group (0.35 ± 0.16 mL). For the subjects between 2 and 36 months of age, a reference value of 0.85 ± 0.42 mL can be used. Our data could guide the diagnostic investigation of thyroid disease, especially congenital hypothyroidism, in childhood.

Keywords: Thyroid diseases; Congenital hypothyroidism; Ultrasonography; Child development; Child health.

The functional assessment of the fetal heart has been incorporated into cardiac ultrasound screening as a routine procedure, encompassing fetuses with and without structural heart diseases. It has long been known that various cardiac and extracardiac conditions, such as fetal growth restriction, fetal tumors, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, fetal anemia, diaphragmatic hernia, arteriovenous fistula with high cardiac output, and congenital heart diseases (valvular regurgitation and primary myocardial disease), can alter hemodynamic status and fetal cardiac function. Several ultrasound and Doppler echocardiographic parameters of fetal cardiovascular disease have been shown to correlate with perinatal mortality. However, it is still difficult to identify the signs of fetal heart failure and to determine their relationship with prognosis. The aim of this study was to review the main two-dimensional Doppler ultrasound parameters that can be used in the evaluation of fetal cardiac function, with a focus on how to perform that evaluation and on its clinical applicability.

Keywords: Fetal heart; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Echocardiography, Doppler; Echocardiography/methods.

When it is necessary to evaluate dental structures, the typical method is to obtain intraoral or panoramic X-rays at specialized dental clinics. However, in the daily practice of head and neck radiology, or even general radiology, it is common to encounter clinical situations or examination findings related to dental problems that should not be ignored. Because such problems can often be responsible for the clinical complaints of patients, this review aims to assist radiologists in identifying and describing common dental conditions on computed tomography of paranasal sinuses, face, and neck. It is important for radiologists to have knowledge of dental arch anatomy and its relationships with facial structures, as well as of major dental pathologies, including periapical sclerotic lesions, odontogenic cysts, fistulas, and abscesses, together with knowledge of incidental findings without clinical repercussions, which should be easily identified and stressed by the radiologist when necessary. The imaging methods most commonly used in evaluation of paranasal sinuses and face are computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Those methods allow radiologists to recognize and become familiar with the main dental findings. The description of such findings by a radiologist can lead to a change in treatment strategy.

Keywords: Dental arch/pathology; Periodontal diseases/diagnosis; Tomography, X-ray computed; Magnetic resonance imaging.

The temporal lobes are vulnerable to several diseases, including infectious, immune-mediated, degenerative, vascular, metabolic, and neoplastic processes. Therefore, lesions in the temporal lobes can pose a diagnostic challenge for the radiologist. The temporal lobes are connected by structures such as the anterior commissure, corpus callosum, and hippocampal commissure. That interconnectedness favors bilateral involvement in various clinical contexts. This pictorial essay is based on a retrospective analysis of case files from a tertiary university hospital and aims to illustrate some of the conditions that simultaneously affect the temporal lobes, as well as to define some neuroimaging elements that may be useful for the differential diagnosis of these diseases. Using computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans, we illustrate the neuroradiological findings in confirmed cases of human herpesvirus 1, central nervous system tuberculosis, autoimmune encephalitis, Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, mesial temporal sclerosis, stroke, kernicterus, megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts, low-grade glioma, and secondary lymphoma, the objective being to emphasize the importance of these imaging methods for making the differential diagnosis.

Keywords: Temporal lobe/diagnostic imaging; Computed tomography; Magnetic resonance imaging.

Placental magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been increasingly requested, especially for the evaluation of suspected cases of placental adhesive disorders, generally known as placenta accreta. Abdominal radiologists need to become familiar with normal placental anatomy, anatomical variations, the current terminology, and major placental diseases that, although rare, are important causes of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this didactic pictorial essay is to illustrate various findings on placental MRI, as well as to emphasize the importance of communication between radiologists and obstetricians in the search for best practices in the management of the affected patients.

Keywords: Magnetic resonance imaging; Placenta/diagnostic imaging; Placenta accreta/diagnosis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the most common primary malignant liver tumour and is a leading cause of death worldwide. Despite the advent of screening programmes, most cases of hepatocellular carcinoma are diagnosed late (in an advanced stage) which precludes curative treatments such as surgery and ablation. Therefore, intra-arterial locoregional treatments now play a central role in the management of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, such treatments ranging from trans-arterial chemo-embolisation to the more recently developed trans-arterial radio-embolisation technique. In this essay, we discuss the state of the art of intra-arterial treatment for locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma and the future directions for such treatment.

Keywords: Carcinoma, hepatocellular/therapy; Fibrosis; Liver/pathology; Medical oncology/methods; Chemoembolization, therapeutic; Liver neoplasms/radiotherapy.